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Saif Gaddafi may run for Libya's presidency to rescue country from turmoil

12:12 AM | 21 Mar, 2018
Saif Gaddafi may run for Libya's presidency to rescue country from turmoil
TUNISIA - Nearly seven years after the bloody NATO-backed uprising overthrew Colonel Gaddafi, his son, Saif Al-Islam is reportedly seeking to run in the Libyan presidential elections this year to “rescue” his country from the turmoil.

The second son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity, is seeking to run in the country's presidential election, which is set to be held sometime before the end of this year. The 45-year-old, currently hiding in Tunisia, launched his presidential campaign as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya (PFLL) on Monday.

“Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has decided to run in the upcoming presidential elections and does not aspire to power in its traditional sense,” PFLL spokesman Ayman Abu Ras announced during a press conference in Tunis.

Gaddafi’s candidacy will be officially registered at the opening of registration lists in the elections, the spokesman said, noting that the self-exiled man plans to “save Libya” and “establish peace and stability” in the war-torn country. He added that Gaddafi’s reform program includes a comprehensive political, security and social vision for the future of a “modern and open” Libya.

The spokesman vowed that Gaddafi Jr. will directly address Libyans in the coming days to announce his electoral plans and his vision of rebuilding the state. In the meantime, the lawyer representing Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi confirmed that his client will register his candidacy when the registration process officially opens.

“The Libyan people have the right to choose," Khalid al-Ghuwail said.

Libya descended into chaos after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, with multiple governments competing for control of the oil-rich country. Currently, the north African country is divided between the Tobruk-based parliament and the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The power vacuum in the country, which emerged after the disastrous NATO-led military intervention in 2011, has also been exploited by militants and terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL) offshoots.

Gaddafi now “proposes the restoration of the national state with full sovereignty,” Abu Ras said, noting that the PFLL platform advocates the “elimination of terrorism in all its forms.”

Despite Abu Ras' announcement, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has not appeared in public since his release from prison in the southern city of Zintan in June 2017, where he had been detained by a local militia following his capture in 2011. In July 2015, Gaddafi Jr. was sentenced to death by Tripoli in absentia for war crimes. However, Zintan authorities refused to implement his sentence, ultimately releasing their prisoner after six years of captivity. While the Tobruk-based government granted Gaddafi Jr. full amnesty in June 2017, the 45-year-old still has a standing ICC arrest warrant over crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 2011 Arab Spring protests. The whereabouts of Gaddafi’s son have been uncertain since he was released by militiamen. He is presumably taking refuge in neighboring Tunisia.

Muhammad Irfan

The writer is a staff member. He has been affiliated with Pakistan's leading English newspapers and worked as News Producer at FM 107.4. Death (as...he believes...life is a station, and death is a longest journey from seen to ...

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Rupee below 290 against US dollar in interbank market

KARACHI – The Pakistani rupee on Tuesday continued its ascent, trading at less than Rs290 against the US dollar in the morning interbank market, primarily due to stringent measures in the financial sector.

The US dollar was valued at Rs289.78 around 9:48 am, as reported by the Forex Association of Pakistan, marking a decrease of Rs1.18 from the previous day’s closing rate of Rs290.86.

This ongoing rise in the value of the rupee follows the crackdown on illegal dollar trading initiated earlier this month, with strong support from the military.

In the open market, the rupee also made gains against the dollar, trading at Rs292 compared to the previous day’s rate of Rs293, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan.

Saad Bin Naseer, the director of the financial services platform Mettis Global, noted that this marked the 16th consecutive day of appreciation for the PKR, amounting to nearly a 6% increase.

Naseer attributed this surge primarily to administrative measures, stating that it seems the government’s crackdown on speculative elements contributing to rupee depreciation is having an effect.

He also suggested that if this trend persists and the Afghan border remains closed, the rupee could continue to appreciate in the future. However, he emphasized the importance of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into export-oriented sectors for long-term stability.

Gold Rate in Pakistan Today – September 26, 2023

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

KARACHI – The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 210,100 on Tuesday. The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs180,130.

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs168,730 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs196,807.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

Today Gold Price in Pakistan - 26 September 2023

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Karachi PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Islamabad PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Peshawar PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Quetta PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Sialkot PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Attock PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Gujranwala PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Jehlum PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Multan PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Bahawalpur PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Gujrat PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Nawabshah PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Chakwal PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Hyderabad PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Nowshehra PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Sargodha PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Faisalabad PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Mirpur PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587

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