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Croatia in World Cup: The Story Of Its Origin

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7 years ago

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Croatia in World Cup: The Story Of Its Origin

~By Saeed Naqvi

Croatia’s prominence in the football World Cup freshened memories of its origin in the war which expanded after German Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher recognized Croatian and Slovenian independence, ahead of other EU countries which were palpitating because German reunification in 1989 had already added to their anxieties.

As the Persian expression goes “Ek na shud, do shud”. Before one source of anxiety could subside, another surfaced. Cardinal Franjo Kuharic headquartered in Zagreb’s magnificent Cathedral, marched off to the Vatican to seek the Pope’s and Italy’s support. This was promptly given. Some EU member countries began to have nightmares of the “Axis” being revived.

I was in the Cardinal’s office in the Cathedral which dominates Zagreb square, when the door of the ante room flung open and Father Juraj Jezerinac of the Topusko Parish walked in. I had been introduced to him at the earliest stages of the conflict in one of the livelier cafes in Zagreb square. He was full of stories. One night his orthodox Serb counterpart from the neighbouring Church compound came to him, looking very conspiratorial.

He had received word from the Orthodox headquarters in Belgrade that Orthodox Priests must lead all Serb populations out of Western Croatia in the Topusko area because the Serb army was preparing to attack the area and annex it as part of Greater Serbia. This was a scoop.

Was further proof required to confirm coordination between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches? They would put aside their intra Church conflicts and join hands against the Bosnian Muslims. The cruel irony was that Sarajevo, the centre of art, music, theatre, literature in former Yugoslavia was primarily a Bosnian Muslim city. Like Lucknow, Sarajevo went down, nursing art and culture, unable to cope with the assault of Philistinism.

At the outset when, some EU members suspected German and Italian encroachments, Britain and France came covertly on the side of Serbia which had been with them during World War II. Gen. Michael Rose, leading the UN Peacekeeping mission in Bosnia became a regular feature on global TV giving briefs on the Bosnian dead on a daily basis.

Nothing could have exceeded Serbian brutality than the four year long siege of Sarajevo. Graphic accounts of this siege, beamed mornings, afternoons, evenings to global audiences on a daily basis, decisively altered the political landscape in Turkey, a development of which the West remained totally oblivious.

Sarajevo derives from Caravan Sarai, pointing to the city’s Ottoman past. The effect of the Bosnian tragedy on the Turkish electorate brought to power Necmettin Erbakan of Refah party, akin to the Muslim Brotherhood. This was anathema to the upholders of Turkey’s secular Kemalist constitution. The Erbakan government was dismissed.

That is when two of Erbakan’s protégé, Tayyip Erdogan and Abdullah Gul reinvented themselves as the (AKP) justice and Development Party. The rest is recent history.

The siege of Sarajevo was graphically chronicled by a daily newspaper, Oslobodenje, which won global awards for its bravery. The paper’s office itself was an astounding sight. The offices and the press were in a huge basement, beneath the debris of a multistoreyed building brought down during the war. The editor, Kemal Kurspahic whom I had met at the last non aligned summit attended by Rajiv Gandhi in Belgrade, looked none the worse for his travails. But he had, nevertheless, developed a mark on his forehead. This happens when the forehead hits the ground for Namaz five times a day over months and years.

“Have you become a devout Muslim?” I asked.

“There is no alternative but God when the world abandons you.” There was conviction in his voice.

“Who helped you publish the paper in these circumstances?”

His reply stunned me.

“George Soros.”

Throughout the four year conflict Europe maintained a hands-off policy to avoid internal divisions within EU. Observers like Salman Rushdie described European restraint as hypocritical.

“You reverse the religious affiliations of the protagonists on the ground and not just NATO but even European forces would have entered the theatre immediately to end the bloodbath.” They refrained from intervention because Muslims were the victim.

Those of us involved in covering the conflict, knew that Rushdie, and others like him, were speaking the truth. But the mainstream narrative was fudged even on such crimes as the Srebrenica massacres in which 8,000 young Bosnian men were separated from their families and shot dead by Serb militias. Why did the Dutch Peace Keeping Forces move away from the site of the massacre?

The 78 day US bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war was designed to oust the Serbian dictator, Slobodan Milosevic. Russians had been outmaneuvered by the western alliance in a theatre Moscow considered its pan Slavic sphere of influence. Therefore when the responsibility of various part of Kosovo was being distributed between countries of Europe, Russian armoured carriers barged into the area around Pristine airport uninvited. They are still in occupation of that airport. Britain, Germany, France control other segments of Kosovo, a tiny country dotted with exquisite monasteries. The great monastery of Decan in the care of the Italians where priests produce the world’s finest wines and schnapps.

Just as the sun sets, a young priest runs around the building carrying on his shoulder a giant rattle called the tallantone, alerting the inmates just in case the “Turk invader” has eyes on the “House of God”. This hostile mythology is sustained in many countries on the periphery of what was once the Ottoman Empire.

Considering that this World Cup has been a celebration of multiculturalism, how do I explain my being distracted into Balkan tribalism? How swiftly a nation of 4.5 million has made its mark, wrenching itself away from a recent and messy past. Supposing Sefik Ibrahimovic had not migrated from Bosnia to Sweden in 1977 where the great soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born? Well, Zlatan could have claimed a slot in the Croatian team with considerable justification. His mother, Jurka Gravic, is after all a Croat. Remember, there was multiculturism in the Balkans too before sectarian tribalism was let loose.

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Asim Munir appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, to serve 5-year term

Field Marshal Asim Munir has been appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, consolidating top military authority under a new constitutional amendment.

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15 hours ago

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December 5, 2025

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Pakistan has named Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as its first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), marking a major restructuring in the country’s military command. The appointment was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari following a formal recommendation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Munir to hold dual charge as COAS and CDF

According to the President’s office, Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year tenure. The creation of the CDF role — introduced under the 27th Constitutional Amendment — aims to centralise top-level military authority.

This decision comes after days of speculation due to delays in issuing the official notification, which was originally expected on November 29, the day Munir’s previous three-year term as army chief ended.

Former Indian security official Tilak Devasher had earlier commented to media that the Prime Minister appeared to be avoiding issuing the notification, leading to confusion within Pakistan’s military command structure.

Zardari also approves extension for Air Chief

Alongside Munir’s elevation, President Zardari approved a two-year service extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, effective from March 2026. The President extended his best wishes to both officers.

Munir, promoted to Field Marshal earlier this year, becomes only the second military officer in Pakistan’s history to hold this rank — the first being Gen. Ayub Khan.

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Imran Khan accuses Asim Munir of mental torture, says sister after rare jail meeting

Imran Khan has alleged “mental torture” inside Adiala Jail, according to his sister who met him after weeks of blocked access. The family claims authorities are withholding information about his condition.

Published

3 days ago

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December 2, 2025

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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged that he is being “mentally tortured” in prison and held General Asim Munir responsible for his continued isolation, according to his sister Dr Uzma Khanum, who met him inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for 20 minutes.

Sister says Khan “angry” over isolation

Dr Khanum told reporters that her brother is allowed out of his cell only briefly and has no means of communication with the outside world. She said Khan expressed anger over the conditions in which he is being held, stating he remains confined all day with no access to his family or party members.

She also said Imran Khan directly blamed General Asim Munir — now seen as Pakistan’s most powerful authority, having consolidated military control and secured lifetime immunity for top officials — for the treatment he is receiving in custody.

Meeting follows weeks of denied access

The rare meeting came after weeks of barred family visits, which fuelled speculation about Khan’s health. His sisters earlier claimed they were assaulted when they sought permission to meet him, while his sons publicly alleged that jail authorities were concealing “something irreversible” about his condition.

One of his sons, Kasim Khan, told media that despite a court order for weekly family meetings, they had no direct or verified contact.

Family members also said prison authorities repeatedly refused entry to Imran Khan’s personal doctor.

Rumours and protests intensify

Before Tuesday’s meeting, neither his relatives nor his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf colleagues had seen him for over 25 days, triggering widespread rumours of his death — speculation that officials did not counter with proof of life even as pressure mounted on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government.

PTI’s Senator Khurram Zeeshan claimed Khan was being kept in isolation to force him into leaving Pakistan and accused authorities of withholding photos or videos due to fears over his influence.

The situation has sparked protests across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including demonstrations outside the Islamabad High Court.

In jail since August 2023

Imran Khan, the 72-year-old former cricketer and World Cup-winning captain, has been incarcerated since August 2023. Rumours about his wellbeing first circulated from social media accounts in Afghanistan, at a time when both countries have been locked in military tensions over a border dispute.

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Trump pledges permanent pause on migration from Third World countries in Thanksgiving message

US President Donald Trump declared that migration from all Third World countries will be permanently paused, criticising current immigration policies and announcing measures to remove non-citizens who he says do not benefit the US.

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1 week ago

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November 28, 2025

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US President Donald Trump has announced that he will “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries”, asserting that the move is necessary for the United States to “recover” and “heal”. His remarks were delivered in a Thanksgiving post, where he sharply criticised the Biden administration’s immigration policies and outlined sweeping measures aimed at restricting migration and removing non-citizens who, he says, do not contribute to the country.

Trump said he intends to reverse what he described as “illegal admissions”, end federal benefits for non-citizens, and strip citizenship from migrants who pose security concerns. He also reiterated plans to deport individuals he considers a “public charge” or “non-compatible with Western Civilization”.

The statement came shortly after two members of the National Guard were shot near the White House, an attack Trump called an “act of terror”.

One National Guard member dies after Washington shooting

Trump confirmed that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, one of the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot near Farragut West Metro station on Wednesday, died of her injuries. The ambush occurred while Trump was in Florida.

The alleged shooter was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US in September 2021, according to enforcement officials.

‘Reverse migration’ needed, says Trump

In his post, Trump said his actions aim to significantly reduce “illegal and disruptive populations”, adding that only “reverse migration” can address the current situation. He accused the Biden administration of admitting migrants through an “unauthorized and illegal” approval process.

Concluding his message, he wished Americans a Happy Thanksgiving but added that those who “hate, steal, murder, and destroy” would “not be here for long”.

Attacks on foreign populations and Minnesota officials

Trump also targeted Somali refugees in Minnesota, alleging that gangs from the community are creating fear on the streets. He accused the Minnesota Governor of failing to address the situation due to “fear or incompetence”.

He further criticised Ilhan Omar, accusing her of complaining about the US despite her origins in a “crime ridden” nation.

Comments on America’s foreign-born population

Citing Census estimates, Trump claimed that the US foreign-born population stood at 53 million, alleging that “most are on welfare” or come from “failed nations” or criminal backgrounds. He said American citizens continue to support this population despite personal discomfort.

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