New Delhi (PTI): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has granted a special exemption for using loudspeakers till midnight during Ramleela and Durga Puja celebrations, the Delhi CMO said in a statement on Friday.

The file of the chief minister's approval to use loudspeakers till midnight during the festivals has been sent for Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's nod, the statement said, adding that Ramleela organisers must get permission from the police to ensure that the use of loudspeakers does not violate noise levels in residential areas.

The move comes a day after Kejriwal met a delegation of Luv Kush Ramleela Committee office bearers. In the meeting, Kejriwal was requested by the Ramleela committees to extend the time limit for the use of loudspeakers.

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO), in a statement, said, "Loudspeakers will be used during the late-night Ramlila performances." The DDMA's previous directive imposing a ban on the use of loudspeakers after 10 pm has been suspended until further orders, it said.

The statement said the chief minister is committed to ensuring that religious events like Ramleela, Durga Puja, and Dussehra are celebrated with grandeur and convenience.

"In view of this, the chief minister has granted permission for the use of loudspeakers until midnight during Ramleela, Durga Puja and Dussehra celebrations. Previously, loudspeakers were allowed only till 10 pm," it said.

Every year, grand Ramleela performances take place in various parts of Delhi with much fanfare. Additionally, Durga Puja is also celebrated on a large scale. At most places, Ramleela performances continue till midnight.

The exemption on the use of loudspeakers granted by the Chief Minister includes a strong emphasis on adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, such as wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, hand hygiene, and ventilation in enclosed spaces, when granting permission for any event, the statement said.

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Karachi (PTI): A preliminary report over the recent explosion near Pakistan's busiest airport here has indicated that the attack was executed with the assistance of a foreign intelligence agency, a media report said on Saturday.

The report, submitted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to the anti-terrorism court, stated that the suicide bombing targeted Chinese engineers as part of a conspiracy to damage Pakistan-China relations, The Express Tribune reported.

On Sunday, two Chinese nationals were killed and 17 people injured in the suicide attack by a Baloch insurgent group that targeted a convoy of Chinese workers.

The explosion near the Jinnah International Airport on Sunday night also killed the suspected suicide bomber.

The preliminary report identified the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as being involved in the attack and indicated that the attack was executed with the assistance of a foreign intelligence agency, the Tribune said.

It suggested that an unidentified terrorist parked their vehicle close to a convoy of Chinese nationals before detonating the explosive, the report said.

Upon hearing the blast, police arrived at the scene and found injured individuals, including personnel from police and Rangers.

The Chinese nationals were working at the Port Qasim Electric Power Company on the outskirts of the city and were returning home when their convoy was attacked.

A case has been registered at the Airport police station under the supervision of the station house officer.

The CTD’s report includes charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, use of explosive materials, and terrorism, among other counts.

Earlier this week, an initial investigation report confirmed the tragic event involved 70 to 80 kg of explosives.

On Friday, China said it has dispatched an inter-agency working group to Pakistan following the deadly suicide bomb attack in Karachi.

Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects under the aegis of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting CPEC projects.

The BLA accuses China and Islamabad of exploitation of the resource-rich province, a charge rejected by the authorities. It has fought a long-running insurgency for a separate homeland.

The group in the last two years carried out similar suicide bomb attacks in Karachi targeting foreign nationals.



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