Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days' - World

<!DOCTYPE html>       <html lang="en">  <head><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=7YQSqjSh" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623/turkey-vows-to-lay-siege-to-syrias-afrin-in-coming-days","20180221001340","https://web.archive.org/","web","https://web-static.archive.org/_static/", "1519172020"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=p7PEIJWi" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />   <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1">  <title>Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days' - World - DAWN.COM</title> <meta name="subject" content="Your window to latest news, analysis and features from Pakistan, South Asia and the world."/> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1383068068604634"/> <meta property="fb:pages" content="86398345441"/> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623"/> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://i.dawn.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://ajax.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary"/> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@dawn_com"/> <meta name="twitter:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days'"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Turkish forces to soon lay siege to Afrin as a cross-border offensive targeting a Kurdish militia enters second month."/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=490140954"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=2114156737"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="DAWN.COM"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days'"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Turkish forces to soon lay siege to Afrin as a cross-border offensive targeting a Kurdish militia enters second month."/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=490140954"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=2114156737"/> <meta itemprop="name" content="Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days'"/> <meta itemprop="description" content="Turkish forces to soon lay siege to Afrin as a cross-border offensive targeting a Kurdish militia enters second month."/> <meta itemprop="image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=490140954"/> <meta itemprop="image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=2114156737"/> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.dawn.com"/> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2018-02-20 20:52:47"/> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2018-02-20 20:52:47"/> <meta property="article:author" content="https://www.dawn.com/authors/119/afp"/> <meta property="article:section" itemprop="articleSection" content="world"/> <meta name="author" content="AFP"/> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"organization","logo":"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/_img\/logo.png","name":"DAWN.COM","url":"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/www.dawn.com","sameAs":["https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dawndotcom\/","https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/dawn_com","https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dawn_dot_com\/",""],"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/search?cx=partner-pub-8258178831251847:5337004877&ie=UTF-8&q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}} </script> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context": "https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList","itemListElement": [{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180221001340\/https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/world","name":"World"}}]} </script> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/_css/print.20180217201308.css"> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Playfair+Display:400,400i,700,700i,900"> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/_css/all.20180219174710.css"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.2.1.min.js"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/_js/all.20180217201308.js"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/_js/prev-next-stories.20180217201308.js"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340cs_/https://www.dawn.com/_css/print.20180217201308.css" media="print"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340cs_/https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Playfair+Display:400,400i,700,700i,900" media="all"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340cs_/https://www.dawn.com/_css/all.20180219174710.css" media="all">  <script async="async" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; googleAdsSlots = []; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-ASA-DESKTOP-TOP', [[728,90],[970,90],[970,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-1510380105517-0').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-LB-728x90-BOTTOM', [728,90], 'div-gpt-ad-1509519280329-0').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-LB-MOBILE-728x90-BOTTOM', [728,90], 'div-gpt-ad-1455531878761-2').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-MREC-MOBILE-300x250-2', [300,250], 'div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-6').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-LB-728x90-MIDDLE', [728,90], 'div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-2').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-MREC-DESKTOP-300x250-TOP', [300,250], 'div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-3').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-FLIMSTRIP-300x600', [300,600], 'div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-8').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-MREC-MOBILE-300x250-TOP', [300,250], 'div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-4').addService(googletag.pubads())); googleAdsSlots.push(googletag.defineSlot('/1029551/DAWN-ASA-MOBILE-TOP', [[320,50],[728,90],[320,100]], 'div-gpt-ad-1518611317921-0').addService(googletag.pubads())); googletag.pubads().set("document_language", "en"); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.pubads().setTargeting('site', 'www.dawn.com'); googletag.pubads().setTargeting('category', ["Single Story","World"]); googletag.pubads().disableInitialLoad(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script>   <script type="text/javascript"> window.onload = function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { function isEnabled(div) { if (!div) return false; var display = $(div).css('display'); var parent = $(div).parent(); if (display == 'none') return false; if (parent.is('body')) { return true; } else { return isEnabled(parent); } } var resetCorrelator = true; // issue #470 for (i = 0; i < googleAdsSlots.length; i++) { var slot = googleAdsSlots[i]; var id = slot.getSlotElementId(); var div = document.getElementById(id); if (isEnabled(div)) { googletag.pubads().refresh([slot], {changeCorrelator: resetCorrelator}); resetCorrelator = false; } } // http://stackoverflow.com/a/30935893 // https://developers.google.com/doubleclick-gpt/reference#googletag.events.SlotRenderEndedEvent // it is required as sometimes rendered ad is empty but rad adds width and height on the div // which doesn't allow the ad to collapse in this case googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(e) { var $renderedSlot = $('#' + e.slot.getSlotElementId()); if(e.isEmpty) { $renderedSlot.parents('.ad').attr("style", "display: none !important"); } else { // https://github.com/aleemb/dawn.com/issues/836 // multi dimension ads rad init, as we don't know which ad is rendered so // we get the dimensions of rendered ad and then configure it with rad var width = 0; var height = 0; var isMultidimensionalAd = $renderedSlot.parents('.ad').find('.rad--multi').length > 0; var isPriorityAd = $renderedSlot.parents('.ad').hasClass('ad--priority'); if(e.size.length) { width = e.size[0]; height = e.size[1]; } if (isMultidimensionalAd) { if (width && height) { $renderedSlot.css({width: width+'px', height: height+'px'}); $renderedSlot.closest('.js-ad').css({maxWidth: width+'px', maxHeight: height+'px'}); $renderedSlot.rad({allowBiggerSizing:'true'}); } } if (isPriorityAd) { if (width && height) { var onMouseOut = "javascript:this.style.overflow='hidden';" +"__adi=$(this).find('iframe').eq(0);" +"__adi.height(height);"; var onMouseOver = "javascript:this.style.overflow='visible';" +"__adi=$(this).find('iframe').eq(0);" +"__adi.contents().height();" // weird, adding this fixes Firefox expanding issue +"setTimeout(function(){__adi.height(__adi.contents().height() || height);}, 10);"; $renderedSlot.parents('.js-ad').attr('onMouseOver', onMouseOver); $renderedSlot.parents('.js-ad').attr('onMouseOut', onMouseOut); } } } }); }); } </script>   <link rel="manifest" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/manifest.json">   <script type="text/javascript"> (function (i,s,o,g,r,a,m) {i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function () { (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-40396753-1', 'auto'); ga('set', 'dimension6', 'news/1390623'); ga('set', 'dimension1', 'World'); ga('set', 'dimension3', 'AFP-119'); ga('set', 'dimension5', '2018-02-20 20:52:47'); ga('set', 'contentGroup1', 'World'); ga('set', 'contentGroup2', 'AFP'); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>   <script type="text/javascript">var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime()</script>  <style> .adblock-alert { padding: 8px; background: #FFF; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 202; display: none; position: absolute; } .adblocker-overlay { position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; background: #000; opacity: 0.5; z-index: 999; } .adblocker-modal { position: fixed; background: #FFF; border: 2px solid #2F2F2F; left: 50%; top: 50%; width: 600px; height: 200px; margin-left: -300px; margin-top: -100px; overflow: hidden; z-index: 99999999; } .adblocker-modal__heading { background: #000; text-align: center; } .adblocker-modal__content { text-align: center; padding: 9px; margin: 9px; } .adblocker-modal__button { text-align: center; width: 100px; margin: 10px auto; background: #D2D2D2; cursor: pointer; padding: 5px; color: #F00; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; display: block; } .ie-alert { padding: 8px; background: #FFF; top: 0; left: 0; z-index: 3001; display: none; position: fixed; } .ie8 .ie-alert, .lte8 .ie-alert { display: block; } </style>  </head> <body class="article world template--default modifier--default theme--white adsonly single-story"> <header class="pb-2"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="px-2 mb-2 d-none d-sm-block"> <ul class="nav nav--network text-center size-two"> <li class="nav__item nav__item--epaper text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://epaper.dawn.com/">EPAPER</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--live-tv text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.dawnnews.tv/watch-live">LIVE TV</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--dawnnews-urdu text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.dawnnews.tv/">DAWNNEWS URDU</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--images text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://images.dawn.com/">Images</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--herald text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://herald.dawn.com/">Herald</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--aurora text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://aurora.dawn.com/">Aurora</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--cityfm89 text--400 "><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://cityfm89.com/">CityFM89</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--teeli text--400 "><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkMdI0K-74jAjOmh5J5H97Q">Teeli</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--advertise text--400 "><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.dawn.com/advertise">Advertise</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--events text--400 "><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://educationexpo.dawn.com/">Events</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--supplements text--400 "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.dawn.com/events/supplements">Supplements</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--classifieds text--400 "><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://classifieds.dawn.com/">Classifieds</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--obituaries text--400 "><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://obituary.dawn.com/">Obituaries</a></li> </ul> </div> </div>  <div class="mx-2"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-3"> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 col-12"> <div class="mast text-center mx-2"> <a href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/" class=""> <h1 class="text-hide logo mx-auto my-4"> DAWN.COM </h1> </a> </div> </div> <div class="col-3"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container-fluid headroom"> <div class="px-2 border--ends clearfix"> <div class="float-left col-12 col-md-11"> <ul class="nav nav--primary nav--responsive nav--dawn-primary "> <li class="nav__item nav__item--home theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/">Home</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--latest-news theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/latest-news">Latest</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--psl2018 theme "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/trends/psl2018">PSL2018</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--pakistan theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/pakistan">Pakistan</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--today-s-paper theme "><a class="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://epaper.dawn.com/">Today's Paper</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--opinion theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/opinion">Opinion</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--world theme active "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/world">World</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--sport theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/sport">Sport</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--business theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/business">Business</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--magazines theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/magazines">Magazines</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--entertainment theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/entertainment">Culture</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--blogs theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/blogs">Blogs</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--tech theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/tech">Tech</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--popular theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/popular">Popular</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--multimedia theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/multimedia">Multimedia</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--newspaper theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/newspaper">Archive</a></li> <li class="nav__item nav__item--in-depth theme "><a class="" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/in-depth">In Depth</a></li> </ul> </div> <ul class="nav nav--aside float-left py-1 col-1 d-none d-md-block"> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-right"> <button class="js-search search bald size-two text--gray transparent transparent--gray p-1"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://www.dawn.com/_img/search.png" alt="Search Icon" width="15" title="Dawn Search"/><span class="d-none d-lg-inline-block">SEARCH</span> </button> </li> </ul> <div class="search-box text-center "> <form accept-charset="utf-8" class="form-vertical" method="GET" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/search"> <input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-8258178831251847:5337004877"> <input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:10"> <input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8"> <div class="form-group required"><input class="form-control search col-offset-2 col-8 p-1 theme mb-1" placeholder="Search" required id="q" type="text" name="q"></div></form></div> </div> </div></header> <div class="aux-content" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="adblocker-overlay" style="display: none;"></div> <div class="adblocker-modal" style="display: none;"> <h1 class="adblocker-modal__heading"><img src="/web/20180221001340im_/https://www.dawn.com/_img/logo--white.png" width="150" alt="Dawn Logo"/></h1> <div class="adblocker-modal__content"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2016/06/5757a76ba0f4b.png" alt="Alert Sign" width="20"/> Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1262907/adblock-instructions">turn off Adblock</a> on Dawn.com. </div> <button class="adblocker-modal__button"></button> </div> <div class="col-12 text-center adblock-alert"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2016/06/5757a76ba0f4b.png" alt="Alert Sign" width="20"/> Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1262907/adblock-instructions">turn off Adblock</a> on Dawn.com. </div><div class="col-12 text-center ie-alert"> <p><img src="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2016/06/5757a76ba0f4b.png" alt="Alert Sign" width="20"/> Dear reader, please upgrade to the latest version of IE to have a better reading experience</p>. </div> <div class="container-fluid px-1 d-none pb-2 mb-4 d-sm-block">   <div class="ad ad--priority" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:728px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:728px;padding-bottom:12.362637362637%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper rad--multi ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1510380105517-0" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:728px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1510380105517-0'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="container-fluid px-1 d-block pb-2 border--bottom mb-4 d-sm-none">   <div class="ad " aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:728px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:728px;padding-bottom:12.362637362637%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper rad--multi ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1518611317921-0" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:728px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1518611317921-0'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> </div> <div class="main-wrapper"> <div class="container"> <div class="content"> <main class="px-sm-2 px-0"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-12"> <article class="story">   <div class="template__header clearfix modifier--open px-1">   <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390623" class="story__title size-ten mt-1 pb-3 border--bottom"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623/turkey-vows-to-lay-siege-to-syrias-afrin-in-coming-days" class="story__link">Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days'</a></h2> <div class=" my-3 ml-sm-0 ml-1 d-block d-sm-inline-block float-none float-sm-left"><span class="story__byline font--arial "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/119/afp">AFP</a></span><span class="divider "></span><span class="story__time font--arial ">February 20, 2018</span> </div>  <div class="d-block d-sm-inline-block clearfix float-none float-sm-right"> <div class="social social--icon social--black social--flat social--facebook social--count float-left mr-1 my-2 "> <a onclick="return !window.open(this.href, 'Share on Facebook', 'width=640, height=536')" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623&display=popup&ref=plugin" target="_blank"><span data-fb-count-url="https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623"><span class="count"></span></span></a> </div> <div class="social social--icon social--black social--flat social--twitter float-left mr-1 my-2 "> <a onclick="return !window.open(this.href, 'Tweet', 'width=640, height=300')" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://twitter.com/share?text=Turkey%20vows%20to%20lay%20siege%20to%20Syria%27s%20Afrin%20%27in%20coming%20days%27&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623&counturl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623" target="_blank"></a> </div> <div class="social hidden-xs-down social--print social--icon social--black social--flat float-left mr-1 my-2"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/print/1390623">   </a> </div> <div class="social social--email social--icon social--black social--flat float-left mr-1 my-2"> <a onclick="$('.mailer [name^=id]').val(1390623);$('.mailer').modal().open()" href="javascript:void(0)"></a> </div> <div class="mailer themodal themodal--centered" style="width:400px;height:260px;background:#fff"> <h3>Email</h3> <br/> <form accept-charset="utf-8" class="form-vertical emailer" onsubmit="javascript:$.post(this.action, $(this).serialize());$(this).html('Mail sent, thank you!');return false;" method="POST" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/email/1390623"><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="jscheck" value=""><div class="form-group"><label for="sender" class="control-label">Your Name</label><input class="form-control" id="sender-2" type="text" name="sender"></div><div class="form-group"><label for="to" class="control-label">Recipient Email</label><input class="form-control" id="to-2" type="text" name="to"></div><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="id" value=""><input class="btn mt-2" type="submit" value="Email"><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="_token" value=""></form> </div> <div class="social social--comment social--icon social--black social--flat social--label text--700 float-left mr-1 my-2"> <a href="#comments">2</a> </div></div> <div class="slideshow story__cover slideshow--main " data-slick="{"dots":true,"dotsClass":"slideshow__pager ","asNavFor":null,"cssEase":"ease","speed":250,"autoplaySpeed":2000,"slidesToScroll":1,"slidesToShow":1,"fade":false,"autoplay":true,"infinite":true,"responsive": [{"breakpoint": 720,"settings": {"slidesToShow": 1,"slidesToScroll": 1}},{"breakpoint": 480,"settings": {"slidesToShow": 1,"slidesToScroll": 1}}]}"> <div class="slideshow__slide slideshow__slide--first slideshow__slide--horizontal" style="">  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 " data-focus-x="72.125%" data-focus-y="49.583%"> <div class="media__item "><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/large/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=1413437370" alt="Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during AK Party&#39;s parliamentary group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on Tuesday.— AFP"/></div> <figcaption class="media__caption ">Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during AK Party's parliamentary group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on Tuesday.— AFP</figcaption> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="template__main clearfix modifier--open px-1 modifier--widedefault modifier--quote-center-narrow">   <div class="story__content pt-1 mt-1"><div style="display: none"><ul class="story__toc" style="display: none"> <li> <a href="#toc_0">Warning to Damascus</a> </li> <li> <a href="#toc_1">Strained ties with US</a> </li> </ul> </div><p class="">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said Turkish forces would soon lay siege to Syria's Afrin as a cross-border offensive targeting a Kurdish militia entered its second month. </p><p class="">On January 20, Ankara launched an air and ground operation supporting Syrian rebels against the People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Afrin region of northern Syria. </p><p class="">Turkey views the YPG as a Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. </p><p class="">“In the coming days, swiftly, we will lay siege to the centre of the town of Afrin,” Erdogan told parliament. </p><p class="">While some analysts say Turkey and pro-Ankara Syrian rebels have made slow advances, Erdogan defended the operation's progress, saying the army wanted to avoid putting the lives of both its troops and civilians needlessly “at risk”. </p><p class="">“We did not go there to burn it down,” he said, adding that the operation's aim was to “create a safe and liveable area”, where Syrian refugees in Turkey could conceivably return to. </p><p class="">Since Syria's war erupted in 2011, more than 3.5 million people have sought refuge in Turkey. </p><p class="">According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, Syrian rebels and Turkish forces have taken 45 villages since the start of the operation, most of them bordering Afrin. </p><p class="">And Turkish security expert Abdullah Agar said troops involved in operation “Olive Branch” had captured around 300 square kilometres (120 square miles) of territory. </p><p class="">Over the past month, 205 Syrian rebels have been killed, along with 219 YPG and allied fighters and 112 civilians, Observatory figures show. </p><p class="">The Turkish army says 32 of its troops have been killed since the offensive was launched. </p><p class="">Ankara strongly denies there have been any civilian casualties. </p><h2 id="toc_0">Warning to Damascus</h2> <p class="">Jana Jabbour, a political science professor at Sciences Po university in Paris, said the Turks were “struggling to move forward” because of the “organisation of the Kurdish YPG forces and their combativeness”. </p><p class="">She said it was important to distinguish between political rhetoric, “even political propaganda”, and the reality on the ground. </p><p class="">On the ground, fighting was now focused around the area of Arab Wiran in northeast Afrin, the Observatory said. </p><p class="">If captured, pro-Ankara forces would control 50 continuous kilometres of Afrin's northern border with Turkey. The operation looked like it was going to be further complicated when Syrian state media reported that pro-government forces were expected to enter Afrin to counter the Turkish offensive. </p><p class="">In a thinly-veiled threat to Damascus, Erdogan on Tuesday warned Turkey would tolerate no interference. “We will block the way of those who come to help from outside the city or the region,” he said. </p><p class="">Later, Erdogan told reporters that the Syrian regime would not send any fighters. </p><p class="">Asked by a journalist if the regime backed down after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan spoke on the phone on Monday, the Turkish leader said without elaborating that the threat had been defused “after discussions”, NTV broadcaster quoted him as saying. </p><h2 id="toc_1">Strained ties with US</h2> <p class="">The operation strained already difficult ties with Washington, which has given weaponry to the YPG as part of its fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria. </p><p class="">The US has called on Turkey to show restraint, warning that the offensive risks diluting the fight against the jihadists. </p><p class="">But instead of pulling back, Erdogan threatened to expand the offensive to the YPG-held town of Manbij. When US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Ankara last week, the two sides agreed to work together in Syria and set up working groups on issues like Manbij where American troops are operating and which the US diplomat described as a “priority”. </p><p class="">In addition to its disagreements with Washington, Turkey must take into account the interests of Russia, a key Damascus ally, which controls northern Syrian airspace. </p><p class="">Moscow may have given the green light to the offensive, but it has previously closed the airspace to Turkish jets after a Russian plane was shot down in an area of north Syria where Turkish military observers were expected to enforce a de-escalation zone. </p><p class="">The offensive is broadly supported in Turkey where political parties, media and clerics speak in unison, against a backdrop of nationalist rhetoric led by Erdogan. </p><p class="">Only the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) does not back the operation. </p><p class="">Since Olive Branch got under way, Turkey has detained 786 people, 587 of whom are being held for spreading “terror propaganda” on social media, the interior ministry says, in what opponents charge is a crackdown on critics of the operation. </p><p class="">Another 85 people have been held on charges of organising protests against the offensive.</p> </div> </div>   <div class="template__footer clearfix modifier--open px-1"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-12 col-sm-11"> <div class="ml-0 ml-sm-6 px-0 px-sm-2"> <hr> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-12 col-sm-6"> </div> <div class="col-12 col-sm-6"> <div class="mt-2 mt-sm-0 clearfix social-container">  <div class="social social--icon social--black social--flat social--facebook social--count float-left mr-1 "> <a onclick="return !window.open(this.href, 'Share on Facebook', 'width=640, height=536')" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623&display=popup&ref=plugin" target="_blank"><span data-fb-count-url="https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623"><span class="count"></span></span></a> </div> <div class="social social--icon social--black social--flat social--twitter float-left mr-1 "> <a onclick="return !window.open(this.href, 'Tweet', 'width=640, height=300')" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://twitter.com/share?text=Turkey%20vows%20to%20lay%20siege%20to%20Syria%27s%20Afrin%20%27in%20coming%20days%27&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623&counturl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1390623" target="_blank"></a> </div> <div class="social hidden-xs-down social--print social--icon social--black social--flat float-left mr-1"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/print/1390623">   </a> </div> <div class="social social--email social--icon social--black social--flat float-left mr-1"> <a onclick="$('.mailer [name^=id]').val(1390623);$('.mailer').modal().open()" href="javascript:void(0)"></a> </div> <div class="mailer themodal themodal--centered" style="width:400px;height:260px;background:#fff"> <h3>Email</h3> <br/> <form accept-charset="utf-8" class="form-vertical emailer" onsubmit="javascript:$.post(this.action, $(this).serialize());$(this).html('Mail sent, thank you!');return false;" method="POST" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/email/1390623"><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="jscheck" value=""><div class="form-group"><label for="sender" class="control-label">Your Name</label><input class="form-control" id="sender" type="text" name="sender"></div><div class="form-group"><label for="to" class="control-label">Recipient Email</label><input class="form-control" id="to" type="text" name="to"></div><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="id" value=""><input class="btn mt-2" type="submit" value="Email"><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="_token" value=""></form> </div> <div class="social social--comment social--icon social--black social--flat social--label text--700 float-left mr-1"> <a href="#comments">2</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row no-gutters">   <div class="ad py-4 d-block d-sm-none" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:300px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:300px;padding-bottom:83.333333333333%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-6" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:300px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-6'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black"> <h3 class="related-stories my-2">Read more</h3> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-lg-8 col-12"> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--related mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390144" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390144/turkey-accused-of-gas-attack-in-syria"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a88fcc30abbc.jpg" alt="Turkey accused of gas attack in Syria"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390144" class="story__title py-sm-2 py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390144/turkey-accused-of-gas-attack-in-syria" class="story__link">Turkey accused of gas attack in Syria</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390455" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390455/turkey-warns-syria-against-sending-troops-to-defend-kurds"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8b3e84c510a.jpg" alt="Turkey warns Syria against sending troops to defend Kurds"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390455" class="story__title py-sm-2 py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390455/turkey-warns-syria-against-sending-troops-to-defend-kurds" class="story__link">Turkey warns Syria against sending troops to defend Kurds</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1383971" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1383971/turkey-and-syria-will-never-allow-a-kurdish-mini-state"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/01/5a623d5b5caa3.jpg" alt="Turkey and Syria will never allow a Kurdish mini-state"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1383971" class="story__title py-sm-2 py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1383971/turkey-and-syria-will-never-allow-a-kurdish-mini-state" class="story__link">Turkey and Syria will never allow a Kurdish mini-state</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div>   <div class="ad py-2 ad--adjustable my-4 border--ends d-none d-sm-block" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:728px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:728px;padding-bottom:12.362637362637%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-2" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:728px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-2'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="col-lg-4 col-12"> <div class="my-0 my-lg-2 palm-border--top p-1 p-sm-0"></div> <article class="box story sponsored-content" data-id="1390590" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 " data-focus-x="0%" data-focus-y="0%"> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390590/marios-pasta-brings-authentic-italian-cuisine-to-pakistan"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c0052dfabf.png?r=1458587339" alt="Mario&#39;s Pasta brings authentic Italian cuisine to Pakistan"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div> <h2 class="badge size-two caps text--gray pl-1"><a title="Sponsored" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/sponsor-content" class="">Sponsored</a></h2>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390590" class="story__title size-five pl-1 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390590/marios-pasta-brings-authentic-italian-cuisine-to-pakistan" class="story__link">Mario's Pasta brings authentic Italian cuisine to Pakistan</a></h2> </article> </div> </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black urdu-stories">  <section class="widget theme widget-stories modifywidget-direction-rtl modifywidget-image-small modifywidget-padding-off modifywidget-transparent" data-type="stories" data-id="1423"> <div class="widget__header"> <h2 class="widget__title modifywidget-title-left modifywidget-title-uppercase"><span>On DawnNews</span></h2> </div> <div class="widget__main "> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--columns mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story " data-id="1053460" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--right media--stretch col-sm-6 col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1053460/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/medium/2017/03/58bc50abefada.jpg" alt="رات گئے تک جاگنا فائدہ مند یا نقصان دہ؟"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1053460" class="story__title py-2 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1053460/" class="story__link">رات گئے تک جاگنا فائدہ مند یا نقصان دہ؟</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item float-left" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story " data-id="1073735" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--right media--stretch col-sm-6 col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1073735/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8bf782be2a1.jpg?r=1478158082" alt="پریا پرکاش کی مقدمہ خارج کرنے کیلئے عدالت میں درخواست دائر"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1073735" class="story__title py-2 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1073735/" class="story__link">پریا پرکاش کی مقدمہ خارج کرنے کیلئے عدالت میں درخواست دائر</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item float-left" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;">  <article class="box story " data-id="1073745" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--right media--stretch col-sm-6 col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1073745/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/http://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c1f22395d9.jpg" alt="پھیپھڑوں کے امراض کی یہ خاموش علامات جانتے ہیں؟"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1073745" class="story__title py-2 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1073745/" class="story__link">پھیپھڑوں کے امراض کی یہ خاموش علامات جانتے ہیں؟</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> </div> </section>  </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black"> <section id="comments" class="comments px-0 col-sm-10 col-12"> <h1 class="comments__label text--700">Comments (2) </h1> <form accept-charset="utf-8" class="form-vertical comments-form jsform mb-4" id="comments-form" method="POST" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/comments"><input class="form-control jscheck" type="hidden" name="jscheck" value=""><input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="story_id" value="1390623"> <div class="info"></div> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-6"> <div class="pt-2"> <input class="form-control text-input col-12" placeholder="Name" required id="name" type="text" name="name"> </div> </div> <div class="col-6"> <div class="pt-2"> <input class="form-control text-input col-12" placeholder="Email" required id="email" type="text" name="email"> </div> </div></div> <div class="row d-none"> <div class="col-6"> <div class="mr-4 mb-4"> <div class="form-group"><input class="form-control text-input col-12" placeholder="Your Location" id="location" type="text" name="location"></div> </div> </div> <div class="col-6"> <div class="mr-4 mb-4"> <div class="form-group"><input class="form-control text-input col-12" placeholder="Http://" id="url" type="text" name="url"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class=" col-12"> <div class="my-2"> <div class="form-group"><textarea class="form-control text-input col-12" placeholder="Your comment" rows="7" required id="content" name="content"></textarea></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-6"> <div class="comment__limit size-two text--gray caps">1000 characters</div> </div> <div class="col-6"> <input class="btn button comments__button caps mt-1 theme--black float-right" type="submit" value="Submit"> </div> </div> <input class="form-control" type="hidden" name="_token" value=""></form> <div class="button-container border--top"> <button type="button" class="button js-comments-sort-votes float-right">Popular</button> <button type="button" class="button js-comments-sort-date--new float-right">Newest</button> <button type="button" disabled="disabled" class="button js-comments-sort-date float-right">Oldest</button> </div> <div class="comment pb-4 mb-4 border--bottom" id="5734465" data-id="1"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-11"> <div class="comment__author float-left">Intriguing comments</div> <div class="timeago comment__date" title="2018-02-20T23:19:20+05:00"><span class="timestamp--time timeago" title="2018-02-20T23:19:20+05:00">Feb 20, 2018 11:19pm</span></div> <div class="comment__body mt-2 size-four clearfix"><p>Turkey may please prefer dialogue with Syria & Kurds, and abstain from violation of Syrian territorial integrity.</p> </div> <div class=""> <input type="button" value="Reply" data-name="Intriguing comments" class="button button--short mr-2 comment__reply"/> <div class="button button--social" title="Recommend this comment">  <span class="button__label votejs__cast" data-vote-key="1390623/up-5734465">Recommend</span> <span class="button__count votejs__count" data-vote-key="1390623/up-5734465">0</span>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="comment pb-4 mb-4 border--bottom" id="5734499" data-id="2"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-11"> <div class="comment__author float-left">anonymouseeee</div> <div class="timeago comment__date" title="2018-02-20T23:36:48+05:00"><span class="timestamp--time timeago" title="2018-02-20T23:36:48+05:00">Feb 20, 2018 11:36pm</span></div> <div class="comment__body mt-2 size-four clearfix"><p>The best leader in the world - Erdogan.</p> </div> <div class=""> <input type="button" value="Reply" data-name="anonymouseeee" class="button button--short mr-2 comment__reply"/> <div class="button button--social" title="Recommend this comment">  <span class="button__label votejs__cast" data-vote-key="1390623/up-5734499">Recommend</span> <span class="button__count votejs__count" data-vote-key="1390623/up-5734499">0</span>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </section> </div> </div> </div>  </article> </div> </div> </main> <aside class="pb-4 ">  <section class="widget theme widget-adsense modifywidget-border-off modifywidget-transparent" data-type="adsense" data-id="1220"> <div class="widget__header"> <h2 class="widget__title modifywidget-title-off"><span>Desk Mrec Top</span></h2> </div> <div class="widget__main ">   <div class="ad " aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:300px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:300px;padding-bottom:83.333333333333%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-3" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:300px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-3'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> </section>   <section class="widget theme widget-sponsoredcontent modifywidget-border-off modifywidget-transparent" data-type="sponsoredcontent" data-id="1347"> <div class="widget__header"> </div> <div class="widget__main "> <div class="wrapper p-2 border--top border--thick border--black"><article class="box story sponsored-content" data-id="1390590" data-layout="story"><div class="text-left caps size-two py-2 font--arial text--400"><a class="text--gray" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/sponsor-content">Sponsored</a></div>  <figure class="media media--right media--stretch col-sm-4 col-12 px-0 " data-focus-x="0%" data-focus-y="0%"> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390590/marios-pasta-brings-authentic-italian-cuisine-to-pakistan"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2018/02/5a8c0052dfabf.png?r=1199365235" alt="Mario&#39;s Pasta brings authentic Italian cuisine to Pakistan"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390590" class="story__title size-four "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390590/marios-pasta-brings-authentic-italian-cuisine-to-pakistan" class="story__link">Mario's Pasta brings authentic Italian cuisine to Pakistan</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three ">Healthy and tasteful, this range of pasta has something for everyone. </div> </article></div></div> </section>   <section class="widget theme widget-adsense modifywidget-border-black modifywidget-border-thick modifywidget-border-top modifywidget-transparent" data-type="adsense" data-id="1219"> <div class="widget__header"> <h2 class="widget__title modifywidget-title-off"><span>Filmstrip</span></h2> </div> <div class="widget__main ">   <div class="ad " aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:300px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:300px;padding-bottom:200%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-8" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:300px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-8'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> </section>  </aside> </div>  <div class="template__footer clearfix modifier--open px-1"> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black mx-sm-2 mx-0 clearfix"> <h3 class="related-stories font--playfair-display my-2"><a class="related-stories" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/latest-news">Latest stories</a></h3> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--latest mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390626" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390626/pakistans-top-sports-journalists-predict-the-outcome-of-psl-2018"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c726b954d3.jpg" alt="Pakistan&#39;s top sports journalists predict the outcome of PSL 2018"/></a></div> </figure> <span class="story__time size-two text--gray "><span class="timestamp--label">Updated</span> February 21, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390626" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390626/pakistans-top-sports-journalists-predict-the-outcome-of-psl-2018" class="story__link">Pakistan's top sports journalists predict the outcome of PSL 2018</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390625" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390625/parliament-is-supreme-but-constitution-is-above-it-chief-justice"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c52ea4af07.jpg" alt="Parliament is supreme but Constitution is above it: chief justice"/></a></div> </figure> <span class="story__time size-two text--gray "><span class="timestamp--label">Updated</span> February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390625" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390625/parliament-is-supreme-but-constitution-is-above-it-chief-justice" class="story__link">Parliament is supreme but Constitution is above it: chief justice</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390624" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390624/senator-babar-fears-pakistani-troops-could-get-sucked-into-yemen-quagmire"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c467530426.jpg" alt="Senator Babar fears Pakistani troops could get sucked into Yemen &#39;quagmire&#39;"/></a></div> </figure> <span class="story__time size-two text--gray ">February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390624" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390624/senator-babar-fears-pakistani-troops-could-get-sucked-into-yemen-quagmire" class="story__link">Senator Babar fears Pakistani troops could get sucked into Yemen 'quagmire'</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="3" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390623" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 px-0 " data-focus-x="72.125%" data-focus-y="49.583%"> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623/turkey-vows-to-lay-siege-to-syrias-afrin-in-coming-days"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c4364d0afe.jpg?r=2114156737" alt="Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria&#39;s Afrin &#39;in coming days&#39;"/></a></div> </figure> <span class="story__time size-two text--gray ">February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390623" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390623/turkey-vows-to-lay-siege-to-syrias-afrin-in-coming-days" class="story__link">Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days'</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="4" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390621" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390621/russia-will-continue-to-boost-pakistans-counterterrorism-capacity-says-fm-lavrov"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c3ae3b72d8.jpg" alt="Russia will continue to boost Pakistan’s counterterrorism capacity, says FM Lavrov"/></a></div> </figure> <span class="story__time size-two text--gray "><span class="timestamp--label">Updated</span> February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390621" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390621/russia-will-continue-to-boost-pakistans-counterterrorism-capacity-says-fm-lavrov" class="story__link">Russia will continue to boost Pakistan’s counterterrorism capacity, says FM Lavrov</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="5" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390620" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390620/unicef-issues-blank-statement-to-condemn-war-on-children-in-syria"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c2d4121947.jpg" alt="Unicef issues blank statement to condemn &#39;war ON children&#39; in Syria"/></a></div> </figure> <span class="story__time size-two text--gray ">February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390620" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390620/unicef-issues-blank-statement-to-condemn-war-on-children-in-syria" class="story__link">Unicef issues blank statement to condemn 'war ON children' in Syria</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black py-2 mx-sm-2 mx-0 clearfix"> <a href="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://images.dawn.com/"><img alt="dawn images site" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2017/06/5931466588b47.png" width="80" class="mb-4"/></a> <div class="slideshow images-slideshow slideshow--main " data-slick="{"dots":true,"dotsClass":"slideshow__pager ","asNavFor":null,"cssEase":"ease","speed":250,"autoplaySpeed":4000,"slidesToScroll":1,"slidesToShow":3,"fade":false,"autoplay":true,"infinite":true,"responsive": [{"breakpoint": 720,"settings": {"slidesToShow": 3,"slidesToScroll": 1}},{"breakpoint": 480,"settings": {"slidesToShow": 1,"slidesToScroll": 1}}]}"> <div class="slideshow__slide slideshow__slide--first slideshow__slide--horizontal" style="margin:0 1px;">  <article class="box story " data-id="1390617" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390617/twitter-isnt-amused-at-shoaib-maliks-racist-dig-at-darren-sammy"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c2619399b2.jpg" alt="Twitter isn&#39;t amused at Shoaib Malik&#39;s racist dig at Darren Sammy"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390617" class="story__title size-four pr-0 pr-sm-2 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390617/twitter-isnt-amused-at-shoaib-maliks-racist-dig-at-darren-sammy" class="story__link">Twitter isn't amused at Shoaib Malik's racist dig at Darren Sammy</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow__slide slideshow__slide--horizontal" style="margin:0 1px;">  <article class="box story " data-id="1390612" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390612/rani-mukherjee-fights-against-discrimination-in-title-track-from-hichki"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c0d6414e0f.jpg" alt="Rani Mukherjee fights against discrimination in title track from Hichki"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390612" class="story__title size-four pr-0 pr-sm-2 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390612/rani-mukherjee-fights-against-discrimination-in-title-track-from-hichki" class="story__link">Rani Mukherjee fights against discrimination in title track from Hichki</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow__slide slideshow__slide--horizontal" style="margin:0 1px;">  <article class="box story " data-id="1390594" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390594/saudi-arabia-will-host-its-first-fashion-week-in-riyadh-next-month"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8bd6663b83f.jpg" alt="Saudi Arabia will host its first fashion week in Riyadh next month"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390594" class="story__title size-four pr-0 pr-sm-2 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390594/saudi-arabia-will-host-its-first-fashion-week-in-riyadh-next-month" class="story__link">Saudi Arabia will host its first fashion week in Riyadh next month</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div> </div>   <div class="ad py-4 d-block d-sm-none" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:300px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:300px;padding-bottom:83.333333333333%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-4" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:300px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1455520357400-4'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="border--top border--thick border--black mx-sm-2 mx-0 mb-4 clearfix"> <h3 class="popular-stories font--playfair-display my-2"><a class="popular-stories" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/popular">Most popular</a></h3> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--popular slideshow--table mt-2"> <div class="popular-row lap-and-up-border--bottom"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390200" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390200" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390200/pti-confirms-imran-khans-marriage-to-bushra-maneka-in-lahore" class="story__link">PTI confirms Imran Khan's marriage to Bushra Maneka in Lahore</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390165" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390165" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390165/india-to-get-operational-control-of-irans-chabahar-port" class="story__link">India to get operational control of Iran’s Chabahar port</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390188" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390188" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390188/trudeau-touches-down-in-india-for-week-long-state-visit" class="story__link">Trudeau touches down in India for week-long state visit</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div><div class="popular-row lap-and-up-border--bottom"> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="3" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390309" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390309" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390309/declaring-pakistan-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-will-not-help-scholars" class="story__link">Declaring Pakistan state sponsor of terrorism will not help: scholars</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="4" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1349312" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1349312" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1349312/what-brings-pti-chief-to-a-remote-town" class="story__link">What brings PTI chief to a remote town?</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="5" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390196" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390196" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390196/mqm-p-intra-party-polls-farooq-sattar-elected-party-chief" class="story__link">MQM-P intra-party polls: Farooq Sattar elected party chief</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div><div class="popular-row lap-and-up-border--bottom"> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="6" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390385" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390385" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390385/is-justin-trudeau-being-cold-shouldered-by-pm-modi-during-his-first-state-visit-to-india" class="story__link">Is Justin Trudeau being cold-shouldered by PM Modi during his first state visit to India?</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="7" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;margin-right:1.5%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390403" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390403" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390403/govt-refuses-to-divulge-operational-details-of-pakistani-troops-deployment-to-saudi-arabia" class="story__link">Govt refuses to divulge 'operational details' of Pakistani troops' deployment to Saudi Arabia</a></h2> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom" data-id="8" style="float:left;width:32.333333333333%;">  <article class="box story p-1" data-id="1390400" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390400" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390400/mqm-split-rabita-committee-withdraws-farooq-sattars-nominees-for-senate-elections" class="story__link">MQM split: Rabita Committee withdraws Farooq Sattar's nominees for Senate elections</a></h2> </article>  </div> </div><div class="popular-row lap-and-up-border--bottom"> </div></div> </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black mx-sm-2 mx-0 clearfix"> <h3 class="mustread-stories font--playfair-display my-2"><a class="mustread-stories" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/must-read">Must read</a></h3> <div class=" slideshow--list pr-0 pr-sm-2 col-sm-4 col-12 float-left slideshow--mustread--first mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:99%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390626" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390626/pakistans-top-sports-journalists-predict-the-outcome-of-psl-2018"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c726b954d3.jpg" alt="Pakistan&#39;s top sports journalists predict the outcome of PSL 2018"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390626" class="story__title font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390626/pakistans-top-sports-journalists-predict-the-outcome-of-psl-2018" class="story__link">Pakistan's top sports journalists predict the outcome of PSL 2018</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">The who's who of Pakistan's sports industry tell Dawn.com who they think will be PSL 3's biggest winners and losers. </div> </article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--mustread col-sm-8 col-12 float-left mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:24%;margin-right:1.3333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390584" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390584/can-pakistan-redefine-a-foreign-policy-that-has-reached-a-dead-end"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8b95a5cd8c0.jpg" alt="Can Pakistan redefine a foreign policy that has reached a dead end?"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390584" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390584/can-pakistan-redefine-a-foreign-policy-that-has-reached-a-dead-end" class="story__link">Can Pakistan redefine a foreign policy that has reached a dead end?</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "></span> </div></article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:24%;margin-right:1.3333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390583" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390583/editorial-regional-powers-should-use-their-influence-to-nudge-the-taliban-and-the-afghan-govt-closer"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8b8ee22d90f.jpg" alt="Editorial: Regional powers should use their influence to nudge the Taliban and the Afghan govt closer"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390583" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390583/editorial-regional-powers-should-use-their-influence-to-nudge-the-taliban-and-the-afghan-govt-closer" class="story__link">Editorial: Regional powers should use their influence to nudge the Taliban and the Afghan govt closer</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "></span> </div></article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:24%;margin-right:1.3333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1388133" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1388133/an-architectural-marvel-the-bhong-mosque-is-the-most-visually-stunning-place-i-have-visited-in-pakistan"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a7c2cbec3940.jpg" alt="An architectural marvel, the Bhong Mosque is the most visually stunning place I have visited in Pakistan"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1388133" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1388133/an-architectural-marvel-the-bhong-mosque-is-the-most-visually-stunning-place-i-have-visited-in-pakistan" class="story__link">An architectural marvel, the Bhong Mosque is the most visually stunning place I have visited in Pakistan</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/7539/tim-blight">Tim Blight</a></span> </div></article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="3" style="float:left;width:24%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1388573" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1388573/psl-recap-the-crests-and-troughs-of-pakistans-beloved-t20-league"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a80d41d0d5c1.jpg" alt="PSL recap: The crests and troughs of Pakistan&#39;s beloved T20 league"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1388573" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1388573/psl-recap-the-crests-and-troughs-of-pakistans-beloved-t20-league" class="story__link">PSL recap: The crests and troughs of Pakistan's beloved T20 league</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/7380/zohaib-ahmed-majeed">Zohaib Ahmed Majeed</a></span> </div></article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black mx-sm-2 mx-0 clearfix"> <h3 class="opinion-stories font--playfair-display my-2"><a class="opinion-stories" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/opinion">Opinion</a></h3> <div class=" slideshow--list pr-0 pr-sm-2 col-sm-4 col-12 float-left slideshow--opinion--first mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:99%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390693" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390693/pretorian-guard"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c857c64c8f.jpg" alt="‘Pretorian’ guard"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390693" class="story__title font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390693/pretorian-guard" class="story__link">‘Pretorian’ guard</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">The ANC caved in to the demands of capitalism. </div> </article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--opinion col-sm-8 col-12 float-left mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:24%;margin-right:1.3333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390692" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390692/language-skills"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c8526e0dfc.jpg" alt="Language skills"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390692" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390692/language-skills" class="story__link">Language skills</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/5535/waqas-younas">Waqas Younas</a></span> </div></article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:24%;margin-right:1.3333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390691" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390691/courts-of-the-people"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c84cf7f3e5.jpg" alt="Courts of the people"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390691" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390691/courts-of-the-people" class="story__link">Courts of the people</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/410/rafia-zakaria">Rafia Zakaria</a></span> </div></article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:24%;margin-right:1.3333333333333%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390690" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390690/battle-to-no-end"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8c845a08e9c.jpg" alt="Battle to no end"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390690" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390690/battle-to-no-end" class="story__link">Battle to no end</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/966/zahid-hussain">Zahid Hussain</a></span> </div></article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="3" style="float:left;width:24%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390503" data-layout="story">  <figure class="media media--focus media--stretch col-sm-12 col-3 mr-sm-0 mr-2 float-sm-none px-0 "> <div class="media__item media__item--100 "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390503/new-choices"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/medium/2018/02/5a8b4ae16ac12.jpg" alt="New choices"/></a></div> </figure>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390503" class="story__title font--playfair-display py-0 "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390503/new-choices" class="story__link">New choices</a></h2> <div class=" mt-1 "><span class="story__byline size-three text--black "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/authors/496/touqir-hussain">Touqir Hussain</a></span> </div></article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> </div> <div class="border--top border--thick border--black mx-sm-2 mx-0"> <h3 class="editorial-stories font--playfair-display my-2"><a class="editorial-stories" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/opinion">Editorial</a></h3> <div class=" slideshow--list slideshow--editorial mt-2"> <div class="clear--both"> <div class="slideshow--row__item active pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="0" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390689" data-layout="story"><span class="story__time size-two text--gray font--arial ">February 21, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390689" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390689/role-of-institutions" class="story__link">Role of institutions</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">IT is a good idea, but much will depend on the quality of the debate itself. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has... </div> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="1" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390688" data-layout="story"><span class="story__time size-two text--gray font--arial ">February 21, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390688" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390688/decriminalising-suicide" class="story__link">Decriminalising suicide</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">ALTHOUGH many outmoded laws still remain on our statute books, perhaps one of the cruellest and most damaging is ... </div> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="2" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390687" data-layout="story"><span class="story__time size-two text--gray font--arial ">February 21, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390687" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390687/curbing-human-smuggling" class="story__link">Curbing human smuggling</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">DESPITE Europe’s restrictive measures to keep migrants out, refugees from Asia and Africa make perilous journeys ... </div> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="3" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390493" data-layout="story"><span class="story__time size-two text--gray font--arial "><span class="timestamp--label">Updated</span> February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390493" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390493/afghan-taliban-offer" class="story__link">Afghan Taliban offer</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">A RENEWED offer of negotiations by the Afghan Taliban, though once again insisting on direct talks with the US ... </div> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="4" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;margin-right:1.2%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390492" data-layout="story"><span class="story__time size-two text--gray font--arial ">February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390492" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390492/witness-protection" class="story__link">Witness protection</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">IN Pakistan, witnesses are particularly important for prosecuting criminal and terrorism cases given the state’s... </div> </article>  </div> <div class="slideshow--row__item pr-0 pr-sm-2 mb-2 lap-and-up-border--right palm-border--bottom equalize float-left" data-id="5" style="float:left;width:15.666666666667%;">  <article class="box story mt-1 mb-1 mb-sm-2 mt-sm-0 pt-0 pb-1 pb-sm-2 pt-1 pt-sm-0 pr-0" data-id="1390491" data-layout="story"><span class="story__time size-two text--gray font--arial ">February 20, 2018</span>  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390491" class="story__title size-four font--playfair-display "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390491/saving-ranikot-fort" class="story__link">Saving Ranikot Fort</a></h2>  <div class="story__excerpt size-three font--georgia ">REGRETTABLY, it is only after the loss or wilful destruction of heritage and culture that our government is moved to... </div> </article>  </div> </div><div class="clear--both"> </div></div> </div> <div class="px-2">   <div class="ad py-4 d-block d-sm-none" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="ad__label " style="max-width:728px;">Advertisement</div> <div class="js-ad clearfix" style="max-width:728px;padding-bottom:12.362637362637%;text-align:center;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;"> <div class="radWrapper ad__wrapper"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1455531878761-2" class="ad__wrapper__slot" style="width:728px;position:absolute"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1455531878761-2'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> </div>  </div> </div> <div class="navstory navstory--prev" title="You can also use your keyboard ← (left arrow) or → (right arrow) to navigate stories"> <a class="navstory__arrow navstory__arrow--prev" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390395/indian-man-jailed-for-hacking-muslim-labourer-to-death-makes-new-video-against-jihadis">&lsaquo;</a> <div class="navstory__article navstory__article--prev">  <article class="box story " data-id="1390395" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390395" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390395/indian-man-jailed-for-hacking-muslim-labourer-to-death-makes-new-video-against-jihadis" class="story__link">Indian man jailed for hacking Muslim labourer to death makes new video against 'jihadis'</a></h2>  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390395/indian-man-jailed-for-hacking-muslim-labourer-to-death-makes-new-video-against-jihadis"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2018/02/5a8ab0712699b.jpg" alt="Indian man jailed for hacking Muslim labourer to death makes new video against &#39;jihadis&#39;"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div> </article>  </div> </div> <div class="navstory navstory--next" title="You can also use your keyboard ← (left arrow) or → (right arrow) to navigate stories"> <a class="navstory__arrow navstory__arrow--next" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390165/india-to-get-operational-control-of-irans-chabahar-port">&rsaquo;</a> <div class="navstory__article navstory__article--next">  <article class="box story " data-id="1390165" data-layout="story">  <h2 data-layout="story" data-id="1390165" class="story__title "><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390165/india-to-get-operational-control-of-irans-chabahar-port" class="story__link">India to get operational control of Iran’s Chabahar port</a></h2>  <figure class="media media--stretch col-12 px-0 "> <div class="media__item "><a title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/news/1390165/india-to-get-operational-control-of-irans-chabahar-port"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2018/02/5a88e8dc252ea.jpg" alt="India to get operational control of Iran’s Chabahar port"/></a></div> </figure> <div class="clearfix"></div> </article>  </div> </div> <footer> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/blockadblock/3.2.1/blockadblock.min.js" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <div class="pt-2 px-2 mb-2 clearfix"> </div> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.2.1.min.js" defer="true"></script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" defer="true"></script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://www.dawn.com/_js/all.20180217201308.js" defer="true"></script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://www.dawn.com/_js/prev-next-stories.20180217201308.js" defer="true"></script> <script>setTimeout(function() {dailymotionSyndicationId(202395)}, 2000)</script> <script> setTimeout(function() { if ($('.template__main .social--top').length) { var isRtl = $('body').attr('dir'); if ($('.template__main').hasClass('modifier--large-social-right')) { $('.template__main .social--top').addClass('social--right'); } if ($('.template__main').hasClass('modifier--large-social-left')) { $('.template__main .social--top').addClass('social--left'); } var gutterSize = 40; var socialResize = function() { var templateMainTop = $('.template__main').offset().top; var templateMainOuterWidth = $('.template__main').outerWidth(); var templateMainWidth = $('.template__main').width(); var storyContentTop = $('.story__content').offset().top; var socialTop = storyContentTop - templateMainTop + gutterSize; // +gutterSize just to add extra top space if(typeof isRtl !== 'undefined') { var socialLeft = templateMainWidth - templateMainOuterWidth - gutterSize; if ($('.template__main .social--top').hasClass('social--right')) { socialLeft = '110%'; } } else { var socialLeft = $('.template__main').outerWidth(); if ($('.template__main .social--top').hasClass('social--left')) { socialLeft = -50; } } $('.template__main .social--top').css({top: socialTop, left: socialLeft, visibility: 'visible', zIndex: 999}); if ($(document).width() < 700) { $('.template__main .social--top').hide(); } else { $('.template__main .social--top').show(); } if ($(document).width() > 1350) { $('.widget--top').removeClass('d-none'); var widgetLeft = socialLeft + $('.social--top').outerWidth() + gutterSize; // +gutterSize for -margin on ad widget $('.widget--top').css({top: socialTop, left: widgetLeft}); } else { $('.widget--top').addClass('d-none'); } }; socialResize(); $(window).resize(socialResize); } }, 4000); </script> <script type="text/javascript" defer> setTimeout(function(){ $('document').ready(function() { var showHideComments = function() { var $button = "<div class='button col-12 mb-4 text-center caps show-comments bald size-two text--darkred'>Read All Comments</div>"; if ($('.comment').length <= 3) return; $('.comment').hide().slice(0, 3).show(); $('.comments').append($button); $('.show-comments').on('click', function() { $('.comment').show(); $(this).hide(); }); $('.show-comments').on('click', function() { $('.comment').show(); $(this).hide(); }); }; $('.js-comments-sort-date, .js-comments-sort-votes, .js-comments-sort-date--new').on('click', function(e) { $('.show-comments').remove(); showHideComments(); }); showHideComments(); }); }, 1000); </script><div class="px-2"> <div class="container-fluid container--footer border--top border--thick border--black"> <div class="mt-2"> <div class="pt-4"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-lg-2 col-12"> <ul class="nav"> <li class="nav__item"><img style="height:28px;width:119px" alt="Dawn News" class="container--footer__logo--black" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://www.dawn.com/_img/logo.png"></li> <li class="nav__item"><img style="height:28px;width:119px" alt="Dawn News" class="container--footer__logo--white d-none" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://www.dawn.com/_img/logo--white.png"></li> <li class="nav__item d-block text-left mt-2"><p>Copyright © 2018</p></li> <li class="nav__item text-left"><p class="d-none"> Compunode.com Pvt. Ltd. (<a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.compunode.com/">www.compunode.com</a>).Designed for <a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.dawn.com/">Dawn</a>.</p></li> <li class="nav__item d-block text-left"><p>Scribe Publishing Platform</p></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-lg-10 col-12"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-sm-2 col-12"> <ul class="nav nav--dawn-sitemap size-two palm-bald--left"> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/contact">Contact Us</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://www.facebook.com/dawndotcom">Facebook</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://twitter.com/dawn_com">Twitter</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pepperpk.dawnnews">Android App</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://itunes.apple.com/pk/app/id935631940">iPhone App</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-sm-2 col-12"> <ul class="nav nav--dawn-sitemap size-two palm-bald--left"> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/newsletters">Newsletters</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/prayers-timings">Prayer Timings</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/stocks">Stock Forex and Gold</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/weather">Weather</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/social-media-guidelines">Social Media Guidelines</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-sm-2 col-12"> <ul class="nav nav--dawn-sitemap size-two palm-bald--left"> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/code-of-ethics">Code of Ethics</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/terms">Terms of Use</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/privacy">Privacy</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/reproduction-copyrights">Reproduction Copyrights</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/contribution-guidelines">Contribution Guidelines</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-sm-2 col-12"> <ul class="nav nav--dawn-sitemap size-two palm-bald--left"> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="/web/20180221001340/https://www.dawn.com/advertise">Advertise in Dawn</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://dawnnationaladvertiser.com/">Place Classifieds Ad</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://obituary.dawn.com/">Obituaries</a></li>  </ul> </div> <div class="col-sm-2 col-12"> <ul class="nav nav--dawn-sitemap size-two palm-bald--left"> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://www.dawn.com/">Dawn.com</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://dawnnews.tv/">Dawnnews.tv</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://cityfm89.com/">Cityfm 89</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://herald.dawn.com/">HERALD</a></li> <li class="nav__item col-12 text-left"><a class="px-0 px-sm-1 text--400" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/http://aurora.dawn.com/">Aurora</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> _atrk_opts = { atrk_acct:"1DJ3k1acFH00UN", domain:"dawn.com",dynamic: true}; (function() { var as = document.createElement('script'); as.type = 'text/javascript'; as.async = true; as.src = "https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://d31qbv1cthcecs.cloudfront.net/atrk.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(as, s); })(); </script> <noscript><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340im_/https://d5nxst8fruw4z.cloudfront.net/atrk.gif?account=1DJ3k1acFH00UN" style="display:none" height="1" width="1" alt=""/></noscript>   <script type="text/javascript"> var _sf_async_config = _sf_async_config || {}; /** CONFIGURATION START **/ _sf_async_config.uid = 62163; _sf_async_config.domain = "dawn.com"; _sf_async_config.useCanonical = true; _sf_async_config.sections = "World"; _sf_async_config.authors = "AFP-119"; /** CONFIGURATION END **/ (function(){ function loadChartbeat() { window._sf_endpt = (new Date()).getTime(); var e = document.createElement('script'); e.setAttribute('language', 'javascript'); e.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); e.setAttribute('src', '//web.archive.org/web/20180221001340/https://static.chartbeat.com/js/chartbeat.js'); document.body.appendChild(e); } var oldonload = window.onload; window.onload = (typeof window.onload != 'function') ? loadChartbeat : function() { oldonload(); loadChartbeat(); }; })(); </script>   <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.story__content a').click(function(){ga('send','event','story','click','links');}); if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.social--whatsapp a').click(function(){ga('send','event','story','click','whatsapp');}); if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.social--print a').click(function(){ga('send','event','story','click','print');}); if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.social--email a').click(function(){ga('send','event','story','click','email');}); if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.story__meta a').click(function(){ga('send','event','story','click','author');}); if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.navstory--prev a').click(function(){ga('send','event','prevnext','click','prev');}); if (typeof $ !== 'undefined') $('.navstory--next a').click(function(){ga('send','event','prevnext','click','next');}); </script>   <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20180221001340js_/https://cdn.onesignal.com/sdks/OneSignalSDK.js" async="async"></script> <script> var OneSignal = window.OneSignal || []; OneSignal.push(["init", { appId: "da41085a-a849-47c0-96e7-4b956b56f35e", /* Set to true to automatically prompt visitors */ autoRegister: true, // https://documentation.onesignal.com/docs/customize-permission-messages-1 notifyButton: { text: { 'tip.state.unsubscribed': 'Subscribe to notifications', 'tip.state.subscribed': "You're subscribed to notifications", 'tip.state.blocked': "You've blocked notifications", 'message.prenotify': 'Click to subscribe to notifications', 'message.action.subscribed': "Thanks for subscribing!", 'message.action.resubscribed': "You're subscribed to notifications", 'message.action.unsubscribed': "You won't receive notifications again", 'dialog.main.title': 'Manage Site Notifications', 'dialog.main.button.subscribe': 'SUBSCRIBE', 'dialog.main.button.unsubscribe': 'UNSUBSCRIBE', 'dialog.blocked.title': 'Unblock Notifications', 'dialog.blocked.message': "Follow these instructions to allow notifications:" }, /* Set to false to hide */ enable: false }, prenotify: true, persistNotification: false, showCredit: false, // Your other init options here promptOptions: { /* Change bold title, limited to 30 characters */ siteName: "Dawn.Com", /* Subtitle, limited to 90 characters */ actionMessage: "We'd like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.", /* Example notification title */ exampleNotificationTitle: 'Subscribe for news updates', /* Example notification message */ exampleNotificationMessage: "", /* Text below example notification, limited to 50 characters */ exampleNotificationCaption: 'You can unsubscribe anytime', /* Accept button text, limited to 15 characters */ acceptButtonText: "ALLOW", /* Cancel button text, limited to 15 characters */ cancelButtonText: "NO THANKS" } }]); // OneSignal.setSubscription(true); OneSignal.push(function() { // forcefully popup for notification subscription // OneSignal.registerForPushNotifications(); // for debugging // OneSignal.log.setLevel('trace'); /*OneSignal.isPushNotificationsEnabled(function(isEnabled) { if (isEnabled) { console.log("Push notifications are enabled!"); } else { console.log("Push notifications are not enabled yet."); } });*/ }); </script>  <script> function adBlockerPresent() { console.log('this is adBlockerPresent()'); if (window.matchMedia('(max-device-width: 750px)').matches) return; if ($('body').is('.hero')) return; adblockAlert(); $(window).scroll(function() { adblockAlert(); }); $(window).resize(function() { adblockAlert(); }); } function adBlockerAbsent() { // hide all ad blocker mesages in case of false positive $('.adblocker-overlay').hide(); $('.adblocker-modal').hide(); $('.adblock-alert').hide(); console.log('this is adBlockerAbsent()'); } function adblockAlert() { var dismissDelay = 3; var $modal = $('.adblocker-modal'); var $headroom = $('.headroom'); var $sticky = $('.adblock-alert'); var $modalOverlay = $('.adblocker-overlay') var $modalButton = $('.adblocker-modal__button').attr('disabled', 'disabled'); $modalButton.on('click', function() { $modalOverlay.css('display', 'none'); $modal.css('display', 'none'); Cookies.set('adblock-popup', true, {expires: 0.25}); }); $sticky.css('display', 'block').css('position', 'fixed'); // maintain position of adblocker warning on top and headroom displaced below it if (window.scrollY === 0) { $headroom.css('margin-top', 0); } else { $headroom.css('margin-top', $sticky.outerHeight() + 'px'); } // don't show modal if cookie hasn't expired yet if (Cookies.get('adblock-popup')) return; // modal is already visible, don't re-render it if ($modal.is(':visible')) return; $modalButton.html(dismissDelay) // show countdown on button var interval = setInterval(function() { if (dismissDelay == 0) { clearInterval(interval); $modalButton.html('Continue').removeAttr('disabled'); } else { $modalButton.html(dismissDelay); } dismissDelay--; }, 1000); $modalOverlay.css('display', 'block'); $modal.css('display', 'block'); } if(typeof blockAdBlock === 'undefined') { console.log('ad blocker is not defined'); $('.headroom .border--ends').attr("style", "border-top-color: #dcdcdc !important"); adBlockerPresent(); } else { blockAdBlock.setOption({ checkOnLoad: false, debug: true }); blockAdBlock.onDetected(adBlockerPresent).onNotDetected(adBlockerAbsent); } function checkAgain() { // setTimeout 300ms for the recheck is visible when you click on the button setTimeout(function() { if(typeof blockAdBlock === 'undefined') { adBlockerPresent(); } else { blockAdBlock.onDetected(adBlockerPresent).onNotDetected(adBlockerAbsent); blockAdBlock.check(); } }, 300); } </script> </footer>  </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Turkey vows to lay siege to Syria's Afrin 'in coming days' - World - DAWN.COM