It is the power of Parliament to make constitutions and laws,” the minister said, asserting that there was nothing new in the bill
Meanwhile PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan remarked that the bill seems to have come with the will of the law
minister He questioned whether the bill were it to be made an act, would apply retroactively or not to which Tarar said it would
The PTI lawmaker said the bill would be tantamount to pitting Parliament against the Supreme Court
In contrast PTI members voiced strong opposition with Ali Muhammad Khan emphasizing the need for thorough examination, suggesting that the amendments could be detrimental JUI’s Shahida Akhtar Ali also criticized the process arguing that the bill requires more detailed scrutiny and re-evaluation
The Election Commission s Secretary stated that the Commission could not comment on the bill s effects, as this falls outside its purview Khan further criticized the Election Commission accusing it of misconduct and undue influence on political parties
Ultimately the committee approved the Election Act Amendment Bill 2024 with six votes in favor and four against Notably, JUI’s Shahida Akhtar Ali abstained from voting citing uncertainty about the bill’s restorative effects and no PPP members attended the meeting
The bill is now set to be presented to the National Assembly for final approval on Friday
On Tuesday, the PML-N had tabled the Election Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the National Assembly on Tuesday Immediately after the bill was tabled Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar suggested it would be appropriate if the bill was referred to a committee for input from all political parties
vows to oppose NA bill amending Election Act
Tehreek-e-Insaf s (PTI)
Latif Khosa vowed that the party would not allow the Election Act Amend Bill 2024 to pass in the National Assembly s standing committee stage A day earlier National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had sent the Election Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024 a move termed by Khosa as “mal-in-
UNITED NATIONS
A new United Nations Security Council report has underscored the grave threat to Pakistan’s security posed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), highlighting increased collaboration between the TTP and Afghan Taliban in cross-border terrorist attacks primarily targeting Pakistani military posts With Taliban acquiescence, and at times support, TTP has intensified attacks inside Pakistan primarily targeting military installations,” stated the report from the Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL (Da esh) Al-Qaeda and associate groups It pointed out that Pakistan suffered more than 800 attacks in recent months TTP camps, with Al-Qaeda and Taliban involvement, focus on training local Afghan fighters and TTP operatives,” the report noted, adding that TTP has between 6 000 and 6 500 fighters who continue to use NATO weapons obtained in Afghanistan
It also emphasized the role of night vision capability Al-Qaeda is funding purchases of weapons and suicide vests for TTP, the report added The report highlighted, “The terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan is causing heightened concern in many (UN) member states ” Pakistan has consistently drawn the international community s attention to the security threat it faces from TTP terrorists who it says also have external support The report further stated, There is heightened concern among member
implementation of its July 12 verdict which had declared the PTI eligible for reserved seats
states about the terrorist threat emanating regionally from Afghanistan from ISIL-Khorasan and Tehrik-e
Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in particular; new inward travel to Afghanistan of some Al-Qaeda personnel and training, recruitment, and reorganization activities
It cited several UN member states as saying that the Al-Qaeda figure Abu Ikhlas-al Masri was actively collaborating with Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in providing suicide bomber training to TTP in Kunar Province with two states holding TTP responsible for the March 26 attack against Chinese nationals working on a hydropower dam project near Besham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa There is increased support and collaboration between TTP and the Taliban, sharing manpower and training camps in Afghanistan and conducting more lethal attacks under the banner of Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan (TJP) Therefore TTP could transform into an umbrella organization for other terrorist groups the report said The report also highlighted ISIL-K or Da esh
have
of some
ON FOREIGN AID
to leverage the Pakistani diaspora s potential Dr Arshad Mahmood, Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakista-
the
without their consent
Dr Mahmood noted a declining trend in overseas employment for Pakistani workers attributing it to a significant portion of the workforce remaining unskilled despite advancements in technology The lack of resources and skill development has led to Pakistani workers being replaced by those from other countries
The committee was informed that skilled labour from countries like Bangladesh sets an example that Pakistan needs to follow Dr Mahmood mentioned that the Pakistani diaspora includes 10 7 million individuals, primarily in Saudi Arabia, UAE, the US, the UK, and Canada However, governments in the Gulf region have voiced concerns over various issues
related to Pakistani workers
The committee also learned about organized gangs of Pakistani beggars operating in Iraq and Saudi Arabia who travel on pilgrim visas Saudi authorities reported that 90% of beggars arrested were Pakistanis
Senator Nasir Abbas raised the issue of Pakistanis living illegally in Iraq under poor conditions and questioned the ministry s efforts to assist them Senator Zeeshan Khanzada added that many Pakistanis in Italy live illegally and avoid identifying as Pakistanis He urged the ministry to take a proactive role in getting a clear picture and extending help to stranded Pakistanis
The session concluded with a call for the government to prioritize skill development and improve the standards of the Pakistani workforce to regain the confidence of Gulf employers
ing a reasonable basis as to the price borne by the consumers This constitutes a violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act 2010 Consequently a penalty of Rs 500,000 was imposed Zafar Cables challenged the CCP s order before the CAT However, due to repeated absence on scheduled hearings, the
Foreign investment in Pakistani t-Bills reaches $120m
Moazzam Ghurki President of PCJCCI, expressed optimism that
Exhibition” will provide
businesses and industries with significant motivation and opportunities He emphasized efforts to facilitate joint ventures between international brand owners and local companies from Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, and Faisalabad, as well as arrange training for engineers involved in manufacturing spare parts for sewing and textile machinery Hamza Khalid Vice President of PCJCCI noted that
fore June 30, 2024, the previous tax regime will remain in effect meaning gains will still be taxed based on the holding period at rates existing before the implementation of the Finance Act, 2024
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
“ISIL-K has relocated some personnel away from its core area of Kunar and Nangarhar with factions migrating to Badakhshan Herat and Nimroz Provinces adopting an asymmetric warfare strategy better suited to local conditions and to resist Taliban pressure, it said The group aspires to control Afghan territory from which to infiltrate neighboring countries, expanding the terrorist threat to Central Asia the Russian Federation and Iran ” The report noted that ISIL-K perceives the Taliban as an ideological enemy and opposes the notion of Pashtuncentric Taliban governance The group s narrative aims to reduce the Taliban s credibility among the Afghan population and trigger sectarian fault lines promoting the idea that the Taliban has deviated from Islamic principles, while portraying itself as advancing the ‘wider Khorasan’ ” Regarding Al-Qaeda, its status, location, and strength in Afghanistan have not changed remaining dormant according to the report which noted that this group remains strictly hierarchical Despite lacking current capacity to conduct large-scale operations externally AlQaeda seeks to strengthen cooperation with regional terrorist organizations of non-Afghan origin, such as ETIM/TIP, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and Jamaat Ansarullah (JA) for expansion to Central Asia ”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
“Similar gap could be seen in 36 other shared
and peculiar trends emerge from the audit of the ECP result forms: Exceptionally high turnout on almost one-fifth Form-45s
Faster than ever yone thought?
The decline in inflation will increase the clamour to bring down the polic y rate
I
T is almost as if the Monetary Policy Committee of the State Bank of Pakistan had not done enough, It had just f0llowed its previous cut of 150 basis [points in the policy rate with a further cut of 100 basis points in its lst meeting on Monday, that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that inflation was down, so the policy rate should as well After inflation for the first month 0of the new financial year clocked in at 11 8 percent, some in the Finance Ministry began to talk of inflation for the whole year touching single digits That may be the result of overexcitement, for that requires the policy rate to be brought down even further
If indeed inflation does come down, should the policy rate also not be brought down to about 500 basis points above the inflation rate (which would be about17 percent at present), there will develop the danger of squeezing growth to the point where the economy is tipped into recession At the moment, the combination of low growth and high inflation means the economy is trapped in a stagflationary cycle Any further squeezing of the money supply through the policy rate remaining too high would prevent the new investment needed for growth The government needs that growth badly, for households are experiencing both members going onto the job market, but not finding employment, as well as employed members either losing jobs or facing the danger thereof One of the pluses for the present government is that the downturn in inflation is led by food inflation The government s concern with inflation is limited to its effect on the electorate, and it is food prices that the man in the street notices the most
At the moment, inflation has not come down so much that people would notice Anyhow, as prices are nowhere near coming down, there is little chance of people sitting up and taking notice Of those who should be taking notice, the rate cut seems to be against the IMF s advice that rates should be kept up There is some wisdom in that, for rates cannot be jiggled in response of one day s inflation reading One reason Mr Aurangzeb wants rates down is that the government s debt servicing costs would go down Considering that the budget deficit target (another MIF condition) was missed last year because of increased debt servicing costs, it is an important consideration
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
O n p r i d e , l a b e l s , a n d m e n t a l s l o t h
The ‘rational animal’ can do much better
PR I D E if it is ever justified should be reserved exclusively for one s achievements not accidents of birth and other circumstances beyond one s control As a wit once pointed out, if one is proud of the colour of one’s skin or mother-tongue or ethnicity, one might as well be proud of having a liver or a spleen The rational animal obviously has a long way to go yet It is always sad when apparently sane folks keep identifying themselves with stupid labels repeating slogans such as Proud to be this, that or the other (insert any national, ethnic, geographical or racial identity here) It is sad because the society has obviously brainwashed this type of person into thinking that being born to a certain set of parents or in a particular location or with
the comfortable position of not having to think for oneself (at any rate being spared the laborious task of having to think things through) is something very few men are able to resist In the political and the religious realms one familiar form this takes is an individual choosing to make a leader or a scholar his moral compass; that is his infallible moral guide That way the individual never has to apply his own mind; all he needs to do instead is observe which side of the issue his guide stands on follow that suit and keep justifying it mindlessly
This human weakness is well known and
G l o b a l p r e s s u r e a n d p o l i t i c a
l d y n a m i c s i n t h e W e s t
Tof the USA, this issue becomes particularly evident in the political arena There is a noticeable confrontation between the Democratic Party and the radical wing of the Republican Party The Democrats are often criticized for being out of touch with the moral values that were prevalent in the past They are seen as promoting progressive policies that do not resonate with the traditional values held by many Americans Additionally the Democrats are perceived as being more lenient towards immigration which exacerbates the fears of those who worry about the cultural and economic impact of new arrivals On the other side, the radical wing of the Republican Party capitalizes on these fears and presents itself as the defender of traditional values and the interests of long-standing citizens They argue that the country needs to return to its core principles and take a tougher stance on immigration to protect its cultural identity and economic stability This political divide is not just about differing policy approaches but reflects a deeper sense of discontent and insecurity among the populace The fear of unemployment and the belief that the government is neglecting its poorer citizens in favor of immigrants create a volatile environment This environment fosters political movements that seek to challenge the status quo and demand a return to perceived traditional values and priorities This shift in focus generates a fear that the long-established moral values and traditions of the country will be pushed aside As new groups of people are integrated into society and given legitimacy there is a worry that the ideals and principles that older generations have upheld will be overshadowed or replaced by new ones
This creates a feeling of alienation and loss among those who see their cultural identity being threatened These fears and concerns inevitably lead to a political response People start to express their dissatisfaction not just against specific political parties but also
against those who are in power regardless of their political affiliation The focus of their frustration is on the current leadership, which they feel is responsible for the changes they are experiencing In Europe, many ongoing issues reflect a sense of inequality in the benefits of European unification This perception has led to dissatisfaction with the political system among many people The distribution of wealth remains a traditional concern, contributing to the political tensions
The political landscape is largely shifting away from left-wing parties, with resistance to migration emerging as a common issue across various contexts The public’s frustration is often directed at incumbent parties regardless of their ideological stance These incumbents are blamed for failing to address the grievances of the populace
As a result, opposition parties, including some on the left, are gaining traction by addressing issues such as mass migration and evolving cultural values This shift in political dynamics is not unique to Europe; a similar pattern is evident in the United States In the USA
former President Donald Trump has been focusing on undermining traditional Democrats and conventional Republicans, promoting a new political structure This strategy mirrors what is happening in Europe where left-wing parties are beginning to acknowledge the concerns of new parties that are skeptical of European unity migration and cultural changes
This indicates that the Euro-American world is experiencing a significant yet routine political shift The transformation reflects a broader trend where traditional political lines are being redrawn and new issues are coming to the forefront influencing voter behavior and electoral outcomes The rising influence of parties critical of migration and European unity, alongside the growing appeal of new political structures, underscores the dynamic and changing nature of politics in Europe and the USA
The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo com
The transformation reflects a broader trend where traditional political lines are being redrawn, and new issues are coming to the forefront, influencing voter behavior and electoral outcomes The rising influence of par ties critical of migration and European unity, alongside the growing appeal of new political structures, underscores the dynamic and changing nature of politics in Europe and the USA
Femicide in focus
Dr MuhaMMaD akraM Zaheer
On paradoxical geese
Masoud Pezeshkian is the latest reformist in Iran’s never- ending c ycle of hardliners giving way to more liberal leaders Is this time different? For Pakistan, it might be
round of voting saw only a 40 prtcent turnout and it was only through Pezeshkian s fear tactics that he was able to mobilize enough people to defeat his hardliner opponent: Vote for us or worse than us is coming for you
His policy stances are an intriguing contradiction of obeisance to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard as well as a firmly pro-USA and social reformist stance He campaigned on a platform of scaling back Iran s nuclear programme in a bid to lift sanctions, deescalating Iran s belligerence in Middle Eastern conflicts, and placating public anxiety about policing public and private life, including an easing of the mandatory hijab policy Intuitively his candidacy would never have been permissible– and yet Khamenei saw fit not only to approve it but to bless his incoming presidency Therein lies the fundamental contradiction: when key domestic and foreign policies fall under the ambit of the Supreme Leader and the Revolutionary Guard why would Pezeshkian’s promises be worth anything more than the God-gifted breath with which he delivered them? Most would argue not US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has gone on record expressing skepticism that his presidency will lead to any substantive change in relations between Washington and Tehran and perhaps they are right to believe so Despite the pressure that the USA has exerted through the geopolitical alienation of Iran the latter has remained unmoved on its hardline policy stances The worst of times have seen esca-
lations like the assassination of TRDC chief Qasem Soleimani
However for all that the State Department may be pessimistic about Pezeshkian s ability to realign the Washington-Tehran axis, that is not to say that it will not be looking for cause for optimism US interests with regards to Iran are compelling and have always been so When Mossadegh was overthrown in 1953 the reintroduced shares of the British in the denationalized Anglo-Iranian company saw a 40 percent split towards the Americans, and Iran served as a key bulwark against Soviet influence in the region which formed much of the architecture of the Sino-American rapprochement of the 1970s More recently Iran’s antagonism towards key Middle Eastern allies of the USS Saudi Arabia and Israel has upset US interests in the region and any thought of nuclear warheads commanded by the Revolutionary Guard leaves one blanching
Setting aside the irony for a moment that Mossadegh was the last Iranian leader to recognize Israel Pezeshkian’s position as a mouthpiece reformist is nonetheless an opportunity for both the U S and for Saidi Arabia – and Pakistan, by proxy In the most charitable of terms, Islamabad’s relations with Tehran have been lukewarm, and the frank reality is that our role as their protector state carries less than ceremonial weight In practice Iran is a major potential partner on the geopolitical and economic front while also being an unshakeable threat to Pakistan s own foreign policy interests Take India: they see in Iran the opportu-
nity to sandwich Pakistan between two antagonistic neighbours and any support of the US initiative to bring Iran to a nuclear deal shadows a satisfaction at the thought of seeing Pakistan caught between two nucleararmed neighbours In either case, they act as an economic anchor for the country with projects in Chabahar accelerating rapidly, in a mirror to China’s own investments there given that the latter views the port as an alternative to Gwadar due to Iran s Revolutionary Guard acting as a consolidatory force when put against the political instability that has upset CPEC progress Despite this, Pakistan found itself hosting Raisi not too long ago where he enticed us with oil trade agreements – something that many will recall led to a near-standoff between Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the US government It is not surprising in the slightest– Iran itself revitalized an antagonism with the USA on the Levantine front, and as President Biden’s government pursues a peace deal with Israel before the upcoming election in November Iran will lose the slight purchase it has gained on this path from the tacit support offered by Russia and China India will throw down its weight to bring Iran to the negotiating table with the USA , of course, but this is arguably indicative of how dire the situation in Iran truly is As Khamenei faces a succession crisis for the role of Supreme Leader his approval of Pezeshkian s presidency is a sign that Iran s need of the hour is to trend towards normalization If that is true, then perhaps Pezeshkian may be Pakistan’s
RaisiÊs visit so evidently laid bare that Iran is truly alienated and looking for all avenues of suppor t, and only an increase in contact surface within our relations with Iran will clarify what spine Pez eshkian stands on Star t small: cultural and educational exchang e programmes, technology par tnerships, and the like Maintain an open dialogue with Washington on potential policy initiatives, and treat the project with cautious optimism
lowing Mahsa Amini s death in police custody and exacerbated by record inflation, the Iranian populace had lost faith in their tenuous democracy entirely Indeed, the first
Hamas will sur vive leader’s death as it has many times before
The question that many will be asking is: how did the Iranians manage to be so easily penetrated and what will their response be to this serious breach of their sec urit y and blatant violation of their sovereignt y?
The Palestinian movement has seen numerous top leaders assassinated, yet it continued to grow in strength and popularit y
It is highly unlikely that Hamas would decide to close the existing channel, bec ause most probably this is what Netanyahu would hope to achieve
South Lebanon
The Israeli message was a compound one, to Iran’s new administration – that of Israel ’s readiness to esc alate fur ther –and to Hamas, that Israel has no intentions to end the war or to reach a negotiated ceasefire
Iran s new administration – that of Israel s readiness to escalate further – and to Hamas, that Israel has no intentions to end the war or to reach a negotiated ceasefire
TH E assassination of Hamas top leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday will most likely be the boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been desperately looking for in this 10-month unprecedented genocidal war against the Palestinians Or this is how it might seem For Hamas affiliates, and many Palestinians would agree with them, martyrdom is not a loss In the Islamic doctrine, martyrdom is one of two successful outcomes in the struggle for truth and justice; the other is victory When the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas was born out of the womb of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood organisation in December 1987, Haniyeh was a young cadre, who was about to turn 25 Yet like many of his Islamic comrades he was born a leader Since his birth on 23 December 1962 to a refugee family that fled its homeland in Palestine close to the city of Ashkelon during the Nakba of 1948, he grew up and lived in Al-Shati refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip His primary and intermediate education was at Unrwa schools in Gaza He obtained a second school certificate from Al-Azhar Institute and then joined the Islamic University in Gaza It was during his time at the university, where he studied Arabic Literature, that he joined the Muslim Brotherhood His graduation from the university in the summer of 1987 was soon to be followed by the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada and the birth of Hamas He was detained by the Israeli occupation forces for several brief periods in 1987 and 1988
A year later, he was re-arrested and given a three-year prison sentence Following his release the Israelis detained him again in the winter of 1992 and deported him together with more than 400 senior Hamas leaders and activists to
A UNIFYING FIGURE: From a young age Haniyeh was a brilliant orator an essential leadership characteristic in the Arab Islamic culture He was known for his love of poetry Yet, he started acquiring fame when, following the release of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, a co-founder of Hamas, in the aftermath of the 1997 failed assassination attempt on the life of Hamas leader in Jordan Khaled Meshaal Haniyeh was appointed office manager and personal assistant to Sheikh Yassin Haniyeh s peers and comrades would agree that he was a unifying figure Within the Hamas circles, he was not seen as controversial but rather as a representative of a moderate mainstream middle ground trend within the movement This is what quickly ascended him to the top ranks of the movement when a succession of assassinations eliminated a whole generation of founders and leaders including: Imad Aqil on 24 November 1993; Yahya Ayyash on 5 January 1996; Jamal Salim and Jamal Mansur on 31 July 2001; Mahmud Abu Hannud on 23 November 2001; Salah Shehadah on 22 July 2002; Ibrahim al-Maqadma on 8 March 2003; Isma’il Abu Shanab on 21 August 2003; Sheikh Ahmad Yassin on 21 March 2004; Abd Al-Aziz al-Rantisi on 17 April 2004; and more recently Saleh alArouri on 2 January 2024 When the Israelis attempted an assassination on the life of Sheikh Yassin for the first time on 6 September 2003, Haniyeh was with him and both men sustained light wounds Sheikh Yassin was killed in a second attempt six months later just after dawn prayers as he was leaving the mosque IDEAS NEVER DIE: In January 2006, Hamas took part in, and massively won, the Palestinian legislative elections Haniyeh was leader of the Hamas bloc of 76 out of 132 members in the legislative council He was soon requested by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to form the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip and the Occupied West Bank Yet, in the following year, tensions between Hamas and the Abbas-led Fatah escalated a war in Gaza erupted and the result was that Gaza ended up under Hamas control while the West Bank fell under Fatah s On 6 May 2017, Haniyeh was elected by Hamas Shura Council as leader of the movement’s political bureau, replacing Khaled Meshaal who had held that position since 1995 The US State Department
announced on 31 January 2018 that it was adding Haniyeh’s name to its terrorism list In the early hours of Wednesday Iran announced that Haniyeh who was on an official visit to take part in the official inauguration of the new Iranian president had been assassinated Hamas accused Israel of carrying out the assassination It is highly unlikely that Haniyeh’s removal from the scene will adversely affect Hamas a movement that is built of institutions and which is led by elected officials As noted earlier Hamas has seen many of its top leaders assassinated, yet it continued to grow in strength and popularity Hamas is a movement based on an idea, and the idea does not die no matter what However the question that many will be asking is: how did the Iranians manage to be so easily penetrated and what will their response be to this serious breach of their security and blatant violation of their sovereignty?
QUESTIONS ON SUCCESSION: The assassination will inevitably raise questions about the fate of ceasefire negotiations with Israel It is highly unlikely that Hamas would decide to close the existing channel, because most probably this is what Netanyahu would hope to achieve The leadership of Hamas both in Gaza as well as in the diaspora realise that the Israeli establishment is now more divided on the war in Gaza than several months ago Netanyahu clearly does not want to see an end to the war until Hamas is no more and Gaza is under his coalition government’s direct control He does not, and never did care about the hostages Hamas would still be betting on further cracks within the Zionist establishment over the war Prior to his assassination Haniyeh had two deputies, Mousa Abu Marzouq and Khalil al-Hayya It is expected in the immediate term that one of the two men will be assigned the responsibility for running the political bureau The movement was supposed to prepare for another round of elections this year had it not been for the war If a ceasefire deal is reached sometime in the near future, organising the elections might become feasible Contenders might not be limited to the historical figures but Khaled Meshaal remains among those who are the most charismatic and more likely to muster unanimity within the movement
Azzam Tamimi is a British Palestinian academic and political activist He is currently the Chairman of Alhiwar TV Channel and is its Editor in Chief
S R A E L S assassination of the head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, on July 31 is part of Tel Aviv’s overall desperate search for a wider conflict It is a criminal act that reeks of desperation Almost immediately after the start of the Gaza war on October 7, Israel hoped to use the genocide in the Strip as an opportunity to achieve its long-term goal of a regional war – one that would rope in Washington as well as Iran and other Middle Eastern countries Despite unconditional support for its genocide in Gaza and various conflicts throughout the region the United States refrained from entering a direct war against Iran and others Though defeating Iran is an American strategic objective, the US lacks the will and tools to pursue it now After ten months of a failed war on Gaza and a military stalemate against Hezbollah in Lebanon Israel is once more accelerating its push for a wider conflict This time around, however, Israel is engaging in a high-stakes game, the most dangerous of its previous gambles The current gamble involved the targeting of a top Hezbollah leader by bombing a residential building in Beirut on Tuesday – and of course the assassination of Palestine s most visible let alone popular political leader Haniyeh has succeeded in forging and strengthening ties with Russia, China, and other countries beyond the US-western political domain Israel chose the place and timing of killing Haniyeh carefully The Palestinian leader was killed in the Iranian capital shortly after he attended the inauguration of Iran s new president Masoud Pezeshkian
The Israeli message was a compound one, to
The latter point is perhaps the most urgent For months Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done everything in his power to impede all diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war By killing the top Palestinian negotiator, Israel delivered a final and decisive message that Israel remains invested in violence and in nothing else
The scale of the Israeli provocations however poses a great challenge to the proPalestinian camp in the Middle East namely how to respond with equally strong messages without granting Israel its wish of embroiling the whole region in a destructive war Considering the military capabilities of what is known as the ‘Axis of Resistance’ Iran Hezbollah and others are certainly capable of managing this challenge despite the risk factors involved Equally important regarding timing: the Israeli dramatic escalation in the region, followed a visit by Netanyahu to Washington, which, aside from many standing ovations at the US Congress didn’t fundamentally alter the US position predicated on the unconditional support for Israel without direct US involvement in a regional war Additionally, Israel s recent clashes involving the army, military police, and the supporters of the far right suggest that an actual coup in Israel might be a real possibility In the words of Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid: Israel is not nearing the abyss Israel is already in the abyss
It is, therefore, clear to Netanyahu and his far-right circle that they are operating within an increasingly limited time and margins By killing Haniyeh, a political leader who has essentially served the role of a diplomat Israel demonstrated the extent of its des-
PALESTINE
Hamas, Iran vow revenge over Ismail
Haniyeh’s assassination
Haniyeh was
of
Ayatollah
as he had sacrificed members of his family and loved ones for the Resistance He extended his condolences to the proud nation of Palestine and
Haniyeh s family on the death of the resistance leader and his companion in the attack in Tehran ISRAEL TO SOON SEE RESULT OF ITS COWARDLY ACTION: IRAN PRESIDENT Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a message on the martyrdom of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas’ head of politburo Ismail Haniyeh saying that the Zionist regime of Israel will soon see the result of its cowardly assassination of
brutal war against the Palestinians for more than nine months, and an attempt to whitewash its dark history of committing “occupation terrorism discrimination and mass killing
China urges Japan to stop meddling in its internal affairs
CORPORATE CORNER
BOOM IN PSX , INDEX RISES BY 523 POINTS
s ta f f r e p o r t
The Institute of Business Management (IoBM), New Horizon and Huawei Technologies hosted a landmark event at the Movenpick Hotel Karachi on Wednesday July 31 2024 The objective was to showcase how its newly deployed IT infrastructure is transforming its work environment This initiative aims to streamline day-to-day and strategic objectives make IoBM a paperless institution enhance its LMS software improve data security facilitate remote learning, enable efficient resource management, and support innovative teaching methodologies The event highlighted IoBM's leadership in digital transformation with Huawei Technologies as the technology provider and New Horizon deploying the
select few universities have undertaken such significant IT initiatives He emphasized the importance of collaboration among universities, stating that working in isolation will not yield meaningful results "Even with
advancements, human interaction remains essential " he added Mr Talib Karim President of IoBM emphasized the necessity of a robust IT infrastructure for researchers, students, and faculty to remain competitive on a global scale He stated that, with Dr Imran Batada's proposal and the support of IoBM s Board the digital infrastructure has been successfully implemented He added that
In a landmark development towards advancing the agriculture sector of Pakistan, the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) and Advanced Industrial Materials (AIM) Silver Corp International Tower (SCIT) Hong Kong have entered into a historic agreement for the development of Pakistan s technological landscape especially in the field of agriculture Pakistan (with approx 881,913 Sq Km land) is using only 27 3% for its agriculture production However, 47% of its land is agricultural land, with an import share of 5-10% (Approx 2 5 to 5 Bn $) of Food and Agriculture products varying with domestic production It presents opportunities for growth and development towards 1) Increasing Agricultural Productivity through investing in research and development, promotion of modern farming techniques, and improving water management to enhance yields 2) Cultivating a wider range of crops to reduce the risk of crop failures and improve food security 3) Processing agricultural products domestically while creating jobs and increasing export earnings 4) Sustainable practices to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and preserve natural resources
To address the widened gap between food and agriculture imports and domestic requirements as a complex challenge the recently signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) includes the construction of a state-of-theart Smart Agri Tech Tower that will serve as a hub for Agri domain technological R&D, enabler for innovation and incubator for Agri-entrepreneurship prioritising the agriculture technologies and synergising industry and academia The collaboration aims to promote international partnerships knowledge exchange and investment opportunities in Pakistan s agricultural sector advancing automation and research to boost and sustain the economy through local production Dr Rizwan Riaz VP National Science and Technology Park / Pro-Rector Research Innovation Commercialisation Dr Saeed ur Rehman Sarwar DG Projects Projects Sectt from NUST Pakistan and Mr Zaeem Shiko CEO AIM Hong Kong formalised the agreement on 23rd of July 2024 with a groundbreaking ceremony planned in Aug 2024 Mr Zaeem Shiko, CEO AIM, commented, "We are excited to partner with NUST on this transformative project This Agri Tech facility will serve as a hub for research and innovation, bringing together the best minds from academia and industry in developing cutting-edge agricultural technology products
ACE acc uses PTI ac tivists of ‘attacking officials,’ ‘getting freed ’ detained MNA
The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Wednesday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) workers of attacking an anticorruption team and getting free detained the party s MNA Haji Imtiaz Ahmed According to a spokesperson of the Anti-Corruption Department MNA Haji Imtiaz Ahmed was arrested on charges of corruption of more than Rs10 million ACE had arrested Imtiaz Chaudhry on July 25 for allegedly taking kickbacks in development projects The PTI MNA accused of receiving kickbacks in development projects
The ACE spokesperson said the incident occurred when the ACE team had taken Imtiaz Ch to Mandi Bahauddin for interrogation when around eight to 10 armed individuals travelling in three vehicles, stopped the authority’s team and fired upon their vehicle
The alleged interception took place at Gujrat s New Shadiwal Road on Tuesday night at around 1:20am with the gunmen fleeing with the PTI MNA
The lawmaker, who has been presented before the relevant court in the said case on two occasions was in the ACE s custody on physical remand and was due to be produced in a civil court on Wednesday A case has been lodged at the Gujrat Saddr police station on the complaint of ACE Circle Officer Aftab Haider with the FIR includes Sections 149 148 225 224 427 324 186 and 353 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)
It is to be noted that apart from Imtiaz Ch, another PTI MNA Moazzam Khan Jatoi, was earlier taken into custody by ACE and was later handed over to Muzaffargarh police
Before that PTI s Ameer Sultan was allegedly abducted by unknown men in Lahore with the police and law enforcers denying his arrest Meanwhile, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser has
complained of its MNAs being pressurised to change loyalties
PTI Chairman Gohar Khan had also accused the government of coercing the PTI MPs to change their allegiance after the Supreme Court verdict on the reserved seats for women and minorities was announced
The Supreme Court on July 12 ruled that the PTI was eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, paving the way for the party’s return to the parliament, which was kicked out of the February 8 polls owing to the electoral body s December 2023 ruling
The judgement has also increased the pressure on the coalition alliance as it will change the composition of the National Assembly
Since then the ECP has notified as many as 93 lawmakers from three provincial legislatures as PTI members
The electoral body issued notification of 29 members of the PTI from Punjab, 58 from KhyberPakhtunkhwa and six from Sindh
a new National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference related to Toshakhana hours after their acquittal in the Iddat case Gujranwala cour t grants post-arrest bail to PTI’s Aliya Hamza in May 9 case
GUJRANWALA
s ta f
riots The district and session court heard the bail plea of the incarcerated PTI leader as the ATC judge was on leave The court accepted the application and granted Aliya Hamza the post-bail against surety bonds worth Rs50,000 Earlier on June 7, the Anti-Terrorism Court Gujranwala had granted a four-day physical remand of PTI leader Aliya Hamza in a May 9 violence case The PTI leader was produced before the Gujranwala court wherein police sought her 14-day remand The court rejected police request and granted four-day physical remand of Aliya Hamza and directed authorities to present her at next hearing On June 6, the police re-arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist Aliya Hamza in another case pertaining to violence on May 9 after she was granted bail in a case The police officials stated that the PTI activist was ar-
ISLAMABAD N e w s D e s k
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad has ordered the founder of PTI Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to appear in court via video link on September 7 for case related to the destruction of public and private property in the federal capital
The hearing for the destruction case against PTI founder Imran Khan Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others took place ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Supra directed the jail authorities to arrange for the video link appearance Judge Tahir Abbas Supra inquired whether Shah Mahmood Qureshi is a convicted prisoner and in which
K hadijah S hah decides to relinquish US citizenship for PTI reser ved seat
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Pakistani-American fashion designer Khadijah Shah has decided to give up her U S citizenship to accept a reserved seat in Pakistan s National Assembly, a position offered to her by Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister who is currently in jail Pakistani law forbids dual nationals from serving as members of parliament Shah who was accused of rioting and vandalism in May 2023 and subsequently imprisoned under severe conditions, was granted bail in December 2023 following a
