Five Indian jets downed: DG ISPR
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The military spokesperson added that India deliberately targeted mosques describing it as a reflection of the extremist mindset of Narendra Modi s Hindutva-driven government which he said systematically oppresses minorities particularly Muslims
He further said that Pakistan army downed five Indian fighter jets and one combat drone in response to unprovoked aggression and airspace violations According to the military spokesperson, the aircraft shot down included three Rafale jets, one MiG-29, one SU-series aircraft and an Israeli-made Heron combat drone The jets were downed in multiple locations including Bhatinda Jammu Akhnoor Srinagar and Avantipur
The Pakistan Air Force engaged these aircraft only after they carried out attacks on Pakistani territory,” DG ISPR said “Their aggression targeted the territorial integrity of Pakistan and endangered civilian lives he added The military spokesperson added that while Pakistani forces had the capability to strike more than ten aircraft, they chose to exercise restraint He further said that armed forces responded to Indian airstrikes in a “measured and defensive” manner asserting that the response was carried out in self-defence and without violating Indian airspace
He added that Pakistani aircraft did not cross into Indian airspace, and no Indian aircraft were allowed into Pakistani territory “Pakistan has the right to respond to any act of aggression in a manner and time of its choosing Lt Gen Chaudhry said adding that the armed forces remain committed to defending the country s sovereignty
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That Oct 23, 2023 verdict by a fivemember bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan and comprising Justices Munib Akhtar Yayha Afridi Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Ayesha A Malik had declared the military trials of civilians as unconstitutional by a majority of 4-1
While the bench unanimously emphasised that the cases of the May 9 suspects will proceed before criminal courts the majority ruling had struck down Section 2(1)d(i) and 2(1)(d)(ii) as well as Section 59(4) of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 In its verdict on Wednesday, the constitutional bench formed under the 26th Amendment restored those sections of the PAA
Section 2(1)(d)(i) says that those persons not otherwise subject to PAA become subject to the law if they were accused of seducing or attempting to seduce any army officer from his duty or allegiance to the government Likewise Section 2(1)(d)(ii) says individuals could be tried under PAA if they have committed an offence in relation to any work of defence, arsenal, naval, military or air force establishment or station, ship or aircraft or otherwise in relation to the naval military or air force affairs of Pakistan an offence under the Official Secrets Act 1923
Section 59(4) says that any person who becomes subject to PAA will liable to be tried under this act
The short order stated that by a majority of five judges “ICA no 5/2023 and other connected appeals are allowed and the impugned judgment dated 23 10 2023 [ ] is set aside Whereas, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan dismissed the aforesaid intra-court appeals,” it added
M A J O R I T Y R U L I N G: Detailing the reasons briefly the majority order stated: There was in fact no question with regard to the suspension of any fundamental right involved within the sphere of influence or realm of Article 233 of the Constitution ” Recalling the arguments presented by Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan the order noted that 39 military installations, army works/establishments at various places were targeted/attacked “within a span of four to six hours”
“Peaceful assembly association or public demonstration/protest within the bounds and precincts of
Earlier security forces said that Pakistan destroyed an Indian Army infantry brigade headquarters in response to Indian aggression, according to sources Footage of the destroyed Indian brigade headquarters has surfaced following the Pakistani strike security sources said The targeted Indian unit was the 12th Infantry Brigade operating under the 9th Division of the Indian Army s 15 Corps the sources confirmed
‘D
During the press briefing Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Ch stated that India also targeted Nauseri Dam part of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project The military termed the move a dangerous escalation and warned of its implications “This is an unacceptable act,” DG ISPR said “Targeting water infrastructure raises serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law and war conventions
He also said the Indian strikes endangered civil aviation, with 57 international flights passing through Pakistani airspace at the time of the incident “The presence of civilian aircraft highlights the recklessness of this operation he noted
He added that Pakistani aircraft did not cross into Indian airspace and no Indian aircraft were allowed into Pakistani territory Pakistan has the right to respond to any act of aggression in a manner and time of its choosing ” Lt Gen Chaudhry said adding that the armed forces remain committed to defending the country s sovereignty The targets we had set were destroyed with exactness according to a well-planned strategy, India s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said “We have shown sensitivity by ensuring that no civilian population was affected in the slightest ” Islamabad said none of the six locations targeted in Pak-
reasonable restrictions imposed by the law is not prohibited but without violating or breaking the law or taking the law in one s hands the ruling stressed It noted that the AGP had pointed out that due to the striking down of some sections of the PAA, no action can be taken even against “hardcore criminals and terrorists involved in attacks on army installations personnel or civilians or against persons accused of espionage or spies of enemy countries
Citing the cases of Brig (retired) F B Ali, Shahida Zahir Abbasi and District Bar Rawalpindi the bench noted that the “various provisions were vigorously highlighted by the learned counsel for the appellants to demonstrate that the right to a fair trial was fully protected under the PAA
On the right to appeal, the order said that AGP Awan had reiterated that if the CB referred the matter to the government/parliament to amend the law and create a window of an independent right of appeal over and above the one already provided under Section 133-B of the PAA, it would be considered seriously
Subsequently the CB referred the matter to the government/parliament for considering and making necessary amendments/legislation in the PAA and allied Rules within 45 days to provide an independent right of appeal in the high court against the convictions handed by military courts under Section 2(1)d(i) and 2(1)(d)(ii) read with Section 59(4) of the PAA It clarified that individual cases/writ petitions before high courts challenging ATC orders, allowing the transfer of case/custody of any accused to the military court for trial shall be decided by such courts on its own merits In our view the provisions merely accentuating the right to a fair trial and due process in any statute and its actual application and proper implementation during the trial are two distinct features and situations ” the order stated The majority ruling further said: We in unison sensitise the need for legislative changes which will also be compliant to the requirements laid down under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) for maintaining and preserving the constitutional and societal norms in the existing legal framework
aside the convictions and sentences awarded to civilians by military courts over the May 9 riots declaring them as without jurisdiction The judges observed that the trial of civilians by military courts violated Articles 2A, 9 (security of person), 10 (safeguards as to arrest and detention) 10A (right to fair trial) 19A (right to information) 25 (equality of citizens) and 227(1) (provisions relating to the Holy Quran and Sunnah) of the Constitution, as well as offends the fundamental principle of independence of judiciary” They determined: “The accused under custody shall be treated as under-trial prisoners Their cases stand transferred to the concerned courts of competent jurisdiction for trial Upon receipt whereof, the concerned courts should proceed with their trials expeditiously and decide the same at the earliest in accordance with law The judges were of the opinion that suspects who have completed/undergone their sentences or have been acquitted of the charge by the court martial or forum of appeal under the PAA shall have the effect of their discharge” under section 169 of the Code of Criminal Procedure The order pointed out that Section 2(1)(d) did not qualify for exemption from fundamental rights as it related to persons not otherwise subject to the PAA ( Civilians’)”, and hence, cannot be retained as part of the PAA “The courts martial comprising of executive being outside the scope of Article 175(3) of the Constitution cannot prosecute civilians, the judges observed M I L I TA RY C O U RT C O N V I C -
TIONS: On December 13, 2024, the SC’s constitutional bench conditionally allowed military courts to pronounce reserved verdicts of 85 civilians who were in custody for their alleged involvement in the May 9 riots Subsequently, on December 21, military courts sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement Days later another 60 civilians were handed jail terms for a similar period over the matter On January 2, the mercy peti-
Trump’s 100-Day failures
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citing sources These figures appear to be cherry-picked or unverified Economists argue that his tariffs and abrupt economic policies have contributed more to instability than recovery His promise to bring prices down on day one remains largely unmet and when challenged with facts, Trump brushed them aside with: You don t know that Trump’s trade war rhetoric ignored the plight of small businesses that rely on affordable imports These businesses once thriving on a global supply model now face extinction due to rising costs When pressed about their concerns, Trump doubled down: I could ve had an easy time, but then the country would have imploded ” Despite his claim that the trade deficit has shrunk rapidly he offered no supporting data nor did he acknowledge how tariffs have disrupted long-term commercial planning and manufacturing His handling of the economy continues to prioritize short-term populist applause over sustainable economic strategy On immigration, Trump claimed illegal crossings had “plummeted 99 9 percent ” He painted a picture of a country overrun by criminals asserting that 21 million undocumented people had entered the USA Again no data was provided to support this number When asked if deportees were given legal hearings, Trump vacillated He questioned the feasibility of 21 million hearings, brushing aside due process rights guaranteed under US law His administration even deported Kilmar Brego Garcia a Salvadoran man under legal protection prompting a Supreme Court ruling to return him Trump dismissed the judgment as a mistake by an “incompetent” judge and refused to commit to complying with the order He further defended mass deportations to
El Salvador despite many deportees lacking criminal records When reminded of Joe Rogan’s criticism that the USA risks becoming monstrous while fighting monsters Trump nodded but quickly returned to his narrative of criminal invasions Due process to him seems secondary to political theatre Trump referred to the war in Ukraine as Biden s war, repeatedly claiming that it would never have happened under his watch He described a symbolic meeting with President Zelensky at Saint Peter ’s Basilica suggesting it offered hope Yet in the same breath he speculated that Putin might be tapping me along contradicting his earlier assertion that Putin wanted peace
He refused to confirm whether the USA would continue military aid to Ukraine, calling it “a big fat secret ” This ambiguity risks US credibility and complicates alliance diplomacy Asked whether he trusts Putin Trump deflected: I don t trust a lot of people I don t trust you His praise of Putin s respect for him raises further doubts about Trump s geopolitical judgment
Trump was also asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was under scrutiny for discussing classified operations on Signal Trump described him as smart and highly educated but when asked if he had full confidence in him, replied, I don t have 100 percent confidence in anything This hedging adds to growing concerns about the competence and cohesion of Trump’s second-term cabinet He continued to defend DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) which has cut billions in what Trump calls wasteful spending Yet these cuts affected critical institutions such as the nIH, global health programs, and foreign aid Trump celebrated saving $150 billion but ignored the humanitarian and research setbacks He even admit-
WH E n America annexed the Philippines in 1898 it was in some respects replicating its conquest of Indian territory, Wilford argues: forcible relocation, interrogation under torture, indiscriminate slaughter of unarmed populations; but the US also took over the existing Spanish-colonial institutions police and prison networks
Wilford argues that there were structural reasons why the CIA played a spearhead role in what he calls America s covert empire His central thesis is that, setting out to manage the new states emerging from European colonial rule Washington was constrained both by fear of provoking a nuclear war with Moscow and by popular American anti-colonialism; the turn to covert action using the CIA to help prop up pro-US regimes and crush left-sovereigntist forces was part of the solution
The field officers, generally operating under cover of some diplomatic position at the US Embassy, were trained to recruit networks of local agents, targeting natives with access to valuable information a junior government minister or army officer for assessment by CIA hqrs The challenge was to identify the potential agent s vulnerability then work out how to exploit it while remaining alert to the possibility that the recruit might be an enemy plant; money, blackmail, ideological conviction or psychological entanglement were the main tactics listed in the CIA training manual Recruitment was ‘the most sensitive step’ Once targets had agreed to supply information in exchange for money or other inducement they would be tested then trained in spy craft and handled ideally over many years until the time came for termination Emotional involvement with agents was an occupational hazard for field officers; according to Wilford, some likened the relationship to sexual conquest; others, to a marriage The political role of the CIA station chief was more directly imperial or perhaps in nkrumah s term neocolonial ; that of an informal pro-consul Congo station chief Larry Devlin breakfasted daily with Mobutu the venal dictator, while using the country as a staging post for covert operations in Angola, South Africa and elsewhere; the CIA supplied the tip-off that sent Mandela to prison for 27 years Jordan station chief Jack O’Connell became a close confidant of the young King Hussein In Mexico City the CIA s Winston Scott lubricated the special relationship with the PRI with cash and camaraderie , buying new cars for ministers girlfriends In the Philippines, operative Edward Lansdale channelled CIA dollars into a presidential run for the anti-communist defence chief Ramon Magsaysay, writing his speeches and procuring a catchy radio jingle ‘Mambo Magsaysay The result was a landslide hailed by a CIAorchestrated campaign in the US media Ten years later Lansdale was propping up the ngo nhu Diem regime in South Vietnam Wilford provides a memorable picture of the CIA man vacationing at a beach resort near Saigon with his Filipina mistress, the President, Diem’s brother nhu and the notorious Madame nhu: ‘the women splashed about in the waves while the American played
CIA Congo station chief Larr y D evlin breakfasted daily with Mobutu, the venal dic tator, while using the countr y as a staging post for cover t operations in Angola, S outh Afric a and elsewhere
In Cairo, Kermit ‘Kim’ Roosevelt, draf ted an early memo for Nasser and the Free O fficers, whom he’d helped to bring to power, titled ‘Notes on How to B e the Prime M inister of Egypt ’
The CIA supplied the tip - off that sent Mandela to prison for 27 years
tration Department at Michigan State University to turn local guard units into professional death squads capable of terrorizing rural communities and recruiting their own networks of informers Across Latin America, the Middle East, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, the CIA supplied intelligence on ‘communist suspects’ to local dictatorships assisting them with wire-tapping and surveillance technology Though Wilford does not explore the links he notes that Mossad served as a regional surrogate for the Agency s counter-insurgency work, helping to train political police for Haile Selassie and Savak torturers for the Shah The corollary of propping up pro-American regimes was the CIA-orchestrated coup to overthrow governments Mosaddeq in Iran Arbenz in Guatemala that put national-popular projects like oil nationalization or land reform ahead of US interests The CIA: An Imperial History gives a full-dress account of Kim Roosevelt s machinations in Iran in the summer of 1953: paying one mob to play the part of communist rioters so as to mobilize another as an Islamist counter-demonstration, while a loyal American press portrayed the country as ‘dangerously unstable’ A similar playbook was deployed in Guatemala
The debacle of the Agency-backed Bay of Pigs assault on Castro s government caused the first domestic crack in the covert-imperial carapace The CIA was now openly named and blamed in books like C Wright Mills s Listen, Yankee (1960) The cloak of clandestinity was whipped away as pro-Cuba demonstrators (W E B Du Bois Maya Angelou) staged vigils outside its new headquarters in Langley VA In Vietnam the CIA s Phoenix Program was a bloodbath of torture and assassination ; its counter-insurgency needed ever greater military backup, morphing into a full-blown war In 1967, Ramparts magazine published a series of CIA exposés In the early 1970s, ‘anti-imperialism entered the mainstream’ For example the Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers Establishment criticism peaked with the Senate s Church Committee which imposed a series of checks on the Agency including a (short-lived) ban on assassinations We do not need a regiment of cloak-and-dagger men , thundered Senator Church, earning their promotions by planning new exploits throughout the world ’
These proscriptions would not stop Operation Condor the clandestine CIA-backed network responsible for the torture and disappearance of Latin American leftists which saw student leaders and trade unionists thrown from military helicopters over the Southern Cone nor would they deter Carter and Brzezinski from dispatching CIA trainers, funds and weaponry to the Hindu Kush Rather, increased media and congressional oversight of the Agency led to an outsourcing of ‘covert-imperial’ operations as with the Reagan Administration s re-routed funding for anti-communist Contra militias to overthrow the Sandinista government in nicaragua overseen by the shady figure of Col Oliver north, a member of the national Security Council Reagan appointed a hardline Director of Central Intelligence, Bill Casey, who revamped the CIA’s discred-
In Mexico Cit y, the CIA’s Winston Scott lubricated the special relationship with ‘cash and camaraderie’, buying new cars for ministers’ girlfriends
Its funding soared to some $500 billion under B ush and an estimated $640 billion under O bama
Latin American leftists were thrown from militar y helicopters
ited front operations creating new organs such as the national Endowment for Democracy and the Asia Foundation Via the Vatican, funds were channelled to trade-union leader Lech Walesa and Church-backed Solidarnosč groups in Poland; not, of course, to trade unionist Lula da Silva and liberation-theology networks in Brazil America s Cold War victory led to a recalibration of support for such CIA favourites as Mobutu and Suharto; once pillars of the Free World now decried as hoary dictators unwilling to move with the times Plagued by budget cuts and a high turnover of directors five in seven years Langley began a cautious and partial declassification of its files allowing for a preliminary evaluation On one estimate that of Lindsey O’Rourke’s Covert Regime Change (2018) only 39 per cent of covert operations had successful outcomes The intelligence record was spotty: the CIA had failed to predict the Soviet bomb, the Chinese Revolution, the Korean War, the Cuban missile crisis, the Iranian Revolution or the disintegration of the USSR; it would miss 9/11, the Arab Spring and October 7 Against the charge-sheet the spymasters could point to their roles in the successful postwar stabilization of Italy and Japan under the CIA-funded Christian Democrats and lDP; in the faltering of radical Arab nationalism and strengthening of police regimes that made the Middle East safe for Israel; in the elimination of the Indonesian Communist Party and strengthening of conservative rule in Thailand and the Philippines weighed against the admitted defeats in Vietnam Cambodia and Laos; if Cuba was lost Latin America had been saved its dictatorships carefully dismantled; and the Soviet Bloc had fallen to the free market
The CIA: An Imperial History has less to say about the remaking of US intelligence after 9/11, though an epilogue considers the CIA’s changing fortunes during the ‘global war on terror ’ In formal bureaucratic terms the Agency was demoted by the 9/11 Commission recommendations; its chief no longer the overall Director of Central Intelligence but merely head of the CIA, under a new Director of national Intelligence (DnI) charged with overseeing a clutch of other clandestine bodies Yet its funding soared to some $500 billion under Bush and an estimated $640 billion under Obama while with the vast expansion of digital surveillance and satellite data techint established a clear predominance over humint
The anti-colonialism of Wilford s CIA cast was in the end self-consciously imperial, with the negation of European empires understood as a boon for American power Such was the case for Kim Roosevelt’s Arabism, even at its sympathetic height Before 1955 nasser was his necessary leader a potential aide to American interests as understood in Washington and duly lauded in Time magazine as a dedicated soldier with the
QaMar Bashir
The Rafale, considered a key part of India s military modernization, was acquired from France to reduce dependency on Russian platforms Just last month India signed a new deal with Dassault Aviation to procure 26 additional Rafale jets for its navy Pakistan has dismissed Indian media claims of having
Seven-year-old son of army officer killed in Indian attack as Pakistan vows response MUZAFFARABAD N e w S D e S k A seven-year-old boy, Irtaza Abbas Turi, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Zaheer Abbas Turi of the Pakistan Army, was martyred during a deadly night of Indian airstrikes and shelling that targeted multiple civilian areas across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Punjab According to official reports Indian forces carried out unprovoked missile drone and artillery strikes along the Line of Control (LoC) during the night of May 6–7 The attacks resulted in the tragic death of the young child and marked one of the deadliest violations in recent months In a press briefing, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that 26 civilians had been killed and 46 others injured in the Indian strikes The targeted areas included Muzaffarabad Kotli, Muridke, and Ahmedpur Sharqia The military spokesperson stated that Pakistan s armed forces responded promptly and decisively, shooting down five Indian fighter jets and one drone “India’s misunderstanding will be corrected ” he warned asserting that future provocations would be met with full force Meanwhile the National Security Committee (NSC) convened on Wednesday and authorised Pakistan s armed forces to carry out corresponding actions in response to what it termed “unprovoked, cowardly, and unlawful acts of war ” The forum highlighted that India’s aggression endangered civilian lives and regional aviation including commercial airliners from friendly Gulf nations The Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project was also reportedly targeted in violation of international norms The NSC reaffirmed Pakistan s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter and condemned the strikes as deliberate escalations
WEB DESK
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated on Wednesday that the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan could be resolved if India steps down His remarks followed Indian missile strikes on nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir carried out in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir
Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Asif emphasized that Pakistan had only responded to India’s actions and was not the aggressor He noted “This has been initiated by India If India is ready to back down we will definitely wrap up this tension He further added, As long as we are under attack, under fire, we have to respond We have to defend ourselves But if India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension ”
key terrorist sites including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke These sites were chosen for their links to groups responsible for sponsoring terrorism
in India
This escalation followed the deadly attack in Pahalgam on April 22 which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen India s Ministry of Defence labeled the attacks barbaric and justified the military strikes as retaliation A portion of Bilal Mosque is seen after it was hit by an Indian strike in Muzaffarabad – Photo: Reuters rime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
to succeed in their nefarious goals ” The Pakistani government has made it clear that it will continue to defend itself as long as the attacks persist However, Asif s comments suggest that Pakistan is open to de-escalating the situation, should India choose to de-escalate first The developments have heightened the already
