Epaper_24-02-23 KHI

Tregretfully noted that emotions often override facts in cases related to religious offences

The court granted bail to the petitioner, Mubarik Ahmed Sani, upon providing a personal bond of Rs5,000

A press release issued by the top court addressed concerns regarding misreporting by the media stating Misreporting of a Supreme Court decision on elec-

tronic, print and social media is creating a lot of misunderstandings and giving the impression that the Supreme Court has deviated from the Second Constitutional Amendment (definition of Muslim ) and

has called for the abolition of provisions on crimes against religion This perception is completely wrong The clarification from the court further explained “In the concerned case even if the allegations mentioned in the FIR are accepted as true even then the provisions do not apply adding that in such cases Section 5 of the Criminal Amendment Act, 1932 applies, under which publication of prohibited books can be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of 6 months ”

Since the petitioner/accused had already spent more than one year in prison the Supreme Court, keeping in view Islamic injunctions, constitutional provisions and the requirements of law and justice ordered the release of the petitioner/accused on bail ” it added

Barrister Ali Zafar to run for PTI chairman’s slot in intra-par t y polls: Gohar

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf s next chairman nominee is Barrister Ali Zafar, PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced Thursday, as the former ruling party’s top post remains vacant for more than a month “This time our candidate for party chairman will be Barrister Ali Zafar and Omar Ayub

g TAX REFUNDS ISSUED, ENERGY PRICES RAISED, NO LOANS FROM SBP TAKEN, AND FOREIGN REPAYMENTS MADE ON TIME

Cour t extends interim bails of Imran Khan’s sisters

PTI candidates for reser ved seats yet to file returns as ECP deadline expires

PSX continues positive momentum as KSE-100 gains 0.58%

KP govt prepares Rs560 billion budget for four months

CPTI plans to throw spanner in IMF talks

CONTINUED FROM

Solangi said that under Article 19 of the Constitution the freedom of expression was not unlimited, rather it was subject to law of the land Under Article 19, derogatory remarks against the judiciary, armed forces, and brotherly countries were not allowed he remarked The information minister said that the companies earning billions of dollars from social media platforms could not abdicate themselves from the responsibility if their platforms were used to disturb law and order

in any country and incite people to violence and hatred he maintained He said that social media platforms X ( formerly Twitter) YouTube Facebook and Instagram had been continuously used for propaganda, lies, defamation of government officials and harassment, and the companies owning these platforms would have to control this illegal activity

The state of Pakistan will not in any way allow these platforms to spread baseless, false and fabricated propaganda in the country , he added Solangi said if this baseless propaganda

was not stopped by these social media platforms the state would have to take strict measures under the law He said there were means of legal review against any decision of the judiciary and if anyone had a complaint, a review petition could be filed The information minister stated categorically that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands and disturb the peace and tranquility of the country Pakistan is a peaceful country with rule of law and lawlessness and anarchy will not be allowed to be spread in the country, he added Solangi said all foreigners living in

TH

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Discussion within the committee also spotlighted the challenges faced by Karachi and interior Sindh, particularly

ATC cancels interim bail of Asad in May 9 arson case

to a serious collision with state institutions which is not in the interest of the country he said in the post Asad also wrote that he was resigning from his basic membership of the PTI After more than one decade in public life I have decided to completely quit politics In a post on X he said: I want to thank all those who have supported me in public life In particular, I want to thank the NA-54 team and the voters who elected me twice I have tried my best to serve the constituency that i was elected from May Allah s blessings shine upon the Pakistani nation

Earlier in May this year, Asad Umar announced his decision to step down from his position as the secretary general of the PTI following a crackdown on the party after violent protests broke

out on May 9 in the wake of party chief Imran Khan s arrest

However at that time the former minister had neither quit the party nor politics Addressing a press conference on May 25, Umar claimed he was not stepping down from the party office “under pressure”

He had said that the past 13 months were the most difficult time for the PTI and cited the arrests of thousands of party workers He said he had been in jail for 15 days,

Pakistan should feel assured that they were safe and their security would be ensured by the Pakistan government All foreigners living in Pakistan must feel assured that they were safe and nobody would be allowed to hurt them They should feel safe and secure The state of Pakistan will guarantee their safety and peace he added

‘After coming to senses,’ ex-Pindi commissioner apologises for rigging allegations

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

However, in his recent statement before the ECP committee, he attributed his actions to political pressure from the PTI leadership without naming the party Chattha admitted to orchestrating a press conference filled with drama and emotional rhetoric including phrases related to suicide and hanging, under the guidance of the political party In his statement, Chattha expressed remorse, stating, “I am ashamed of the statement and apologise to the people ” He disclosed that at the time of the press conference he was retiring on March 9 and was concerned about his future and benefits Chattha revealed that he had been in contact with a high-ranking figure in the political party and had covertly assisted them in exchange for the promise of a high position Ad powered by advergic com According to Chattha’s account to the ECP committee the emotional and drama-filled press conference was planned following the orders of the political party leadership

Sindh Assembly’s session summoned for oath-taking of newly-elected MPAs

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Sindh Assembly’s session for the oathtaking of the newly elected MPAs has been summoned

gets 20 reser ved seats for women in Sindh Assembly

of IP despite sanc tions threat

T h e P T I ’ s m a n d a t e

A s t h e P M L ( N ) c o n t i n u e s t o c o b b l e t o g e t h e r a g o ve r n m e n t, t h e P T I c l a i m s t h e r i g h t t o f o r m o n e

TH E PTI claims that it will form the next government Now that the Sunni Ittehad Council has lent it its name it will now emerge in the National Assembly as the single largest group and establish a presence in the Sindh and Punjab Assemblies, as well as almost monpolize the KP Assembly It claims an absolute majority in the National Assembly, but until it establishes that, its claim that it will form the next government may be subject to some doubt The problem it has is that being the largest group in the National Assembly is not good enough What is needed is to show a simple majority in the House That the PTI is unable to do unless there are a large number of results reversed, as it claims they were reversed in the final result, demanding that the Forms 45 issued by the presiding officers of the polling stations did not tally with the final Forms 47 issued by the Returning Officers Meanwhile, the ECP committee set up to probe the allegations by the former Commissioner Rawalpindi proceeded by recording statements of more ROs of constituencies in Rawalpindi Division One effect is that the ECP has missed the deadline of Thursday for putting on its website the scanned copies of Form 45 and Form 47 This is likely to add to the doubts surrounding the election While the PTI, now the SIC, relies on its status as the largest group, it does not seem willing to engage in the tedious business of cobbling together the alliance it needs to form the government Meanwhile the PML(N) which has secured the support of the PPP and thus has a basic strength in the House is now engaging with other parties, including the MQM(P), the JUI(F) and the BAP If it can thus show a greater

T h e s m o k i n g g u n ?

Commissioner Rawalpindi’s allegations too serious to ignore

At Penpoint

M A N I A Z I

TH E confession by the Commissioner Rawalpindi that he had helped rig the election in his division and ordered the conversion of large wins by certain candidates into victories by other candidates had thrown into doubt for even more people the result of the February 8 election, and threaten to cause the same sort of complications that the 1977 PNA Movement did Almost as soon as he spoke there were questions raised about his sanity then it was also mentioned that he was due to retire in a few weeks just next month in fact and was going to parlay his confession into a position in a political party, presumably the PTI, whose candidates he said he had helped defeat It was also pointed out that he had no role in the elections not being a District Returning Officer or Returning Officer for any constituency However it should not be thought that his claims just came out of the blue They fed into a stream of claims about the unfairness of the polls The results were not at all what were expected by the more cynical: that Mian Nawaz would win Instead, PTI-backed independents won the most seats in the National Assembly They didn’t win enough to prevent the formation of a government composed of all the disparate elements apart from them That is probably why they are claiming that they were robbed of 54 seats Those seats would suffice to allow them to prevent the formation of any government However, the numbers being what they were, everyone else was able to get together and the PML(N) was able to form a minority government with PPP backing There were also agreements on the presidency the governorships and the presiding officers, all of which would have been possible if Chattha s claims are true

If one harks back to 1977, it seems then that there were some similarities, but important differences One big difference was that the outgoing government had contested the election Its re-election was at stake That re-election occurred and the opposition cried that there had been massive rigging which had allowed the ruling PPP to obtain a two-thirds majority

the National Assembly It should be remembered that the concept of caretaker governments was floated around this time However instead of being worn smooth with time this time around there has been a clamour about the

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

A

Iof the caretaker In a word instead of being purely neutral, they are a party The caretakers had not been accused of rigging on anyone s behalf, though there was speculation before about particular ministers However, Mr Chattha’s claim has pointed a smoking gun at the Punjab caretakers at least Mr Chattha s claim cannot be dismissed so easily for if he was not himself an RO his subordinates were including four DROs whose ACRs he would write True, there would have to be a paper trail established, of stamped ballots in ballot boxes, because while the

result form would establish the result it would become useless if a recount was not to yield the requisite number of ballots The recount is not an automatic right, unless the margin of victory falls within a certain narrow band, but if there is suspicion of wrongdoing, it can be ordered Recounts are usually not ordered because they involve much effort and are very tiring Normally the ballots are only counted at the polling station and the polling station results transmitted to the RO, who adds up all the results received, and sends a result to the ECP, which then declares it As in 2018, there were problems with the transmission of the result by computer The ECP should accept that it is a horse-and-cart organisation and should not aspire to anything complicated It should suffice that it has accepted the printing press and that ballots are not the shards of broken pottery the ancient Athenians used to use Anything involving a computer should be eschewed, and quill pens may go on being used However, one of the advantages of computerization would be that the results could be fixed The EVMs would have been a boon and the internet-voting abroad would have been manna from heaven for anyone wanting to manipulate the results How is the matter to be fixed? One way, which the government seems to be following, is to pretend that nothing is happening Another would be for the winners and losers to talk to one another In 1977 it was the PPP and PNA The dispute was twofold: the number of seats on which there should be a re-election and who would be in office while that re-election was held While there were initially 40 seats disputed, the PNA ultimately demanded not just a re-election, but 50 percent representation in the government, with Bhutto stepping down as PM As the Constitution had no provision for a caretaker government Bhutto insisted that he would have to lead the government At that time the PM s death or resignation meant a designated Senior Minister becoming caretaker PM till the House elected a new PM If Bhutto left office, he would be replaced by the Senior Minister The problem was that none of the members of the Assembly could be so appointed The PNA didn t trust them Thus at the moment it is not clear what the PTI demand is A re-election? Or only re-election on the impugned seats? Or a vacation of those seats, with new winners being declared elected? In other words,

fresh notifications of results Would that stand up in court even if the ECP agreed?

In 1977, the talks were between the PPP and the PNA The ECP was not involved, perhaps because it was a government department Now, who talks? The PML(N)? It benefited but who helped it? Not the caretakers The ECP? The PTI whose Chairman is in jail? As a matter of fact the PTI doesn t even exist officially It is not likely that this particular problem will be solved by the PTI independents entering into some form of party discipline by entering the Sunni Ittehad Council

Another factor which is to be considered is that the recount will only take place if a candidate applies and if the consolidation of the result has not taken place Once that consolidation has taken place all that can be done is have a fresh election The resignation of the Commissioner must be seen in perspective He was retiring in a matter of weeks, but the possibility of mental problems cannot be ruled out That the Commissionerate of such an important division could have mental problems not particularly hidden ones at that sheds a poor light on the government A Commissioner Lahore earned some notoriety for bringing his pet snake to meetings Clearly, not a normal human being However, no one did anything His subordinates did not pass on their concerns, probably because they were terrorised too much to do so

However the allegations by Mr Chattha are not that simple All those involved in the rigging must be identified and brought to book It is not just the officials that must be penalized Their motive must also be examined If necessary, those behind the alleged rigging must also be identified and punished It seems that it was not merely an offence against the Election Laws but a full-fledged subversion of the Constitution Of course one of the problems has been that the alleged rigging was not enough to ensure that a government could be formed It allowed a hung Parliament, and stopped the PTI obtaining the majority of its dreams

The writer is a member of staff

H ow ev e r, t h e a l l e g a t i o n s by M r C h a t t h a a r e n o t t h a t s i m p l e A l l t h o s e i nvo l v e d i n t h e r i gg i n g mu s t b e i d e n t i f i e d , a n d b ro u g h t t o b o o k I t i s n o t j u s t t h e o f f i c i a l s t h a t mu s t b e p e n a l i z e d T h e i r m o t i v e mu s t a l s o b e ex a m i n e d I f n e c e s s a r y, t h o s e b e h i n d t h e a l l e g e d r i gg i n g mu s t a l s o b e i d e n t i f i e d a n d p u n i s h e d

the mastermind of the Ajmer Sharif blast was killed by the RSS while Ramchandra Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange

bombing and subsequently even wrote a letter to the President claiming responsibility for the blasts he was acquitted in 2019 as promised by Bhagwat before However, the judge remarked that evidence of crucial importance was withheld by the prosecution seemingly to the advantage of the accused Furthermore the judge asserted that inadmissible evidence was put forward before the court as the prosecution failed to provide the CCTV footage when the accused boarded the train at Old Delhi Railway Station Similarly, the call detail records of the mobile phones were also not furnished before the court which had

around the time of the blasts

Ironically the judge who acquitted Aseemanand, soon after premature retirement, met Amit Shah and wished to join Bharatiya Janata Party The complicity of the state was evident when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh declared that the National Investigation Agency which had already withheld evidence of critical importance would not appeal the court s decision of acquittal even before it was announced To tie up the loose ends, Sunil Joshi who was

Combating AMR

IN November each year, World Antibiotics Awareness Week (WAAW) provides a crucial opportunity to educate the public, health professionals, and policymakers about the dangers of antibiotic resistance This phenomenon known as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to human health with dire consequences if not addressed promptly and collaboratively AMR occurs when bacteria develop resistance due to the overuse of antibiotics, and it is now recognized as a major public health crisis AMR has reached alarming levels globally, with an estimated 700,000 deaths occurring annually due to resistant infections If left unchecked, AMR could lead to 300 million deaths worldwide by 2050 The indiscriminate use of antibiotics in humans animals and agriculture contributes to the rise of superbugs extremely resistant bacteria The misuse of antibiotics exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardises the effectiveness of essential drugs In Pakistan, antibiotic use is alarmingly high, both in human and animal health The misuse of antibiotics, particularly for viral infections, contributes to the rise of superbugs, causing numerous deaths and hospitalizations annually Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic global antibiotic use has surged further intensifying the AMR crisis A key strategy in combating AMR is the extensive use of vaccines which can prevent infections and reduce the overuse of antibiotics Vaccines for pneumonia, diarrheas, otitis media, meningitis, and typhoid have shown remarkable success in reducing infections and, consequently, antibiotic use Pakistan’s National Action Plan for combating AMR recognizes vaccines as a crucial tool in addressing this issue The benefits of vaccines, such as the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) in mitigating the burden of resistant strains can be substantial Ensuring universal coverage of relevant vaccines is vital in the fight against AMR A collaborative and holistic One Health approach involving various sectors like human and veterinary medicine agriculture, finance, environment, and consumers, is essential to decrease AMR Education and awareness are critical to promoting vaccine uptake, prudent antibiotic use,

Th

e y h ave b e

Children ages 6 months to 2 years of age who are in childcare facilities regularly are the most likely to contract adenovirus infections In children under age 5, adenovirus infections most commonly affect the digestive tract By age 10 most children have had one or more infections caused by an adenovirus

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T h e c a s e a g a i n s t t h e r i c h e s t m a n i n t h e w o r l d

Adenoviruses can be transmitted from person to person year-round, in people of all ages They may cause various illnesses with a wide range of symptoms such as common cold and flu symptoms like fever or chills, sore throat cough shortness of breath or difficulty breathing fatigue runny or stuffy nose body aches or muscle pain and headache Pneumonia symptoms are cough with yellow or greenish mucus production, fever with chills or sweating, shortness of breath, pain in the chest that is stabbing or sharp and worsens when breathing deep fatigue and loss of appetite Conjunctivitis symptoms are irritation of the eyes photophobia watery discharge from the eyes sensation of having a foreign body in the eye, corneal inflammation, and decreased vision Adenoviruses commonly cause several types of infections in children, including, respiratory conditions conjunctivitis inflammation and swelling in the area of the vocal cords bronchiolitis and pneumonia

Most commonly children get respiratory conditions from adenoviruses (such as colds, croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia), but occasionally they can get infections of the digestive tract (gastroenteritis)

Rare or less common symptoms of adenovirus infections could include bladder infections or nervous system infections including frequent urination, burning or pain when urinating, and blood in the urine

Usually, the healthcare provider does an

examination takes a history of the current symptoms, and makes a diagnosis based on this information If an adenovirus infection causes a sore throat, it’s common for a strep test to be obtained to rule out other underlying causes of the infection Special diagnostic tests can be done to detect and identify adenoviruses but these tests are expensive

On the other hand, if a person is very ill, the healthcare provider may obtain samples from various regions of the body such as the eyes, throat, stool, blood, or urine to identify the presence of adenoviruses

If a test is ordered to evaluate the underlying pathogen causing a respiratory infection a specimen can be obtained by swabbing the back of the throat via the nose or the mouth The swab is sent to the lab for testing If a specimen is taken from the nose, the method of testing is referred to as a nasopharyngeal swab This involves using a special cotton swab to collect a specimen inside both sides of the nose by swabbing for approximately 15 seconds When a lower respiratory infection, such as viral pneumonia, is suspected, the healthcare provider may ask for a sputum specimen This involves coughing up some mucus for lab evaluation A blood specimen could also be ordered to diagnose adenoviruses under some circumstances If there is clinical evidence of conjunctivitis or a corneal eye infection, the healthcare provider may obtain a conjunctival swab specimen for lab evaluation There are no drugs that treat adenovirus and no specific medical treatment can help clear the infection Adenovirus can t be treated with antibiotics since it is a virus and not a bacteria Most adenovirus infections aren t serious and require minimal intervention to relieve symptoms and prevent complications,

such as drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration Most cases of adenovirus go away within a few days to a couple of weeks There are some things you can do to help your child feel better while preventing serious complications from the infection These interventions depend on your child s age symptoms, and general health Water, formula, breast milk, or electrolyte-containing fluids are recommended for rehydration for children Avoid giving young children sugars soda juices or sports drinks to rehydrate A child who is unable to drink or hold down fluids is at risk for dehydration and may need to be hospitalized; in this instance it s important to consult with a healthcare provider as soon as possible If needed, intravenous fluids will be given via an IV line The IV therapy will ensure your child has enough fluids and electrolytes to prevent severe complications such as dehydration If your child has diarrhea consult with the healthcare provider about which types of foods are best They also treat symptoms, such as inhalers to help open airways and improve the flow of oxygen in the lungs Bronchodilators can also be given via a mini nebulizer Administer supplemental oxygen if ordered by the healthcare provider This can be given through a mask nasal prongs or an oxygen tent There is a vaccine for certain types of adenoviruses, but it is not given to the general population because it has not been adequately studied in those with weakened immune systems infants children or females who are pregnant or breastfeeding There are some common ways to help prevent getting ill from the virus: meticulous handwashing such as scrubbing with soap for at least 20 seconds, then rinsing with water as hot as can be tolerated avoiding touching face eyes nose or mouth avoiding close contact with those who are ill staying home when ill covering the mouth during you cough or sneeze, and avoiding sharing cups or eating utensils and personal belongings

Sex in the age of digital desire

Ti m S c hwa b’s b o o k l a s h e s o u t at t h e m a g n ate a n d p h i l a nt h ro p i s t, d e p i c t i n g h i m a s a n u n p l e a s a nt p e r s o n w h o s e c h a r i t y wo r k a c t u a l l y co n ce a l s a n o p e rat i o n o f p owe r

Th e p ro l i f e rat i o n o f o n l i n e p o r n o g ra p hy h a s d e g ra d e d t h e way we v i e w o u r b o d i e s a n d re l at i o n s h i p s NEW STATESMAN M e g a n n o L a n EL PAIS J ua n L u i s C e b r i á n

wealth and white savior mentality that drives Bill Gates philanthropic work He does attribute some good intentions but his criticism is merciless sometimes even coarse, while the absence of solutions for the problems he denounces other than the calls for do-goodism is frustrating His abilities as an investigative journalist are thus overshadowed by a somewhat naive militancy against the creative capitalism that Gates promotes and an evident intention to discredit not only his work but above all, him The demands he makes for transparency and the accusations of obscurity are dulled by the author himself in the pages he dedicates to Gates’ relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the famous corruptor of minors at the service of the international jet set Gates has explained his meetings and interviews with him on countless occasions and in no case has any type of relationship other than their commercial relations or some confusing efforts to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, been proved Still, Schwab raises, with no evidence whatsoever, the possibility that their relationship “could have had something to do with Epstein’s principal activities in life: sexual gratification and the exercise of power The book is full of this kind of opinions and speculations to the detriment of a more serious analysis of Gates mistakes in the management of his foundation, the problems of shielding the intellectual property of vaccines in the hands of the pharmaceutical industries and ultimately the objective power that big technology companies have in global society I met Bill Gates at his home in Seattle where I stayed a couple of times and at the annual meetings he used to host at Microsoft headquarters Also on his visits to Madrid, where I interviewed him at length and invited him to visit the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) He did not strike me as vain or arrogant nor did he seem as self-satisfied as Schwab claims him to be He signed a collaboration agreement with the RAE to improve Microsoft s grammar checker and was interested in the substantial unity of the Spanish language in all the countries where almost 600 million people speak it That man was very far from the sexist,

by

Einterest: if your terms include transgender women who as she points out experience a particular kind of sexual fetishisation on porn websites, would you not be curious to seek out a few of them to learn about their own engagement with porn? This omission, along with the absence of any women who perform in porn, seems off-key to me

The women who are included have widely divergent relationships with porn although none of them seem to have an uncomplicatedly positive relationship with it There are some interesting facts from Vera-Gray s research that surprised me, such as the number of straight women who primarily consume (male and female) gay porn Sometimes this is simply because they find it novel and hot, but sometimes it is related to an alienation from the flavour of heterosexuality promoted by most mainstream porn Even outside the realm of niche BDSM (bondage and discipline dominance and submission sadism and masochism) porn the average video on the front page of the free, hugely popular Pornhub website will involve a man being dominant, often physically imposing himself by choking or restraining, and often calling the woman involved a slut or a bitch There are plenty of other iterations of porn but this is the baseline standard online and it is what many will see when they begin to seek such things out

sexual sadism

resentations

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anonymous and of diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds She explicitly states that her interpretation of womanhood allowed for the inclusion of transgender and non-gender-conforming women but there are none of the former This seemed a little strange to me if only from the perspective of academic

reality is porous are seeing scenes that even our adult minds are unsure how to digest The book contains many unspeakably bleak accounts too, of women in abusive relationships whose partners seem not only to be addicted to porn but to use it as a sort of inspiration for their disgusting acts of violation, taking scenes they have witnessed and imposing them on their unwilling girlfriends Women who are aroused by extreme control and degradation speak of their horror at having unintentionally stumbled across footage of violations that seem real instead of performed, and realising they have no recourse to report their concerns anywhere But this is not a tirade against pornography: there are many accounts of porn helping women to understand their own desires and to be brave enough to ask for them in their sex lives There are women who in seeing their own body type represented and worshipped have found validation Most interesting – and something I have never seen publicly discussed before – is a short section about survivors of abuse and rape who have found some solace in porn, which offers them a controlled way to interact with sex again and to find representations to their liking Fiona Vera-Gray doesn’t come away from her conversations with any grand sweeping theory nor any proposed solutions to the harms she has revealed She is not a theorist, and though the book is divided into themes, there is little narrative movement – which as a reader one does at times yearn for There is inevitable repetition to following the same cycle of women finding taboo things arousing, then feeling guilty then resolving to respect their sexuality Ultimately though this is a sensitively written and generous piece of work Vera-Gray s lack of judgement shines from her prose and from her approach to her interview subjects, allowing women no longer to be simply the passive product in the conversation around porn Women on Porn by Dr Fiona Vera-Gray Torva

320pp £18 99

Hamayun Sajjad to lead Mashreq Pakistan operations as new CEO

BEIJING

In

and confidence among multinationals

Pakistan’s expor ts to South China see 16% increase in 2023

Kremlin says Biden’s ‘crazy SOB’ remarks about Putin debase United States

SAN FRANCISCO Ag e n c i e s

The Kremlin on Thursday said Joe Biden’s remark about President Vladimir Putin debased the United States and those who use such vocabulary and was a poor attempt to appear like a Hollywood cowboy Biden called Putin a crazy SOB during a fundraiser in San Francisco on Wednesday, warning there is always the threat of nuclear conflict but that the existential threat to humanity

This is the last existential threat It is climate We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin and others and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict but the existential threat to humanity is climate ” Biden told a small group of donors

Responding to the US president s

remarks today Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: The use of such language against the head of another state by the president of the United States is unlikely to infringe on our president, President Putin “But it debases those who use such vocabulary ” he said Peskov said the remark was probably some kind of attempt to look like a Hollywood cowboy But honestly, I don t think it s possible “Has Mr Putin ever used one crude word to address you? This has never happened Therefore I think that such vocabulary debases America itself the spokesman added Biden has previously cursed son of a b**** at others In January 2022, he was caught on the hot mic using the same term of abuse against a Fox News White House reporter Biden has a tendency to go off

script during election fundraisers and in recent months has dug into the Chinese government the Republican Party and US ally Israel for its bombing of the Gaza Strip Biden’s verbal attacks against Putin have also sharply intensified at the White House and

Pakistan Chemical Forum to be held in Lahore from March 4

EU sanctions against Chinese, Indian firms over trade with Russia ‘can’t help Ukraine win war

S trong financial deliver y continues

Rapid CDA actions under way against illegal constructions

President ZTBL briefed on bank’s functions, per formance

3rd DALFA cattle show begins

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t u r e , a n d f i s h e r i e s s e c t o r s o f P a k i s t a n T h i s j o i n t v e n t u r e o f B a d a r E x p o S o l u t i o n s ( B X S S ) a n d D a i r y A g r i c u l t u r e L i v e s t o c k F a r m e r s A s s o c i a t i o n ( D A L FA ) i s b e i n g h e l d i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h t h e S i n d h e n t e r p r i s e d ev e l o p m e n t f u n d ( S E D F )

The salient features of this cattle show are breeds

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contests international breed display and camel and horse show while it also provides B2B and B2C opportunities for animal purchasing On the sidelines of this 3-day show cultural and traditional programs, flower show, pets show, birds show, animal parade, and food festival are also to be held “This show is to highlight the importance of the backbone sectors of the country This will also support the national economic growth ” said DALFA Patronin-Chief Harris Mithani He added that DALFA s objective is to enhance the knowledge of farmers and skills by adopting modern techniques for value addition which in turn would contribute to the national GDP The show will enable the said sectors to improve their productivity while at the same time it would create ties of the sectors with the corporate sector ” said Mithani

Shifa Hospital achieves

joint commission International Accreditation for third consecutive term

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

Shifa International Hospital is delighted to announce that it has been honored with the esteemed Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for the third consecutive time, emphasizing its steadfast commitment to delivering outstanding quality healthcare services to its patients JCI recognized globally as the gold standard in healthcare collaborates with healthcare organizations across over 100 countries providing accreditation education and advisory services to ensure compliance with international standards for quality and patient safety The renewal of the JCI accreditation underscores Shifa International Hospital's unwavering dedication to maintaining the highest standards of patient safety clinical excellence and quality care delivery Dr Zeeshan Bin Ishtiaque CEO of Shifa International Hospital expressed gratitude to the entire hospital team for their relentless dedication and hard work in upholding the hospital's mission of providing compassionate and patient-centered care He stated, "Receiving the JCI accreditation for the third consecutive time is a testament to the tireless efforts of our healthcare professionals who surpass industry standards and strive daily to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients Dr Zeeshan further emphasized that Shifa International Hospital also remains committed to supporting other healthcare institutions in their journey towards enhanced quality

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President highlights social issues in meeting with LCCI delegation

t y i n P T I D E M A N D S ‘ C O N S T I T U T I O N A L R I G H T ’ T O F O R M G O V T S I N C E N T R E , P U N J A B A N D K P LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t Former judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Shahid Jameel Khan said on Thursday that his resignation was a rebellion against this system held hostage by some people for their vested interests In his first public appearance, after resignation earlier this month, Justice (r) Shahid said, “Some people have captured the system and wish to run it as per their whims ” He said Pakistan was going through critical instability but even today some judges are working under fear, he said The fear of losing their jobs, and makinga c yemerged single largest party in the elections despite the challenges it faced which included the “snatching” of the iconic symbol bat We weren t allowed to conduct an election campaign he regretted Daylight robbery of public mandate is a desecration of votes, he said, stressing the need for political stability and put Pakistan on the path of development B a r r i s t e r G o h a r a l s o d e m a n d e d t h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n i s s u e e l e c t i o n r es u l t s i n s y n c w i t h F o r m - 4 5 T h e s e a t s t h a t a r e r o b b e d s h o u l d b e r e t u r n e d t o P T I , h e s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t h i s p a r t y w o u l d f u l f i l l t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f s a f eg u a r d i n g t h e p u b l i c m a n d a t e T h e p r e s s e r c a m e a f t e r

a ‘ p o w e r- s h a r i n g f o r m u l a ’ f o l l o w i n g d a y s o f n e g o t i a t i o n s “PPP and PML-N have achieved the required number and [now] we are in a position to form the government in Centre PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said while addressing a joint press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad Bilawal Bhutto pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed candidates and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) failed to achieve a simple majority to form government in the Centre He said that that both parties are going to form the coalition government and PMLN president Shehbaz Sharif will once again be the country’s prime minister praying that they would succeed in solving the problems of Pakistanpointed

e n e r a l e l e their chief unhappy the former judge said Break the chains; let go of the fear Justice (retd) Khan urged We will not be able to stand as one nation if we will not shrug off our fear,” he added Refuting rumors of resigning under someone’s pressure the judge clarified that the decision to resign was solely his own and was taken after careful consideration about what was good for him My resignation is an example for those who make decisions under pressure,” he said “Don’t compromise your self-respect; a judge should make decisions after keeping aside all kinds of pressures interests and fear the ex-LHC judge addedw i t h ‘ c o m p l e t e s uResponding to a query regarding the establishment approachingf R e p o R t The

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tenure of the caretaker government has come to a close and even though there were not many options left with Pakistan a significant shift in debt management strategies was seen during this tenure of the caretaker government Through

Ministry of Finance claimed

sponsibility everyone knows who they were the judge said JUSTICE SHAHID’S RESIGNATION

On February 2, Justice Shahid tendered his resignation from his office, citing “personal circumstances” in which he had decided to “turn the page and start a new chapter In his resignation letter sent to President Dr Arif Alvi he stated It was an absolute honour to hold the office, but for personal circumstances I have decided to turn the page and start a new chapter ” His resignation marked the third such

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