Epaper_24-02-28 ISB

g BARRISTER GOHAR SAYS NO ASSEMBLY SESSION CAN BE CALLED WITHOUT NOTIFYING RESERVED SEATS

g BILAWAL ASSERTS PRESIDENT ALVI WILL FACE DUAL CONSTITUTION VIOLATION CHARGES AFTER HIS RETIREMENT

g PTI FOUNDER SAYS DR ARIF ALVI DID THE RIGHT THING BY NOT SUMMONING NA SESSION

in Adiala Jail

a violation of our Constitution,” he said ‘President Alvi to face dual constitution violation charges’ On the other hand Pakistan People s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday asserted President Arif Alvi will face dual constitution violation charges after his retirement Talking to media men outside the Supreme Court after hearing of Zulfikar

‘No respite for PTI,’ as PML-N, PPP oppose allocation of reser ved seats to SIC

Ali Bhutto s presidential reference, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said President Arif Alvi is ‘violating’ the constitution of Pakistan by denying summoning the NA session for the swearing-in of the new lawmakers It s a constitutional requirement to summon NA session by February 29, Bilawal said and added the president is denying discharging his duties The PPP leader said they will replace Arif Ali as president after the swearingin of the new house and he will face dual constitution violation cases including one of dissolving the assembly despite VONC motion and another of denying calling the session of the lower house of the parliament Criticising the PTI founder, Bilawal Bhutto said the man who is incarcerated

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday extended the bail of P T

loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer As per the charges, the former prime minister and others accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion 190 million pounds at the time sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government

In December the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a corruption reference against Imran and seven others including his wife in connection with the Al-Qadir University

The case alleges that Imran and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government

The reference filed by NAB alleged that Imran who is currently in jail, played a pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi” It also claimed that despite being given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information the accused deliberately with mala fide intention refused to give information on one pretext or another Property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Mirza Shehzad Akbar, and Zulfi Bukhari are also among the suspects in this reference, but instead of joining the investigation and subsequent court proceedings they absconded and were subsequently declared proclaimed offenders (PO) Farhat Shahzadi a close friend of PTI chief Imran Khan s spouse, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert for the PTI government’s Assets Recovery Unit, were also declared POs Subsequently, the properties of all six accused had been frozen Judge Bashir was supposed to indict the ex-premier and former first lady on January 26 but the indictment was deferred to January 30 It was then scheduled for February 10 but was again deferred till February 27 (Tuesday)

T H E R E F E R E N C E: The reference said the “accused [ ] were given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information but they deliberately with malafide intention refused to provide the information on one or the other pretext Furthermore, it is established through their responses that they have nothing in their defence to rebut the above-mentioned allegations

Murad

i n d i c a t o r s t h e r e r e m a i n s a c a u t i o u s p e r s p e c t i v e r e g a r d i n g t h e n e w g o v e r n m e n t s a b i l i t y t o f u l f i l l I M F o b l i g a t i o n s a n d s t e e r t h e c o u n t r y t o w a r d s l a s

o u n d t h e s a m e t i m e l a s t y e a r a s w e l l t h e n o w f o r m e r C E O M i k k e l s e n h a d a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e c o m p a n y w o u l d b e l e t t i n g g o o f 11 % o f t h e c o m p a n y s g l o b a l w o r k f o r c e , q u o t i n g r e a s o n s s u c h a s t h e c o n f l i c t i n E u r o p e , s u b s t a n t i a l d i s r u p t i o n s i n t h e s u p p l y c h a i n s u r g i n g i n f l a t i o n e s c a l a t i n g t a x e s a n d t h e e l i m i n a t i

Pakistan to increase petroleum prices amid economic challenges

I S P R ) s a i d o n Tu e s d a y A c c o r d i n g t o t h e m i l i t a r y s m e d i a w i n g , t h e t r a i n i n g w a s c o n d u c t e d f r o m 1 5 J a n u a r y t o 2 6 F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 4 w i t h a v i e w t o f o s t e r j o i n t e m p l o y m e n t a n d b e n e f i t i n g f r o m e a c h o t h e r ’s e x p e r i e n c e s , w h i l e f u r t h e r c o n s o l i d a t i n g l o n g s t a n d i n g f r a t e r n a l r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n P a k i s t a n a n d K i n g

Gulf nations ban Indian propaganda film ‘Ar ticle 370’ despite Modi’s suppor t

PML-N

convenes parliamentar y

CONTINED FROM PAGE 01 He joined the Port Qasim Authority as an executive engineer and later went to the United States where he studied structural engineering and economic engineering from Stanford University He also served as a director of the Fish Harbour Authority He was elected as the chief minister for the first time in 2016 when the PPP decided to replace Syed Qaim Ali Shah Before becoming the CM, he had served the province as irrigation and energy minister and finance minister Before 2013 general elections he was declared ineligible to contest the election as he possessed dual nationality He later surrendered his Canadian nationality and after getting clearance from a court he contested a by-election and became a member of the Sindh Assembly again

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has unveiled the timetable for the upcoming presidential election saying it is mandatory to hold presidential elections within 30 days after the general elections citing Article 41(4) of the Constitution

According to officials, the ECP will release the official schedule and public notice for the election of the president on March 1

“The election commission will issue the schedule of the presidential election and public notice on March 1 ” the ECP said in a statement According to the Constitution one day will be given to submit the nomination papers

The statement came a day after National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf summoned the maiden

Political, legal debate continues to weigh up convening of maiden NA session

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

STAFF REPORT k a r ac h i In a significant step towards bolstering defense cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu the Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), embarked on a fruitful visit to the Kingdom During his visit, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu held pivotal meetings with General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili Chief of the General Staff Saudi Armed Forces and His Royal Highness Lieutenant General Turki Bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Forces The discussions centered on fortifying the longstanding military alliance between the two nations, with a specific focus on enhancing collaboration between their respective air forces Emphasizing the importance of joint military exercises and technological partnerships the leaders explored avenues for deeper integration and exchange of expertise Such initiatives not only reinforce the defense capabilities of both countries but also foster regional stability and security A highlight of Air Chief Marshal Sidhu’s visit was the prestigious recognition he received from the Saudi Armed Forces In a ceremony underscoring mutual respect and appreciation he was awarded the esteemed King Abdul Aziz Badge of Honor of the Excellent Class by General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili This accolade underscores the unwavering commitment and contributions of the Pakistan Air Force towards strengthening bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia CONTINUED FR OM BACK PAGE LPG AIR-MIX PLANTS Due to substantial capital cost, recurring subsidies, and decision of the ECC dated 26th March 2020 to shelve the LPG Air Mix projects Government will not commission any new LPG Air-Mix Plant (LPG AMP) in future except those which are near completion Tariff for LPG AMP, which are already in operation or near completion, will be determined by the Federal Government from time to time in accordance with a framework of weighted average cost of gas (WACOG) The private sector will be free to set up LPG AMP on commercial considerations at their own costs and liabilities subject to OGRA s licensing and without claim to LPG supply quota, otherwise available for LPG AMP developed and operated by Sui Companies Tariff for LPG AMP, developed and operated by private sector will be deregulated LPG USE IN AUTO SECTOR OGRA to develop & announce comprehensive LPG Auto Fuel Regulations for LPG use in three wheelers and public service vehicles/vans/buses OGRA may give special permission to qualified fuel/ CNG stations to install LPG kits in autos subject to compliance to pre-defined safety regulations and inspection checks from HDIP or any other party authorized by OGRA IMPROVEMENT IN REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OGRA shall issue license for LPG regulated activities, 3 years provisional licence followed by operational licence for 15 years upon meeting the conditions OGRA to conduct performance audit of existing non compliant MC within six months for validation penalization or cancellation of licence OGRA to update LPG specification, technical and safety standards of LPG supply chain OGRA to publish a list of authorized manufacturers of LPG equipment including storage tanks bottling plants cylinders etc duly approved by HDIP or any other 3rd party MCs shall provide certificates duly mentioning the serial number of their cylinders to OGRA before 31st December of each year confirming that the cylinders have been properly tested as per standards set by OGRA OGRA to settle disputes between its licensees and users/parties relating to commercial/ regulated activities protect consumers rights – shortage price hike anti-hoarding anti-cartelization etc OGRA to ensure safety standards control unauthorized decanting OGRA to take action against violators of its rule regulations and licence conditions GOVERNANCE LPG POLICY 2024 Demarcation of Functions Between Policy Maker and the Regulator The role of Petroleum Division shall be limited to policy making OGRA shall play its effective regulatory role and take necessary measures as deemed appropriate in line with this Policy and OGRA Ordinance OGRA shall make and/or amend its ordinance rules and regulations wherever necessary to implement this policy OGRA s decisions shall be subject to appellate review An appropriate Appellate Tribunal” shall be established to enable the aggrieved party(ies) to challenge the actions and decisions of the regulator SALIENT FEATURES OF DRAFT LPG POLICY 2024 Enhance Domestic LPG Production: 10-year tax holiday for new LPG production, Zero Petroleum Levy, 5% GST instead of 18% Enhance Infrastructure and Stocks: Zero import duties and taxes on imported plants/machineries/equipment’s as per SRO 678(I)/2004-FBR Market Liberalization and Competitiveness: Deregulation of LPG Pricing Enhanced supply of low cost imported LPG: Zero Advance Income Tax instead of 5 5%, Reduced GST from 10% to 5 % which will be gradually reduced annually 1% to 0% Making SOEs Competitive: SOEs will be facilitated for Partial exemption from PPRA Rules 2004 Improving Governance: Improving safety quality of the product and equipment Digitization: Digitization Integration and automation of LPG supply chain data It is pertinent to mention that the domestic natural gas production is declining @ 8-10% per annum, and diverting expensive LNG/RLNG to domestic sector is not a viable option due to involved subsidies circular debt and huge receivables etc LPG is a cash product more than 50% of demand is being met through imports by private MCs and SOEs No Govt subsidy/cross subsidy is involved in LPG supply chain and no circular debt issues are associated therewith even involvement of SOEs LPG accounts for 1-1 5% of total primary energy supply OGRA licensed companies are 280 and 12 000 distributors LPG consumption is increasing at a CIGAR of 7 5percent in last five years Demand surge in winters due to NG shortages Punjab is the highest consumer with 60%, followed by Sindh and Balochistan (15%) and KPK, Northern Areas & AJK with 25%

CCI discusses draft of Pakistan LPG Polic y 2024

Imran Khan said the letter will be dispatched today to the IMF after meeting with the party leaders as they are scheduled to meet him today SPEAKER DOES NOT HAVE POWER TO SUMMON NA SESSION’ PTI leader Babar Awan on Tuesday said that the power to summon a session of the National Assembly only rested with President Arif Alvi and not Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf During an informal conversation with reporters in Islamabad Awan said “According to the Constitution the president can summon the National Assembly s session and the speaker has no authority to summon the session He further asserted that summoning the session would be equivalent to going against the Constitution “If any government will be formed [in this manner], it would be against the Constitution The verdict of the case about Qasim Suri s ruling is present; a speaker can only adjourn a session Awan added It is to be noted that President Dr Arif Alvi again struck a defiant posture on Monday as he returned a caretaker government s summary for convening the inaugural session of the National Assembly, prompting Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to call the maiden sitting of the lower house of parliament on February 29 Alvi whose presidency is coming to a conclusion within a few weeks emphasised that he would only approve the summary if the issue of reserved seats for women and minorities was resolved and distributed among the parties, as per law However, soon after the president returned the summary, the National Assembly Speaker reportedly summoned the inaugural session on February 29 On that day the newly-elected lawmakers would take an oath to mark the beginning of the tenure of the assembly According to Article 91(2) of the Constitution, the National Assembly shall meet on the 21st day following the day on which a general election to the assembly is held, unless sooner summoned” by the president Since Alvi returned the summary as confirmed by officials of the Presidency National Assembly officials said that the speaker had no other option but to call the session However a formal statement about summoning the session has yet to be issued

President’s failure to summon it was typical

PDedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

Thanks, but no thanks

IHasaN

THE success or failure of a president’s term in office is rarely judged by whether or not they accomplish the agenda he sets for himself A more important measure is how effective he is in responding to the unexpected challenges with which he is confronted And more often than not, these unexpected challenges originate in the Middle East One week before the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel President Biden’s National Security Advisor was quoted saying: The war in Yemen is in its 19th month of truce for now the Iranian attacks against US forces have stopped, our presence in Iraq is stable, I emphasize for now because all of that can change And the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades Now challenges remain but the amount of time that I have to spend on crisis and conflict in the Middle East today compared to any of my predecessors going back to 9/11 is significantly reduced

Four and a half months later: Israel is pursuing a devastating genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza; Israeli military and settlers are engaged in widespread, often uncontrolled, violence in the West Bank with at least 360 killed and thousands injured; Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed nearly 200 including women and children and a number of journalists with an estimated 90 000 Lebanese displaced from their homes due to ongoing ominous cross-border shelling between Lebanon s Hizbollah militia and Israel; Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria continue to challenge US forces in the region; and another Iranian ally the Houthi movement in Yemen has created havoc by attacking ships in the Red Sea Needless to say the White House has had to shift from neglecting the Arab World to making it a fulltime concern one they neither expected, nor for which they were prepared

This isn’t unique to the Biden Administration because since the end of the Vietnam war despite their best efforts every US president has had the trajectory of their time in office shaped by conflict and repeated blunders in the Arab World During the last half century, the USA has sent more weapons, spent more money, committed more troops, lost more lives, and expended more political capital in the Arab World than anywhere else; and yet, time and again, we have failed The problem isn’t just the wars lives treasure prestige and trust that have been

lost It s also that we ve never acknowledged these failures, or are simply oblivious to them It’s fascinating that during this entire period, candidates competing for the presidency have never seriously debated US policy in the Middle East They have never made a course correction in our approach toward the region The media has rarely called them to account for their inadequate policies And so we continue to fail and each time we are either surprised by or oblivious to our failures This is so for three important reasons

In the first place we don’t know the region and its peoples Too many of our policymakers see the Middle East through the lens of Israel looking out instead of the Arab World looking in at Israel Because of this, we have failed to recognize the centrality of the issue of Palestine to the Arab people Since 1948, Palestine and the fate of Palestinians has been “the wound in the Arab heart that has never healed ” Time and again policymakers have either proclaimed the issue dead or made efforts to sideline it only to be stunned when Palestine erupted in violence and reasserted its centrality in Arab consciousness A corollary to this has been our refusal to acknowledge the consequences of our self-imposed limits on how we deal with the Middle East Because of domestic political considerations concern for Israel is the cornerstone of too many policy decisions made in Washington We don t challenge or sanction Israel for its bad behavior or even for violations of US law It is spoiled while the Palestinians are abused To ensure the protection of Israel we have insisted on dominating the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, refusing to allow others to partner in decision-making or accepting their challenges to our hegemonic role And finally we have not recognized the disastrous impact that our failed policies have on the trust needed for us to pursue the leadership we insist on having as we seek to shape the region s future What follows is a simple list of surprises that have confounded American presidents since the Nixon/Ford Administrations a half century ago They all occurred because we didn’t understand dynamics unfolding across the region and what Arabs were thinking about their lives needs and aspirations for the future Each of these momentous events shaped the presidencies of those who tried to manage them while in office Think of the impact of the 1973 war and Arab oil embargo on the Ford and Carter Administrations Or how Carter s time in office was shaped by President Anwar Sadat s surprise visit to Israel and the resultant Camp David Accords followed by the Iranian revolution and the hostage crisis Reagan had to contend with Israel s bloody 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the killing of over 240 US marines who had been positioned to facilitate Israel’s withdrawal from Beirut the 8-year Iran/Iraq war and his Administration s Iran/Contra scandal as they sought to play both sides of the conflict

The Bush Administration woke up to Iraq s sudden invasion of Kuwait, took months assembling an international coalition to free that country, and then used its political stature to convene an international

the Sunnat But the practice goes on regardless, because few laymen bother to verify their beliefs and practices from the sources of religion No matter how painstakingly meticulous they may be in their consideration of worldly matters they are not remotely careful enough when it comes to accepting something in their religious framework There is a set script to how all conversations on the subject of any and all innovations proceed First evidence from the life of the Prophet (PBUH) is demanded from the individual who encourages or invites others to participate in such practices When none is forthcoming (unsurprisingly so, since by definition all innovations are of a much later vintage), the proponent of such practices immediately decides to switch to Plan B which always remains the same Namely But what in God s name is the harm in the practice anyway? When it comes to religion the problem with 'arguments' such as 'What is the harm in this or that?' is that they prove to be their own undoing Even if, for the sake of the argument, man can figure out all the harms (present and future) of his beliefs and actions (a very big if indeed) this type of reasoning demolishes itself For if nothing is wrong with observing something on 15 Sha ban, nothing is wrong with observing it on any other day either Which

would invalidate all talk about the spiritual and luminous aura associated with the night, and in turn any distinction of the occasion as well Besides, the 'What is wrong with it?' question could be used to support any number of religious practices including many which the Shab Baraat enthusiasts would be the first to oppose and justifiably so As if the above were not harmful enough there is an even graver issue associated with such innovations and additions in religion While they do not say so in so many words,

Although many Muslims manage to make a right royal mess of it, the rule of thumb regarding the whole ‘innovations’ issue could not be any simpler: When it comes to worldly affairs, everything (old or new) is permissible unless it is prohibited; whereas in religious matters, everything (old or new) is forbidden unless it is prescribed Islam requires no improving whatsoever, thank you very much Enterprising Muslims would be well-advised to divert their innovative juices towards the realms of science and arts instead

peace conference to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict That conference failed as did efforts that preceded it because we had tied our hands more than a decade earlier by promising Israel that we would never talk to the PLO So Israel and the PLO surprised Clinton with their own negotiating effort which was incomplete because of the asymmetry of power between Israel and the Palestinians Because the US refused to provide balance the years after Oslo were up and down with no serious steps toward peace and a continued brutal occupation with never-ending tension mounting across the Palestinian Occupied Territory The Bush years opened with the deadly attack of 9/11 and the second Palestinian uprising In both instances, Bush’s responses to these “surprises” were flawed Aligning with the neoconservative ideologues who populated his Administration Bush embarked on two misguided wars that devastated Afghanistan and Iraq and cost the US lives treasure prestige and the capacity to lead Obama tried to recoup these losses, but one speech without a change in policy wasn t enough His inability to effectively plan for the withdrawal from Iraq to firmly challenge Israel on its refusal to meaningfully pursue peace and his floundering and lack of understanding in the face of the Arab Spring uprisings all proved costly to his administration The only surprises that occurred during the Trump era were his unilateral moves to remove Occupied Territories” from the State Department lexicon and to accept Israel’s annexation of “East Jerusalem” and the Golan Heights This led some Arab states to move to normalize ties with Israel in an effort to forestall further Israeli moves toward annexation But Israel emboldened by its support from Washington, remained intransigent With this as background, it s not exceptional that the Biden Administration failed to adequately understand or respond to Hamas’ attack on October 7 the subsequent Israeli genocidal assault and the Arab World s deeply emotional response Not exceptional but also not excusable We have been down this road too many times and are still being led by the same policymakers who ve failed in the past, haven t learned, and seem determined to fail again Given the scale of human loss now, in the end, Biden’s presidency will be judged not by his domestic successes which are many but by his failures in the Middle East T h e w r i t e r i s P re s i d e n t o f t h e A r a b A m e r i c a n Institute

Fundamental

provision of these rights Such an inclusion in the curriculum can contribute to creating a rights-conscious environment

MUHAMMAD

E-cigarettes addiction

THE

Imran leads a cult

and dominant in KPK as well It s another thing that the PTI is claiming that it got a two-thirds majority but due to rigging was deprived of its mandate, and at one level it is true and can’t be neglected However, if we can see that too many practices happened to push back PTI from making the government if we see the reasons for the p u b l i c h a v i n g s y m p a t h y a n d o b s e s s i o n with PTI then it would be easy to analyze t h a t t h e p u b l i c i s n o t o b s e s s e d w i t h t h e PTI, but with the cult leader Imran Khan And the following of Imran in Pakistan is a cult Following and Imran Khan has succ e s s f u l l y b e c o m e a c u l t l e a d e r I t i s a t h r e a t t o P a k i s t a n t o b r i n g a c u l t l e a d e r into power This is the same Khan who invoked bloodshed for people on May 9, who destroyed the future of the youth, and descended into chaos by the events that day This is the same Khan who made a disturbance in democracy in the previous decade when two parties were evolving democratically the PPP and the PML(N) and who said to the nation that, life was not worth living, and it is better to be dead than to live under pathetic and corrupt and fascist society But according to Mr Khan anyone not with him is blind mentally ill corrupt dishonest anti-patriotic cowardly frightened ignorant and foolish indeed worse than foolish Because of that, he wants to show that he is “Sadiq and Ameen”, and no one else is neat and clean And the Army is the biggest problem or enemy of the nation is anti-state and anti-law We know that Army interventions in democracy are not fair but it is also true that being anti-Army or anti-establishment is also not fair, but worse, and hearing that thing from one who was the adoption of several generals and establishments for whom former C OAS Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa was the most democratic General till Imran s agenda became successful Whether he accepts it or not, his party s members and himself are users of sarcastic and harsh words, who don’t respect others Khan himself used derogatory and sarcastic words for many like ‘diesel’ for Maulana

Fazal-ul-Rehman That is a shameful thing in a political system or a country which is created in the name of Islam He also teaches his followers the same thing Look at Sanam Javed s use of bad

words or Sher Afzal Marwat s wrongdoings of slapping others in live shows or using imporpoper language on social media With Imran Khan a cult leader giving messages to die for me, Indirectly to the youth, they got into trouble because of a a few days imprisonment of Imran with software engineers burning Jinnah house risking jail terms of 20 years and destroying their futures for the manipulator or cult Why were others to die for him? Why would his satisfaction by bloodshed be the obsession of the nation? And if declaring r e v o l u t i o n o r c h a n g e h e s h o u l d h a v e m a d e c l e a r a g a i n s t w h o m I f i t w a s against the establishment then why did he come to power through them? Or if without analyzing the circumstances the decision could not be made just for the sake of a cult leader And after all those things there are a few questions arising: what are the negatives of a cult leader for the society? Why is he being followed as a cult leader? Why is he the winner of elections? As far as the negatives of a cult leader are concerned it would depend upon what he is teaching his following If his teachings are biased irrational and a view of logic upon him, putting emotional sentiments aside for a while, his falsity would be analyzed and ul-

timately crushed There are some examples of cult leaders whom messages shaped the conclusions of their following like: Jim Jones a cult leader by whose order 918 people did suicide in South America, Emperor Hirohito the emperor of Japan by whose decisions and manipulations led to Japan having two atom boms dropped on it David Koresh Marshall Applewhite and many others are the examples of a cult leader with detrimental effects on society

There were also cult leaders who were great examples for the society, like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill and many others but none of them invoked such irrational sentiments or called for bloodshed as Imran does

Withdrawal by society needs the help of rationality, and is not based upon emotions, not by saying that a person with 200 cases against him has not a single rational case against him, by not being a part of herd mentality, by not being a passive participant but active, by giving chances to those undetermined elements of society who are not let a chance to be equivalent free like : the PPP, PML(N), and PTI, can solve the problem of irrational, biassed, and especially negative cult leaderships, in Pakistan

And by the kind of indirect statements to the youth in his videos, that Rather than living under cruelty it is better to die , is showing the same perception, shown by Jim Jones And if a cult leader is saying such things then it would be clear the cult leader has become negative for society and if not his impression on the influx would be removed quickly or in a hurry and a patronized manner, or else there would be serious consequences The reason for a simple person becoming a cult leader may be depend on many reasons such as a bundle of events making him a hero in the eyes of the public, his emotional speeches, personality, using such public sentiments as the public is concerned by for a large amount of time showing spiritual

connections neglecting of logic and showing connectivity to the public through emotional attitudes Which made the illiterate and uneducated influx captivated towards them And khan did the same task When a couple of events connected to the emotions of people, happened, which was like May 9, on which too many came out for only one person and then obsession of the minds towards Imran khan who are anti-establishment because he said to take stances against the establishment which is a pressure upon democracy But It can t be forgotten that Imran Khan was also the greatest beneficiary of the establishment who took advantage of it the most And the vote of no-confidence made him famous and more heroic among the blind and ignorant A n d t h e q u e s t i o n t h a t t h e r e a s o n o f w i n n i n g e l e c t i o n s o f I m r a n k h a n w a s w h a t ? F o r t h i s w e n e e d t o l o o k a t s o m e p a t t e r n s o f p a s t e l e c t i o n s o f P a k i s t a n When Benazir Bhutto was killed the next elections went to the PPP because of the s y m p a t h y v o t e P e o p l e b e c a m e h i g h l y emotional at the death of Ms Bhutto and t h e n t h e n a t i o n ' s o b s e s s i o n w i t h t h e P P P b e c a m e i n c a l c u l a b l e T h a t c o n t i n u e d t i l l 2018, and before 2018, Nawaz Sharif got a c h a n c e t o b e w o r t h y o f s y m p a t h y v o t e because the force of establishment was on him and also due to his imprisonment he g o t s y m p a t h y s t a t i n g t h a t h e i s u n f a i r l y being imprisoned, not legally And in conc l u s i o n h e g o t m a n y v o t e s , b u t r i g g i n g p r o v e d m i g h t i e r t h a n t h e m a n d a t e , a n d Imran Khan won Similarly, in these elections Khan got the sympathy votes Howe v e r t h i s t i m e s y m p a t h y v o t e s a r e n o t ordinary but were extraordinary because he is a cult leader and in Pakistan there are v e r y f e w c u l t l e a d e r s , o r n o n e i n r e a l i t y other than Imran Khan And if cult leader i s g a i n i n g s y m p a t h y t h e n i t i s f i x e d t h a t sympathy towards him is a killing thing and this would be deleted Withdrawal by society needs the help of rationality and is not based upon emotions, not by saying that a person with 200 cases against him has not a single rational c a s e a g a i n s t h i m , b y n o t b e i n g a p a r t o f herd mentality, by not being a passive part i c i p a n t b u t a c t i v e b y g i v i n g c h a n c e s t o t h o s e u n d e t e r m i n e d e l e m e n t s o f s o c i e t y who are not let a chance to be equivalent free like : the PPP PML(N) and PTI can s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m o f i r r a t i o n a l , b i a s s e d , and especially negative cult leaderships, in Pakistan

The writer is a freelance columnist

White House is principal employer, Meta ser ves as contrac tor

Florida and Texas want government to police free speech on social-media platforms

That never turns out well and it violates the First Amendment

MNOHAMMAD Sarfi the editor-inchief of the Tehran Times has weighed in on Meta s decision to block KHAMENEI IR s media activities, portraying it as a piece in a larger puzzle, noting, "Meta was a contractor for the White House " A special session was convened to assess KHAMENEI IR's media activities during the Al-Aqsa Storm along with the recent blocking of its Instagram account The meeting took place on Wednesday afternoon, February 21 The meeting was held at the KHAMENEI IR pavilion within the 24th Iran Media Exhibition at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla Mohammad Sarafi the editor-in-chief of the Tehran Times newspaper delved into the notion of soft power within the framework of U S foreign relations theories emphasizing the enduring influence and ability of non-Western societies to assert themselves amidst the dominance of Western media He articulated that in light of this evolving landscape American theorists are divided into two categories; One faction contends that the potency of these societies lacks authenticity maintaining Western superiority Conversely the other faction advocates for a confrontational stance, advocating for the closure of avenues for engagement with these societies and governments Highlighting recent actions by Meta, Sarafi asserted that proponents of the second approach have gained sway over American foreign policy He cited an expert affiliated with the FDD Foundation closely aligned with Zionist circles who publicly endorsed Meta s actions, even urging Elon Musk to suspend the account of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on the X platform (formerly Twitter) Sarafi noted that this American expert characterized Ayatollah Khamenei's narratives as perilous advocating for their cessation Sarafi contextualized the suspension of Ayatollah Khamenei s account within a broader framework, positing Meta as merely a contractor executing directives from the White House He stressed that any serious push for demanding accountability regarding account suspension should be directed at the American government rather than Meta which is ostensibly a private

entity executing user bans In early February Meta stirred controversy by abruptly removing Instagram and Facebook accounts belonging to Ayatollah Khamenei who had a substantial following of 5 1 million users The decision, made without prior notice, underscored the company's pro-Israeli stance In 2023, the Instagram account KHAMENEI IR ranked among the top 10 accounts of world leaders Remarkably posts on the Farsi-language account garnered over one hundred million views in the past three months This account, active for twelve years, boasts a staggering nine thousand posts that received eighteen million comments Formerly known as Facebook Meta now owns a quartet of platforms: Instagram WhatsApp Facebook and Facebook Messenger

Headquartered in Menlo Park California Meta provided a scant explanation for its actions citing violations of its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy as justification for the account removals This move coincided with Ayatollah Khamenei's support for oppressed Palestinians and condemnation of the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip a stance he has steadfastly maintained since October 7 Meta s actions raise fundamental questions about the role of social media platforms in regulating political discourse and the expression of support for contentious causes The incident highlighted the delicate balance between freedom of speech and the enforcement of platform policies particularly concerning influential figures like Ayatollah Khamenei While Meta s subsidiary platforms profess to foster an environment of free expression and diversity of opinion, their practices often align closely with U S laws and policies, potentially stifling dissenting voices that challenge mainstream narratives

The removal of Ayatollah Khamenei s accounts signaled two significant realities Firstly it cast doubt on Western claims of upholding freedom of expression, revealing a willingness to silence expressive and influential voices without hesitation Secondly, it exposed a broader pattern of support for the Israeli regime which has faced widespread condemnation for its violent actions against Palestinians Meta s actions are just one facet of a larger trend of political and media support for Israel, highlighting the West's willingness to sacrifice principles for geopolitical alliances

Google’s

Gemini AI has a White people problem

Generative AI may be proving that American societ y is far less racist than many in power assume

CHINA , US STEP UP ENGAGEMENT DESPITE LINGERING TENSION

Chas been widely seen as one of the most con-

China’s two sessions begin on Monday amid regional, international challenges

BEIJING

A

Upcoming two sessions the biggest annual event in China’s political calendar to be held from 4th March in the backdrop of regional and international challenges will offer significant clues about China second centennial goals, economic outlook, development blueprints and global vision in 2024 Two sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the national legislature, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) the top political advisory body is occurring at the time when China is marching on the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by 2049 China has already accomplished its first centenary goal of building xiaokang – a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021

According to Gwadar Pro two sessions will allow the world to fathom how China has drawn up a two-stage development plan for the period from 2020 to the middle of this century

In the first stage from 2020 to 2035, China will build on the foundation created by the moderately prosperous society with a further 15 years of hard work to see that socialist modernization is basically realized and In the second stage from 2035 to the middle of the 21st century China will building on having basically achieved modernization, work hard for a further 15 years and develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced harmonious and beautiful Two sessions are descending at a moment when China s 14th Five-Year plan (2021-2025) officially endorsed by the National People s Congress (NPC) on 11 March 2021, entered into its 4th years with landmark achievements

US strikes Houthi unmanned vessels, anti-ship missiles, drone

Air ambulance not Mar yam’s projec t but initiated by PTI: Raja Basharat

BDubai Islamic Bank, DHA City Karachi collaborate to facilitate overseas Pakistanis at International Property Show

SSP S ec urity briefs sec urity officials deployed for sec urity of PSL teams

Islamabad achieves ‘ Zero O ut- of-S chool C hildren’ c ampaign targets

IIUI, FOSPAH organize seminar on women’s proper ty rights, protec tion against harassment

ISLAMABAD P R

The Office of Students' Advisor of the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) in collaboration with the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (FOSPAH) arranged an awareness seminar on women s property rights and protection against harassment at workplace on Tuesday

Speaking during the seminar, the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace, Fauzia Viqar said that

Convoc

CDA Environment Wing takes several measures to combat environmental pollution

Two Asian Leopard cubs received by IWMB from KP Wildlife Dept

dar Doda Shahwani and Saddam Tareen were present on the occasion

Speaking on the occasion, Sher Afzal Marwat announced that the unlawfully incarcerated party Chairman-for-life Imran Khan directed that the nation should stage a peaceful protest across the country on Saturday against the large scale polls heist on the February 8 elections

He said that during a meeting with Imran Khan he was entrusted with responsibility to lead the PTI’s protest in Islamabad on Saturday between 11 and 12 noon Marwat stated that if the nation did not raise voice against mega polls theft democracy would never flourish in Pakistan

Speaking about the mega polls robbery in Balochistan, PTI leader said that the issue of election rigging in Balochistan was presented before the ECP but of no good while the electoral watchdog was too quick to decide cases against PTI, as the party s candidate s victory was converted into defeat in recount

Speaking on the occasion, Ali Muhmmad Khan said that the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan were stolen through large scale rigging across

ECP rejects PTI-backed candidates’ pleas against results of three Karachi NA seats

the country especially in Balochistan He stressed that the public should be allowed to exercise its right to choose a government He said that PTI did not against any party or institution but they wanted the public mandate must be respected

Ali Muhammad Khan stated that PTI wanted to make it ensure that the decisions concerning the country should be taken inside the country rather than taking them in London or Washington About Maryam Nawaz’s election as the chief minister of Punjab he said that he had nothing against her and would have congratulated the PML-N leader if she had won her seat through votes

Ali Muhammad Khan asked: The common man has the right to elect his representatives after five years which his last weapon to fix the country if you take away this right from him and install viceroys of your choice then what will happen to them? It is not a personal fight, it is a matter of people s mandate If we want to save democracy in Pakistan, then give it to the one who has the mandate ” he added We requested CJP to probe into Com-

missioner Rawalpindi allegations regarding the massive polls theft,” he demanded PTI senior leader Zain Qureshi stated: “We stand with our Balochistan brothers because this war is neither for any individual nor for PTI rather this battle is for the mandate of the people of Pakistan We also assure the people that we will fight for their rights until getting the stolen public mandate back,” Zain Qureshi vowed On the occasion Shandana Gulzar Khan urged that on Saturday a peaceful protest would be held against the thieves who stole the mandate of the people of Pakistan Talking about mega polls theft in Balochistan, Salar Khan Kakar said that a large scale elections rigging was carried out in Balochistan, as seats were sold among

amidst default rumours, LeSCo cuts power to Bahria town over Rs760m unpaid bills

g DEVELOPER FACED WITH POWER

Mohsin Qadir were killed while Superintendent of Police (SP) Ijaz Khan was martyred and DSP Naseem Khan along with two cops Mansoor and Saleem left injured Funeral prayers of SP Ijaz Khan was offered at Mardan Police Lines and attended by a large number of police officials, including District Police Officer Mardan and cops

Pakistan Army shoots down Indian spy quadcopter

Cour t remands Journalist a sad toor in Fia c ustody for five days

US avoids commenting on Pak-Iran gas pipeline

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) avoided commenting on the revival of the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project “US has not seen the reports on the Pak-Iran gas pipeline yet I will respond on the matter later ” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said while briefing the media in Washington In a fresh push towards completion of a multibillion-dollar gas supply project, the outgoing federal cabinet on Monday gave the nod to complete the first phase of the 80-kilometre Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project within the country’s territory Commenting on the formation of the government in Islamabad Matthew Miller said that the formation of a new government is the internal affairs of Pakistan led by the people of Pakistan and the US is not a party to it Matthew Miller reiterated the US stance that there should be a transparent investigation into claims of rigging in general elections Answering a question regarding massive rigging in elections the spokesperson said: “For investigations into reported irregularities we want to see those investigations proceed We want to see them wrapped up as soon as possible Replying to a question, Matthew Miller said: We want to see a government move forward in a way that reflects the will of the Pakistani people ” S TA F F R E