Epaper_24-05-30 LHR

NO VERDICT IN IDDAT CASE AS JUDGE SEEKS TRANSFER OF APPEALS TO ANOTHER COURT

this regard on April 30, 2024, but I think it will not be appropriate to decide the case when specific objection has been raised on the Presiding Officer

It added As arguments at length were heard in the matter therefore it is humbly submitted to transfer the appeals to any other court of competent jurisdiction

“It is further submitted that complainant and his counsel always tried to frustrate and delay the proceedings on one pretext or other therefore time frame may be fixed for disposal of appeals, the judge wrote Today’s hearing

As the hearing commenced, an hour later than scheduled Maneka appeared before the court along with his counsel Rizwan Abbasi

(IHC) requesting it to fix the case for hearing in some other court Judge Arjumand wrote in the letter

“Though earlier application of complainants has already been dismissed in

The judge observed that prosecutor Abbasi was yet to present arguments on two points, following which he stepped onto the dais However, Maneka requested the court for some time to present his arguments At this the judge asked

five-page written order highlighting Tariq Fazal Ch s failure to comply with the previous court orders to submit the required forms Earlier on May 21, the Election Tribunal had given the final opportunity to the Returning Officers (ROs) of three constituencies of the federal capital to enable presence of their counsel or to appear in person on the next date of hearing It warned that in case of noncompliance warrants of arrest shall be issued The election tribunal comprising IHC judge Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri issued the directions while hearing the three separate petitions moved by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates including Shoaib Shaheen Advocate Syed Ali Bukhari Advocate and Aamer Mughal challenging the election results of three constituencies of the federal capital In Feb 8 2024 elections the PML-N won all the three National Assembly seats from Islamabad and subsequently the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified the successful candidates According to the ECP notification PML-N’s Anjum Aqeel was declared winner from NA-46 Tariq Fazal Chaudhry from NA-47 and Raja Khurram Nawaz from NA-48 A day later MNA-elect Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the results of three Islamabad constituencies were intentionally made controversial by rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates Talking to media outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) he said the three victorious MNAselect from PML-N possess Form 45 and are prepared to furnish these forms at any appropriate forum Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the suspension of the success notification for PML-N s MNAs-elect from Islamabad resulted from the continuous false actions of PTI’s unsuccessful candidates in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers on Wednesday deemed events leading to the delay in the announcement of the reserved verdict in the Iddat case as a pre-planned strategy

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, accompanied by other party leaders including Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz and Member National Assembly (MNA) Ali Muhammad Khan, addressed the media outside the courtroom after today’s hearing Gohar said the court had initially scheduled to announce the verdict at 9 AM but the timing was rescheduled to 10:30 AM due to the absence of the prosecutor

Referring to remarks made by complainant Khawar Fareed Maneka, former husband of Bushra Bibi, during today’s hearing, the lawmakers alleged that Maneka used abusive language against PTI founder Imran

Furthermore, he claimed that the session judge, Justice Shahrukh Arjumand, had been “instructed” not to preside over the case Gohar added that Justice Arjumand had informed the court of his intention to report the matter to the higher court Following today s events, the judge wrote to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting the appeals to be transferred to another court Shibli Faraz also accused Maneka of verbally attacking ex-PM Imran and claimed that the case was intentionally delayed, asserting that it was politically motivated We are seeking justice from the courts,” added Faraz Echoing Faraz’s sentiments Ali Muhammad Khan asserted that PTI supremo Imran was disrespected today in front of the court Referring to the sudden public holiday announced yesterday to commemorate Youm-e-Takbeer, Khan noted that the cypher case was supposed to be heard yesterday but was postponed due to the unprecedented holiday

him to let his counsel speak first My lawyer will not be able to explain my suffering I will speak myself,” replied Maneka At this point Bushra Bibi’s counsel Usman Gill urged the court to issue contempt notices to Maneka for interrupting court proceedings Maneka asked for 10 minutes of speaking time, saying he belonged to a village and that rumors were being spread about him and his daughter s divorce every day Fake divorce letters are being made and spread on social media ” the complainant maintained Maneka’s interruption irked the PTI counsels who got into a heated argument with the former Judge Arjumand then intervened asking the lawyers if they wanted to create scene ISLAMABAD

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday restrained the telecom companies from recording phone calls and data for surveillance purposes while hearing the Audio Leaks Case

The single-member IHC bench, comprising Justice Babar Sattar sought clarity regarding the law authorizing the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to carry out surveillance activities

Justice Babar Sattar passed the order while hearing the petitions of former first lady Bushra Bibi and former chief justice Saqib Nisar’s son against their respective audio leaks

The court remarked: Under which law are you recording peoples calls , asking Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munnawar Iqbal to inform the court officially “Who has given the permission; who has given the authority to record calls? the judge said

You earlier told the court no one was authorized to tap phone calls If you back down from this position now there will be consequences The law says that the federal government can authorize this but according to you it was not authorized he added

Additional Attorney General Munnawar Iqbal replied, It is being done under a legal framework ”

The AAG clarified that his earlier reply was only to the extent of the audio leaks involving the petitioners

Responding to the AAG s clarification, Justice Babar remarked that things would not progress if

the federal government lies in court He said various institutions and offices, including the Prime Minister ’s Office, have submitted their responses in court They maintain that no one has been permitted to carry out legal interception If the authority to conduct surveillance has been granted, tell us where and how,” the judge remarked At this the AAG stated that rules should be made in this matter if none exist

The judge questioned who would make the rules, and also asked who would notify the institutions about the rules He further asked if any secret recording has been made till now after seeking permission from the courts

Under the law every six months one s permit for such secret recording will be reviewed, has any such review committee been formed to date?”

Justice Babar questioned AAG whether the phone recording without judicial permission was also punishable Did the PTA s license mention these conditions or has the PTA given a policy in this regard?

Has this law been followed in the last one year or not?

The court continuing its line of inquiry asked what action was taken on the matter and how did

The judge expressing annoyance over the non-registration of FIR, said the lack of FIA s ability and that of other institutions to

trace a post can be regarded as a failure of the institution

Following the remarks, the court barred telecom companies from using phone calls and data for surveillance and warned them that the companies would be held responsible if their equipment was found used in illegal surveillance

Justice Babar further sought records of secretly recorded conversations from the federal gov-

questions

In December 2023, the IHC ordered the FIA to conduct a forensic examination of the leaked audio recording of a conversation between Bushra Bibi wife of PTI founder Imran Khan and her lawyer Latif Khosa Justice Sattar expressed con-

The attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) later informed the IHC that the government had not granted permission for audio tapping to any institution or spy agency, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) AGP Mansoor Usman Awan further told the IHC that any government agency conducting such recordings was doing so unlawfully , as he submitted a report to the court on behalf of the Prime Minister ’s Office (PMO)

PTI spokesperson calls transfer of Iddat case to another cour t ‘travest y of justice’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) strongly reacted to the reluctance of judge to pronounce the verdict in Iddat case despite completion of all proceedings of the case calling the transfer of the case to another court instead of giving the ruling as a travesty of justice which was unacceptable and intolerable PTI spokesperson said that the Iddat case was the most ridiculous, absurd and utterly disgraceful case in human history through which the entire system and philosophy of justice was being flouted He vehemently condemned the court’s decision to delay the verdict in the most ridiculous and fake case against Imran Khan and his wife despite the prosecution s repeated attempts to obstruct justice which was nothing but a mockery of justice and a sheer violation of human rights He stated that PTI Founding Chairman Imran Khan and his wife were subjected to the worst political revenge and unjust imprisonment by sentencing them in two days in sheer violation of justice PTI spokesperson pointed out that during the speedy court proceedings in the case the lawyers of Imran Khan and his wife were deprived of even the basic right of cross-examination, adding that the petitioner and the prosecution team crossed all limits of rudeness, absurdity and disregard for law and justice during the court proceedings, as they resorted to every shameful tactic to waste the time of the court to prevent the court from making a fair and just decision

However he stated that despite continuous resistance from

Saeed-uz

Rahim Khan, Zafar Ali Khan, and Syed Insaf Ahmad

A D I A L A J A I L

fecting the city They also mentioned that PTI vice chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood

Twife Bushra Bibi to help them cope with the extreme heat in Rawalpindi

Prison sources report that the Adiala Jail administration has introduced extra facilities for inmates due to the severe heat wave af-

No verdic t in Idda t c ase as judge seeks transfer of appeals to another cour t

courtroom by a man said to be a PTI lawyer as a group of his counsels escorted him outside the court premises D E C I S I O N R E S E RV E D : An appellate court last week reserved its decision on the appeals filed by Imran and Bushra against their conviction in a case concerning their marriage during the iddat period In February this year after a jail trial senior civil judge Qudratullah sentenced former premier Imran and his wife to seven years in jail along with a Rs0 5 million fine each, for contracting marriage during the Iddat (period of waiting)” of the former first lady During the last hearing of the case in the court of Islamabad District and Sessions Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand Bushra Bibi s lawyer Usman Riaz Gill argued that Bushra s former husband Khawar Maneka filed a complaint against the couple after a significant delay of six years

He stated that initially an unknown individual Muhammad Hanif filed a complaint accusing Imran and Bushra of marrying without the completion of Bushra s mandatory iddat period Gill

noted that Muhammad Hanif did not appear in the trial court and had no connection to the case In May 2023 a district and sessions court in Islamabad declared Hanif s petition inadmissible According to Gill, Maneka later filed a similar petition through the same counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi Advocate, who had filed the first plea “The court has to examine evidence from both complaints During the trial some questions were posed to Mufti Muhammad Saeed the cleric who solemnized Imran s marriage with Bushra on January 1, 2018 to clarify his role, he added Gill said the allegation is that the second marriage took place during the iddat period following a divorce However the document presented to the court was a photocopy He provided guidelines to the court on determining the authenticity of the document He asserted that by the time the complaint was filed the iddat period had already been completed making the marriage lawful He said Bushra Bibi in her statement mentioned the divorce occurred in April 2017 and she completed the iddat period before remarrying

Defending the trial court s order

Deputy District Prosecutor Adnan Ali argued that completing the iddat period is essential for the validity of the marriage He mentioned that Khawar Maneka and Bushra Bibi were happily married for 28 years with five children until PTI’s founder interfered in their lives leading to the divorce Maneka intended to reconcile but Bushra Bibi remarried during the iddat period

AT CASE: On February 3, a court sentenced former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years imprisonment in an un-Islamic marriage case meaning it found that they had tied the knot while the former first lady was going through her period of Iddat Senior civil judge Qudratullah, while announcing a reserved verdict also imposed a Rs500 000 fine each on the PTI founding chairman and his wife

The order read that Imran and Bushra were found guilty under Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) Section 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage)

The written order also read that the two would be imprisoned for a further four months if they failed to pay the fines The case which was filed by Bushra s first husband, Khawar Maneka, alleged that Bushra had violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause or Iddat before marrying Imran

Five

be sighted on June 7 (Friday) and Eidul Adha will be celebrated on June 17 (Monday) According to the processing centre, the moon will rise at 5:38 PM on June 6, while the sunset is likely to be at 7:20 PM The moon is likely to be visible for

It appears that the Sindh government has laid down arms against the cheating mafia as on the very first day of intermediate exams in the province

Heatwave conditions to persist till June 1st in K arachi

Heatwave conditions would persist in Karachi and other areas of Sindh till June 1st the Met Office on Wednesday predicted on Wednesday The coastal areas of Sindh including Karachi may hit by the heatwave conditions from May 29 today with temperatures likely to surpass 40 Celsius The weather conditions likely to improve by June 3-4 according to the Met Office

According to an alert issued by the Heatwave Early Warning Center of the PMD, “Heatwave conditions likely to grip Karachi division, Thatta, Badin and Sujawal districts from Wednesday (today) till 1st June with daytime max-

Department, highlighted the significance of this historic friendship in his address He emphasized the need to further enhance people-to-people relationships drawing lessons from China’s successful implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Pakistan and China are time-tested friends and our friendship has stood the test of time We must continue to strengthen our bonds by increasing cultural, trade, and business exchanges The CPEC is a game-changer for Pakistan’s economy, and with enhanced cooperation, we will see

He also praised the

imum temperatures rising to 40-42 Celsius in Karachi and 42-44 C in Thatta, Badin and Sujawal districts ” The weather will likely to remain very hot and humid in next 24 hours Maximum temperature on Thursday (tomorrow) could soar to 43 Celsius Severe weather condition likely to persist till June 01 in most parts of Sindh with daytime maximum temperature being 06-08Celsius above normal in Dadu Qambar-Shahdadkot Larkana Jacobabad Shikarpur Kashmore Ghotki Sukkur Khairpur Naushahro Feroze Shaheed Benazirabad districts and 05-07C above normal in Sanghar, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Tharparker and Badin districts

Are the

SU G A R mills are pressing the government to allow them to export a notional surplus, and thus cause a future shortage Before the government gives in it will have to consider whether it wants another staple shortage on its hands, like the recent wheat crisis when permission to import allowed the prices to free-fall as the new crop arrived on the market There are claims being made by the sugar mills that the exporters need to pay off the farmers for their cane The Commerce Ministry disputes the figure of Rs 40 billion put forward by the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association as due to growers instead claiming that most payments have been made The PSMA plea is that it be allowed to export the surplus which it claims is 1 5 million tons Instead, it is claimed by the Ministry that the gap between stocks in hand and expected demand is 550 000 tons which should be retained as a buffer stock

Therefore the sugar industry wants to export about a million tons of sugar which should be applied to

Dedicated

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

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of the Great Recession Republicans, in an effort to deflect attention from their responsibility for the economic collapse sought instead to exploit white voters feelings of unease and abandonment The GOP preyed on their resentment and fears using racism and xenophobia as their weapons of choice This strategy was embodied in the birther movement (Obama s not one of us) and the “Tea Party” (“Democrats’ ideas about government don’t work for you They only benefit ‘them’” meaning Blacks the poor and immigrants) In the next three elections Democrats rely-

retical physics

have been wanting to write on this topic for a while now Other things kept me from doing it, although I have incidentally touched upon the issue while writing on related subjects What proved to be the immediate trigger for this piece is a video clip that landed in my news feed the other day The task could no longer be put off The clip features Sahil Adeem, a gentleman who appears to have, in a short span of time, accumulated a large viewership on and off the social media I have not had the pleasure of listening to him before so for all I know he may (and I hope he does) have some very sound views on other subjects As far as the aforementioned clip is concerned however it ranges from appalling to outright cringeworthy It is an 8min excerpt from a Q&A session, seemingly at some college campus, in which Adeem is addressing questions from a crowd of youngsters Adeem starts by announcing without any fanfare that a Muslim enters physics with the unshakable conviction that light is not the fastest thing going around He supports this by citing the example of supplication, which he says travels faster than light directly to God in the Seventh Heaven, a process that would take much longer – 50,000 years by one calculation – if an angel had taken it His second example is the durood that also reaches the Prophet (peace be upon him) faster than light He clarifies that he is citing these two examples together so that his audience knows that they are being told the trajectory (trajectory of what? – sadly he chooses not to spell this out) Moving on to the night journey of the Prophet (peace be upon him) Adeem says something unfathomable about the fineness and conversion capability of matter to go through these realms He claims that Jibril (AS) is light – he says that he has paraphrased this thought into the language of physics for the benefit of his audience Lest there is any residual misunderstanding, he adds that ‘there is a little more to it than just physics’ He goes on to say that he gets e equals m c-squared (Well whoever doubted that?) He goes on to graciously concede that it is a good theory but only for things which are according to [sic] the speed of light He complains that we are a bit too impressed by those holding PhDs in theo-

groups are now doubtful O n r e l i g i o u s p s e u d o s c i e n c e

have thought that Democrats would have learned from this comeuppance Sadly they did not Shortly after the 2014 midterms, I was at a meeting of the Democratic Party s executive committee when the party’s pollster gave an upbeat presentation of what had been a stunning number of nationwide defeats He claimed that there was good news from 2014: Democrats had kept their coalition together winning the youth Black, Latino, Asian, and educated women s votes Adding that We just didn t win enough of them,” he recommended that the party commit more resources to getting more of these groups out to vote in future elections At one point I objected saying that he was ignoring white ethnic voters in Pennsylvania Ohio Michigan and Wisconsin These working-class voters had always been Democrats and their rights, prosperity, and futures were being damaged by Republicans Because Democrats had always had their interests at heart and they had been central to our victories I argued that we needed to pay attention to their needs His response startled me We re not going to throw money away on people who are never going to vote for us I replied that it s not “either/or ” We can be both attentive to the concerns of our new coalition, while also keeping in mind the needs of our old coalition partners When that both/and approach was dismissed I countered that if that was how we would operate we would never be a majoritarian party and we were going to be handing these voters to Republicans on a silver platter enter Donald Trump in 2016 As a candidate Joe Biden understood the idea of both/and directing his efforts to winning back these voters But the apparatus of the party and its paid consultants have not followed suit with little or no resources being devoted to outreach to white working-class voters and even less to understanding their values and needs We have polled these communities and in 2001 my brother John and I published a

priority issues And they were prounion and for racial equality They were however conflicted about abortion and gay rights A generation earlier, then President Clinton had captured the general values of these white working-class voters with his slogan “family, community and opportunity ” Because the interests of white workingclass voters are more aligned with the economic and governmental policies espoused by Democrats the party never should have lost their sup-

Responding to a question about the multiverse hypothesis, Adeem says that the answer is too sensitive to be given in public That an Arab has asked the ‘exact’ same question of Abdullah Ibn Abbas (RA) but the latter had refused to answer it on grounds that the questioner would be led by the answer to unbelief However being a good sport Adeem promises to reveal the answer in a closed group but only to those who have had more exposure (exposure to what? –again, one can only guess) At the end, like a courteous guest Adeem thanks the audience and commends their patience for he knows that ‘it is not easy to bear him Finally a sentiment with which it would be hard to disagree This sort of gobbledygook, generated in response to questions about supplication, predestination and free-will, revelation and out-of-the-ordinary occurrences, is only one instance of the general problem of trying to figure out the mechanics of how God reaches down from beyond space and time and guides/interacts with man and universe firmly entrenched in time and space: in other words how God can be Transcendent and personal at one and the same time Mullahs have traditionally solved this so-called science-miracle incompatibility by asking what the scientists know about anything anyway Muslims who appreciate the power of science have naturally found it hard to take this line of reasoning Some of them have sought to explain away references to miracles in revealed texts as figurative, not literal Others resort to pseudo-science to reconcile (in their own view) science with religion The sensible position is– has always been– that the problem is purely imaginary To believe ‘unscientific things such as God creating the universe from scratch His recreating it into another one in future with a completely new set of laws His raising of every man one day– from the first to the last– from his grave and His accounting (requiring information comprising trillions upon trillions of terabytes) of everything that ever was and that ever will be; and at the same time to claim that some things may be too unscientific for the same God to pull off can hardly be

In the present age, religioscientific mumbo-jumbo casts religion in a much worse light than anything possibly done by the traditional mullah.

The

port But it did Democrats fell into the trap Republicans set for them by focusing their electioneering almost exclusively on combating the bigoted and intolerant Republican messages and ignoring the economic angst and feelings of abandonment of white voters When Democrats should be attending to both Now polls are showing that Democrats may be at risk of losing

HasaN aFTab saeeD

neutral stance, bal-

TThe

policies towards Gaza, marked by calls for respect for international humanitarian law and the pursuit of a Palestinian state, have become focal points of contention revealing deeper undercurrents of disagreement within the eU itself and in its relations with the Netanyahu government These policies reflect the eU s struggle to balance its political and moral stances with its broader foreign policy objectives, making the eU-Gaza-Israel triangle a critical area of study for understanding the broader geopolitical shifts impacting the Middle east and beyond

S : The relationship has been shaped by a complex history of economic and political ties starting in 1959 when diplomatic relations were first established A significant milestone was the signing of the first free trade area agreement in 1975 The essen Council in 1994 marked the eU’s intent to forge special relations further solidified by the Barcelona process in 1995 and the Union for the Mediterranean in 2008 These multilateral efforts were accompanied by bilateral agreements, notably the Association Agreement of 2000,

The eU has been actively involved in addressing the conflict The eU s stance is characterized by a dual approach: supporting Israel s security needs while advocating for the rights of Palestinians and pushing for a peaceful resolution The eU has condemned the rocket attacks from Gaza and urged hamas to cease such activities Concurrently it has criticized Israel s military responses particularly the disproportionate impact on civilian populations and infrastructure This position underscores the eU s broader commitment to a two-state solution, aiming for coexistence between a viable, independent Palestinian state and Israel

H U M A N I TA R

SANCTIONS: Since 2000 the eU has provided over €1 1 billion in humanitarian assistance, supporting vital services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure through agencies like UNRWA In response to escalating conflicts the eU has mobilized significant additional funds and resources For example in 2024 the eU allocated over €193 million to aid Palestinians reflecting an increase following the crisis events of October 7 Moreover, the eU has implemented targeted sanctions against individuals and entities associated with hamas which it recognizes as a terrorist organization These measures include asset freezes and travel bans aimed at curtailing the operational capabilities of hamas and reducing its political and financial support The eU also emphasizes the importance of legal and humanitarian principles, advocating for the respect of international humanitarian law and condemning actions such as the illegal destruction of Palestinian homes and the forcible displacement of populations These actions align with the eU s broader diplomatic efforts and its role in international coalitions like the Middle east Quartet, which seeks to revive peace negotiations based on mutual respect and recognition of sovereignty

The european Union’s member states display varying degrees of support for Israel influenced by historical political and cultural factors Notably, hungary stands out by consistently opposing collective eU actions perceived as unfavourable to Israel hungary was the sole eU member to object to a joint declaration that called for Israel to refrain from attacking Gaza highlighting its unique stance within the eU Similarly Germany has demonstrated unwavering support for Israel Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been vocal in his backing, emphasizing Germany s historical responsibility towards Israel This support extends to high-level visits and the provision of military and medical aid reinforcing Germany s commitment to Israel s security

Conversely, several eU countries advocate strongly for Palestinian rights, often driven by domestic political dynamics and historical contexts Ireland with its own history of colonial struggle aligns closely with Palestine advocating for its statehood and criticizing Israel s military actions Spain too has shown increasing support for Palestine, influenced by its internal political shifts and the inclusion of parties sympathetic to the Palestinian cause Both nations have recognized the state of Palestine unilaterally reflecting a strong pro-Palestinian stance within their foreign policies These positions are further solidified by public demonstrations and political actions that favour Palestinian statehood and criticize Israeli policies

The United King-

The EUÊs approach to the Gaza conflict and its dealings with Israel reveal not only the internal divisions within it but also its international challenges.

ancing humanitarian support for Gaza with military backing for Israel This dual approach underscores the complex nature of eU member states positions where diplomatic and domestic pressures necessitate a nuanced handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict The UK s efforts to support both sides reflect a broader trend of cautious engagement by some eU countries, aiming to maintain balanced relations in the Middle east while addressing the humanitarian aspects of the conflict Overall the diverging opinions among eU member states on the Israel-Palestine issue underscore the challenges in forming a unified eU foreign policy stance These differences affect the eU’s ability to effectively engage in the Middle east and influence the dynamics of international relations concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

H: The eU’s policies in Gaza have elicited strong reactions from countries in the Global South highlighting a perceived inconsistency in the eU s application of international law Accusations of double standards have been prominent, especially in comparison to europe’s response to other international crises such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine This disparity has been criticized by governments and analysts alike with many in the Global South viewing the eU s stance on Gaza as undermining its credibility on global human rights and international law Furthermore the eU’s delayed and cautious approach to the Gaza conflict has led to significant damage to its reputation among pro-democracy and human rights activists in these regions These activists, who are often seen as partners in the promotion of democratic values, have expressed disillusionment with the eU’s policies The slow response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza coupled with the high civilian casualties has been particularly troubling for these communities I M P L I C AT I O N

E: The eU s handling of the Gaza situation has broader implications for its role on the international stage The criticism from the Global South has not only affected the eU s moral authority but has also impacted

its

Moreover,

conflicts, has the potential to reshape alliances and affect the eU’s strategic interests globally In response to these challenges the eU may need to reconsider its approach to international diplomacy particularly in how it balances its strategic interests with its stated commitment to upholding international law and human rights This could involve a more consistent and transparent application of its principles across all areas of foreign policy which may help restore its credibility and strengthen its role as a global leader

We have outlined the intricate dynamics that govern the eU-Israel relationship, with a focus on eU policies toward Gaza The historical and contemporary contexts pre-

ON 22 January 2024, India s prime minister, Narendra Modi, helmed the ceremony to inaugurate the newly erected temple to the hindu god Ram at Ayodhya in northern India the deity’s birthplace As Indian Air Force choppers showered petals on the precincts of the temple it was clear that the majesty of the Indian state was being used to consecrate the power of hinduism Commentators from India s mainstream media, which only competes to flatter Modi, breathlessly announced the installation of the Ram temple as a “civilisational” moment with some even anointing it as the coming of the “Second Republic” erected on the site of a Mughal mosque that was torn down by hindu nationalist mobs in 1992 the Ram temple is synonymous with the ascendancy and now hegemony of Modi s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a once marginal, even fringe, party devoted to hindu nationalism highways across the country were strewn with billboards featuring images of the temple City squares too were drenched in saffron flags the sacred colour for hindus and the colour of choice for the BJP Against this backdrop Modi is now confident that he is about to make history With voting in the general election underway since 19 April, he is projected to take office for a third consecutive term Only India’s founding prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, has accomplished this feat in the world’s largest and arguably most competitive democracy This election is India s largest ever with nearly a billion people eligible to vote Scheduled over six long weeks that coincide with rising temperatures during peak summer, the victor will be declared on 4 June No other Indian national election has grabbed as many global headlines and interest as this one has In significant part the international interest has much more to do with turbulent geopolitics than the domestic contest itself As the West seems to have fallen out of love with China India s vaunted democracy has attracted new levels of attention In terms of its economy and polity, India s scale is truly continental In 2022 India replaced Britain, its erstwhile imperial master, to emerge as the fifth largest economy in

I n d i a ’ s l a s t e l e c t i o n ?

Narendra Modi has spent

remaking the

Southern India has resolutely denied Modi any popularity, let alone the devotion that he has commanded over great swathes of northern and western India Wi

claiming the remaking of India as his

Nothing less than the identity of India is at stake in

Modi s vision is that of a new India – or a return to its older name of Bharat, which he seeks to popularise (or even institute as the country’s official name) even as this proposal projects notions of civilisational grandeur or a long-gone golden age it hints at a future in which global status games and an exclusionary national culture dominate In fuelling such debates, Modi and his BJP are consciously signalling a new political, economic and global vision for India Analysts and critics often describe India under Modi as an “illiberal democracy” even an “electoral autocracy that is in effect a majoritarian democracy in action Neither quite captures the wholesale transformation of the country – rather than merely a style of rule – that is underway In short, if modern China could give the world capitalism without democracy, could India be on the verge of giving the world a oneparty state in a multi-party polity?

This image-making sits alongside the criminalisation of dissent, the imprisoning of leading figures from India s opposition and the erosion of liberty at home But India is not in the grip of “populist authoritarianism”, as it is so often portrayed For all the concentration and personalisation of power in Modi a new political order akin to the party-state defines India s latest political avatar A party-state implies the absence of boundaries between state, society, government, party and, indeed, cadre By contrast, modern states prize and thrive on the distinction between the different organs of government and their policing via checks and balances and, above all, seek to represent rather than overwhelm society

As a cadre-based party and at twice the size of China s Communist Party the BJP is not only the world s largest political party with 180 million members, but it is also one of the world s richest parties with nearly $6bn in its coffers With a number of other affiliates – notably the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) paramilitary body founded in 1925 and committed to the realisation of hindutva or political hindu-ness with over five million volunteers – Modi helms a massive and efficient political machinery

From vigilantes who violently police inter-faith romances to neighbourhood associations that enforce hindu dietary practices, the boundary between culture and politics, party and state has blurred even though hindu-Muslim riots have receded in the last decade mob lynchings – especially those targeting India s Muslims and Dalits (the caste known as untouchables ) – have emerged as a new violent trend Bureaucracy, the so-called steel frame of India, has remained supplicant, and

In May 2023 Modi inaugurated a new state-of-theart parliament building Built amid the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic it symbolises Modi s signature in stone and is the latest addition to Delhi s monumental and imperial architecture As Modi pirated the global left’s fixation on decolonisation at the time, he was unequivocal in declaring the new building’s inauguration as the real end of India’s long servitude wrought first by Muslim empires and then briefly by the British In a single stroke Modi dismissed India s now reviled english-educated elite as corrupt purveyors of foreign political values while directing ire at India s besieged Muslim population Cast as a coronation, the pageantry projected Modi as king, as he walked down the building’s long corridor with the ritual silver sceptre the Sengol from the erstwhile southern Indian hindu kingdom of Tanjore The ritually significant sceptre had originally been given to the staunchly republican Nehru who had housed it in a government museum By installing it in the new parliament building, Modi signalled the coming of new sovereign arrangements Southern India has resolutely denied Modi any popularity let alone the devotion that he has commanded over great swathes of northern and western India Crucially the new parliament building will seat close to 900 members With its rise in population India is set to go through a delimitation exercise by 2030 that will increase the number of constituencies India s demographics are regionally divided with much higher and denser population rates in the north The new delimitation exercise is set to disempower economically superior southern India while rewarding the economically backward north If his back-story of humble origins once made Modi a relatable figure, a decade on there is little that distinguishes national pride from the strident chauvinism that he embodies Modi has transformed himself into a messianic figure who is aiming for even a bigger mandate It would be a categorical error to see this political contest as one between religion and secularism Unlike in the West or even in its newly partitioned neighbour of Pakistan neither linguistic nor religious identity was given primacy in India s constitution of 1950 that made diversity the principle of unity The constitution provided the blueprint for a bold future as it became the document of its democracy and the vehicle that guaranteed radical new rights to India’s citizens Animated by a post-colonial piety Nehru spearheaded a political revolution that laid down democratic institutions with a commitment to a multi-religious polity and a protected economy his era created and was ultimately dependent on, a small elite which was zealously self-enclosed and snobbish, and the greatest beneficiary of India’s freedom Identified today as “Lutyens’ elite” – after the architect edwin Landseer Lutyens who gave Delhi its stunning if forbidding aesthetics of imperial power – the scornful label conveys contempt more for Nehru than for the British colonial rulers Modi was quick to tap in to the resentment against the liberal establishment and its elites that has fuelled what the public intellectual Pankaj Mishra has called our age of anger Before Brexit Britain and even Trump’s Maga momentum Modi attacked India’s so called ancien régime as corrupt and nepotistic in order to foster a politically resurgent hindu identity New India has found many votaries A new cultural and intellectual establishment has amplified Modi s image and message in broadsheets and television studios Through global summits and a new and sprawling network of think tanks an incantation of keywords advertises the ambitions of this new identity From “Made in India” through to Digital India via the India Way Modi s campaign straplines have evolved over the decade; the current catchphrase is Viksit Bharat , or Developed India All have prioritised the spectacle and symbolism of branding over substance As global indices have today deemed India to be a “backsliding democracy”, Delhi –highly attuned to status – has responded by announcing its very own new metrics housed by its leading establishment think tank Observer Research Foundation

speeches espousing liberal values such as

support of same-sex marriage that are in stark contrast to their consequential judgements that have been largely status quo-ist Modi has been astute in creating a direct connection between himself and the vast populace which is dependent on the state for its everyday existence enabled by technology

Syed NaumaN ali GilaNi

CORPORATE CORNER

Stressing that the world is in the midst of profound and complex changes and that the Middle East region is in deep crisis, Sisi said Egypt looks forward to further deepening its comprehensive strategic partnership with China and working to promote regional peace and stability

The Egyptian side abides by the oneChina principle, firmly supports China’s position on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong Xizang human rights and other core interests and firmly supports China s efforts to realize complete national reunification Sisi added Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Beijing, China, May 29 2024

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY: Xi told

Sisi that China is advancing the noble cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts adding

president said bilateral relations have become a vivid portrayal of China’s solidarity and win-win cooperation with Arab African Islamic and developing countries Xi called on the two sides to build a dynamic China-Egypt relationship with more connotations that meet the common expectations of the two peoples China is ready to work with Egypt to deepen mutual trust promote cooperation build the China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era and contribute to peace stability development and prosperity in the region and the world

that China and Egypt are facing a historic opportunity for enhancing exchanges and cooperation in various fields He urged the two sides to continue to firmly support each other and join hands to promote common development China is willing to work with the Egyptian side to explore the potential for cooperation in traditional areas, such as infrastructure, industry, electricity and agriculture; open up cooperation in emerging areas, such as health care, information and communications and renewable energy; deepen economic and trade investment cooperation; and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Egypt Xi also called for expanding peopleto-people exchanges between the two countries and making Egypt’s Luban Workshop a benchmark for China-Africa cooperation in vocational education

The Egyptian side welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in and cooperate with Egypt, which will help the development of Egypt’s manufacturing industry and industrialization process

I E S: Xi underscored that China supports Egypt in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs and is willing to work with Egypt to further strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism

The Chinese president urged joint efforts to advocate an equal, orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization that benefits all safeguarding international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries As this year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Xi said China is ready to work closely with Egypt and other parties to continuously inject new impetus into developing China-Arab relations and promote building a China-Arab community with a shared future

Sisi said He also expressed hope that the two sides could strengthen cooperation in the areas of information and communication artificial intelligence new energy food security and finance Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

C hina issues repor t on US human rights violations in 2023

the declining government credibility

“The chronic disease of racism persists ” the report said highlighting that African Americans face serious racial discrimination and inequality in fields such as law enforcement and medical services Asian Americans have experienced intensified discrimination, the rights of Native Americans have been constantly violated, and “racist ideology is spreading virulently in the United States and spilling across borders,” it added

Growing economic and social inequality makes life extremely difficult for the poor the report said noting that the United States has been refusing to ratify the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural

Rights Economic social and cultural rights are stigmatized as welfare cheese in the United States and the phenomenon of in-work poverty is widespread with the gap between the rich and the poor further widening it added The United States has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and remains the only UN member state which has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child it said warning of the persistent violations of the rights of women and children in the country Meanwhile politicians have forsaken the rights and welfare of immigrants, it said Overseas, the United States has long pursued hegemonism, practiced unilateralism and power politics, and created humanitarian crises, it said “In the United States, human rights is essentially a privilege enjoyed only by a few The country s various human rights problems seriously threaten and hinder the healthy development of the world human rights cause said the report

King Charles sends power ful message to Commonwealth after Meghan, Harr y ’s Nigeria trip

King Charles has shared his first public statement for the Commonwealth nations after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the monarch furious with their Nigeria trip The King, head of the Commonwealth, sent the message to the fourth Small Islands Developing Nations conference The group shared King Charles message on its official X, formerly Twitter handle King Charles message reads, “Your future is our future ultimately all of us need bold and determined action

EU L AUNCHES NEW PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN SKILLS AND ENERGY SECTORS

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

TH E European Union (EU) has launched two flagship programs to promote skills and clean energy in Gilgit Baltistan Through its youth skill development program the EU and the Government of Germany have joined forces to transform the vocational training landscape in Gilgit Baltistan As per details this program provides dedicated support to selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools across the region resulting in i) better equipped TVET schools ii) better trained staff and iii) curricula more aligned with labor market demands The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, together with the British Council, is implementing this program Under the EU-funded Energy Plus pro-

gram rural communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral will gain improved access to clean energy The program aims to promote a sustainable transition to renewable energy through investments in energy generation, transmission, and distribution It will also foster energy-efficiency to stimulate private sector-led growth involving local government and civil society A total of 350 000 beneficiaries are expected to benefit through this strategic partnership between the EU and its implementing partner, Aga Khan Foundation The launch event took place at Gilgit Serena in the presence of the Honourable Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan the EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka Head of Development Cooperation- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr Sebastian Paust and the CEO of Aga khan Foundation, Pakistan, Mr Akhtar Iqbal Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan thanked the European Union

PTA conduc ts quality of ser vice sur vey in S indh, Punjab, Balochistan and KP

I S L A M A B A D: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has conducted an Independent Quality of Service (QoS) Survey in sixteen cities across Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to measure the performance of Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) Survey routes covered main roads service roads and various sectors with 2 270 kilometers traveled per CMO over 60 days Mobile handsets in autodetect mode were used for voice calls SMS and mobile broadband/data sessions The survey included 0 25 million mobile broadband tests, 45,000 calls and SMS tests, and 0 13 million Ookla speed tests using advanced QoS monitoring tools ensuring compliance with NGMS licenses and the Cellular Mobile Network QoS Regulations 2021 CMOs were ranked based on compliance with key performance indicators (KPIs) in mobile network coverage and voice services, from 1st to 4th positions In the mobile broadband speed segment, rankings were determined by data download/upload speeds network latency and webpage loading times Jazz Ufone and Zong jointly secured 1st place in mobile network coverage while Zong led in mobile broadband speed (Ookla) Jazz was ranked 1st in mobile broadband speed (automode testing) and voice services These rankings are for specific surveyed areas and not across the country PR

SPL

packrites of illicit cigarettes including nonduty paid and smuggled cigarettes at Chak Barahm Jhelum The total value of destroyed illicit cigarettes approximated about Rs 202 Million on which the total value of duty evaded comes at Rs 147 15 Million Ms Tehmina Aamer Chief Commissioner RTO Rawalpindi graced the occasion as Chief Guest The ceremony was also attended by the Commissioner Jhelum Zone Mr Walayat Khan and officers and staff of Jhelum Zone The participants were briefed about the whole process of confiscation of illicit tobacco and tobacco products till its ultimate destruction under the law All the distinguished guests together torched and destroyed the illicit cigarettes PR

and German government for their support and shared The skills development and clean green energy initiative will play a pivotal role in socio economic development of the region Gilgit-Baltistan has a unique geographical location with

‘Pakistan and Tajikistan strengthen ties ’: Abdul Aleem K han meets PM Kokhir Rasulzoda

Federal Minister of Communications, Investment Board and Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan, who is visiting Tajikistan held a meeting with Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda in Dushanbe and discussed with him matters of bilateral relations and important issues While welcoming Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, the Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda reiterated that the doors of Tajikistan will always be open for bilateral cooperation for Pakistan In his conversation Abdul Aleem Khan thanked the Prime Minister of Tajikistan and said that the two countries are historically bound in religious and cultural ties and in future this relationship can be further strengthened by the promotion of trade activities PR

PEC hosts briefing on PPDC initiatives, annual financing of final year design projec ts

Pakistan Engineering Council – PEC conducted an event titled as Launching of STEM Education Drive & Other PPDC Initiatives at Bahria University Islamabad on May 29 2024 (Wednesday) Wherein the Chief Guest was Engr Muhammad Najeeb Haroon, Chairman, PEC & the event was presided by Rear Admiral Zaka ur Rehman HI(M), DG, Academics, Bahria University, Islamabad Rear Admiral Zaka ur Rehman HI(M) Director General Academics Bahria University Islamabad underscored the university s dedication for providing cutting-edge education and skill development opportunities that align with global standards He applauded PEC and especially the working of PPDC committee for its comprehensive approach to student development which includes academic excellence professional skills and personal growth Engr Mir Masood Rashid s presentation emphasized the collaborative efforts required to make STEM education accessible and effective He detailed the various components of the PEC STEM Education Drive, including partnerships with educational institutions and industry stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and practical learning experience for students PR

Hutchison

ONLY REGRET IS TRUSTING GENERAL BA JWA:

KHAN IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FROM JAIL

‘Salman Akram Raja’s Plea’: LHC asks ECP to form additional election tribunals

The Islamabad High Court was informed by the

General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan on Wednesday that the

Farhad

miri

According to the AGP the

has been arrested and currently in police custody in Azad Jammu and Kashmir The AGP revealed the information during the hearing of a petition seeking the recovery of the poet Urooj Zainab Farhad s wife who moved IHC on May 15

sought her husband s recovery and requested the court to identify investigate, and prosecute those responsible for his disappearance

The plea is being heard by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani while human rights lawyer Iman Mazari is representing Zainab in the case A report by the DhirKot Kashmir police station was also presented before the court Farhad, known for his defiant prose, was allegedly abducted from his house on May 14 During the hearing of the case on May 21 AGP Awan assured the court about rescuing and recovering the poet following the IHC or-

ders [We] will do whatever it takes [We] will rescue and recover [Farhad], the AGP said while addressing the IHC judge and taking the responsibility to look into the matter During the hearing Justice Kayani ordered the AGP to ensure that no one gets picked up from Islamabad If a person does not get recovered, it will be a failure of the state, the judge said Responding to the remark, AGP Awan asked for time to ensure the poet’s recovery Meanwhile the petitioner s lawyer asked the AGP to share the progress on recovery made in the last six days

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Pakistan Armed Forces on Thursday paid tribute to its martyrs who had rendered the ultimate sacrifice while serving as UN peacekeepers in conflict-hit countries across the world on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers Today Pakistan joins the international community in commemorating the International Peacekeepers Day, paying tribute to the brave men and women who have served in the United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world an InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) news release said Pakistan, the ISPR said, was one of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping, with around 3,000 peacekeepers currently serving in missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo South Sudan Abyei Central

Int ’l consensus withers as Russia hints at recognising Taliban

officially recognised the Taliban government its move to accept a full-time ambassador was seen as tacit recognition Now another major power and stakeholder in Afghanistan is inching closer to establishing fullfledged ties with the Taliban Russia which suffered a defeat at the hands of Afghan Mujahideen backed by Pakistan and the entire Western bloc is hinting at recognising the Taliban government

As part of the first step, the Russian Ministry of Justice and Foreign

the Taliban s first rule from 1996 to 2001, but this time it aligned with the international consensus on the question of recognition The understanding among the major players and stakeholders remained in place for a good two years before the international consensus started falling apart The first sign of rupture came in March when China accepted the fulltime ambassador appointed by the Taliban regime Though Beijing never