SC ArGueS how PTI GoT eleCTIon SyMbol
nullified the intra-party elections on December 23 Justice Mansoor Ali Shah noted that the ECP s decision was suspended on December 26, while Justice Jamal Mandokhail asked for clarification on where and by whom the mistake was made Counsel Sikandar Mehmood explained that many candidates did not mention their party affiliation which is why they were considered independent Justice Jamal Mandokhail emphasized that the crucial element is the party ticket; without it, a candidate will be considered independent
ticket with his nomination papers although he mentioned his affiliation with the SIC allied with PTI Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi highlighted that the returning officer had accepted Raza s papers The ECP s lawyer clarified that Raza had submitted a declaration for PTI Ideological
Justice Munib Akhtar questioned the relevance of intra-party elections while Justice Ayesha Malik noted that this situation would disturb the election schedule
Justice Yahya Afridi stated that six candidates were declared independent by the ECP
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked if PTI candidates could be given three days to join the party, which the lawyer deemed impossible
Justice Athar Minallah pointed out that no party registration was cancelled by the Supreme Court’s decision
Lawyer Kamran Murtaza supported the ECP noting a printing error that confused minority representation
After the ECP s arguments, PTI
Chairperson Barrister Gohar took the stand stating that he had submitted both party and independent nomination papers and accused the ECP of hiding documents from the court
Assistant lawyer Kamran Murtaza stated that JUI-F agreed with the ECP s arguments
PPP’s lawyer Shehzad Shaukat adopted the arguments of Makhdoom Ali Khan Kamran Murtaza clarified that there was a misunderstanding regarding minority representation in the party
Justice Mandokhail questioned the election commission’s correctness, and Murtaza confirmed their support for the constitutional institution
party elections
Justice Mandokhail pointed out that the party tickets were issued on December 22, while the intra-party elections case decision came on January 13, during which Barrister Gohar was the Chairman The ECP’s counsel Sikander Bashir Mohmand mentioned that the ECP had
The Election Commission’s lawyer agreed stating that he and the Justice were on the same page Justice Mandokhail responded, Tear the page, I don t want to be on the same page ”
The lawyer argued that the party tickets issued by Barrister Gohar held no legal status Sahebzada Hamid Raza Chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council could have issued party tickets but did not Raza had submitted PTI s party
The court inquired under which law PTI deserved special treatment CJP Isa remarked that the PTI election issue had been pending with the election commission for years Justice Akhtar noted that the issue was about the legality of the elections, not their occurrence
The lawyer mentioned that under Article 218(3) the PTI could be granted leniency but Kanwal Shauzab’s petition was inadmissible as she was not an affected party Lawyer Mohmand added that PTI members were not part of the SIC
PML-N s Barrister Haris Azmat submitted written arguments to the court
The ECP on December 22, 2023 stripped the PTI of its election symbol in view of irregularities in its intra-party polls
The Supreme Court on January 13 upheld the ECP order forcing the PTI candidates to contest the February 8 general elections as independents These independent returned candidates joined the SIC after the announcement of official election results The SIC later sought reserved seats in the parliament and provincial assemblies in proportion to its general seats
O S U P P O R T U N I T
The buying activity is attributed to market optimism that authorities in Islamabad will soon reach a staff-level agreement
Stocks at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) showed upward momentum in intraday trade on Monday driven by expectations of lower inflation numbers and anticipation of a new loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The market opened on a positive note with the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossing the 79,000 level, for the second time in its history At 01:45 pm the KSE-100 touched the day s highest level of 79 536 22 gaining over 1 000 points as compared to the previous close Key sectors, including automobile assemblers, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies OMCs and refineries witnessed across-the-board buying Major stocks such as PSO SHEL SNGPL SSGC POL HBL MCB, and MEBL traded in the green
According to a brokerage report the KSE-100 index posted its secondhighest annual
(Captive)
gory will see a price increase to Rs 3,000 per Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) from Rs 2,750 per MMBTU effective July 1 2024 According to sources the government has decided to maintain the gas prices at existing level for all categories of gas consumers except for General
Industry (Captive) ostensibly to combat with circular debt OGRA, in a statement, said that the Federal Government, under Section 8(3) of the OGRA Ordinance 2002 has advised to maintain the existing natural gas sale prices for all categories of consumers except for General Industry (Captive)
“The same has been notified by OGRA in the Official Gazette and is also placed on its official website (www ogra org pk) The Federal Government has the sole jurisdiction to fix sale prices for different categories of consumers of natural gas considering its socio-economic agenda & sectoral policies,” said OGRA Under Section 8(3) of the OGRA Ordinance 2002 the Federal Government advised OGRA to keep the existing natural gas sale prices unchanged for most consumers This directive has been officially notified and posted on OGRA’s website According to OGRA’s determination the average prescribed price for SNGPL was set at Rs 1635 90 per Mil-
Nationwide protests erupt against tax hikes, elec tricity price increase
I n d i a n s p o n s o r s h i p o f t e r r o r i s m
In t e r i o r minister Balochistan revealed in a press conference on 26 th June disclosed that two high value commanders of ttP including Maulvi Mansoor have been arrested after a difficult operation Maulvi Mansoor in his confessional statement in a video played before the journalists said that indian rAW was supporting ttP and BLA and he was responsible for military financial and administrative affairs of the banned outfit the ttP has been working closely with BLA as desired by rAW According to him rAW wanted the two entities to collaborate and establish camps in Balochistan the objective of setting up these camps was to establish foothold in the province target Chinese citizens to sabotage CPeC and carry out kidnapping for ransom which will highlight forced disappearances issue discrediting Pakistan s intelligence agencies He also revealed that many missing persons were roaming around in Afghanistan He also confessed that the current Afghan government fully backed their activities the information provided by Maulvi Mansoor establishes beyond doubt the nexus between terrorists out fits rAW and the Afghan government and also clears the haze on the much trumpeted issue of missing persons and how the enemies were exploiting the situation As confessed by him the biggest aim of collaboration between ttP and BLA was to sabotage CPeC this is the second biggest success of our intelligence agencies in regards to acts of terrorism within Pakistan sponsored by india in connivance with taliban government in Afghanistan the first was the arrest of serving naval officer of india Kalbhushan Jhadav in Balochistan on 3 rd March 2016 He was awarded death sentence by a military court in the light of his revelation in regards to support to BLA for carrying out acts of terrorism in the province the terrorist organizations have been carrying out attacks on security forces and Chinese citizens working on CPeC projects the arrest of Kalbhushan jhadav and Maulvi Mansoor leave no doubt about indian state terrorism india is not only behind terrorist activities in Pakistan but it has also spread the tentacles of its state terrorism to other countries as well the involvement of indian government in the assassination of a Sikh leader in Canada and unraveling of another conspiracy to assassinate yet another Sikh leader in USA provide a ranting testimony to indian state terrorism i think that Pakistan must avail this opportunity
and launch a diplomatic offensive to sensitize the world community about indian state terrorism and also raise the issue at the forum of United nation it is perhaps pertinent to point out that when Kalbhushan Jhadav was apprehended Pakistan government had provided a dossier to the Un and important countries of the world including USA that contained irrefutable proofs of indian sponsored terrorism but regrettably nobody bothered to condemn india for it even now no different outcome can be expected considering the fact that USA and its allies look at the situation inour area through the prism of their strategic and commercial interests their conscience is subservient to these interests But that should not discourage us from taking the initiative to propagate the issue at every available international forum there is also no doubt the fact that Afghan soil is being used for terrorist activities against Pakistan which is a violation of the commitment that Afghan taliban made with the international community not to allow its soil be used for acts of terrorism against any other state it is believed that Pakistan has been raising this issue with the taliban government from
This is the second biggest success of our intelligence agencies in regards to acts of terrorism within Pakistan sponsored by India in connivance with Taliban government in Afghanistan. The first was the arrest of serving naval officer of India Kalbhushan Jhadav in Balochistan on 3 rd March 2016.
O p e r a t i o n A z m - i - I s t e h k a m : P a k i s t a n ’ s q u e s t f o r e r
significant step by government to combat persistent threat of terrorism the operation aims to intensify the national counterterrorism campaign with unified support of political and military leadership, as discussed in the apex committee of Undoubtedly terrorism has escalated rather than declined in Pakistan Last year alone there were 306 terrorism incidents resulting in 693 deaths and 1124 injuries this year the number of incidents has already reached 332, with approximately 450 casualties the country faces a dire need for a preventive and integrated strategy to end terrorism While successful operations have been conducted in the past complete eradication of terrorism remains elusive operation Azm-i-istehkam is a necessary measure fight against terrorism, but it has faced objections from opposition Pti s Gohar insists that parliament must be taken into confidence before launching any operations the opposition s objection is valid as significant decisions should be made with parliamentary consultation and approval the Apex Committee has met previously, and the issues discussed are not new However,
presenting reports from previous operations before announcing a new one would help the nation understand the outcomes and future expectations Politically and diplomatically there is a need to enhance efforts to destroy terrorist hideouts through regional cooperation during operation Azm-i-istehkam it is essential to address past shortcomings and re-evaluate ineffective strategies to ensure the new operation’s success the current security threats have jeopardized Pakistan s security and economic stability Projects worth billions of dollars including CPeC are at risk due to increasing terrorism incidents Achieving peace and political stability is crucial for economic stability, and a robust operation is indispensable to bring peace and harmony to the country thereby advancing economic cooperation However national consensus on this crucial decision is imperative and this can only be achieved with parliamentary approval the government has announced plans to present operation Azm-i-istehkam to parliament in response to opposition pressure this announcement must be acted upon to ensure that the operation is not implemented without parliamentary endorsement if the operation proceeds without parliamentary approval its outcome will likely be the same as previous operations – incomplete counterterrorism efforts and continued instability only with a united national front can Pakistan hope to achieve lasting peace and stability paving the way for economic development While military operations are essential to combating terrorism, addressing the root causes of terrorism is equally crucial these root causes include political instability, economic disparities, lack of education, and social injustices Without addressing these underlying issues military operations alone will not be sufficient to eradicate terrorism Political instability has been a significant factor contributing to the rise of terrorism in Pakistan to address this, Pakistan needs a stable and transparent political system where the rule of law prevails,
and political leaders work towards the nation s collective good rather than individual gains the international community also plays a vital role in supporting Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism international support can come in various forms including financial assistance intelligence sharing and diplomatic backing the international community must recognize the challenges Pakistan faces and provide the necessary support to help the country achieve lasting peace and stability Financial assistance is crucial for Pakistan to implement effective counterterrorism measures this includes funding for military operations, infrastructure development, education, and social reforms the international community should provide financial assistance to Pakistan to help it build the necessary capacity to combat terrorism effectively intelligence sharing is essential in identifying and eliminating terrorist threats the international community should enhance its intelligence-sharing mechanisms with Pakistan to provide real-time information on terrorist activities this will help Pakistan pre-empt and neutralize terrorist threats more effectively Diplomatic support is also crucial in garnering international backing for Pakistan s counterterrorism efforts the international community should support Pakistan diplomatically by highlighting the challenges it faces and advocating for international cooperation in combating terrorism Furthermore enhancing regional cooperation and gaining international support are vital ineffectively combating terrorism the international community must recognize the challenges Pakistan faces and provide the necessary financial, intelligence, and diplomatic support to help the country achieve lasting peace and stability only with a united national and international front can Pakistan hope to overcome the challenges of terrorism and political instability paving the way for economic development and prosperity
The writer is a freelance columnist
The government has announced plans to present Operation Azm-i-Istehkam to parliament in response to opposition pressure . This announcement must be acted upon to ensure that the operation is not implemented without parliamentar y endorsement. If the operation proceeds without parliamentar y approval, its outcome will likely be the same as previous operations – incomplete counter terrorism effor ts and continued instability.
A cr y for help
Protecting Pilgrims
Malik MuhaMMad ashraf
‘Gender Parity in Pakistani Politics: Progress and Roadblocks’
Gthe country’s struggle for independence was greatly aided by individuals such as Fatima Jinnah the political environment for women changed gradually but significantly after independence in 1988 Benazir Bhutto s appointment as prime minister the first female leader of a democratic government in a country with a large Muslim population marked a significant turning point Her leadership marked a significant advancement in gender parity Dr Fehmida Mirza s in 2008 appointed as first national Assembly s female speaker were another momentous occasion and example of women empowerment in the Similar way Sherry rehman who is currently a senator she is a seasoned politician and diplomat who served as Pakistan s ambassador to the US and Hina rabbani Khar as Pakistan s first female Foreign Minister are a few example of equal status of women as men in Pakistan in the World economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report 2023, Pakistan ranks near the bottom placing 142nd out of 146 countries in terms of women s political participation and gender parity Specifically Pakistan is ranked 95th in the category of political empowerment it was placed 36th for the number of years with female/male presidents of state during the last 50 years, 126th for women in cabinet roles and 94th for women in parliament in Pakistan women constitute just 4 5% of senior executive or legislative roles although making up over half of the population Despite a quota system mandated by the Constitution that reserves 17% of seats in the national Assembly and the Senate for women, women’s
In the World Economic ForumÊs Global Gender Gap Repor t 2023, Pakistan ranks near the bottom, placing 142nd out of 146 countries in terms of womenÊs political par ticipation and g ender parity.
political empowerment has not increased appreciably as a result Female political participation is often limited to fulfilling these quotas rather than based on merit resulting in less impactful legislation and fewer women in key decision-making position Given the small proportion of female voters, candidates, and party members in Pakistani politics, it is a reality that there is a significant gender gap in the field Distinguished organizations such as the Women’s Action Forum and the Aurat Foundation have led campaigns to improve women s political engagement these groups push for laws that are gender-sensitive and offer crucial assistance and direction to female candidates Besides these efforts there is still a sizable gender gap in Pakistan’s electorate the election Commission of Pakistan reports those 64 million males (55%) 51 million women (45%) and 0 002% of transgender people are among the electorate Pakistani authorities have implemented a number of legislative steps to address the multifaceted issue, Gender discrimination is outlawed and equality before the law is guaranteed by Article 25 of the Pakistani Constitution An important step toward achieving gender equality in politics was taken in 1956 when the first constitution was established recognizing women s ability to run for office and their right to vote Women s political rights were strengthened by the 1973 Constitution, which guaranteed equal opportunity and participation the Constitution’s Article 17(2) gives every person the freedom to create or join political parties
Furthermore Article 34 requires that steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of national life, highlighting the dedication to women’s broad involvement in national issues
Under Pakistan’s parliamentary representation system women are allotted 60 members in the national Assembly and 17 seats in the Senate respectively according to Article 51 of the Constitution Moreover, Article 106 designates 168 seats for the province assembly, with Sindh having 29, Punjab having 66, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa having 26 and Balochistan having 11 For filling the gap under election Act of 2017 all political parties are advised to give women candidates at least 5% of its general seats along with other measures aimed at advancing gender equality in addition to these initiatives, the overall state of women’s political engagement in Pakistan highlights significant obstacles such as entrenched patriarchal norms limited opportunities and institutionalized barriers within
Why the French chose the ‘radical far right’ over Macron’s establishment
Women have always been involved in Pakistani politics; the countr yÊs struggle for independence was greatly aided by individuals such as Fatima Jinnah. The political environment for women chang ed gradually but significantly after independence . In 1988 Benazir BhuttoÊs appointment as prime minister the first female leader of a democratic government in a countr y with a larg e Muslim population marked a significant turning point
political parties Politics in Pakistan is often dominated by established political families and networks, which further complicates women’s access to political power Media representations of female politicians frequently reinforce negative genderstereotypes focusing more on their personal lives and appearance rather than their political achievements and intelligence this biased coverage undermines women s legitimacy as political leaders and negatively influences public perception to overcome these issues Pakistan should benefit from other nations that have effectively given women an enabling space in all areas of life and greatly aided in their growth in order to tackle these problems
After Atatürk
As the book sails through decades, we read of a Kurdish Robin Hood, the obliteration of leftist movements and the brutal 1980 coup
And even though the crooked globalist establishment has just been buried, its spectre of influence is still
result of radical and extreme misplaced priorities on everything from Ukraine spending and domestically economicidal measures under the illusion that they ll mean Ukraine wins on the battlefield, to musing about French troops fighting russia in Ukraine initially as “trainers” teaching Ukrainians nabbed off the street how to do burpees preferably up against a missile launch firing mechanism But then when it comes to outright commuting more troops who don t even have to pretend that they re in the war zone to do deadlifts and push-ups – hey, who knows not the French, because Macron wants to sow “strategic ambiguity ” or as normal people call it: shadiness it s not like Macron s crash and burn didn t enjoy the benefit of a massively long runway with several exit ramps French yellow Vest protests that kicked off in november 2018 with Macron’s decision raise carbon taxes again on car fuel and lasted for months on end up until the Covid lockdowns should have been the first clue that the French weren t willing to pay for ideological nonsense at the expense of their own ability to make ends meet But then he and his elitist eurocrat pals persisted with increasingly stifling climate change costs and regulations that messed with the price and availability of the food that the French put on their plates nothing radical about that right? F o r a l l h i s
Mguys that they and their establishment pals are now seen as the real extremists, and that s why they keep getting democratically rejected whenever the people get a say? t
n y stories start with a young stranger coming to town often it is a place of half-remembered childhood stories and of magic somewhere not yet experienced firsthand in Sami Kent s enthralling book, the town is a whole country the endless Country is a resoundingly successful attempt to tell turkey’s history – the first 100 years since the founding of the republic – through Kent s own story of coming back to the land of his father But more than that: by talking to people and visiting places involved with each decade of that century Kent brings the past alive From its beginnings in the small village in the Black Sea where his family came from this is personal as well as public history As a result the endless Country differs from many books that deal only with turkey’s formal history, delicious food or brutal politics it is, as its author says “more mosaic than textbook” Kent uncovers the country layer by layer reeling in horror at past crimes of genocide and state repression awed by tales of generosity and courage He starts with his great-grandfather, reputedly the gigolo of an exiled egyptian princess in the dying days of the ottoman empire who gained an education in europe later becoming part of the Ankara secular elite entwining the personal and political, Kent takes us to yeldeğirmeni, once a cosmopolitan neighbourhood in istanbul, where turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews lived together only to be torn apart by the 1923 foundation of the republic this was how the turkish nation was born Kent writes like any other birth out into the light, crying and confused, tender and pink Under its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, this confused raw nation shed its multi-ethnic character in a hurry to break with its past turning into a mostly turkish almost exclusively Muslim country Kent finds a certain cruelty in this turkishness as the young republic learned to assert itself against often conservative uprisings the hat law of 1925 made western style headwear obligatory and outlawed religious head coverings and fezes rebellions followed harshly put down by the fledgling turkish state Kent tells the story of a man in the southern province of Antalya who did not leave his house for the last 17 years of his
arslan MEhndi nEkokara
SENIOR DEMOCRATS RALLY BEHIND BIDEN, RULE OUT REPL ACING HIM IN ELECTION RACE
China to explore key areas of cooperation with Tajikistan, Kazakhstan
Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss bilateral ties key areas of cooperation and other topics with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon during his state visits to the two countries in the coming days, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday Kazakhstan is a friendly neighbor and a permanent comprehensive strategic partner of China Over the 32 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Kazakhstan relations have consistently maintained a healthy and stable development momentum Mao said Cooperation in various fields including economy and trade, investment, connectivity, energy and culture, has been fruitful, becoming a model of good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation between neighboring countries she added
Last year Xi and Tokayev met twice in Xi an and Beijing, making new plans and drawing a new blueprint for the development of China-Kazakhstan relations leading the cooperation between the
two countries into a golden period of rapid development, the spokesperson said The upcoming visit marks Xi’s fifth state visit to Kazakhstan It is believed that his visit will further enhance and upgrade China-Kazakhstan relations enrich the highquality cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and further improve the well-being of the people in both countries Mao said Xi s visit to Tajikistan will be his first in five years Mao said Tajikistan is a friendly neighbor and a comprehensive strategic partner of China
In recent years, under the strategic leadership of Xi and Rahmon China-Tajikistan relations have maintained a positive development momentum Mao said adding that
the political mutual trust between the two countries has been continuously strengthened She said the Belt and Road cooperation has yielded fruitful results cultural exchanges have deepened and there has been close cooperation in international and regional affairs
In May last year, the two leaders jointly announced the establishment of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future characterized by long-term friendship mutual support and mutually beneficial cooperation China looks forward to working with Tajikistan to use this visit as an opportunity to further consolidate political mutual trust, deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries according to
CPC celebrates 103rd founding anniversaries
State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from Tuesday to Saturday in Astana and at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan and President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan, pay state visits
framework observers said while highlighting China s significant contribution to the SCO summit that will help to build a more cohesive, influential regional community that overcomes geopolitical rivalries and promotes mutual trust The state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan also underscore that China attaches great importance to neighborhood
diplomacy and is set to inject new impetus into the relationship between China and Central Asia, where all five countries are China’s strategic partners observers said Considering that Kazakhstan is where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed and that vibrant cooperation under the BRI has transformed landlocked Central Asia region into a vital regional transportation hub, foreign scholars expect that the visits could prompt bilateral and regional cooperation between China and Central Asia to reach deeper and broader areas such as on the construction of more logistics corridors that could further promote regional integration and development Highlights of SCO summit The SCO summit will be held in Astana on July 3-4 according to a statement on the SCO website China will take over the SCO rotating chair at the conclusion of the summit The timing of the SCO summit is particularly apt given the drastic changes in the
analysts It sends a message to the Western world that there are many different voices from the emerging economies that need to be heard and represented and the mainstream trend of global cooperation won t be reversed by their obstruction Zhou Rong, a senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times over the weekend He stressed the SCO summit’s significance in demonstrating unity among member states and inspiring new collective approaches to
Yousuf Dewan Companies Introduces New Honri Ve 3.0 Variant with 300Km Range
P R Pakistan Engineering Council –PEC has conducted 1st Ever MEGA ENGINEERING CAPSTONE EXPO (FYDP- Final Year Engineering Design Project Exhibition) in KPK Peshawar on 1st July ’2024 at Galaxie Hall Phase 2 Hayatabad Peshawar near Zargooni Mosque
CAPSTONE EXPO is a project of PEC Pakistan Development committee – PPDC This is the 7th EXPO in continuation at National level (2 held at Federal Capital Is-
lamabad Region; 2 held at Lahore Punjab region and 2 in Balochistan) In this Expo 20 Universities participated and 82 shortlisted projects were displayed out of which 20 projects were PEC funded Engr Abdul kareem Tordher Special Assistant to CM for Industries KPK inaugurated the ceremony as chief guest Welcome address of the ceremony delivered by the Engr Syed Zulqurnain Shah, Deputy Registrar, PEC R/o Peshawar in which he appreciated the PEC and PPDC for organizing 1st ever MEGA event at KPK Pe-
shawar Purpose of this CAPSTONE is to maximize the industrial-academia linkage and to bring market compatible projects/ideas Engr Mir Masood Rashid convener PPDC and advisor to chairman PEC had CAPSTONE briefing and discussed about the 10 MEGA projects launched by PEC which all have been successfully launched and available online for easy access to stakeholders, students, Engineers, Industries, employers, universities and foreign organizations These 10 projects having tangible deliverables
UN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF IMRAN KHAN, DEEMS DETENTION ‘ARBITRARY’
NDMA ac tivates NEOC in anticipation of rain-related emergencies in Punjab, Sindh
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday activated its National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) in anticipation of rain-related emergencies in Punjab and Sindh due to forecasts of heavy rainfall A press release issued today said the NEOC reported a significant activity from the eastern Indian side indicating intense cloud bursts that may hit Pakistani areas based on predictive modelling Repeated early warnings have been shared with all provinces, and moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to start over the upper catchments
of all major rivers particularly Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab from July 2,” the NDMA said The NDMA also issued an alert regarding lightning according to which lightning was expected to strike in various cities of South and Central Punjab and Islamabad from July 5-7 “This may lead to rapid rises in water levels, flash flooding
ing closely with federal and provincial departments to ensure preparedness and response to the potential emergency
The public was advised to re-
ensure early return of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails,” the statement read As part of these efforts repatriation of 62 Pakistani prisoners in 2023 and four others in 2024 has so far been secured
TikTok clarifies role of PTA in monitoring blasphemous content to PHC PESHAWAR N E W S D E S K Popular social media app TikTok on Monday communicated to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) that it defers to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for the initiation of removing any allegedly blasphemous content hosted on its platform The statement was made in response to a court petition aiming to permanently ban TikTok in Pakistan over concerns related to blasphemous and immoral content The case, presided over by Justice SM Atiq Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed, involves a petition brought forth by Advocate Imran Khan The advocate has urged the court to mandate a ban on TikTok arguing that the app consistently fails to adhere to local content guidelines and violates constitutional norms In the letter to the court, TikTok outlined its procedure for content moderation, emphasizing that it only takes down videos flagged by the PTA through a specially designated portal TikTok stressed its strict adherence to policies regarding blasphemous content in Pakistan
and high flood levels (approximately 120 000 cusecs) by July 10 ” the NDMA said It said it was work-
PTI top body urges O mar to withdraw resignation for polic y continuity
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Core Committee acknowledged meritorious services rendered by PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan through some extremely testing times for the party and called upon him to withdraw his resignation because continuity of the party’s policies was vital at this crucial juncture
PTI Core Committee in its important meeting held on Monday passed various resolutions regarding ensuring continuity of the party s policies and bringing more discipline in the party s ranks
The forum through the resolution placed on record its acknowledgement of meritorious services rendered by Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan through some extremely testing times for the party It also calls upon him to withdraw his resignation as continuity of policies is vital for the party at this crucial juncture, the resolution reads The Core Committee also requested the Honourable Chairman for life Imran Khan not to accept his resignation Moreover the penal has strongly condemned all those who
parted ways with the party at critical junctures Today they have no moral or any other authority to comment on the affairs of the party while sitting outside ” it was said
The resolution stated that as far as PTI was concerned they were irrelevant and their statements were inconsequential Such people will never be acceptable in the party again, the resolution reads It was said that the cases of those who show remorse and regret will be the sole prerogative of the founding Chairman for life Imran Khan They vowed that the party affirms that strict discipline shall be enforced within the party ranks under all circumstances, adding that all cases of indiscipline in the future will be dealt with promptly and strictly including suspension of party membership
Security forces eliminate nine terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IBOs
RAWALPINDI S TA F F R E P O R T Security forces eliminated nine terrorists in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province On 1 July 2024 nine terrorists were sent to hell by security forces in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province An intelligence based operation was conducted in general area
Tira Khyber District where seven terrorists including HVT Terrorist Commander Najeeb @Abdul Ur Rehman and Terrorist Commander Ishfaq @Muavia were sent to hell by the Security Forces The killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area and were wanted by Law Enforcement Agencies Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered
from the killed terrorists In another operation conducted in Lakki Marwat District, own troops effectively engaged terrorists’ location in which two more terrorists were sent to hell Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any terrorist found in the area as the Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country
conference also saw the unprecedented participation of special representatives on Afghanistan from around the world directly engaging with representatives of the Afghan Taliban On the sidelines, representatives from Afghanistan’s Taliban government commenced discussions with UN officials, focusing on enhancing international engagement with Afghanistan and coordinating responses to economic challenges and counter-narcotics efforts This meeting is part of a series of talks hosted by Qatar, aimed at addressing the critical issues facing Afghanistan since the Taliban’s ascent to power in 2021
