would be reconstituted At proceedings began on Tuesday, the CJP addressed the bench formation issue and revealed that Justice Munib retained his stance regarding his presence on the bench On the issue of the judges committee, the chief justice said that he recommended including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and that the puisne judge s office was contacted in this regard However owing to Justice Mansoor s refusal the CJP said that they were left with no option but to include Justice Afghan in the bench
Appearing before the court today, SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat objected to the 2022 verdict saying that there was a presidential reference and petitions under Article 184(3) of the Constitution How can the judgment be given by combining both? Only an opinion can be given on a presidential reference and not a decision," responded CJP Isa
Furthermore, the senior lawyer also argued that the apex court s 2022 verdict was an attempt to re-write the constitution To this the chief justice remarked: When the constitution is clear how can [one] add something to it In response to the top judge's ques-
tion whether the said judgement provisioned immediate disqualification of a lawmaker if he votes against party lines the additional attorney general replied in the negative "No, nothing like that has been said in the judgement," the AAGP noted When asked who opposed and supported the SCBA s review plea Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf s (PTI) Barrister
The points pertaining to judicial reforms were also part of the CoD ” he added Dar went on to say that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl s Maulana Fazlur Rehman also agreed to the Charter of Democracy back then Moving on to the Centre’s efforts to woo the seasonal politician on the proposed constitutional package the deputy PM said that the government agreed to Fazl s stance by halting the consultations on the matter Dar expressed his unawareness
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday sought relief in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference, requesting the accountability court to declare it outside its jurisdiction under the amended National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law
The legal team for the prime minister and the former Punjab chief minister filed a petition, sub-
regarding Irfan Siddiqui’s announcement of a final date on the constitutional changes
The government has been pushing the proposed constitutional package amid speculation about a potential extension in the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa who is set to retire in October this year following the PTI s request last month for the early issuance of a notification regarding the appointment of the next top judge Despite claims of securing the
magic number needed to push the bill through, the government failed to table the judiciary-centric amendments possibly including the establishment of a separate constitutional court in parliament and postponed its move indefinitely
The ruling coalition left no stone unturned to seek Fazl s support, with leaderships of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP holding a flurry of meetings with the cleric but to no avail
To pass the constitutional amendments, the government is short of 13 votes in the National Assembly (NA) and nine in the Senate
Speaking about taking PTI into consideration he said that the government could have engaged in negotiations with the Imran Khan-founded party if they hadn t been involved in the May 9 riots
Moreover he stated that the Article 63(A) decision “should be fixed if it was wrong
The deputy PM further stated that no decision in the PML-N is taken without the permission or consent of party President Nawaz Sharif “Even PM Shehbaz Sharif follows the directives of Nawaz ”
mitting that after the recent amendments to the NAB law the accountability court no longer has the authority to hear the reference They requested that the court return the case to the NAB chairman for reconsideration The court, in response, asked NAB to submit its reply by October 11 Additionally the court granted Shehbaz Sharif s request for a oneday exemption from personal appearance, with his representative Anwar Hussain attending on his behalf
It is to be noted that on February 18 2019 NAB filed a reference against Shehbaz Sharif President of the PML-N and his son Hamza Shehbaz in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case The reference named only the two as accused, alleging they illegally constructed a drain for the sugar mill causing a loss of Rs213 million to the national treasury NAB s reference has sought penalties for both Shehbaz and Hamza over the alleged misuse of public funds for personal gains
SENATE COMMITTEE REJECTS PRIVATIZ ATION PROPOSAL
DEVELOPMENT
It is pertinent to mention that the district administration approves the District Development Plan and therefore has sought progress on these projects
JI calls for million march to show solidarit y with Palestinians KARACHI I N P Amir Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman called for a million march to show solidarity with the Palestinians In an address he urged the Pakistani nation to stand in support of Muslims of Gaza on October 7 2024, at 12 noon We may not be able to fight for Gaza, but we can send a strong message by taking to the streets,” he said The march will be held in Karachi on October 6 and in Islamabad on October 7 with Hafiz Naeemur Rehman emphasizing that the Palestine issue resonates deeply with Pakistan s foundations and called for unity in the face of the ongoing crisis
A virtual meeting was held between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Chinese officials to explore opportunities for collaboration in the field of big data and the establishment of Tier-Four Data Centers in Pakistan
The high-level meeting included the participation of executives from leading Chinese companies and acting Chairman CDA Talat Mehmood Gondal along with Member Technology and Digitalization Nauman Khalid and other senior officials, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday Talat Mehmood Gondal underscored Pakistan’s strong commitment to advancing its digital infrastructure and
welcomed Chinese investment in the country s rapidly expanding digital economy, said a news release
He highlighted the immense potential for growth in big data and digitalization noting that this partnership would play a key role in positioning Pakistan as a hub for big data innovation
We see great opportunities to collaborate with our Chinese counterparts, bringing cutting-edge technology and expertise to Pakistan This collaboration will significantly boost Pakistan’s digital economy said Nauman Khalid Member Technology and Digitalization at CDA
During the meeting, the Chinese delegation expressed strong interest in Pakistan’s digital transformation efforts offering their expertise in devel-
oping big data systems and Tier-Four Data Centers Senior officials from Guizhou, China, briefed the Pakistani delegation on their capabilities and reiterated China’s willingness to invest in Pakistan s growing digital sector Both sides agreed to continue discussions with the Chinese side committed to submitting concrete proposals for collaboration A draft Memorandum of Under-
Joint effor ts needed to eliminate narcotics, protec t youth: S enator Hidayatullah
ISLAMABAD I N P
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control Senator Hidayatullah Khan has stressed the need of collective national efforts for elimination of narcotics and to protect youth He stated this while chairing a meeting of the Senate Body held at Parliament House on Tuesday The meeting was attended by Senator Dost Muhammad Khan Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan Senator Mir Dostain Khan Domki, Senator Manzoor Ahmed, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Narcotics, the Director General OF AntiNarcotics Force (ANF), the Director (ANF) and the senior officials from the Ministry of Narcotics The Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Narcotics presented an overview of the organizational structure and functions of the Ministry and its attached departments He emphasized that the Ministry has established various bilateral agreements with multiple countries to combat narcotics in Pakistan It was highlighted that Pakistan has maintained a poppy-free status since 2021, and a total of 622 034 metric tons of drugs have been seized since 2023 Furthermore it was reported that 14 509 awareness activities have been
conducted since 2023 with 37 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed with different countries and an additional 29 MOUs currently under process The total allocated budget was reported as Rs 7 593 952 million of which Rs 265 100 million was allocated to the Ministry of Narcotics Control (Main) and Rs 7 328 852 million to the Anti-Narcotics Force The national funds balance was reported as Rs 401 133 million The Director General of the AntiNarcotics Force (ANF) highlighted the department's shortage of manpower a concern that has been raised with the government but has yet to be addressed Emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts to protect future generations, he stressed that combating the spread of narcotics should be treated as a national emergency With political support he noted the issue can be controlled
Furthermore Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan expressed concern that Gulistan Tehsil has become a hub for narcotics, with the prevalence of drug use now 1,000 times higher than it was three years ago He recommended that the Committee request a five-year record detailing how many offenders were apprehended and punished in both session court and high court The Director of the ANF also briefed that in coordination with the
Higher Education Commission (HEC) efforts have been initiated to curb the prevalence of narcotics in universities, with a total focus on 255 institutions He further reported that a special campaign to control narcotics was conducted in September 2024 Presenting statistics on actions taken from 11 September to 29 September 2024 he stated that 56 culprits have been arrested from various universities Additionally, he mentioned that each of the listed universities has established a separate anti-drug and tobacco committee The Director also provided an update on initiatives for drug demand reduction highlighting that they are offering free-of-charge rehabilitation treatment and approximately 27,000 patients have already been treated at the rehabilitation centers Chairman Committee Senator Hidayatullah Khan remarked that we should all pledge to rid the country of all forms of narcotics and we must strive to eliminate this menace as it causes significant harm to our nation It is particularly damaging to our youth, who, as a result, lose their ability to understand or comprehend anything He also stated that we must take responsibility to protect our capable children those who aspire to become doctors or engineers from falling into the trap of narcotics He emphasized that this is one of the greatest challenges we face
ISLAMABAD
Centre, PPP
join SCBA
as SC resumes hearing review plea against 63-A verdic t
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Chief Justice Isa also stressed that the Supreme Court is operating transparently with no decisions being made behind closed doors These days nothing is happening behind closed doors in the Supreme Court The larger bench is now complete, and we can begin the proceedings," he stated CONTRADICTIONS IN ARTICLE
63-A INTERPRETATION
During the hearing Chief Justice Isa pointed out a significant contradiction in the previous ruling He remarked that the decision to de-seat a lawmaker for defying party directions should be straightforward, but the involvement of Parliament in determining the disqualification period adds complexity
He questioned how the decisionmaking process could be left to both the judiciary and Parliament, calling it a "clear contradiction "
"On one hand, the ruling states that a defecting member should be de-seated, but on the other hand it allows Parliament to decide the length of disqualification This is contradictory the Chief Justice said urging that the constitution's wording should be the sole basis for such decisions
REVIEW OF PRESIDENTIAL REFERENCE
The case has its roots in the presidential reference filed by President Arif Alvi in March 2022, during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government The reference sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on whether the votes cast by dissident lawmakers could be counted and whether their actions would lead to disqualification
In response to the reference, a fivemember Supreme Court bench, led by former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, issued a verdict in May 2022 The court ruled that the votes of dissident lawmakers should not be counted and that the Parliament could legislate on the period of their disqualification
The decision was reached with a 3-2 majority, with Justices Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Muneeb Akhtar, and the Chief Justice ruling in favour of the disqualification while Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Mazhar Alam Miankhel dissented SUPREME COURT DIVISIONS
The hearing also revealed the divisions within the Supreme Court over the interpretation of Article 63-A Chief Justice Isa remarked that there has been growing criticism regarding how the Supreme Court is handling such sensitive
matters "There are significant objections to how the Supreme Court is being run and this is not conducive to political stability in Pakistan, he said The Chief Justice also questioned the logic behind ruling that a dissident member ’s vote should not be counted in cases of noconfidence motions He argued that if the vote is not counted it could render Article 95 of the constitution which governs the procedure for no-confidence motions, ineffective "If a dissident lawmaker s vote is not counted in a noconfidence motion, then a Prime Minister cannot be removed meaning that Article 95 has become ineffective Isa noted POLITICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
The review of Article 63-A s interpretation has significant political implications, as it affects how dissent within political parties is handled and the potential consequences for lawmakers who go against party lines The Chief Justice s comments highlighted the need for clarity to avoid contradictions that could lead to further political instability Chief Justice Isa also warned that such contradictions in the law could affect the integrity of democratic processes This judicial decision appears to make the no-confidence
motion ineffective In the UK for example the Conservative Party was able to change its Prime Minister while maintaining party governance, he said, drawing a comparison with the political dynamics in other countries
The court will continue its review of the petitions with more arguments expected in the coming days JUSTICE MUNIB S LETTERS
Elaborating on the reasons behind his unavailability from yesterday's hearing, Justice Munib has said that he did not recuse from the bench, saying he cannot be a part of a bench that was constituted by the Practice and Procedure Committee the three-member judges committee of the apex court which decides on the formation of the SC benches and cases related to human rights It is to be noted that following the promulgation of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Ordinance 2024 Justice Munib was replaced with Justice AminUd-Din Khan by CJP Isa
The judge in his letter noted that the "matter of fixing a bench for the CRP appeared suddenly on the committee's agenda at its 17th meeting held on July 18 it seems for the first time even though the committee has been meeting since before July 17
abrupt change though advance deposits were initially due by September 27, 2024 Despite the extension, all preparations for the bidding were reportedly in place for the original deadline of October 1 A consortium of six private companies including Blue World City Air Blue, Arif Habib, Fly Jinnah, Pak Ethanol, and YB
s failure to enforce these standards, which has negatively impacted Pakistan’s external trade The committee will identify responsible officers within the DPP who issued inaccurate phytosanitary certificates and investigate claims that DPP employees created monopolies by selectively licensing fumigation services for personal gain Furthermore, the committee will review why recommendations from a previous inquiry into the DPP conducted in 2021 were not acted upon by the Ministry It will conduct a comprehensive analysis of systemic issues in the rice export process and recommend both short- and long-term reforms to establish a reliable inspection and certification system in line with international standards The committee has been instructed to submit its findings to the Prime Minister within two weeks GMO CONTAMINATION ISSUE: A recent and troubling development is the interception of a Pakistani rice shipment contaminated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by an EU member country This has raised concerns about the performance of the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSCRD) and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), both of which are
responsible for testing and registering rice varieties Under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, these agencies conduct trials to ensure compliance with cultivation standards Moreover, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) is tasked with regulating GMO seeds in Pakistan
The EU notified Pakistan that an organic Basmati rice consignment, imported by the Netherlands, contained unauthorized GMOs The contamination, flagged on August 2, 2024 by the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was detected on July 31 2024 Industry insiders suggest that GMO contamination may have originated from Chinese seeds used in fields where aromatic Basmati rice was grown the previous year, leading to cross-contamination The Punjab government also voiced concerns about the distribution of GMO rice in 2018 That year Pakistan blocked a shipment of Chinese rice seeds resulting in diplomatic discussions between Islamabad and Beijing IS AN INQUIRY NEEDED? Pakistan is a major exporter of Basmati rice to EU markets An analysis of the EU’s RASFF portal reveals that Pakistan’s rice interceptions ranging from 17 to 77 over the last five years are not significant compared to India, China, the USA, Turkey, Vietnam, and Thailand which have faced between 11 and 328 interceptions These interceptions are primarily related to food safety, including Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) of pesticides, despite Pakistan implementing stringent EU regulations Interceptions are a common occurrence in the vast international trade of food products due to various reasons In most cases corrective measures are taken in consultation with trading partners Unfortunately, Pakistan lacks a dedicated food safety authority at the federal level to regulate the movement of food products and this deficiency has persisted since the country’s inception Pesticide-related MRL issues often arise
TMiddle East have an abiding interest in hydrocarbons Hydrocarbons specifically gas are causing some headaches The cutdown in supply of gas to Captive Power Plants in the textile industry are going to have an impact on the entire gas system, because the government s decision to shut down supply to the CPPs is
G a z a i s s h a p i n g t h i s e l e c t i o n f o r A r a b A m e r i c a n v o t e r s
Arab Americans have been solidly D emocrat, but Biden seems to have blown it
FNizami
Nizami (Late)
Reform or Perish
o r Arab Americans, Israel’s war on Palestinians in Gaza looms large and will play a significant role in this November ’s election This is one of the key observations emerging from a mid-September nationwide poll of 500 Arab American registered voters conducted by John Zogby Strategies for the Arab American Institute A full year of this devastating assault on Gaza has reshaped the Arab American electorate, souring their attitude toward the Democratic Party sapping their enthusiasm to vote in this election and negatively impacting their inclination to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris for President Since we first began polling Arab Americans 30 years ago, the community has consistently favoured the Democratic Party, with the margin of that support holding steady at nearly two to one for the past decade and a half The Biden Administration’s handling of the crisis in Gaza however has eroded that support resulting in Arab Americans now evenly divided between the two parties 38 5 percent for each Equally revealing is the fact that by a slight margin (46 percent to 44 percent) voters in the community say they would prefer to see republicans controlling the next Congress Arab American voter turnout has consistently been in the 80 percent range But this year only 63 percent of the community say they are enthusiastic about voting in November, likely impacting voter turnout in November All of this has taken a toll on Harris’ prospects for winning Arab American votes in her contest with former President Donald Trump While President Biden won 59 percent of the Arab American vote in 2020 compared with 35 percent for Trump this year s poll shows that in a multi-candidate matchup both candidates are in a virtual dead heat in the 4142 percent range More ominous for Harris is that when only considering likely voters, Trump leads 46 percent to 42 percent While a few unscientific polls have suggested that a third-party candidate would garner a majority
of the Arab American vote this AAI poll shows that not to be the case All of the third-party candidates combined receive just 12 percent of the Arab American vote Instead, it s Trump who is the beneficiary of the community s anger and, I might add, even despair over the Biden Administration’s failure in addressing the crisis in Gaza This may be surprising given Trump’s record and recent statements but there are a few factors that may account for this development on the one hand it may be that as a result of the year-long trauma there is a desire to punish Democrats Additionally, it appears that despite Trump s dismal record with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his total support for Israel’s aims in the war the data from the AAI poll shows that sub-groups previously aligned with the republican Party are returning to the fold and voting for that party s candidate All of which lends emphasis to the way the Gaza crisis has impacted this election Further evidence of Gaza s role is the 81 percent of Arab Americans who say that Gaza will be an important consideration in their vote For example, when asked if Harris were either to demand an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza
and misinterpret the Quranic verses regarding Jihad They do talk about taking up arms against the enemy, but they don’t talk about holding a pen and book Jihad-bil-Ilm In today’s world if you take up arms even to defend yourself you will be labeled as a terrorist in no time and defeated hands-down recently, a video captured my sight where a so-called Maulana was explaining the hidden satanic meaning behind Facebook’s first letter “f” We are so skeptical about technology that we think that it’s another satanic conspiracy launched by Dajal to destroy us A lot of people don t even acknowledge that Elon Musk Mark
In our 30 years of polling Arab American voters, we havenÊt witnessed anything like the role that the war on Gaza is having on voter behaviour The year-long unfolding genocide in Gaza and the catastrophe now facing Lebanon has impacted every component sub-group within the community, with only slight variations among religious communities and countries of origin, immigrant or native-born, gender and age groups With little over one month remaining before the election, Arab Americans and, as our polls of US voters have shown, those who share their concerns (young and non-white voters) will be watching to see if their deeply felt concerns with Gaza and now Lebanon will be recognized and respected with a promise for change.
Zuckerberg or Bill Gates have done something worth appreciating We neither innovate nor imitate how come we can imitate Kafirs ? The same holy book that talks about jihad in a certain context talks about acquiring knowledge In fact, the very first world of the Holy Quran is IQrA, which means s command to read In another saying, the Prophet (S A A W) said ” Knowledge and wisdom are the inheritance of Muslims; take them from wherever you find them But our so-called Maulanas just pick up few lines from Quran misinterpret and misquote them to make fools of their followers It s high time we should reform or be ready to perish History is full of examples where even the biggest empires like the Mughals perished when they didn’t embrace technology The case study of Mughals serves as a glaring example to learn from When Europe was stepping out of the dark ages and embracing technology, the Mughals shut their doors to reforms, and perished We need to liberate our imaginations from the self-concocted stories about “fortress of Islam” “annihilation of enemies from the face of the earth and much more We need to puncture the hot air balloon we have been living in for years and embrace technology to survive in this digitized world
The writer is a freelance columnist
We need to liberate our imaginations from the self-concocted stories about „for tress of Islam‰, „annihilation of enemies from the face of the ear th‰ and much more . We need to puncture the hot air balloon we have been living in for years and embrace technology to sur vive in this digitiz ed world
haDiqa maryam abbasi
TH E media industry has grown over the decades to be a force behind cultivating world cultures It includes the social networks the video-sharing websites and streaming services as well as the world news portals all of which offer a vast scale of content which is not limited by the state borders To the marginalized groups of people, who rarely get a chance to get through to the mainstream media or if they do they don’t get a fair shot both advantages and disadvantages exist in these global platforms
At the same time as they offer people shows that minorities stories, cultural values, and experiences can be shared, and win recognition globally On the flip side, such sites have the capacity of placing cultures into operation to reduce differentiation locally hence the destruction of cultures
The modernization process which seems to be accompanied by a civilizations conflict, resulted in the process called globalization, and culture and life experience seem to be governed by standards which are global or at least Western In this transformation process power subordinate local identities are erased or overlaid by standardized globalization culture Furthermore social networking platforms also stand in as a platform of resistance that lets the oppressed society’s culture and heritage be represented At the same time, getting media can bring the feeling of belonging to the global culture for poorer and more remote subcultures
Nevertheless doubts arise in the best way that these sites contribute to the presentation of cultures and if, in turn, they help perpetuate the leading Euro-American culture This article aims to identify and discuss the positive and negative effects of global media influence on local cultures especially subjugated communities Thus examining the relations of this kind will help capture the vectors of cultural conflict and dialogue in the postmillennial media culture
Scholars have actively discussed how the global media interact with the cultural marginalization of subgroups In his 1996 book Modernity at Large Arjun Appadurai
looks at the cultural dimensions of globalization where the effects of global culture to locals are highlighted In line with his theory of cultural globalization media generates a cultural flow that transcends national borders but brings in new culture in form of ideas norms as well as practices hence resulting in cultural creolization
Global boulevards interact with local essences in this process Equally in his 1998 Globalization and Culture media scholar John Tomlinson asserts that there is another effect of media globalization which is the culture s deterritorialization– the act of displacing cultures from their original territorialbased context This is a double-edged process in the context of subaltern subjects: on one hand it makes it possible to articulate counterhegemonic cultural identity; on the other it subverts this agency through the creole of the postcolonial global neoliberal culture Critics such as Mahmood Mamdani, in his 2004 book Good Muslim Bad Muslim:America, The Cold War and The Roots Of Terror and Gregory’s idea that global media put forward Western cultural values which has negative effects on isolated cultures and forces the elimination of indigenous cultures in the wake of globalization However, in his 1996 book The Rise of the Network Society, Manuel Castells has
pointed out that even though global media tend to give prominence to the gloom and doom stories they do empower local communities to tell the world their untold stories and give a cultural documentation to detached culture as the mainstream media is not capable of Therefore, it is apparent that through using media from other cultures one can organize cultural resistance; at the same time media from other cultures can help maintain cultural imperialism which in turn requires the occasional scrutiny of the influence of global media on local cultures
Media has played a great role in globalization, resulting in a great change in cultural identification It has the impact of bringing to the spotlight various groups in society that have been discriminated against The mass media in the past has at times not portrayed minorities or have depicted them in a stereotypical manner Today s video sharing websites like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter enable minorities to post and monetize their narratives These representations can effectively reverse negative cliches erupting in media that previously prevented the cultural representation of such minorities For example, indigenous communities have adopted social media to bring back lost languages, revive cultural practices and find lost persons
within the tribe For Example Africans in the western countries have been able to dance to aero and promote African music, fashion and everything related to Africa through TikTok This kind of cross-culturalism is advantageous to society since it raises the levels of self esteem and pride within the oppressed groups offering them ways of countering the process of globalization However, there is no denying that like most things in this world, global media too comes with its set of drawbacks On one hand these platforms allow the voices of the disadvantaged groups to be heard but on the other hand it opens these groups to the negative influences from outside that may affect the local culture There is also a problem of cultural imperialism evident on these platforms because there is so much influence from media and culture originating from the western countries Such exposure may lead the indigenous youth into emulating the western fashion music and other cultural practices and over time they can easily forget their original culture Besides, the algorithms that regu-
G l o b a l m e d i a i s r e m o d e l i n g t h e o r i e n t a t i o n o f v a r i o u s m i n o r i t i e s , c u l t u r a l m i n o r i t i e s i n p a r t i c u l a r. T h e y o p e n d o o r s f o r a n o n d e s c r i p t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n b u t t h e y a r e e q u a l l y h a r m f u l t o l o c a l c u l t u r e s , t h a t t h e y s e e k t o f o r c e o n t o t h e
i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t a n d a r d s . S u c h p l a t f o r m s o f f e r e f f e c t i v e m e a n s f o r s h a r i n g s t o r i e s a n d c o m m e m o r a t i n g t r a d i t i o n s , y e t t h e y c a n o b s c u r e l o c a l i z e d n a r r a t i v e s w i t h t h e g e n e r a l o n e s To c o o r d
h y h a s n ’ t I r a n r e t a l i a t e d
g a i n s t I s r a e l ? Te h ra n’s a
f a c to r a n d b e n e f i c i a r y o f o t h e r n at i o n s’ re s i s t a n ce e f fo r t s
MIDDLE EAST
H a m i d da b a s H i
past July This extrajudicial killing was among a series of subversive attacks carried out in recent years by Israel and the US against Iranians and other “enemies” In 2020 the Trump administration ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani using methods perfected during the Obama presidency Later that year, Israel killed top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
The US and Israel are in an obvious military and intelligence alliance that aims to promote the colonial and imperial interests of both parties in hostile territory as the native inhabitants including Palestinians, resist their barefaced barbarism Soon after the assassination of Haniyeh, Iran vowed to retaliate, as the US swiftly announced that it would defend Israel - as if that were not the status quo - and deployed more military hardware to the region
During its more recent war on Lebanon in late September Israel also killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah s secretary-general and a number of senior
commanders As a result, Iran is now in the spotlight as to what, if anything, it is willing to do to show the world it is anything but an opportunist benefactor and beneficiary of other nations resistance efforts
LITTLE ROOM TO RETALIATE:
The fact, however, is that Iran has little room or will to retaliate against a rogue settler colony - not because of its own military wherewithal but because Israel is deeply enmeshed with its partners in the US and Europe Israel can thus act like a mad Goliath on steroids, killing innocent people to the north, south, east and west with total impunity The Iranian reaction, or absence of reaction, is thus a result both of prudence if not cowardice - as well as the very nature of asymmetrical warfare in a region dominated by US military might Israel is unlikely to do anything without the full knowledge, approval and participation of the US Israel effectively acts like a mercenary army contracted by the US to do its unsavoury bidding The charade of the Biden administration trying to negotiate a ceasefire is a badly executed farce By necessity, Iran has mastered the art of taking advantage of existing and emerging regional crises generated by the US and Israel in Afghanistan Iraq Palestine Lebanon Syria Yemen and elsewhere The mass slaughter in Lebanon while the genocide in Palestine is still unfolding, could come back to haunt Israel and its US benefactors There is very little that Iran needs to or can do directly against the Israeli settler colony at this point But what happened to Iran’s promised counterattack? Despite threats made back and forth Iran never acts in a purely reactive manner Historically, it has its own slow-motion, steady attitude, which it has used to engulf Israel in asymmetrical warfare on several fronts But is that strategy still plausible?
Every front that engages against Israel becomes a front for Iran too Consider the hundreds of thousands of Israelis taking part in anti-government protests Iran did not need to manufacture this crisis; Israel’s genocidal instincts, fully in service of the US and its imperial allies did a fine job of that on their own Washington s misguided and seemingly limitless support for Israel adds momentum to this process But that support does not come from the goodness of the American heart: rather, the US uses Israel to its full imperial advantage As Presi-
dent Joe Biden often says, If there were not an Israel, we’d have to invent one Israel today functions as an American landed aircraft carrier in the Middle East
STATE PARANOIA: Against this backdrop Iran is watching patiently as Israel attacks Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, lays claim to Egyptian territories near Rafah, and slaughters tens of thousands of people But when would that “patience” cross into cowardice and eventually cost Iran its regional clout? Before the dust settles in each case Iran habitually hones and turns the crisis to its own strategic advantage, bolstering its regional network of allies and operatives The hatred and anger boiling in Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran is precisely because they see how the Iranian regime uses their own murderous follies against them There is very little that Iran needs to or can do directly against the Israeli settler colony at this point Israel has become a global pariah because of the genocide it is committing in Palestine and now the mass slaughter in Lebanon It is at war on multiple fronts including internally, where one faction of Zionists protests against another As one Israeli observer recently wrote in Haaretz: “Judging by its political behavioral patterns Israel is currently governed by a prime minister afflicted with acute Masada syndrome Like in 73 C E he is trying to instill in Israelis the sense that we are a persecuted righteous few, surrounded by a hostile and hateful world We are under a cruel siege and facing the threat of annihilation with nothing to lose and with a deep conviction that this is an existential be-all or end-all war Israel today is a paranoid garrison state whose leaders portray it as a nation surrounded by millions of people who despise its very existence This is why Zionists and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sling ghastly antisemitism accusations at anyone who dares to criticise state policy But as global condemnation mounts, Israel s adversaries need only to sit back and watch the regime destroy itself Hamid Dabashi is Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in the City of New
NE A R LY a year after Hamas s audacious 7 October cross-border incursion, Israel has made it clear there are no red lines that it is not prepared to cross in order to exact its revenge The Zionist state has so far justified the slaughtering of tens of thousands of innocent women babies and children in order to kill a relatively few Hamas fighters Now it is ignoring the sovereign rights of countries by trashing, yet again international law for which it has always shown contempt Invading Lebanon was not an issue for the insane foreign policymakers in Tel Aviv Deliberate lies to justify the genocide have been swallowed unquestionably by the West and even repeated Ordinary citizens of the world are still rising in anger on the streets of New York, Washington London and Europe to protest against the brazen hypocrisy and double standards at play Nevertheless Western leaders continue shamelessly to give the green light to the genocide in Gaza, the illegal invasion of Lebanon, the bombing of Yemen and brutal attacks and destruction in the occupied West Bank not to mention breaches of international law by the bombing of embassies and assassinating those who have diplomatic immunity Critics suggest that the horrors of the Holocaust have to have been invoked for the last time as the Israeli government s rapid escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon has thrust the Middle East to the brink of a regional war It is clear that the rogue state’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not stop until he drags the US and possibly the UK into a war in the Middle East and perhaps beyond
This is why, I believe, Iran s threatened response so far to the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders has, as yet, not materialised Netanyahu’s ultimate goal is to see the destruction of Iran and there is simply not a single country in the world prepared to stop him Holding up a map of Greater Israel at the UN recently, he showed the world that not only had he wiped Palestine off the map, but also that there were huge tracts of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon swallowed up by the Zionist state Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the UN to sanction military action to rein-in the new Hitler just as the allies of World War Two came together to fight the evils of Nazism By the time that Erdogan made his fire and brimstone speech, to loud applause, it was already too late, say observers The genie is out of the bottle and Netanyahu will not take one step back As I predicted last October
ISRAELI FORCES L AUNCH GROUND RAIDS IN LEBANON AMID ESCAL ATING TENSIONS WITH HEZBOLL AH
Republic of China
(CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative Sharif
prosperity Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that China has made great contributions to promoting global sustainable development and safeguarding security and stability, adding that Kazakhstan is willing to maintain the good-neighborly friendship with China and promote the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of the two peoples Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said that expanding the compre-
hensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between Tajikistan and China is one of the most important directions of Tajikistan s foreign policy The Tajik side is willing to push the goodneighborly and friendly relations between Tajikistan and China to a higher level
dov, said that Turkmenistan and China
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that China is a friendly neighbor of Uzbekistan and a reliable cooperative partner that has withstood the test of time Uzbekistan and China have elevated their ties to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, injecting new impetus into Uzbekistan’s development and mutually beneficial regional cooperation Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the friendship between Belarus and China is as solid as a rock, and their all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to deepen Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi expressed willingness to promote cooperation in various fields with China and wished the friendly Chinese people continuous progress Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said that Saudi Arabia highly appreciates its good relations with China and is ready to deepen cooperation in various fields Noting that China’s development benefits the
world, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that China upholds justice and is relied upon by countries that have suffered from hegemonism and defend their independence and sovereignty Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his warmest congratulations to the Chinese side, saying that under the leadership of Xi China has made remarkable achievements in economic social scientific and technological development and played an important role in resolving international and regional hotspot issues He said that Russia cherishes the good-neighborly friendship between the two countries and is willing to further consolidate their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, expressed his conviction that the Chinese people uniting closely around the CPC with Xi at its core will surely achieve the Second Centenary Goal He said that it is the consistent position of the DPRK party and government to continuously consolidate and develop the traditional friendship between the two countries and it is believed that the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations will be further consolidated and developed in the new era
Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Held
CORPORATE CORNER
IIL
RECKITT BENCKISER COMPLIES WITH TRIBUNAL ORDER, DEPOSITS RS15M AS PENALT Y
BISP Chairman presides over induction ceremony of Batch 34 in GIKI ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Senator Rubina Khalid visited Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI) as the chief guest for the induction ceremony of the new batch of students The event was attended by Salim Saifullah Khan, President of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan (SOPREST) and Board of Governors GIK Institute Executive Director SOPREST Shakil Durrani
Rector Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid students from across the country, Pro-Rectors, Deans, Heads of Departments, and various dignitaries Rubina Khalid emphasized the importance of unity and working together to strengthen the country She encouraged the youth to promote tolerance critical thinking and social change actively There is a dire need for social change and the younger generation must play a role in distinguishing right from wrong and fostering a culture of understanding," she said
Mobilink Bank introduces climate insurance to protect agri-borrowers against climate risks
ISLAMABAD
S TA F F R E P O R T
Mobilink Bank, Pakistan s leading digital microfinance bank, has introduced Climate Shock Insurance to protect small and medium-scale farmers and livestock owners from the escalating risks of climate change Under the initiative the Bank provides financial security by covering losses to crops and livestock resulting
loyalty program rewards Star Customers by offering a wide variety of discounts for making timely and full bill payments every month
Medical Director at ChildLife Foundation He added that parents need to know that symptoms of Mpox in children typically include fever, headache, muscle pain sore throat and swollen lymph nodes followed by a rash that starts on the face and spreads to other body parts Unlike chickenpox Mpox lesions look similar at the same time and the rash usually starts on the face before spreading, said Dr Irfan Therefore, he added, distinguishing Mpox from other similar illnesses, such as chickenpox, measles, and skin infections, is critical
necessitating the restrictions under Section 144 to protect public safety and maintain order The imposed bans will last two days in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur while Mianwali will be under restrictions for a full week prohibiting all forms of political activities including rallies and demonstrations PTI has faced increasing challenges during its mobilizations, with recent events marred by police interference Just last month, ten PTI MNAs were arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act after a rally in Sangjani In Lahore a planned power show concluded abruptly when power outages disrupted the event resulting in police clearing the stage The situation in Rawalpindi escalated as authorities placed containers on all access routes to the
by accountability judge Nasir Javed Rana accepted an application filed by the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to withdraw
sented the chief minister during the proceedings Earlier Murad Ali Shah had challenged the reference seeking his acquittal He argued that the provincial government had approved the project, and therefore, a case of abuse of authority could not be brought against him
The chief minister had been facing allegations of misusing his power in the disbursement of funds for energy-related projects in Sindh NAB had claimed that public funds worth billions were embezzled in connection with the Nooriabad Power Company and the Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company Murad Ali Shah was one of 17 individuals named in the graft reference filed by NAB
PM vows further relief as Sept inflation slows at lowest in last four years
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed his satisfaction at the slowing down of price-hike which now clocked in at the lowest 6 9 percent when compared with runaway digits in the last 44 months
The prime minister lauded the government s economic team for capping the headline inflation which now clocked in at 6 9 percent on a year-on-year basis in September 2024
The price hike had nosedived in the month of August this year at one digit 9 6pc for the first time in the last 34 months, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) index reading remained at the lowest in September this year bringing the spiraling inflation to record low in the last 44 months
With the grace of Allah Almighty, the promises made with the public have started yielding results With inflation rate at 6 9pc, the common man will get relief ” the press release quoted the prime minister as saying
The prime minister further observed that with continuous reduction in the petroleum prices, the public was getting relief, whereas after interest rate slide, the business activities would get a spur
He also expressed his satisfaction at the achievement of target of bringing the inflation rate to 7percent in 2024 ahead of next year
The prime minister said that from the day first they had accorded priority to the measures aimed at providing relief to public, adding that machinations of those who wished Pakistan ramming into default had been foiled
The entire nation suffered due to incompetence of a junta during their previous rule but now the journey of common man s prosperity has started with economy on the right track and diplomatic relations being strengthened
The prime minister opined that with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme the coun-
try s economy would get further boost and Pakistan’s journey towards progress which was halted way back in 2018 had once again commenced
According to a report of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) the core inflation measured by Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased further to 6 9 percent during September 2024 as compared to 9 6 percent recorded during August 2024
According to data the CPI based inflation during the same month of last year (September 2023) was recorded at 31 4% On month-on-month basis, it decreased to 0 5% in September 2024 as compared to an increase of 0 4% in the previous month and an increase of 2% in September 2023
be clear Judge Afzal Majoka said that according to the prosecution s case Section XXIV(A) applies to Alia Hamza Section XXIV(A) of the PECA is silent on the issue of punishment and your case also becomes the same Sections IX and X does not apply against Alia tell if you have anything else If the prosecution has nothing regarding Section XXIV(A) then my order is clear After hearing arguments from both sides, the court confirmed Alia Hamza s bail, against the surety bonds of Rs50,000
