PM SHEHBA Z TAKES COALITION PARTNERS INTO CONFIDENCE OVER PROPOSED 27TH AMENDMENT
AS the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continues its consultations with coalition partners to secure support for the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met delegations from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP)
During the meeting with the MQMP delegation, the PM focused on discussions regarding the draft of the amendment and MQM-P’s possible inclusions in the upcoming bill
During the meeting the MQM-P delegation led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui presented its proposals and reservations concerning the amendment, outlining conditions under which it might extend its support
The Prime Minister handed over a draft of the amendment to the MQM-P and take the party into confidence before moving the bill in parliament
Following the internal consultations the MQM-P is expected to announce whether it will support or oppose the proposed changes
Another statement by the PMO said the premier also met a delegation of the PML-Q which was led by Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain and discussed the proposed constitutional amendment The PML-Q delegation also included Senator Kamil Ali Agha and MNAs Mohammad Ilyas Choudhary and Farukh Khan Separately a delegation of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) led by Aleem Khan also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister s House In the meeting, the PM Shehbaz Sharif took the IPP leadership into confidence regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment Later a Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) delegation including Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi and Senator Manzoor Kakar pushed for increased representation for Balochistan in the provincial and national assemblies under the proposed amendment
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leader Asad Qaiser Thursday warned that tampering with the Constitution amid the country s fragile political climate is akin to playing with fire, as the party intensifies its opposition to the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment In a strongly worded statement shared via tweet on X Qaiser detailed outcomes from a highlevel PTI meeting
RAWALPINDI
s ta f f r e p o r t
PML-Z chief Ijaz-ul-Haq and National Party MNA Mir Pullain Baloch also held discussions with the prime minister on the matter The prime minister had also met with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on November 3 to seek his party s backing for the same amendment According to Bilawal’s post on X, a PML-N delegation led by PM Shehbaz had called on President Asif Ali Zardari and him to request the PPP s cooperation in passing the amendment Bilawal stated that the federal government s proposed 27th Amendment
The British Army s Chief of the General Staff (CGS) Gen Sir Charles Roland Vincent Walker, called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Thursday as Pakistan and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their intent to deepen defense cooperation amid a shifting regional security landscape, according to the military’s media wing on Thursday In a statement the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said The two army chiefs discussed matters of mutual interest the broader regional environment, and avenues to enhance bilateral defence collaboration Both sides “reiterated the need for continued cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the region Gen Walker praised the Pakistan Army s achievements and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism” and its sustained efforts for regional stability Upon arrival at GHQ he laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-i-Shuhada and received a guard of honour from a Pakistan Army contingent, the ISPR said Thursday s engagement follows Field Marshal Munir’s recent
contains a number of significant constitutional reforms He said these amendments include the creation of a constitutional court the restoration of executive magistrates provisions concerning the transfer of judges and amendments to Article 243 relating to the armed forces He added that the draft also proposes removing provincial share protections in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award transferring education and population planning powers back to the federal government and introducing measures to resolve deadlocks in appointments to the Election Commission of Pakistan
visit to Egypt, where he met Egyptian Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Lt Gen Ahmed Khalifa Fatehi and Defence Minister Gen Abdul Maged Saqar for security consultations
The two chiefs last met earlier this year during COAS Munir s fiveday official visit to the United Kingdom in February During that visit he delivered the keynote address at the 7th Regional Stabilisation Conference at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and held meetings with the UK s then Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Toney Radikin, National Security Adviser Jonathan Nicholas Powell and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss shared security challenges UK–Pakistan defence exchanges have remained frequent In May 2024, then-CGS Gen Sir
Patrick Sanders visited Pakistan accompanied by Gen Walker as CGS-designate and addressed the 6th Pakistan-UK Regional Stabilisation Conference at Islamabad s National Defence University Gen Sanders also called on COAS Munir in May 2023, acknowledging Pakistan Army’s sacrifices in counterterrorism operations CJCSC strengthens defence ties with Brunei
TPakistan to submit $10-20 million proposals to loss and damage fund amid climate crisis
g with inSufficient funDS anD bureaucr atic Del ay S, pakiStan aimS to Secure funDing fr om funD for reSponDing to loSS anD Damage DeSpite ongoing challengeS
to a news report Three years after its launch at COP27 the FRLD has accumulated approximately $300 million in funds, with an additional $700 million in pledges from developed nations However, the fund has yet to disburse any financial
aid to countries affected by climate change, a point emphasized by civil society leaders who have been vocal in their ‘Fill the Fund’ campaign Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik said that Pakistan has not received any money from the FRLD despite facing significant losses due to climate change With allocations prioritised for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Pakistan and other nations must compete for a share of approximately $100-150 million from the fund s total pool Malik highlighted that the FRLD is expected to operationalize $250 million
for its call for proposals at COP30, with half of this amount earmarked for island states and LDCs Pakistan is working on several project proposals, though specific details are yet to be shared as they are still in development
The FRLD s seventh board meeting held last month in Manila was marked by discussions over the fund s operationalization, though some key decisions were deferred The meeting highlighted the ongoing ideological divide between the Global South which seeks immediate grant-based assistance and the Global North which insists on establishing governance frameworks before disbursing funds
e s k
EMCO Industries Limited a leading manufacturer and supplier of high voltage transmission line insulators and substation equipment, has announced that its High Voltage & Mechanical Testing (HVMT) Laboratory has received ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) The company shared this development through a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday “We are pleased to announce that our High Voltage & Mechanical Test-
ing Laboratory has successfully completed the full assessment conducted by the Pakistan National Accreditation Council As a result the HVMT Laboratory is now officially recognized as an **ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited Independent Testing Service Provider, read the EMCO s notice The accreditation confirms the laboratory’s competence in conducting high voltage
PR OFIT
m o N i to R i N g D e s k
Following the transfer of six aircraft engineers from Peshawar to Karachi, the dispute between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) management and the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) intensified further disrupting the airline s operations and causing widespread flight cancellations and delays across major airports According to media reports, at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport flights PK302 and PK306 to Lahore were cancelled while PK304 was delayed by 10 hours PK501 to Turbat and PK370 to Islamabad also faced significant delays In Islamabad, flights PK601, PK602 and PK604 on the Gilgit route were cancelled while PK741 to Jeddah was delayed by four hours Flights to Karachi and Skardu also faced delays
At Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport flights PK303 and PK302 between Lahore and Karachi were cancelled while PK305 faced a six-hour delay PK248 from Dammam to Lahore was delayed by 22 hours
In Peshawar, flights PK218 and PK286 to and from Doha were delayed by 18 hours each The SAEP denied reports of a strike stating that all engineers were on duty and adhering strictly to aviation safety standards Our members are clearing only those aircraft that are fully airworthy Passenger safety cannot be compromised under any circumstances ” the association said in a statement The engineering body criticised the transfer of engineers as an unnecessary move that could worsen operational issues, while clarifying that it does not oppose the airline’s privatization if it ensures professional management and structural stability
SAEP also demanded a salary
at improving digital access across government institutions rural communities and key public infrastructure According to Hindustan Times the initiative will initially focus on remote and underserved districts like Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Washim, and Dharashiv, where internet connectivity has historically
on receiving regulatory clearances from India s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Starlink recently conducted demonstration runs in Mumbai in late October to showcase compliance with Indian technical and security standards The company plans to establish nine gateway earth stations across key cities including Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Lucknow Once fully operational, Starlink’s Gen 1 constellation could deliver broadband speeds of up to 600 Gbps significantly enhancing connectivity in India s most remote regions
New York’s Muslim Mayor
Mamdani ’s elec tion is par t of an anti-Trump pattern Who has invited Pakistan to send peacekeepers to Gaza? At Penpoint
O H A R A N M A M D A N I S election as Mayor of New York marks a number of firsts He is the first Muslim Mayor of New York, in a city which is 9 percent Muslim He is the first person of South Asian descent to become Mayor, the previous two no-whites to have been Mayor having been African Americans In a city of migrants, he is the first person born outside of the USA to have been elected Perhaps more important than this and other firsts is the fact that he was one of a trio of ‘off-yearelections that the Democrats won, and which represent the reversal of the 2024 election result which saw Donald Trump elected President for a second term Apart from Mr Mamdani’s election the Democratic candidate in New Jersey improved on the 2024 result by getting 56 percent of the vote over the 51 97 percent for the Democrats in the presidential election where the improvement was from 51 83 percent to 57 5 percent Mr Trump had campaigned on the economy So far, it seems, voters are unimpressed, and the swing against his policies seems to have begun It might be premature to see a trend this early for the 2026 midterms, but then they are merely a year away Mr Mamdani’s election is likely to cause ructions not least because he is something almost oldfashioned an avowed socialist Mr Trump went so far as to call him a ‘communist’ a remark which shows his age in his recourse to long-outdated Cold War rhetoric The problem for Trump does not seem to be Mr Mamdani s being a Democrat, or even a Muslim, as much as his outspoken support for Gazans in the recent genocide by Israel, which has extended to his threat to execute arrest warrants issued by the International Court against even Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Considering that New York is the largest Jewish city in the world, with a huge Zionist presence, this has been a courageous stand to take Mr Mamdani is less proof of a Muslim takeover of the USA, as Mr Trump and his MAGA supporters would like to portray than of the democratic inclusion that the USA is supposed to represent New York is still the city towards which Pakistanis gravitate when going to the USA and it will help for its Mayor to not just a co-religionists but to have ancestors who come from the same neck of the woods
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TH E internal debate on recognizing Israel seems to have started with Information Parliamentary Secretary Ch Daniyal Aziz sticking his neck out and saying that Pakistan could form part of an International Stabilization Force for Gaza, while Defence Minister saying that this could be a personal opinion, and there was no decision to deploy to Gaza
The debate may not have led to any conclusion though it did reveal a level of Cabinet disarray which went beyond internal debate However it did lead to an official confirmation (though without attribution) that an invitation had been received It was not clear from where the invitation had been received It would not be so much a question of authority so much as ability At the moment, there would be nobody with the authority to issue such an invitation Could US President Donald Trump issue the invitation? It was his peace plan and he rallied the Muslim countries behind it but he really has no locus stand Did Hamas issue it? Or did Israel? Or did one of the Muslim countries? Of the Muslim countries, only Qatar or Egypt have even a remote connection to the issue by virtue of being mediators between Hamas and Israel It was not the UN for it has been singularly uninvolved in the process The only use of the UN was when Trump met leaders of Muslim countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to pitch them his peace plan Pakistan was among the countries which distanced itself from that plan by saying the final draft did not include the changes it proposed The last time the UN was seized of the issue was when a resolution calling for a ceasefire came up before the UN but was promptly vetoed by the USA The USA involved itself in the Israel-Palestine issue when it refused a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to allow him to attend the UN General Assembly It has been noticeable that President Trump has been dismissive of the UN and does not seem to wish it to be involved in any way The USA has had a problematic relationship with the UN, viewing its position as its host as allowing it to use it as a forum to build the sort of international cooperation it needs Its use of the UN in the First and Second Gulf Wars must be remembered The USA used its forces but under the cover of the UN Trump does not like organizations which exist to allow collective action Apart from the UN he has got problems with NATO even though its military organization places the USA in charge, what with its COMEURCOM (Commander European Command) being ex officio SACEUR (supreme Allied Commander Europe) Trump would like to see a world in which US allies enter into coalitions with it whenever it wishes and jumps to do its bidding He has little patience with the process of building coalitions, such as those built
K e e p i n g t h e p e a c e T h e w o u n d o f 1 9 4 7 t h a t s t i l l b l e e d s
in the world wars, when it was remarked that generals had to show more diplomatic skills than military
One reason Trump trusts the UN so little is that it has become the reflection of the collective will of all its members not just of the USA This is precisely the idea which attracts Pakistan towards it as the sponsor of any peacekeeping mission It would also avoid several of the difficulties inherent in a peacekeeping arrangement outside the UN framework
The first issue that would be avoided would be precisely that: if the UN is avoided then where does the mandate come from? The only multilateral possibilities are the OIC, but not the Arab League or Gulf Cooperation Council However, while Pakistan is a member of the OIC, it does not belong to the Arab League or GCC It is another matter that the OIC has never before got into the business of peacekeeping not even when two members were in direct conflict Iran and Iraq It also did not plat any role in the splitting up of one of its members in 1971 even though the second OIC Summit in 1974 was the occasion at which Pakistan recognized Bangladesh to allow it to attend the Lahore Summit That example brings Pakistan up against the problem it faces whatever the framework: how to keep the peace between two parties one of which it does not recognize exists Hamas it can be said to recognize, because it recognizes the Palestinian State, accepting an ambassador from it, and thus presumably the Gaza Strip government, which Hamas formed However, it does not recognize Israel How it can deal with peacekeeping involving the forces of a state it does not recognize is uncertain Without recognition even travel becomes problematic Pakistan is one of the countries which specifies that its passport is not valid for Israel This is not an insurmountable issue, for Pakistan also does not recognise the Gaza Strip as Israeli territory, but its troops will need entry to the Gaza Strip either by air or sea or through the Rafah crossing with Egypt Israeli actions since the
tragedy and every generation since has inherited its memory as both a curse and a cause In November 1947, under the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh, state forces, paramilitary units and armed RSS militias unleashed an organized campaign of violence against the Muslims of Jammu It was not spontaneous outrage it was a calculated operation aimed at erasing Jammu s Muslim majority and reshaping its political future Entire villages were torched, families slaughtered, and caravans of refugees ambushed on their way to Pakistan Historians estimate that around 250 000 Muslims were massacred and over 500 000 forced to flee leaving behind everything they owned except their faith and sorrow Before this blood-soaked campaign, Muslims made up 61 percent of Jammu s population; after it, they became a marginalized minority in their own homeland The magnitude of this crime was so vast that The Times in its 10 August 1948 report described it as one of the most systematic exterminations in South Asian history Trains crossing into Sialkot carried not passengers but corpses, a grim symbol of a genocide executed under official protection The Jammu Massacre of 1947 stands as one of South Asia’s largest acts of ethnic cleansing, and perhaps the first genocide of the Kashmir conflict It was not merely the destruction of human lives it was the deliberate mutilation of a people s identity and right to exist Eyewitnesses, including Indian journalist Ved Bhasin, have recounted how state troops and extremist mobs worked hand in hand to annihilate entire Muslim localities The goal was not only to destroy a community but also to silence the idea that Jammu and Kashmir s destiny could ever align with Pakistan Yet from the ruins of Jammu rose a renewed spirit of resistance, a belief that Kashmir s soul, bound by faith, sacrifice, and geography, belongs with Pakistan That conviction did not die in 1947; it became the fire that continues to light the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination Every year on November 6 Kashmiris across the world observe Kashmir Martyrs
a ritual of grief but as a reaffirmation of solidarity and truth The tragedy of Jammu was not an isolated event; it was the prologue to decades of occupation, oppression, and systematic demographic engineering in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir The same ideological hatred that guided the Dogra forces and RSS mobs in 1947 continues to shape New Delhi’s policies today The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019 which stripped Kashmiris of their autonomy, land rights, and political identity was the modern echo of that same colonial ambition What began as ethnic cleansing has evolved into a policy of annexation, pursued through demographic changes settlement expansions and suppression of dissent Thousands have been detained journalists silenced and the voice of freedom criminalized under draconian laws Yet despite curfews, communication blackouts, and a world hesitant to confront India s hypocrisy, the spirit of Azadi (freedom) remains indestructible The blood of Jammu’s martyrs runs through the veins of every Kashmiri who refuses to bow before occupation Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan ( Kashmir Will Become Pakistan ) is not a slogan; it is a vow sealed by sacrifice The people of Kashmir have endured 78 years of grief, yet their will for freedom burns brighter than ever Pakistan, as the moral
and historical partner of this struggle continues to stand firm in remembrance and resolve On this solemn day it calls upon the international community to recognize the Jammu Massacre as an act of genocide a crime against humanity that set the stage for decades of repression in the region To remain silent is to be complicit in the erasure of a people’s existence
The wound of 1947 still bleeds not only in the memory of the victims but in the conscience of the world that looked away The massacre in Jammu was more than a tragedy; it was the birth of an unfinished struggle for justice, one that continues to define South Asia’s moral geography Until the truth of Jammu is acknowledged until the right of Kashmiris to determine their future is honored and until the blood spilled in 1947 finds peace in freedom that wound will not heal The world may have changed in seventy-eight years, but the pain of those who died for their identity and their homeland remains alive As Pakistan remembers the martyrs of Jammu it reminds the world that justice delayed is justice denied and the time to speak for Kashmir s silenced martyrs is now
The writer can be contacted at omayaimen333@gmail com and followed on X @OmayAimen
In November 1947, under the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh, state forces, paramilitary units, and armed RSS militias unleashed an organized campaign of violence against the Muslims of Jammu. It was not spontaneous outrage, it was a calculated operation aimed at erasing JammuÊs Muslim majority and reshaping its political future. Entire villages were torched, families slaughtered, and caravans of refugees ambushed on their way to Pakistan. Historians estimate that around 250,000 Muslims were massacred and over 500,000 forced to flee, leaving behind everything they owned except their faith and sorrow
Prescription for respect
H E current situation being faced by the community of pharmacists in the country is alarming Pharm D pharmacists connect chemical sciences to health sciences, and Pharm D professionals are considered an authority on the medication process Unfortunately the role of pharmacists has not been recognised as yet by healthcare policymakers in the country Imagine the plight of pharmacists and the step-motherly treatment being meted out to them from the fact that Punjab government has rolled back 170 seats of pharmacists that were in their final stages This has created unrest among pharmacists who were called for pre-recruitment interviews There is already an acute shortage of pharmacists at retail pharmacies Regulators have miserably failed to implement the provisions of various regulations meant to ensure the sale of drugs under the supervision of pharmacists Pharmacists throughout the world are recognised as trusted healthcare professionals and people consult pharmacists for their minor ailments, and they provide cognitive services, like monitoring blood pressure blood sugar etc However in Pakistan pharmacies offering such services are often sealed and booked for the offence of indulging in quackery It is high time the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan and the Pakistan Pharmacists Association took notice of the situation to redress the grievances of pharmacists starting community pharmacy services DR FAROOQ BASHIR BUTT LAHORE
The dragon’s debut
WEAPONS prove their worth only in real combat not on paper, not in simulator drills and not even in military exercises A key lesson was learnt by governments and armed forces around the world after closely observing the strengths and limitations of Russian and Western systems during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war Then came on display the Chinese technology during the PakistanIndia tiff earlier this year which made it difficult if not impossible for anyone not to learn the lesson in a hurry Before the wartime heroics of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) against India the Chinese technology was long viewed as less effective, often dismissed as a by-product of technological ‘theft’ based on designs that originated in the United States and the erstwhile Soviet Union The PAF supremacy over its Indian counterpart has shattered this myth once and for all The PAF appeared more confident and decisive in the air,
OMAy AIMeN
When algorithms forecast the sky, who ensures they see Pakistan clearly?
Tcatastrophic floods Meanwhile developing nations like Pakistan are left with data deserts thin patchy networks of weather stations and missing archives The algorithms, Lu writes, work best where the rain matters least ” Intersecting this with the very crux of Ulrich Beck’s Risk Society the idea of vulnerabilities being manufactured seems predominant The hastening of production supports those in their safe havens while those who least contribute to climate change are at the brunt of climate-induced disasters The imbalance isn’t just technical; it’s moral When AI models are trained on Europe’s stable skies or Japan’s fine-grained weather logs they struggle to make sense of the messy choreography that defines Pakistan s monsoon: Himalayan snowmelt meeting Arabian Sea moisture, interrupted by wild western disturbances How can a machine trained on calm skies predict a storm it has never met? not all hope is lost In a groundbreaking 2021 study published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences Muhammad Adnan and colleagues built a homegrown forecast model using Pakistan s own climate data Their results were startling: with local wind and pressure inputs their system predicted 75 percent of year-to-year rainfall changes in Pakistan s north-western regions By contrast imported systems like ERA5 or CCSM4, the global standards of climate science, often overestimated rainfall in winter and misplaced the intensity zones of the pre-monsoon As Safdar et al (2022) found these foreign models “capture the physics but not the geography a poetic way of saying they miss where the water actually falls and where it fails to during the 2022 floods, several of those global prediction networks raised alarms, but the deadliest deluge hit places their maps had labeled ‘moderate-risk’ Two years later it happened again This discovery remains pivotal in understanding the knowledge systems
within the Global South, incorporating Mignolo’s “broader canon on thought” within the western narratives of climate mitigation But sometimes the best solutions come from those closest to the rain In a small research lab in Lahore, Hammad et al (2021) built an AI model trained on just three meteorological stations (Astore, Chillas, and Gilgit) The model called a Wavelet-Coupled neural network predicts daily rainfall using nothing more than past rainfall data It wasn t flashy
t i o n To r e a ch t h e l a t t e r, Pa k i s t a n mu s t i nv e s t i n o p e n cl i m a t e d a t a b a s e s , r e n ew
hat do e s B ihar e le ctio n m e an f o r Mo di’s B J P? D i ck Ch e n e y a n d th e sa n i ti si n g o f a w a r cr i m i n a l
The impoverished Bihar state in nor thern India has turned into a key battleground bet ween the ruling BJP and the opposition, with women and disadvantaged communities holding the key to power
In d I A S Bihar state is set to start its election with more than 74 million voters eligible to take part in the two-stage poll The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with their allies Janata dal (United) (Jd(U)) are confident about forming the next government after being in power for nearly two decades The ruling party in Bihar has another way to appeal to voters they can draw on the popularity of BJP leader narendra Modi, the head of India s national government “Our party is a 24/7 formidable election machine A win will just reinforce Prime Minister narendra Modi’s central leadership and the coalition s hold in a key Hindi heartland state BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told dW The narrative of stable governance and incremental development through infrastructure and social engineering has had enough traction and we are seeing it on the ground,” added Vadakkan
OPPOSITION HOPES VOTERS ARE TIRED OF BJP: At the same time the opposition is banking on the voters who desire change and progress in one of India s poorest states The opposition IndIA bloc, led by Rashtriya Janata dal s (RJd) Tejashwi Yadav, is promising a government job for every household expanded social quotas and a fresh approach to justice and governance The bloc s manifesto also includes welfare schemes like a monthly allowance for women Another opposition option is the Jan Suraaj founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor The party represents hope against the sterile bilateralism of the longstanding dominance of BJP-Jd(U) and RJd that has shaped the state’s politics for the last 30 years ” Pawan Varma senior leader and chief spokesperson of the Jan Suraaj Party told dW We aim to break this cycle by offering a fresh development-focused narrative that transcends caste and religious divides, he added
MILLIONS LEAVE BIHAR TO SEEK JOBS: Bihar a state with more than 130 million people has India s highest poverty rate according to a 2024 report published by the nITI-Aayog India s
problem, where millions of its residents, especially young men, seek work in other states “Bihar lacks any significant industrial development or capital investment to generate jobs for its youth Closure of key industries like paper sugar and oil mills in many parts of the state is evidence of this stagnation, Rupesh Kumar from Lok Parishad, a civil society conglomerate, told dW Priyanka Bharti, spokesperson for the opposition RJd party, insists that Bihar ’s political landscape is ripe for change saying that the current state government led by nitish Kumar is plagued by corruption There is urgent need for better economic growth and job creation to address the widespread unemployment and migration affecting the state s population, Bharti told dW
GOVERNMENT GIVES FINANCIAL AID TO WOMEN: Ultimately the key to securing power in Bihar is likely to be the support of disadvantaged groups An official Indian government classification places 36% of the population in the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) based on socio-economic and educational criteria This label aims to address historical disadvantages and promote social justice through affirmative action At the same time the ruling BJP seems to be pulling out all the stops to woo women voters It has implemented the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (Chief Minister s Women Employment Scheme), through which approximately $880 million (€765 million) was disbursed to around 7 5 million women The initiative aims to promote women’s economic empowerment by providing financial assistance to one woman per household Women have consistently recorded higher voter turnout than men, making them a decisive political force in the state with relatively small victory margins But the RJd spokeswoman says governmentprovided handouts would not be effective in swaying female voters “It is a short-term political tactic unlikely to address Bihar s deeper persistent issues such as youth unemployment poverty and corruption she said POLITICAL BELLWETHER FOR ALL OF INDIA: Veteran political analyst neerja Chowdhury told dW that Bihar stands at a political inflection point where long-standing caste and community alliances are being strategically repositioned The Bihar election holds far-reaching national significance, serving as a bellwether for shifting political tides and strategies in India The outcome will set the political tenor for subsequent state polls in West Bengal Assam Tamil nadu Kerala ” said Chowdhury She singled out the women voters as potentially decisive given chief minister Kumar s expansion of welfare schemes and his efforts to lock in support across caste groupings Bihar s 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) seats add weight to the
And so another member of the old war on terror team has left the world dick Cheney, who served as the most powerful vice president in the history of the United States during the two-term administration of George W Bush (2001-2009) died on Monday at the age of 84
According to a memorial statement issued by his family Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing
And yet many inhabitants of the Earth will remember the late VP for rather less warm and fuzzy things than love and fly fishing As the chief architect of the “global war on terror – which was launched in 2001 and enabled the US to terrorise various locations worldwide under the guise of fighting terrorists – Cheney died with untold quantities of blood on his hands, particularly in Iraq
In the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Cheney swore that the “Iraqi regime” had been “very busy enhancing its capabilities in the field of chemical and biological agents” and that the country had continued “to pursue the nuclear programme they began so many years ago Per the vice president s hallucinations this pursuit of weaponry was for the purpose of inflicting death on a massive scale
As Foreign Policy magazine charmingly noted in its 2012 compilation of the “Top 100 Global Thinkers”, which included Cheney as well as numerous other characters with objectively dubious credentials in terms of thinking: “If scaring us silly were a religion dick Cheney would be its high priest
But Cheney s fearmongering – and repeated lies concerning Iraq s alleged weapons of mass destruction –worked like a charm in paving the way for the infliction of death on a massive scale in the country It also paved the way for the lining of certain pockets, such as those associated with the US oil and engineering firm Halliburton where Cheney himself served as CEO from 1995 until 2000 and which just happened to win $7bn in no-bid contracts in post-invasion Iraq Anyway it was business as usual in the land of conflicts of interest and revolving doors
Until his dying day, Cheney espoused a no-regrets approach to the illegal perpetration of mass slaughter and attendant suffering, telling Cnn 12 years after the effective pulverisation of Iraq: “It was the right thing to do then I believed it then and I believe it now never mind the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths the forcible displacement of millions and the dousing of the country in toxic and radioactive munitions that will continue to impact Iraqi health basically for eternity Escalating cancer rates among the population have been attributed in part to the US military’s use of depleted uranium weapons the traces of which “represent a formidable long-term environmental hazard as they will remain radioac-
Zannirah rahman
Bangladesh elec tion c ampaign turns violent as 1 killed in shooting at K haleda Z ia’s par ty rally
department also said last month that it had revoked the visas of at least six people over social media comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk U S Secretary of State Marco Rubio in May said he has revoked the visas of hundreds perhaps thousands of people including students because of involvement in activities that he said went against U S foreign policy priorities Directives from the State Department this year have ordered U S diplomats abroad to be vigilant against any applicants whom Washington may see as hostile to the United States and with a history of political activism Trump administration officials have said that student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel s conduct in the
tics and this is the true reason for her rising popularity
She further revealed that Maryam Nawaz has also approved the establishment of Punjab Air Company and, for the first time in the province’s history, introduced an Air Ambulance Service
She said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is fulfilling the mandate given to her by the people of Punjab with dedication and distinction Azma Bokhari stated that Maryam Nawaz has redefined the standards of both service and poli-
The minister added that Maryam Nawaz deserves full credit for introducing innovation in Punjab s key sectors transport, education, health, and agriculture Azma Bokhari highlighted that development projects are being carried out without discrimination from
SLIC leads new era of healthcare protection in GB with OPD Insurance
In a major step towards enhancing access to healthcare, the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLIC), in collaboration with the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) held a formal signing ceremony for the Pilot Outpatient Department (OPD) Insurance Scheme in Gilgit The agreement was formally signed by Mr Muhammad Ashar, SLIC Divisional Head Health, alongside Mr Syed Ishtiaq Hussain, SHM Project Director Gilgit Baltistan The signing ceremony was witnessed by Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti Mr Shoaib Javed Hussain CEO of SLIC as well as Mr Asif Ullah Khan Secretary Health Government of Gilgit-Baltistan The initiative introduces free OPD services for patients in selected districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, marking a significant milestone in improving primary healthcare access in the region The project is financially supported by the German development bank KfW which has allocated Rs 407 million+ for the pilot phase Over the past few years Pakistan s healthcare landscape has transformed and State Life has been privileged to stand at the centre of this evolution, said Mr Shoaib Javed Hussain, CEO of SLIC “Through innovation, and a deep sense of national responsibility we’ve built a foundation where over 180 million Pakistanis have access to quality care and financial protection
Attock to Rahim Yar Khan and from Lahore to Sadiqabad She said that the
Card" initiative has emerged as one of the government’s most successful programs Under the second phase of the Kissan Card farmers have
NFederal gov t decides to join PTI’s Peace Jirga in KP
Federal Minister for Frontier Affairs Amir Muqam announced on Thursday that the federal government would participate in the upcoming peace jirga convened by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Muqam made the announcement during a joint press conference with senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser in Islamabad Earlier this week, the PTI decided to hold a peace jirga in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on November 12 to deliberate on the deteriorating law and order situation in the province We had invited the federal government to participate in the jirga and are thankful that they accepted our request, Qaiser told reporters This initiative is about collective action the province’s leadership and people must work together for peace ” Responding to a question Muqam said that the PTI delegation had clearly presented their case They said they wanted peace and unity and the government agreed with this objective he noted Meanwhile, in a post on X, Qaiser said his delegation also met National Awami Party (NAP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Sherpao earlier in the day “The delegation invited Aftab Ahmad Sherpao to attend the peace jirga organised by the KP government on November 12 he wrote adding that Sherpao, a former chief minister, was an important provincial leader whose experience and views were vital for ensuring peace and security beyond politics ”
LHC sends Hassan Niazi’s militar y custody case to CJ after bench recuses
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday referred a petition challenging the military custody and court martial of PTI founder Imran Khan s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi to Chief Justice Aalia Neelum for the formation of a new bench, after a two-member division bench expressed its inability to proceed with the case A bench headed by Justice Farooq Haider was scheduled to hear the petition filed on Niazi s behalf but recused itself and directed that the case be sent back to the chief justice for re-fixation before an appropriate bench Niazi s counsel, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry, argued before the court that his client arrested in the aftermath of the May 9 incidents was never produced before a civilian court as required by law Instead he said authorities at Lahore s Sarwar Road Police Station unlawfully handed him over directly to the military, bypassing due judicial process The petition challenges the August 17, 2023 notification issued by the Commanding Officer authorising Niazi’s custody under military authority It seeks to have all military court proceedings and the court martial process declared void unlawful and without jurisdiction
Senators fall victim to online fraud, losing millions
IMF may provide technic al assistance on NFC Award resource distribution formula: repor t
The government is considering seeking technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help revise the resource distribution formula under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, The News reported citing sources The proposal aims to address the growing fiscal deficit and unsustainable debt levels that have resulted from the current distribution structure
The Ministry of Finance has prepared a preliminary r
The report notes that the fiscal deficit has widened over the years, leaving the government with no choice but to increase borrowing to cover the emerging liabilities As a result both the absolute debt numbers and the debtto-GDP ratio have ballooned to unsustainable levels
Sources suggest that the IMF could offer technical assistance on resource allocation, especially considering the experience of other economies in the region and globally However, no formal request has yet been made to the IMF, and discussions between the Ministry of Finance and the IMF are still pending on the specifics of the resource distribution and the Federal Divisible Pool (FDP) under the
This would increase the Centre s share, though the 18th Constitutional Amendment protects the provinces’ financial share, requiring an amendment to this clause for any reduction Additionally the distribution criteria within provinces may be modified Currently the population-based weightage stands at 82% with smaller allocations for poverty and backwardness (10 3%), revenue collection (5%), and Inverse Population Density (2 7%) The proposal suggests lowering the weightage of population as a primary criterion
According to the existing NFC formula the provinces’ share of the Federal Divisible Pool (FDP) is divided as follows: Punjab receives 51 74% Sindh 24 55% Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 14 62% and Balochistan 9 09%
This ongoing discussion about the NFC Award highlights the government s intent to review the financial framework to address the country’s rising debt and improve fiscal sustainability
ISLAMABAD s
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and across the world on Thursday observed Jammu Martyrs Day renewing their pledge to continue the struggle for their UNrecognised right to self-determination and to honour the victims of one of the gravest massacres in Kashmir s history
According to Kashmir Media Service, November 6, 1947, remains etched as one of the darkest and bloodiest days for Kashmiris when hundreds of thousands of Muslims were slaughtered in the Jammu region by forces of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh the Indian Army and RSSbacked Hindu extremists In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), fresh posters appeared across Srinagar, Pulwama, Baramulla and parts of Jammu, paying glowing tribute to the martyrs and urging unity, resistance, and perseverance against India’s continued colonial rule The posters reaffirmed that the sacrifices of the 1947 victims would be carried forward until freedom was achieved
Meanwhile Indian troops continued massive cordonand-search operations in Kishtwar and Poonch districts for the second consecutive day According to KMS, the joint operation includes Indian Army, paramilitary and police personnel Similar operations were underway in the Balakote-Mendhar belt of Poonch
PRESIDENT, PM REAFFIRM
UNWAVERING SUPPORT
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan s unwavering diplo-
matic political and moral support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir President Zardari said the day marks the remembrance of Jammu s martyrs and the unarmed civilians slaughtered for their faith and identity He said India’s attempts to alter the demographic composition of IIOJK violate the Geneva Conventions and international norms
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Jammu massacre a genocidal attempt by Indian forces and extremists in November 1947 to change the demographic and religious majority of Kashmir He said India remains guilty of persistent violations of human rights, the right to self-determination and international law
He added that Pakistan today pays “heartfelt tribute” to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to their just struggle TRIBUTES REMEMBRANCE AND RENEWED RESOLVE
Across IIOJK, people offered glowing tributes to the 1947 martyrs, calling the massacre one of the worst acts of ethnic cleansing in the region’s history
APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas said at a Srinagar event that the Jammu killings represented the worst form of ethnic cleansing carried out by Dogra forces and RSS-backed groups Speakers termed the massacre a crime against humanity that must never be forgotten
The APHC urged the international community to recognise the Jammu massacre as genocide and to ensure that such atrocities are remembered and condemned
Speakers also vowed to carry forward the mission of the martyrs until the Kashmiri people achieve their inalienable right to self-determination