g THE DG ISPR APPRECIATES TEHRAN’S EFFORTS AND SUPPORT TO HELP DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS IN REGION
g IRAN, PAKISTAN ‘HAVE VERY HISTORICAL AND BROTHERLY RELATIONS AND ALWAYS STOOD BY EACH OTHER IN ALL CHALLENGES AND TRIALS ’: DG
sation with
PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Saturday lauded Iran’s peace efforts in the recent Pakistan-India conflict cautioning against elements seeking to drive a wedge between the two brotherly countries Iran had offered to mediate between India and Pakistan after the former escalated tensions in the wake of deadly Pahalgam attack in the occupied Kashmir blaming Pakistan without any evidence
counter between the two countries ”
S TA F F R E P O R T Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday warned India against attacking Pakistan again saying in the event of repeat of its aggression, Pakistan s response would be stronger Speaking at a ceremony in Sialkot, he said the way Pakistan downed several Indian fighter jets it appeared as if they were not planes but kites He further said that 10 Indian jets were on Pakistan s radar We will shoot them down in case there is again an en-
Pezeshkian During their warm and cordial conversation, the prime minister conveyed his warm regards to Supreme Leader Ayatullah Khamenei and thanked President Pezeshkian for Iran s sincere and brotherly diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions in South Asia He particularly thanked the president for his telephone call to the prime minister last month as well as for sending Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the region during the crisis ” the PMO said Strongly condemning India s unprovoked attacks against Pakistan that led to the deaths of innocent civilians including women and children PM Shehbaz said the military had given a responsible, measured yet befitting and forceful reply to the enemy He said Pakistan had always desired peace and it was in this spirit that it had agreed to the ceasefire understanding with India and would remain committed to upholding it He reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs However PM Shehbaz expressed his concern over India s attempt to unilaterally hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, which he pointed out was unlawful and constituted a “red line” for Pakistan as these waters were the lifeline for the nation
PM tasks Bilawal with taking up Pakistan’s ‘case for peace’ on global
ISLAMABAD S
diplomatic front
President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday lauded the exemplary conduct and “professional excellence” of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the successful execution of Marqa-e-Haq acknowledging their resolute determination and unshakable courage in the face of unprovoked aggression according to the military s media wing President Asif Ali Zardari made the remarks during a visit to Gujranwala Cantonment, said a statement
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday tasked PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with present Pakistan s case for peace on global diplomatic front in the aftermath of the recent military escalation with India Sharing the development, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari posted on X, “that he was contacted earlier today by the prime minister who requested that the former top diplomat lead a delegation to present Pakistan s case for peace on the international stage The PPP chairman said he was honoured to accept the responsibility and remained committed to serving the country in “these challenging times The India resorted to unprovoked military confrontation with Pakistan after accusing it of involvement in the attack on tourists in Pahalgam a town in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 On the night of May 6-7 New Delhi launched a series of airstrikes on Pakistan, re-
However, he acknowledged that India had shown readiness to reduce tariffs in its trade dealings with Washington
“India they make it almost impossible to do business Trump said Do you know that they re willing to cut 100% of their tariffs for the United States?
Trump went on to characterise his diplomatic efforts as one of the most significant achievements of his presidency
“A bigger success than I’ll ever be given credit for he said Those are major nuclear powers Those are not just little powers and they were angry Reflecting on the danger of the standoff,
sulting in civilian casualties Both sides then exchanged missiles which stretched over the week leading Islamabad s decisive and resolute response by downing five Indian jets It drew intervention by the United States President Trump, finally leading to a ceasefire between the nuclear warring rivals
On May 10 when tensions between the two countries peaked, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached between India and Pakistan According to the government 40 civilians including
seven women and 15 children and 13 armed forces personnel lost their lives in the Indian aggression and 121 others sustained injuries
Though a ceasefire has been brokered between the two nuclear rivals, India has since continued its aggressive posturing even as Pakistan has warned against any further military aggression and offered talks
The military flare-up saw China expressing solid diplomatic support to Pakistan, but there wasn’t a country other than Israel to stand with India without hyphenating it with Pakistan
Trump described the escalation as dangerously close to a nuclear exchange
“It was tit for tat It was getting deeper –more missiles Everyone was saying stronger stronger to a point where the next one s going to be, you know what? The N word, he said “It’s the N word That’s
PAKISTAN MAKES GLOBAL STRIDES IN BRIDGING
DIGITAL GENDER GAP: PM SHEHBA Z
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana
sion, six specialised
KP government, HBL Konnec t par tner to deliver digital aid to orphans and widows
to eligible individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through two welfare programs Roshan Mustaqbil and Sahara Card The amount will be transferred directly into the recipients’ digital WhatsApp or bank accounts via HBL Konnect’s secure and transparent system ensuring prompt aid delivery free from corruption On the occasion, Syed Qasim Ali Shah stated that this initiative will not only support the underprivileged segments of society but also empower them towards financial independence He emphasized that the government s goal is to enable orphaned children and widows in the province to lead prosperous, respectable, and secure lives This vision, he said, motivates progress and reflects the government’s commitment to promoting social protection transparency and digital governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Govt hints at steady tax reforms in talks with American Business Council
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
“The prime minister emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the root cause of instability in South Asia He called for its just resolution in accordance with the UN Security Council s resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, as key to enduring peace in the region
“The president of Iran expressed heartfelt condolences over the loss of civilian lives He welcomed the ceasefire understanding while appreciating Pakistan s efforts for peace He said Iran was committed to promoting peace and stability in the region,” the PMO said It added that two leaders also exchanged views on Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations and agreed to enhance cooperation in all areas of shared interest especially trade, connectivity, security and people-to-people contacts
The Iranian president extended an invitation to PM Shehbaz to undertake an official visit to Tehran, which was accepted Earlier, Director General InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told IRNA in an interview that “Pakistan is fully grateful to the international community and we are especially grateful to brotherly countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran
The interview, published on Saturday, is the first by any Pakistani armed forces’ spokesperson to an Iranian outlet We should be aware that there are forces in the region that with the help of external factors are seeking to create misunderstanding and confusion among brotherly countries in the region and want to create a rift between friends and brothers ” Lt-Gen Chaudhry According to IRNA the DG ISPR spoke about the latest developments in
South Asia as well as the importance of regional and international diplomacy to help de-escalate tensions He also focused on the recent visit of FM Araghchi to Islamabad, the report added During his visit to Islamabad Araghchi had met with PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir He later also made a trip to New Delhi reiterating his call for restraint The DG ISPR appreciated Tehran s efforts and support to help de-escalate tensions in the region “We are pleased with all the efforts of the international community and brotherly countries especially Iran which played a role in reducing tensions he was quoted as saying The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came as tensions over the Pahalgam attack continued to build up On the night of May 6-7 New Delhi launched a series of air strikes in Punjab and Azad Kashmir resulting in civilian
casualties Islamabad responded by downing five Indian jets
After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 when tensions between the two countries peaked for both sides to finally drop their guns as a ceasefire was reached
The Pakistani army spokesman emphasised that Iran and Pakistan have very historical and brotherly relations and have always stood by each other in all challenges and trials” Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the two nations were neighbouring and friendly countries that are in contact with each other on many issues and fields
FO R e I G N Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan rejected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that there was now a ‘new normal’, made in his speech the other day, that India would respond to terrorism by military action, on the grounds of national sovereignty and territorial integrity Those are good grounds, but India has paid scant attention to them itself In the recent confrontation, it was the first to escalate matters by its Operation Sindoor The vigorous defence made by Pakistan, in which the Pakistan Air Force downed three of its vaunted Rafales among five planes, and its later Operation Bunyan bim Marsoos in which the PAF destroyed a S400 air defence system as well as hit several other sites including Brahmos missile stockpiles made it clear to India that it had bitten off more than it could chew The dog-eat-dog world which Mr Modi seems to inhabit countries are both bound by international law and can do what they want however for that one needs the sort of military might that India clearly does not have Perhaps Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was going too far when he said at the Yasum-i-Tashakur ceremony on Friday that Pakistan had won for while Pakistan established that it could defend itself and India established it could not act with impunity against Pakistan Pakistan did not establish that could force its will on India not that it tried to however water remains a problem specifically the Indus Waters Treaty which India has held in abet\yance That particular problem has not only not been solved but India has given instructions to its irrigation engineers to expedite plans to take water off the Indus Jhelum and Chenab On the front burner is the Ranbir Canal which would quadruple its present flow Until that issue is resolved there will be no victory to claim Mr Sharif had a valid point to make he offered the hand of friendship saying that Pakistan wanted India to be a good neighbour he was showing more statesmanship than Mr Modi has shown probably because he can afford to After all it is the sort of thing one expects a nation’s leader to say when he is speaking from a position of strength especially when his country has no ambitions to play the regional hegemon There is certainly the danger that India might violate the ceasefire but it unlikely so sound a drubbing has India received
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
The unthinkable environmental catastrophe
Th e threat of nuclear war between India and Pakistan is not just a geopolitical crisis but an existential threat to earth s climate and environment While most discussions focus on immediate casualties and political consequences, the long-term environmental devastation would be far worse, potentially altering the planet’s climate for decades and making large parts of the world uninhabitable Scientists warn that even a “limited nuclear exchange between these two nations could trigger a global environmental collapse leading to mass starvation, ecosystem destruction, and a climate catastrophe unlike anything in human history The bombs would stop falling within hours, but the environmental damage would last for generations, affecting billions of people far beyond South Asia The instant a nuclear weapon detonates it unleashes firestorms so intense that they vaporize everything in their path entire cities would be reduced to ash, releasing millions of tons of black carbon smoke into the upper atmosphere This smoke does not simply dissipate but rises into the stratosphere, where it forms a thick sunlight-blocking shroud that can linger for years Climate models show that just 100 small nuclear warheads (a fraction of what India and Pakistan possess) could inject up to five million metric tons of soot into the sky Within weeks, this soot would spread across the globe, dimming the sun and plunging global temperatures by an average of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius While that might sound minor, the effects would be catastrophic The last time earth experienced a similar temperature drop during the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia it led to the Year Without a Summer causing crop failures famine, and mass starvation A nuclear war would be far worse, with temperature declines lasting not just one year but up to a decade The immediate consequence would be the collapse of global agriculture Sunlight is the foundation of all food production and with the sky darkened photosynthesis would slow to a crawl Staple crops like wheat, rice, and corn would fail across the world s breadbaskets A 2022 study published in Nature Food estimated that a nuclear war between India and Pakistan could reduce global crop yields within just a few years In a world where food supplies are already strained by climate change this would be a death sen-
Bleeding Gaza a test of global conscience
Athe besieged enclave through starvation displacement and brute force Tens of thousands of reservists have been mobilized to strengthen capacity for this final push The United Nations fears this strategy will result in further mass killings A starving population mothers, children, emaciated and helpless souls are caught in a trap of medieval savagery as the world awfully watches this hellscape complicit in crimes with the perpetrators of these unforgivable atrocities The UN cries out calls for international action, and yet helplessly watches these chilling episodes as a bystander The question is no longer what is happening but why the world will not act Who will rein in this rampaging beast trampling international law morality and the conscience of humanity?
With the UN helplessly watching live streamed genocide in Gaza, this is not the first time the world organisation has stood paralysed in the face of grave atrocities In 1994, 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in Rwanda as UN peacekeepers stood by In 2017 the UN was similarly silent during Myanmar s ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya It remained indecisive throughout Syria s civil war, which claimed over 500,000 lives even in the very heart of europe, it faltered In 1995, more than 8,000 Muslim boys and men were mercilessly slaughtered by Serbs in Srebrenica while Dutch peacekeepers failed to intervene And yet unlike today s inertia in Gaza the world did not remain frozen NATO intervened in Bosnia The Dayton Accords were signed A coalition of 66,000 NATO troops enforced peace War criminals like Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić were hunted down and brought to justice
The killing fields of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge the civilian carnage during the Vietnam War all remind us that when the world delays action, blood runs freely But they also prove that even delayed, international resolve can uphold justice and confront impunity
So why not Palestine? Why does Gaza s agony evoke only diplomatic platitudes? Why is there silence selective
One where law triumphs over lawlessness, where the weak are not trampled by the powerful, and where humanity, not hegemony, prevails
tence for hundreds of millions The hardest hit would be vulnerable populations in Africa the Middle east and South Asia, where food insecurity is already a crisis But even wealthy nations would face rationing, economic chaos, and civil unrest as supermarket shelves emptied The United Nations has warned that such a scenario could lead to a “global famine” affecting over two billion people a quarter of humanity Beyond starvation the climate disruption would wreak havoc on weather patterns The sudden cooling would destabilize monsoon cycles, which billions in Asia depend on for drinking water and agriculture Prolonged droughts would turn fertile lands into deserts while other regions might face unseasonal floods from disrupted rainfall patterns Ocean currents which regulate earth s climate could be thrown into chaos potentially shutting down crucial systems like the Gulf Stream, a scenario that would plunge europe into a deep freeze even as the rest of the world struggles with erratic weather The term “nuclear winter” is not an exaggeration; it is a scientifically predicted outcome that would make the planet colder drier and far more hostile to life But the environmental nightmare does not stop with climate change Nuclear explosions produce vast amounts of radioactive fallout, deadly isotopes like iodine-131, cesium-137, and strontium-90 that contaminate air, soil, and water for decades These particles would be carried by wind and rain poisoning farmland rivers and oceans thousands of miles from the original blast zones The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 showed how radiation can render entire regions uninhabitable for generations, but a nuclear war would create multiple Chernobyls
outrage, and glaring double standards? Why is the same moral clarity that galvanized the world in Bosnia absent here?
Because international institutions have been hijacked by the geopolitics of power The veto system at the UN Security Council wielded by the USA, UK, France, Russia, and China has become a blunt instrument serving national interests, not global justice The US routinely blocks resolutions condemning Israeli aggression Russia vetoes efforts to address its own war crimes in Ukraine When global policing depends on strategic alliances impunity becomes the law of the land
In Gaza, this dysfunction is painfully evident every effort to hold Israel accountable is strangled by vetoes The General Assembly the voice of 193 nations is reduced to a debating forum The voices of weaker nations are drowned in hypocrisy and power games Zionist zealotry bolstered by the unwavering support of powerful states, mocks diplomacy, law, and compassion UN resolutions, ICJ rulings, and Amnesty’s warnings are treated with contempt Instead of remorse we witness defiance arrogance and the normalization of unthinkable brutality
The Palestinian people stateless voiceless, unarmed are being crushed by a nucleararmed state backed by immense global power
This is not order It is disorder masquerading as order A world ruled not by justice, but by brute force where those who hold the gun forget the very reasons that once justified their power
The world must reject this system where might is right and scoundrels armed with sophisticated weaponry dictate the terms Global governance must be democratized The veto must be abolished The General Assembly must be empowered International courts must be given binding enforcement authority not just moral weight Conflict resolution demands justice not silence Peace requires accountability, not complicity The United Nations must evolve or risk the same fate as the League of Nations, which collapsed in the face of unchecked tyranny and injustices
But the most urgent imperative is to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza The international community must act under a bold actionable plan A neutral, UN-mandated or NATO-supported intervention force, composed of credible, non-aligned nations, must be deployed across Gaza and the occupied territories Their mission: to protect civilians stop settler violence prevent atrocities and enforce a genuine political resolution The long-promised two-state solution must no longer remain a slogan It must be pursued with enforceable international guarantees that ensure peace dignity and security for all A new world order rooted in justice is not a utopia it is an existential necessity One where law triumphs over lawlessness where the weak are not trampled by the powerful and where humanity, not hegemony, prevails Let us not wait until the bones of Gaza’s children join the sorrowful
Severe AQI Aler t
Freelancer suppor
A test of justice
rejec ts Modi’s claim
Qamer Soomro
Fayyaz Salih
rather than use diplomacy
Indian forces increased their cross-border aggression between April 22 and May 6 Airspace was breached by armed drones Unsettlingly, surveillance balloons hovered Indian media was inundated with propaganda about “surgical strikes ” The last act of hubris was a full-scale military operation on May 6 that was intended to convey to Pakistan and the rest of the world that India was untouchable A huge mistake India didn’t anticipate, or maybe didn’t accept that Pakistan had changed It wasn t 2016 It wasn t even 2019 This was a new Pakistan one that was prepared patient and exact Pakistan retaliated at After 5 AM, when the day rose on May 10, while India slept under false security Not in a state of chaos Not in a panic But with devastating efficiency discipline and accuracy
The name Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos will now reverberate through military history as the pivotal event that broke India s illusion of superiority Pakistan s response to Indian aggression, this painstakingly planned retaliation was launched in the early hours of May 10 and left India’s political and military leadership stunned and paralyzed Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos named after the Quran s mention of a iron-structured wall that is immovable and impenetrable, represented Pakistan s unwavering determination In order to destroy important radar installations cripple Indian forward positions and reveal the weaknesses of India s most sophisticated weapon systems the operation combined air superiority, electronic warfare, precision drone strikes, and special forces incursions India’s alleged multibillion-dollar defense shield was in ruins in a matter of hours The Indian commanders were caught off guard The intelligence failed Technology fell apart The world came to understand that Pakistan had not only retaliated but had also redefined the parameters of contemporary warfare in South Asia as the rubble smoldered on the opposite side of the Line of Control
Pakistan, on the other hand, has come out honourable , determined, and vindicated The truth is now known to the world: Bluster is not power Power lies in accuracy And in this conflict between ego and discipline , discipline prevailed The collapse has star ted
It had a fatal effect The Indian military leadership was immobilized Its doctrine of air superiority fell apart Once strutting like emperors its political elite switched to damage control mode At noon on May 10 India took a step it hadn t taken in a war since 1971: It contacted Washington to plead, not to consult The Modi administration asked the USA to step in and mediate a ceasefire right away Washington intervened to limit the damage and prevent Pakistan from pressing further after being horrified by the extent of India s defeat and worried about a regional collapse
Remember the past: it was not a negotiated ceasefire It was a surrender ceasefire On the battlefield, the repercussions continued Like a tsunami they swept through diplomatic circles In contrast to earlier support France India s valued arms supplier issued a subdued statement calling for restraint on both sides
Pentagon officials privately expressed concerns about India’s inability to efficiently use US technology and its incapacity to carry out modern warfare but the USA remained silent Russia distanced itself still dealing with the chaos that followed Ukraine China grinned of course India went from rising power to global shame in a single week Its claim to regional leadership is under scrutiny And in the gutter of shattered ideologies and vanquished soldiers rests its dream of Akhand Bharat
T h e B i d e n c o v e r - u p
JO E B I D E N took the adage to be “in office but not in power a bit too literally The 46th US president would often sit in the Oval Office without the ability to exercise power Or actually exercise for that matter Or work past 5pm Or speak Or walk People could see his infirmity But the truth was far worse than we thought We now know Biden was senile during his presidency He would fail to recognise decades-old acquaintances or freeze with his mouth agape His annual exam suspiciously did not include a cognitive test Aides gave him black Hoka trainers to straighten his gait and began walking beside him to his helicopter in order to literally catch him if he tripped Congressional Democrats left meetings with him thinking of their parents with dementia Around Thanksgiving Biden was handed cue-cards in case he was asked what he was thankful for His team debated pushing him around in a wheelchair and laid down fluorescent tape to guide him through parties with few people Like puppeteers, they used contraptions to bring him to life
Despite what they knew, Biden and his team ran for re-election Steven Spielberg dialled in to train the president on his stilted delivery while his aides impersonated Trump But Biden was exhausted and couldn t stop coughing The world was spinning on a lozenge At one point, Biden walked outside, found a nice sun lounger and took a nap by the pool
And then this attempted cover-up was savagely pulled apart over 90 minutes in front of the world The catastrophe seemed imminent from the moment Biden walked on stage on 27 June With beady black eyes he stared catatonically at the floor stopping and starting like a silent film at half speed We finally beat Medicare he said to a nation that watched on in disbelief He just lost the election, CNN s Dana Bash wrote in a note slipped to her co-moderator, Jake Tapper, as Tapper notes in Original Sin a book on Biden’s decline which is enthralling Washington co-authored with Axios reporter Alex Thompson Later that night at a rally Jill Biden took the microphone and gushed to her husband: You answered every question You knew all the facts! Those closest to the president were holding him up to standards you would expect from a small child The president’s staff lied with a cultish fervent in order to keep the fiction alive that this man was fit to lead for another four years Like any good lie at times they believed it to be true After the debate the aides thought he
Some books on election campaigns achieve little more than binding a year s worth of New York Times articles into a book jacket Original Sin is a comprehensively sourced autopsy of the agonised end to Biden s 50-year career It’s accusatory, indignant, righteous – and convincing It points the finger at the toady advisers around Biden for duping the country “Biden his family and his team let their self-interest and fear of another Trump term justify an attempt to put an at times addled old man in the Oval Office for four more years, Tapper and Thompson write Some Washington old-hands still say with a shrug that Biden is Biden They cannot point to where the gaffeprone politician with a stutter they’d known for decades ended and the senile president began There s a dose of self-delusion here: anyone who flicked between clips of Biden s debates last year and those as recent as 2020 on their phone would see a man deteriorating rapidly Original Sin shows that the deception about the fitness of the man with the nuclear codes started years earlier Some of the first signs of decline came after the death of his beloved son Beau from cancer in 2015 By 2020 staff would secretly pre-load answers into a prompter for him to read in interviews Since at least 2022, there were moments he could not recall the names of top aides whom he saw every day Top Democrats who expressed concerns to the White house were told by Biden’s team that he was “fine”
The truth spilled out from an unexpected source In February last year a Department of Justice investigation into confidential documents found in Biden s garage said the president was an elderly man with a poor memory The White House went on the attack Vice-president Kamala Harris called the report gratuitous , and an MSNBC anchor devoted a segment to whether the special prosecutor was guilty of “ageism” You get the sense Biden never knew how senile he came across When he awoke the day after Harris who became the Democratic nominee lost the 2024 election he still thought he could have won it himself That delusion was partly because Biden did not have all the information If he had, he would have known that victory was a mirage In the weeks after the debate as the party convulsed Chuck Schumer the Democrats’ Senate leader asked the president whether he d spoken to his pollsters He hadn t; Schumer had They think it s a 5 per cent chance Schumer told him Really? Biden asked adding You have bigger balls than anyone I ve ever met
problem with Biden s late decision was that no one else could seize the nomination His
In order to destroy impor tant radar installations, cripple Indian forward positions, and reveal the weaknesses of IndiaÊs most sophisticated weapon systems, the operation combined air superiority, electronic warfare , precision drone strikes, and special forces incursions.
The world now realizes that Pakistan is no longer the punching bag it once attempted to be something India was unable to understand Pakistan s military action went beyond merely defending its territory It was a defence of truth, honour, and sovereignty Pakistan demonstrated that when the time came it stood tall united and unflinching despite being singled out internationally under economic pressure and the subject of diplomatic malignment It was more than just a military triumph It was a psychological and moral victory Nationalism, militarism, and myth-making were the three pillars upon which Modi based his empire for many years Now all three are in ruins The Indian public is starting to doubt everything because they are fed up with the constant talk of war and growing economic desperation Mumbai and Delhi, protests have broken out The event is being
referred to as a “disaster of leadership” by veterans He promised greatness but instead he brought shame and defeat
This is not just a setback It s a reckoning India is no longer regarded as a superpower on the rise It is viewed as a heedless country, engulfed in hate-fueled ideology, and governed by a regime that lacks strategy and is fixated on appearances Its hopes are dashed Its self-assurance is destroyed It
stubbornness saddled the party with Harris It s a story reflected in two other books on the campaign: Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes s Fight a colourful sweary account restricted to 2024 itself, and Chris Whipple s slim, selective volume Uncharted Allen and Parnes report that Harris became the nominee partly because Democrats did not want to leapfrog the first African and Indian-American vice-president Neither Barack Obama nor Nancy Pelosi wanted her as the candidate and their plans for a mini-primary were frustrated One mistake was followed by another The party was as delusional about Harris s political acuity as they were about Biden’s mental acuity Harris was the type of politician who asked her aides to host a practice soiree with them acting as guests in preparation for an informal dinner at the home of a Washington journalist Trump s campaign manager Susie Wiles told Whipple in Uncharted We couldn t believe how bad she was Consider why Harris didn t distance herself from Biden – the fatal flaw in her campaign She was unflinchingly loyal to Biden as vice-president and had also inherited Biden’s team but she also did not know enough about policy to say what she would do differently Wall Street jargon hit her ears like a foreign language Allen and Parnes write She had no theory of power Her plan for an opportunity economy did not cut it As Trump s adviser Paul Manafort told Whipple: “We laughed every time they brought out celebrities All that did is further the divide between the targeted voters we were going after and their base ” A few weeks after the election Harris s chief of staff Sheila Nix said Harris ran a pretty flawless campaign They are ready to do it all again You don t need to spend long with these three books before you start to wonder whether their authors might have been kind enough to publish their findings a bit earlier It could have spared us all the headache of an administration pondering the suspension of habeas corpus
In January I asked a journalist from a
Farzeen nadeem
President Xi Jinping sends congratulations to
34th Arab League Summit
y e a r o n y e a r t o 3 5 4 t r i ll i o n y u a n ( $ 5 0 6 b i l l i o n ) f r o m J a n u a r y t o A p r i l h i t t i n g r e c o r d h i g h s i n b o t h v o l u m e a n d g r o w t h r a t e P r o j e c t c o n t r a c t a w a r d s c l i m b e d 1 0 p e r c e n t y e a r o n y e a r i n A p r i l , a s p e r S I C t e n d e r d a t a T h e s y n c h r on i z e d g r o w t h i n f u n d i n g a n d p r o j e c t l a u n c h e s s h o w s t h a t C h i n a h a s m a d e s i m u l t a n e o u s e f f o r t s i n p o l ic i e s f u n d s a n d p r o j e c t s w h i c h i s b o l s t e r i n g g r o w t h a n d d o m e s t i c d e m a n d s a i d We i Yi n g d e p u t y d ir e c t o r o f t h e B i g D a t a D e v e l o p m e n t D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e S I C I n a d d i t i o n C h i n a s s t a r t u p v i t a l i t y i n d e x j u m p e d 3 6 8 p e r c e n t y e a r o n y e a r i n A p r i l , w h i l e t h e t e c h - i n n o v a t o r i n d e x r o s
Battle for Truth: India Forced to K neel
while simultaneously building a strong diplomatic case at the global level India s miscalculation mistaking Pakistan s pursuit of peace for weakness proved to be a grave strategic blunder On May 10, Pakistan’s firm and decisive response reverberated around the world In a press conference Director General ISPR General Ahmed Sharif had earlier stated that Pakistan s response would be so clear and forceful that the international media would confirm its validity this is precisely what transpired
taullah Tarar and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari effectively countered Indian disinformation campaigns at home and abroad India now faces a severe internal political crisis following its humiliating defeat The Modi government and its party are under immense pressure Indian media complicit in spreading fake news including fabricated claims of capturing Islamabad and Lahore has become the subject of global ridicule
and a courageous nation Pakistan has carved a new identity in international affairs In the wake of the Pahalgam false flag operation, India launched a barrage of baseless accusations against Pakistan, with its media functioning as a propaganda wing of the Modi regime Despite these efforts India failed miserably in convincing the international community of its narrative A major turning point came when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered an open and transparent investigation into the Pahalgam incident by a third-party country an offer India arrogantly dismissed Between May 6 and May 9 India attempted to forcibly impose war on Pakistan, violating international laws by crossing the international border and launching a series of unprovoked attacks It began with ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) followed by two consecutive days of drone strikes, and culminated in a failed incursion by the Indian Air Force Throughout this period, Pakistan exercised remarkable restraint
When Pakistan retaliated international outlets across the West and Middle East condemned India s aggression Pakistan s precision strikes on Indian air bases, coupled with unprecedented cyberattacks termed by global media as the largest in history stunned Indian authorities India was caught off-guard by the scale and intensity of Pakistan s response The Pakistan Air Force played a pivotal role in securing this victory, while the intelligence community through accurate assessments ensured successful operations Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif s decisive leadership in making difficult choices was instrumental in this historic triumph over a much larger adversary Under the command of Army Chief General Asim Munir Pakistan s military forces Army Navy and Air Force demonstrated their operational superiority in modern warfare Operation Bunyan-e-Marsous (Fortified Foundation) will be recorded in history as a landmark achievement In just five hours Pakistan reversed the tide of war and left the Indian military disoriented ultimately forcing the Modi government to capitulate While Pakistan s armed forces fought on the frontlines, the diplomatic offensive was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar who successfully presented Pakistan s case internationally On the media front, Federal Information Minister At-
Pakistan s fighter pilots the valiant falcons of the skies have set new benchmarks that are now considered case studies for militaries worldwide Western outlets have openly acknowledged the Pakistan Air Force’s skill and capabilities Alongside the military and government the patriotic zeal of the Pakistani nation has been nothing short of extraordinary The younger generation has stood shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces in defense of the motherland International media including prominent U S outlets now recognize Pakistan s military as one of the most capable in the world It is nothing short of divine favor that a nation founded in the name of Islam has triumphed over an adversary five times its size Today the world reverberates with the strength and resolve of Pakistan This victory is a testament to the strategic foresight of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the military leadership of General Asim Munir Credit also goes to PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif under whose guidance Operation Bunyan-e-Marsous was conceived and executed Pakistan now looks ahead Having overcome immense challenges, the nation is poised for progress Insha’Allah in the coming years Pakistan will emerge as the most developed and militarily resilient country in the region The writer is the PRO of Information Minister Punjab
INDIA STEPS UP EFFORTS TO DIVERT CHENAB RIVER FLOW AMID RECENT STALEMATE
laterally, he stated Khan also warned that if India attempts to defy the treaty, it would raise serious questions about its commitment to other international agreements Senior politician and former senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed echoed similar concerns stating that India s unilateral suspension of the IWT is legally indefensible and violates international law “India is using the Pahalgam incident as a cover to pursue a long-standing agenda of water aggression against Pakistan he said He urged the Pakistani government to raise the issue at the United Nations and with the World Bank, the treaty s guarantor Mushahid added that the IWT had survived multiple wars and diplomatic crises over the decades underscoring its strength and legitimacy India s bypassing of treaty mechanisms such as the Permanent Indus Commission neutral experts, and arbitral tribunals undermines the foundational principles of international cooperation,”
or terminate the treaty unilaterally Former IRSA member Rao Irshad Ali Khan stated that the IWT remains an internationally recognised and binding agreement “Under Article 12(4) termination is only possible through the written consent of both parties India cannot abrogate it uni-
PTi’s Qureshi moved to Punjab institute of cardiology after suffering hear t pain
chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday was shifted to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after he suffered heart pain according to his son and his lawyer said on Saturday Qureshi has been in prison
August 2023 and has been indicted in multiple cases pertaining to May 9, 2023 riots In a post on X, Zain Qureshi, the son of the PTI vice chairman stated that his father has been shifted to the PIC from Kot Lakhpat Jail after he felt pain in the chest Qureshi s son urged the nation to pray for his speedy recovery of his father On the other hand, Advocate Rana Mudassar, the counsel for Qureshi, confirmed that his client suffered heart pain early Saturday morning after Fajr prayers He underwent a medical assessment by prison doctors He was shifted to the PIC by Rescue 1122 after his health failed to improve, Mudassar said, adding that Qureshi was currently undergoing various tests at the hospital
The PTI leader s family had been informed about his condition, the lawyer added In July 2024 the PTI vice-president was indicted by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in a case registered by the Shadman police over allegedly attacking and burning the police station The same month, he was transferred from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to Kot Lakhpat on a police request It had stated that frequent transportation of the PTI leader from Rawalpindi to Lahore was not feasible for the authorities as well as for the jailed ex-minister In November last year, a Lahore ATC indicted Qureshi and other senior PTI leaders in multiple cases relating to May 9 riots The former foreign minister has pleaded not guilty to all charges
