PM SHEHBA Z CALLS FOR FORMATION OF TASK FORCE TO COUNTER ISRAELI EXPANSIONISM
g PM SAYS ATTACK ON DOHA BY ‘AGGRESSOR’ REFLECTS ISRAEL'S DISREGARD OF INTERNATIONAL LAW DOHA s ta f f r e p o
R I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday proposed the formation of a task force to counter Israeli aggression and expansionism as an Arab-Islamic summit considered a draft resolution and response on a recent attack on Qatar Leaders from around 50 states are attending the high-level moot, which is being held under the umbrella of the 57member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
PM Shehbaz said the attack on Doha was targeted by an aggressor who violates international law seriously He said Pakistan condemned the attack, saying it clearly meant to undermine the peace efforts in the Middle East
“This is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Qatar and we express our
solidarity with our brothers: the Qataris
The Israeli attack on Qatar is not apart from the other attacks it is hegemonic ambition on part of Israel to control the whole region and the role of mediators is always considered to be sacred and they are the hope of peace
He said Qatar was trying to advance regional peace while the women and children of Gaza were suffering disaster PM Shehbaz said the whole world was watching a massacre in Gaza and called on it to stop now
The premier said Pakistan emphasised the importance of taking urgent steps to put an end to the war crimes in Gaza and to “establish a task force to take effective steps to stop Israeli expansion plans The prime minister called for Israel s membership in the United Nations to be suspended and said other effective steps needed to be taken against the country
President
The Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit on Monday called for wide-ranging sanctions on Israel including an arms embargo and review of economic and diplomatic ties, in response to Tel Aviv’s “flagrant aggression” against Qatar and its ongoing war in Gaza Leaders in the final communiqué issued after
PM Shehbaz said today s meeting confirmed the common ideas and acts of the participants to condemn the Israeli attacks Qatar ’s emir said that Israel had sought to derail Gaza talks by striking Hamas negotiators in his country last week, and that its premier dreamt of an Arab world under Israeli influence “Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with
whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations Negotiations, for them, are merely part of the war,”
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told Arab and Muslim leaders He also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dreams of turning the Arab region into an Israeli sphere of influence, and this is a dangerous illusion”
SHANGHAI
s ta f f r e p o r t
President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday assured Shanghai Electric Power Company that any outstanding issues with Pakistan would be resolved amicably as he invited the firm to expand investment in the country s energy infrastructure
The assurance came days after Shanghai Electric decided to terminate its offer to acquire up to 66 4 per cent of K-Electric Ltd citing changes in Pakistan s business environment The company said that since initiating the major asset purchase, it had complied with all relevant laws and actively promoted the transaction but the counterparty failed to meet conditions precedent The firm said liquidity constraints in Pakistan s power sector and shifts in its own international development priorities had rendered the transaction unfeasible KE remains the sole generator transmitter and distributor of electricity for Karachi and adjoining areas It was privatised in 2005, and Shanghai Electric had agreed in 2016 to buy a controlling stake from Abraaj Group for $1 77 billion The deal never closed due to regulatory hurdles and mounting circular debt During his visit to Shanghai Electric’s headquarters, President
Zardari met Chairman Wu Lei and toured the company’s facilities
A statement issued by the Pakistan Peoples Party said the president invited the firm to explore investment in modernising Pakistan s transmission and distribution network He reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to resolving pending matters in the spirit of mutual cooperation
The president thanked Shanghai Electric for contributing to Pakistan s energy sector job creation and socio-economic development He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing security arrangements for Chinese workers in Pakistan Shanghai Electric CEO Lin Jigen expressed gratitude to the authorities for existing measures
Company officials briefed Zardari on Shanghai Electric’s operations in Pakistan, including work in Thar coal nuclear energy and coal-fired power plants The president stressed the importance of the Thar coal project and highlighted the potential of coal-gasification He also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MFTC Coal Gasification & Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd and Sino Sindh Resources (Private) Ltd/Shanghai Electric for the establishment of a coal gasification plant in Thar According to officials, the project will be the first coal gasification and fertiliser venture based on Thar coal designed to meet Pakistan s energy requirements and support the agriculture sector
EX-OGRA mEmBER fl AGS COnfliCT Of inTEREST in GAS REGul ATOR APPOinTmEnT
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) calling for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 over the handshake controversy during the Pakistan-India clash The dispute arose at the toss where both captains skipped the traditional handshake an omission reportedly instructed by Pycroft The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding the match referee’s violation of the ICC Code of Conduct and MCC laws The match referee took action against the spirit of cricket We have demanded the immediate removal of Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup PCB chief Naqvi wrote in a post on his official X, formerly Twitter, handle on Monday In its complaint, the PCB chief
termed the directive a breach of the spirit of cricket and contrary to the MCC s laws There is nothing more important to me than the honour and prestige of my country," he said in another X post The controversy emerged after Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav who struck the winning runs celebrated with teammate Shivam Dube before heading straight to the dressing room
While the Indian players congratulated each other at the dugout, they refrained from acknowledging or shaking hands with the Pakistani team
Pakistan s players lined up expecting the customary handshake only to see the Indian team retreat and close the dressing room doors
Head coach Mike Hesson confirmed that the team had been waiting for the gesture that never came In protest Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha refused to attend the postmatch presentation ceremony breaking from broadcast norms where captains
usually share their thoughts PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi who also serves as the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), earlier took to the social media platform and condemned the incident describing it as a blatant snub Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports Let s hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace,” Naqvi wrote Pakistan media manager Naveed Akram Cheema also recorded the protest with the match referee The team manager Naveed Cheema, lodged a protest with match referee Andy Pycroft after the match," said Pakistan's team management in a statement after the match The behaviour of Indian players was against the spirit of sportsmanship it added That is why skipper Agha was not sent to the post-match ceremony
Two new polio cases raise Pakistan's 2025 tally to 26
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, has confirmed two new polio cases from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa raising the country s tally for 2025 to 26 The laboratory said the latest cases involve a 19-month-old girl from Union Council Mir Ali in District North Waziristan and an 11-month-old girl from Union Council Suleman Khel in District Lakki Marwat With these detections Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for 18 of the total reported cases this year, followed by Sindh with six, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, the regional
laboratory added Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunisations Despite significant progress the continued detection of polio cases particularly in southern KP remains a serious concern It underscores that children in hard-to-access areas and those with low vaccine acceptance continue to be at risk
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s polio surveillance system tested 126 environmental samples from 87 districts during August Of these 75 samples were declared negative while 51 tested positive
for poliovirus Sindh recorded the highest proportion of positive samples with 24 followed by Punjab with 14 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 10 and one each in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad Encouragingly, Balochistan showed a marked reduction in positive sites down from 19 in January to just one in August the regional laboratory added Last month two new cases of poliovirus were confirmed from south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa one from district Tank and the other from district North Waziristan
The cases included a 16-month-old girl from Union Council Mullazai District Tank and a 24-month-old girl from Union Council Miran Shah-3 District North Waziristan
POwER uTIlITIES wORK ROund ThE ClOCK TO RESTORE POwER TO flOOd-hIT REgIOnS
Uzbek Ambassador lauds Shehar yar Memon’s appointment, highlights growing economic ties
to
a pivotal role in furthering economic ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan Memon congratulated Tukhtaev on the upcoming launch of the second direct
between Tashkent and Islamabad which he called a significant step in bolstering trade relations and tourism cooperation between the two countries Memon noted that the addition of the flight set to operate on September 28, 2025, would enhance economic and cultural integration with Central Asian nations This follows the two direct flights per week currently operating between Lahore and Tashkent Ambassador Tukhtaev expressed opti-
Pakistan, Iran agree to boost trade through infrastruc ture and connec tivit y
a progressive approach toward achieving trade goals He added that the upcoming Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting will identify ways to remove obstacles to trade activities
The ministers also emphasized the need for barter trade Kamal stressed the importance of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and activating border markets, noting that the final list of commodities for trade is being finalized He further said that the private sector is being facilitated to expand trade volumes with a significant rise in Pakistani rice and meat exports to Iran in recent months In August, both countries committed to
agreements and memoranda of
nectivity and cultural cooperation
TH E decision by India’s cricket captain Suryakumar Yadav not to lead his team out for the traditional post-game handshake after their victory over Pakistan seemed designed to blindside the opposition
The lead-up to the tournament has seen mixed messaging from across the border with many former players and pundits in India calling for a complete boycott of cricketing ties with Pakistan following the May conflict The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) however reiterated its policy that it would face Pakistan in multilateral tournaments but continue to refuse bilateral series
This was a continuation of the status quo as the two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2012 when Pakistan toured India That is why when the Indian captain attended the tournament’s opening ceremony and shook hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha as well as Asia Cup President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi it seemed cricketing relations would continue under a sameold-same-old policy
Perhaps this explains why the Pakistan team lined up to wait for the Indians to emerge from their dressing room for the customary handshakes only to be left surprised when they did not appear This kind of attitude exemplifies how the BCCI has approached its relationship with Pakistan cricket in recent times They continue to play matches against Pakistan for the massive television viewership and revenue, but seek to make the process as humiliating as possible for the players and the PCB India’s attempts to ostracise Pakistan cricket did not begin after the Pahalgam attack, which its players repeatedly mentioned in post-match media interactions In March this year, when Pakistan hosted the ICC Champions Trophy, the BCCI refused to send its team to Pakistan An arrangement was eventually made whereby India played its games at a neutral venue In response Pakistan announced it would also play its fixtures at a neutral venue when India hosts the World Cup in March 2026
These actions by the BCCI predated the Pahalgam attack For now the PCB has taken an unusual course of action by demanding that the match referee be removed from the tournament because he suggested to the Pakistan captain that he need not shake his counterpart s hand at the toss While
quitting the tournament early However it must adopt a more direct approach to counter what can only be described as bullying by the BCCI
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
“
O R the determination of his civil rights and obligations or in any criminal charge against him a person shall be entitled to a fair trial and due process states Article 10A of the Constitution Perhaps the Crime Control Department (CCD) of Punjab Police, brought into existence vide the Police Order (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, would beg to differ from such an entitlement, as recent developments have so clearly shown Over the past four months no other security force in Punjab has found itself engaged in more gunfights with hardened criminals than the CCD Thankfully almost every single time the Department prevails often with rather poetic consequences for the alleged offenders A child abuser from Kasur ended up shooting himself in the groin after encountering the CCD; another harasser who was filmed making obscene gestures at women in public just so happened to break in half the same finger he had used to make the unsavory gestures The government has thrown its full weight behind the CCD and given it but one mandate: do away with the legal formalities and exterminate hardened criminals And exterminated hardened criminals the CCD has One cannot help but feel guilty questioning the modus operandi of the CCD After all it has done nothing but quite literally put down hardened criminals In the face of such a stellar track record, who could argue that career murderers, rapists, dacoits and gangsters should not have been shot dead by the CCD (or rather their own accomplices, as the official record almost always ends up stating)? The answer: anyone versed in Pakistan s ill-fated trysts with new over-empowered departments presented as quick fixes to ancient institutional problems Take the now pitiable National Accountability Bureau: beautifully gift-wrapped and presented to the masses as the panacea to Pakistan’s corruption woes, we were promised that nothing could stop the NAB from rooting out corruption Power upon power was conferred upon it No law no norm of democracy could stand in the way of its quest for justice And for a very short while, the Bureau did live up to the hype But then came the political weaponization and the inevitable crash, burn and fireball the NAB was always doomed to erupt in It exists in a sorry state now; its wings clipped beyond repair being made to suffer for the fantasies of those who commanded it Travel a little further back and see how Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto s Federal Security Force (FSF) was not much different In fact, the recipe was almost exactly the same: create a parallel force so as to allow the bypassing of necessary bureaucratic, judicial and/or constitutional hurdles in order to achieve a quick fix to any given problem In the span of just five years we saw that the FSF devolved into a personal hit squad and ultimately met its end at the hands of Bhutto s successor The fact of the matter is that Pakistan s history is replete with numerous examples such as those of the NAB and FSF supra The CCD is nothing new,
just the latest shiny toy delivered by a servient bureaucracy into the hands of a Chief Minister who has yet to learn the Shakespearean lesson her father and uncle were forced to learn, that these violent delights have violent ends Today it feels great to read about the CCD delivering lightning justice to the vermin of Pakistani society No more wrangling with a moth eaten compromised judiciary; no more having to watch the bad guys walk free Simple, instant, unavoidable justice as it always should have been But what happens when the constabulary, so accustomed to having its way – no questions asked – starts pointing the gun in directions it is not supposed
Today, it feels great to read about the CCD delivering lightning justice to the vermin of Pakistani society. No more wrangling with a moth eaten, compromised judiciary; no more having to watch the bad guys walk free . Simple, instant, unavoidable justice · as it always should have been. But what happens when the constabulary, so accustomed to having its way – no questions asked – star ts pointing the gun in directions it is not supposed to? What happens on the day the CCD accidentally encounters upon an innocent?
F r o m d e t e r r e n c e t o d o m i n a n c e : I n d i a ’ s d a n g e r o u s p u r s u i t a n d t h e
Hope for cystic fibrosis
IN
beyond China capable of reaching deep into Europe, Africa, and even parts of North America The China Card, therefore, is not a reason; it is a smokescreen Behind it lie India’s true ambitions: to establish unchallenged hegemony in South Asia and project itself as the net security provider of the Indian Ocean Region In his influential book The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, John Mearsheimer identifies this exact behavior as Offensive Realism This theory states that powerful nations are perpetually driven not just by a need to be secure, but by an insatiable quest to dominate their rivals The implications of this posture are not regional but profoundly global threatening to shatter the delicate strategic equilibrium that has maintained a tense peace for decades When a nation aggressively pursues capabilities that cre-
ate the illusion of a viable first-strike option against other major powers the entire structure of mutual deterrence begins to crumble India s long-range missiles, especially when armed with MIRV technology, provide a false sense of security that is not just misguided; it is exceedingly dangerous on a global scale As an analysis by Feroz Khan for the Stimson Center suggests it is precisely this kind of perceived technological advantage that can embolden hawkish elements within a state to consider reckless military doctrines, gambling that they can control the escalatory ladder Such a mindset, when held by a state with intercontinental reach puts global peace in jeopardy What makes this situation even more alarming is the blatant hypocrisy of the international community particularly the United States Western powers, who present themselves as champions of the global non-proliferation regime, have maintained their silence on India’s expansionist ambitions Their efforts to integrate India into exclusive forums like the MTCR and the NSG are a clear display of this double standard Principles that are stringently applied to other nations are conveniently jettisoned when it comes to India This selective morality not only weakens the global non-proliferation architecture; it gives India a green light to pursue its hegemonic designs This is not a new concern As far back as 2006 strategic analyst Richard Speier warned in Arms Control Today that the West s preferential treatment of India was dangerously short-sighted and would directly contribute to its expansionist ambitions, regardless of the cost to regional stability Predictably, every missile test by India adds fresh fuel to a relentless arms race This dangerous cycle is a perfect illustration of what the renowned political scientist Robert Jervis in his seminal 1978 work termed the security dilemma As Jervis argued, the tragic irony is that when one state takes so-called defensive measures, its neigh-
bors perceive them as an undeniable threat and are compelled to respond in kind leading to a situation where arsenals grow but everyone feels less secure India s Agni program is a live demonstration of this dynamic, forcing both Islamabad and Beijing to react and pushing the entire region closer to becoming a volatile tinderbox Worse still this ‘might is right’ approach is actively corrupting India s diplomacy When a nation becomes infatuated with its military strength, dialogue is often the first casualty, replaced by a reliance on coercive diplomacy, the language of threats and intimidation We have seen this alarming trend in its recent dealings with Pakistan where meaningful engagement has given way to bellicose rhetoric The acquisition of these long-range missiles will only entrench this arrogant posture severely eroding the already slim chances for peaceful coexistence and ensuring that South Asia remains a prisoner of perpetual tension It is clear: India’s missile program has long since abandoned the pretense of minimal deterrence What we are witnessing today is the unmistakable ambition of a nation driven not by a need for security but by a quest for dominance
The international community must wake up to the reality that these weapons are not harmless symbols of prestige; they are the instruments of a reckless pursuit that could push the entire region into a devastating conflict For Pakistan sitting on the sidelines is not an option It must respond with strategic foresight continually enhancing its deterrence while tirelessly exposing India s hegemonic designs on every diplomatic front The world has been put on notice The only question now is whether it will act before it is too late
The Author is an Assistant Researcher at Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN) at BUITEMS Quetta She can be reached at sadafbaloch620@gmail com
taking a turn for the better in the wake of the decision by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) which has recently approved a ground-breaking CF gene modulator therapy as a treatment option
Even though the therapy is among the costliest in the world, the Indus Hospital in Karachi has taken the initiative to provide it for free to those who meet the specified criterion
There are 51 patients children, teenagers and young adults who have been receiving the therapy for the last three months and the results have been remarkable in the shape of improved lung function, weight-gain fewer infections better sleep and renewed energy levels
Approved in over 30 countries since 2019, the therapy has transformed outcomes for up to 90 per cent of CF patients in some populations Until recently, such treatment was out of reach for anyone in Pakistan
After the Drap decision the therapy must not remain confined to one hospital or even a few We need nationwide access, early screening more trained specialists affordability measures and local data to guide expansion
The therapy let us remember does not just extend life it transforms it In the fight against CF, that means everything DR MUHAMMAD FARIDUDDIN KARACHI
Not a western idea
A casual debate with friends on gender equality quickly turned heated recently The boys in the group argued that it was a Western concept, while the girls countered with biological comparisons and references to economic imbalances This exchange which ultimately went nowhere and convinced no one, pushed me to trace the origins of the idea Plato in The Republic was among the earliest thinkers to argue that women deserve the same education and opportunities as men
Similar arguments later appeared during the Islamic golden age when Al-Ghazali, in Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Studies) and Ibn Rushd in Tahafut-al-Tahafut (The Incoherence of the Incoherence) rejected the notion of women as a community of breeders , emphasising their equal intellectual and moral capacities as well as their role in governance philosophy and education Islam itself was the first codified universal system to guarantee women property and inheritance rights Centuries later Mary Wollstonecraft known as the mother of feminism, echoed these ideas in the late 18th century in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman The conclusion, at least to me, is obvious: as far as fundamental rights are concerned, men and women are equal and must be treated as such Confusing biology with rights only distorts the debate Men,
ZAiN ChAtthA
SADAF NADEEM
Preser ving Pakistan’s cricketing legacy
are often used to accommodate veteran cricketers who no longer represent the future of the game
This practice blocks the natural transition that would allow younger players to gain experience and confidence on the international stage It also disillusions domestic cricketers who see opportunities restricted despite years of consistent performance
The PCB has sought to counter this by launching the Pathway Cricket Programme, which provides structured training for under-11, under-14, under-16, and under-19 players alongside academic support While commendable the reach of the programme remains limited to major cities True reform requires building a broader ecosystem of academies, particularly in areas outside the established cricketing centres Cities like Lahore and Karachi already produce a steady flow of players, but untapped potential in smaller towns and rural districts remains overlooked
This imbalance is further reflected in financial allocations In FY 2025-26 the PCB projected US$25 9 million in distributions from the International Cricket Council, equivalent to approximately Rs 7 7 billion
Large portions of these funds are earmarked for infrastructure projects such as stadium renovations in major cities Modern facilities are undoubtedly necessary for hosting international cricket, but they cannot substitute for sustained investment in grassroots development Without improving the foundations of the game, stadiums risk becoming symbols of misplaced priorities rather than vehicles for growth Selection practices also demand scrutiny Decisions are often based more on reputation than on transparent, performance-
weak leaving the pipeline of new talent fragile One of the key distortions is the misuse of youth quotas Intended to bring younger players into the national squad, these seats
U S m o u r n s t h e v i c t i m s o f 9 / 1 1 b u t w h a t o f t h e v i c t i m s o f t h e ‘ w a r o n t e r r o r ’
Instead of remembering S eptember 20, 2001, as the day the war on terror was launched, our communities should reclaim it as a day of public mourning. Perhaps S eptember 20 could be known from this year and ever y for ward as the International Day of Remembrance and Mourning for vic tims of Islamophobia and the war on terror
As the war on terror nears its 25th year, it is imperative to build and institutionalize platforms, public mourning rituals, and commemorations that counter its narratives, memorialize its victims, and preser ve their stories as par t of a collective demand for accountability and transformation
IN a video reportedly from 2006, a young Iraqi child was captured asking a U S soldier why America killed his dad The soldier being questioned responds that it wasn t him who killed the young boy s father When the child continues his line of questioning, the soldier turns the question around, asking him do you hate Americans? and do you want to shoot me?” Elsewhere, graffiti on a wall in Sanaa, Yemen, depicts a U S drone and text written in Arabic and English by a child that says “why did you kill my family ” Thousands of miles away Hussein Al-Marfadi one of many Muslim men who were incarcerated at Guantánamo Bay without charge, was transferred after 12 years in detention to Slovakia a country where he had no roots Lamenting his predicament, he said the Americans “killed our youth in Guantánamo and then they tossed us away like garbage ” At another notorious prison Abu Ghraib a prison that the U S took over after it destroyed and occupied the country in 2003 Iraqis were subjected to the most egregious torture at the hands of Americans Commenting on how his experience at the prison impacted him, Talib al-Majli an Iraqi man who was incarcerated there for 16 months and never charged with anything stated that “To this day I feel humiliation for what was done to me The time I spent in Abu Ghraib it ended my life I m only half a human now Amid the violence of the U S s war on terror, these stories, and hundreds of thousands more like them, are a reminder that Muslim people and communities have been rendered disposable as a means to the U S ’s national security ends Unfortunately the violence of the war on terror which has been marked by militarism draconian immigration policies surveillance federal terrorism prosecutions, detention, and torture has, thus far, continued unbated This has resulted in the ongoing targeting and victimization of Muslim and other marginalized communities Moreover since Donald Trump began his second tenure as president he has executed the war on terror with even greater fervor expanding the post 9/11 forever wars and constructing new security threats On September 20, 2001, in a speech to a joint session of Congress, President George W Bush said that after the
Joe Biden
read in part, “Today, our nation comes together to renew our sacred vow: Never Forget ” Four years earlier during Trump’s first term as president he issued a proclamation that designated September 11 as Patriot Day Similar to Biden Trump reiterated the commitment that the United States would not forget the victims of the attacks with the assertion that America steadied its resolve to hold accountable those who had attacked us and to ensure it would never happen again ” Although the practice of official state commemorations can be expected commemorations of 9/11 have gone beyond honoring the victims of the attacks instead serving to weaponize grief in order to justify state violence Using examples from the United States and Israel, mourning par excellence, is how Leeat Granek describes the work of nationalizing and politicizing grief as a means of justifying continued military engagement that executes further violence and kills even more people in its wake
After 24 years of the war on terror and no acknowledgement of the violence that has been inflicted on Muslims and other marginalized communities, 9/11 commemorations by the state that are devoid of any recognition of the victims that the war on terror has created reinforce and entrench a certain idea of whose lives are grievable and whose lives are ungrievable Philosopher Judith Butler describes the concept of grievability in their book Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence: Some lives are grievable and others are not; the differential allocation of grievability that decides what kind of subject is and must be grieved, and which kind of subject must not, operates to produce and maintain certain exclusionary conceptions of who is normatively human: what counts as a livable life and a grievable death?
REINFORCING UNGRIEVABILITY: In 2024 on the 6th annual commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, then-State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller asserted in his statement to mark the day that “victims of terrorism must remain at the forefront of efforts to provide them with the justice and support they deserve and that we are committed to preventing future attacks and to hold terrorists to account for their crimes Though it was the UN General Assembly that established August 21 as this day of remembrance in 2017, the commemoration has provided a new platform for the U S to justify continued war Moreover by representing any violence by non-state actors as terrorism the U S acts to depoliticize it in order to justify state violence as the only legitimate response
SELECTIVE STATE-SANCTIONED MOURNING:
On September 17, 2021, former Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin issued an apology after an investigation revealed that the U S killed 10 members of an Afghan family including 7 children In his apology Austin asserted: No military works harder than ours to avoid civilian casualties When we have reason to believe we have taken innocent life we investigate it and if true we admit it But we also must work just as hard to prevent recurrence no matter the circumstances, the intelligence stream or the operational pressures under which we labor ” Though Austin was expressing regret for the loss of this family s lives it was only because the U S could not plausibly deny its mistake and gross misconduct This selective and performative apology a form of acknowledgement and mourning stood out as an exception, considering civilian deaths are rarely ever condemned by
the United States Even when they are, apologies like this one exist to deny the reality that the U S continues to murder civilians in the war on terror and beyond
In her piece Public Mourning and the Culture of Redress: Mayerthorpe Air India and Murdered or Missing Aboriginal Women, Amber Dean writes that state sponsored mourning frequently precludes opportunities for reckoning with colonial histories and their legacies ” In the case of the U S ’s murder of an Afghan family one of the few times state violence was recognized by the U S the apology served to erase the violence that the war on terror wrought at home and abroad long before August 2021
POLITICAL GRIEF: The ongoing targeting of Muslims and other marginalized communities under the war on terror coupled with the absence of any recognition of the violence inflicted on them has produced profound and palpable grief The authors of the recent paper The Significance of Political Grief: An Examination Through Major Global Events, describe political grief as the collective mourning experienced by communities facing systemic injustices, such as violence, oppression, and the loss of rights which can be exacerbated by societal structures that deny or diminish the legitimacy of their grief ” In the context of the war on terror where the terrorist label has been weaponized to implicate Muslims and other marginalized communities these communities are forced not only to endure relentless state violence but also to face their dehumanization as victims, denied even the legitimacy of their grief By channeling their grief toward collective action Muslims and other communities impacted by state violence post-9/11 can resist their erasure
Although the state politicizes grief and mourning to weaponize state violence, mobilizing grief is not exclusively the domain of the state By claiming, making public, and mobilizing their own grief, communities can resist the state’s monopoly over the differential allocation of the value of life – over the determination of whose lives have value and whose lives are disposable
Grief can also serve as a powerful way to activate and motivate social justice claims for the aggrieved Moreover by channeling their grief toward collective action, Muslims and other communities impacted by state violence post-9/11 can also resist their erasure and assert their right to define the meaning of loss on their own terms
One way that Muslim Counterpublics Lab the organization I founded has developed to channel political grief is through a physical and virtual exhibit titled Shattering Justice and Re-Making the Muslim Threat
Through a timeline of the war on terror, the project captures the violence that the state has wrought on Muslim communities through Muslim eyes The goal of the exhibit is to provide a robust political education tool to preserve communities historical memory of the war on terror The exhibit also provides an accounting of the trajectory of state violence post-9/11 in order to serve as a counter-narrative to resist the state s hegemonic discourse on the war on terror and in doing so, provide a platform to support the development of justice claims The visceral imagery of the
SuleMan Zia
US AND BRITAIN TO ANNOUNCE $10B
ECONOMIC DEALS DURING TRUMP VISIT
Young ac tivists in Nepal steer interim leadership af ter mass protests
a serious moment that signals a regime change in Turkey from a competitive authoritarianism, in which opposition parties could still win elections, to a kind of hegemonic authoritarianism, in which they are more symbolic and unable to win ” said Seren Selvin Korkmaz co-founder and co-director of IstanPol Institute an Istanbul-based think tank Turkish stocks bonds and lira have skidded ahead of the court decision They crashed in March when Imamoglu was jailed pending trial, underscoring concerns over rule of law in the major emerging market economy where inflation remains above 30% If the court cancels
woman to hold the post Gurung pledged that the power would rest with the people and vowed to bring corrupt politicians to justice Hami Nepal leaders are now in discussions with Karki over cabinet changes, proposing the removal of officials from the previous administration Members stressed that the process would prioritise skilled and capable youth in government roles
BEIJING
s ta f f c o r r e s p o n d e n t
China urges the United States to promptly stop sowing discord creating trouble and instigating antagonism in the South China Sea to allow restoration of peace and stability in the region, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday
According to media reports
U S Secretary of State Marco
Rubio recently said in a statement that the U S stands with its Philippine ally in rejecting China s plans to establish a national nature reserve on Huangyan Dao “We lodged serious protests today regarding the erroneous remarks made by the U S side spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily news briefing when asked for comment
“Huangyan Dao is an inherent territory of China,” said Lin, while adding that the establishment of
The protests driven largely by young adults, erupted after a government ban on multiple social media platforms Clashes with authorities quickly escalated with demonstrators calling out corruption and demanding accountability Although Gurung is older than most of the protest organisers he has been clear that neither he nor his team seek political office Instead, they want to remain voices of the movement shaping Nepal’s political future without formally joining it
Gurung first gained recognition by organising civic relief efforts during the 2015 earthquake which killed more than 9 000 people and later during the COVID19 pandemic His colleagues include cafe owner Ojaswi Raj Thapa and law graduate Rehan Raj Dangal, who manage Hami Nepal’s social media platforms Thapa who has become a leading voice in the movement emphasised the need for judicial independence and constitutional reforms while ruling out scrapping the current constitution “We don’t want to dissolve the constitution,” he said adding that reforms were necessary to strengthen democracy
the Huangyan Dao national nature reserve is a matter within the scope of China s sovereignty which means it is reasonable, lawful and beyond criticism
Currently with the joint efforts of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries the situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable, Lin noted
The U S has repeatedly made unwarranted remarks and chosen to interfere in the South China Sea issue involving itself in maritime disputes among the parties concerned, he said
By courting certain countries to create conflicts and escalate tensions, the United States has disrupted the otherwise peaceful state of the South China Sea Lin added
Highlighting that the socalled South China Sea arbitration is a political farce
orchestrated entirely by the U S under the guise of legal proceedings, Lin said the so-called ruling is illegal and invalid, carries no binding force – and is neither accepted nor recognized by China
It is quite clear who upholds international rule of law as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea, and who is the destroyer and troublemaker, Lin pointed out China will continue to work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, actively advance consultations on the code of conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly make the South China Sea a sea of peace friendship and cooperation Lin concluded
Key takeaways from Chinese team s press briefing following economic, trade talks with U S
From Shanghai to Tianjin: SCO on the Move
porting the U N s
the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) The summit’s decision to admit Laos as the 27th member of the SCO family underscored the SCO’s continuing momentum of enlargement and deepening solidarity The organization has become the regional international organization with the broadest geographical coverage and largest population in the world At a time when the world faces deepening geopolitical fractures security dilemmas and the risks of economic decoupling the
fact that this largest-ever Tianjin gathering brought together such a wide and diverse array of participants fully reflects the SCO’s strong internal cohesion and growing international influence The Shanghai Spirit the original commitment A quarter century ago upon its inception the SCO enshrined its original commitment the Shanghai Spirit: mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and the pursuit of common development At the Tianjin summit President Xi Jinping looked back through the lens of the Shanghai Spirit and recounted four pioneering firsts in the course of the SCO s development: the first to set up military confidence-building mechanism along the border areas turning borders into a bond of friendship mutual trust and cooperation; the first to launch Belt and Road cooperation; the first to conclude a treaty on long-term good-neighborliness friendship and cooperation; and the first to put forth the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit as an effort to practice true multilateralism Carrying this same spirit forward the Tianjin summit adopted a development strategy for the organization in the 2026-2035 period, a blueprint that could only be drafted
by those who remain faithful to their original aspiration of common development The document maps out priority tasks and directions for all-round cooperation in the coming decade
Equally telling is the members collective decision to establish an SCO Development Bank an institutional offspring of the Shanghai Spirit s call for mutual assistance Expressing firm support for the multilateral trading system, they pledged deeper regional fiscal and financial cooperation At a time when unilateral sanctions and shrinking aid are unsettling global finance the bank will not only safeguard collective financial autonomy but also offer a vital platform
principles sovereign equality, rule of law, true multilateralism people-centered governance and real action The GGI meets the world s urgent need for more effective global governance and is strongly supported by the parties attending the summit Its key messages rejecting power politics, sup-
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has said that Punjab faced the worst flood in the country s history, yet timely and emergency measures by the Punjab government saved hundreds of thousands of precious lives She stated that Punjab has carried out the largest rescue operation in national history and is utilizing all available resources for the reha-
area of the motorway as soon as possible D E M O C R A C Y K E Y T
bilitation of flood victims According to her, the resettlement of flood-affected families remains a major challenge for which comprehensive planning and continuous measures are underway Losses are being assessed to ensure better strategies for the future and to facilitate the victims recovery Responding to critics, Azma Bokhari said those pointing fingers at the Punjab government are themselves responsible for severe negligence as in their own province of
FBR Holds Tax Awareness Sessions at Fauji Fer tilizer Company
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
On the instructions of Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Mr Rashid Mahmood Langrial, and Member Taxpayers’ Services, Ms Tehmina Aamer, the Taxpayers’ Services (TPS) Wing conducted two separate tax awareness sessions at the Head Office of Fauji Fertilizer Company in Rawalpindi These sessions formed part of FBR s ongoing outreach program aimed at enhancing public awareness of tax procedures and encouraging a culture of compliance The first session was held for the executive management and the second for the staff of the Company Mr Zafar Iqbal
Second Secretary (Tax Education) gave a presentation on FBR s role in national economic growth the tax collection system and the benefits of timely filing of tax returns A step-by-step demonstration of the recently introduced digitized and simplified income tax return form was also provided to the audience for their facilitation The sessions were attended by Ms Maryam Basit
Senior Executive (L&D HR) along with senior officials and staff of the Company
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hundreds of
The Punjab Information Minister made it clear that under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Punjab government is
Kazakhstan Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin calls on Chairman CDA
s ta f f r e p o r t Ambassador of Kazakhstan H E Yerzhan Kistafin called on Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa at CDA Headquarters During the meeting detailed discussions were held on bilateral relations at city level, urban development, cultural exchanges, and eco-friendly projects Chairman CDA highlighted that cooperation between Islamabad and Astana at the city level should be enhanced so that Sister City relations can be formally established He expressed the desire to promote cooperation between the two cities in cultural environment and tourism sectors as well Kazakhstan s Ambassador H E Yerzhan Kistafin, appreciated the ongoing efforts of CDA for development and beautification of Islamabad He proposed that a major road in Astana be named after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a symbol of friendship between the two nations Reciprocatly a prominent road in Islamabad should be named after Kazakhstan s renowned national poet, Abai Qunanbaiuly, further strengthening mutual literary and cultural ties between the two countries During the meeting Chairman CDA also briefed the Kazakh Ambassador about the eco-friendly project Gardenia Hub
Unveils 2nd Edition of BOE
G andapur says S eptember 27 PTI rally will be decisive for Pakistan
PESHAWAR s ta f f r e p o r t
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has declared that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally in Peshawar on September 27 will be a decisive moment for the country Speaking outside Adiala Jail on Monday, he urged workers to show up in large numbers saying KhyberPakhtunkhwa is the party’s heartland and unity is essential Gandapur said PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife were facing fabricated cases and that he was denied permission to meet Khan in jail He warned that blocking meetings with party leadership was creating rifts within PTI and said restrictions could intensify after his remarks He stressed that the Peshawar rally would be crucial for PTI s future If we want real freedom, we must remain united,” he said, adding that without strength no negotiations or struggles could succeed Gandapur asked workers to arrive early if necessary assuring they would be hosted
Meanwhile Imran Khan s sister Aleema Khan accused authorities of delaying proceedings in the Toshakhana 2 0 case by presenting false witnesses She said the charges were politically motivated and that media access to the courtroom remained restricted She added that Imran Khan was being denied basic rights including communication with his children On broader security concerns, she stressed that militancy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa could not be addressed by expelling Afghans but required a joint effort by Pakistan Afghanistan local tribes and security institutions Aleema called for party unity and urged PTI lawmakers in the province to support Gandapur She said resistance must continue if constitutional rights and freedoms were denied
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to safeguard and promote democratic values and norms in Pakistan In their separate messages marking the International Day of Democracy, they stressed the importance of joint efforts to strengthen democratic institutions
President Zardari said that democracy ensures socio-economic justice, freedom of expression, and rule of law He noted that Pakistan s political journey has been shaped by visionary leaders like Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto whose sacrifices laid the foundation for stronger democratic institutions
Prime Minister Shehbaz said the day provides an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of democracy as a global system of
