Four suicide bombers killed as security forces foil ter rorist attack in Mohmand agency
valiant,
Two ter rorists neutralised in Kalat IBO : ISPR
outnumbered He noted that M M Alam’s extraordinary achievement of downing five enemy aircraft in a single minute was a significant blow to the enemy s arrogance He offered his salute to the PAF martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the homeland and expressed the nation’s pride in their sacrifices The premier described 7 September 1965 as a “shining chapter” in the history of the Pakistan Air Force highlighting the professionalism and courage of its officers In his message President Asif Ali Zardari paid glowing tribute to the PAF soldiers for unforgettable sacrifices to defend the skies of the motherland He said the Shaheen of the Pakistan Air Force made history by defending the country against the enemy which ten time bigger in numerical strengthen and resources Like Maryam Nawaz in her message paid tribute to M M Alam recalling his historic achievement of destroying five enemy aircraft in under a minute She praised the legendary Pilot M M Alam for his extraordinary feat of downing five Indian aircraft within a minute, marking a world record that remains unmatched in aerial warfare Maryam Nawaz also lauded the heroic legacy of Rashid Minhas Shaheed who embodied bravery courage and honour further solidifying the air force s stature The Punjab Chief Minister stressed that the exemplary role of the PAF during the 1965 war would be etched in history in golden words, with the nation forever proud of the air force’s remarkable skills and steadfast bravery Their contribution to safeguarding the country s airspace will be remembered with great pride she said underscoring the pivotal role played by PAF officers in maintaining national security
The successful operation prevented what could have been a devastating attack Following the thwarted attack a sanitisation operation is underway to ensure no other terrorists remain in the area
The ISPR affirmed the forces’ continued vigilance and commitment to eliminating terrorism from the country Our security forces stand
Two terrorists were killed in a fire exchange with the security forces during an intelligencebased operation (IBO) conducted in Balochistan s Kalat district the military confirmed on Saturday A statement from the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the IBO was conducted following the reported presence of terrorists last night The troops surrounded and engaged terrorists location, and sent two terrorists to hell, it added “Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday sought acquittal in the £190 million case after the Supreme Court s verdict in the NAB amendments case During the hearing of the case in Rawalpindi s Adiala jail, the PTI founder filed a petition seeking acquittal from the case that accused both Khan and his wife of causing billions of rupees loss to the national exchequer
terrorists who were involved in numerous attacks on security forces and civilians, the ISPR said A sanitization operation is ongoing to clear the area of any remaining threats “Pakistan’s security forces alongside the nation are committed to thwarting any attempts to destabilize peace, stability, and progress in Balochistan,” the military added Earlier on August 30, the security forces killed at least five terrorists of a banned militant group and injured three others in intelligencebased operations in multiple districts in Balochistan following a flare-up of violence and a string attacks in different areas of the province on August 26
GOVT BANS STATE-FUNDED VEHICLE
PURCHASES, OVERSEAS MEDICAL TREATMEN
Major oil and gas reserves discovered in Pakistan’s
i a n a b r a r
Uzbekistan Ambassador Oybek Usmanov on Saturday said that Uzbekistan and Pakistan are not only genuine partners but brotherly cooperation has been elevated to a level of strategical partnership and both countries will achieve US$ one billion trade and industrial cooperation roadmap Addressing the participants of a reception held to mark the 33rd Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ambassador Usmanov congratulated Pakistani nation on Army and Martyrs Day
“Our Ministries of Defense are regularly holding Staff Talks on military cooperation and according to Agreement on military-technical cooperation this year 1st meeting of the Joint Working Commission was held in Islamabad The Uzbekistan and Pakistan enjoying active cooperation in the sphere of military training as well as holding multilateral exercises on combatting terrorism he said Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal
Lahore police to place Teefi Butt and Tipu Truckanwala group members under house arrest
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
In light of the escalating gang violence in Lahore local authorities are implementing strict actions against the infamous Teefi Butt and Tipu Truckanwala groups The Lahore police have announced plans to place key members of both gangs, along with their families, under house arrest A formal request for this action will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore Police officials stated that the ongoing rivalry between the Teefi Butt and Tipu Truckanwala groups has created dangerous conditions for civilians with frequent shootouts and violent confrontations putting innocent lives at risk In response to this increasing threat, the police have identified and detained active members of both groups as part of a broader crackdown These measures are aimed at preventing further violence and restoring peace in the affected areas DIG Imran Kishor who leads the Organized Crime Unit is preparing a letter to the DC Lahore recommending the house arrest of individuals linked to both gangs This step is intended to prevent further escalation and protect the safety of local citizens
Khan, Dean of diplomatic corps Ambassador Otajan Mavlamov, Parliamentarians, military and civil officers and officials from diplomatic corps attended the reception The Ambassador expressed gratitude to President Asif Ali Zardari PM Shahbaz Sharif for great support to connectivity strategy of Uzbekistan, saying that in last 3 years, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev more than 9 times has held personal interaction with his Pakistani counterparts the PM Shehbaz Sharif President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, strengthening the trade and industrial, technological projects as well as the active military cooperation between the two countries
“By our joint efforts we have increased upto half billion of bilateral trade via brotherly Afghanistan based on Transit and Preferential trade agreements Pakistan (and Turkey are) the only countries with whom Uzbekistan has reached such level of trade and logistics cooperation Alhamdulillah ” he added
“Only this year we been able to arrange more than a 50 high-level
meetings more than hundred ministerial summits In Tashkent and Islamabad Samarqand and Lahore, Bukhara and Karachi Peshawar and Termiz we gained most remarkable results – as the people to people contacts B2B forums strengthening region to region connectivity he added He said that President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his address on the 33nd Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan has stressed that large-scale work
of Uzbekistan is proudly
on
the
and Public
Rana Sanaullah, said on Saturday that the
Minister ’s first priority is to establish peace in Balochistan and provide relief to the people Talking to a private news channel he said the plans were executed rapidly for the development of Balochistan, and matters were being resolved on a pre-arty basis He said that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) being a pro-democratic party believes in dialogue and consultation The
(PTI) on the other hand was always involved in undemocratic activities they chose the way of anarchy against the principles of democracy
LAHORE w e b d e s k
In a tragic incident in Lahore a mother and her teenage daughter both employed as housemaids were reportedly subjected to brutal torture by the homeowner The horrific abuse took place in a residence
Pakistan) Daish (also known as the militant Islamic State group) Al-Qaida Sipah-iSahaba Pakistan Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Zainebiyoun Brigade and others It added that the IBOs were conducted in various Punjab districts to “effectively counter the menace of terrorism” and “to avert any untoward incident” According to a list provided by the CTD of the 33 netted suspects eight of them the highest number had been arrested from Lahore Three suspects were taken into custody from Bahawalpur while two each were arrested from Sheikhupura Hafizabad Rahim Yar Khan Attock Nankana Sahib and Bahawalnagar The department also arrested one suspect each from Gujranwala, Mianwali, Jhang,
minors, in the country Last year, in August, the Khairpur Police arrested Pir Asad Shah Jeelani a member of the influential Pirs of Ranipur for allegedly torturing his 10-year-old maid Fatima Furiro to death The abuse was exposed when videos of Fatima s body bearing severe signs of torture, surfaced on social media In one particularly distressing clip, the young girl, gravely injured, struggles to sit up on her bed before collapsing
Just a month prior to that another heartbreaking case shook the nation when 14-year-old domestic worker Rizwana was hospitalized in critical condition
Khushab Sargodha Faisalabad Rawalpindi Narowal Sahiwal and Bhakkar
As many as 32 first information reports were registered against the suspects from August 4 to September 3 under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (ATA) including Sections 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) 8 (prohibition of acts intended or likely to stir up sectarian hatred) and 11 (membership support and meetings relating to a proscribed organisation) The CTD press release added that the raid teams recovered almost five kilogrammes of explosives, two
Restricting the PTI
The dangers of legislating for a specific event
PARLIAMENT’S passage of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024 was clearly meant to precede the PTI rally in Islamabad on Sunday Parliament is supposed to be a political body, and it is so structured that the majority is free to indulge its political wishes However, it should be careful that it does not legislate in a purely partisan fashion The temptation will always be there, just as the present Bill illustrates However that is a temptation to be resisted The legislature should realize that legislation may be misused, and should be so drafted as to preclude that misuse It is not simply a matter of the law coming onto the books for all time to come not just simply of the percent set, but it is necessary to remember that such legislation may serve as an example to provincial legislature If Islamabad must have its order maintained, then what is wrong with the provincial assemblies then enacting some similar provision for the provincial capital? And apart from the provincial capital, why not the divisional HQs? And the district? In fact, why not an act covering any gathering anywhere in any district in any province
Every sitting government is going to look askance at any opposition gathering For that reason, it is going to try restricting them After all it cannot condone any activity that threatens public order Public order becomes much more of a concern in its capital However, any government legislating on this subject should remember that it could always find itself in the opposition Gatherings are intrinsic to the freedom of expression, and allow people otherwise silent to express their opinion on a particular issue The present Act empowers the Islamabad district administration by making its permission essential to the holding of a rally That power is already being used to shift the venue on security considerations The PTI wants to hog the limelight with its rally and being shunted away would defeat its purpose There is still one way out There is no need to develop any confrontation The PTI is presently focused on getting its chairman out of jail That will depend on how deeply he is involved in last year ’s May 9 incidents Rather than its use of the legislature and the executive, as at present, the PML(N) must opt for political means of combatting the PTI After all if the government can deliver on good governance and provision of relief for the common man, it will not need any crutches to fac e down the PTI
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
D E S P E R AT E B AT T L E A G A I N S T T O B A C C O T R A C K A N D T R A
Tr ying to undermine attempts at control
IN July 2022 Pakistan took a significant step toward curbing the illicit tobacco trade by implementing the Tobacco Track and Trace System This system aims to trace the origins of every cigarette pack, ensuring that illegal products are identified and proper taxation is enforced Despite its noble objectives, the system faces staunch opposition from the tobacco industry, which is doing everything in its power to undermine and reverse this initiative The industry s relentless efforts to replace this system with their own flawed alternatives such as Philip Morris International s (PMI) Codentify highlight the desperate lengths to which they will go to protect their profits at the expense of public health and government revenue
T&TS is designed to be a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring the production and distribution of tobacco products By affixing unique secure and non-removable identification markings to every unit of tobacco, the system allows authorities to track each product from its point of manufacture to its final destination This not only ensures that taxes are paid on every pack but also helps in identifying and eliminating illegal tobacco products from the market The importance of such a system cannot be overstated in a country like Pakistan where the illicit tobacco trade is rampant The World Health Organization s (WHO) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, specifically Article 8, mandates that all parties implement such systems This protocol which Pakistan is a signatory to requires that the T&TS markings reveal critical information such as the date and location of manufacture the intended market of retail sale and the shipment details This level of transparency is crucial for combating the illicit trade, which not only harms public health but also deprives the government of vital tax revenue The tobacco industry's resistance to the T&TS in
To
Pakistan is not surprising The industry has a long history of opposing any measures that threaten its profits even if those measures are designed to protect public health and ensure fair taxation The industry s preferred alternative Codentify developed by PMI over a decade ago is a prime example of this Codentify was marketed as a "track and trace" system, but in reality, it was a tool designed to give the tobacco industry more control over the monitoring process Unlike the government-implemented T&TS Codentify lacked the necessary security features and transparency required to effectively combat illicit trade It failed to provide an independent verifiable means of tracking tobacco products, thereby allowing the industry to manipulate the system to its advantage Government-implemented T&TS has only been unsuccessful in Ecuador The primary reason for this failure in Ecuador was the loophole that permitted the production of cigarettes for export without tax stamps This not only facilitated tax evasion but also undermined the entire purpose of the T&TS Despite being a signatory to the WHO Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, Pakistan's implementation of the T&TS has not been without challenges The system while a step in the right direction still falls short of fully complying with the protocol s requirements
For instance, the protocol mandates that all parties must ensure that the T&TS stamps reveal detailed information about all tobacco products, both intended for domestic use and for exports, including the identity of subsequent purchasers and the intended shipment route However in Pakistan there are still gaps in the system s implementation which the tobacco industry is eager to exploit The tobacco industry's attempts to derail the T&TS in Pakistan are not just about avoiding taxes; they are about maintaining control over a system that could otherwise expose their illicit activities Avoiding the stringent implementation of T&TS as neces-
the Make in India' and Atmanirbhar Bharat’ programmes, which aim to increase indigenous manufacturing and technological advancements?
The increase in defence spending is primarily motivated by the overarching goal of modernising the Indian Armed Forces and, more importantly, becoming more self-reliant in defence manufacturing This focus is clearly reflected from the pattern of defence spending as envisaged in the budget A notable portion of the defence budget is directed towards schemes designed to bolster indigenous technological advancements Taking the example of the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme, introduced in March 2024, a total of Rs four billion has been allocated to the scheme from the defence budget It aims to provide grants of up to Rs 250 million to start-ups for developing homegrown advanced defence technologies in areas like satellite communication, cyber technology, autonomous weapons, and artificial intelligence
The significance of the ADITI scheme is evident from the fact that the entire defence budget was adjusted to accommodate its funding For instance the total defence budget that is INR 621 9 billion is actually an increase of around Rs 4 billion over the amount initially proposed in the interim budget on 1 February 2024
Pakistan must remain steadfast in its commitment to the WHO Protocol and ensure that the T&TS is fully implemented and enforced on all tobacco products intended for domestic sales as well as for export. The stakes are too high to allow the tobacco industry to succeed in its efforts to undermine this vital public health initiative
Beyond dedicating funds to encourage government and private sector partnerships through such schemes, the government is also enhancing efforts to ramp up research and development for indigenous technological advancements through various public organisations Notably the Defence Research and Development Organisation working under the Ministry of Defence has been allocated a whopping Rs 238 55 billion DRDO plays a crucial role in developing defence technologies covering various fields like aeronautics, electronics, and missiles It is India's largest research organisation and supports the Indian strategic goals of self-reliance and modernisation
The focus on indigenisation is further evident from the budget allocated for defence procurements For the fiscal year 2024-25, Rs 1 055 trillion, or 75 percent of the total procurement budget has been allocated for buying defence equipment from domestic industries
The allocation marks a departure from previous years when a larger portion was devoted to foreign sources While the 75 percent allocation for the domestic defence procurement budget may appear to signal a robust push towards indigenisation, many observers caution that the ambitious target seems impossible to achieve especially considering the current state of India s much-hyped indigenisation programmes Take for instance
u a t e c o n v e n t i o n a l c a p a b i l i t i e s , s u p p o r t e d b y a c r e d i b l e n u c l e a r d e t e r r
the Akash Missile Programme which was initiated in the 1990s Despite decades of development, the programme has been plagued by significant technical issues For instance, during fire tests, an alarming 43 percent of
Rani Bagh in ruins
pirations to become a hegemonic power As
revisionist power and as its economic strength increases it naturally seeks to expand its influence, aligning with one of the cardinal principles of International Relations which suggests that major powers act ambitiously because they have the resources to do so This ambitious drive might have significant implications for Pakistan in the future especially if India manages to materialise what it is currently projecting Consequently it may alter the precarious strategic balance by prompting a new arms race The good news however, is that the current pace of the Indian drive for indigenisation provides Pakistan with ample time to consider challenges and develop adequate countermeasures Pakistan can adopt a dual-pronged strategy in this regard In the short term, Pakistan must maintain adequate conventional capabilities, supported by a credible nuclear deterrent, to address the growing conventional asymmetries with India In the long term Pakistan must focus on economic recovery which is essential for strengthening its own indigenisation programmes already being spearheaded by the Pakistan Air Force
Azhar Zeeshan is a researcher at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) Lahore He can be reached at info@casslhr com
Lahore's Unusual Traffic Hazard
T wo Secrets to China’s Rise
TWELVE years ago I visited China as a participant in a Seminar on Press and Publication for Developing Countries, alongside participants from over 20 nations During our month-long training and informative visit we toured many leading organizations departments and industrial undertakings At that time, China was still grappling with the challenge of opening up to the world while maintaining its one-party structure and socialist ideals, all while striving for nationwide progress and development
In the industrial sector we observed strict government control Although industrial and manufacturing processes had begun
to improve, the focus was still largely on quantity rather than quality However, it was evident that the leadership recognized the need to adopt modern management and administrative methods These practices were just starting to take root in the industrial sector but had not yet reached the desired level of effectiveness
To accelerate progress and create a highly skilled workforce capable of transforming the industrial and manufacturing sectors the government established numerous institutes across the country to teach English at the school level Additionally, they began sending hundreds of thousands of students to universities in the USA and Europe to acquire critical knowledge, skills, and leadership abilities necessary for modernizing Chinese enterprises
At that time the organizations we visited used conventional methods to present their performance, focusing primarily on numbers without emphasizing customer satisfaction, quality control, employee value, or creating an enabling environment for optimal employee performance There was little emphasis on streamlining industrial and manufacturing processes to achieve high quality and product durability
After 12 years, upon returning to China, we observed two significant changes The most important was the government’s recog-
nition of the critical need to develop highquality human resources starting from the grassroots level The government rightly understood that all state resources should be directed toward empowering and educating the people Their goal was to ensure that the populace was happy confident knowledgeable and highly skilled This approach would not only enhance the quality style and dignity of work processes but also enable each skilled individual to create more wealth and contribute higher taxes, ultimately enriching the state With increased financial resources the state would gain the financial space necessary to further invest in human resource development As the state becomes wealthier and more prosperous, it would earn respect, dignity, and value in the international community This financial space could then be used to secure raw materials from around the world and invest in research and development fostering a culture of innovation that would allow China to compete globally by producing high-quality products that rival those of other nations
Over the past decade, China has significantly increased its investment in developing high-quality human capital aiming to make its people happier and more prosperous In education spending rose from $349 billion in 2013 (4 percent of GDP) to $870 billion in 2023 (5 3 percent of GDP), with a strong emphasis on vocational training, digital literacy, and STEM education to create a more skilled and adaptable workforce Healthcare investment similarly grew from $357 billion (5 5 percent of GDP) to $1 1 trillion (7 percent of GDP) focusing on improving access to modern healthcare services addressing public health challenges, and ensuring
ministration, and marketing practices across all companies corporations and bodies whether in the government or private sector Ten years ago many Chinese companies were primarily focused on manufacturing and cost efficiency, often lagging behind in advanced management practices and innovation However, by 2023, these companies have evolved into world-class entities, rivaling top-notch global competitors In 2013 China s corporate sector was still emerging on the global stage with many companies struggling to adopt best practices in customer focus, quality assurance, and innovation The emphasis was largely on scale and production capacity rather than highquality management Research and development spending by Chinese companies was around two percent of GDP with most of it concentrated in state-owned enterprises By 2023, China s corporate sector has undergone a dramatic transformation Companies across the board have embraced best management practices, such as customercentric strategies rigorous quality assurance aggressive
d d i t i o n
l l y , a d d r e s s i n g u r b a n i z a t i o n c h a l l e n g e s a n d m e e t i n g r i s i n g d o m e s t i c d e m a n d f o r q u a l i t y g o o d s c a n f
management, ad-
The tragedy of progress in the developing world
prerequisite for democracy Both countries have also rapidly emerged as geopolitical powers in their regions Kenya with 56 million people has been designated as the US’s principal ally in sub-Saharan Africa Bangladesh with 171 million people (25 million more than Russia which sprawls across 11 time zones) has also emerged as a key country, especially owing to the weakening of Myanmar, torn apart by civil war, next door But success only leads to new patterns of instability including riots and revolutions
ety caught between
eras both a France in the process of overthrowing its ancien régime but also Dickens s contemporary Britain still feeling its tentative way through the realities of an industrial economy Applied to the present, it captures the situations in a host of developing countries where decades of steady economic and social progress have nonetheless resulted in riots and political upheaval More specifically: Kenya which has experienced a summer of widespread unrest, ostensibly in opposition to a new finance law; and Bangladesh, whose long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned in August after a series of violent protests
But weren t those countries supposed to be success stories? many might ask They are and that is the point Kenya has gone from a rural, tribal-based society to a much more complex and middle-class one Bangladesh has gone from one of the poorest countries on Earth to a country of light industry and dramatically increased literacy Both are developing the vigorous middle class that is a
This is part of how countries build complex institutions These societies are climbing the ladder of success, and the steps include periodic revolts No one understood this concept better than the late Harvard political scientist Samuel P Huntington, who made the crooked path of progress in the developing world the theme of his greatest book Political Order in Changing Societies published in 1968 It may still be the most arresting guide to the rigours of globalisation ever published By reading developing countries through his analysis, we can see the tragedy of their condition – as well as better understand the path before them Huntington begins by noting how hard the West finds it to understand this development The US s happy circumstances – a stable mass democracy on a resource-rich continent, protected by oceans – has led its citizens to believe in what he called the “unity of goodness” a collective assumption that national development flows in concert to the benefit of all But that is not the case for much of the rest of the world Indeed as a general rule, the faster the enlightenment of the population, the more frequent the overthrow of the government” This is why long periods of economic growth and reform however uneven – and much more so than periods of stagnation and repression – lead to popular upheavals Growth and change restructure the developing country s class system Kenya and Bangladesh have followed
this pattern closely The governments in both, while corrupt and autocratic in important respects, have overseen significant periods of economic growth and particularly the creation or enlargement of middle classes as people flooded into the cities from the countryside Another example: Tunisia where the mass revolt known as the Arab Spring began in 2011, had the most developed middle class of any Arab country that was not rich in oil Middle classes are quite simply harder to govern than rural and illiterate peasantries They are not fatalistic and are rarely grateful They have more acquisitive needs and desires and always demand more As Huntington explains, while the existence of a large middle class becomes a moderating force in political life, its genesis can be highly destabilising The creation of a middle class is of course necessary for well-functioning political institutions which rely on literate bureaucrats And the more complex a society becomes, the more such institutions are needed – and efficient ones at that In less developed societies loyalty to clans and tribes predominates; in more developed societies loyalty instead flows to institutions and the state Kenya and Bangladesh as well as many other societies in the developing world, are moving in that direction You can discern this by what people complain about Demonstrations about taxes, corruption and press freedoms – which is what drove much of the summer unrest in Kenya and Bangladesh –are signs of populations demanding higher standards of governance This is progressive in itself Better that they complain about corruption in general than about this tribe getting more favours than that one Corruption is a complex phenomenon in two respects as Huntington points out It is a sign of intense modernisation since it indicates that institutions even as they are being built, cannot keep up with the demands of the population and alternative networks for get-
ting things done emerge, while functionaries are poorly paid and must seek income from other sources But corruption is also a sign of perceived “backwardness” in a society of people being ashamed of their own state authorities and thus demand cleaner and more efficient performance Progress in politics always begins with complaints As Isaiah Berlin wrote: Men who live in conditions where there is not sufficient food, warmth shelter and the minimum degree of security can scarcely be expected to concern themselves with freedom of contract or of the press That complaints about the lack of press freedoms and of protection for journalists are widespread in these societies is a sign of how much they have progressed in recent decades Kenya’s youth-led revolt, which began in late June and featured riots and demonstrations was not over a tribal or ethnic dispute but a tax hike that threatened to increase the price of basic goods When the Kenyan president William Ruto withdrew the tax, protesters continued to demand his resignation for corruption and mismanagement In Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina – who had been in office for two decades and had overseen a dramatic expansion of the economy and middle class – was forced from power in early August because of repression, democratic backsliding and the curbing of media freedom Again, issues such as famine and communal tensions had little to do with the demonstrations Those motivations belong to the past –at least for the moment It is also notable that an aspirational youth played a dominant role in both countries protests They are digitally literate in a new way, and subject to a deeper engagement with global influences Whereas in the past, each country in the developing world was consumed by its own issues today thanks to a form of political-cultural globalisation local issues can be subjected to Western standards This stokes demand for change Such outside influences were always present, but not in the immediate and intense way they
are now through technology
This does not make the process of development easier: rather it is even more tumultuous than in the past Revolts, driven by higher and higher standards for governance, are easy – a mere matter of producing crowd formations Solving the problems that revolts rally against is much
and caused widespread power and communication outages for many users as well as the collapse of some houses Currently power and communication have been partially restored
Super Typhoon Yagi hits again 1 million residents relocated Super Typhoon Yagi made its second landfall in Xuwen County, Zhanjiang City, in south China’s Guangdong Province, around 10:20 p m on Friday, according to the provincial meteorological bureau Yagi the 11th typhoon of the year has intensified into a super typhoon at level 17 The maximum wind force near its center reached 208 8 kilometers per hour when the typhoon made its second landfall in Guangdong Around 4:20 p m on Friday the typhoon made landfall in Wengtian Township Wenchang City in south China s Hainan Province, with winds exceeding 234 kilometers per hour As of Friday noon, the typhoon
call from a vessel The ship searched and tracked the boat in crisis and responded promptly When Yarmook reached the scene of the incident, a boat was found engulfed in flames while the embattled crew was all overboard It was an Iranian fishing vessel with nine people who had the unfortunate accident nearly consuming the lives of all hands Yarmook rescued the crew, extinguished the fire and brought them to safety In February 2024, in another rescue operation, nine Indian seamen aboard a stranded ocean tug at 167 nautical miles southeast of Karachi were rescued There have been and probably will be countless such operations necessitating the Pakistan Navy s, what I call the pragmatic first responder capability to bring into action
The navies in fact are natural first responders as these operate in a medium that inherently is international in character affording maritime operations under the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, 1982 The sea provides reach, flexibility and ability to remain poised to the naval forces without legal complexities and violation of sovereignty of other states Air and land may be restricted for the passage of men and material, but the sea remains open even in a contested environment This allows the navies to respond to domestic and international crises with speed and effectiveness When it comes to sea-land binary, we know that the activities at sea are too tightly connected with what happens over land as the situation in Palestine and Yemen signifies to this fact
This is exactly what Julian Corbett posited in 1910s that at the core of a maritime strategy was to influence events at land by acting at or from the sea
When it comes to our part of the world the Arabian Sea is of an immense geostrategic significance Today it arguably has the largest presence of international navies and is surrounded by regions replete with conflicts and crises of diverse nature The Arabian Sea has been witnessing an enhanced international footprint post-9/11 where the concerns of terrorism piracy narco-smuggling and gun running are feared high Coupled with these sub-conventional threats and challenges in the Arabian Sea,
the non-traditional threats have also been becoming conspicuous, which include but are not limited to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief non-combatant evacuation and ensuring maritime security Under such an operating environment, the navies have to play roles beyond traditional warfighting and defence of maritime frontiers
Pakistan Navy as part of its military operations other than war construct has articulate response mechanics for non-traditional and sub-conventional threats This requires the Navy's capacity to smoothly perform its roles from benign to constabulary roles It is always in a ready mode' to transition across the roles which means the gear the human resource and the doctrinal clarity are always there empowering it to be the pragmatic first responder, irrespective of the task, the time and the locale at sea The Navy was one of the first in the region to reach Mersin Turkiye and Latakia Syria to assist devastating earthquake victims in March 2023 PN ships Moawin and Nasr were ready to sail carrying massive relief goods within days of issuing instructions from the Government
In the catastrophic Tsunami of 2004 PNS Tariq was among the first naval ships to reach the Maldives and assist in rescue operations
Tariq was able to save 377 tourists within a short time Later on, PN ships Moawin and Khaibar sailed from Karachi with substantial relief goods and field hospital equipment for humanitarian assistance operations in Sri Lanka and Indonesia
The Navy remains the frontline responder in domestic crises as well Its role in Cyclone Yemyin 2007; Cyclone Phet and Super Floods 2010; and Floods 2022 was particularly noteworthy The Navy rescued thousands of people, provided medical relief and built shelters for the children and the homeless In June 2011, PN ships Babur and Zulfiquar in a joint operation rescued MV Suez from the Somali pirates and brought the entire crew back home to safety Though MV Suez sank because of the number of safety-related incidents human lives were saved In April 2015, PN ships Zulfiqar and Aslat were deployed to rescue civilians from the war-ravaged zones of Yemen The ships acting with exceptional professional acumen and operational brilliance, were able to pull hundreds of people of various nationalities including eleven Indi-
ans This had a positive impact on Pakistan-India relations
From 2019 to 2022, Pakistan Navy undertook three distinct missions to circumvent Africa with an objective to deliver relief goods to various African nations suffering from famine and natural disasters PN ships Moawin, Nasr and Alamgir were tasked to sail from the Suez Canal to go around Africa and assist the African people in whatever way possible PNS Nasr in particular carried well over 1000 tons food items to Benin and Niger in 2020 when these countries have had severe shortage of basic essentials to sustain human life
This unique feat hasn’t been done before and Pakistan Navy can rightly claim the title of being the first responder beyond its traditional operational space, the Arabian Sea Apart from rendering humanitarian assistance, Pakistan Navy has the core job of ‘preserving freedom of seas which is its guiding doctrinal creed The Navy believes in working in a cooperative continuum, where on one hand it ensures stable order in its on its own, and on the other it works in collaborative constructs so that our seas remain safe and secure for maritime activities Domestically Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency work through a joint collaborative mechanism that seeks to keeping the North Arabian Sea crime-free On several occasions drug smugglers human traffickers and poachers have been captured or their attempts thwarted thereby preserving good order at sea Cumulatively, the humanitarian work and maritime security operations indicate that Pakistan Navy is the primary force to arrive at the scene of maritime emergencies or crises not just in the Arabian Sea but at other locations in the Indian Ocean and beyond As a Pragmatic First Responder, Pakistan Navy has provided and will continue to provide swift assistance rescue and relief operations to protect lives secure vessels and ensure the safety of life at sea often before the arrival of other national or international support This spirit truly makes Pakistan Navy not just a capable player in the Indian Ocean but as Ken Booth asserts a true torch bearer of Pakistan s foreign policy (The writer is an Islamabadbased researcher His areas of interest include: Maritime Security, Climate Change and astropolitics)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has ruled out the possibility of gangrape in the death of a
L aw will neither spare ‘toshakhana thieves,’ nor K atcha bandits: A zma
prejudice against Maryam Nawaz They even need to mention Maryam Nawaz’s name just to get headlines Maryam Nawaz will hold the Toshakhana thieves” accountable and
area to
The Azma Bokhari further stated that the agenda of the prisoner in Adiala is to lead the country toward a major disaster Imran Khan is willing to go to any lengths to get out of jail She warned that if
tred or
arson
the state machinery will respond The thieves of Toshakhana and the national treasury are now concerned about the criminals in the “Katcha” region The public should keep their eyes open to recognize their true enemies
RUDA celebrates Defence D ay
resolve RUDA CEO Imran Amin also announced a significant initiative to support the families of martyrs RUDA will introduce 1% quota for the families of martyrs, which will be approved by the board before its formal announcement This step aims to provide tangible support and opportunities to those who have lost loved ones in the line
LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T
Finance teams have just five years to transform or risk becoming irrelevant according to a new report by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and Chartered Accountants ANZ in association with PwC The report, Finance evolution: Thriving in the next decade, stresses the vital role finance teams play in building sustainable businesses and urges CFOs and finance leaders to take immediate action Drawing on insights from over 150 finance professionals and 2,300 survey responses, the report shows that businesses now demand a broader skill set from their finance teams as retrospective reporting and traditional approaches to planning and forecasting alone no longer meet key decision-makers' needs Being pre-emptive is the order of the day The report highlights some ongoing concerns raised by survey respondents: A lack of clarity on how finance can add value to the business (38%)
Finance being seen mainly as a cost centre (32%) Current technology not meeting the needs of the organisation (30%) However the report also emphasises that as finance teams undergo this transformation the importance of ethics must remain at the forefront With the increasing reliance on technology and data, maintaining a strong ethical foundation is crucial to building and sustaining trust Helen Brand OBE Chief Executive of ACCA said For finance teams to stay relevant, they need to look ahead CFOs and finance leaders must ensure they are measuring both the long-term and short-term goals of sustainable business models effectively The role of the CFO is fast evolving beyond finance to encompass wider value creation and management
Ainslie van Onselen, Chief Executive Officer of Chartered Accountants ANZ stated ‘While the arrival of new technology presents exciting opportunities to radically transform and improve the way we work, the one thing that must never change is our profession s strong
ethical standing While we upskill and future proof our technology capabilities, we must also remain firmly
DAR SAYS ‘MUCH PROGRESS’ MADE IN EFFORTS TO RESUME PIA FLIGHTS TO UK
Israeli
and refused to engage in diplomatic relations
Imran Khan, too, publicly upheld this stance during his premiership, criticising Israel s policies and dismissing the idea of normalisation as long as the Palestinian issue remained unresolved
According to the blog there have been informal messages conveyed to Israeli officials through the Goldsmith family signalling potential moves towards normalising ties between the two countries
The blog highlighted that while this may pose a significant challenge in Pakistan s political landscape, his leadership could facilitate a shift in the current nature of Pakistan-Israel relations
The blog urged Israel and its allies to ensure that Imran Khan remains politically active stressing that his involvement in Pakistani politics is crucial for any potential diplomatic progress
The writer also noted that during Imran Khan s time in office, he adopted a pragmatic foreign policy, which could prove pivotal in reshaping Pakistan’s approach to Israel
Some political analysts have observed increasing efforts by Zionist lobbies to secure Imran Khan s release from detention and they consider the Times of Israel blog as a part of a broader strategy to support his return to politics Under his leadership, Prime Minister Imran Khan categorically rejected any possibility that Pakistan could establish relations with Israel after it signed a historic deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to normalise bilateral ties in 2020
Our stance is very clear from day one and Quaid-iAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had said Pakistan can never accept the state of Israel until the people of Palestine get rights and state,” he said in an interview with a private news channel
He also said that accepting the state of Israel is equivalent
Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday condemned the recent amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, calling them unconstitutional and a path to destruction
Speaking from Adiala Jail, where he is being held he accused the country s elite of pardoning their own crimes through these amendments while asking the public to make sacrifices These NAB amendments are a disaster and unconstitutional The elite have forgiven themselves billions of rupees in corruption cases and are now telling the nation to make sacrifices said Khan
Claiming that the amendments allowed powerful figures to escape justice, he accused the ruling class of benefiting from legislation designed to protect them from accountability He also noted that under his government the NAB had recovered Rs480 billion compared to the Rs290 billion accumulated from 1999 to 2017
Imran Khan criticised the current performance of the NAB, pointing out that in the last year it had only recovered Rs15 million
He contrasted this with the
Rs1 100 billion he claimed the institution was poised to collect under his administration before the amendments were introduced
The PTI leader also highlighted the plight of prisoners in Adiala Jail, mentioning that many remain incarcerated because they cannot afford bail or fines as low as Rs50 000
While the elite are pardoning themselves hundreds of inmates here remain jailed over minor financial penalties, he added He reiterated that the NAB amendments had effectively granted immunity to the powerful noting that laws should apply equally to everyone
He claimed that former army chiefs General Musharraf and General (retired) Bajwa had previously given relief to politicians like Asif Ali Zardari and the Sharif family,
halting action on corruption cases under their tenure
The PTI leader also called for the NAB to become an independent institution, free from political interference, and expressed his desire for accountability within the bureau itself He suggested that the Supreme Judicial Council should oversee the institution to ensure it operates independently
Addressing the current leadership, he responded to the Army Chief ’s recent statement about reducing hatred in the country saying that the country’s establishment should be the ones to take the first step towards easing tensions He also condemned the treatment of his wife, Bushra Bibi, who has been imprisoned for seven months
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
The Islamabad High Court (IHS) on Saturday constituted a commission to investigate the allegations by PTI lawyers regarding denial of entry into Adiala Jail
The decision was announced following a petition filed by the legal team representing the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan
Imran s legal team argued that the denial of access violated his fundamental right to legal representation regardless of whether the trial was held in jail
The IHC echoed these concerns, describing them as a serious matter that impacted the right to justice
The court noted the conflicting statements between the jail authorities and the lawyers which necessitated an impartial review to ensure fairness
In a written judgment issued by Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan the court emphasized that the judiciary must appoint its eyes and ears to review the matter independently
The commission, comprising three lawyers –Zopash Khan Mubeen Awan and Zohaib Gondal –has been tasked with overseeing the situation
Each commissioner will visit Adiala Jail on court hearing days to ensure smooth access for the lawyers
The commission will ensure that jail authorities
facilitate security checks within 10 minutes and allow lawyers to drive their vehicles up to the inner gate of the jail The court also ordered that any issues faced during the visit should be immediately reported to the judiciary The court further clarified that lawyers representing under-trial prisoners must be allowed to meet their clients in private, ensuring that their conversations are not monitored The jail superintendent must also provide a sworn statement regarding using audio recording devices within the prison Additionally the ruling specifies that these orders will apply to all legal cases involving jail trials, not just the case concerning Imran Khan
Each visit by a local commissioner will be compensated with Rs10 000 and lawyers will be permitted to bring up to three assistants to the jail during their visits This ruling comes after a series of complaints regarding restricted access to Imran Khan s legal team raising concerns about transparency in the trial process Previously, the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday warned Adiala Jail authorities that it would move the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) trial of Imran Khan to another location if his lawyers continued
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong makes history by visiting Karachi Nuclear Power Plants
