‘Defectors votes to be counteD’: sc annuls its 2022 ruling on Defection cl ause
g CJP-led five-member bench announces unanimous decision, admitting pleas for review of Article
g Barrister Zafar announces boycott of proceedings, saying PTI founder deems constitution of bench is not right
g PPP ’s counsel argues in favour of floor crossing, saying it is allowed in UK, US and Canada
had also questioned the formation of the bench objecting to the inclusion of certain judges The Supreme Court maintained that bench formation follows legal protocols and emphasised that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had voluntarily excused himself, leading to Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan’s inclusion The court further addressed PTI s claim that the review petition was heard out of turn stating that the petition was correctly scheduled and that opposition to its timing lacked support from the Additional Attorney General and Farooq H Naek, with Ali Zafar being the sole objector Additionally the court clarified the role of the President in filing references stating that as a symbol of national unity the President is not required to issue notices to every citizen when filing a reference, thus outlining the legal process Regarding bench formation, the Supreme Court reiterated that while the chief justice oversees bench formation he is not legally obligated to explain his decisions In this case, the chief justice voluntarily issued a clarifying statement despite no legal requirement
Islamabad’s three major bar associations have rejected the recent constitutional amendments and announced to vehemently resist all such move aim to tame the judiciary The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) and the Islamabad Bar Council (IBA) in a joint press conference declared that they will not only oppose the amendments but will actively work to prevent them from
LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T Former president and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Arif Alvi has accused Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa of creating an atmosphere conducive to floor-crossing, driven by a lust to extend his tenure Alvi likened Isa’s actions to those of the current government which he alleged is ruining the Constitution for its survival
I have never seen a chief justice like Faez Isa in my life, Alvi said while speaking to reporters at the Anti-Terrorism Court, where he met with PTI lawmakers arrested in connection with the May 9 riots following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan
Alvi went on to criticise the chief justice, stating, He has damaged the country more than Justice Munir ” referencing the controversial former judge who was criticised for judicial overreach in the 1950s
The former president expressed concern over what he described as a “bazar of cruelty,” claiming that the CJP had opened “a market for buying and selling people like how slaves were once sold in America Alvi also questioned the timing of the invocation of Article 63-A, which deals with defection, claiming it was unnecessary and only served to prolong Faez Isa’s tenure He stressed the need for judicial reforms in the lower courts to provide justice to the public, instead of what he saw as efforts to extend each other ’s tenures Regarding PTI’s rallies, Alvi
PM Shehbaz, Malaysian counterpar t
said that the police were solely responsible for the violence and chaos at the rallies “PTI’s rallies are peaceful; it s the police who create anarchy he stated
When asked about the ongoing situation in Gaza and Palestine, Alvi thanked Iran for its response to Israel and urged Muslim countries not to forget the plight of Muslims in Gaza Palestine and Kashmir Israel is acting like a hooligan, and Muslims must stand united Quaid-e-Azam s vision was for a single state with a Palestinian majority,” he said
potential source of this talent Additionally, he confirmed Malaysia’s commitment to importing 100 000 tonnes of Basmati rice from Pakistan He praised PM Shehbaz s address at the UN General Assembly for effectively advocating for Gaza and commended Pakistan s firm stance against Israel s
Gaza and Lebanon
munity s inaction
ISLAMABAD
FA ZL ACCEPTS SC RULING ON ARTICLE 63( A ), BUT WARNS AGAINST MATCH-FIXING
Fthe Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination regarding the short supply of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) at Federal General Hospital Chak Shahzad Islamabad The meeting was told that the
Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) used at Federal General Hospital Chak Shahzad was manufactured by the National Institute of Health Islamabad and it was currently priced at Rs 891 65 whereas the same drug was sold at Rs 2126 40 for WHO-approved ARV and Rs 1266 14 for non-WHO approved ARV in the market After due consideration, the ECC approved the proposal to increase the Maximum Retail Price of AntiRabies Vaccine (ARV) manufactured by the National Institute of Health Islamabad from Rs 891 65 to Rs 1980 per vial of 0 5ml/ dose to cover the landed cost of imported material and ensure its sufficient production and supply to the public sector hospitals The ECC also considered and approved a proposal for increase in the rate of Special Allowance (equal to 20 Daily Allowances) for the employees of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on a par with other federal Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) The meeting was told that the salaries of the ANF employees
politician
which he believes isn’t true representation of the people to defer the tabling of constitutional amendment ahead of all-important upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, scheduled for October 15 and 16 in Islamabad In July this year, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had elaborated
were considerably low as compared to employees of other LEAs despite undertaking similar work and encountering similar dangers and hazards peculiar to their job of drug prevention and border patrol The impact of revision to the tune of Rs 264 744 million in DA rates for the ANF employees would be met from within the current year s sanctioned budget
The ECC also took up and approved a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination for grant of Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) of Rs 150 million to meet the requirements of the COP-29 to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11th to 22nd November 2024
Zafar was
curiae rather than contesting the case as Imran s lawyer At Zafar stating that Imran had termed the bench as “unlawful”, the CJP asked him why he was repeatedly mentioning the PTI founder and told him to proceed ahead with his arguments If it is not a judgment but an opinion on the presidential reference then how is it being implemented? Justice Mandokhail asked Did the president say that this opinion has been given so
Cameras were fixed in an institution such as the Senate,” the CJP said, asking Zafar why he was “feeling perplexed by a single verdict” You should present your arguments; perhaps we can even reject this review petition the top judge said Zafar then began presenting his arguments in the capacity of a legal assistant for the court Zafar said the president at the time had sought an opinion regarding Article 63-A and thus a review appeal could not be accepted against it He said only the president himself could have approached if further clarification was needed to which the CJP pointed out that the PTI had also submitted a petition in the case “We had asked for life disqualification for floor crossing ” Zafar said adding that the court had said that politicians could legislate on the issue regarding this CJP Isa questioned whether the majority of the judges in the 2022 verdict had referred to it as an opinion or order of the court to which Zafar said the present court had to decide that issue To this CJP Isa asked whether Zafar supported the appeal to the extent of deciding whether the word opinion should
be used instead of decision Justice Mandokhail also said here that he and Justice Miankhel were part of the 2022 bench as well and yet no one protested against their inclusion Zafar responded here that the disagreement was on the bench s formation and not on anyone personally Later on in the proceedings, the CJP questioned who a judge was to say anything about the defection of a lawmaker, adding that it was the right of the party chief to declare someone a defector or not Members of the assembly or political parties
TH E resignation from the white-ball captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team of Babar Azam has meant an exposure of the problems of Pakistani cricket for the whole world to see Mr Azam had been reappointed to the job after resigning after the disastrous defeat by the USA which saw Pakistan eliminated in the last Champions Trophy at the group stage, and India Since then Shaheen Shah Afridi led the team to a whitewash defeat against New Zealand in a T20 series and Shan Masud led the Test team to a whitewash defeat at home by Bangladesh There have been no one-day internationals played so there has been no appointment to that captaincy, but with an entire season ahead, in which there will be both red-ball and white-ball, all ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, being hosted by Pakistan in February next year It is reasonably certain that when Pakistan takes the field next, someone will lead it There is already a lively discussion started on which individual should do so, but that will miss the point: why is Pakistan apparently coming apart at the seams in all formats One problem is the in-fighting in the team over the captaincy, and fueling that is a general instability in the PCB It is not just the captain but everyone behind: there has been a bewildering succession of coaches, chief selectors and PCB chairmen The Chairman is changed by the PM, an office which has changed hands four times since 2021 and every Chairman brings a new chairman of selectors a new coach, and they have a new captain imposed on them by the team Without arguing for one-man dictatorships someone has to put a foot down Over 40 years ago it was the captain a certain Imran Khan, who did so, and a decade later there was a World Cup win Another problem seems to be that there
WI L L the assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah prove a fresh Sarajevo moment for the world? Will it prove the fateful spark that will lead to a general conflagration? There is certainly more worry about Nasrullah s murder than that of Ismail Haniyeh the Hamas chief who was killed by a missile in Tehran Sarajevo proved to be the casus belli which caused World War I, but that is hindsight When it occurred, it was seen for what it was A Serb act of terrorism the assassination on 14 June 1914 of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand the heir presumptive to the Austrian throne to press for the demand that Bosnia-Herzegovina be set free as part of a South Slav Kingdom The Kingdom of Serbia was supposed to have fomented the trouble, under the influence of its backer, Russia Only in1903, the pro-Austrian Obrenovich dynasty had been replaced by the pro-Russian Karadordevich dynasty Serbia itself has expanded considerably during the recent Balkan Wars with Turkey The assassination of the Austrian heir presumptive by a Bosnian Serb terrorist backed by a proRussian meant something This was an era when everyone was part of an alliance system, or had guaranteed some country or the other Russia had guaranteed Serbia for example and when Austria-Hungary demanded satisfaction from Serbia it declared war on it on July 30 two days after Austria-Hungary began hostilities against Serbia Everyone rushed to mobilize before the others did Germany in particular was in a rush to defeat France, and then switch forces to the Russian front It ended up fighting the two-front war it had dreaded
No one really wanted to go to war except perhaps the UK which wanted to make Germany stop challenging it at sea and in empire-building France knew it had to fight Germany, because Germany planned a swift defeat of France, and then going on to Russia
Everyone seemed to know that the basic instability had been caused by Austria s invasion and occupation of Bosnia and ever since the beginning of the break-up of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans the Balkans had always been a problematic area Indeed, it is not impossible to trace the present Middle Eastern crises to that era It is the period when Zionist Congress founder Theodor Herzl offered to buy Palestine from Sultan Abdul Hameed II who refused bluntly Sultan Hameed was overthrown by the Young Turks in 1908 and it was their government which took the Ottoman Empire into World War I France took a special interest in the Lebanon and Palestine areas because it portrayed itself as the protector of the Christians in this area, as well as the defender of the rights of Christian pilgrims to the area
However this area was not involved in the setting off of World War I That was firmly a European war One commonality is the world has been teetering on the brink for several years, while in 1914, the world was also staggering from crisis to crisis In 1914, it was a multipolar world, as it is now, if one accepts the view that the USA may have won the Cold War but has not been really up to the task of being the world s sole policeman Starting with Vietnam it has not done well and even had to stage a retreat from Lebanon itself after 241 US personnel, including 220 Marines, were killed in 1983 by a blast in Beirut There have also been Afghanistan and Iraq There have been at least two threats of Indo-Pak wars in the last half-decade with all their horrendous nuclear consequences and the ChinaUSA
CPEC per formance and achievements
Tof Prosperity for both the countries and the region at large The CPEC is focused on facilitating industrialization trade and market access integration with global value chains socio-economic development and poverty alleviation agriculture modernization Gwadar City and the blue economy, regional connectivity,
the CPEC framework with an emphasis on technology upgradation and transfer to support the development process under CPEC According to the information available from official sources on being contacted most importantly the CPEC projects in Pakistan are also significantly contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through infrastructure development and energy sector projects, CPEC was supporting SDG 9 i e, industry innovation and infrastructure by enhancing connectivity promoting industrialization and fostering sustainable infrastructure It drives economic growth (SDG 8) by attracting investment, creating employment opportunities, and reducing poverty (SDG 1) Additionally, CPEC also addresses energy needs (SDG 7) by investing in diverse energy sources and promoting trade (SDG 17) by strengthening regional cooperation Furthermore CPEC initiatives also aimed to build sustainable cities (SDG 11) and emphasized environmental sustainability (SDG 13) through cleaner technologies and adherence to environmental regulations
The year 2023-24, which marked successful completion of the first decade of CPEC and now Pakistan is bracing for the next phase witnessed numerous achievements on several fronts In the Infrastructure sector the Pak-China Friendship Hospital, 1 2 MGD Seawater Desalination Plant in Gwadar, operational dredging of the Gwadar Port channels and joint feasibility study of Karakoram Highway (KKH) Phase-11 (Thakot-Raikot) were completed while the New Gwadar International Airport was currently in progress and nearing its completion with the passage of every day
In the Energy sector, the 884 MW Suki Kinari Hydropower Project was also near completion Special Economic Zones (SEZs) like Rashaki Allama Iqbal Bostan and Dhabeji were receiving priority with progress made in the development and allocation of plots for establishing the industrial units
An Action Plan for Agriculture Mechanization and Modernization had also been formulated and several protocols signed to facilitate agriculture export of boiled meat and also cherries and chillies to China
Furthermore quite a significant stride had been made in the implementation of socio-economic development projects, with projects completed, under implementation, and in the pipeline
Lastly, as many as 57 projects in different sectors for the third batch had also been shared with the Chinese side for consideration and these were under review for finalization
Meetings of the Joint Working Group covering Transport, Infrastructure, Industrial Cooperation, Science Information Technologies, Security, Gwadar, and International Coordination were also held during the last financial year 2023-24
Lot of more information about CPEC will be forthcoming as the year 2024-25 was planned to be the year of industrial cooperation agriculture modernization socio-economic development, and scientific collaboration with plans being made
The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail com
road has also been conceived The remaining projects on the alignment have either been completed or are under implementation and at varying stages of completion The central alignment was most likely to start in the third phase of the CPEC In the first phase of the implementation of CPEC investments in infrastructure and energy sectors through the implementation of early harvest projects, have filled the voids and accelerated the pace of economic growth of the country which will, quite hopefully and expectedly, ultimately provide a momentous boost to the economy of Pakistan In order to realize the vision of CPEC in letter and
MUHAMMAD ZAHID RIFAT
ON the fateful day of 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing many of its soldiers and civilians and taking as many as 250 Israeli and other nationals hostage aiming to use them as leverage to prevent any Israeli retaliation The attack enraged both Israelis and Americans prompting a robust, comprehensive, and decisive military offensive with the ultimate objective of obliterating Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and neutralizing the perceived Iranian nuclear threat
Following his address at the United Nations General Assembly the Israeli Prime Minister ordered a targeted strike against Hezbollah s leader, Hassan Nasrallah In the attack, Nasrallah was martyred with several other high-ranking members of Hezbollah The strike executed with precision-guided US made bunker buster bombs obliterated Hezbollah s headquarters and nearby structures resulting in the death of multiple occupants
This was the third high-profile killing since the start of the offensive after October 7 The first target was the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi an ardent supporter of Hamas Hezbollah and the Houthis who died under mysterious circumstances According to conspiracy theories Israel with the assistance of the USA, induced a fault in the electronic and communication systems of an aging helicopter This malfunction caused the pilots to lose control resulting in a violent crash in an uninhabitable and remote location
The second high-profile killing was that of Ismail Haniyeh, who was attending a ceremony in Iran He was asleep, believing himself to be safe under the watchful protection of the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards Neither Haniyeh nor the Iranians had any clue about the origin of the precision missile that struck killing him in a state of total helplessness and vulnerability
In addition, Israel has recently carried out a series of high-profile targeted killings like Ibrahim Qubaisi, Ibrahim Aqil, and
Ahmed Wahbi in strikes on the Lebanese capital Fuad Shukr Nasrallah s right-hand man and senior commanders Muhammed Nasser and Taleb Abdallah were killed in separate strikes in Lebanon Among Hamas leaders, Mohammed Deif, a founder of the Qassam Brigades and mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel was killed in Gaza and Deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri was eliminated in Beirut Additionally Iranian Quds Force commanders Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus in April The formidable Israel, backed by the powerful USA is unlikely to slow down its efforts until it has completely dismantled the leadership structures of Hamas the Houthis Hezbollah and Iran and destroyed their military capabilities to prevent any future threat, whether big or small, against Israel However, Israel’s most significant and challenging objective remains the neutralization of Iran’s military power Israel views Iran as its enemy number one due to several critical factors Iran s nuclear ambitions pose an existential threat to Israel, as the potential development of nuclear weapons could drastically shift the regional power balance Additionally, Iran’s extensive financial and military support for anti-Israel militant groups like Hezbollah
Hamas and Islamic Jihad directly threatens Israel s security allowing these groups to attack Israel more effectively Coupled with Iran s ballistic missile program capable of reaching Israel and its leaders frequent calls for Israel s destruction, these threats solidify Iran’s position as the top enemy Therefore after neutralizing Hamas and Hezbollah Israel’s next step would most likely be to implement short medium and long-term strategies and plans to neutralize Iranian threats once and for all In the short term, Israel is likely to intensify targeted strikes on Iranian military installations, nuclear facilities, and proxy forces in Syria Iraq and Lebanon to disrupt Iran s influence and limit its ability to transfer weapons to its proxies It may also escalate cyber warfare operations such as sabotage attacks on Iran s nuclear infrastructure, similar to the Stuxnet virus incident Additionally, Israel will increase intelligence-gathering efforts to identify and eliminate high-value targets within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias to weaken Iran s offensive capabilities swiftly In the medium term, Israel will focus on weakening Iran’s proxy networks by continuing military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon pro-Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq and Hamas in Gaza
What India thinks of Aligarh Muslim Universit y and Jamia Millia Islamia
BY sheer serendipity I happened to begin reading Laurence Gautier s Between Nation and Community immediately after TCA Raghavan’s Circles of Freedom which locates the life and career of the barrister-politician Asaf Ali in the national freedom struggle and probes the challenges of being a moderate Muslim or a nationalist Muslim within the Indian National Congress Coming close on the heels of Raghavan’s book, I was struck by the opening line of Gautier ’s Introduction: “Can a Muslim university be an Indian university?” Clearly the doubts and apprehensions the mistrust and suspicion that afflict Indian Muslims similarly afflict Muslim institutions including universities that Gautier is at pains to clarify at the very outset were established by Muslim individuals or organisations, primarily – though not exclusively – for Muslim students ” Having worked briefly at both Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) – a few short months at Aligarh and a few years at Jamia – I can say that there is a Muslimness, an unmistakably Muslim character to both: the time table changes during the month of Ramzan, a long break for the Juma namaz the presence of several mosques on campus the opening of academic/formal events with recitations from the Holy Quran and increasingly the presence of ever more hijab-clad women (this was pointed out by mother who studied at AMU in the 1950s and noted that there were very few women in hijab let alone the full burqa in her time) The question however is: Does any of this diminish or detract or take away from the Indianness of these universities or for that matter from those who study or work here? That would lead us to the larger question: What is Indianness?
We come back to the question posed by Gautier in her very first line when she goes on to cite Gyanendra Pandey who has compared Hindu nationalists and nationalist Muslims Hindus are seen as nationalists by default whereas Muslims are often put to an agni pariksha to prove their nationalist credentials As Gautier puts it: Indian Muslims are taken to be primarily Muslims, whatever their political stance might be Unlike Hindus their commitment to the nation cannot be taken for granted; it has to be proven for their Muslimness casts doubt on their Indianness Incidents like Batla House in the Jamia neighbourhood or the anti-CAA protests at both JMI and AMU bolster the argument that these universities are nurseries of disaffected anti-nationalists
and prompting a politician to famously declare: Desh ke gaddaron ko Goli maaro saalon ko
While there is much to read and reflect on in this richly detailed book that brings together, seamlessly many primary and secondary sources and oral testimonies a few things need to be flagged One is the obvious differences between AMU and JMI by now both Central Universities though the two have entirely different histories The reasons and the circumstances behind their establishment and their distinct “historical character” have cast a long shadow on their growth and development AMU was set up to provide secular western education to the Muslim qaum in a campus modelled on the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge, and to develop a strong bond with the colonial authorities in order to preserve their access to power” JMI on the other hand clearly had different ideas right from its inception: “Hers was a voice of rebellion one that highlighted the dissonances within the supposedly unified Muslim community A splinter group of ardent nationalists, led by Maulana Mohamed Ali, broke away from the MAO College to set up a new kind of educational institution devoted to the service of the nation In the heady days of the Khilafat Movement and the high noon of Hindu-Muslim unity Gandhi pledged instant support to this new venture famously declaring to go begging bowl in hand, if need be, to support this nationalistic enterprise
It’s interesting to note the different treatments meted out to the two universities immediately after independence and their vastly different public perception While AMU was given Central University status in 1951 one among three central universities, Jamia – that had once been famously called the lusty of the freedom movement” – struggled financially It seems as though it quite suited the Congress government of the day and Nehru in particular – who had close personal ties with several of Jamia s teachers and was a frequent visitor –to view the Jamia as a quaint space where visitors such as the Shah of Iran would be shepherded to view its projects and schemes Even the cover photograph on Gautier ’s book written with immense empathy though it is perhaps unintentionally reinforces this quaintness with gamine-faced boys dressed like grown-ups in shervani and Gandhi caps against a building designed by the German architect Karl Heinz There are other photographs in the Jamia archives showing several eminent people earnestly poring over rough-and-ready hand-made charts and diagrams Overall the picture that emerges is that it suited everyone to have this quaint charming idealistic venture in one s backyard as long as it showed no great ambitions to grow into anything bigger or grander The Jamia too, I suspect, chose to live in a shell of its own making hiding its light under a bushel making a virtue of frugality and simplicity and service It seemed content to allow the world to view it as a curiosity a whimsical other-worldly place, a retreat from the mainstream; for some, it was even a recalcitrant child bent upon being odd and different from others, especially its older sibling, the AMU For far too long the serious students and the
professional scholars stayed away from
Jamia choosing to go to AMU instead THE DIFFERENCES: The Jamia biradari –
Hasan the most faithful chronicler of Jamia’s history
was a close-knit community Being small much smaller than the sprawling AMU campus, Jamia fostered from its earliest days a sense of fellowship among its students and teachers We get a sense of that in the oral testimonies and memoirs of its teachers and stu-
annual Jamia Mela the idea of selfless service (be-laus khidmat) reinforced by teachers often voluntarily taking cuts in their salaries
shram daan, the sense of community living, the devotion of not just staff but their families to the “idea” of Jamia all of which was fostered by the compactness of the campus Also Jamia was more democratic in its functioning than AMU again possibly due to its size In this, it drew inspiration from early Islamic society There are instances of school functions starting punctually on the dot when the chief guest, Vice Chancellor Dr Zakir Hussain, happened to be running late Then there was the presence of female students from its earliest days – in classes in reading rooms even on stage – with the earliest students being daughters and sisters of Jamia teachers and workers However, as Gautier points out, this was “primarily out of practical considerations not out of ideological principles” and Mujeeb a long-serving Vice Chancellor recognised it as a valuable project only in hindsight Whatever the reason Jamia offered new opportunities for women in its feeder schools, Balak Mata centres, teacher training courses, and adult literacy classes
The presence of women on campus seen as a threat in AMU with Islamist groups gaining ascendancy was much less so in JMI in the 1970s and 80s when debates on proper and improper mingling of the sexes began to gain ground between the conservatives and progressives and questions about the presence of women, especially in cultural programmes, began to be raised While present in JMI too these voices were muted and not as strident as in AMU
Then there is the rather obvious difference of location and how that has impacted the development of the two universities: Jamia s location in Delhi compared to AMU’s approx 180 km away While in the early years, AMU was far more cosmopolitan than the mosquito-infested neck of the woods beside the Yamuna that was home to Jamia from the 1980s a perceptible change became visible The establishment of a working women s hostel in 1982 by AJ Kidwai was possible in Jamia primarily due to its location, followed by the MCRC We see that change accentuated in recent years in the changing profile of both staff and students with Jamia being more open to change and AMU becoming more closed more insular more inward-looking Between Nation and Community : Muslim Universities and Indian Politics after Partition by Laurence Gautier Cambridge University
How will Israel strike back?
Given ongoing civil unrest in Iran, a major Israeli strike on its petroleum facilities or an attack that targets the IRGC or the Iranian leadership could result in a major public upheaval that brings down the for ty-five -year- old theocratic regime
R A E L has promised to retaliate for the Iranian ballistic missile strike on its airfields and cities, which left several people injured,
QAMAR BASHIR
the
ISRAEL CL AIMS ASSASSINATION OF HAMAS DE-FACTO PM IN THREE-MONTH OLD ATTACK
Israel bombards central Beirut, killing at least
China urges ac tions to de - escalate Lebanese -Israeli situation
be made to
and the parties concerned must return to
of
and diplomatic solutions Warning that the current situation is hanging by a thread Fu said any passive procrastination would be irresponsible and any rhetoric of condoning further military adventurism would send a wrong message and cause serious consequences “We hope major countries with influence will adopt a sincere and responsible attitude and earnestly play a constructive role to avoid further escalation of the situation he said Fu noted that the conflict has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, with Gaza having become a hell on Earth ” It has resulted in massive destruction of civilian facilities, thousands of casualties and the displacement of over 1 million people in Lebanon The
ambassador called on all parties to the conflict to respect the red lines of international humanitarian law and earnestly ensure the protection of civilians Fu reiterated the importance of respecting the neutrality of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and the importance of effectively ensuring the safety and security of the UN peacekeepers UN assets and personnel should not be the target of armed attacks,” he said Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in a southern suburb of Beirut Lebanon October 3 2024 /CFP Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, October 3, 2024 /CFP The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on different areas in Lebanon over the past 24 hours
reached 46 while injuries stood at 85 the Lebanese Health Ministry reported
The ministry said that five people were killed and five others injured in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate while 23 people were killed and 41 others
RUDA launches public grievance redressal counter as direc ted by CM Punjab
NEPRA RESERVES DECISION ON KE'S AUGUST FCA'S APPLICATION
Healthy Competition and Market Repair
ISLAMABAD
Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim stressed the importance of healthy competition and market repair to drive innovation and benefit customers His remarks come as the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) continues its Phase II review of the proposed merger between Telenor Pakistan and PTCL Commenting on the merger, Aamir acknowledged it as a significant development for the telecom sector but also raised concerns about the current state of the market While we support initiatives that create synergies and efficiencies, we must also recognize the need for market repair," he stated, referring to the ongoing decline in industry-wide penetration and profitability "Without addressing these
WB Countr y Director
Calls on FBR Chairman
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
The Country Director of World Bank Mr Najy Benhassine along with Mr Tobias Akhtar Haque (Lead Country Economist), Ms Lucy Pan (Senior Economist) and Ms Irum Touqeer (Public Sector Specialist) visited Federal Board of Revenue HQs today and met Chairman FBR Mr Rashid Mahmood Langrial to discuss FBR Transformation Plan The Chairman FBR briefed about the vision of the Government for transformation of FBR and Transformation Plan approved by the Prime Minister A detailed overview of the FBR Transformation Plan and major reforms was given which also focused on aligning initiatives under Pakistan Raises Revenue Project The Chairman FBR informed that the purpose of reforms was to maximise revenue growth while facilitating compliance He highlighted the
CDA auctions 13 commercial plots during three days
The three-day auction of commercial plots organized by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been concluded During the three-day auction of commercial plots, 13 commercial plots of different categories were auctioned for 16 641 billion rupees On the last day of the auction 7 plots were auctioned for 4 206 billion rupees Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa visited the Gandhara Citizen club and addressed the investors participating in the auction He thanked the investors for their participation in the auction He said that the participation of a large number of investors in the auction reflects their confidence in CDA He said that the revenue generated from the auction will be spent on providing facilities to all citizens including investors Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa said that the utility of investing in CDA is that your money is spent on you He said that investors should give their suggestions to CDA to make this city more beautiful and modern He further said that the investors participating in the auction and CDA are the real partners in the development of the city Chairman CDA said that by adopting e-governance models all the goals are being successfully achieved
FBL , Habib Universit y to launch ‘Fintech
Innovation Hackathon’
Faysal Bank Limited (FBL), one of the leading Islamic banks in Pakistan has joined forces with Habib University to introduce an exciting Fintech Innovation Hackathon This Hackathon is aimed at addressing the evolving challenges within the digital payments landscape With this initiative, FBL aims to tap into the perspectives of the Gen-Z audience, encouraging young innovators to apply their creativity and critical thinking to develop tangible real-world solutions This collaboration of FBL with Pakistan’s premier liberal arts and sciences institution; Habib University provides a platform for emerging thinkers to test their ideas in a practical environment whilst helping shape the future of digital payments in Pakistan It also aligns with Faysal Bank's corporate ethos of nurturing talent and driving transformative initiatives that generate meaningful impact both for its customers and for the wider society Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony Amin Ur Rahman Chief Digital Officer at Faysal Bank highlighted the bank s commitment to forward-thinking Innovation "At Faysal Bank, we are dedicated to fostering creativity and developing solutions that enhance user experiences
tion in Sindh and the historic cultural ties between Türkiye and Pakistan were highlighted throughout the program The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a welcome speech by Mr Cemal Sangu, Consul General
the significance of Hassan Ali Effendi’s
and applied research aspects Dr Mateen Shah Editor of IRI s research journal Fikr o Nazar shared his views in the welcoming remarks Director General IRI, Dr Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, thanked the speakers and announced plans for future research and lectures on applied aspects of Seerah Over 100 students and faculty members attended the program
east conflict
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad issued a show-cause notice to Adiala jail authorities on Thursday for failing to ensure the attendance of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan via video link in the Azadi March case hearing ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over the Azadi March vandalism case Advocates Amna Ali, Murtaza Turi, and Mirza Asim Baig represented the PTI founder, while Aamir Mehmood Kayani, Khurram Shehzad and Jamshed Mughal appeared before the court Tanveer Hussain and Ali Nawaz Awan requested exemptions from the hearing During the proceedings, Judge
Sipra inquired about former PTI leader Asad Umar Defense counsel Amna Ali informed the court that he had been discharged from the case We received a report regarding Imran Khan s attendance, indicating he could not attend the hearing due to internet unavailability A
The
with
assistance when it is observed to be misdirected or misused Responding to a query about Secretary
KARACHI: Facilitators
city have sent these nine individuals to the Katcha region SSP Hyder disclosed during a media briefing He confirmed that four hostages have