PM PRODS MUSLIM WORLD INTO ADDRESSING GIRLS EDUCATION CHALLENGES
g PM SHEHBAZ UNDERSCORES COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AT SUSTAINABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEMALES
g DENYING EDUCATION TO GIRLS, AMOUNTED TO DENYING THEIR RIGHTS AND RIGHT TO BRIGHT FUTURE: PREMIER
g PM SAYS WOMEN MADE HALF OF PAKISTAN POPULATION, YET FEMALE LITERACY RATE STOOD AT 49PC ONLY, WHILE ALARMINGLY AROUND 22 8M KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOLS
Addressing a meeting of the visiting ministers and authorities of education from
(Peace Be Upon Him) He said that they were ready to share their experience with the relevant authorities in the education sector adding a committee had been formed in the country over reforms in this sector which was also coordinating with all the provinces Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said that the government had undertaken a number of reforms in the education sector Their goals were compatible with the funding and the budget allocation – hopeful about outcome of Int’l Conference on Girls’ Education
Cabinet approves amendment to PTA Ac t for revising chairman, members’ pay packages
COMMENT
Remittances record
THE December remittance figures issued by the State Bank of Pakistan show a welcome increase, reaching $3 08 billion, up six percent in November The half-yearly figure of $17 8 billion was 32 8 percent more than the previous year s $13 4 billion Which gave some credibility to the predictions of a total for the year of $36 billion Perhaps inevitably but a little needlessly the ruling PML(N) and the opposition PTI made this about the PTI s civil disobedience movement, which had included overseas Pakistanis holding back remittances The ruling party has argued that overseas Pakistanis have greater trust in its government
This is not entirely true, for there are two other factors which account for this increase, both indicating that this will not prove to be mere temporary spike but a more permanent development First, the more usual hundi and hawala channels have been closed up, partly by administrative action, but more lastingly by ensuring that the bank rate and the open-market dollar rates do not grow too far apart Second, more Pakistanis have gone abroad and are sending home money One social change that has happened is that wheres once youngsters sought a future abroad if they were not thought of as of any account, now they go abroad as earning hands, and because they can send home remittances to their families One of the consequences has been a brain drain and that too of our best and brightest, of our most highly qualified, and there is the spectacle of young Pakistani professionals using their educations from institutions set up from the taxpayers’ money abroad either in the Middle East or the West as cheaper versions of Western experts
The country depends heavily on these remittances particularly to be sure that the State Bank has the foreign exchange to make the foreign exchange available to the governments to service its debt However, the weaponization of these remittances by the PTI seems improper The PML(N) is flogging a dead horse to say that those sending the money have more confidence in it because they have ignored the PTI s civil disobedience call to stop sending remittances Not to be outdone the PTI is saying that the call will take effect during the coming months Both seem to be ignoring the fact that the remittances are being made to keep the home fires burning and neither should try to politicize something that is so close to home
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
s o r o t h e r s e c u r e a r e a s w h e r e t h e y c a n p l a y e a t a n d s l e e p w i t h o u t f e a r B u t m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n s y st e m i c c h a n g e s i s a c h a n g e i n h o w s o c i e t y p e rc e i v e s t h e s e k i d s We m u s t a c k n o w l e d g e t h e m a s u n i q u e p e o p l e w i t h a s p i r a t i o n s , g o a l s , a n d b o u n d l e s s p o t e n t i a l r a t h e r t h a n a s p r o b l e m s S m a l l g e s t u r e s l i k e m
Supporting programmes that help street kids directly can have a significant impact on their lives Even the smallest move might have a big impact on their destiny We can facilitate their empowerment by supporting educational initiatives and supportive surroundings The change ultimately depends on our willingness as a group to recognize and confront these issues In order to contribute to a better and more just future for everybody, we must cooperate to make sure that these kids' voices are heard, their hardships are acknowledged, and their potential is unlocked
Afghan Situation and regional stabilit y
THE security situation in Afghanistan has significantly worsened, with alarming consequences for both the country and its neighboring states The December 11 suicide bombing at the Taliban s Ministry of Refugees in Kabul which killed Minister Khalil Haqqani and two others stands as a grim reminder of the escalating violence This attack, one of the largest since the Taliban assumed the reins of power in 2023, makes it clear that the need to act urgently to stabilise Afghanistan cannot be overemphasised The suicide bombing intended for the highly-guarded leader of the Haqqani network has shown Pakistan that no Taliban leader, regardless of how fortified he maybe, is safe from an operation The ISIS-K can be held responsible for the attack despite the fact that no group has taken responsibility for this act of terror Such a brazen attack reveals the Taliban have failed to safeguard their leaders and their territories even though they claimed their rule has brought stability in Afghanistan Pakistan, which is a neighboring state that has greatly borne the brunt of Afghanistan’s crisis denounced the bombing Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has condemned the incident and affirmed Pakistan s position of non-tolerance of terrorism However such incidents of violence are no less than concerns spurring doubts on the competency and efficiency of the regional counter-terrorism efforts as well as the capacity of Afghan Taliban in managing the insurgent threats
In the recent past the rate at which Afghanistan has become an incubator for several terrorists outfits has risen significantly especially after the takeover by Taliban; ISIS-K and the TTP included The interim government continues to play a role of denial despite the everyday killing of TTP operatives in Afghanistan which depicts a culture of difficult genuine policy admission It does not only threaten the stability in Afghanistan but also threatens the stability of the whole wide region Incongruously, the Taliban continue to deny accusations by the USA and other international allies that the militant group hosts terrorist groups in Afghanistan and regrettably the conflicts between the two neighbours continues to
soar The guilt for ISIS-K attacks lies with Pakistan, say the Taliban which is an excuse that lacks evidence and inhibits productive discussion This blame game pulls away from the endeavours which are necessary for coordinated or integrated counter-terrorism measures
For the sake of stabilization in the region the new Afghan interim government has no other choice but to begin taking active and tangible actions against terrorists continuing their activities with impunity on the Afghan territory
The consistent and extensive use of force or an occasional enforcement campaign is no longer sufficient Therefore an integrated strategy of intelligence and counter-terrorism, as well as a conflict prevention approach, needs to be taken
The denial of the existence of organizations such as TTP by the Afghan Taliban weakens confidence on trust and working relations with neighbouring countries If Afghanistan s leadership wants peace it needs to identify and eliminate terrorists The interim government should not deny the existence of insurgent groups and should make serious efforts to counter them Also, cooperation with Pakistan and other members of the international community is required to fight international terrorism As in the case of State 1 engaging all the ethnic and political groups in inclusive governance and negotiations can also address sources of conflict The increasing insecurity in Afghanistan has serious consequences in the South Asian and Central Asian regions The emergence of new terror groups without any control measures damages political stability of the region affects economic growth and increases the suffering of the populace Because of its border with Afghanistan, the TTP poses enhanced threats to the internal security and sovereignty of Pakistan– even as the country deals with TTP crossborder attacks
Further the increasing insecurity in Afghanistan poses a great threat to development and peace within that region It affects projects like the CPEC and other regional connectivity projects that require stability in Afghanistan
The Afghan government continues to have a false approach engaging in counter-terrorism
cooperation and further is likely to expose Afghanistan more to isolation besides its already worse off economically and politically With regard to the crisis in Afghanistan another major role belongs to the international community The Taliban have to be forced diplomatically as much as possible and made to accept every counter-terrorism measure set in international territories Humanitarian aid should be focused, as the people of Afghanistan have been suffering from violence for years while teenage boys and girls still want to go to school The suicide attack on December 11 IS as a sad sign of THE deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan The Taliban s inability to explain the infiltration of other terror groups and their tendency to shift blame have contributed to that In order for Afghanistan to come out of this crisis a changed country it is high time its leadership became transparent encouraged regional cooperation and urgently went after these insurgents Indeed, it appears that without a genuine effort towards the struggle against terrorism and for the stability of the region Afghanistan could turn into the hot-bed of violence and instability that would not only put the future of Afghanistan on the line but also that of the entire region The time for the reception of authentic and meaningful negotiations is at the present moment before the aforementioned problem exacerbates and becomes irreversible The writer tweets @asad355
Indeed, it appears that without a genuine effort towards the struggle against terrorism and for the stability of the
Constitutional injustice
Children nur turing nature
A ministerial assassination showed how weak the Taliban are
Can societ y afford to waste its potential?
The USA: Global Superpower or Illusion of Strength?
MQaMaR BashiR
ACOMB
Additionally, generating controlled regional conflicts could sustain demand for US military hardware and services, transforming defence exports into a lucrative revenue source while reinforcing geopolitical dominance Strengthening alliances and encouraging financial contributions to collective security frameworks, coupled with defence-driven innovation and monetizing dual-use technologies, would add resilience to the US economy These strategies ensure economic growth and maintain the USA’s position as a global superpower without compromising its defense capabilities or risking its global leadership The choice is clear: either adopt Elon Musk's vision or pursue the exact opposite approach to secure longterm economic and strategic dominance
Zuckerberg’s sudden censorship thaw is not free speech
O nline state -backed censorship and B ig Tech collusion by ac tors like Facebook c an be credited with the growing disconnec t bet ween establishment rhetoric and lived realit y across the Western world
THE Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991 is a law to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947” This is an unusually phrased law which says that temples, mosques churches stupas gurdwaras and so on will remain as they were in 1947 Meaning that the religion that was practised in that structure would continue to be practised Why was it legislated?
To prevent more incidents like the Babri Masjid demolition It could not be more clear in phrasing or in intent However laws have rarely stopped things from happening in India even in the courts In 2019 after the Supreme Court s verdict handing over the Babri Masjid site to a temple, a petition was taken up in an Uttar Pradesh court regarding the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi The court directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey though historians have clearly recorded that the mosque was built over an existing temple razed by Aurangzeb in 1669 The Places of Worship Act was meant to avoid precisely such medieval history from becoming current affairs The matter went to the Supreme Court in 2022 Here D Y Chandrachud who had authored the Babri judgment made an observation that would prove to be devastating He said that the ascertainment of the religious character of a place was not prohibited by the Places of Worship Act Presumably meaning that people were free to bring to court suits to that effect He allowed the continuing of the survey which came to be centred around a fountain which the Hindu side claimed was a shivling In 2023, the Varanasi district court asked the ASI to ascertain whether the mosque was “constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple” Predictably these events have led to a number of judges in Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan and elsewhere admitting petitions that sought to ascertain the religious character of mosques built in medieval India and ordering surveys Demands for surveys in places include the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque in Ajmer built in 1199 by Qutubuddin Aibak (who also built the Qutab Minar in Delhi) and the Ajmer Dargah of Moinuddin Chishti who died in 1236 The mosque is already an ASI-protected
site for its historical value but was now subject to demands from the BJP s Speaker in the state Assembly who wanted an ASI survey to find out if the claim was true that it had been a Sanskrit college earlier The dispute over Lucknow’s largest mosque Teelewali Masjid was centred around a claim that it was built by Shah Jahan s governor over a platform named after Lakshman In Badaun the Jama Masjid Shamsi, built under Iltutmish (who also died in 1236) was claimed by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha The Atala Masjid in Jaunpur is according to the government s tourism website the ideal for the construction of the other mosques of Jaunpur A group named Swaraj Vahini Association has moved the court demanding the right to worship inside it
In March 2024 the 13th century Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Madhya Pradesh s Dhar district became the latest site for a scientific survey by the Archaeological Survey of India after an order from the Madhya Pradesh high court
In November last year, a court in western UP heard a petition on the Sambhal Jama Masjid The court ordered a survey of the mosque premises which took place on the same day The team returned for a second visit early on a Sunday and a rumour spread that it was digging under the mosque A crowd of protesters gathered there and the police shot dead five of them We can attribute this tragedy directly to that remark made in the court The really unusual thing is that those remarks made in the Supreme Court have no binding authority, as experts have noted Those words have not been recorded in the order and exist merely because they were reported at the moment they were uttered The Supreme Court did not stay or undo the Places of Worship Act It remains in force and unless a structure has been actively used by multiple faiths on August 15, 1947, it cannot be brought to court in a dispute And yet, as we can see, the number of cases is rising with structures that are seven centuries old being claimed as property disputes For those who like the writer were adults when the Ayodhya dispute began to bubble, and then burst, and then remain as the core issue of politics for three decades, these events are alarming Too much national energy and blood has been expended over that Last month the Supreme Court stopped all courts across the country from registering new suits It also said no interim or final orders could be passed in the pending suits till it decided on the validity of the Places of Worship Act The court will hear the matter again soon when we may learn what the Narendra Modi government s position on the law is All governments are expected to defend the laws but it is unclear what the stand of this government is, headed by the party that benefited from the movement that led to the legislation of the Places of Worship Act
Facebook is tr ying to realign itself to stay relevant B ut will it go beyond paying mere lip ser vice to those demanding freedom?
up the notion that having the newly restored right to fire off as many
and “a*****es” as you want on Facebook is the best thing for free speech since the Magna Carta? Facebook s safe space for easily triggered mental midgets is now supposed to suddenly transform into a beacon of free speech and debate But only for some Sort of Who are apparently now free to call transgenderism a mental illness for example Everyone else will have to wait for their potential future liberation from the virtual hall monitor Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook and its parent company, Meta, has just announced that audiences won’t be subjected to thought policing through factchecking anymore Well American audiences at least And not by professional gatekeepers designated specifically for the task The language patrol will also apparently unclench a bit
“Starting in the US, we are ending our third party fact-checking program and moving to a Community Notes model ” the company announced citing the open collaborative model of Elon Musk s X Platform The move comes in the wake of Zuckerberg s pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago where he met with incoming US Presidentelect Donald Trump – who was himself banned and restricted by Meta until last summer – and his perpetual sidekick selfstyled free speech absolutist Musk Meta s statement cites societal and political pressure to moderate content, claiming that it has gone too far You think? It took Zuckerberg until August 2024 to admit to a congressional committee that “in 2021 senior officials from the Biden Administration including the White House repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and that it led to “choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn’t make today ” In the same letter he said the FBI
warned his team ahead of the 2020 US presidential election about a Russian disinformation operation” involving the Biden family and Ukrainian energy company Burisma on whose board President Joe Biden s son Hunter served Zuckerberg says he now realizes that the story turned out to be legit and not Russian fake news as the FBI claimed – but only after the New York Post dared to counter the official narrative that Facebook had colluded in protecting by censoring debate Until now designated “professionals” in various countries have been working with Meta to ensure narrative compliance In Canada, for example, partner AFP Fact Check has recently posted that there s no evidence linking methane inhibitors for cows to human health problems ” It’s a reference to the Western establishment’s new strategy introduced in Canada and elsewhere of suppressing cow farts with feed additive called Bovaer 10 – all in a valiant effort to save the planet from climate change
Some people have been asking whether the fart suppressor could somehow end up in milk or meat But the fact checkers say that the government says it’s safe So case closed Until it isn t of course But that would require alternative information to come to light, as is always the case when the public finds out after the fact that something officially authorized was in fact problematic But good luck having that debate on Facebook where you risk posting something that ends up being scarlet-lettered with an official message from the online Gestapo constantly scouring the website via algorithms for wrongthink At least in the US, this is all now supposed to be ending precisely where it began in the wake of the 2016 presidential election when Democrats and other
confused with a right to virality which would permit the dissemination of inauthentic content to millions of users without any filtering or moderation the French government said Yeah well it would also mean the dissemination of debate and an increased opportunity for contributions of all kinds
“France reiterates its support for civil society actors worldwide who are committed to defending and reinforcing democracies against information manipulation and destabilizing actions by authoritarian regimes, France writes Like yours, perhaps? The regime that’s clinging to the government levers with a prime minister
VENEZUEL A’S MADURO SWORN IN FOR NEW TERM AMID OPPOSITION PROTESTS
PAKISTAN, CHINA REITERATE COMMITMENT FOR DEEPENING STRATEGIC COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIP
Imran Khan moves LHC for bail in May 9 cases
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking post-arrest bail in several May 9 cases registered against him
The PTI founder maintained in the plea that he was in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody in Islamabad on May 9 and had nothing to do with the violence on the day Imran Khan termed the cases against him as an act of ‘political revenge’ Imran Khan told the court that he has been subjected to political victimization and facing several fabricated cases for two years requesting the court to approve his post-arrest bail
The PTI founder approached the LHC after his bail plea was rejected by the Anti-Terrorism
C hashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 to create 40,000 jobs: Amb Jiang Z aidong
S
Ambassador of China to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong on Saturday said that Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 which can create 40 000 jobs directly and indirectly during the peak period of construction, has officially started, showing the huge potential of practical cooperation between the two countries
Addressing the launching ceremony of Embracing the Chinese New Year 2025 , the ambassador said that Pak-China strategic cooperation would continue to deepen under the leadership of two countries
He said that last month Khunjerab-Sost Pass realized the all-yearround function becoming a landmark progress in China-Pakistan relations in the new era, and once again demonstrating the deep foundation of the ironclad friendship
Zaidong said “We stand ready to continue to strengthen the development strategies with Pakistan deepen mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, forge an upgraded version of the CPEC construction, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era to better benefit the two
countries and their peoples ”
He said that in the past year, President Xi Jinping maintained close communication with the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan and reached an important consensus on promoting ChinaPakistan all-weather strategic cooperation, especially on forging an upgraded version of CPEC
He said China’s economy has continued to stabilize and improve The annual GDP is expected to exceed 130 trillion yuan
He added total grain output has reached a new level of 1 4 trillion jin for the first time, the annual output of new energy vehicles has exceeded 10 million for the first time the annual express delivery volume surpassed the 150-billionparcel mark for the first time, and the annual passenger volume of China’s railway network has exceeded 4 billion for the first time
This is the result of joint efforts of people of all groups across China as well as the positive contributions of overseas Chinese including those in Pakistan, he added Zaidong said, I hope and firmly believe that everyone will further forge a strong sense of community of the Chinese nation more actively support the development
of China, promote China-Pakistan cooperation, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese modernization
He said that the embassy is the home of our compatriots overseas “We will provide service with heart and soul so that everyone can feel the warmth of the motherland
The ambassador said We stand ready to provide new opportunities for the world with the new development of Chinese modernization, and first benefit to our iron friend Pakistan ” He expressed gratitude to the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan for writing to President Xi Jinping on the earthquake in Dingri county, Xizang In the letters, they expressed sincere condolences and Pakistan’s willingness to provide all possible assistance he added
“We firmly believe that regardless of sudden natural disasters or complex and severe external environments we can overcome difficulties and move forward courageously, and continuously push forward the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation ” he concluded
Truck accident claims 12 lives in K arak
At least 12 people were killed and 13 injured when a 22-wheeler lorry lost control and ploughed into multiple vehicles at Ambiri Kala Chowk on the Indus Highway in Karak local authorities said on Saturday Deputy Commissioner Karak confirmed that the crash occurred due to brake failure Express News reported Emergency responders are still pulling bodies and survivors from the wreckage, including a passenger bus crushed beneath the lorry he said adding that hospitals in the area were on red alert Police fear the death toll could rise as rescue teams work to retrieve victims A