Epaper_25-2-16 LHR

FOUR SOLDIERS MART YRED, 15 TERRORISTS NEUTRALIZED IN T WO KP IBOS: ISPR

FO U R soldiers including a Lieutenant were martyred while 15 terrorists were eliminated in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military s media wing reported on Saturday

A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the first intelligence-based operations (IBO) was conducted in Dera Ismail Khan district s general area of Hathala on the reported presence of terrorists in the area

It said security forces effectively engaged the terrorists at their location and resultantly nine of them including highvalue target (HVT) ringleaders Farman alias Saqib Kharji Amanullah alias Toori, Kharji Saeed alias Liaqat and Kharji Bilal, were sent to hell

The ISPR said the slain were involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area and were highly wanted by law enforcement agencies

It said the second IBO was conducted in the general area of Miranshah in North Waziristan district where six more terrorists were “effectively neutralised by the security forces”

“However during an intense fire exchange Lieutenant Muhammad Hassaan Arshaf 21 resident of Lahore district

leading his troops from the front fought gallantly and embraced martyrdom along with his three men, the ISPR said The three soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice include Naib Subedar Muhammad Bilal 39 resident of Dera Ismail Khan district Sepoy Farhat Ullah 27 resident of Lakki Marwat district and Sepoy Himat Khan 29 resident of Momand district, it continued The ISPR added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve, the statement concluded

Pakistan has recently witnessed an uptick in terror activities especially in KP and Balochistan Terror attacks have increased since the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised security forces for their successful operation against terrorists in KP, paying tribute to the four martyred security personnel in separate statements In a statement released by the Presidency President Zardari said that the nation would always remember the sacrifices of its valiant martyrs and praised their patriotism and bravery He also reiterated the unflinching national

resolve to continue operations until the complete elimination of terrorism, The Associated Press of Pakistan reported The PM paid tribute to the martyred personnel who sacrificed themselves during the operation according to a statement on X The entire nation, including me, is proud of our martyrs and their families,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying “We will continue the fight against terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country We will never allow the terror-

Amri Road near Qazi Ahmed According to SHO Mirza the van was carrying devotees to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar ’s shrine in Jamshoro District s Sehwan city The speedy van initially hit a donkey cart followed by a major collision with a trailer coming from the opposite side, the police official said He added that initially, rescue teams and police reached the spot and shifted two bodies and the injured to Qazi Ahmed Taluka Hospital Some critically injured individuals were referred to the Peoples University of Medical & Health Sciences for Women in Nawabshah where three were pronounced dead on arrival On the other hand, Khairpur Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Fawad Shah said that a bus coming from Burewala collided with a rickshaw that was crossing the National Highway near Ranipur The driver probably tried to save the rickshaw He said that 11 passengers died and 35 injured It is not clear

Memon the bus overturned after colliding with the rickshaw All dead and injured come from Burewala and were travelling to Sehwan to attend Qalandar s urs , he said Initially, the injured and dead were shifted to RHC but now they were brought to GIMS

Medic al device shor tage worsens as c ustoms blocks shipments over registration delays

A severe shortage of essential medical devices including diagnostic kits surgical tools implants and monitoring equipment, has begun disrupting healthcare services across Pakistan as customs authorities continue to block shipments at entry points due to expired regulatory exemptions According to a report the issue stems from the lapse of SRO 224(1) 2023 on December 31 2024, which previously allowed unregistered medical devices to be imported With no formal extension granted customs officials have halted shipments awaiting guidance from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) Pakistan relies heavily on imported medical devices, which are vital for surgeries, diagnostics, and emergency treatments The Medical Devices Rules introduced by Drap in 2017 included an exemption period under Rule 52 which was extended multiple times to allow the regulator to process registrations Despite repeated court directives thousands of registration applications remain unresolved leaving importers and hospitals in a state of uncertainty Importers and healthcare

professionals have raised concerns over the delayed response from authorities The Healthcare Devices Association of Pakistan (HDAP) confirmed that importers sought intervention from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which on January 30 2025 issued a stay order preventing coercive action against petitioners until their pending registration applications were processed However, despite the court ruling, customs officials remain hesitant leading to rising demurrage costs and worsening shortages According to HDAP the lack of clear directives from Drap and the Ministry of National Health Services has exacerbated the crisis

While Drap has recommended an extension of the exemption and forwarded its proposal to the Prime Minister s Office, no formal notification has been issued, leaving customs authorities unclear on how to proceed The situation is further aggravated by leadership instability at Drap which has been without a permanent CEO since the retirement of Asim Rauf two weeks ago The ongoing disruption has forced major hospitals to delay surgeries due to a lack of necessary implants and equipment Reports from medical facilities indicate that shortages of diagnostic kits and surgical tools are already compromising patient care

IFJ president c alls for repeal of amended PEC A law as journalists protest nationwide

regulatory bodies and harsher penalties for spreading false information The amended Peca law has been criticised by numerous political leaders journalists and experts and has been challenged in several different courts across the country Additionally the IFJ s criticism of the amended Peca law comes amid ongoing countrywide protests by journalists over the controversial amendments, which they

Taking another step to harming Pakistan

THE 3ar between Ukraine and Russia

mation wars are the new trend prevailing among countries The modern battlefield is not

The Russia-Ukraine war is a prime representation of how AI content manipulation, bots, and deep fakes can drastically alter people's perceptions across the globe While it is much harder to control AI misinformation, it provides ways to detect and verify the information Ongoing cooperation between governments, technology companies, and civil society is needed to reverse the consequences of the evolution of Orwellian dystopian reality

FOUNDER of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had defined the foreign policy of the new-born country and its relations with other countries in 1948 briefly as under:

“ Our Foreign Policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all nations of the world

We do not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending material and moral support to the oppressed and suppressed peoples’ of the world or in upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter”

In pursuance of these guiding principles

Pakistan has been extending all along these years moral diplomatic and political support to all oppressed and suppressed people around the world in general and in particular to the struggling, suffering and bleeding Kashmiris on all their black days’ observance

Kashmir Solidarity Day was also yet again observed on February 5 by the civil and military leadership and the people of Pakistan as well as of Azad Jammu and Kashmir reiterated their continued moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris till they secure freedom from India by exercising the right of self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions

Addressing the special session of AJK Constituent Assembly in Muzaffarabad Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif quite categorically stated that Kashmir will remain the cornerstone of Pakistan s foreign policy and quite affirmatively reiterated unwavering moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris until they get their right of self-determination

The long unresolved Kashmir dispute is a source of lingering conflict and tension between the neighbouring nuclear powers of India and Pakistan It had originated when the people of

Suppor ting just cause of Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir were denied their fundamental right of self-determination after the partition of the Indian sub-continent and the emergence of two sovereign independent states of Pakistan and India in August 1947

The Valley s Hindu Maharaja had acceded to India through an improper and illegal Instrument of Accession on 27 October 1947 and the same day India had airlifted its forces in Srinagar and forcibly occupied the Calley against the aspirations of the Kashmiris

Unhappy over this rather ugliest development against their wishes Kashmiris started agitating and launched an unarmed struggle for securing their birthright of self-determination and getting rid of Indian security forces

On being approached by India in January 1948, the UN Security Council through its successive resolutions nullified the Indian invasion and called for settlement of the dispute by giving the Kashmiris the right of self-determination so that they decide their future themselves through a UN-supervised plebiscite

Despite the promises made before the international community by the Indian leaders of giving the Kashmiris an opportunity to decide their future themselves the plebiscite has not been held so far

The Kashmiris struggle for unarmed freedom struggle from Indian shackles has been continuing indigenously for more than 75 years and it has been picking up tempo with every passing day as the Indian security forces continue martyring the Kashmiris freedom movement leaders but also brutally gunning down unarmed Kashmiri men women youth and girls and children ruthlessly and mercilessly over the years under the draconian laws Kashmiris have all along been protesting and observing black days and resorting to strikes to keep reminding the international community in general and the UNO in particular about the bloodiest ugliest and inhuman atrocities being committed on unarmed people demanding their birthright of freedom

On all such occasions of black days, strikes and protests, civil and military leadership as well as people of Pakistan have been voicing their unstinted support to their Kashmiri brethren and sisters condemning the Indian atrocities on the Kashmiris and reminding the

international community of its obligation towards the suffering population of Indian occupied Kashmir to force India to implement the UN Security Council resolutions

The massive lockdown in the form of curfew imposed throughout the occupied territory on 5 August 2019 by Indian Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an unprecedented manner had not dampened their high spirits in any manner They were determined to continue their struggle till they achieved their cherished objective of freedom from Indian shackles

Pakistan has all along been extending full political diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris in their just indigenous struggle for securing their right of self-determination as enshrined in the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council

The civil and military leadership of Pakistan is availing every opportunity of their contacts with foreign dignitaries within the country or abroad They duly highlight the Kashmir issue in their interaction with foreign dignitaries urging them to play effective roles to pressurize the Indian Government to implement UN Security Council resolutions as the lingering unresolved Kashmir dispute is posing serious threats to peace and stability of the region

While the occupying Indian security forces are continuing their brutalities and atrocities the determination on the part of the Kashmiri men women and children is gaining strength with every passing day to continue their struggle till they secure freedom by exercising their birth right of self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions flagrantly continuously being denied by India quite shamefully no matter how much sacrifices they have to offer Kashmiris are continuing their freedom struggle and Pakistan s civil and military leadership as well as the people are also continuing extending their moral, political and diplomatic support unstintingly at all levels as they believe Kashmiris struggle is just and without resolving the lingering Kashmir issue the partition of the Indian Subcontinent remains incomplete as Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan

PhD or fleece-D?

Despite

without thoroughly verifying the legitimacy of the credentials presented The HEC, as the custodian of academic integrity in Pakistan, must ensure that verification protocols are strengthened It should utilise platforms such as the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Centre and university-specific portals to verify the

Dhabeji SEZ concerns

MuhaMMad Zahid Rifat

The scourge of Forced Migration

MuhaMMad Mohsin iqBal

Tproposition The notion of relocating a country s inhabitants to another land raises profound ethical, legal, and political questions Such an act would not merely be displacement; it would amount to a forced eviction a violation of sovereignty and in many cases an outright usurpation Forced migration a tragic phenomenon that has scarred human history, continues to raise these questions on both humanitarian and legal fronts Across the ages, countless nations have been compelled to leave their homelands due to war persecution or environmental calamities These displacements leave deep marks on humanity reminding us of the fragility of peace and the enduring struggle for justice The question of whether a country or its people can be forcibly removed is not merely theoretical but a pressing issue that touches upon the very foundations of international law and morality The United Nations as the principal international body responsible for maintaining global peace and security, upholds the sovereignty of nations and the right of people to live in their own land The UN Charter explicitly forbids the forceful acquisition of territory and displacement of populations The principle of self-determination enshrined in international law, grants people the right to govern themselves without external coercion The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted in 1948 affirms the right of individuals to live freely in their homeland without fear of persecution or expulsion It states that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality or exiled from their country Any attempt to forcibly remove an entire population would constitute a gross human rights violation, contradicting fundamental international laws that protect people from ethnic cleansing and genocide

History provides numerous examples of

forced migration each a testament to the suffering and resilience of displaced populations The Palestinian displacement beginning in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli War, stands as one of the most enduring and contentious cases Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven from their homes, creating a refugee crisis that persists today Many found shelter in neighboring countries such as Jordan Lebanon and Syria while others scattered across the globe forming a diaspora that continues to yearn for a return to their ancestral lands

Similarly, the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 forced millions of Tutsis to flee their homes amidst unimaginable violence and loss More recently the Syrian Civil War which began in 2011 has displaced over 12 million people, with 6 5 million fleeing the country entirely These examples underscore the devastating consequences of forced migration: the loss of livelihoods, the erosion of cultural identity and the creation of generations of refugees who struggle to rebuild their lives

The United Nations has established frameworks to address the plight of displaced populations The 1951 UN Refugee Convention defines the rights of refugees and the obligations of states to protect them explicitly prohibiting their forced return to countries where they face persecution a principle known as non-refoulement Additionally, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include targets aimed at reducing inequalities and addressing the needs of dis-

placed populations Goal 10 emphasizes the importance of safe orderly and regular migration reflecting the international community s commitment to upholding human dignity The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) plays a critical role in providing humanitarian assistance to refugees and advocating for their rights, ensuring that forced migration is addressed through legal and humanitarian channels rather than coercion or violence

At the heart of the issue lies the question of Palestine For over seven decades Palestinians have faced occupation, displacement, and systemic efforts to erase their identity The idea that they could be forcibly relocated to another land is not only morally indefensible but also legally impermissible Palestinians have a historical and legal right to their land recognized by numerous UN resolutions and international legal instruments Any attempt to evict them and resettle them elsewhere would not be a peaceful solution but rather a continuation of historical injustices It would amount to a de facto annexation of Palestinian land a policy that has been consistently condemned by the international community The Fourth Geneva Convention, which governs the treatment of civilians in times of war, explicitly prohibits the transfer of populations under occupation further underscoring the illegality of such actions

Would the world allow such an act of usurpation? History suggests that international responses to such situations are often dictated by political interests rather than

moral principles While international law is clear enforcement is selective often depending on the will of powerful nations The so-called might is right doctrine where power dictates the fate of nations has been seen throughout history, from colonial occupations to modern-day conflicts The analogy of the "stick and buffalo" formula is apt in this context: those with power dictate the rules regardless of legality or justice In the case of Palestine the equation of force and influence is heavily skewed with powerful international players shaping the discourse The support of major Western nations for Israel, despite repeated violations of international law, underscores this reality If justice were to prevail international law would be enforced uniformly preventing any nation from forcibly displacing another It is difficult to ignore the historical context in which the Jewish people, who suffered expulsions and persecution, particularly in Nazi Germany and elsewhere in Europe now stand as the dominant force in displacing another people The irony is profound and tragic The pain of historical suffering should have engendered a commitment to justice and human rights, yet instead, history appears to be repeating itself this time with Palestinians as the victims It is not merely a case of historical vengeance but a political reality shaped by power dynamics geopolitical interests and

tablish relations with Israel without that " Indeed, years of US and Israeli diplomacy towards Saudi Arabia and the expansion of the Abraham Accords may have been compromised by the clumsy statements of Trump and Netanyahu Time will tell COMPLEX DILEMMA

of Trump s executive orders

FOR the past few years, American democracy has been slowly moving towards a sort of techno-feudal financial oligarchy With the second Trump administration it is making a massive jump in that direction It increasingly resembles a constitutional monarchy, where one of the pillars of the American political system - the separation of powers among the executive legislative and judicial branches - is ever-more blurred President Donald Trump is wiping out the US federal government s employees with the supervision of his crown prince, billionaire Elon Musk He also controls both houses of Congress, and the Supreme Court is expected to be docile and sympathetic to his overhaul of the American political economic and social system The only feeble opposition comes from a few judges who are challenging some

It is a situation that resembles some Arab monarchies, and from this point of view, it is interesting to watch the political dynamics between the US and Arab states in the framework of the tense situation in the Middle East which hangs on two fragile ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza Israel is accused of violating both Of course, Trump has said nothing about these violations - but when Hamas delayed the release of a few hostages because the ceasefire deal was not being upheld the US president replied with a dangerous and bellicose ultimatum EMBARRASSING VISIT Any Arab citizen with a shred of per-

y embarrassed upon watching the interaction unfold in the Oval Office when Trump re-

Hashemite king did not utter a single word as the US president outlined his vision for Gaza, which should require an update of a

s new system of “real-estate foreign policy” Trump doubled and tripled down on the necessity of an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population in Gaza and their resettlement in neighbouring countries (except Israel) This proposal risks upending the region and destabilising the two fragile countries that are supposed to be the main recipients of the two million Palestinians: Egypt and Jordan It is unclear whether King Abdullah said anything to Trump after the

media left the Oval Office But it is not surprising that an imminent visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to Washington has reportedly been postponed Perhaps Sisi was not keen to receive the same humiliating treatment as the Jordanian king

There is a golden rule to follow when Trump speaks: never take his words at face value For him, everything and its opposite can be true; we are in a post-truth era There is thus a thin ray of hope that he does not really mean what he says and that his approach is purely transactional We are all scratching our heads trying to square Trump s assertion that he will own Gaza with his commitment not to deploy US troops in the Middle East It is also unclear as to whether what Trump says reflects his own thinking or is the byproduct of the many Zionist advisers he selected for his foreign policy team A compelling clue can be found in the recent comments of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Not to be outdone by his American buddy, he said that a Palestinian state could be created in Saudi Arabia, which has a lot of free land at its disposal

To say the least the royal court in Riyadh did not appear pleased by this suggestion In its forthright response to Netanyahu and Trump, the royal palace poured cold water on both last Sunday, stating: "His Royal Highness emphasised that Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and will not es-

If Arab monarchies really want to influence the US decision-making process with regards to a fair and lasting peace in the Middle East they must speak together in a coordinated fashion The emergency Arab summit on 27 February could be one of the last opportunities for this Unfortunately, history has repeatedly shown that such gatherings are marked by lofty rhetorical performances, followed by little concrete action To be fair, the last time that the Arab League proposed something meaningful the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative it was practically ignored by both the US and Israel Qatar and the UAE, two smart and bold monarchies, have shown their capabilities to interact effectively with the US and to speak inconvenient truths to Washington and Tel Aviv Saudi Arabia meanwhile faces a complex dilemma: how can it promote its reform agenda which requires US support and a peaceful regional setting, while also maintaining its legitimacy as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques?

In other words, how can Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman join the Abraham Accords while the US and Israel with their incendiary rhetoric and brutal actions on the ground are systematically undermining the minimal requirements for stability and peace in the region?

Trump did not spare the Saudi crown prince his own dose of humiliation when he said that to honour the kingdom with his first visit he would need $500bn from the king-

dom in purchases; when it committed $600bn, Trump raised the sum to $1 trillion And the fragile Jordanian monarchy, like Egypt depends on western economic military and intelligence support For many scholars focused on Middle East diplomacy the behaviour of the US and Israel challenge logic and conventional wisdom - commodities that have sadly become quite rare The impression is that Trump is seeking to help Netanyahu achieve his goal of restarting the war in Gaza Apparently they learned nothing from the previous 15 months of failure But worse could be coming: it would not be surprising if the new US administration formally recognises further Israeli annexations of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, beyond East Jerusalem, alongside new annexations of Syrian land

The Saudi response to this open support for Israeli expansionism came in another statement from the royal palace criticising statements that aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian brothers in Gaza including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to" It went further: This extremist occupying mentality does not understand what the Palestinian land means to the brotherly people

The Asian responsibility

6 0 p e rc e n t o f t h e we a l t h o f b i l l i o n a i re s c o m e s f ro m

i n h e r i t a n c e, c ro ny i s m a n d c a p i t a l i s t c a p t u re

of political systems We all have our preferences for the ideal political system However to wait for that to happen is a recipe for inaction What Asia needs now is to create a salad bowl forum of nations for cooperation Like in a bowl of salad there will be distinctly different elements, but nevertheless there will also be a unity of purpose There are examples of multilateral initiatives with global vision from Asia One of the most prominent was the Bandung Con-

ference of 1955 Led by Indonesia’s President Suharto and India s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru the Bandung conference was organized by a group of heterogeneous Asian countries with representations from different parts of the world Its main focus was political, mainly to nurture the nonaligned movement among nations that had newly broken from colonial rule but it also had ambitions of nurturing economic cooperation among these nations Asia is in a position to restart such an initiative, where countries respect the differences in their internal political institutions (or at least are reconciled to these differences for now) but have a common aim--for peace and for a world economy that is growing sustainable and equitable

One key reason for much of our troubles today is inequality Extreme inequality is bad enough, but in today s digital world, where one can use one’s wealth to capture the platforms of information and influence the rise of inequality goes hand in hand with the trampling of democracy and voice As few people become wealthy beyond imagination the masses not only lose in terms of their relative wealth, they lose their voice and become cogs in the wheel Oxfam’s report, “Takers not makers”, released on 20 January 2025 draws attention to the stark unfairness of