PM SHEHBA Z , A ZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT DISCUSS STRENGTHENING BIL ATERAL TIES
g PM TALKS TELEPHONICALLY WITH TAJIK PRESIDENT, EXTENDS EIDUL FITR GREETINGS TO THE PRESIDENT AND PEOPLE OF TAJIKISTAN
g PM ALSO HELD A TELEPHONE CALL WITH SULTAN OF OMAN, CONVEY HIS WARM GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES ON EIDUL FITR
PM, President Erdogan exchange Eid greetings, views on regional situation
The Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday held a telephone conversation with the President of Republic of Turkiye H E Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to convey his warm greetings and best wishes to him, as well as to the brotherly people of Turkiye, on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Fitr
While recalling President Erdogan s historic visit to Pakistan in February this year, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the positive momentum in bilateral relations between the two countries He emphasized the need for
ensuring timely implementation of the important decisions taken by the two sides during the 7th HLSCC meeting in Islamabad
Underscoring the deeprooted historic ties between the two countries the Prime Minister said it was a matter of great pride that the two countries had always stood together, through thick and thin especially supporting each other on their issues of core interest The two leaders also exchanged views on the regional situation
President Erdogan thanked the Prime Minister for his good wishes on Eid ul Fitr and warmly reciprocated the same sentiments for the people of Pakistan
CM Sindh reaffirms opposition to Cholistan Canal project
ISLAMABAD
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a cleaner healthier and more sustainable future emphasizing the need to shift from a linear take-make-dispose economy to a circular model that prioritizes waste reduction and resource efficiency In his message on International Day of Zero Waste observed on March 30 the prime minister highlighted the growing crisis of waste pollution which threatens the environment, public health, and economy Plastic and hazardous waste are adversely affecting our rivers, landfills,
ISLAMABAD s ta f f
t
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has strongly condemned the continued illegal detention of thousands of Kashmiris accusing Indian authorities of using incarceration as a tool of political repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)
In a statement issued from Srinagar, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas decried the prolonged imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders and activists calling it part of the Hindutva-driven agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) He accused New Delhi of deliberately keeping political prisoners behind bars to silence dissent against its illegal occupation of the region Since the unilateral revocation of Jammu and Kashmir ’s special status on August 5 2019 Indian authorities have
arrested thousands of Kashmiris, including youth and women under draconian laws Prominent leaders among them include APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt Shabbir Ahmed Shah Muhammad Yasin Malik, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Aasiya Andrabi, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar, and several others who remain imprisoned in IIOJK and Indian jails
The APHC urged international human rights organizations to intervene and secure the release of these detainees, emphasizing that India is systematically denying political space to pro-freedom leaders through repeated arrests on fabricated charges The statement further highlighted the inhumane treatment of Kashmiri prisoners who are reportedly confined in deplorable conditions, deprived of proper medical care, and denied access to their families
“Their confinement is a blatant vi-
olation of international laws, including the Geneva Conventions on prisoners’ rights Instead of ensuring justice India continues to escalate its repression through arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings, the APHC statement read Paying tribute to prominent Kashmiri freedom leader Ashfaq Majeed Wani on his martyrdom anniversary the APHC lauded his contributions to the struggle for self-determination He was a beacon of resistance, and his sacrifices will continue to inspire generations of Kashmiris in their fight against Indian oppression,” the statement said Despite India’s relentless crackdowns the APHC reiterated that such oppressive tactics would fail to crush the Kashmiri people s resolve for freedom It vowed that the movement for self-determination would persist until justice is achieved
his opponents regard him as intolerable However the first party to declare anyone else a red line was when Farooq Sattar was declared their red line by MQM (P) workers worried by his failure to emerge from 90 Azizabad after he had gone there to negotiate with Altaf loyalists In fact, there was a bit of an argybargy which ended after Farooq Sattar emerged but not before slogans were exchanged including the redline one However, now we ve had the slogan raised by activists of the Baloch Yakjehti Council, who’ve declared Dr Mehrang Baloch their red line That was perhaps the weirdest use of the term for it was not used to avoid her arrest but to protest it Till date she remains arrested So does Imran but that is a much longer story I wonder if those protesting the arrest of Akrem Imamoglu, the Mayor of Istanbul and the Opposition’s probable candidate for
President in next year ’s election, have used the term There are certainly a lot of protesters So far no one has asked Iran what he makes of the whole affair On the one hand he s probably angry that they dared bring corruption charges without his permission On the other hand, he must be upset that no one has noticed that an opposition leader like him has been arrested Anyway, about 1100 have been arrested over the crossing of the red line Once the issue of corruption in Turkey has been addressed perhaps he can address that of terrorism in Balochistan Of
TH E Federal Board of Revenue failed to meet its revenue collection target for March By Rs100 billion taking the total shortfall to Rs 725 billion It should be noted that the shortfall is in the revised target given by the IMF in its recent review, when it cut the annual target from Rs 12 97 trillion to Rs 12 33 trillion a reduction of Rs 340 billion The collection of Rs 8 44 trillion is up 28 percent year-on-year for the July-March period, but is still Rs 725 billion short of the revised target of 9 17 trillion If the target had not been revised downwards, the shortfall would have already crossed Rs 1 trillion As it is, that milestone will probably be achieved by the end of the fiscal year
The FBR has already benefited from a windfall and adopted questionable methods, the resolution of certain cases had led to large inflows, as a result of the vacation of certain stay orders the main questionable tactic has been to delay refunds of sales tax This is a well-tried tactic, but it suffers from a number of defects First, it encourages corruption, as taxmen ask for bribes before making the refunds Second it merely means kicking the can down the road, as the refunds ultimately have to be made, and thus depress the collection figures of that period It seems that the C\FBR may have begun to rely on this accounting trick, as the refunds during March declined 52 percent at Rs 34 billion, thus causing the refunds for the first three quarters to reach Rs 384 billion which was Rs 6 billion up year on year
The pattern of the FBR promising the moon to the IMF when a package is sought, followed by more promises of the moon when targets are not met, is inherently unstable The result has been that even the IMF seems to have fallen in with this way of doing business, and is ready to revise targets during the reviews of programmes Indeed, one or the other should insist on more realism because no country likes a trillion-rupee-hole collection, let alone one that is close enough to default that it needs to go to the IMF
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
Founding Editor
M A Niazi
Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
After falling shor t Rs100 billion in March, FBR heads for a trillion-rupee shor tfall W o m e n a n d W a r
TH E world is currently witnessing changes in the international relations among states The most surprising elements are the new policies of the new US administration under Donald trump s presidency Recently the US President scolded the Ukrainian President in the White House and accused him of gambling with World War 3 This shift in US policies from former President Joe Biden marked an era of uncertainty in the USA s allies as they do not see now Washington as a reliable security and trade ally On the other hand the other major powers such as China and Russia are gaining more advantage in the developing states because of Trump’s current focus on his America-first policy It is needed to focus on how US protectionism will hurt its status as a global power while other powers will try to gain more influence in the developing states the former US administration was providing ammunition to Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression The European states, mainly the European Union was also providing loans and aid to Ukraine due to US pressure and its old fear of the Russian hegemonic history
The developing states are also fearing the policies of the USA because of TrumpÊs policies against immigration and trade practices This highlights that the USA is tr ying to protect its economic interests by hur ting the developing statesÊ economies. The USA has banned more than 50 states, fully and par tially, from visiting the USA, which shows its protectionist policies. This provides a hug e oppor tunity for China and Europe to help these developing states and create win-win economic cooperation for all par ties.
healthcare these complexities are further exacerbated In war-affected areas, around 76 percent of pregnant women face severe anaemia Similarly, 99 percent of women lack basic nutritional facilities, thus resulting in stunted growth of the foetus and deteriorating health of the mother After childbirth 55 percent of women are unable to breastfeed due to health issues More shockingly 99 percent of women face challenges in securing enough breast milk, resulting in nefarious impacts on the growth, development, and nourishment of the infant As evident from the precarious situation of war people are forced to be displaced from their homes and settle in tents and temporary houses Under these conditions around one out of three women enjoy the privilege of access to safe cooking facilities However, 69 percent of women are forced to use unsafe cooking methods, with wood and solid waste materials More exposure of women to smoke and pollutants is leading them to pernicious health conditions such as respiratory diseases Rape of women is a widespread weapon in war-torn areas Rape leaves behind physical, social, and psychological trauma on survivors and
families It is a traditional method to humiliate females and their families and to dominate or destroy their communities Since 2015, eastern DRC has been the site of conflict According to one estimate, 40 women are raped every day in DRC The United Nations Human Rights Commission passed a resolution in 1993 recognizing rape as a war crime thus allowing the prosecution of cases involving rape and sexual violence as war crimes and crimes against humanity Considering all the above-mentioned afflictions faced by the already suppressed class of humans there is a need for an urgent response by state and non-state actors Women are a vulnerable community but this condition is exacerbated by the gender-blind institutions using them as a weapon of war, and the double burden they carry It is the need of the hour that all the international human rights organizations, stakeholders, advocates of feminist narratives, and prolific writers should come forward to assuage the catastrophic condition of women in the world They need a healing touch on an urgent basis and along with that it is crucial to nurture and utilize this human potential to its fullest According to Plato, suppressing women is not only a violation of their fundamental rights but also a flagrant waste of human resources
The writer can be reached at (usamaranjha82@gmail com)
Language builds bridges
Click culture
of conflicts women are suffering from the extraordinary challenge of providing care to children in the form of feeding and supporting the family as a whole The shoulders of weak women are weighed down by a double burden: one in the form of unpaid labour at home and the other at workplaces to assist the males of their families in
They need a healing touch on an urg ent basis, and along with that, it is crucial to nur ture and utiliz e this human potential to its fullest According to Plato, suppressing women is not only a violation of their fundamental rights but also a flagrant waste of human resources
Onion glut
MUHAMMAD
Redrawing Middle East boundaries
subjectivity in defining the Middle East as the system s boundaries expand or contract depending on the criteria adopted
LBinder was among the first scholars to question the geographical and political scope of the Middle Eastern system in 1958 In defining this system Binder considered various criteria, including the existence of regional organizations and defense pacts, the interrelationship between domestic and international politics conflicting intra-area policies the role of religious opposition to nationalism government policies and historical and colonial experiences Based on these factors, Binder argued that the Middle East proper stretches from Libya to Iran, with fringe areas including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Maghreb, and the core area comprising the Arab states and Israel ” This conceptualization of the Middle East underscores its broad geographical span while also highlighting the unifying elements of religion and colonial legacy that link its individual components Binder s formulation initiated a debate regarding the composition and scope of the Middle Eastern system This discourse revealed the diversity of perspectives on what constitutes the Middle East
One school of thought, for instance, identified Ottoman political culture as the primary determinant of regional inclusion, which led to the exclusion of Morocco and Iran from the system Another approach concentrated on Israel its neighboring Arab states and the involvement of extra-regional great powers consequently omitting Iran Turkey, and the Maghreb states A third perspective restricted the definition of the Middle East to Arab states, emphasizing Arab nationalism as the central criterion These differing approaches illustrate the inherent
This issue of defining the Middle East becomes more complex when considering the impact of Islamist movements If Islamist ideology is treated as the binding element of the system the Middle Eastern system could theoretically encompass a vast area stretching from Morocco to the Philippines Such a broad conceptualization however renders the system analytically ineffective due to its sheer size and complexity
In response to this challenge, Buzan and Wæver introduced the notion of regional subcomplexes within larger systems They proposed that given the significant number of states in the Middle East it is necessary to recognize distinct subcomplexes to better understand regional dynamics Specifically, they identified the Levant subcomplex, consisting of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria and the Gulf subcomplex which includes Iraq Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries However Buzan and Wæver do not offer explicit criteria for distinguishing these subregions beyond geographic proximity They acknowledge the considerable overlap and interconnections between these subcomplexes making clearcut distinctions challenging Additionally their assertion that Turkey lies outside the Middle East is contentious as Turkey has played a significant role in the region s geopolitics, particularly in both the Levant and the Gulf Turkey’s foreign policy initiatives, military interventions, and diplomatic engagements have frequently positioned it as a key actor in Middle Eastern affairs further complicating its exclusion from the system An alternative approach to conceptualizing the Middle Eastern system is to view it as a structure defined by the foreign policy
priorities of its core states From this perspective the Middle Eastern system comprises states that primarily focus on two interrelated geopolitical issues: the Arab–Israeli conflict and Gulf security This framework provides a coherent and analytically useful understanding of the region as it centers on key security dynamics that shape regional interactions Within this context North Africa is largely excluded from the Middle Eastern system Although North African states may engage with the Arab–Israeli conflict, their influence on the issue is not primary Conversely Turkey’s increasing involvement in Middle Eastern affairs over the past seven decades has positioned it as one of the system s main participants
Based on this approach, the Middle Eastern system comprises sixteen state actors: Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia Qatar United Arab Emirates Oman and Yemen These states are central to regional security and political dynamics particularly concerning the Arab–Israeli conflict and Gulf security Additionally, the Middle East is characterized by the presence of influential non-state actors that often challenge the authority of state governments and contribute to regional instability Among these non-state actors are militant groups such as ISIS al-Qaeda Islamic Jihad Hezbollah, and Hamas; paramilitary organizations like the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq; and political movements, including Kurdish nationalist groups, Palestinian factions such as Fatah and Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood
The influence of these non-state actors varies depending on their resources organizational capacities, and ideological motivations The significance of non-state actors in the Middle East is particularly evident in
their ability to shape security dynamics and state policies For instance Hezbollah s military capabilities and political influence in Lebanon make it a critical actor in the Levant subcomplex, while the role of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq highlights the intersection of state and non-state security structures in the Gulf subcomplex Similarly Hamas and Islamic Jihad exert considerable influence over the Palestinian territories, complicating efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict These non-state actors operate within and across state boundaries further blurring the lines between domestic and international politics in the region Furthermore external powers play a crucial role in shaping the Middle Eastern system The involvement of great powers such as the USA, Russia, China, and the European Union influences regional security economic policies and diplomatic engagements The USA has historically maintained a strategic presence in the Gulf ensuring the
Ultimately, the Middle Eastern system is best understood as comprising state and nonstate actors that are primarily engag ed in issues related to the Arab–Israeli conflict and Gulf security This perspective allows for a coherent analysis of regional interactions, while also acknowledging the critical role of external powers and non-state actors in shaping the g eopolitical landscape of the Middle East
The vice-president of US should resign
OBSERVER
NO T for the first time JD Vance America s outspoken vice-president has made a public fool of himself He insisted on visiting Greenland despite unequivocal statements by the territory’s leaders and Denmark’s government that he was not invited and not welcome Vance’s trip was confined to a remote Arctic base where he briefly spoke to a few Americans Plans to make a wider tour and speak to Greenlanders were cancelled – because Greenlanders did not want to speak to him Such hostility is entirely understandable, given the repeated, provocative and disrespectful declarations by Vance’s boss Donald Trump that the US plans to annex Greenland and may do so illegally and by force Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark Election results this month showed the vast majority of local people back expanded self-rule or outright independence They do not want to be Americans
In a feeble attempt to justify what is in effect a Putin-style bid to seize another country s sovereign territory Vance claimed Denmark had failed to protect Greenland from Chinese and Russian threats – but did not produce any evidence He also failed to explain why, if such dangers exist, the US, which like Denmark is a Nato member has not honoured its legal obligation to develop a “collective capacity to resist armed attack under the 1951 US-Denmark Defence of Greenland treaty Trump, too, has been prating about Greenland s importance for world peace It s true the Arctic region is seeing increased great power competition, partly because climate change renders it more accessible Yet Trump in another echo of Ukraine appears more motivated by desire to control Greenland s untapped mineral
wealth As in Gaza and Panama his main interest is not security and justice but geopolitical, financial and commercial advantage Insulting plans to enrol Canada as the 51st state reflect another Trump preoccupation: a return to an earlier age of aggressive US territorial expansionism Vance in Greenland may have preferred a woolly hat to a pith helmet but his imperialist intentions were unmistakable Yet despite his frosty reception, he was perhaps glad to escape Washington, where he and his travelling companion, US national security adviser Mike Waltz are feeling the heat for another scandalous piece of foolishness: the Signal message group security breach This concerns the inadvertent inclusion of a leading journalist in an online discussion by Vance, Waltz and senior officials of real-time US bombing attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen This breach, by itself, is bad enough It might have endangered US pilots and wrecked the Houthi operation The discussion on an insecure platform could have been and probably was overheard by the Russians and others Yet its contents, which have now been published in full, also include rude and mocking comments by Vance and Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary about European allies Their shaming ignorant exchanges dramatically and damagingly highlight the rapid deterioration in transatlantic ties since Trump took office Like the Greenland incursion, the official response to the Signal scandal speaks volumes about the true nature of the Trump administration Trump’s shabby instinct was to deny all responsibility minimise its importance denigrate the journalist and dismiss the whole thing as a hoax Hegseth s claim that no classified information was released is an obvious stupid lie as the transcript demonstrates There is huge hypocrisy in the refusal of Waltz, Vance and Hegseth to even contemplate resignation, when such a blunder by a lower-ranking official would certainly have led to the sack
CURBS ON EID PRAYERS
IN February the airwaves in India were inundated with images of undocumented Indians shackled in chains on a military deportation flight from the United States The shocking images made clear the devastating impact President Donald Trump s draconian crackdown on illegal immigration would have on the lives of thousands of vulnerable Indian citizens who had risked everything to make their way to America Opposition lawmakers including Indian National Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi wore handcuffs and protested the humiliating treatment of deportees outside the parliament in New Delhi With all of this happening on the eve of Narendra Modi s visit to the White House, they demanded that the Indian prime minister take up this matter with the US president But during his US news conference, Modi responded to questions about the deportations by stating that his Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP-led) government was “fully prepared to bring back illegal migrants He added: The young vulnerable and poor people of India are fooled into immigration These are children of very ordinary families who are lured by big dreams and big promises Many are brought in without knowing why they are being brought in – many brought in through a human-trafficking system ” This response was unusually meek and agreeable for the leader of a Hindu nationalist regime known for its muscular jingoism It would seem Modi was simply trying to avoid a Volodymyr Zelenskyy-style bust-up with Trump especially with negotiations ongoing regarding reciprocal tariffs While this could be true, it is also important to remember that when it comes to immigration, Modi and Trump are on the same page Like his American counterpart Modi relies on grand visions and claims about the nation This includes the BJP government s bombastic declarations about the economic health of India At the moment, the Indian economy is facing a troubling slowdown, but there also is a longer term, much more entrenched problem: inequality In the world’s most populous country, the top 1 percent holds 40 1 percent of the national wealth By the end of 2024 India had 191 billionaires putting it in third place in the world after the US and China Meanwhile it accounted for 70 percent of the global increase in extreme poverty India is also the country with the largest population (234 million people) living in extreme poverty Undocumented Indian migrants in the US are manifestations of this dark reality The estimates regarding their exact number vary The Pew Research Center estimated that there were 700 000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US at the end
immigration” from Bangladesh allow right-wing politicians in India to blame the undocumented “outsider” for the plight of the country’s economically disadvantaged As Shah once said: They [Bangladeshi immigrants] are eating the grain that should go to the poor Elsewhere Shah has called undocumented migrants termites and infiltrators who needed to be uprooted While on the campaign trail in 2019, Shah also promised that the BJP government would “pick up infiltrators one by one and throw them into the Bay of Bengal” These unsubstantiated claims also allow Hindu nationalists to stoke fears about a demographic challenge to a Hindu nation For instance during a TV interview the leader of the Delhi unit of the BJP Ashwini Upadhyay insinuated that the majority status of the Hindu population was under threat He said that India was established as a Hindu nation and this identity was being diluted by “illegals”, “[Muslim] Rohingyas” and “[Muslim] coverts” Similarly Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar claimed that illegal migration was causing a demographic upheaval He noted that this cohort was putting undue stress on the country s health and education sectors, depriving citizens of employment opportunities, and was undermining democracy by gaining “electoral relevance” He also warned that if left unchecked, the Hindu ethnic identity would be undermined by such “demographic invasions” Finally it is equally commonplace to hear from the right in India that illegal migration is synonymous with criminality In a statement to the lower house of the Indian parliament Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said: Illegal mobility and migration has many other associated activities, also of an illegal nature ”
In India, the top 1 percent holds 40 1 percent of the national wealth
By the end of 2024, India had 191 billionaires, putting it in third place in the world after the US and China
dr MuhaMMad akraM ZahEEr
China, South Korea and Japan agree to strengthen free trade
the minority sect from which former leader Bashar al-Assad hailed further intensifying calls for a government that reflects the
and
s
The new cabinet includes representatives from different
and
Among the
groups in
appointments,
Badr, an Alawite was named as transportation minister Meanwhile Amgad Badr a member of the Druze community will head the agriculture ministry Hind Kabawat a Christian woman who had previously opposed Bashar al-Assad, was appointed as social affairs and labor minister Kabawat has long advocated for interfaith tolerance and women s empowerment and her appointment signals a move toward a more inclusive government Mohammed Yosr Bernieh has been named as the new finance minister
Despite these changes, some key figures from the previous caretaker government remain in their roles Murhaf Abu Qasra, who has served as defense minister, and Asaad al-Shibani who has held the position of foreign minister will continue in their respective roles Sharaa also established two new ministries for sports and emergencies Raed Al-Saleh head of the White Helmets, a prominent rescue organization, was appointed as the minister for emergencies, marking a significant step in recognizing the contributions of civil society groups in Syria’s recovery One notable aspect of the new government is that it will not have a prime minister with President Sharaa expected to lead the executive branch Sharaa
due to the complex political and social challenges the country faces
Earlier in March, Syria issued a constitutional declaration to guide the country through this interim period The declaration emphasizes the central role of Islamic law while also guaranteeing women’s rights and freedom of expression further signaling the country’s commitment to a new phase of governance and
BJP government s grab of waqf land for the expansion of a Hindu temple in Ujjain City, Madhya Pradesh, reflects a larger pattern HERE IS HOW AL JAZEERA REPORTS GOES:
year from 8 9 to 6 3 while there has been no change in national speed limits and blood alcohol concentration limits in each country, it said Al Jazeera sheds light on how Modi govt's bulldozer drive targets waqf properties
The Modi-led BJP government has escalated its crackdown on Waqf properties across India seizing assets worth an estimated $14 22 billion on lame excuses
According to Kashmir Media Service an Arab television, Al Jazeera, released a detailed report citing the
In January this year in Ujjain a city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh authorities bulldozed nearly 250 properties including homes shops and a century-old mosque to clear a sprawling 2 1 hectares (5 27 acres) of land
The land belonged to the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board Derived from Arabic, “waqf” refers to moveable or immoveable properties – mosques schools graveyards orphanages hospitals and even vacant plots – donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes to God thereby making such property transfers irrevocable and prohibiting sale and other uses
CORPORATE CORNER
HSY Joins Hands with SOS Children's Villages Pakistan as Brand Ambassador
CM MARYAM ORDERS FOOLPROOF SECURIT Y FOR CHAND RA AT, EIDUL FITR
Federal minister Aleem K han visits hospitals to share Eid joys with patients
UMT President wishes nation a joyous Eid
FUNERAL PRAYERS OF K ATL ANG ‘DRONE STRIKE’ OFFERED SEPARATELY IN SWAT
his brother 18-year-old Omar Ali son of Sahibzada of the same family Their funeral prayers were offered at the Ghaligay football ground in Tehsil Barikot While four people from Shaukat Darra in Galigram area of Saidu Sharif, 65-year-old Shah Da, son of Qaiser, and two members of the same family, 18year-old Hazrat Bilal son of Amirzada and 25-year-old Shaheen wife of 65year-old Shah Da his grandson 20-yearold Hazrat Bilal son of Amirzada his daughter-in-law 27-year-old Shaheen, wife of Lal Zada and a young man 20year-old Sadiq son of Pasham Khan were killed in the drone strike Their funeral prayers were offered in Mian Baba in Saidu Sharif
G andapur orders inquir y into civilian deaths in Mardan operation
Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has ordered an inquiry into the civilian casualties that occurred during an anti-terror operation in the mountainous region of Katlang, District Mardan In a statement regarding the incident the chief minister emphasised that the inquiry will examine all aspects to determine the facts He assured that the provincial government would take a clear position on the matter once the inquiry report is completed Express News reported He also noted that previous counterterrorism operations in the same area had resulted in the elimination of high-profile terrorists including Mohsin Baqar and Abbas He assured that the provincial government will not leave the families of the deceased alone and will provide them with all possible support
Earlier the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has expressed regret over civilian casualties during a counterterrorism operation against outlaws in Mardan extending its deepest condolences to the affected families with whom, it said, it
of Swat Among the deceased were 50-yearold Wazir Zada son of Qalandar from Baorai Darra in Tehsil Barikot his two children
19-year-old daughter Shaheen and 22-year-old son Nasib Zada, in addition to 30-year-old Imrooz Khan and
Earlier when the bodies of those killed in the drone attack in Mardan were brought to Swat, their relatives, Gujjar tribe and local people staged a protest demonstration at Barikot Chowk and demanded justice from the government At funeral of those killed in the drone attack former Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Malakand Division Inayatullah Khan said that the drone attack on innocent civilians was the
worst example of cruelty and brutality No matter how much we condemn this act it is insufficient they added They alleged that actions are being taken against the Pakhtun nation under a conspiracy to change their thinking, but this is the mistake of “those who made such conspiracies ” They demanded that a judicial inquiry be conducted into the incident and all the requirements of justice be fulfilled On this occasion, Provincial Minister for Housing Dr Amjad Ali said that it is a matter of great regret that innocent people were targeted in a drone attack and after the attack they were considered terrorists which is very regrettable
He said that the government has reached an agreement with the leaders of the Gujjar community Under the agreement a case has been registered of the incident and we will try to fulfill the demands of justice through a thorough inquiring into the incident at every level” he claimed He said that the government stands with the families of the martyrs and after Eid all these martyrs will be given relief money under the Shaheed Package Gujjar tribal elders Haji Jalat Khan, Mehboob-ur-Rehman and Syed Akbar Khan said that the agreement made with the Gujjar tribe should be respected otherwise protests will be held in the entire Malakand division LAHORE
On the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr the soaring price of broiler chicken has added to the financial burden of citizens already struggling with inflation With chicken meat crossing Rs800 per kilogram in several cities across Punjab consumers are left grappling with skyrocketing costs just as they prepare for festive meals Despite government-imposed rates of Rs591 per kg, markets across the province are witnessing unchecked price hikes In Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad chicken is being sold well above the official rate with some areas reporting prices as high as Rs850 per kg Meanwhile, beef and mutton prices have also surged, reaching Rs1,000-1,200 per kg and Rs2,000-2,200 per kg, respectively far above the govern-
ment s notified rates The unprecedented surge comes as demand peaks ahead of Eid, with families preparing traditional meals Wholesale rates for poultry have also spiraled, with a 40kg
Hot weather expec ted across Pakistan during Eid holidays
ISLAMABAD
S TA F F R E P O R T
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts a dry and
