Monitoring Desk: General Syed Asim Munir, NI(M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), visited the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Pabbi today and interacted with the participants of Pak – China Joint Exercise Warrior-VIII between Pakistan Army and Peoples’ Liberation Army of China.
COAS was briefed on the scope and conduct of the exercise. COAS also interacted with participants of the exercise. He appreciated the professionalism and high morale of participants being displayed during the Joint Exercise.
Pak – China Joint Exercise Warrior-VIII commenced on 19 November 2024. The weeks-long Exercise in the Counter Terrorism domain is the 8th in a series of bilateral exercises being conducted annually. Earlier upon arrival at NCTC Pabbi, COAS was received by Commander Rawalpindi Corps.
Islamabad, Pakistan: There is a phrase “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” This phrase is most appropriate when expressing who deals with foreign media in Pakistan because foreign media behaves as if it is not accountable and answerable to anybody in Pakistan.
The reporting of foreign media for the last three days confirmed that nobody from them was present at the scene of the alleged firing of security forces on protesters of PTI on the night of November 26, 2024. Still, foreign media reported that shotguns were used by the police, 45 or 55 (there is a difference of 10 numbers and they are talking about humans, not cucumbers) protesters were wounded and transferred to Poly Clinic Hospital and some of them were received dead at hospitals however, foreign media has no identities of these 45 or 55 persons and have no footage of their dead bodies nor their addresses from where they belonged. Foreign media provides just ‘sources requesting anonymity’ and eye ‘witnesses’ who are faceless, nameless, and without any identity. The allegations of killing people by the security forces are in foreign media and Aljazeera claimed that the Police used AK-47s but without providing footage of such scenes. BBC report had audio files of ‘eyewitnesses’ and claimed that hospital authorities were not sharing data and files of injured but same time claimed it had audios of some hospital authorities. DW’s claims are similar.
Foreign media also claimed that ‘some injured at hospitals denied to show their identities in fear of their arrest. According to the procedure, no injured person can be provided the facilities of operation and even first aid if the case is Medico Legal (gunshots, etc) and he is alive but does not want to share an identity. It is also claimed that postmortem of dead persons was not allowed and bodies were taken away by relatives but where these bodies were sent and buried has not been investigated by the foreign media.
The dissection of reports of foreign media categorically indicates that this coverage cannot be called ‘storytelling’ but a news report.
The government had been claiming that police were not armed with shooting weapons but entire reporting of foreign media tried to establish that police had guns and they shot people some of them to death. In all reports of foreign media, it was not pointed out that PTI rioters were using tear gas guns, they had AK-47s (shown in many clips available in social media) and they were ransacking cars (also shown in social media clips) when PTI leadership ran away from the spot leaving protesters behind.
Are they TTP terrorists or PTI followers
There is a dire need for a thorough review of reporting of foreign media and asking journalists to justify allegations they have raised in their reports otherwise such kind of irresponsible reporting would continue to harm the country because law enforcement agencies such as Police and Rangers lose their lives in quest of not using bullets against zombies like protesters but their sacrifices have been ruined by the irresponsible reporting of the media and Police and Rangers who were the victim of vandalism of protesters have been portrayed as ‘killers’. The IGP Islamabad Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, IGP Punjab Dr. Usman, Interrorir Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar were available for media quires all the time during three days of chaos but foreign media deliberately avoided contacting them to get their version before making detail reports and all reports showed how media can manipulate events with a one-sided version of the story. This is now the responsibility of all authorities who deal with foreign media to contact foreign journalists invite them and ask them to justify with facts and figures what they have claimed in their reporting. One can claim that Foreign media defeated the Rangers and Police at D-Chowk morally after the Police and Rangers successfully defeated those who attacked on capital with all kinds of weapons and heavy machinery with the administrative support of KP province.
Islamabad, Pakistan: Once again the Federal government confirmed that PTI used Afghan nationals to disrupt law and order in Pakistan, once again the public experienced the chaos and disorder PTI injected when the Belarusian President was in Islamabad and once again it has been confirmed that PTI and Pakistan cannot move on together. The last one-week melodrama testified that PTI does the politics of corpses then why this group of miscreants is not being banned in Pakistan. Pakistan recently banned a political party whose impact on the law and order situation was limited to one area while PTI spreads anarchy all over the country.
In October 2024, the government banned the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), citing security concerns. A government notification labeled the PTM as a “proscribed organization,” for engaging in activities deemed prejudicial to the peace and stability of the country. PTM was not involved in attacking military installations as PTI did on May 9, 2023. PTM was not involved in killing Rangers and policemen as PTI had been and again did it on November 24-25-26, 2024. PTM had no known links with the Zionist lobby as PTI has and PTM did not run a huge campaign against the state of Pakistan as PTI did while writing letters to the UN to penalize the country on human rights issues, writing letters to IMF to stop payments to Pakistan, writing letters to US Congressmen and UK lawmakers to ask their countries to take punitive actions against Pakistan. PTM had no huge resources for running campaigns against the Pakistan Army and the State of Pakistan as the PTI has and runs such campaigns.
I understand that the state of Pakistan had reasons to ban PTM then the whole nation has reasons to believe that PTI is more dangerous than PTM and not banning this party would not serve anything good to the country. Like PTM, recently PTI has started playing the card of ethnicity and provincialism and all speeches of former First Lady Bushra Bibi categorically stated that Pushtuns are brave and they must stand with her to attack the capital city of Islamabad. She had been indicating that except for Pushtuns nobody is brave in Pakistan. What else does the state of Pakistan need to ban this party? In July 2024, Federal Minister for Information Atta Tarar indicated that PTI would be banned soon but this soon is yet to be realized.
Would we wait for something more dangerous than May 9, 2023, and November 24 before taking punitive action against the Cult of PTI?
Former prime minister Imran Khan since he was voted out from power in April 2022, is pitching his followers against the State of Pakistan and creating a gap between the State and the Public. This situation remembers what happened in East Pakistan and he had been citing the “East Pakistan Model” his party launched a massive campaign in the past to incite the public to stand against Pakistan as was done by Bangalis in 1971. November 24-25-26 events such as crushing Rangers to death confirm that his attempt to create a divide between the State and his followers is successful and his followers consider State symbols (Rangers/Police/monuments of martyrs etc) as ‘enemies”.
PTI slur brigade had been targeting military and law enforcement agencies by abusing them with unimaginable diction even during the November 24 protest but no such action has ever taken place against Imran Khan or his party leaders and workers. Today the majority of Pakistanis believe that Imran Khan and his party leaders are enjoying the greatest respect and leniency from State institutions that have never been enjoyed by any political leader and any political party in the entire history of Pakistan. Is this leniency is a strategic move of the government that needs the survival of PTI that threatens state institutions or is it a failure of the government to ban PTI due to foreign pressures or political compromises, these questions need answers from the government.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article/Opinion/Comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk (DND). Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk News Agency.
Monitoring Desk: A petition has been accepted for review demanding that Ajmer Sharif Dargah be declared as the “Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah Tomb (dargah) of the Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti, is located at Ajmer Shareef, Rajasthan, India. Chishti also known as Khawaja Gharib Nawaz was a Persian Islamic scholar and mystic from Sistan, who eventually ended up settling in the Indian subcontinent in the early 13th century, where he promulgated the Chishtiyya order of Sunni mysticism.
A Rajasthan court accepted a petition filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta, claiming that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is a Shiva temple. The Ajmer lower court issued notices to three entities in response to a lawsuit claiming that a Shiva temple exists within the premises of the revered dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.
The petition said:
“We demanded that the Ajmer dargah should be declared as Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple and if the dargah has any kind of registration, then it should be canceled. Its survey should be done through ASI and Hindus should be given the right to worship there,”. The next hearing is on December 20.
Islamabad, Pakistan: The 26th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan introduced reforms to address deficiencies in judicial appointments and processes. Specifically:
Article 175A(4): This provision emphasizes the formation of rules by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to ensure transparent, objective, and merit-based judicial appointments to the superior judiciary.
Article 191A(6): This provision mandates that the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench frame rules to regulate its functioning.
These constitutional provisions were meant to institutionalize fairness and transparency in the judicial system. However, the failure of both the JCP and the constitutional bench to frame the requisite rules undermines the constitutional intent, leaving critical judicial processes subject to ambiguity and potentially arbitrary decision-making.
Implications of Non-Compliance:
Judicial Appointments Without Clear Criteria:
Without rules under Article 175A(4), the Chief Justice retains unchecked discretion in proposing names for judicial appointments. This undermines the collective decision-making envisioned by the Constitution and fuels allegations of favoritism and lack of meritocracy.
It contradicts the constitutional principle of institutional checks and balances.
Constitutional Bench Hearings Without Defined Rules:
The failure of the constitutional bench to frame its own rules under Article 191A(6) creates procedural uncertainty. This affects the predictability, fairness, and efficiency of constitutional adjudication.
Such a vacuum may lead to inconsistent practices or ad hoc rulings, compromising the judiciary’s credibility.
Erosion of Public Trust:
The inaction of the legal leadership signals a lack of accountability and a possible disconnect from constitutional responsibilities.
Public confidence in the judiciary suffers, as citizens expect judicial institutions to uphold the Constitution rigorously.
Legal Fraternity’s Silence:
The legal community’s apparent inaction or silence—especially bar associations and senior advocates—reflects either a lack of awareness, political complacency, or incapacity to address constitutional deficiencies.
This exacerbates the situation, as meaningful reform often requires active advocacy and pressure from the legal fraternity.
Responsibility of Legal Fraternity:
Leaders of the legal fraternity are traditionally seen as custodians of constitutional values. Their silence in this matter may suggest:
A lack of consensus or understanding regarding the constitutional amendments.
Fear of challenging entrenched judicial authorities or political influence.
A broader culture of complacency within the legal profession.
Pressure political and judicial stakeholders to prioritize these issues.
Islamabad, Pakistan: Islamabad Capital Police have confiscated 200 vehicles, 39 automatic weapons, and 600 slings, 200 bottles filled with carnosine and petroleum products in areas around the D-Chowk area that were left by PTI protestors when they ran away from the destination early morning of November 27.
According to the Interior Ministry, 70 plus the personnel of law enforcement agencies got bullet injuries as protestors had been firing at police and rangers. Around 39 Afghan citizens were arrested along with 600 protestors while running away from the spot of protest.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan: General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People’s Republic of China, visited General Headquarters (GHQ) along with a high-level delegation.
The distinguished guest held a one-on-one meeting with General Syed Asim Munir, NI(M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), followed by delegation-level discussions.
The engagements focused on matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics, measures for regional stability, and enhancing bilateral defense cooperation. General Asim Munir underscored the enduring and all-weather nature of Pakistan-China relations, emphasizing their foundation of mutual trust and cooperation. He affirmed that this historic partnership has withstood the test of time and is poised to grow further. The COAS thanked Chinese leadership for standing firmly with Pakistan, irrespective of changes in the international and regional environment.
Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia expressed China’s deep appreciation for Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to their strategic partnership. He commended the Pakistan Army’s resolve and professionalism in its ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and reiterated China’s determination to further strengthen this enduring relationship.
Earlier, upon his arrival at GHQ, General Zhang Youxia laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada, paying homage to Pakistan’s martyrs. He was accorded a warm reception, including a guard of honor presented by a smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Army.
Islamabad, Pakistan: Former First Lady Bushra Bibi and CM KPK Ali Amin Gandapur disappeared from D-Chowk when Islamabad Police started action against PTI protesters. She left her container behind and left for an unknown destination in a car.
According to the latest updates of the PTI protest in Islamabad, D-Chowk has been cleared from protesters as Islamabad Police completed action against PTI protesters and ran away from the scene.
Monitoring Desk: Pakistan and Türkiye collaborate to produce 155mm artillery shells, reports Army Recognition Group.
According to ARG, Türkiye’s defense company Repkon and Pakistan’s Wah Industries Limited (WIL) signed an agreement at the IDEAS 2024 defense exhibition in Pakistan to establish a facility for producing 155mm artillery shell bodies. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 120,000 units and include an explosive filling line to support domestic military needs and international exports.
Islamabad, Pakistan: Federal Minister Information Atta Tarar has demanded Human rights defenders raise their voices over the killings of Rangers and Police personnel who were crushed to death by PTI protesters in the early hours of November 26, 2024.
In his special televised message, Tarar who earlier claimed that PTI protesters would not enter Islamabad, said that protesters were terrorists who were using automatic weapons and tear gas shelling guns to attack Rangers and Police in Islamabad. He added that protestors were pushed back by Rangers from D-Chowk.
He also accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of bringing Afghan citizens, terrorists and criminals to Islamabad. He said he had checked the record of some miscreants who were arrested from the D-Chowk by the police, many of them were Afghan citizens and professional criminals who were found involved in dacoity in Islamabad.
By Agha Iqrar Haroon Islamabad, Pakistan: Once again the Federal government confirmed that PTI used Afghan nationals to disrupt law and order in Pakistan,...
Monitoring Desk: A petition has been accepted for review demanding that Ajmer Sharif Dargah be declared as the "Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple.Ajmer Sharif Dargah...
Islamabad, Pakistan: The 26th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan introduced reforms to address deficiencies in judicial appointments and processes. Specifically:Article 175A(4): This...
Islamabad, Pakistan: Islamabad Capital Police have confiscated 200 vehicles, 39 automatic weapons, and 600 slings, 200 bottles filled with carnosine and petroleum products in...
Rawalpindi, Pakistan: General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People’s Republic of China, visited General Headquarters (GHQ) along...
