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Technology and Education

By
Adnan Sami
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0
Technology

Human beings are always curious to learn something new. This deep interest led humans to the development of different systems for learning. In the past, books were only available to the elites due to their very expensive nature and because they were considered something new in the world. However, after the invention of print, books have been printed in unlimited numbers and the education and learning system have been easy for the public as well. The newspaper also started printing and people started learning from them.

Technology brought many opportunities for students to get benefits from modern resources.

The introduction of information technology in the world which is considered the third revolution, (the fourth one is AI), has expanded knowledge across the globe and every class of society was able to gain knowledge and pursue a career. Technology brought a lot of opportunities for the public but it also has some negative impacts on students, especially in the 21st century with the introduction of AI.

With the introduction of technology, accessibility for students became easy. All the sources are available online and students can access them at any time. It also helps those students who are unable to pursue physical education, now they can access and continue their education and learn from online sources. Secondly, the technology increases the engagement of the student with their respective teachers as well as with other platforms across the globe.

The students now can attend online seminars and events with the help of technology and gain knowledge (Brodowicz 2024). Thirdly, with the help of technology, students with some genuine issues can take the recorded lecture to continue their learning.

Technology has decreased productivity and creativity among students.

Furthermore, technology also enhances the teacher’s engaging power to create curiosity in the students for new and innovative things. The teacher can use different strategies and implement them by creating different digital tools to enhance students’ learning opportunities. Technology not only increases engagement between students and teachers but also among students.

The students can interact with each other anytime to discuss the premier issue and also take help from online resources to tackle the issue without the presence of a teacher. In a nutshell, the technology also helps the students to use different tools to prepare themselves for future academia.

With the positive impacts of technology on education, there are also some negative implications of technology on education that distract students from their actual path. Firstly, the most important one is, that technology has decreased productivity and creativity among students.

Now, most of the students take help from online sources without touching books.

Priory, students always took help from the books and book reading was familiar among the young students. Now, most of the students take help from online sources without touching books and complete their tasks. The students also help from different online tools to prepare similar questions answers and projects for them without studying it.

However, technology also increases inequity among students. Those who cannot afford modern technological tools are behind and do not have access to the tools, due to which the gap between have and haven’t further increased in the education system. Additionally, the overreliance of the students on technology can further damage the student creativity.

Now, students mostly rely on technology to use different tools to complete their tasks. Technology also decreases the interaction between teachers and students and has some negative impacts on the student’s moral behavior. Students will be unable to learn morality and how to behave with others.

The overreliance of the students on technology can further damage student creativity.

Therefore, technology brought many opportunities for students to get benefits from modern resources as well as from modern tools. Further, it is also important to note that the use of technology solely depends on the student and how someone can use modern technology.

With the introduction of technology, the education system has been boosted, and now more students can get an education and are aware of the modern tools compared to the past century.

It helps the students and motivates them to benefit from these modern tools. However, the teachers need to arrange some classes at the school level on the use of technology in a positive way.

Students will be unable to learn morality and how to behave with others.

Most of the students from rural areas are still unaware of the use of these technologies on the educational level. This will bring awareness to the students, literate them technologically, and will play an important role in the development of the country.

BRICS Membership: Erdogan Wants Close Ties With Both East and West

By
Info Desk
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Erdogan

ISTANBUL/ANAKRA – Turkiye – formerly known as Turkey – aims at taking part in all important global platforms, said the ruling party said, as the country applied for the BRICS membership.

It was Omer Celik, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson, who made the comments at a press conference.

“Our president [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] has many times stated that we want to become a BRICS member… The process is now under way,” said Celik.

NOT AN ALTERNATIVE TO EU

Earlier in June, Erdogan said he doesn’t view BRICS membership as an alternative to other groups, and the country officially remains a candidate to join the European Union.

Similarly, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was asked during a visit to China in June whether Turkiye might join BRICS group. His reply was, “We would like to, of course, why would we not?”

However, it is believed that the move is a product of frustration over a lack of progress in its decades-old bid to join the European Union.

Turkiye has been in talks to join the EU since 2005, but has encountered a series of obstacles, including what that bloc describes as the country’s democratic shortcomings.

Over the weekend, Erdogan said Turkiye could become “a strong, prosperous, prestigious and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously”.

“Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it,” the Turkish president remarked.

“We do not have to choose between the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as some people claim,” Erdogan said. “On the contrary, we have to develop our relations with both these and other organizations on a win-win basis.”

COUNTERWEIGHT TO THE US?  

In 2009, four emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India and China – laid the foundation of BRIC. A year later, it was renamed as BRICS after South Africa joined the group.

However, expansion is in progress as more and more nations are in line to be part of BRICS, which sees itself as a counterweight to the US and Western-led global order.

That’s why Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined the group at the beginning of this year.

At the same time, there is also Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) led mainly by China. The next SCO summit is scheduled for Oct 15-16 in Islamabad.

Established in 2001, by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, SCO has a stated aim of promoting cooperation and peace among its member states, as well as fostering “a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic order”.

However, the organization now has nine members after Pakistan and India joined became its members in 2017 followed by Iran in 2023.

GEOPOLITICAL CENTER OF GRAVITY IS CHANGING

Earlier, Bloomberg had reported while quoting sources that the Erdogan thinks that the geopolitical center of gravity is shifting away from developed economies.

That’s why Turkiye wants to develop ties with all sides in a multipolar world, while still fulfilling its obligations as a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On the other hand, Ankara maintained close ties with Moscow following Russian invasion of Ukraine, which created rifts within NATO.

Ankara thinks that the Western nations are thwarting Turkish aspirations for a self-sufficient defense industry and strong economy.

However, Fidan recently said rejuvenating the EU membership talks was “a strategic target”. He made these comments after attending informal talks with his EU counterparts last week for the first time in five years.

The Eerie Similarities Between Trump and Imran

By
Arsalan Raja
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Imran Khan

Here it comes. Donald Trump, the former US president who is again vying for the most prestigious office in the world, says he had every right to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

Although facing charges at federal and state levels for election interference, he thinks the indictment is politically motivated to block his way in the upcoming polls.

It is certainly a scary scenario. The US is supposed to be a beacon for democracies around the world. In fact, it champions the cause and lectures others to follow democratic principles. However, the rise of far right led by a populist like Trump means peaceful transfer of power is no more granted even in the US despite the fact that the principle is the bedrock for a democratic system.

With the Jan 6 Capitol Hill attack still haunting the Americans, a repeat of the same tactics could jeopardize the damage foundations of the vision set by the US founding fathers.

Also read: Freedom of Inciting Violence: Billionaires Shaping The World

At the same time, it sets a bad example and bolsters the far-right groups who stand for anti-democratic ideals but use civil liberties to curb the very civil liberties after coming into power. The attack on the Brazilian Congress after Jair Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to the “comeback boy”, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is a prime example.

However, we don’t need to go that far across the Indian and Atlantic oceans to study the phenomenon and learn our lesson, as we already our own Trump version, Imran Khan.

CHARACTER ISN’T A FACTOR

It is just a cliché to say that the demagogues around the globe have same traits, modus operandi and goals.

To begin with, both have sleazy and debauched character, but portrayed as and accepted by their followers as “cleanest among the clean”. Certainly, you can’t win the hearts and minds if you are not different and better from the others who must be eliminated or at least sidelined completely so that you can implement your agenda.

LIVE FOR THE POWER, DIE FOR THE POWER

So, after a developing a cult, which doesn’t question your motives, the next step is to achieve the end goal – come into power and stay in power. Trump and Imran have mastered the art. Although they met failures, the model they have developed is still working for them at the cost of people, society and state.

WEAPONIZATION OF RELIGION

Another common feature is the use of religion in politics. Trump is banking on the White Evangelical Protestants. Over two-thirds of them support him. They are followed by White Catholics, White nonevangelical Protestants and of Hispanic Protestants. However, the main ingredient is race, thus the White supremacy, which makes him popular among these groups. In other words, it is the bond.

Also read: Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda Asked For FATA Revival. Imran Said Yes

Same is the case with Imran who is unique given the fact that he openly backs the extremists like Taliban and believe that the attire used by women can influence the men because they are not robots. The selective use of Quranic verses for all the mayhem he has been creating is the weapon employed effectively by him and his party, the PTI.

LAW AND CONSTITUTION: THE FIRST VICTIMS

Since the impression has been created that the two are mandated under religion to execute their plans, they are not like others. Hence, Trump and Imran are also above the law and the constitution, which must be defined and redefined according to their needs. Any attempt to stamp the writ of state means you are a traitor and anti-people while being a part of the deep state to block the change. Hence, the victim despite committing the crime.

YOU ARE CORRUPT

The system is corrupt and the change is a must to protect the poor from the looters, which, the duo claims, must be introduced by the hook or crook. However, Trump is a billionaire who doesn’t want to reveal his income and tax returns, while Imran maintains a luxurious lifestyle with a very limited income. They also have rich financiers who, you should believe, are not involved in plundering the resources.

PARLIAMENT IS THE TARGET

Lastly, Trump and Imran also share the ill-famous distinction of attacking the parliaments in their respective countries. They won’t accept the election results if the polling day doesn’t produce the desired outcome.

During the successful election campaign in 2016, Trump had said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?”

“It’s, like, incredible,” he boosted, knowing that his supporters don’t ask any question and follow him religiously. Why not? The end justifies the means. Now just recall the events before, during and after the May 9 violence in Pakistan.

Surely, democracy doesn’t need any enemy when democracy is at the mercy of Trump and Imran.

What Next? Trump Thinks Meddling in 2020 Election Was His Right

By
Info Desk
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0
Capitol Hill Attack

WASHINGTON – Former president Donald Trump has insisted that he had every right to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election – a statement which shows what the United States may have to face later this year.

The remarks came as the Americans are getting ready for 2024 elections, which are just over two months away and could prove to be most consequential the US history.

It is getting murkier given the fact that Trump has not made it clear so far whether he would unconditionally accept the results of the Nov 5 election if his Democratic rival, US Vice President Kamala Harris, wins.

PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER?

It is universally believed that peaceful transfer of power is the most important ingredient for a democracy. But the rise of Trump and other far-right forces has developed into a biggest challenge for democracies around the world, as they tend to reject everything that bars them coming into power.

Also read: Germany State Polls: Scholz For Forming Govts Sans Surging AfD

However, it is very alarming trend that they present election platforms or manifestoes which are clearly anti-democracy in nature, but still manage to attract public support, while promoting hate in society.

“It’s so crazy, that my poll numbers go up. Whoever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election, where you have every right to do it, you get indicted, and your poll numbers go up. When people get indicted your pull numbers go down,” Trump told on Fox News in an interview.

“Well, this is the worst case of election interference that anyone’s ever seen, certainly in our country,” Trump said.

He went on to argue those prosecuting the cases against him are politically biased against him. “This was all coming out of the Department of Justice in order to get their political opponent — me.”

CAPITOL HILL ATTACK

Meanwhile, Trump is already facing federal and state charges for allegedly trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

Also read: Freedom of Inciting Violence: Billionaires Shaping The World

A federal indictment accuses Trump of defrauding the US by attempting to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory and deprive voters of their right to a fair election. He faced a revised federal indictment last month accusing him of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol Hill on Jan 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results after weeks of false claims by Trump that he had won.

Trump faces similar charges in Fulton County, Georgia, where he was also charged with racketeering, which is used to target members of organized crime groups and carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

That case, which is on hold while a state appeals court weighs the district attorney’s role, stems from a Jan 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Georgia’s top election official, Brad Raffensperger, to “find” enough votes to reverse his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger declined to do so.

ABOVE THE LAW

In their reaction, a statement issued by a spokesperson for Harris said Trump’s latest comments to Fox News and his previous remarks “make it clear that he believes he is above the law”.

“Now, Trump is claiming he had ‘every right’ to interfere in the 2020 election. He did not,” the statement read.

Germany State Polls: Scholz For Forming Govts Sans Surging AfD

By
Info Desk
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0
Alternative for Germany

BERLIN – As the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made massive gains in regional elections held in two states, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asked the mainstream parties to form governments without right-wing extremists.

He described the losses suffered by the SPD-led coalition “bitter” after the AfD became the first far-right party to win a state legislature election in Germany since the World War II.

Meanwhile, the failure on the part of social media platforms is being cited as the main reason behind the far-right surge in different parts of the world.

Also read: EU Warns Musk Against Promoting Hate Speech

The shocking but expected results were produced in Thuringia after the polls held on Sunday. In Saxony, the AfD was a close second behind the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Both of these states are located in east Germany.

The eastern parts of Germany are becoming a far-right stronghold as the German unification has so far been unable to bridge the divide between the people.

However, the AfD is deemed “right-wing extremist”, thus unlikely to form governments in any of the two states given the fact that other parties have refused to collaborate with it to form a majority.

CENTER LEFT IS LEFT NOWHERE

According to the projected results, the AfD bagged 32.8% votes in Thuringia, which translates into 32 seats out of a total of 88.

Also read: Freedom of Inciting Violence: Billionaires Shaping The World

The second-placed CDU secured 23.6% votes or 23 seats.

However, it is the newly-formed Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) – a far-left entity – which came third 15.8% votes or 15 seats, followed by the Left Party that polled 13.1% votes – enough to get 12 seats.

The BSW has been formed by those leaving the Left Party and is pro-Russian just like the far-right. It reflects other features of the far-right, including being Eurosceptic.

Meanwhile, the BSW founder is a former member of the East German Communist Party.

On the other hand, the ruling coalition in the Centre proved to be the worst performer, as only the SPD (Social Democrats) could manage to pass the threshold to secure six seats. It polled 6.1% votes. The other two members –  the Greens and the pro-business FDP –  won’t be represented in Thuringia legislature after failing to get the minimum number of votes.

As far as Saxony is concerned, the CDU is the leader by obtaining 31.9% votes with the AfD polling 30.6%. It means the center-right CDU will get 42 seats with another 40 going to the far-right AfD.

Meanwhile, the BSW is ranked third in Saxony too after getting 11.8% votes 15 seats in a House of 120.

It was followed by the SPD 7.3% and the Greens 5.1% votes, representing 10 and seven seats respectively.

DIVISIVE AfD IS DAMAGING GERMANY

“The results for the AfD in Saxony and Thuringia are worrying,” Scholz said in a statement. “Our country cannot and must not get used to this. The AfD is damaging Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society and ruining our country’s reputation.”

“Sunday’s election results are bitter – for us too,” Scholz said. But he noted that the more dire predictions, that the SPD might fall out of a state parliament for the first time, had not materialized.

A Leader Without Strategy: Collapse of USSR And Ukraine War

By
Professor Alexander Kostyuk
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0
US foreign Policy

In Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged”, there is a story about an oak tree that was next to the main characters’ estate. A large, powerful oak tree from the outside….. We will return to this interesting episode at the end of this article, but now let’s recall the memoirs of National Security Advisor Scowcroft and President Bush “A world transformed”, where the latter, summarizing his feelings about the collapse of the USSR, noted that on the one hand he dreamed of the collapse of the USSR, and on the other hand he had no idea how it should happen. At the same time, Bush’s fear of an uncontrolled, bloody collapse of the USSR motivated him to support Gorbachev in his reforms and his desire to preserve the USSR.

What kind of strategy could we talk about for the post-Soviet countries? Of course, only an inertial one.

This shows that the US had no strategy for the collapse of the USSR at that time. US foreign policy did not have a strategic vision for the USSR. At the same time, President Bush stated that it was then, in those conditions, and in the future, that only the United States could fulfill the role of world leader. Question comes here: How can there be a world leader without a strategy?

In his memoirs “A Russian Hand”, President Clinton’s advisor Talbot noted that Condoleezza Rice once said that during the 1990s, US foreign policy was nameless. That’s right, because what else can you call a foreign policy that has no strategy?

If the United States had no strategy for the USSR in terms of its collapse, i.e., it was moving inertially, what kind of strategy could we talk about for the post-Soviet countries? Of course, only an inertial one. Therefore, the mistakes made by US leaders, especially Clinton, such as taking away Ukraine’s security tool to deter Russia, nuclear weapons, or NATO’s too long pause on Ukraine’s appearance on the agenda of future membership, are quite natural.

But it is time to assess President Biden’s foreign policy. First, let’s go back to August 2016, three months before the presidential elections, Vice President Biden published an article in Foreign Affairs entitled “Building on Success: Opportunities for the Next Administration. Vice President Biden addressed his message to the US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Foreign policy was the main component of that address. So, what did Vice President Biden advise President Biden in 2016? What advice did he give regarding Russia? How did Vice President Biden incorporate that message addressed by Kissinger in his foreign policy advice in 2016?

Ukraine has been a geopolitical experiment of the world’s great powers since the 90s, bleeding.

In 2015, Kissinger addressed a message related to the US foreign policy and Russia from the point of view of the strategy: “Still, Russia is mounting an offensive on the border on which, paradoxically, it is least inherently threatened…We need to address the immediate challenges Russia poses while also defining a context for its long-term role in the international equilibrium.”

In 2016 Biden responded with the following:

“The same is true with regard to Russia, with which the United States should continue to pursue a policy that combines the urgent need for deterrence, on the one hand, with the prudent pursuit of tactical cooperation and strategic stability, on the other. Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Crimea and its continued aggression in eastern Ukraine violate foundational principles of the post–Cold War order: sovereignty and the inviolability of borders in Europe. In response, we have rallied our allies in Europe and elsewhere to impose real costs on Moscow, making clear that this pressure will continue until Russia upholds its commitments under the agreements reached in Minsk aimed at ending the conflict.”

The US foreign policy was too static or even inert to prevent the Russia invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

As we saw in 2022, Minsk was neither a war prevention nor a tool for ending the conflict that had been going on since 2014. The call to partners in Europe to “impose real costs on Moscow” also did not work. It seems that the US foreign policy was too static or even inert to prevent the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and modus vivendi between Washington and Moscow was far from achieved. Rather, regional security challenges echoed from the early 90s again.

All dusty issues of the 90s, prematurely sent to the US policy archives, needed to be pulled out and finally resolved. Vice President Biden advised to deter Russia but it’s absolutely not clear how this advice relates to Ukraine. It seems that he missed out on resolving the fundamental issues of regional security related to Ukraine, which had echoed from the early 90s:

“…the combination of our $3.4 billion European Reassurance Initiative and NATO’s new forward deployments in Poland and the Baltics will strengthen our European allies and provide a bulwark against further Russian aggression. For years, we’ve also encouraged Europe to spend more on defense and to diversify its energy supplies in order to reduce its susceptibility to coercion. Now we’re starting to see progress on these fronts. And the next administration should redouble the United States’ commitment to strengthening NATO and our partnership with the EU, even as London and Brussels negotiate their ongoing relationship”.

Can there be leadership without strategy?

Now let’s look at a recent article about Biden’s foreign policy in Foreign Affairs magazine. The author seeks to restore Biden’s political reputation by saying that Biden’s foreign policy is US leadership, but without world hegemony. The author says that Biden’s achievement is that he has not resorted to the military tools of geopolitics and has shown the power of diplomacy. This is worth asking: What kind of power of diplomacy are we talking about? The one that leaves two wars in Ukraine and the Middle East after Biden? He even beat Trump here, who left him only one in 2021, the war in Afghanistan. And the main question is this: Can there be leadership without strategy?

What strategy did Biden use for Russia, the war in Ukraine, and security in Europe? The third year of the war in Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, every fourth Ukrainian is considered a refugee. Ukraine has been a geopolitical experiment of the world’s great powers since the 90s, bleeding. Is this evidence of a foreign policy strategy? Is this evidence of powerful diplomacy? History, of course, will make an assessment, but history is not able to bring back to life people who have fallen victim to geopolitical disorder, foreign policy phobias that only fueled aggression, and the lack of a reliable world leader and, as a result, the devaluation of the moral imperative.

And now let’s go back to Ayn Rand’s famous novel “Atlas Shrugged”. There is a story about an oak tree that was next to the main characters’ estate. A big, powerful oak tree from the outside. That’s what everyone around thought. And then thunder struck, lightning hit the oak and split it. Everyone around was surprised, because the oak was the embodiment of strength. But when they looked inside the oak tree, they saw…. dust – the oak tree was rotten. Everyone realized everything. The United States has long needed to make a frank assessment of the state of its “geopolitical oak tree” and treat it, so that people in the world do not become surprised, just as Ayn Rand’s characters said, “for every such oak tree there is a lightning bolt.”

For every such oak tree, there is a lightning bolt.

The United States and the world now need a leader who, first of all, will be able to recognize the mistakes made by the United States after the end of the Cold War and build on this to create a new global security architecture where countries that used to serve as a buffer zone, including Ukraine, finally have a reliable security status. The world and the US need a leadership, wise, responsible and decisive at the same time.

Afghan Taliban And Violations of Doha Agreement

By
Iftikhar Hussain Jazib
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0
Doha Agreement

The interim Afghan government is facing international criticism for violating the Doha accord by engaging in gender discrimination and supporting international terrorist organizations. Unfortunately, the Afghan Taliban are perpetrating social injustice under the guise of Islamic ideology, thereby defaming Muslims worldwide.

Islam places a lot of emphasis on fulfilling promises, and it prohibits violations of agreements made even with enemies (Quran, chapter 5, verse 1): “O you who believe, fulfill the contracts.” On the contrary, the Afghan Taliban have resorted to deceit and lies about their obligations under the Doha agreement. Indeed, throughout its existence, the nature of the Taliban movement has been deceptive.

The Afghan Taliban are perpetrating social injustice under the guise of Islamic ideology, thereby defaming Muslims worldwide.

Like the late Mullah Omar, the current supreme commander, Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada, never mixed with ordinary people in Afghanistan, even in the district of Kandahar. He recently issued an audio statement and a letter addressed to the people of Afghanistan about introduction of further harsh measures in the name of jihad and Shariah to purge opposition forces.

The ideological credentials of the Taliban movement are questionable, given that CIA-trained fighters who abandoned Islamic religious education to join the war against the former Soviet Union adopted the title “Taliban”, meaning students.

The American CIA groomed them for violence under a special scheme of training and education. Seminaries under the Taliban’s control gave these fighters religious titles such as Mullah and Mufti, even though they never completed Islamic religious education.

Ironically, these unqualified Ulema became teachers in seminaries, while intellectual corruption was rampant among the Afghan Taliban. Therefore, the Afghan Taliban operate like warlords, and their use of violence is not to the principles of Islamic Shariah. Pakistan, the KSA, and the UAE recognized the 1996 Taliban regime. Still, they responded by giving shelter to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and al Qaeda terrorists to create problems for these countries.

Islam places a lot of emphasis on fulfilling promises, and it prohibits violations of agreements made even with enemies (Quran, chapter 5, verse 1): ‘O you who believe, fulfill the contracts’.

Moreover, they ignored Pakistan’s warnings regarding international terrorists, and al Qaeda planned 9/11 attacks on the soil of Afghanistan. As a result, the region endured a two-decade-long struggle against terrorism. Unfortunately, the current Taliban government is repeating those mistakes by providing safe havens to perpetrators of violence in Pakistan.

The Afghan Taliban have a history of deceitful conduct, breaking promises, and violating agreements. Saudi prince Turki Al-Faisal had documented his experience dealing with Mullah Omar as chief of the intelligence service, and his book “The Afghanistan File” revealed some shocking aspects of the Afghan Taliban. Prince Turki met with Mullah Omar in June 1998, and he committed to hand over Osama bin Laden in the presence of members of the Afghan Taliban, Saudi officials, and Pakistani officials.

Subsequently, the Afghan Taliban backtracked on this commitment, and Prince Turki had another meeting in September 1998. Mullah Omar shocked him by refusing to admit that a commitment had been made. The announcement of Mullah Omer’s death in 2015 and the revelation that the Taliban leaders were hiding his death for two years provided further evidence of their deceptive conduct.

Moreover, the controversies over the selection of Mullah Omer’s successor divided the Taliban, and commanders such as Mullah Muhammad Rasool and Mullah Mansoor Dadullah parted ways with them, resulting in heavy fighting with the leadership.

Ironically, these unqualified Ulema became teachers in seminaries, while intellectual corruption was rampant among the Afghan Taliban.

Despite Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada’s announcement of a jihad to enforce Shariah in Afghanistan, racism led to the formation of an interim Afghan government. It violates Shariah laws, which uphold social justice and emphasize inclusive participation in government affairs. The Afghan Taliban have banned girls’ education, and they do not allow women to work.

It is a violation of the Doha Accord, and Islam is also against gender discrimination. Mullah Haibatullah issued an edict against forced marriages in December 2021, but Taliban commanders continue this practice. The oppression against women is crossing all limits. As a result, parents are marrying young girls to save them from the Taliban, and incidents of suicide among women are on the rise. The situation exposed Mullah Haibatullah and the interim Afghan government to ideological paradoxes.

Support for terrorist outfits is another major ideological paradox for the Afghan Taliban. Mullah Haibatullah proclaimed to outlaw jihad and prohibit the use of Afghan soil against Pakistan, according to the Afghan Taliban’s claims. They denied the existence of TTP leaders in Afghanistan, and they repeatedly announced the arrest of anti-Pakistan militants.

However, multiple UN reports revealed that they are financially supporting TTP militants, and members of the Afghan Taliban are participating in terrorist activities in Pakistan. Such a deceitful approach is against the spirit of friendship and brotherly relations with a neighboring Muslim country. Furthermore, they are facilitating al Qaeda in violation of the Doha agreement.

The Afghan Taliban have a history of deceitful conduct, breaking promises, and violating agreements.

These blatant violations of Shariah laws, disrespect for women, indiscriminate use of violence, and lack of governance depict the Afghan Taliban as ideologically hollow. They could not demonstrate the capacity to form and implement policies for the welfare of Afghans. Therefore, they are using violence as an Achilles heel, and the international community is losing patience over violations of the Doha agreement.

Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda Asked For FATA Revival. Imran Said Yes

By
Info Desk
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0
Faiz Hameed

ISLAMABAD – Imran Khan – the then prime minister – and his close aide Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed had agreed to reverse the FATA merger – a demand made by the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda.

This startling revelation was made by Murtaza Solangi in The Weekend – a weekly program co-hosted by Muhammad Ali.

He negated the impression created by Imran about his efforts to eliminate the outlawed TTP. The PTI founder is claiming that he and Faiz had persuaded the Afghan Taliban after the Kabul takeover in August 2021 to act swiftly against the terrorist organization which is now based in Afghanistan.

However, the facts are against Imran’s claims, as the TTP has been conducting terrorist attacks in Pakistan while using Afghanistan as a base. And the Afghan Taliban aren’t paying attention to the repeated demands made by Islamabad.

But the issue is even more serious given the fact that Solangi says the demand was put forward by the Afghan Taliban, not the TTP. It shows that Imran and Faiz were ready to violate national sovereignty only to please a foreign entity and support transnational jihadist organizations.

However, it wasn’t just the Afghan Taliban as al Qaeda too wanted the same, says Solangi, showing the nexus between these outfits, right from the ideological to the operational levels.

The other two demands were resettling the TTP members and their families in Pakistan along with paying millions in term of compensation to them.

Imran has already proudly admitted the TTP resettlement, saying that the move was meant for bringing peace to Pakistan. However, the only thing we have got since then is an alarming rise in terrorism.

Solangi said the Afghan Taliban had never promised to eliminate the TTP, adding, “The Afghan Taliban, al Qaeda and TTP are joined at the hip.”

GLOBAL TERROR OUTFITS ARE GREATER THAN SOVEREIGNTY!

The erstwhile FATA was a lawless region located along the Pak-Afghan border. The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [formerly known as North West Frontier Province] had no say in the administration there.

Pakistani laws applicable to other parts of the country were not applied there as the federal government nominally governed the region through a political agent – the person responsible for administration in a tribal agency. For administrative purposes, FATA was divided into seven tribal agencies.

However, the 25th Amendment ensured the merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which introduced basic concepts of state to the region and extended their basic rights to the local population.

But Solangi says the agreement meant that Faiz moved the Supreme Court through his proxies to get the 25 Amendment declared as unconstitutional.

Hence, Imran and Faiz were ready to violate the country’s sovereignty at the behest global terrorist organizations.

WHY DO THEY NEED A LAWLESS TRIBAL REGION?  

The erstwhile FATA has remained a center for local and global terror organizations like al Qaeda, as it provided an opportunity to expand their operations beyond Afghanistan. Other outfits like ETIM and Daesh [IS-K] too are active across Pakistan’s western borders.

Military operations conducted by Pakistan in the past had forced the terrorists to take refuge in Afghanistan. However, the return of Afghan Taliban in Kabul means they see an opportunity to reassert themselves.

That’s why, Solangi says, both the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda were aiming at restoration of FATA so that they could operate freely in Pakistan and carry out terrorism acts around the world.

However, they also had a long-term view, as Solangi says the proposed move was designed as a guarantee in case the world powers again toppled the Afghan Taliban government in future.

In that case, FATA would have served as a safe haven for these terrorists by allowing them to relocate and concentrate in the region, he explained.

IMRAN: A LONG-TIME ALLY 

The information shared by Solangi shouldn’t be a surprise for us, as Imran is the one who declared Osama bin Laden a martyr.

Read more: Freedom of Inciting Violence: Billionaires Shaping The World

Moreover, he even repeatedly called for allowing the Taliban to open offices in Pakistan, thus giving a legitimacy to terrorists.

But most important thing to note that Imran always labels military action in erstwhile FATA as a mistake or a blunder.

Hence, the demand to revoke FATA merger shared his views and vision. He fully believed in what he was doing – giving a base to global terrorist organizations.

Hidden Brides of Pakistan

By
Adnan Sami
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0
Child Marriage

Child marriage takes away the right to education, a safe healthy childhood, and the quality of life that leads to ease the economic opportunities. A girl married at the age of 14 or 15, is compelled to leave school, remains unaware of the quality of life, and education can bring devastating consequences for future generations.

The girl married in her teenage also has a lack of political and social empowerment.  According to the UN, Pakistan has the 6th highest number of marriages before the age of 18.

Child marriage takes away the right to education, a safe healthy childhood, and the quality of life that leads to ease the economic opportunities

In Pakistan, mostly in rural areas, child marriage is prevalent due to a lack of awareness, education, custom norms, cultural supremacy, poverty, and patriarchal dominance.  According to a study, girls are married when they are considered mature, not to reach a certain age. Some indications of maturity include starting menstruation, being able to take care of a child and family, and cooking and running their households.  According to the report, in 2017 40% of girls were married before age 18.

The root cause of early child marriage is customary practice that is a violation of human rights. According to a survey conducted by UNICEF, in Pakistan one in three girls is married before reaching the age of 18. According to the Pakistan Child Marriage Act 1929, the legal age for boys and girls is 18 and 16, respectively. However, in 2013 the Sindh assembly passed a resolution to raise the age for marriage to 18 years for both boys and girls.

The girls married before 18, always perceiving fear and becoming vulnerable to domestic violence due to a lack of awareness and education. According to UNICEF, young girls in Pakistan between the ages of 15-19 around 24.3% faced the domestic violence most in last year. Moreover, these teen girls also confront problems during pregnancy and many teen girls die during childbirth. The reason behind this is early child marriage as the teen cannot endure giving birth to a Child.

Once married, the teen girls have little power to say in childbearing, and the mother-in-law has the decision-making power. Girls across Pakistan are being deprived of their social, political, and economic rights. This lack of empowerment is further exacerbated by gender and social inequality across the country. The society is considered a man-dominant also called patriarchal.

The root cause of early child marriage is a customary practice that is a violation of human rights

In Sindh, the change in climate change and rising temperatures are also one of the reasons behind child marriages. A case has been reported in Dadu District Sindh, a 14-year-old teen Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off by her father in exchange for money to survive in floods, as monsoon broke out.

Further, to survive in the flood and to help out the family, child marriage is the first option for a family to receive some payment. The trend had previously dropped in Pakistan but again reached to peak, as an 18% increase was observed after the 2022 floods. Another case was reported where Najma Ali, a 14-year-old teen was married to a 9-year-old man than her, by receiving 250,000 from her husband’s side for wedding expenses.

“When you have an adolescent unmarried daughter sitting in the house, it is like a burden. Not because you don’t feed her, but because you have to take care of your honor. It is shameless when someone talks about your daughter outside,” said a 64-year-old man somewhere in Punjab.

“At the age of 15, I wished to play with other children in the streets, but I couldn’t because I was forced to marry a man who was double my age. Everybody except me, including my parents was happy,” a young girl explained how she had felt when she was married.

Another case was reported where a 10-year-old teen was forced to marry a 32-year-old cousin by their parents to save the land. By arranging marriage for their daughter, they saved their land.

However, poverty isn’t the only reason for early child marriage but because of lack of awareness and the tradition to consider the daughter a property mean it the parents will  decide what is good and bad for her. This concept is widely accepted across Pakistan.  Moreover, another factor behind early marriage is the cultural belief system. Most of the elders consider that a daughter should be married when she reaches puberty.

Girls across Pakistan are being deprived of their social, political, and economic rights

Another practice called ‘Swara’ is performed mostly in tribal or rural areas populated by Pashtun tribes. This concept means in case of allegations that a father or brother has sinned, their family must be constrained to give their young daughter in exchange for claims to get compensation.  In a nutshell, the traditional perception about girls is integrated with cultural and religious practices as well as economic considerations across South Asia.

Several steps were taken in Pakistan by different organizations to end Child marriage. Girls Not Bride member Shirkat Gah runs a program called Humsathi. This program works to empower the girls by teaching them different skills and engaging them with their peers.

Hence, a girl named Hadiqa Bashir belonging to Swat witnessed her seven-year-old friend married. She then took a stand by not only refusing early marriage but also founded an organization (GUHRswat) to stop the inhuman practice. Another organization called Peace Foundation is also working on ending early child marriages, especially in Sindh by providing education to girls while also focusing on their skill development.

Child marriage had dropped in Pakistan but again reached a peak, with an 18% increase observed after the 2022 floods

Therefore, the government needs to take some innovative and imperative steps to end early marriages and demolish the worst human rights violation in the country. It needs to empower girls by introducing different skills programs to become economically independent, besides raising the minimum age for marriage to 18 years across Pakistan.

Also, the government should strictly implement the laws and punish those who violating the same. Meanwhile, ensuring that everyone has access to economic opportunities is also mandatory to curb the practice of child marriages. These steps will ensure awareness among young girls about their basic rights and enable them fight for the same rights.

Freedom of Inciting Violence: Billionaires Shaping The World

By
Arsalan Raja
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0
PTI

BRAZIL:

A Supreme Federal Court judge in Brazil orders X – the social media platform owned by US billionaire Elon Musk – to block certain accounts for their involvement in promoting violence.

Alexandre de Moraes passed these orders after a thorough probe into “digital militias” comprising the supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro. They were spreading fake news and hate speech during his government.

Bolsonaro represents far-right. However, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist, made a come back after his conviction was overturned and defeated him the 2022 presidential election.

Meanwhile, X promises to comply with the orders. But the said X accounts continue to operate, forcing the top court judge to initiate an inquiry into Musk.

On the other hand, lawyers representing X later cite “operational faults” as the reason behind the users still managing to operate their accounts.

After a few months, Musk suddenly announces his decision to close operations in Brazil with an immediate effect as he describes the directives as “censorship orders”.

Meanwhile, social media is also blamed for the attacks on government buildings in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. The supporters resorted to violence on January 8, 2023, a week after the inauguration of Lula. In fact, they replicated their far-right brethren in the US, who went for the Capitol Hill attack on January 6, 2021.

Both sets of people didn’t accept the election results in their respective countries, claiming rigging.

They believe in authoritarian rule where neither civil rights nor opposition have any room.

UNITED KINGDOM:      

Riots erupt in different parts of the United Kingdom after brutal stabbing of three little girls in Southport on July 29. Ten persons, mostly children are also injured in the incident that occurred.

These riots are anti-immigrant in nature and orchestrated by far-right groups as rumors spread that the killer was a Muslim and had arrived in the country illegally.

It is an opportunity for the ultranationalist white supremacists to utilize the existing racist feelings and target the immigrants – Muslims, South Asians and other people of color. Many of their businesses were damaged.

However, the British law enforcement agencies and judiciary act swiftly. Hundreds of individuals in involved in these UK anti-immigrant riots are arrest. At least 500 of them are charged and 170 sent to prison after completing trials withing days.

On the other hand, Musk again cannot remain silent and predicts civil war in the United Kingdom through a post shared through X. The British government condemns the comments, forcing him to delete the post.

But continues with pro-far right mantra and criticizes the action taken against the rioters, thus promoting the idea of white supremacy.

Meanwhile, investigation shows that the source of this disinformation is a website Channel3Now operated by a person named Farhan Asif. Police in Pakistan decide to arrest him.

TELEGRAM:

Pavel Durov – a Russian billionaire with an estimated net worth of over $15 billion – is arrested in France over his failure to control criminal activities on Telegram.

He is the founder and CEO of this social media platform which attracts around 90 million users.

The French authorities detained him soon after his jet landed in Paris. He had arrived in France from Baku – the Azerbaijan capital – to attend a dinner despite being wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on Telegram are the among the charges being investigated.

He is an Emeriti citizen. Therefore, the UAE has now urged France to provide him with all consular services urgently.

Durov was born in Russia, but holds multiple nationalities including that of the UAE, France, Russia, and St Kitts and Nevis.

On the other hand, Musk is critical of the French officials for taking action against Doruv, as he considers it another attack on freedom of expression.

Please don’t forget that Telegram is one of the favorite social media apps of the far-right groups and individuals. The reason is simple: lack of check and balance. You can indulge in hate speech freely.

X – FORMERLY NAMED AS TWITTER

Musk acquires Twitter and renames it X. Since then, this social media service has lost its status as a platform where only serious debate is possible. Although the process had started before Musk invested billions in it, he is certainly responsible for accelerating the process. That’s why the European Union is investigating X over promoting hate speech and other affairs.

It is not just Musk who himself is projecting the far-right ideology and white supremacy on X. The platform has become a tool for all those sharing their views worldwide. He is positioning himself as champion of democracy and freedom of speech.

A post shared is an example. A person holding a mike can be seen asking a young American woman – who is a Democrat – whether she would choose democracy or abortion. She is forced to select one which is abortion. Thus, she is portrayed as someone, who is against democracy, to create an impression that the Democrats are against democratic values.

Now check the formulation of question as if having the power to make your personal decisions and control your body is something undemocratic. It is enough to understand how the propaganda machine works for the far-right groups who champion freedom of speech only to snatch democratic freedoms.

PAKISTAN:

Just days after his arrest, a local court in Lahore acquits Farhan of the charges with an argument that his role in fueling the anti-immigrant protests cannot be established.

The acquittal isn’t something surprising as the Pakistani courts previously too have released many people involved in inciting violence against state institutions and functionaries as well as other individuals by using social media.

Same is the case with the May 9 episode for which social media had been used actively. In fact, this organized propaganda is going on for several years – even much before May 9 and after that. It is a product of coordinated efforts and executed by many players at different levels.

However, many well-known journalists, human right activists and political leaders describe it as freedom of expression. Any action against such individuals is an attack on democracy and civil liberties, they say.

Meanwhile, the social media-based hate campaign continues, as the usual suspects target Chief Justice Faez Isa yet again.

At the same, some Pakistani journalists now sitting in countries like the US and others are suggesting that Imran Khan controls Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and can shut all communications with the rest of Pakistan whenever he wants. It’s a clear incitement to violence. A desire to repeat the May 9 events after the failure to punish the culprits?

Again, all the posts inciting violence in Pakistan are available on X. Musk won’t take any action. He is taking refuge in freedom of speech. There is no check. No one knows how the issue should be dealt with.

CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE

Gone are the days when minds were made hostage to the information of shared by the big media houses. They have been a few tech giants who are treating the people as just another consumer while making them believe they are free to express themselves without being influenced. It is a plain lie as social media algorithms decide what we see or read.

In a polarized society, we, the people, are now living in ecochambers and only rely on those news items or analysis or social and political commentaries that reinforce our worldview.

Meanwhile, Musk has now said that X will boost the reach of smaller accounts at the cost of bigger ones. In other words, the far-right ideals, which remained peripheral since the World War II, will now get even a bigger boost. Reason? The US presidential election is to be held in November this year and he has endorsed Donald Trump.

IS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SOLE CIVIL LIBERTY?

Democracy suggests the idea of civil rights. The list has expanded with the passage of time. The concept of individual rights is a product of socioeconomic developments triggered by scientific and technological advancement and the resultant changes in social relations.

The worldwide emphasis on unchecked freedom of expression is a consequence of the First Amendment that the United States has. It isn’t a surprise the cutthroat competition between the far right and the rest in main stream and social media is most lethal and visible in the US. Hence, the polarization has reached a frightening level.

However, no country in the Europe has ever opted of the path chosen by the United States. There is no First Amendment. There are effective rules and regulations to curb defamation and disinformation. But social media has changed the entire dynamics. Even these nations are feeling the heat with the European Union pressing the social media giants to stop the spread of hate speech and incitement to violence.

Meanwhile, this trend means anyone of us can object to the attire of women and publicly humiliate or a give sermon to them over venturing out of their homes for education and jobs.

Don’t you notice the complete agreement between you and the extremists?

It means a country like Pakistan is also facing the same question which needs an answer from those who want to protect the elements involved in incitement to violence under the banner of democracy.

What is your overall opinion about the concept of civil rights? What the list in your mind? Why freedom of expression is the only focus? Have you noticed that you are paving the way for those who stand for curbing the very idea of democracy?

Surely, you can’t be a democrat or a human rights champion if you are against the concepts of women empowerment or an individual’s ability to choose a particular way of life and stand by those who openly argue in favor of the TTP.

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