MASTUNG: 29 SEPTEMBER 2023 (TON) - Terrorist attack in Mastung killed over 69 Baloch Muslims and injured many others. Islamabad was receiving threats from the Indian military for surgical attacks, especially acts that would destabilize Balochistan. It is being claimed that the suicide bomber blew himself up in the religious procession at Al Falah Road. No group has so far accepted the responsibility. The spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Naseer Kanani strongly condemned Mustang terrorist attack. Meanwhile, there was also an attack at Hangu Police Station to divert the attention and give colour of sectarian violence.

Reportedly, Indian spies Mohammad Hasnain and Ishaq Ameer who illegally entered Pakistan through the Pak-Afghan border in a bid to seek asylum a few days back, were terrorists behind the in Eid Milad-un-Nabi. It has been reported that they were in UAE from where they entered Afghanistan and later illegally entered Pakistan.

A day earlier, US Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer visited Peshawar to reaffirm the US commitment to border security and continued support for Pakistan in its fight against cross-border infiltration and militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He met the Inspector General of Frontier Corps and announced a new $250,000 program to enhance the Frontier Corps’ nighttime operational capabilities. He also met Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat and delivered $350,000 worth of safety and security equipment to enhance the safety and effectiveness of police forces conducting perilous counter-terrorism operations. US is trying to support religious freedom, tolerance, and respect for all of Pakistan’s faith traditions, in which Churches and Cathedrals are going to play a prominent place.

By Afshain Afzal

In the recent past, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joseph Biden discussed the prospect of an agreement with Arab states including Israeli-Saudi Arabia normalization of relations. This was to be followed by Washington inaugurating Embassy at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv declaration Jerusalem as its capital. As a trailer for the peace effort and normalization, Nayef Bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, Saudi Arabia's newly appointed ambassador to the Palestinian Authority, visited West Bank on 25 September 2023. He met President Mahmoud Abbas in Israeli occupied city of Ramallah on 26 September and also visited the sacred Al Masjid Al Aqsa. It seems if all is OK but nothing is well.

As a part of Saudi-Israel normalization efforts, Nayef Bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, meeting with Palestinian authorities including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Arabia planning to open a consulate in Palestine in East Jerusalem is just a show off and nothing more than part of US Elections campaign The two-day visit of Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, raises a lot of questions. There are also questions over An India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), which is intended to boost Saudi-Israel normalization. The Arab refugees from West Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israeli-occupied territories demand repatriation and compensation from United Nations Organizations. Are they not humans and deserve refugee’s rights, being witness of Israeli atrocities?

US Congress had nothing to say about progress on normalisation of relations between the Saudi Arabia and Israel by November presidential ballot. However, Washington has adopted new tactics to pressurize Saudi Arabia through renewed attacks by Houthi elements being funded and armed by the US and Iran. State Department issued a statement, “We strongly condemn the September 25th attack carried out by Houthi elements on the Saudi-Yemeni border that killed two Bahraini service members and injured many others. Washington has sent a special representative to Bahrain to chalk out a strategy if Houthi carryout increased attacks including withdrawal.

Meanwhile in a Press briefing on 26 September 2023, US Department of State's Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “we have heard in our engagements with the Palestinians, and that we have communicated on their behalf to our Israeli counterparts, is that there will have to be a significant Palestinian component of any final agreement.” In the same briefing, Matthew Miller openly hinted about high-level talks with Iran including nuclear issues.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in New York as Iran and the US each freed five prisoners who were in jails for years on 25 September. The US also allowed the release of nearly $ 6 billion in Iranian frozen assets in South Korea for humanitarian use. Washington, in facts, plans to develop very close relations with Tehran that existed during Pahlavi Dynasty to use them to destabilize Asia and keep Arabs on their toe. Iran should not be happy with these developments, as there are plans for regime change too.

The Western nations and Israel have set the bottom line of any negotiations to interim independence with territory marked as Palestine with a capital of East Jerusalem. This was also the demand in many Resolutions by the Muslim countries but are we doing justice to the Palestinians. There is need of guarantees for the complete cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terrorism, provocation, incitement and destruction. In addition, the individual Palestinians, groups and have been declared as foreign terrorist organizations by the United Nations, the US and many other countries; their name must be removed and ban, terrorists and sanctions lifted before any negotiation starts.

There should be no ambiguity that Palestine should comprise of the Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip with strip of land linking Palestine with the Mediterranean Sea though the Gaza. Palestinians require an access to the Mediterranean Sea, which is their legal right under Article 38 (2) UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, allowing for ongoing navigation rights of access and egress to the Mediterranean Sea. Article 3 of the 1982 Convention states that every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles (nm), measured from the baselines as laid down in the Convention, and Article 4 provides that the outer limit of the territorial sea of each State is the line every point of which is at distance from the nearest point of the baseline equal to the breadth of the territorial sea.

Like resolutions for so many years in the past, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution in 2022, “There is no two-state solution without a sovereign and independent State of Palestine based on the pre‑1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital”. This year too, UNGA passed a similar resolution. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore West Jerusalem was part of Palestine and forcibly occupied by the Israelis while all Muslim population was evicted and made refugees in 1948, as per bogus counting Jerusalem had Jews in the majority. There is no doubt that there is no alternative to a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully, side-by-side, in line with internationally agreed parameters. But unless these side issues are resolved, neither Saudi-Israel normalization can be achieved nor peace cannot be restored in the Middle East in true sense.

By Afshain Afzal

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage was hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 3-12 September 2023 in Riyadh and the Al-Ahsa Oasis. 30 nations including Israel attended; focusing on the themes including; World Heritage & Climate Change, World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, Diversity & Representation of World Heritage and The Digital Dimension of World Heritage. With regard to the Israeli delegation visiting Saudi Arabia many people are confused while carrying out an analysis of the prospects of restoration of Saudi-Israeli relations. It is not correct to believe that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ever said, “A deal was getting closer”. In fact, it is being confused with President Trumps’s Abraham Accords - 2020 for normalization accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In a recent statement, Israeli President Netanyahu seem too positive to strike a deal with Saudi Arabia but we must not forget Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s statement, “Whoever thinks peace in the Middle East is possible before our people achieved their full right is delusional.”

If we recall, Israel submitted a declaration at the Secretariat of UNESCO on 31 January 2012, objecting notification of the accession of Palestine to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, on the grounds of accession contradicts Article II of the Constitution of UNESCO as well as the established norms and practices of International Law. On the same lines, the Saudi Kingdom must also register regarding occupied Arab territories and that the Israeli occupation authorities are under obligation to preserve the cultural and natural heritage existing in the occupied territories where Palestinian sovereignty should have existed and that the occupation authorities under paragraph 3 of Article 6 binds whether acceded to the Convention or not are internationally responsible for any attenuation of the cultural and natural heritage. In addition, Article 7 binds the Member States to exert all possible aid to the State whose part of its territories is occupied for the sake of preserving the natural and cultural heritage in the occupied territories against the aggressions of the occupying authorities.

Just to remind, the International Law Commission has issued guidelines on how a State may invoke a reservation clause when signing, ratifying, formally confirming, approving or acceding to the treaty, whereby a State purports to exclude, modify the legal effects of certain provisions of the treaty. Since Saudi Arabia has not ratified many treaties and conventions, it high time to formulate policy that confirms the Saudi Islamic heritage and culture, the wisdom of the crown, and aspiration of the Muslims as well as confirms international law.

President Trumps’s Abraham Accords – 2020, which apparently is viewed as propagating and promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam and all humanity is not easy to comprehend. Abraham Accord talks about respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom. At the same time the accord talks about ending radicalization and conflict to provide all children a better future. Pursuing a vision of peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East and around the world, the Accord gives access to the people who disintegrated Afro-Asia into Africa and Asia and later confined Arabs to a political expression, “Middle East”. They are the one who deprived Palestinians of their ancestral lands. They are victimized because of their religion as Islam. One wonders who were Africans, Asians Palestinian and others before the coming of last prophet in the Divine series, Mohammad Alhe Salam, indeed, followers of the past Divine of Abrahim Alhe Salam and his followers.

When American leadership talks about a number of unidentified Federal agents in the files of 9/11 Commission and is looking for Saudi involvement, what its mean? When during election campaigns American leadership talks about Saudi Arabian intelligence involvement in 9/11 attacks, do this mean “a vision of peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East and around the world,” according to Abraham Accord? There is, no doubt, that Washington seems too focused to see Abraham Accord to gain ground in the Middle East and elsewhere. The main aim of US, Israel and their allies is to establish Jerusalem as capital of Israel with Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and declare Saudis and Palestinians as supporters of terrorism.

That is not all as they intend to gain access to Al Masjid Al Haram, the Holy Kaaba and deprive Muslims of the sacred Holy places as they did in Palestine by taking over Al Masjid Al Aqsa. There are also attempts to deprive Saudi Arabia from the Kingship and bring them to democracy; Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Muslims as Prime Minister is the first nail. Saudis should never forget what Almighty Allah has commanded then in Surah At Tawbah (9:8) “How ˹can they have a treaty˺? If they were to have the upper hand over you, they would have no respect for kinship or treaty. They only flatter you with their tongues, but their hearts are in denial, and most of them are rebellious”. And again in Surah At Tawbah (9:28) “O you who have believed, indeed the Mushriqeen (who believe in other than Allah) are unclean, so let them come near Al-Masjid Al-Ḥaram after this year. And if you fear embarrassment position, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise”. These limits, set upon all Muslims are part of our heritage and culture as well as religion. Beyond these limits let's work together on the basis of equality for greater peace in this world, protection of environment and climate change as well as preserve heritage and promote tourism. The author may be approached via email; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Afshain Afzal

Indian-origin American, Vivek Ganapaty Ramaswamy, a Republican Party presidential Candidate in 2024 has suddenly become famous all over the U.S. A smart man as an auditor, teaches companies how to evade huge tax money by violating securities laws. He held the previous and present one too, in order to later drag large companies in fraud cases. In turn company earns huge prophets in months. So far all good but here comes the worst part. Vivek Ramaswamy as an auditor blackmails employees and gets sensitive personal information and finally takes over the companies. Auditors are potentially liable for both criminal and civil offenses. The former occurs when individuals or organizations breach a government-imposed law; in other words, criminal law governs relationships between entities and the state. Civil law, in contrast, deals with disputes between individuals and/or organizations. Under U.S law, the auditors are important checks against fraud, and they are supposed to be scrutinizing arrangements like bill and held sales.

It is interesting to note about Vivek Ramaswamy, since 2000, the amount of assets managed by hedge funds has nearly tripled from a total of $490 billion to $1,336 billion, and although still a small percentage of total assets worldwide, hedge funds account for an even larger part of the liquidity in certain markets. It is strange to note that in just less than one one-month period between 31 August and 21 September 2006, the firm had lost roughly $4.35 billion or one-half of its assets under management as a result of its energy trading business, especially in natural gas futures ventures. The fund consequently sold its energy portfolio trading book to J.P. Morgan and Citadel Investments and liquidated the remainder of its portfolio. It is on record that Vivek Ramaswamy and his team members have earned billions of dollars so far. Confusion still exists if he and his friends are really too smart or it is the work for Indian agencies. Those in the group say that Parthasarti and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval did visit the US but did not meet Vivek Ramaswamy. In such a scenario how can he works for New Delhi. It is on record that Ajit Davol visited US in the end of January 2023 and held talks with a Jewish delegation. When U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was contacted she did not give any clue.

Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy, has never been elected but in media headlines due to Israeli backing. In the past was awarded a fellowship from the Jewish Society at Yale University. His comments in June this year which was later disowned by him were taken positively by the Jewish lobby, “I would be open to ending aid to Israel as part of a broader disengagement with the Middle East”. With main agenda was to shift US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and pave way for Jerusalem to become the Israeli capital, earned a lot of support. We can visualize the outcome of the first Republican presidential debate. Not all Republicans are pro-Israel establishment but many American taxpayers would like to know the truth about 9/11 and the phasing out of American aid to Israel by 2028 as well as American Middle East policy.

There is no doubt that former US President Donald Trump has bright chance to return to power at the White House in 2024. Interestingly, his trial against allegation that he tried to overturn the 2020 election is scheduled at Washington DC on 4 March 2024 which would be almost voting day in the Republican race. The 98-page indictment-level allegations of Mr Trump that he "unlawfully conspired to change the election outcome while participating in a criminal enterprise". Trial of another civil fraud lawsuit against Mr Trump and his business empire is scheduled at New York on 2 October 2023. Today when Vevik Ramaswamy emerged as a Republican Party presidential Candidate, the Central Intelligence Agency and Indian Research and Analysis Wing’s collaboration got exposed where New Delhi supported Trump in the elections 2016. Interestingly, Vivek Ramaswamy has sued the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after the agency did not respond to his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to receive details about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s indictment.

When CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked Vevik Ramaswamy about his comments on 9/11, he said that there are many Federal agents in the filed and we deserve who they are. He said about 9/11 attacks that US Government lied about Saudi Arabia’s involvement. There was a Saudi spy named Al Bayoumi about whom the US Government lied as well as 9/11 Commission lied.” He added, “Saudi Arabia absolutely there intelligence was involved in 9/11 attacks.” There is, no doubt, that Washington seems too focused to see Abraham Accord to gain ground in the Middle East and India. Many are hopeful that in due course, the statues of Gangpatti or Ganesh will be replaced with Catholic Crosses. But what about the promises made by Israeli accords with Indonesia and Oman? It won a lot of praise everywhere but he is going to prove worse than President Joseph Robinette Biden for the Muslims. Overall, Vevik supports shifting of U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, negotiating the Abraham Accords, and declaring Saudis and Palestinians as supporters of terrorism.

Many Americans and supporters outside in other parts of the world visualize Vivek Ramaswamy's announcement about halting aid to Israel due to its treatment of Palestinians as positive but he has been assigned to open new gateway for the Jews and the Catholics in the Islamic world and India. It is beyond comprehension that till now Vevik Ramaswamy has not been exposed for his involvement in criminal activities including money laundering and threat to U.S. national interests. It is an offense from the Companies Act to “knowingly, or recklessly causing a report under section 495 (auditor’s report on company’s annual accounts) to include any matter that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular”. This means that auditors could be prosecuted in a criminal court for either knowingly or recklessly issuing an inappropriate audit opinion. Hence, there are likely chances that Vivek Ramaswamy would fail to become a Republican President with criminal backgrounds and acts against vital interests of stakeholders.

By Afshain Afzal

Today, India announced that her scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have set the Pragyan rover from the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on sleep mode but with batteries charged and receiver on and would be awakened on 22 September 2023 for the next mission. Strange, but earlier ISRO announced that “the rover is expected to remain functional for two weeks, or one lunar day, the period of time its solar-powered equipment is built to last”. One wonder why every statement from ISRO is in contradiction with its earlier statements. About Scientists at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany were tight-lipped and hinted regarding the authenticity of any data as they smelled already recorded videos Chandrayaan-3 was made public to bluff the world community from real experiments going on. The equipment on the payload includes Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature; an Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site; Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations. A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA also installed for sectet studies.

Earlier, ISRO in a statement said that Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument on Chandrayaan-3 rover was used for the detection of sulfur. There is no doubt that LIBS is employed for both peaceful as well as dangerous purposes including detection of nuclear and radioactive elements. Where it is used for agricultural purposes, it is part of atomic systems. LIBS , in outer space, is used for samples difficult to handle coming from nuclear reactors, that may be radioactive and need to be confined inside hot cells. Reaction-diffusion processes in nuclear materials are measured by LIBS. It is a rapid, portable, in situ atomic spectroscopy technique that is employed and is used for the detection of elements in liquids. Nevertheless, it has some serious issues including high detection sensitivity issues and may give misleading readings. It has problems of sloshing, splashing, and focal length changes with a high repetition rate laser as well as the fact cannot be denied that high local density within the liquid caused intrinsic complexity.

Indian claim of being a pioneer in detecting ice-water and sulfur on the surface of the moon has no grounds as India is not in the control to directly receive the data or make correct analysis. It is on record that the presence of sulphur was reported in October 2000 and the article is available of the NASA site, “Volcanic Moon Io Wears Sulfur-Rich”, which reflects that the volatile material everywhere which includes sulfur dioxide and probably other sulfur-rich substances. The claim has been made that it can be either a solid or a gas at the surface or a subsurface liquid.” Sensitive equipment was smuggled to India with the permission of the United States of America’s Defence Department. India acquired Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its nuclear power stations, however, this was associated with scape research.

The ISRO has announced that its Pragyaan lunar lander has discovered sulfur near the lunar south pole. In a statement, ISRO claimed that Rover is equipped with a chemical analysis tool that can beam a laser onto the lunar surface and zap soil particles into a plume of plasma. Sulfur was then detected in the plume by the unique wavelength at which it emits light. Interestingly, in contradiction to earlier statement, ISRO claimed at other occasions that Vikram employed its onboard thermal probe to measure the temperature of the lunar soil at different depths, which marked the first such profile for the lunar south pole. NASA has plans to land on the Moon under its Artemis program, with the goal of building a sustained presence. Ice deposits could be exploited to support human habitats, or broken down into hydrogen and oxygen for use as rocket fuel.

There is no doubt that Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft or rover never landed on the moon and the videos and images were all fake and self-engineered. That is not all, as in the latest development, India has lodged complaints to international Space Agencies. New Delhi has been kept at safe distance by international Space Agencies who have been controlling the affairs of Chandrayaan-3 since launch on 14 July 2023. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) remained in control of all the signals going up and coming down from the spacecraft. Russia and India has their own secret agreements where New Delhi is sharing space and other data.

International space organizations are only openly claiming that they have been not only supporting ISRO to monitor the spacecraft’s health but also that their equipment us installed in Chandrayaan-3. It is on record that Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Interplanetary Network Directorate has said, “We receive the telemetry from the spacecraft that has the data on the health and status as well as instrument measurements and pass them on to ISRO in practically real-time. We also monitor the radio signal itself for the Doppler effect, which is the primary tool for navigating the spacecraft. This is the critical information during the landing phase and tells us in real-time how it is doing.” One wonders if this was being done by the Europeans what India showed to the world on 23 August 2023 was fake that it had become so developed that it landed on the moon.

The most disturbing aspect Chandrayaan-3 mission is that India claims that it is sending a man-operated mission to the moon next year. In fact, it was a European Union contract that New Delhi won sending humans for space experimentations instead of robots. As part of this contract Indian and French space agencies signed an agreement for cooperation on ISRO's Gaganyaan mission at CNES in Toulouse and at the EAC, Germany. As a later part of the agreement France is providing technical support for the construction of an astronaut training center in Bangalore and to test instruments through parabolic flights operated by Novespace. In this regard, the first human space mission, Gaganyaan, astronauts are being trained at French facilities. Besides France will provide French equipment developed by it, which is operational at the International Space Station (ISS). France and India are also working on interplanetary missions to the Sun, Mars, and Venus. Likewise, India has also signed similar agreements with US and Russia for the training of four astronauts who have been shortlisted for the Gaganyaan mission. There are reports that the Western nations are planning to conduct new experiments to control nations from space. The dangerous terrorist move is not only threatening world peace but also destroying the climate and environment. It is high time that the international community must bar nations from playing dirty in space to control the world and put human lives on risk by sending Indian on suicide mission in the space. .

MANIPUR, INDIA: 1 Sep 2023 (TON): The security situation in the state of Manipur has turned from bad to worse. At least 4 people have been killed and 94 injured. In the last 18 hours, the state experienced continuous firing and protests. The security forces responded with tougher measures including baton charge to control the situation.

In a series of search operations house-to-house searches by security personnel in the areas of Churachandpur and Imphal West districts many people were arrested. In the fake operations security forces recovered a cache of 20 explosive devices including pipe bombs, 3 firearms, 20 rounds of ammunition, and approximately 30 grams of gunpowder were recovered from Churachandpur district. The local claimed that security forces the house of individual involved in firecracker business for marriages and parties and claimed recovery.

Due to alarming security situation, illegal check posts were erected at least 170 checkpoints and Nakas across various districts of Manipur, of both hill and valley areas. As a result of these measures, law enforcement apprehended over 2500 individuals in connection with violations across different districts within the state.

Police have established a Central Control Room while Internet and other services have been suspended.

By Afshain Afzal

Emirates Telecommunication Corporation (Etisalat), today owns the majority shares of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) is purchasing Telenor Pakistan, the cellular company with management control and approved the purchase of the majority of Telenor’s shares. According to the foreign media reports, the sale of Telenor Pakistan is expected to be around $500 million or more. That is not all as in the recent development, Etisalat, which owns majority shares of PTCL and Ufone, has completed all the formalities with a European company and they are in the final stage of negotiations of about a $500 million sale deal with Etisalat. The track record of the company reflects that today, after nearly 18 years Pakistan is unable to recover receivables amounting to $800 million from Etisalat. Etisalat has only made 3 payments while 6 installments remain outstanding. It needs to be comprehended that India’s DB Group is also Etisalat’s partner in the Indian mobile joint venture, Etisalat DB.

If we recall, under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996, PTCL took over all the properties, rights, assets, obligations and liabilities of Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation (PTC), except those transferred to the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust (PTET). In 2005, Privatization Minister Hafeez Shaikh who was the mastermind behind the deal allowed Etisalat to acquire 26 percent shares of PTCL, holding over 407 million shares including management control from the Government of Pakistan as part of a large privatization initiative. As per the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), the Government of Pakistan was required to transfer 3,248 properties to the PTCL, which were leased, hired, and owned by the federal government.

Meanwhile, in 2017, Special Communication Organization (SCO) made attempts to operate nationwide for strategic and national security reasons. Eversince, SCO is struggling to seek autonomy from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and permission to operate throughout Pakistan on a commercial basis, claiming that not only government procedures were holding up infrastructure works, giving its privately-owned competitors an advantage. Etisalat cautioned the Government of Pakistan from granting SCO a license to operate on a commercial basis across the Pakistan. In this regard, Etisalat threatened to take the issue to an international court. In mid-March this year, the Cyberint Technologies Limited, an Israel-based company specializing in cyber-intelligence, announced that it had inked an agreement with Etisalat by e& to protect its infrastructure from cybercriminals. SCO currently provides fixed and mobile services to the public and private sectors in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

SCO is the largest telecommunication operator providing landline, GSM, WLL, Internet / data services in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Ufone, os one of the major GSM service providers, has network coverage all over the country including AJ&K and GB. SCO has already signed a roaming agreement with Ufone enabling SCOM customers to use their parent network across the entire length and breadth of Pakistan. In December 2010, SCO and Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML), cellular operators with the brand name of SCOM and Ufone respectively, signed a renewed Interconnect Agreement. PTML was incorporated in Pakistan on July 18, 1998, as a public limited company to provide cellular mobile telephony services in Pakistan. As on 31 December 2022, PTML carrying amounts, property and equipment, intangible assets and right of use amounts to Rs. 230,063 million, Rs. 64,167 and Rs. 16,468 million respectively out of which Rs. 96,398 million, Rs. 61,449 million and Rs. 12,363 million relates to property and equipment, intangible assets and right of use. Besides PTML, PTCL Holding Company and subsidiary companies include U Bank, DVCOM Data and Smart Sky.

The fact cannot be denied that theft of sensitive personal data is gaining momentum. Pakistan as well as some other countries instead of guarding national and personal data, have handed over the keys to the gateway to enemies, adversaries, and rivals, of course, some of them friendly countries. Now no individual, organization and even the governments in Pakistan and elsewhere can assure cent percent safety or security. Since almost a decade ago, PTCL is delivering fiber footprint to Telenor Pakistan under a fiber leasing agreement. PTCL introduced Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) services to its customers by leveraging Etisalat-Telefonica CTI capabilities. Israeli and Abu Dhabian authorities also signed an agreement that provides Cyberint’s Impactful Intelligence and attack surface management solutions to protect Etisalat by e&'s infrastructure. The joint agreement to enhance its cyber security will also be applicable to PTCL assets and would allow real-time threat intelligence and monitoring of external risk exposure. This will detect, investigate, prevent, and remediate phishing, fraud, ransomware, brand abuse, data leaks, external vulnerabilities etc, ensuring continuous external protection from cyber threats. Interestingly, Israel will also cater other UAE’s businesses in Pakistan including telecom services, gaming, health, and insurance. Tel Aviv claims that it is Israel’s National Cyber Directorate initiative to create a national cyber dome aimed at strengthening the cyberdefense of the entire economy.

Ever since Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement for normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel, Tel Aviv has penetrated in every organization throughout the Muslim world. The founder and first Governor General of Pakistan,Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his speech said, “We will never privatize Railways Carriage Factory, communication and armament production” but his words were not honoured. The Government of Pakistan, supported by the agencies decided rather pressuried to privatize communication of Pakistan in the national interest. Now when Pakistan has handed over the keys of the communication security to foreigners there is nothing left that Islamabad can do. Personal Data Protection Act 2023 is pending before the parliament and that too is with a lot of concerns. It is the only hope that Islamabad should wake up from slumber and give up its self-interests which are being dubbed as national interests to make tougher laws to protect the security and sovereignty of Pakistan. The author can be approached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Afshain Afzal

Scientists had long back claimed that water ice has been detected in the South pole of the moon, the Earth's only natural satellite. Later in 2009, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) high-technology instruments installed at Chandrayaan-1, a setup of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) detected water ice on the moon's surface. The earlier missions of NASA, more than a decade back to this claim, published reports that there is evidence that the highest concentration of water ice was in the south pole's shadowed craters. In fact, there is a probe going to prove that lunar volcanoes, material that comets and asteroids transported to earth is the origin of oceans.

On the contrary, if we recall, the Apollo – 11 mission of Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins landed on the moon and also brought back samples of moon dust with them in the 1960s and concluded after landing on the moon, “the moon has no air” and “it had the scent of wet ashes” as if a firecracker has gone off. After experimentations on the moon’s dust, the Astrophysicist Thomas Gold of Cornell University warned NASA that the dust had been isolated from oxygen for so long that it might be highly chemically reactive and the moon’s dust came into contact with oxygen, it might start burning, or even cause an explosion. One wonders if there was no air how cone the American flag at the moon was waving.

In a recent development, India, on 23 August 2023, claimed that her spacecraft, LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the Soth Pole on the moon. This was confirmed through a live telecast by Sreedhara Panicker Somanath Chairman Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) and Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi at the very moment the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the moon, while international telecast live from the cameras of spacecraft confirmed landing on the background. Successful or unsuccessful, there are a number of countries collaborating with ISRO but still, it is not officially known whose baby it was. There is known Russian involvement in the American-installed equipment at Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh and other centres in India but was it NASA’s interversion this time or something else?

It would be interesting to note that after the Indo-Russian success or NASA-ISRO success, as the case may be, American President Joe Biden has also confirmed to visit India from 7-10 September 2023, to congratulate Indian Prime Minister Narendra PM Modi on assuming G20 leadership and success on India becoming the fourth country landing on the moon. In the past ISRO was totally taken aback over the reasons why their Vikram Lander crashed on the moon in 2019. They had the only option to go for a joint collaboration with Russia. It is on record that three countries including the erstwhile Soviet Union, the United States, and China claim that their spacecraft landed on the South Polar region of the moon; India will be the fourth. The present Chandan presented a fake landing story as not only evident self-engineering has been witnessed in the images but also the resolution of different images does not correspond with each other. 

ISRO reported that the spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on 14 July 2023, and landed on the South Pole on the moon on 23 August and detected water ice. As per ISRO officials, during its mission on the surface for one lunar day (equal to 14 days on Earth), it will carry out a number of scientific experiments. Scientists claim that water ice could be used for fuel, oxygen, and drinking water for future Moon missions or a lunar colony. An impressive live three-minute and seventeen-second video released ISRO showed how the Vikram lander descended, hovered, searched for a suitable landing site, and finally touched down.

Although there was no guarantee rather remote possibility that the lander would land in one piece, after the Russian destruction of the spacecraft, the Luna-25 lander crashed into the moon on 19 August but Indian media, the ISRO officials, and the Indian Prime Minister were live before the world as if they were cent percent sure that Chandrayaan-3 Lander would successfully land on the surface of the moon. As soon as the lander touched the lunar south face, PM Modi was seen sporting a big smile and joyously waving the Indian tricolor flag as if everything was preplanned. There is no doubt that the images released by the Indian Chandrayaan-3 lander are doubtful as the resolution of different images do not correspond with each other and seems as if it is ISRO’s own smart work through lab software. It is likely that the fate of the Chandrayaan-3 lander is not different from Russia's Luna-25.

India has been paid a sufficient amount to keep her mouth shut for using Indian soil, seas, and space for disastrous experiments, which is directly challenging our ecosystem and climate. What to talk about other ranges of India, statistics of Sriharikota Range (SHAR) which was renamed last September as Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), speaks 107 successful and unsuccessful satellite launches this year alone. One of the project's experiments is artificial earthquakes, avalanches, rains, floods, thunder, and other disasters. Another project controls or cause interference in communication around the world through radar reflector antennas, deployable boom, communication, and data subsystem. I live in Westridge, Rawalpindi where not a kilometer away British during World War established Infectious Wards and hospitals to treat soldiers who were exposed to chemical attacks for experimentation. How long this will continue; No doubt, this world will be destroyed because of our own acts. It is high time that before it is too late, the United Nations Organization (UNO) and civilized nations of the world ban outer space experiments in India and other countries to save them from becoming dumping grounds of chaos and disaster in the shape of infectious diseases, earthquakes, climate change. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Afshain Afzal

Russia was the first country to congratulate New Delhi on the breakthrough of landing on the moon. Moscow and New Delhi are collaborating in the field of space technology and have quite impressive joint programmes on exploration on the moon. Earlier, Russian Consul General at Chennai, Oleg Nikolayevich Avdeev spelled out high hopes about the Indo-Russia joint space programme, “I am eagerly waiting for India’s Chandrayaan - 3 soft landing”. He confirmed that the mission will be a fruitful lunar program and it will definitely be a great success. A few years back, in December 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India and signed agreements on enhanced cooperation between Roscosmos and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in various domains including human spaceflight, satellite navigation, development of launch vehicles, and planetary exploration. One of the success stories was the joint development of the GLONASS navigation system and the launching, monitoring, and tracking codes.

It would be interesting to note that after the Indo-Russian success, American President Joe Biden has also confirmed to visit India from 7-10 September 2023, to congratulate Indian Prime Minister Narendra PM Modi on assuming G20 leadership and success on India becoming the fourth country landing on the moon. A press release issued by the White House one day ago confirmed President Biden's visit. In the past ISRO was totally taken aback over the reasons why their Vikram Lander crashed on the moon in 2019. They had only option to go for a joint colabrotion with Russia. It is on record that three countries including the erstwhile Soviet Union, the United States and China claim that their spacecraft landed on the South Polar region of the moon; India will be the fourth. 

In the latest development, as per the details, the ISRO announced on 20 August that Indian-American spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the moon on 23 August 2023”. If we recall, last week, Russia's Luna-25 moon probe crash landed, which according to Russian scientists in CAR was part of Chandrayaan mission but so far New Delhi has not confirmed it. ISRO has confirmed that Chandrayaan-3 robotic lander dropped out of orbit for a rocket-powered descent to the lunar surface, successfully touching down near the moon's south pole. Proud momonts, ISRO tweeted, “The communication link is established between the Ch-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru. Here are the images from the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera taken during the descent.” However, these images are not beyond doubt as the resolution of different images do not correspond with each other. The fate of Chandrayaan-3 is not different from Russia's Luna-25. Hence, the released images by Chandrayaan-3 can by ISRO’s own smart work through lab software. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Afshain Afzal

Pakistan has not yet fully come out of the shock of the 9 May attacks on the Pakistan Army’s installations by anti-state mob when another attack has taken place on its sovereignty and national integrity on 17 August 2023. This time Supreme Command of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, in a most helpless state, communicated the Pakistani nation through his official Twitter account, “As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws. I asked my staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them ineffective. I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned & was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive IA. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be effected.”

Media reports quote a tweet from the official account of Pakistan Head of State, President Arif Alvi claiming that he has not signed a bill moved by the National Assembly to the Senate and further referred to the standing committee of the Senate and returned back by the President within due time as he disagreed certain clauses with passing of the bill. The statement by President is sufficient that the amendment subject bill The Official Secret Act, 1923 has not become law. The matter apparently stands resolved but, irrespective of the fact whether the Official Secret Act has been passed or not, it is not so simple that the office of the President, our Parliamentarians and the Civil Servants associated with the affairs of the State can easily escape from the responsibility of such a great blunder at national level which has an international repercussion. One wonders if we are not forgetting that Official Secret Act is equally applicable to the President and all those working with him at his office.

According to the Gazette of Pakistan registered No M 302/ L7646, published on 18 August 2023, the Amendments in Official Secrets Act, 1923 (XIX of 1923) assented by the President with effect from 17th August 2023. However, the President of Pakistan denies having signed the amendments claiming. “I disagreed with these laws”. Hence, the bills carried bogus signatures of the President. If we peep into the legal framework, Article 75 of the Constitution allows a 10-day timeframe to return the bill to the Senate if he disagrees. The law minister claimed “the Official Secrets Act Bill was sent on 8 August 2023 while the president purposely delayed the assent.” However, the statements of Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to the President are quite clear and must be investigated by the Judicial Commission headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and comprise of senior judges of Supreme Court. According to Waqar Ahmed, ”The Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was received by the Presidency on 8 August 2023 after the official hours, so it was forwarded to the president on 9 August" and “Files related to the bill were not returned to the Secretary's office until 21 August 2023.” Since the bill was received after office hours and put to the President on 9 August so allowed 10-day timeframe to return the bill to the Senate if President disagrees starts from 9 August and expires after office hours on 19 August 2023. The fact cannot be denied that the Gazette of Pakistan refers, “Act of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) deemed to have been assented by the President with effect from 17th August, 2023,” while the Act further to amend the Official Secrets Act, 1923 bears the date of 18 August 2023. Hence, a grave crime against sovereignty and integrity has been committed under Official Secret Act and must be investigated.

The President’s Secretariat issued a notification, "The services of Mr Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to the President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately" to hush up the issue but we should not forget that the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act, 2023 as well as 1923, especially Clause (5) including sub-clause (b), (c) and (d) provides: (b) use of information in his possession for the benefit of any foreign power or in other manner prejudicial to safety of the state; (c) retain the sketch, plan, model, article, note, document in his possession or control when he has no right to retain it, or when it is contrary to his duty to retain it, or willfully fails to comply with all directions issued by lawful authority with regard to return or disposal, and (d) fails to reasonable care of, or so conducts himself as to endanger the safety of, the sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, secret official code or password or information; he shall be guilty of an offense under this section. The Act also provides that those who are involved in the process are guilty of an offense under this definition which is imprisonment of which may exist.

It is important to comprehend that Article 243 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, provides, “The Federal Government shall have control and command of the Armed Forces and the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces shall vest in the President. On the other hand, if we recall, the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act, 2023, was pending before the Senate Standing Committee for a debate to pass the proposed amendments in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 (XIX of 1923). The bill has national as well as international repercussions and seems to have foreign agenda and interests, hence, it demands that it should be dealt with collective wisdom in the light of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and prevailing enforced laws and codes. It is time that the proposed Amendments should be declared null and void while Supreme Court must take suo motu action to save country from the crisis.