ICEP Dawn Editorial 31oct

ICEP
DAWN EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

ANALYSIS
Dated: 31 October, 2020
Our Policy
We provide you with best quality analysis of Dawn newspaper on regular basis. The reason
behind this endeavor is clear as our policy is to educate you.
Knowing the current issues of Pakistan_ domestic and external is imperative for Civil service
aspirants. Unlike India, in Pakistan no such digital platform or academic work is available for
aspirants' ease of preparation. Here you are given detailed analysis of important news and
articles.
So, follow these instructions: Read these editorials and Opinions carefully and keenly. These
are important for widening your knowledge base, improving language skills, understanding key
issues, etc. This section(Editorial/ Opinions) is very useful for English Essay, Current Affairs,
Pakistan Affairs – and sometimes Islamiat – papers as they emphasize more on analysis than
facts. (M.Usman)
💬 To The Point
▪ Competitive Exams
▪ Essay Writing
▪ Current Affairs
▪ Pakistan Affairs
▪ Global Issues
▪ Geopolitics
▪ International Relations
▪ Foreign Policy
✍️Presented By:
Mohammad Usman & Rabia Kalhoro
1 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

CONTENTS TABLE
Page Title Section/Category
04 CII decision National Affairs
05 High food costs National Affairs
07 Indo-US mischievous Accord Regional Affairs
09 Growing virus concerns National Affairs
10 Manufacturing of electric buses Economic Affairs
11 Controversial PMC Educational Affairs
12 Regional Faultlines Security Affairs
13 Starting Anew Pak-India
15 Restarting the IMF program Economic Affairs
17 Another blast National Affairs
19 E-Khyber Digital Pakistan
20 Nearing US Election Global Affairs
22 Learning poverty Economic Affairs
23-31 Global Zero: World without Nuclear Weapons Essay
32-41 Important Idioms Learning Practice
43 Beacon of light Prophet (PBUH)
46 Feminists before Partition Feminism
49 Autonomy versus integration Gender Studies
52 Behind the Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Prize
56 Pakistan's Strategy to address FATF mandates FATF and Pakistan
was inadequate
62 US Presidential Elections_ Policy Change US Election and
towards Pakistan Pakistan
64 After the US decamping Afghanistan Afghan Peace
Process
67 A lesson for Macron: Freedom of expression is Countering
not absolute Islamophobia
71 Repercussions of the delayed International I.R
response in Nagorno-Karbakh
74 Combating Deep Fakes Social Media
78-80 Pakistan's laudable achievements in Nuclear Nuclear Technology
Technology
2 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

COLOURS Used:
Red for Difficult Vocab
Green for Important Figures and contents
Others colours used where necessary
DAWN+ EDITORIALS SECTION
3 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

CII decision | Dawn Editorial
OVER the years, the Council of Islamic Ideology has generated its fair share of
criticism for coming up with controversial observations.
Why in news
Howeverr, this time in a welcome break from the past, it has

ruled, in the matter of the construction of a Hindu temple in
Islamabad, that there was nothing in the Constitution or
Sharia to bar(stop) the provision of a place of worship for a
minority group in the country.
Detailed Analysis |
Thee dispute had been referred to it by the government of Prime Minister Imran
Khan. CII chairman Qibla Ayaz also took into account the concerns of those who
had opposed the building of the temple complex in the capital at state expense.
Hence, the government cannot spend directly on creating this temple and the
community centre meant for weddings and other ceremonies. For such funds, a new
head would have to be created exclusively for the community of which 3,000
members hope to use the promised facility as well as the nearby old temple in
Saidpur village.
Hiccup (noun,verb)
The decision also allows Saidpur temple and an adjoining
dharmsala to be handed over for use by the Hindu a small problem or delay
community. Hindu leaders are hoping that the project can
be executed without further hiccups. In agreement are a hiccup in the negotiations
others who believe in a dignified coexistence based on the
principles of tolerance and mutual respect — values that many in this country will
reflect on, especially today on the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Way forward | Shun (verb)

to deliberately avoid someone or something
In these highly volatile times there is a
a shy woman who shunned publicity
need for countries, leaders and the public
Victims of the disease found themselves
in general to shun all forms of
discrimination — social, economic or legal shunned by society.
— in national life. All too often, communal
feelings have run high, compromising the safety of minority groups. Patient
deliberation and course correction are needed to resolve issues such as forced
conversions. This government has taken some positive steps towards recognising
religious freedoms — such as inaugurating the Kartarpur Corridor. However, a
greater effort is needed at all levels to ensure that minorities don’t remain on the
fringes of society.
4 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

High food costs | Dawn Editorial
THE food prices in the country have soared (rised) dramatically during the last
one year, fuelling concerns over the rapidly rising cost of living. Pakistanis have
been confronting the sticky, double-digit food inflation every day since August last
year.
Sticky (adjective)
Why in news
a sticky situation, question, or problem is
difficult or dangerous
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
data shows that the pace of increase of a sticky political issue
food inflation had slowed down to 12.4pc and 15.8pc for urban and
rural consumers last month after peaking at 19.5pc and nearly
24pc in January, it doesn’t quite alleviate the economic sufferings
of millions of people, especially in the midst of the pandemic. No data
can measure the impact of the massive spike in the price of wheat
flour or sugar or vegetables or pulses on the daily calorie intake or
monthly budget of low- to middle-income families. In fact, many think
that the PBS, which tracks the prices of a basket of essential goods and
services consumed by the majority, cannot even record the actual
price inflation because it does not have the capacity to do so. Thus, its
price data usually understates (down play) the actual situation.
Factors behind the surging food inflation |

Rein in (phrase)
There are multiple factors behind the surging food
inflation, which was more or less under control to limit or control (someone or
before the PTI came to power in 2018. something)
One, the economy had been experiencing broad- Congress must rein in spending.
based inflationary pressures for a couple of years
owing to the implementation of stabilisation policies You had better rein that kid in
aimed at reining in the fiscal and current account deficits. It is
before shenaive to expect food
gets hurt.
prices to remain stable when everything else is becoming
more expensive because of government policies or market Jack up (Phrase)
dynamics.
to increase a price:
Two, disruptions in the food supply chain from the
pandemic also raised input and transportation costs for Ad rates will be jacked up to
farmers who had no way of recovering it except by $3600 a month
jacking up selling rates.
Three, the reduction in the output of minor and major food crops, particularly
wheat, and an increase in demand since the virus outbreak also created a major
supply gap in the country. The failure of the government to predict the market,
especially in the case of wheat and sugar shortages, and make timely arrangements
to fill the gap through early imports have led prices to increase further. Instead, the
5 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

government responded to the food inflation crisis with occasional administrative
actions against ‘profiteers and hoarders’. This compounded the shortages.
Way forward | Solutions

▪ The short- to medium-term solution lies in developing the capacity to predict
food commodity markets, both domestic and global.
▪ It lies in quickly addressing supply chain disruptions and covering shortages
through early imports.
▪ Long-term food price stability depends on the government’s willingness to
revamp its agricultural policies, liberalise the trade regime allowing market
forces to freely play their role, reduce the cost of farm inputs, invest in high-
yield and drought-resistant seed technologies, and give growers incentives to
adopt modern farm practices to increase yields.
▪ Without increasing crop output, food Revamp (verb)
prices won’t stabilise.
To change something in order to improve it
and make it seem more modern
Many older companies are revamping their

image.
6 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Indo-US mischievous Accord | Pakistan Observer
Scuttle (verb)
to ruin or end someone’s plans or chance of being

AS the world’s emerging super power – successful – used especially in news reports.
China – is building economic alliances
and forges cooperation with other The incident threatens to scuttle the peace process.
countries for shared prosperity, the
United States and India have joined hands in a bid to scuttle Beijing’s march on
the road to progress and ‘In a bid to’ means ‘in an attempt’.
destabilize the region, the peace
and security of which is already In a bid to attract youngsters to schools, the government will
perilous (risky) due to organise an awareness programme.
aggressive designs of New Delhi
and its anti-minorities’ policies b) If used at the end of a sentence (in usual cases), it will mean ‘in an
auction’ or ‘during an auction.’
and adventurous strategy of
Washington. He got his hands on the expensive paintings in a bid.
Why in News
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of

Defence Mark Esper signed a military pact with their counterparts
in New Delhi on Tuesday envisaging exchange of sensitive satellite
data, often used to steer missiles and drones and then headed towards
Sri Lanka as part of a multi-country tour aimed at pushing the Trump
Administration’s anti-China message.
mischievous (Adjective)
Detailed Analysis |
causing trouble or quarrels deliberately
The mischievous nature of the accord is a mischievous remark
evident from the fact that Tuesday’s
development is latest in a series of US-India
military agreements designed to counter China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific
region. The United States and some other technologically advanced countries are
already providing globe’s cutting edge (modern) technologies and know-how to
India including nuclear and missile to sharpen military teeth of a country that is not
even hiding its expansionist designs and aggressive posture against all of its
neighbours.
The worst aspect of the entire episode is that both the United States and India are
not feeling ashamed in publicly declaring that their military cooperation was against
peace-loving China, which is spending hundreds of billions of dollars overseas on
economic cooperation. Mark Esper also announced that his country planned to
sell more fighter planes and drones to India at a time when New Delhi is engaged in
border conflict with Beijing and China is making endeavours for peaceful and
negotiated resolution of the crisis.
Critical Analysis | India’s massive acquisition of armaments are

developments with serious repercussions
7 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn
It is worrisome that the new pact will give India access to a range of topographical,
nautical and aeronautical data that is considered vital for targeting missiles and
armed drones. It would also allow the United States to provide advanced
navigational aids and avionics on US-supplied aircraft to India. Such sinister
(malicious) cooperation would not only encourage India to continue with its
provocative posture towards China but also towards Pakistan presenting a potent
threat to the regional peace and security.
Pakistan's Concerns over the US-India Military agreement |
That’s why, Pakistan Foreign Office has legitimately warned that India’s massive
acquisition of armaments and expansion of its nuclear forces, including introduction
of new destabilizing weapon systems, are developments with serious repercussions
for peace and stability in South Asia. Remarks made by the two US officials in New
Delhi should leave no doubt about motives and designs of the two countries.
Way forward |
Therefore, other countries of the region especially Pakistan and China should go
deep into emerging developments and take measures together to safeguard their
interests.
8 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Growing virus concerns | Dawn Editorial
THE feared second wave of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan has arrived, with daily
confirmed cases and hospitalisations increasing at an alarming rate.
Why in news Succumb to (phrase)
die from the effect of a disease or

At the time of writing, 14 people in the injury.
previous 24 hours had succumbed to the "after a few blows there, the porcupine
virus and 825 had tested positive, succumbs"
marking a rise in both mortality and
positivity rates. On Wednesday, after repeated warnings of
rising Covid-19 cases across the country, the National
Command and Operation Centre made it compulsory for all
citizens to wear a face mask when leaving their homes — a
directive that came as the positivity rate approached 3pc and the total
reported number of active cases in the country crossed 11,000. All
provinces have been asked to ensure that people wear face masks and
adhere to the SOPs, particularly in bazaars, shopping malls,
restaurants and on public transport.
Critical Analysis |
The decision to enforce mask-wearing is indeed welcome and necessary,

but it is a step that should have been taken much earlier. Many countries
that emerged from the first wave of infections made mask-wearing mandatory even
during the months when cases were fewer — a guideline authorities in Pakistan did
not declare mandatory till this week. A few months after the pandemic began,
international health authorities started to stress on the importance of mask-wearing
as there is clear evidence that face coverings significantly lower transmission. In the
post-July euphoria period in Pakistan, however, when Covid-19 cases were
successfully lowered after restrictions and SOPs were enforced, mask-wearing
sadly remained voluntary. Still, it is not too late to enforce the SOPs and stem
the rising Covid-19 tide to prevent an all-out disaster.
Way forward | Authorities must build on the knowledge and strengths that
helped them lower the curve previously and use the data available to take decisive
action. They must also improve their messaging to the public and convey how
serious the threat has become.
Reeling from (phrase)
Without strict adherence to the SOPs, the
closure of schools and businesses will become to be confused or shocked by a situation
inevitable — something that will deeply impact
the education sector and economy which are The party is still reeling from its recent
already reeling from the restrictions of the election defeat.
first wave.
9 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Manufacturing of electric buses | Pakistan Observer
Auto Industry in Pakistan | Introduction
AUTO Industry appears to be entering a new phase in Pakistan with greater focus on
electric vehicles and it is really heartening to see the government is trying to provide
an enabling environment for it. The ambitious electric vehicle policy unveiled in
June this year was the first step towards that direction which aims to bring half a
million electric motorcycles and rickshaws, along with more than 100,000 electric
cars, buses and trucks, into the transportation system over the next five years.
Shifting the transport sector to the electricity is also need of the hour as it will
greatly help the country cut oil and gas import bill which runs into billions of dollars
as well as mitigate the impact of climate change.
Why in news
In yet another important and landmark step, the Ministry of

Science and Technology on Monday reached an agreement with a
private British automobile firm for the manufacturing of
electric buses for Pakistan.
▪ In the first phase, the British firm will manufacture electric buses
for Pakistan whilst in the next phase, it will help the country in
the production of vehicles locally.
▪ Pakistan had signed the first agreement on electric buses with a

Chinese Company and this second one with a European
Company will really not only promote the competition but also
encourage other companies to invest in Pakistan in this
particular sector.
Way forward | Recommendations
This definitely will also a positive impact on the country’s economy and create
immense job opportunities for our youth.
▪ We will suggest the government to give more incentives to such companies

which are showing interest in the electric vehicles if we really want to catch up
with the rest of the countries in the region.
▪ At the same time it must also be ensured that agreements signed must make it
binding on the auto companies to ultimately shift the technology to Pakistan.
▪ They should not only build their assembly plants in the country but locally
manufacture the machinery and other equipment of vehicles. For the success
of electric vehicles, the focus should also be given to the setting up of charging
stations including on the motorways and highways.
10 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Controversial PMC | The News
For what it seems could be an effort to support private medical education and
private medical colleges, which often charge exorbitant (high) fees, the
controversial Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), which replaced the
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, under the PTI government, some time
ago has made yet another extremely controversial decision.
Why in news
A month before at least 150,000

students across the country were due
to sit their vital MDCAT exam, the PMC
has announced an addition to the curriculum and some alterations to
it. Medical students in Lahore staged a protest in Lahore with
hundreds taking part in the walk during which they chanted slogans
against the PMC and its doings. There are also other steps that are
irritating students, including the decision that medical colleges in the
private sector can admit as many foreign students as they choose and
set the fee structure for them.
Medical Student’s ' Concerns | Detailes
This raises the concern that medical colleges will deliberately take in a larger
number of foreign students or those who do not hold Pakistani passports and charge
them the higher fee rate, thereby increasing their own profits but in the process
damaging the education of Pakistani students. The entire situation is extremely
chaotic. Medical students want to return to the previous system in which the exam
syllabus was set by provinces. This has not as yet been accepted by the PMC, which
has put in place a centralised system with very few weeks of warning given to
students. In addition, it has also allowed a few colleges to set their own entry exam.
Students fear that this could be a precedent for other private medical universities,
which often offer inferior quality education and charge large amounts in fees to do
so, creating even less equity across the medical field. In other words, we as patients
would never know the quality of the doctor to whom we will go to when we are sick
or need medical help.
Critical Analysis | The questioning performance of PMC
The problem is a dangerous one. Many believe that the PMC was set up essentially
on the demand of the private universities, which have grown in power since the
current government came to office. There has been no check on the quality of
education that the private universities offer. And now students have been placed
under a new burden. They have said they want a return to the old system, at
least for now, and some discussion with all stakeholders of quite why
the old measures are being changed and new ones taken at such short
notice. This would obviously be a sensible step in any case. All those involved
including the students and their parents need to know what is happening and for
what reason.

Regional Faultlines | The Nation
There are a number of worrying developments occurring near our borders which
Pakistan should be concerned about.
Why in news
The United States on Monday imposed fresh Iran-related

sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic’s oil sector, including the
Iranian Ministry of Petroleum, in Washington’s latest move to
increase pressure on Tehran. Things appear to get worse with the US
on the other side of the border too, with US president Donald Trump
launching a new attack on China, by announcing an initiative to
thwart Beijing’s alleged efforts to “steal” US
technology. It seems China itself is now fed Thwart (verb)
up with the US’ constant shots, and has
announced that it will sanction several major to prevent someone from doing what
they are trying to do
defence companies in retaliation for
multibillion-dollar US arms sales to Taiwan. Fierce opposition thwarted the
government’s plans.
Critical Analysis | Trump's administration tactics of hustings
thwarted ambition
The two global powers are hitting each other where it hurts—on the profits of
defence companies. It is feared that the US is initiating this hostility for temporary
gains in politics rather than considering the long-term implications of creating
chaos in the region. Trump may be exploiting anti-Iran sentiment for some last-
minute election gains but this strategy will inevitably backfire. Iran is also geared to
have elections next year—US hostility might push Iranian politics to the extreme
right, making it harder in the future to hold negotiations.
Probable results |
Such developments can change the strategic disposition of the entire region.
Enemies of your enemy can be your friend and attempts to antagonise
China and Iran can push the two countries into a closer friendship. China
might see Iran as a closer partner now; which could potentially nullify the effect of
US restrictions against Iran.

Starting Anew | Dawn Editorial
Why in news Honour the promise (phrase)
This is the most formal and rhetorical way to

Honouring the promise made to say (to fulfill a promise, or to keep promise).
highlight the brutalities that plague
Kashmir, and the denial of fundamental human rights, PM Imran
Khan asserted that Pakistan would be open to peace talks with India,
provided that they retreat from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu
and Kashmir (IIOJK). Putting aside all differences and animosities,
this change in stance comes from a sincere desire to liberate the
people of Kashmir from what seems to be a never-ending strife
(conflict) in pursuit for self-determination.
India’s inability to control hostility | Peace talk should be welcomed by

India
There is much doubt that the Indian government will take this opportunity to
perhaps make amends even though this approach, to foster cordial relations going
forward, is reasonable, grounded, practical and beneficial for both countries—even
generous considering the severity of state-sponsored oppression in IIOK. All it
would take is for the Indian government to agree to comply by the UN’s suggested
and mandated solution: a plebiscite.
The misplaced bravado (pretense of bravery) that has been displayed by India,
especially all through recent years, has caused for regional tensions to remain at an
all-time high, disrupting not only the political, economic and social environment of
Pakistan and India itself, but neighbouring countries as well—particularly
considering that both states are nuclear powers. At some point, the interest of the
region and the world at large also has to be prioritised along with the grievances of
the Kashmiris. Thus, some initiatives to nurture peace should come from
across the border. However, the probability of that is incredibly low given the
determined intent with which India refuses to exit the area under military siege.
Way forward is to maintain hope only |
As one of the largest purported democracies in the world, we must hope that the
BJP government is reminded of the importance of the protection of human rights,
through pressure from the international community which acknowledges the daily
cruelty inflicted upon the people of Kashmir and accepts the friendly request put
through by Pakistan. Meanwhile diplomatic efforts to address the Kashmiri causes
on all platforms and incur change, should remain consistent if not bettered.

Vocabulary Description
Purport (verb)
to claim to be or do something, even if this is not true
she is not the person she purports to be.
be purported to be something
The document is purported to be 300 years old.
— purportedly adverb
a portrait purportedly of Shakespeare
Inflict upon (something on ssomeone) | Phrase
to impose something, such as pain, a burden, a problem, etc., on someone or

something. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.)
The daily cruelty inflicted upon the people of Kashmir
I hate to inflict an additional burden upon you, but someone has to clean the oven.
Please don't inflict that on me.

Restarting the IMF program | Daily times
Why in news
It seems talks with the IMF are getting nowhere. The Fund is
adamant (firm,unyielding) that the
government raise electricity prices, Tranche (noun)
increase taxes and present a mini-budget
a portion of something, especially
in order for the second tranche of the money:
bailout program to be released. Yet the
government, for its part, just refuses any they released the first tranche of the loan.
measures that might increase prices at a
time when the people are already pretty upset about rising inflation,
which makes a lot of sense given the current political temperature and
the fact that the 11-party opposition alliance’s protests are clearly
gaining momentum.
Detailed Analysis | Govt will have to bite the bullet because of the catch-
22 situation it faces.
But while the prime minister’s position is pretty clear, it is not easy to figure out who
exactly the special advisor on finance is trying to convince. On the one hand he tells
the cabinet that these decisions will have to be accepted since it is essential to get
the program back on track, and on the other
he pleads with senior IMF executives not to Binding (Adjective)
make them binding right away.
adjective (of an agreement or promise)
involving an obligation that cannot be broken:
Being an IFI man himself, no doubt Hafeez
Sheikh understands that there is very little business agreements are intended to be
chance of the IMF bending on this one, no legally binding.
matter how justified PM Imran Khan’s
concerns might be. It was, after all, decided when the program was signed that these
measures would have to be implemented to get the second tranche. That is why it
was a bit of a surprise when the program fell apart in February precisely because
Islamabad just refused to honour the contract in the wider interest of the people.
Cold-blooded (adjective)
Yet the cold blooded logic of the market throws without emotion or pity; deliberately
a natural question to the noble-intentioned PM. cruel or callous.
If, in the interest of all those who would
"a cold-blooded murder"
surely suffer in the case of yet higher
prices, the PM is willing to keep the bailout program in deep freeze for
an indefinite period, won’t the middle and lower classes also suffer the
most if the aid is not resumed and the economy suffers?

Way forward |
Those familiar with IMF programs are beginning to predict that it is only a matter of
time before the government caves in. It just does not have the financial depth to
indulge in such adventures with those whose money is keeping the economy afloat
right now. That means it would have to drop another price bomb on the people. And
that, of course, is going to have political ramifications one of the outcomes of
which would surely be a more emboldened and empowered opposition. So the
government has a tough choice to make, and the sooner it bites the bullet the
better.
Vocabulary Description
Ramification:
a complex or unwelcome consequence of an action or event.
"any change is bound to have legal ramifications"
To bite the bullet (idiom)_____________

Another blast | The Express Tribune
Why in news
Yesterday, at least eight people were killed and 125 injured

in a bomb blast inside the premises of a religious school in
Peshawar. Even those who have a superficial acquaintance with
developments and events in the region felt it coming.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had hinted at such a possibility. Last
week, the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) had issued security
alert for Quetta and Peshawar rallies of opposition parties, saying there was
‘credible information’ about possibility of subversive activities in the two cities.
Detailes of the event |
An unidentified man left a suspicious bag, containing the bomb, inside the premises
of the religious school and when students started to file in(enter) at 8am, the
bomb went off (exploded) causing deaths and injuries. The madrassa
administration said 1,000 pupils studied at the school, and between 40 and 50
students were inside when the blast occurred. Two teachers were also injured in the
explosion. The wounded were rushed (move in a hurry) to different hospitals in the
city where doctors said most of them suffered burn injuries. Among the injured are
40 children. The police said the IED weighed five kilograms.
Security Agencies' failure |
Despite the Nacta warning based on ‘credible information’ about possibility of

terrorists striking the city, why the security agencies failed to foil (prevent) the
bomb attacks in Peshawar on Tuesday and in Quetta on Sunday? The terrorists
chose a religious school where mostly adult students studied for better impact. They
acted with self-assurance and succeeded. But those who are to counter their sinister
designs came a cropper in puncturing their self-assurance. The situation
demanded utmost alert considering that lately such terror attacks had happened
inside Afghanistan and terrorists might also target various places in Pakistan with a
view to derailing (sabotaging) the ongoing talks aimed at restoring peace in
Afghanistan. In September, five people were killed and another two
wounded in a bomb blast in Nowshera.
Way forward
On Monday, the PM had expressed apprehensions that India might use Afghan soil
to destablise Pakistan. Despite prior warnings, terrorists have succeeded. We all
should realise that we are in a cauldron of enmity; there is no room for
complacency. Awkward and tragic moments ought to be avoided.

Subversive (adjective)
subversive ideas, activities etc are secret and

intended to damage or destroy a government or an
established system
He was engaged in subversive activities.
Subversive propaganda/literature—
subversively adverb
Cauldron (noun)
a situation characterized by instability and strong emotions:
a cauldron of repressed anger.
Came a cropper (idiom)

E-Khyber | The Express Tribune
Why in news
An incredible and truly ground-breaking feat has been achieved by

Khyber’s district administration which has launched an official K-P
website in order to provide e-services and redress grievances of the
citizens of the seven merged tribal districts.
Positive aspects of the E-website |

▪ The initiative is aimed at “ensure transparency, accessibility and visibility” by
ensuring that the general public has access to information regarding
administrative affairs via the website in which details regarding the
expenditure of public funds and execution of development schemes will be
integrated. Officials claim that the project not only helps in breaking away
from traditional methodology but also diverges from past mindsets where
previous political administration would remain the centre of criticism for
concealing information.
▪ Surprisingly, the website is not only elegantly designed, with consideration

given to negative spacing, color palettes and animations, but is also well
organised, allocating separate pages for governance, e-services, performance
dashboard, and latest information on polio vaccination and Covid-19.
▪ Apart from finally integrating technology within the overall administrative

framework and providing the citizens, with a much-needed database, the
website can also simultaneously be used to preserve the rich history of the
region through stories and pictures — something that could become a separate
sub-venture within the project.
Recommendations to Govt | The government should also be aware that due

to the lack of facilities and internet access, not everyone will have the privilege of
accessing and using the website. Thus, inclusivity may be a major hurdle that
the authorities will need to overcome. Even though the project seems to be
heading in the right direction, it is essential that the government ensure the website
is constantly updated. While still in its adolescent stage, the initiative needs to be
made multi-dimensional, in a sense that all relevant stakeholders are brought on
board for collecting, analysing and presenting data in a simplistic and aesthetically
pleasing way.

Nearing US election | The Express Tribune
Why in news
With a week still remaining before the US elections on November 3,

over 60 million Americans have already voted using mail-in ballots
and early voting facilities. Though both were available during past
elections, the scale of use has gone up significantly this year, largely
due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which the US is still struggling with.
Detailed Analysis |
The entire 2016 election only saw about 47 million early ballots cast. By the
time polls close, forecasters expect a record number of ballots to be cast, with some
predicting over 150 million people voting for a turnout of 65%, a number not seen in
over 100 years. Although ease of voting thanks to reforms in the mail-in and early
in-person voting deserves some credit, several analysts tie the increased turnout to
the polarising figure occupying the White House. There are few examples in
American history of a president drawing such visceral reactions from his opponents
and even his supporters.
Trump’s and Bidens’ accusations at one another |
While President Donald Trump continues his-last ditch effort to claw back
against Democratic candidate Joe Biden, the odds are stacked against him. So
far, his strategy has been to throw mud at Biden while denying many of the
problems he has created.
Despite his mismanagement of Covid-19, Trump claimed this week that his
administration was “doing a great job”. But his chief of staff apparently did not get
the message, admitting the same day that the Trump administration was “not going
to control the pandemic”.
Meanwhile, he continues accusing Biden and his son of graft (corruption), even
though US intelligence agencies say there is no truth to these rumours. The irony is
that Trump himself is being investigated for tax fraud, while his three older children
paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to avoid a conviction for defrauding several
charities. On the other hand, Biden continues with his calmly inspiring messaging of
centre-left policies and a return to normalcy. Yet, Trump still has a chance, because
this is America.

Vocabulary description
Graft:
his-last ditch effort (idiom)

Learning poverty | Dawn Editorial
Why in news
A RECENT report by the World Bank has revealed that Pakistan’s

economy could incur considerable losses in the next couple of
decades because of Covid-19’s impact on the education system.
Incur (verb)
Report's indications
▪ The report Learning Losses in If you incur something unpleasant, it happens to
Pakistan due to Covid-19 School you because of something you have done
Closures has predicted that incur somebody’s displeasure/wrath/disapproval
learning poverty in the country etc
might rise to 79pc from the
present 75pc, owing to the She wondered what she’d done to incur his
closure of schools. displeasure this time.
▪ It states that around 930,000 children — an increase of around 4.2pc on

the existing figure of 22m — are expected to drop out from primary and
secondary schools as a result of closures and other logistical problems caused
by the pandemic.
▪ Considering that around 44pc of our children are already out of school, these
fresh pandemic-related dropouts could well mean that half of our child
population will have no opportunity to learn, grow and eventually become
productive members of the workforce.
▪ If this damage is not remedied, says the report, the country could in the next
20 years incur a loss of between $67bn and $155bn in GDP at its current
value. Keeping in mind the shambolic state of the country’s public education
system, these predictions hardly come as a surprise.
▪ Logistical issues including the absence and poor qualifications of teachers,
rundown school buildings and lack of drinking water and bathrooms are no
less than a curse that no government has managed to break.
Way forward for Govt |

Though the government has, since the start of the pandemic, attempted to put in
place a remote learning infrastructure, it has largely been ineffective due to lack of
digital access and societal factors. To prevent new dropouts, the World Bank report
suggests conducting mass enrolment drives with cash incentives for families to
encourage them to send their children to school. The fresh crisis notwithstanding,
the government can also use these strategies to boost overall school enrolment and
improve the graph of learning poverty. A little investment in education would
go a long way in ensuring an economically stable future for Pakistan.

ESSAY SECTION

Global Zero: World without Nuclear Weapons
(Essay) by Irshad Ali
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Brief history of nuclear weapons
3. Perils of nuclear weapons
4. Need to eliminate nuclear weapons
5. Global zero initiative
6. Is this goal achievable? Yes:
a. Historical support
b. Political will
c. Strong public support
d. New leadership
7. How to achieve it? Procedure/Strategy:
a. Ratification of NPT/CTBT
b. Reduction by the US and Russia
c. Elimination by all nuclear states
d. Follow up: control mechanism
8. Creation of International Nuclear Fuel-Bank
9. Advantages of nuclear zero
10. Conclusion

“This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of
world without nuclear weapons” (Barak Obama)
Man has achieved tremendous progress in developing scientific technology

for the welfare and well-being of humanity, but simultaneously, he has also
developed weapons for his own destruction. To acquire power–the most
flagrant of all passions–he created weapons including explosive, chemical,
biological and nuclear. Among them, the nuclear weapons are the most
destructive causing mass destruction. Though, these have been used once in
history during the World War-II, these have created a perpetual fear of
annihilation among all humans. Now, with the evolving of a multi-cultural
globalised world, there is an increase in momentum to develop a consensus
for achieving Global Zero- elimination of all nuclear weapons. To succeed in
this initiative, the need is to sit together, contemplate, devise a strategy and
agree to divert this capability from weapons to welfare of humanity. The
most resounding argument, generating urge to achieve this surpassable task
lies in the brief history of apocalyptic perils of nuclear weapons.
The perils of atomic weapons were manifest as the two cities of Japan were
wreaked when the bombs were dropped on them. In Hiroshima, some
75,000 people were immediately killed by blast, fire and radiation. Another
70,000 died by the end of 1945. Three days later in Nagasaki, plutonium
bomb killed about 40,000 people immediately, another 75,000 died by the
end of 1945. Five days after Nagasaki’s flattening, Japan surrendered. But
the impact didn’t stop there. Thousands people died in following years due
to radiation. Tens of thousands became disabled. Not only the people
present at the time suffered but the ‘unborn’ as well. Thousands others were
born with deformities and genetic disorders due to which successive
generations have suffered.
The Americans and Japanese learned different lessons from these

bombings. “The Americans lesson was; the nuclear weapons win wars, and
therefore have value. The Japanese learned that human being and nuclear
weapons cannot co-exist.” (David Krieger, President Nuclear Age Peace
Foundation). However, the danger posed by nuclear weapons today is far
greater than the destruction they caused in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Today, the number of nuclear weapons around the world is about 30,000
bombs with far greater weight and destruction power. Even a fraction of
these weapons could put an end to human as well as other species on our
planet. It is clear that if we don’t achieve ‘Global Zero’, our planet is always
at risk, of being converted into a ‘Ground Zero’. This could happen not only
due to a deliberate act but also accidental incident. Therefore, there is a
strong reason that ‘these weapons must be abolished before they abolish us’.
The need to eliminate nuclear weapons is not only because these can be used
for destruction in war but also because they pose equal danger in times of
peace. There have been “Close Calls” to annihilation in various occasions.
[In 1995] President Boris Yeltsin was informed that a nuclear missile was
speeding towards the heart of Russia. Russian nuclear forces, already on
hair-trigger alert, were put in even higher alert. Russian policy called for a
“launch on warning”. The fate of the planet hung in the balance. Yeltsin
wisely waited. And within those moments, the alarm declared false. “An
unimaginable nuclear disaster had barely been avoided”, declared America’s
Defense Monitor, Center for Defence Information, December 26, 1999.
Another, important incident took place in the US on August 31, 2007. Air
Force crew loaded six live nuclear warheads onto a 8-52 Bomber and flew
from ‘Minot Air Force Base’ in North Dakota to ‘Barksdak Air Force Base’ in
cruising over the country’s heartland (Around 15 states). Each warhead was
10 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. In analysis report, America’s Defence science Board (DSB)
revealed that ‘six of the planet’s most powerful weapons were missing and
no one noticed until they had landed in Louisiana after flight of 3 ½ hours.’
The report concluded that ‘human error was at the heart of the incident.’
This incident underscores the risk of accidental nuclear explosion threat due
to ‘human error’ even in the country of its origin and in the ‘peace times’. It
is important to note that this incident occurred in the US, which claims to
employ world’s best safety standards for nuclear weapons. While the US
itself keeps expressing concern over the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
It is learnt from these incidents that the humanity is at the risk of just single
human error, if the nuclear weapons exist in the world. Therefore, wisdom
calls for elimination of all nuclear weapons in order to make the future of
humanity—our generation and our future generations – safe and secure.
In addition, the Cold War which was the pushing force behind nuclear race
has ended two decades ago. Also due to the interdependence of states in the
current scenario, there is unlikeness of revival of such conflicts.
Moreover, the presence of nuclear weapons in some states provides reason

and pretext for other ambitious nations to acquire the same status. This
unwise race has itself caused devastating effects on economy and human
development, particularly in developing countries.
One of the major world powers, the USSR too, collapsed under the heavy
burden of extraordinary defence spending on economy. The developing
countries like India, Pakistan, and North Korea also joined the race. They
did succeed in acquiring nuclear weapons but their poor population is
suffering from abject poverty. A country like Pakistan, which is merely
surviving at the edge of economic insolvency, could gain much economic
growth, had the resources been utilised for the welfare of people. Iranians
are bearing the sanctions imposed by western powers through the UN for
pursuing nuclear technology, which according to them, is aimed at acquiring
weapons.
Besides, the argument to possess nuclear weapons to maintain deterrence

capability has also lost its ground. More the states acquire ‘nukes’, more the
risk of their use builds-up. Moreover, the presence of nukes always poses
risk of slipping into the hands of terrorists. Admiral Noel Gayler, a former
commander-in-chief of the Pacific Command of US Navy, asks, “Is
difference of nuclear weapons still possible?” He answers, “No”. He also
questions, “Does nuclear disarmament imperil our security?” He answers,
“No, it enhances it.” As human – beings are fallible, deterrence is not a
perfect system. It can be failed by human error, accident, miscalculation or
simply miscommunication. “Does it make sense to risk the future of our
cities and even the human species on an unprovable theory?”, David
Krieger, founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
This is why, fortunately, the initiative of achieving peace of the world

without nuclear weapons is gaining support among both the senior military
and the political leaders of the world. The increasing number of leaders have
realised what Abraham Lincoln said, “We must think anew and act
anew.” Recently many world leaders have expressed willingness to move
towards this goal. British Prime Minister Gorden Brown said in March 2008
that the UK was ready to work for “a world that is free from nuclear
weapons.” On December 5, 2008, Nicholas Sarkozy, the French President,
while holding EU Presidency, wrote a letter to UN General Secretary,
outlining an EU plan to advance global progress toward nuclear
disarmament.
In order to seize this positive trend, to achieve the commitment of the entire
international community, and to re-energise effort for complete nuclear
disarmament, a new initiative “Global Zero” was launched on December 9,
2008, in Paris. The initiative was endorsed by 100 international political,
military, business and civic leaders across the world. The signatories
included former US President Jimmy Carter, former Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev, former British Foreign Secretary Margaret Becket, Queen Noor
of Jordan, Ehasnul Haq, former Joint Chief of the Staff committee (JCSC) of
Pakistan, former Indian National Security advisor Brajes Mishra.
Global Zero envisages eliminating nuclear weapons through phased and

verified reduction over a period of years. Key steps include:
• Massive reduction in Russian-US arsenal.

• Complete elimination to zero by all states.
• Establishing verification system to keep check.
• International management of the fuel cycle.
There are many positive indicators which indicate why this goal is
achievable. First; there is a strong historical support. Throughout the
nuclear age, even at the height of the Cold War, leaders foresaw a day when
the world could be free of nukes. In 1986, Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev
and US President Ronald Reagan agreed that: “A nuclear war could never be
won and must never be fought.” In 1999, Chinese President Jiang Zemin
stated: “There is no reason why nuclear weapons should not be
comprehensively banned and completely destroyed.”
Second; as Jiang Zemin had emphasised in his statement, ‘What it takes to

reach this objective is no more than a strong political will.’ The world
leaders agree with the idea of a world without nukes and have the means to
achieve it. What they only need is the ‘Political will’. Some analysts argue
that even if the major world powers agree to eliminate nuclear weapons,
country like Iran might not agree to abandon its ambition. Though Iran’s
nuclear weapon ambitions is a fallacy, there is a strong reason why Iran
would follow the course. “If there is growing support by nuclear powers and
public opinion worldwide, I think it becomes harder for any government,
including Iran, to cross that barrier”, said Richard Burt, who was
Washington’s Chief negotiator in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
(START) talks in the early 1990s. Naturally, no country can afford to be on
the one side and whole of the world on the other.
Third; there is a strong support among majority of the people around the
world. A poll of 21 countries conducted by Program on International Policy
Attitudes (PIPA), USA, shows that global public opinion is overwhelmingly
in favours of an international agreement for eliminating all nuclear
weapons. 76 per cent of respondents, across all countries polled, favour such
an agreement. As the public opinion tends to direct the policies of
governments, it is likely that the leaders would come to the table.
Fourth; at this time particular, there is a new and great opportunity. US

President Barak Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have
signalled to work on nuclear disarmament. The former declared, “This is the
moment to begin the works of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear
weapons.” Similarly, Russian Prime Minister Putin expressed in a speech in
September 2008 to “Close this Pandora’s Box”.
This new and unprecedented political support from the heads of the world’s
most important governments’ for zero nuclear weapons has made this goal
possible. This moment offers both the possibilities and dangers.
Possibilities; because of new leadership in the US which appears to support
the goal of nuclear abolition. Dangers; because, if this moment passes
without action, then the nuclear-race could quickly gather pace with many
more states acquiring weapons and the risk of weapons falling into the
hands of terrorists would increase.
This opportunity must be seized. It is the time for a new beginning to

achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. This moment calls for embracing
possibilities and dispelling dangers. The phased and verifiable elimination
of nuclear weapons is possible. Here are some of the steps needed to achieve
this goal:
Firstly; the ratification of Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The NPT, which was sponsored by
the US, UK and the USSR, was aimed “to prevent the spread of nuclear
weapons and weapon technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful
use of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear
disarmament”. The treaty was signed by 187 states and was ratified in 1975.
However, the US, its sponsors, did not ratify it. Other four countries which
have not signed it are: India, Pakistan, Israel and Cuba. Similarly, CTBT,
introduced in 1995, has not been ratified by many states, including the US.
It is strongly felt that if the US ratifies these treaties, others would follow the
course. “Early the US ratification would do much to encourage the few
remaining states to follow suit,” wrote David Miliband, UK’s former Foreign
Secretary, in The Washington Post on December 8, 2008.
Secondly; negotiations between Washington and Moscow should start to cut

back nuclear stockpiles to minimum. According to moderate estimates, the
US and Russia have about 26000 of total 27000 weapons in the world. As
both these states possess largest stockpiles—96 per cent of all the nuclear
weapons in the world—they should reduce their arsenal in the first step.
“Process needs to start with American and Russian leaderships”, argues
Richard Burt.
This is an absolutely insensible approach to accumulate that much big

arsenal that fraction of which can destroy the whole world. “When a country
can be destroyed by a dozen weapons, its own possession of thousands of
weapons gains no security”, says Admiral Noel Gayler. The huge possession
of nukes itself puts larger responsibility on the US and Russia to initiate the
process of disarmaments up to minimum level. The successful conclusion of
‘START NEW’ between both powers strengthens the possibility of reaching
an agreement on nuclear disarmament.
Thirdly; following the reductions by the US and Russia, the rest of the
countries can be brought on board for complete abolition of nukes. It would
not be a difficult task. Once the powerful countries lead the course, rest will
follow them. Perhaps others seem poised to welcome such move. The
willingness of China, the UK and France has already been mentioned. The
two South Asian countries India and Pakistan are also ready to shun the
nukes. Last June, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, backed the
same goal, saying that: “The only effective form of nuclear disarmament and
elimination of nuclear weapons is global disarmament.” President Zardari
has also talked of “nuclear weapon-free South Asia”. North Korea is already
on-board in six-party talks and has also committed to abolish nuclear
weapons for economic incentives. The only country which has stayed silent
is Israel which is undeclared nuclear state. But given the leverage,
Washington enjoys over it, Israel will have to be part of the process.

Once this process sets in momentum, the weapons could be delivered to a
single and common remote place in oceans for dismantling under the
supervision of skilled scientists. The nuclear material could be returned to
the donors for use in the energy sector or disposal.
Lastly, having achieved the complete and verified elimination of nuclear

weapons from the world, all the countries will have to conclude a joint treaty
at the UN platform banning any development of nuclear weapons and
technology. As Queen Noor of Jordan told BBC, “We have to work on de-
legitimising the status of nuclear weapons.” This is vital for making the
elimination of nukes irreversible. This would require establishing many
mechanisms to constitute an eventual regime for overseeing the global ban.
It is also important to realise that advantage of use of nuclear technology for

peaceful purposes is too great to be ignored. The NPT also underscores ‘to
promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy’. And, every
country has the right to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
But given the element of conflict in international affairs and atmosphere of
mistrust, all the countries can’t be trusted as reliable for not pursuing the
ambitions of acquiring nuclear weapons again. This situation warrants a
new approach, which would allow the use of nuclear energy and deny the
weapons technology.
The Global Zero initiative envisages ‘international management of the fuel

cycle to prevent future development of nuclear weapons.’ “An agreement on
a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led system that would
help states wishing to develop a civil nuclear energy industry to do so
without increasing the risk of nuclear weapon proliferation” says David
Miliband. Creation of such international fuel bank would also end the
conflicts in the world like Iran Nuclear Issue. This proposal was also
forwarded by IAEA’s former head Muhammad Elbradi as early as in 2003,
that: “all production and processing of nuclear material be under
international control”. This novel idea has attracted the EU and an
American billionaire ‘Warren Buffett’ for financing the project.
In this way, the world could not only be safe from destruction and the
humanity from annihilation, but the tremendous energy potential of the
nuclear resources could also be utilised for the welfare of people. The
resources that go into weapons would help keep people safe and healthy and
to give them opportunities. Not only the world is facing energy crisis due to
depletion of fossil fuels, but with their emissions our environment is being
damaged severely. Nuclear power possesses tremendous energy and
simultaneously it is clean energy. It is important for health purposes as it is
used in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. Its use in
agriculture enhances crop yield which would help mitigate the food crisis.
Global Zero offers two–pronged benefits: achieving safety by eliminating

nuclear weapons and to achieve prosperity by using nuclear energy. The
leaders of world have the greatest moral responsibility to seize the
opportunity for the welfare of the living and the future generations of
mankind. As Benazir Bhutto said, “We owe it to our children to
build a world free of the threat of nuclear annihilation.”

VOCABULARY SECTION

Idioms With “T,U,V”
Take (Someone) to the Cleaners: 1) Swindle; 2) defeat badly
Take a Deep Dive (Into): Explore something extensively
Take a Flyer: To take a rise; especially to make a speculative

investment
Take a Gander: Go to take a look at something
Take a Hike: Go away
Take A Powder: To leave, especially in order to avoid a difficult

situation
Take a Rain Check: Decline an invitation but suggest that you’ll

accept it at a later time.
Take Five (Ten): Take a short break of five (ten) minutes
Take Five: To take one brief (about five minutes) rest period
Take It Easy: 1) Relax, rest; 2) (as a command) Calm down!
Take It Easy: Don’t hurry; relax; don’t get angry
Take It on The Chin: Be attacked; suffer an attack
Take It or Leave It (command): You must decide now whether you

will accept this proposal
Take Someone to Task: Reprimand someone strongly
Take Something with a Pinch (grain) of Salt: If you take what

someone says with a pinch of salt, you do not completely believe it.
Take the Cake: Be the most extreme instance
Take the Edge Off (of Something): To slightly improve something

negative
Take the Fifth: Refuse to answer because answering might

incriminate or cause problems for you
Take the Gloves Off: Negotiate in a more aggressive way

Take the High Road: Refuse to descend to immoral activities or
personal attacks
Take The Mickey (Piss) (Out Of Someone): Make fun of or

ridicule someone
Take the Shine Off (Something): To do something that diminishes

a positive event
Take the Starch out of (Someone): Make someone less confident

or less arrogant
Take The Wind Out of Someone’s Sails: To reduce someone’s

confidence, ofte by doing something unexpected
Take Your Life in Your Hands: Undergo extreme risk
Take Your Medicine: Accept something unpleasant, for example,

punishment, without protesting or complaining
Take Your Time: Don’t hurry, work at a relaxed pace
Taste of Your Own Medicine: The same unpleasant experience or

treatment that one has given to others
Teach an Old Dog New Tricks: To change someone’s long-

established habits. Usually used in the negative: You can’t teach an old
dog new tricks.
Tear One’s Hair out: Be extremely worried or frustrated
Tear-Jerker: A film or book that makes you cry
Tee Many Martoonies: Too many martinis, scrambled to suggest

drunkenness
Tell It to the Marines: I don’t believe you; you must think I’m
gullible.
Tempest in a Teapot: A commotion about something unimportant
Ten a Penny: Ordinary, inexpensive
Ten to One: Something very likely
Test the Waters: Experiment with something cautiously
Test the Waters: Try something out in a preliminary way
Tie the Knot: Get married
Tighten the Screws: Increase pressure on someone

Tight-Lipped: secretive, unwilling to explain something
Til the Cows Come Home: For a very long time
Time is Money: time is valuable, so don’t waste it.
Tip of the Iceberg: A small, visible part of a much larger problem
Tip One’s Hand: Reveal one’s advantages; reveal useful information

that one possesses
TLC: Tender Loving Care
To be A Peach: Someone or something that is extremely good,

impressive, or attractive
To be Smitten With Someone: To be completely captivated by

someone and feel immense joy
To be someone’s One and Only: To be unique to the other person
To be the Apple of Someone’s Eye: To be loved and treasured by

someone
To Bear Fruit: To develop in a profitable or positive way
To Carpool: To travel to the same place with a group of people in one

car. e.g. work/school
To Each His Own: People have different tastes.
To Get Cold Feet: To experience reluctance or fear
To Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder: To be combative, to be

consistently argumentative
To Have Butterflies In Your Stomach: To be nervous
To Have One For the Road: To have one last (alcoholic) drink
before you go home
To Pay an Arm and a Leg: A very high cost
To Pop (one’s) Cherry: To do something for the first time
To Pull Someone’s Leg: Lie playfully
To Run Hot and Cold: To be unable to make up one’s mind
To the Letter: Exactly (said of instructions or procedures)
Toe the Line: Accept authority, follow the rules

Tone-Deaf: Not good at perceiving the impact of one’s words,
insensitive
Tongue-in-Cheek: Said ironically; not meant to be taken seriously
Too Busy Fighting Alligators to Drain the Swamp: So occupied

with multiple challenges that one can’t keep the big picture in mind
Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth: A project works best if there is
input from a limited number of people
Too Many Chiefs and Not Enough Indians: Everyone wants to be

a leader, and no one wants to do the actual work
Too Many To Shake A Stick At: A large number
Toot Your Own Horn: Brag; emphasize one’s own contributions
Top Banana: The boss, the leader
Toss a Wrench (Spanner) Into: Sabotage; cause a process to stop
Touch Base: Meet briefly with someone
Touch One’s Heart: Affect someone emotionally, be touching
Touch Water: Be launched. Said of a boat.
Tough Cookie: A very determined person
Tough Cookie: Someone who can endure hardship; especially: a

strong negotiator
Tough Sledding: Difficult progress
Turn a Blind Eye: (to) Choose not to notice something
Turn on a Dime: Quickly reverse direction or position
Turn Someone Inside Out: To cause strong emotional turmoil; to

completely change someone
Turn Something on Its Head: Reverse something, cause something

to be done in a new way
Turn Turtle: Capsize, turn over
Turn the Corner: To begin to improve after a problem
Turn the Tables: Reverse a situation

Turnabout Is Fair Play: If you suffer from the same suffering you
have inflicted on others, that’s only fair
Twenty-Four Seven: At any time
Twist the Knife (in Deeper): Make someone’s suffering worse
Two a Penny: Ordinary, inexpensive
Two Peas in A Pod: Two people who are very similar in appearance
Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF): Let’s be happy that the workweek is
over!
That Ship Has Sailed: That opportunity has passed.
That’s Music to My Ears: I am very happy to hear this.
That’s a Stretch: What you are suggesting is very difficult to believe;

I am very skeptical
That’s All She Wrote: That was the end of the story.
The Apple Never Falls Far From the Tree: Family characteristics
are usually inherited
The Birds and the Bees: Human sexuality and reproduction
The Cat Is Out of the Bag: The secret has been revealed.
The Coast Is Clear: We are unobserved; it is safe to proceed.
The Cherry On the Cake: The final thing that makes something
perfect
The Deck Is (The Cards Are): Stacked Against You Unfavorable

conditions exist.
The Jig Is Up: A secret illicit activity has been exposed; your trickery
is finished
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same:
Although something may seem superficially new, it has not altered the
basic situation.
The Only Game in Town: The sole option for a particular service.
The Powers That Be: People in charge, often used when the speaker
does not want to identify them.
The Real McCoy: A genuine item

The Story Has Legs: People are continuing to pay attention to the
story.
The Time is Ripe: If you say that the time is ripe, you mean that it is
a suitable point for a particular activity
The Walls Have Ears : We may be overheard; be careful what you

say
The Whole Enchilada: All of something.
The Whole Shebang: Everything, all the parts of something
The World Is Your Oyster: You have many opportunities and

choices.
There But For The Grace Of God Go I: I could easily have done
what that person did.
There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Cat: There’s more than
one way of achieving a certain goal.
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: Nothing is given to you

without some expectation of something in return.
Thin On The Ground: Rare, seldom encountered
Think Big: Consider ambitious plans; avoid becoming overly

concerned with details
Think Outside the Box: Try to solve a problem in an original way;

think creatively
Think Tank: A group of experts engaged in ongoing studies of a

particular subject; a policy study group
Third Rail: A topic so sensitive that it is dangerous to raise. This is

especially used in political contexts
Third Time’s a Charm: Even if you fail at something twice, you may
well succeed the third time.
Thirty-Thousand-Foot View: A very broad or general perspective
This Has (Person X) Written All Over It: [Person X] would really
like or be well suited to this.
This Is Not Your Father’s ____: This item has been much updated
from its earlier versions.
Three Sheets to the Wind: Very drunk

Through the Grapevine: Via gossip
Through Thick and Thin: In good times and bad
Throw a Wet Blanket on (Something): Discourage plans for

something
Throw a Wrench Into: To sabotage; to cause to fail
Throw Caution to the Wind: To act in a daring way, without fore

though
Throw Down the Gauntlet: To issue a challenge
Throw Elbows: Be combative; be aggressive (physically or

figuratively)
Throw in the Towel: To give up, admit defeat
Throw Someone for a Loop: Deeply surprise someone; catch

someone off guard
Throw Someone Under the Bus: Sacrifice someone else’s interests

for your own personal gain
Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water: Eliminate something
good while discarding the bad parts of something
Throw The Book At: Prosecute legally as strongly as possible
Throw the Fight: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion

with gamblers
Throw the Game: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion

with gamblers
Throw the Match: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion

with gamblers
Thumbs-Up: Approval
Train Wreck: Anything that develops in a disastrous way
Trash Talk: Insults directed at one’s opponent in a sporting event or

contest
Tread Water: Maintain a current situation without improvement or

decline
Trial Balloon: A test of someone’s or the public’s reaction
Trip the Light Fantastic: Dance well; do ballroom dancing

U Turn: A complete change of opinion, direction, etc.
Ugly Duckling: An awkward child or young person who grows into a

beautiful person
Under (Below) the Radar: Not generally perceived, below popular

consciousness
Under Someone’s Spell: Fascinated, entranced by someone
Under the Impression: Believing something, perhaps mistakenly
Under the Table: Without being officially recorded
Under the Weather: Not feeling well, ill
Under Wraps: Temporarily hidden, secret
University of Life: Difficult real-life experience, as opposed to

formal education
Until the Cows Come Home: For a long time
Until You’re Blue in the Face: For a long time with no results
Up a Creek: In a very bad situation
Up for Grabs: Available for anyone
Up in Arms: Angry, protesting (usually said of a group)
Up in the Air: Still to be settled
Up to One’s Neck: Nearly overwhelmed
Up to Scratch: Meeting a basic standard of competence or quality
Up to Snuff: Meeting a basic standard
Up the Ante: Raise the stakes; increase the importance of something

under discussion
Up the Duff: Pregnant
Upset the Apple Cart: To disorganize or spoil something, especially

an established arrangement or plan
Use One’s Head: To think, to have common sense
Vale of Tears: The world in general, envisioned as a sad place; the

tribulations of life

Vicious Circle: A situation in which an attempt to solve a problem
makes the original problem worse.
Victory Lap: Visible public appearances after a victory or

accomplishment
Virgin Territory: Something that has never been explored, physically

or intellectually
Vote with One’s Feet: To physically depart from something as a way

of showing disapproval

DAWN+ OPINIONS SECTION

Beacon of light | Dawn Opinion
Qasim A Moini
The writer is a member of staff.
Current gloomy scenario in the world and

Pakistan |
THESE are indeed dark times. The world remains in the grip
of a deadly pandemic that shows few signs of abating
(reducing). Moreover, economic, political and ethno-
religious crises continue to rage, as humankind looks for a
way out, for a better tomorrow.
As the world in general continues to broil (heat up, suffer) in this toxic mix of
mostly man-made calamities, we in Pakistan face our own particular crises. Like the
rest of the world we are not immune to the effects of Covid-19 or the attendant
economic turbulence. But a recent spate (flood) of events — political instability,
the Motorway tragedy, rampant cases of
child abuse — point to our own considerable
failings as a society.
It would be easy to drone on and on about all that

is wrong with us and the world around us. But as
the Quran instructs, “So, verily, with every
difficulty, there is relief:” (Surah As-Sharh). And
following in the Quranic spirit, we look to the
greatest exemplar, the Insaan-i-Kaamil, the Holy
Prophet of Islam (PBUH), whose birth is being
celebrated today, to find a way out of these dark times. For it is the Almighty
that has dubbed the Noble Prophet “a beacon of light” or a “shining
lamp” (Sirajum munira) in Surah
Ahzab, that dispels the clouds of darkness
and despair through the Nur-i-Muhammadi.
Today, there will be celebrations throughout

the country, and indeed, throughout the world.
But do believers actually stop to think about
how much of the “excellent example” that is
the Noble Prophet’s character, we follow in our
own lives? Some religious circles insist on
adopting many outward aspects of the Sunnah — growing a beard, wearing a certain
kind of attire, using miswak etc. But have we thought about the deeper,
batini aspects of his Sunnah that can be adopted, such as compassion,
contemplation, and forgiveness, that have the potential to transform
ourselves and our society?

The example of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is before us
to find a way out of darkness.
Take, for example, the Holy Prophet’s treatment of women and children.
Can we, who claim to love and follow him, honestly stake such a claim when we look
at the state of women and children in our society?
Prophet (PBUH) relationship with wife (woman) |Islamic feminism
Among the Ummahatul Momineen,the Holy Prophet’s wives, Bibi

Khadija holds a prominent place. A noble lady of great wealth, she stood by the
Messenger in the most testing of times due to her great belief in her husband and
his message. Indeed, the marriage between Bibi Khadija and the Messenger was an
example of how domestic relations should be conducted.
In the books of Seerah, we find nothing but respect and affection coming from the
Prophet for this noble lady, a testament to her lofty character. In fact, when she left
this mortal world, the year became known as Aam al Huzn (The year of
sorrow) for in the space of this one year the Holy Prophet had lost two of his most
steadfast (loyal) supporters in Makkah: Bibi Khadija and his uncle Hazrat
Abu Talib.
If those who believe in the Prophet in this country and beyond try to replicate the
respect and affection the Messenger showed to his spouse, the lives of Muslim
women could improve considerably. Instead, we cling (hang on) to outdated
notions of ‘honour’ and tribal customs to dictate our domestic affairs.
Prophet (PBUH)
treating female children
|
Coming to how the Messenger
treated children, the affection
he showered upon his daughter
Bibi Fatima Zehra is
exemplary. While the pagans of
Makkah taunted the Messenger for being ‘issueless’ as none of his male children
survived into adulthood, the Almighty saw things differently. Referring to Bibi
Fatima, in Surah Kauthar the Quran says “...We have given thee Abundance”
while in the same Surah declaring that the Prophet’s enemies are “without
posterity”.
As recorded in hadith, the Noble Messenger showered great affection upon Bibi
Fatima, standing up to greet her whenever she entered the room, declaring that
“Fatima is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry”
(Bukhari).
Again, we, who follow the Prophet, need to ask ourselves how we treat our girl
children. Unfortunately, like in the days of ignorance, the preference for male
offspring makes many in this society neglect girl children when it comes to health,
education and even nutrition. If we really wanted to show our love for the Prophet,
there would be next to no street children roaming our cities and towns, susceptible
to abuse. The state, or conscientious citizens, would have ensured that these most
vulnerable members of society would have safe spaces where their childhood could
be protected. Certainly, there is much distance to cover when it comes to practising
what we preach.
Way forward |
While celebrations are great, and indeed an expression of our inner joy, let us also
try and emulate the Holy Prophet in how he treated those around him, by adopting
the ethical model he has left in the shape of his lofty character.

Feminists before Partition | Dawn Opinion
Rafia Zakaria
The writer is an attorney: teaching

constitutional law and political
philosophy, also author of many books
including “ the upstairs wife”.
Introduction | The unveiled and untalked history of pre-partition

feminists |
SUCH is the weight of colonial and
post-colonial erasure that the girls
and women living in Pakistan today
have very little idea about the very
early feminists who have come before
them. Current nationalist intoxications
wish to divide all things and everything
along the lines of a border drawn by
the British and incongruous (inconsistent) to the actual groupings of the
subcontinent’s multitudinous identities. There are persistent efforts, on both the
Indian and Pakistani sides, to read current divisions and delusions in the historical
past. The consequence has been a history full of holes, large omissions and
boisterous (fast) erasures where the stories of people should be.
Given that India and Pakistan and Bangladesh are all patriarchal societies, it follows
that the histories of these lands that have been resuscitated (revive) from the past,
and presented to populations that do not have much of an idea of the past, have
been male histories. There are many male heroes and leaders, poets and writers,
men who gave memorable speeches and men who stood up to the British; the stories
of women are harder to find.
Padma Anagol Essay: Case Study of early feminists |

Women, however, were present and they were busy. In her essay ‘Feminist
Inheritances and Foremothers: The Beginnings of Feminism in Modern India’,
the historian Padma Anagol turns her attention to the women of Maharashtra
in India. It is fascinating to consider these intrepid (fearless) women of the late
1800s who refused to bow to the patriarchal societies in which they found
themselves. It is notable that their activities for reform took place in the context of
severe criticism from their Western rulers, who saw India as backward and
uncivilised. Some of the struggles took place under the larger umbrella of social
reform movements in which individuals of all religions participated and engaged. In
Anagol’s view, it is these reform societies that were the precursors of
contemporary feminisms that exist in the subcontinent today.
Lakshmibai Tilak |
In the late 1930s, a woman named Lakshmibai Tilak became one of the first
Indian women to write her autobiography. The book, which tells the story of Tilak’s
life, includes the story of her grandfather who was hanged in 1857 owing to his
participation in the uprising against the British. Born in 1868, she was married off at
an early age to a Marathi-language poet who was subject to many whims and
eccentricities and often just got up and left, leaving his family behind. It is quite
likely that it was owing to these events that Tilak advocated for women’s financial
and economic independence.
In an effort to do just this, she
began training as a nurse, an
endeavour she sadly had to
abandon owing to family
responsibilities.
There are many male heroes and leaders, poets and

writers, who stood up to the British; the stories of
women are harder to find.
Rakhmabai Raut |
Similarly spirited was Rakhmabai Raut, a woman who had been married early,
but who refused to leave her father’s home to live with her husband. The husband
sued in court when Rakhmabai was 19 years old. She still refused to join him,
pointing out his lack of education and his dishonest lifestyle. The British judge ruled
in favour of Rakhmabai, saying that she did not have to go and live with her
husband because the marriage had been arranged when she was a minor and had
never been consummated. The decision caused a huge outcry in India, where
marriages of minors were often arranged and where asking for the consent of the
parties was unheard of. Hindus
were particularly incensed by the
judge’s application of these
concepts of consent and
consummation because they
imagined marriage as a sacrament
(symbol) for eternity rather than a
contract lasting a single life.
Patriarchal response to the earlier feminists |

The tumult from this case and the continuing agitation by women against abuse,
child marriage and other cultural
and religious customs that
demeaned their existence led to
vehement (intense) debates in
the local press across India. Men
and religious figures felt that
women had become very
rebellious and had overstepped
their boundaries. Women on the
other hand felt that these issues
had remained in the dark for a long time and it was time there was public debate on
them.
In a similar manner to the feminists of today, those very early feminists were
accused of being puppets of the British. It was the emergence of the nationalist
Quit India movement against the British that ended up uniting reform-minded
men and women. Ruttie Jinnah, the wife of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali
Jinnah, was also said to have been active in these movements.British women who
were busy advocating for the right to vote in Britain were eager to have Indian
women join their fight for suffrage. They were startled when many Indian feminists
from the time expressed no interest in getting the right to vote, alleging that they did
not wish to be equal to Indian men because both the men and they would still be
under the thumb of the British rulers. When we are free, they said, we will
have the right to vote in our free nations. This was correct; when India
and Pakistan were created in 1947, Indian and Pakistani women had the
right to vote alongside the men.
Conclusion | The blurring of boundaries between nationalism and feminist reform

has proven to be a burden. In both India and Pakistan, women who should be
feminists are instead subsumed (obsorbed) into expressions of ‘patriotism’ that
are based on intellectual and religious obscurantism (ambiguity). They are eager
to wave flags but not hold up banners and to denounce those women who do
organise and march as ‘bad’ women. It is an old recipe of divide and rule, of creating
useless definitions where a ‘good’ woman is just one who kowtows to the toxic
masculinity of the state.
Wayforward | One wishes that the sheer

unoriginality of the critiques of women who
wish to control their own would convince women to discard them. If women in
the 1800s could rebel, then so can the women of 2020.

Autonomy versus integration | Pakistan Today
Changezi Sandhu
Introduction | What is Autonomy in Gender Studies ?

The concept of “autonomy” in gender studies means a woman should be
independent to lead her life as she wants. Self-directive modes and a self-
governing approach are the core ideological crux of autonomy.
The feminists who float the idea build their narrative that violence against women
can be traced to her subordination before her male relations. She remains
dependent economically, morally and culturally on her partner, and that paves the
way of man superiority by compromising on women rights. Thus, if she will be
independent and follow her own self-directive modes, gender-based issues can be
reduced. Many feminists oppose the stance by terming it a “noxious concept” like
Sarah Hoagland , John Christman terms the concept as metaphysical and
impractical.
“The ideal of the autonomous individual could only be created by abstracting

(deriving theoretically) from the relationship of dependency between men and
women. The relationships which people require to nurture them are considered
private, and not truly relationships with outside others. Thus the other is reduced to
an appendage of the subject– the mere condition of his being- not a being in her
own right. The individual who cannot recognize the other or his own dependency
without suffering a threat to his identity requires the formal, impersonal principle of
rationalized interaction, and is required by them.”
The concept of Integration in Gender Studies |

However, the concept of ‘integration” means that male and female cannot live
separately. They have been created for each other to fulfil their innate desires. There
must be an understanding and compromising attitudes from both sides to stamp
out their differences and issues which disturb male-female relations because of
violence and male dominance. All types of resources must be distributed equally
among both sexes, and legal provision must be given to their fundamental rights
without any discriminatory and biased policy. Protagonists of the integrationist
school of thought further build their narrative that issues relating to women
mobility, control over earning, family planning decision and sharing gender roles
must be dealt by the couple through mutual understanding to lead a happy life.
There is a dire need to empower women in all sectors,

not like the West, but according to our religious
teachings and human rights, preserving cultural
norms. Government and the public ought to call to halt
all sort of gender-based violation in the country by
empowering women, initiating awareness
programmes and self-accountable methods

The debate of autonomy versus integration |
The debate of autonomy versus integration is among most paramount and
preliminary concepts and theories of gender studies that sprouted in 1979 between
participants of the National Women Studies Conference. It refers to figure
out gender-based issues between men and women. Scholars, legislators,
feminists and activists detect the major and minor causes under the mechanism of
gender analysis which play their role making ineffective the man-woman relation,
women subordination, economic marginalization, gender-based violence, gender
disparity and ascendency of the patriarchal family pattern.
Both groups developed their own lens to investigate women oppression

and gender-based issues by projecting their ideological foundations. The
question about status of the subjects Gender Studies and Women Studies was also
brought under consideration divergently (differently) in the conference.
Supporters of autonomy proclaimed to not merge women studies in gender studies.
However, followers of the integration school of thought favoured and floated the
suggestion to deal with both sexes under one subject of Gender Studies to trace out
both sided issues and flaws.
There are certain types of concepts of autonomy as moral autonomy, individual

autonomy etc.
Moral autonomy was

presented by Immanuel
Kant whose philosophy is
based on the “intrinsic value of
human life”. The value is
possessed by all and sundry
naturally. So, nobody has right
to disrespect others and
discriminate against them on
the basis of gender, sex and cultural practices. The ideological foundation of
moral psychology is to deal with all genders through legal provisions for
security of their rights. Nobody must be given the right to violate others’
rights.
However, individual autonomy refers to self-dedicated and self-directive

modes to lead a life independently. These ideologies, especially Kantian
philosophy, provided sound footings to “autonomy in gender studies” to deal
with androcentric mentality and women issues with special reference to their male
relations.
Later on, the majority of feminists and activists termed “autonomy” as a problem
creator and metaphysical rather than problem solver. Jessica Benjamin, a
psychologist, and Gillian, a dramatist, reject “autonomy” and project
“integration” by stating that men and women should develop their relation on
mutual understanding, and consciously mental changes are required to root out or
reduce gender-based violation. Special attention must be given to mental chemistry
and formation of both sexes’ mental mechanism by altering it following the
exponential changes.
Furthermore, Kimrele presents the concept of “intersectionality” by building

the narrative in favor of “integration” that male and female are factual realities, and
are created to live together. They are inseparable. Neither male nor female can
survive without the other. So, there must be the element of integration and
intersectionality in their relation to deal with all gender issues through mutual
efforts.
Gender disparity in Pakistan |

The condition of gender disparity has been declining with the passage of time in
Pakistan. Even teenage girls are not safe from rapists. Women population increased
to 52 percent of the total population of the country according to the recent census,
but their role and opportunities are limited in all arenas.
The World Economic Forum also expressed its grievances on poor gender
disparity in the country. Unfortunately, parents, teachers and religious scholars
have specified their role on the name of cultural relativistic norms and values of our
society.
Way forward |
There is a dire need to empower women in all sectors, not like the West, but
according to our religious teachings and human rights, preserving cultural norms.
Government and the public ought to call to halt all sort of gender-based violation in
the country by empowering women, initiating awareness programmes and self-
accountable methods.

Behind the Nobel Peace Prize | The Nation
Atle Hetland
Today, I shall again write about the Nobel Peace Prize, as I also did
last week and the week before, noting that this year’s winner is the
World Food Programme (WFP). I shall present some formal
aspects regarding the prize and those who award it, and discuss how
correct and fair the awarding has been.
Motive of the Opinion
The Nobel Peace Prize is a very prestigious prize—to receive and to award—in Oslo
on 10 December.
Admanistrative body of Nobel Prize |

The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s five members are appointed for six years by the
Norwegian Parliament, but the committee is meant to be both neutral and
independent from party politics. Yet, most of the time, the members are retired top
politicians.

The current chair, Berit Reiss-Andersen, is a senior lawyer and was a Labour
party politician some twenty-five years ago.
Henrik Syse, deputy chair of the committee, is a philosopher, a part-time lecturer

at a private university, and a researcher at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo
(PRIO). His father was a Conservative politician and prime minister in the late
1980s.
Outgoing member Thorbjørn Jagland, a former chair, has been a Norwegian

Labur party politician, including foreign minister and prime minister, and has been
secretary general of the Council of Europe (CoE).
Anne Enger is a retired top politician of the Centre (former Agrarian) party and a
county governor.
Finally, there is Asle Toje, a political scientist who earlier was a research
director at Nobel Institute.
There are three substitute members, Kristin Clemet, Inger Skjelsbæk, and
Sofie Høgestøl.
Olav Njølstad, a historian and writer, is the ex officio secretary and director of the
Nobel Institute.
Process of Selection |
Considering that hundreds of candidates are every year nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize, the secretariat, the Nobel Institute and the Committee’s secretary, does
most of the work, including researching the candidates’ backgrounds and
achievements, and short-listing those they find most suitable. The winner or
winners (up to three) are announced in Oslo at the beginning of October, and an
award-winning ceremony on 10 December.
Formally, the regulations for the Nobel prizes have been set by the Swedish Nobel
Foundation, although it was decided by Alfred Nobel, (the rich industrialist who
established the prize and formulated the statutes in his will in 1895 (he died in
1897), that the Norwegian Parliament should appoint the awarding committee for
the peace prize; this was at a time when Norway was in a political union with
Sweden).
The four other prizes are awarded by the Swedes, in chemistry, physiology or
medicine, physics and literature; since 1968; a fifth prize has been added ‘in
memory of Alfred Nobel’, notably in economics. The Nobel Peace Prize was for the
first time awarded in 1901. Had Alfred Nobel lived today, he might well also have
established prizes in other fields, such as in social sciences, environment, gender,
development, human rights, and more. But then there are also other prestigious
prizes in those fields.
Criticism over Nobel Prize distribution's Criteria |

When today I am writing about issues behind the Nobel Peace Prize, it is because a
new brick of a book of 400 pages has just been published. The book is still only in
Norwegian. The author is Fredrik S. Heffermehl (81), a lawyer and peace
activist, who has for many years written widely about the topic. The book’s title is
‘The Back of the Medal: The Nobel Peace Prize – Hundred Years of Unused
Opportunities’ (In Norwegian, ‘Medaljens bakside: Nobels fredspris - hundre års
ubrukte mulighetter’). Heffermehl’s book is indeed a critical account of the
awarding of the prize, and he finds that just over 20 percent of the prizes
have been awarded to worthy winners, based on the letter and spirit of
Alfred Nobel’s will and his overall ideas.
Heffermehl says that most of the time, the prize has not been awarded for
disarmament and struggle for peace and international dialogue. That was what
Alfred Nobel’s will said it should be for, not other well-meaning and good work in
those or related fields—and certainly not for warmongers, such presidents and other
leaders who have also been winners.
He even says that some popular prizes were wrongly awarded, such as to the great
humanitarian Mother Theresa (in 1979), Willy Brandt (in 1971), and even
Desmond Tutu (in 1984).
What is Nobel prize for ?

It is not a prize for doing good in the world; it is a prize for
disarmament, reduction and abolishing of military weapons, including
nuclear weapons, and for alternative thinking about how to end wars
and conflicts, and how to mobilise people for that.
One of the worst prizes, lacking understanding for the age-old Chinese history and
civilisation, was the prize to Liu Xiaobo (in 2009), a poet and human rights
activist; the prize to Henry Kissinger (in 1973), and to Anwar al-Sadat and
Menachem Begin (in 1978), are extreme examples of prizes that should never
have been awarded.
Nobel winners from Pakistan |

It is very pleasing to know that Heffermehl believes that in 1970, President of
Pakistan Abdul Ghaffar Khan should have received the prize, not Norman
Borlaug for the ‘Green Revolution’. Khan had been working in Ghandi’s spirit, and
in Islam’s non-violent spirit, since before Independence in 1947; he had established
schools and mobilised people against inequality, poverty and illiteracy. A prize to
Khan would have given focus and inspiration to Asia’s problems and efforts. Khan
was again nominated in 1984. Another Pakistani, Mariyam Bibi from North
Waziristan/Peshawar has recently been nominated; and in 2014, Malala
Yousafzai won the prize at the age of only 17.
Critical Analysis | Shortcomings in the Nobel selection process
▪ Heffermehl considers each Nobel Peace Prize and evaluates if the prize was
rightly awarded, or who should have received it if he finds it was wrongly
awarded, or the prize was cancelled, which has also happened. Heffermehl’s
list includes more women than the committee has chosen. But the most
serious shortcomings in the work and awarding of the prize, which Heffermehl
stresses, is simply that the Nobel Committee often does not base the awarding
on Alfred Nobel’s will and on independent and systematic evaluations of the
candidates.

▪ He finds they follow their time’s and their own opinions rather than basing it
on firm and neutral considerations; also, sometimes, the committee is even
influenced by political opinions and preferences, directly or indirectly,
although it is said that the Nobel Committee shall indeed be independent, not
look to what may be in the interest of major- or superpowers.
Conclusion |
And then, in the end, in spite of all the shortcomings that Heffermehl explains about
the shortcomings awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, and he is probably right most
of the time, it remains one of the world’s most prestigious and finest
prizes, perhaps the topmost.

Pakistan's Strategy to address FATF mandates
was inadequate | Dailytimes
Abdul Rauf Shakoori
Pakistan to remain on Grey List till Feb,2021 | Introduction

Pakistan’s struggle to remove itself from the list of Jurisdictions under increased
monitoring is yet to end. We as a nation witnessed this bizarre news when president
of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced that Pakistan will
remain in the grey list till February 2021 and urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its
full action plan by February 2021. However, he (the president) recognizes that
Pakistan made progress on numerous points and largely addressed 21 out of 27
actions items.
Why Pakistan was placed on Grey list in the first place|
As we all know that Pakistan’s name was placed on the list of jurisdictions under
increased monitoring due to non-compliance with terrorist financing regulations on
the motion pushed by USA and joined by the India. The main allegations levelled
against Pakistan were support to Islamic militants and failure to take actions against
the culprits of Bombay attacks that killed several people.
In result of the motion, in June 2018, Pakistan agreed with FATF to implement its
ten-point agenda to overcome strategic deficiencies with reference to Anti-
Money laundering and Combating financing of terrorism (AML-CFT).
During that time, Pakistan made significant progress, drafted laws and introduced
various regulations to comply with the FATF mandates. However, our progress with
reference to technical compliance and its effectiveness was rated poor by the
watchdog. In the recent assessment, as per consolidated rating assigned to us,
Pakistan was fully compliant of only two recommendations, partially compliant of
twenty-five whereas largely and non-compliant of nine and four recommendations
respectively.
Pakistan’s declining trends in each sector at one hand

impacting the life of its citizens and on the other side
creating unrest and political instability in the country
Whereas, our measures with reference to their effectiveness rated on the scale of
high, substantial, medium and low level of effectiveness based on eleven immediate
outcomes (IOs). Pakistan’s level of measures related to their effectiveness rated low
for ten whereas medium for one immediate outcome (IO2) which relates to
international co-operation. Unfortunately, Pakistan failed to secure rating for
substantial or high level of effectiveness.

Pakistan’s Failure in handling FATF related issues | Factors
Normally, any jurisdiction that enters the International Co-operation Review
Group (ICRG) has one-year observation period to work with FATF regional organ
to address the deficiencies before public identification and formal review by the
FATF. In Pakistan’s case, FATF informed about Pakistan’s strategic deficiencies and
their consequences in 2016 and the same were duly communicated to the Law
enforcement agencies (LEAs) by the civil Government. We were supposed to
overcome those deficiencies by 2017 so that we could avoid being named as non-
cooperative state. But unfortunately, our civil and military leadership was not on the
so-called same page and their internal conflicts brought this embarrassment which
we collectively experienced as a nation.
Pakistan couldn’t satisfied the FATF | Inadequate response against

Terrorism
Apart from the internal rift of LEAs with previous civil Government, what stops the
current Government to comply with FATF mandates, when both military leadership
and the government is on the same page. Unfortunately, we are still using
conventional approach to satisfy the world when it comes to action against
proscribed organization and targeted individuals. Our measures with reference
terrorist related activities are not appealing to international community. Therefore,
despite lapse of almost thirty-four months, our narrative could not impress the
global watchdog and its members states so that we could be considered as
responsible state.
Even after plenary meeting, FATF press release highlighted that remaining
six action items relate to terrorists, their activities, financing
investigations, execution, generation of funds through non-profit
organization and their movement. Though we have arrested some individuals
and listed their organization in fourth schedule of the constitution, however, legal
proceedings against them are yet to be initiated, which at one hand create doubts in
the mind of international community and on the other hand shows lack of
determination to address these serious issues.
FATF Demands |
Moreover, FATF press briefing specifically highlighted that we have to implement
U.N resolution 1267 and 1373, which require targeted sanctions as well as
criminalization of terrorist financing, ensuring border security and actions against
arms trafficking, freezing of terrorist assets without delay, effective regulations of
Money or value transfer services to stop hawala transactions, effective control on
cash couriers, checks on raising funds through non-profit organization etc.
Moreover, comparison of Mutual Evaluation Report 2019 and Follow- up

Report 2020 both published by the Asia Pacific Group to assess our
compliance level with a gap of one year and noted no major changes in complying
with FATF recommendations. It shows that during last one year we did not make
enough progress to address this issue. Both reports highlights that we are non-
compliant of FATF recommendations, 22, 25, 28, and 38. These recommendations
relates to Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions
(DNFBPs) customer due diligence, Transparency and beneficial ownership of legal
arrangements, Regulation and supervision of DNFBPs, Mutual legal assistance
including freezing and confiscation. However, to address the compliance of these
regulations, FATF requires that a risk-based approach would be applied by the
countries, competent authorities, financial institutions to identify, assess, and
understand the AML-CFT risks to which they are exposed and should take
appropriate measures to mitigate those risks according to their levels. However,
newly drafted legislation negates this principle and assigned powers to
those institutions and professional bodies which are considered high risk
with regards to AML-CFT.
Conclusion |
Our Orthodox and archaic approach to address domestic and global issues is not
corroborating with global standards. Pakistan’s declining trends in each sector at
one hand impacting the life of its citizens and on the other side creating unrest and
political instability in the country. Our person specific legislation for trivial political
gains is not only undermining Pakistan’s credibility but also failing us at
international forums.
Way forward |
Let’s prioritize our national interests over our personal political gains and try to
address all these issues as one nation.
About the Writer |

The writer is a corporate lawyer based in the USA and a subject matter expert in
White Collar Crimes and Sanctions Compliance. He has written several books on
corporate and taxation laws of Pakistan.

Doctrine, policy, and strategy US Presidential
Elections_ Policy Change towards Pakistan |
Daily times
Saad Masood
Deep polarisation is a phrase that is used loosely nowadays but if

anything can describe the current status of politics in the US, it would
be this! Trump’s four years in office have been nothing but
turbulent (troublesome). During this time, a country that was once
looked upon as the leader of the free world is now seen as an inward
looking, nationalistic state. Though, this speaks to only half the
population with the other half still striving for global engagement and
internationalism – thus the deep polarisation!
Introduction
While the US electorate doesn’t have

much on offer in terms of presidential
candidates, it still holds the precarious
balance in putting either Donald Trump
or Joe Biden into office. Polls have
suggested that Biden leads Trump in
many areas but these are just polls,
whose predictions should be taken
with a pinch of salt! Whatever
happens on November the 3rd, the
question is this – whether a change of
guard in the White House will mean a policy change towards Pakistan? The answer
is that barring a few variations, the status quo will largely prevail. Here is why.
Republicans and Democrats | Difference

A historic comparison between Republicans and Democrats is quite illuminating.
Republicans are generally conservative, right off centre, strong on religion and
defence, nationalist more than internationalist, less concerned about environment
and human rights and protectionist in nature. Democrats are generally liberal, left
off centre, not highly focused on religion and defence, support internationalism at
the cost of nationalism, acutely worried about environment and human rights and
believe in freer trade. Although these lines are blurred quite a bit in modern times
with everyone trying to take the middle ground but some ideals still are strikingly
different between the right and the left.

Republican administration has been more beneficial for Pakistan |
For Pakistan specifically, the past suggests that Republican administrations have
been more beneficial than Democratic governments. Nevertheless – even if Joe
Biden wins the White House, he will have to continue much of the Republican
foreign policy towards Pakistan.
The Trump White House plan to permanently keep

approximately 5,000 ground troops along with
intelligence operatives in Afghanistan – to mostly
monitor Pakistan and Iran especially when it comes to
their nuclear capability – will be maintained even by a
Biden White House
Pakistan is being considered a key player by America in Afghan’s peace

process |
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan will continue a pace and Biden will still need
Pakistan’s support in getting the process completed before it is derailed by any
further acts of subversion. While there may be a greater focus on a couple of
Democratic pet peeves – human rights issues and eradicating remnants of militant
organisations – both will somewhat be sacrificed at the altar of needing Pakistani
support for exiting Afghanistan. For the reason that the Pakistan armed forces
continue to play a major role in advancing the peace process in
Afghanistan and have used their influence on the Taliban leadership to
engage and show flexibility so that the withdrawal can complete and lead
to sustainable peace in Afghanistan. The recent presence of Gulbedin
Hekmatyar and Mullah Baradar in Pakistan bears testimony to that fact and that
Pakistan espouses an amicable Afghanistan and will support any US administration
to reach that goal.
Afghanistan
The Trump White House plan to permanently keep approximately 5,000 ground
troops along with intelligence operatives in Afghanistan – to mostly monitor
Pakistan and Iran especially when it comes to their nuclear capability – will be
maintained even by a Biden White House. This is mostly because of the
constant albeit incorrect narrative built in the US by main stream media
and also because Biden has routinely criticised Pakistan over its nuclear
program. Why would he let a chance go by to put Pakistan under constant
pressure over its nuclear arsenal? Nevertheless, and continuing from the past,
Pakistan has been acutely aware of US designs and takes all realistic and
appropriate measures to ensure the integrity and safety of its nuclear and military
establishments – and will continue to do so.
US stance at China |
The US-China conflict will be something that Biden would want to deescalate but it
will be nearly impossible because of the hyped up Chinese narrative built by the
Trump administration over the last four years. From Coronavirus to economic
stagnation, it seems that Trump thinks China as the main culprit behind all of the

world’s ills! Hence, Biden will continue to sabre rattle with China. This would mean
that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will also continue to find
stiff opposition from the Biden administration especially as the US sees its
hegemony constantly challenged by an emerging super power in the form of China.
Biden and Trump different approaches |

Consequently, Biden will further advance friendly overtures towards India that were
accelerated in the time of Trump. That is a major reason that despite some critical
statements, mostly from the Democratic nominee for Vice President Kamala Harris,
on the Indian government’s actions in Kashmir, the Biden White House is unlikely
to take any further and tougher action against the Modi government. Democratic
ideals of global human freedoms notwithstanding – and that is a big
concession! – India’s strategic role in the US calculus will triumph over
any concerns Biden may have about the flouting of Kashmiri rights! All
this will further ensure Pakistan’s even closer alliance with China. To
minimise that and keeping the strategic nature of South East Asia in focus, Biden
will do what Trump has done – take proactive steps to act as an arbitrator between
India and Pakistan.
US-Pakistan relationship | Critical Analysis

For US-Pakistan relationship, people to people engagement suffered under Trump
in a variety of ways. It was perhaps most heavily felt in the area of tightening visa
and travel requirements and restricting admission of foreign students in American
universities. Joe Biden, wary of the declining economy and the continued presence
of Coronavirus, will not be able to ease or reverse these isolationist tendencies even
if his Democratic heart is set on it! Similarly, and for the same reasons, the Biden
While House will only be able to do so much to get back into the global engagement
game and revitalise institutions such as UN, UNSC, WTO and NATO. Trump’s
nationalistic slogan of ‘America First’ and ‘Make America Great Again’ will take time
to neutralise!
Conclusion |
In conclusion, a change of guard at the White House will not mean any
substantial change of fortunes for Pakistan. Pakistan will maintain a
strategic position in the region albeit being wary of fluctuating US
designs. Its place in any future security setup in a post Trump era will be as
relevant and as important as it is today and cannot be ignored at the expense of
other regional policy goals. Especially as Pakistan may yet again prove a powerful
ally to the US with respect to building bridges with Iran or mending fences with
China! It only goes to show the consistent geo-strategic importance Pakistan
maintains in the annals of global power calculations. It seems that the French writer
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was right – “the more things change, the more they
stay the same”!
About the writer | The writer is Director Programmes for an international ICT
organization based in the UK and writes on corporate strategy, socio-economic and
geopolitical

The heinous game of Islamophobia in the west |
Daily times
Attiya Munawar
There have been long-running failed attempts to weaken Muslims and

tarnish the image of Islam around the world, with Zionist planners
regularly becoming part of these efforts. Muslims are being branded
as terrorists and propagated that the growing number of Muslims is a
major threat to the Western world. Based on this threat, Muslims are
being massacred and they are being forced to leave Islam. Along with
the genocide of Muslims, Islam and the Qur’an are being insulted in
the name of immorality and freedom of expression. Even though
insulting words are being uttered in honor of the Holy Prophet
(PBUH) and sketches of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are being made,
publishing some blasphemous material every year does not stop the
process of hurting the feelings of Muslims Yes, in this regard, many
arrogant came to grips and became a sign, but this evil chain is still
going on.
Introduction
West fanning the flames of Islamophobia |
It is clear that the whole West’s prejudice against Muslims is on the rise, but France
has once again crossed the line into Islamophobia, first in France blasphemous
sketches were published in newspapers and now those sketches are shown on
government buildings. This heinous game was backed by French President Macron,
but it is Charlie Hebdo magazine that has been involved in this nefarious
(evil) for many years. Charlie Hebdo was attacked by a group of Muslim youths
about four or five years ago, killing 12 people, including the staff of the magazine,
and just a few weeks ago, a Pakistani youth living in France stabbed and injured
some Charlie Hebdo workers for publishing a blasphemous sketch. The attack
injured some of Charlie Hebdo’s activists. Despite this, France has failed to
understand the basic point that Muslims cannot tolerate any act of insolence and
because of this; any Muslim can take the law into their own hands.
Knowing Muslims would react, why they publish blasphemous things ?|
There is no doubt that the West is well aware of the faith of Muslims, yet publicity of
blasphemous sketches is not without purpose, especially in a country like France, it
would not expect to have any idea of the strong reaction of Muslims after the
publication of the blasphemous sketches. To think so would be tantamount to self-
deception. All such countries, including France and Norway, which promote
blasphemous sketches and seek to promote resentment among Muslims by taking
steps such as blasphemy, must have some motives and intentions that must be
understood.
The heinous game of Islamophobia is being played in the West. The West wants
to find out among the Muslims those who are ready to die for Islam so
that a war can be started against them and the rest can be openly ruled.
Muslims must adopt a common strategy considering all such possibilities. Unless
Muslims come together on one page to protect the honor and dignity of their
Prophet (P.B.U.H), punishing the West for blasphemy seems unthinkable. It seems
that because a few countries together cannot confront other world powers, including
France and Norway, the Muslim Ummah will have to take action on a united
platform against the countries that spread anti-Muslim sentiments and riots.
Pakistan's firm and strong response to Islamophobic Activities |
The Muslim Ummah is outraged at the publication of blasphemous sketches,

Pakistan has always been one of the countries in the world that any movement
against Islam or Muslims, ridiculing their beliefs or Muslims, he not only stood up
against the perpetrators of oppression but also raised his voice in every forum to
make Muslims around the world realize that he stood by them. How can a country
which cannot remain silent on any action against Muslims or Islam, remain silent
on the actions taken against its Prophet? Therefore, in response to this heinous act,
Prime Minister Imran Khan has strongly condemned the publication of
blasphemous sketches to attack the faith of the people of Islam and millions of
Muslims in the name of freedom of expression. It is a matter of heartache, not of
empty verbal condemnation, but of sending back the French ambassador with a
practical boycott of the products.
The silence of Muslim Ummah can cause more damage to Islam |
It has been a tragedy for the Muslim Ummah that the political leaders of Muslim
countries convene all-party conferences for their seats, form PDMs and hold rallies
for their own interests, but only verbal statements on the protection of the honor of
the Prophet (P.B.U.H) are used to satisfy the people.
The people are also painted in the colors of their political leaders. There was a time
when the news of blasphemy in the name of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) came to
light. People from all over the country used to come to the streets and guard the
honor of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) according to their means, but with the passage of
time, as the insolence (arrogance) has increased, unfortunately the spirit of faith
has also weakened. Nowadays, the reaction to the blasphemous sketches is only
visible on social media or small rallies in some areas.
A large number of people are beginning to understand that our protests do not
matter to them why we should expend our energies. If all Muslims adopt this
thinking, then understand that this is the success of these arrogant people. In fact,
their aim is to somehow remove the spirit of sacrificing one’s life for the sanctity of
the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) from the hearts of Muslims.
Way forward | Therefore, we should force the government to take practical steps
by protesting for the sanctity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to the best of our
ability, so that it is known to the world that the spirit of faith is still present in the
hearts of Muslims and they are ready to sacrifice their lives for the Holy Prophet
(PBUH).

After the US decamping Afghanistan | Pakistan
Observer
Prof Abdul Shakoor Shah
9/11 and the US aggression in Afghanistan affected the geopolitical

dynamics of the region. Certainly the departure of the US will also
evolve the scenario as Afghanistan herself and its neighboring
countries will surely get its aftershocks. Neighboring countries have
been tightening their muscles during the America-Taliban War to get
their geopolitical and strategic hold in the country, but certain counter
forces let none to get overhand.
Thesis statement
Major Powers in South Asia and their geo-strategic relations |
The USSR, China, Iran, India, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are the major
undertakers in the arena. After the US decamping Afghanistan, the US-Pak relations
will turn increasingly transactional. The US-Indian strategic ties to counter China
will result in misalignment of the US interests in Pakistan and will surely lose her
grip on Afghan affair. To hew out (shape out) some solution of Afghanistan
excluding Pakistan was not possible for the US otherwise the US might have done it
without Pakistan. Indian influence in Afghanistan is not much more than
conspiracies against Pakistan and destabilizing Afghanistan for fulfilling her dream
of Asian domination. It was crystal clear from the day first that the US has not
invaded to stay here but her interests undersurface were unlike. Provoking India
against China will worsen the situation in Asia.
The US is not much concerned about South Asia as she is not having any
immediate threat from the region. The US is just dividing China’s attention to
different borders by engaging China with India and announcing weapons for
Taiwan. One of the US strategies possibly would be to engage China on different
fronts and China-Indian skirmishes are the curtain raisers. The main part of the
power war is being
fought on economical
and tech fronts. The core
issue of Kashmir will
linger on without any
unusual change. It is
wise to join hands with
neighbors rather than a
far away ally who even
cannot reach in the need
of the hour.

CPEC has ushered (started) a new era in the region. It is being called the Asian
Trojan Horse. A stable Afghanistan is in favor of all the Central Asian Republics.
India cannot play her part in the Afghan affair as she is not in the good books of
her neighboring countries by dint of her aggressive attitude toward them. India has
always been trying to munch(bite, chew) on the neighbors geopolitically and
socio-economically. The crown of kingmakers will be in the hands of Pakistan after
the US withdrawal from
Afghanistan. The US
departure will engender a
security vacuum for the
region, even the USSR and
China will be negatively
affected.
In Case of Iran and Saudia ties with Pakistan, Pakistan has always tried
to keep balance but bending toward Riyadh has been stronger than
Tehran. The US will watch out the risk of nuclear proliferation from India to other
non nuclear states which may cause the US interests. The tension over Kashmir
between two nuclear powers of Asia will be intensified after the US decamping from
Afghanistan as it has been accelerated by abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A. The
US offer of meditation over the Kashmir issue was not a purely friendly one but it
was a part of smoothing the US Taliban negotiation for the US withdrawal from
Afghanistan which has proved a graveyard for the US and her allies. The US
departure is also Mr. Trumps’ political stunt for winning forthcoming presidential
elections. The water war will be the future tussle between India and Pakistan as
Indian construction of reservoirs in the territory.
Pakistan and India |
Internal dynamics of
both the countries will
compel Mr. Khan and
Modi to show reluctance for launching channels of rapprochement. The
security issue will rise up for all neighboring countries particularly for Pakistan for
being the major factor in Afghanistan affairs. Pakistan has already paid a high price
for being a major ally in the War against Terror. In return the US has put certain
hurdles for Pakistan demanding “do more” which was wholly in the US interest
rather than Pakistan. The sweet partners are stepping ahead in their best interests,
by facilitating the US for withdrawal and Pakistan for economical uplift and military
aid. The US is not getting rid of Afghanistan on a win-win position. She has used her
influence in FATF and IMF loans too.
US Pak Relationship after Afghanistan withdrawal |
But after American departure the US-Pak relations will take a different
turn as we have previous experience of the US-Pak relations during the
US interests and after it. It is the need of the hour to look for some other
alternative which will be in the best interests of the country. Even after the US
departs, she will move with Pakistan on interest bases rather than rewarding us by
dint of an ally on War against Terror. The US policy of using economic pressure on
Islamabad has lost its vitality now. The US-Pak bilateral trade and Pak-China
bilateral trade are the solid evidence. The US show in the region also looks grim
after relinquishing Afghanistan as Pakistan is no more the US dependent regarding
economic resort and military programs.
Conclusion |
There is a dire need for a new bloc in South Asia revolving around
mutually shared interests of major giants of the region namely Pakistan,
China, Iran and the USSR. India will no more be a part of the new block
as she is on confrontation policy against her neighboring countries. It
was once upon a time story when India and the USSR were having good ties. It is in
the best interest of all the major countries neighbouring Afghanistan to come
forward for a new bloc in South Asia for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. It will
eradicate the future anticipated security issues in the region. The internal and
external religious factors having interlinks with Afghanistan may give the situation a
new twist after the US quits. There will be less India-China confrontation after the
US departure. India seems unaware of the saying “ It is folly to live in Rome
and strive with the pope.” After the US relinquishing new geopolitical, social-
economic and strategic ties will take place in the region.
About the Writer
—The writer is Prof in English and freelance columnist, based in Lahore.

A lesson for Macron: Freedom of expression is
not absolute | Global Village space
Abdul Rasool Syed
Once again, the Muslim world has been deeply saddened and enraged by the heart-
wrenching comments of French president Emmanuel Macron about Islam and its
adherents. His remarks are the vivid depiction of his prejudice and bias towards
more than a billion peace mongering Muslims of the world. He, by passing such
anti-Islam remarks, rather uniting his people, has created deep fissures in French
society and furthered polarization and islamophobia.
He, in a long-awaited address on Friday, insisted “no concessions” would be made in

a new drive to push religion out of education and the public sector in France.
He announced that the government would present a bill in December to strengthen

a 1905 law that officially separated church and state in France. The law permits
people to belong to any faith of their choosing, Macron said, but outward displays of
religious affiliation would be banned in schools and the public service. Wearing the
hijab is already banned in French schools and for public servants at their workplace.
He also refused to discourage the repeated practice of publishing blasphemous
caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (SAW) by Charlie Hebdo- a French satirical
weekly magazine.
By attacking Islam, clearly without having any

understanding of it, President Macron has attacked &
hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims in Europe &
across the world
Encouraged by the head of the state, French people are now hanging the
blasphemous cartoons by the walls of their homes which indubitably amounts to
grievous hurt to the sentiments of nearly six million Muslims living in France and
roughly more than a billion Muslims living all around the world.
Reactively, Muslims all around the globe are registering their protest in their
respective ways against Macron’s malicious and unfounded propaganda against
Islam.
Macron faces backlash

In a backlash to Macron’s malicious comments against Islam, Turkish President
Recep Tayyib Erdogan commented “What is the problem of this person called
Macron with Muslims and Islam? Macron needs treatment on a mental level,”
Erdogan said in a speech at a provincial congress of his Justice and Development
(AK) Party in the central Turkish city of Kayseri on Saturday.

Every country that claims to be a part of a civilized and
democratic world has put its own limitations on
freedom of expression in order to regulate a certain
level of human behavior
“What else can be said to a head of state who does not understand freedom of belief
and who behaves in this way to millions of people living in his country who are
members of a different faith? First of all, have mental checks.
Another popular and charismatic leader of the Muslim world Imran Khan, Prime
Minister of Pakistan tweeted ”This is a time when President Macron could have put
healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarization
& marginalization that inevitably leads to radicalization through encouraging the
display of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam & our Prophet(SAW).” He added
“By attacking Islam, clearly without having any understanding of it, President
Macron has attacked & hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims in Europe &
across the world.”
Further, Ali al-Qaradaghi, the secretary general of the International Union for
Muslim Scholars (IUMS) said, “We pity a ruler who is still living in crisis and the
specter of religious wars of the middle ages,” al-Qaradaghi said, adding: “If there is a
real crisis, it is due to the double standards of some western politicians.”
He added, “President Macron; you are in a crisis of a moral, humanitarian and

political crisis; and Islam cannot bear the burden of fake cartoon leaders who
created crises with your sponsorship.”
Rim-Sarah Alaoune, a French academic, tweeted: “President Macron described

Islam as ‘a religion that is in crisis all over the world today’. I don’t even know what
to say. This remark is so dumb (sorry it is) that it does not need any further analysis
… I won’t hide that I am concerned. No mention of white supremacy even though we
are the country that exported the racist and white supremacist theory of the ‘great
replacement’, used by the terrorist who committed the horrific massacre in
#Christchurch.”
Islam doesn’t oppose the freedom of expression.

However, to ridicule and insult the sacred elements in
the name of freedom of speech can under no
circumstances be condoned
Unfortunately, Islam and its founder have repeatedly been subjected to such attacks
many times before. Previously, in 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
provoked the protests across the world and riots in many Muslim countries by
publishing several cartoons of Mohammad (peace be upon him), including one
depicting the prophet with a bomb in his turban.
Limitations on freedom of expression

Sadly, all that happened earlier and what is happening now is under the pretext of
‘freedom of expression’. However, in fact, the issue is not one of curtailing the right
to freedom of expression since this a right that is not absolute, nor anyone can claim
so. Rights are reciprocal and their enforcement is interdependent on other
fundamental rights. “I also respect the right of freedom of speech.” Remarked Kofi
Annan the then Secretary-General of U.N “but of course freedom of speech is never
absolute. It entails responsibility and judgment”.
Every country that claims to be a part of a civilized and democratic world has put its
own limitations on freedom of expression in order to regulate a certain level of
human behavior and thereby protect the dignity of their moral, religious, social, and
societal values. The free propagation of child pornography, for instance, or the
stimulation of religious or racial antipathy in the media, is banned in many
countries.
To encapsulate, defamation of sacred elements under

the pretext of freedom of expression cannot be
justified
Further, in many European countries like Australia, Belgium, France, Germany,

Poland, Romania, Switzerland, and Israel; it is a crime to deny holocaust. Moreover,
in many countries it is illegal or at least discouraged to degrade or abuse the
constitution or certain national institutions such as army, courts of law, or
parliament. Contempt of the court also exists all over the world which severely limits
the freedom of speech, violation of which can lead to imprisonment.
If the right to freedom of expression is absolute, why are there no objections to laws
like these? Interestingly, some U.S States do have blasphemy laws in their statute
books. The U.S state of Massachusetts General Laws (chapter 272 section 36) states:
“Whoever willfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or

contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the
world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or by cursing or
contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of
God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail…”
In addition, when the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi compared himself to
Jesus Christ, the Vatican including Italian politicians reacted to his statement with
colossal shock and disgust. A senior official of Catholic Church added, “I know he
will say he was speaking in jest, but such things should not be spoken even in jest”.
Besides, Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that published the caricatures of

the prophet Mohammad (SAW) few years back reportedly rejected cartoons
mocking at Jesus Christ because they would provoke an outcry and proudly declared
it would “in no circumstances publish holocaust cartoons”. It is indubitably a blatant
manifestation of sheer duplicity on part of the newspaper and a reflection of its bias
towards Islam and its founder.
Islam doesn’t oppose the freedom of expression. However, to ridicule and insult the
sacred elements in the name of freedom of speech can under no circumstances be
condoned. The similar views were expressed by Pope Francis while speaking about
the Paris attacks in January 2015. He said: “there are so many people who speak
badly about religions or other religions, who make fun of them, who make a game
out of the religions of others. They are provocateurs.”

Responding to the publication of blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammad
(peace be upon him) by Jyllands-Posten; some dignitaries not only condemned the
publication but also emphasized the restriction of the right of freedom of speech too.
Jack Straw, British foreign secretary remarked: “there is freedom of speech, we all
respect that. But there is not any obligation to insult or to be gratuitously
inflammatory. I believe that the republication of these cartoons has been insulting;
it has been insensitive; it has been disrespectful, and it has been wrong”.
The U.S state department condemned: “these cartoons are indeed offensive to the
belief of Muslims.” Spokesman, Kurtis commented: “We all fully respect freedom of
the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting
religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable”.
Islam too teaches the principles of tolerance and co-existence, to live and let live. It
discourages the defamation of other Gods and religious symbols teaching respect to
mankind (Quran, al-Anam, 6:108).
To encapsulate, defamation of sacred elements under the pretext of freedom of

expression cannot be justified. Therefore, the U.N, the European Union, and
international human rights commission in order to resolve this highly sensitive
issue should exert their clout to inhibit and discourage such practices in the future.
About the Writer
Abdul Rasool Syed is a Legal Practitioner & columnist based in Quetta. The views
expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the
editorial policy of Global Village Space.

Repercussions of the delayed International
response in Nagorno-Karbakh | Global Village
space
Andrew Karbyko
Azerbaijan’s ongoing counteroffensive in Nagorno-Karabakh is teaching the

international community some very important lessons. They now realize that they’re
at fault for having let the conflict remain frozen for nearly three decades without
putting any meaningful pressure on Armenia to comply with the four UNSC
Resolutions demanding its withdrawal from the occupied territories. This belated
sense of responsibility might compel relevant parties to proactively seek political
resolutions to other long-standing issues elsewhere in the world.
Armenia becomes a rogue state, who is responsible?

The international community’s failure to ensure Armenia’s compliance with
international law directly contributed to the country becoming a rogue state.
Yerevan wrongly felt that it’s invincible since it considered its illegal actions to have
the tacit support of key stakeholders. This in turn explains why it launched missile
strikes against residential areas in Azerbaijani cities far from the front lines. From
Armenia’s perspective, if the world didn’t pressure it to comply with the UNSC
Resolutions, it might not react to these war crimes either.
Armenia’s criminal actions also risk provoking a

larger war
This brings the analysis around to discussing the consequences of Armenia

becoming a rogue state. There’s no doubt that it’s wantonly committing war crimes,
for which it must be held legally responsible after the conflict ends. It’s doing so
with weapons that it received from some of the same countries that are members of
the OSCE Minsk Group. Those states obviously did not intend for their military
exports to be used for such ends, but they now have a responsibility to ensure that
they put a stop to this war crime spree as soon as possible.
Armenia’s criminal actions also risk provoking a larger war. Its leadership hopes
that Azerbaijan will respond to these crimes in kind, which could then prompt
Russia into conventionally intervening, potentially even triggering Turkey’s
reciprocal intervention as well. Those regional stakeholders don’t want that dark
scenario to transpire, hence their close coordination in averting it, but it’s very
disturbing that the Armenian diaspora in Moscow and their media supporters there
are actively lobbying for the opposite.

An important lesson to be learned by this approach is
that Azerbaijan supports the peaceful coexistence of all
people whereas Armenia has a history of ethnically
cleansing the non-Armenian population of Nagorno-
Karabakh
This powerful influence network has thus far failed to achieve its goal, but that’s
certainly not for lack of trying. The international community must become more
aware of such warmongering efforts going forward in order to better defend against
similar attempts elsewhere. On the topic of influence, it must also be said that
Armenia’s information war against Azerbaijan has largely failed to achieve any
success. The only “victory” that it can speak of is temporarily diverting international
attempt from its war crimes, but that’s all.
On the military front, the Armenian forces and their separatist proxies are being
soundly defeated. Instead of respecting the two ceasefires that were brokered by
Moscow, they irresponsibly gambled from a position of desperation that their
violation of them could be manipulated into accusing Azerbaijan of breaking the
truce. Their scheme was to misrepresent Azerbaijan as the aggressor in the hopes of
securing more support for their envisioned political goal of legitimizing the illegal
status quo. That failed, and now they’re on the retreat again.
Azerbaijan wants peace

Despite its military superiority on the battlefield (aided to a great degree by its
expertise in drone warfare which enormously reduced the collateral damage from
these sorts of often devastating campaigns), Azerbaijan continually calls for
Armenia to return to peace talks. Baku would prefer for the situation to be resolved
politically and that regional stakeholders compel Yerevan into undertaking an
orderly withdrawal for the sake of the remaining civilians in the area. It remains to
be seen whether it’ll succeed, but it’s still a noble effort.
These regular peacemaking gestures speak to the political maturity and deep sense
of responsibility that characterize the Azerbaijani leadership. They have the
capabilities to obliterate the enemy forces, but that would make reconstruction
efforts after the war all the more difficult. It could also lead to the unnecessary loss
of civilian lives, which Baku wants to avoid at all costs since it regards the residents
of the occupied territories as its citizens, as it rightly should, considering their
international legal status.
An important lesson to be learned by this approach is that Azerbaijan supports the

peaceful coexistence of all people whereas Armenia has a history of ethnically
cleansing the non-Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven
surrounding districts under occupation. Even worse, Prime Minister Pashinyan
described the conflict as a “clash of civilizations” earlier this month, which is a
euphemism for a seemingly inevitable war between religions despite this conflict
having nothing to do with differences of faith at all.
Looking back upon the lessons that were learned over the past month, the
international community should urgently realize its shortcomings and mistakes

Being the rogue state that it is, however, Armenia thought that blowing such an
Islamophobic dog whistle would earn it more widespread support in the West, but it
was terribly mistaken after no other government supported its dangerously false
depiction of events. If anything, Pashinyan’s rhetoric came off as desperate and
further reinforced the accurate perception that his forces are on the back foot. By
contrast, Azerbaijan always exudes confidence and speaks of reconciliation.
Not only does Azerbaijan talk the talk, but it also has a very credible chance to walk
the walk as well. Having avoided the oil curse that plagues so many other energy-
rich countries by investing heavily in its people and infrastructure at home,
Azerbaijan has both the financial means and established record of success to inspire
optimism that it’ll carry through with its promise to prioritize the reconstruction of
the occupied territories upon their liberation. This powerfully debunks Armenia’s
ridiculous claims of a “second genocide” if it loses.
With an eye on the future, the international

community can prevent other rogue states from
emerging and thawing frozen conflicts like Armenia
In terms of the bigger picture, Azerbaijan is abiding by the principles of the

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) where it’s a dialogue partner. The SCO is
resolutely against terrorism, separatism, and extremism in all of their forms, which
have regrettably manifested themselves in Armenia’s occupation of its land and
support of separatist-terrorist proxies there. Baku is also belatedly implementing
the four UNSC Resolutions on the matter that the international community has thus
far failed to do. Thus, its counteroffensive is both moral and legal.
International community
Looking back upon the lessons that were learned over the past month, the
international community should urgently realize its shortcomings and mistakes.
They can still make up for them by launching a campaign of maximum pressure
upon Armenia in order to rein in the rogue state and force it to return to peace talks,
albeit ensuring that tangible goals are achieved within clear-cut timelines unlike the
lack of action undertaken over nearly the last three decades.
With an eye on the future, the international community can prevent other rogue
states from emerging and thawing frozen conflicts like Armenia did as long as they
take heed of the lessons that were learned. In this sense, Azerbaijan’s ongoing
counteroffensive could literally change the world for the better by inspiring a
renewed sense of urgency for fulfilling the UN’s peacemaking role across the world.
Had they acted sooner, then this war might never have happened, but now they
might prevent others from occurring in the future.
About the Writer
Andrew Korybko is a political analyst, radio host, and regular contributor to

several online outlets. He specializes in Russian affairs and geopolitics, specifically
the US strategy in Eurasia.

Combating Deep Fakes | The Hindu
Editorial team

This article is based on “Countering deep fakes, the most
serious AI threat” which was published in The Hindu recently.
It talks about the dangers associated with the Deep Fakes.
Technological advancement that has fueled media creation today, has

provided opportunities for all people, regardless of their demography,
ethnicity, religion etc. It can give people a voice, purpose, and ability to make
an impact at scale and with speed.
However, as access to synthetic media technology increases, so does the risk

of exploitation. One such aspect of media creation is deep fakes. Deep Fakes
are the digital media (video, audio, and images) manipulated using Artificial
Intelligence.
Deep fakes have evolved from mere annoyance to high stake warfare for
creating social discord, increasing polarisation, and in some cases,
influencing an election outcome. It allows hyper-realistic digital falsification
that can inflict damage to individuals, institutions, businesses and
democracy.
Dangers Associated With Deep Fake

Deep Fake makes it possible to fabricate media — swap faces, lip-syncing, and
puppeteers — mostly without consent and bring threat to psychology,
security, political stability, and business disruption.
▪ New Front of Warfare: A deepfake could act as a powerful tool by a

nation-state to undermine public safety and create uncertainty and
chaos in the target country.
o Nation-state actors with geopolitical aspirations, ideological
believers, violent extremists, and economically motivated enterprises
can manipulate media narratives using deepfakes.
o It can be used by insurgent groups and terrorist organisations, to
represent their adversaries as making inflammatory speeches or
engaging in provocative actions to stir up anti-state sentiments
among people.
▪ Targeting Women: The malicious use of a deepfake can be seen in
pornography, inflicting emotional, reputational, and in some cases,
violence towards the individual.
o Pornographic deep fakes can threaten, intimidate, and inflict
psychological harm and reduce women to sexual objects. Deepfake
pornography majorly targets women.
▪ Damage to Personal Reputation: Deepfake can depict a person
indulging in antisocial behaviours and saying vile things.

o These can have severe implications on their reputation, sabotaging
their professional and personal life.
o Even if the victim could debunk the deep fake, it may come too late
to remedy the initial harm.
o Further, Deepfakes can be deployed to extract money, confidential
information, or exact favours from individuals.
▪ Undermining Democracy: A deepfake can also aid in altering the
democratic discourse and undermine trust in institutions and impair
diplomacy.
o False information about institutions, public policy, and politicians
powered by a deepfake can be exploited to spin the story and
manipulate belief.
▪ Disrupting Electioneering: A deepfake of a political candidate can
sabotage their image and reputation. A well-executed one, a few days
before polling, of a political candidate spewing out racial epithets or
indulging in an unethical act can damage their campaign.
o A high-quality deepfake can inject compelling false information that
can cast a shadow of illegitimacy over the voting process and election
results.
o Leaders can also use them to increase populism and consolidate
power.
o Deepfakes can become a very effective tool to sow the seeds of
polarisation, amplifying division in society, and suppressing dissent.
Way Forward
▪ Enhancing Media Literacy: Media literacy for consumers and
journalists is the most effective tool to combat disinformation and deep
fakes.
o Improving media literacy is a precursor to addressing the challenges
presented by deepfakes.
o Media literacy efforts must be enhanced to cultivate a discerning
public.
o As consumers of media, they must have the ability to decipher,
understand, translate, and use the information.
o Even a short intervention with media understanding, learning the
motivations and context, can lessen the damage.
▪ Need for Regulation: Meaningful regulations with a collaborative
discussion with the technology industry, civil society, and policymakers
can facilitate disincentivizing the creation and distribution of malicious
deep fakes.

▪ Technological Interventions: There is also a need for easy-to-use
and accessible technology solutions to detect deep fakes, authenticate
media, and amplify authoritative sources.
▪ Behavioural Change: On the part of society, to counter the menace of
deep fakes, there is a need to take the responsibility to be a critical
consumer of media on the Internet, think and pause before sharing on
social media, and be part of the solution to this infodemic.
Conclusion
To defend the truth and secure freedom of expression, there is a need for
a multi-stakeholder and multi-modal approach. Collaborative actions
and collective techniques across legislative regulations, platform
policies, technology intervention, and media literacy can provide
effective and ethical countermeasures to mitigate the threat of malicious
deep fakes.

Pakistan's laudable achievements in Nuclear
Technology | Global Village space
Tobba Ghaffar
Atomic energy is not just about bombs that are dropped over cities and people, but it
also has a potential for something positive for the mankind. There is a general lack
of awareness when it comes to the massive potential of atomic energy in solving
many of the mankind’s problems. Atom can be utilized in a whole range of ways for
achieving myriad peaceful goals, like producing electricity, purifying water, treating
cancer and producing high yield crops.
Pakistan’s achievements
Pakistan has a remarkable record of exploring nuclear technology for peaceful uses.
It has made considerable progress in the fields of energy, agriculture and medicine,
utilizing nuclear technology. It has also employed nuclear energy for industrial uses,
biotechnology and disease control. These achievements are often overlooked in the
context of sensitive security environment of South Asia, which keeps local and
international analysts preoccupied with the military component of the nuclear
program.
Nuclear power is also a clean source of energy, the CO2 emissions are zero, which
can be a great step towards combatting climate change
As early as the 1950s, Pakistan sent scientists and engineers abroad for training in
the peaceful application of nuclear technology. The civilian nuclear program
officially commenced in the 1970s, with the construction and operationalization of
137 MW Nuclear Power Plant in Karachi (KANUPP).
In the following decades, despite many difficulties, Pakistan did not give up on its
mission to have multiple plants and now has five fully functional nuclear power
plants, operating at high capacity, one in Karachi and four in Chashma. KANUPP
and four power plants in Chashma provide 1430 MWe to the national grid.
Two more nuclear power plants, K-2 and K-3 are under construction in Karachi,
while three are planned for future – one in Chashma and two in Muzaffargarh. The
plan is to produce at least 40,000 MWe electricity from nuclear energy by 2050.
Pakistan is one of the 30 countries that have fully operational nuclear power plants.
It has mastered complete nuclear fuel cycle and is amongst the 10 countries in the
world to have done so.
Nuclear power is a cheaper alternative

Nuclear power provides a comparatively cheaper source of energy, one kg Uranium
can produce thousand times more energy than its fossil fuel counterparts. Nuclear
power is also a clean source of energy, the CO2 emissions are zero, which can be a
great step towards combatting climate change. Also, the plants are base load,
meaning that they can run uninterrupted, unlike the other clean sources of energy
like wind or solar. In this way, nuclear power is the most reliable, economical and
environment friendly source of power.
Pakistan is aware of the myriad benefits that come from exploring nuclear
technology for power generation and has demonstrated a commitment to gradually
diversify its energy production from fossil to nuclear sources.
Nuclear technology’s role in agriculture

Nuclear technology has facilitated major developments in the field of agriculture.
Through collaboration with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), multiple
facilities have been developed for advancements in the fields of food and agriculture.
Atomic energy is a dual use source and can bring many benefits to humanity
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is engaged in research and

development to advance agricultural sector and improve programs on nutritional
value of staple foods, in order to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) of eliminating hunger and malnutrition. Irradiation techniques are
being exploited to enhance food quality and safety, and augment shelf life of farm
products.
To fight hunger and malnutrition, PAEC is working on food fortification initiatives

to enhance mineral and vitamin content of food. Hence, more than 89 new high-
yielding stress-tolerant crop varieties have been created through use of nuclear
technology. Moreover, in order to enhance food safety, PAEC is also exploring
nuclear techniques to improve water availability and quality. PAEC has been
collaborating with IAEA for several decades, to use nuclear and isotopic techniques
to detect and analyze pollutants in water and reduce them. Furthermore, PAEC,
together with IAEA, has built laboratories for mass breeding of insects valuable for
combatting pests that attack crops, and, thus, decrease the use of pesticides.
Achievements in the field of medicine

Pakistan has also made major achievements in the field of medicine using nuclear
technology. Nuclear energy has been a critical source in research and development
of new techniques for treating cancer.
PAEC has established 18 cancer treatment hospitals where yearly more than 0.7
million patients are treated, which is almost 80% of total cancer patients in
Pakistan. The atomic energy hospitals are state of art facilities for diagnosing and
treating cancer, through radiation and other nuclear techniques. The hospitals are
also engaged in awareness raising campaigns regarding cancer, which is reportedly
highly curable if diagnosed in the early stages.
Improvements in the employment sector

The nuclear energy sector, involving activities in the fields of medicine, agriculture
and power, has been a source of employment generation, leading to the socio-
economic progress in the country. Pakistan has been able to maintain an
outstanding record in terms of safety and security of all its nuclear related activities.
It was one of the founding members of the IAEA in 1957, and, since then, has
collaborated with IAEA over development and safety of multiple projects.

Pakistan consistently engages with European Organization for Nuclear Research
(CERN) and was the first country in the region to gain its associate
membership. Pakistan can achieve many more milestones while assisting other
countries in the quest for exploring peaceful uses of nuclear technology – if it is
given open access to the global nuclear commerce through membership in the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Misconceptions about nuclear energy

The perception of atom as a source of destruction for the mankind is incorrect.
Atomic energy is a dual use source and can bring many benefits to humanity.
Pakistan has demonstrated its commitment to using nuclear technology for socio-
economic development and progress, something for which it has not been given
enough credit.
In most nuclear discourses, Pakistan’s nuclear weapon program is highlighted,

which often shows Pakistan’s nuclear activities in a negative light. Pakistan is a
responsible nuclear state, it is running its military and civilian nuclear program very
responsibly. Pakistan can benefit greatly from the global nuclear commerce and
should be given open access to it based on its remarkable achievements in exploring
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, while ensuring safety and security of its
nuclear infrastructure.
About the writer

Tooba Ghaffar is working as a Research Associate at the Center for International
Strategic Studies, Islamabad. The author can be accessed at
toobaghaffar@gmail.com. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own
and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space’s editorial policy.


ICEP Dawn Editorial 31oct

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

ICEP Dawn Editorial 31oct

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ICEP

DAWN EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

1 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

2 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Red for Difficult Vocab

Green for Important Figures and contents

Others colours used where necessary

DAWN+ EDITORIALS SECTION

3 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Howeverr, this time in a welcome break from the past, it has

Way forward | Shun (verb)

4 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Factors behind the surging food inflation |

5 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Way forward | Solutions

Many older companies are revamping their

6 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

to ruin or end someone’s plans or chance of being

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of

Critical Analysis | India’s massive acquisition of armaments are

Pakistan's Concerns over the US-India Military agreement |

8 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Why in news Succumb to (phrase)

die from the effect of a disease or

The decision to enforce mask-wearing is indeed welcome and necessary,

9 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

In yet another important and landmark step, the Ministry of

▪ Pakistan had signed the first agreement on electric buses with a

Way forward | Recommendations

▪ We will suggest the government to give more incentives to such companies

10 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

A month before at least 150,000

Medical Student’s ' Concerns | Detailes

Critical Analysis | The questioning performance of PMC

11 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

The United States on Monday imposed fresh Iran-related

12 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Why in news Honour the promise (phrase)

This is the most formal and rhetorical way to

India’s inability to control hostility | Peace talk should be welcomed by

Way forward is to maintain hope only |

13 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

to claim to be or do something, even if this is not true

she is not the person she purports to be.

The document is purported to be 300 years old.

a portrait purportedly of Shakespeare

Inflict upon (something on ssomeone) | Phrase

to impose something, such as pain, a burden, a problem, etc., on someone or

The daily cruelty inflicted upon the people of Kashmir

Please don't inflict that on me.

14 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

15 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

a complex or unwelcome consequence of an action or event.

"any change is bound to have legal ramifications"

To bite the bullet (idiom)_____________

16 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

Yesterday, at least eight people were killed and 125 injured

Detailes of the event |

Security Agencies' failure |

Despite the Nacta warning based on ‘credible information’ about possibility of

17 ICEP CSS-PMS Dawn

subversive ideas, activities etc are secret and

He was engaged in subversive activities.

a situation characterized by instability and strong emotions: