Loopholes in the previous narrativeUnder Mehsud, the TTP leadership realised the need for a shift in its previously extant narrative or to come up with a more comprehensive a narrative or discourse. Considering TTP’s history, it never had an extensive, compelling and profound narrative. The bottom lineNot just confusing, TTP’s new narrative has a lot of contradictions. Whether the new narrative can justify the group’s violence, and win it more supporters and resources remains to be seen. Considering the self-contradictory strands of this narrative, it would be difficult for TTP to sustain its actions and struggle for power.

The Finance Minister cushioned the news by reiterating that the last four months had seen diesel and kerosene oil prices decrease but the current devaluation left no further options besides a price hike. In a desperate measure to secure external financing, draft ordinances to impose new taxes have also been prepared. Newer taxes and the ordinances being prepared will further target these industrialists and the outcome can be distressing. International commodity prices are always in flux as the economy readjusts to global trends, exchange rates, and more. Now, with fuel prices, other imported goods will follow the trend and inflation is likely to be pushed more.

Yet, the American desire to resort to cyber warfare and conduct cyber-attacks on the Russian power industry is also well-grounded. Nothing will promote that more than the US and NATO cyber-attacks on the Russian electric power industry. Just few days ago, more than 230 million people in Pakistan experienced a major power breakdown. This is a hypothetical assumption, but given the Western cyber warfare objectives and also the statement coming from our energy minister that some outside hand may be involved in the countrywide blackout, the assumption may not be misconstrued. The US has also publicly stated its doctrinal documents on cyber warfare that the whole world and the global information space is “the sphere of her interests”.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said the people had rejected the “lies of Imran Khan” by giving warm welcome to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz at the Lahore Airport on her return from London. The minister, in a tweet, said Imran Khan who was a “plunderer” of Toshakhana had received an answer from the people who accorded a warm welcome to Maryam Nawaz. “By giving a warm welcome to Maryam Nawaz without a call from party, the nation has proved with whom they stand with,” she added. The minister extended gratitude to the nation for turning out in a large numbers at the airport for welcoming Maryam Nawaz back to the country.

Honour killings, a form of violence perpetrated in the name of maintaining honour and protecting the reputation of the family and community, are driven by a desire to uphold strict social norms. Common reasons for honour killings include suspicions of extramarital relationships, refusal of arranged marriages, seeking a divorce, perceived promiscuity, and other forms of nonconformity. Women, who are often seen as the primary guardians of family honour, are disproportionately targeted in these killings. Despite these laws, honour killings continue to occur rampantly in Pakistan, often with impunity. The majority of the Muslim community and Islamic scholars reject the notion that honour killings are a part of Islamic teachings.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will undertake an official visit to Moscow from 29-30 January at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Saturday. “The foreign minister will hold official talks with his Russian counterpart where the two sides would deliberate upon the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on the regional and international issues of mutual interest,” stated the press release. The visit by the foreign minister comes almost a week after Pakistan and Russia reached an agreement on the supply of Russian crude oil and other oil products in a major breakthrough at a time when the country is facing a severe economic crunch. The two sides reached an agreement after the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation concluded. Through the special message, the Russian energy minister conveyed that President Putin referred to “Pakistan as Russia’s important partner in South Asia and the Islamic World [and] reiterated Russia’s strong interest to deepen the bilateral relationship”.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has said that all characters who conspired against party supremo Nawaz Sharif have been “unmasked and met their fate”. “Nawaz Sharif is the still the top leader of the country despite being ousted from power three times,” she remarked. Moreover, banners and posters have been displayed on the way from the airport to Jati Umrah to welcome Maryam. Sea of people eagerly waiting to welcome Maryam Nawaz Sharif.#خوش_آمدید_امید_سحر pic.twitter.com/iTtT12xhzL — PML(N) (@pmln_org) January 28, 2023Maryam, after her arrival at Lahore airport, tweeted: "Pak sar zameen shadbad". Maryam and her father, Nawaz Sharif, left London for Geneva on January 4.

It should not be surprising to note how this region faces some of the toughest — conventional and non-conventional — security challenges in the world today. It is hard to deny the impact of colonisation across South Asia. The growing influence of China across South Asia adds another layer of stress to the regional friction evident within and across South Asia today. Despite varied differences, both large and smaller South Asian states share vital natural resources which are confronting increasing climate threats. All South Asian states need to cooperate to better address regional climate-related challenges and to untap the economic potential of the broader region.

North Andover, MA (01845)TodayPartly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 30F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..TonightPartly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 30F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy Flotilla comprising PNS RAHNAWARD and RASADGAR along with PN Submarine HASHMAT port-called Muscat in Oman and Bandar Abbas in Iran, respectively, during overseas deployment. On arrival at host countries’ ports, Pakistan Navy ships were warmly welcomed by representatives of Pakistani embassies and officials of host navies, a Pakistan Navy media release said. Students of Pakistani School Muscat and members of Pakistani community also visited PN Ships. Upon completion of the port call at Iran, PN ships participated in a passage exercise with Iranian Navy Ship IRIS KAMAN to enhance interoperability. The port visits of Oman and Iran by PN Flotilla will further enhance existing close diplomatic ties and cordial relations with friendly countries.

"Necessary security measures have been taken to continue normal activities at the embassy and diplomats of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran," he said. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry responded strongly to the attack, summoning Iran's ambassador in Baku to demand justice and saying it would evacuate its embassy staff from Tehran. It said an "anti-Azerbaijani campaign" in Iran had contributed to the attack, without elaborating, and accused Tehran of long ignoring its appeals to boost embassy security. Azerbaijan, a secular Muslim former Soviet republic, has friendly ties with the United States and Israel and has had difficult diplomatic relations with Iran. Israel has had an embassy in Baku since the early 1990s and has been a significant military backer of Azerbaijan in recent years.

Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar says inflation reached historic high during the PTI government’s tenure and the rupee depreciated due to failed economic policies. Dar added that the government inherited several problems from the previous government, adding, the government was working day and night. The finance minister further said that the economy of Pakistan was destroyed in five years, but the government of the coalition parties wants to improve it till the next elections. "Pakistan would not be where it is today if Imran Khan had not done political enmity,” he further said. “Imran Khan should apologise to the nation for destroying the country,” he remarked.

Share:It is a matter of mammoth embarrassment for an agricultural country like Pakistan where rampant poverty and soaring food inflation have confounded the miseries of the downtrodden segment of society manifold. Last year heavily devastating floods played havoc in Pakistan resultantly pushing about 6.8 to 9 million people into pauperism talons swooping up the poverty rate to 35.7 % as per cautious estimation of the World Bank (WB). Apart from this, it is also really heartrending to witness that we are running short of food grains, productivity, and provision of wheat flour to the people. Seeing deplorable footage of the miserably poor people running after the flour bags having money in their hands like pipe and the piper on mainstream media has cast gloom on the entire nation and quite ironically still, we claim that Pakistan is an agricultural country. Quite ironically both political opponents frequently claim to address our economic woes but on the other side, each of them doesn’t have any tangible solution to such problems.

He [Zardari] has given money to a terrorist outfit and people from powerful agencies are facilitating him,” Imran alleged. “The nation has come to know what [Prime Minister] Shahbaz [Sharif] and [Finance Minister Ishaq] Dar are. The former prime minister said that whoever came to bail Pakistan out of the economic morass would put conditions. Also, the caretaker government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Friday recalled the K-P security personnel of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. One person died in the shooting, while several members of the PTI chairman’s close circle, including Faisal Javaid, Imran Ismail, Ahmad Chattha and Imran Yousaf were also injured.

Intensive care unit (ICU) is one of the most demanding places and a leading cause of financial burden as it requires high use of resources and expenditure. What makes all this even more depressing is the lack of natural light in an ICU which leads to delirium and depression. - Advertisement -What may work as a blessing for patients in an ICU is a window, which may allow natural light to shine through the glass into the room. By promoting daytime wakeup and nightly sleep, natural light from a window can help maintain or restore circadian rhythms. That is why I call every window in the hospital a ‘window of hope’ which reassures the patients that there is still light despite all the apparent darkness.