뉴스

The wife of a Lebanese army captain, who was killed by Israeli bombardment, salutes as mourners carry her husband’s coffin at his home village in southern Lebanon.—AFP • Woman, child among 12 killed in attacks on Zifta, Tyre • Beirut counts 3,491 Israeli strikes since April 17; fresh bombardment damages Unesco heritage site • Hezbollah denies contact with Trump BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed 12 people on Monday as Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Menassa revealed Israel has carried out nearly 3,500 air strikes since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect in April. The Lebanese health ministry said the dawn raid on the town of Zifta in the Nabatieh district resulted in seven deaths, including a Syrian child and a woman, and wounded eight others. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on Tyre in southern Lebanon on Monday killed five people and wounded eight, the health ministry said, as Israel said it would continue strikes despite Iranian threats. “An Israeli enemy raid on the city of Tyre, near the Red Cross centre, resulted in five martyrs and eight wounded, four of whom were Red Cross paramedics,” the ministry said in a statement. The continuing violence underscores the fragility of the ceasefire that came into effect on April 17. Nearly 3,500 Israeli attacks During a cabinet meeting on Monday, Menassa said that between April 17 and June 7, Israel conducted 3,491 air strikes, 407 controlled demolitions and six razing operations, flattening entire villages in southernmost Lebanon. PM Nawaf Salam said the escalation has caused additional waves of displacement. More than 1 million people have been displaced and over 3,600 killed since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the conflict on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme leader. The heavy bombardment in Tyre also damaged a Unesco World Heritage site. Ali Badawi, the culture ministry’s regional director of archaeological sites for south Lebanon, said Sunday’s bombardment had “the worst impact” on Tyre’s ancient areas since the war began. “The amount of debris and damage at the site is high,” Badawi said. “Some archaeological artefacts were damaged when rubble fell on them, as debris fell over a large area, impacting a large number of elements at the site — columns, capitals, column bases, mosaics.” Tyre’s ruins include Roman baths, a second-century triumphal arch and a hippodrome. Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame appealed to protect the sites, charging that Israel “does not respect” the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property. ‘No contact with Trump’ Amid the ongoing conflict, a senior Hezbollah official denied statements from US President Donald Trump suggesting the two sides had communicated. Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati said in written remarks that “there has been no direct contact between President Trump and Hezbollah officials”. Trump told reporters last Wednesday that “we actually spoke with Hezbollah for the first time, ever,” and later claimed he had a “very good call” with the group through highly placed representatives. Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Dawn (Pakistan)

진보 성향

사회

부정적

Police officials refusing duty in AJK, GB face action

ISLAMABAD: The capital police have started taking action against its officials who refused to perform duties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The officials are being subjected to major punishment, including dismissal from service, and a constable has been sacked. According to a document, available with Dawn, Constable Ahmad Ali presently posted to Capital Patrols was charged with inefficiency and misconduct. It said all nominated officials were directed by the competent authority to report to the Police Lines Headquarters for deployment on the AJK election duty. “However, despite having been duly informed and directed, the said Constable willfully and deliberately refused to comply with the lawful orders and declined to proceed for the assigned election duty. Furthermore, he failed to report as directed on multiple occasions, deliberately absented himself from duty, and persistently disobeyed the lawful orders issued by competent authority. His conduct demonstrated a clear disregard for discipline, obedience, and the chain of command, which are fundamental obligations of a member of the police force. By intentionally refusing to perform the assigned duty, absenting himself without lawful justification, and disobeying the orders of the competent authority and senior officers, the said Constable violated the prescribed Government Servants (Conduct) Rules and departmental discipline,” the document stated. “Such behaviour constitutes a serious breach of official responsibility and falls within the meaning of gross misconduct, rendering him liable to disciplinary action under the relevant rules and regulations. Keeping in view his above act, the competent authority decided to take disciplinary action against him under the legal provisions of Punjab Police (E&D) Rules, 1975 duly adopted by ICT Police. The charges of such unprofessional act and default of service rules/regulations were fully established from the office record,” it stated. “After perusing the above situation, and having considered the facts and circumstances, I am satisfied that there is ample proof to proceed against him. Therefore finding him guilty of gross professional misconduct I, Awais Ali Khan, PSP, The Superintendent of Police, Capital Patrols, Islamabad award him a ‘major’ punishment of ‘Dismissal from service’ as provided under Punjab Police (E & D) Rules, 1975 duly adopted by ICT Police,” the document signed by the Superintendent of Police stated. According to reports, a number of officials of the capital police skipped orders to reach the Police Lines, knowing that they would be sent to AJK and GB. An official of the police, wishing not to be quoted, said there was no room for refusal to perform an assigned duty in law enforcement agencies. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026

Muslim rights group CAIR sues Virginia schools over student suspensions

WASHINGTON: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the United States, has filed a federal lawsuit against one of America’s largest public school systems, alleging that four Muslim students were unlawfully disciplined because of their religion and ethnic background. The lawsuit accuses Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), a school district serving nearly 180,000 students in the suburbs of Washington, DC, of discriminating against students at the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, one of the nation’s top-ranked public schools. Filed in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, the suit claims that school officials violated the students’ constitutional rights and federal civil rights laws by suspending them over a social media video while allowing similar conduct by other student groups to go unpunished. The case stems from a video posted in October 2025 by members of the school’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), a student organisation representing Muslim pupils. According to the complaint, the students were participating in a viral social media trend used by clubs and organisations nationwide to promote events and attract members. In the video, students ask classmates whether they intend to attend an MSA meeting. When the answer is “no”, other students jokingly appear and carry them away in what the lawsuit describes as a comedic skit. The plaintiffs argue the video contained no threats, weapons or references to any real-world conflict. CAIR contends that similar videos had been produced by other student groups, including some depicting mock violence and weapons, without disciplinary action. The organisation argues that school officials acted only after outside activists and social media commentators accused the Muslim students of glorifying Hamas and reenacting the Oct 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. According to the complaint, school officials adopted those characterisations, suspended the students, labelled their conduct antisemitic and placed disciplinary records in their files. One plaintiff was also prohibited from wearing a sweatshirt depicting the map of Palestine, the lawsuit alleges. The students are identified in court records by pseudonyms to protect their privacy. “The MSA behaved innocently and no differently than other student groups on campus,” CAIR attorney Catherine Keck said while announcing the lawsuit. “Yet Fairfax County singled them out, robbed them of academic and professional opportunities, and encouraged the community to target and harass them.” The complaint alleges that the suspensions had lasting consequences. The students claim they suffered reputational damage, lost educational opportunities, were subjected to online harassment and threats, and in some cases faced setbacks in college admissions and internship applications. CAIR’s legal team argues that the disciplinary action violated the students’ rights under the First Amendment, which protects free speech, the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. School officials have previously defended their response, saying the videos depicted mock kidnappings and violence that were inappropriate in a school setting. At the time of the controversy, FCPS said such content was especially troubling because it could be perceived as traumatic by members of the Jewish community amid ongoing tensions related to Israel’s war on Gaza. Jewish community organisations also criticised the videos when they surfaced last year, arguing that imagery resembling hostage-taking was particularly insensitive given the continued impact of the October 7 attacks and the hostage crisis that followed. The lawsuit, however, argues that the school’s actions were driven not by concerns about student safety but by stereotypes associating Muslim and Arab students with violence. “The reason FCPS and TJHSST punished these students and not other students in similar videos is because they believe that Muslims and Arabs pose a threat where others do not,” CAIR attorney Ahmad Kaki said. The school district has not yet filed a detailed response to the complaint. The case is likely to turn on whether the plaintiffs can demonstrate that similarly situated non-Muslim student groups engaged in comparable conduct but were treated differently. If the court finds evidence of selective enforcement based on religion or ethnicity, the lawsuit could become one of the most closely watched school civil-rights cases arising from post-October 7 tensions in American public schools. The complaint seeks damages, expungement of the students’ disciplinary records, declaratory relief and court orders preventing similar actions in the future.

BNP-M announces strike over Zehri incident

KHUZDAR: Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal on Saturday announced a shutter-down strike across Balochistan on June 10, condemning the June 2 incident in Zehri in which the party’s district vice-president was shot dead. Speaking at a press conference here alongside senior BNP-M leaders, Mr Mengal said the killing of the party’s district vice-president, Sardarzada Khalil Ahmed Musiani, and the arrest of several members of the Musiani family represented a grave violation of both political and tribal traditions. He alleged that security personnel raided the residence of tribal elder and BNP-M leader Sardar Nasir Ahmed Musiani, violated the sanctity of the home, assaulted family members, and shot his son in front of him. He later died after allegedly being denied timely medical treatment. “Authorities claim that peace prevails in Balochistan. Is this their idea of peace… that a son is killed in front of his father and family members are not even allowed to attend his funeral?” Mr Mengal questioned. Mengal slams killing of party leader, arrest of family members He said the BNP-M’s central committee had extensively discussed the Zehri incident and described it as part of a broader pattern of political pressure against the party. According to Mr Mengal, BNP-M leaders and workers had faced raids, arrests and harassment under successive governments and administrations. He further alleged that several members of the Musiani family were taken into custody and remain detained. He expressed concern for their safety and demanded their immediate release. He criticised the authorities for allegedly preventing relatives from attending funeral rites and warned that further cases could be registered against those already detained. The BNP-M chief also referred to ongoing displacement efforts in parts of Balochistan, saying residents were being asked to leave their homes, farms and businesses without any clear resettlement plan. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2026

Gazan fishermen patch up dinghies with door frames to keep themselves afloat

In a Gaza workshop, a group of men patch up pleasure dinghies with reclaimed fibreglass, wood and door frames pulled from the rubble, racing to get the boats ready for a tougher line of work. The small vessels, which were used by families and swimmers before the war, have become a lifeline for the enclave’s fishing industry which has been struggling to keep up its fleet. Israeli restrictions on new fibreglass and other materials entering Gaza have made it increasingly difficult and expensive to repair the larger, purpose-built boats, fishermen said. Palestinian workers repair a skiff damaged in the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters “A kilo of fibreglass in the era before the war was 50 or 60 shekels,” fisherman Mohammad al-Hissi told Reuters. The cost today was around 800 shekels, he added. Total catch has plummeted, say fishermen COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, told Reuters the bans cover items that could have a military as well as a civilian use. It did not directly comment on restrictions on fibreglass. Skiffs used by Palestinian fishermen are docked on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters Even before the war that began in October 2023, Gaza’s fishermen faced strict Israeli restrictions on how far they could go out to sea. Now, they say they keep even closer to shore to avoid shooting that they report has continued since last year’s ceasefire. Skiffs used by Palestinian fishermen are docked on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters Asked about the reports, Israel’s military claimed the navy was enforcing “maritime security restrictions” in Gaza’s waters and that, when those restrictions were violated, soldiers “operate in accordance with the rules of engagement”. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. A Palestinian fisherman checks his net on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters The Gaza fishing industry’s total catch has shrunk to less than 15 tons a month — the amount they used to take every day before the war, Gaza Fishermen Syndicate member Zakaria Baker said. Fishing was an important source of food before the conflict. The hunger crisis in Gaza has eased since famine was declared in parts of the tiny, crowded territory before the ceasefire last year. But aid agencies say most children still don’t get a diverse enough diet and the UN reported that 3,500 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment in April. A Palestinian worker repairs a skiff damaged in the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters “We repair and maintain boats, and serve fishermen in any way we can,” worker Musab Baker said at the repair shop. “But we are unable to do anything apart from the small boats.”

Dawn (Pakistan)

진보 성향

정치

Trump lawyers deny BBC access to financial details in $10-billion lawsuit, FT says

US President Donald Trump’s legal team has refused to hand over financial information sought by BBC lawyers in his $10 billion defamation case against the broadcaster, the Financial Times (FT) said on Friday, citing court filings. Trump has accused the publicly funded broadcaster of defaming him by splicing together parts of a January 6, 2021, speech to make it appear that he directed supporters to storm the US Capitol. The impetus for Trump’s request to delay “appears to be the flat refusal by the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust … to provide any financial information under subpoena”, the newspaper cited the BBC as saying in a court filing. That action came despite Trump’s claims that the BBC injured “the value of his brand, properties, and businesses” and the president’s “own refusal to date to provide any financial information in discovery”, the paper added. Trump’s lawsuit, filed in Florida in December, says the BBC violated a state law that bars deceptive and unfair trade practices. He is seeking damages of at least $5bn on each of its two counts. The broadcaster and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team told the newspaper the BBC was liable for “intentionally and maliciously defaming him by distorting and manipulating his speech”. In a statement, the spokesperson added, “President Trump will continue to hold accountable the BBC and all those who traffic in fake news.” Trust managed by Trump’s eldest son In its bid to ascertain the documentary’s financial impact, the BBC has subpoenaed the trust, managed by Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, as the sole trustee, which holds the president’s business interests and assets, the paper said. The BBC legal team has sought financial documents that reflect the trust’s holdings and value, assets, inventories and properties, the paper added, citing court filings from May that it viewed. The request covers almost 400 entities owned by or associated with the trust, as well as requests for tax returns, the paper said. The documentary, first broadcast in 2024 shortly before a presidential election Trump won, featured a section in which he told supporters to march on the Capitol and another, from nearly an hour later, where he said, “Fight like hell.” The BBC apologised to Trump for the edit, but wants his lawsuit thrown out. Trump’s subsequent reelection showed the alleged defamation did not harm his reputation, the broadcaster said in court papers released in March.

Lawyers can’t be suspended for arguing cases during strike: FCC

• Criticises practice of frequent strike calls; terms them ‘illegal’ and violative of litigants’ rights • Dismisses Peshawar bar appeal; holds that everyone has right to counsel of choice ISLAMABAD: In a landmark judgement on an appeal filed by the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday ruled that bar associations and bar councils cannot suspend a lawyer’s licence solely for representing a client or appearing in court during a strike. Authored by Justice Aamer Farooq, the 20-page judgement also criticised the practice of frequent strike calls by bar associations and bar councils, observing that such strikes were not only illegal but also violated the constitutional right of access to justice of litigants and their counsel. “When a strike call is made, the lawyer bodies restrict lawyers from appearing before the courts. Consequently, a litigant, on that day, is deprived of his legal practitioner’s representation, and proceedings in his case are adjourned without any progress,” Justice Farooq noted. “This amounts to a denial of access to justice,” he asserted. While deciding the challenge to the Oct 15, 2025 judgement of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), the two-member constitutional court, which also included Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, framed two questions for determination. First, whether the jurisdiction of a high court under Article 199(1)(c) of the Constitution extends to issuing writs against “any person”, including regulatory bodies such as bar councils. Second, whether the suspension of the licences of two lawyers, one for representing a client and the other for appearing in court during a strike, infringed the fundamental right to practise a profession guaranteed under Article 18. The FCC answered both questions in the affirmative. The court held that preventing lawyers from representing litigants or from approaching and appearing before courts was wholly impermissible. It observed that such restrictions struck at the heart of the economic freedom guaranteed under Article 18, which was designed to protect the right to pursue a lawful profession. The controversy arose after the murder of a young lawyer, in connection with which a station house officer (SHO) was implicated. The incident triggered protests demanding that the officer be brought to justice. Subsequently, the officer surrendered before the relevant court and was taken into custody. He later engaged Advocate Shabbir Hussain Gigyani as his counsel. These developments prompted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council to pass a resolution prohibiting any advocate from representing the accused officer. Meanwhile, Advocate Azim Afridi faced disciplinary action when the executive committee of the KP Bar Council suspended his licence during an emergency meeting on Oct 8, 2025. The suspension followed a communication from the Peshawar Bar Association, which described his appearance in court during a strike as an act of “indiscipline”. Both lawyers challenged the suspension of their licences before the PHC, which ruled in their favour. In the judgement, Justice Farooq observed that the legal system was already overburdened, with courts carrying lengthy cause lists and litigants often waiting years for hearings. “In such circumstances, strike calls by lawyer bodies only add to the plight of litigants,” the judgement noted. The court observed that regardless of how noble the cause behind a strike might be, it was neither an appropriate solution nor a legitimate means of expressing grievances, as it came at the expense of litigants seeking redress and justice. Justice Farooq reiterated that denial of access to justice in any form constituted a violation of the Constitution, whether through non-appearance before courts or the closure of administrative and judicial functions. The judgement held that the economic freedom clause under Article 18 was clearly attracted when Advocate Afridi, or any lawyer, was prevented from appearing before a court on behalf of a client. The FCC explained that while a provincial bar council was empowered to suspend or cancel the licence of an advocate of the high court in cases of professional misconduct, no compelling reason existed in the present case to justify preventing lawyers from representing a person accused of murder. Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026

'I was a little bit perturbed': Trump confirms expletive-laden phone call with Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he had lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the latter’s escalation in Lebanon in a recent expletive-laden phone call. On Monday, American news outlet Axios reported citing sources that Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” and accused him of ingratitude during the phone call. The report quoted a US official as saying that Trump told Netanyahu “you’re f****** crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your a**. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this”. Trump confirmed to New York Post’s Miranda Devine during ‘Pod One Force’ podcast that he called Netanyahu “f****** crazy”, but also insisted that they have “worked very well together”. Asked if the Axios report was true and whether he spoke to Netanyahu in those terms, Trump replied, “I did. I wouldn’t say angry, I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon. “At some point, I said Bibi, we’re gonna stop this. We got to stop it,” he added. At the same time, Trump said, “But I have a very good relationship. […] We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him,” Trump insisted after confirming his expletive-laden outburst demanding that Netanyahu cease attacks. “I’m a wartime president,” the commander in chief said. “He’s a wartime prime minister.” Trump further said that although he was frustrated by the possibility of Lebanon-Israel conflict derailing a larger peace, he remained optimistic about having a deal with Iran “fairly quickly”. The delicate diplomatic process keeping hopes for peace between Iran and the US seemed to teeter on Monday after Tehran and Washington offered diverging assessments of the status of negotiations, with Israel’s expanding front in Lebanon proving to be the main spoiler. The US-Iran conflict is currently stalemated in a shaky ceasefire more than three months after initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran. After Netanyahu ordered attacks on Beirut on Monday, Tehran said it considered the ceasefire violated “on all fronts” and accused the US of violating the truce. Iran also said it had suspended indirect negotiations with the US. The announcement was initially shrugged off by Trump, but he alter moved to allay Iranian concerns over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Not only did he speak to his ally Netanyahu, but he also claimed to have exchanged views with Hezbollah through intermediaries — a first for a US president — to stop the fighting. “There will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way have already been turned back”, he posted on Truth Social, adding that Hezbollah had also agreed to stop attacking Israel. Trump voiced optimism regarding talks with Iran during his interview with The Post, saying that they were “rapidly evolving”. He also insisted that Iran was not going to have a nuclear weapon and “lots of other good things are going to happen”. Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly said he is close to a deal to end the fighting and allow negotiators to tackle thorny issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Trump has said his top priority is to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies it is developing a nuclear bomb and says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. Trump also said during the interview that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “involved, absolutely” on decisions to end the war. “I’d like to meet him,” he said, adding that the two would “probably meet at some point, depending on how it all works out”. Moreover, he said that gas prices in the United States would come down when the Iran conflict ends and that inflation at the moment is not “very much”. “We don’t have very much inflation. Look, if you take away just the price of gasoline, the energy, we have very little inflation,” Trump said.

Unfinished endeavours

PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s mercurial personality has been under intense scrutiny in his own country and beyond. Many of his personality traits and governing style have been widely commented upon and discussed. What is perhaps under-recognised but more consequential, especially for his foreign policy, is how he takes initiatives or starts an endeavour but never finishes them. He embarks on a course of action but doesn’t see it through to bring it to closure. Whether this is because of his short attention span, lack of staying power or consistency, the result is half-done ventures. Among the reasons for this is that he sets unrealistic objectives and when he finds they are unattainable he moves on. Trump changes course when he cannot get his own way. Rather than try to fix the issue at hand, he prefers to kick the can down the road. He switches attention almost randomly from one policy area to another, leaving issues unresolved. The most striking illustration of Trump’s unfinished ventures is his Gaza peace plan announced with such fanfare seven months ago. Instead of following through with his own 20-point plan, he decided to attack Iran along with Israel. This shift in focus left the Gaza plan at best in limbo but also in disarray. Yes, there is a ceasefire. But it is constantly violated by Israeli attacks, which have claimed the lives of over 700 Palestinians since it came into force in October 2025. Israel occupies over half of Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now ordered his military to seize 70 per cent of the Strip. The withdrawal of Israeli forces, envisaged by Trump’s plan, never got underway. In fact, what was set out as a multiphase plan didn’t go beyond the first phase. The much-touted international stabilisation force has neither been assembled nor deployed. President Trump embarks on a course of action but often doesn’t bring it to closure. Little if anything is heard about the so-called Board of Peace established in January 2026, which Trump described as the most consequential organisation the world had seen. It was given responsibility for the reconstruction of Gaza but that hasn’t even started. Instead, reports indicate the organisation is mired in legal and political problems and the official fund for the Board has no cash. The building of a ‘New Gaza’ supposed to transform the territory into the “riviera of the Middle East” is nowhere on the horizon. The residents of Gaza continue to struggle in dire humanitarian conditions amid massive devastation. This is the shambolic state of Trump’s Gaza peace plan either because he has lost interest or simply shifted priorities to the war on Iran. Another example of Trump’s unfinished diplomatic interventions is his administration’s efforts to end the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, though eclipsed by the Middle East crisis. This is the war Trump promised to end in “24 hours” and which he proclaimed would never have started on his watch. He first tried to get Ukraine to accept a plan favourable to Russia saying Ukraine had “no cards” to play. When Kyiv resisted, a 20-point peace plan was agreed between the US and Ukraine in December 2025 aimed at ending the war. But over the past year, Trump routinely insulted the Ukrainian leadership, paused military aid to Ukraine and kept changing his position even while striking a minerals deal with Kyiv. He threatened to impose sanctions on Russia but never made good on this. His administration pursued on and off negotiations with Russia and sought to broker talks between Kyiv and Moscow in trilateral meetings. Hopes that Trump’s summit meeting in August 2025 with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska would yield a deal or even a ceasefire came to naught. Trump himself raised expectations that he would secure a commitment from Putin for a truce. When he failed, he claimed the best way to end the conflict was to “go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often do not hold up”. Subsequent peace talks made little progress much less produce a breakthrough. Talks stalled in February with Ukrainian officials believing the Trump administration was reluctant to mount pressure on Putin. Before leaving for China, Trump still claimed a settlement between Ukraine and Russia was getting “very close”. But Russian officials countered there was no clear plan to end the war. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged last month that the peace process on Ukraine had stagnated and said Washington was not interested in “endless meetings that lead to nothing”. As the war in Ukraine grinds on, there is slim possibility of reviving peace talks even after the Iran war ends. Both warring sides seem to have lost faith in the process with President Volodymyr Zelensky said to have given up on the US president. This means another diplomatic effort by Trump, which he claimed would be quick and easy to conclude, has not been brought to a close. While the world waits to see when Trump will close on the Iran war the question is whether he is able to do so in a way consistent with his stated objectives. The no-war, no-peace state of play and diplomatic impasse can continue for weeks if not months. For Trump, the political and economic costs are very high of leaving the Middle East crisis to fester and move on without any resolution. This time it would be hard for him to leave without a deal even though he seems unwilling to accept that it cannot just be on his terms. Also, closure means a lasting deal that ensures there is no return to war, not just an extension of a short-term ceasefire. The consequences of Trump’s unfinished diplomatic ventures and interventions are obviously detrimental to America’s global standing. They sow doubts about US reliability among Washington’s allies and encourage rivals and adversaries to hold their ground and wait it out rather than show any accommodation. Moreover, when the US does not complete what it starts and moves on leaving behind unfinished business, it loses credibility. That inevitably weakens its position in the world. The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN. Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2026

Punjab lawyers unhappy with lacunae in biometric system

• Legal fraternity says ‘facilitative measure’ has turned into ‘gatekeeping mechanism’ • Notes technical glitches make access to justice needlessly complicated LAHORE: The enforcement of mandatory biometric verification for litigants filing cases has triggered widespread concern across Punjab’s legal community, with lawyers describing the requirement as an unreasonable obstacle to access to justice. Notified in January and in force since March of this year, the move was envisioned as a facilitative, technical measure. According to a statement attributed to LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, the system would “help curb fake litigation, prevent impersonation and eliminate the use of bogus witnesses and sureties”. It was described as a significant step towards modernising the judiciary and safeguarding the integrity of judicial proceedings, which would enhance the credibility of the judiciary and provide a secure and efficient mechanism for conducting proceedings. But after a few months of seeing it in action, lawyers argue that the measure has effectively become a gatekeeping mechanism, disproportionately affecting poor and vulnerable litigants’ ability to access justice. Some see the initiative as evolving into a revenue-generation exercise rather than meaningful judicial reform, as the process has imposed an additional financial burden through a “pay-to-access” model, where the officially prescribed fee of Rs200 often rises to Rs300 in practice. According to members of the legal fraternity Dawn spoke to, serious infrastructure deficiencies and recurring technical glitches are disrupting the timely filing of urgent matters. The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) has already issued an ultimatum to the Lahore High Court (LHC), urging it to rationalise the biometric verification requirement. Representatives of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the LBA complain that the LHC introduced the new regime without consulting them. They told Dawn that the decision was made after consultations only with the Pakistan Bar Council and the Punjab Bar Council, the country’s and province’s regulatory bar bodies, respectively. LHCBA President Babar Murtaza said the biometric system had already been implemented when his cabinet assumed office in March this year. However, he said the bar leadership later met the LHC administration committee and conveyed the legal fraternity’s concerns regarding the system. According to him, the bar was informed that the system had been introduced pursuant to a decision of the National Judicial (Policy-making) Committee (NJPMC). Mr Murtaza maintained that justice should be swift and inexpensive. He pointed out that the validity period of biometric verification was initially restricted to 24 hours but was later extended to 72 hours following the bar’s intervention. He demanded that the validity period be extended to at least one week. He said the bar supported biometric verification for filing main petitions but opposed its requirement for subsequent civil miscellaneous applications. Criminal cases, witness verification Both Mr Murtaza and LBA President Irfan Hayat Bajwa termed biometric verification “unnecessary” in criminal matters, including pre-arrest and post-arrest bail petitions. They argued that once biometric verification was conducted in pre-arrest bail cases, a suspect could already be easily traced by law enforcement agencies, rendering the purpose of seeking protective bail redundant. In post-arrest bail cases, they added, the accused was already in judicial custody and should not be subjected to additional verification requirements. The lawyers also criticised the requirement for witnesses to undergo biometric verification before recording statements. They questioned who would refund the fee if testimony could not be recorded on the scheduled date because of adjournments or other reasons. A litigant told Dawn that he failed to file a stay application in time because of a technical fault in Nadra’s biometric system. He said access to justice had become unnecessarily complicated due to avoidable technicalities. Revenue at litigants’ cost The fee collected through the biometric verification process also includes a share for the relevant tehsil or district bar association. However, Mr Bajwa said lawyers did not want revenue at the expense of poor litigants. “We are against any such revenue-generation model,” he said. He added that the LBA was still awaiting a response from the LHC regarding recommendations submitted nearly two weeks ago. Former High Court Bar Association-Multan president Syed Riazul Hassan Gilani has also lodged a formal complaint with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi against the biometric system implemented in Punjab. He alleged that of the mandatory Rs200 fee, Rs20 earmarked as “financial assistance” for employees of the high court and district judiciary amounted to “legalised extortion”. Mr Gilani argued that compelling litigants to pay judicial staff in addition to their government salaries risked normalising monetary demands under the guise of welfare. He pointed out that the Islamabad High Court charges only Rs30 for biometric verification and e-affidavits through Nadra, without imposing any additional welfare levy. The senior lawyer also questioned the jurisdiction of the NJPMC and provincial chief justices to impose mandatory fees or levies on litigants. He maintained that making access to justice contingent upon a “pay-to-access” model violated fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution and disproportionately burdened vulnerable, illiterate and marginalised segments of society. Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2026

Dawn (Pakistan)

진보 성향

정치

‘Why don’t you take questions, Mr Modi?’

INDIAN PM Narendra Modi’s penchant for not taking questions during interactions with the press did not go down well with journalists in Norway, who wanted to quiz the visiting dignitary. Mr Modi is on a six-day, five-nation tour, and landed in Oslo on Monday to attend the third India-Nordic Summit. According to The Hindustan Times, the episode unfolded at a joint press statement by PM Modi and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre. As the two leaders were leaving the venue after their briefing, which did not include a Q&A, a voice rang out across the room: “Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” The voice belonged to Helle Lyng, a journalist with the local newspaper Dagsavisen, who was part of the media contingent covering the visit. “Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question, I was not expecting him to,” she subsequently posted on X. She later also attended the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing on PM Modi’s Norway visit later, where she pressed MEA officials on the prime minister not taking questions. “Why should we trust you,” she asked, adding, “Can you promise you will stop the human rights violation that goes on in your country?” While the journalist sought a “straight answer”, MEA’s Sibi George said: “If anyone whose rights are violated, they have the right to go to court. We are proud to be a democracy”. Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026

1 / 1 (총 11건)

Dawn (Pakistan)

진보 성향

정치

부정적