Pakistan TV

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has cautioned that disinformation campaigns on social media pose grave threats to both society and national security. In an exclusive conversation with Pakistan TV on the sidelines of a strategic dialogue on social media literacy held in Islamabad, Tarar underscored the need for a comprehensive response rooted in strong legal mechanisms and enhanced public awareness. The strategic dialogue was organized by the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad in collaboration with the Department of Digital Media, University of the Punjab. <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px; line-height: 2;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQIKj4gDOZF/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F1643#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A899620%2C%22ls%22%3A360.5%2C%22le%22%3A360.5%7D" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="881" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div>The minister said: &ldquo;The main threats that we face due to misinformation and disinformation and the lack of awareness about digital media, include threats to national security, the spread of religious radicalism, and risks to women and children.&rdquo; He also warned against the growing spread of religious radicalism and extremism through digital platforms, noting that vulnerable groups &mdash; particularly women and children &mdash; remain at heightened risk of online exploitation and manipulation. Tarar commended the government&rsquo;s ongoing initiatives to counter misinformation through awareness and training programmes, but acknowledged that more coordinated action is required. &ldquo;We are dealing with these challenges; more needs to be done. We need more collaboration with international partners, regional partners, and various institutions,&rdquo; he remarked.&nbsp; Also speaking to Pakistan TV, on the sidelines of the same forum, Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Tarik Ali Khan reaffirmed Canada&rsquo;s commitment to supporting Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts in promoting digital literacy and strengthening its resilience against disinformation.&nbsp; He emphasised that fostering informed digital engagement is essential to protecting democratic discourse in the online sphere. &ldquo;We are really excited to support the strategic dialogue on building media literacy and digital resilience here in Pakistan. We are working with partners like the University of Punjab, UNESCO, and the National Press Club &mdash; it&rsquo;s all about helping to prepare current journalists and the next generation on how to protect and promote safer and more democratic speech in the online space,&rdquo; Khan noted. Talking to Pakistan TV, Dr Savera Mujib Shami, Chairperson of the Department of Digital Media, School of Communication Studies, at the University of the Punjab, said in the age of the post-truth era, misinformation and disinformation have emerged as major challenges. She said people need to be made aware of media literacy, stressing the need to make every citizen, whether a child or adult, media literate.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/1cca4462-36fb-4e98-83ef-80438e0f729a-ataullah_group_251023x.png" alt="A group photo of participants of the strategic dialogue on media literacy with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, taken on October 22, 2025,&nbsp;in&nbsp;Islamabad." class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A group photo of participants of the strategic dialogue on media literacy with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, taken on October 22, 2025,&nbsp;in&nbsp;Islamabad.</figcaption></figure>

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar [center] addresses a strategic dialogue on media literacy & building digital resilience in Islamabad on October 22, 2025.

SAT News Desk

Calls for stronger legal frameworks, digital literacy, and global collaboration to curb the threats 

Information minister flags rising dangers of disinformation, misinformation on social media

RAWALPINDI: South Africa beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Thursday to draw the series 1-1 with Simon Harmer taking a maiden five-wicket haul.&nbsp;The 36-year-old off-spinner finished with 6-50, taking his 1,000th first-class wicket in the process, on a deteriorating Rawalpindi stadium pitch.&nbsp;South Africa eased to the 68-run target for the loss of captain Aiden Markram (42) and Tristan Stubbs (nought), both to spinner Noman Ali, who finished with 2-40.&nbsp;Ryan Rickelton, who scored 25 not out, hit Sajid Khan for a six to seal an emphatic win minutes before the lunch break for the World Test Championship holders.&nbsp;Markram was delighted by his side&#39;s display after losing the first Test by 93 runs.&nbsp;&quot;It was a great response after Lahore,&quot; said Markram, standing in for regular skipper Temba Bavuma, who missed the tour with a calf injury.&nbsp;Like Lahore, where spinners took 34 of the 40 wickets to fall, it was a battle of the slow bowlers.&nbsp;Pakistan made 333 in their first innings before the South African tail wagged to help them pile up 404 for a crucial 71-run lead.&nbsp;Thursday&#39;s morning session saw Pakistan&#39;s batters fold, adding just 44 runs after resuming the fourth day on 94-4.&nbsp;Harmer torpedoed Pakistan&#39;s hopes of saving the Test when he trapped Babar Azam leg-before with the fifth ball of the day after the batsman had reached his 30th Test half-century.&nbsp;Markram said the performance of the South African spinners, especially Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, gave them a big boost with two Tests in India next month.&nbsp;&quot;In South Africa you&#39;d think just seamers and some spinners, but we are a work in progress heading to India,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Pakistan captain Shan Masood said some of his side&#39;s batting was &quot;not up to the mark&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;You have to give credit to South Africa,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;They have kept fighting and our lower-order batting, finishing innings off, third-innings collapses are not up to the mark.&quot;

Cricket

South Africa defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in Rawalpindi to level the Test series 1-1, with Simon Harmer taking 6-50 and his 1,000th first-class wicket as Pakistan’s batting collapsed despite Babar Azam’s fifty.


Harmer stars as South Africa beat Pakistan to draw series

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: An Indian lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Medha Kulkarni, has come under criticism after leading a controversial &quot;purification&quot; ritual at a historic site in the western city of Pune, following a video showing Muslim women offering prayers at the location.&nbsp;Kulkarni, a BJP Member of Parliament, led a group that poured a mixture of cow dung and urine at the Shaniwarwada fort, describing it as an act to &ldquo;cleanse&rdquo; the site. The move came after a short video circulated online showing a few Muslim women offering namaz, Islamic prayers, in a quiet corner of the fort.&nbsp;Speaking to local media, Kulkarni defended her actions, saying:&nbsp;&ldquo;If offering namaz is not a crime, then neither is prarthana [Hindu prayer]. We only performed prayers and purification to maintain the sanctity of this place.&rdquo;&nbsp;However, the act has been widely criticized by opposition parties, minority rights groups, and heritage activists for promoting intolerance and politicizing a public monument. Opposition figures in Maharashtra accused Kulkarni of &ldquo;disturbing communal harmony&rdquo; and &ldquo;misusing religion for political visibility.&rdquo;&nbsp;A senior opposition leader from western state of Maharashtra said in a televised statement:&nbsp;&ldquo;No religion teaches hatred. This fort belongs to every Indian, not to one community. Such acts of provocation serve no purpose other than deepening divisions.&rdquo;&nbsp;Local civic groups have also pointed out that Shaniwarwada is a protected heritage monument, not a temple, and is open to visitors of all faiths. The fort, built in 1732, was once the seat of the Maratha Empire&rsquo;s Peshwas and is an important cultural landmark in western India. Notably, the Maratha leader Baji Rao I lived there with his wife Mastani, who was of mixed Hindu and Muslim heritage, a historical symbol of plural coexistence.&nbsp;Growing concerns over religious polarizationThe incident comes amid growing concern over rising religious polarization in India. Analysts and rights observers say that Hindu nationalist politics under the BJP has intensified communal rhetoric, often targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims.&nbsp;Since the BJP came to power in 2014, human rights monitors have documented multiple incidents of violence linked to accusations of cow slaughter or interfaith relations. Several of these have resulted in mob lynchings and social boycotts of minority communities.&nbsp;Social activists warn that events such as the &ldquo;purification&rdquo; ritual at Shaniwarwada risk normalizing exclusionary ideas under the guise of cultural pride.&nbsp;&ldquo;Such symbolic acts, though seemingly minor, reinforce a message of division,&rdquo; said a Pune-based social worker. &ldquo;India&rsquo;s strength lies in its shared spaces and inclusive heritage, not in rituals of separation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Historical significance of ShaniwarwadaThe Shaniwarwada fort, an architectural symbol of the Maratha legacy, holds deep historical and cultural value. Despite its association with Hindu Maratha rulers, the fort also embodies India&rsquo;s composite heritage, reflecting centuries of cultural intermingling.&nbsp;The incident has sparked debate within India over whether religious practices of any kind should be performed at protected monuments. Heritage experts have called for stricter enforcement of archaeological site regulations to prevent political or religious appropriation of historical spaces.&nbsp;Broader implicationsObservers in South Asia note that such developments highlight a worrying pattern of identity-based politics encroaching on cultural heritage and public life.&nbsp;For Pakistan and the wider region, the episode underscores the importance of safeguarding pluralism, tolerance, and respect for all faiths, principles that have historically underpinned South Asia&rsquo;s shared civilization.

India

Indian MP Medha Kulkarni faces backlash after leading a 'purification' ritual at Shaniwarwada fort following a viral video of Muslim women praying there.

Indian lawmaker sparks outrage with ‘purification’ ritual at fort

ISLAMABAD: The growing trend of &quot;scream clubs,&quot; which have recently gained popularity in London, offers an outlet for emotional release, but experts warn that while these events provide temporary relief, they may not address the deeper, underlying issues contributing to stress and emotional struggles.&nbsp;So-called scream therapy is a technique that is rapidly growing in popularity on TikTok and has made its way to Britain from the United States, according to AFP. Collective shout&nbsp;According to a YouGov survey published last month, two-thirds of young adults -- aged 16-25 -- in Britain are experiencing or have experienced mental health problems, particularly related to their studies or financial issues. Before the collective shout, participants discuss their loneliness or struggle to find their place in society. In the West, scream clubs are helping young people release emotional tension, but in Pakistan, where strong family bonds and cultural support systems already provide a space for emotional expression, such trends may face limited appeal.&nbsp;&lsquo;Instant relief&rsquo;Arsala Anjum, an Islamabad-based clinical psychologist, while speaking to Pakistan TV Digital on Thursday, said, &ldquo;The idea of scream club phenomenon helps vent suppressed emotions, but it does not have long-lasting effects.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It provides an instant relief, thus preventing people from working on a deeper level, managing their hidden fears and insecurities,&rdquo; she warns. &nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I think scream clubs may not gain similar attention in Pakistan as our culture is already enriched with strong family and social ties, allowing people to express their emotions in a safe place,&rdquo; the clinical psychologist said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Entertainment

In the West, scream clubs are helping young people release emotional tension; so-called scream therapy is a technique that is rapidly growing in popularity on TikTok and has made its way to Britain from the US. 

Scream therapy: Trending in the West, will it catch on in Pakistan?

ISLAMABAD: An Indian opposition leader has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on US President Donald Trump&#39;s repeated claims of orchestrating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, accusing him of failing to challenge Trump&#39;s &ldquo;interference in India&#39;s internal matters.&rdquo; Supriya Shrinate, an Indian politician from the opposition Congress party, in a video post on X, took the Indian prime minister to task for what she called his inability to challenge the US president and not mentioning any of his telephone conversation with Trump in a recent post on X. The Indian prime minister in his post earlier on Wednesday on X stated: &ldquo;Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings. On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1980826742379184347&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=e6b18b33aa53675afc390f166411878d938ff67d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 392px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Shrinate, in her post on Wednesday, said that the Indian prime minister hurls abuse at the opposition, and asked, &ldquo;Why does your [Modi&rsquo;s] light go out in front of Trump?&rdquo; She said President Trump is exposing PM Modi with every passing day. The politician said every Indian&#39;s blood boils when Donald Trump speaks on &quot;our matters.&quot; &quot;I got the ceasefire done,&quot; Trump has said this &quot;the 56th time,&quot; Shrinate said, adding, &ldquo;at least now say something Modi sarkar [government]&rdquo;. &quot;&#39;You are lying Donald Trump.&rsquo; Just this much, just this once, show us by saying it,&rdquo; she dared the Indian prime minister at the end of the video.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1981018977829614027&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=e6b18b33aa53675afc390f166411878d938ff67d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 903px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

Asia

Politician says every Indian's blood boils when Donald Trump speaks on 'our matters;' 'I got the ceasefire done,' Trump has said this the 56th time, she says, adding, “At least now say something Modi sarkar [government].'

Indian opposition politician challenges Modi’s silence on Trump's remarks about ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan spinner Asif Afridi has created a new world record, becoming the oldest player in history to claim a five-wicket haul on debut.&nbsp;The 38-year-old left-arm spinner returned figures of 6-79 against South Africa in Rawalpindi, surpassing a record that had stood for more than 90 years. The previous mark was held by England&rsquo;s Charles Marriott, who took five wickets on debut at the age of 37 in 1933.&nbsp;Afridi also became the sixth Pakistani spinner to achieve the feat, joining Mohammad Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Bilal Asif, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed.&nbsp;The late-blooming spinner&rsquo;s journey has been anything but ordinary. Afridi made his first-class debut back in 2009 but spent years outside the national setup. In 2023, he was handed a two-year ban for breaching the PCB&rsquo;s anti-corruption code, serving one year before his suspension was lifted.&nbsp;Returning to the field, Afridi&rsquo;s accuracy and deceptive sliders rattled South Africa&rsquo;s middle order. He struck early on Day 3, dismissing Kyle Verreynne for 10, before trapping Tristan Stubbs&#39; leg-before for 76 with a straight delivery that skidded on. He completed his five-wicket haul when Simon Harmer was hit on the back leg while attempting a sweep.&nbsp;South Africa, who resumed the day on 230-6, went on to score 404 runs, thanks to an 89-run innings from Senuran Muthusamy and a quickfire 71 from No. 11 Kagiso Rabada.&nbsp;Pakistan leads the two-match Test series 1-0 after winning the opener in Lahore last week.

Afridi also becomes the sixth Pakistani spinner to achieve the feat, joining Mohammad Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Bilal Asif, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed.

Asif Afridi makes history as oldest Test debutant with five-wicket haul

NAGPUR: Brandishing bamboo sticks and chanting patriotic hymns, thousands of uniformed men paraded in central India, a striking show of strength by the country&#39;s million-strong Hindu ultranationalist group. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- the National Volunteer Organisation, or RSS -- marked its 100th anniversary this month with a grand ceremony at its headquarters in Nagpur. AFP was one of a handful of foreign media outlets granted rare access to the group, which forms the ideological and organizational backbone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in power since 2014. Undermining constitution &nbsp;Critics accuse&nbsp;the 75-year-old prime minister and the RSS of eroding the rights of India&#39;s Muslim minority and undermining the secular constitution.At the parade, RSS volunteers in white shirts, brown trousers, and black hats marched, boxed, and stretched in time to shrill whistles and barked orders. &quot;Forever I bow to thee, loving Motherland! Motherland of us Hindus!&quot; they sang, in a scene that evoked paramilitary drills of the past. &quot;May my life ... be laid down in thy cause!&quot; Hindus make up around 80% of India&#39;s 1.4 billion people. Founded in 1925, the RSS calls itself &quot;the world&#39;s largest organization,&quot; though it does not give membership figures. &lsquo;Hindutva&rsquo;At the heart of its vision is &quot;Hindutva&quot; -- the belief that Hindus represent not only a religious group but are India&#39;s true national identity.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/f8aaa21f-d7f1-4eda-8d69-1798ac80febc.png" style="width: 1000px; height: 563px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption id="isPasted">NAGPUR: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attends the centenary celebrations of the Hindu nationalist organization at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur on October 2, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File</figcaption> &quot;They are willing to fight against those who will come in their way ... that means minorities, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and other Hindus who do not subscribe to the idea,&quot; historian Mridula Mukherjee said. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat uses softer language, claiming that minorities were accepted but that they &quot;should not cause division.&quot; &lsquo;Fascist by nature&rsquo;The RSS was formed during the imperial rule of the British. But it diverged sharply from that of independence efforts by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party, whose leader Jawaharlal Nehru considered them &quot;fascist by nature.&quot; Mukherjee said archives showed &quot;a link between the RSS and fascist movements in Europe.&quot; Idealizing Nazis&nbsp;&quot;They have said, very clearly, that the way the Nazis were treating the Jews should be the way our own minorities should be treated,&quot; she told AFP. The RSS does not comment directly on such parallels, but Bhagwat claimed that &quot;today we are more acceptable.&quot; The RSS was an armed Hindu militia during the 1947 partition of India and the creation of Muslim-majority Pakistan. Gandhi&rsquo;s assassination&nbsp;Hindu extremists blamed Gandhi for &ldquo;breaking India apart.&rdquo; A former RSS member assassinated him in 1948, and the group was banned for nearly two years. But the RSS rebuilt quietly, focusing on local units known as &quot;shakhas&quot; to recruit. Today, it claims 83,000 of them nationwide, as well as over 50,000 schools and 120,000 social welfare projects. Saffron flag not India&rsquo;s tricolor&nbsp;At a shakha in Nagpur, Alhad Sadachar, 49, said the unit was &quot;meant to develop togetherness.&quot;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f95229d8-8f64-44db-9209-ffe076b97192-RSS Safron flag.jpg" alt="RSS Safron flag.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">NAGPUR: RSS volunteers salute the organisation&#39;s flag before morning drills during a shakha, or training session, of the Hindu nationalist organisation at a park in Nagpur on October 3, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File</figcaption></figure>&quot;You can get a lot of good energy, a lot of good values, like helping those in need,&quot; he said. At a shaka that AFP was allowed to attend, dozens of members &ndash;- many middle-aged, elderly, and not in uniform &ndash;- gathered for an hour of calisthenics and song. But in a show of symbolism, they congregated beneath a saffron flag -- the color of Hinduism -- rather than India&#39;s tricolor. Demolition of Mughal-era Babri mosque &nbsp;The RSS remains deeply political. The group re-emerged in the late 1980s, spearheading a movement that ended with a violent mob demolishing the centuries-old Mughal-era Babri Mosque in Ayodhya -&ndash; now replaced by a gleaming temple to the Hindu god Rama. Role in BJP&rsquo;s victory&quot;That was the turning point,&quot; said Mukherjee, the historian, adding that the RSS was &quot;able to create a mass mobilization on religious issues, that became at its heart clearly anti-Muslim.&quot; The group helped deliver Modi&#39;s BJP party an electoral landslide in 2014. Since then, Modi -&ndash; a former RSS &quot;pracharak&quot;, or organizer -- &nbsp;has pursued policies that critics say marginalize India&#39;s estimated 220 million Muslims, 15% of the population. Lynching and hate speech&nbsp;&quot;There has been a clear increase in terms of violence, lynching, and hate speech since Modi has taken over,&quot; said Raqib Hameed Naik, director of the US-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate. RSS leaders deny that it has participated in atrocities. &quot;Those allegations are baseless,&quot; Bhagwat&nbsp;claimed. &quot;Atrocities were never done by the RSS. And if it happens anyway, I condemn that.&quot; RSS under Modi&nbsp;Under Modi, it has expanded its reach. &quot;The RSS has been able to stir Indian society in a direction that is more nationalistic, less liberal in a Western sense,&quot; said Swapan Dasgupta, a former nationalist parliamentarian.

India's RSS is a legion of Hindu ultranationalists; it has idealized Nazis, and it re-emerged in the 1980s. It helped deliver PM Modi's BJP an electoral landslide in 2014. Under him, it has expanded its reach. 

India under Modi and RSS: eroding minority rights, undermining secularism  

THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice said on Wednesday that Israel was obliged to ease the passage of aid into Gaza, stressing it had to provide Palestinians with the &quot;basic needs&quot; to survive.&nbsp;The wide-ranging ICJ ruling, quickly rejected by Israel, came as aid groups scrambled to scale up much-needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza, seizing upon a fragile ceasefire agreed earlier this month.&nbsp;While the UN&#39;s top court&#39;s &quot;Advisory Opinion&quot; is not legally binding, the ICJ believes it carries &quot;great legal weight and moral authority.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;This is a very important decision. And I hope that Israel will abide by it,&quot; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.&nbsp;ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa said Israel was &quot;under an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United Nations and its entities.&quot;&nbsp;That included UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has banned after accusing some of its staff of taking part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.&nbsp;The ICJ ruled that Israel had not substantiated the allegations.&nbsp;Israel did not take part in the proceedings and hit back at the findings.&nbsp;&quot;Israel categorically rejects the ICJ&#39;s &#39;advisory opinion,&#39; which was entirely predictable from the outset regarding UNRWA,&quot; foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein posted on X.&nbsp;&quot;This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of &#39;International Law.&#39;&quot;&nbsp;Iwasawa said the ICJ &quot;rejects the argument that the request abuses and weaponises the international judicial process.&quot;&nbsp;Another Israeli official added that Israel &quot;cooperates with international organizations, with other UN agencies regarding Gaza. But Israel will not cooperate with UNRWA.&quot;&nbsp;Within hours of the ruling, Norway said it would propose a UN General Assembly resolution demanding that Israel lift restrictions on Gaza aid.&nbsp;And the Palestinian delegate to the ICJ, Ammar Hijazi, urged nations to ensure Israel complies with the court to let aid into Gaza.&nbsp;&quot;The responsibility is on the international community to uphold these values and oblige Israel, bring Israel into compliance,&quot; he told reporters.&nbsp;Before the ruling, Abeer Etefa, Middle East spokesperson for the UN&#39;s World Food Program (WFP), said 530 WFP trucks had crossed into Gaza since the ceasefire started on October 10.&nbsp;The trucks had delivered more than 6,700 tons of food, which she said was &quot;enough for close to half a million people for two weeks.&quot;&nbsp;Etefa said around 750 tons a day were now coming through, well below the WFP&#39;s target of around 2,000 tons daily.&nbsp;The ICJ said that Israel, as an occupying power, was under an obligation &quot;to ensure the basic needs of the local population, including the supplies essential for their survival.&quot;&nbsp;At the same time, Israel was &quot;also under a negative obligation not to impede the provision of these supplies,&quot; the court said.&nbsp;The court also recalled the obligation under international law not to use starvation as a method of warfare.&nbsp;&#39;Serious concerns&#39;The UN had asked the ICJ to clarify Israel&#39;s obligations, as an occupying power, towards UN and other bodies &quot;including to ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival&quot; of Palestinians.&nbsp;ICJ judges heard a week of evidence in April from dozens of nations and organizations, much of which revolved around the status of UNRWA.&nbsp;At the hearings, a US official raised &quot;serious concerns&quot; about UNRWA&#39;s impartiality, and alleged that Hamas used the agency&#39;s facilities.&nbsp;The US official, Josh Simmons, said Israel had &quot;no obligation to permit UNRWA specifically to provide humanitarian assistance.&rdquo;&nbsp;Simmons added that UNRWA was not the only option for delivering aid into Gaza.&nbsp;However, the ICJ noted that UNRWA &quot;cannot be replaced on short notice without a proper transition plan.&quot;&nbsp;Hijazi told the April hearings that Israel was blocking aid as a &quot;weapon of war,&quot; sparking starvation in Gaza.&nbsp;The case was separate from the others Israel faces under international law over its Gaza campaign.&nbsp;In July 2024, the ICJ issued another advisory opinion stating that Israel&#39;s occupation of the Palestinian territories was &quot;unlawful&quot; and must end as soon as possible.&nbsp;ICJ judges are also weighing accusations, brought by South Africa, that Israel has broken the 1948 UN Genocide Convention with its actions in Gaza.&nbsp;Another court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court, has issued arrest warrants for Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.&nbsp;It also issued a warrant for Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who Israel says was killed in an airstrike.

Middle East

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres terms it 'very important decision,' hopes Israel 'will abide by it;' ICJ president says Israel 'under an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United Nations and its entities.'

UN court says Israel must ease aid into Gaza, provide 'basic needs'

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan and Poland have&nbsp;agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, energy, defense, and education sectors, in delegation-level talks held between the representatives of the two countries on Thursday. Pakistan&#39;s Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Poland Radosław Sikorski at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said a statement released by Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. &nbsp; The two leaders held a t&ecirc;te-&agrave;-t&ecirc;te meeting and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest. Deputy Prime Minister Dar held delegation-level talks with his Polish counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.&nbsp; Both sides appreciated the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, energy, defense, and education. &ldquo;The talks will be followed by a joint press stakeout,&rdquo; a Foreign Office of Pakistan&#39;s statement issued earlier said. Significant milestone&nbsp;The Foreign Office had said that the visit marks a significant milestone in Pakistan-Poland relations as the country &ldquo;remains committed to enhancing cooperation with Poland for the mutual benefit of both countries.&rdquo; The Pakistani government has taken a slew of measures to improve its bilateral relationship with multiple countries in an effort to diversify its portfolio of investments. According to the foreign office, Pakistan and Poland established diplomatic relations on December 17, 1962, and Pakistan opened its embassy in Warsaw in 1969. The two sides have maintained Bilateral Political Consultations, the 9th round of which was held in Warsaw on July 4, 2025. In April 2018, the then-federal minister for defense, Khurram Dastgir Khan, visited Warsaw at the invitation of the Polish government, where the two sides signed a Bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office says FM Dar will hold a 'one-on-one meeting as well as delegation-level talks with his Polish counterpart,' the two sides expected to 'discuss the full spectrum of bilateral relations.'

Pakistan, Poland agree to enhance cooperation in trade, energy sectors

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday warned Israel against annexing the West Bank, saying steps taken by parliament and settler violence threatened a Gaza peace deal, according to the AFP. Commenting on the move before his visit to Israel, Rubio said, &quot;I think the president&#39;s made clear that&#39;s not something we can be supportive of right now.&quot;&nbsp; Annexation moves are &quot;threatening for the peace deal,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They&#39;re a democracy, they&#39;re going to have their votes, and people are going to take these positions,&quot; he said. &quot;But at this time, it&#39;s something that we ... think might be counterproductive,&quot; he said. Asked about increased violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, Rubio said: &quot;We&#39;re concerned about anything that threatens to destabilize what we&#39;ve worked on.&quot; But Rubio -- the latest high-ranking US visitor to Israel following Vice President JD Vance -- voiced optimism overall for preserving the peace deal. &quot;Every day there&#39;ll be threats to it, but I actually think we&#39;re ahead of schedule in terms of bringing it together, and the fact that we made it through this weekend is a good sign,&quot; Rubio said. Knesset advance bills on annexing West BankIsraeli lawmakers voted Wednesday to advance two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, barely a week after President Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending a two-year Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that was retaliation for a Hamas attack. The vote coincided with US Vice President JD Vance&rsquo;s visit to Israel, who is visiting the Middle East to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire.&nbsp; According to AFP, the first text, passed by 32 members of Parliament to nine, proposed annexing Maale Adumim, a large Israeli settlement east of Jerusalem.&nbsp; The second proposal to annex the entire West Bank was supported by 25 MPs while 24 voted against, AFP said. Pakistan condemns Israeli movePakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in a statement on Thursday said that it strongly condemns Israel&rsquo;s attempt to extend its so-called &#39;sovereignty&#39; over parts of the Occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, through a draft law introduced in the legislature of the occupying power. These actions, it said, constitute a flagrant violation of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Such provocative and unlawful measures undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, the statement added. MOFA said that Pakistan calls upon the international community to take urgent and decisive action to halt these illegal steps and to hold the Israeli occupying forces accountable for their continued violations of international law. Pakistan reiterates its commitment to working with regional and international partners to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, and to ensure peace, justice, and dignity for the Palestinians, said the statement. MOFA said that Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Qatar condemns Knesset proposals Meanwhile, Qatar on Wednesday condemned in &ldquo;strongest terms&rdquo; the Israeli Knesset&#39;s decision on advancing two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, terming it &ldquo;a blatant violation of the historical rights of the Palestinian people and a challenge to international law and relevant resolutions.&rdquo; The Qatar foreign ministry called on the international community &mdash; and the United Nations Security Council &mdash; &ldquo;to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities and to take urgent action to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to halt their expansionist plans and settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.&rdquo; The ministry reaffirmed Qatar&rsquo;s firm and longstanding position in support of the Palestinian cause, based on international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution, the statement said.&nbsp; Israel in the West Bank &nbsp;Israel originally captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the Six-Day War in 1967 from Jordan, and it has maintained military control, establishing a large and growing network of settlements across the West Bank. Approximately half a million Palestinians had to leave the territory due to the war.&nbsp; On November 22, 1967, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) called for a &ldquo;withdrawal of Israel&#39;s armed forces from territories occupied&rdquo; during the war. In June 1980, Israel passed the Jerusalem Law, which claimed East Jerusalem, stating, &ldquo;Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel.&rdquo; Then, according to the New York Times, in a televised address in 1988, Jordanian King Hussein &mdash; respecting the wishes of the Palestinian Liberation Organization &mdash; gave the territory to the Palestinian group. &nbsp; The Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 between then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Washington, divided the territory into Areas A, B, and C.&nbsp; According to Al Jazeera, Area A, representing 18% of the territory, is under Palestinian control, and Area C, which represents 60% of the area, is under Israeli occupation. Area B, representing 22% of the territory, is under joint control of both governments. Annexation would be &#39;most serious violation of international law&#39;However, in 2002, Israel started building walls in the West Bank to facilitate the movement of even more Jewish settlers inside the West Bank. More than 700,000 Jewish settlers &mdash; nearly 10% of Israel&rsquo;s population &mdash; now reside within the West Bank, according to Al Jazeera.&nbsp; The pace of the settlement has increased since Israel started its bombardment of Gaza after the October 7 attack by Hamas fighters. According to figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 6,000 people have been displaced from the West Bank since the start of 2024. Earlier in January, UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres said, &ldquo;Senior Israeli officials openly speak of formally annexing all or part of the West Bank in the coming months.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Any such annexation would constitute a most serious violation of international law,&rdquo; Guterres had said. The United Nations had said earlier that the Israeli government has shown a clear intent to establish permanent control over Gaza and to ensure a majority in the occupied West Bank.

Says 'not something we can be supportive of right now'; 'threatening for the peace deal'; 'might be counterproductive'. On increased violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank: "We're concerned about anything that threatens to destabilize what we've worked on."

Articles by Pakistan TV