Renowned poet, playwright, and novelist Alexander Pushkin holds a place in Russian literature similar to Geoffrey Chaucer in English literature and Walt Whitman in American literature. These three writers introduced modern themes and techniques into their respective literatures, bestowing their unique national identity on their works. Alexander Pushkin lived only 38 years, but in the following centuries, luminaries like Gogol, Lermontov, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov shone brightly under his influence.

Alexander Pushkin created a drama titled “Queen of Command.” It is a story of a greedy military officer in the Tsarist Russia, on a quest to uncover the secret of a wealthy old lady’s fortune. Rumor has it that the old widow had concealed her wealth within a deck of playing cards in a unique order. The military officer, holding a pistol, intrudes into the old lady’s house one night. He manages to extract the secret of the cards, but kills the lady in the process. The officer, wanting to enjoy the fortune, decides to play cards but is baffled by the shuffled order, ultimately losing everything.

This allegorical story can be applied to any era, demonstrating the consequences of greed and the helplessness of the common people. Our country’s history is still being played in shadows, where the common man is not destined to share the rewards.

The role of a journalist is to illuminate the difference between shadows and light, but some media outlets are continuing to operate underhand, while certain pens have been deprived of their radiance. As Shakespeare once said, “What’s in a name?” We would answer, “A lot.” The power of the spoken word, derived from the sweet lips of the Queen of Command, has sculpted the social consciousness with thoughtful words.

In the 1946 elections, Bengal was a united province, where the Muslim League secured a decisive majority. The leader of Bengal’s Muslim League, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, was not only deprived of becoming a member of the constituent assembly but also subjected to a citizenship investigation. Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan called him a traitor. The sin was not only in becoming a constituent Assembly member but also in his citizenship. Fazlul Haq, the one who presented Pakistan’s resolution, made a government in 1954 with a two-thirds majority, but he was labeled a traitor. His party was cursed by Bhutto for decades. In the freedom movement, Abdul Ghafoor Khan remained steadfast against foreign rulers for thirty years. We kept him under house arrest for seventeen years.

Ask the students of literature in our country if they know about Sheikh Ayaz, Gul Khan Nasir, Ghani Khan, Major Ishaq, the writings of Subho Gian Chandani, or Qalandar Khan Mumtaz. Do they know that Rais Mir Bakhsh was a prominent Sindhi fiction writer? Will they recognize the contribution of the former Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr. Malik as an important Balochi fiction writer?

In General Zia’s dark years, Bhutto’s name was banned from newspapers and publications. According to Etimad-ud-Din, the mention of monsoons and swarms of locusts was restricted. Radio broadcasts hinted at the arrival of rain, but farmers faced locust swarms.

This happened until Mr. Lateef’s song “Lahore Lahore Aye” became a hit. In those days, news channels and print media circulated the saying “Mister Ten Percent” to avoid naming the then Prime Minister. On November 22, 2012, four senior military leaders’ names came forward for the post of Army Chief. According to the procedure, one of them was appointed. The honorable title bestowed upon them was “Hafiz Sahab.” These are the people who declared Yahya Khan as the creator of the Islamic Constitution. These are the individuals who addressed General Zia-ul-Haq as the “Man of Faith and Truth.”

The difference between a journalist’s conscience and the Queen of Command’s bewitching words is remarkable

Unconvincing chants for the privatization of struggling state-owned Enterprises (SOEs) are echoing in Islamabad. With approximately 215 SOEs, of which 170 are commercial entities employing 475,000 individuals, the majority have struggled to achieve even a five percent return on their assets for three consecutive years.

Between FY2013-14 and 2018-19, the top 10 loss-making SOEs amassed losses exceeding Rs2.1 trillion, with the government injecting Rs2.5 trillion between 2018 and 2021, including a substantial subsidy of Rs1 trillion.

Privatization is considered an instrument for a more deregulated, market-based economy, but a significant portion of these SOEs may need to be liquidated rather than privatized in their current state.

An example is Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which is poised as the first candidate for privatization, having accumulated an astounding loss of Rs713 billion and losing $7.1 billion since 2012.

PIA owns only 19 operational aircraft (compared to Air Blue’s 12), with 15 of them leased, incurring a monthly cost of $5 million. Moreover, its asset value falls short of covering its liabilities.

To proceed with PIA’s privatization, the government acknowledges the need to segregate non-core functions and assets, address its debt liabilities of nearly Rs300 billion, mostly backed by government guarantees, and transfer them to another corporate entity. The core assets marked for sale include routes, landing rights, core engineering services, and air service agreements.

However, there is a need for greater clarity on what is being sold as assets, their expected versus actual market value, and the perceived liabilities for the buyer.

Highly valued assets include routes, landing rights at major international airports, and time slots owned by PIA. The potential value of PIA’s slots today remains uncertain.

Determining the value of PIA’s 19 aircraft and the feasibility of taking over leased aircraft with outstanding liabilities is a complex matter. The government may need to reach settlements with lessors rather than resort to costly arbitration.

Properties owned or rented by PIA may not all be retained by the buyer for operational efficiency, potentially leading to numerous property sales and office closures.

An important question arises regarding the future of flights to destinations not served by private airlines. Would the private sector take over these routes, or would a transitional subsidy be necessary?

The buyer would also scrutinize the workforce, focusing on the excess number of employees, their skill set, and pension liabilities. Expecting the government to shoulder pension liabilities for retired employees, the buyer’s decision to retain or lay off workers would significantly affect the offer price.

Foreign investors’ interest in the transaction may be influenced by Pakistan’s image in terms of security, politics, economics, and regulations compared to global alternatives. Negotiating taxes and other concessions would also be a consideration.

The divestment of PIA can align with the principles of privatization if carried out openly and transparently, with preparation to secure the best price and considering efficiency, market competitiveness, and the public interest.

The funds generated from this transaction should not be diverted to unproductive government activities or poorly designed mega-infrastructure projects. Instead, they should contribute to retiring debt and promoting fiscal reforms in accordance with the law.

At first glance, it may seem like a routine incident, with news of it appearing in newspapers and discussions happening on social media. However, it hasn’t quite caught the attention of the general public. The incident revolves around Sher Ali, an assistant professor at Peshawar University, whose family has strong connections with the Pashtun culture. Recently, during a seminar, he asserted that the burqa or veil is neither a part of Pashtun traditions nor mentioned in Islam. According to him, according to medical science, a girl reaches puberty when her mind is mature, which happens around the age of 12, while a boy reaches puberty at 14. This indicates that girls mature earlier mentally. According to reports, after the seminar, Sher Ali and his family faced severe hardships in their community. People severed social ties with them, and they started facing harassment.

When the situation became more intense, local clerics, along with the district administration, forced Sher Ali to apologize and sign a statement in which he renounced his theories. He also wrote that he considered all scientific and intellectual ideas that go against Divine Law, such as Darwin’s theory of evolution, as false. This marked the end of the news.

People often ask why our country lacks a conducive environment for scientific inquiry. What’s the reason we cannot make any breakthroughs in scientific research and our names are absent from any scientific achievements? In response to this question, the liberal class tends to blame religious narrow-mindedness, and they argue that scientific research is only possible in a free environment, something not available in our country. They claim that whenever there’s research in the field of science, questions about religious beliefs will inevitably arise in the results. For example, controversies arose over religious beliefs following the results of the theory of evolution or the discoveries of Galileo and Copernicus, who clashed with the Church because of their scientific findings. Today, the entire world celebrates Galileo, but at that time, he was threatened by the Church. The religious class refutes this argument, claiming that there are open universities in the country where science is taught, people earn Ph.D. degrees in science, conduct experiments in laboratories, and the government has established numerous organizations to promote science. Did the clergy ever make a fuss over these institutions, demanding that scientific experiments be halted or protesting against the dissection of female cadavers with the help of male doctors in medical colleges? It’s clear that this never happened, and there’s no reason for it. Therefore, blaming the religious class for not having an environment of scientific inquiry in the country is entirely baseless.

Both viewpoints have their merits, but it seems that there is a consensus between religious and liberal classes that, in any case, the country lacks an environment for scientific inquiry. So let’s first examine what kind of environment exists in the country. For this, you don’t need to travel extensively. Just try to understand what motivates the state and society, what freedom of expression is tolerated, what the country celebrates, what it mourns, what is taught in educational institutions, what young people aspire to become in life, and what the general attitude and preferences of society are. It’s clear that we have achieved excellence in the things we encourage. For example, the entire nation is crazy about cricket, and the state also takes great interest in it. Even when the country was on the verge of bankruptcy, the Cricket Board organized the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Cricket is played in every street and neighborhood. Matches are held in schools and colleges. There is no special opposition from the religious class to this. This is why, despite the decline of the country, cricket has not declined. We are still part of the world’s top teams.

We can take the example of Jihad as well. When the state took charge and we waged “jihad” against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, the superpowers faced defeat. The reason was that there was a jihad atmosphere throughout the country. Seminars were held; religious and political scholars extolled the virtues of jihad. The state encouraged it. The result was as expected.

When we say that there is no environment for scientific inquiry in the country, the reason is not solely religious narrow-mindedness. It is the general attitude and inclination of society and the state. The government and society do not oppose scientific research, but they don’t champion it either. If this were the case, Sher Ali, an assistant professor at Peshawar University, wouldn’t have had to make a statement renouncing his theories with district administration officials present. Yes, it’s true that no religious sect has ever protested against scientific laboratories. For this, we should be very grateful. But is merely protesting not enough? Scientific inquiry is impossible without a free environment. This environment can be created in two ways. first, by establishing government policies to make scientific discussion possible in the country without fear or hesitation. Second, by inculcating critical thinking among children at the school level. Currently, our schools, and even universities, lack critical thinking. These universities are merely degree-producing institutions where the most freedom they have is to invite religious scholars to ask them questions about the virgins in paradise. If no one has written an article on the methods of spending time with virgins in paradise, I’m willing to do it.

A prayerful trend was circulating on social media, blaming those individuals who have brought disgrace to Pakistan, and Allah Almighty has cursed them. Sheikh Rashid has revealed the truth now. Now it’s the turn of Roposh Miyan, Iqbal Iqbal, and Hamad Azhar, the youth’s real faces. Actually, on that day, there will be fireworks when Murad Saeed bursts out during a press conference. People are saying the journey from opposition to government is not easy. For that, one has to struggle systematically, show hypocrisy with everyone, confront every societal policy, stick to religious principles on financial decisions, and strictly adhere to ethical standards.

The party that claimed to end Nawaz Sharif’s politics by accusing him of corruption and theft has actually become a mockery now. When the Chairman himself becomes repententant of politics, the “Tanga Party” will not even find shelter in Multan. In response to Nawaz Sharif’s arrival, Imran Khan, playing the field at the youth level, is claiming that the opposition should also be given a chance. He is saying that he made a mistake on May 9th. People say that it was not just a mistake on May 9th; it was a great crime that ruined the country’s economy, politics, society, and culture. The issue is not just May 9th, but there are several May 9ths hidden behind it that destroyed the nation’s prosperity.

No one is saying that there was a mistake, but there is a great crime involved in it. He not only defended corruption and theft but actively participated in this act. He spread corruption and theft as the national anthem and caused the country’s economy to collapse. People say that in the case of a mistake, there is a huge increase in hatred, self-pride, stubbornness, and blind imitation in the minds of young people. There is a need to work for several years for the restoration of these young people and national norms.

The people’s economy will work with full determination to reduce the decrease in purchasing power and inflation. The number of investors, including China, has gone, but he will bring them back. However, the people are asking when they will continue to stay in other countries’ gardens. And when will Nawaz Sharif stop spreading the thorns of others? Is it just Nawaz Sharif’s contract that he repairs the economy day and night, gaining the trust of the people, the stock market, capitalists, traders, and foreign investors?

When the country’s economy returns to the right track, what will be the new experiment for promoting a carefree country? How long will the one who saves the country be blamed with new accusations? How long will the perpetrators be forgiven instead of being held accountable? How long will the culprits be protected, and will the open injustice continue to be closed? The real crimes are those that it’s time to commit to them forever.

Israel, the most ruthless and perilous enemy in the world, which established itself on the chest of Middle Eastern Muslims like a festering sore after the Second World War, has become accustomed to quenching its thirst with Muslim blood every three to four years. Israel’s existence and its bloodthirsty actions are a stain on the face of the civilized world, even though the Western countries that claim to be advocates of animal rights also support Israel. Israel’s brutality, particularly the massacre of Palestinian Muslims, especially children, is not only silently condoned but openly supported by the American political establishment.

In American politics, support for Israel is considered a guarantee of success. Three hundred members in the U.S. Congress out of 350 openly support Israel, and the American media also backs Israel. Reports concerning Israel’s black deeds rarely make it to the American media. Since October 7th, Israel has been raining down artillery on the defenseless Muslim population in Gaza, leading to the martyrdom of over three thousand, with the majority being children. Unfortunately, there is no country in the world that can hear the cries of Palestinian children and rescue them from Israel’s oppression.

Gaza’s population consists of more than half children. Israel is bombarding Gaza with an unprecedented ferocity, targeting schools, hospital support slances, cars, and refugee camps. Israel ordered the residents of Gaza to move from the north to the south and then bombed the displaced Muslim residents of Gaza, the majority of whom were women and children.

Israel has been escalating its brutality by targeting hospitals, killing more than five hundred women and children, a barbarity that was unimaginable even during the era of ignorance. The civilized world’s eyes remain shut, and they are preoccupied with defending America’s unlawful offspring. In France, President Macron threatens the Iranian president in a harsh tone to stay away from this conflict. European countries fear that if Iran gets involved in this war, Israel’s survival may be at risk. On the other hand, they are also making efforts to keep Hezbollah, which is present in Lebanon, away from this war. In reality, all of them aim to prevent Muslims from uniting in any way. The division among Muslims is contributing to the loss of Muslim lives.

Christian-majority regions in Venice and Sudan are offered the gift of freedom on a silver platter, while Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, and Myanmar continue to endure the sacrifice of their lives. In the presence of international resolutions, freedom is being denied to Muslims, despite the existence of peacekeeping forces in various regions. When Russia presented a resolution in the Security Council to stop Israeli aggression, the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies thwarted it. This is a paradox and irony. The United Nations should immediately put a stop to Israel’s bombing in Gaza and establish a United Nations peace force in Palestine to end Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be declared a war criminal, and he should be brought before the International Court of Justice for war crimes, especially for bombing hospitals in Gaza, killing more than five hundred women and children. The cries of Muslim children are enough to shake the world’s conscience. Muslim children are crying out, questioning the reason for their punishment. Why are their homes being reduced to rubble? Under which law has Israel cut off the supply of water, electricity, fuel, and essential medicines, including vaccines? Is there anyone in the world who can hear the cries of these innocent children and save them from Israel’s oppression? The media’s tattered and torn images of innocent children and the corpses left by the cruel Israeli soldiers and Netanyahu have no effect. After his Secretary of State’s unsuccessful visit, the U.S. President himself has landed in Israel’s defense, and the Islamic Conference’s meeting has started, which, as usual, will sit, talk, and rise.

The children of Palestine are waiting for valiant warriors like Salahuddin Ayubi to rescue them by breaking Israel’s iron grip and destroying Israeli ships, and one day, someone will answer their cries for help. Before this, Israel will certainly kneel down.