Absa Komal

Pakistani farmers are suing German companies RWE and Heidelberg Materials, accusing them of emissions that worsened the deadly 2022 floods and destroyed farmland, highlighting climate accountability issues aje.news/4epa8m

@AsadAToor Thankyou Asad, such memorable photos. 🙏🏻🤩

Happy birthday @AbsaKomal, stay blessed and happy anchor 🎉🥳🎂🎁🎈🎊

As more facts emerge about Pakistan's recent strikes in Kabul, I think the following can be said with a reasonable degree of certainty: 1- While the Taliban's initial claims may have been exaggerated, it seems increasingly evident that a massive number of civilians in a rehab facility did indeed die as a result of the strike on Camp Phoenix. Irrespective of your views on this conflict, this is a horrific tragedy that objectively deserves condemnation and investigation, notwithstanding the broader context of & reasons for the war. 2- From the publicly available evidence - the footage of the explosion & the satellite imagery - it seems that the strike wasn't deliberate and the actual target struck was likely an ammunition depot or drone facility in Camp Phoenix, the secondary explosions from which caused the destruction of the rehab facility located nearby inside the camp. There are certainly legitimate questions about the Taliban placing vulnerable individuals right next to a weapons dump inside a military camp during war but they do not absolve Pakistan of its responsibility to take every possible measure to ensure such massive risk to civilian life is avoided in the pursuit of military objectives. I understand & agree with those who think the Taliban & TTP's ideological & militant irredentism is the primary cause of the current conflict. Am under no illusions about the necessity of fighting ruthless militant groups mowing down Pakistanis on a daily basis, whose attacks I've also lost friends & family to. However, it is completely legitimate for people to ask whether regularly incurred human costs of this scale justify the current strategy (whatever people currently believe it is, everyone has a somewhat different idea). Massacres like these, even if unintentional, will inevitably & understandably dilute the moral justifications for prosecuting this battle. Beyond concerns about the conduct of war, such questions become even more critical in the context of the current state of political polarization in Pakistan. We are already a very long way away from the political & societal consensus needed to effectively fight multiple insurgencies amid spiralling regional chaos. In 2014, we at least devised something resembling a plan that everyone was on board with. Today, there's no pretense of even working towards one, and people are expected to just trust where this is going. Hope there can be some sober reflection on this crisis among decisionmakers over the Eid ceasefire. The government & military should substantively engage the broader political leadership in the country on the war & counter-insurgency. They should also seriously consider the recent mediation offers from China & Russia & involve neighbouring countries to work towards a long-term regionally-grounded settlement. Prayers to the families of all civilians who lost their lives in Kabul, as well as those whose loved ones died in this week's attacks in Pakistan. Hope we can bring this horrific bloodletting to an end soon.

A PhD scholar goes missing in Lahore. Days later, he surfaces in state custody, charged over social media posts under PECA. Now, he’s been denied bail twice. 🧵Thread.

In conflict reporting, verifying casualty figures is the key challenge. Both sides often exaggerate claims, while access to affected areas is limited or denied. In such conditions, journalists must go beyond official statements and partisan narratives, striving for independent verification. In such reporting, credibility depends not on speed, but on accuracy.

آبنائے ہرمز کی بندش،ٹرمپ کو شکست نظر آنےلگی؟ اتحادیوں کا انکار،امریکہ،اسرائیل دلدل میں پھنس گئے #BOLNews #PolicyPoint @AbsaKomal

پاک افغان کشیدگی ختم کروانے کے لیے چین متحرک کیا پاکستان افغان رجیم کے ساتھ مذاکرات کرے گا؟ #BOLNews #PolicyPoint @AbsaKomal

اسلام آباد: خاتون صحافی روخانہ رحیم وزیر اور خاندان کی مبینہ بے دخلی، انسانی حقوق پر سنگین سوالات اسلام آباد سے موصول ہونے والی اطلاعات کے مطابق خاتون صحافی اور کالم نگار روخانہ رحیم وزیر اور ان کے خاندان کو مبینہ طور پر ڈی پورٹ کرنے کی کارروائی شروع کر دی گئی ہے۔ ذرائع کے مطابق انہیں فارن ایکٹ کی دفعہ 14-A کے تحت آج کیمپ میں زبردستی انگوٹھے لگوائے جا رہے ہیں اور براہِ راست طورخم بارڈر منتقل کیے جانے کا امکان ہے۔ روخانہ رحیم وزیر کا تعلق وزیرستان سے بتایا جاتا ہے اور وہ اسلام آباد میں قائم “نوے ژوند ادبی، ثقافتی و فلاحی تنظیم” کی پریس سیکرٹری بھی ہیں۔ وہ آئی بی سی اردو @ibcurdu کی مستقل کالم نگار ہیں۔ اطلاعات کے مطابق ان کا خاندان گزشتہ تین ماہ سے شناختی کارڈ بلاک ہونے کے باعث افغان مہاجر ہونے کے شبے میں سی ٹی ڈی اسلام آباد کی تحویل میں حاجی کیمپ میں رکھا گیا ہے۔ان کی باقی فیملی پاکستانی ہے ہے یہ افغانی ، عجیب صورتحال ہے ۔ اس پیش رفت نے انسانی حقوق کے حوالے سے کئی اہم سوالات کو جنم دیا ہے۔ قانونی و سماجی حلقوں کا کہنا ہے کہ کیا کسی پاکستانی شہری کو محض شبے کی بنیاد پر اپنے ہی ملک سے بے دخل کیا جا سکتا ہے؟ ناقدین کے مطابق اگر ایسا ہے تو یہ اقدام آئینِ پاکستان اور بنیادی انسانی حقوق کی واضح خلاف ورزی کے مترادف ہو سکتا ہے۔ سماجی و صحافتی حلقوں کی جانب سے اربابِ اختیار اور ریاستی اداروں سے فوری نوٹس لینے کی اپیل کی گئی ہے۔ مطالبہ کیا جا رہا ہے کہ اس کارروائی کو فی الفور روکا جائے، معاملے کی شفاف تحقیقات کی جائیں اور متاثرہ خاندان کو انصاف فراہم کرتے ہوئے انہیں باعزت شہری کے طور پر زندگی گزارنے کا حق دیا جائے۔

UK Will Not Join Wider War, PM Starmer Says After Trump’s Call to NATO bbc.com/news/live/cx2l…

آج 26 رمضان ہے، عید بھی آ گئی لیکن ان بے رحم میڈیا ہاوسز نے ابھی تنخواہیں نہیں دیں___! نوائے وقت نے بقایاجات ادا نہیں کیے ڈان نے کٹ واپس نہیں کیا_کل سے RIUJ احتجاج کرے گی_ ہونے دو چراغاں محلوں میں ___ کیا ہم کو اگر دیوالی ہے مزدور ہیں ہم، مزدور ہیں ہم ___ مزدور کی دنیا کالی ہے

نیر علی کو میں کراچی سے جانتی ہوں ۔ ہمارا جیو کراچی میں ایک اچھا اور لمبا ساتھ رہا ۔ انکی مسکراتے ہوئے ہار تسلیم کر لینا ان کا سلجھا ہوا انداز اور بڑا پن ظاہر کرتا ہے ۔ میدان دوبارہ سجیں گے اللّٰہ انکو اگلی مرتبہ کامیابی دے ۔ دعائیں اور نیک تمنائیں ۔ آپ نے زبردست لڑا اور سخت مقابلہ لڑا ۔ Big applause and respect. @@Nayyer_Aliz

@qureshik74 Ameen

This deleted tweet confirms he’s dead 😵

@Bashirchaudhry Congratulations

الحمدللہ ۔۔۔ 1076 ووٹ کے ساتھ نائب صدر نیشنل پریس کلب منتخب

On the 50th day of @ImaanZHazir & @AdvHadiali’s incarceration, 100+ activists, lawyers, journalists, & organisations wrote to the @PresOfPakistan & PM @CMShehbaz demanding #RelaseImaanAndHadi

🚨🚨 اللہ کا لاکھ لاکھ شُکر 974 پریس کلب ممبران نے مُجھ معمولی صحافی کو ووٹ دے کر نیشنل پریس کلب الیکشن میں چھ اُمیدواروان میں سے چوتھے نمبر پر عزت دی۔ تمام ووٹ دینے والے صحافی دوستوں کا تہہ دلِ سے مشکور ہوں اور اتنے بڑے نمبر میں ووٹ ملنے شُکرانے کے نوافل بھی ادا کروں گا۔ نائب صدر مُنتخب ہونے پر بشیر چوہدری، عُثمان خان اور احتشام الحق کو دلی مُبارک باد

Supporting @AsadAToor for Vice President (Democrats Panel) in tomorrow’s National Press Club elections. A courageous voice for free speech, journalists need representatives who stand for press freedom.

The Pakistani government should not attempt to dictate or restrict media analysis regarding the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, nor should it limit discussion of Pakistan’s potential role in balancing its relationships among the GCC, Iran, and the United States. Pakistan’s foreign policy should not be so fragile that media commentary could create cracks in it. In support of such restrictions, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar cited Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression but also imposes unlimited restrictions. This raises a critical question: Does Article 19 genuinely uphold freedom, or does it create insurmountable hurdles in practice? This needs another debate and whether even its first line is implemented in the true spirit or not. The minister also claimed that certain opinions created “unease” in friendly countries—a statement that is difficult to comprehend. A diversity of opinions should be allowed in the media. The government can remain firm in its stance and continue to follow its foreign policy framework without fear of commentary. Those in positions of power often forget that the media cannot be confined to cages—especially given the vast digital landscape. Millions of social media users are active in Pakistan. In the recent Pak-India war, the role of the media& social media users was widely praised. How can the government realistically cage their opinions? Instead of imposing unofficial restrictions, the government should create its own space in the public discourse. Why do those at the helm of affairs believe that the media, intelligentsia, and civil society must either echo official language or remain silent? Such expectations amount to an attempt to stifle freedom of expression and press freedom. #USIsraelWarOnIran #PakistanMedia #PressFreedom

Despite this government’s many distortions to the Constitution, it still does not prohibit comments and opinions critical of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Foreign policy cannot be placed beyond public scrutiny. These are precisely the issues that demand public debate. Functioning democracies conduct fierce debates on foreign policy, they do not go around threatening action against critical voices. The real shame lies in the spectacle of ministers invoking vague “red lines” and legal threats to intimidate people. Article 19 of the Constitution envisions “reasonable restrictions” on speech imposed by law in the interest of “friendly relations with foreign states”. The courts have repeatedly held that any restrictions must be interpreted strictly and narrowly, and it must be shown that it cannot be achieved through a means less restrictive. Any restriction must: *be imposed by law (not by ministerial warnings) *be reasonable *be interpreted narrowly Speech that is critical of Pakistan’s foreign policy does not even remotely meet this threshold. It is the increased labelling of any criticism/dissent as unlawful and the silencing of citizens that is unconstitutional.

Law minister @AzamNazeerTarar warning that discussing foreign policy could lead to criminal cases sets a new, dangerous precedent for public debate & media freedom in Pakistan.

Law minister warns media about opinions/ comments critical of Pakistan’s foreign policy. “When it comes to foreign policy the constitution does not allow debates about scenarios such as how Pakistan can align with Iran when it is aligned with Saudi Arabia or between UAE and KSA. These matters should be left to the state.” Warns if “red line” is crossed the law will be used.