Dr DAll had taken strikingly different journeys to violent extremist activity. People follow a pathway into radicalization, terrorism and terrorist organizations. Apparently the first stage involves an awareness of oppression. The second stage marks recognition that the oppression was social and therefore not unavoidable. The third stage is an impetus or realization that it is possible to act against the oppression. Ultimately, some conclude that working through or within the system to reform or improve it is not going to work and that self-help by violence is the only effective means for change. Based on an analysis of multiple militant extremist groups, there do appear to be some observable markers or stages in the processes that are c...

June 22, 2015 at 4:21 pm | News Desk

My forefathers fled to these shores with a vision of religious freedom. The right to it was purchased with blood and this fervently embraced freedom is the cornerstone of our Constitution. The words still leap off the page; though now dead, the witnesses still speak. Their thoughts are codified in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The dry ink of the signatories flows like liquid satin through my veins. I champion this freedom. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….” This treasure known as freedom of religion is a summation of its parts. Man is a moral agent with free will. But free will is also extended to those who choose not to celebrate nor particip...

June 22, 2015 at 4:04 pm | News Desk

In the contemporary world, economy is treated as a religion. The time has gone when the superpowers had large arsenals and extensive colonies. This is the era of economic independence and self-reliance. Currently, the nations which are economically independent, sovereign and self reliant are dominant. The story behind the success of the Western powers, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and other fast progressing countries is their economic independence and self- reliance. But unfortunately, the situation in Pakistan is totally reversed. Although Pakistan is rich in natural resources, it is very poor in management. Sixty seven years have passed since the inception of the country but none of its systems has been developed properly. In Pak...

June 22, 2015 at 2:13 pm | News Desk

Under an agreement reached among provinces and federal government at a high-level national meeting on National Climate Change Policy Implementation Committee (NCCPIC), each of Pakistan's five provinces will create its own committee to take action on climate change policy and report back by May 5 on how they intend to take action on both reducing climate-changing emissions and supporting adaptation to climate change impacts. It was also agreed during the meeting that climate change sections also would be established in the federal planning commission and provincial planning and development (P&D) departments for smooth coordination among the federal and provincial governments on climate change and climate funding. “Such plans will be ...

June 22, 2015 at 1:56 pm | News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Rights activist Asma Jahangir argued in the Supreme Court on Thursday that since an amendment to the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 through the Act 2 of 2015 and Ordinance 1 of 2015 giving retrospective effect to the trials before military courts were passed subsequent to the 21st Amendment by a simple majority, the PAA was not protected under Article 8 of the Constitution which declared laws to be void if inconsistent with or in derogation of fundamental rights. A 17-judge full court headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk had taken up petitions challenging the appointment procedure of superior court judges under the 18th Amendment and the establishment of military courts under the 21st Amendment to try hardened terrorists. Ju...

June 19, 2015 at 1:14 pm | News Desk

Over the weekend, Turkey experienced something resembling an electoral earthquake, with Sunday's general election yielding an array of unexpected outcomes that suggest a major political reconfiguration lies ahead for the Republic. That has come as something of a surprise. After all, over the past several years, Turkish politics have been nothing if not predictable. Since coming to power in 2002, the country's ruling Adalet ve Kalk?nma Partisi, or AKP, has systematically consolidated its political control, in the process moving Turkey ever closer to becoming an authoritarian one-party state. As a result, more than a few seasoned observers concluded that this election, like past ones in 2007 and 2011, was destined to be much ado about not...

June 19, 2015 at 12:21 pm | News Desk

Washington:The war of words between America and Russia is escalating. So, too, is the movement of implements of war -- from U.S. fighter jets to Russian nuclear weapons. So is an actual war imminent? No one in Russia, NATO or the United States has gone that far yet. Still, the rhetoric and actions from both sides have definitely ratcheted up in recent days, raising concerns of a new arms race -- if not worse -- amid tensions both sides blame on each other. The major players all claim their movements are defensive and necessary responses to their foe's provocation. None has talked of an invasion. Still, that's not what some experts are worried about. They say a bigger fear is what things can happen, accidentally, when you have in...

June 19, 2015 at 11:48 am | News Desk

Life is not something that simply happens to you. It happens for you and through you, only when you recognize and utilize its hands-on magic The fundamental Law of Creation is something which applies to every soul that is manifested on this planet. Inescapable, it is also a beautiful and necessary part of life. Seen most commonly as a mysterious way for the universe to approve or deny the possibility of something, the Law of Creation is actually operational through your own hands, heart, and mind. Understanding the basic premises of the Law of Creation can help you to decide what your true purpose is and inspire you to actually live it. However, the law dictates that you must be present in your own life, taking responsibility for yo...

June 18, 2015 at 5:21 pm | News Desk

BEIJING: Some local governments in China's unruly far western region of Xinjiang are stepping up controls on the Islamic faith followed by the Uighur people ahead of Ramazan, including making officials swear they will not fast. The holy month, which begins this week, is a sensitive time in Xinjiang following an uptick in deadly attacks blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants over the past three years in which hundreds have died. In recent days, state media and government websites in Xinjiang have published stories and official notices demanding that party members, civil servants, students and teachers in particular do not observe Ramazan, something that happened last year too. In Jinghe county near the Kazakh border, food safety of...

June 18, 2015 at 4:38 pm | News Desk

KANDAHAR: Afghan officials say that at least 11 members of the security forces have been killed in a Taliban assault on government buildings in an unstable district in southern Helmand province. The officials said on Thursday that four soldiers and seven police officers were killed when the insurgents overran Musa Qala ? which has shifted between government and Taliban control for years. Saqi Jan, police logistics expert in the district, said four soldiers and four police were killed in the attack, which began late Wednesday night. Earlier the spokesman for the provincial governor, Omar Zawaq, said three policemen had been killed. Jan says that police have regained control of the area around the district police headquarters afte...

June 18, 2015 at 4:29 pm | News Desk

MOSCOW: A draft contract for the delivery of four Mi-35M 'Hind E' combat helicopters has been sent to Pakistan from Russia, a source in the Russian military and technical cooperation said on Wednesday, according to a report published on TASS news agency's website. "Following the results of the talks held earlier on helicopters, which Pakistan would like to get from Russia, a draft contract on the delivery of four Mi-35M gunships has been sent to the Pakistani side. Pakistan is now studying the document," the source said. According to Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, talks between Russia and Pakistan are under way regarding the delivery of helicopters. However, Rosoboronexport declined to reveal details regarding these consult...

June 18, 2015 at 4:18 pm | News Desk

KARACHI: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) , through their attorneys, have served legal notice on Mr Afzal Butt, a resident of Rawalpindi, for impersonating as president of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. A similar notice has been served on Mr Khursheed Abbasi, a resident of Karachi, for claiming to be the Secretary-General of PFUJ. The notices have been sent through Shoaib M Ashraf & Co. It has been stated in the legal notice that Mr Afzal Butt contested the election of PFUJ for 2013-15 as a candidate of President of PFUJ against Mr Rana M Azeem, wherein Mr Rana M Azeem was elected as President. Mr Butt despite his defeat impersonated as the President of PFUJ on different occasions before various forums. ...

June 18, 2015 at 3:38 pm | News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari’s speech was the main topic of discussion in both houses of parliament on Wednesday. But contrary to the advice of the ruling PML-N or even fellow opposition members from the PTI, PPP legislators seemed to put their weight behind their leader as they continued to assail the military leadership and warned them against targeting the party. The PPP lawmakers in the National Assembly, one after the other, hit out at the military’s top brass for “violating their constitutional duty”. On one occasion, a lawmaker went so far in his remarks that the speaker had to expunge them from the parliamentary record. Know more: PPP leaders back Zardari's military remarks, decide to field Bilawal for NA...

June 18, 2015 at 9:21 am | News Desk

NEW DELHI: India hit a new low with their “humiliating” loss to tiny Guam in World Cup qualifying, the country's media said Wednesday. India, once hailed the sleeping giants of football by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, were outclassed by the Pacific island minnows on Tuesday night. The 2-1 defeat was made even more embarrassing as India, with a population of 1.25 billion compared to Guam's 160,000, are 33 places above Guam Matao (174) in the FIFA world rankings. “HUMILIATION”, screamed the Mail Today tabloid which said the defeat was the latest in a string of poor performances. “There is a point after which the word embarrassing does not do justice while describing repeated debacles,” the newspaper said in its back pa...

June 17, 2015 at 6:24 pm | News Desk

KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Football Conference general secretary Alex Soosay has resigned, the regional body announced Wednesday, amid allegations he was involved in a cover-up during the reign of scandal-tainted former boss Mohamed bin Hammam. “Alex Soosay has tendered his resignation as AFC General Secretary with immediate effect,” the Kuala Lumpur-based AFC said in a statement. Soosay, a former coach and Malaysian international midfielder, was suspended last month pending a probe into allegations he tried to obstruct a 2012 audit of AFC accounts. The investigation was triggered by the emergence in April of a videotaped interview in which an AFC official said Soosay asked him to “tamper (with) or hide” documents during the audit. P...

June 17, 2015 at 6:21 pm | News Desk

INTRODUCTION: Investigations and other related enforcement activities including off-site and on-site surveillance and inspections are potent weapons in the regulatory arsenal of law enforcement agencies globally. Investigations are made either for detailed examinations or to find out facts. Regulatory and law enforcement agencies can effectively accomplish their statutory mandate if they exercises their investigative authority prudently and professionally. Financial and white-collar crimes have increased tremendously in recent years. Investigators and law enforcement personnel need to be well-equipped in combating such crimes. An investigator shall have the ability to elicit facts from evidences and witnesses in a fair, impartial, law...

June 17, 2015 at 5:45 pm | News Desk

India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has long faced allegations of meddling in its neighbors' affairs. "India has always used Afghanistan as a second front against Pakistan. India has over the years been financing problems in Pakistan", said Chuck Hage, the defense secretary (2013-2015), in a written speech at Oklahoma's Cameron University in 2011. Chuck Hagel had served on the US Senate Intelligence Committee before becoming the Pentagon chief. Since, Narendra Modi took over as the prime minister, RAW has stepped up its covert war against Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi appointed Ajit Doval, a well-known hawk, as his National Security Advisor. In the 1990s, Mr. Doval served as an undercover RAW agen...

June 16, 2015 at 9:53 pm | News Desk

The much anticipated visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping and approval of the International Monetary Fund’s sixth tranche and above all the return of foreign buyers put the stock markets on an upward trajectory in April as the KSE-100 index gained more than 3700 points during the month. However, it could not come up to expectations due to main events that took place and saw a weak-ending in the last week. The visit of the Chinese President to Pakistan, the signing of various MOUs by both the countries, investment friendly policies of the government and induction of more companies at the stock exchange have created positive impacts on Pakistan’s stock exchange which is now on the highest level of its history. Moreover, investment in ...

June 10, 2015 at 1:13 am | News Desk

Over the course of the past eighteen months relations between Australia and Indonesia has steadily deteriorated. It’s a relationship that has historically been a challenging one for Australia for a variety of reasons, but the recent fissures are in reality more driven by the rise of populist leaders in both countries with a penchant for xenophobic dog whistling. From an Australian perspective, the outlook for our partnership with Indonesia looked like heading into rough waters as soon as the country elected the Liberal-National coalition in September of 2013. This was due to the fact that Tony Abbott, the Coalition’s leader and now Prime Minister, had as one of the few pillars of his campaign a commitment to "turn back the boats." ...

June 10, 2015 at 1:06 am | News Desk

Pakistan’s construction of two nuclear reactors with the help of China has created media hype in Western capitals. The two reactors, each having a capacity to provide with 1,100 megawatts of electricity to national energy grids are being built in Karachi. Notwithstanding the opposition, Pakistan’s civilian nuclear energy programme is destined to meet the severe energy crisis of Pakistan. Contrary to other states, Pakistan has a small nuclear power program with 725 MWe capacity but it had been planning for quite some time to increase it substantially. Since the 1950s, the concept of the peaceful use of nuclear energy has emerged and on December 20, 1951 for the first time, electricity was produced through nuclear energy at the Ex...

June 10, 2015 at 1:01 am | News Desk