Difficulty breathing is one of the most common severe Covid-19 symptoms, and as photos of people waiting in long lines for oxygen canisters in India and elsewhere attest, supplies of medical oxygen are far from adequate everywhere in the world.
By: Talha Aslam
Islamophobia, a term expressed to depict fear of Islam is widely used to connote indiscriminate attitudes, beliefs and emotions directed towards Islam or Muslims.
In reference to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word Islamophobia means “Intense dislike or fear of Islam”. It was first coined by French Scholar Alain Quellien, as ‘’Islamphobie” in 1910 to describe a prejudice against Islam that is rife among the people of the West. Later, it was adopted by English Literature in 1923. As a concept in practice, it is considered a new word of an old notion presented by Edward Said in his work on Orientalism where West has always been associating derogatory sentiments and stereotypes to the practices of Islam.
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EXCEPT for some defiant holdouts, most Muslims have come to accept the printing press, loudspeaker, weather forecasts, cameras and television, blood transfusions, organ transplants, and in-vitro fertilisation. Earlier fears that technology will destroy their faith are disappearing. Although religious extremists have killed polio vaccine workers by the dozens, Pakistanis are likely to accept the Covid vaccine more easily than Americans. This is progress.
By: Malik Muhammad Ashraf
A few days ago, the EU’s Disinfo Lab revealed that India has been trying to malign Pakistan, portraying it in dismal colours before the international community by generating and propagating false and fake news through a network of 750 fake media outlets and 550 website domain names in 162 countries. Reportedly, Indian RAW set up a fake front entity, Srivastava Group (SG) with headquarters in New Delhi in 2005 which over the last fifteen years, developed this network.
By: Muhammad Nadeem Bhatti
Tax is the cost of living in a civilized society that people have to pay for economic development and planning. It is the realization of money in the country; tax levied by the government on goods, firms, individuals, and societies. The federal tax in Pakistan is like any other tax systems in the world. Direct and indirect taxes are classified into two broad categories. Direct taxes include salaries, interest on securities, income from property, and income from the business whereas indirect taxes include sales taxes. Unfortunately, only 5 per cent of people in Pakistan pay taxes directly. The remaining 95 per cent either do not show their income or avoid paying by forming a close relationship with a tax practitioner and senior officer. Tax collection is a major economic challenge being faced by Pakistan. There are many reasons behind the poor tax system such as; Poor management in tax offices, unprofessional behaviour of tax officials, complex and ambiguous tax laws, lack of public awareness about the tax system, harassment by the tax administration, and above all People’s hesitation when it comes to paying taxes. Lack of confidence in the state’s ability to handle taxpayers honestly and professionally and to spend their money is perhaps the most important reason why Pakistanis refuse to pay taxes. The number of non-taxpayers in Pakistan is also low because inflation is rising rapidly. On the other hand, more than 90 million people belong to the salaried class. Why doesn’t anyone ask the public leaders who give examples of developed countries that the salaries in those countries are so high that even after paying taxes, people living there get better? While here people are hungry for food. That is why a non-filer is not at all ready to become a filer. There are only 3 million filers in the country.
Fakhrizadeh, killed in an attack outside Tehran, was widely seen by Western intelligence as the mastermind of clandestine Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Here’s more on the man whose killing is being blamed on Israel.
Prominent Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in an attack outside Tehran, has been widely seen outside the country as a leading figure in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons programme.
By: Saleem Qamar Butt
In topping Trump in a race that was both upended and largely defined by the coronavirus, the Democratic nominee Joseph Biden has become the first challenger to defeat an incumbent first-term president in nearly 30 years by gaining the highest number of votes by any president in the history of America. With his victory, his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, will become the first female vice president. Trump’s non-acceptance of results and resort to courts notwithstanding, Joe Biden seems all set to take the oath on 20th January 2021 and occupy White House with seemingly unlimited number of domestic and international challenges that call out for his attention.
by: Deeba Shahnaz Akhtar
Every year, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated on third Sunday in the month of November for acknowledgement for the victims of road crashes and their families, advocating for road safety and paying tribute to the dedicated emergency crews, rescuers, police and medical professionals who deal with the traumatic aftermath of road crashes.
By: Mahnoor Warrich
CSS essay has become a dilemma for over a decade, now for almost every aspirant. The recent CSS 2020 result has shown it clearly that CSS has been carved out as a business. As you enter the fish market, you see hawkers bidding you their seafood at different rates for its quality, so has the CSS coaching been taking over all the social media platforms. The lust of money, accompanied by the access of technology, has made rank and file for their self-proclamation of CSS guides and mentors. Each year, more than twenty thousand competitive aspirants apply for the civil services exam (CSS) in Pakistan. Out of fourteen to fifteen thousand applicants, who appear in the exam, nearly 2 per cent of them qualify for the written part. This 2 per cent comprises of 250 to 350 aspirants who walk towards civil services academy (CSA). Do you know why only 2 per cent of them satiate their desire? The answer is English essay & precis papers, known by everybody but focused by a few.
By: Mehmil Khalid Kunwar
Without a strong check and balance and subsequent implementation, laws if made, have little chance of success
An enlightened citizen is a proof that a state is truly running on democratic lines. Democracy cannot flourish in a region where the inhabitants do not know the actual performance of the people they have elected or where they are denied their basic fundamental rights. According to the traditional concept of democracy, a citizen when elects his representative, is fully equipped with the right to ask the latter about fulfillment of his responsibilities and expects him to demonstrate a responsive character towards the demands of the masses.
This, not only promotes a culture of accountability, but also inculcates in the rulers, the fear of exercising their rights, by the ruled.