Singing Faiz's ‘Hum Dekhenge' is ‘Sedition': Nagpur Police Book Organisers of Vira Sathidar Memorial
A group of young cultural activists sang the lyrics of Faiz's famous poem last week. The police complaint says, 'At a time when the country valiantly fought Pakistani forces, the radical left in Nagpur were busy singing Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem.'
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India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Shehbaz Sharif is right. Pakistan has an elite-problem
Years after then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the nation was a victim of "elite capture" in 2021, his successor and political rival, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, now appears to agree with that. Ahead of the presentation of Pakistan's annual budget on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sharif questioned the extent of the "elite's contribution" to the national Pakistani economist Kaiser Bengali has long argued, the country's economic distress, political dysfunction, and social decay can be traced back to its entrenched elites. The real problem of the Islamic Republic is its privileged gentry, with the all-powerful, Army-led Establishment at the it's this elite capture of Pakistan which has pushed the country onto the metaphorical ventilator where it's barely surviving on bailouts and donations. Ironic, isn't it? Just before the budget, Sharif took aim at the elites, only for the same budget to hand a 20% hike to defence spending, presumably with a nod from the elite army brass. But then, Pakistan has been a nation of DID SHEHBAZ SHARIF SAY ABOUT PAK'S ELITES?On Tuesday, ahead of the FY26 budget presentation, Shehbaz Sharif questioned the contributions made to the national exchequer by the country's economic elite."The sacrifices the common man has made, the burden the salaried class has borne in the previous budget. They say 'we are salaried [class] but still gave Rs 400 billion to the treasury. What have the elite and the wealthy groups contributed compared to us?'," said Sharif, who belongs to a wealthy family of industrialists from is a question that the elite, including me, have to answer," he Sharif's speech sounded optimistic on the surface, beneath it ran a clear undercurrent of frustration with a system where the privileged few evade fiscal has left the salaried and lower-income groups to shoulder the burden of economic reforms tied to the billions of dollars Islamabad is seeking from various institutions, including the ARE PAKISTANI ELITES, HOW PAKISTAN ARMY MILKS THE ELITE TAGPakistan's elite class is a complex nexus of wealthy industrialists, feudal landlords, politicians, senior bureaucrats, judiciary members, and, most significantly, the military establishment, which calls the shots elite problem can be traced back to the failure to implement meaningful land reforms after Partition, which allowed feudal landlords to retain control over vast resources and political power. This entrenched dominance later merged with military and bureaucratic elites, creating a powerful nexus that continues to resist structural change and equitable economic in Pakistan are the top 1% who control the country's wealth and earn an annual revenue of at least $100 million, a definition offered by political scientist Rosita Armytage in her 2020 book, Big Capital in an Unequal World: The Micropolitics of Wealth in in Pakistan, accurately assessing the income and assets of individuals and families is challenging, given that much of the economy is informal and wealth is often moved overseas, which is also facilitated by dual citizenship provisions Pakistan Army, which is a state within a state, holds unparalleled influence over the country's political, economic, and social spheres. The military's elite status is reinforced by its vast economic empire, which includes businesses, real estate, and stakes in industries ranging from cement to agriculture through entities like the Fauji Foundation and Army Welfare fascination with 'protocol' in Pakistan, (official courtesies, privileges, and security arrangements) is also part of the ruling elite, including politicians, civil and military bureaucracy, and their allies, benefit from subsidies and privileges worth approximately $17.4 billion annually, according to a 2021 UNDP include tax breaks, free housing, luxury vehicles, subsidised utilities, and prime land allotments. The military, in particular, enjoys significant perks, with senior officers receiving generous pensions, plots of land, and access to exclusive army's economic dominance distorts Pakistan's resource allocation, and prioritises defence over critical sectors like education and health, which have even received less than 1% of GDP THE ELITE PROBLEM IMPACTS PAKISTANThe Pakistani elite's disproportionate control over resources has exacerbated Pakistan's economic and social crises. The country's tax-to-GDP ratio, currently at 10.6%, is among the lowest in the region, with the government aiming for 14% to meet IMF loan tax-to-GDP ratio measures how much tax a country collects compared to the size of its elites, including feudal landlords and industrialists, often evade taxes through loopholes or political influence, leaving the salaried class and poor to shoulder the fiscal burden. For instance, agriculture, dominated by powerful landlords, remains largely untaxed, despite contributing significantly to GDP."The rich can still live luxurious lives in poorer countries, but the situation for the poor masses is becoming increasingly intolerable. Such is the situation in Pakistan today," political scientist and international development expert Syed Mohammad Ali wrote in an 2024 editorial piece in the Karachi-based The Express argued that institutions such as the World Bank and IMF have facilitated elite capture in developing elite problem has also perpetuated the economic dependency of himself admitted earlier this month that Pakistan's allies, including China and Saudi Arabia, no longer expect Islamabad to approach them with a "begging bowl" but to engage in trade and innovation. Yet, Pakistan's reliance on bailouts and failure to curb elite privileges, such as the billions of dollars in annual subsidies for the richest 1%, hinders same elites collectively own 9% of the country's overall income, while the feudal land-owning class, which makes up just 1.1% of the population, owns 22% of all arable the dire economic indicators and repeated bailouts, Pakistan's ruling elite, civil, military, and corporate, remain unwilling to loosen their grip. Islamabad's refusal to confront elite dominance, particularly the military's unchecked economic and political power, lies at the heart of Pakistan's persistent crises and its failure to chart a sustainable future, underlined Salman Rafi Sheikh, a scholar from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).Economist Kaiser Bengali, who was tasked with recommending structural reforms, and suggested abolishing 17 divisions and 50 departments, had to resign in a few months, after he saw the Sharif government going against the Sharif's critique of Pakistan's elites may not be rare, but is at least an acknowledgement of the systemic issue that has long undermined the country's stability. Pakistan's FY26 budget's prioritisation of defence spending over social welfare suggests that Sharif's admission may not be followed by meaningful InMust Watch
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Why did Osama feel safe living for years in Pakistani military town, asks Jaishankar
Emphasising the need for the world to come together and counter-terrorism, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar asked why Al Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden felt safe living in Pakistan for years. read more Emphasising the need to counter terrorism, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar noted how Pakistan became a safe haven for globally recognised terrorist Osama Bin Laden following the devastating 9/11 attacks in the United States. The Indian diplomat made the remarks when asked about ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack . Jaishankar dismantled the perception of the Western media in his interview with European news outlet Euractiv. The MEA noted that the ongoing tensions between the two nuclear-powered states are more than just a tussle between two nations. He warned that the persistence of terrorism would eventually come back to haunt the West as well. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Let me remind you of something – there was a man named Osama bin Laden. Why did he, of all people, feel safe living for years in a Pakistani military town, right next to their equivalent of West Point?' Jaishankar asked when questioned about why India's messaging to the world after the Pahalgam terror attack is 'not cutting through'. 'I want the world to understand – this isn't merely an India–Pakistan issue. It's about terrorism. And that very same terrorism will eventually come back to haunt you,' he added. The comments were made during Jaishankar's visit to Belgium's capital, Brussels , where he held talks with the leaders of the European Union. On Tuesday, he met EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Minister Kaja Kallas as India and the EU negotiated the highly anticipated Free Trade Agreement. Jaishankar stands by the old friend while recalling the past During the interview, the EAM was asked why India is not being 'judgmental enough' in calling out Russia as the aggressor in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In response to this, Jaishankar recalled how the West did not support India during its time of crisis in the past. 'We have a strong relationship with Ukraine as well – it's not only about Russia. But every country, naturally, considers its own experience, history and interests,' Jaishankar said. 'India has the longest-standing grievance – our borders were violated just months after independence, when Pakistan sent in invaders to Kashmir. And the countries that were most supportive of that? Western countries.' 'If those same countries – who were evasive or reticent then – now say 'let's have a great conversation about international principles', I think I'm justified in asking them to reflect on their past," he added. When pressed further, Jaishankar made it clear that India does not believe 'war can resolve differences.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We don't believe that differences can be resolved through war – we don't believe a solution will come from the battlefield. It's not for us to prescribe what that solution should be. My point is, we're not being prescriptive or judgemental – but we are also not uninvolved,' he concluded.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
IndiGo Passengers Applaud BSF Soldier For Bravery During Operation Sindoor: 'Very Special Traveller'
A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel was greeted with cheers on board an IndiGo flight Tuesday morning for his bravery during Operation Sindoor. Assistant Sub Inspector Rajapaksh B T saved fellow soldiers from Pakistan's heavy firing on May 7 and May 8. Terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on April 22. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7 to destroy nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The subsequent retaliations to Pakistani offensives were also carried out under the same operation. A video shared on the official X handle of BSF showed the airline's captain introducing Rajapaksh to other passengers as a "very special traveller on board". "During Operation Sindoor on May 7 and 8, Assistant Sub Inspector, General Duty, Rajapaksh B T, General Duty, 165 Battalion Border Security Force, was seriously injured while helping fellow soldiers during heavy firing at the international border near Jammu," he said. "His fearless action, even when under attack, helped save the lives of fellow soldiers and forced the enemy to retreat," he further added. The passengers praised his bravery with a huge round of applause. Rajapaksh acknowledged everyone with folded hands. Watch the video here: "कुछ वीर जन्म से नहीं, कर्म से महान बनते हैं" दिनांक 10 जून 2025, इंडिगो दिल्ली-बेंगलुरु के विमान कर्मी दल द्वारा बीएसएफ की 165 बटालियन के सहायक उप निरीक्षक राजप्पा बी.डी. द्वारा ऑपरेशन सिन्दूर में किये गए वीरोचित कार्य का पुनः स्मरण, उनकी कर्तव्यनिष्ठा और देश के लिए समर्पण का… — BSF (@BSF_India) June 11, 2025 Rajnath Singh on Operation Sindoor Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Pahalgam terror strike was not just an attack on our people but also an assault on the social unity of India. Singh said that Operation Sindoor was the "biggest action" taken against terrorism in India's history. "On every matter related to national security, we have changed both attitude and way of action of the government. The world saw this change during the recent Operation Sindoor," he said.
