PARTLY FACETIOUS: The deep state in power in most of world's democracies?
'Granted that he did not win the 2024 elections…your cough is as artificial as…as…as…'
'Can't think of anyone – governments all over the world are taking decisions that are shameful to say the least. The UK government has banned the Palestinian Action because its members spray-painted one of their aeroplanes and the country's prime minister together with many of his cabinet members condemned the chant of death to Israeli Defence Force (IDF) at the Glastonbury music festival as a hate crime that is…'
'I don't get it. Cartoons of our Prophet are freedom of speech, while these two events are hate crimes?'
'Well, they are protecting their way of life.'
'You need to do what analysts are doing in the US for some time now – pointing to a divide, a widening divide between those in government and the public that voted them into power.'
'Hamm right, so in other words the deep state is in power in most of the world's democracies which explains why their foreign policy is based on history that doesn't go beyond…'
'Beyond 2022 as far as the Ukraine war is concerned and 7 October 2023 as far as the Israelis are concerned.'
'Indeed, so the Western way of life that must be protected at all costs does not look at the historical context or the entry of two more superpowers on the world scene – China and Russia and…'
'But what did you begin by referring to a former interior minister? You reckon the Chief Minister has forgiven him for daring to say he will not support the passing down of the inheritance to blood…'
'She is not known for forgiving…'
'That reminds me where is her husband and children and…'
'You know it's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't as far as you are concerned. Appreciate the fact that the only family member she is allowing herself to be photographed with is daddy and no one else.'
'Hamm, her picture with or without daddy is plastered all over Punjab with no more than 100 meters between each picture…'
'That's for the hapless Punjabis with little access to beauty and poise and…'
'You being facetious?'
'Over exposure makes the heart grow weaker.'
'There is no such expression…'
'OK going back to the former Interior Minister there are some who say he is the only one who The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless will agree to talk to, and he has strong ties with the deep state, though time and again The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless has said he will only negotiate with the establishment.'
'So how deep is the state?'
'Don't be facetious.'
'No, seriously, I want to know.'
'Deeper than a sinkhole that suddenly appears in front of you, and you have no time or means to avoid it.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
17 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Provinces must be consulted on oil deals, says Raza Rabbani
Listen to article Former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has criticised the federal government for failing to maintain transparency in finalising an oil exploration deal with the United States, which was publicly revealed through a tweet by the US president on Wednesday night. In a press statement issued on Thursday, Rabbani said it was 'a sad day for transparency and good governance' when the people of Pakistan had to learn of such an agreement through social media rather than formal government channels. He reminded the federal government that under Article 172(3) of the Constitution of 1973, the provinces have a 50% ownership stake in all lands, minerals, and resources of value. 'Such deals and projects fall under constitutional provisions and cannot be finalised unilaterally,' he said. Calling for greater institutional oversight, Rabbani demanded that the government take Parliament into confidence over what he termed 'Western-oriented initiatives.' He further urged the federal authorities to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to engage all provinces in discussions about the oil deal and similar future projects. US struck a trade deal with Pakistan, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, hours after announcing 25% tariffs on imports from India in addition to unspecified "penalty" over New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy. Read: Pakistan, US seal trade deal Trump said that the deal with Pakistan included joint development of the country's "massive" oil reserves. The announcement came as talks continue with other nations, including South Korea, ahead of his self-imposed August 1 deadline. "We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves," Trump wrote in post on his social media platform of 'Truth Social'. Donald J. Trump Truth Social 07.30.25 03:44 AM EST — Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 30, 2025 "We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they'll be selling Oil to India someday!" the US president wrote in his post, without giving additional details of the deal. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his role in finalising a 'historic' trade agreement between Pakistan and the United States. 'I wish to convey my profound thanks to President Trump for his leadership role in the finalization of the historic US-Pakistan trade agreement, successfully concluded by our two sides in Washington last night,' the prime minister wrote on his X timeline. I wish to convey my profound thanks to President Trump @realDonaldTrump for his leadership role in finalization of the historic US-Pakistan trade agreement, successfully concluded by our two sides in Washington, last night. This landmark deal will enhance our growing cooperation… — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 31, 2025 He said that the 'landmark' deal would enhance the growing bilateral cooperation to expand the frontiers of an enduring partnership in the days to come.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Recognition with resolve?
Listen to article A significant diplomatic shift is underway in Europe. In a matter of weeks, two of the continent's most influential powers — France and the UK — have signalled their intent to formally recognise the State of Palestine. Besides, 14 other Western nations have called on countries worldwide to move to recognise a Palestinian state. While such recognition has long been demanded by a majority of the world's nations, its adoption by Western powers marks a notable departure from the decades-old policy. Belated as it may be, this shift could have far-reaching implications for the Palestinians' pursuit of justice and statehood. French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France will recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. Just days later, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer added urgency to the matter, telling his cabinet that the UK would follow suit — unless Israel takes "substantive steps" to end its war on Gaza. Starmer was also careful to reaffirm that "there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas" and reiterated the UK's demands of Hamas: that it must release all hostages, sign a ceasefire, disarm, and accept that it will play no role in the future governance of Gaza. Both the French and British announcements, as well as the recognition call from 14 other Western nations, come amid deepening tensions. The war has already killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and left Gaza's civilian infrastructure in ruins. Aid convoys have been attacked, and access to food and medicine remains dangerously limited. That such developments have also drawn criticism from Israel's traditional allies points to a growing disillusionment with a conflict that has long been treated as an intractable exception to international norms. Recognition, in itself, does not bring peace. It does not end occupation or stop military aggression. But it does serve as a powerful political statement - that the international community can no longer justify its inaction with platitudes about timing and negotiations.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Russia kills 25 in Ukraine, as Kremlin says ‘committed' to peace
BILENKE (Ukraine): The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it wanted peace in Ukraine, hours after mounting attacks that killed at least 25 people, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman and more than a dozen prison inmates. The strikes came just hours after US President Donald Trump set a new deadline of 10-12 days for Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine — now into a fourth year — or face new sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of willfully targeting a prison in the Zaporizhzhia region — that Russia claims as its own — killing 16 people and wounding dozens others. 'It was a deliberate strike, intentional, not accidental. The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians in that facility,' Zelensky said on social media in response. The Kremlin denied the claim. 'The Russian army does not strike civilian targets,' spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including from AFP. Peskov said Moscow had 'taken note' of Trump's new deadline and that it remained 'committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and secure our interests.' Ukraine's justice ministry said Russian forces hit the prison in Bilenke with four glide bombs. Police said 16 inmates were killed and 43 wounded. Bricks and debris and blown out windows were strewn on the ground, according to images released by the ministry. The facility's perimeter was intact and there was no threat that inmates would escape, it added. 'All necessary assistance was provided to the prisoners,' Dmytro Azarov, deputy head of the facility told AFP. Rescue workers searched for survivors in pictures released by the region's emergency services. A senior Ukrainian source said that 274 people were serving sentences in the Bilenkivska facility. The source added there were no Russian war prisoners at the centre. Nadiya, a resident of Bilenke, told AFP the attack damaged her house. 'At about ten minutes to six, a neighbour called and said: 'Come quickly, your roof is gone.' Is that normal? Not a single window is intact,' the 74-year-old said. The Ukrainian air force said that Russia also launched 37 drones and two missiles overnight, adding that its air defence systems had downed 32 of the drones. One attack targeted a hospital in the town of the Kamyanske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding 22 people. 'Putin is rejecting a ceasefire, avoiding a leaders' meeting, and prolonging the war,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said on social media. 'He will only end his terror if we break the spine of his economy,' he added, calling on Western allies to consolidate around sanctions on Moscow. 'Three people were killed in the attack, including a pregnant woman. Her name was Diana. She was only 23-years-old,' Zelensky said. Separate strikes in the eastern Kharkiv region that borders Russia killed six people, regional authorities said. In the southern Russian region of Rostov, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person, the region's acting governor said.
