ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to roll out a locally developed secure messaging platform, Beep, for government employees in the coming months. This was shared during the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom on Tuesday. The idea of Beep was first announced in August 2023, and despite earlier comparisons with WhatsApp, the government maintains that Beep will not be competing with the commercial app. According to a news report by Dawn, the Beep app is modeled on China’s WeChat, and has been developed by the National Information Technology Board (NITB). It is also certified for official use. It is designed to offer end-to-end encryption for text messages and video calls, ensuring secure communication for federal ministries and attached departments. NITB Chief Executive Faisal Iqbal Ratyal told the committee that the phased rollout would begin within two months and be fully integrated with the federal e-Office system to facilitate document sharing and workflow coordination. The project aims to strengthen internal communication, reduce operational risks, and improve efficiency across government institutions. Committee members raised concerns over data security, referencing global incidents that exposed vulnerabilities in digital platforms. Ratyal said Beep’s encryption had been enhanced and servers would be based in Pakistan, unlike WhatsApp, whose servers are located abroad. The committee also criticised Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) claim of 99 per cent user satisfaction with mobile and internet services, calling the figures inconsistent with widespread connectivity issues. Lawmakers urged independent audits to ensure credibility and transparency in future assessments.

RAWALPINDI: Tensions flared again in the early hours of Wednesday when police used water cannons, and later batons, to forcibly disperse PTI activists staging a protest near Adiala jail, hours after Imran Khan’s family was denied a court-ordered meeting with him. Police moved in around 2 AM at factory _naka_ (barrier), where Imran’s sisters, party leaders and supporters had camped overnight. Protesters were first hit with water cannons and then chased away, with several workers detained. The exact number of arrests remains unclear. PTI says the protest was triggered by what it calls the “blatant defiance” of an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order allowing Imran to meet family twice a week. Despite the ruling, Imran’s sisters;Aleema, Uzma and Noreen, and senior party figures say repeated attempts to see him have failed. The party condemned the crackdown, alleging “chemical-laced” water was used, leaving protesters complaining of burning eyes and chest pain. Videos circulating online show drenched demonstrators and water cannons firing as police stand guard. PTI called the operation “state brutality” and accused the government of trampling the Constitution and judiciary. Leaders warned the action would only fuel anger, vowing protests would continue until access to Imran Khan is restored. This marks the second time in a week that water cannons have been used against PTI supporters outside the high-security prison.

There were concerns that Shaheen Shah Afridi and others might have to travel to Sri Lanka with the Pakistan national team to play a T20I series in JanuarySee What Happened…

WEB DESK: Pakistan forcefully rejected India's claim over Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, declaring the region was “never a part of India and never will be.” Pakistan's Consul General, Gul Qaiser Sarwani, delivered a sharp rebuttal to an Indian representative's statement. He asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an "internationally recognised disputed territory" whose status cannot be altered by "unilateral statements or false claims." Sarwani emphasised that the Kashmir issue must be resolved according to UN resolutions, upholding the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination. The Pakistani envoy launched severe accusations against India, labeling it a "rogue state" and alleging its direct sponsorship of terrorism. He claimed to possess "irrefutable evidence" proving Indian support for groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which he said are involved in attacks inside Pakistan. “India’s persistent aggression against Pakistan constitutes a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter,” Sarwani stated, urging the global community to take serious note. The diplomat also countered Indian statements on the Indus Waters Treaty, accusing New Delhi of a willful “distortion of facts” and an erroneous interpretation of the international agreement. He clarified that the treaty’s provisions offer no room for unilateral suspension or modification. Pakistan called on the international community to address what it termed India's "irresponsible and aggressive conduct" to ensure peace and stability in the region.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has formally approved amendments to the Judicial Service Rules 2001, introducing major changes in the criteria for appointments and promotions within the judicial service. According to a notification issued by the Law Department, appointments and promotions under various provisions will now be made on the basis of “selection on merit,” replacing the earlier system of “seniority-cum-fitness.” The notification stated that a new Clause (F) has been added to Rule 5 of the Judicial Service Rules. Under this clause, no promotion will be granted until the completion of the minimum service period prescribed therein. Clause (F) will be applicable to officers holding posts from Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 19 to 21. The amendments also include changes to Rule 7, under which the previous condition relating to lawyers has been abolished. As per the revised rules, a candidate must be registered as a lawyer and possess at least two years of legal experience. However, prior legal experience in the High Court or its subordinate courts will no longer be mandatory, the Law Department clarified. The amendments have been notified following formal approval by the provincial government and will take immediate effect. ## BAR COUNCIL BOYCOTTS JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council has announced a boycott of court proceedings across the province, on Wednesday, in protest against the new procedure for the appointment of civil judges. The Bar Council said the call for a boycott has been given in response to recent changes introduced by the KP Law Department regarding judicial appointments. The Bar Council claimed that the Law Department has abolished the requirement of two years’ experience as a lawyer for appointment as a civil judge, which, it said, would result in the appointment of judges without practical legal experience in the future. Rejecting the decision, the KP Bar Council termed the move unacceptable and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

Water cannons were again used early on Wednesday to disperse PTI protesters staging a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, after his family was denied a meeting with the ex-premier. Imran’s sisters, party workers and supporters had staged a sit-in at Factory Naka, demanding their court-mandated meeting with the PTI founder. A court order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 24 this year mandated that meetings with Imran would be permitted twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the PTI maintains that the order is not being honoured. Despite the IHC’s order, Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi — along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, have tried and failed to meet Imran over the past several weeks. Last Tuesday, after being denied a meeting with the PTI chief, his sisters and party supporters staged a sit-in, which was later dispersed with water cannons. Early on Wednesday, water cannons were again used to disperse the protesters, with police starting their operation at 2am. Initially, water cannon vehicles were used to disperse the protesters, with police later baton-charging those who remained. Some of the party workers were arrested but the number could not be confirmed. Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir, who remained at the protest until late Tuesday night, condemned the inhuman treatment meted out to the protesters. Meanwhile, in a post on social media platform X at 4am on Wednesday, the party’s central information department said that it condemned “in the harshest possible terms” the disregard of the IHC order and the “extreme state brutality” witnessed outside Adiala jail. “These actions are not merely administrative failures; they constitute a direct assault on the Constitution, the rule of law, and the authority of the judiciary,” the party said, adding that the “willful defiance of judicial orders has effectively become official government policy”. > “At the behest of the government, the Punjab police crossed all limits of oppression by launching an assault using chemical-laced water cannons against Imran Khan’s sisters, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, other party leaders, PTI workers, and peaceful sit-in participants,” the party said. “There was no emergency situation, no legal justification, and no provocation whatsoever. Despite this, women, elderly individuals, and peaceful protesters were subjected to chemical-infused water, physical violence, and the forcible arrest of multiple workers. This represents a textbook case of fascism, police brutality, and political victimisation at its worst,” it added. The PTI said that such actions “clearly reflect the panic, insecurity, and moral bankruptcy of a deeply frightened government”. It further said that such “oppression, repression, and fascism cannot last forever”. “History bears witness that no matter how powerful tyranny may appear, it ultimately meets its end. The day will surely come when those responsible for these unconstitutional, illegal, and inhumane actions will be held fully accountable,” it added. A video posted by the party on X showed a water cannon being used to disperse what appeared to be protesters as a large contingent of police stood on the side. > Another video posted by a party showed what appeared to be a drenched protester, saying that his “chest was burning” and his eyes were also affected. > In a separate video, Aleema, whose clothes were also drenched, looked at her hands and said, “They used a chemical, it is [burning] so much.” > “Poisonous, chemical-laced water was used,” party lawyer Naeem Panjutha said on X. He said that the water cannon was unleashed on the protesters, including Imran’s sisters and others. “I myself fell; many workers fell; several were also arrested,” he said. > During the sit-in, some of the demonstrators had scrawled pro-PTI messaging on the walls of petrol pumps and other structures near the protest site. Some of the messages included the number “804”, which is reportedly Imran’s prisoner number. Pro-PTI messaging is written on walls near Factory Naka in Rawalpindi on December 16. — Screengrab via author. ## ‘Have no other option left besides protesting’ On Tuesday, Imran’s sisters had marched toward the prison before being stopped. Speaking to a reporter as she marched, Aleema said, “We will sit wherever we are stopped”. When asked if she had prepared for the deployment of water cannons or a prolonged sit-in, she replied that she had brought warm clothes and a blanket, showing the latter on camera. > Speaking to reporters, Aleema stated that this occurred every Tuesday at the same location, maintaining that the protesters were not engaging in any illegal or unconstitutional activities. “We have no other option left besides protesting,” she said. “Our founder’s demand is the restoration of the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law.” She claimed that the judiciary had been stripped of independence, unemployment was rising due to the stoppage of trade with Afghanistan and that the security situation was deteriorating. Referring to her sister Uzma’s brief meeting with Imran on December 2 and the government’s claim of “political conversations” that violated jail rules, Aleema urged the government to inform the family what was discussed. “Tell me what political matters my sister discussed in the last meeting. Political topics should be discussed with the people of the party,” she said. Asked about a recent AI (artificial intelligence)-generated image of Imran in prison, which went viral, Aleema acknowledged she was not aware of artificial intelligence, but maintained that he looked the same as the person in the photograph as recently as October. “Until two months ago, when we used to go visit the jail, the founder used to look exactly like this,” she said. “It may be AI, but it is the right AI. “I don’t know what the prison looks like from the inside, but I can say that Imran Khan looked like this on October 16, the last time we met,” Aleema added. She said that Imran told Uzma during their meeting that “the mental torture is far worse than the physical torture” and that he is being kept in solitary confinement. “They think he will break, but Imran Khan is a man with faith in God. He will not break,” Aleema emphasised. “Imran Khan has said he is ready to accept death, but he will not be subdued by cruelty and injustice.” She added that the government wants Imran to cut a deal with them, but insisted that he is not imprisoned for himself, but for the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law. Naeem Haider Panjhuta, Imran’s spokesperson on legal affairs, filmed a video from the site of the sit-in, showing crowds of PTI workers staging the demonstration into this evening. “We are waiting for a meeting with Khan _sahib_. Today is the designated day for family and lawyers to meet him,” he said. “They are not letting us meet him, despite the IHC court order and visits being permitted in the jail manual.” > PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, who was also present at the sit-in, urged everyone to come and join the demonstration and express solidarity with the sisters of the party founder. “This is not only the job of the assembly members,” he said. “How can these people (the government) tell someone what they can and cannot discuss in a meeting?” However, the party’s secretary general gave a fiery response to a question, asking, “Do you think 20-30,000 people can overthrow a system that has been in place for the past 78 years? “We are calling out to the entire nation. We do not want to carry on this drama for another day, after which people will die,” Raja said. “We will make a conscious effort and will not submit to pressure.” He added that people’s consciences need to be shaken to ensure Imran’s release and said that the moment would come when hundreds of thousands of people would take to the streets. > Meanwhile, Noreen Niazi told reporters that the PTI is a peaceful political party and claimed that they had been “injured” by the water cannons deployed last week. She added that they would “do whatever is necessary to free Imran Khan” and maintained that he was unlawfully imprisoned. > Imran, _imprisoned_since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a _£190 million corruption case_ and also faces _pending trials_ under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. The PTI has regularly raised concerns about his health and that of his wife. Imran’s son, Kasim Khan, _expressed fear_ during a December 1 interview that authorities are concealing “something irreversible” about his father’s condition. However, Uzma Khanum, Imran’s sister, said on December 2 that her incarcerated brother was “perfectly fine” after she was allowed to meet him, putting to rest rumours surrounding the former premier’s health. In a _short talk_ with the media after the meeting, she said: “Imran Khan’s health is perfectly fine. However, he was very angry and said that they are subjecting him to mental torture.” She added that Imran was confined to his cell throughout the day and was allowed only a short time outside. Uzma further said that he was not in communication with anyone, and the meeting between them lasted around 30 minutes. Last Friday, a United Nations special rapporteur warned that Imran is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment and called on Pakistani authorities to comply with international norms and standards. Expressing grave concern over the report, the party said it exposed the “degrading treatment” of party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan during his incarceration at Adiala Jail and amounted to a “blatant violation of international law and fundamental human rights.”

Dhurandhar reflects Bollywood’s shift toward nationalist myth-making, reinforcing adversarial narratives in South Asia.

Justice for Dr. Aafia Siddique

YouTube video by Aafia Movement Official

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