
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
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Express Tribune
a day ago
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Belated but bold
Listen to article France's decision to formally recognise the State of Palestine is a seismic diplomatic shift in Europe's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While long overdue, this step by President Emmanuel Macron — set to be formalised at the UN General Assembly in September — could prove pivotal for Palestine's position in the international arena. With this announcement, France becomes the most influential European power to break with the Western bloc's longstanding hesitation. While over 140 UN member states already recognise Palestine, key global actors including the US, the UK and Germany continue to withhold recognition, tying it to a final negotiated settlement with Israel — one that grows more elusive by the day. France's move breaks that inertia, foreshadowing that the international community can no longer turn a blind eye to the lopsided nature of the so-called peace process. This recognition also arrives at a time of unprecedented carnage in Gaza. Nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced in Israel's relentless assault, while hunger and disease ravage a besieged population. The growing chorus of condemnation, including from Western allies, is a turning tide in international opinion. Critics will rightly say this step comes too late — after decades of occupation, failed negotiations, and now, one of the deadliest conflicts in modern times. But the belated nature of the decision does not diminish its significance. France's stance may spur others, especially within the EU and possibly beyond, to follow suit, bringing greater pressure on Israel to end its genocide. France's step, however delayed, must now become a catalyst for real, sustained international engagement. But recognition must be followed by concrete diplomatic action and, most importantly, an insistence on an immediate ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza.


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Pakistan condemns Israeli attempt to assert sovereignty over Occupied West Bank
Pakistan unequivocally condemned on Friday the Israeli parliament's unlawful attempt to assert 'sovereignty' over the Occupied West Bank. 'This deplorable act constitutes a grave violation of international law and reflects Israel's persistent disregard for Palestinian rights and established international norms,' the Foreign Office (FO) said in a press release today. The FO said that such deliberate and provocative actions highlight the occupying power's systematic attempts to undermine efforts for peace and entrench its illegal occupation. 'These unilateral measures represent a dangerous escalation that jeopardizes regional stability and prospects for a just and lasting settlement.' Violence has surged in the West Bank since the beginning of the war in Gaza, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023. At least 960 Palestinians – including militants and civilians – have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Authority data. In the same time period, at least 36 Israelis – including civilians and security forces – have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations there, according to official Israeli figures. Moreover, the FO, in its press release urged the international community to take swift and decisive action to hold Israel accountable for its violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law. These measures will neither be recognized nor alter the internationally acknowledged status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the FO said. 'Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination. We steadfastly advocate for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.'