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How India’s Private Space Industry Thrives Amid Policy Push And Chandrayaan-3 Success

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The Commune
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Modi Cabinet Approves Chandrayaan-4, ₹1,000 Cr Earmarked For Venture Fund To Indian Space Startups space industry chandrayaan india

The Government’s proactive policies and strategic support, along with direct guidance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have built a strong foundation for India’s private space industry to thrive, industry experts said on Friday.

Indian private space companies are now at the forefront of innovation in launch capabilities, satellite technologies, and downstream applications, driving rapid growth and boosting India’s global competitiveness.

This was the message from industry leaders as India prepares to celebrate its second National Space Day on August 23, marking the historic success of Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the Moon’s south pole. Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd.), Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA), said the success of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 has opened new possibilities for collaboration between the government and private sector.

He highlighted that over the past five years, the number of space startups in India has crossed 300, attracting about $526 million in funding. This, he said, reflects growing investor confidence in India’s space sector and positions the country to reach a space economy worth $44 billion by 2033.

Bhatt added that private players will also play a critical role in the upcoming Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight. Krishanu Acharya, CEO and Co-Founder of Suhora Technologies, said India’s future in space will be defined by how effectively it uses satellite data and connectivity to deliver real-world solutions.

He noted that downstream technologies can support agriculture, infrastructure, disaster preparedness, defence, and governance. “At Suhora Technologies, we see downstream capabilities as the bridge between exploration and national progress and the defining drivers of India’s space revolution in the decade ahead,” he said.

National Space Day 2025 will be celebrated under the theme “Bridging the Past and Future: Honoring Traditional Astronomy and Showcasing Modern Space Achievements.” Students will be at the centre of the celebrations, as the country looks to inspire the next generation of scientists, entrepreneurs, and space explorers.

-IANS

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Lynching And Lawlessness Grip Bangladesh Amid Yunus Regime, Rights Report Says

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The Commune
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Bangladesh Interim Govt Head Muhammad Yunus' Mask Falls Off, Anti-India & Anti-Hindu Agenda Stands Exposed

Lynching has supplanted trial and vengeance masquerades as justice in Bangladesh which has been gripped with violence since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, a report cited on Thursday. Highlighting data from several rights groups, the report mentioned that 174 people have been killed in mob violence between August 2024 and May 2025, with victims ranging from political workers to small vendors.

“At Dhaka University, student Tofajjal was killed; at Jahangirnagar, Masud met a similar fate. Shohagh was crushed under a rock as his killers danced on his chest in broad daylight. Court premises themselves were not spared, as mobs stormed judicial complexes, beating accused persons in custody. Judges, fearing for their safety, hesitated to sit. The robe, once a symbol of dignity, became a garment of risk,” the ‘Northeast News’ report mentioned.

“Justice did not merely delay — it deserted. This breakdown of judicial authority naturally engulfed the legal profession. Lawyers aligned with the fallen regime were targetted: chambers torched, bar associations fractured, over 150 practitioners jailed, and dozens remanded. Some fled abroad; others melted into anonymity. A new group styling itself as ‘anti-fascist lawyers’ declared themselves guardians of the revolution, but professional solidarity collapsed,” it added.

The report asserted that under the Yunus regime, opposition activists languished week after week in jail, while those aligned with the new order, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and students associated with the National Citizen Party, secured bail with ease. In a horrific move, it stated, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, even granted them indemnity for the crimes committed during last year’s July protests. Moreover, the report stated that Yunus himself was controversially acquitted of labourer exploitation charges soon after taking office as Chief Advisor, which the critics aptly termed “selective justice.”

“The irony was cruel: those who once defended war criminals were now appointed prosecutors, while the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister was arraigned without counsel of her choice, fairness, or due process,” the report stated. According to the report, the Constitution of Bangladesh came under threat after a half-baked document styled the ‘July Charter’ or ‘Declaration’ was brandished as an alternative constitution—a misleading and conceptually flawed manifesto riddled with romantic promises. “The so-called ‘July Revolution’ was sold as emancipation, but many came to see it as misconceived, fraudulent in its promises, and reckless in its haste. To discard a Constitution born of a Liberation War is no mere academic folly; it imperils the very identity of the state,” the report noted.

-IANS

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Historic First: Ex-President Wickremesinghe Taken Into Custody By Sri Lanka CID

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The Commune
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ranil wickremesinghe sri lanka cid

In a major development in the island nation, Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was taken into custody on Friday by the country’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the first such arrest of a former President in the nation’s history, local media reported. Wickremesinghe was summoned by the CID over allegations of misuse of State funds and subsequently arrested following a four-hour-long statement.

Extensive security arrangements were made as Wickremesinghe was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court late Friday afternoon where a huge crowd of supporters had also gathered. The investigation relates to Wickremesinghe’s September 2023 visit to the United Kingdom during his tenure as President to attend a University of Wolverhampton graduation ceremony for his wife, Maithree Wickremesinghe.

The investigators alleged that State funds were used for travel and security expenses. According to the CID’s investigation, the trip, which involved a group of 10, is estimated to have cost the Government approximately 16.9 million Lankan rupees. However, the Former President dismissed the allegations, insisting that his wife covered her own expenses and no State funds were misused, Lankan newspaper ‘Daily Mirror’ reported.

Previously, as part of the ongoing investigation, the CID also took statements from his former Private Secretary, Sandra Perera, and former Presidential secretary Saman Ekanayake over their roles in arranging the visit. Reports suggest that Perera was grilled for nearly six hours after she was summoned to the CID to record a statement in connection with the investigation into a foreign trip which was allegedly funded using financial allocations from the Presidential Secretariat.

Earlier in June, the CID informed the Fort Magistrate’s Court that it had initiated an investigation into the foreign trips made by the former President during his Presidency. While laying out the facts before Court, CID officers stated that the probe is being carried out under the Offences Against Public Property Act. Wickremesinghe became President in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation and was defeated in the September 2024 Presidential election.

-IANS

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Sharad Pawar Rules Out Voting For CP Radhakrishnan In Vice-Presidential Poll, Cites “Ideological Differences”

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The Commune
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cp radhakrishnan sharad pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on Friday said that he has conveyed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that his party will not vote for Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan in the Vice-Presidential elections.

“We will not vote because we are ideologically against. It is not possible to accept the request,” said Pawar in a press conference. CM Fadnavis had called Pawar, requesting his support for the NDA candidate, but Pawar declined. The CM had also called the Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, seeking his party’s support for C.P. Radhakrishnan during the Vice Presidential Election.

“I remember when he (Radhakrishnan) was the governor of Jharkhand, then CM Hemant Soren was arrested inside the Raj Bhavan when he had gone to meet the governor, despite Soren’s repeated requests not to do it in Raj Bhavan. The person who uses power in such a manner cannot be supported.” Pawar said. Further, he said that the INDIA bloc has fielded its candidate, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy, who has filed his nomination papers.

CM Fadnavis had earlier told the reporters that he had called up both Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray seeking the support of their parties, citing that NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan is the Maharashtra governor. Radhakrishnan was selected as the NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate on Sunday.

The announcement was made by BJP President J.P. Nadda during a press conference following the party’s Parliamentary Board meeting held in the national capital. Radhakrishnan has previously served as a Member of Parliament and as Governor of Jharkhand and Telangana.

A veteran BJP leader, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice and previously served as the Tamil Nadu BJP State President. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his “dedication, humility, and intellect”, noting his long-standing grassroots work in Tamil Nadu. On Tuesday, Radhakrishnan was felicitated during the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting.

-IANS

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India’s Forex Reserves Rise $1.49 Billion To $695.11 Billion

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The Commune
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forex reserves india

India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $1.49 billion to $695.11 billion for the week ended August 15, data released by the RBI on Friday showed. The increase comes on the back of a $4.75 billion surge to $693.62 billion during the preceding week ended August 8, reflecting the stable external balance position of the country.

An increase in the country’s foreign exchange kitty gives the RBI more headroom to strengthen the rupee vis-a-vis the US dollar. Adequate forex reserves enable the RBI to intervene in the spot and forward currency markets by releasing more dollars to prevent the rupee from going into a free fall and curbing its volatility. For the week ending on August 15, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by $1.92 billion to $585.9 billion.

Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves. The gold component of the forex reserves stood at $85.67 billion. Central banks worldwide have accumulated substantial amounts of gold as a safe-haven asset in their foreign exchange reserves amid uncertainty created by geopolitical tensions.

The share of gold maintained by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as part of its foreign exchange reserves has almost doubled since 2021. The special drawing rights in the forex kitty stood at $18.78 billion. India’s foreign exchange are sufficient to fund more than 11 months of goods imports and about 96 per cent of external debt outstanding,RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said recently.

The RBI Governor said: “Overall, India’s external sector remains resilient as key external sector vulnerability indicators continue to improve. We remain confident of meeting our external financing requirements.” Meanwhile, India’s merchandise exports registered a 7.29 per cent increase to $37.24 billion in July this year, compared with the corresponding figure of $34.71 billion in the same month last year, according to official data released on Thursday. This shows a strengthening of the external sector.

“Despite uncertain global policy environment, India’s services and merchandise exports in July and in FY26 so far have grown substantially and are much higher than the global exports growth, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said. Major drivers of goods exports in July were engineering goods, electronics goods, drugs and pharma, organic and inorganic chemicals, gems and jewellery,” he pointed out.

-IANS

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Supreme Court Halts Action In Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid–Sri Harihar Temple Dispute

By
The Commune
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16th-Century Mosque Standing On Shri Hari Har Temple Ruins In Sambhal, Residents Testify About Mosque Officials Denying Access To Ancient Well For Hindu Rituals

The Supreme Court on Friday directed both the Muslim and Hindu parties in the Shahi Jama Masjid–Sri Harihar Temple dispute in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal to maintain the status quo until the next hearing.

A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar was hearing a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the mosque committee against the Allahabad High Court’s decision that had upheld a Chandousi court order for a survey of the disputed site. The SLP also challenged the prima facie finding of the Allahabad High Court that the suit was not barred by the Places of Worship Act, 1991, since it sought access to the disputed property under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

After the Hindu side argued that another bench of the Supreme Court has held that an ASI-protected monument does not fall under the Places of Worship Act, the Justice Narasimha-led bench asked advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain to place the said order on record and posted the matter for hearing on Monday.

In the meantime, the apex court asked the parties to maintain the status quo in respect of the disputed site. In its impugned order, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the civil revision petition seeking a stay on the proceedings pending before the trial court. The Shahi Jama Masjid has become the centre of a legal dispute after Hindu plaintiffs alleged that the mosque was built over a Hindu temple known as the Harihar Mandir.

In November last year, violence had erupted in Sambhal during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Mosque, resulting in the deaths of at least four people. The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the trial court’s proceedings, directing that no further steps be taken until the Allahabad High Court reviewed the mosque committee’s petition.

After the order was passed by the Allahabad High Court on May 19, the survey-related aspect was expected to move forward in the Sambhal district court. The mosque committee argued that the survey order was passed in haste, without giving them an opportunity to be heard. They also raised concerns over the fact that the mosque was surveyed twice — first on the day of the order and again on November 24, when violence broke out.

However, the Allahabad High Court had dismissed these arguments and refused to intervene in the trial proceedings. The Hindu plaintiffs — including advocate Hari Shankar Jain and seven others — claim that the mosque stands on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Harihar, which they allege was partly demolished in 1526 under the orders of Mughal Emperor Babur.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) stated that the Shahi Jama Masjid is a centrally protected monument and cannot be characterised as a place of public worship, as there are no official records to support such a designation.

-IANS

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“Our Duty To Make EPS CM,” Says BJP Leader Annamalai At Party Booth Workers Meeting

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The Commune
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annamalai eps aiadmk bjp

BJP leader K Annamalai said it is the party’s duty to ensure Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) becomes the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He made the statement during the BJP Booth Committee conference held in Tirunelvei on Friday 22 August 2025, which was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders.

Addressing party workers, Annamalai urged booth in-charges to work diligently over the next six to eight months to secure victory in the upcoming state elections. “We should work to make Edappadi Palaniswami the Chief Minister. This responsibility lies with every National Democratic Alliance worker,” he said.

He highlighted the achievements of the BJP’s 12-year governance and contrasted them with the setbacks of the four-year DMK rule, emphasizing that party volunteers should communicate both to the public. “We have all gathered here to work for a big change. Every volunteer and leader must contribute until we win the next election,” Annamalai added.

The conference in Tirunelveli was the first of seven booth committee meetings planned ahead of the elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah expected to attend the final session.

Annamalai’s remarks also clarified the leadership and alliance dynamics amid ongoing speculation over the AIADMK-BJP coalition. He affirmed that the NDA is leading the alliance in Tamil Nadu and that both he and Palaniswami are to be supported as Chief Minister candidates.

This statement is seen as a formal consolidation of leadership within the NDA ahead of the state polls, aiming to resolve previous uncertainties regarding the alliance and chief ministerial candidate.

(With inputs from OneIndia Tamil)

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Human Rights Congress For Bangladesh Minorities Warns Of Escalating Targeted Sexual Violence On Hindus, Christians, Other Minorities In BD

By
The Commune
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Human Rights Congress For Bangladesh Minorities Warns Of Escalating Targeted Sexual Violence On Hindus, Christians, Other Minorities In BD

Bangladesh is facing an alarming wave of sexual violence, particularly targeting women and children from minority communities like Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and others, which has reached pandemic proportions under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, said the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) on Friday.

Citing the reports of Dhaka-based human rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra (AsK), HRCBM noted that 342 rape cases were officially recorded in less than three months during the first quarter of 2025, with 87 per cent of the victims being girls under 18 years of age.

Among them, 40 victims were children between infancy and six years old, while the incidents of gang rapes were sharply rising, with the majority of victims being minors. According to the rights body, these horrifying figures represent only the tip of the iceberg, and the true number runs into thousands, which is hidden by silence, fear, and state inaction.

“The vast majority of rapes and gang rapes in Bangladesh go unreported due to social stigma, fear of retaliation, and distrust in the justice system. “For minority women and girls, the silence is even deeper: Allegations of religious bias in law enforcement and lower courts deter families from pursuing justice, leaving crimes unrecorded and unpunished. “In several cases, headless bodies of women and girls have been discovered across the country, making identification impossible and pointing to the unspeakable brutality of the perpetrators,” read a statement issued by HRCBM.

Highlighting the atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh under the Yunus regime, the rights body stated that despite the baseless charges and mounting public outrage, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, has been imprisoned since November.

His bail petition, the rights body said, which is now pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, has received no resolution for months. Since then, it stated that Das has been entangled in multiple fabricated cases, including false allegations of murder.

The HRCBM questioned whether his only crime was speaking truth to power and advocating for the rights of Bangladesh’s marginalised. It said, “His case stands as a microcosm of broader state inaction and complicity — a legal mockery in a system that claims to uphold justice.” The HRCBM stated that it has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, calling for an urgent judicial enquiry into the epidemic of sexual violence against women and girls, with particular attention to the systematic and disproportionate targeting of minorities.

The right body’s new PIL sought a high-powered judicial enquiry into the escalating wave of sexual violence across Bangladesh, demanding accountability, structural reforms, and special protections for minority women and girls who remain uniquely vulnerable to targeted brutality.

-IANS

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Karnataka Congress Dy CM DK Shivakumar Melodiously Sings RSS Anthem In Assembly, BJP Members Applaud

By
The Commune
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Dy CM DK Shivakumar Melodiously Sings RSS Anthem In Karnataka Assembly, BJP Members Applaud

The video of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar singing the anthem of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the State Assembly went viral on social media on Friday. Shivakumar sang it during the debate on the stampede tragedy in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday night.

He sang the RSS anthem “Namaste Sada Vatsale” when Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka remarked that it was impossible to tackle him and reminded him of his earlier statement that he had once worn RSS shorts. At this point, Shivakumar melodiously sang the RSS prayer beginning with “Namaste Sada Vatsale Maatrubhoomi, Vaya Hindu Bhoomi Mahamangale”.

The BJP members appreciated it and banged on their desks. The incident surprised many, and the video of Shivakumar went viral on social media. Earlier, R. Ashoka, while attacking the government over the stampede tragedy, said it was not Home Minister G. Parameshwara but Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar who should be held responsible. He alleged that Shivakumar had posted on social media, gone to receive the RCB players, attended the event at Chinnaswamy Stadium, and even kissed the trophy.

“Shivakumar should give an answer,” Ashoka demanded. “The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has filed an affidavit against the government and against office-bearers who are Shivakumar’s friends,” Ashoka said. At this point, Shivakumar stood up and clarified that he is a KSCA member.

The Secretary is his childhood friend, and the others are his well-wishers. ‘I am also the Minister for Bengaluru, and I went to the airport and stadium, waved the Kannada flag, wished the players, and kissed the trophy. I did my duty,” he said. “However, the accident occurred. I can read out a list of tragedies from other states. Your party leaders posted saying the Home Minister lacked the capacity to permit the RCB parade. I also know how to counter you,” Shivakumar retorted.

“Such tragedies have happened in many places. I am not ready to blame the police. Did the respective governments in those states take responsibility for the stampede incidents, including the Maha Kumbh Mela? At least you should acknowledge that this government took immediate action against officers and politicians and sent a message to the people of the state. I am ready for debate,” Shivakumar said.

At this point, Ashoka commented that Shivakumar was “impossible” and reminded him of donning RSS shorts, prompting Shivakumar to sing the RSS anthem. Reacting to the development, Congress MLA H. D. Ranganath, a staunch supporter of Shivakumar, said, “We are a secular country and the Congress is a secular party. On Thursday, Shivakumar sang the RSS song. We don’t mind taking good things from other parties. The ideology is totally different from ours, but the song is pleasant, and there is no harm in singing it. We are secular-minded people and will imbibe good things from other parties. There is nothing wrong with that. We don’t treat this politically, and that is the difference between us and the BJP.” “This is true secularism. We oppose the BJP’s ideology tooth and nail,” he added.

An old video of DK Shivakumar also started circulating where he is seen saying he was a member of the RSS as a child. He went to the shakha in Rajaji Nagar.

 -IANS

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Terror State Pakistan Exposed: Poets, Journalists, Activists Silenced In PoK

By
The Commune
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Pakistan’s global rhetoric on free speech appears empty as its hypocrisy is exposed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where the word “free” is nothing more than a cruel irony, a report has cited.

“The plight of young blogger and poet Asma Batool offers a stark example. Her ‘crime’ was penning a poem highlighting the harassment and sexual violence women endure in society. Rather than sparking debate, her verses provoked outrage from local clerics, who branded them ‘blasphemous’, a report in the UK-based media outlet Milli Chronicle detailed.

“Within days, Batool was arrested under draconian laws, while a frenzied mob attacked her home for allegedly ‘insulting Allah’. Instead of protecting her right to expression, authorities capitulated to hardliners—turning a poet’s pen into grounds for imprisonment,” it added.

According to the report, the silencing of dissent in PoK is part of a wider pattern. It stated that in Neelum Valley, journalist Hayat Awan, along with activists Wasi Khawaja and Azhar Mughal, were detained for voicing concerns over a military-run arms training program for female students. Their criticism, shared in a handful of social media posts, was branded intolerable. “The message from authorities was unmistakable: questioning the military or its activities remains off-limits. Even as local press clubs staged protests demanding their release, the detained voices remained behind bars, underscoring the futility of challenging Pakistan’s entrenched power structures,” the report highlighted.

It emphasised that Pakistan’s worsening freedom of press has not gone unnoticed, as in 2025, the country’s ranking plummeted to 158 out of 180 countries, the lowest position ever. International watchdogs, the report stated, have pointed to an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests that have left journalists exposed to pressure from both state and non-state actors.

Despite its dismal record, the report stated Pakistan continues to project itself as a guardian of free expression abroad, with officials condemning censorship in other countries and portraying themselves as defenders of civil liberties on global platforms. However, for those living under Pakistan’s direct control, particularly in PoK, it stated that freedom of speech remains a dangerous illusion.

“The contradiction is stark: poets jailed for poems, journalists arrested for social media posts, and activists punished for questioning militarization. Pakistan’s actions in PoK reveal a deeper reality—its proclaimed values crumble when tested at home,” the report noted.

-IANS

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