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Dawn Editorials (22 December 2023)
Dawn Editorials (22 December 2023)
&
Punjab Judicial Officers Academy
DAWN Editorials: 22 December 2023, Friday
FOR the past few years, dubiously recorded private Dubiously Doubtfully,
conversations of public figures have been released to
1. پ
وکشمکوطر ر
(Adv) Uncertainly
the media, or uploaded on social media, in an effort
to sully reputations. Victims of this detestable Dishonor,
2. Sully (V) داغاگلان
practice have included people from the sporting Spoil
world, judges and politicians including prime
ministers, and even their relatives. The million- Detestable Despicable,
3. رفنت
اقِلب ر
rupee question is: who is responsible? The Islamabad (Adj) Revolting
High Court attempted to answer this query while
Inquiry,
hearing petitions related to illegal wiretapping. 4. Query (N) قیقحت Interrogation
During Wednesday`s hearing of former first lady
Bushra Bibi`s case, the attorney general told the court Requests,
that the ISI, FIA and IB are `not allowed to record any 5. Petitions (N) دروخایتسر
Appeals
conversations`, adding that if any government
agency was involved in this practice, `it is doing so Wiretapping Monitoring,
6. س
اجوس ر
illegally`. Further, the IHC was reportedly told that (N) Spying
the ISI cannot trace the source of the audio leaks.
Other intelligence agencies like the IB and FIA, too, Offenders,
7. Culprits (N) رجمم
have previously denied knowledge of the source of Criminals
similar leaks. So, if the nation`s top agencies cannot
trace the culprits, then who can? It is common Aggressive,
8. Hostile (Adj) اخمافل رہن،اجراحہن
practice the world over for intelligence agencies to Antagonistic
monitor suspected hostile actors and foreign agents
Mean,
who intend to harm the country. To do so is no doubt 9. Intend (V) ارادرہرکان
Aim
necessary while following SOPs to avoid violating the
rights of innocent people. Anger,
10. Frenzy (N) ہصغ
Rage
But to extend these powers to secretly record
personal conversations of public figures and private Eavesdropping Spying,
11. ننس
ےکپچےسابںیت ر
citizens cannot be justified. What national security (N) Snooping
objectives are served by illegally recording personal
calls or messages, and then releasing these, initiating Happily,
12. Gleefully (Adv) وخیشےس
a frenzy in the media and cyberspace? In fact, the Joyfully
policy of electronic eavesdropping by powerful
Dirty laundry Defamation,
quarters is a continuation of the practice of 13. دبانیم
maintaining `files` on public figures, and releasing
(N) Depreciation
these as and when `required`. As for those reacting Organized,
gleefully to their opponents` dirty laundry being 14. Deployed (V) تکس
اامعتسلےئکاج ر Arranged
aired publicly through such means, they should
remember that the same weapon can be deployed Dreadful,
against them at some point. Both Imran Khan and 15. Vile (Adj) یقح
ر Awful
Shehbaz Sharif can testify to this, as the
conversations of both gentlemen were leaked from Organization,
16. Polity (N) سن
مظنو ر
the time, they were in the Prime Minister`s Office. Institution
The IHC has said it could appoint local and foreign
experts in case the state failed to provide information Involvement,
17. Complicit (N) یل
ومش ر
about the leaks. The solution could lie in appointing Connivance
an empowered commission to investigate the source
Dappled,
of the leaks. Forensic experts, as well as those 18. Shady (Adj) اسہیدار
Sheltered
familiar with the technology in question, can be
brought on board to trace the culprits, and help end Effort,
this vile practice. Illegally recording and releasing 19. Endeavour (V) دجودہجرکان
Struggle
personal conversations has no place in a democratic
polity, and is more suited to police states. If the state Reveal,
does not want to be seen as complicit in these shady 20. Unveil (V) اسےنمالان Expose
activities, it must endeavour to unveil the source of
the leaks.