A shooting incident at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania has raised serious questions about security protocols and prompted calls for swift investigations from Republican lawmakers.

According to early reports, a sniper managed to evade Secret Service agents and climb onto the roof of a building near the rally venue. The shooter fired multiple shots before being killed. At least one attendee claims to have alerted police and Secret Service to the apparent sniper, but his warnings went unheeded.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism of the Secret Service, which is primarily responsible for protecting Trump as a former U.S. president. Elon Musk, a prominent Trump ally, called for the agency’s leadership to resign.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans for an immediate hearing, stating on social media that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and officials from the Department of Homeland Security and FBI will be called to testify before congressional committees.

The Secret Service has initiated an investigation and briefed President Biden on the situation. They also stated that additional protective resources had recently been allocated to Trump’s security detail, though specifics were not provided.

Security experts predict a thorough review of Trump’s protection protocols. Joseph LaSorsa, a former Secret Service agent, suggested that Trump may now receive security measures more akin to those of a sitting president.

The incident occurred despite typically stringent security measures at Trump rallies, which include metal detectors, bag searches, and a secured perimeter. Paul Eckloff, another former agent, noted that the shooter must have either concealed themselves until becoming a threat or only revealed their weapons at the last moment.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Secret Service agents quickly formed a human shield around Trump, while armed personnel secured the stage. The former president was swiftly evacuated to a local hospital.

Gilaman Wazir, a prominent Pashto poet and key figure in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), succumbed to his injuries Wednesday night following a vicious assault in Pakistan’s capital. The 29-year-old activist’s death has ignited outrage and intensified tensions between the Pashtun community and Pak authorities.

Wazir, whose real name was Hazrat Naeem, was attacked and repeatedly stabbed on July 7 in Islamabad. Despite efforts to save him at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, he passed away five days later, leaving behind a legacy of activism and five young children.

Manzoor Pashteen, founder of the PTM and his dear friend, confirmed Wazir’s death in an emotional address outside the hospital. “The closest, sweet, and loyal friend in my life, a strong fighter for independence and Afghanism, has accepted martyrdom in the struggle but did not bow down,” Pashteen said, his voice heavy with grief and anger.

The attack has been linked to Azad Dawar, a proxy of the Pak Army, and 10-12 accomplices. While a case has been registered at Sangjani Police Station, the suspects have reportedly fled the city. Reports even suggest that Azad Dawar has fled the country, showing the involvement of law enforcement in the attack.

Gilaman Wazir

Wazir’s death has reignited longstanding grievances within the Pashtun community. The PTM, known for its peaceful advocacy of Pashtun rights, has organized widespread protests, against the Pak Army of its targeted attacks against their community.

The poet-activist’s journey was marked by both creativity and conflict. A native of North Waziristan, Wazir was known for his revolutionary poems calling for Pashtun unity. Previously a worker in Bahrain, he was expelled in 2020 after accusations of funding the PTM and subsequently placed on Pakistan’s Exit Control List.

His outspoken criticism of the occupied Army, coupled with his public displays of the Afghan flag, made him a polarizing figure. Reports of his previous eight-month detention and torture by the Pakistan Army underscore the risks he faced for his activism.

Punjabi Pak Army

This tragedy is seen by many as part of a broader pattern of exploitation of Pashtun lands and people by the Punjabi Paki establishment since 1947. It raises urgent questions about the safety of activists and the future of Pashtuns in Pakistan. This exploitation includes the extraction of mineral resources and the use of terrorism to justify military presence in Pashtun territories, resulting in security checkpoints, military camps, and forced evacuations.

The militarization has led to the abduction and enforced disappearance of many innocent youths, often unconnected to any activist activities. Journalists and PTM members face violence and death despite the movement’s peaceful stance. Furthermore, the military’s practice of laying landmines in residential areas has led to tragic incidents, with children frequently being maimed or killed by explosions.

As Wazir’s body makes its final journey from Islamabad to North Waziristan, the thousands of Pashtuns and Pashtun community mourns not just a poet and activist, but a symbol of their struggle. His death raises urgent questions about the safety of activists in Pakistan and the future of Pashtun rights in the country.

Pak-occupied-Gilgit-Baltistan is grappling with crisis as unelected federal ministers, have been appointed by the occupying government. These representatives, who wield significant decision-making power in the region, are corrupt and negligent of the region.

With reports of officials awarding tenders to contractors without following proper procedures has raised concerns about the efficiency and fairness of the occupying region’s development projects.

The area suffers from a severe lack of educational and medical infrastructure with significant difficulties in accessing basic education and healthcare services, particularly in emergency situations. The problem is exacerbated in rural areas, where villagers must travel to cities for essential supplies and services.

Transportation has become a critical issue due to deteriorating road conditions. In some cases, the poor state of roads has turned simple journeys into life-threatening ordeals for locals.

Moreover, the local administration has resorted to land grabbing and allocating large portions of forest land and several rest houses to private business owners from Punjab Province, bypassing legal procedures.

These issues are part of a broader pattern of keeping the people of POGB impoverished while exploiting their resources, a situation that has persisted for over 70 years.