4Respect for the Government of Pakistan and Pakistan Armed Forces

The Organization upholds the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, including Article 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and of the press subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of the glory of Islam, the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency and morality.

In line with this, all content published by the Organization must observe the following red lines:

1. No content against the sovereignty, integrity or ideology of Pakistan. Material that questions the existence of Pakistan, promotes separatism or undermines national unity will not be published.
2. Respect for the Pakistan Armed Forces. Content must not ridicule, defame or bring into disrespect the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, their leadership, martyrs (Shuhada) or serving personnel.
3. Protection of national security. No classified, sensitive or operational information relating to defence, intelligence, deployments, installations or ongoing security operations may be published.
4. Respect for state institutions. The Government of Pakistan, the Parliament, the Judiciary and other constitutional bodies must be referred to with dignity. Contempt of court is prohibited.
5. No propaganda for hostile actors. Content must not glorify, promote or give a platform to terrorist or proscribed organisations, or spread narratives of hostile states against Pakistan.
6. No disinformation. Unverified claims, fabricated documents, doctored images or rumours concerning the State or its institutions will not be published.
7. Compliance with law. All content must comply with the laws of Pakistan, including the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and the regulations of relevant authorities.

The editorial team has final authority to edit, hold or decline any submission that, in its judgement, crosses these lines.

5Responsibilities of Writers and Contributors

Every writer and contributing writer is personally responsible for the content he or she submits. In particular, each contributor must:

1. Ensure the work is original, accurate and properly sourced.
2. Disclose any conflict of interest, such as a financial, political or professional link to the subject of the article.
3. Provide a short, truthful biography and current designation for the byline.
4. Obtain consent before publishing private information or photographs of individuals.
5. Respond to editorial queries and accept edits for clarity, length, style and compliance with this policy.
6. Inform the editors immediately if an error is discovered after publication.

Where a contributor’s work leads to a legal claim, complaint or penalty because of plagiarism, defamation, copyright infringement or a breach of law, the contributor shall be solely liable and shall indemnify the Organization against any resulting loss.

6Disclaimer: Views of Writers

The Organization does not accept responsibility or liability for the opinions, claims or statements made by writers and contributors. Publication of an article does not mean the Organization endorses its contents.

While the editorial team makes every reasonable effort to check content, the Organization gives no guarantee as to the completeness or accuracy of contributors’ work and is not liable for any loss arising from reliance on it.

This disclaimer applies automatically to every article, column, analysis, research paper, interview and other contribution published on any platform of the Organization, whether on its website or on social media, and whether or not a separate disclaimer appears with the individual piece. The absence of a disclaimer on any particular publication shall not be taken to mean that the Organization endorses or accepts responsibility for its contents.

7Corrections, Enforcement and Amendments

7.1Corrections and complaints

The Organization is committed to correcting errors promptly. Readers, subjects of articles and other affected parties may submit a correction request or complaint to the editorial office, stating the article, the error and the supporting evidence. Confirmed errors will be corrected and, where significant, a correction note will be added to the article.

7.2Right to edit or remove content

The Organization reserves the right to edit, update, unpublish or remove any content, at any time and without prior notice, if it breaches this policy, the law, or the Organization’s editorial standards.

7.3Consequences of violation

A breach of this policy may result in one or more of the following:

1. Rejection or removal of the content concerned.
2. A written warning to the writer.
3. Suspension or permanent termination of the writer’s association with the Organization.
4. Referral to the relevant authorities where the law requires it.

7.4Authority of the Chairman

Muhammad Ali Pasha, as Chairman of The Gulf Observer Research Forum and Owner & Patron-In-Chief of The Gulf Observer, holds final and overriding authority over all appointments and associations within the Organization.

He reserves the absolute right, at any time, with or without assigning any reason and without prior notice, to:

1. Remove, dismiss or relieve any person from any position, title or designation in the Organization, whether honorary, editorial, advisory, managerial or contributory.
2. Blacklist any writer, contributor, staff member, representative or partner from future association with the Organization.
3. Delete or unpublish any content, profile, byline or reference connected to such person from the Organization’s platforms.

His decision in these matters shall be final and binding, and no person shall have any claim against the Organization or the Chairman on account of such action.

7.5Fraud, misconduct and malicious campaigns

If any person, whether currently or formerly associated with the Organization, is found on the basis of evidence to have:

1. Committed fraud, forgery, misappropriation of funds or any financial irregularity;
2. Cheated, deceived or misrepresented the Organization, including by using its name, logo, letterhead, press cards or designations without authorisation; or
3. Run, joined or supported any malicious, false or defamatory campaign, by any means, against the Organization or its Patron-In-Chief, Muhammad Ali Pasha,

then the Organization reserves the right to:

1. Publish a public notice on its website and social media accounts naming the person, stating that he or she is no longer associated with the Organization, and warning the public not to deal with him or her in the Organization’s name;
2. Initiate strict legal proceedings against such person, both civil and criminal, including claims for damages, defamation and recovery of any loss, under the laws of Pakistan or any other applicable jurisdiction; and
3. Report the matter to the relevant law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

All costs arising from such action shall be recoverable from the person concerned.

7.6Amendments

The Organization may revise this policy at any time. The updated version takes effect from the date it is published on the website, and continued submission of content constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

7.7Governing law

This policy is governed by the laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

7.8Contact

Correction requests, copyright complaints and permission requests may be sent to The Gulf Observer through the contact details listed on thegulfobserver.com.