PM SHEHBA Z REAFFIRMS SOLIDARIT Y WITH QATAR, URGES MUSLIM UNIT Y AGAINST ISRAELI PROVOCATIONS
g PREMIER VISITS DOHA TO REAFFIRM PAKISTAN ’S FULL SOLIDARITY WITH EMIR, ROYAL FAMILY, AND PEOPLE
16 and 18 in AJK northern and central Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa In Sindh he noted relief operations have accelerated with the help of volunteers, and around 150,000 people have been shifted to safer areas Chairman Malik warned that climate-related disasters
has stood shoulder to shoulder with His Highness the Emir of Qatar the royal family and the brotherly people of Qatar during this difficult time, he added He assured the Qatari leadership of
are intensifying across Pakistan, affecting even traditionally safer regions like GB KP and AJK due to glacial melt and erratic rainfall He said the prime minister has ordered a Special National Dialogue Process to frame long-term resilience strategies including a comprehensive national climate plan Damage assessment, particularly of agricultural losses in rice, cotton, and sugarcane, is underway Minister Musadik Malik said the prime minister has directed preparation of a 300-day climate action plan within 15 days declaring both a national climate emergency and an agricultural emergency He said over 2 5 million people have already been evacuated to safer areas, while NGOs and welfare groups have contributed over 2,000 tons of relief goods In times of national crises, we stand together as one nation,” he said Meanwhile the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported declining monsoon intensity and easing flows at some points including Head Trimmu (178 000 cusecs decreasing) and Ravi Head Sadhnai (78,000 cusecs, decreasing) but high and rising discharges were recorded at Punjnad Barrage (660,000 cusecs) and Sutlej Sulemanaki (124,000 cusecs) Other major flows included Sutlej at Gandas Singh Wala (182 000 cusecs) Chenab at Khanaki (92 000 cusecs) and Qadirabad (94 000 cusecs) and Ravi at Shahdara (31 000 cusecs)
full solidarity and support against what he termed an unjustified provocation He also expressed deep sympathy over the loss of precious lives in Israel s brutal and heinous attack and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured
Ismail Industries to establish subsidiar y in S pain for expansion into Europe
receiving advance warnings due to delayed water inflows From Sialkot to Narowal, Lahore, Shahdara, Jhang and Sargodha two major flood waves have already been tracked with one now approaching near Head Punjnad he said
K
The minister commended the role of welfare organisations saying they had delivered over 2 000 tonnes of relief goods while provincial administrations and the military were working closely in the field In times of national crises, we stand together Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, GilgitBaltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir
This is a natural calamity and we face it collectively as one nation he maintained
Malik said the climate action plan would be finalised within a month and stressed the government s commitment to preparedness and resilience We pray no such devastation ever comes again, but if it does, Pakistan will face it united with preparation resilience and faith ” he concluded The minister also disclosed that Pakistan remains among the countries worst hit by climate change He urged provinces to ensure early monsoon preparations and praised the engagement of private and welfare sectors in relief efforts Severe damage was reported in Sialkot
hbaz for his visit to express solidarity Both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination in promoting regional peace upholding international law and supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people During the visit, they reaffirmed the deep brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region The prime minister later departed after concluding his engagements He had been received earlier in the day,
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the PTV News reported The prime minister further thanked the emir for Qatar ’s support of Pakistan during India s aggression earlier this year The emir in turn thanked PM She-
O ver 2.4m evac uated as flood threat
persists in Punjab amid easing rains
crops have been destroyed entire settlements have been swallowed by the river and connecting roads have been severed cutting off ground access to the area Rescue operations are underway using boats to evacuate affected residents In the outskirts of Luddan, the Akbar Shah area has suffered extensive damage with more than 2 000 homes submerged Standing cropsócotton rice sesame and maizeóhave been completely wiped out by floodwaters Women and children are suffering from hunger and thirst due to food shortages At Arifwala on the Sutlej River, a high-level flood has caused significant devastation Displaced residents, left homeless, have pitched tents on their own for shelter Weakened by hunger they await government assistance with growing desperation
As a result of these water levels spillways at various dams are now being opened to release excess water and prevent structural pressure or collapse In the Danga area of Kharian, two brothers, 14-yearold Zainer and 12-year-old Shah Zain, drowned in the nullah near Mohalla Shah Takiya Zainer was rescued by locals while the search for Shah Zain’s body continued till late at night The search will resume today BABYGIRL AMONG SIX DIE THREE MISSING IN FLOOD BOAT CAPSIZE IN JALALPUR PIRWALA
Kotla, Bahadurpur, and Sabra have been severely impacted
Although the flow of water remains steady at the Sher Shah embankment near Multan the decision to break the Sher Shah protective bund has been postponed, as the threat of a high flood in Jalalpur Pirwala has now subsided At Head Panjnad, water levels have risen again Currently a powerful flood wave carrying 607 000 cusecs is passing through the point
Earlier the flood that passed through the Alipur region devastated 70% of the tehsil s area The next 24 hours have been declared extremely critical for flood response and safety efforts
In the suburbs of Qaboola, the Farid Shah area has been overwhelmed by flooding Thousands of acres of
At the Guddu Barrage water levels have crossed 500 000 cusecs Villages along the riverbanks are now underwater Locals are evacuating and relocating on their own, as formal evacuation assistance remains limited According to the Meteorological Department, over the past 24 hours water levels have also risen significantly at both Mangla and Tarbela Dams Both Tarbela and Rawal Dams have once again reached full capacity At Tarbela the water level has reached 1 550 00 feetóthe damís full storage capacity Similarly, Rawal Dam now stands at 1,751 80 feet,
Six people have been confirmed dead, including a 20-day-old infant girl, after a boat carrying 28 flood-affected residents capsized in the Jalalpur Pirwala area near Multan according to 24NewsHD TV on Thursday The ill-fated boat was part of an official rescue operation evacuating residents from the flood-hit village of Durab Pur The boat overturned during the evacuation, throwing all passengers into the water Rescue teams recovered five more bodies on Thursday afternoon, bringing the total confirmed death toll to six Among them was the body of the infant girl recovered earlier in the day
According to the Chief Police Officer (CPO) of Multan 19 people have been successfully rescued so far The search operation continues for the remaining three individuals who are still missing Earlier on Wednesday, a similar incident was reported in Alipur Tehsil in Muzaffargarh but there were no casualties Rescue personnel said the boat already had more than 10 people on board and when another person tried to climb on the boat, it
delineation of the socio-political scenario of the seven periods of Revelation of the Holy Quran in Makkah The fourth chapter depicts the important events relating to the post-Hijrah life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which coincides with the eighth era of the Revelation of the Quran in Madinah (from 1st to 10th Hijrah)
The next chapter (5th) recounts the events of the passing of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), which include his last address (‘Khutba’) at Masjid-e-Nabwi the issue of his succession and his burial
peninsula and a description of some major idols worshipped by the Arabs prior to the emergence of Islam The second chapter focuses on the Seerah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) his ancestors his youth and business ventures his matrimony his venerable spouses and progeny his family tree Hajr-e-Aswad and passing references to (the tribe of) Quraysh and (the clan of) Hashim The third chapter relates the events of the Be sat of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), the rise of Islam, the non-Arab nations, the simple life of the Arabs, and the Revelation or divine inspiration besides a detailed
The sixth chapter summarises the salient features of the Prophet s (peace be upon him) Seerah such as his simple but austere life, his reverent behaviour, humility and forbearance, his social etiquettes and daily engagements, his elegant profile and conduct as a trustee (‘Ameen’) his compassionate treatment of children his enormous contribution to the spread of Islam his military expeditions (27 Ghazawat (battles) in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself participated and 60 Sariya (military operations) where he was not present but they were fought by his devout companions), and the humanising reformative strategies and measures that he introduced in the scheme(s) of wars waged against the enemies of Islam
The supplement contains
Shanghai Electric’s withdrawal may pave the way for a settlement of the K-Electric mess
SH A N G H A L Electric s withdrawal of its application to buy 66 percent of the shares of KElectric moves the twisted saga of the first privatisation of a Pakistani electricity company closer to completion K-Electric is also distinct among distribution companies in having generation resources of its own though it does require support from the national grid K-Electric was first sold to the Abraj Group, headed by Mohsin Naqvi Naqvi went bust amid allegations of fraud and the government asked the Chinese government for help It did so by having Shanghai Electric take over Abraaj’s share However, it did not pay for it That allowed Pak-Asia Group headed by Shaheryar Chishti, and which owns, among other things, Daewoo Express and Thar Coal Block 1, to buy Abraaj’s share owned by a Cayman Islands holding company, through another Cayman Islands Holding Company However, Chishti has not been able to take management control because the minority shareholders the Jumeirah Group and the government have combined to prevent elections to a new board of directors The Shanghai Electric’s withdrawal of its application for the performance of the contract has now been withdrawn, and is no longer the Sword of Damocles being held over Mr Chishti’s head The giving to Chishti of management control of KElectric would help improve corporate governance there K-Electric has been beset by scandal since CEO Moonis Alvi was accused of sexual harassment in July and though the BoD later reappointed him, problems remain which can only be settled by a clear owner At the same time though there have been fewer deaths than before, the monsoon has brought deaths by electrocution among the eight recorded so far in the city K-Electric remains a vital part of the infrastructure of the city, which is falling apart The exit of a Chinese firm from Pakistan unfortunately almost coincided with the recent B2B conference in China and the launch of CPEC 2 0 And though Mr Chishti has a stake in CPEC 1, through Thar Coal, the exit will have to absorbed by Chinese firms With three DISCOs to go on the block by the end of the year this development will impinge on prospective investors minds The reasons given by Shanghai Electric, the failure of the Pakistani authorities to close on the deal and the regulatory hurdles it faced, may influence investors and buyers alike
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TH E 2025 monsoon itself is not over, and those affected so far have barely climbed the first rung towards rehabilitation, but it has already begun to provide its takeaways The most important is that Pakistan has no friends to provide any direct help that all are helpless before the wrath of nature Another takeaway has been that India is proving itself a permanent enemy, and is now trying to weaponize the monsoon Finally, and perhaps most important, Pakistanis are busy shooting themselves in the foot, and taking steps which ensure that the effects of the monsoon are actually worse than they are
Though Pakistan is desperately trying to curry favour with both the USA and China neither can stop or even mitigate the effects of the monsoon Perhaps if either was to reduce its carbon footprint, it would help The USA is headed by a climate change denier, however who thinks it is a Chinese conspiracy meant to stop him making America great again
Unfortunately Pakistan is perhaps made vulnerable by being both a monsoon area and being irrigated by an exotic river, the Indus Exotic rivers originate into humid regions and pass through arid lands Apart from the Indus, the Nile of Egypt and the Colorado in the USA provide other examples All have been host to ancient civilizations: the Nile to the Pharaonic Egyptians the Indus to the Moenjodaro civilization and the Colorado to Native Americans like the Pueblo and the Navajo One of the characteristics of an exotic river is that it floods annually, because of the annual retreat of glaciers by melting (they would return to full size in winter) For Pakistan this is also the time of the monsoon and the Indus is swollen by both rainwater and snowmelt Pakistan faces another complication It is the lower riparian The upper riparian India made its intentions clear as early as 1947, when it cut the water supply to Pakistan, only releasing it after international intervention It was because of this that the Indus Waters Treaty was put in plce, being signed in 1960, which allocated three of the tributaries of the Indus to India the Beas the Sutlej and the Ravi and allocating to Pakistan the other two tributaries the Jhelum and the Chenab as well as the main river The Treaty provided for an elaborate dispute resolution mechanism, well as for the World Bank to act as guarantor During the Pehelgam crisis in June, India declared that was suspending the IWT How it could so it did not explain but that suspension was now being used as an abrogation with the Indian government having said it would not end the suspension Thus in addition to the snow melt and the rainwater, at least three Indian releases of water were added One was from the Salal Dam, supposedly a run-of-the-river hydel project to which Pakistan has objected, and the other from the Madhopur Barrage The Madhopur
A closer look at Pakistan’s tourism potential
Barrage is one of the oldest on the Indus, to the extent that it had to be rebuilt in 1959 It was damaged and might well require rebuilding Release of water may have preserved the barrage but the damage inflicted on Pakistan s farmers was immense However, the real danger is to come, for instead of a steady flow, the floodwater is released only when it has been built up at one of the storage points, with the release attacking as a relatively unguided missile attacking every structure in its way whether dam barrage or even embankments The result is that all these structures are weakened Sooner or later they will collapse wreaking the sort of destruction that could be expected from an atomic bomb That destruction would not only encompass the structure itself, but would flood vast tracts, wreaking further destruction The only difference between that and a nuclear attack is that there would be no accompanying radiation There is a Geneva Convention prohibiting the destruction of irrigation structures But India would claim that no military means were used Pakistan would have to prove that it used its position as upper riparian to weaponize its water releases That would not be so clear a violation of the Convention as using a nuclear weapon which would also have a number of other implications The damage this year has been immense Apart from other causes of destruction, there have been cloudbursts and resulting flash floods, while Gilgit Baltistan and northern KP have fallen victim to Glacial Lake Outflow Floods At the time of writing there had been over 1000 deaths while 6180 livestock had been lost Also of deep concern was the loss of the rice and cotton crops predicted to be in the billions of rupees There has been much wheat lost, especially the thousands of tons stored in the open, leading to the
and Shigar Fort have been restored and recognized for their cultural value while eco-tourism in Fairy Meadows and Deosai National Park is helping protect nature and attract visitors at the same time Festivals such as the Kalam Summer Festival in Swat now draw hundreds of thousands of people every year creating opportunities for local businesses and
Whether Indian hostility is to be blamed or Pakistani fecklessness, the world is about to witness Pakistan appealing for aid to repair the loss This is despite the pledg es made after the 2023 floods, the worst in the countr yÊs histor y, going unfulfilled, and though the countr y can ill afford going fur ther into debt
showcasing Pakistan’s rich culture
Still more needs to be done Roads and air travel in Pakistan should stay reliable throughout the year, even in tough weather Remote areas also need better facilities like quality hotels, internet, guided tours, and proper waste management A clear national tourism policy with stronger coordination between provinces and the federal government is necessary At the same time it s important to protect the environment and keep tourist spots clean To attract global attention, Pakistan also needs more international festivals, marketing campaigns, and cultural events Pakistan can take lessons from Turkey, a brotherly country that has made tourism a major part of its economy Turkey invested in modern infrastructure protected its cultural heritage promoted its destinations worldwide and made travel easier with friendly visa rules Today, it welcomes over 50 million tourists a year and earns billions in revenue If Pakistan adopts a similar approach, its tourism sector can also become a strong engine of economic growth Pakistan s diverse landscapes from towering mountains and green valleys to vast deserts and serene coasts together with its rich history and culture, give it everything needed to become a leading global tourist destination To realize this potential, the country must ensure safety improve infrastructure and adopt well-coordinated policies that make travel easier and more reliable By doing so Pakistan can unlock significant economic opportunities generate millions of jobs, and strengthen its global image as a country of beauty, heritage, and hospitality
The writer is a freelance columnist
PakistanÊs diverse landscapes from towering mountains and green valleys to vast deser ts and serene coasts together with its rich history and culture, give it everything needed to become a leading global tourist destination To realize this potential, the country must ensure safety, improve infrastructure, and adopt well-coordinated policies that make travel easier and more reliable .
Tarmac shame
Mountain guardians
Swas brokered under the facilitation of the Asian Development Bank and hailed as a cornerstone for regional integration It had the potential to
bring much-needed energy resources, strengthen economic ties, and encourage cooperative stability among historically divided neighbors Yet, of the four planned segments only Turkmenistan’s portion stands completed The rest languishes in uncertainty Islamabad s response has been one of passivity showing neither the political will to accelerate its completion nor a coherent strategy to address the obstacles stalling it This is not simply a missed opportunity; it is a reflection of our inability to translate geographic advantage into economic gain This pattern of inaction is especially alarming given the intensification of what The New York Times in 1996 famously called the New Great Game Central Asia, once seen as a peripheral geopolitical arena, has now become a pivotal node in global energy networks trade corridors and strategic competition China Russia the USA and increasingly India are vying for influence in the region Pakistan by virtue of its location should have been at the centre of these dynamics Yet, despite being geographically adjacent to these energy-rich republics, we have failed to establish ourselves as a reliable economic or strategic partner What could have been a geopolitical gift has instead become an untapped resource overlooked in our narrow, reactive approach to foreign policy
The Iran-Pakistan Peace Pipeline is another telling case Iran has already completed its portion of the project investing significant resources to lay the groundwork for a cross-border energy partnership Pakistan s part however remains incomplete with progress repeatedly delayed under the combined weight of US sanctions pressure and domestic indecision In 2024, Tehran’s pa-
tience ran thin and it threatened to take the matter to the International Court of Arbitration Such a move would not only highlight our inability to honor bilateral commitments but would also deepen the perception of Pakistan as an unreliable energy partner This is a diplomatic embarrassment we should have worked to avoid but instead we have allowed it to become yet another example of our chronic indecisiveness Amid these unresolved energy ventures Islamabad s recent flirtation with the idea of crypto-mining partnerships with the USA seems less like a serious economic pivot and more like a political talking point Our history of announcing ambitious projects without the institutional capacity or long-term follow-through suggests that such ventures are far more likely to evaporate than materialize The old adage remains painfully relevant: “What we have learnt from history is that we never learn from history ” On the strategic front our room to maneuver is narrowing at an alarming rate Pakistan is not part of
Amid these unresolved energy ventures, IslamabadÊs recent flirtation with the idea of crypto-mining partnerships with the USA seems less like a serious economic pivot and more like a political talking point Our history of announcing ambitious projects without the institutional capacity or long-term follow-through suggests that such ventures are far more likely to evaporate than materialize.
Seventy-eight years after independence, Pakistan finds itself at a crossroads. The choice before us is stark: we can continue as passive observers in a rapidly transforming regional order, or we can commit to crafting an independent, forward-looking strategy that leverages our geography for our own economic and political benefit. Without such a shift, our future will not be defined by the projects we successfully complete or the partnerships we cultivate, but rather by the long list of opportunities we fail to even attempt.
Q a t a r s t r i k e s h o w s t h a t n o p e a c e c a n b e a c h i e v e d b y r e c o
The strike on Qatar told Ank ara it could be nex t
This moment is a wake -up c all to the region, revealing to G ulf states that the US sec urit y umbrella is wor thless - and the Abraham Accords are a myth
The options for them are closing their airspace to all Israeli flights, or for the UAE and B ahrain to pull out of, or suspend, their membership in the Abraham Accords
If the Israeli strike does not clearly convey to Trump that following meekly in the footsteps of a rogue state led by religious fundamentalists will damage his standing as a world leader, then nothing will
It will also ser ve as an objec t lesson to the government in Lebanon, which is attempting to force Hezbollah to disarm nationally
but for all states near and far from the country s bor-
Hamas negotiating team from extinction in Doha on Tuesday The building they were in was very close to the one that Israeli planes hit and the timing of the bombing was right, but they got the wrong building, senior Hamas sources told me As the truth began to dawn, Israeli reaction turned quickly from jubilation that they had wiped out the leadership of Hamas in the same manner as they had despatched the leadership of Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to mutual recrimination Initially Yair Lapid the leader of the opposition who had made such a point of campaigning for the rel e a s e
Force and Shin Bet “on an exceptional operation to thwart our enemies” That X post had to be rapidly replaced by the following: Hamas members are sons of death but at this stage the Israeli government needs to explain how the [Israeli army s] operation will not lead to the killing of the hostages, and whether the risk to the hostages lives was taken into account in the decision to carry out the operation It is forbidden to wait any longer The war must be ended and they must be brought back home ” The operation to kill the Hamas leadership as it was convening to discuss a negotiating document sent by US President Donald Trump was dubbed by Israel as the Summit of Fire This was an act of a Jewish supremacist state that is supremacist not just in Palestine, but throughout the region as a whole It was not as if Netanyahu and the planners of this attack had given no thought to the implications of bombing Qatar Quite the contrary They wanted to send a message to Qatar or any other Arab state hosting Hamas that Israel can do what it wants; that its military can roam the region to strike any target at will any time, irrespective of sovereignty, or whose airspace they must fly over to get there Netanyahu has also threatened to hit Hamas members in Turkey The strike on Qatar told Ankara it could be next BOMBING NEGOTIATIONS: For political scientist Menachem Klein Israel has become a genocidal society that has abandoned diplomacy and will only do things by force He told Middle East Eye: Israel is a genocide society; it is a society that decided that there is no diplomacy there is only force It’s beyond Palestine: it’s Iran it’s Syria - he has threatened to hit Hamas members in Turkey and threats were exchanged with [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan
Israel has also shown a lack of consideration for Egypt and certainly in Yemen It s basically forced engineering of the entire region,” Klein added “The raison d’etre of this coalition is Jewish supremacy It’s a regime of Jewish supremacy and it wants to establish Jewish supremacy not only in Palestine but in the entire region by means of force - also inside Israel against the Palestinians in the West Bank and also against the Palestinians of 1948
Netanyahu s campaign to re-engineer the region has huge implications not just for Israel’s neighbours,
ders: for the Gulf Cooperation Council states and for those who have normalised relations with Israel by signing the Abraham Accords In the short term, bombing Hamas meant bombing the negotiators Had the attack succeeded, there would have been no one left in Hamas to negotiate with; no one with authority to tell any of the remaining guards in Gaza to release their prisoners
Not only that but had the air strike succeeded Operation Summit of Fire would have meant the end of all attempts to get the remaining hostages back alive By bombing Hamas, Israel was bombing the negotiation process itself Egyptian mediation has already ended and it’s hard to see how Qatari mediation can continue So even now with the Hamas team alive all negotiations to release the hostages in Gaza are probably over The reality has been obvious to anyone who has followed the negotiations over the last two years Netanyahu has thwarted seven separate attempts to get a deal, including deals his own negotiating team had initialled But now it’s obvious to everyone that he wants to end all negotiations and resolve Gaza by force alone
TROUBLING IMPLICATIONS: The only remaining avenue is for US envoy Steve Witkoff to take over the process and negotiate directly with Hamas himself, over Israel’s head But that would mean his boss having to force Israel to stop its ground operation in Gaza City which he has been reluctant to do Besides if Trump knew of Israel s Doha operation in advance and greenlit it by failing to stop it what value is there in any future guarantee he could give to Hamas that if they release all hostages, the war would stop and Israel would withdraw?
In this case, the Hamas negotiating committee was convening to discuss a ceasefire proposal Trump himself had written It should be clear to all that Trump’s guarantees are worthless But in the longer term the implications of this failed air strike are much more troubling for Arab heads
as leaders of their own airspace and their own countries
As in 1997, the failed strike on Hamas will immediately be a huge boost to the reputation of the movement, which is proscribed as a terrorist group in the UK and other countries No longer will any local commentator
DanisH BHutto
as Taiwan China and the US once fought side by side during World War II to defeat militarism and fascism, while in this new era, the two sides should work together for world peace and prosperity, tackle global challenges and shoulder their due responsibilities as major countries said Wang Both sides believed that the call was timely necessary and fruitful and stressed the need to further leverage the strategic leading role of head-of-state diplomacy in China-US relations, properly manage differences, explore practical cooperation, and promote the stable development of bilateral relations according to the readout The phone call between the Chinese and US top diplomats came as the defense chiefs of the two countries held a video talk on Wednesday Some Chinese experts said the latest
calls between the senior Chinese and US officials can be seen as a continuation and implementation of the outcomes of the phone call between the Chinese and US leaders on June 5 The clear message from the Chinese side is the hope that the US will effectively carry forward and implement the consensus reached by the two leaders so as to maintain the overall stability of China-US relations, observers said With the US signing new trade arrangements with other countries coupled with pressure on China against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a series of questions including Taiwan negative factors have become more prominent, Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told media on Thursday “Under such circumstances it is all the more necessary for both sides to work together to effectively manage these destabilizing elements and create favorable conditions for possible future high-level engagement,” Diao said WASHINGTON A F P
Charlie Kirk killer still at large as police find gun
The gunman who shot dead US rightwing youth leader Charlie Kirk in a targeted killing remained at large Thursday but authorities said they have video images of the suspect and have recovered a high-powered rifle
Kirk, a 31-year-old superstar on the Republican right who was credited with helping Donald Trump return to the presidency last year was shot while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday The killing described by the FBI as a targeted event shocked a nation already reeling from political tensions half a year into Trump’s second term Authorities acknowledged the gunman remained at large after having escaped into woodland
We re doing everything we can to find him, and we re not sure how far he has gone yet, but we will do our best, FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls told a
media briefing Authorities said they had secured quality images of the killer who was of university age We do have good video footage of this individual We are not going to release that at this time,” said Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety Bohls said the presumed murder weapon had also been found It is a high powered bolt action rifle
That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled, the FBI agent said Two people initially detained for questioning were released after officials determined they had no connection to the shooting DARK MOMENT
Reflecting the intensely political nature of the incident, it was Trump, rather than law enforcement authorities, who first announced to Americans that Kirk had died from his wound Trump then addressed the nation in a video address on social media in which he cited a dark moment for America Despite no public information about
the shooter ’s identity or motive the president went on to suggest that the left wing was responsible and to pledge a widereaching response For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world s worst mass murderers and criminals ” he said This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we re seeing My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity,” Trump said SHOT IN NECK Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to
Nepal ’s army mediates with ‘Gen Z ’ protesters to pick interim leader
for
to
an army spokesperson said after
demonstrations that
30 and forced the prime minister to
Soldiers were patrolling the quiet streets of Kathmandu following the capital’s worst protests in decades triggered by a social media ban that authorities rolled back after 19 deaths as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, who was Nepal s first woman appointed to the job in 2016, is the frontrunner to be interim leader, with her name suggested by many of those leading the protest
“We see Sushila Karki for who she truly is honest fearless and unshaken said Sujit Kumar Jha a 34-yearold supporter of the agitation She s the right choice
When truth speaks, it sounds like Karki
Karki, 73, has given her consent, but efforts are being made to find a constitutional route to appoint her, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity
However there were some differences over her candidature among the protesters who were seeking to reach a unanimous decision another source said Karki did not respond to telephone calls from Reuters to seek comment An army spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Earlier on Thursday the spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet had told Reuters “Initial talks are on and would continue today ” referring to the discussions on an interim leader We are trying to normalise the situation slowly Shops schools and colleges stayed shut in Kathmandu and surrounding areas, but some essential services had resumed
Prohibitory orders will stay in Kathmandu and surrounding areas for most of the day, the army said in a statement while an airport spokesman said international flights were operating The death toll from the protests had risen to 30 by Thursday Nepal s health ministry said with 1,033 injured The demonstrations are popularly referred to as the “Gen Z” protests since most participants were young people voicing frustration at
Trump issues rare rebuke to Netanyahu over Qatar strikes
KATHMANDU
CORPORATE CORNER
Foolproof securit y for Chinese nationals, other foreigners key responsibilit y: CCPO
City Police Officer Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana presided over review meeting of Civil Lines and City Divisions at his office The meeting evaluated various professional matters including public service delivery Addressing the meeting CCPO Lahore emphasized that ensuring foolproof security for all foreign nationals, including Chinese citizens, is a key responsibility of the Lahore police He issued directives for a crackdown on organized beggar mafias highlighting that the presence of beggars on major roads poses a continuous security threat Immediate action must be taken against them Beggars must not be allowed to loiter at intersections, he stressed CCPO Kamyana directed SP Civil Lines (Operations) to initiate a crackdown on illegal gambling dens and called for improved performance in controlling social crimes He also ordered strict enforcement of security SOPs in markets and commercial centers Highlighting the menace of drug trafficking, he called for intensified operations to root out drug dealers from the city
Randhawa reviews newly-built parking area at Pak Secretariat
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, visited the newly constructed parking area at the Pak Secretariat on Thursday The purpose of this project is to provide a permanent solution to the long-standing parking issues faced by employees and visitors at one of the most important Government offices in the Federal Capital On this occasion, Member Admin and Estate Talat Mehmood, Member Engineering Syed Nafasat Raza, DC Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon along with other relevant officers, accompanied the Chairman CDA During the briefing Chairman CDA was informed that this parking area spans
DIG Islamabad chairs high-level meeting on crime prevention ISLAMABAD
According to the details, DIG Islamabad Muhammad Jawad Tariq, chaired a high-level meeting to review crime control measures The meeting was attended by SSP Operations Muhammad Shoaib Khan SP Industrial Area and SHOs from various police stations During the meeting the DIG Islamabad Muhammad Jawad Traiq directed that arrests of offenders involved in heinous crimes must be ensured without delay and no leniency be shown to criminal elements He further emphasized that all arrested accused must be challan in courts on the basis of strong cogent evidence so that the requirements of justice are fully met The DIG Islamabad also instructed all officers to continue search and combing operations in their respective areas on a regular basis, utilizing all available resources to curb criminal activity DIG Muhammad Jawad Tariq reaffirmed that protecting the lives and property of citizens remains the top priority of Islamabad Police
IHC CJ ADMONISHES IMA AN MA Z
ACTION OVER
g TENSIONS FLARE UP DURING HEARING OF PLEA SEEKING MAHRANG ’S NAME FROM ECL
against enforced disappearances Initially placed on a 20-day remand by an anti-terrorism court her detention has since been extended Mahrang s name was added to the ECL in 2024, when she was stopped at the airport while traveling to the United States to attend the Time 100 Gala Since then she has repeatedly petitioned courts for its removal
PM stresses
Pak-B
angladesh ties should continue to grow from strength to strength
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on
Thursday expressing satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship including people-to-people contacts, academic exchanges, trade and economic collaboration stressed that relations between the two countries should continue to grow from strength to strength
The prime minister, in a meeting with Bangladesh s Adviser on Religious Affairs, Dr AF M Khalid Hossain, who called on him here, expressed hope that both countries would continue to exchange highlevel visits to sustain the existing momentum in bilateral relations
Dr AF M Khalid Hossain was accompanied by High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan Md Iqbal Hussain Khan
The prime minister warmly welcomed Dr Hossain and his delegation and noted that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh were deeply rooted in shared history, cultural ties, and familial affinities
Fondly recalling their meetings
in New York and Cairo Prime Minister Shehbaz lauded the visionary leadership of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and his role in poverty alleviation, as well as his desire to strengthen Pakistan-Bangladesh ties
Dr Hossain thanked the prime minister for receiving him and noted that the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh were underpinned by historical linkages and common faith
He also handed over a letter from Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus addressed to the
prime minister conveying condolences over the loss of lives and property caused by the floods in Pakistan and offering relief assistance
Both sides also discussed the prospects of early resumption of direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh
Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated his invitation to the Chief Advisor to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his convenience The Bangladeshi side also extended an invitation to the prime minister on behalf of the chief advisor and the government of Bangladesh
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
Seven senators belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned from their respective Senate standing committees on Thursday, declaring that their move was in compliance with the instructions of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan
Those who stepped down include Dost Muhammad Zeeshan
Khanzada Mirza Muhammad Afridi Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Falak Naz, and Aon Abbas Buppi
The development comes two weeks after PTI claimed that around 30 of its lawmakers had resigned from parliamentary commit-
tees However the National Assembly Secretariat only confirmed receipt of 20 resignations at the time In their letters the senators described their decision as voluntary but necessary in light of what they termed the “systematic dismantling” of democratic institutions and norms Swati who resigned from five committees including Law and Justice Economic Affairs and Health Services, wrote that he could no longer serve on bodies designed to safeguard rights while the state itself was violating them He cited the disqualification of PTI lawmakers and removal of the party s symbol as examples of institutional bias, calling the resignations an act of protest as well as loyalty
to Imran Khan’s leadership Dost Muhammad Zeeshan Khanzada and others echoed the sentiment saying that denial of justice and narrowing space for dissent compelled them to withdraw Senator Mohmand, stepping down from committees on Human Rights and IT lamented that lawful avenues for redress had been blocked
The resignations come against the backdrop of widespread disqualifications of PTI lawmakers by the Election Commission of Pakistan following convictions linked to the May 9 2023 protests Imran Khan himself remains in Adiala Jail since August 2023 serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case while also facing terrorism-related trials
