T R U M P I N V I T E S G LO B A L L E A D E R S
T O J O I N G A Z A ‘ B O A R D O F P E A C E ’
G aza administration committee holds first meeting in
RATE CUT HOPES, EXTERNAL STABILIT Y TO KEEP
Senators c all for safeguards on under-18 social media use, propose special committee
The Senate on Friday took up concerns over children’s use of social media platforms with lawmakers calling for safeguards to protect users under 18 and proposing the formation of a special committee to examine regulatory options The issue was raised through a calling-attention notice submitted by multiple senators prompting a discussion on the risks posed by unregulated access to digital platforms for minors Presiding over the session, Senator Sherry Rehman said some form of oversight was necessary and suggested setting up a special committee to develop recommendations in consultation with key stakeholders She proposed that the committee include representatives from the ministries of information technology, interior, education and law, along with members of parliamentary par-
ties and provincial governments She added that the final decision on the committee s formation would rest with the Senate chairman Speaking on the notice, Senator Falak Naz said most social media platforms were designed for adults and exposed children to inappropriate content online harassment and exploitation She cited recent incidents involving underage social media users to underline the potential dangers of unmonitored online activity
She urged the government to develop a comprehensive legal framework including mandatory age verification, parental supervision tools and protective measures for minors She also called for restrictions on the use of platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as well as VPNs by children under 18 and sought a briefing from the IT ministry on existing laws and future plans
Senator Fawzia Arshad said the
issue had become a major concern for parents and required a collective response She stressed the importance of counselling and guidance in educational institutions to help children navigate online spaces and avoid harmful behaviour noting that adolescents were particularly vulnerable without proper support Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry described the matter as a national issue rather than one limited to the IT sector He said the ministries of education and interior along with law enforcement and cybercrime agencies should be involved in developing solutions aligned with international practices He suggested referring the matter to the relevant standing committee for further deliberation Senator Sherry Rehman noted that some countries including Australia had introduced restrictions on social media use for younger users, but cautioned against blanket bans
giants of the desserts industry against each other in head-on collision, we will explore in this piece We will also see how the Commission went about balancing consumer rights against the marketing strategies of massive corporations and how and why it decided in favour of the former In short we will see how the Commission came to its decision
NEPRA FL AGS UNFAIR BURDEN ON CONSUMERS AS KE USERS PAY SURCHARGE DESPITE NO ROLE IN CIRCUL AR DEBT
Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones rise
Phase-II, citing the B2B Investment Conference held during the prime minister s visit to China in September 2025 which led to the signing of more than 160 memoranda of understanding and joint ventures A follow-up mechanism is in place to
Trump invites global leaders to join G aza ‘Board of Peace’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
I thank President Trump for his leadership in establishing the Board of Peace and am honoured to be appointed to its Executive Board,” the veteran politician said in a statement sent to AFP Blair is a controversial figure in the Middle East because of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq Trump himself said last year that he wanted to make sure Blair was an acceptable choice to everybody Blair spent years focused on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as representative of the Middle East Quartet the United Nations, European Union, US and Russia after leaving Downing Street in 2007
The White House said the Board of Peace will take on issues such as governance capacity-building regional relations reconstruction investment attraction large-scale funding and capital mobilisation Trump, a real-estate developer, has previously mused about turning devastated Gaza into a Riviera-style area of resorts, although he has backed away from calls to forcibly displace the population
The other members of the board are World Bank President Ajay Banga an Indian-born American businessman; billionaire US financier Marc Rowan; and Robert Gabriel a loyal Trump aide who serves on the National Security Council Israel s military said on Friday it had again hit the Gaza Strip in response to a “blatant violation” of the cease-
fire declared in October The strikes come despite Washington announcing that the Gaza plan had gone on to a second phase from implementing the ceasefire to disarming Hamas whose October 2023 attack on Israel prompted the massive Israeli offensive Trump also named US Major General Jasper Jeffers a day ago to head the International Stabilisation Force, which will be tasked with providing security in Gaza and training a new police force to succeed Hamas Jeffers from special operations in US Central Command in late 2024 was put in charge of monitoring a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel which has continued periodic strikes aimed at Hezbollah militants The US has been searching the world for countries to contribute to the force, with Indonesia an early volunteer But diplomats expect challenges in seeing countries send troops so long as Hamas does not agree to disarm fully Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath was earlier tapped to head the governing committee The committee s meeting in Cairo also included Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, who was given the role of high representative liaising between the new governing body and Trump’s Board of Peace Committee members are scheduled to meet again today one of them told AFP on condition of anonymity We hope to go to Gaza next week or the week after; our work is there and we need to be there he said
Treality Too often, the deeprooted problems of our district go unnoticed at the national level In Pakistan's prolonged struggle against extremism and underdevelopment some regions suffer more than others but receive very little attention Lakki Marwat a district in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one such marginalized frontline The district faces persistent challenges in security, infrastructure, healthcare and connectivity Unfortunately, these issues tend to enter national discourse only after a major tragedy rather than through long-term planning and preventive action Due to its proximity to areas with a history of militancy the district remains a sensitive zone Residents live under constant fear and uncertainty Repeated attacks on police officials, gas pipelines and communication systems have occurred repeatedly Police officers are targeted both on duty and off These are not random incidents but signs of long-term security problems that the district continues to face Alongside security issues Lakki Marwat suffers from severe human development challenges Healthcare services are limited, under-resourced and poorly equipped The continued emergence of polio cases shows how neglected the health system is In 2025, new cases of wild poliovirus were confirmed in the district including one involving a five-month-old infant In an era when Pakistan seeks to project progress and modernization children in districts like Lakki Marwat are still at risk of preventable diseases This is deeply disturbing Marginalized communities suffer the most in such conditions Violence against vulnerable groups including transgender persons highlights serious shortcomings in law enforcement social protection and societal a ttitudes When people feel that justice is out of reach trust in state institutions gradually disappears In today's interconnected world, access to communication is a basic necessity Yet Lakki Marwat frequently experiences mobile network disruptions and weak internet connectivity Students struggle to participate in online education businesses are unable to operate digitally and families are often cut off during emergencies This digital isolation further deepens existing inequalities Economic opportunities in the district are ex-
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
SIGAR’s Unheeded Warnings
tremely limited Most residents rely on agriculture and livestock for survival livelihoods that are under threat due to climate change water scarcity and the absence of modern farming facilities With no major industries and limited access to higher education institutions, unemployment among young people remains high Many are forced to migrate in search of work, while others risk exposure to extremist influences due to prolonged economic frustration One of the main challenges in
Marginalized communities suffer the most in such conditions Violence against vulnerable groups, including transgender persons, highlights serious shortcomings in law enforcement, social protection and societal a ttitudes When people feel that justice is out of reach, trust in state institutions gradually disappears
Hrecord Afghanistan not as a failure discovered too late but as a failure meticulously documented and consciously ignored The real scandal is not what went wrong, but how persistently power chose to look away For nearly two decades, SIGAR issued warnings with clockwork regularity detailing corruption waste strategic incoherence and institutional decay Those reports were not buried in secrecy; they were tabled before lawmakers defence planners and policymakers in full view Yet, the intervention continued on autopilot, as if repetition could dilute responsibility The reconstruction of Afghanistan ostensibly designed to promote social development and eradicate terrorism instead engineered a parallel economy of corruption and dependency Of the nearly $148 billion spent, billions were siphoned off through fraudulent contracts, ghost projects and inflated security assistance SIGAR’s own estimates of $26–30 billion lost to waste and abuse likely understate the true cost Development became transactional security was outsourced and governance was reduced to a performance staged for donor satisfaction rather than public legitimacy
This systemic failure directly shaped the security vacuum that followed Afghanistan today remains host to a constellation of militant groups with ISIS-K Al-Qaeda remnants and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating with varying degrees of freedom For Pakistan, the consequences have been immediate and devastating Cross-border attacks
have surged militants operate with enhanced lethality and the strategic depth once promised has mutated into strategic exposure This resurgence is inseparable from the catastrophic decision to abandon hundreds of thousands of advanced weapons, armoured vehicles and night-vision systems now circulating within militant networks
Equally damning is the collapse of the counter-narcotics narrative After spending over $7 billion on drug eradication programmes, Afghanistan remains a central node in regional narcotics trafficking Opium, methamphetamine and smuggling networks continue to generate illicit revenues that sustain criminal syndicates and extremist groups
The hypocrisy is difficult to ignore Where Washington cites drug trafficking as justification for coercive pressure and sanctions against states like Venezuela, Afghanistan s narco-economy is treated as an unfortunate by-product rather than a policy failure demanding accountability
Human rights too have been reduced to selective outrage Under Taliban rule Afghanistan has descended into one of the most severe cases of institutionalised repression in the world Women have been erased from public life; more than 1 4 million girls remain barred from secondary education employment restrictions are systemic and dissent is criminalised Arbitrary detentions collective punishments and intimidation of journalists and minorities are widely documented Yet global responses oscillate between ritual condemnation and cautious engagement, exposing the limits of moral consistency in international diplomacy
This erosion of norms is occurring alongside shifting geopolitical alignments India s expanding influence in Afghanistan, under the banner of development and humanitarian engagement, carries unmistakable strategic undertones In an environment already destabilised by militant sanctuaries hostile to Pakistan such involvement deepens regional mistrust rather than fostering stability Afghanistan once again risks becoming a chessboard for proxy manoeuvring rather than a platform for cooperative security At the same time, Russia and China have adopted a pragmatic interest-driven posture Moscow s removal of the Taliban from its terrorist blacklist and Beijing s engagement driven by security concerns and economic cor-
ridors reflect a broader recalibration: legitimacy is no longer tied to governance or human rights but to utility Stability however defined has taken precedence over accountability This convergence of transactional diplomacy underscores a stark reality global powers are no longer even pretending to uphold a common rulebook The United Nations meant to arbitrate such contradictions stands diminished From Gaza to Ukraine from Afghanistan to Latin America enforcement has yielded to vetoes and geopolitical bargaining The so-called rules-based international order now functions selectively, activated when convenient and suspended when inconvenient In this environment might does not merely override right it defines it
For Pakistan this global abdication is not theoretical It manifests in renewed terrorism strained borders, economic disruption and a persistent sense of strategic isolation Islamabad is repeatedly urged to demonstrate restraint and responsibility even as the sources of instability across its western frontier remain unaddressed and in some cases tacitly accommodated by global and regional powers alike
The SIGAR reports, taken together, are not just audits of an intervention gone wrong; they are indictments of a system that mistakes documentation for accountability Warnings were issued data was compiled lessons were articulated yet political will was conspicuously absent When collapse finally arrived, responsibility was diffused, consequences externalised and the region left to absorb the shockwaves Afghanistan’s tragedy thus transcends its borders It exposes a world where principles are invoked selectively failures are managed rhetorically and the costs of strategic arrogance are exported to those with the least influence over decision-making Until accountability applies equally whether in Kabul Caracas or beyond the Afghan failure
Majid Nabi burfat
THE war on Iran is very much
have commenced with full force; or there might be the initial attrition rituals taking place between the warring parties Anyhow, the current scenario brings to mind an undated interview currently being posted on social media The interview conducted by the western correspondent of the deposed Shah of Iran revolves around the power of what the Shah calls the Jewish lobby in the USA On being pressed, the late Shah lists out capital, banks and media to be the part of the lobby’s empire, abruptly stopping in the interview by saying “that I will stop here”; apparently saving his own skin in the process However he underscored the power of the media on opinion-making in a democracy or society like
the USA of the mid-1970s Given the growing realization of that fact it might not have been a bolt from blue for the then Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto or the Indian strongwoman Indira Gandhi to see through the curtains of protocol around them to look into what was transpiring behind the scenes They were dislodged successively in 1977; but those deceased personalities must have realized how demons were made out of their persona; for first making a specific perception about them in the target audience and then implementing what was needed by the Pentagon, US administration or the West Take a tour straight to Iran or for that matter Tehran as to what are the ground realities A political movement transformed into the government seldom leaves its street fighter mindset and keeps that mindset as a reserve to be used as and when required Monday, January 12, the regime or its supporters mobilized several decently attended rallies in support of the Nezam The Tehran rally was attended by the President and the Speaker of the Republic Parliament with apparently not much of the protocol seen in the case of VIPs in Pakistan In a society where the public is supposedly frantically waiting for the sight of the USAF and IDF bombers to dislodge the Nezam the main pillars of that Nezam were roaming freely on Tehran Vali Asr street If shown on the world media this could have prompted the viewers the world over; to question the dominant narrative at this point of time Such disgruntled public as made to believe in the first place is at advantage in such counter-demonstration
It remains to be seen how the events unfold, not just in the form of precision strikes; but the level of reaction by Iranians and above all how the world awakes to the aftermath; an obituary for the time being or an attrition of sorts where a war can drag on to weeks. Unlike Venezuela, where it was a precision operation, the Iranian nut might still be hard to crack The events unfolding as these lines go into print will largely determine which side the region is headed to, in the first place
instances to lynch such regime figures without any hassle if they want to However what is observed is a complete blackout of the counter narrative Rather one comes across the videos on the pattern of ‘White Helmet’ media cell productions, the NGO active during the Syrian Civil war and which was instrumental in precipitation of Tomahawk strikes in that country in 2013 Here in the case of Iran one observes that evidence videos are being shot for the duration of 6 to 10 minutes without any interruption by the morgue staff in Kahrizk morgue, near Tehran; which is a bit difficult to comprehend in a society which is projected as a police state and liable to dislodged at the first opportunity
Consequently what the world is waiting for is the arrival of US help to the besieged people of that republic The scene portrayed by the CNN or BBC, TRT or RT is equivalent to an invitation where any delay can embolden the targeted entity In other words the global media seems to be hyperactive on the count that it has even prepared what can be called a one-sided obituary of the Nezam in the case of Iran The demonization of the republic which is not ready for unconditional submission to the unipolar world and wants to chart out its own path on its own terms suits the dominant media on one count that; questioning their domination can cause a domino impact on the other enslaved entities or cultures
Here it is important to note that the world has always been a place of one or two dominant civilizations and there have been instances where a new narrative has pushed back the old ones singularly based on effective questioning of the status quo and the rewards the societies get in adopting the new narrative
The evolution of the Marxist state in Russia, the transformation of the Chinese society into a value-added society are because of the challenges the unipolar capitalist world had in the form of counter narratives That narrative comes down to personal choices and the technology choices; like why an iPhone can be a better digital photography gear than a Chinese Android; it is the cultural domination which comes with the unipolar world and the consequent narrative
To elaborate further the two wars during the summer of 2025 also laid bare amongst the developed nations whose weapon sys-
tems were practical The French-built Rafales of the IAF were routed in the wee hours of May 7 by a completely Chinese strike package of the PAF; on the face of the facts did not only prove the better skills of the Pakistani pilots; it also laid a question mark on the machine manufacturing by the renowned French aviation name, Dassault Breguet It was no coincidence that the shares of J-10C Manufacturer Chengdu showed improvement in the global stock markets Likewise after the initial decapitation of the IRGC leadership, the missile strikes by the IRGC Aerospace and the devastation on ground by these warheads, their striking velocity as well as their ability to evade the Iron Dome were all illustrative of the fact that new narratives do not stand on mere slogans; but can help form infrastructures which can add value and innovate over the available global technology; for example the North Korean warhead motors and turbines for that matter
The current hyperactivity again is centred around; how a counter narrative is first isolated in the media the demon created out of its existence the public made to believe on that as well as finally
HOW does one write in this moment when overtaken by grief? In Iran, mass civil resistance to authoritarianism since late December 2025 has been met with large-scale state murder As I write these words over 2600 people (with estimates claiming the figure is closer to 3500 or higher) have been killed by state security forces At least 18 000 have been arrested Harrowing images of morgues and warehouses overflowing with corpses in body bags demand that people of conscience globally bear witness
People in Iran are no strangers to mass civil resistance This is the fourth nationwide uprising in just eight years But what explains the takeover of streets time and again by masses who face the tremendous risk of being shot dead, blinded, or maimed, of being imprisoned and surveilled by a judicial system known for its use of execution as a tool to quell dissent? The answer can only be that people are unable to continually ignore their desire to be free from an oppressive state one which has lost all legitimacy among broad swathes of society
Nevertheless, we must not romanticise this event People continually expressing their desire to be free does not necessarily translate into winning that freedom which makes it extraordinarily painful Still making visible en masse people s refusal of the state wholesale and within that, individuals’ refusal to be silenced, to accept power on its own terms will form an indelible entry in the historical record In other words when future generations of Iranians who are no longer living under the Islamic Republic look back they will remember these years of struggle as profoundly meaningful At the same time, it is important to remember that everyday acts of resistance do wrest fragments of power in the present One example of this is how countless women in many parts of the country no longer abide by the legally mandated religious dress code (hijab), a direct result of their bloody battles
during the Woman Life Freedom uprising of 2022 sparked by Mahsa Jina Amini’s arrest and subsequent death in custody BUILDING A DEMOCRATIC FUTURE
What has been glaringly absent from current Western media coverage of these protests, however, is the coalescing of a progressive pole of mobilisation among a notable segment of movement builders who for many years have put forward a radically democratic program for Iran s future and whose legitimacy in the eyes of their immediate communities must not be ignored or understated This segment consists of feminist collectives student groups labour unions and guilds retirees teachers writers fighting censorship protest coordination councils among national minorities like the Kurds and Baluch, and political prisoners At the same time, this progressive pole what some describe as civil society has made clear its opposition to the co-optation of Iran’s democratic struggle by foreign powers This mainly includes the United States and Israel and their would-be surrogate Reza Pahlavi the exiled son of the former deposed shah and dictator of Iran who is claiming leadership of the movement and urging said powers to intervene on his behalf
US President Donald Trump has both threatened to intervene militarily while also claiming that Iran s government is ready to negotiate with him It is clear that the US public has little appetite for what would certainly be a protracted war At this time, when it is becoming clear that Trump shifts his rhetoric based on US political and business interests rather than those of the people in Iran it is especially important to instead tend to the work and perspectives of civil resistance leaders WHY THERE’S FURY While the first protests began among merchants angered by a sharp fall in the value of currency due to the impact of US sanctions they quickly evolved into a broader anti-government uprising expressing rage at the state and Iran s domestic economic elite over decades of accumulated economic injustices and brutal repression along gender, sexual, ethnic, and class lines WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN IRAN LATELY?
Indeed the elite class has grown richer in spite of sanctions due to massive privatisation of industries over decades and concentration of wealth into the hands of state and military-linked contractors whose holdings are not taxed or transparent Meanwhile workers across sectors from education to gas and oil are hired under widespread neoliberal hyper-exploita-
The elite class has grown richer in spite of sanctions due to massive privatisation of industries over decades and concentration of wealth into the hands of state and military-linked contractors whose holdings are not taxed or transparent
The continued building of social bases around this mobilisational pole, and popular internationalist solidarity with such homegrown grassroots-built programs for democracy in Iran, arguably offers stronger prospects for democracy in the long-term than the mythic quick fix presented by the intervention of self-interested foreign powers or reform within the system
tive temporary contracts as labour leaders are jailed for protesting While Trump s imposition of maximum sanctions led to a sharp fall in the currency s value and ballooning inflation the foundations for gross domestic inequality had already been laid by the Islamic Republic over decades Additionally, the current uprising echoed demands made during the Woman Life Freedom uprising that saw society’s widespread rejection of state-sponsored gender injustice whether in family law and civil rights, policing of dress and women s bodies, or labour
The Islamic Republic, like the Pahlavi monarchy before it, has also pursued centralist development policies which have enriched the country s Persian centre while institutionalizing the organised abandonment of peripheral regions populated by national minorities including Kurdish, Baluch, Arab, and Lor communities This, coupled with repression of linguistic and civil rights, has brought many from these communities to the streets All of these factors together with sustained deadly state repression form the roots of people s fury at the Islamic Republic, and their calls for its abolition This fury is certainly not an invention orchestrated by foreign powers, as some suggest At the same time, support for Pahlavi among a portion of protesters and the diaspora demand attention While this base has called for his return either as shah or leader of a transitional council the reality is that this support is uneven and limited In reality, it often comes out of a sense of desperation and the desire for a tangible solution
As Iranian studies scholar Elham Hoominfar argues: “support for Pahlavi signals despair not consensus Others have similarly analysed this limited support within protests across specific regions, as well as the lack of a network loyal to Pahlavi in the state apparatus that could defect and seize power
Beyond this, the US does not have a good track record of bringing democracy to Iran as evidenced by the 1953 US-led coup of the democratic prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh and the return of a deeply repressive monarchy Moreover, a sober view demands that we recognise the contradiction that a democratic transitional program can be delivered to Iran by a foreign power that has facilitated a genocide in Gaza the last two years and the occupation of Palestinians for much longer Nor can it be delivered by the United States, a nominally democratic superpower whose own people have been fighting its slide into authoritarianism History makes it hard to imagine that
such powers would intervene in Iran for anything other than their own economic and geopolitical interests It is equally hard to imagine that they would support the building of a democratic political system which is anathema to their own patently anti-democratic systems THE STRUGGLE FOR A DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM
The progressive sections of the country s organised civil resistance have fought at great cost to abolish the state and delineate a democratic program, while also opposing the movement’s co-optation by foreign powers as well as a return to past authoritarian systems During the first days of the uprising many of these organisations issued several calls to action while participating in protests This included a statement endorsed by the Retirees Union, Kermanshah Electricity and Metal Association, the Do Not Execute Campaign, the Council for Organizing the Protests of Contract Oil Workers the Coordinating Council of Nurses’ Protests Call of the Women of Iran and other groups Other labour unions issuing similar statements included the nationwide Coordination Council for Teachers Unions and the Bus Workers’ Syndicate The Iranian Writers’ Association, which has a long history of fighting censorship both under the shah and the Islamic Republic added to these calls as did a coalition of student activists across five major Iranian universities ALL BETS ARE OFF IN IRAN OR ON (LITERALLY)
Among the minoritized peoples that have long faced the oppression of Persian nationalism and socio-economic disenfranchisement notable statements included those from the Coordinating Organization of Baluchistan Protests and a Collective of Civil and Political Activists and Currents from Kermanshan, Ilam, and Lorestan as well as the Kurdish Civil Society In Iranian Kurdistan in particular where popular movements have long fought for
civil and linguistic rights autonomy and democracy statements that stand out include those from six Kurdish Women s Organisations the Kurdistan Teacher s Trade Association, and Varisheh Moradi, a Kurdish feminist political prisoner whose death sentence was recently overturned and her case slated for retrial These and other organisations have coalesced over years to propose a democratic transitional program for the interlocking crises facing millions of Iranians
The first expression of their cohesion occurred during the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising when twenty civil society organisations issued an unprecedented twelve-point charter offering a blueprint for Iran’s democratic transition It declared the coalition s aims to bring an end to the formation of any kind of power from above and to start a social, progressive, and human revolution for the liberation of people from any form of tyranny, discrimination, colonisation, oppression, and dictatorship ” The program included freeing all political prisoners; unconditional freedom of belief and expression; abolition of the death penalty; abolition of patriarchal legal codes; decriminalisation and official recognition of LGBTQ people; recognition of religion as a personal and non-governmental matter; socio-economic redistribution to the country’s ethnically diverse periphery; recognition of the right to learn and teach repressed languages; power sharing between the central government and local and regional councils; confiscation of wealth accumulated through rent-seeking and privatization and redistribution into education, pensions, infrastructure, and the environment; and popular reclamation of environmental resources privatized and desecrated for industry including water agricultural fields and forests
The cohering of grassroots networks like this takes years While some express uncertainty that this pole of civil society can transform into a viable alternative that is able to seize power the fact that they have already coalesced to their current level despite tremendous repression shows that further cohesion and the development of a revolutionary strategy are possible
The continued building of social bases around this mobilisational pole, and popular internationalist solidarity with such homegrown grassroots-built programs for democracy in Iran arguably offers stronger prospects for democracy in the long-term than the mythic quick fix presented by the intervention of self-interested foreign powers or reform within the system
Alborz Ghandehari is Assistant Professor in the Department of Ethnic Gender and Disability Studies at the University of Utah
Support for Pahlavi among a portion of protesters and the diaspora demand attention. While this base has called for his return, either as shah or leader of a transitional council, the reality is that this support is uneven and limited
Nobel Peace Prize ‘inseparably linked’ to laureate, committee says af ter medal given to Trump
CHIEF MINISTER’S FREE DOORSTEP DELIVERY PROJECT SETS NEW RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE
Railways rolls out coach AC overhaul, moves to plug power van gap
DFP denounces conviction of Aasiya Anbrabi in fabricated case, calls verdict ‘murder of justice’
SRINAGAR
Staff report
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) led by jailed senior Hurriyat leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah has strongly condemned the conviction of Dukhtaran-e-Millat chairperson Aasiya Andrabi and her colleagues Fahmida Sofi and Nahida Nasreen in a fabricated case by an NIA court The party described the verdict as a “murder of justice” and a glaring indictment of India’s socalled judicial process According to Kashmir Media Service in a statement in Srinagar DFP spokesperson Advocate Arshad Iqbal said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court s decision was nothing short of judicial persecution, delivered after stripping the Kashmiri women prisoners of their basic legal rights and denying them any genuine opportunity to defend themselves Such convictions delivered without any semblance of due process only reinforce the growing perception that the courts have been reduced to mere instruments of state coercion, cynically employed to criminalize political belief, crush dissent, and terrorize the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir into silence" the spokesman said He expressed deep concern that Kashmiri political prisoners have been booked on fabricated and politically motivated charges of sedition terrorism, hate speech, and other accusations under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act "These prisoners are being punished solely for expressing their political beliefs and for raising their voices against the injustices inflicted upon the people of Kashmir he added He appealed to the international humanitarian organisations to raise their voice against these wrongful convictions and harsh sentencing of Kashmiri leaders on fabricated and politically motivated charges
able and required power vans thereby improving operational efficiency and service continuity
The official said Pakistan Railways ongoing focus on fleet rehabilitation demonstrates its commitment to upgrading passenger amenities and strengthening operational resilience, particularly for long-haul and air-conditioned train services that depend
NNG STA Junior Tennis Initiative Coaching Camp at Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana
was the Chief Guest in the opening Ceremony and promised full support to JTI Tennis 300 plus Boys and Girls of 25 schools of District Central and West attended with their parents school teachers and coaches attended the introductory session The JTI activities shall continue till 2 month having two sessions per week Muhammad Khalid Rehmani Thanked Mr Arif Habib and Samad Arif Habib and managment of Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana for supporting this grass root Tennis activity at NNG Altaf Hussain Formar National champion Hamid Niaz also spoke at the ceremony Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana is the Sponsor National JTI Coordinator Hamid Niaz has specially flowen in from Lahore for one week Beside Coaching we have also planned workshops for parents coaches and quis competetions Drawing competetion and Essay writing on JTI shall also be part of this two and half months M Essa Jee Muhammad Asif and Saeed were the Assistant Coaches Raisa Ashfaq, Syed Muhammad Yousuf , Salman Karim Mughal of STA, Muhammad Taqi of Sindh Fencing, Amber Nazeer ,a prominent sports official , Noumanuddin of Sir Syed University , Muhammad Saleem of Graceful Gramer School Altaf Hussain and Muhammad Asif of Naya Nazimabad were also present
CEO CBD Punjab reviews ongoing uplift projects
Penal Code relating to “unnatural offenses ” according to a Jan 6 order establishing a special investigation team Some cases also carry additional charges, including kidnapping, criminal intimidation, bodily injury, and attempted commission of an offense, reflecting varying degrees of severity The Additional IGP said the protection of children remained a top policing priority and vowed that those responsible for such crimes would face the strictest punishment under the law He also announced commendation certificates and cash rewards for the police team involved in the operation
Police submit Basant security plan to LHC ahead of Lahore festival
Petition challenges PIA privatisation in LHC, c alls sale ‘unlawful
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s ta f f r e p o r t
A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court on Saturday challenging the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), seeking to have the entire process declared unlawful and contrary to the national interest
Filed against the federal government PIA Corporation and other relevant authorities the petition contends that existing PIA laws prohibit the sale of governmentowned shares in the national flag carrier It argues that the privatisation move lacked the required legal and constitutional approvals
The petitioner maintained that in 2023 the National Assembly had rejected a bill relating to the sale of PIA shares, rendering the federal cabinet incompetent to proceed with the privatisation without fresh parliamentary approval According to the plea any decision to sell shares in PIA required explicit consent of the legislature, which was not obtained
The petition further claimed that approval from the Council of Common Interests (CCI) was mandatory for such a transaction but was allegedly bypassed during the process Detailing the terms of the deal the petitioner said PIA was sold to Nosuairb for a bid of Rs134 billion of which only 7 5 per cent would be received by the government It added that Rs4 billion out of the amount was allo-
cated to the company that facili-
tated the bidding process
Terming the privatisation exercise as being against national interests, the petitioner urged the court to declare the sale null and void
The plea also sought directions for the restructuring and revival of PIA under a lawful framework
The Lahore High Court is expected to take up the petition for hearing in the coming days
President Zardari, PM Shehbaz express concern over illness of S audi King S alman bin Abdul A ziz
ried upon learning that the Custo-
Judge Mojoka observed that while arrest warrants could be withdrawn in certain circumstances the present case was being heard on a day-to-day basis He noted that police had received the NCCIA report regarding the warrants but said the arrest orders had not yet been executed
Advising the defence to seek relief from the
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expressed concern over the illness of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and prayed for his speedy recovery and long life Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz has been discharged from hospital after complete medical checkup and shifted back to his residence According to reports his medical test results were satisfactory
President Asif Ali Zardari sent a message of goodwill to the Saudi monarch stating that the entire Pakistani nation is praying for the health of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques He said King Salman holds a place of great respect in the hearts of the Pakistani people and prayed that Allah Almighty grants him good health a long life and continued strength in leadership Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his concern over reports of King Salman’s illness saying he was deeply wor-
deep respect for the Saudi royal family, particularly in view of the Kingdom’s religious significance and its role in the Muslim world
were intended to incite divisions and portray state institutions in a negative light The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, terming the content “anti-state ”
Punjab C TD foils terror plot, lassoes 49 militants in month-long
477 recoveries
LAHORE
s ta f f r e p o r t
The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested 49 militants from various areas across the province within a month and successfully foiled a major terror plot, a CTD statement said on Saturday
According to the statement the arrests were made during 425 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted throughout Punjab during which weapons explosives and other prohibited materials were also seized
Forty-four cases have been registered against the arrested terrorists, and further investigations are ongoing,” the CTD spokesperson added
The country has been facing a surge in militant activity particularly by the Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab s northwestern neighbor Rising attacks in KP have prompted Punjab authorities to enhance security and undertake pre-emptive measures to prevent militants from infiltrating the country s most populous province
The development comes amid a sharp increase in militancy-related fatalities in Pakistan in 2025 Data released last month by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) show that combat-related deaths rose 73 percent to 3 387 last year This figure includes 2 115 militants 664 security personnel 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees
In addition to the recent arrests, the CTD conducted 6,131 combing operations in the province, detaining a total of 599 suspects Approximately 570 police reports were registered against these individuals resulting in
sweep
Earlier, in November, the Punjab government launched the country’s first mobile counter-terrorism unit to monitor complex security operations in real time In September Punjab authorities had announced the arrest of 90 suspected militants during a threemonth counter-terrorism sweep Pakistan has struggled to contain rising militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad collapsed in November 2022 The country also faces a long-standing insurgency by Baloch separatists in its southwestern Balochistan province Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups to operate from its territory and alleged Indian backing for attacks on Pakistani soil Both Kabul and New Delhi deny these claims