M U NV
g SAYS OLD RATION-BA SED MODEL SCRAPPED TO PROTECT DIGNITY OF BENEFICIARIES, NOTING THIRD-PARTY AUDIT DECLARES LA ST YEAR ’S DISTRIBUTION TRANSPARENT, CORRUPTION-FREE
g STATE BANK FRAMEWORK, HELPLINE 9999,
g RS38B PACKAGE TO A SSIST NEARLY 36M PEOPLE OF 12M HOUSEHOLDS WITH EACH DESERVING FAMILY TO GET RS13,000 ACROSS COUNTRY, INCLUDING GB, AJK
President acknowledged that the country was facing economic hardships and inflation but attributed the situation to the mismanagement of the previous fouryear government He said the current Prime Minister was making sincere efforts to stabilize the economy and ensure smooth governance despite numerous challenges
COAS
Asim Munir meets US Secretar y of State, German leaders on sidelines of Munich Security Conference
RAWALPINDI
S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDF) visited Germany from February 12 to 14 to attend meetings on the sidelines of the 62nd Munich Security Conference, where he held a series of high-level engagements with global leaders and defence officials During the visit COAS & CDF interacted with a number of international dignitaries to discuss evolving global and regional security dynamics, counterterrorism cooperation and avenues for strengthening bilateral defence ties
On the margins of the conference the COAS met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio According to official sources, the two sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, including regional stability global security challenges and cooperation in counterterrorism efforts
As part of his engagements with German leadership, Field Marshal Munir called on Mr Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany; Mr
Günter Sautter Foreign and Security Policy Adviser to the German Federal Chancellor; and General Carsten Breuer Chief of Defence of the Federal Armed Forces
Discussions with German officials focused on contemporary security challenges bilateral defence cooperation and the importance of promoting global peace and stability through sustained bilateral and multilateral dialogue Both sides reaffirmed the need for collaborative approaches to address emerging threats including terrorism and hybrid warfare
In addition COAS & CDF held a meeting with Admiral Re-
nato Rodrigues de Aguiar Freire Chief of the Joint Staff of the Brazilian Armed Forces The interaction centred on expanding bilateral military cooperation, professional exchanges and shared perspectives on regional and international security General Rodolph Haykal Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces also called on Field Marshal Munir during the conference The two sides discussed the prevailing global and regional security environment and explored measures to enhance defence collaboration between Pakistan and Lebanon
Bangladesh election
Sinhospitable to talent and merit is faced with severe human capital loss Things thought to end shortly have survived for so long For that reason a political upheaval an economic stagnancy, a social unrest or any other critical juncture serve as an epiphany, a moment of realization, to a consistent number of people to trade this home for another arguably better one Referential recruitments preferential promotions and confidential dealings underscore this country s structural inconsistency The majority, however qualified, diligent or skilled, end up in insecure, contractual jobs, whereas a handful are bound to secure permanent positions That isn’t a lucky dip; (selection at random) rather a systematic selection This fuels the frustration and makes people look for rather greener pastures
Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment reports 0 7 million people on average exited Pakistan from 2020 onwards in search for countries that offer fair compensation, better work environments merit-based recruitments and equal opportunities Ideally the search is centred on meritorious recruitment respect while working and recognition that follows: characteristics rarely existing in Pakistan
The exiting individuals are not only unlettered, unskilled workers that are generally labelled as a liability for the country, among them, a pool of skilled professionals doctors teach-
guidance for the dozens of lawyers who had waited hours Within 30 minutes the members of the bench rose and
THERE are moments in a lawyer ’s life that exist first as dreams rehearsed over years of study and quiet imagination For me that moment came the night I was bound for Islamabad to argue my first case before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a milestone I had long envisioned as the pinnacle of the legal stage Travelling to Islamabad had always been a quiet pleasure for me even for court appearances: the long ribbon of road the gradual ascent into the capital the sense that one was moving closer to the very centre of law and justice, the heartbeat of civic purpose itself That night, the journey felt familiar, almost comforting, and I imagined the Court waiting like a grand orchestra: judges conducting with measured authority lawyers weaving intricate harmonies and the Constitution itself serving as the score that guided every note I had imagined stepping into that hall with awe and confidence, with the steady conviction that institutions endure beyond politics I did not yet know what lay ahead Somewhat did know but still When the night turned into morning, and I finally entered the courtroom the orchestra played not in triumph but in a minor key uncertain fractured and unrecognizable The unease began on the highway Somewhere near Bhera I stopped at a McDonald s to steady my restless mind Amid the clatter of trays, cups, and idle
chatter I overheard a passerby casually remark that two Supreme Court judges had resigned My first instinct was disbelief I wanted to dismiss it as idle talk the sort of roadside gossip that drifts freely through M2s and dhabas But when I checked my phone, the truth confronted me with unforgiving clarity The resignations were real My debut would unfold not against the familiar rhythm of law but amid constitutional earthquakes The helplessness hit immediately cold and tangible By the morning of 14 November 2025, Islamabad itself seemed tense, almost breathless The Supreme Court building still stood tall and imposing, but inside its rhythm had vanished Lawyers clustered in whispers litigants waited with uncertainty etched on their faces and the corridors buzzed with confusion Instructions changed with every announcement Initially directed to Courtroom No 5 we were then sent to Courtroom No 6, shortly after to Courtroom No 4, and finally redirected back to Courtroom No 5 This was not administrative chaos it was institutional fragility exposed for all to see Even the Supreme Court staff seemed adrift Questions hung unanswered in the air: Had benches been dissolved? What would happen to seniority? Which judges actually retained authority? The lawyers exchanged anxious glances, trying to piece together the day’s proceedings Some whispered about the Federal Constitutional Court created by the 26th and 27th Amendments now institutionally above the Supreme Court Others speculated whether certain judges had been effectively removed from service or if the resignations were part of a larger political orchestration Phones buzzed constantly, yet clarity never arrived One could feel the unease ripple through the courtroom like a tangible current anticipation tangled with disbelief experience collided with improvisation When the bench finally arrived in Courtroom No 5 it was late adding to the mounting tension The presiding judge, measured but constrained, announced that only a few urgent matters would be taken up There was no elaboration, no rationale, no
I write this not as a detached observer, but as a lawyer whose debut before the Supreme Court occurred amid institutional collapse and constitutional improvisation The 26th and 27th Amendments will be dissected in textbooks, defended in speeches, and debated in political forums But for those of us who stood in those shifting courtrooms on 14 November 2025, they will forever mark the moment when the orchestra lost its rhythm, the Constitution was forced to play in a minor key, and the music of justice became uncertain
ers, engineers, IT experts and researchers are also onboard One might argue Pakistan s education and skill set isn’t that capable to compete with the globe though countries institutionally robust see the potential polish the person and secure brain gain
Emigration isn t an easy step It has its own demerits Yet, it isn t a zero sum deal It enables an escape from a fixed social status back home Emotional toll loneliness, cultural shock, social immobility is worthwhile if it eclipses an undesired ascribed social status with an achieved one International departures are generally equalized with remittances one of the sources for foreign exchange reserves Plus, international exits gradually fix the ascribed social status for individuals Why is it even a cause of concern because the home is happy with financial gains and individuals are happy with good living standards and uplifted social statuses? True remittances fix financial shortcomings for a country and it is also true that individuals acquire better opportunities, but that s a shortterm gain, a pyrrhic victory for the homeland Individuals run institutions In that sense, the international departure is a long-term institutional loss Rarely if ever can a rookie a tyro substitute for a qualified skilled professional Below par skillset produces below par performances Pakistan s negligible performance on socioeconomic and political fronts create more push factors than foreign available pull factors
Plus the public’s evaporating institutional trust also plays a key role in exiting human capital
Ergo it s largely a governance problem rather
People have an affinity with home It’s the structural inconsistency that persuades them to leave and live Once the structural consistency returns, so will the people. It's high time Pakistan ponders the policies that render human capital loss, because patently, a home without hope is no home
than a personal quest
Due to Pakistan s fragile, extractive and inefficient institutional structure, opportunities for all vanish like a morning mist Opportunities for few however are abundant courtesy their ascribed inherited status Emigration in this sense is largely an escape from a disturbing depressing system that is holistically prejudiced, yet is legally justified
Boomers have failed to create a convenient culture for youth Almost all aspects of growth are restricted to the general population whether that is educational academic career or personal Rarely the youth is encouraged to build a brand whether in freelancing or entrepreneurship The youth exit not because they re unpatriotic, but because the successive governments have been unapologetic
Egalitarian policies shape a fabric that is impartial welcoming and meritocratic The continuum of these policies become a centripetal force to unity and discipline that eventually breeds a milieu that rewards reason, recognition and growth Wherever efforts determine status, people not only stay, that also becomes a place everyone’s willing to call home Pakistan is home to an asset rare in the world its youth But due to its governing inefficiency patrimonial structure Pakistan s grip to hold the youth back is loosening fast Pakistan is experiencing a brain drain of irreparable scale Yes, some inefficiency in democracies is a feature, not a bug, but an inefficiency of this scale is certainly a bug that is harming Pakistan s hardware
Remittances don t kill the cause but merely treat the symptoms Human capital does kill the cause Pakistan s governance should return to basics and should take measures
Prison treatment
InSaf alI Bangwar
Sarmad Sattar
Ta l e s o f t h e C o u p s
WE live in an ever complex world, where the basics in essence remain the same; only the forms have changed We no longer communicate through meticulously handwritten letters or talk in person through the call booked through international or local exchange, or text via telegramme Today, poems scribbled on a piece of paper have been replaced by WhatsApp text or a call; where blocking means break-up and toleration means the other way round
Quick information can be a SIM based
SMS or the App based text or voice note
Yesterday s wars, with mutilation of the war dead through the hooves of horses, have now been replaced by highly explosive material which leaves little intact for proper and decent identification of the departed soul mortal remains Likewise the arms twisting methodologies of the powerful of the world have been replaced by sophisticated diplomatic games and backdoor intervention into the political processes through military personnel in contacts via military exchange programmes and joint exercises Even when the abovemen-
tioned channels are not available or are not conducive enough for the coercive party, direct-threat regime can be the way out To say the least, these sophisticated models have been used with impunity in the Middle East, West Asia and in The South Asian sub-continent as and when the situation has arrived or cropped up Before taking a plunge into the past trends and their devastating impact on the individual and particular nation state polity, economy and society, it is imperative to note that how things have changed to the point where within the current scenarios such things have happened where the governments in totality have not been uprooted or dislodged, neither the government in particular has been overthrown like the proverbial Mughal dynasty, nor the enemy forces have marched in black and white, but whatever is happening is in the soft mode
The Venezuelan drama a few decades back might have needed a complete annexation of the country complete destruction of the military assets as well as possible killing of the head of state, a proper change of government and finally the desired outcome of the invading army or the entity
The overthrow and killing of Chilean left wing president Salvador Allende by the pro-US Army Chief Gen Augusto Pinochet in 1973 were a complete coup, with Chilean
As the world waits for new surprises in the unipolar world, that truth goes without saying that the intervention in the developing polities by the developed world has reached new highs. The POTUS stature has gone to the level that, an action in 1953, which was owned by the US state after decades, is now owned, by supporting a similar move in June 2025 via IDF and again in January 2026 via MOSSAD The world is an unsafe place if the unipolar status as prevalent today is not challenged in an assertive manner; failing which such ‘coups’ will be the order of the day, regretfully
army units and Chilean Air force bombing the Presidential residence to make sure that the ‘job was done’ Fast forward to Caracas Now the air defence of the Venezuelan capital seemed compromised with no air force jets in the air which could have dealt with the streams of Apache and Chinooks invading the national air space; but the deal was already in place
They were supposed to look the other way when the US forces were to kidnap their commander-in-chief in the dark of night Apparently the constitution was in force in the country no parliament was dissolved or even bombed The parliament kept mum over what can be called a transgression into the affairs of the state by the invading air force, but there were no reactions, except for the few street protests One month on there seems to be business as usual in the Venezuelan capital Caracas as if nothing has happened Now move to New Delhi, where apparently the Lok Sabha calls the shots in all the legislature related measures, the IAF continues with its drills over its war gaming scenarios with Pakistan and China now also adding Bangladesh as a potential adversary Yet it cannot be the strength of the proud Indian nation state when it comes to choosing this product from that source or being forced to buy a product from a source, whose annexation is itself an ownership related ‘legal risk’ In plain words Indians cannot buy Russian oil of their own will and have been forcibly asked to forego that to buy US supplied petroleum whose supply origin the market sources have already spilled the beans rest with US oil magnates working in the recently annexed Venezuela These two instances illustrate how the coup in Iran against Dr Mossadeq in 1953 was a much more naked act as compared to what happened in the South American country and a few weeks later, how a South Asian country was forced to bow down A country known for honourably courting the big powers during the cold war days was subject to a ‘Coup’ of sorts where the key decisionmaking bypassed the parliament no one in the Federation of Indian Industries knew about the bombshell and the general public was treated to the news, the morning after In that coup, there were no military units to be seen around the West Block or the East Block in New Delhi Similar things have happened elsewhere too where the constitution apparently has not been held in abeyance but the man in the street and the visiting dignitaries know who calls the shots or can influence the turn of the events While in the case of
Caracas few people had to be put on the board discreetly to make sure that the job is done elsewhere the military exchange programmes and other channels of military-tomilitary contacts have made it quite easy for the interested parties or the international players to move the ‘foot soldier ’ , or pawn in chess when such a move is required
The Pentagon plans as of now do not depend regretfully on above the table diplomatic deals with the elected governments or dispensations, these deals still depend upon the under-the-table understandings or ‘deals’ with personnel who seem to understand them, and they understand the individual or individuals In fact the democratic Nezam which can bring people on to the street to defeat the repeat on 1953 Coup in August 1953 in Tehran are subject to a media barrage, which can make anyone believe in sincerity that the fall of such a democratic polity is the need of the hour; the regime change project in Iran as projected in the west-leaning media Going forward the disruption in the political systems around the world the interference of the world powers in an
They were supposed to look the other way when the US forces were to kidnap their commander-in-chief in the dark of night Apparently, the constitution was in force in the country, no parliament was dissolved or even bombed.
assailants did not flee They left No gunfight No pursuit No claim of responsibility The perpetrators vanished into the kind of silence that in Libya usually means the killers have nothing to fear from an investigation Saif was the son of Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for more than four decades before being overthrown and killed in the 2011 revolution Since 2014 the country has been divided between two rival power cen-
tres In the west successive governments in Tripoli, the latest led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, derive their authority from United Nations recognition In the east, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar controls territory through military force backed by the United Arab Emirates Russia and Egypt while a paper government in Benghazi provides civilian cover for what is effectively military rule Neither side has faced a national election, nor intends to The mechanics of the killing tell their own story This was not violence born of chaos It was an operation executed within a narrow window by actors who understood Saif s movements his protection and the informal rules governing both Members of his inner circle have described it as an inside job Reaching him required more than weapons It required access to his routines to his guards and to the layered arrangements that had kept him alive in secret For years Saif had lived in varying degrees of concealment, protected by local understandings and, at times, by Russian-linked security support By the night of the attack, all that protection had been withdrawn Whoever planned the operation knew it would be Motive alone is not evidence But method and capability narrow the field
When Abdelghani al-Kikli the commander of Tripoli s largest militia, Stabilisa-
tion Support Apparatus (SSA) was assassinated last year by a rival brigade, the result was immediate chaos Armed clashes shut down large parts of the capital – factional and noisy and instantly legible The Zintan operation bears no resemblance Its precision and the silence that followed point to a different kind of actor Critics liabilities and inconvenient figures within Haftar s orbit have often been removed quietly Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a senior officer in Haftar ’s forces and a man wanted by the International Criminal Court was shot dead in broad daylight in Benghazi in 2021 No serious investigation followed Others have disappeared in a similar fashion These operations do not require total territorial control They rely on networks, intimidation and the expectation of impunity None of these constitutes proof Libya rarely offers proof Only patterns But patterns have infrastructure
The political order Muammar Gaddafi built did not disappear in 2011 It was disassembled and repurposed Haftar took its fragments, tribal patronage networks, security hierarchies, and the militia economy, and reassembled them around his own family, anchored by a praetorian guard the Tariq bin Ziyad Brigade commanded by his son Saddam the recently appointed deputy general commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army and the most likely successor to his father
Former loyalists of the old regime were not excluded from this system but they were never trusted within it Pro-Gaddafi political figures and commanders were encouraged to return under Haftar and absorbed after 2014 only on strictly conditional terms Figures such as Hassan Zadma, once aligned with Saif ’s brother Khamis’s infamous 32nd Brigade were coopted for their utility not integrated as partners When their presence threatened Haftar s control they were marginalised or dismantled Saif himself was never offered even that conditional inclusion He remained outside the system, tolerated, contained, and watched a reminder of an alternative line of inheritance that could never be fully neutralised He had lived under the persistent threat of assassination since 2017
Saif did not represent change He represented an alternative The danger he posed was structural Haftar ’s coalition is held together not by ideology but by patronage and patronage is distributed unevenly Some tribes and armed groups receive more than others Loyalty is transactional calibrated to what each faction can extract In the event of Haftar s death, those who feel short-changed would see succession as an opportunity to renegotiate their terms, or defect to whoever offers a better deal The only figure with a history and surname symbolic enough to draw them in was Saif heir to the very system Haftar had repurposed He would not have dismantled it He would have ruled through it, with the same patronage logic and
the same authoritarian reflexes Same system different family That made him extraordinarily difficult to accommodate Forty-eight hours before the killing, Saddam Haftar met Ibrahim Dbeibah, the prime minister s nephew and head of Libya’s national security apparatus, secretly at the Elysee Palace in Paris There was
work together after a tumultuous political period Our paths and opinions may differ but in the interest of the country we must remain united Rahman said Freedom-loving His father president Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in 1981, while his mother, Khaleda Zia, served three terms as prime minister and dominated
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that countries in the region were capable of resolving their problems collectively and peacefully, stressing that they did not need external guardianship state news agency IRNA reported Speaking at the international Iran Corridor 2026 conference in Tehran on investment opportunities and financing for rail and road corridors, Pezeshkian said: “We do not need a custodian Regional countries can sit together and solve their problems Pezeshkian said the world had become very small and that nations must work to create conditions for peace, security and stability for present and future generations “No country benefits from war ” he said noting that conflict violence and bloodshed did not lead to progress He praised efforts by regional leaders to enhance security and governance, citing cooperation among countries, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan Iraq Saudi Arabia Qatar the United Arab
LAHORE
The President of Pakistan Mr Asif Ali Zardari who participated as the chief guest Mr Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries & Production, also attended the event They emphasized the significance of bilateral relations and praised Japan's contributions to Pakistan’s automobile industry A special product display featured the New Honda Civic RS in Ignite Red, drawing significant attention from attendees who admired its advanced design and cutting-edge technology The showcase highlighted Japan’s commitment to innovation and excellence in the automotive industry Guests expressed appreciation for Honda s engineering prowess reaffirming the brand s reputation for quality and reliability The display served as a testament to Honda s mission to enhance driving experiences while shaping the future of mobility The evening was marked by warm camaraderie, which strengthened the bonds of friendship between Japan and Pakistan and reaffirmed a shared commitment to continued collaboration and innovation in the automotive sector
S ta f f r e p o r t
U N J A B Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday announced that the long-troubled Katcha areas had been completely cleared of dacoits following a successful, coordinated multi-agency operation, restoring the writ of the state in the island-like riverine regions of Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan
According to official details more than 500 outlaws surrendered during the operation 342 in Rajanpur and 200 in Rahim Yar Khan including several high-profile gang leaders The chief minister congratulated the Pakistan Army Rangers Punjab and Sindh police the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Special Branch for completing the six-week operation without any loss of life among security personnel She said a large cache of heavy weapons including rocket launchers, machine guns pistols ammunition and hand grenades was recovered during the crackdown She added that no incidents of kidnapping for ransom or honeytrap crimes had been reported from the area over the past 45 days, terming it a major indicator of restored peace Announcing a comprehensive development package for the Katcha belt Maryam Nawaz said schools colleges
hospitals technical institutes and transport facilities would be established to ensure sustainable development She added that farmers would be supported through land provision and targeted agricultural schemes, while special incentives would be offered to doctors and teachers posted in the region Employment opportunities, she said would be expanded through technical education centres to address longstanding socio-economic deprivation The chief minister further said that a three-member high-level committee, headed by Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, had
Punjab committed to journalists ’ welfare, will never leave media community alone: A zma
LAHORE S ta f f r e p o r t
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari held a meeting with former President of the Multan Press Club Shakeel Anjum During the meeting, the Minister conveyed her best wishes for the upcoming Multan Press Club elections scheduled for tomorrow and emphasized that the elections should be conducted in a peaceful transparent and democratic manner to uphold the positive traditions of the journalistic community Matters related to the pending issues of the Journalists’ Housing Colony in Multan were also discussed in detail Azma Bokhari directed the Deputy Commissioner Multan to immediately coordinate with the Press Club administration to
resolve the problems of the journalists colony on a priority basis She stressed that the issues faced by the journalists housing colony must be resolved at the earliest, adding that no negligence would be tolerated in this regard The Minister further stated that the Punjab Gov-
ernment is taking all possible measures for the welfare and well-being of journalists and affirmed that the Punjab chief minister will never leave the journalist community alone under any circumstances Senior journalist Jamshed Rizwani was also present during the meeting
How Punjab Is Building Through S por t?
QUDRAT ULLAH
Punjab s Khelta Punjab Pink Games should be read not as a ceremonial sports gala but as a structural reset in how the province approaches youth development gender inclusion and population wellness Globally sport in 2026 is framed as a growth accelerator, a convergence space where public health, economic productivity, social cohesion and human capital formation intersect Punjab’s women-centric mega event places the province squarely within this modern development playbook Across high-performance nations, policymakers now speak of the sportification of society, embedding physical activity into everyday life to cultivate resilient disciplined and mentally agile citizens The Pink Games reflect this paradigm shift They operationalise what global think tanks describe as an active citizenship ecosystem, where competition becomes a laboratory for leadership, emotional intelligence adaptability and collective accountability
The revival of sportsmanship is critical in itself Contemporary sport pedagogy emphasises character through, the transfer of values from the playing field to professional and civic life Concepts such as fair play governance pressure resilience collaborative execution and ethical competitiveness are now recognised as employability skills in the futureof-work economy When thousands of young women train within structured leagues and district circuits, they are not just chasing medals; they are building social capital Punjab s broader cultural reset lies in its transition from spectator sport to participation sport For decades, Pakistan functioned under what analysts term a hero-athlete mode celebrating rare champions without constructing grassroots pipelines Globally this has been replaced by talent ecosystems: school leagues, community academies, performance tracking and early-stage skill incubation The Pink Games mirror this scalable architecture by democratizing access and normalising athletic engagement Economically sport is now classified as a regenerative sector Beyond elite competitions, it fuels micro-entrepreneurship, sports tech,
wellness services venue economies and local mobility chains Even at the provincial scale recurring sporting activity stimulates a circular economy of trainers, physiotherapists, nutritionists, apparel vendors, digital broadcasters and event logistics More strategically, physically active societies reduce non-communicable disease expenditure converting sport into what economists term a preventive productivity investment Public health dividends are equally profound The World Health community increasingly labels inactivity as the “new tobacco” of modern societies Structured sport improves metabolic efficiency neuroplasticity cardiovascular resilience and hormonal balance For women and adolescent girls, it directly combats osteoporosis risk, anxiety prevalence, lifestyle diabetes and postnatal health complications The Pink Games thus function as a decentralised wellness infrastructure reaching populations where formal healthcare often struggles to penetrate Education systems worldwide have entered what is now called the neuro-movement era Research confirms that physical exertion enhances executive brain function memory consolidation emotional regulation and academic persistence Students engaged in sport demonstrate higher graduation rates, stronger leadership trajectories and lower digital dependency When girls compete consistently they experience what sociologists term confidence compounding a psychological momentum that reshapes ambition and life outcomes The social optics of women’s sport may be its most disruptive force Visibility creates legitimacy Participation produces normalisation Achievement triggers aspiration Globally sport has become one of the fastest instruments of cultural recalibration When communities celebrate female athletic performance restrictive narratives collapse without confrontation This is reform through representation Such systemic transformation does not emerge spontaneously It requires governance that views sport as social infrastructure rather than symbolic programming Under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Punjab has aligned its sports policy with what global planners define as
an integrated human development strategy Youth engagement women s empowerment public health and economic participation are being woven into a single operational framework Instead of isolated tournaments, the province is constructing participation pipelines feeder leagues school championships district championships and provincial platforms This is how sporting nations are engineered This is how talent density is created This is how wellness becomes habitual rather than occasional
Equally important is the countercrisis it addresses: youth disengagement Across continents excessive screen time sedentary routines and social isolation are triggering what psychologists call a motivation deficit epidemic Sport reintroduces structure, real-world connection, delayed gratification and performance goals It converts raw energy into disciplined momentum
Seen through a 2026 development lens, the Khelta Punjab Pink Games are not a women’s tournament, they are a socio-economic accelerator They cultivate healthier bodies sharper minds confident citizens and inclusive public spaces They generate economic motion while rewriting gender narratives
If institutionalised with coaching certification, digital performance analytics school integration and community facilities the Pink Games could mature into South Asia s most impactful grassroots sports revolution feeding elite performance shrinking healthcare burdens, expanding opportunity networks and strengthening social cohesion
Modern societies no longer rise solely through classrooms and concrete They rise through movement discipline inclusion and collective aspiration
Punjab is no longer asking whether women should play Punjab is building a future where their strength becomes a growth engine
And in a competitive global era where health adaptability and human capital define prosperity, this may well be the province’s most strategic investment of the decade
(The writer is a Lahore-based public policy analyst and can be reached at qudratu@gmail com)
