GOVT INVITES OPPOSITION FOR DIALOGUE TO STRENGTHEN CHARTER OF DEMOCRACY
Imran Khan s reluctance to engage remained a major obstacle We are ready to sit with you for the betterment of the country, but his stubbornness is a big hurdle in the way of meaningful talks ” the adviser said
The statement comes amid ongoing political tensions and repeated calls from opposition lawmakers for consultations on national issues and democratic reforms Senate sees PPP–MQM clash over Karachi’s status as PPP vows to
Separately
(PPP) strongly opposed recent statements regarding the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi, declaring the port city an inseparable part of Sindh The debate comes days after the Sindh
of Imran Khan, he stated that all medical facilities were being provided in accordance with the law and under the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan He added that a panel of doctors had examined the former premier in jail and that any relief in pending cases could only be granted by the courts in line with legal procedures Sanaullah added that parties in the ruling coalition had consistently supported dialogue even when Imran Khan was in power However, he noted that
tKSE-100 tumbles over 3% as selling pressure grips PSX
s Nikkei was closed for a holiday, with futures down 1% South Korea advanced 1 2%, extending last week’s gains, and Taiwan climbed 1 2% to a record high
N e w s D e s k The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a time-bound facilitation allowing first-time applicants to obtain Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) without a Local Government-issued computerised birth certificate until December 31 2026
The decision follows a review which showed that 98 3% of Pakistan s adult population is registered in the national identity system, leaving around 1 7% without CNICs NADRA said the documentation gap is more pronounced among women and in districts where civil registration coverage remains weak with the absence of computerised birth certificates cited as a key hurdle
While preparing its Annual Report 2025 NADRA conducted a ten-year analysis of registration data in coordination with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the Election Commission of Pakistan, the National Commission on the Status of Women, the National Commission for Child Welfare and Development and other stakeholders The review assessed demographic patterns district-level disparities and gender gaps to determine reasons for the shortfall Following the findings, the federal interior minister directed the introduction of a structured facilitation mechanism which was later approved by the NADRA Authority Board Under the new framework CNICs may be issued without a computerised birth certificate, subject to strict verification
quirements and biometric confirmation of registered immediate family members For married women aged 18 years and above applicants must provide a Local Government-issued Nikah Nama a valid CNIC or National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) of either parent a valid CNIC or NICOP
OIL DROPS AMID IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS, US TARIFF UNCERTAINTY
the idea of dividing Sindh into rural and urban segments had originated under a PPP-led provincial government and questioned the origins of the quota system She clarified that MQM-P had not advocated for dividing Sindh but supported the concept of administrative units across provinces
PM Shehbaz arives in Qatar for two-day official visit
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
During his stay in Doha PM Shehbaz is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Qatari emir to discuss political engagement, economic collaboration, energy partnerships and people-to-people exchanges Both sides will explore new avenues of cooperation including trade investment infrastructure development energy, and manpower export The visit will also provide an opportunity for the leaders to exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest and reaffirm their resolve to work together for peace stability and prosperity in the region PM Shehbaz s previous visit to Doha focused on attending the
KP DHQ contract doctors unpaid for five months: report
these payments
The doctors were recruited to address staff shortages in remote and underserved districts Last year, the Health Department advertised 115 Grade-17 Medical Officer posts, filling vacancies at DHQ Lakki Marwat Karak Landi Kotal Upper Dir Charsadda and Battagram
In addition 21 positions in pathology, radiology and anesthesiology were filled under a non-permanent consultant scheme for non-attractive special-
ties at DHQs including Mardan Battagram Haripur and Upper Dir A further 30 Grade-18 specialist posts were created on fixed pay in disciplines such as pediatric surgery, neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, ophthalmology, general medicine ENT gynecology dermatology and nephrology at DHQs in Upper Dir Haripur Mardan
Charsadda Battagram and Landi Kotal However, the doctors have reportedly not been paid since late last year
The Provincial Doctors Association has formally approached the Health Department seeking immediate release of pending salaries
The association stated that the doctors were appointed on merit through examinations and interviews and warned that continued delays could affect morale within the healthcare system
TTH E tragedy of the Sub Continent did not
conclude with the lowering of the Union Jack in August 1947; it merely entered a new and turbulent phase No sooner had Pakistan emerged upon the map of the world than mistrust and hostility clouded its eastern horizon The first test came almost instantly in the form of the Kashmir conflict of 1947–48 when forces clashed over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and the dispute was carried to the United Nations The ceasefire line that later became the Line of Control did not extinguish animosity; it institutionalised it In 1965, full-scale war again erupted between the two neighbours The plains of Punjab and the valleys of Kashmir bore witness to fierce engagements before the guns fell silent under the Tashkent Declaration Yet peace proved fragile In 1971 amidst political turmoil in what was then East Pakistan, war once more broke out The secession of East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh marked the most painful chapter in Pakistan’s history While internal political errors, miscalculations and failures of statesmanship undeniably contributed to that catastrophe it is equally part of the historical record that India intervened militarily in support of the Mukti Bahini transforming an internal crisis into a decisive international conflict Thus Pakistan was dismembered, and a wound was carved into its national psyche that time has yet to fully heal The decades that followed did not bring repose The Siachen conflict of 1984 opened yet another theatre of confrontation upon the world s highest battlefield In 1999 the Kargil episode rekindled open hostilities in the mountains of Kashmir, reminding both nations that the spectre of war remained ever present Even in the twenty-first century, skirmishes along the Line of Control and episodes such as the Pulwama-Balakot crisis of 2019 underscored the volatility that persists between two nuclear-armed neighbours
When conventional warfare failed to bend Pakistan to submission, accusations and counter-accusations of covert destabilisation intensified Pakistan has long maintained that separatist elements in
C a u g h t i n t h e M i d d l e
Balochistan have received external encouragement and material support pointing to the arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav in 2016 as evidence of Indian involvement in espionage and sabotage Parallel to the theatre of arms has been the subtler but no less consequential arena of water The Indus basin is the lifeblood of Pakistan’s agriculture and by extension its economy Recognising the potentially explosive nature of river disputes the two countries with the good offices of the World Bank signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 Under this agreement, the three eastern rivers Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej were allocated to India, while the three western rivers Indus Jhelum and Chenab were reserved largely for Pakistan subject to certain uses by India For decades this treaty was hailed as a rare example of cooperation enduring even through war Yet controversies have arisen repeatedly over Indian hydroelectric projects on the western rivers Pakistan has approached neutral experts and the Permanent Court of Arbitration over projects such as Baglihar on the Chenab and Kishanganga on the Neelum-Jhelum system alleging design features inconsistent with treaty provisions India has maintained that its projects conform to the letter of the agreement The legal and technical disputes have reflected not merely engineering disagreements but deep-seated mistrust The Shahpur Kandi Dam on the Ravi River represents the latest focal point of anxiety The Ravi being one of the eastern rivers allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty has long been subject to India s right of unrestricted use after meeting certain transitional obligations Nevertheless, developments that further regulate and utilise its waters inevitably affect downstream flows toward Pakistan particularly in border areas historically dependent on residual supplies Reports indicate that the dam s operationalisation will enable irrigation in India s Kathua and Samba districts in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Punjab Pakistani observers fear that
The Shahpur Kandi Dam on the Ravi River represents the latest focal point of anxiety The Ravi, being one of the eastern rivers allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty, has long been subject to IndiaÊs right of unrestricted use after meeting cer tain transitional obligations. Never theless, developments that fur ther regulate and utilise its waters inevitably affect downstream flows toward Pakistan, par ticularly in border areas historically dependent on residual supplies.
Ibetween the two ideologically dissonant age-groups The earlier mentioned two generations are not only different in their ideas, but in reality they own two diverse cultures and life courses They behave and act differently Their worldview is totally mismatched from each other on different familial and social issues The youngers containing the Gen Z and Gen Alpha are more internet-oriented and pursuing modern trends and the elders containing baby boomers and Gen X always resist contemporary trends and consider them setback to their traditions or even their religious beliefs In this scenario the sandwich generation knowns as millennials or Gen Y rests in a great confusion that how to bridge these two inharmonious generational groups Nevertheless the sandwich generation is highly educated cohort and engaged in jobs and services in various departments, having experiences of the old time as well as modern time In
concerned about their lifestyle
that what to adopt and what to ignore, because the other two dissonant generations expect and even demands from this cohort to behave and act like them exclusively Contextually this generation is in great distress and often found in mess for the reason that how to survive between these two groups, as this generation is simultaneously supporting both of the generations and remain in frequent contact with these age-groups In the third world countries like Pakistan when there are no proper arrangements for gerontology The state takes for granted the elders population exonerate from the healthcare services and social security of the older people and leave them on the disposal of family further exacerbate the pains of elderly The suffering middle generation is not only morally and emotionally bound to take care of the two generations but also breadwinners of their families Because both of the generations are completely dependent on the stuck in the middle generation The young or adult children at this stage are perusing their academic targets and the elderly are too weak to work and remain at home The caregiving generation besides earning subsistence arealso open to other challenges and management of the family and social activities related to cultural norms and traditions
The members of this generation are more concerned about the food shelter healthcare and other cultural and religious ceremonies to manage Furthermore they are more stressful for the education and good socialization of children and keep watchful surveillance on the young adults to keep them away from deviant practices Psychologists conclude that the initial stage of socialization keeps lingering impacts on the personality of children The healthier company keeps healthier impacts on the thoughts and behavior of children Moreover the sandwich generation is also more anxious about the life course of the older members of the family, because elders need not only food subsistence or medical care, but also they need social support economic contentment and the psychological and emotional ease which is indeed an extra responsibility of this generational cohort to fulfil In short sandwich generation is the backbone of a society Besides handling with the two generations compatibly this generation also deals with other hardships of the social life owing to their emotional maturity and understanding of solving other issues amicably Our cultural system has kept this thankless responsibility on the shoulders of this generation solely, but, observably they do not get deserving appreciation ironically Or in other words this generation is a scapegoat serving the earlier and the later generations on the expense of their life
Muhammad Rahim Nasar Lecturer in the Department of Sociology University of Balochistan Quetta Email rahimnasar83@gmail com
In the third world countries like Pakistan when there are no proper arrangements for gerontology The state takes for granted the elders population, exonerate from the healthcare services and social security of the older people and leave them on the disposal of family fur ther exacerbate the pains of elderly The suffering middle generation is not only morally and emotionally bound to take care of the two generations but also breadwinners of their families.
Border infrastructure lacking
Turbat cash crisis
dr M rahiM nasar
MuhaMMad Mohsin iqbal
High-Qualit y Growth in the New Era
hadia allauddin
IN a reflection, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal used a cricket analogy, he lamented that Pakistan had “dropped the catch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) It was a bracing unusually candid admission from a high-ranking official, acknowledging that the political instability and policy flip-flops of the previous years had stalled what should have been a transformative decade However as we look back at the entirety of 2025 that admission served less as a eulogy and more as a necessary reset This year has not been about mourning missed opportunities; it has been about a disciplined, strategic recovery a “second innings” defined by maturity, industrial depth, and a transition from a government-to-government model to a business-to-business reality The year 2025 will be remembered as the era of CPEC 2 0 For over a decade the corridor was defined by bricks and mortar mega-projects like the Sukkur-Multan Motorway or the coal-fired power plants at Sahiwal But by the 14th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting held in Beijing in September 2025 the narrative shifted fundamentally Both nations moved beyond infrastructure to sign the Action Plan 2025-2029 This document is the most significant policy shift since the project’s inception in 2013, as it meticulously aligns Pakistan’s domestic “Uraan 5Es” framework focused on Exports E-Pakistan (Digitalization) Energy Environment and Equity with five new thematic corridors proposed by China: Growth, Innovation, Green Development, Livelihood, and Regional Connectivity
Strategically 2025 was the year of “fiscal pragmatism ” The most tangible example of this was the long-awaited breakthrough on the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project After years of deadlock over financing and debt concerns, 2025 saw a pragmatic compromise that many had deemed impossible By rationalizing the project’s scope and reducing the cost from a staggering $10 billion to a more sustainable $6 8 billion both Islamabad and Beijing proved that they are now prioritizing long-term economic viability over symbolic grandeur The first phase of construction on the Karachi-Hyderabad section began in late 2025, signaling that the spine of Pakistan’s logistics network is finally being modernized On the industrial front 2025 saw a massive push toward the relocation of Chinese
industries This was the year that the “Spe-
cial Economic Zones (SEZs) finally began to look like industrial hubs rather than empty plots of land Rashakai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Faisalabad witnessed the inauguration of several Chinese-led textile and pharmaceutical units The focus shifted from building roads to filling the containers that travel on them with Made in Pakistan labels By the end of 2025 over 20 major business-to-business (B2B) agreements had been signed, facilitating joint ventures in electric vehicle (EV) assembly and mobile phone manufacturing This industrial depth is what Ahsan Iqbal referred to as “catching the ball moving from being a consumer of Chinese goods to a partner in Chinese production chains
Agriculture emerged as perhaps the most surprising success story of 2025 Under the newly established “Livelihood Corridor,” the relationship moved from the urban centers to the rural heartland Following the highlevel visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing China opened its doors wider to Pakistani agricultural exports The year saw the large-scale shipments of heat-treated beef and dried chilies to the Chinese market, a direct result of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) protocols finalized in early 2025 Furthermore the Green Corridor initiative saw Chinese experts helping Pakistani farmers implement hybrid seed technology and drip irrigation on thousands of acres in South Punjab and Sindh, offering a technological shield against the recurring droughts of the region However the 2025 recap is incomplete
without addressing the serious security challenges that persisted throughout the year The tragic attacks on Chinese personnel earlier in the year led to a profound reassessment of the security architecture surrounding CPEC Instead of cooling the relationship, these challenges led to a more integrated security framework In 2025, Pakistan and China moved toward a more collaborative intelligence-sharing model formally linking CPEC progress with the Global Security Initiative (GSI)
The year 2025 will be remembered as the era of „CPEC 2.0.‰ For over a decade, the corridor was defined by „bricks and mor tar‰mega-projects like the Sukkur-Multan Motorway or the coal-fired power plants at Sahiwal But by the 14th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting held in Beijing in September 2025, the narrative shifted fundamentally Both nations moved beyond infrastructure to sign the „Action Plan 20252029.‰ This document is the most significant policy shift since the projectÊs inception in 2013, as it meticulously aligns PakistanÊs domestic „Uraan 5Es‰ framework focused on Expor ts, E-Pakistan (Digitalization), Energy, Environment, and Equity with five new thematic corridors proposed by China: Growth, Innovation, Green Development, Livelihood, and Regional Connectivity
147 out of the 297 elected candidates have carried bank loans, with the loans of 36 exceeding Tk 5 crore About 126 of these MPs are affiliated with BNP alone
IN a typical model of democracy, the electoral process is designed to perform two functions simultaneously: it acts as a filter to select leaders with the potential to serve public interest and as a disciplinary tool to purge those with the potential to abuse power and betray public trust The benchmark theory suggests that if an incumbent, for instance, is identified as corrupt, voters armed with this information will cast them out in the next election However, the reality in Bangladesh presents an unsettling contradiction to this theory The country seems trapped in what may be termed the Bangladesh Paradox : a state of adverse selection in which transparency does not necessarily lead to rejection Instead individuals associated with alleged bank loan defaults, tender manipulation, or other abuses of power are often returned to office This is less a failure of civic virtue than a rational response to a broken institutional environment where voters reward perceived effectiveness or “raw capability ” over moral integrity
To understand why this happens one needs to turn to the economics of information The 2001 Nobel laureates in economics George Akerlof, Michael Spence, and Joseph Stiglitz demonstrated that informational imperfections, where knowledge is imperfect or asymmetric, systematically generate market failure In a healthy market, if a buyer knows a car is a “lemon” (defective or low-quality) they will not pay the price of a pristine vehicle (high-quality) for it In Bangladesh however the lemon law of economics has been turned on its head
The problem is not asymmetric information (that is, voters being deceived); it is symmetric information, or rather, the reaction to it Voters often know who these candidates are, including their past controversies and their methods They still choose them because in a weak institutional environment evidence of a candidate s ability to manipulate or work the system is interpreted not as a disqualifying lack of integrity but
The corruption scandals of BNP ’s 2001-2006 tenure, when the countr y was ranked the most corrupt in the world for five consecutive years contributed to a climate of public discontent
them by giving their vote to a powerful patron The relevant electoral question then shifts from “who is honest?” to “who can deliver?”
When defensive voting rewards those with money muscle and administrative reach the system suffers from adverse selection: it attracts the wrong type of person to power those most attracted to it but often least suited to hold it Once these actors are in office, moral hazard follows Leaders who realise that their strength lies in organisational dominance rather than institutional performance have no incentive to dismantle the very structures that have secured their success Discretion becomes more valuable than rules and control over local administration becomes more valuable than institutional neutrality In Bangladesh this has evolved into bureaupolitigraft the collusive fusion of politicians and bureaucrats into a single mechanism of organised graft Policy, regulation, and administration are converted into instruments of private accumulation, often protected by a “klepto-fascist” regime that intimidates opposition and represses dissent
Our history illustrates how this equilibrium was maintained before being eventually shattered The corruption scandals of BNP s 2001-2006 tenure, when the country was ranked the most corrupt in the world for five consecutive years, contributed to a climate of public discontent that culminated in the party’s heavy defeat in the 2008 election Voters acted on what they knew However the subsequent era under Awami League saw nearly 15 consecutive years of bank looting regulatory capture and the institutionalisation of bureaupolitigraft The persistence of loyalty among some circles was not due to a lack of information; instead, it reflected a structure of political payoffs where many supporters were protected or benefited by the system For them, the regime represented access rather than exclusion When loyalty is incentive-compatible defection means the loss of privilege or proximity to power What sustains this equilibrium is not ideology but risk management In a patronage state like Bangladesh, the cost of being on the losing side is immediate and personal, while the benefits of integrity are distant and uncertain Voting therefore becomes a portfolio decision under institutional failure: citizens hedge against exclusion rather than invest in longterm governance The ballot is no longer a moral instrument but a survival strategy As long as access to credit contracts protection and public services remains politically mediated a rational voter may continue to prefer a candidate who can control the system over one who promises to reform it So, breaking the
A lesson for Trump on why Iranians have not ‘capitulated’
IN a recent interview with American media Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered President Trump some straightforward advice He noted that previous American administrations have tried everything against Iran sanctions, assassinations, and pressure and that none of it worked If Trump wants a deal, Araghchi said, he needs to engage with Iran differently “We respond to force with force and answer respect with respect Araghchi explained That message apparently didn t reach the White House On Saturday, Steve Witkoff, Trump s West Asia envoy and chief negotiator in nuclear talks with Iran, told Fox News that the president is genuinely confused and doesn’t understand why Tehran won’t just give in “The president asked me that this morning Witkoff said He s curious as to why they haven t I don t want to use the word capitulated but why they haven t capitulated Witkoff pointed to the growing American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and wondered why Tehran hasn’t come forward to say “Here’s what we’re prepared to do ” The Pentagon has reportedly presented Trump with military options should Iran refuse to grant the president all the concessions he seeks at the negotiating table demands that include zero enrichment, caps on missiles, and severing ties with regional Resistance groups Iran and the U S have so far held two rounds of nuclear negotiations and while Iranians maintain they cannot accept Trump s excessive demands they remain willing to show flexibility in areas that do not cross their red lines
THE PATTERN OF U S PRESSURE ON IRAN: From Iran’s perspective, neither Trump’s negotiating style nor the threats he has put on the table are new Every president before him tried to bully Iran into surrendering its strategic assets and independence and every single one has failed for over four decades running In his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) a nuclear accord that international inspectors confirmed Iran was complying with He re-imposed stringent sanctions and in 2020 ordered the assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani, Iran s senior anti-terror commander Iran retaliated with missile strikes on American bases in Iraq, bringing the two countries
IRAN WARNS US THAT ANY STRIKE WOULD TRIGGER FORCEFUL RESPONSE
should advocate a people-oriented
approach to global human rights governance and enrich the connotations of such governance The international community should also position the right to development in a more prominent position on the multilateral human rights agenda he said Calling for action-oriented approaches and the enhanced efficacy of global human rights governance Wang said that China is willing to coordinate its actions with the international community to collectively chart a new blueprint for this global cause Noting that 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period he said the country will continue advancing its wholeprocess people s democracy ensuring the achievements of Chinese modernization benefit all people in a more equitable manner
State of Ar t Regional Customer Facilitation Center Inaugurated
t
Chairman IESCO Dr Tahir Masood, Chief Executive IESCO Engineer Chaudhry Khalid Mahmood, and IESCO Board Members Rana Abdul Sattar, Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, Shahid Farooq, and Engineer Syed Faizan Ali inaugurated the first modern state-of-the-art Customer Facilitation Center at the IESCO Head Office Chairman IESCO
ISLAMABAD s ta f f
r t Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, visited the "Ramdan Sahulat Bazaar" established in Sector H-9 on Monday On this occasion CDA Member Administration Talat Mehmood Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon COO MCI Dr Anam Fatima and other relevant officers were also accompanying him Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa reviewed the provision of essential food items at affordable rates and their quality and also conducted a detailed inspection of the stock of various food commodities Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad inquired from consumers visiting the Ramdan Sahulat Bazaar" about the prices and quality of food items Consumers visiting the "Ramdan Sahulat Bazaar" expressed satisfaction over the provision of food items their quality and the arrangements made Briefing Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa regarding the arrangements made at the Ramdan Sahulat Bazaar", relevant officers informed that keeping in view the convenience of citizens, Ramdan subsidized markets have been established at seven different locations across the city
gurated
gic role as a primary engine for Pakistan s economic growth She articulated a clear vision for a skills ecosystem that is not only internationally recognized but also meticulously aligned with global employment standards "We must transition from supply-driven models to demand-driven outcome-oriented strategies " she stated pointing to NAVTTC s first large-scale Impact Bond as a pioneering benchmark for public-private collaboration and measurable social impact She emphasized that inclusive development is an economic imperative, celebrating the successful enrollment of women, transgender individuals, widows, and orphans in skills programs She called upon all stakeholders to expand such initiatives Looking ahead to the nation s goals for 2036 she urged proactive strategic planning engagement with international institutes in emerging sectors like critical minerals, and a steadfast commitment to global standards to ensure Pakistan’s workforce is prepared for future opportunities Echoing this sentiment Mr Muhammad Aamir Jan Executive Director NAVTTC
Randhawa visits Ramdan Sahulat Bazaar Islamabad
ISLAMABAD
THREE FEDERAL CONSTABUL ARY PERSONNEL MART YRED IN K ARAK TERRORIST ATTACK
TLAKKI MARWAT s ta
H R E E Federal Constabulary personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district on Monday officials confirmed Karak police spokesperson Shaukat Khan said the attack began with a quadcopter strike on the Federal Constabulary fort in Dargah Shaheedan, followed by the detonation of four explosive rounds, injuring four personnel Security forces retaliated, leading to a prolonged exchange of fire Rescue 1122 teams responded to transport the injured to a nearby hospital but the ambulances were ambushed near Ghole Banda Dam Three Federal Constabulary personnel were martyred in the attack, while three Rescue 1122 officials were injured The ambulances caught fire and were destroyed authorities added
Karak District Police Officer Saood Khan also confirmed the deaths Rescue 1122 spokesperson Asif Khan said two of the injured rescue personnel remain in critical condition
The attack drew condemnation from Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who called it cowardly and inhumane and offered condolences to the families of the martyred personnel He said targeting ambulances “rejects the teachings of Islam” and stressed that harming human life is unacceptable especially during Ramazan The incident comes amid a rising trend of terrorist attacks in KP Last week, an explosive-laden vehicle in Bajaur killed 11 security personnel, while on February 18 two Federal Constabulary personnel were injured in Salgazi Wazir subdivision In November 2025 three personnel were killed in a suicide attack on the force s headquarters in Peshawar s Saddar area According to the Centre for Research
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday voiced serious concern over reported deaths during operations conducted by Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) calling for an independent judicial inquiry The demand follows a fact-finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) which urged a high-level judicial probe into alleged extrajudicial killings linked to CCD operations The CCD has rejected the report, terming allegations of staged encounters and unlawful actions as unfounded and contrary to its operational framework In a statement PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram questioned the scale of fatalities reported in alleged police encounters During the last eight months, as many as 670 encounters and 924 deaths have been reported What is happening in Punjab? Is it an official state policy?” he asked Akram questioned why the Punjab government had remained silent on the HRCP findings and whether law enforcement was being carried out through courts or through encounters Under which law have such powers been given to the CCD? he said, demanding a transparent and independent judicial inquiry into every reported death He warned that public trust in institutions would continue to erode without accountability He further stated that no institution should be allowed to carry out extrajudicial actions under any circumstances and called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to clarify the powers granted to the CCD No individual or institution can be given authority above the law,” he added
The CCD was formally established last year by the Punjab government to curb organised crime and safeguard life and property across the province
However in its recent report the HRCP alleged that the department had adopted a deliberate policy of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings " Citing press reports, the HRCP stated that at least 670 CCD-led encounters were carried out across Punjab over an eight-month period in 2025 resulting in the deaths of 924 suspects while only two police officials were killed during the same timeframe The rights body noted that the disparity in casualties averaging more than two fatal encounters per day along with similar operational patterns reported from different districts, pointed to what it described as an “institutionalised practice” rather than isolated incidents In response the CCD said earlier this week that a comparative review of crime data for the postMay period of 2024 and 2025 showed a marked reduction in crime across Punjab particularly in Lahore
Security forces killed nine militants, including a suicide bomber, during separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan the military s media wing said on Monday In a statement the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said an IBO was conducted in Dera Ismail Khan on Monday on the reported presence of “khawarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna-al-Khawarij” a term used by the state for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
According to the ISPR, security personnel engaged the militants location, and after an intense exchange of fire, four were killed Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants who it said had been involved in multiple terrorist activities in the area
In a separate statement earlier in the day, the ISPR said five militants, including a suicide bomber, were killed during an IBO in Pishin district of Balochistan on Sunday
The military’s media wing stated that the militant formation was engaged with multiple weapons During the ex-
change, the suicide bomber detonated himself, while four other militants were killed by security forces Arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the site
The ISPR said sanitisation operations were under way in both areas to eliminate any remaining militants It added that the counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of "Azm-i-Istehkam " approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan would continue at full pace to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country
Separately, a spokesperson for Balochistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) confirmed the Pishin operation stating that the militants had allegedly planned to target the police lines and Cadet College Pishin
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for the operation in Pishin, according to state-run Radio Pakistan
The president described the operation against Fitna al Khawarij as reflective of the nation s resolve against terrorism and vowed that the fight would continue until complete eradication of the threat
PTI lawmakers protest outside SC over Imran Khan's c ases, health issues
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
Lawmakers backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a protest outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Monday, demanding that cases involving the party’s founder be fixed for hearing and that he be allowed to meet his family
The protesters also called for the PTI founder to be examined by his personal physicians, arguing that access to independent medical evaluation was essential amid mounting concerns about his health
The protest coincided with fresh claims by Aleema Khan regarding the health of her brother, the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan
Speaking at a press conference on February 17 2026 she said she and her sisters had been stopped at Chakri earlier in the day while attempting to travel to Adiala Jail to hold a media briefing Aleema said the purpose of the press conference was to raise concerns about Khan’s health claiming that he had reportedly lost
The demonstration drew several senior figures from the party including Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Secretary Salman Akram Raja, as well as MNA Aamir Dogar, Shafi Jan, Muhammad Hussain Shahid Khattak and other members backed by the party
vision in one eye She added that his wife, Bushra Bibi, had conveyed a message stating that he was in poor health
According to Aleema former Prime Minister Imran Khan had complained of worsening eyesight and requested that Dr Faisal and Dr Asim be allowed to examine him She said he had also asked for his blood test reports to be shared with his family and personal doctors to ensure transparency about his medical condition I never talk about anyone, Aleema remarked during the interaction with journalists, underscoring what she described as the need for proper medical attention for the PTI founder
Raja Nasir seeks joint parliamentar y committee to facilitate meeting with Imran Khan
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Monday demanded the formation of a joint parliamentary committee to address the issue of meeting jailed Imran Khan at Adiala Jail
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, the PTI-backed leader urged the government to improve its relationship with the incarcerated former premier I promise that we [the opposition] would not let your government fall he said calling for steps to ease tensions
Referring to the recent dayslong sit-in staged by lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and allied opposition parties at Parliament House and KP House in Islamabad he alleged that the gates of Parliament House had been locked and parliamentarians were confined inside Is this not an insult to parliament?” he asked, advocating for a tradition of what
he described as “positive protest " The protest had been organised over concerns regarding Imran Khan s eye ailment after the former prime minister claimed he had lost 85 per cent vision in his right eye Although the government constituted a medical board to examine and treat him in jail PTI and its allies demanded that he be shifted to a hospital and allowed to meet his family
The government did not accept those demands, and PTI eventually called off the sit-in while announcing the formation of an “Imran Khan Release Force "
In his address on Monday Allama Nasir reiterated calls for proper medical treatment for the PTI founder, alleging that false cases had been registered against him and that his sisters were being denied meetings with him He proposed forming a joint parliamentary committee to arrange access to the jailed leader Separately, PTI leaders staged a sit-in outside the Supreme Court
of Pakistan demanding early hearings of cases involving Imran Khan PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told reporters he had sought a meeting with the Supreme Court registrar but was unable to secure one The protest outside the apex court later concluded after which Allama Nasir returned to Parliament House
Responding in the Senate Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said doctors had deemed Imran’s treatment appropriate following a medical examination and urged that the matter of his health not be politicised
The senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) reiterated the government s offer for dialogue, stating that his party had previously attempted engagement even when the opposition was in power Democracy progresses through negotiations not deadlock he said urging the opposition to participate in parliamentary committees and strengthen the charter of democracy
Achakzai ’s appointment as opposition leader challenged in Federal Constitutional Cour t
