g ATTA TARAR SAYS PAKISTAN READY TO PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN MEDIATING REGIONAL TENSIONS
g ISLAMABAD ENGAGED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH VARIOUS PARTNERS, A S WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED BALANCE IN RELATIONS: MINISTER
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday discussed the evolving regional situation with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Mubarak Al Sabah, expressing Pakistan’s
maintaining pressure through public demonstrations The dual-track approach of talks and protests has been a recurring feature of PTI's political strategy in recent months By placing the responsibility of this decision on the collective opposition leadership the PTI chairman appears to be signalling that the party values consensus-building among its allies before making any major political move
RIYADH
s ta f f r e p o r t
over the loss of precious lives and injuries in recent attacks the prime minister emphasised the importance of maintaining peace stability and constructive dialogue Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the longstanding
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to participate in the Consultative Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, where he is set to advocate for a swift end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East the Foreign Office (FO) said In a statement, the FO said FM Dar was received upon arrival by Pakistan s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Farooq, along with senior representatives of the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry The Middle East conflict began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran
In retaliation Iran targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries Amid rising tensions, the FO described Pakistan’s role as that of a “bridge builder”, promoting dialogue and stability in the region
According to an earlier FO statement Dar travelled to Riyadh at the invitation of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud He will attend the meeting from March 18 to 19 alongside foreign ministers of regional countries During the sessions, he will express Pakistan’s full support for the territorial integrity sovereignty and political independence of all brotherly nations and call for an immediate cessation of all attacks on their territories
The FO added that Dar will reiterate Pakistan’s call for a swift end to hostilities and advocate a return to dialogue and diplomacy He is also expected to highlight Pakistan s ongoing diplomatic outreach and its commitment to playing a pivotal role in resolving the grave security crisis confronting the region According to Reuters Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is also attending the Riyadh meeting to discuss regional developments This marks the third high-level visit from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing tensions On March 7, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud to discuss Iran s attacks on Saudi Arabia On March 12, Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif held a restricted meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he expressed Pakistan s full solidarity and support and agreed to work together for regional peace and stability Saudi Arabia has been one of the countries targeted in Iran s retaliatory campaign Since the outbreak of hostilities PM Shehbaz Sharif and FM Dar have maintained continuous communication with regional and international leaders, repeatedly calling for de-escalation and dialogue On Monday Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
ISLAMABAD
PAKISTAN RICE EXPORTS FALL OVER 35% IN FEBRUARY DESPITE SUBSIDIES
Pakistan’s salaried class pays Rs365b
‘Pakistan
Targeted Ammo Depot’: DG ISPR dismisses Afghan claim of hitting drug rehab centre
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
He
facility in Kabul which had been targeted by Pakistan We hit the pinpoint location The clip is still available, and the whole world saw secondary detonations because our intelligence was accurate and we struck an ammunition storage which exploded he said When the ammunition detonated flames rose across Kabul for some time because of the explosives, he added, describing the site as containing Sovietera Scud missiles and other ordnance
Rejecting claims of civilian casualties the DG ISPR emphasised that Pakistan used precision-guided munitions rather than general-purpose bombs We were very careful PGMs were used directly on terrorist support infrastructure, which is exactly what was done there,” he said He questioned the credibility of the Afghan Taliban’s claims: “Who is making these allegations? It is the Taliban regime which just 10 days ago claimed a Pakistani pilot was targeted while in civilian clothes The same account posts these claims and then deletes them The world knows they are discredited and dishonest ” Lt Gen Chaudhry further stated that the Afghan Taliban regime had previously rounded up drug addicts and kept them at the so-called rehab centre, using them for terrorism and suicide attacks “All suicide bombers who carried out attacks in Pakistan were drug addicts While all drug addicts are not suicide bombers all suicide bombers are terrorists he said He explained that while the structure in question was not a primary target, secondary detonations caused the fire and damage “It was a military-contained facility which may have housed suicide bombers in training terrorists Afghan Taliban members or allied militias I don t know exactly what was stored there, he said Addressing concerns about civilian casualties, the DG ISPR noted the blurred distinctions under Taliban rule: “When our posts are attacked some attackers wear uniforms some Afghan Taliban military uniforms and others fight alongside them in civilian clothes Who counts as a civilian?
He added that Afghanistan was not a conventional state but a territory under
Taliban control a terrorist organisation and a master proxy under which other groups operate Quoting a UN report, he said 22 terrorist organisations currently operate in Afghanistan “Afghanistan has become the centre for terrorists across the world a can of worms which Pakistan has pushed to close he said Pakistan is not fighting this war only for its own borders but for the security of the entire region and the world ”
When asked about the recent drone attacks in Islamabad Rawalpindi and other areas he questioned whether there was a drone manufacturing industry in Afghanistan He said this supported Pakistan’s narrative that someone was providing these drones to be used against Pakistan identifying India
They are providing rudimentary drones so that their signatures can be claimed as not theirs, he said, adding that it highlighted the deep nexus between India’s intelligency agency and the Afghan Taliban He said Pakistan had a very effective air defence system in which the Pakistan Air Force and Army Air Defence operated collectively, with the Air Force taking the lead role They monitor and take down drones through a combination of hard and soft kill,” he said
When asked about the endgame of the war the DG ISPR said Pakistan had a single objective: to ensure that Afghanistan was not used as a base for terrorism inside Pakistan
“The choice has to be made by the Afghan Taliban regime: what is more important to them TTP or Pakistan; is terrorism important or peace? They have to make a choice, he added, saying the regime must decide whether to protect itself or destroy the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan “Every child in Pakistan knows that India is behind this terrorism using Afghanistan as its base of operations It is Indian-sponsored funded terrorism whose base of operations is Afghanistan, the DG ISPR said He said that in every terrorism-related incident in Pakistan, Afghanistan was used as the base of operations
WA R I M P O S E D O N PA K I S TA N:
Providing details of incidents in which
terrorists carried out attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan, he said that on the blessed day of Friday, an attack was carried out in Tarlai in which worshippers were martyred, adding that the attacker had come from Afghanistan where he had received training and preparation
He added that attacks were carried out in Wana and Bannu targeting mosques police and civilians, and said all attackers were coming from Afghanistan
Questioning where the leaders of these terrorists were he said they were being sheltered in Afghanistan
He rejected the notion that Pakistan had imposed any war on Afghanistan saying the war on terror had been imposed on Pakistan and that thousands of its citizens had been killed with the country fighting the war for decades He said no other country in the world had fought a war against terrorism the way Pakistan its people and its security forces had The DG ISPR clarified that Pakistan had no issues with the people of Afghanistan, describing them as "brothers and sisters", and said they themselves were victims of the same group
They themselves are victims of their oppression they themselves are under these warlords, who have imposed this war, who have no connection with Islam, they are on their mercy, they themselves are living under them,” he said He said that Pakistani forces targeted terrorist hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghan border last month We did not target Afghans; we targeted terrorists, DG Chaudhry stressed
The military spokesperson said that forces of the Afghan government subsequently struck Pakistani posts at 53 locations “They started it by attacking Pakistan along the border at regular posts and this is our response he added, referring to Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, which has now been temporarily paused The DG ISPR said Ghazab Lil Haq was not a standalone operation but part of Pakistan’s ongoing war against terrorism adding that the country was fighting a war imposed by terrorists and their sponsors He said that when the Afghan Taliban struck at 53 locations, Pakistan began striking them inside their country, adding that everyone must understand the neighbouring regime had initiated the conflict We responded and now we are going to take them to task the military spokesperson added
TH E killing of Iranian National Security Adviser and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and Basij commander Brig Gen Gholamreza Soleimani by an Israeli airstrike should have brought the Iranians closer to surrender as it should make the remaining Iranian leadership fearful for their own lives On the other hand, it may merely stiffen resolve, as have previous deaths, including that of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, among that leadership The late Mr Larijani was integral to the Iranian establishment being not only its chief nuclear negotiator but also having served as speaker of Iran’s Parliament He was also the conservative candidate for President, losing to President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad when the latter ran for a second term The late Brigadier Soleimani was an old Basij hand, having reached the command of a Basij battalion during the Iran-Iraq war As commander of the Basij which has been merged into the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since 1971 he would have been at the forefront of any ground assault by the USA either Kurdish forces from Iraq or Marines crossing from Turkmenistan
Israel is responsible, for the initial announcement was made by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and has a special interest in Mr Larijani’s elimination because he had a reputation as being someone who could conduct the sorts of talks needed to end this situation How exactly the USA and Israel propose to end this war is difficult to discern, because all conflicts end in talks of some kind, and if there are no interlocutors, even accepting surrender becomes a problem US President Donald Trump is also making things difficult with vain boasts His latest and vainest has been his claim that the USA would reopen the Strait of Hormuz alone after his claim that other countries would help provide escorts was rejected by those countries The obvious question is why the USA is not providing any escorts
The arrival in Karachi of a crude cargo from the Hormuz Strait was clearly a welcome development, but it by no means should be taken to mean that the crisis is over Pakistan still faces the prospect of shortages something which was shown by the decision to cancel the traditional Mar 23 parade Things would probably have been much worse, had it not been for the installation in recent years of solar energy, with a report saying that Pakistan could save $6 3 billion this year in oil imports, at war-inflated prices
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TAH E Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to build a more sustainable inclusive and resilient world These goals consist of 17 global targets that address key challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation Among these goals SDG 7 focuses on ensuring access to clean affordable and reliable energy for all Energy is a fundamental pillar of modern life as it directly supports economic growth industrial development, and quality of life However, the world s heavy reliance on fossil fuels has intensified climate change and environmental problems At the global level, access to electricity has improved yet major gaps still exist Around 90 percent of the global population has access to electricity but nearly 789 million people remain without electricity particularly in developing countries In addition about 2 8 billion people rely on polluting cooking fuels, which pose serious risks to health and the environment The energy sector is responsible for nearly 73 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions making it the largest contributor to climate change Despite global commitments only 17 5 percent of electricity is generated from renewable energy sources showing that the transition
A cap -and-trade system is needed for industr y
today sustainable growth will become increasingly difficult in the future In 2022 Pakistan emitted approximately 529 1 million tonnes of carbon and its emissions have increased by nearly 123 percent over the last two decades The country remains 60 percent dependent on fossil fuels, which continues to worsen environmental conditions The two main sectors responsible for carbon dioxide emissions in Pakistan are the energy sector and the agriculture sector together contributing around 43–46 percent of total emissions
According to NDMA reports (2025), Pakistan has witnessed extreme temperature variations, clearly reflecting a drastic shift in weather patterns During the winter months of January to February, temperatures in northern areas dropped as low as –13°C while during the summer months of June to July temperatures rose sharply to 45–48 C in many regions These extreme fluctuations clearly show how rapidly Pakistan s climate is changing and how unstable the seasonal patterns have become Carbon dioxide emissions have become a serious concern because they contribute to ozone depletion trap ultraviolet rays and raise the Earth’s temperature Rising temperatures intensify heatwaves accelerate glacier melting and increase the risk of natural
serious In such a case, one out of every 1,000 people may be affected by respiratory diseases due to worsening air quality
As a result, Pakistan will be forced to increase investment in the health sector to manage climate-related illnesses instead of focusing on development and economic growth Climate change therefore directly limits national progress and if it is not taken seriously
isters over learning Student attendance records maintenance of fair notebooks and cleanliness of files often receive more attention than live classroom performance Question answer sessions, conceptual understanding and critical thinking are rarely observed in depth As a result, inspection outcomes reflect compliance rather than competence The consequences of this flawed approach are deeply demoralizing A teacher who has covered only two chapters out of twelve, with weak student outcomes, is treated no differently from a teacher who has completed eight chapters with visible improvement in student learning There is no mechanism to reward effort innovation or dedication Hardworking teachers are left disappointed while mediocrity is normalized Over time this equal treatment of unequal performance discourages professional growth and erodes motivation
The problem extends beyond inspection into recognition When awards for the best teachers or students are distributed at taluka or district levels selection is often influenced not by classroom performance or academic results but by visibility in teachers union activities or administrative networking This practice further weakens trust in the system and reinforces the perception that merit is secondary Adding to this institutional decay is an uncomfortable tradition that has become routine Inspection days are often marked by elaborate hospitality Multiple dishes are arranged for inspection teams, tea sessions are extended and resources meant for students are diverted towards hosting visitors This practice, quietly expected and silently reciprocated, has turned inspections into social obligations rather than professional evaluations When inspectors anticipate the same treatment in return objectivity becomes impossible The tragedy of this outdated system becomes clearer when Sindh is compared with Punjab Punjab’s annual inspection and monitoring framework relies on surprise visits independent monitoring staff and frequent academic observation Schools are assessed as they function on ordinary days not on rehearsed inspection mornings Monitoring officers operate separately from teaching staff, reducing personal influence and improving credibility Tech-
nology is used not for show but for regular data collection, follow up and corrective action
In Sindh, surprise visits by higher authorities are so rare that they are discussed as exceptions rather than norms This persistence of an obsolete inspection model is reflected in learning outcomes National and international assessments released in 2024 and 2025 by organizations such as ASER, UNICEF-supported learning studies and media analyses consistently highlight low reading comprehension, weak numeracy skills, and poor subject mastery among students in Sindh These reports do not blame teachers alone they point towards weak governance ineffective supervision and lack of meaningful accountability Annual inspection as currently practised, sits at the centre of this failure
Reform does not require extravagant spending What is needed is a shift in approach Annual inspection must be separated from personal exchanges and peer bargaining Monitoring teams should be integrated meaningfully even on a rotational or cluster basis Classroom observation across all subjects must become central Simple, low-cost digital tools can record teaching practices and student responses even offline Most importantly the inspection must recognize effort reward performance and provide constructive feedback
An education system cannot improve when its most important accountability tool is ceremonial Sindh s annual inspection system rooted in outdated practices, remains one of the major barriers to improving educational quality Until inspection is reclaimed as a serious academic exercise rather than a routine formality reforms will remain cosmetic and learning outcomes will continue to disappoint The writer tweets @AliGulLeghari1
An education system cannot improve when its most impor tant accountability tool is ceremonial SindhÊs annual inspection system rooted in outdated practices, remains one of the major barriers to improving educational quality Until inspection is reclaimed as a serious academic exercise rather than a routine formality, reforms will remain cosmetic and learning outcomes will continue to disappoint.
Climate funds overdue
Unit y over venom
alI GUl leGharI
Beyond the Umairi Viral Video
EA R LY this year, the phrase “Umairi viral video” surged across Pakistan’s digital spaces tightly linked to the oddly precise claim of a 7 minute 11 second runtime What began as vague posts and suggestive captions on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X quickly snowballed into a nationwide online obsession
Massive numbers of users searched ritualistically for terms like Umairi original video 7:11 pushing the topic into trending lists and giving it the appearance of legitimacy Yet despite the scale of attention, no verified or authentic video ever surfaced Instead, the internet circulated rumors, doctored screenshots and fleeting uploads that were rapidly removed leaving behind a phenomenon defined less by real content and more by collective speculation around a digital phantom The episode functioned as a textbook example of viral psychology The exact timestamp lent the rumor a false sense of credibility, triggering curiosity, FOMO (fear of missing out) and the thrill of forbidden knowledge while claims of suppression or deletion transformed the search into a kind of digital treasure hunt This effect was intensified within Pakistan s cultural context, where strict norms around privacy, honour, and morality make the idea of a leaked or scandalous video especially explosive For a young highly online population the narrative became a socially charged space to engage with taboo themes blending voyeurism moral judgment and anxiety about changing values ultimately amplifying a story whose power came not from evidence, but from suggestion The architecture of the social media platforms themselves must be indicted as a primary non-human actor in fueling and sustaining these trends The algorithms governing the feeds of TikTok Instagram Reels YouTube Shorts, and X are not neutral arbiters of content; but sophisticated engagement-maximization engines engineered to identify prioritize and proliferate any material that generates high rates of user interaction likes shares comments saves and extended watch time
Nothing reliably triggers this algorithmic pump faster than content that is controversial, shrouded in mystery, or touches
B eware of the algorithm
upon societal taboos Once certain keywords like Umairi video 7:11 full link or original leaked MMS begin to demonstrate a spike in search volume and engagement, these platform algorithms mechanically interpret this as a signal of “what’s hot ” They subsequently begin aggressively recommending any and all content tangentially related to these keywords to an exponentially widening circle of users irrespective of the content s veracity
This creates a powerful, self-reinforcing feedback loop: more recommendations lead to more searches, which lead to more content creation (often low-effort reaction videos, speculative commentary or outright fake uploads) which in turn generates more engagement convincing the algorithm to recommend the topic even more widely In this chaotic environment, the vast majority of users never encounter and likely never could encounter the purported “original video ” Instead their search leads them into a labyrinth of blurred clips claiming to be censored versions exaggerated reaction videos featuring shocked faces cynical memes that mock the trend itself, misleading titles on video-sharing sites, and, most perniciously, shortened links that redirect not to a video, but to external, ad-laden websites, phishing pages designed to harvest personal data or portals prompting downloads of malware-disguised executable files This rampant circulation of digital chaff rumors, clickbait, and outright scams associated with the Umairi phenomenon serves as a stark, textbook case study in the terrifying velocity and scale at which misinformation and manipulative content can spread in online particularly when it taps into deep-seated human curiosities and latent social tensions In this specific instance, a significant proportion of the links shared virally across social platforms and encrypted mes-
This
saging apps like WhatsApp were not gateways to any genuine content whatsoever
Many were digital traps: conduits to malware-laden sites that could compromise smartphones and computers phishing pages meticulously crafted to harvest login credentials, phone numbers, and other sensitive personal information, or simple advertisement farms that generate revenue per click Cybersecurity professionals and digital literacy advocates have repeatedly warned that these viral hoaxes are increasingly weaponized as vectors for cybercrime The more intensely individuals seek out the elusive full video through unofficial, unverified channels, the greater their exposure becomes to significant security vulnerabilities, financial scams, and even potential legal repercussions for inadvertently downloading or sharing illicit material The pursuit of digital gossip therefore transforms into a tangible risk to personal digital safety and privacy
The social and human impact of such virulent digital trends inevitably bleeds out of the confines of the screen and into the messy reality of everyday life When online discussions evolve from casual curiosity into aggressive moral adjudication and personal vilification a common trajectory they foster an environment where real human lives can be irrevocably damaged by rumour, innuendo, and trial by social media
There were fragmented reports for instance suggesting law enforcement action in Gujranwala where authorities reportedly detained a woman allegedly connected to an immoral video scandal that local narratives had tenuously linked to the broader “Umairi” trend The accuracy and full context of these law enforcement actions remain unclear and are themselves subject to the same rumour mill
However that discussions of a viral online trend migrated into the realm of official police action and mainstream media headlines underscores a dangerous threshold being crossed: digital virality can precipitate
catalysts for a deeper, more critical reflection on what truly merits our focus.
real-world consequences with severe reputa-
tional, legal, familial, and social fallout for individuals at the centre of the storm The stigma attached to such associations however baseless can be socially catastrophic and psychologically traumatic The fascination with spectres like the Umairi video is symptomatic of much deeper, more systemic trends characterizing youth engagement with global digital culture Young people the overwhelming majority of social media users often navigate vast swathes of unstructured unsupervised time online The platforms they inhabit are engineered to deliver a near-constant, neurologically stimulating stream of short-form, high-emotion content This ecosystem inherently fosters a culture of instant gratification and perpetual distraction Viral videos memes transitory challenges and unverified rumours coalesce into a pervasive entertainment-industrial complex, offering quick, disposable dopamine hits of excitement, gossip, and a shallow sense of communal participation in a shared event
This behavioral loop is chemically and psychologically reinforced every time a user impulsively scrolls, clicks a provocative thumbnail, shares a post for awareness, or leaves a comment in a heated thread actions performed with little to no critical consideration of the content’s truth value or ethical implications The profound danger here extends far beyond the immediate pitfalls of misinformation and wasted hours It lies in the immense opportunity cost the valuable time, cognitive energy, and emotional bandwidth siphoned away and forever lost This is time and attention displaced from activities that foster meaningful learning deliberate skill acquisition deep personal development and constructive solution-oriented community engagement A generation constantly chasing viral phantoms is a generation distracted from building the competencies required for personal and national advancement in the 21st century It is therefore of paramount importance for young people to cultivate a conscious awareness of this dynamic They must recognize that the allure of viral content often functions as a systemic distraction from long-term personal and societal growth Investing mental energy in chasing unsubstantiated rumours and engaging in scandal-driven gossip contributes precisely nothing to tangible outcomes like career development, the honing of critical thinking faculties, the maturing of emotional intelligence, or the collaborative project of national progress In stark contrast, time and focus deliberately channeled towards formal and informal education acquiring vocational
and digital skills, engaging in creative expression and artistic practice, developing entrepreneurial initiatives or participating in community service and civic action these are investments that build intellectual social and economic capital with enduring value capital that cannot be erased by the next trending hashtag Pakistan’s youth bulge represents one of the world’s most significant demographic powerhouses: tens of millions of minds with access to the global internet This connectivity is a tool of staggering potential BUT a double-edged sword It is a tremendous asset, but only if channelLed toward constructive, empowering goals
The same platforms that can spread a baseless rumor about a “7:11 video” across a nation in hours can also be harnessed to amplify educational content in local languages share inspirational stories of innovation and resilience, disseminate skill-building tutorials for free, host informed debates on policy and culture, and build digital marketplaces for homegrown enterprises
Realizing this positive potential requires intentional collective choices by users content creators, educators, and policymakers to actively prioritize substance, authenticity, and value-creation over sensation and gossip
IRANIANS have a very long historical memory The way they talk about the Alexander invasion of Persia in 344 BC it is as if it happened last week on Tuesday The subsequent Arab and Mongol conquests of the seventh and 13th centuries happened just a few days ago With this Israeli-instigated, American cosponsored invasion of Iran on 28 February 2026 still unfolding with carpet bombing and vicious total destruction apace the country re-enters its sustained and prolonged history Iran does so in a fateful encounter with the most malicious colonial and imperial thuggery of the combined forces of Israel, the regional settler colony and the dysfunctional US empire that it has sadistically manipulated for decades to keep itself afloat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not an exception - a mushroom that grew out of nowhere His diabolical designs on the world around his settler colony surface from the deepest layers of genocidal Zionism Lo and behold: Palestine Lebanon Syria Yemen and now Iran - in total ruin and utter despair This Iranian invasion is the wet dream of Zionism, wholly interpreted The significance of this momentous re-entry of Iran into the bosom of its historical memories can scarcely be exaggerated
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY: Over the course of its long and tumultuous history Iran has been invaded multiple times The Alexander invasion of the fourth century BC put an end to the Achaemenid Empire The Arab conquest of the seventh century dismantled the Sassanian Empire Turkic and Mongol invasions followed each with their particular twists and turns after which history unfolded apace The Afghan invasion of 1722 brought the Safavid Empire to an end Russian incursions into Iran lasted from the 18th into the 19th century The Anglo-Soviet invasion of 1941 followed and then the Iraqi invasion of 1980-1988 The history is long the memory conflated These are the landmarks of Iran s long history as a target of world conquerors and imperial land grabs And now it is the site of a bold and barefaced attack by a European settler colony wagging the dog of the US empire The long history and uninterrupted longevity of these successive invasions have paradoxically made Iran into a civilisational unity Not
n v a d e r s a n d h a s o u t l i v e d t h e m a l l
Israelis do not know what they are dealing with They have not pissed on a hard rock yet, as a splendid Persian proverb puts it
have paradoxically secured its consistency
After each invasion and following each conquest, Iran and its Persian cosmopolis emerge stronger and more confident No state has ever held any meaningful rule over the sovereignty of the nation They are all unwanted guests They come and they go
The real sovereignty the unwavering ownership of the homeland belongs to the Iranian people in all their multicultural diversity, and not to those who rule over it today and are gone tomorrow
The genocidal enclave Europeans have planted in the heart of Palestine like a poisoned dagger and called Israel imprisoned as it is in the banality of its evil settler colony will never understand that simple fact
Having occupied Jewish history and Palestinian lands alike, they are too busy plotting against their neighbours, stealing their lands murdering their leaders and citizens alike burning their women and children alive bombing their oil fields and robbing them of their underground resources to understand anything else in this world
AN ENDURING CIVILISATION: Iranians have always turned the lemon of their dreadful conquests into the lemonade of their enviable civilisation The Alexander invasion gave rise to a glorious tapestry of Alexander romances in the hands of their master poets, Ferdowsi, Nezami, and Jami The Arab invasion resulted in the fusion of Islam with Iranian heritage to give the world one of the most glorious manifestations of Islamic civilisation After the Mongol invasion the revolt of the Iranian soul soared to splendid heights in its arts and sciences technologies and architecture, literature and poetry
After Russian, British and French colonialism, Iranians turned to translating Dostoevsky Shakespeare Montesquieu and Rousseau into Persian Today Netanyahu and Donald Trump are flying their fighter jets to murder Iranian schoolgirls and destroy the foundations of their civic lives, straight out of the redacted pages of the Epstein files This is what Israel and Trump mean to Iranians, as they do to the rest of the world This particular invasion is marked by the plots of a morally depraved settler colony with a mere history of some 70-plus years of mass murder and the suffering of Palestinians, daring to destroy a civilisation with 5,000 years of recorded history They will be defeated and destroyednot by the whimsical means of the ruling Is-
The pro -Israel New York Times is now leading American yellow journalism in manufac turing consent for this war It is failing
lamist regime but by the iron will of the Iranian people Israelis do not know what they are dealing with They have not pissed on a hard rock yet, as a splendid Persian proverb puts it
With each cycle of invasion and conquest Iranians have endured massive onslaughts of death and destruction and then turned around and given birth to a renewed flourishing of their culture and civilisation, to the point of civilising their conquerors In the case of this particular act of savagery by Israel and Trump there is nothing to civilise
The world is reading Israeli asset Jeffrey Epstein s files What is there to civilise?
A gang of European settler colonialists have congregated in historic Palestine, occupied Palestinian lands and laid a false claim on Judaism as a world religion, leaving nothing to their name except a history of perfidious monstrosity Israel is today a museum of the global disaster that European colonial savagery has left behind
THE KEY OBJECTIVES: This particular invasion has a number of key features It was instigated by Israel, not by the US It has been an Israeli desire to attack and destroy Iran for decades probably as early as the Iranian Revolution of 1977-1979 when they lost the late shah as a key ally This plot against Iran was mapped out in a way that would easily seduce and trap Trump
Both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said so in unguarded moments when their Zionist handlers were not watching They subsequently walked back their open admissions But it was too late WHAT IS THE MILITARY MISSION OF ISRAEL IN IRAN? Israel has only one mission in bombing Iran It is to destroy its entire civic infrastructure and then to destroy the landscape of its art and architecture its archaeological sites every single sign of its 5 000-year history It wants to wipe out its civilisational and cultural memory, to make it as rootless an enclave of savagery and barbarism as Israel itself Its animosity and hatred towards Iran are not limited to its ruling regime It
The second set of losers in this invasion is the Pahlavi neofascists and the comprador intellec tuals who promote them. The New York Times gives them endless columns to demonise Iran and shield genocidal Israel
European American and C
S U S P R E S S U R E M O U N T S
US House panel subpoenas attorney general over Epstein files
t want to get involved in military operations against Iran NATOmember France said it would only consider a joint international coalition to secure passage through the strait following a ceasefire and prior negotiations with Tehran Araghchi said an end to the war was only conceivable if the +conflict was permanently over throughout the region and Iran received compensation for damages incurred When asked about Iranian strikes in the Gulf not only targeting US military bases but also impacting residential or commercial areas Iran's foreign minister said this was because US forces relocated to urban areas "Wherever there were American forces gathering wherever there were facilities belonging to them they were targeted It is possible some of these places were near urban areas," the top Iranian diplomat said Araghchi acknowledged that regional countries are upset and their people have been harmed or bothered" by Iranian strikes but added that the blame lay entirely with the US for starting the war on February 28
adding that the two sides should expand cooperation in non-resource fields, including connectivity, agriculture, artificial intelligence, digital economy and clean energy China s Two Sessions were successfully held not long ago during which the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development was approved Xi said He also stated that the implementation of this outline will lay a solid foundation for China towards basically achieving socialist modernization, which benefits countries around the world Over the past 35 years since its independence Turkmenistan has forged an independent development path suited to its national conditions Xi said At the beginning of the Year of the Horse China stands ready to discuss cooperation and share development opportunities with Turkmenistan to promote the building of the China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future, he said Stressing that mutual support is the core essence of the China-Turkmenistan comprehensive strategic partnership Xi said regardless of how the international situation evolves, China will always support Turkmenistan in safeguarding its national independence sovereignty and territorial integrity Moreover China will always support Turkmenistan in pursuing a policy of permanent neutrality and will remain a trustworthy partner for Turkmenistan Both sides should accelerate the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan s development strategy, he said calling on both sides to accelerate the progress of establishing Luban Workshops traditional Chinese
CM MARYAM ORDERS CRACKDOWN ON FARE OVERCHARGING AHEAD OF
Punjab Police has finalised a compre-
hensive security plan for Chand Raat and Eidul Fitr, announcing the deployment of more than 47,000 officers and personnel for over 29,000 Eid congregations across the province according to an official statement Security will remain on high alert across Punjab including Lahore, on Chand Raat and Eidul Fitr, following directives of Abdul Kareem to ensure foolproof arrangements on the auspicious occasion
More than 17 000 officers and personnel including lady police will be deployed at markets and key locations across the province including Lahore, on Chand Raat, the statement said, quoting the Punjab IG Police Sharing further details a Punjab Police spokesperson said that 5 000 officers and personnel will perform security duties in the provincial capital on Chand Raat On Eidul Fitr, more than 47,000 officers and personnel will be deployed for 29,000 congregations across Punjab, including Lahore while 10 000 officers and personnel will be assigned duties in the provincial capital
The IG Police said that with the support of Special Branch, CTD and other security agencies, strict vigilance will be maintained on terrorists and miscreant elements In view of the prevailing regional and security situation along the western border he emphasised that personnel deployed at inter-provincial borders and riverine police check posts must remain on high alert
He further directed that continuous monitoring of mosques, imambargahs, markets and other sensitive locations be ensured through CCTV cameras Dolphin Squad Police Response Unit (PRU) and Elite Force teams will carry out effective patrolling around mosques, markets and other important places, the statement added The spokesperson said onewheeling aerial firing hooliganism and kite flying will not be allowed under any circumstances warning that strict action will be taken against miscreants involved in harassing women and families
The Punjab IG Police also directed Regional Police Officers (RPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs) to personally supervise security arrangements for Chand Raat and Eidul Fitr He further instructed that additional personnel be deployed to ensure smooth traffic flow on major highways as well as at recreational and public places
Deportation of illegally foreigners further accelerated
Meanwhile, the process of deportation of foreign nationals residing illegally in Punjab has been further accelerated
According to a Punjab Police spokesperson a total of 32 932 illegally residing foreign nationals including Afghans, have so far been deported from across the province, including Lahore, while 401 individuals are currently present at various holding points
Providing a breakdown the spokesperson said that among those deported, 12,498 are men, 6,686 are women and 13,748 are children Of the total, 10,482 had proof of residence, 11,100 were Afghan Citizen Card holders while 11 350 were illegally residing foreign nationals
IG Police Abdul Kareem said that security remains on high alert across the province and that the deportation of all illegally residing individuals is being ensured He added that Punjab Police is implementing the deportation policy in accordance with international laws with full observance of human rights throughout the process
110 held as crackdown on begging mafia continues in Lahore
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
Lahore Police have intensified the crackdown on professional beggars during the holy month of Ramadan, resulting in the arrest of 110 individuals
According to the Lahore Police spokesperson, cases have been registered against the arrested persons under the Beggary Act at various police stations across the city Capital City Police Officer Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana has directed that operations against facilitators of beggars be further intensified under the anti-beggary campaign strict action be taken against those exploiting and forcing children into begging, he asserted He added that the Child Protection & Welfare Bureau and the Social
Welfare Department should be fully engaged to ensure the rehabilitation of adolescent beggars He directed that the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s surveillance cameras be utilized to identify and trace professional beggars at key roads and intersections The CCPO further directed the Traffic Police to continue effective enforcement against the beggars, particularly at major roads and traffic signals
LAHORE a p p As the first quarter of the 21st century nears its conclusion Impact Hallmarks (IH) has formally announced the nomination of Anousheh Ansari for inclusion in the forthcoming Quadricentennial Merited Impacts Gazette a global merit-indexing initiative aimed at identifying individuals whose contributions have expanded the frontiers of knowledge while meaningfully addressing real-world challenges confronting humanity According to a press release issued here on Wednesday the Gazette represents a distinctive shift in contemporary historiography Moving beyond traditional models of celebrity recognition, it seeks to chart a more rigorous intellectual landscape one defined by measurable, merit-based impact and enduring global relevance Within this framework Ansari
emerges as a defining figure in modern scientific and technological endeavour An Iranian-American engineer, entrepreneur, and visionary innovator she has consistently translated ambition into transformative global action Currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of the XPRIZE Foundation, she oversees a portfolio of high-impact, multi-million-dollar incentive competitions designed to address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges In the scientific endeavours quadrant Ansari
NEW MEDICAL BOARD EX AMINES IMRAN KHAN AT ADIAL A JAIL FOLLOWING IHC ORDERS
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
TH E medical check-up of PTI founder Imran Khan has been completed by a newly formed board comprising five doctors and staffers at Adiala jail following instructions from the Islamabad High Court (IHC),
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said the sons of former prime minister Imran Khan are welcome to visit Pakistan using their National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) amid an ongoing controversy over
days She also noted that they had not been able to speak to their father or send him letters and had not seen him since 2022 Imran Khan is currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, and his sons who reside in London with their mother would need to travel to Pakistan
termed the situation a violation of basic human and family rights accusing authorities of political victimisation
shift as more citizens come forward with information Bugti emphasised that while the state respects the dignity of women the use of women in militant activities forces security personnel to take precautionary measures, including checking vehicles carrying female passengers He assured that the arrested woman would be treated in accordance with the law, interrogated in the presence of female police officers and protected from any physical or moral harm This is the difference between the state and terrorists he said highlighting the government s commitment to upholding human dignity The chief minister also praised the efforts of security forces, police and law enforcement agencies, claiming that over 1,000 militants had been neutralised in the province over the past year
According to officials militant groups are increasingly using online platforms and organisations to recruit and radicalise individuals The suspect reportedly told authorities she had been influenced by a commander of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who allegedly directed her to connect with facilitators and train other women for suicide missions
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and newly-appointed Chinese Consul
General Sun Yan have agreed to further strengthen strategic cooperation under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and promote historic bilateral relations across diverse sectors, according to a handout issued by the Punjab DGPR
CM Maryam Nawaz welcomed Sun Yan to Lahore and congratulated him on assuming his diplomatic responsibilities During the meeting the Chinese Consul General extended an invitation to the chief minister to visit China, which she accepted with appreciation, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated Both leaders agreed to deepen strategic ties and enhance collaboration under CPEC across multiple fields The Punjab CM lauded China s continued defence cooperation with Pakistan and its role in easing
and
the present case notably did not include the names of certain PTI leaders, prompting questions about the prosecution's approach The special prosecutor addressed these concerns before the ATC, maintaining that the decision was based on the available evidence or the lack thereof against the individuals in question The anti-terrorism court was told that the prosecution had reviewed the evidence on record and determined that there was insufficient material to implicate the KP chief minister in the case The prosecutor's stance effectively defended the exclusion of his name from the supplementary challan Proceedings continue The May 9 cases have remained a significant legal and political issue in Pakistan, with courts across the country hearing matters related to the violence that took place on that day Numerous accused individuals, including political figures and party workers, have been facing trial in anti-terrorism courts in connection with these cases The ATC is expected to continue hearing the case as proceedings move forward The prosecution s position that no evidence links the KP chief minister to the case marks a notable development in the broader May 9 legal saga, which has seen a wide range of charges filed against PTI-affiliated individuals across multiple jurisdictions
