DAR ENGAGES GULF, MIDDLE EAST COUNTERPARTS TO PUSH DE-ESCAL ATION, DIALOGUE
g FM DAR HOLDS SEPARATE C ALLS WITH HIS COUNTERPARTS FROM BAHRAIN EGYPT AND IRAN
g
g ISL AMABAD, C AIRO DISCUSS ONGOING DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS, UNDERSCORING IMPORTANCE OF DIALOGUE AND DE-ESC AL ATION
g FM ARAGHCHI EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO PAKISTAN FOR ITS MEDIATION EFFORTS, STRESSING TEHRAN ‘NEVER REFUSED TO GO TO ISL AMABAD’ FOR TALKS
PAKISTAN MOVES TO ALIGN TRADE, CLIMATE POLICIES TO STRENGTHEN FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
Businesses warn of fac tor y closures, rising costs, job losses as fuel hike strains industr y, SMEs, agric ulture
Officials said the impact would extend beyond industry with rising transport costs expected to push up prices of essential goods, affecting labourers and salaried groups Business leaders also flagged risks to agriculture noting that higher diesel prices could make the use of tractors, tube wells and harvesters unaffordable during the harvesting season, potentially affecting crop output Small and medium enterprises were identified as particularly vulnerable with limited financial capacity to absorb rising costs, raising concerns about liquidity pressures and business continuity
TPakistan commits to tariff hikes, Rs830b subsidy cap under IMF programme
Dar had also held a candid conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah The two leaders reviewed fraternal Pakistan–Saudi relations and discussed ongoing coordination on regional developments, the FO said HECTIC DIPLOMACY AND BACKCHANNEL EFFORTS CONTINUE
Backchannel
Vance and senior Iranian representatives The proposed meeting to be held in Islamabad was viewed as a potential opening for de-escalation amid heightened regional tensions However, despite advanced preparations on multiple occasions in recent days, the meetings were postponed at the last minute as both sides required additional time for internal consultations “Efforts are ongoing and there is still willingness to explore diplomatic options one source noted adding that the situation remains fluid given broader regional dynamics These peace efforts follow talks hosted by Pakistan on March 29 with Turkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, aimed at brokering an end to the Iran war Initial discussions focused on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping sources said Foreign ministers from the three regional powers had arrived in Islamabad last week for consultations as Iran warned the US against launching a ground attack, with global oil prices surging amid continued fighting between Iran the US and Israel Proposals floated during the talks were tied to maritime traffic and reopening the Strait of Hormuz sources told Reuters as part of wider efforts to stabilise shipping flows A day prior to these talks, DPM/FM Dar had also spoken with FM Araghchi, urging diplomacy and dialogue as the sole path to peace
lower inflation, which reduced nominal GDP growth During July–January
7% exceeding the
rose
jected
came in
for FY25 as nominal
Rs113 9 trillion compared to Rs124 1 trillion, according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb In a written reply to the National Assembly the minister said public debt stood at Rs80 52 trillion, slightly above projections He attributed the higher ratio primarily to
Trump proposes ‘historic’ defense spending budget, eyes 10% cut to other federal programs
Despite that
the
federal government takes in and how much it spends, has continued to widen, with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecasting a $1 853 trillion shortfall in the fiscal year that ends on September 30, deeper than last year s $1 775 trillion The nation’s $39 016 trillion debt has continued to grow under Republican and Democratic governments in part because most of the political battles around spending revolve around the amount Congress directly controls, the roughly one quarter of the budget known as “discretionary spending
factions and rapidly shifting battlefield dynamics linked to the broader US-Israel confrontation with Iran Insiders reveal that the backchannel discussions have revolved around three core pillars: Immediate de-escalation measures to prevent further military escalation Guarantees regarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz A potential roadmap for phased diplomatic engagement beyond the current crisis Pakistan s role has extended beyond merely offering a venue Officials in Islamabad have acted as intermediaries, relaying messages, refining proposals, and coordinating with regional stakeholders to maintain momentum in the talks even as formal meetings remain elusive Efforts are ongoing and there is still a willingness on both sides to explore diplomatic options, one source said, cautioning that the situation remains fluid and highly sensitive to developments on the ground These backchannel efforts have been complemented by Pakistan s broader diplomatic push involving key regional players Islamabad recently hosted foreign
TH E report of US Vice-President J D Vance twice getting ready to lead a delegation to Pakistan which would have held talks with an Iranian representative delegation, comes on the heels of the report of the Israeli bombing of the residence of former Iranian Foreign Minister Ismail Kharzi in Tehran, who killed his wife and left him severely injured, and still critical Mr Kharzi is said to have been expected to lead the Iranian delegation This is of a piece with the Israeli track record both against Iran and against Hamas Last year, before the June war, the Israeli attack abruptly halted the nuclear negotiation Iran was having with the USA, and where an agreement was looking increasingly likely Even before the February 28 attack this time, though an attack had become more and more certain as the USA poured forces into the region there were lastditch talks in Geneva which were sabotaged by the attack It might be remembered that when Israel itself was involved in ceasefire talks, it killed a Hamas negotiator in Qatar The bombing of Kharazi s residence shows not only that it has no reagrd for negotiators, but wants the wat to continue The only possible purpose would be to prolong the life of the Netanyahu government Here the Israeli government’s interest is clashing with the Trump Administration’s interest, as the war is becoming increasingly unpopular because of the rising fuel price Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif announced a reduction of the petrol price by Rs 80, bringing it below the Rs 458 per litre announced a day before This cut was only made possible by a reduction in the petroleum levy The net result has not been relief for the consumer so much as making him or her realize how bad things can be The government is still trying to meet IMF conditionalities, and has indicated its willingness to increase tariffs, over and above the Fuel adjustment charge which is going to spiral up with the price of oil
The only way out would be to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalate the situation However the balance is against
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar
riage What followed was an indefinite saga of humiliation and mental agony For ten long years she was dragged through the corridors of courts went through a series of medical examinations and out of line questioning All these things were endured just to prove a single fact –her womanhood –in quest of what she was entitled to In a country where the respect or reputation of a woman is contingent on her submission, silence and the ability to endure abuse the decision made by Mehnaz to opt for legal remedy was not surprisingly, met with utmost humiliation, personal attacks and her dignity and privacy being snatched away A few months back the Supreme Court in a recent judgement titled Saleh Muhammad V Mst Mehnaz Begum confronted the misuse of the law against a woman’s dignity Mehnaz Begum, married in 2006 and abandoned within a year by her husband, had no choice other than to seek maintenance, dower and dowry articles from court in 2015 Her husband, who had remarried and moved abroad, argued that she was not a woman due to her alleged infertility The trial court followed by the higher two judicial forums rejected his baseless claim and the suit was decreed in favour of Mehnaz Begum Despite a decade of litigation, the husband took this baseless plea to the Supreme Court which was dismissed with exemplary costs of Rs 500,000 The petitioner s argumentation was an apt depiction of the misogyny embedded in our social fabric The petitioner claimed that his wife did not fall in the purview of a woman due to her alleged infertility thus was not entitled to maintenance By attacking the very identity of an individual, he employed a common patriarchal weapon which aims towards a disturbing notion that absent men who fail as husbands still enjoy the prerogative to determine a woman’s identity and control her actions Although his claim was rejected by three judicial forums repeatedly he approached the apex court while taking refuge in frivolous litigation The message being loud and clear– the claim was never about legal recourse rather it was about power and control
Balancing Innovation and S afet y
TH E concept of artificial intelligence is no longer the stuff of science fiction in the defence community The idea is quietly gaining some ground on the hushpuppies of the nuclear command control and communications (NC3) system Governments are leveraging AI to sift through vast amounts of data, identify threats promptly, and support decisionmakers during the most critical times
On paper, this sounds ideal However, practically, it is an unhealthy tension The very tools created to facilitate speedy decisions can make it more difficult to determine whether such decisions can be trusted, especially when secrecy is necessary Nuclear deterrence has been based on a single fact throughout the decades: human judgment when put to the test
Leaders are supposed to take a moment, reflect, and avoid committing disastrous errors AI disrupts that logic It shortens the time of decisionmaking by enhancing the speed of processing information Speed is not necessarily a benefit in times of crisis A digital system might also assume unclear signals as threats and human beings do not get enough time to think and there is a possibility of irreversible growth
These risks are not unknown to governments International declarations are becoming more conscious of the fact that man should remain the master of decisions concerning the use of nuclear power But never mind, deliberate intent is not sufficient Verification or demonstration that the rules are being obeyed brings trust in deterrence And here is the fun part about it: AI renders verification incredibly hard
To ensure the safety of AI it is necessary to know how and what AI is trained to do its reaction to the data, and what happens when it is stressed NC3 systems are amongst the highly secretive infrastructures on earth Demonstrating the integration of AI into for instance early-warning sensors communications networks, or decision-support tools may reveal vulnerabilities to be exploited by the adversaries This brings a paradox that to be certain that the system is safe requires transparency, but transparency may undermine the very deterrence that you are attempting to maintain It is not political; it is technical AI is not like the more conservative nuclear equipment but one that is constantly updated What was considered a safe system today might misbehave the following day requiring updates or retraining It will not be enough to carry out one-time checks Safety would mean constant monitoring- but constant access to
Mehnaz Begum had to undergo two medical examinations and bear baseless allegations only to get her legal right The honorable subordinate courts ignored her right of privacy and exercised a flawed approach while allowing these examinations In doing so, the courts, however unintentionally, reinforced the patriarchal approach embedded in our norms which led to her right of dignity as enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution being snatched away The courts being the custodian of the fundamental human rights must ensure that persecution of litigants must not take place under the garb of due processes The defendant, already aggrieved and abandoned by her husband was forced to tolerate a decade of psychological oppression The Supreme Court refused to reiterate the contents of the medical reports, thus restoring a part of her lost dignity This case highlights the gap between the constitutional guarantees and their stark procedural realities Dignity, although inviolable was snatched bit by bit from the defendant during the course of litigation
Whether it was a series of medical examinations or lack of cost sanctions at earlier stages the inaction of the courts caused the harm they were bound to prevent It is a welcome step by the Supreme Court to acknowledge the disadvantage the defendant was suffering from A woman who entered the apex court after ten years of litigation was strangled by the shackles of patriarchy, societal stigmas and financial dependency This power imbalance needs to be recognized by the courts not just as imposing a legal duty but as a moral responsibility
The imposition of costs by the Supreme Court was indeed commendable to deter such kind of frivolous and prejudiced litigation
But a sociological shift is there regarding how we view litigation is the need of the hour, especially when the question of gender or vul-
nuclear systems is what no state would feel comfortable with The threats are not limited to technical malfunctions Automation may cause a change in the meaning of behaviour by the states When one nation takes AI a step faster in decision-making, other countries might think that they are planning to take preemptive measures which might not be the case The wrong perception may lead to an arms race that will not be on the size of nuclear arsenals but on the speed History offers a warning Numerous nuclear near-misses were averted since human beings were skeptical of automated warnings and delayed retaliation AI can minimize such essential human pauses- not by arriving at a formal exclusion but since algorithms possess a persuasive power When the machine is demonstrated to be more efficient than humans in routine analytics, the decision-makers can outsource machines when seconds count
Even when this is faced, it has been historically demonstrated that secrecy and verification can and will go hand in hand The smart mechanisms that have long been employed in arms control have created trust without revealing the sensitive design Much of the inspection is aimed at results and little at internal processes The system of controlled access and material accounting has enabled the international observers to verify compliance and ensure secrecy It might be applied to AI in the same way Verification may not be used to examine source code; instead, it may examine behaviour and bounds: Does the AI launch? Does human override work under pressure? It is not important to expose the inner mechanics of the system, but to make the system behave safely Governments cannot afford to take mere promises One method is the layered governance: Political Commitment: Humanize nuclear choices
Technical specifications: Separate the AI and the launch authority perform tough stress-testing This can be effective in confidence-building measures States might exchange AI safety-testing procedures observe the training sessions or brain-
AI in nuclear command does not mean preventing innovation, but it does mean that innovation works in favor of
nerability is involved If the courts reprimand and actively penalize such kind of argumentation rooted in prejudice they basically help in reshaping public discourse They draw certain lines about how far one can go without crossing certain boundaries Judicial attitudes have the potential to influence the social norms and future litigants A clear message that the dignity of a female or any vulnerable community is not up for debate must be reflected at the trial level through judicial pronouncements and resistance
Such judgments demand something more from the institutions: introspection Judges at the trial level must be trained effectively to counter such kind of argumentation from a gender sensitive lens They must feel empowered through institutional support That is how a jurisprudence of resistance can be incorporated at the trial level which might effectively counter a chain of prolonged and prejudiced litigation
One thing that deserves every bit of praise is Mehnaz Begum’s resilience Her fight was not against an abusive husband, rather, she fought against a whole adversarial system which was so shallow that it made her prove whether she was a woman or not If the institutions really want to honor her courage, they must start implementing the spirit of this judgement not just as an exception but as a norm before any other Mehnaz is dragged into courts to prove her womanhood!
The writer is a graduate in economics from LUMS He is interested in international relations
One thing that deserves every bit of praise is Mehnaz BegumÊs resilience. Her fight was not against an abusive husband, rather, she fought against a whole adversarial system which was so shallow that it made her prove whether she was a woman or not. If the institutions really want to honor her courage, they must start implementing the spirit of this judgement, not just as an exception, but as a norm before any other Mehnaz is dragged into courts to prove her womanhood!
Food makers star ving
TH E world and Pakistan were witness to weeks of surprisingly soft talk on part of the US President, strongly suggesting that the war between the USA and Israel on one side and Iran on the other would be over by the first or second week of April
Pakistan too has reasons to be optimistic as the government at various tiers was working covertly or overtly to bring peace to the region There was extreme ambiguity as to what was happening at each end The people in Islamabad were led to believe and the local media inflated that aspect that any negotiations held will be in Pakistan with no one less than the US Vice-President leading the US side On the other hand the speaker of Iranian parliament Baqir Qalibaf must have thought over about his importance within the Nezam that he is the man of the hour given his name was toyed as the person who will lead the Iranian side of the negotiation
If that was not enough the simpleton Iranian President Massoud Phezishkian was suggested to the person on the other side of the fence willing to talk with the Americans It may be added here while the Western media wanted its subscribers to believe that the Iranian diaspora, which was for the regime change, could not hold back what were the creeping signs of disillusionment with the overkill the US-IDF coalition was committing The former advisor to US ex-President Barack Obama, Vali Nasr did not mince words when he said the Islamabad meet was what could have been the trap to get away with Iranian leadership coming over to talk
If the IS President was cracking jokes as the person whose nuisance value is at the highest level, courtesy the unipolar world, the mention of neighbouring countries on one hand talking on behalf of the Americans the mention of people willing to talk who happen to be part of the system or Nezam; all pointedly suggest that the week or so of talks was nothing but a psywar sugarcoated as a façade of negotiations
A closer look reveals that the US side, while focused on the declared goal of ‘regime change’ through force, was trying to create an imaginary wedge within the Nezam on the premise of the decades-old misperceptions of each group about the other; exploiting it to force any party to take a step which might further jeopardize the system
It is a known fact that before the June 2025 war and the one which started on February 28; the need to talk to the USA for the restoration of JCPOA was basically a reformist child True that the other organs of the state, like the parliament and even the radicals, despite being suspicious of the US intentions did not create any hurdles towards the sitting administration in the case of 2024 and 2025, with the reformist administration calling the shots, whether it was going low on support to the resistance like the sitting President’s opposition to the Iranian retaliatory acts when Ismail Hania was killed by the internal Mossad hands in Tehran right after the investiture ceremony for the new reformist President; or it was talking to the Americans in United Nations in September 2024 instead of talking about the Gaza mas-
sacre lending support to the resistance at the time, it needed the diplomatic support the most
Even during the early weeks of the war the statement by the President over Iranians’ attack on the Gulf states, regarded as a bit apologetic, was soon superseded by the military spokesman s statement In the conduct of war by the USA, it has been observed that while there has been a wholesale massacre of the IRGC cadres, the mainstream Iranian armed forces have been more or less spared by the US bombardment
The last observation, which can also be validated during the 12-day war in June when the IRGC cadre was decimated in the opening hours by the IDF, and the selection of deceptive words by the US President was designed to act as wedge point between the two factions within the Nezam
The IRGC, very much orphaned after the unceremonious exit of the supreme leader from the scene and the reformists who might be used or provoked to do the needful for the Americans from within the Nezam The tone of the US President, asking the Iranian leadership to surrender and create an impression among the man on the street in major Iranian cities, who are keeping a month-long nightly vigil at central
places in the city as well as the combatants was designed to create an air of mistrust and thus plan for a regime change from within A sort of soft coup might have been deliberately planned by the USA from within the system
The US President also created an impression that there were a few people in Iran he was talking with and even unscrupulously tried to make use of the sincerity of the Muslim states like Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia for his goals Starting from a few people in Iran to the controlled media leaks suggesting Vance meeting Qalibaf in Islamabad, unspecified intelligence operations suggesting counter measures for the safety of the Iranian leaders it was a complete theatrical façade which was created by Trump and the media moles to make one feel that Iran was just round the corner to surrender
The takeaways were to unnerve the reformists to do it alone, possibly create bad blood between the IRGC and the reformists and create a bad impression in the street that the succeeding set-up was just ready to surrender Speculation about the new supreme leader, his state of health and continued absence were all the variables which were put to use in this theatrical psychological warfare
who were likely to talk if the diplomatic window was to ever open clearly indicates the following facts
The USA and IDF leadership, if taken on merit have enough baggage to be impeached without a second thought by their respective legislatures and by the judiciary The Israeli PM has been at loggerheads with the judiciary and the media with publications like Haaretz facing the music from the party having a majority in the Knesset
Secondly Iran despite all the media narrative cannot be blamed for the conflict as it did not start it There have been ample chances that the two leaders, Trump and Netanyahu do not have much to show in support of their actions if tasked with honest negotiations That leaves the coalition with the intel games; to create an aura of negotiations which are not existing and through the same weapon create confusion in the adversary camp and to finish the job through the scorched-earth campaign
The weeks ahead might see even more intensity in the operations launched from both sides It will be of importance to see, if the supposed allies of Iran; China and Russia are ready to throw their strategic weight behind their
t h e s t r e n g t h a n d r e s i l i e n c e o f t h e I r a n i a n s i n g e n e r a l a n d
t h e I R G C i n p a r t i c u l a r, t o w h a t ex t e n t t h ey c a n r e s i s t a n d ev e n t u a l ly t u r n t h e t a bl e s ; e s p e c i a l ly i f t h e mu ch
t r u m p e t e d g ro u n d w a r c o m m e n c e s T h a t f a c e - o f f
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IR A N I A N American support for the U S –Israel war on Iran has plummeted, as euphoria over Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death shifts into concern over the conflict s growing civilian toll according to a new poll Nearly two-thirds of Iranian Americans now oppose the war after opinions were near evenly divided at the start of the conflict, according to a Zogby Analytics survey “This is a war that is supposedly being fought in our name There’s a lot of wishcasting and projection
The nearly 17 percentage point leap comes as the prospects that the Iranian regime will collapse seem to have dimmed, the conflict’s endgame becomes increasingly murky, and steady bombings have swelled the number of civilians killed Jamal Abdi president of the nonprofit group that commissioned the poll the National Iranian American Council said the survey results show that the diaspora s feelings on the war are more complicated and
more negative than pundits have suggested This is a war that is supposedly being fought in our name,” Abdi said “There’s a lot of wish-casting and projection and voices from the diaspora claiming that there is this mandate from our community and it s not based on data or facts or reality It s based on a campaign for regime change no matter what the cost is It s dangerous for our community to be used like this
NIAC has long been one of the major voices in the diaspora expressing skepticism about war with Iran In days leading up to the February 28 strikes that started the war however figures such as Reza Pahlavi the son of the country s former shah, were given prominent platforms to argue for regime change
NIAC’s March 24 to 27 poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 4 percentage points is the second that the group has commissioned from Zogby Analytics
An earlier survey was conducted from February 27 to March 5, a period that coincided with the final hours of U S –Iranian negotiations and the beginning of the conflict The survey results suggest that Iranian Americans are now more opposed to the war than Americans as a whole after being more sup-
portive at its start
Iranian Americans are a sliver of the U S population, about 0 2 percent, making polling of the group more difficult than the general population Abdi said that Zogby drew from a “significant list of contacts” in the Iranian American community to conduct the survey One prominent Iranian American Ahmad Batebi an exiled dissident who thanked President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the war began but has spoken out against targeting civilian infrastructure questioned the poll results
My view is that the reported decline in support should be interpreted cautiously Batebi said in an email, not only because opinion may indeed be shifting in real time, but because the more basic question is whether this polling instrument can credibly be treated as representative of the broader Iranian-American community in the first place
In the earlier survey Iranian Americans showed nearly a 50-50 split in their position on going to war with Iran
Iranian Americans now believe by a wide margin that President Donald Trump should end the conflict according to the more recent numbers 70 percent of respondents said that it was time to end the war Only a quarter believed it should continue Trump is scheduled to give an address, with
Given the nature of Trump and volte face as things stand the threat regime has taken precedence over talking even deceptively The reasons for that can be the failure of the posturing which were designed to create a wedge between the various factions create an absence of dialogue within the system and then precipitate the desired results The Stone Age comment, followed by chiding of the western allies by the President; and the early morning attack on just past Thursday; Kamal Kharazi, rather a targeted attack on one of the figures,
contradictions are no longer easy to ignore On the one hand Washington signals that its military objectives are close to completion; on the other hand, it continues to reinforce its presence and sharpen its intimidation Such dual messaging might once have been dismissed as tactical ambiguity Today it looks more like anxiety Wars rarely end because one side declares them
nearly over They end when reality can no longer be denied Consider the battlefield Iran s capacity to sustain missile barrages and extend pressure through regional proxies has not been decisively degraded, despite claims to the contrary Israel has demonstrated formidable defensive resilience but at a cost that underscores the limits of even arguably the most advanced missile defense systems Meanwhile, the conflict s geography is expanding into Lebanon, across Gulf shipping lanes, and into the calculations of almost every economy A war that touches the Strait of Hormuz is a global economic concern It is here that the limits of rapid solutions become most apparent The notion that a rapid, decisive outcome was achievable recalls earlier attempts to bend complex political environments to Washington's will in a compressed timeline The recent US approach to Venezuela where the issuance of selective energy development licenses was meant to catalyze a quick economic and political shift, rested on a belief that calibrated pressure could deliver swift results Even there success has been partial and contested To imagine that such an approach could be transplanted onto the Middle East was always a stretch The global economy is now paying
the price Energy markets have reacted with predictable alarm to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz Price volatility is not merely a trader s headache; it is a tax on growth, a complicating factor for central banks and a destabilizer for different economies Supply chains already strained by years of US unilateralism and protectionism face renewed uncertainty Insurance premiums for shipping have soared Even if hostilities were to cease tomorrow, the backlog of vessels and the fragility of confidence would take a long time to unwind US allies too are beginning to display growing unease Some have started to ask quietly but audibly what the endgame looks like When the leaders of some countries aligned with the US question whether the original objectives have already been met or whether those objectives were ever clearly defined it is a signal that consensus is fraying or never existed In past conflicts such cracks have widened quickly once the costs became indisputable Against this backdrop, the stance of Beijing along with other peace-loving parties deserves attention In recent exchanges between China and Pakistan a five-point initiative was advanced that can be distilled into three imperatives:
The writer is a freelance columnist
officials giving mixed signals as to whether he will wrap up the conflict or expand it with a ground invasion
The recent Zogby poll also captured an increasingly pessimistic view of the war s likely outcome Many Iranian Americans celebrated on social media when Khamanei’s death in an Israeli airstrike was confirmed on March 1 Hard-liners have held onto power in Iran since then however leading to a dimming
cease hostilities initiate talks and ensure basic security of civilians of shipping lanes and of the international order embodied in the UN Charter Wars that disrupt global commons require solutions that extend beyond the battlefield China's critique of unilateral economic measures elsewhere including in Venezuela is also relevant The use of sanctions and selective licensing as instruments of policy may offer shortterm leverage, but they erode the very multilateral frameworks needed to manage crises of this scale If anything the current Middle East conflict illustrates the limits of coercive tools in the absence of a credible diplomatic horizon None of this is to suggest that negotiations will be easy especially since the war was launched when negotiations were taking place and none of the parties seems any more ready to compromise than before Tehran demands guarantees against future attacks; Washington insists on behavioral changes that Iran has long resisted; Israel faces its own security imperatives Yet the alternative a grinding conflict with no clear
S F I G H T E R J ET S H O T D O W N O V E R I R A N , S E A R C H U N D E R WAY
AG E N C I E S
AUS fighter jet was brought down over Iran and a searchand-rescue effort was under way for any survivors, a US official told Reuters on Friday, marking the first known incident of its kind since Washington began its war with Iran on February 28
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity did not provide additional details about the aircraft or the fate of its crew
The Pentagon and US Central Command did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report
The development has added a new dimension to the conflict with the possibility that US pilots may be alive inside Iran during active hostilities significantly increasing the stakes for Washington Iranian officials urged civilians to remain alert for any survivors According to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA the governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said anyone who captured or killed the crew would be specially commended Iran s Fars news agency also reported that Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today indicating that Iranian au-
thorities were actively pursuing the matter Fresh strikes reported across the region The report of the downed aircraft came as new attacks were reported in Israel Iran and Gulf countries An AFP journalist said large explosions shook northern Tehran on Friday afternoon though it was not immediately clear what had been struck
Earlier, Israel s military said Iran had launched another missile barrage, prompting the activation of Israeli air defence systems Strikes by all sides have increasingly focused on economic and industrial infrastructure heightening concerns over broader disruption to global energy supplies and expanding the conflict s effects beyond military targets Conflict enters another phase The war began more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran followed by retaliatory attacks that spread the confrontation across the Middle East, disrupted the global economy and affected millions of people
Iran deploys new air defence system to counter US jets; vows 'full' control over airspace
TEHRAN AG E N C I E S Iran s military had deployed a new air defence system to strike the US jets The same system was supposedly used in downing a US jet on Friday, according to a report published in Al Jazeera Iran's military command promised that Tehran would definitely achieve full control over its airspace after more than a month of US and Israeli aerial dominance during the war Meanwhile, US-Israeli strikes hit Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday killing one person according to an AFP report The strike targeted the Bushehr facility on Iran s southern coast, with authorities saying the extent of the damage was not immediately clear There was no immediate confirmation of any impact on the reactor or reports of radiation leakage
The Bushehr plant Iran’s only operational nuclear power facility, has previously been struck during the ongoing conflict
A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran according to Iranian state media which said American forces are attempting a search and rescue operation in central parts of the country An unnamed US official confirmed the development to Reuters
Iran later said it had downed a US A-10 aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz marking a significant escalation in direct confrontations
The incident comes as US President Donald Trump pledged further strikes after the destruction of a major bridge in Iran including attacks on civilian infrastructure and power plants Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the threat as an admission of intent to carry out a “massive war crime”
The human toll continues to rise with at least 2 076 people killed and 26 500 wounded in US-Israeli attacks across Iran since February 28, according to available figures Iran says ready to target enemy advanced fighter jets, drones
An Iranian military commander said on Saturday that Iran has developed new indigenous methods and equipment and is prepared to target enemy fifth-generation fighter jets and advanced drones
Brigadier General Alireza Elhami, commander of Iran's Army Air Defense Force made the remarks while inspecting defensive positions
of the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian media Elhami said Iran s air defense forces had in previous battles shot down several advanced enemy fighter jets and more than 160 drones in joint US-Israeli incursions, including MQ-9, Hermes and LUCAS drones as well as dozens of cruise missiles He said the forces had taken timely and precise action before the enemy launched its attacks
He added that in operations carried out by the air defense units of the army and the IRGC, a number of enemy fourth-generation and fifth-generation fighter jets were hit damaged or brought down
Elhami said the outcome was made possible by advanced tactics, modern equipment and the innovative use of air defense systems which threw the enemy into confusion
Chakwal, Chiniot, Jhelum, Mianwali, Narowal, Bhakkar, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Mandi Bahauddin and Kamalia Khyber Pakhtunkhwa residents in Peshawar Nowshera Swat Shangla Lower Dir Upper Dir Kohat Malakand Mardan Hangu Abbottabad Mansehra, Upper Hazara, Buner, Banno, Bajaur, Tank, and Charsadda reported tremors Gilgit Baltistan also
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has said that the Punjab government has outpaced all other provinces in providing tangible relief to the masses She emphasized that whenever it comes to public welfare and facilitation, the Punjab government will always remain at the forefront In an official statement issued here today Azma Bokhari lauded the pro-people initiatives of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz noting that the CM finds genuine contentment in serving the public "The Chief Minister has never left the people of Punjab alone; she stands as a pillar of support for her people in every hour of need the Minister remarked Discussing transport reforms the Provincial Minister highlighted that CM Maryam Nawaz has won the hearts of the public by making public transport completely free of cost across Punjab She clarified that as long as the current war-like situation persists the public will continue to benefit from free travel facilities in public transport
Turning to the agricultural sector Azma Bokhari noted that the Chief Minister prioritizes the welfare of farmers in
Unregistered tenants a securit y concern: CCPO
The enforcement of tenancy laws in the provincial capital has been further intensified with strict action being taken against violations According to the spokesperson for Lahore Police a total of 700 individuals have been arrested and 360 cases have been registered during the current year in connection with breaches of tenancy regulations In this regard, Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana has stated that the presence of unregistered tenants constitutes a security concern He asserted that compliance with the tenant registration system is a joint responsibility of both landlords and tenants He observed that timely registration of tenants has considerably facilitated law enforcement agencies in the identification and monitoring of criminal elements He further noted that the system plays a significant role in tracing habitual offenders and individuals with prior criminal records Indiscriminate action will continue against those providing accommodation to illegal or suspicious individuals, adding that no negligence or laxity in this regard will be tolerated, he concluded
BIL AWAL BHUTTO CONDEMNS WAR ON IRAN, URGES CEASEFIRE AND NATIONAL UNIT Y AMID RISING GLOBAL TENSIONS
prepared for private transport operators to prevent fare increases Recently Murad Ali Shah announced a Rs2 000 subsidy for registered motorcyclists for April Additional support will be provided to registered passenger buses (Rs100,000 per vehicle per month), two-axle trucks (Rs70,000 per month), heavy trucks (Rs80,000 per month), and intra-city buses with higher fuel consumption Bilawal concluded by calling on all stakeholders to set aside differences and work together for the national interest underscoring the need for unity at a time of both regional instability and domestic economic challenges
Imran Khan moves IHC for law yer access,
alleges months-long denial in £190m case
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan on Saturday approached the Islamabad High Court seeking immediate permission to meet his legal team for consultation in the £190 million case
The miscellaneous application filed through Barrister Salman Safdar requests an “urgent and uninterrupted meeting between Khan and his counsel to prepare his appeal against conviction The plea names the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, the inspector general of Punjab Prisons and the superintendent of Adiala Jail as respondents
According to the application Khan has been unable to hold any meaningful meeting with his lawyers since December 20, 2025 amounting to over three months without proper legal consultation The petition argues that this denial has severely hindered his ability to prepare his defence in a case where his suspension of sentence application has already been pending since March 2025
The filing further claims that hearings on the suspension plea have been held on at least 16 occasions alleging that NAB s conduct has contributed to delays and that repeated attempts by lawyers to meet their client have been blocked by jail authorities
Citing the Pakistan Prison Rules 1978 along with Articles 9 10-A and 14 of the Constitution the application argues that access to legal counsel is a fundamental right It describes restrictions on meetings with lawyers family and friends as a “gross violation” of constitutional protections and due process
The plea also seeks similar relief for Khan s wife Bushra Bibi requesting the court to allow both to consult their lawyers for effective preparation of their pending appeals
A day earlier Bushra Bibi’s legal team had also approached the IHC seeking suspension of her sentence arguing that bail-related matters must be prioritised in line with Supreme Court jurisprudence
The case stems from the highprofile £190 million corruption reference filed by NAB in which an accountability court in Islamabad sentenced Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in
January last year
The charges relate to the AlQadir Trust established by the couple in 2018 Authorities allege the trust was used as a front to receive valuable land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for facilitating the settlement of funds repatriated from the United Kingdom
The government maintains that the recovered funds were improperly adjusted against liabilities instead of being deposited into the national treasury However, Khan has consistently denied wrongdoing asserting that neither he nor his wife personally benefited from the arrangement
The Islamabad High Court is currently hearing appeals seeking suspension of their sentences, with the latest petition highlighting concerns over access to legal counsel and due process in one of Pakistan s most closely watched accountability cases
guarding Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) requires a capable and technologically advanced naval force
Speaking at the induction ceremony Chief of the Naval
Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlighted Pakistan s critical geostrategic position along key global trade and energy corridors He stressed that safe-
The Pakistan Navy on Saturday inducted its second Milgem-class corvette, PNS Khaibar, into the fleet, marking a significant step in strengthening the country’s maritime defence capabilities The vessel is part of a fourship agreement signed in 2018 with ASFAT Inc under which two corvettes are being constructed in Türkiye and the remaining two in Pakistan reflecting deepening defence cooperation between the two nations
The naval chief revealed that during last year ’s conflict with India referred to as Marka-i-Haq the Pakistan Navy was poised to sink an Indian aircraft carrier forcing it and its escort vessels to retreat to safer waters
