COALITION TALKS INTENSIF Y AS 27TH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EMERGES AS KEY POLITICAL FL ASHPOINT
Sharif at the President’s Office has taken on added political significance amid emerging behind-thescenes consultations over the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment and its implications for the country s power structure and coalition stability
However, the exact contours of the draft have not yet been officially shared with all coalition partners, fueling speculation and political caution within allied ranks
Sources suggest that President Zardari did not commit to an unconditional endorsement of the proposal during the meeting Instead, he reportedly adopted a measured stance, emphasising internal party consultation and broader political consensus before any final decision
Within political circles this cautious approach is being interpreted as part of a broader strategy by the PPP leadership to retain lever-
According to sources familiar with the discussion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is said to have formally sought President Zardari s political facilitation in mobilising support from the Pakistan Peoples Party for the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment which is being positioned by the government as part of broader institutional and governance reforms The amendment, still under internal consultation, is understood to include provisions related to constitutional restructuring federal-provincial coordination judicial reforms and administrative efficiency
age in ongoing coalition negotiations Some insiders claim that the PPP is increasingly viewing its parliamentary strength as a key bargaining chip in shaping future political arrangements According to these sources discussions within elite political circles have also revolved around the party s desire to secure a more influential role in the next phase of the government, including speculation about a possible understanding regarding the future leadership structure
In this context some political observers suggest though without official confirmation that President Zardari may be seeking assurances regarding a strengthened political future for PPP
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, including the possibility of his elevation to a senior executive position within a power-sharing framework during the remaining term of the National Assembly
The inquiry committee investigating the One Constitution Avenue scandal is expected to submit its report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later this week The committee, headed by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has already begun compiling its findings the sources having knowledge about the matter told ARY News Sources further said the committee has recorded statements from the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other relevant officials involved in the One Constitution Avenue scandal Statements from residents currently living at One Constitution Avenue have also been recorded as part of the investigation The committee has reviewed earlier investigations conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Public Accounts Committee It is also examining the FIA case registered in 2017 and will incorporate its findings into the final recommendations
diplomacy
Natalie Baker According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Natalie Baker called on Dar in Islamabad, where both sides discussed the evolving regional situation and broader Pakistan-US bilateral relations During the meeting Dar highlighted Pakistan s role in facilitating communication between the United States and Iran, expressing hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond Last week, Dar had sought Singapore’s assistance to facilitate the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers aboard vessels seized by US authorities near Singaporean waters He had also spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirming Pakistan s close coordination with Tehran on the matter and offering to facilitate the safe return of Iranian nationals through Pakistan The foreign minister had thanked Singapore for its cooperation noting that Pakistan’s Foreign Office and other relevant authorities were working closely with US officials and stakeholders to ensure the safety and timely repatriation of those involved
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
The federal government has prolonged its austerity and fuel conservation measures until June 13 as uncertainty persists over the Middle East conflict and diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran remains stalled
The Cabinet Division issued a formal notification after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the extension on the recommendation of the implementation committee
Under the notification the government will continue a 50% cut in fuel supply for official vehicles during the extended period It has also decided to keep 60% of official vehicles off the roads as part of the ongoing cost-saving steps
The austerity plan was first announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 9 in a televised address, shortly after the government raised petrol and diesel prices by 20%
Fuel prices in Pakistan had risen sharply after oil supplies were disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil and gas shipments According to the report Iran shut the strait in response to
joint attacks by the United States and Israel that began on February 28 and ended on April 8 after a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire
Although the ceasefire was extended, the two sides have remained divided over proposals aimed at permanently ending the conflict particularly on the issue of their respective blockades of Hormuz Measures remain in force across government institutions
In his March 9 address, the prime minister said the wider region was in the grip of conflict in the Middle East and said Pakistan was making diplomatic efforts to help ease the crisis
The austerity package applies across federal government institu-
tions including ministries departments autonomous bodies stateowned enterprises the legislature defence organisations and the judiciary Besides the reduction in fuel use, the plan had cut government office operations to a fourday workweek with the banking sector and essential services exempted from the arrangement Federal and provincial departments were also directed to reduce non-essential spending by 20% during the final quarter of the current fiscal year
The measures further included a ban on official foreign travel by ministers parliamentarians and government officials, except for obligatory visits
that the attack had been planned by terrorists residing in Afghanistan The Afghan chargé d affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to deliver a strong demarche regarding the cowardly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) attack carried out by
terrorists of Fitna al Khawarij on the Fateh Khel police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa s Bannu District on May 9
The statement said Pakistan conveyed its grave concern over the continued use of Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan and told the Afghan side that it must prevent militant groups from operating from its soil
The ministry conveyed that a detailed investigation into the incident, along with evidence collected and technical intelligence, indicates that the attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan
The Foreign Office further said the continued presence of various militant organisations in Afghanistan and what it called a permissive environment for their operations, had been documented in reports by the United Nations Monitoring Team and other international organisations According to the statement Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to take concrete and verifiable action against Fitna al Khawarij, Fitna al Hindustan, and ISKP/Daesh elements operating from Afghan soil It added that Pakistan had also engaged the Afghan Taliban through several rounds of
talks mediated by brotherly and friendly countries but said the Afghan Taliban had failed to commit to or deliver meaningful and verifiable action against these groups
The fight against terrorism is a common cause and the Afghan Taliban must honour their commitment not to allow their territory to be used for terrorism against other countries
The Foreign Office said the Afghan Taliban regime had also been informed in categorical terms that if it continued to harbour such organisations, Pakistan would not compromise on its national security or on the safety
STEEL SECTOR RAISES DOUBLE TA X ATION, ENERGY COST CONCERNS
garding restrictions on interprovincial wheat movement, but trucks carrying
and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and to collaborate with provincial governments to launch the facilities across the provinces He said cooperation from provincial and district-level governments should be sought to reduce the digital gap between urban and rural areas in the IT sector During the briefing on various initiatives for the promotion of IT participants were informed that a recent 5G services auction held in Pakistan marked the world s largest such auction since 2016, generating $509 million in revenue for the country Besides, the “Indus AI Week” was organised in Feb-
ruary 2025 to promote artificial intelligence featuring events across 30 cities participation from over 100 international delegates, and 88 pavilions It was informed that fibre connectivity had been provided to government schools and health units in Islamabad while the provision of free internet hotspots in the capital was
The
and Shaza Fatima Khawaja,
wheat were still being stopped from entering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Murshid Ali argued that the restrictions violated Article 151 of the Constitution, which guarantees free trade and movement of goods between provinces
He alleged that illegal payments were being demanded on transport routes claiming that trucks carrying wheat were allowed entry into the province only after payment of bribes reaching up to ₨500,000 per truck
According to the association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces nearly 1 million metric tons of wheat annually against a provincial requirement exceeding 5 3 million metric tons making the province heavily dependent on wheat
supplies from Punjab The association said wheat supply disruptions from Punjab had continued for nearly one and a half years, creating financial difficulties for flour mills across the province Murshid Ali said prices of a 20-kilogram flour bag in Punjab ranged between ₨1 700 and ₨1 900 while the same bag was being sold for as much as ₨2 500 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa He warned that flour prices could exceed ₨3,000 per bag if the situation persisted The flour millers appealed to federal and provincial authorities to intervene immediately saying the issue was linked not only to the flour industry but also to food security for low-income households in the province
Steel Complex AfteR yeARS-loNG ShutdowN
Qatari LNG tanker heads to Pakistan after crossing Strait of Hormuz
million cubic feet per day as authorities adjust gas flows ahead of the arrivals Industry sources said Al Kharaitiyat is among the world’s larger LNG carrier categories and is likely to unload cargo at the Engro Elengy Terminal which has previously handled vessels of similar size Energy analysts estimated current spot LNG prices at around $16 85 per MMBtu, including freight costs, insurance charges and war-risk premiums linked to geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region Industry experts also warned that repeated LNG tenders followed by rejection of offers could affect trader confidence and increase future procurement costs for Pakistan-bound cargoes
for the incoming cargoes have already affected domestic gas system operations Regasification at the floating storage unit
Seapeak Magellan has reportedly been reduced from
per day to
Last week State-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) rejected the two lowest LNG bids submitted by BP Singapore and TotalEnergies at $17 28 and $16 98 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), respectively, against urgent tenders floated for May deliveries amid rising temperatures and increasing power demand PLL had floated emergency tenders on Wednesday with a 36-hour notice period for two LNG cargoes scheduled for delivery between May 12-14 and May 24-26 The company received a total of seven bids for the two delivery windows For the May 12-14 cargo BP
04
COMMENT
In it for the long haul
IT now seems increasingly possible that the US-Iran confrontation will last in its present form indefinitely: not quite war not quite peace not quite diplomacy and not quite breakdown The latest signal from Washington, where President Donald Trump described the ceasefire as close to collapse after rejecting Tehran s response to a US proposal confirms what has become obvious: the crisis is no longer moving in a straight line toward either settlement or escalation It is moving sideways
This is the most dangerous kind of geopolitical normal A formal war produces horror but it also produces clarity A settlement produces relief, even if temporary What the region now has is something more unstable: a permanent seesaw between threats and openings, strikes and pauses, ultimatums and backchannels Each side declares resolve Each side signals restraint Neither appears ready to accept the costs of defeat yet neither can comfortably bear the costs of a wider conflict For Washington the limits are political military and economic A prolonged conflict with Iran would stretch American power while the US is already managing pressures in Europe, Asia and at home It would risk oil shocks shipping disruptions and another open-ended Middle Eastern entanglement that even many hawks would struggle to defend if casualties and prices began to rise Trump may prefer the language of dominance, but even dominance has a balance sheet For Tehran, the calculation is equally harsh Iran cannot afford a war that further weakens its economy exposes its infrastructure, and invites deeper isolation Yet it also cannot accept terms that look like surrender particularly on issues tied to sovereignty, deterrence and regime legitimacy That leaves Iran with a familiar strategy: resist enough to avoid capitulation, negotiate enough to avoid catastrophe
This is why the ceasefire keeps dying without quite dying It is not strong enough to become peace but it is still useful enough to prevent full-scale war It gives both sides room to posture before domestic audiences while buying time in the background Its weakness, paradoxically is also its function For Pakistan, the lesson should be sobering A conflict that remains suspended rather than resolved can still disturb energy prices, shipping routes, investor sentiment and regional diplomacy Islamabad cannot assume that a pause is stability, or that mediation has succeeded simply because guns have gone quieter
The long haul now looks less like a choice than a condition The region may have to live with a ceasefire that limps, negotiations that restart and collapse, and leaders who threaten escalation while quietly fearing it That is not peace But for now, it may be the only arrangement both Washington and Tehran can afford
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
ing
The
mands
WH E N the United States entered into direct military confrontation with Iran in late February 2026, it did so with full knowledge that the battlefield would not be North America nor would the economic shock primarily devastate the American mainland The war theater would be the Gulf itself the territory, airspace, ports, oil routes, and infrastructure of America s Arab allies More importantly, much of the financial burden associated with maintaining this military architecture would ultimately be absorbed by the Gulf states hosting the very bases used to project American power From the outset Washington mobilized an enormous military machine across the region Carrier Strike Groups 3 and 12 were moved into operational positions, advanced missile-defense batteries were activated, and approximately 50,000 U S troops spread across at least 19 military locations in the Gulf were placed on heightened readiness Major operational hubs such as Al Udeid Air Base Camp Arifjan and the U S Fifth Fleet headquarters in Naval Support Activity Bahrain became the nerve centers of military coordination But while the Pentagon projected military strength the financial mathematics of the conflict revealed a very different reality Reports emerging during the first phase of the conflict estimated that U S military operations were costing between $890 million and $1 billion per day In just the first 100 hours, expenditures reportedly reached approximately $3 7 billion By early May 2026, cumulative operational costs were estimated to have crossed $60–70 billion These costs included naval deployments fuel consumption aerial sorties missile interceptions intelligence operations logistics and rapid replenishment of depleted weapons stockpiles The most alarming aspect for American military planners was not merely the money being spent, but the speed at which strategic inventories were being consumed Reports indicated that the United States had used nearly half of some of its most expensive missile stockpiles during the confrontation Replenishment timelines for advanced interceptors and precision-guided systems were estimated at up to four years due to production bottlenecks and industrial limitations Modern warfare had exposed an uncomfortable truth: even the world’s largest military-industrial complex struggles to sustain prolonged
high-intensity conflict against a technologically capable adversary Yet the deeper irony of the war was this: despite these staggering numbers the Gulf states themselves were still expected to absorb a substantial portion of the broader operational and infrastructural burden For decades, Washington’s military footprint in the Gulf has operated through an interconnected system of host-nation financing infrastructure sharing arms purchases and sovereign investment recycling Gulf governments provide land utilities strategic access, construction financing, logistics corridors, and maintenance support for American installations Qatar alone historically covered roughly 60 percent of the costs associated with Al Udeid Air Base amounting to approximately $650 million in infrastructure support Saudi Arabia previously paid nearly $500 million to offset the deployment costs of American troops stationed inside the kingdom The 2026 conflict intensified this financial dynamic dramatically Iranian retaliatory strikes reportedly caused approximately $800 million in damage to U S -operated facilities during the first two weeks of escalation alone Reports also suggested that U S aerial equipment losses reached as high as $2 8 billion Yet much of the reconstruction, repair, and operational continuity costs were expected to be negotiated with Gulf host states rather than borne exclusively by Washington
In practical terms the Gulf states found themselves paying for the consequences of a war unfolding on their own soil while the United States retained strategic command and global leverage This is where the geopolitical equation becomes extraordinarily advantageous for Washington First, the United States projects military dominance across the Middle East without carrying the entire financial burden alone Second Gulf states continue purchasing massive quantities of American weapons to reinforce their own defenses Between 2019 and 2023, Gulf nations accounted for approximately 22 percent of global arms imports, much of it sourced directly from U S defense manufacturers In May 2026 alone Washington fast-tracked more than $8 6 billion in new weapons sales
The silent struggle of TTS Universit y teachers: Educating a nation while fighting for sur vival
uncertainty regarding policies and promotions
The Karachi squeeze
a
it
and
constantly feel undervalued, their motivation naturally declines A teacher entering a classroom with financial anxiety cannot perform with the same peace of mind as someone who feels secure and respected Over time frustration replaces enthusiasm and the academic environment suffers as a result This issue is not just about salaries It is about dignity It is about recognizing that educators are human beings with families, dreams, responsibilities and emotions A nation that expects world-class education cannot ignore the welfare of its teachers Governments and university administrations often speak about improving higher education standards increasing research productivity, and competing globally But such goals cannot be achieved while the very people carrying the academic system feel abandoned Another worrying consequence is the growing brain drain Talented young scholars are increasingly leaving universities or moving abroad in search of better opportunities When experienced researchers and dedicated teachers lose hope, universities lose valuable intellectual capital The country then pays the price through weakened academic institutions and declining educational quality Investing in teachers is not an expense; it is an investment in national development Moreover, TTS teachers often face
Delays in policy decisions unclear regulations and inconsistent treatment create further stress Instead of focusing fully on teaching and research faculty members spend time worrying about administrative complications and financial survival Such an environment discourages creativity and innovation - the very qualities universities should nurture Society also has a role to play Teachers deserve more than ceremonial praise on special occasions Respect must be reflected through fair policies timely salary revisions, and genuine appreciation Students, parents, policymakers, and university leaders must understand that strong educational institutions cannot exist without motivated educators
The voices of TTS university teachers are not loud because many continue to work with dignity despite their hardships They continue teaching classes, guiding students, publishing research, and serving universities even when they feel unheard Their silence should not be mistaken for satisfaction Behind that silence lies exhaustion disappointment and a hope that one day their contributions will truly be valued If nations genuinely want progress innovation and educated societies they must start by taking care of their teachers A university teacher should not have to choose between academic passion and financial survival The people shaping the future deserve stability respect and justice today not promises for tomorrow
The struggle of TTS teachers is more than an employment issue; it is a moral question for society How can a nation expect its educators to build bright futures when their own futures remain uncertain?
The writer is a professor of Plant Science Department Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad and can be reached at smkhan@qau edu pk
Privacy undone
Tile
at the heart of the summit Neither Washington nor Beijing trusts the other, yet both increasingly understand that they cannot afford strategic breakdown The challenge therefore is not reconciliation It is coexistence The timing of the meeting is especially significant because it unfolds against the backdrop of the Iran-US-Israel conflict, which has transformed the geopolitical
Beijing s economic survival depends heavily on uninterrupted access to Gulf energy and stable commercial routes A prolonged regional war would place immense pressure on global markets and expose vulnerabilities within China s own economic structure at a particularly sensitive moment At the same time, Beijing also recognises the strategic opening created by Washington’s growing entanglement in multiple crises The United States is simultaneously attempting to manage tensions in the Middle East sustain support for Ukraine and maintain military deterrence in the Indo-Pacific Such global overextension inevitably creates opportunities for competitors China sees
r i v e n by e s c a l a t i o n ,
f r a g m e n t a t i o n a n d d i s t r u s t , ev e n t h e w i l l i n g n e s s o f Wa s h i n g t o n a n d B e i j i n g t o r e m a i n
e n g a g e d c a r r i e s s i g n i f i c a n c e . T h e wo r l d i s
these cases deserve more public attention Law enforcement and security agencies have been active The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), police, Lahav 433 Military Police and prosecutors have repeatedly exposed and charged alleged Iran-linked recruitment cases Prior cases reported in these pages showed a recognizable pattern: Telegram contacts vague offers of paid work, cryptocurrency payments, requests for photographs, and tasks that may begin with something that looks minor before moving toward something far more serious
That is exactly why the issue needs to be understood earlier Harsh punishments already exist including one case of a 10-year prison sentence But punishment after the fact cannot be the only answer By the time an indictment is filed, the information may already have been passed on A photograph of a road a camera a base a public building or a routine may appear harmless to the person taking it In the
hands of a hostile intelligence service it may become part of something larger PREVENTING ESPIONAGE RECRUITMENT ON THE HOME FRONT: The goal should be prevention: people should understand the risk and the consequences well enough that they do not even consider trying That requires enforcement including fast investigations visible prosecutions and meaningful sentences It also requires public clarity that I only took a picture is not a serious excuse when the person requesting it is suspected of acting for an enemy state It also requires awareness Israelis, especially teenagers and young adults who live much of their lives online need to recognize how this recruitment can look before the first message arrives Schools should discuss it as should army preparation programs, while the media should explain the recruitment pattern without sensationalizing it Parents should know that this is not only a story about hardened criminals – it can begin as a job offer, a chat, or a small online task Beyond that though there is also a deeper question of values surrounding this issue No cost-ofliving crisis no debt no alienation no anger at the government and no political despair can justify endangering neighbors and country for payment If money is tight, there are other ways to seek help They may be humiliating, exhausting, or insufficient, but they do not involve giving information to an enemy That boundary has to remain clear At the same time leaders cannot demand civic responsibility while doing too little to strengthen the civic life that supports it If the state wants citizens to feel bound to it, it must make life here more livable It must invest in education that builds judgment, responsibility, and a sense of belonging, not only test scores It must build institutions that people trust It must show through conduct and priorities that public life is not only about ego elections and survival Iranian recruitment efforts appear to rely on ordinary pressures: financial need, online isolation, recklessness, resentment, or the belief that a small task is not a serious act Israel’s answer should not come only after arrests It should be a steady public message backed by enforcement and education: some things are not for sale not
Mian abrar
XI-TRUMP SUMMIT IN BEIJING SEEN AS CRUCIAL BID TO STABILISE CHINA-US REL ATIONS
EU agrees sanc tions on violent West Bank settlers and Hamas figures
and four settler organisations, though their identities have not yet
European governments have voiced concern over increasing reports of settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank The
EU move comes amid continued scrutiny of violence in the territory It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery In a post on X, Kallas added: Extremisms and violence carry consequences Israeli reaction Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised the decision in a post on X saying the bloc had acted unfairly and for political reasons chosen, in an arbitrary and
political manner to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without any basis
He also objected to the EU’s decision to sanction both Israeli citizens and Hamas members under the same package Equally outrageous is the unacceptable comparison the European Union has chosen to make between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists This is a completely distorted moral equivalence
There was no immediate response from Hamas following the announcement Violence in the West Bank
The occupied West Bank has seen near-daily violence since the
LAHORE ag e n c i e s Pakistan s National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has issued notices to three Norwegian nationals, directing them to appear before an investigating committee in Lahore in connection with a defamation inquiry according to official documents
The notices issued under inquiry number ENQ-CCRCLahore-1878/26, ask Verdens Gang (VG) reporter Rolf J Wideroe prosecutor Carl Graff Hartmann and the newspaper ’s editor to appear in person on May 13 at 12pm at the Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Gulberg II, Lahore
officials and the United Nations have also said that deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have increased since the start of the USIsraeli war on Iran on February 28
The EU decision reflects growing concern in European capitals over the worsening security situation in the occupied territory and repeated reports of violence against Palestinians
The sanctions package marks a shift after months of internal deadlock within the bloc, with Kallas presenting the agreement as a move from prolonged delay to implementation
According to the notices, the three individuals have been asked to record their statements and present their account before investigators The notification states: You are directed to appear in person before the undersigned to record your version The notice also warns that failure to appear would be taken as an indication that they do not wish to
CORPORATE CORNER
Eighth Annual Business Research Conference on Managing Business in Pakistan
FBR conducts tax awareness outreach session at UMT
sions, development projects and public welfare initiatives were approved The cabinet paid glowing tribute on the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq to Quaid Nawaz Sharif Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, as well as the Air Chief and Naval Chief The cabinet also commended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for the successful operation in the riverine “Katcha” areas The chief minister appreciated the performance of the finance minister and finance secretary for the swift establishment of the Punjab General Insurance Company (PGIC), which also received formal cabinet approval The cabinet approved the launch of the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” scheme for residents of Cholistan and riverine areas under easy terms and conditions
During the briefing, it was informed that 30,000 plots had been identified for the programme, while nearly 200,000 families had already submitted applications
Then Dr Farhan Ahmed from NED University discussed institutional and regulatory readiness for a Ribafree Pakistan by 2027 KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Resonating with the spirit of courage, sacrifice and national unity, Pakistan Navy celebrated first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq
The chief minister directed strict digital monitoring of the scheme and said complete information should be accessible to citizens “with one click” The provincial cabinet also approved summer vacations in schools from May 22 to Aug 24 Approval was granted for the expansion of the Quaid-i-Azam Business Park (QABP) in Sheikhupura by an additional 200 acres, implementation of the
BRAVE CITIZEN MART YRED WHILE THWARTING SUICIDE ATTACK AT JAND–KHUSHAL GARH BORDER AREA
The Peshawar High Court on Monday sought a detailed response from authorities over increasing deaths and health concerns linked to rat bites in Peshawar and nearby areas The case was heard by a twomember bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Babar Sattar during proceedings on a public interest petition related to public health risks
Petitioner Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel told the court that several families had suffered trauma and hardship due to repeated rat attacks while a number of children had reportedly died in related incidents Documents, newspaper reports and public complaints were submitted before the court to underline the seriousness of the issue
The petitioner s counsel argued that the matter had evolved into a wider humanitarian and public health concern affecting communities across the area and
requested the court to direct authorities to take immediate preventive measures
During the hearing Justice Waqar Ahmad observed that diseases such as Hantavirus could also spread through rats, making the situation more sensitive and alarming
Declaring the matter a serious public health issue the court directed the respondents and relevant departments to submit a detailed report within two weeks
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for June 15, 2026
QUETTA a p p
Security forces in Balochistan have successfully rescued a minor girl, Khair-un-Nisa from the custody of the banned terrorist group BLA linked to Fitna tul-Hindustan
The operation prevented her from being used in a planned suicide attack in Islamabad, according to Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti revealed that the girl had been subjected to psychological manipulation coercion and threats by terrorist elements
He said that the law enforcement agencies, through intelligence-based action, rescued a minor girl who was reportedly being prepared for a suicide attack in Islamabad
“This timely operation not only saved the life of the girl but also prevented a major terrorist incident in the capital Bugti said The Chief Minister emphasized that the case demonstrates how extremist networks exploit vulnerable youth, particularly women by using intimidation and emotional pressure He condemned the practice as a violation of both humanity and Baloch traditions, stressing that such acts do not represent the identity of the people of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti reiterated that the province’s citizens are peaceful and should not be associated with extremist activities Khairun-Nisa has now been safely reunited with her father, a truck driver from a poor family Bugti noted that the girl had been manipulated by individuals
linked to a terrorist organization and that her family had faced threats during the ordeal
He further stated that certain India-linked proxy networks and social media actors were ampli-
ganda campaign
In recent months security forces have intensified operations against terrorism in Balochistan neutralizing 216 terrorists and foiling several plots Sarfraz Bugti commended the swift and professional response of law enforcement agencies calling the rescue a classic example of effective intelligence work He vowed that operations against terrorist networks would continue at all levels and stressed that the exploitation of women and children would never be tolerated
Second Qatari LNG tanker sails to Pakistan through Strait of Hormuz
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
A second Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz toward Pakistan under arrangements involving Iran and Pakistan, as cargo movement through the waterway continues on a limited and case-by-case basis amid regional tensions Shipping data showed the vessel Mihzem which has a capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, departed Qatar s Ras Laffan terminal and is heading toward Port Qasim in Pakistan, where it is expected to arrive on May 12 The shipment marks the second successful transit of a Qatari LNG tanker through the strait since the start of the Iran conflict Earlier the tanker Al Kharaitiyat