Epaper_26-05-15 KHI

PAKISTAN–UAE TIES STRONG

g SAYS UAE TIES REMAIN UNAFFECTED BY EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENTS, DENYING REPORTS OF PAKISTANI WORKERS ’ MA SS EXPULSIONS

ASIA PACIFIC BANKS FACE GROWING CREDIT RISKS, RAISE PROVISIONS AS IRAN WAR DRAGS ON

Asia stocks gain on AI enthusiasm as Trump meets Xi

lion market cap becoming the second South Korean firm after Samsung to break into the

hovering near the

left governments scrambling to roll out relief measures for consumers Michael Strobaek, global chief investment officer at Lombard Odier, said preserving the status quo may be the most the Trump-Xi meeting can achieve “I think that amid the uncertainties around the Middle East ceasefire that may be enough for now

S TO C K S F LY O N A I: The lack of negative surprises meant investors could focus on taking tech-heavy stocks even higher Japan’s Nikkei was perched at a new all-time peak with data showing AI-linked demand partly helped lift earnings for Japanese firms Seoul s KOSPI gave up most of its early gains to trade 0 17% higher SK Hynix, one of the AI darlings in Asia is on the verge of reaching a $1 tril-

week Analysts though caution that elevated oil prices and the impasse in negotiations to

g ai leaDs stocks higher, european Futures point to strong opening SINGAPORE/LONDON R e u t e R s The dollar held firm on Thursday, supported by higher U S Treasury yields, as investors began to price in the prospect of Federal Reserve rate hikes this year while the global focus was on a two-day summit between U S President Donald Trump and China s Xi Jinping Xi told Trump that trade talks were making progress but warned that disagreement over Taiwan could send relations down a dangerous path framing a high-stakes meeting Trump called possibly the biggest summit ever As the summit got underway, China s onshore yuan traded around three-year highs In offshore trading, the currency strengthened for an eighth straight day against the dollar to 6 7845 In the broader market the dollar held steady on Thursday leaving the euro little changed at $1 1717 set for a 0 6% loss this week, which would mark its largest decline in two months Against a basket of currencies, the U S dollar was last at 98 48 up more

having touched close to a one-year high on Wednesday

than 0 6% for the week so far and heading for its strongest weekly performance since the start of the Iran war It reversed early gains against the yen to trade a touch lower at 157 87 as the Japanese currency drew support from comments by Bank of Japan board member Kazuyuki Masu, who said the central bank should move to raise interest rates promptly if there are no clear signs of an economic slowdown Japanese authorities are believed to have intervened several times in the past couple of weeks to temper the dollar ’s strength, but with traders now pricing in the prospect of the Fed raising rates this year the yen is flagging The U S currency has now recovered 50% of the losses incurred since officials stepped in to prop up the yen H O T I N F L AT I O N: The dollar rally has been gathering pace all week, on the back of evidence that domestic inflation is mounting The latest data point on Wednesday showed U S producer prices posted their biggest increase in four years in April, on the heels of Tuesday s report that showed

consumer inflation ran at its fastest pace in three years

The inflation data we received this week certainly won t be welcomed by FOMC officials including incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia The U S Senate on Wednesday approved Warsh as Fed Chair putting the 56-year-old lawyer and financier at the helm of

Xi, Trump agree on 'strategic stabilit y' framework to reset China-US ties

outside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests The leaders had a photo taken in front of the hall before taking a tour Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven Beijing China May 14 2026 /CMG Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven Beijing China May 14 2026 /CMG

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump visited the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday President Xi greeted President Trump

During their visit Xi explained to Trump that in ancient times state rituals were held at the Temple of Heaven, where then Chinese rulers prayed for national prosperity, social harmony and favorable weather for good harvests "It reflects the traditional Chinese concept that the people are the foundation

of a state and only when the foundation is solid will the state be stable," Xi said The Communist Party of China has inherited and carried forward this peoplecentered philosophy rooted in the Chinese civilization Xi said By upholding its fundamental commitment to serving the people wholeheartedly, the Party has earned the firm support of the Chinese people he added Trump said he was impressed by the more than 600-year-old Temple of Heaven He said the United States and China are both great countries, and that both peoples are wise and great He added that the two countries should deepen mutual understanding and strengthen friendship between their peoples

Pa k i s t a n – U A E t i e s s t r o n g a n d b r o t h e r l y, b a s e d o n t r u s t a n d r e s i l i e n c e : F O

stakeholders

FO spokesperson also said certain media reports had “misrepresented” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent remarks during a call with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressing that the conversation was cordial and based on mutual understanding He said some reports incorrectly suggested that Pakistan was being asked to intensify mediation efforts under a “do more” framework, which was not accurate “Such reports misrepresent the call in both letter and spirit ” Andrabi said adding that the discussion reflected traditional warmth and cordiality He said Wang Yi appreciated Pakistan s constructive diplomatic role and expressed support for its mediation efforts, while also commending Pakistan s role in facilitating dialogue and contributing to regional stability

According to the FO, both sides underscored the importance of maintaining a durable ceasefire and ensuring safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz China he added reiterated support for Pakistan s mediation efforts and expressed confidence in Islamabad s role in promoting regional peace Despite reported slowdown in US–Iran diplomatic talks, Pakistan has continued its mediation efforts, maintaining engagement with regional and international

Earlier this week, US Chargé d Affaires Natalie Baker met Ishaq Dar to discuss the evolving regional situation, while Dar also held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who reaffirmed support for Pakistan’s peace efforts United Nations Secretary-General s Personal Envoy Jean Arnault also met the deputy prime minister and was briefed on Pakistan s diplomatic engagement PA

Responding to queries about Pakistani nationals aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirates the FO spokesperson said the individuals remain in captivity and their release has not yet been secured

The MT Honour 25 a Palau-flagged product tanker was hijacked on April 21 about 30 nautical miles off Somalia s Puntland region with 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis Andrabi said a two-member team from the Pakistani embassy in Djibouti had visited Mogadishu and held meetings with Somali foreign affairs defence naval and maritime authorities

He said Pakistani nationals were reported to be safe and receiving food, although still in difficult conditions

He added that negotiations were being conducted directly between pirates and the ship’s owner, with Somali authorities being kept informed

DThe end of the affair?

TH E approval of another tranche of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility was only to be expected but now that the end of the programme is only a year-and-a-half away it might be the right time to contemplate how far the programme has delivered When Pakistan began the programme in March 2024, it was after it had completed a nine-month Stand-By Arrangement Though this SBA had been reached with Mian Shahbaz Sharif ’s coalition it carried the country through an extended caretaker period and into the initial period after the 2024 election

Mian Shehbaz formed a government again and among its first tasks was the negotiating of an agreement with the IMF for a longer commitment

It should be understood that the reason Pakistan keeps on having recourse to the IMF is because it keeps having foreign exchange difficulties The IMF is the lender of last resort and is meant to provide foreign exchange to countries which are having difficulties paying for their imports One reason for foreign exchange difficulties is having to service foreign debt Pakistan’s foreign debt has reached $138 billion by the end of last year Not only must it be repaid but interest must be paid on it The only way of retiring this debt is to earn foreign exchange by selling goods services or obtaining remittances from abroad Well that is a permanent solution There is also the expedient of borrowing money to service debt That is what borrowing from the IMF means It is a loan taken because the country

The climate crisis at our doorstep

Ais clear: climate resilience cannot be separated from economic realities, poverty reduction, and technological development Climate policy must be practical locally relevant and scientifically informed For Pakistan this means universities and research institutions must assume a far more active role than they currently do The climate crisis demands more than conferences, ceremonial plantation drives, or policy statements Universities must become engines of applied innovation and community-centred solutions The responsibility of academicians and researchers has fundamentally changed Research cannot remain disconnected from the environmental challenges affecting millions of people across the country As researchers in physics materials science and engineering we must critically examine whether our scientific work addresses the real needs of society Laboratories should not function merely as spaces for producing publications; they should become centers for solving practical national problems Climate change offers one of the clearest opportunities for science to directly improve human life Materials science and engineering possess enormous potential in this regard Advanced materials can contribute to energy-efficient buildings, affordable solar technologies, sustainable batteries, water purification membranes, thermal insulation systems, and heat-resistant infrastructure materials Research on nanomaterials semiconductors energy storage devices and smart coatings can support sustainable energy transitions while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels

Universities should establish interdisciplinary climate innovation laboratories where physicists chemists engineers environmental scientists and policymakers collaborate on technologies tailored to Pakistan s climatic and economic realities The energy sector represents one of the most urgent areas requiring scientific intervention Every summer, rising temperatures trigger electricity shortages as cooling demands surge across urban areas Renewable energy research must therefore become a na-

tional academic priority Solar energy systems optimized for local conditions decentralized storage technologies green hydrogen initiatives and energy-efficient cooling mechanisms are no longer optional research areas; they are strategic necessities for national survival and development

Equally important is the need to transform education itself Climate literacy should become an essential component of higher education regardless of discipline Engineers doctors economists, architects, and policymakers all require an understanding of climate risks and sustainability principles Universities must redesign curricula to integrate environmental responsibility renewable energy technologies climate adaptation and disaster resilience into mainstream academic programmes Research alone cannot solve Pakistan s climate crisis unless it is transformed into practical action Too often, scientific findings remain confined to journals while industries rely on outdated systems and policymakers work without evidence-based direction Universities must build stronger partnerships with industry and government to develop climate-focused technologies and sustainable policies Climate change is no longer a future threat; it is already reshaping Pakistan’s economy, society, and environment Yet this crisis also presents an opportunity to transform universities into centers of innovation research laboratories into solution hubs and the scientific community into a driving force for national resilience and sustainable development

The climate crisis is no longer a distant warning; it is unfolding across Pakistan through deadly heatwaves water scarcity crop failures and environmental instability The real question is not whether we understand the science but whether we are prepared to act before the damage becomes irreversible Universities, laboratories, policymakers, and industries must now become part of a national climate response Pakistan cannot afford symbolic measures anymore In the years ahead nations investing in science innovation and sustainability will survive; those delaying action will continue paying the price of inaction

The writer is Director, Institute of Physics, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan Pakistan

When funerals per form

Iran unplugged

Iran war has pushed the transatlantic unit y towards the breaking point

Fnotification to the NATO allies Although the USA being the dominant power in the transatlantic alliance long exercised an overwhelming influence over the alliance s trajectory, it often sought consultations among its allies to secure military support symbolic it may be and to build political legitimacy The unilateral military action against Iran contravened one of the main pillars of the transatlantic alliance: consultative decision-making The message for Europe could not be more explicit: the USA no longer views NATO allies as worthy of consultations, but as subordinate actors who should follow its lead Nevertheless what would have been unthinkable a few years ago Europe declined to follow Washington’s lead The UK France and Germany distanced themselves from the operations against Iran and the UK initially refused to allow its bases for military operations against Iran Though the UK later changed its position

they did not increase their defense spending and accused the EU of ripping off the USA besides threatening heavy tariffs on the bloc Trump s recurrent outbursts on the EU and NATO and his now seemingly aborted bid to forcibly annex Greenland crystallized the belief in Europe that the USA has embarked on an adversarial course If Trump 1 0 jolted the substratum of the transatlantic alliance by challenging its raison d être, Trump 2 0 opened deep fissures; that became prominent during the Iran war, pushing transatlantic unity towards breaking point

Trump’s penchant for unilateralism meant that the USA and Israel launched the Iran war without any consultation or even

Trump 1 0 was a wake-up call for Europe , but some nations erroneously identified it as an aberration Never theless, Trump 2 0 has demonstrated that MAGA is not an aberration but a constant phenomenon in US politics. While the upcoming Democratic administrations may tr y to repair the transatlantic relationship, the next crop of MAGA leaders would likely follow TrumpÊs footsteps. Ergo, Europe must brace for unremitting ebb and flow in the relationship, which would be anything but a reliable , dependable , and predictable alliance that characteriz ed the transatlantic unity since WWII

Is China willing and able to pull the US out of the quagmire of the Iran war?

sovereignty adherence to international law and the coordination of development and security Wang while stressing the urgent need for dialogue and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, resisted US calls to isolate Tehran Instead, he underscored the necessity of a permanent, negotiated end to the conflict The war itself has evolved from the initial kinetic strikes of March and early April into a high-

of Hormuz

meets five core demands: ending hostilities on all fronts, particularly Israel s war on Lebanon; lifting sanctions; releasing frozen Iranian assets; compensating Iran for war damage; and recognizing Iran’s sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz

Beyond the battlefield the economic repercussions are mounting Instability in the Persian Gulf has pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel, fueling renewed inflationary pressures worldwide For Trump, this surge poses domestic political risks, as energy-driven inflation threatens economic growth and complicates his administration s broader policy agenda At the strategic level the implications extend far beyond the Middle East Despite initial US assumptions that the conflict would trigger a Venezuela-style collapse of Iranian state structures, Iran’s military resilience has derailed any rapid regime-change scenario A decisive US victory over Iran would free Washington to redirect its strategic focus toward China particularly Taiwan which Beijing considers a core red line This concern is reinforced by a broader pattern of US strategic rhetoric, including references to Venezuela, Greenland, and Canada in discussions of American geopolitical ambitions From this perspective any American upper hand in Iran could directly reshape the broader balance of power in Asia In this context China should continue to support Iran at the UN Security Council and firmly reject calls to weaken or abandon its position, while maintaining a clear stance in favor of Iran’s sovereignty and the need for a negotiated end to the conflict Yet this interpretation is not universally shared Some analysts contend that prolonged US entanglement in the Middle East may actually serve China s interests A drawn-out conflict forces Washington to expend substantial military and financial resources, limiting its ability to intensify pressure in the Indo-Pacific In this view, a protracted stalemate buys Beijing valuable strategic time while allowing it to maintain diplomatic distance from the fighting In the end for China the main question is not only whether the United States wins or loses in Iran, but whether the war ends quickly or turns into a prolonged conflict In either case, China is

S President Donald Trump’s visit to China and expected head-of-state meetings are drawing a lot of attention at a time when the world is seeing conflicts in Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz A key task for both Beijing and Washington is to sustain a stable, manageable and enduring bilateral relationship

Although geopolitical experts often refer to the Thucydides Trap theory a phenomenon whereby a rising power can cause fear in an established power, escalating to war to interpret Sino-US relations, China has taken a different approach This is evident in the strategies it employed to counter the tariff war initiated by Washington last year and its vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, which is supported by four global initiatives and guided by principles of mutual respect and win-win cooperation This approach has worked producing steady positive outcomes in bilateral interactions, while acting as a stabilizing force in a turbulent, ever-changing world

In this context, Washington should take advantage of the opportunity for dialogue presented by the US leader ’s visit to seek closer cooperation with China While some in the US who view China as their greatest strategic competitor and seek to contain it have done little to conceal their intentions, the broader trend of China-US exchanges and collaboration remains unstoppable This disconnect on the US side needs to be addressed with an objective understanding of Beijing After the US Supreme Court ruled in February that the US administration’s imposition of reciprocal tariffs on trading partners under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was illegal the US side levied an additional 10 percent import surcharge on all trading partners under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974

The US also introduced a series of negative measures concerning China, including the Section 301 investigations aimed at undermining China s production capacity advantages and reducing dependence on Chinese industry

and supply chains However, Washington should have been aware that, given China’s 35 percent share of global industrial output a rapid and complete decoupling is unattainable Although the US administration is trying to keep a relatively low profile on the Taiwan question and

had urged BRICS nations to condemn what he described as US and Israeli aggression against Iran Speaking during a BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi, Araghchi stated that the Strait of Hormuz remained “open to all commercial vessels” provided they cooperated with the

consist of 39 people, including 27 players and 12 staff members They will stay at a hotel in Suwon, around 30 kilometres south of Seoul, where the semi-final will be played Suwon FC Women will also stay at the same hotel although local reports said the two teams are expected to use separate dining areas and travel routes, mak-

Dozens of Israeli occupiers enter Al-Aqsa compound under police protec tion

Russia says it's establishing 'full par tnership' with Afghan Taliban

in 1967 or its annexation in 1980

was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times Israeli police have allowed occupiers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound daily, except Fridays and Saturdays since 2003 Israeli occupiers stormed the mosque 30 times in April according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs Palestinians said Israel had intensified efforts for decades to Judaize East Jerusalem including Al-Aqsa Mosque and erase the city s Arab and Islamic identity Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, citing international resolutions that do not recognise Israel’s occupation of the

Indian pharma fuels Afric a's 'zombie drug' and opioid crisis despite crackdown

They come in blister packs of 10 like any normal painkiller and you can buy them easily in roadside kiosks and street

an AFP investigation found Indian pharmaceutical firms were flooding west Africa with the pills despite New Delhi vowing to crack down on the trade Some shipments were even labelled “Harmless Medicines for Human Consumption

Customs records show millions of dollars worth of the highstrength synthetic opioid being shipped from India every month to Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana, where even low doses of the drug are not permitted

With opioids now heavily regulated in wealthier nations after being linked to one million deaths in the United States alone, some manufacturers in India the world’s biggest producer of generic drugs are pushing hard into Africa

And in a frightening development tapentadol is now being added to the zombie drug kush, health chiefs and researchers told AFP Kush, infamous for the speed with which it hollows out its victims has already been declared a national emergency in Liberia and Sierra Leone

The tapentadol twist on the ferociously addictive synthetic cocktail is very alarming Ansu Konneh director of mental health at Sierra Leone s social welfare ministry told AFP

Bodies are being picked up from “the streets markets and slums on a daily basis” he said with more than 400 corpses collected over three months in the capital Freetown alone They grind and mix it with kush,” Freetown-based public health researcher Ronald Abu Bangura told AFP with tapentadol now being misused all over the place The impoverished nation is struggling to tackle the death and misery AFP visited addicts in informal detox houses who are sometimes chained up for months to go cold turkey Konneh said 90 per cent of those admitted to the country s few official rehab centres had smoked kush mixed with tapentadol or other powerful opioids such as nitazenes

New Delhi declared a “zerotolerance” crackdown on illegal drug trading in February 2025 banning export of tablets that mixed tapentadol with the muscle relaxant carisoprodol after a BBC investigation exposed the damage they were doing in Ghana

India’s drug regulator the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) later said it was withdrawing all export clearances for combinations of tapentadol which are not approved by an importing country”

But the main trade was always in pure tapentadol tablets say researchers

Shipment records reviewed by AFP show that millions of dollars worth of the high-strength pills are still being exported from India to west Africa every month

The vast bulk are so strong that India officially does not even allow their production without special permission

Yet AFP matched highstrength tapentadol tablets seized in at least four west African countries with Indian export records through their makers licence numbers

This was established using commercial shipment data, government seizure records interviews and documents obtained under India s Right to Information transparency law

Tapentadol tablets seized in Sierra Leone in December marked “Made in India” had a manufacturing licence number that corresponds to Gujarat Pharmaceuticals, a company based in Godhra, Gujarat, according to images of the boxes photographed by AFP

The firm was listed in the export monitoring database Volza as an exporter of tapentadol to west Africa Its manufacturing licence number appeared on tablets seized last June in Guinea

A second licence number on tablets seized in the same Guinean operation corresponds to Merit Organics another Gujarat-based company in the database

Senegalese authorities seized high-strength 250mg tapentadol tablets in November with a licence number registered to McW Healthcare a Madhya Pradesh-based company

the public domain and ensured

AIOU Introduces

Elderly Care Program to Meet Growing Social Needs

Programme, corruption in Faisalabad was timely detected through a modern live dashboard monitoring system and the case was immediately referred to anti-corruption authorities Azma Bokhari added that for the first time, the Chief Minister personally initiated accountability of a public project brought the matter into

tion against those responsible She further explained that upon noticing irregularities in the Suthra Punjab Programme in Faisalabad, the Chief Minister promptly dispatched a special team of auditors to the site The investigation team after reaching the field exposed an organized nexus between contractors and certain government officials According to the provincial minister, the inquiry revealed that public funds were being misused for personal interests which not only undermined transparency but also affected the effectiveness of the project She emphasized that this action was not the result of any complaint or external pressure, but rather a di-

rect outcome of the Chief Minister s effective and continuous monitoring Azma Bokhari further stated that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz s oversight extends to every street and every project and those involved in embezzlement of public resources will be dealt with an iron hand Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif reaffirmed her commitment to eradicating corruption, stating that relevant institutions have been given full autonomy and that the process of accountability will continue without discrimination She underscored that the government is not limited to rhetoric but is practically demonstrating accountability by bringing corrupt elements to justice

t The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Lahore in collaboration with the Ophthalmological Society of Pakistan (OSP) Lahore organized a pre-conference workshop in connection with MEDCONG2026 focusing on advances in the management of glaucoma The workshop, titled Modern Management of Glaucoma,” was held at Sardar Trust Eye Hospital and featured comprehensive sessions on medical surgical and laser-based treatment approaches An interactive segment also trained young doctors on key practical aspects of cataract management The aim of the training workshop was to equip young ophthalmologists and postgraduate residents with modern diagnostic tools and updated treatment protocols for glaucoma Prof Chaudhry Javed Iqbal served as the focal person of the event Izhar Ahmed Chaudhry attended as chief guest while other distinguished participants included Prof Muhammad Moin (Pro Vice Chancellor) Prof Dr Raza Ali Shah Prof Atif Mansoor Prof M Ali A Sadiq (Director Sardar Trust Eye Hospital) Prof Mian Muhammad Shafiq, Prof Mian Arshad Mahmood, Dr Irfan Karamat, Dr Arshad Humayun, Dr Arshad Hussain, Dr Shahid Shahab, Fahman Shahzad (Admin Manager) Dr Irfan Ali (Consultant Eye Surgeon) along with doctors from various hospitals and a large number of PMA Lahore members

PM SAYS PAKISTAN, A ZERBAIJAN ARE BROTHERLY NATIONS AS TIES GROW STRONGER

t orders cybercrime probe into Cambridge paper leak controversy

p o r t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Thursday were once again denied permission to meet the party s incarcerated founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, triggering strong criticism from the party and renewed demands for the implementation of court orders allowing regular meetings All PTI leaders included in the approved list for meeting the former prime minister arrived at Adiala Jail on Thursday but were not allowed access despite waiting for several hours The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had earlier permitted Imran Khan to hold meetings twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays with family members, lawyers and party associates However, despite the court directives, PTI leaders claimed that nei-

ther family members party representatives nor legal counsel had been allowed to meet the PTI founder for several months

Earlier, PTI

Secretary General Salman Akram Raja submitted a list of six party leaders to the jail authorities in accordance with the court s orders The list included Syed Raza Gillani, Tahir Iqbal, Mian Fayyaz Hussain, Qazi Ahmad Akbar, Mehwish Janjua and Abdul Hakeem Zareen

According to PTI leaders all individuals named in the list reached Adiala Jail at around 2pm and were asked by jail authorities to wait for approval

We were informed that the meeting would take place once clearance was granted However despite waiting until 4:30pm no permission was issued party representatives claimed ‘Heartbreaking and Irreparable

Loss to Nation Meanwhile PTI Information

Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Thursday expressed profound grief over the martyrdom of security personnel, including Major Tauseef Ahmed Bhatti and accompanying soldiers during a security operation in Balochistan s Barkhan district

Describing the incident as a heartbreaking and irreparable loss” to the nation, he conveyed condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families Echoing the remarks of Imran Khan Akram said

Our brave soldiers continue to lay down their lives fighting terrorists to keep the nation safe He maintained that chronic weak governance, political apathy and a dangerously flawed security approach” in the sensitive province of Balochistan had once again emboldened terrorism

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Aleema Khan the sister of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging what she described as his prolonged solitary confinement at Central Jail Adiala in Rawalpindi calling it unlawful and a breach of fundamental rights According to the petition submitted through Barrister Salman Safdar and Salman Akram Raja, the respondents include the superintendent and deputy superintendent of Adiala jail, the inspector general of prisons Punjab the

chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the medical superintendent of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), and the state Imran Khan has been in prison since Aug 5 2023 after being convicted in the Toshakhana case involving concealment of details of state gifts He is currently serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala jail in the £190 million case, also referred to as the Al-Qadir Trust case Petition challenges legality of confinement

The petition argues that no court has ordered solitary confinement for the 74-year-old former premier in either the Al-Qadir

Trust case or the Toshakhana-II case It says jail authorities have allegedly kept him in isolation for around 22 hours a day over the past six months without legal basis

Referring to Section 73 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Rules 639 and 1019 of the Pakistan Prisons Rules 1978 the petition states that solitary confinement can only be imposed by a court and cannot continue for more than 14 days at a time patently illegal, devoid of lawful authority and amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment

The petition says the confinement violates Articles 9 and 14 of the Constitution, maintaining that such treatment amounts to torture prohibited under the law