g LOW- AND MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES TO GET SUBSIDISED LOANS UP TO RS10M AT 5% MARKUP FOR 10 YEARS
g SAYS GOVT TARGETS CONSTRUCTION-LED GROWTH, CALLING SECTOR KEY DRIVER OF JOBS AND INDUSTRIAL REVIVAL
03 extends fuel subsidy for bikers, transpor t sec tor amid rising oil pressure
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday decided to extend the fuel subsidy for motorcyclists as well as public and goods transport for one month, directing transporters not to raise fares or freight charges and calling for “effective monitoring” of relief measures state media reported According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister s Office (PMO), the premier has decided to continue relief measures for economically vulnerable segments of society amid the prevailing situation and extended the fuel subsidy scheme for another month The prime minister has extended the fuel subsidy for motorcyclists, public transport and goods transporters by one month ” the statement said adding that he also directed authorities to ensure strict and effective monitoring of the relief initiative
European Investment Bank eyes Reko
The project is owned 50% by Barrick, 25% by three federal state-owned enterprises, and 25% by the Government of Balochistan Officials also said tax-related issues have been raised by contractors involved in the project While income from Reko Diq has been exempted from taxation to attract investment, discussions are ongoing with the Finance Division regarding the treatment of general sales tax and withholding tax during the development phase
The EIB noted that investment decisions in mining projects depend on regulatory stability, policy clarity and risk management It said addressing issues related to enforcement currency risks and regulatory predictability is critical for project viability €100 m i l l i o n f i n a n c i n g a g r e e m e n t
Separately, the EIB has resumed financing
resources accurate estimates require further study The Reko Diq project, one of the world s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, is currently under review by Barrick Gold The company has slowed development activity until mid-2027 citing rising security concerns and the need to reassess financing, timelines and project scope Barrick said the review could lead to revisions in the project’s capital costs previously estimated at $5 6 billion to $6 billion for Phase 1 and $3 3 billion to $3 6 billion for Phase 2 Initial production had been targeted for the end of 2028
Exclusive: Distress c all, silence, bunker video: Family reveals ordeal of Pakistani hostage crew on Honour 25
They said all communication
after that message leaving the
without any information for the next two to three days, during which they attempted to reach other crew families but were unable to establish contact or verify the situation
They said communication was briefly re-established on April 24 when they received a video call from their relative who showed them what appeared to be a confined bunker where multiple crew members were being held
According to the family, the crew member stated during the call that the hostages did not know the purpose of their detention whether ransom was being sought, or what demands, if any, had been made by the attackers They said he also reported a
After eventually obtaining a contact for another crew member s family they said the response was uncertain and lacked confirmation, as no one had independent proof of the hijacking at that stage The family then contacted the UK Maritime Trade Operations seeking assistance but initially received no confirmation regarding the vessel s status They said a follow-up email led to a call from a Bahrain-based number where a caller identifying himself as associated with the organisation confirmed that reports of the hijacking had been received but stated that the ship s location could not be determined and no operational updates were available During this period the family said they turned to media outlets and social platforms to raise awareness as official information remained limited and contact with the crew had not resumed
shortage of food and described the presence of heavily armed individuals claiming that the attackers possessed large quantities of weapons including AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled systems The family said sounds resembling gunfire could be heard in the background during the call which ended abruptly after which no further contact has been made They stated that the crew member indicated the phone had been temporarily returned by the attackers to allow brief communication with families with connectivity enabled through satellite signals Since April 24, the family said they have not received any further updates directly from the hostage and remain without confirmation of his current condition or location They said some government officials have contacted them and assured assistance, but no concrete developments have been communicated so far According to the family the shipping company has created a WhatsApp group to share updates with relatives of those onboard, although they said information remains limited and largely unchanged
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Reaffirming the government s stance PM Shehbaz said providing relief to the common man remained the top priority of the administration “The people will not be left alone under any circumstances ” the premier said expressing hope that the regional situation would improve soon allowing fuel prices to stabilise
The subsidy extension follows targeted relief measures announced earlier this month for motorcyclists, farmers and transporters aimed at cushioning the impact of global oil price shocks amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran
Under the package motorcyclists are receiving a subsidy of Rs100 per litre, capped at 20 litres per month for three months
Truck operators transporting 80–85
Rs70,000 per month, while large transport vehicles are receiving Rs80,000 per month Inter-city public service vehicles are being given Rs100 000 per month to help stabilise fares The provinces have taken the lead in implementing subsidised fuel quotas, collectively pooling around Rs200 billion for three months under the National Finance Commission (NFC) distribution formula including approximately Rs100 billion from Punjab Rs51–52 billion from Sindh Rs15 billion from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and
The near-tripling of the oil impor t bill puts an unsustainable strain on forex reser ves
PR I M E minister Shehbaz Sharif has told the federal Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday that the oil import bill has gone up from an average of $300 million a week to $800 million a week at present He said that the price of petroleum prices would be fixed on Friday This revelation showed that the situation is very grim So, far, after only a month of the war, oil prices have gone so far out of control that $100 a barrel seems to be the new normal The collapse of the Islamabad peace talks indicates that the conflict would last, and so long as it kept the Hormuz Strait closed, it would cause a drain on the forex reserves of all oil-importing countries From over $15 billion a year the oil import bill is likely to reach just under $42 billion Will the current crisis last a year? It is possible
If it does, Pakistan will not be able to pay for its oil
Considering that it ran a trade deficit of $22 3 billion last year, with exports of about $50 billion, it seems that it will run out of foreign exchange in the near future At the same time, a lot of countries will be in a similar position The problem it seems is not a ceasefire That seems to be holding for the time being (except for the Israeli adventure in Lebanon) The knowledge of what comes next is what is giving the world’s oil markets pause The oil price has been climbing steadily ever since the Islamabad talks broke down, and it is possible that the avowed Iranian target of $200 per barrel is in sight While that will cause immense damage to the US economy it will completely destroy Pakistan’s with the next step being a default on its payments, and oil shortages causing long hours of loadshedding
Before that stage is reached, Pakistan coninues its backchannel efforts to find a middle ground between the two sides While Iran wants to separate the Hormuz Strait issue for the nuclear, wanting that the settled later, the USA wants both the Strait and the nuclear issues to be discussed simultaneously The USA’s insistence of settling the nuclear issue seems directed only to feeding President Trump s ego While the Hormuz opening is crucial to the USA, as well as the whole world the nuclear issue matters to no one except Israel
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TH E invasion by extremist Jews of the Masjid Al-Aqsa was perhaps inevitable a natural consequence of not just the creation of Israel but also of its illegal occupation of Jerusalem but its timing was suspicious right in the midst of an Israeli war on Iran, as the Israeli partner in the attack, the USA, engaged in backchannel attempts for an agreement with Iran It was almost as if Israel’s Netanyahu government was trying to use its extremist supporters to sabotage the US-Iran peace talks This time around the intruders did not simply go inside the compound but carried out certain religious rituals and offered prayers Jews have long prayed at the Wailing Wall, part of the retaining wall built about 2000 years ago by King Herod to enclose the Second Temple The site of the Second Temple (built after the Babylonians destroyed the original when they conquered Jerusalem in 587 BC) is identified as the Dome of the Rock a spot in the Al-Aqsa compound which marks the place from which the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) ascended to Heaven There is considerable dispute among Jews about whether they can go to the Temple Mount as long as they are in a state of ritual impurity which can only be removed with the ashes of a red heifer sacrificed in the Temple A number of Jewish sects now hold that the Third Temple need not be built, nor blood sacrifices reinstituted Whatever the mainstream belief of the Zionist Jews who inhabit Israel there are a number of Orthodox extremists who hold that the establishment of Israel fulfills the requirement for the rebuilding of the Temple Others hold that the Messiah must come first The Temple will be rebuilt, and then there will be Armageddon, the final battle This means that Christian Zionists, who believe that Armageddon is to precede the Second Coming of Christ are also supporters of this desire to rebuild the Temple US President Donald Trump has not expressed any belief in this regard but he is a Christian Zionist complete with a photo of him in a yarmulka at the Wailing Wall Jews are supposed to bewail the destruction of the Temple and pray for the rebuilding of the Third What Trump prayed for is not known It should not be forgotten that there is a strong religious element within Zionism Apparently a movement of assimilated Jews its reliance on the Bible for evidence of the Jewish claim to a homeland made the most extreme claims likely to be put forward One of the biggest lies told by Zionists is that Palestine is ‘a land without a people for a people without a land’ The land had a people already The Palestinians Inevitably there was a difference of religion Palestinians are Muslim with an admixture of Christians Therefore they got into difficulties with the people without a land who arrived in the first
half of the 20th century
The Zionists were basically fleeing their own land Europe where they had suffered for centuries as second-class citizens and had undergone pogroms until they suffered the Holocaust in Germany under Hitler, which was the most brutal pogrom of them all The Zionists who came from Europe to Palestine brought with them a colonial settler mentality along with most of its worst attributes including the racism that made the Jews suffer at the hands of the Nazis
While Jews are seen by the rest of the world as a homogenous whole, they have a number of divisions, such as between Ashkenazim and Sephardim, which are basically between white and non-white However, the real division between them and the natives is not so much race as religion A Yemeni Moroccan or other Sephardic Jew is discriminated against because he or she is browner than the Ashkenazi Jew from Poland but both look down upon the Palestinian not because he is brown, but because he is a Muslim
It is often said in defence of Israel that it is a democracy, but that has religious implications It means that someone deemed holy or someone making a religious argument need not be in a majority to enforce his opinion upon a religious minority he needs only convince his co-religionists to sympathize even if it be lukewarmly Therefore, while an average Israeli might be appalled at the idea of demolishing the Masjid Al-Aqsa himself he feels (as a Zionist) that the whole point of a Jewish state is to allow all Jews to live Jewish lives and if that means taking over the Temple Mount then so be it and if Muslims object big deal
The other state created on the basis of religion was Pakistan, and one can see traces of this in its continued antagonism with Hindu India Luckily for Pakistan, there were no disputed sites in its jurisdiction, the most prominent the Shaheedganj Mosque having been resolved (albeit with violence) before Partition What needs to be understood is that the Palestine issue arose during the era of decolonization and was supported for that reason Decolonisation is over With only Palestine remaining Therefore, the bulk of international support for Palestine is not for decolonization but because of how brutal Israel was against Gaza Support in the West seems to have died down after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire However the Palestinian cause has a source of support in the Muslim world, not because it is an op-
The Jewish extremists are like Hindu extremists in that they too have a Babri Mosque they want to take over, only it is the Masjid Al-Aqsa Like the Hindu extremists who had a Ram Mandir in mind, they too have a replacement, the Third Temple The recent desecration was thus a preparation for this ultimate goal
Pakistan draws a line at cross-border militancy
FOR decades, Pakistan has lived with the consequences of instability across its western border From the SovietAfghan war to the post-9/11 era and beyond it has absorbed the spillover millions of refugees a flood of weapons and drugs and a persistent ecosystem of militancy that has cost the country tens of thousands of lives Today s tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not an aberration They are the continuation of a long and uneasy history one in which expectations of cooperation have repeatedly collided with realities on the ground Pakistan was among the few states to openly welcome the Taliban s return to power in 2021, viewing it as a potential turning point, an opportunity to stabilize a historically volatile border and build a more cooperative relationship That optimism has since faded In its place has come a renewed surge in militant violence inside Pakistan much of it traced to sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan At the centre of this resurgence is Tehrik Taliban Pakistan, a militant umbrella organization formed in 2007 and long committed to undermining the Pakistani state through sustained violence Responsible for some of the country’s deadliest attacks against civilians security forces and public infrastructure the TTP has re-emerged with notable momentum in recent years, reorganizing and expanding its reach While distinct from the Afghan Taliban in structure, it remains closely aligned in ideology
and historical ties Pakistani authorities maintain that, since 2021, the group s leadership and operational networks have found space inside Afghan territory to regroup, recruit, and plan attacks with increasing frequency Persistence of cross-border attacks and the absence of visible action against these networks have deepened concerns in Pakistan blurring the line between inability and unwillingness and turning what was once a manageable threat into a direct challenge to Pakistan s sovereignty Afghanistan today offers little space for independent verification There are no credible unrestricted monitoring mechanisms on the ground Journalists face limitations and international observers operate under constraints In such an environment, official assurances cannot be easily tested against reality The result is a widening gap between what is claimed and what is experienced across the border Pakistan’s recent strikes inside Afghanistan must be understood against this backdrop These were not arbitrary acts of aggression but targeted operations against identified militant infrastructure, sites where ammunition was stored and where suicide attackers were being prepared For Pakistan, these actions reflect a growing conclusion that restraint in the face of persistent crossborder attacks is no longer sustainable
This is not a position Pakistan arrives at lightly For years it pursued dialogue border management, and intelligence-based cooperation Yet attacks have continued on police convoys, military posts, and civilian areas often with links traced back across the border Each incident erodes the credibility of assurances that Afghan territory is not being used against Pakistan There is also a deeper contradiction at play A government that seeks international recognition cannot simultaneously resist transparency
The Taliban s internal policies, particularly their restrictions on women and limits on public freedoms have already raised serious concerns globally Their unwillingness to allow independent scrutiny of security concerns only deepens scepticism
Pakistan will act decisively and in whatever way it deems necessary to protect its sovereignty, its people, and the stability of its borders. There must be genuine and verifiable cooperation to confront the reality of militant networks operating across the border, otherwise the cycle of action and retaliation will continue to intensify to the detriment of both countries and the wider region. What is no longer sustainable is a situation in which violence continues without interruption while responsibility is repeatedly denied
None of this suggests that escalation is desirable A prolonged conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan would serve neither country and would further destabilize an already fragile region But neither is it realistic to expect Pakistan to tolerate a sustained campaign of violence emanating from across its border
The international community s response has been cautious, even muted After years of engagement in Afghanistan, there is a clear reluctance to be drawn back into its complexities Yet disengagement does not eliminate risk; it redistributes it Regional actors are left to manage a volatile situation with limited external support and even less clarity
The path forward requires a shift from rhetoric to accountability If the Taliban government insists that Afghan soil is not being used for cross-border militancy, it should allow credible, independent mechanisms to verify that claim
Transparency is not a concession but a prerequisite for trust At the same time Pakistan s message is becoming increasingly clear It does not seek confrontation, but it will not accept a status quo in which armed groups operate with impunity just across its frontier If such threats persist further action is not just possible but likely
This moment is not merely about a series of border incidents but reflects the limits of patience in the face of persistent denial For decades, Pakistan has carried the heaviest burden of regional instability, and that history helps explain the firm resolve it is now showing Pakistan is drawing a clear line on cross-border militancy out of necessity The lies of the Taliban can no longer be accepted Their denials and deception have repeatedly concealed the truth and their record shows they are untrustworthy and unwilling to take responsibility
Pakistan will act decisively and in whatever way it deems necessary to protect its sovereignty its people and the stability of its borders There must be genuine and verifiable cooperation to confront the reality of militant networks operating across the border, otherwise the cycle of action and retaliation will continue to intensify to the detriment of both countries and the wider region What is no longer sustainable is a situation in which violence continues without interruption while responsibility is repeatedly denied
The writer has a PhD in Political Science and is a visiting faculty member at QAU Islamabad He can be reached at zafarkhansafdar@yahoo com and tweets @zafarkhansafdar
Turbat cash crisis
TH E Government of India s introduction of the Delimitation of Constituencies Bill, 2026, has intensified political tensions in South Asia by proposing major changes to the electoral structure of Indianadministered Kashmir While the bill itself is controversial, its most disputed element is its reference to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), a region outside India’s administrative control The legislation authorizes the Election Commission of India to undertake constituency delimitation not only within its governed territory but also in AJK prompting strong criticism from Kashmiris, human rights groups, and even segments of India s political sphere This move is widely seen by critics as unprecedented and provocative, given the longstanding territorial dispute and the region s separate governance arrangement since 1949 A key clause states that constituencies will be delineated in areas under the occupation of Pakistan once they come under Indian control, while a related law allocates 24 seats for these regions but keeps them permanently vacant until such a scenario arises This creates a legal framework that symbolically incorporates AJK into India s political system without actual control over the territory Indian officials have defended the move as a reaffirmation of their constitutional claim and an effort to extend democratic rights but opponents argue it amounts to a unilateral and symbolic assertion of sovereignty For AJK residents the proposal is largely viewed as an attempt at constitutional annexation rather than genuine political rep-
resentation
The bill’s timing cannot be separated from India’s broader political strategy for Kashmir that began with the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019 That stripped IIOJK of its special autonomy and downgraded it to a Union Territory Now, the Delimitation Bill is the logical, albeit absurd, next step in that process of erasure and absorption
The history of these 24 seats is crucial to understanding the current controversy When the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, was passed, it reserved 24 seats in the new Union Territory s legislative assembly for areas presently administered by Pakistan However the 2019 act effectively excluded these areas from the delimitation process conducted for the Indian-administered territories which increased the UT s seats from 83 to 90
The new bill reverses this exclusion It empowers the Election Commission of India to act as the Delimitation Commission for these occupied territories once the situation changes but crucially it also lays down the legal architecture for their permanent vacant reservation in the meantime This means that while the Jammu and Kashmir assembly will functionally have only its 90 elected members, its constitutionally defined maximum strength is now permanently fixed at 114 seats including 24 ghost seats representing a people who have consistently rejected Indian sovereignty As one analysis pointed out, this move ensures that the total strength of the assembly cannot drop below 114, including those reserved seats, effectively baking the claim into the constitutional math of the region forever The reaction to this announcement has been swift furious and multifaceted cutting across geographical and political lines In the Kashmir Valley, already reeling under the heavy military presence and the loss of po-
litical rights since 2019, the sentiment is one of bitterness and rejection The phrase "another Indian drama" has become the common refrain The idea of reserving seats for AJK in an assembly itself largely powerless is a farcical exercise in political theatre designed to distract from the denial of the Kashmiri people s right to self-determination
How can elections be held for constituencies in AJK when the Line of Control remains one of the world s most heavily militarized borders? How can electoral rolls be prepared for a population holding Pakistani passports and participating in AJK politics? The Indian government has provided no answers because the answers do not exist The "right to vote" that BJP leaders promise to the people of AJK is a phantom right as intangible as the territory they claim to represent The seats will remain vacant not because of a lack of will, but because there is no legal, logistical, or political pathway to fill them
Within India itself the bill has sparked a significant albeit politically fractured debate While the ruling BJP and its allies have hailed the bill as fulfilling the dream of every Indian" to reclaim AJK, opposition parties, including the Congress, have expressed anxiety over the bill's implications, though their criticism has been tempered by the fact that they are simultaneously debating the Women s Reservation Bill also being pushed through Parliament
Over 60 women s organizations and human rights groups held a press conference, arguing that the women's reservation bill is being cynically used as a "bargaining chip to smuggle in delimitation " which they said went against the unity of India Regarding the provisions for AJK Indian legal experts and opposition MPs have pointed out the dangerous precedent this sets By unilaterally legislating over a territory under the de facto control of another nation, India is violating basic principles of international law including the UN Charter s prohibition on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of any state A senior constitutional expert noted that while India may claim AJK as its own, the Parliament’s legislative competence cannot extend to drawing electoral constituencies in territory where it has no jurisdiction no administrative apparatus and no recognition from the local populace
The international human rights community has also weighed in, expressing deep concern over the legislation’s potential to further destabilize an already hyper-volatile region While major organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have yet to issue final detailed reports their early statements have focused on
the violation of democratic principles inherent in the concept of vacant representation True democratic representation, they argue, is predicated on the consent of the governed and the ability of a populace to elect By reserving seats for a population that cannot vote India is creating a new category of disenfranchisement It is asserting a right to represent people who have not asked to be represented under a constitution they do not recognize, by a government they reject This is the antithesis of self-determination, a principle enshrined in numerous UN Security Council resolutions regarding the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir The 1994 unanimous resolution of the Indian Parliament calling for Pakistan to vacate AJK is cited by the government as a precedent, but critics argue that a domestic resolution cannot override binding international commitments or the UN Charter The specific political dynamics within Azad Jammu and Kashmir have rendered the Indian government s move an exercise in self-defeating propaganda The AJK government has issued a formal statement rejecting the bill as a nullity All major political parties across the spectrum in AJK from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have passed unanimous resolutions of condemnation
They argue that the 10 4 million people of AJK have their own elected legislature, their own judicial system, and their own identity, and that no parliament in New Delhi has any jurisdiction whatsoever over their land
The AJK Legislative Assembly went a step further passing a symbolic resolution declaring that any Indian attempt to enforce such delimitation would be treated as an act of war This is not a fringe view; it is the unanimous position of AJK’s elected representatives For the people living along the LoC the bill is not a theoretical legal manoeuvre but a direct threat They see it as India creating a paper justification for future military aggression
The response from within the Indian-Occupied Kashmir has been deep political alienation Mainstream Kashmiri political leaders including those from the People's Conference and the National Conference have used the debate to highlight the hypocrisy of the central government Sajjad
i a n t e c h
of reservation and political injustice pose an existential threat to Kashmiri youth that could trigger a bigger crisis
allows drones and missiles to filter out jamming signals and lock onto genuine satellite data ” a western official said That means they can stay on target even in heavily defended airspace It s a capability that until recently was largely confined to more advanced military powers Defence analyst Robert Tollast of the Rusi think tank described the shift as an important moment in Iran’s military capabilities “CRPA is really critical as its antennas are very important giving drones the ability to hit a specific building and significantly reduces their vulnerability to electronic warfare This is transformative for the
He added that the long-running
with Russia, which led to
Moscow with Shahed
masse into Ukraine had considerably
its military developments AIRBASE STRIKES Recent
on
and
sites across the Gulf have highlighted Iranian capability to impact within metres of an intended target That suggests a “dramatic improvement” Mr Tollast said over earlier Iranian systems which were inconsistent
and had wide error margins Iran launched more than 4550 of the Shahed-136 kamikaze drones during the recent
Palestinian question at hear t of tensions
The Trump administration is seeking to build an international coalition to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as vessel traffic through the critical waterway remains stalled amid the ongoing US-Iran standoff, according to a
Hangor- Class Submarine: Under water Catalyst in Indian Ocean Region
Ocean Region Driven by India s ambitious and assertive naval posture of acquiring Kalvari-class conventional submarines the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) is installed on the diesel-electric Hangor-class which makes it advance
than Indian aged old ones The tactical durability of Hangor-Class submarines, strategic calculations, and the prospects for Pakistan Navy's expanded role are all assessed in this opinion The development of Hangor depicts Pakistan s Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy from the viewpoint of India's enormous naval buildup The conflict in May 2025 revealed the Pakistan Navy s expanding role in averting any mishap by deterring the adversary Defense Minister Rajnath Singh s statement that the road to Karachi is through Sir Creek is one example of how India s military and naval leadership has threatened to attack Pakistan s land area through waters in the future The next India-Pakistan flashpoint as reported by a number of Indian naval commanders would be the sea where both navies would aggressively en-
gage if hostilities escalated India poses a serious threat because its Navy has aircraft carriers (INS Vikrant, Vikramaditya, and Vishaal will be the third) a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (Arihant is currently in service and INS Aridhaman and S4 are anticipated to be operational in 2026) and conventional submarines that will be equipped with cutting-edge AIP technology under Project-75I India's Project 75I, which aims to introduce AIPequipped conventional submarines using an aging mix of 16 conventional submarines is beset by multiple delays To retaliate India would likely review its anti-submarine warfare stance, enhance its sonar networks, and deploy helicopter ASW assets The inclusion of Hangor into Pakistan Navy’s fleet carries a profound strategic consequence in the strategic calculus of
South Asia For Pakistan the Hangor class added to the country s ability to project a sea-denial strategy that can disrupt or prevent an adversary s combat operations in any conflict The new submarines especially Hangor-class contribute to securing Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) protect critical shipping routes and deter a possible blockade near its SLOCs In this context, Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf observed that the Hangor would project Pakistan’s power across the Indian Ocean and enhance its operational role in securing nations maritime interests However the induction of Hangor submarines added to Pakistan s operational reach towards the Western Indian Ocean, which can monitor critical chokepoints Pakistan Navy’s enduring role amid increasing hostilities as the war looms over the Strait of Hormuz and to counter the assertive Indian posture with its extended surveillance capability In such an environment, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent maritime responses by Pakistan, such as the initiation of Operation Muhafiz-ulBahr cannot be looked at as merely a localized
A ‘Laborer-First ’ Punjab
China issues working paper on Japan's nuclear ambitions
Vietnam Brazil and Indonesia while introducing digital labor-violation reporting systems comparable to those in South Korea and Malaysia Legislative reform has been equally sweeping The Punjab Occupational Safety and Health Rules, 2024 provide the province s first comprehensive workplace safety framework, placing statutory responsibility on employers across sewerage lines construction sites and factories This brings Punjab in line with ILO Convention C155 on occupational safety The Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Rules 2024 strengthen penalties for child labor, while the landmark Punjab Labor
Code consolidates over 26 fragmented laws into a unified legal framework formally extending protection to agricultural, domestic and construction workers who have long been excluded from the system's reach Housing, historically neglected in labor policy, has become a defining priority under CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif's government In a landmark decision 1 220 free residential flats were allotted through transparent balloting at Labor Complexes in Sundar Kasur and Taxila The chief minister subsequently approved 3 000 additional housing units, signaling not a one-off gesture but a sustained institutional commitment to dignified living Under the Punjab Workers Welfare Fund, 750 additional flats were opened with reserved quotas for widows and disabled workers Two worker hostels accommodating 704 women were approved in Garment City Sheikhupura a progressive step mirroring best practices from Bangladesh s export-oriented garment sector Financially, the government allocated Rs 6 billion to clear long-overdue death and marriage grants for over 29 000 workers restoring not just benefits but institutional trust A transformative Rs 84 billion ration card program for 1 25 million working families has been introduced issuing digital cards through a bank that provides monthly food subsidies and access to 13 financial services including salary advances and cash transfers This extends labor welfare beyond wages into household economic security, a hallmark of socially progressive governance Healthcare has seen some of the boldest investments in Punjab s labor history New 50-bed social security hospitals were inaugurated in Kasur and Sargodha with
a foundation laid in Rahim Yar Khan A 200-bed Cardiac City for workers in Lahore s Defence Road has been announced The Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI), reconstituted and equipped with a Rs 36 billion surplus budget for FY 2024-25, of which Rs 18 63 billion is earmarked for hospitals and dispensaries has begun offering advanced tertiary care Nawaz Sharif Social Security Hospital performed its first spinal neurosurgery on a registered worker while Faisalabad s facility completed brain and spine procedures Twentyseven new ambulances and province-wide telemedicine infrastructure further extend this safety net to remote workers Globally, labor reform fails not from weak laws but from weak enforcement CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif has addressed this directly ensuring that inspectorates digital compliance systems and dedicated enforcement mechanisms accompany every major reform This governance discipline distinguishes Punjab s agenda from performative policy-making On Labor Day 2026, Punjab's labor framework stands as more than democratic symbolism It represents a practical funded and enforceable model of proworker governance driven by a leader who has placed the dignity of millions at the center of public policy With sustained political will Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is writing a new chapter in Punjab's social contract, one where every worker's right to a fair wage, safe workplace, healthy life and secure home is not an aspiration but a guarantee (The writer is a Lahore-based public policy analyst and can be reached at qudratu@gmail com)
US top commander to brief Trump on new militar y options against
says
CM MARYAM UNVEILS ‘HISTORIC’ RS23B
troubled riverine zone After 76 years the writ of the state has been firmly established in these areas and the era of dacoits has been brought to an end,” she said while addressing a press conference Mrs Bokhari said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had approved a major development package worth Rs23 billion for the uplift of the Katcha area, aimed at integrating the long-neglected region into the mainstream through economic social and security reforms
Under the initiative 14 500 acres of government land will be distributed free of cost among local landless farmers for cultivation under the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar programme, enabling them to become self-reliant
She said the development package includes the establishment of new schools and colleges upgradation of existing educational institutions, provision of 300 merit-based scholarships, and a special quota of free laptops for students to promote education in the region In addition 1 000 livestock cards will be issued to support women through financial assistance for livestock farming alongside skill development programmes to strengthen livelihoods
Mrs Bokhari said all ongoing
welfare and development schemes of the chief minister had now been extended to the Katcha belt adding that National Database and Registration Authority mobile teams were actively issuing CNICs and B-Forms to ensure residents could fully benefit from government initiatives
To ensure long-term peace and security, she said the region would be monitored through modern drones advanced weaponry thermal imaging systems and digital surveillance under the Safe City Authority programme, vowing that no criminal or anti-state element would be allowed to regain a foothold
The minister also announced special concessions for local youth in police recruitment including relaxation in height and chest requirements, aimed at maximizing employment opportunities for residents of the area
She said the 14,500 acres of land allocated across three districts of the
Katcha belt would be distributed among local cultivators, but cultivation of sugarcane and other dense crops would remain restricted in certain areas as such crops had previously provided cover to criminal elements Infrastructure development under the package will include the construction of roads, bridges and model villages to connect the region with the broader development network Mrs Bokhari said for the first time in 76 years NADRA mobile registration services had been deployed in the Katcha
Fuel shock deepens as govt pushes petrol close to Rs400 mark
