g PRESIDENT TRUMP CLAIMS 48 IRANIAN LEADERS GONE AND DESCRIBES OFFENSIVE A S ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE’
g IRAN FORMS TEMPORARY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL TO MANAGE STATE AFTER KHAMENEI’S A SSA SSINATION
TEHRAN / TEL AVIV
ag e n c i e s / s ta f f r e p o r t
ISRAEL claimed it intercepted an Iranian missile over Syria on Sunday following a new wave of strikes on Tehran, as it sought to assert aerial dominance after the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei The attacks have left the Islamic Republic grappling to rebuild its leadership amid its biggest test in five decades
US President Donald Trump said Iran s new leadership had expressed a desire to negotiate, and he had agreed to talks, according to an interview with The Atlantic
“They want to talk and I have agreed to talk so I will be talking to them They should have done it sooner They waited too long Trump said from his Florida residence without specifying whom he would speak with or the timing of the conversation
Following Khamenei’s death, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that a leadership council comprising himself the judiciary head and a member of the Guardians Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Supreme Leader Trump noted that some of those involved in previous US-Iran talks are now deceased
“Most of those people are gone Some of the people we were dealing with are gone because that was a big that was a big hit he said They should have done it sooner They could have made a deal They played too cute
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that the bombings have “no impact on our ability to conduct war” Speaking to ABC News he rejected US warnings against retaliation saying the country sees no limit in defending its people
Nobody can tell us that you don t have any right to defend yourselves We are defending
ourselves, whatever it takes, and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people,” Araghchi said “What the United States is doing is an act of aggression What we are doing is an act of self-defence There are huge differences between these two In a post on X the Iranian FM added: We ve had two decades to study defeats of the US military to our immediate east and west We ve incorporated lessons accordingly Bombings in our capital have no impact on our ability to conduct war Decentralised Mosaic Defence enables us to decide when and how war will end US-IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT
ESCALATES
President Trump also claimed that 48 Iranian leaders have been killed in the US-Israeli bombardments describing the offensive as “very positive” Nobody can believe the success we re having 48 leaders are gone in one shot And it s moving along rapidly, he told Fox News
Trump said the strikes aimed to remove Iran’s leadership and degrade its military capabilities
He confirmed that the US military was sinking Iran s Navy destroying nine Iranian warships so far with more targeted Bombings included hardened, underground missile facilities using B2 stealth bombers with 2,000-lb bombs, and Iran’s naval headquarters was largely destroyed “We’re doing our job not just for us but for the world And everything is ahead of schedule ” Trump said in an interview with CNBC Things are evolving in a very positive way right now, a very positive way The US announced its first casualties in the conflict: three unidentified service members killed, five seriously wounded, and several others lightly injured
g SAYS IRAN S NEW LEADERSHIP HAD EXPRESSED DESIRE TO NEGOTIATE AND HE HAD AGREED
KARACHI/LAHORE/GILGIT/ISLAMABAD s ta
At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured as protests and subsequent clashes erupted across the country following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli attacks according to health rescue and police officials Officials said 10 people
g PREMIER DIRECTS FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO IMPLEMENT PROMPT, COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY MEA SURES
new date would be decided after “mutual consultations ” It added that the premier s visit to Russia was of great significance for advancing the bilateral relations between the two countries, but given the current situation it was being postponed According to Russian media PM Shehbaz was due to visit to Russia from March 3 to 5 The development comes as Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban earlier this week after the neighbouring country launched unprovoked fire across the border at multiple sectors in
border +Pakistani positions along the border Separately the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Tehran called the strikes unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries including Gulf states that host US bases The assassination resulted in protests across major cities in Pakistan on Sunday, and nine people died in Karachi after protesters clashed with law enforcement personnel near the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi Road Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urging citizens to remain peaceful Today is a sorrowful day for the entire Muslim ummah, Pakistan’s public and Iran’s public ” he said in a video statement Stating that every Pakistani citizen was as aggrieved as Iranians, Naqvi said, My only request is that we all stand with you, but please do not take the law into your hands
an age-old convention that the heads of state/government should not be targeted ” The Prime Minister prayed for the Iranian leader and for strength for the people of the country to bear this irreparable loss Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed profound sorrow over
along with other senior figures would be deeply felt across the Muslim world He also offered prayers for the deceased and the Iranian people
KWSSIP SPeedS UP K-IV PIPeLIne
Planning ministr y unlikely to alloc ate fresh funds for new PSDP projec ts in FY2026-27
grid station is proposed the chances of its approval and funding remain low Highlighting resource limitations the sub-committee convener said the Ministry of Water Resources had sought Rs 190 billion for Mohmand Dam in the next PSDP, but only Rs 20 billion had been committed He noted that overall development allocations have reduced significantly The committee also reviewed the relocation of a 132 kV grid station from Padhana to Sarae Saleh in Haripur The Power Division stated that the Sarae Saleh grid station was originally planned under PESCO s 7th STG scheme in 2007–08 following load flow studies and system analysis However, General Manager (TS) of PPMC Tufail Ahmad, who visited the site on February 26, 2026, told the panel that the new grid station at Sarae Saleh would not adequately meet Padhana s load requirements particularly since a grid station already exists in Haripur He said a mechanism would need to be developed to address the expenditure already incurred at the relocated site One member of the sub-committee recommended action against officials involved in shifting the project location The panel decided to place its recommendations before the main Standing Committee on Power Division
PR OFIT M o n i to r i n g D e s k The Senate of Pakistan has approved the Virtual Assets Bill 2025 clearing the way for
PAKISTAN’S CURRENT ACCOUNT SLIPS TO $1.1B DEFICIT IN 7MF Y26 AS TRADE GAP WIDENS
PM orders nationwide securit y measures amid regional tensions
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
PREMIER JORDAN S KING DISCUSS
EVOLVING REGIONAL SITUATION:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also spoke to King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan to discuss the “evolving regional situation,” according to the Prime Minister ’s Office “The two leaders exchanged views on the serious regional developments following the recent escalation from the Israeli attack on Iran which was followed by attacks on Jordan and other regional countries, the PMO statement said “The Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over the situation and emphasised the urgent need for restraint de-escalation and dialogue to preserve regional peace and stability it added The premier reaffirmed Pakistan s solidarity with Jordan and other brotherly countries in the region during this challenging period He reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to support all efforts aimed at restoring calm and promoting stability
INTERIOR MINISTER BRIEFS PM ON VISITS TO ITALY AND POLAND: Earlier Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and briefed him on his visit to Rome, Italy, where he attended a four-nation conference of interior ministers alongside Italy Spain and Greece the PMO said in a separate statement He also briefed the Prime Minister on a six-nation conference of interior ministers in Poland, attended by Pakistan, Poland, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania The minister informed the Prime Minister that at both conferences the participating countries agreed on the issuance of work permits for Pakistanis
Iran's supreme leader
Ali Khamenei killed
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
There were also unconfirmed reports that one of his daughters-in-law had been killed Khamenei had led Iran for 37 years, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in the Middle East Born in 1939 in the northeastern city of Mashhad he was the son of a religious scholar and joined the opposition movement of Ruhollah Khomeini in the early 1960s Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution Khamenei held several senior positions, including deputy defence minister, and played a role in organising the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps After Khomeini’s death in June 1989 Iran s Assembly of Experts amended constitutional requirements to appoint Khamenei as supreme leader despite him not having attained the highest clerical rank traditionally required for the role As supreme leader, Khamenei exercised ultimate authority over Iran’s political system armed forces and judiciary He oversaw periods of internal unrest and international isolation maintaining a hard-line posture on relations with the United States and Israel During his tenure, seven Iranian presidents served under his authority No official announcement has yet been made regarding the process for appointing a successor Under Iran’s constitution the Assembly of Experts is responsible for selecting the next supreme leader The confirmation of Khamenei s death marks a pivotal moment for Iran s political system and could reshape the country’s domestic and foreign policy trajectory in the coming weeks
PM orders probe into Thar Coal Railway Connec tivity
OFIT M o n i to r i
g D e s k Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to review the sharp cost escalation in the Thar
FBR chairman forms committee to review super tax, sales tax issues
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Rashid Mahmood Langrial on Friday announced the formation of a committee to examine concerns raised by tax bar associations regarding the recovery of Super Tax and sales tax return filing under SRO 350(I)/2024 As per reports the decision was made during a meeting at FBR headquarters with representatives of the Pakistan Tax Bar Association Lahore Tax Bar Association, Karachi Tax Bar Association, and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Tax Bar Association Tax bar members informed the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
The meeting was presided over by James Kariuki, Ambassador of the United Kingdom and President of the Council for February At the same time Ambassador Asim Ahmad condemned Iran s attacks against Saudi Arabia Bahrain Jordan Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, stressing that Pakistan stood in solidarity with these countries and underscoring the urgent need for maximum restraint He said it was particularly unfortunate that some of the targeted countries had been actively supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions between the United States and Iran, and specifically lauded Oman for its role in facilitating and mediating dialogue between Tehran and Washington The Pakistani envoy also condemned the death of a Pakistani national in the United Arab Emirates during the attacks, describing it as a tragic and deeply regrettable incident “We urge all sides to refrain from
ADVISED TO OBSERVE GOOD PERSONAL SECURITY PRACTICES : In its statement the US Embassy in Islamabad said: We are monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the US Consulate Generals in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional demonstrations at the US Embassy
FBR chairman about difficulties faced by taxpayers, particularly relating to Super Tax recovery under Section 4C and issues in filing sales tax returns following the issuance of SRO 350(I)/2024 dated March 7 2024
The delegation raised concerns over what it described as unjustified payment demands under Section 4C non-allowance of carry-forward losses, differing interpretations by field formations, and recovery measures taken without policy clarity It argued that denial of carry-forward losses contradicts established taxation principles and increases compliance burden
The tax bar representatives urged the FBR to issue a clear and binding
any further actions that may undermine the security and territorial integrity of other regional countries he said Ambassador Asim Ahmad noted that diplomacy had once again been derailed in the midst of efforts to reach a peaceful solution, further eroding trust that was already in short supply He called on all parties to immediately halt escalation and urgently resume diplomacy aimed at achieving a peaceful negotiated resolution to the crisis Expressing condolences to civilians caught in the violence, the envoy said Pakistan’s thoughts were with schoolchildren in Iran, civilians elsewhere, and the family of the Pakistani national killed in the UAE
The purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter are inviolable and sacrosanct, he said, noting that the Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states Pakistan he added called for full respect for international law including the UN Charter and international humanitarian
policy notification, ensure uniform implementation nationwide and suspend recovery proceedings related to disputed Section 4C demands until clarity is provided In response, the FBR chairman assured participants that the tax authority is committed to facilitating taxpayers and addressing legitimate concerns He announced the constitution of a committee comprising relevant officials to review the issues and propose practical solutions for early resolution Member (IR Operations), Member (IR Policy), and Member (IR Legal) also attended the meeting and took part in discussions The chairman acknowledged the consultative role of the tax bar associations and said their input would be considered in efforts to improve policy implementation and strengthen voluntary compliance
law Reiterating concern over the safety of millions across the region the envoy said Pakistan remained in close contact and coordination with brotherly neighbouring countries including at the leadership level, and stood ready to support efforts aimed at peaceful conflict resolution UN CHIEF WARNS OF GRAVE THREAT TO PEACE: Opening the debate UN Secretary-General António Guterres focused his remarks on principles, facts, and the way out Quoting the UN Charter, he said: “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state stressing that international law and international humanitarian law must always be respected He condemned the massive military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Iran’s subsequent attacks violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain Iraq Jordan Kuwait Qatar Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
information minister ’s spokesperson Husain Mansoor, the Sindh government expressed “deep grief” over the loss of lives in the clash The protesters entered after breaching the security cordon of the US Consulate and committed vandalism, the statement said However, the government put the number of deaths
US attack on Iran
TH E US attack on Iran came on Saturday with a wide range of air strikes against various Iranian targets seemingly intent on degrading military capabilities but including a decapitation strike which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who had succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni in 1989 A number of security officials are reported as also killed in this strike though it was not specified who they were All the efforts a a peaceful resolution, encapsulated in the talks at Geneva between the USA and Iran, had clearly ended without any result Though the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched attacks on 27 US bases in the region, as well as targets in Israel While casualties have been reported in Israel, more than 200 Iranians have also been reported killed OPEC+ has increased production, in anticipation of the price rises that are expected So far, Iran does not seem to have blockaded the Straits of Hormuz, through which about a quarter of the world s oil supplies pass However, it is likely to try, and then oil prices, which have so far been rising steadily, will spike Pakistan has seen the effects of this, as reflected by the rise inf prices of various fuels at the pump Prices have been fixed for a fortnight, but past experience shows that any sudden increases will be passed on to the consumer at once It seems that the fragile economic recovery over which the Shehbaz government had presided, and very carefully nurtured, is likely to go down in flames With an IMF review team in town, it is time to talks turkey, because it is not necessary that the present Extended Fund Facility will be able to withstand the present shock Pakistan is already facing a tense security situation, and it is only to be hoped that the rioting in Karachi is not a harbinger of things to come There is also the threat of sectarian divisions, unless both Shia and Sunni unite in an anti-Americanism which the government has been at pains to discourage Its anxiety to cooperate with the USA, such as by importing oil from it and export it rare-earth ores, is not likely to win it many friends at this point Pakistan might use its new clout with the USA to bring this conflict to an end After all, this conflict only has downsides for it
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
aged through entirely different mechanisms
TH E proposal of a US-backed international “Board of Peace” to administer post-war Gaza has been presented as a down-to-earth response to devastation Yet when viewed alongside Israel s intensifying military and settler-driven campaign in the occupied West Bank it becomes increasingly difficult to see this initiative as part of a coherent peace strategy Instead, it appears as one element of a broader political reality in which the Palestinian question is not being resolved but systematically reorganized into a permanent condition of fragmentation The central weakness of the Gaza proposal lies not in its emphasis on reconstruction, but in its deliberate avoidance of sovereignty According to briefings cited by international media, the proposed administrative structure excludes Palestinians from meaningful political authority over borders security airspace or foreign relations Governance is reduced to service delivery health education utilities while strategic decisions remain in the external hands This arrangement closely resembles what scholars of conflict governance describe as managed autonomy , responsibility without power, administration without self-determination This model becomes even more troubling when counterpointed with developments in the West Bank Reports by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Human Rights Watch throughout 2024 and 2025 document an intense escalation in Israeli military raids, settler violence, home demolitions and forced displacement particularly in Jenin Tulkarm Nablus and Hebron OCHA notes that displacement levels in the parts of the northern West Bank now resemble patterns previously seen in Gaza while the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has warned that the cumulative effect of these actions is the systematic erosion of Palestinian presence” What emerges from these parallel tracks is not a roadmap to peace but a division of labour Gaza is to be internationalized and stabilized under supervision while the West Bank is steadily weakened fragmented and stripped of the territorial and social coherence required for statehood The two regions, once conceived as the inseparable components of a future Palestinian state, are being treated as distinct problems to be man-
h e m i s s i n g l i n k
Geography plays a decisive role in this transformation In Gaza reconstruction is increasingly discussed in economic terms investment corridors ports housing projects, echoing earlier proposals, including those advanced during the Trump Administration, that framed Gaza as a site of development split from political rights In the West Bank, meanwhile, Israeli settlement expansion continues at record levels According to Peace Now settlement approvals surged significantly after October 2023 while long-delayed projects such as the E1 corridor threaten to sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank permanently undermining territorial contiguity These are not isolated developments The destruction of roads water infrastructure and municipal facilities documented by UN agencies combined with the proliferation of checkpoints and settler-only bypass roads has transformed Palestinian cities into disconnected enclaves International law experts have repeatedly warned that such fragmentation violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, yet enforcement remains absent The socioeconomic implications are equally obdurate In Gaza future reconstruction funds are likely to be conditional World Bank and IMF assessments following previous conflicts show that aid flows to Gaza have consistently been tied to security benchmarks rather than development goals resulting in chronic dependency rather than sustainable growth Analysts fear that
and compliance all areas directly linked to skills and institutional effectiveness
Tribal schools need teachers
Ibut underscoring its market importance Knitwear readymade garments and bedwear contributed significantly though structural challenges remain in raw material exports like cotton yarn In the first half of FY25 alone, textile group exports reached roughly $9 08 billion, up nearly 10 percent year-over-year demonstrating that improvements in productivity and global value positioning can yield measurable results In the IT and digital services space Pakistan continues to register healthy growth In the early months of FY2025-26, IT exports increased by around 18 percent, generating approximately $691 million, a promising indicator of the country’s potential in the global digital economy This growth is significant not merely for the revenue it brings but for demonstrating how a skilled digitally adept workforce can access foreign markets with minimal physical barriers The agricultural sector particularly rice exports remains crucial for both food security and foreign exchange earnings While recent periods have seen fluctuations historical performance has shown Pakistan s capability to capture significant value in rice markets especially when combined with quality enhancement and export compliance training The broader category of food exports, including meat and other commodities, remains a vital part of the trade portfolio Despite these opportunities challenges persist Exports of non-textile products including food commodities like rice have experienced downward pressure in recent reporting periods, dampening overall export growth and contributing to trade imbalances Such trends point to structural gaps in supply chain quality logistics
The constraints of the past demographic pressure, skills gaps, and institutional inertia can become strategic assets in the future if Pakistan focuses systematically on human capital Realising this potential elevates not just incomes but the dignity, opportunity, and global competitiveness of a nation with immense promise
URAAN Pakistan’s emphasis on human capital from modern classroom pedagogy to digital literacy and technical training is therefore essential Pakistan cannot achieve a competitive edge based on low-skill, lowvalue production Instead, the workforce must be trained in advanced agronomy for climateresilient farming quality control for export markets digital and STEM skills for technology exports and data analytics for supplychain optimisation These competencies are prerequisites for creating value-added goods, expanding market access, and increasing export revenues This approach also integrates broader goals: climate adaptation sustainability and resource management As Pakistan negotiates water scarcity and food security challenges human capital equipped with specialised knowledge in environmental sciences and sustainable agriculture will be fundamental in designing resilient systems and preventive policies
Despite the vision and strategic frameworks Pakistan s current human capital landscape faces headwinds Enrollment shortfalls inconsistent educational quality and skills mismatches threaten to blunt the impact of policies Reports show out-of-school populations and low average years of schooling compared to comparable nations Without accelerating educational quality and access these deficits may constrain growth outcomes
Furthermore the World Bank has cautioned that URAAN Pakistan needs clearer sectoral strategies to translate ambitions into measurable impact across provinces and industries including human capital interventions Pakistan stands at a policy inflection point Through Vision 2025 and URAAN Pakistan the country has articulated a coherent strategy positioning human capital at the heart of its economic transformation
However, vision must translate into execution investments in education quality, skills training research and development and labour market integration must dramatically increase For exports to soar for agriculture to lead for textile and tech sectors to dominate internationally, Pakistan must cultivate a workforce that is educated, skilled, innovative, and adaptable
The constraints of the past demographic pressure skills gaps and institutional inertia can become strategic assets in the future if Pakistan focuses systematically on human capital Realising this potential elevates not just incomes but the dignity, opportunity, and global competitiveness of a nation with immense promise
The writer is Director Quality Enhancement Cell Khawaja Fareed
of Engineering & Information
Trump’s empire ambitions
Dr MuhaMMaD Bilal Tahir
Tnot surprise Tehran has stockpiled weapons and upgraded its air defences including Chinese HQ-9B systems on paper, these defences look formidable in practice, they are less so Modern air defence requires deep integration, layered systems and constant real-time coordination iran lacks much of that Air defences are only as strong as their weakest sensor and iran has many still, none of this explains the purpose of war The protests inside iran, however real and deadly, are a sideshow in Us calculations Washington’s sudden interest in iranian democracy rings hollow given Donald Trump s record from his indifference to venezuela s democratic collapse to his transactional view of Ukraine and even greenland This is not a crusade for liberal values it is about unfinished business
That business dates back to the last confrontation when Us strikes failed to account for roughly 400 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium Tehran had moved it in advance if further enriched a technically modest step that stockpile could yield material for several nuclear weapons As long as that uranium remains unaccounted for, the problem, in Us eyes, remains unresolved iran has tried to buy time by offering negotiations But the terms have shifted Washington now demands not only an end to enrichment and missile development, but the removal of existing nuclear material and the abandonment of regional proxies No iranian government clerical or otherwise could survive agreeing to such terms
Which brings us back to force Broadly speaking the UsA has three military options three ways to strike iran each with distinct risks and implications The first is a focused strike on nuclear infrastructure This would be the narrowest option and the easiest to justify strategically Destroy the sites eliminate the missing enriched uranium if possible Declare the mission complete such an operation would rely heavily on B-2 bombers carrying gBU-57 bunker busters, the only
Iran demands sobriety in abundance . The fuse may be burning. But histor y sugg ests that how wars begin matters less than how they are intended to end And on that question, Washington remains conspicuously vague .
weapons capable of penetrating iran’s deeply buried facilities it would be violent, brief and crucially limited This approach has historical precedent israel s strikes on iraq s osirak reactor in 1981 and syria s al-Kibar facility in 2007 delayed proliferation without triggering regional war But iran is not iraq in 1981 its programme is dispersed, hardened, and politically symbolic even a successful strike would likely buy time not closure
The second option is decapitation: targeting senior iranian leaders or key irgC figures in the hope of destabilizing the regime The appeal is obvious remove the head, and the body collapses The reality is less tidy iran’s political system is deeply institutionalized The revolutionary guards have contingency plans for succession and control Kill a leader and you may get a martyr History offers a cautionary tale here
The 1980 operation eagle Claw failed not because of iranian resistance, but because of logistical overreach iran’s geography punishes hubris
More importantly assassination strikes risk producing precisely the unity they aim to shatter shiite political culture is steeped in martyrdom external attacks tend to consolidate hardliners, not empower moderates regime change by airstrike is an idea that has aged poorly since Baghdad in 2003
The third option is the most ambitious and the most dangerous: a sustained campaign aimed at degrading iran s military security apparatus and political leadership over weeks or months This would go
Iran’s regime was built for sur vival —
and a long war is now likely
Khamenei last week arranged a line of succession for his leadership and that of senior militar y, security and political leaders if they were ‘mar tyred’
The US and Israel do not want anything shor t of regime change, and the regime is determined to sur vive
far beyond a one-off strike it would target irgC infrastructure, command centres, missile forces and internal security units The goal would be to create a power vacuum so severe that iran s leadership is forced into submission or collapse This is not impossible
TH e joint Us–israel strikes on iran, which killed the iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Tehran s retaliatory strikes on israel and neighbouring Arab countries have again plunged the Middle east into war Us President Donald Trump and israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said their aim is to bring about a favourable regime change in iran The implications of this for iran the region and beyond should not be underestimated Although Khamenei s killing is a significant blow to the islamic regime, it is not insurmountable Many iranian leaders have been killed in the past including Qassem soleimani Tehran s regional security architect who was assassinated by the Us in January 2020 But they have been replaced relatively smoothly, and the islamic regime has endured Khamenei’s departure is unlikely to mean the end of the islamic regime in the short run He anticipated this eventuality and reportedly last week arranged a line of succession for his leadership and that of senior military, security and political leaders if they were “martyred” However, Khamenei was both a political and spiritual leader He has commanded followers not only among devout shias in iran but also many Muslims across the wider region His assassination will spur some of them to seek revenge, potentially sparking a wave of extremist violent actions in the region and beyond A REGIME BUILT FOR SURVIVAL: Under a constitutional provision of the islamic republic the Assembly of experts – the body responsible for appointing and dismissing a supreme leader – will now meet and appoint an interim or long-term leader, either from among their own ranks or outside
There are three likely candidates to be his successor: n gholam-Hossein Mohseni-eje i the head of the judiciary n Ali Asghar Hejazi Khamenei s chief-of-staff n Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the islamic republic, Ayatollah rohullah Khomeini
The regime has every incentive to do what it must to ensure its survival
There are many regime enforcers and defenders, led by the islamic revolutionary guard Corps (irgC) and its subordinate paramilitary Basij group, across the country to suppress any domestic uprisings and fight for the endurance of the regime
Their fortunes are intimately tied to the regime so are a range of administrators and bureaucrats in the iranian government, as well as regime sympathisers among ordinary iranians They are motivated by a blend of shi’ism and fierce nationalism to remain loyal to the regime Trump and Netanyahu have called on the iranian people – some 60% of whom are below the age of 30 – to topple the regime once the Us-israeli operations have crippled it
Many are deeply aggrieved by the regime’s theocratic impositions and dire economic situation and took to the streets in protests in late 2025 and early 2026
The regime cracked down harshly then killing thousands Could a public uprising happen now? so far, the coercive and administrative state apparatus seems to be solidly backing the regime Without serious cracks appearing among these figures – particularly the irgC – the regime can be expected to survive this crisis
GLOBAL ECONOMIC PAIN: The regime has also been able to respond very quickly to outside aggression it has already hit back at israel and Us military bases across the Persian gulf using short-range and long-range advanced ballistic missiles and drones
While many of the projectiles have been repelled, some have hit their targets, causing serious damage
The irgC has also set out to choke the strait of Hormuz – the narrow strategic waterway that connects the Persian gulf to the gulf of oman and indian ocean some 20% of the world s oil and 25% of its liquefied gas flows through the strait every day
The United states has vowed to keep the strait open but the irgC is potentially well-placed to block traffic
from going through There could be serious implications for the global energy supply and broader economy Both sides in this conflict have trespassed all of the previous red lines They are now in open warfare, which is engulfing the entire region
A PROLONGED WAR LOOKS
LIKELY: if there was any pretence on the part of Washington and Jerusalem that their attacks would not lead to a regional war, they were wrong This is already happening Many countries that have close cooperation agreements with iran, including China and russia, have condemned the Us-israeli actions The United Nations secretary-general António guterres has also urgently called for de-escalation and a return to diplomatic negotiations, as have many others But the chances for this look very slim
The Us and iran were in the middle of a second round of talks over Tehran’s nuclear program when the attacks happened The omani foreign minister who mediated between the two sides publicly said just days ago that peace was within reach But this was not enough to convince Trump and Netanyahu to let the negotiations continue They sensed now was the best time to strike the islamic republic to destroy not just its nuclear program but also its military capability after israel degraded some of Tehran s regional affiliates, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and expanded its footprint in Lebanon and syria over the last two and a half years While it is difficult to be definitive about where the war is likely to lead the scene is set for a long conflict it may not last days, but rather weeks The Us and israel do not want anything short of regime change, and the regime is determined to survive With this war the Trump leadership is also signalling to its adversaries –China in particular – that the Us remains the preeminent global power while Netanyahu is seeking to cement israel s position as the dominant regional actor Pity the iranian people, the region and the world that have to endure the consequences of another war of choice in the
for
Pr o g r e s s i v e Democrats of America (PDA) condemns Donald Trump and the Trump Administration, as well as their enablers in Congress the media and elsewhere for launching and supporting a reckless illegal unprovoked and unconstitutional war on iran
Last June, we issued a statement denouncing Trump s bombing of iran because it posed risks of “spiraling into a regional or even global conflict that could shatter fragile economies and displace millions ” Trump’s unprovoked war on iran is now confirming our worst fears This war is already inflicting significant humanitarian suffering causing chaotic economic disruption and risking grave damage to the international order The War on iran has also precipitated a constitutional crisis, attacking the foundational principles of our democratic republic by blatantly violating the separation of powers it also violates the War Powers resolution of 1973 We the People must not fail to meet this crisis This latest precedent of unchecked abuse of power imperils our democracy, potentially fatally The Us Constitution vests in Congress the sole authority to declare war (Article i, section 8) Members of both parties have already acknowledged that Trump s war against iran without prior authorization from Congress is unconstitutional senator Jeff Merkley (D-oregon) a veteran member of the senate Committee on Foreign relations said this war shreds our Constitution, which assigns decisions of war to Congress ” Member of the House Armed services Committee representative ro Khanna (D-Calif ) called the war blatantly unconstitutional rep Khanna co authored a bipartisan War Powers resolution that would restrain Trump from launching such illegal, immoral, and reckless military operations representative Thomas Massie (r-Ky ) described Trump’s attacks as “acts of war unauthorized by Congress ” He is also leading the effort for the War Powers resolution senators Tim Kaine (D-va ) and rand Paul (r-Ky ) sponsored a similar resolution sadly republican congressional leaders continue to block rep Khanna s and his colleagues efforts to enact a War Powers resolution in the House This unconstitutional illegal war continues an alarming pattern of the Trump regime’s contempt for the Constitution Congress U s law and international norms as well as basic ethics and morality Trump has previously ordered illegal attacks against iran and venezuela without lawful authorization The Trump administration has routinely trampled
M a Hossain
R A N ’ S S U P R E M E L E A D E R
Punjab’s Elec tric Leap
route optimisation and predictive maintenance rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms AI-driven analytics can minimise idle time enhance fleet efficiency and reduce congestion Integrated digital payments generate financial data trails that expand credit access and formalise income streams For Punjab, the strategic imperative is to connect electric mobility with a broader innovation architecture The province hosts major universities a youthful population and a growing IT sector Yet research and development expenditure in Pakistan remains below 0 3 percent of GDP, far behind advanced economies investing 2 to 3 percent To sustain technological transformation Punjab must cultivate research parks startup incubators and venture capital ecosystems that nurture artificial intelligence, green technology and digital entrepreneurship
The vision of building a technology corridor akin to a regional Silicon Valley is not rhetorical ambition but economic necessity The global digital economy is projected to account for more than 25 percent of world GDP within the next few years Artificial intelligence alone is expected to contribute up to 15 7 trillion dollars to global output by 2030 Regions that integrate AI clean energy and innovation clusters will capture disproportion-
ate shares of this growth Punjab s demographic dividend, with more than 60 percent of the population under 30, provides the human capital foundation for such transformation if matched with skill development and research investment
Charging infrastructure expansion will be critical Range anxiety and charging accessibility remain key adoption barriers worldwide Strategic installation of fast chargers in commercial districts, transport hubs and residential clusters will determine scalability Public-private partnerships can accelerate deployment while encouraging domestic manufacturing of batteries and power electronics Environmental dividends extend beyond emission reduction Electric mobility reduces noise pollution and improves urban livability indices As renewable energy integration increases within the national grid lifecycle emissions will decline further strengthening climate resilience Cleaner cities also enhance productivity by reducing health costs associated with air pollution related diseases
The launch of the e-taxi scheme, therefore represents a convergence of climate policy economic empowerment digital governance and technological aspiration Its success will depend on transparent implementation, continuous monitoring and adaptive regulation Institutional coordination among transport authorities urban planners financial institutions and technology partners will be essential Punjab s electric leap signals that reform need not remain confined to policy documents It can be visible on roads, embedded in digital platforms and experienced by citizens If integrated with artificial intelligence research startup ecosystems and industrial policy this initiative can serve as a foundation for a smart, green and innovation-driven province prepared for the competitive realities of the global knowledge economy
The writer is a Lahore-based public policy analyst and can be reached at qudratu@gmail com
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PUNJAB CM DIRECTS POLICE TO HANDLE PROTESTERS WITH RESPECT FOLLOWING KHAMENEI'S MART YRDOM
‘National Unity Greatest S trength’: A zma urges public to keep protests peaceful
powers of tax authorities to conduct raids without prior judicial approval, stating that such measures have created widespread anxiety within the business community Reacting to the development PFC Director Shahbaz Aslam said that granting the Federal Board of Revenue sweeping authority to enter business premises at any time and seize computers, documents and financial records without prior notice could adversely affect commercial confidence He said that while the business community fully supports documentation and transparency in the tax system enforcement measures must remain fair balanced and within clearly defined legal boundaries Shahbaz Aslam observed that the furniture industry, like many other sectors, is already
significant challenges including high production costs, increased energy tariffs and sluggish domestic demand In such an environment he said the fear of unannounced raids and unchecked discretionary powers could further discourage investment and expansion Businesses need stability and predictability to operate efficiently Any perception of excessive authority without safeguards can undermine that stability,” he remarked He pointed out that the power to conduct raids without prior judicial oversight raises concerns about potential misuse which could lead to unnecessary harassment of compliant taxpayers According to him, the possibility of abrupt inspections may disrupt routine operations, delay production schedules and create reputational risks for companies, particularly exporters dealing with international clients who require timely shipments and transparent compliance standards
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ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
The Businessmen Panel (BMP) of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry has voiced serious concern over the escalating war in the Middle East, cautioning that prolonged instability in the region could severely affect Pakistan’s external trade energy imports and remittance inflows at a crit-
most important economic partners, and any sustained conflict would inevitably disturb trade routes delay consignments and increase the cost of
AFGHAN TALIBAN
Foreign O ffice ac tivates crisis unit, issues advisor y for Pak istanis in Gulf
