Civil-military leadershiP ClOses ranks as regiOnal Crisis Puts Pakistan On high alert
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday underscored Pakistan s proactive diplomatic role in promoting de-escalation and regional stability during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong According to the prime minister's office the discussion focused on the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East with the premier highlighting Pakistan s efforts alongside Turkiye and Egypt to ease tensions and facilitate dialogue Officials have described these efforts as instrumental in securing a temporary pause in potential US strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure
The meeting held at the Prime Minister House was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi, and the foreign secretary, reflecting the highlevel nature of the engagement
During the talks the prime minister appreciated China’s continued economic support and reaffirmed Pakistan s commitment to advancing the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2 0), with emphasis on agriculture, industrial cooperation, and priority infrastructure projects He also congratulated Chinese leadership, including Xi Jinping Li Qiang and Wang Yi on the successful con-
clusion of the “Two Sessions” in Beijing Ambassador Jiang commended Pakistan’s economic resilience and reform efforts reaffirming Beijing s continued support in trade and investment
Both sides expressed satisfaction over ongoing cooperation and agreed to maintain close coordination, particularly as the two countries approach the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations Separately the prime minister also held a telephone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during which he briefed him on Pakistan s mediation efforts involving Iran Gulf countries, and the United States
The two leaders exchanged Eid ul Fitr greetings and discussed the urgency of ending the ongoing conflict Anwar Ibrahim praised Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative and offered full support for efforts aimed at bringing the warring sides to the negotiating table Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan s readiness to host direct talks between the US and Iran, stressing that Islamabad remained committed to facilitating “meaningful and conclusive” dialogue Both leaders agreed to stay in close contact as diplomatic efforts continue The engagements reflect Pakistan’s increasing diplomatic activism as it seeks to position itself as a key mediator in the Middle East crisis while strengthening strategic partnerships with China and other regional allies
cooperation Discussions covered the ongoing fuel supply from Oman, with three petrol and one diesel cargo imported in March and two more petrol shipments planned The ministers also reviewed regional energy challenges especially disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israeli war on Iran and Pakistan s efforts to explore alternative import routes, including crude from Saudi Arabia via the Red Sea and UAE shipments via Fujairah The meeting highlighted constructive talks between Pakistan State Oil and Oman Trading International to explore additional cargoes as well as opportunities in upstream oil and gas exploration production and development projects Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen Pakistan-Oman cooperation in the energy sector for mutual benefit
Pakistan resumes Operation Ghazab lil-Haq as Torkham Border reopens for Afghan nationals
S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t
The temporary pause in Pakistan s Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban has ended, and the military campaign will continue “until its objectives are achieved the Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the announcement during his weekly briefing, responding to questions about whether the pause had been extended Launched on the night of February 26 in response to cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban Operation Ghazab lil-Haq is described as a precise targeted campaign against the Taliban s leadership, command infrastructure, logistics networks, and supporters of terrorist activities Andrabi said
He explained that the temporary suspension was observed out of deference to Eidul Fitr celebrations and following requests from “brotherly Islamic countries ” The pause concluded around midnight between March 23 and 24 after which operations resumed Operations will continue until the Afghan Taliban regime reviews its misplaced priority of
India-Pakistan diplomatic tensions escalate after Jaishankar dismisses Islamabad ’s mediation role
supporting terror infrastructures and proxies over the welfare of their own people Andrabi said Earlier on March 18 Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had announced the pause, highlighting it as a gesture in good faith aligned with Islamic norms The Afghan Taliban had also temporarily suspended attacks on Pakistan citing requests from Saudi Arabia Turkiye and Qatar Meanwhile a group of clerics from Pakistan and Afghanistan had appealed to extend the pause to Eidul Azha, but Islamabad has reiterated its stance that the Taliban must dismantle terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan especially those linked to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan requests that officials say remain unheeded
ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD
PSX SLIDES 2,500 POINTS IN EARLY TRADE AS IRAN STANCE DENTS RISK APPETITE
people than would have been able to afford it otherwise Yet such schemes might not be sufficient on their own to really make a substantial difference Pakistan s housing market suffers from certain limitations which schemes like the Mera Ghar; Mera Ashiana might not be able to undo the
BALOCHISTAN PENSION REFORM GAINS TRACTION AS SECP CLEARS SEVEN FUNDS, REVIEWS 17 MORE
The US-Israel-Iran war will make nonsense of the government ’s promise to freeze prices
TMoney for the provinces
TH E National Finance Commission is not meeting because of the US-Israeli attack on Iran There is a certain bureaucratic logic to this because the war by closing the Strait of Hormuz or at least rendering it a war zone has made any prediction about the price of oil impossible and it is not clear what sort of revenue projections can be made And without those projections, it becomes impossible for the NFC to carry on However, as this Award comes after a 16-year gap rather than the constitutionally prescribed five years it is probably too important to be abandoned Since the time of the last Award there have been a number of developments which need to be addressed
The option applied for the last decade would be for the Award to receive a one-year extension However, it would mean another year of ducking urgent issues, and of sharing out money according to an Award made on assumptions that have grown increasingly out of sync with reality One of the issues that has been sharply brought into focus has been the question of the areas where the federal government also provides funding The question is reflected by the change of the status of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas into KP districts That implies that the federal share be reduced and that of KP be enhanced That has been one of the sticking points for the whole NFC It constituted a committee to study the issue and make recommendations but it has not done so thus far so the Commission cannot move forward But apart from the ex-FATA districts, the issue of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have come up, which receive money from the federal government and which have no share in the NFC AJK is Free State pending a final determination of its status by a UN-administered plebiscite but receives subventions towards its budget from the federal government Though the President of AJK is elected, and not selected by the federal government like a provincial gov-
It is a matter of
ernor, it is very much like a province Gilgit Baltistan has been called a province but even though it has the structure of one it is a federally administered Northern Area and the local council has been empowered as a provincial government It too has no guaranteed share in the NFC Award, except what it is given by the federal government from its share After all, its provincial status is granted by an act of Parliament in exercise of its provincial powers not as for the other provinces which have been created by the Constitution Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan may become a province after the plebiscite but the Federal Capital of Islamabad, located in the Federal Capital Territory, will always be dependent on the federal government for provincial functions The Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation may be at some stage empowered to become a quasi-provincial government like that of Gilgit-Baltistan but that too will only be because Parliament will so vote The FCT has no provincial government and Parliament is empowered to act as its provincial assembly The federal government would like all of these obligations quantified, and
E-stamp chaos reigns
ASingh and Gurdwara Kiara Sahib and so on Thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit their sacred sites throughout the year for celebration of important religious festivals International Sikh religious tourism is also backing up Pakistan s economy significantly However, defective and outdated laws and rules regarding pilgrimage visas have created much confusion that may cause a threat to the legal status of international Sikh pilgrims especially in case of misuse of yatri visa while visiting Pakistan This aspect is not only affecting the Sikh community living in all corners of the world but also posing a grave threat to international religious tourism in Pakistan
Sarabjeet Kaur an Indian Sikh pilgrim came with a religious delegation, or jatha, from India by obtaining a limited and non-extendable Pilgrimage Visa for a 10-day trip Pakistan’s government permitted her to visit only six Gurdwaras including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib Sacha Sauda Sahib Dara Sahib Rori Sahib Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur) and Panja Sahib She disappeared from Nankana Sahib on 4 November 2025 and did not join the religious ceremony Later on, it was disclosed that she had eloped with a Pakistani national named Nasir Hussain and married after converting to Islam Skipping from the Gurdwara and marrying a resident of Sheikhupura was a severe violation of the visa conditions signed by Pakistan and India Her visa expired on 14 November 2025 because the Protocol debars any extension of the visa She has been living in Pakistan since 5 November 2025, and 13 November 2025 illegally and is likely to be investigated and sent back to India to restore supremacy of law and trust of Sikh community Sarbajeet Kaur has a criminal record in India and around four criminal cases against her and eight against her sons stood registered in Indian Punjab Despite the criminal record, the Indian law enforcement agencies gave her security clearance during the visa process which makes the matter more suspicious especially in the case of Indian-sponsored terroristic activities in Pakistan Neither can religion be used as a tool to ful-
fill nefarious designs nor visa relaxation be awarded as given by Pakistan The visa can be used only for the purposes of congregational rites, not for the purpose of purported marriage or other unlawful conduct Limited and conditional visa for pilgrimage has been misused or exploited by Sarabjeet Kaur for hidden ulterior and unlawful motives that is a grave violation of the Foreigners Act 1946 and Standing Order No 29/2005 The Federal Investigation Agency, following its obligations under Standing Order No 29/2005 nor the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee being direct custodian and manager of Sikh pilgrims and Punjab Police did not take even a single step regarding this illegality which should have been to register an FIR and deport the offender
The Government of Pakistan must take stern measures to stop possible future violation of “Protocol of Visits to Religious Shrines 1974 and Foreigners Act 1946 by pilgrims of any community on security reasons and to restore trust of international pilgrimages for promotion of religious tourism and interfaith harmony in Pakistan They must adhere to the domestic laws of Pakistan by not engaging in any activity that is against the conditions and scope of the given visa
The writer specializes in public interest litigation and can be reached at adv ali changezi sandhu5@gmail com
Death drives here
also causes feelings of ill-will between both Punjab communities This also ramifies in implications of detrimental effects to religious cultural and lingual harmony Being a legal counsel in a deportation petition of Mahinder Pall Singh, ex-MPA and Parliamentary Secretary against Sarabjeet Kaur before the Lahore High Court, I am an eyewitness of the misuse of pilgrimage visa, violation of conditional visa as well as of Foreigners Act 1946 and Standing Order No 29/2005 for individual interests This violation has created panic and ill-will in the international Sikh community regarding the case
ChANgeZI SANdhu
Ttorial reach of coercion surveillance, intimidation, or assassination intended to silence dissent abroad
The legal seriousness of this finding cannot be overstated The case was brought in the Southern District of New York a jurisdiction known for its rigour in national security and organized crime prosecutions Investigative work involved multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation underscoring the assessment that this plot threatened not just an individual but the integrity of US territory and law In American jurisprudence hiring a killer to eliminate a political voice within the USA is among the gravest of offences because it substitutes violence for law and seeks to terrorize speech itself
The wider context makes the implications even darker This is not an isolated episode floating in a vacuum It sits alongside unresolved allegations in Canada over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and amid growing unease in Western capitals about the safety of diaspora activists critical of the Indian state Patterns matter in law and diplomacy When similar methods appear across jurisdictions surveillance of dissidents intimidation and now an admitted murder-forhire plot states are entitled,
c e h a s b e e n t e s t e d
A d m i s s i o n s h av e b e e n m a d e u n d e r o a t h . T h e m e s s ag e s h o u l d r e s o n a t e f a r b eyo n d
o n e c o u r t ro o m : p o l i t i c a l d i s s e n t c a n n o t b e a n sw e r e d w i t h
GE N I U S industrialist or clownish conman humanity s saviour from a rapidly crumbling planet or rabid social media troll – the verdicts on the world s richest person vary in flavour, but most share something in common: they focus on Musk as an individual In their study Quinn Slobodian a historian at Boston University and Ben Tarnoff a tech writer wish to reframe the conversation The most important question, they argue, is not who is Musk? but what is Musk a symptom of?”
As the title suggests their answer is “Muskism” the coinage a deliberate nod to Fordism the shorthand for 20th-century capitalism built on the pairing of mass production with mass consumption If Fordism was the last century’s operating system, Slobodian and Tarnoff contend that Muskism is this century’s Like Fordism it is a modernising project Unlike Fordism it does not aim to distribute its rewards widely Its central promise is sovereignty through technology : the fantasy that, in an increasingly unstable world, states and individuals can become more self-reliant by plugging into Musk s infrastructure This is Muskism s version of a social contract But, as the authors point out, the reality is quite different: rather than self-reliance, we are offered merely greater reliance on the Techno-king of Tesla himself
This might seem like an obvious point to make but it develops into one of the book s strongest insights as Slobodian and Tarnoff follow the thread of dependence across Musk’s empire, from SpaceX (a near-monopoly provider to the Pentagon and Nasa accounting for 95% of all US orbital launches) to Tesla which sells electric autonomy in the shape of vehicles and batteries while drawing buyers deeper into Musk s walled garden; and, more recently, to X and Grok, which promised a new town hall for the exercise of “free speech” before consolidating Musk s own voice and his increasingly far-right agenda
Majid Nabi burfat
US AND IRAN FACE DEEP DIVIDES AS POTENTIAL
TO END WAR REMAIN UNCERTAIN
rity Council director for Iran Israel, another key party in the conflict, is reportedly wary of a short-term US ceasefire intended to facilitate talks expressing doubts about the possibility of a meaningful breakthrough While some elements of the US framework especially those targeting Iran s nuclear program and proxy activities are seen as beneficial by Israeli officials, concerns persist over ballistic missile programs and regional influence that may remain unaddressed Swanson noted that Iran likely views Trump s stance as unchanged offering either capitulation or escalation and is responding with equally ambitious and unlikely demands Iran, for its part, outlined its conditions this week via state media Press TV reported that Tehran is seeking a full stop to aggression and assassinations legal assurances that war will not resume guaranteed compensation for damages, cessation of military operations by all Iranian proxies, and recog-
nition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz Control over the strait has amplified Tehran’s leverage driving fuel prices higher and unsettling global markets Sources say intermediaries and the Trump administration are struggling to define what a viable agreement could look like Some Gulf allies favor an immediate cessation of hostilities,
Secu-
Iranian parents refuse to leave cemeter y, spending nights beside children killed in
US missile attack
Malaysia's PM endorses Pak istan's US -Iran mediation offer
Tanker carr ying Russian oil hit by drone in Black Sea
“Malaysia will continue to support every credible effort towards a just and lasting peace, he concluded Meanwhile in a related development Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, where both sides reviewed regional
c a u t i o n e d t h a t t h e p o s t - Wo r l d Wa r I I i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r d e r i s f a ci n g u n p r e c e d e n t e d s t r a i n , w i t h t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s - c e n t e r e d s y st e m e x p e r i e n c i n g a g r o w i n g c r is i s o f t r u s t H e c r i t i c i s e d w h a t h e d es c r i b e d a s t h e e r o s i o n
PAKISTAN TO ROLL OUT LEGAL REFORMS FOR CONSTRUCTION, HOUSING SECTOR GROWTH
this significant achievement He stated that this recognition is the result of the institution’s collective efforts professional dedication and commitment to maintaining high academic standards According to the QS Subject Rankings 2026 UMT has secured prominent global positions in several disciplines, including Mathematics
vice to S implify Public Transpor t Journey
Zong leads climate action through afforestation drive in Islamabad ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
Reinforcing its position as a responsible technology leader Zong Pakistan s leading technology service enterprise has advanced its sustainability agenda through a tree plantation drive in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination,
and schedule information into the Yango Superapp, we are giving
users a practical tool to move around major urban centers across the country with greater ease and confidence ” Looking ahead Yango Pakistan sees further potential to expand Transport in the country through partnerships with local mobility and infrastructure players, as well as public sector organizations As the service evolves this may include broader route coverage closer integration with transport operators and ticketing platforms and the development of additional features that support more connected and convenient public transport journeys
BYD -MMC Delivers 100 Atto 2 Vehicles Across Pakistan in a S ingle D ay
s in-house technical expertise Nestlé waters & premium beverages reach global water stewardship milestone in Pakistan, across the world
LAHORE
s ta f f r e p o r t Pioneering a global achievement in water stewardship, global business Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages (NW&PB) that operates the brand Nestlé PURE LIFE in Pakistan became the first food and beverage company worldwide to secure 100 per cent certification of all its 39 bottling sites to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard This landmark accomplishment includes the local bottling
sponsibility, fostering broader awareness around environmental protection and sustainable living As part of the drive indigenous and climate-resilient saplings were planted in areas of Shakarparian facing the Islamabad Expressway, focusing on zones that have experienced a decline in green cover This targeted afforestation
Pakistan on Wednesday told the United Nations Human Rights Council that Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognized disputed territory as reflected in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and no unilateral action could erase that Let me reiterate a simple and undeniable fact: Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized disputed territory as reflected in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions This is not a narrative This is a legal reality that no unilateral action can erase Pakistan s First Secretary Adeel Mumtaz Khokhar said, exercising the right of reply at the UN Human Rights Council here Rejecting India’s false assertions, he said that Pakistan had raised a fundamental issue that under the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) any denial of the right to self-determination constituted a violation of human rights India, as a member of the international community and a state that arrogantly projects itself as a Vishwa Guru, is therefore obliged to create an enabling en-
offence involving moral turpitude or sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more Saeed had been elected as a senator in July 2025 The May 9 unrest was triggered by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, which sparked violent riots across the country, including attacks on government buildings and military installations such as the army s GHQ in Rawalpindi
ISLAMABAD n e w s d e s k Noor Wali Mehsood the leader of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is currently being harbored by the Afghan Taliban inside a multi-story building situated within Kabul s highly secured Green Zone, the heart of the city’s diplomatic and government district credible security sources said Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the building which also houses other occupants is allegedly being used as a human shield to protect Mehsood from potential military or intelligence operations Security analysts warn that such measures significantly complicate any
This revelation comes amid ongoing concerns in Islamabad and other regional capitals regarding cross-border militancy, with Pakistan repeatedly urging the Afghan Taliban regime to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on its soil particularly those linked to the TTP Despite these appeals authorities report limited progress heightening tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and complicating broader security efforts in the region GENEVA
vironment for the exercise of the right to self-determination by the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir It is thus not surprising that Pakistan s reminder of India s fundamental obligations under the UN Charter appears to have rattled this rogue state, causing it to descend into name-calling and baseless attacks against my country ” Khokhar added He said that in IIOJK India s brutal actions had led to the systematic curtailment of fundamental
effort to hold terrorist leadership accountable and prevent attacks orchestrated from Afghan soil Officials observing the development have described Mehsood’s reported shelter as deeply concerning pointing to what they view as the Afghan Taliban s continued facilitation
and protection of terrorist elements They argue that the safe haven allegedly provided to Mehsood undermines regional security and stability and raises critical questions about Kabul’s adherence to international obligations in counterterrorism
