Pakistan

WHEN the Taliban entered Kabul in August 2021, the world feared Afghanistan was heading towards an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Those fears proved well-founded. Yet few imagined that nearly five years later, Afghanistan would remain one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises despite the absence of a nationwide civil war. The United Nations warned in 2022 that almost half the Afghan population was facing acute food insecurity. With the advent of the Taliban, the banking system had collapsed, millions had lost their livelihoods, and the sudden suspension of international assistance had pushed the economy into free fall. More importantly, professionals already in short supply started leaving the country. At the same time, women were progressively excluded from public life, girls were denied secondary education, and poverty became the defining feature of Afghan society. Those early warnings have not simply materialised; they have grown with each passing year. Today, Afghanistan presents one of the ...

THERE are multiple reasons for serious concern about the recent passage of the Powers, Immunities and Privileges Act, 2026, (Act VII of 2026) by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The first concern is the lack of transparency about the details of the Act. Although the law was passed by the assembly on April 30, 2026 and assented to by the governor on May 6, it took a while for the text of the law to make it to the assembly’s website. Interestingly, the website showed texts of acts passed much later but this particular Act and two other similar ones (Acts VIII and IX) were not there, presumably because of anticipated public backlash. Some of the privileges and powers among the long list of at least 21 privileges in the Act raise serious questions. Many of these privileges were a part of the repealed Act of 1988, but several new ones are included in the 2026 law. Section 4 of the law exempts MPAs from attending court proceedings during the assembly or committee sittings. The courts have been advised to reschedule...

Making India the third country to achieve ⁠orbital launch capability through private enterprise

THERE is no glossing over the fact that the country’s leadership faces tough choices in the months ahead. Brussels has delivered its verdict on Pakistan, and it does not make for comfortable reading. While Pakistan’s progress in key areas has been noted and appreciated, the European Union clearly expects Islamabad to ‘do more’ to keep GSP-Plus access to its markets. The pressure will start building as the EU’s new trade rules come into effect in January 2027. Under these rules, Pakistan will not simply be monitored: it must reapply for GSP-Plus, submit a written plan of action, and win Brussels’ approval by the end of 2028. It has also been made clear that the country assessment published on July 16 is the baseline against which Pakistan’s application will be judged. At stake are some €7.5bn annual exports that enjoy preferential access to the EU, and roughly €730m in yearly savings from tariff exemptions. The tariff savings alone can mean the difference between profit and loss for Pakistan’s textile sector, ...

Court also issues permanent arrest warrants for Ayub

WASHINGTON: Pakis­tan’s annual Mango Festival returned to the Embassy of Pakistan on Thursday with a message that extended well beyond the country’s celebrated summer fruit. Aptly themed “The Sweet Taste of Friendship”, this year’s gathering reflected the growing warmth in Pakistan-US relations as Islamabad assumes an increasingly significant diplomatic role in the region. The embassy’s flagship cultural event attracted hundreds of guests, including senior US administration officials, members of Congress and their staff, diplomats, business leaders, think tank scholars, journalists and members of the Pakistani-American community. Conversations over slices of Chaunsa, Sindhri and Anwar Ratol frequently turned to expanding trade, regional stability and the renewed momentum in bilateral relations. Among the senior US officials in attendance was Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Konstantin Dubrovsky, who served in Pakistan for three years. “I have a deep appreciation f...

• Bansky Jaroslav dies after fall near Camp I on 7,821-metre peak • Over 30 mountaineering permits granted as summer climbing season draws foreign expeditions to Pakistan’s tallest summits GILGIT: A Czech mountaineer has died after falling during an attempt to climb Masherbrum, one of the most challenging and rarely scaled peaks in Pakistan’s Kara­koram Range, as the summer climbing season reaches its peak with foreign expeditions targeting some of the world’s highest mountains. Mr Bansky Jaroslav, a Czech national, was part of a foreign expedition team attempting to summit Masherbrum, also known as K1, which rises 7,821 metres above sea level. The climber died after falling from a cliff near Camp 1 of the mountain on Thursday, sources at the base camp told Dawn. DIG Baltistan Tufail Ahmed Mir confirmed the incident, saying members of the expedition team were attempting to climb the peak when the accident occurred. A base camp source said the family members of the deceased climber had arrived in Islamabad and...

• Balochistan CM’s aide says accord with protesters to form judicial commission to probe Hanna Urak, Ziarat attacks • Province-wide shutter-down strike observed in solidarity with families of martyred cops QUETTA: The Balochistan government and representatives of a multi-party alliance claimed to have reached an agreement with the families of policemen martyred in a deadly attack in Ziarat, late on Friday night. During the day, a shutter-down strike was observed across Balochistan, with shops and markets closed and all business activities remaining suspended, in solidarity with the families of the policemen, who had been holding a sit-in at Quetta’s Koyila Phatak for nine straight days, along with the martyrs’ bodies. Traders’ organisations, including the Central Anjuman-i-Tajran Balochistan, and all opposition parties had supported the strike call. In a statement, the traders’ body said markets remained closed in Quetta, Kuchlak, Pishin, Saranan, Khanozai, Muslim Bagh, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Sherani, Loralai,...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Friday agreed to enhance cooperation in immigration, border management and institutional collaboration. An understanding to this effect was reached during a meeting of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry with a delegation of China’s National Immigration Administration led by Director General Qi Jingyang here. The two sides agreed to make joint operations more effective against illegal immigration, arms smuggling and cross-border crimes. It was also decided to finalise an agreement soon to expedite the immigration process. A Pakistan-China joint working group on border management and security will be established. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said cooperation with China on land borders, seaports and immigration management would be further enhanced. “The government of Pakistan is pursuing a zero tolerance policy against illegal immigration, border crossing and smuggling,” he said, adding that action was being taken without discrimin...

• DHS limits stays to four years under new framework, citing ‘abuse of immigration system’ • Move likely to deter thousands of foreign students from applying to American universities WASHINGTON: Foreign students will now face stricter immigration requirements in the United States under a new rule that ends the decades-old “duration of status” system, which allowed them to remain in the country as long as they maintained their student status. The US Department of Home­land Security (DHS) announced the new regulation on Thursday, a move that could have a significant impact on thousands of students from countries such as India and Pakistan who travel to the US each year for higher education. The final rule replaces the existing arrangement, under which international students could remain in the US as long as they maintained their academic status, with a fixed period of admission for holders of F, J and I category visas. Under the new system, foreign students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas will gener...

The government on Friday increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs5.44 and Rs31.05 per litre, respectively, with immediate effect for the next three days until July 20, to pass on the impact of higher import premiums and global prices following renewed regional tensions. Following the increase, the price of petrol stands at Rs316.15 per litre and that of HSD at Rs354.35. The Petroleum Division’s press release notifying the increase said the new prices would be effective from July 18 (Saturday). The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March. Earlier today, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. Th...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been negotiating an expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, the Reuters news agency reported on Friday, citing five sources with knowledge of the talks. The talks remain at an early stage, it said, and could still be complicated by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Kuwait has had a more limited defence deal with Pakistan for training and joint exercises since 2023. It is now seeking a show of force by Islamabad that would be similar to Pakistan’s pact with Saudi Arabia, including “thousands of Pakistani troops on the ground, fighter jets, drones, an air defence system, and other defence-related facilities”, said a Pakistani government official. It is unclear whether Pakistan is willing to go this far, given that its agreement with Saudi Arabia was the result of a decades-old close alliance with Riyadh. “Kuwait’s wish list includes everything,” said a Pakistani security official with knowledge of the talks. “But let me b...

• CAD gap hits $649m in June • Foreign direct investment declines 34pc to $1.64bn KARACHI: Pakistan ended the outgoing fiscal year with a current account deficit (CAD) of $139 million, reversing a surplus of $1.838 billion recorded in 2024-25, the State Bank of Pakistan reported on Friday. The deficit remained negligible compared to the sharp monthly deficit recorded in June 2026, largely because of strong remittance inflows during the year. The deficit had been widely expected after the Gulf war, which erupted on Feb 28, disrupted oil prices and affected Pakistan’s economy. However, the current account deficit remained under control mostly because of remittances, which rose to $41.585bn in FY26 from $38.3bn in FY25, an increase of about $3.3bn. SBP data showed that the country posted a current account deficit of $649m in June compared to a surplus of $500m in May. The current account had posted a surplus of $220m in June 2025. The trend shows that the economy was largely supported by remittances, as exports ...

MUZAFFARABAD: PPP Chair­man Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday pledged greater constitutional empowerment for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), proposing the abolition of the federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, enhanced representation for the region in federal institutions and a consultative process to shape future constitutional reforms. Launching his party’s campaign for the July 27 AJK elections by addressing the first of four planned public meetings in the lakeside town of Dadyal in Mirpur district, Mr Bhutto-Zardari described the polls as the most significant in the region’s history. He said the prevailing situation was a test not only for Kashmir and Pakistan but also for all political parties. The PPP chairman outlined what he described as his party’s constitutional agenda for AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), announcing that constitutional conventions would be convened in both regions after the elections to seek stakeholders’ input on future legislative reforms. He reiterated his party’s position that, while ...

Areeb Ali Khan, Akhri Cigarette, Saffron Sweaters, Clément Visage light up Arts Council

Wangchuk, 59, fasts since June 28 as CJP demands Dharmendra Pradhan resign over exam paper leaks

Firefighters are now battling 68 large fires nationwide, up by nearly two dozen from a day earlier

16,740 people injured in last month's disaster, says National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez

Washington and Tehran have been testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire agreement collapsed last week

No immediate reports of damage or casualties