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By Uzma Ehtasham The renewed war of words between Washington and Tehran has once again pushed the world towards a perilous edge. In a series of statements posted on social media, US president Donald Trump warned Iran that a “very large” American naval armada was moving in its direction, led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. Drawing an explicit parallel with Venezuela, Trump claimed the fleet was fully capable of completing its mission swiftly through force and violence if required. He expressed hope that Iran would soon return to the negotiating table and agree to what he described as a…

The latest wave of coordinated militant attacks across Balochistan, and their eventual repulsion by security forces, once again laid bare the fragility of peace in Pakistan’s largest and most troubled province. The figures released by the authorities were stark. According to security officials, militants identified as part of what the state described as “Fitna-e-Hindustan” attempted assaults at 12 locations across the province. All were foiled, but at a heavy cost. At least 108 militants were killed in counter-operations, while 10 police and security personnel lost their lives. As so often in Balochistan, the statistics told only part of the story.…

By Israr Ahmad Orakzai HANGU: Unidentified assailants opened fire on the vehicle of the provincial ameer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S) in the Darsamand area of Hangu, injuring two children, police said. According to details, the JUI (S) leader was travelling in his car when unknown attackers fired on the vehicle. As a result of the shooting, his two grandsons were injured. The children, aged six and eight, sustained wounds in the attack. The injured children were shifted to hospital for medical treatment, where their condition was reported to be stable. Police said a case had been registered and an investigation…

The strategic partnership between Pakistan and China, long celebrated in diplomatic corridors and military circles, is increasingly asserting itself in a new arena: economic collaboration grounded in tangible resources and shared industrial ambition. While the narrative of this relationship has historically revolved around defense cooperation and geopolitical alignment, recent developments suggest a quietly expanding horizon—one in which mineral wealth, technological expertise, and industrial modernization converge to offer Pakistan a path to sustained economic transformation. The recently concluded Pakistan-China Mineral Cooperation Forum exemplifies this shift, providing not merely a platform for dialogue but a practical framework to convert natural resources into…

By S.M. Inam The State Bank of Pakistan’s recent decision to hold the policy interest rate at 10.5 per cent for the next two months is being presented as a marker of stability. Governor Jameel Ahmed, speaking after the Monetary Policy Committee’s meeting, also announced a one-percentage-point reduction in the cash reserve ratio, bringing it down to five per cent, a move intended to ease liquidity in the banking system. Inflation in December remained moderate at 5.6 per cent, with core inflation steady at 7.4 per cent, while economic growth has exceeded expectations, with GDP projected to expand between 3.75…

BY Amir Muhammad Khan In a historic development at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Pakistan formally accepted an invitation to join the newly established Gaza Peace Board, a multilateral platform aimed at fostering sustainable peace, facilitating reconstruction, and supporting humanitarian efforts in conflict-affected areas. Ratified by the Federal Cabinet and signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in May, Pakistan’s participation signals a renewed assertiveness in the country’s foreign policy and a commitment to projecting itself as a peace-oriented actor on the global stage. The Gaza Peace Board, proposed under the framework of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak Lahore, once celebrated as one of the safest cities in Pakistan, was shaken this week by a harrowing incident that has raised serious questions about the city’s infrastructure and governance. A mother and her nine-month-old daughter fell into an open sewer hole near Bhati Gate, leaving residents and officials grappling with the preventable tragedy. The incident has exposed gaps in emergency response, accountability, and public safety, prompting calls for rigorous investigation and reform. According to reports, the family had been visiting Data Darbar after attending a court ceremony when they approached an open manhole—estimated to be…

In recent days, Tirah Valley has become the unlikely stage for a controversy that says as much about Pakistan’s fractured politics as it does about the fragile realities of life along its north-western frontier. What should have remained a routine, if harsh, seasonal movement of people has been inflated into a narrative of displacement, conspiracy and institutional conflict. The defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has now sought to deflate that narrative, arguing that there is neither a military operation under way nor any extraordinary state action forcing residents from their homes. His intervention is less a denial of hardship than…

By Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal Although mid-January arrives with icy winds at their fiercest and the mercury seems to sink perilously close to freezing, it is also the season when memory awakens with unusual intensity. The chill in the air carries with it the warmth of remembrance, drawing the mind irresistibly toward the narrow, winding streets of Lahore. What the younger generation now terms the “Walled City,” what others know as Androon-e-Shehr, and what Lahoris simply call Shehr, was then a living organism, breathing history, culture, and intimacy. Winter nights echoed with the rhythmic calls of “Garam Aanday,” while peanuts and…