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By Uzma Ehtasham Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a series of incentives for exporters, including a sharp cut in the export refinancing rate from 7.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent, a further reduction of Rs4.04 per unit in electricity tariffs, a Rs9 cut in wheeling charges, and the grant of blue passport facilities for two years to top-performing exporters. Speaking at a ceremony held in honor of leading exporters and business figures, the prime minister said their tireless efforts had brought billions of dollars into the country and helped steer the economy from fragility towards sustainable growth. He…

By Atiq Raja Sometimes, solitude protects what the wrong people slowly destroy. From an early age, we are told that humans are inherently social creatures, that connection is survival, and that loneliness is something to fear. Friendship, companionship, and community are celebrated as essential ingredients of a fulfilling life. Yet, while connection is powerful, it is not always beneficial. Not all company nourishes; some relationships drain more than they give, confuse more than they clarify, and weaken more than they support. In such circumstances, choosing isolation is not a punishment—it is an act of protection. The insidiousness of bad company…

By Alia Zarar Khan Across Pakistan, the same tragic stories keep recurring. People, sometimes children, sometimes unsuspecting adults, fall into open manholes. Every time it happens, outrage spreads, social media lights up, and the finger of blame points firmly at the government. And yet, despite repeated warnings and extensive reporting, these incidents continue to occur. This cycle of tragedy followed by condemnation is not only heartbreaking but also reflects a wider reluctance to acknowledge the shared responsibility that public safety demands. To place the blame entirely on municipal authorities or government agencies is, in my view, both simplistic and unfair.…

By Amir Muhammad Khan In a historic diplomatic move announced last week, Pakistan formally accepted an invitation to join the newly formed Board of Peace, a platform aimed at promoting sustainable peace and reconstruction efforts in conflict-affected areas, particularly Gaza. The Federal Cabinet ratified the decision at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signing it in May. India’s expansionist policies and repeated deception have become increasingly clear to the world, while Pakistan’s foreign policy is reaching new heights. The purpose of Pakistan’s participation in the Board of Peace is to demonstrate that it is a…

By Dr Zawwar Hussain Education was never meant to be an exercise in uniformity. It is not a factory process designed to produce identical outcomes from different minds. At its core, education is the most sensitive phase of human development, a period when curiosity can be nurtured or quietly extinguished. A single moment of neglect, indifference or rigid thinking can push a gifted child into self-doubt. Equally, a moment of insight, empathy and understanding can transform an apparently ordinary student into someone exceptional. Yet much of modern schooling has drifted far from this ideal. Education has been reduced to marks,…

The bloodshed in Gwadar has torn through one of Pakistan’s most fragile fault lines, leaving behind not only the bodies of 11 laborers but a deeper wound in a province that has long felt both neglected and besieged. Five men, three women and three children were slaughtered in an act of brutality so stark that it has cut across political narratives and official statements. These were not combatants or symbols of the state. They were families from within Balochistan itself, travelling to the coastal town in search of daily wages and a chance, however small, at economic survival. Their deaths…

By Dr Urooj Aijaz In the contemporary world of international relations and politics, economic clout, shinko diplomacy and normative power have progressively replaced military force as the predominant tools of influence. States now compete less through tactical overmatch and more through market dominance, financial systems, energy flows, technology and bilateral strategic alliances. China’s response to the Venezuela crisis offers a stark illustration of this shifting landscape. Beijing demonstrated how a modern great power can impose strategic costs on a rival while maintaining plausible deniability and diplomatic restraint, without threatening or deploying troops. Over the past several years, China and Venezuela…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak The prime minister’s message on World Water Day carries a warning that goes far beyond ceremonial language or diplomatic routine. When Pakistan declares that the use of water as a weapon of war is a violation of international law, it is not invoking abstract legal principles. It is pointing to a lived reality in which water insecurity has become a direct threat to peace, survival and regional stability in South Asia. International law is unambiguous on this question. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 clearly prohibit the targeting, manipulation or destruction…

By Uzma Ehtasham Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a wide-ranging relief package for exporters, cutting the export refinancing rate from 7.5% to 4.5%, reducing electricity tariffs by a further Rs4.04 per unit, lowering wheeling charges by Rs9, and offering blue passport facilities for two years to high-performing exporters. Speaking at a ceremony held in honor of leading exporters and business figures, the prime minister credited exporters’ “untiring efforts” for bringing billions of dollars into the country and said Pakistan’s economy was now moving from stabilization towards sustainable growth. He claimed that, after what he described as a decisive national…