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By S.M. Inam No matter how acute the economic distress faced by ordinary Pakistanis, governments have long relied on a familiar narrative: the crisis has been overcome, growth is underway, and the wheels of progress are turning once again. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent statements offered precisely this refrain. Speaking at the launch of the National Regulatory Reforms, he asserted that Pakistan had emerged from economic turmoil, that institutional reforms would improve governance, and that the country’s young population would be transformed into a productive asset through skills development and employment initiatives. He painted a picture of a government working…

By Uzma Ehtasham Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the army chief and chief of defence forces, used his recent visits to the Gujranwala and Sialkot garrisons to send a firm signal about the evolving security landscape in Pakistan and the military’s response to the country’s multi-layered threats. The visits, conducted amid continuing internal unrest and external pressures, underscored the army’s emphasis on modernizing its operational capabilities while maintaining vigilance against both conventional and unconventional dangers. During his inspections, Field Marshal Munir was briefed on operational readiness and observed a range of exercises designed to test the combat capability of the…

By Atiq Raja Relationships are rarely straightforward. The notion of love as effortless harmony is largely a myth; in reality, sustaining a relationship often demands patience, resilience, and a deep understanding of human complexity. The person you love may be grappling with trust issues, long-buried emotional wounds, mental-health challenges, or a persistent negative mindset. At such times, love transforms from a mere feeling into a responsibility — a delicate balance between compassion and self-preservation, between walking alongside someone and preserving one’s own emotional wellbeing. The first step in navigating these challenges is to look beyond the behavior and understand its…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that a fresh wave of terrorism is emerging from Afghan soil and urged the international community to press the Afghan authorities to fulfil their responsibilities, as Pakistan and its neighbors face mounting security risks. Speaking at the World Peace Forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sharif said the peaceful resolution of disputes remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, but warned that rising militancy posed a serious threat to regional stability. He said Afghanistan had once again become a sanctuary for terrorist groups, with the consequences being felt most acutely by Pakistan.…

By S.M. Inam What the public has been shouting across Pakistan for months, but the government seemed unwilling or unable to hear, is now being acknowledged by the International Monetary Fund. Perhaps this external validation will finally force those in power to confront a reality they have long chosen to ignore: rising inflation is steadily pushing ordinary citizens deeper into hardship. In a recent report, the IMF warned of renewed inflationary pressures in Pakistan, projecting that the inflation rate, which stood at 3.2% in June 2025, could climb to 8.9% by June 2026. The figures puncture the self-congratulatory narrative carefully…

By Uzma Ehtasham Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s address at General Headquarters was not the kind of speech that fades quietly into the archive of routine military briefings. It was a carefully calibrated declaration of intent, delivered at a moment when Pakistan’s security environment is once again under strain and the regional order is visibly unsettled. Its blunt tone, particularly towards India and the Afghan Taliban, reflected a leadership that believes ambiguity has run its course. The warning to India was unmistakable. Pakistan, the field marshal said in effect, should not be mistaken for a state trapped in self-delusion or…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s speech in Ashgabat was delivered at a moment when the language of peace risks sounding ceremonial rather than urgent. Yet the setting itself — Turkmenistan’s celebration of permanent neutrality and the UN’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust — invited something more reflective than routine diplomacy. Sharif used that space to articulate a worldview that is increasingly contested: that cooperation, not confrontation, remains the only sustainable answer to a fractured international order. At the heart of his remarks was a rejection of zero-sum thinking, the assumption that one state’s gain must…