Author: admin
Pak-Afghan pledge to eliminate terrorism, warning failure risks regional peace, with final agreement to be discussed in upcoming Istanbul meeting. BY Asghar Ali Mubarak ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have affirmed a joint commitment to eliminate terrorism along their shared border, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, following a recent ceasefire agreement that temporarily halted cross-border hostilities. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the region, where sporadic clashes and militant activity have long threatened stability. Speaking in an interview with Qatar’s state broadcaster, Asif stressed that both countries were dedicated to “serious efforts” to bring militancy under control. He warned…
By Moin Shah KARACHI: Korangi Town Chairman Mohammad Naeem Sheikh conducted a surprise inspection of various departments of the Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) on Monday, checking officers’ and staff attendance. Sheikh expressed strong displeasure over absentee officers, warning that no leniency would be shown towards those arriving late or failing to report for duty. He stressed that legal action would be taken against absent employees and urged all staff to correct their behavior and prioritize public service. “Negligence in public matters will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Sheikh said, emphasizing the importance of discipline and attendance in public service…
By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi When Maulana Fazlur Rehman, one of Pakistan’s most seasoned political figures, declared that the “field” now holds more significance than the “house,” it was more than just an offhand remark. It was a damning reflection of a growing national malaise — a crisis of faith in Pakistan’s democratic institutions. His words cut deep into the heart of a political system many now see as hollowed out, detached from the people it claims to represent. For decades, Fazlur Rehman has been part of the country’s power landscape — a cleric-politician known as much for his pragmatism as…
By Atiq Raja In a world that never stops talking — where notifications buzz relentlessly, opinions pour out from every corner of the internet, and conversations overlap in a constant hum — silence feels like a rare luxury. Yet, within this noise-saturated existence, silence stands as one of the most powerful, yet most neglected, forces available to us. Silence is not emptiness; it is a presence — a living, breathing space in which understanding, creativity, and wisdom quietly unfold. We often think of silence as the absence of communication, when in truth, it is one of the deepest forms of…
By S.M. Inam Pakistan’s sharp rebuttal of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) recent statement marks another unsettling moment in the uneasy intersection of sport and politics. Information Minister Atta Tarar’s words—measured yet cutting—encapsulate a deep frustration with what Islamabad views as a recurring pattern of institutional bias against Pakistan. The episode, which began with an unverified ICC claim that three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani strike, has spiraled into a full-blown diplomatic and sporting controversy, exposing the fragility of cricket’s global governance. Tarar’s statement was not simply a reflexive defence; it was a broader critique of the ICC’s…
In the hushed, air-conditioned halls of Doha, a word was spoken that has been agonizingly absent from the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan for years: ceasefire. It is a modest word, a technical term from the diplomat’s lexicon, but in the context of one of the world’s most volatile and mistrustful borders, it lands with the weight of a promise. The announcement from the Qatari foreign ministry, confirming a mutual ceasefire agreed upon by the Taliban administration and Pakistan, is not a peace treaty. It is not a resolution. But it is, undeniably, a flicker of light in a theatre…
In a phone call, Sharif tells Anwar Ibrahim that Pakistan faces ‘persistent terrorism’ from Afghan soil and calls for ‘immediate and effective’ action from Kabul Asghar Ali Mubarak ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level telephone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday, providing a detailed briefing on the sharply deteriorating security situation along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. The discussion highlighted Islamabad’s efforts to mobilize international attention and galvanise support to pressure Kabul’s de facto authorities amid rising cross-border militancy. During the call, Prime Minister Sharif outlined what he described as “persistent terrorism from across the Afghan…
IMF cannot impose conditions against national interest, Muhammad Aurangzeb tells press conference in Washington By Asghar Ali Mubarak ISLAMABAD: In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a formal ceasefire following intensive talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey in Doha — a move that could mark the beginning of a new phase in their fraught relationship, long marred by mistrust, border tensions, and intermittent violence. The announcement came late on Thursday from Qatar’s foreign ministry, which confirmed that both nations had committed to an immediate halt in cross-border violence and pledged to “respect each other’s territorial sovereignty.”…
By Asghar Ali Mubarak ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar has cautiously welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement with Afghanistan, describing it as a “first positive step in the right direction” while stressing that tangible action from Kabul would be the ultimate test of its sincerity. The truce, brokered in Doha through the mediation of Qatar and Turkey, was acknowledged by Dar, who praised the “constructive role” played by the two nations in facilitating dialogue. He confirmed that the diplomatic process would continue, with a subsequent round of talks scheduled in Turkey. These discussions, he indicated, would…