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Did Elon Musk really stumble, by accident, upon the world’s largest electronic lobbying machine — a sprawling bot network hiding in plain sight — or was there something far more deliberate behind the moment? Whatever the intention, the outcome was jarring. What unfolded was not just another social-media hiccup or the usual frenzy of online speculation. It was a revelation that many of the accounts spewing hostility, drowning public debate, and targeting entire nations were never human to begin with. More than half, it appeared, were nothing more than automated systems dressed up as real people, avatars engineered to mimic…
By Mehrab Shah Afridi ISLAMABAD: The Population Council convened a Media Coalition Meeting to present new evidence on the reproductive health needs of Pakistan’s most vulnerable populations and to highlight the central role of the media in amplifying district-level disparities and promoting equitable development. Welcoming the participants, Dr Ali Mir, Senior Director at the Population Council, emphasized that Pakistan’s development agenda could not advance without confronting the profound inequities identified through an Index for Pakistan that maps district vulnerabilities. Reflecting on the findings, he said that basic health, education, and livelihood services were failing to reach millions who needed them…
By Dr. Zawwar Hussain In the rapidly expanding world of geospatial intelligence, technology has redrawn almost every surface of the cartographic landscape, yet the fundamental purpose of a map remains unchanged. Whether etched on parchment or streamed through a cloud-based platform, a map is still a communicative artefact — a visual reasoning system, a spatial language and a bridge between lived geography and human understanding.However, the environment in which maps are imagined, analyzed and shared has transformed beyond anything classical cartographers could have foreseen. The modern GIS student is no longer a quiet operator of survey instruments and paper charts.…
By Syed Shamim Akhtar The recent attack on the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar serves as a stark reminder that Pakistan remains on the front lines of a resurgent wave of militancy, particularly in the northwestern provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Security forces successfully thwarted what could have been a devastating assault: three suicide attackers, all young men between the ages of 18 and 22 and identified as Afghan nationals, approached the headquarters wearing explosive vests. One of them detonated at the main gate as a parade of 450 personnel was underway, while the other two were shot dead…
Pakistan now finds itself at a critical juncture, one where the persistent threat of militancy along its western border can no longer be met with half‑measures or diplomatic patience alone. Recent reports of between 200 and 300 militants killed along the frontier in just a matter of days, alongside more than 67,000 counter‑terrorism operations conducted nationwide this year, underscore the scale of the challenge the state faces and the intensity with which it has decided to confront it. For Islamabad, the threat is no longer abstract; it is immediate, violent, and embedded across a frontier that has long blurred the…
By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon chaired a high-level meeting reviewing ongoing operations against narcotics and gutka mawa mafias across the province. The session included Additional IGPs, DIGs from Karachi and other divisions, CTD, Special Branch, AIGs, media cell, and welfare officials, with several officers joining via video link. During the meeting, officials discussed expanding public awareness campaigns through media platforms to complement enforcement actions. The DIG Special Branch briefed participants on recent operations targeting narcotics and gutka mawa networks, while the Special Branch was directed to regularly update lists of facilitators…
By ISPR ISLAMABAD: A farewell ceremony was held at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Wednesday to honor General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, marking the conclusion of his distinguished 40-year military career. The event, which included a guard of honor, was attended by former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior military officers, and other dignitaries. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Mirza was lauded for his decades of service, leadership, and commitment to the Pakistan Armed Forces. Speaking at the ceremony, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the nation and…
By ISPR RIYADH: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia successfully concluded their joint military exercises, Al-Battar 2, on Tuesday, underscoring the two nations’ continuing collaboration in counter-terrorism and defence preparedness. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the drills, held from 18 to 26 November, brought together Pakistan’s elite Special Services Group (SSG) and operational teams from the Saudi army to conduct intensive training aimed at enhancing tactical and operational capabilities in counter-terrorism operations. Officials described the exercises as a reflection of the deepening defence ties between Islamabad and Riyadh, highlighting the strategic importance of interoperability and joint readiness in responding to…
By Sajjad Shah KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah welcomed a delegation from the China-Africa & Asia Economic Trade Cooperation, along with representatives from Louyang Modern Biology, at the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday. The meeting was described by officials as an important step towards strengthening economic and scientific collaboration between the province and international partners. During the discussions, Chief Minister Shah emphasized Sindh’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment that could attract foreign investment while promoting local economic growth. He highlighted the province’s ongoing efforts to modernize its industrial and agricultural sectors, noting that partnerships with international…