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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…
By ISPR ISLAMABAD: In a significant escalation of cross-border military action, security forces launched a series of targeted strikes on militant camps in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, resulting in the deaths of more than 70 terrorists affiliated with the Gul Bahadur faction. The operations, which unfolded under the cover of night on 17 October, were described by officials as “effective strikes” that successfully dismantled key hideouts used by the group. The timing of the offensive carried a heavy resonance, coming on the very same day that the same militant faction was blamed for a devastating vehicle-borne explosion in Khadi, located in…
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…
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 Shahid Shah Pakistan’s energy crisis has grown into a cautionary tale that goes beyond numbers on a ledger. It is a story of economic mismanagement, environmental neglect, and policy decisions that have repeatedly placed short-term gains above long-term stability. What was once hailed as a route to energy security—imported liquefied natural gas (LNG)—has, paradoxically, become a trap, one that threatens not just fiscal stability but the everyday lives of millions of ordinary Pakistanis. Rising bills, inflation, and declining living standards are no longer abstract threats; they are the lived reality for families across the country. The scale of the…