PM DECL ARES CLIMATE, AGRICULTURE EMERGENCY, VOWS DECISIVE REFORMS
g PM SHEHBAZ CALLS FOR A NATIONAL ROADMAP ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE, WARNING AGAINST COMPLACENCY OR DELAYS IN REFORMS
g REGRETS FLOODS AND TORRENTIAL RAINS CAUSED WIDESPREAD DEVA STATION, CLAIMING ABOUT 1,000 LIVES, DISPLACING MILLIONS AND DESTROYING MAJOR CROPS
Eight die as Malir, Lyari rivers
SECP launches S ustainable Finance Advisor y Group for c apital markets
sectors
The session was convened by Ms Musarat Jabeen Executive Director of the SECP and attended by members including Farrukh H Sabzwari, CEO of the Pakistan
Exchange; Saif Ullah President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan; Assad Hameed Khan Head of ACCA Pakistan; Shauzab Ali, representative from the Asian Development Bank (ADB); Ms Naz Khan, representative from the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Ms Fareeha Ummar representative from UN Women; and Ms Nazish Shekha representative from the Pakistan Business Council
SBP releases draf t framework to strengthen consumer protec tion
Eight die as Malir, Lyari rivers over flow amid more rain forec ast in K arachi
QATA R has been shown the cost of getting too friendly with the USA by the Israeli attacks on its soil, in which Hamas leaders were targeted Qatar is home to the US 7th Fleet, which is the naval component of the US Central Command but more importantly was one of the places along with Egyptian capital Cairo, which was hosting the Israel-Hamas dialogue aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the conflict that has raged there since 7 October 2023 The USA was placing pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire which Israel proved unwilling to do; so unwilling that it tried to kill Hamas leaders who were discussing US President Donald Trump’s proposal and moved the USA to say that the attack ‘did not advance the USA’s or Israel’s goals ’ However, the USA refrained from condemning the attack That contrasts with the rest of the rest of the world, which resounded with condemnation of the attack However that condemnation though loud was like the condemnation of the genocide in Gaza so far: toothless The Netanyahu government was particularly anxious to avoid a ceasefire because it is poised to begin an attack on Gaza City in an attempt to wipe out Hamas International pressure is building not because of the impending Israeli attack, but because of the famine-like conditions in the Gaza Strip So far according to the Gaza Health Ministry 393 people have died of starvation, in a total of
avoid an end to the war He faces elections a year from now at the latest, and cannot face the electorate without showing something His problem is that his corruption is becoming so evident and the war has become such a drain on the Israeli economy that he is likelier than not to face a resounding defeat Thus the
MA N Y otherwise-intelligent men can be seen embroiled in useless debates In fact, they usually end up losing their cool in the process, making such arguments worse than merely useless More often than not what makes them lose their temper is the utterly and pathetically illogical nature of their opponents arguments If you do not believe me ask any conscientious husband who has not yet given up on logic Too much loyalty to truth and logic can be injurious to health The first impulse of a good man when somebody spews ranked nonsense is to dispute it on the spot Or at least put the record straight for the benefit of interested bystanders and (by extension) of future generations The sentiment is completely understandable; in fact, it is commendable Maturity, however, is realizing that never in the whole history of such debates between Homo sapiens has anybody bothered to pore over the transcript of what was said at what time and by whom Also that no future generation (or the present one for that matter)
Strengthening conventional deterrence and strategic stabilit y
Pde-confliction straightforward messaging: these are unglamorous but they save lives If ARFC grows with those habits baked in it makes the region safer, not jumpier Training will decide the rest You need crews that can discriminate targets under pressure defend against electronic warfare and drones and still keep discipline when the fog thickens You need intelligence stitched into operations in real time not as a nice-to-have And you need logistics that keep tempo without
burning out people or platforms None of this is headline material, but all of it is deterrence in practice There’s another point that’s easy to miss In this decade decision-speed is becoming as important as range or payload Countries that fuse data air and missile defences and conventional strikes while keeping human judgment in the loop are the ones that manage crises instead of being managed by them ARFC can be Pakistan’s platform for exactly that: integrating the tech with restraint so responses are fast but still measured If it reduces pressure on the nuclear threshold that s a strategic gain all by itself So yes Independence Day speeches often come and go But this year s message landed differently It was steady, not showy Pakistan is adapting to the world as it is faster, more technical, less forgiving of slow decisions ARFC signals confidence without overstatement preparation without provocation It says: we ll defend ourselves with modern tools and proportionate options and we ll try to keep crises from sprinting past the point of control
That s not a small promise It s the kind of quiet shift that makes a difference when minutes matter And in our neighborhood minutes almost always do
The writer is a freelance columnist
Lost youth
Unpaid doctors
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but one that has allowed Russia to withstand sanctions designed to cripple it Second Moscow learned that cohesion is strength Whatever internal debates exist Russia projects unity on war and peace The Kremlin speaks with one voice; dissent is contained The West, by contrast, remains a patchwork of allies and clients, an outer empire impressive on paper but riddled with
fractures under stress Third, Russia understood that treaties are only as meaningful as the willingness to enforce them The Minsk II agreements seen in Moscow as a Western ploy to buy time for arming Ukraine proved that point Scarred by the experience the Kremlin has adopted a grim sobriety in negotiations: it refuses to be tricked twice by words not backed by deeds Europe has responded in an entirely different way Its pattern is not a learning curve but a closed loop a circuit of conferences communiqués and declarations in which the assumptions never change At the centre of this loop lies the belief that Russia, given enough pressure, will eventually concede its red lines This fantasy sustains endless talk of “peace frameworks” and “security guarantees” for Ukraine despite Moscow’s clarity: no NATO membership no foreign troops and real protections for Russian-speaking populations These are not bargaining chips They are non-negotiables Yet Western leaders act as if they are mere opening bids They draft plans for “postwar arrangements” and even discuss troop deployments ignoring Moscow’s explicit rejections It is diplomacy without an interlocutor: the West negotiates not with Russia but with itself
This tendency amounts to auto-diplomacy, a kind of geopolitical narcissism in which Western leaders conduct elaborate conversations with one another while excluding the adversary whose position actually matters The purpose of diplomacy becomes less about resolving conflicts than about reinforcing their own sense of moral grandeur Europe, which endured two world wars on its soil, now acts as if history is optional Instead
of recognizing that great powers rarely surrender core security interests under pressure, European leaders indulge the conceit that summits and sanctions can shape outcomes The Versailles Treaty of 1919 should serve as warning: the Allies dictated terms to Germany without reckoning with the resentments they planted A generation later the result was Hitler Russia s leaders, schooled in this history, are determined not to let Versailles be replayed at their expense Europe,
e r t i n g e x p e r i e n c e i n t o s t r a t e g y. T h e We s t , p a r t i c u l a r l y
E u r o p e , s e e m s u n a b l e t o g r a d u a t e f r o m i t s c l a s s r o o m o f i l l u s i o n s H i s t o r y t e n d s t o r e w a r d t h o s e w h o l e a r n a n d p u n i s h t h o s e w h o d o n Ê t U n l e s s We s t e r n l e a d e r s b e g i n
t o a
The Nepali prime minister finally resigned, but not before 19 students had been killed in the c apital amid esc alating protests over corruption and a ban on social media
Tin drawing more people into the streets, as evident in many past instances High-intensity violence may intimidate some but it also erodes the very legitimacy on which rulers depend State violence delegitimised a regime and forced its leader into exile in Dhaka In Kathmandu, early signs of concession, lifting the ban, and finally the resignation of the head of state suggest that leaders realised the repercussions of state violence a little too late What these young protesters are demanding is not complicated They want dignity, transparency, and a say in their future They are not content to inherit broken systems They are willing to risk tear gas and live fire to make that point clear They are raising their voices against corruption and corrupt political elites or nepo-kids who are immune to police investigation
The question is whether South Asia s governments will learn the lesson If they continue to mistreat the digital natives rather than treating them as citizens with voices they will find themselves confronted again and again And each time the costs will be higher
South Asian states must realise the cost of such repression before it s too late Also, states must understand that their old formula to suppress dissent won’t work for Gen Z, who are the most exposed to digital media thus well aware of their rights and about what s going on around the world Gen Z is teaching their leaders a lesson: repression is not strength and silence cannot be legislated Whether in Dhaka or Kathmandu, the future of democracy depends on whether those in power are willing to learn it
Arifur Rahaman is PhD scholar at The University of Alabama in the US
I s r a e l ’ s a t t a c k o n Q a t a r s h o u l d b e a w a k e - u p c a l l f o r t h e A r a b w o r l d
Israeli leaders have long promoted the vision of a ‘G reater Israel ’ stretching from the Euphrates in Iraq to the Nile in Egypt
Israel ’s strike on D oha was the produc t of t wo years of Arab and Muslim weakness in the face of unprecedented, wanton Israeli aggression
mated Gaza More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority women and children Journalists and aid workers have been killed in record numbers setting grim world records Even Israeli rights groups have recently begun to acknowledge the obvious: that Israel s actions in Gaza constitute genocide In Gaza, Israel has employed its socalled “Dahiya Doctrine”, which calls for the maximum punishment of civilians and civilian areas It does not try to avoid civilian casualties; it deliberately seeks them out According to Israeli media its forces have operated on the basis of a 100:1 ratio giving themselves the licence to kill more than 100 civilians in order to target a single commander One programme, known as “Where’s Daddy?” directs strikes not at fighters on the battlefield but at their homes late at night killing them together with their families as they sleep The same pattern is visible in the West Bank Since October 2023, Israel has confiscated land and carried out killings on an unprecedented scale, with more than 1,000 Palestinians murdered and over 1 100 structures demolished this year alone It is moving towards formal annexation with the full blessing of the Trump administration
degrees are required for understanding it All one has to do is casually follow Israeli politics In August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to this project on Israeli television For decades Israel has illegally occupied multiple Arab lands and pursued a campaign of eliminationism against the Palestinian people No country has been the subject of more United Nations resolutions For the past two years, Israel has deci-
WIDENING WAR: Beyond Palestine, Israel has extended its war machine to Lebanon Syria Yemen and Iran In Lebanon it detonated explosive pagers in crowded neighbourhoods as schools were letting out The attack designed to maximise civilian suffering, was described by former CIA director Leon Panetta as terrorism” Now, in Qatar, Israel has crossed another threshold The strike on Doha killed family members of Hamas officials and a Qatari officer though Hamas said its senior leaders survived Qatar condemned the attack as a cowardly, criminal assault and 100 percent treacherous , calling it a blatant violation of its sovereignty, while UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and Pope Leo warned of a dangerous escalation There are many lessons to draw from Tuesday s attack on Qatar The first is that Arab passivity does not work against
Iranian border forces open fire, kill six Afghan migrants in Sistan-Baluchestan
TEHRAN/KABUL n e w s D e s k Iranian border forces shot dead six Afghan migrants allegedly attempting to cross into Iran through Sistan and Baluchestan province, according to reports on Wednesday Human rights group Halvash
the Afghan government have issued an official statement on the reported killings
trying to enter the country illegally
The
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says Iran has intensified its deportations, sending back more than 1 5 million Afghan nationals in 2025 alone Observers warn that ongoing border crackdowns coupled with Afghanistan s economic collapse under Taliban rule, are worsening the humanitarian crisis facing Afghan migrants and refugees
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun stated on Tuesday that China and the United States should respect each other s core interests during a video call with U S Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth
Dong told Hegseth during the call which the latter requested that both sides should adopt an open attitude keep communication and engagement active and develop a military-to-military relationship grounded in equality, respect, peaceful coexistence, and steady, positive growth
Dong warned that any efforts to support Taiwan independence through force or to use the Taiwan question to contain China, as well as any interference, will be firmly thwarted
China is committed to working with regional countries to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea and firmly opposes infringements and provocations by certain countries or deliberate attempts by external forces to stir up trouble, he said Dong said that China remains committed to its own development and strongly defends its legitimate rights and interests Containing deterring, or interfering with China will
absolutely lead nowhere Chinese vice premier calls to reduce service trade barriers, strengthen int l cooperation
hinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday called for countries to lower barriers in services trade and boost international cooperation to support global economic growth This was said during the Global Trade in Services Summit at the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing
Ding a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China s Central Committee, stated in the keynote speech that despite increasing unilateralism and protectionism worldwide, China remains dedicated to high-standard institutional opening-up in service trade
He added that China has consistently promoted the facilitation and high-quality development of trade in services, which not only drives China’s growth but also opens new opportunities for the global economy Ding proposed a three-point plan to enhance global cooperation in service trade
ness, enhance regulatory coordina-
tor s growth
Second nations should encourage innovation across all sectors, follow digital, networked, and intelligent trends, and boost international cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and big data to achieve higher-quality improvements in service trade Third all parties should follow mutual benefit and strive to sign more high-quality free trade agreements, using service trade as a catalyst for shared prosperity The summit co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Government China s Ministry of Commerce and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), also included video or on-site speeches by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Peruvian President Dina Boluarte WTO Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill UNCTAD Deputy SecretaryGeneral Pedro Manuel Moreno, and other guests
After the event, Ding visited the exhibition halls of the simultaneous service trade fair He reaffirmed China s commitment to increasing high-quality service imports and exports, creating more opportunities for businesses worldwide
The summit attracted approximately 800 officials and representatives from China and around the world
g PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER PERSONALLY MEETS FLOOD-AFFECTED FAMILIES IN JALALPUR PIRWALA, SHARES MEAL WITH THEM AT RELIEF CAMP
Tajik exper ts offer hor tic ulture suppor t to CDA for Islamabad ’s beautific ation
ISLAMABAD
A delegation of landscaping and horticulture experts from Tajikistan visited the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Headquarters where they were welcomed by Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa while he was accompanied by CDA Board Member Administration and Estate, Talat Mahmood, Member Finance, Tahir Naeem Member Environment Esfandyar Baloch Member Planning and Design Dr Khalid Hafiz Director General Environment and other senior officers The Tajik delegation compromising horticulture experts apprised Chairman CDA regarding the environmentally floral landscaping initiatives undertaken in Islamabad The delegation offered practical support, expertise and guidance to the CDA in the field of horticulture On this occasion the Tajik delegation specially thanked Pakistan particularly the CDA for its warm hospitality The delegation mentioned that in line with the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan special attention has been given to environmentally friendly afforestation and landscaping to enhance the beauty of Islamabad The Tajik experts shared their valuable experiences regarding plant cultivation and afforestation in Tajikistan with the CDA officials Tajik delegation visited various parks and green areas in Islamabad and praised the city s beautiful and lush green parks Tajik delegation said that the Prime
Al-Ghazi Tractors champions mechanization at Pakistan Agro show 2025
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL) marked its role as Platinum Sponsor of the 2nd Pakistan Agro Show 2025, underscoring its commitment to championing mechanization and supporting platforms that strengthen Pakistan’s agriculture agenda The exhibition took place from September 8 to 10 at the International Expo Center Lahore The Pakistan Agro Show has quickly become one of the country s most important agricultural exhibitions bringing together industry leaders, experts, and farming communities to explore the latest innovations in agriculture, fertilizers, seeds, farm machinery, animal farming equipment, grain milling and agri-processing technologies Speaking about Al-Ghazi’s commitment to mechanization Sakib Eltaff CEO of Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited said Being the Platinum Sponsor isn t just about visibility for AlGhazi it s about making sure platforms like the Agro Show exist and thrive Pakistan s farmers and agri stakeholders need spaces where ideas, technologies, and solutions come together
Minister of Pakistan is highly satisfied with the scenic landscaping environmentally friendly afforestation and other horticultural work in the Capital City Islamabad It is important to note that the Tajik experts provided important suggestions to the CDA s Environment Team regarding the seasonal changes of flowers and introduced the cultivation of the Sylvia flowers in Islamabad The Tajik delegation appreciated the CDA s efforts to enhance the beauty of Islamabad and expressed their commitment to continue mutual cooperation in the future Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa said that Pakistan holds its relations with its brotherly country Tajikistan in high esteem and respect He appreciated Tajikistan's commitment to cooperating in the field of horticulture and beautification of Islamabad The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthen cooperation in various fields between the capitals of Tajikistan Dushanbe and Pakistan Islamabad Chairman CDA said that the CDA is working day and night to promote lush green spaces and develop Islamabad and international cooperation for the beautification of the city will be prioritized at all levels
Pakistan Nav y conducts extensive rescue operations in flood-hit areas
KARACHI ( s ta f f r e p o r t ) Pakistan Navy is actively engaged in relief operations across flood affected regions of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) are constantly operating to provide swift assistance and safeguard lives of those affected by the floods Pakistan Navy has promptly deployed hovercrafts in the flood affected districts of Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Shikarpur in Sindh, to evacuate affected people These hovercrafts are capable of operating across land water and swampy areas In these districts of Sindh 4 335 people and over 125 livestock have been successfully evacuated Pakistan Navy s ERTs carried out rescue operation in multiple regions of Pakistan, including Ali Wahan, Alif Kacha, Bachal Shah Miani, village Haji Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Soomro Goth in Sukkur, Jam Ali Chachar and KK Bundh in Kashmore, Soomro Panvari in Pano Aqil Ghumro Goth in Shikarpur and Shank Bund in Ghotki In addition Pakistan Navy s relief and rescue operations are also ongoing in Kasur Rajanpur Dera Ismail Khan Mirpur Khas Sanghar Sujawal, Buner, Shangla and Mingora
FBR unveils
yet another “fabricated and bogus FIR against Aleema Khan sister of unlawfully incarcerated PTI Patron-in-Chief Imran Khan which also names senior PTI lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha and several others The party described the move as a “blatant act of political victimization ” In a statement issued by PTI’s Central Media Department on Wednesday the spokesperson accused the government of unleashing a ruthless wave of fake FIRs to target innocent citizens
The statement said the FIR originally registered on September 8 under PPC sections 506 147 149 382 and 427 was later manipulated with the overnight addition of terrorism clauses, despite no such provisions being included initially “When our people appeared before ordinary courts in the morning they were forcibly dragged to an Anti-Terrorism Court a glaring testament to political victimisation and abuse of the justice system, the spokesperson said PTI stressed that the case was entirely false and politically motivated, accusing Punjab Police and the provincial government of operating like a printing press for fake FIRs re-
peatedly targeting members of Imran Khan s family
The statement said Aleema Khan was being singled out only because she had stood firmly beside her brother and conveyed his message to the people of Pakistan It described her as a “dignified and courageous woman” and vowed that PTI stood firmly with her
Separately, PTI condemned in the strongest and most unequivocal terms” Israel’s deadly strike targeting the leadership of Hamas in Qatar
The party called the attack a cowardly assault on Palestinian leadership a violation of Qatar s sovereignty and a gross breach of international law and the UN Charter
The statement said Israel had a long track record of committing atrocities and genocide against Palestinians acting as a rogue element spreading terror in the region behaving like a gangster network and terrorist syndicate Such conduct, it warned, threatens not only Palestine but also wider regional stability and global peace PTI urged Muslim nations to stand united lodge their strongest condemnation and formulate a collective strategy to deter Israel from further aggression in
Islamabad court reissues arrest warrant for
CM in Illegal Arms, Liquor Case
sessions
in
reissued
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for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in an illegal arms and liquor case after he failed to appear before the court The case dates back to October 2016 when Islamabad police claimed they recovered five Kalashnikov rifles a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol, and three tear gas shells from Gandapur’s vehicle outside Bani Gala Gandapur, however, denied the allegations maintaining that he was travelling with two licensed Kalashnikovs and a valid arms licence while insisting that the liquor bottle in question actually contained honey Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti directed the police to arrest the KP chief minister and produce him before the court on September 17 The order was issued after no representative appeared on Gandapur s behalf Later, Gandapur s lawyer Raja Zahoorul Hassan appeared in court and
sought suspension of the warrant The judge however rejected the plea remarking If you present the accused I will withdraw the warrant The warrant was issued under Sections 143, 144, 145, and 440 of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Sections 13 20 and 65 of the Arms Ordinance 1965 These provisions deal with unlawful assemblies use of deadly weapons mischief causing potential harm, penalties for breaching arms laws, confiscation powers, and licensing rules This is not the first such order against the KP CM On July 19 the same court issued an arrest
