PM CALLS REGIONAL TRADE, TRANSPORT COOPERATION A ‘WIN-WIN’ FOR SHARED PROSPERIT Y
g PREMIER SHEHBAZ URGES DEEPER REGIONAL INTEGRATION FOR PEACE AND GROWTH
g HIGHLIGHTS PAKISTAN’S PIVOTAL GEOGRAPHY LINKING KEY ECONOMIC CORRIDORS, SAYING COOPERATION IN TRADE OFFERS ‘RICH DIVIDENDS’ TO ALL
a growing regional consensus on expanding connectivity and trade corridors
Highlighting Pakistan s strategic location, the prime minister said the country served as a natural bridge between South Asia Central Asia and the Middle East
“Our geography links the warm waters of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf to the majestic Karakoram and Himalayan ranges, flowing through the timeless Indus Valley, he noted, adding that Pakistan’s long coastline includ-
first major gathering since assuming office Afridi struck a defiant tone, recounting warnings and restrictions placed on his movements “I was told not to visit Charsadda or Bara that my life was in danger ” he told the crowd But we are not afraid of death Our lives are ready for PTI and Imran Khan He vowed not to accept any decisions made behind closed doors without the involvement of the party or its supporters, saying he would continue to represent the will of the people
Reaffirming his loyalty to Khan’s founding principles Afridi said his administration s policies would reflect the PTI vision As soon as I became the Chief Minister I said there will be no military operations and no drone attacks in the province, he asserted, signaling a more restrained and locally driven approach to law and order Afridi framed the Charsadda rally as both a symbolic milestone and a show of political strength declaring that PTI had eliminated a political party from the district and that the turnout proved the people of Pakhtunkhwa stand firmly with the founder of PTI The chief minister also spoke of attempts to malign him People tried to make me a terrorist by holding press conferences,” he said, recalling efforts
PM urges ‘final push’ to wipe out polio, calls virus persistence national moment of reflection
The prime minister also distributed appreciation shields among frontline polio workers, lauding their courage, commitment, and resilience in protecting Pakistan’s children despite working in difficult and often dangerous conditions “The nation owes a huge debt of gratitude to these heroes he said The event was attended by Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Focal Person for Polio Ayesha Raza Farooq, and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) UNICEF and other partner organizations PM Shehbaz appreciated the unwavering support of international partners in helping Pakistan sustain vaccination drives and surveillance efforts He particularly thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for contributing around half a billion dollars, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for polio eradication over the next few years
ing the ports of Gwadar and Karachi positions it as a key transit hub on the maritime Silk Road Reflecting on the origins of Pakistan s connectivity vision the prime minister credited former premier Nawaz Sharif for initiating the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) a transformative project that has “connected markets and brought people together across China Central Asia South Asia and the Middle East
interior ministr y notifies ban on tLP following federal c abinet ’s approval
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
The Interior Ministry on Friday formally notified the ban on Tehreeki-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) citing reasonable grounds to believe that the religiopolitical group was connected to terrorism, days after its nationwide protests over Gaza left several people dead and disrupted major highways across the country A notification issued by the interior ministry stated that the decision was made under Section 11B(1)(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, adding that the TLP would now be listed as a proscribed organisation under the Act s First Schedule The federal government has
reasonable grounds to believe that TLP is connected with and concerned in terrorism, the notification read, confirming the party s inclusion in the list of banned outfits
The move followed a day after the federal cabinet acting on a proposal from the Punjab government approved the ban during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) the decision was taken unanimously following a detailed briefing by the interior ministry on what it described as the TLP s violent and terrorist activities
The ministry, in its presentation to the cabinet, maintained that the organisation had “repeatedly incited unrest” across Pakistan and
had reneged on previous assurances to refrain from violence
The decision came in the wake of nationwide protests earlier this week, during which TLP supporters clashed with security forces over the government’s stance on Gaza The demonstrations resulted in the deaths of several protesters and police officers and left traffic paralyzed along key arteries from Karachi to Islamabad
The PMO statement recalled that the TLP had a long history of street agitation In the past security personnel and innocent bystanders have been killed in violent protests and rallies by the TLP, it said, adding that the group had “once again crossed the line from political activism to violent extremism ”
agencies as well as the killing of innocent civilians Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored Kharji found in the area as a relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision Azm e Istehkam (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces
On Oct 16 security forces killed 34 India-backed terrorists during multiple operations across KP over the course of three days, the military s media wing said Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in the past year especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Friday ordered authorities to block the national identity card (CNIC) and passport of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan after she failed to appear before the court despite the execution of a non-bailable arrest warrant against her
government is preventing seed companies from delivering consignments already paid for by Sindh s farmers and dealers he said adding that the move amounted to economic discrimination against the province According to Khuhro, Pakistan produces about 552,000 tonnes of wheat seed annually, with Punjab-based suppliers accounting for nearly 516 000 tonnes
He said Punjab’s decision to block interprovincial sales could jeopardise Sindh’s wheat cultivation plans The dispute follows renewed friction between the coalition partners after the PPP questioned the federal government s wheat procurement mechanism PPP Punjab Secretary General Hassan Murtaza recently criticised the process following the announcement of the minimum support price (MSP) at Rs3 500 per 40 kilograms saying the abolition of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) left farmers exposed to middlemen offering lower rates Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bokhari responded sharply urging the
PPP leadership to address internal differences and warning that the PML-N would “respond in kind” if such remarks continued With Sindh s sowing season already underway the PPP warned that any delay in seed delivery from Punjab could have immediate consequences for farmers This policy is not only anti-Sindh but anti-agriculture,” Khuhro said, adding that the federal government must ensure uninterrupted supply of certified wheat seed to all provinces to prevent disruptions in national food
Pakistan, C hina sign MoU to boost cooperation in quantum and emerging technologies
emerging technologies During the meeting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between CETC and the Emerging Technologies Lab, a project of the Ministry of Planning funded under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) The agreement focuses on joint research, innovation and capacity building in quantum technologies
Speaking at the signing ceremony Ahsan Iqbal said China would help Pakistan establish the National Center for Quantum Computing which he described as an important step in the country s technological progress He
said the collaboration marked a new phase in PakistanChina scientific ties, noting that quantum technology could transform Pakistan’s technological landscape The minister said the government s Uraan Pakistan initiative aims to expand access to advanced technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence to prepare the economy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution He added that investments in innovation and research are essential for achieving sustainable economic growth Ahsan Iqbal also announced the launch of the
for innovation
and knowledge-based development He noted that cooperation with China under Phase-II of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) places emphasis on industrial modernization, digital transformation and skill development Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to long-term collaboration for advancing research innovation and national development
urity concerns
TLP ban
TA
feeling
of déjà vu Internal Chaos, Ex ternal Confrontation
HE federal Cabinet solemnly acceded to the Punjab government’s proscription of the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan under the Anti-Terrorism Act, but observers could not escape a sense of déjà vu, as the TLP has been banned a second time, the first ban having been lifted There are already 82 organizations proscribed under Schedule 1 of the ATA, including a mixed bag of sectarian organizations and AJK, Sindhi and Baloch separatist outfits The common factor is that they all propagate their beliefs by violence While the TLP does not propagate violence as such, there is a miasma of violence surrounding it, It was proscribed in 2021 after violent protests in which protesters were killed The ban was lifted after six months, after the TLP promised to eschew violence The Punjab government, which pressed for the ban, argued that the TLP had reneged on its guarantees The PM Office a which has been something of a favoured child, is a sectarian party, and while other sectarian partiesgreed, noting that violent protests and rallies by the TLP had led to the killing of security personnel and innocent bystanders
The TLP is a sectarian party, and its banning places it alongside other sectarian parties However, it also raises issues of the intersection of freedom of speech and religious belief PM’s Political Affairs Adviser Rana Sanaullah has said that the aim was not to eliminate the party but to purge it of terrorist and antistate elements However the ban seems a lot like throwing the baby out with the bathwater Is the state unable to identify the terrorists and anti-state elements within the TLP, and prosecute them accordingly The problem seems to be when anyone sectarian or separatist attempts to impose ideas forcibly The use of force in imposing ideas cannot be tolerated by any state, and it seems that the TLP has crossed that line The TLP was conducting protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza Presumably the intent was not to protect against that genocide
The government should also refrain from any action misusing the ATA to penalize parties which might oppose it Freedom of speech issues usually end up with the government going after opponents This should not be left to happen in this casde At the smae time bans should be taken seriously They should not be reduced to a mere tactic with the party affected dismissing the ban as something that can be reversed by mouthing the right formulae
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
V a n i s h i n g V o i c e s
The stakes could not be higher Confrontation risks undermining prosperity, fuelling unrest, and deepening global fractures Cooperation offers the chance to channel competition into progress, ensuring that innovation, trade, and development serve people everywhere In the end, the choice is stark: a spiral of tariffs and tensions that punish the many, or a diplomatic breakthrough that uplifts all For the sake of Americans, Chinese, and citizens across the world, one hopes that reason prevails before it is too late Internal Chaos, External Confrontation
pulse of human consciousness not from the cold logic of data-driven systems AI however advanced cannot feel the passionate chaos of the human heart that Lawrence so fiercely celebrated Modern AI systems draw their power from vast libraries of existing text They don’t “imagine” the way humans do; they detect patterns and recombine them This means much of what an AI produces is essentially a sophisticated remix of what has already been written The result can be fluent and polished but it often carries a faint echo of the past, lacking the unpredictable spark that defines a truly fresh idea George Orwell, too, warned against the dangers of mechanization and conformity in thought In his essay Politics and the English Language he lamented the decay of original expression and the rise of standardized lifeless language Today, AI-generated writing risks fulfilling Orwell s fears: a world where language becomes uniform, predictable, and stripped of individuality where literature becomes a mass-produced product rather than a mirror of the human soul The danger grows when human authors lean too heavily on these tools Writing is traditionally a slow, sometimes painful process of exploring thought and emotion Relying on instant AI drafts can tempt writers to skip that creative struggle Over time personal voice and experimentation may give way to a uniform “machine-made style recognizable across many AI-assisted works Another concern is cultural and emotional depth Great literature springs from lived experience, joy, and the particularities of place and history A machine can mimic language but cannot feel When readers sense that absence they may question not only the art s authenticity but also its authorship Who, after all, deserves credit for a novel largely shaped by algorithms? This is not to say AI has no place in the writer ’s
QamaR BashiR
The D ecline of Originalit y in Modern Literature under AI’s Shadow R ida Fatima and Aaila A ziz
TRUMP SAYS ALL TRADE TALKS WITH CANADA
QURAT-UL-AIN HAIDER
In a country where almost 40 percent of children under five face the silent crisis of stunting Benazir Nashonuma Programme has emerged as a story of hope and evidence-based impact Operating under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan s largest social protection initiative, it represents a defining moment in the nation’s fight against malnutrition a model where science meets compassion and policy translates into human progress
A midterm independent evaluation by the Aga Khan University s Institute for Global Health and Development confirmed a national breakthrough: a 6 4 percent reduction in child stunting a 5 6 percent decrease in low birth weight and a 7–8 percent drop in babies born too small or too weak in target areas Even more striking is the 20 percent reduction in stunting among sixmonth-old infants whose mothers joined the programme during early pregnancy and stayed through breastfeeding Behind these figures are real lives, women, children, and families whose futures have quietly transformed Launched in 2020 Nashonuma is rooted in a simple but transformative idea: investing in mothers is investing in a nation s future The programme focuses on the crucial first 1,000 days, from conception to a child’s second birthday, a window that determines lifelong growth and cognitive potential Through 542 facilitation centers in 156 districts it has reached over 3 5 million women and children These centers provide antenatal and postnatal care, growth monitoring, immunization, and awareness sessions on nutrition and hygiene Mothers also receive locally produced nutritious food supplements and conditional cash stipends to sustain healthy practices at home Step into a Nashonuma center in rural Sindh or Balochistan, and the transformation is visible Mothers arrive not just for assistance but with a sense of ownership Health workers use digital systems to track growth and progress while nutrition counselors educate families about breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and hygiene The atmosphere feels less like a clinic and more like a community of care International partners have
played a central role in this effort
The World Health Organization (WHO) the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have all contributed technical, operational, and advocacy support, helping transform the government’s vision into measurable impact “WHO is thankful to BISP and its partners for this collaboration to protect and save lives said Dr Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Pakistan The results are excellent, but even a single child lost to malnutrition is one too many Each child has a story and a family with dreams for their future and we must leave no one behind UNICEF s Representative Pernille Ironside, described the programme as a partnership rooted in human rights, development, and resilience: “At the heart of our work with BISP is every child’s right to grow up healthy and strong By engaging communities empowering mothers and adolescent girls with knowledge and better nutrition, we are breaking the cycle of malnutrition and helping families build brighter futures ” For Coco Ushiyama Country Director of WFP Pakistan Nashonuma represents a model of government leadership and partnership in action She added, A 20 percent reduction in stunting among infants at six months of age is an unprecedented achievement – for Pakistan and globally When social protection and nutrition come together the results are transformative Investing in nutrition is one of the smartest investments a country can make for its future generations ” Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta of Aga Khan University called the findings among the strongest globally He emphasized that investing in early nutrition pays off for generations and that Pakistan s progress represents “a powerful return on investment for human capital ” Yet beyond the data lies the human story the quiet consistent transformation taking place in Pakistan s most remote corners In a small fishing village in Ormara, Balochistan, Rozina, a mother of four, arrived weak and malnourished at her nearest Nashonuma center After months of counseling care and nutritious supplements her strength returned Her youngest daughter Misra, was born healthy When I see my children now, I don t see the
shadows of sickness ” she says “I see a future filled with hope In the mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Raham Bibi learned for the first time that the first 1,000 days determine a child s lifelong health Her youngest, Habiba, now thrives “They respected me and taught me that my care matters ” she says softly That changed everything
Such stories of strength embody the essence of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme an initiative that restores dignity through empathy and delivers measurable results through science As Senator Rubina Khalid Chairperson BISP explained The findings provide clear evidence that social protection, when linked with nutrition interventions, delivers meaningful results for vulnerable women and children Pakistan’s success with Nashonuma proves that large-scale solutions to malnutrition are not only possible but effective At BISP, we firmly believe that a healthy mother is the foundation of a healthy nation ”
The programme also aligns closely with Pakistan’s broader development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): eradicating poverty ending hunger promoting health, and empowering women It embodies the philosophy that social protection is not just about assistance; it is about opportunity empowerment and transformation
Backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and grounded in rigorous research, the Benazir Nashonuma model is now drawing international attention as a pioneering example of how conditional cash transfers can be effectively integrated with nutrition and health interventions In a world struggling with rising food insecurity climate pressures, and widening inequality, Pakistan s approach stands as proof that well-designed national programmes can deliver both scale and substance
The story is far from over The final evaluation in 2026 will measure long-term outcomes, but the visible progress is already reshaping lives For millions of mothers and children, Nashonuma has become more than a programme it is a silent movement that is instilling care and confidence in mothers and families
The writer is Director Media Coordination and Outreach at BISP
Almost 4,400 people abused by priests in Italy, alleges victims’ group R OME Ag e n c i e s
Nearly 4,400 people have been abused by Catholic priests in Italy in cases reported since 2020, a victims’ group alleged on Friday renewing pressure on bishops to confront a crisis that has long plagued the world s largest Christian faith The unofficial tally by Rete l Abuso Italy s largest church abuse victims group, is based on victims accounts, judicial sources and cases reported by the media, the founder of the association, Francesco Zanard,i said Rete l’Abuso
globalorder have helped maintain overall peace in the post-war era while promoting worldwide development and progress Today, eight decades later, the world once again stands at a historical crossroads At this historical juncture, it is of great significance to reflect on how human society
entered a new era of cooperation to review the evolution of the contemporary international order over the past 80 years and to look ahead to its future transformation These are essential for advancing global governance reform in step with the times and for building a community with a shared future for humanity
The UN-Centered International System Ushered in a New Era of Cooperation Human civilization spans millennia yet prior to the Age of Exploration major civilizations largely existed and developed in relative isolation within their respective regions, without forming a global system of international relations The Peace of Westphalia signed in 1648 marked the birth of modern international relations Yet in the 297 years that followed, until the end of World War II, the international order remained essentially an extension of the European system of that era broadly characterized by four features
First the primary actors in international relations were Western colonial powers, while the majority of countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America were reduced to colonies or semi-colonies under Western
domination Second an international legal system symbolized by the Peace of Westphalia gradually took shape establishing norms such as state sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of international disputes However, the use of force had not yet been legally prohibited, and war remained a tool of implementation of foreign policy for some states Third the international landscape was dominated by Western powers in a rule of the jungle environment which ultimately led to the outbreak of two world wars in the first half of the 20th century Fourth, a truly effective international mechanism had yet to emerge Before World War I international relations were largely maintained through a “balance of power” among major states After the war the League of Nations humanity s first worldwide international organization was established Yet it failed to fulfill its intended role, hampered by its hierarchical treatment of member states, domination by a few European powers the absence of the United States and the exclusion of the Soviet Union Ultimately the League proved ineffective particularly in its failure to prevent fascist states such as Germany, Japan, and Italy from launching World War II,
announcing that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed the Crime Control Department (CCD) to launch a province-wide de-weaponisation campaign aimed at eradicating illegal firearms and restoring public safety Speaking at a joint press conference with Additional IG CCD Sohail Zafar Chatha at the Central Police Office Dr Anwar said the campaign is part of a broader effort to enforce the writ of the state and ensure peace across Punjab Citizens have been given a 15day deadline to voluntarily surrender all illicit and illegal weapons at CCD police stations or designated surrender centres the IGP said adding that the CCD has been tasked with curbing the proliferation of unlicensed arms through an uncompromising and transparent operation ” Chatha assured that no legal action would be taken against those who hand over weapons within the grace period noting that such individuals would receive legal indemnity However once the deadline expires strict enforcement operations will follow, with heavy penalties for anyone still in possession of illegal arms Dr Anwar emphasized that the Punjab Police “will not hesitate to make the greatest sacrifices to safeguard citizens lives property and the province s economic stability Whenever investment begins to flow into the country, armed groups try to exploit unrest through violence and arson ” he said vowing that “the authority of the state will be upheld at all costs Residential plots for families of
continue daily combing operations to trace illegal foreigners He further ordered strict action under the Tenancy Act against individuals renting out shops or houses to people illegally residing in Pakistan Bilal Siddique Kamyana reiterated that the Lahore Police is strictly implementing a zero-tolerance policy against violations of the Loudspeaker Act He emphasized that action will be taken against the dissemination of hate material wall chalking and unlaw-
martyred police officers Later the IGP met the families of 12 police
ful posters The CCPO reaffirmed to ensuring the rule of law under all circumstances and directed supervisory officers to engage peace committees and keep them informed about government policies He also ordered special measures to rid Lahore of illegal weapons stating that there is no room for illegal arms the dala culture or any mafia in the city DIG (Admin) Imran Kishwar, DIG (Investigation) Zeeshan Raza, DIG (Operations) Faisal Kamran Divisional SPs (Operations) and SP Dolphin Arslan Zahid attended the meeting
DAR CONDEMNS K ASHMIR REPRESSION, GA Z A ATROCITIES ON UN DAY
IHC gives police another week to trace missing NCCIA officer probing
Who can catch NCP cars? FTO flags jurisdic tion overreach
over to Customs and Section 185-
came during the hearing of a petition filed by Usman s wife, Rozina Usman, who stated that four armed men kidnapped her husband on October 14 At the previous hearing, the court had given police three days to recover the missing officer Resuming proceedings, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan questioned the police over their progress What is the progress? You were given three days the judge remarked District Superintendent of Police (DSP) Legal Sajid Cheema told the court that investigations were underway and that the senior superintendent of police (investigation) was overseeing the matter He revealed that the missing NCCIA official had been probing the ‘Ducky Bhai’ case an investigation linked to popular YouTuber Saadur Rehman and added that other members of the same investigation team were also missing Cheema further informed the court that the petitioner s phone had been switched off since October 18, and her last known location was Lahore’s Empress Road
“When the investigating officer visited her residence it was found locked he said adding that Usman s last traced location was Islamabad s F-6 sector If the WhatsApp data is retrieved everything will become clear, the DSP told the court Meanwhile, the petitioner s counsel, Advocate Rizwan Abbasi, argued that his client had also gone missing after filing the plea and that she last received a call threatening her to withdraw the case
SC fixes for hearing Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz’s appeals against disqualification on Oct 27
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
The Supreme Court has fixed for hearing the appeals filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz challenging their disqualification following convictions in the May 9 riots cases A five-member constitutional bench headed by Justice Aminuddin
their appeals as inadmissible ruling that they had not surrendered to the authorities following their convictions On July 31, 2025, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad sentenced several PTI leaders including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and Shibli Faraz to 10 years
Somewhere on a dusty highway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a police constable waves down a gleaming Toyota Fielder with a suspiciously foreign chassis number, not to mention the car’s non-existence in Toyota Indus’ fleet of Pakistani vehicles Upon inspection it becomes apparent that the car may well be smuggled or in other words Non-Customs Paid (NCP) What does the constable do?
Within minutes, the vehicle is confiscated and impounded by the police The owner is later fined or convicted and a receipt is issued by the provincial Excise Department Much later depending on how the case was handled, either the police or the provincial excise department decides the fate of the car, and the story ends there Any car that comes into Pakistan is liable to pay customs duty
And under the Customs Act 1969 any vehicle that enters the country without payment of those duties falls squarely under the jurisdiction of the Customs Department Section 168 empowers Customs to seize such vehicles Section 170(2) mandates that any agency that detains a suspected smuggled vehicle must immediately hand it
B makes it clear that only a Special Judge of Customs has jurisdiction to try such offences
So does this mean that the good police constable mentioned earlier is subverting the legal process for some personal gain?
The simple answer is, no, and here lies the problem Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Road Checking, Seizure and Disposal of Motor Vehicles Rules 2015 and the Balochistan Road Checking Seizure and Disposal of Motor Vehicles Rules 2025 provincial police and excise departments have been given overlapping powers to stop, seize, and even dispose of vehicles suspected of being NCP In practice this means that the provincial authorities are exercising powers that constitutionally and legally belong to the federal Customs Department A recent ruling by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has unearthed this far-reaching problem after a complaint from the Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation-Customs (I&I) was lodged The FTO upon noticing found that provincial police and excise departments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have been independently seizing prose-
QUETTA/ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
Unidentified gunmen launched a violent assault on a construction company s camp in Balochistan s Khuzdar district torching vehicles and heavy machinery before abducting 20 labourers, 18 of whom remain missing, the company s officials confirmed on Friday
The brazen attack occurred late Thursday night in the remote Kaleri area of Naal about 80 kilometres from Khuzdar Armed men reportedly blocked the highway before storming the camp and crush plant of D-Baloch Construction Company, which has been working on a key road project linking Khuzdar to Basima in Washuk district a major part of Balochistan s infrastructure and connectivity drive
According to Levies officer Ali Akbar, the attackers set eight vehicles and several machines ablaze, including heavy equipment and transport trucks “The gunmen then forcibly took several workers with them he said adding that most of the abducted labourers hailed from Sindh province and had travelled to Balochistan for work Company manager Zulfiqar
Ahmed confirmed that 20 labourers were initially kidnapped but two were later released Eighteen are still missing, he said The attack has crippled our operations and spread panic among our workers ” In response security forces including the Levies Frontier Corps and Counter Terrorism Department launched a massive search operation across the area Authorities have cordoned off routes leading into the surrounding mountains, and local tribal elders are assisting security agencies in tracking down the perpetrators
No group has claimed responsibility so far but officials noted that Baloch insurgent outfits have been active in the region, often targeting road projects and non-local labourers whom they accuse of serving “external interests ”
This latest incident marks the second major kidnapping of workers in Balochistan within a week Earlier, nine labourers were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Mastung’s Dasht area, bringing the total number of abducted workers this week to 27
Authorities said the spate of attacks appears aimed at disrupting ongoing development projects in the
cuting and disposing of smuggled vehicles, an action that violates both federal law and the Constitution
According to the FTO’s findings provincial laws since at least a decade ago gives provincial authorities overlapping powers to check seize and even auction NCP vehicles The ruling describes these laws as inconsistent with the federal Customs Act, 1969” and says they have “caused loss of federal revenue and undermined antismuggling enforcement
In such a scenario the aforementioned good police officer may not be as good as we suggested, because once the dust clears the police department can choose the manner in which they want to dispose the vehicle thereby giving it their own department or auctioning it off under favourable conditions
To make matters worse, police has found another workaround According to the FTO ruling some courts in Punjab have been granting superdari(temporary custody) of NCP vehicles under Section 550 of the Criminal Procedure Code, allowing such vehicles to be retained or disposed of through provincial mechanisms instead of being handed over to Customs
on the international community to address the growing weaponisation of religion and rising Islamophobia, warning that such trends threaten peace, diversity and fundamental human rights Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee which deals with social cultural and humanitarian issues Pakistani delegate Saima Saleem
province particularly those linked to transport and infrastructure expansion The Khuzdar-Basima road once completed, is expected to play a key role in regional trade and connectivity under the government’s development initiatives
The Balochistan government strongly condemned the incident vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice Such acts of terror will not derail our development efforts, a provincial spokesperson said, adding that security around key projects would be further strengthened Local observers warn that the growing frequency of such assaults has heightened fears among contractors and labourers, potentially stalling critical infrastructure projects across southern and central Balochistan
“The repeated targeting of workers and construction sites undermines the province s fragile development process, said one analyst, urging authorities to devise a comprehensive security plan for companies operating in vulnerable districts
Investigations are ongoing and search operations continue across the rugged terrain of Khuzdar and adjoining districts to recover the missing labourers
that minorities actively participate in governance through reserved parliamentary seats and local bodies
