MARK A-E-HAQ CRUSHED INDIA'S MILITARY ARROGANCE, PAKISTAN READY FOR ANY FUTURE AGGRESSION:
Marka-e-Haq refers to the 2025 Pakistan-India conflict that erupted following the April 22 Pahalgam attack and culminated in a ceasefire announced on May 10 after Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos in response to Indian strikes
A year ago we buried India s arrogance in the dust, the DG ISPR said, adding that Pakistan had successfully defended itself across air, land sea and cyber domains through coordinated multi-domain operations He maintained that the conflict had changed the nature of modern warfare and demonstrated Pakistan s growing capability in integrated operations
Lt Gen Chaudhry accused India of promoting a “false narrative” linking Pakistan to terrorism and said New Delhi had failed to present evidence regarding the Pahalgam incident despite registering an FIR within minutes of the attack He alleged that India had repeatedly used “false flag operations” to malign Pakistan internationally India s terrorism narrative has collapsed forever, he remarked, alleging that India itself was involved in sponsoring destabilisation and militancy in the region He further claimed that terrorist incidents inside Pakistan had links with India and Afghanistan The military spokesperson stressed that Pakistan remained committed to regional peace and stability despite heightened tensions, warning that war between two nuclear powers would amount to madness However he reiterated
that Pakistan’s armed forces were fully capable of defending the country s sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat
He announced that the nation would witness a small glimpse of Pakistan’s military capabilities on August 14 saying the armed forces would continue investing in advanced technologies and operational preparedness to confront future security challenges Lt Gen Chaudhry also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri people, stating that Jammu and Kashmir remained an internationally recognised dispute under United Nations resolutions He criticised what he called India s treatment of minorities and alleged human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur
C ivil-militar y leadership, institutional coordination, national unit y proved decisive in M ark a- e -Haq
Federal Interior Minister on Thursday said Pakistan s civil armed forces, intelligence agencies and media played a decisive and exemplary role during the recent Pakistan-India hostilities, ensuring national security through advance preparedness, effective coordination and national unity Addressing a briefing the minister thanked media representatives for their presence and said the interaction coincided with nationwide celebrations, making it important
to improve air quality Cheema noted that these sectors fall within both federal and provincial domains, underscoring the need for coordination across different levels of government Private sector investment and reform agenda The meeting also highlighted the importance of encouraging productive and inclusive private sector investment through the International Finance
reforms are implemented effectively Amgaabazar, for her part, reaffirmed the World Bank’s support for Pakistan’s long-term development objectives through continued engagement strategic financing and technical expertise the statement said She also expressed confidence that sustained efforts could help Pakistan secure stronger investment, higher productivity and more inclusive growth over time The official statement presented the meeting as part of ongoing engagement between Pakistan and the World Bank on the implementation of the CPF, which is intended to guide development and reform efforts over the next decade
Govt approves over Rs4.5b for PIA Holding Company liabilities after privatisation
foreign exchange cover, pension obligations and medical liabilities of PIACL employees
board-approved funding request amounting to Rs5 984 billion
The federal government has approved more
Rs4 5 billion to meet funding requirements related to claims and carved-out liabilities of PIA Holding Company Limited (PIAHCL) following recommendations submitted by the Ministry of Defence Business Recorder reported The matter was discussed during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on April 27, 2026, where the Ministry of Defence briefed members on financial requirements linked to liabilities transferred from Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) According to the briefing, PIAHCL was established on May 3, 2024, under Section 282(3) of the Companies Act 2017 to take over non-core assets and liabilities of PIACL to facilitate the airline s privatisation process The ECC was informed that the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan had approved the scheme of arrangement covering the transfer of liabilities including loan mark-up
Officials told the committee that following the privatisation of PIACL through a Rs135 billion bid for a 75% stake, transaction documents, including the Share Purchase and Subscription Agreement and Shareholders’ Agreement were approved by the federal cabinet on December 31 2025 and signed on January 29 2026 Under the agreement PIACL is required to maintain positive net equity as a condition for completion of the divestment process, which depends on the timely recovery of receivables from PIAHCL to avoid audit observations related to Expected Credit Loss
The Ministry of Defence stated that PIAHCL currently lacks sufficient cash flows and depends on federal government support to meet its liabilities Officials informed the ECC that the federal cabinet had earlier approved budgetary support for PIAHCL on December 9 2025 subject to independent validation of claims
Following a financial audit review, PIAHCL submitted a reconciled and
The requested amount included Rs1 134 billion payable to National Insurance Company Limited Rs4 149 billion for reimbursement of medical and pension payments made by PIACL, Rs246 million for reimbursement of adjusted pension payments made by PIAHCL between October 2025 and January 2026 and salary payments for employees of Precision Engineering Complex
According to the briefing, the Finance Division approved the release of Rs4 15 billion for medical and pension liabilities along with Rs456 million for salaries of Precision Engineering Complex employees through Technical Supplementary Grants from available savings Regarding the Rs1 134 billion payment linked to NICL, the Finance Division proposed settlement through an adjustment or refund mechanism instead of direct budgetary support
However the Federal Board of Revenue informed the ECC that PIACL s refund claim against the NICL payment was not considered tenable
Punjab launches first provincial general insurance company
ruling was issued by Justice Anwaar Hussain while deciding multiple petitions concerning the scope of jurisdiction under the Punjab Establishment of Special Courts (Overseas Pakistanis Property) Act, 2025
The petitions were filed after special courts declined to hear several cases including disputes relating to specific performance inheritance claims and cancellation of transactions on the grounds that such matters fell outside their jurisdiction and should be heard by civil courts One petitioner, an overseas Pakistani residing in Kuwait, argued that a special court had refused to hear his suit seeking a declaration and specific performance against a housing society in Lahore and transferred the matter to a civil court
In another case an overseas Pakistani challenged a decision by a special court refusing to exercise jurisdiction in a dispute concerning the cancellation of a general power of attorney
Justice Hussain held that lower courts had adopted an overly narrow interpretation of the law by restricting the scope of the Act’s preamble
The expressions matters connected therewith and incidental thereto are of wide import the judgment stated adding that the law was intended to cover the full spectrum of immovable property disputes involving overseas Pakistanis
The court ruled that the jurisdiction of special courts extends
Mark a- e -Haq crushed India's militar y arrogance, Pakistan ready for any future aggression:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Responding to a question regarding Pakistan s defence ties with Saudi Arabia, the DG ISPR highlighted the significance of the longstanding mutual defence understanding between the two countries He stated that the protection of Harmain Shareefain remained closely linked with Pakistan s strategic commitments and any threat to Saudi Arabia would be considered a threat to Pakistan On Afghanistan Lt Gen Chaudhry confirmed that Operation Ghazab lil Haq was still ongoing, but clarified that Pakistan held no hostility towards the Afghan people “Pakistan has always acted as a brother and host to the Afghan people ” he said reiterating Islamabad s commitment to regional stability while combating terrorism Speaking at the briefing, Rear Admiral Shifaat Ali Khan termed Marka-e-Haq a “historic and memorable” episode stating that Pakistan Navy had successfully neutralised India s attempts to threaten maritime routes and strategic installations He revealed that Indian naval deployments in the north-
ern Arabian Sea during the conflict were aimed at targeting Pakistan’s trade routes and ports but Pakistan Navy maintained uninterrupted maritime security throughout the confrontation The Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force were fully prepared to destroy the Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant if required,” he said, adding that the Indian Navy ultimately remained confined to its own waters during the conflict Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi of the Pakistan Air Force described the
warfare,
and multi-domain operations The escalation between Pakistan and India began after the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people India blamed Pakistan for the incident, while Islamabad categorically rejected the allegations Tensions intensified after India suspended the Indus
CO N S U M E R S are likely to get Rs 1 75 per unit deducted from the Fuel Adjustment Charge surcharge for the third quarter, from July to September That is reflecting Rs 94 billion extra which have been charged from the consumer in bills up to April, and which are now to be refunded As the refund is going to come at a time when consumers, especially domestic and commercial, turn on ACs, fans, room coolers and other cooling devices this represents substantial relief It also provides a modicum of relief for industrial consumers, including the textile industry, which spearheads the country s exports, and which has not only been voicing deep concerns about the power tariff but also the frequent loadshedding and ever present outages The tariff cut does not solve the loadshedding issue, which will be solved, according to the Power Minister, with the arrival of RLNG cargoes, as that will allow the RLNG-operated plants, which have run out of fuel to get back into production
This ties in with something the PM had earlier said at a meeting on the power sector, that those distribution company officials who did not observe the Economic Order of Merit, were to be punished With all power plants listed according to their unit cost (depending on their fuel and how they were using it) it is up to the DISCOs to choose the mix costing the least That cost is what the consumer is billed, so if the DISCO was to make the wrong choice, it is the consumer who will pay Similarly, the wheeling system which is to be introduced for industrial consumers it will be up to the consumer to choose the DISCO which offers the best rate It should be noted that this FAC adjustment covers the first month of the US and Israeli attack on Iran, and thus covers the rise of oil prices It seems that they are now falling perhaps because there is some hope that the USA and Iran may be approaching some agreement Prices of Brent crude futures settled at $101
Pax Sinica or Judaica?
ON E of the consequences of the US attack on Iran has been handwringing within the media about the end of the American Empire This does not yet appear to have seeped into Academia but Academia figures have started appearing in the media expressing this view
A larger number sees the USA as losing out to China This seems mainly because China has a very big stake in the conflict as it receives the largest portion of its oil imports from the Straits of Hormuz
Though Chinese oil production is not insignificant it can only meet about a quarter of its consumption While oil exporters like the USA or Russia are mainly hurt by the Hormuz Strait closure because that drives up fuel costs for its domestic consumers, China faces the strangulation of its industry Already hit by Trump’s tariffs in its largest market already hurt by the overall economic slowdown China is peculiarly vulnerable to Hormuz closure This might explain why there are some scholars who seem reluctant to predict that China will emerge as the successor to the USA They have an extremely different choice, but there is some logic behind it, and they think that Israel is expanding its regional position and is aspiring to replace the USA in the region as the hegemon The analysis about China is fairly obvious First there is a Sino-US tension which makes it likely that China would like to replace the USA as world hegemon One role has been keeping the world’s oil supply secure a role first performed by the UK then by the USA However the world seems to be experiencing a change which will leave oil behind and make magnets and the rare-earths that power them as crucial as oil used to be, and still is China has established such a stranglehold on them that it has successfully used them to force the USA to dial down its tariffs recently, by threatening to put restrictions on them Second China has been on the side of Iran in this confrontation While it has not contributed any forces its help has been useful Also it wants Taiwan Taiwan is a former Chinese possession and is only separate because of US help, even though it has developed and capable armed forces It is a leader in the manufacture of computer chips, and thus is of a value to China if it falls into its hands intact or at least with minimal damage This would enable China to develop a monopoly over Artificial Intelligence which means control over the technology that is expected to act as the central pillar of the world s future growth China s wide interests seem to be positioning it for the role of the adult in the room, the power that plays the role of peacemaker and peacekeeper The USA has been playing this role the best example being the 1962 Indo-Chinese War When the Indian military position collapsed and China seemed poised to take the war into Indian territory Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru made an appeal to US President John F Kennedy, who conveyed to China his support of
Calm in the crosshairs
India Now it is China s turn to take its place in the limelight, and though India would have liked to, it is irrelevant to the whole scenario, except peripherally as one of the countries depending on oil from the Hormuz Strait If any other country has been mentioned as a successor to the USA it has been Israel At first that might seem counter-intuitive The USA is vast Israel is not However Israel has been the loyal US mercenary, and there are a number of precedents where mercenaries have taken over themselves There are two developments which indicate that Israel is positioning itself for a bigger role in the Middle East than it has First it seems engaged in its first territorial expansion since 1967 when it took over the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt thus taking the rest of the old British mandate of Palestine, which it had missed in1948 Its latest incursion into Lebanon, under the cover of suppressing Iranian proxy Hezbollah during the war with Iran represents its first bid for territorial expansion since 1967 The Golan Heights were occupied from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981 That annexation has been recognized only by the USA, and that in 2019, by the Trump Administration, which moved the US embassy to Jerusalem There are now 25,000 Jewish settlers in the Golan Heights They now outnumber the 20,000 Druze who still live there Syria and Lebanon were under French occupation after World War I Palestine under the British Israel is now trying to create more defensible boundaries for itself by occupying lands and ultimately annexing them But there is the map of the ‘Greater Israel’ which includes large patches of Egypt and reaches into Saudi Arabia down to Madina This is much more ambitious than the more recent Greater Israel which is supposed to cover only the Biblical Kingdoms of Judah and Samaria as it includes both the lands of the Egyptian captivity (Egypt) and the Jews of Yathrib Apart from the search for secure boundaries, Israel has the expansionist attitude of all colonialists, and is thus naturally inclined to expanding its territory
Athat the path it had chosen was unsustainable That reality remains relevant today Pakistan s position has not changed It seeks peace stability and regional economic recovery It understands the cost of war not from textbooks, but from decades of lived experience From 1965 to 1971, from Kargil to the long war against terrorism Pakistan has buried its sons and daughters in numbers that defy comprehension Over 80 000 lives lost to violence have etched into the national psyche a deep understanding of what conflict truly means This is why restraint is not weakness but a memory, a maturity born of sacrifice The troubling aspect of the current situation is the repetition of a dangerous script Allegations without transparent evidence Media rhetoric that inflames public opinion Political narratives that convert complex security challenges into simplistic blame games Military posturing presented as political strength These elements together form a volatile mixture that can once again push the region toward unnecessary confrontation The world cannot afford to treat this as routine South Asian tension A conflict between Pakistan and India is not confined to borders It disrupts global trade routes, destabilizes financial markets, threatens millions of civilians, and raises the spectre of nuclear risk that the international system is ill-prepared to handle The events of May 2025 served as a warning shot not only to the region but to the world And yet the warning appears to be fading from memory Pakistan today stands where it stood a year ago, calm but vigilant Its message is consistent It does not seek conflict It does not benefit from
instability It does not wish to revisit the horrors of war But it will not accept aggression disguised as accusation It will not allow its sovereignty to be compromised And it will not hesitate to defend itself with the same clarity it demonstrated last year if compelled to do so The difference between 2025 and now is that the element of surprise is gone Both sides know the costs Both sides know the limits Both sides know how quickly escalation can outrun political control This knowledge should act as a stabilizing force If it does not, then it becomes an indictment of leadership rather than circumstance Diplomacy must not be an afterthought activated only when missiles are airborne It must be the first instrument not the last resort Communication channels between military and civilian leadership must remain open and active At a time when the world is already strained by tensions between the USA and Iran, soaring fuel prices, and uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz the region can ill afford another avoidable crisis born of accusation and provocation War is often romanticized by those who have never witnessed its consequences But those who have seen cities darken, markets empty, and families displaced understand that there is no glory in devastation, only loss that lingers for generations Pakistan has chosen its path with calm preparedness and resolve In the crosshairs of tension and threat it stands steady proving that true strength is not in rushing toward conflict but in maintaining clarity and restraint The hope is that wisdom, not pride, shapes what comes next, so that calm, not chaos, defines the region’s future
The writer has a PhD in Political Science and is a visiting faculty member at QAU Islamabad He can be reached at zafarkhansafdar@yahoo com and tweets @zafarkhansafdar
Web of neglect
Dr ZAfAr KhAN SAfDAr
West Bengal’s verdict and India’s border imagination
rather than sovereignty Yet the proposal imagines them as disciplined agents of the state, enforcing boundaries with a commitment that human institutions often struggle to maintain It is a fascinating projection of order onto creatures defined by indifference
The recent electoral developments in west Bengal lend this projection a new layer of meaning Campaign rhetoric that emphasized infiltration, demographic anxiety, and the urgency of securing the border has now been validated by electoral success when such narratives gain legitimacy they reshape the boundaries of what is considered acceptable policy thinking The crocodile ceases to be a joke and becomes a symbol a convenient representation of a desire for absolute control over a fundamentally uncontrollable space
This is where satire begins to blur into reality The idea of weaponizing nature reflects a deeper discomfort with complexity It suggests that the problem is not merely illegal crossings or administrative challenges, but the existence of fluidity itself Rivers that change course become suspect wetlands that resist fencing appear almost conspiratorial In such a worldview introducing predators is not just about security It is about imposing a sense of finality on a landscape that refuses to be fixed
There is also a certain philosophical elegance, albeit unintended, in this approach
the political climate that has followed the west Bengal election, the more this imagination begins to align with a broader shift toward spectacle driven security
The border between India and Bangladesh is not a static entity that politely accepts human attempts at permanence Rivers meander, lands flood, and communities continue their lives with little regard for the neat lines drawn on maps Managing such a border has always required patience cooperation and a willingness to accept ambiguity The crocodile and snake proposal however, offers a different philosophy It replaces management with menace, suggesting that uncertainty can be solved by introducing greater unpredictability
Crocodiles it must be noted do not subscribe to national interests They do not pause mid-swim to verify documentation nor do snakes politely distinguish between categories of human movement Their loyalty, if it can be called that, is to instinct
By deploying animals that recognize no borders the policy inadvertently mirrors the very phenomenon it seeks to control Just as people move across boundaries for survival opportunity or necessity these creatures move according to their own logic, indifferent to human constructs The attempt to harness them for sovereign purposes exposes the fragility of the concept itself Sovereignty it seems requires constant reinforcement precisely because it is never fully secure The west Bengal election amplifies
this fragility A state that once resisted central narratives has now embraced them, signaling a shift from negotiation to assertion The border in this new imagination is not a shared space but a frontline And frontlines as history repeatedly demonstrates invite strategies that prioritize deterrence over dialogue The crocodile, therefore, is not just an animal in this story It is an emblem of a mindset that equates security with fear of course there are practical concerns that stubbornly refuse to disappear ecosystems do not operate according to political directives Introducing or concentrating species in sensitive environments can trigger unintended consequences, disrupting ecological balances and endangering local communities But practicality has rarely been the driving force behind symbolic policies The value of the crocodile lies not in its effectiveness but in its ability to signal resolve For border communities, however, such
signals translate into lived realities These are regions where livelihoods depend on access to land and water, where daily life is already shaped by uncertainty Transforming these spaces into zones of heightened danger, whether through aggressive security measures or imaginative wildlife deployment risks deepening vulnerability It replaces governance with anxiety turning ordinary existence into a constant negotiation with risk The irony is difficult to ignore In attempting to assert control over the border, the state considers relinquishing control to forces that cannot be governed It is a curious inversion of authority where sovereignty is expressed through dependence on unpredictability The crocodile becomes both guardian and reminder, a living testament to the limits of human control what the west Bengal election has done is to make such inversions politically palatable electoral success has a way of validating not just policies but the imaginations that produce them Ideas that once hovered at the fringes now find themselves edging closer to the centre, buoyed by a climate that
rewards assertiveness and simplicity over nuance and complexity In the end, the story of crocodiles, snakes, and sovereignty is not about reptiles or even borders It is about the evolving relationship between power and imagination when faced with challenges that resist easy solutions societies reveal their priorities through the ideas they entertain Some choose engagement investing in cooperation and long term thinking others gravitate toward symbols that promise immediate clarity, even at the cost of coherence west Bengal’s political transformation suggests that the latter
commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz that China and Russia vetoed for its lack of fairness and justice
Yet this request distorts China s role Beijing has in fact been engaged in responsible diplomatic efforts aimed at deescalation with Chinese Foreign Minister wang Yi’s meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on wednesday being the latest move as part of a broader push to encourage dialogue and restraint
As wang stressed in the meeting China believes that a comprehensive cessation of hostilities is urgently needed, that a relapse into conflict is
even more inadvisable and that continued adherence to negotiation is of paramount importance on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, the world shares a common concern over the restoration of safe and normal passage As wang said, Beijing hopes the parties involved will respond as promptly as possible to the strong calls of the international community
China encourages Iran and other Gulf states to engage in dialogue aimed at fostering neighborly relations, and supports the establishment, by regional countries themselves, of a regional peace and security architecture based on shared participation the safeguarding of regional interests and the realization of common development
The pro-peace endeavors of China are grounded in a framework articulated in a four-point proposal it put forward last month on peace and stability in the Middle east which emphasizes peaceful coexistence respect for sovereignty adherence to international law and the coordination of development with security
It is unrealistic for washington to press Beijing to endorse the premise that military action lacking UN authorization and legitimacy can be retrospectively legitimized as a contribution to global common interests Nor should washington expect the world to accept the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under the US’ military pressure as an altruistic act by those who precipitated the crisis in the first place
The US may declare to its domestic audience that its epic Fury operation has concluded with desired effects But the costs of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz are borne not just by the protagonists, but by the world as a whole
If washington genuinely seeks to uphold the world’s common interests as it professes it should begin by recognizing its role in shaping the current predicament It should also accept that diplomatic efforts by others will not serve as a post hoc endorsement of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran what the US administration seeks to do now is to pressure others to clear up a mess of its own making while taking the credit if any breakthrough is made Stability in critical global arteries cannot be secured through unilateral forces It requires consistency, restraint and a willingness to place shared interests above immediate political gain Until that lesson is absorbed the Strait of Hormuz will remain not just a strategic choke point, but a mirror reflecting the misjudgment of some
Ye l l o w and blue smoke rose, and out of it appeared a pair of breasts with “RUSSIA KIllS” written across bare skin The performance was optimized for the press preview circuit providing free self-pleasuring material for the Ukrainian-flags-in-bio crowd and their
s s comrades alike The Venice Biennale! A handful of balaclava-wearing half-naked performance artists from Pussy Riot and FeMeN barricaded the Russian pavilion for all of 30 minutes to protest against its opening in support of Ukraine Nadya Tolokonnikova Pussy Riot s greatest hits machine, grumbled that she had to sneak in under an assumed name because the organizers wouldn’t book her table Mission accomplished: The world’s most pretentious artsy crowd got another virtue-signal photo op –cheeky dose of solitary-viewing fuel for the right hand included It would be best described as museum-grade thirst A brief deliberate detour into bedroom-Pulitzer territory watching organizations that claim to fight the patriarchy deploy the patriarchy’s oldest currency is quite ironic Their weaponry doesn t consist of arguments intellectualism or difficult work of political thought: They offer up bodies for display courting the male gaze they claim to loathe whether there is a slogan written across naked breasts or not, the ask is the same as it always has been: look at me, look at my flesh The patriarchy being neither stupid nor ungrateful obliges Here is what makes this particularly funny if you have the stomach for it FeMeN was founded in 2008 after its founder became aware of Ukrainian women being duped into going abroad and being sexually exploited Its original slogan was ‘Ukraine is not a brothel’ It protested sex tourism trafficking and prostitution – the industries that were consuming Ukrainian women s bodies for foreign money That was the mission Fast-forward to Venice 2026, and we re observing the same movement stripping for the
sex in a state biology museum days before the 2008 presidential election – the action was titled ‘F**k for the Heir Puppy Bear ’ The body, provocative; provocation through the body the body as the only argument ever really being made The Ukrainian feminist scholar oksana Kis noticed in 2012 when this was all still nascent Femen has nothing to do with feminism whatsoever, she said when public nudity becomes the only way to deliver a message, it’s more than strange And the message itself seems to get lost while media focus on their nakedness She would probably need stronger language now No one is subverting the patriarchy by giving it what it wants and calling the transaction resistance You are on your knees, sisters The pink smoke is a nice touch, though while FeMeN was founded in Kiev, it is now headquartered in Paris Pussy Riot’s most prominent members have lived in the west for years The people staging Ukraine s grief for the Biennale cameras left Ukraine and Russia long ago and have been performing it for western audiences ever since This week s Biennale delivery was a service rendered to the european cultural establishment which requires regular injections of morally legible suffering to justify its own self-image
The Biennale lost €2 million in eU funding after refusing to reverse the participation of Russia, which has owned its pavilion in Venice since 1914 An on-brand move for the eU: Brussels money always comes with Brussels politics and Brussels politics require that culture be weaponized on schedule without nuance or complications what no one is asking is whether any of this has anything to do with Ukraine, and whether this really is the representation the Ukrainians – and especially Ukrainian women – want Before we get to politics there is the simple matter
M nazMul alaM
CHINA , US MUST PURSUE STABLE AND CONSTRUCTIVE REL ATIONS: WANG YI
steering bilateral relations during critical moments and setting the overall direction of engagement
He added that China stands ready to work with the US to implement the understandings reached by the two leaders and place bilateral relations on a more stable and constructive trajectory
would never follow a path of hegemony as its national strength grows Wa
ton to view China objectively understand its development rationally respect its core interests and manage differences appropriately,
be called precisely what it was a manufactured pretext a false flag operation executed by a government that has institutionalized deception as its primary instrument of foreign policy The evidence does not whisper this conclusion; it screams it An FIR was filed ten minutes after the attack Coordinated social media accounts activated within minutes, primed and waiting for the trigger Not a single soldier moved during twenty minutes of uninterrupted terrorist activity inside a zone patrolled by 800 000 Indian troops Either Indian security forces are catastrophically incompetent or they deliberately stood down There is no third explanation
The world must choose which indict-
China-US relations Wang stressed that ties between China and the US affect not only the well-being of their peoples but also global peace and stability He reiterated that China s policy toward the US remains consistent and clear, emphasising mutual respect peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as the guiding principles for relations between the two major powers
Referring to multiple phone conversations and meetings between the leaders of both countries over the past year, Wang said head-of-state diplomacy had played a crucial role in
The Chinese foreign minister further emphasised that properly managing perceptions is essential to ensuring healthy relations between the two countries Although China and the US have different political systems and development models, Wang said both are rooted in their own historical and cultural traditions and reflect the choices of their respective peoples
Invoking the concept of harmony without uniformity, Wang said the two countries should seek partnership rather than rivalry He reaffirmed that China would continue to pursue peaceful development and
ment it prefers to accept as both options condemn New Delhi beyond rehabilitation And before the bodies were even counted, before any credible investigation could be convened, the Modi government moved to weaponize the Indus Waters Treaty This single act exposed the entire operation for what it was Grief does not reach for water warfare within hours of a tragedy Political calculation does India s mask did not slip in Pahalgam – it was deliberately removed because the Modi establishment has grown so arrogant in its manufactured narratives that it no longer fears being seen Pakistan saw everything And Pakistan was ready Two hours before Indian strikes landed on the nights of May 6th and 7th, Pakistan s civil and military leadership had already assembled fully briefed, operationally positioned, and waiting India's most prized strategic asset the element of surprise was neutralized before a single missile was fired This is what institutional excellence produces This is what decades of preparation, sacrifice, and unrelenting professionalism look like when they are tested under fire Pakistan Army did not scramble It executed When Pakistan Air Force rose to meet Indian aggression it did not merely respond it dominated Five Indian aircraft were destroyed, including the Rafale jets that India s defence lobby had sold to its public as near-mythological instruments of air superiority Let that sink in The aircraft around which India built
its entire aerial deterrence narrative the jets purchased at extraordinary cost to project regional supremacy were neutralized by PAF pilots whose valour no procurement budget can replicate The Rafale myth is dead Pakistani hands killed it While India spent fortunes importing weapons systems built in foreign factories serving foreign interests Pakistan invested in self-reliance and selfreliance held the line when imported prestige could not Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos was not reactive It was definitive This was not escalation born of desperation; this was a sovereign state communicating in the only language aggression understands that Pakistan possesses both the will and the capacity to operate at every step of the escalatory ladder simultaneously – and climb higher if required The battle was never solely kinetic Synchronized cyber operations dismantled Indian command-and-control infrastructure at the conflict s most critical moments Pakistani loitering munitions and advanced drone technology penetrated Indian airspace and exposed the catastrophic vulnerabilities hiding beneath India s defence spending facade And throughout it all the DG ISPR stood before the world and spoke facts – measured documented irrefutable facts –while Indian media was busy announcing the capture of a Lahore port that does not exist on any map The contrast was not merely embarrassing for India It was strategically devastating
No major commercial ships crossed S trait of Hormuz in last 24 hours
Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing would continue efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the Strait of
and
Jeer
Diplomatically Pakistan dismantled India s narrative before it could solidify Pakistani representatives in every major capital, from Washington to Beijing, presented evidence while India presented outrage The overseas Pakistani community mobilized with a political consciousness that shook international discourse and countered Indian lobbying with something more powerful than money: moral clarity
The United States acknowledged Pakistan s stabilizing role The world's assessment shifted On the other hand, India s regional architecture is fracturing Bangladesh has reclaimed its sovereign trajectory The idea of Indian hegemony as South Asia s natural order is being rejected not just by Pakistan but by history s own momentum
What must be understood is that India fired first lied first and lost first Pakistan did not seek this confrontation But Pakistan finished it The Pakistan Army did not merely defend territory in May 2025 It defended the principle that a nation anchored in truth, prepared in capability, and unified in resolve is unconquerable That principle has now been demonstrated before the entire world This is not a story about survival This is a declaration of what Pakistan is and what it will always be when tested Unbreakable Unmistakable Victorious
The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at zartajchaudhary@gmail com
muz and would do its utmost to safeguard Chinese ships and crew The waterway has also seen unusual and risky passages by vessels linked to Western companies The French-owned CMA CGM Saigon reappeared off the coast of Oman late Wednesday after vanishing from tracking systems in the Persian Gulf, indicating that the container ship may have crossed the strait with its Automatic Identification System turned off amid heavier signal jamming in the area The vessel had last been detected on Tuesday near Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE before resurfacing in the Arabian Sea with Colombo Sri Lanka listed as its destination Its journey made it one of the few Western Europe-linked ships to pass through the strait without damage since the conflict began On Tuesday, another French company vessel, the CMA CGM San Antonio was attacked while transiting the strait leaving crew members injured and the ship damaged Iran s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said on Wednesday that ships were following new transit rules introduced by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz In a post on X, the IRGC Navy said vessel cooperation was helping regional maritime security and added that safe passage would be maintained under the new procedures
Doctors Without Borders on Thursday ac-
cused Israel of having deliberately restricted food and aid in Gaza, creating a manufactured malnutrition crisis” with particularly devastating impacts on infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women The report also examined the harm done by the US- and Israeli-backed private organisation set up last year to largely replace UN distribution of aid in Gaza
The medical charity, known by its French acronym MSF, based its case on an analysis of the situation between late 2024 and early 2026 at four health facilities it supports in the Gaza Strip That analysis showed significantly higher levels of prematurity and mortality among infants born to malnourished mothers, and spikes in miscarriages, it said MSF linked these outcomes with Israel’s blockade of essential goods and attacks on civilian infrastructure including medical facilities Insecurity, displacement, restrictions on aid, and limited access to food and medical care have had devastating consequences for maternal and newborn health,” the charity
said in a statement The situation remained extremely fragile despite a ceasefire n place since last October after two years of devastating conflict it warned MSF called on the Israeli authorities to allow the unhindered entry of assistance and supplies into Gaza immediately “The malnutrition crisis is entirely manufactured Merce Rocaspana MSF s medical referent for emergencies said in the statement Before the war in the Palestinian territory erupted, malnutrition in Gaza was almost non-existent”, she said
and newborns receiving
CORPORATE CORNER
CM MARYAM ORDERS PERA CRACKDOWN, WARNS ‘CORRUPT OFFICIALS’ OF JAIL
India now resor ts to films against Pakistan after facing reality on ground: A zma Bokhari
Chery Master Pakistan is evaluating to launch two to three future models for the local market including the Tiggo 4 HEV, QQ
Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana underlined that the timely detection and eradication of criminal elements remain the cornerstone of a secure and peaceful society He was addressing a 35-member delegation of trainee Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) from the Balochistan Police during their visit to the Capital City Police Headquarters The delegation was led by Course Commander SP Aurangzeb During the session DIG (Administration) Imran Kishwar provided a comprehensive briefing on the organizational hierarchy operational framework and crime-control strategies of the Lahore Police The trainee officers were apprised of the force s core responsibilities and the specialized modern policing interventions being adopted to mitigate contemporary security challenges Mr Kamyana maintained that effective crime prevention is inextricably linked to professional competence robust public engagement and the seamless integration of technology in line with modern policing requirements He exhorted the future field officers to prioritize close coordination with the citizenry while optimizing their professional acumen and technological resources The CCPO further advised the trainee officers to play a proactive role in fostering a peaceful environment and contributing to the socio-economic development of Balochistan Highlighting the shift in the global crime landscape he stressed that adopting sophisticated strategies to counter the burgeoning threat of cybercrime has become a pressing necessity "
Ahsan emphasises dialogue for conflict resolution amid escalating tensions in Middle East
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t Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, addressed the closing ceremony of the two-day International Narowal Peace Dialogue 2026 emphasizing that nations achieve success only when they stand united like a solid structure Bunyan-un-Marsoos He recalled that in the past, Pakistan emerged victorious in Ma raka-e-Haq through unity, resilience, and national cohesion, and stressed that the same spirit remains essential to overcome present-day challenges Referring to the evolving global environment the Federal Minister stated that amid rising international tensions Pakistan has once again demonstrated its unique and constructive diplomatic role in promoting peace and stability He noted that at a time when escalation between major global actors risks undermining regional and global security, Pakistan has consistently advocated restraint dialogue and diplomacy over confrontation He underscored that such efforts reflect the enduring relevance of Pakistan s principled foreign policy rooted in the belief that sustainable peace can only be achieved through engagement and mutual understanding In this context, he described the International Narowal Peace Dialogue as a timely and significant initiative reinforcing Pakistan’s growing contribution to global peacebuilding and its commitment to bridging divides among nations
KARACHI S ta f f r e p o r t
At an event held at the residence of prominent businessman Zahid Hameed to mark the first anniversary of Marka-eHaq Bunyān-ul-Marsoos members of the business community paid tribute to Pakistan s armed forces and said that the armed forces played a decisive role in achieving a historic victory against the country’s
N C O M P L ET E W I T H O U T U P L I F T O F G B , A J K
Four children killed, 20 injured in DG Khan school roof collapse
Ume Hani (7), Sher Ali (8), Noor Hareem (7), Shajiha (5), Adnan (6), Saba Murtaza (6), M Arish (7), Hamema Jabbar (8), M Azlan, Kabir Qadir M Saboor M Afnan Maleeha Khan (7) Sidra Rafiq (30) Jariatul Zehra (6) Narmeen Fatima (6) Badar Muhiuddin (7) Mumtaz (27) and Sanaullah (28) Rescue 1122 teams shifted the injured to Allama Iqbal Teaching Hospital for medical treatment The report stated that the incident was reported around noon, following which rescue personnel and ambulances were dispatched to the site Initial responders reached the scene within four minutes it added According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad rescue teams district administration officials
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of the main appeals against convictions in the £190 million corruption case until May 20 after accepting a request filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard the matter relating to appeals filed against the sentences awarded to Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi by an accountability court in January last year
The accountability court had sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years imprisonment and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference linked to the £190 million case
During Thursday s proceedings, Barrister Salman Safdar did not appear before the court and was represented by his junior counsel
The defence had earlier filed a miscellaneous application seeking adjournment and permission to meet Imran Khan to obtain instructions and secure signed powers of attorney for the main appeals
The petition argued that the legal team had so far only handled applications relating to suspension of sentence and had not formally engaged in the main appeals because the necessary powers of attorney had not yet been signed by the appellants NAB Special Prosecutors Javed Arshad and Rafiq Maqsood appeared before the court and opposed the adjournment request
The prosecution also raised concerns regarding public discussion of the case in the media
Responding to the objections
PTI counsel Shoaib Shaheen stated that arguments relating to the matter should remain confined to the courtroom rather than public debate Despite NAB’s opposition, the court accepted the adjournment request and granted what Chief Jus-
tice Dogar described as a final opportunity for the defence counsel to present arguments in the appeals The lawyers for PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are being given a final opportunity to conclude their arguments the chief justice observed
During the hearing PTI lawyer Fatahullah Barki also informed the court that meetings between the PTI founder, Bushra Bibi and their legal team were allegedly not taking place according to court directives since the verdict was announced
After hearing preliminary submissions, the judges briefly retired to chambers before returning to adjourn the matter until May 20, expressing hope that the case would proceed substantively at the next hearing
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
The government has decided in principle to give commercial banks broader powers to take possession of mortgaged houses in cases of payment default after a cumulative notice period of 90 days as part of efforts to encourage lending to the housing sector The proposed foreclosure legislation which seeks to amend The Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001, is currently under review by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue Under the draft if a customer fails to pay mortgage dues a financial institution may issue three notices of 30 days each demanding payment of the outstanding amount
The standing committee met in Islamabad on Thursday under the chairmanship of former finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar and
voiced strong reservations over what it saw as harsh provisions that appeared to favour banks over borrowers In a written statement issued after the meeting the committee said it had expressed concern over clauses that could potentially give banks excessive authority in the foreclosure process Committee members said that while a workable legal framework was needed to promote mortgage financing and protect lending institutions sufficient legal safeguards and due process were also necessary to shield borrowers from arbitrary or unfair action
After detailed discussion, the committee postponed consideration of the bill until its next meeting and directed the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Works to circulate a revised draft among members for further review and input before finalisation Qamar said affordable housing finance should genuinely benefit deserving low-income
families through transparent, accountable and inclusive arrangements He also stressed the need for strong foreclosure and recovery laws to support Pakistan’s underdeveloped mortgage finance sector and improve the confidence of financial institutions in expanding long-term housing finance
Briefing on Apna Ghar Programme
The federal secretaries of finance housing and works and law and justice also briefed the committee on the Prime Minister Apna Ghar Programme (PMAGP) its implementation framework and proposed reforms linked to housing finance and foreclosure laws
Housing Secretary Captain (retd) Mehmood Ahmad told the meeting that the PM-AGP was a subsidised housing finance initiative designed to help low and middle-income families buy homes while also promoting economic activity and reviving the construction sector