ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Pakistan is hosting a significant gathering of Afghan political opponents, the first of its kind since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. While the two-day “Regional Dialogue: Towards Unity and Trust” has been positioned by organizers as “not against the Taliban government,” it underscores the deep complexities of Afghanistan’s future and Pakistan’s role in the regional dynamic. The meeting comes amidst a period of renewed bilateral focus between Pakistan and Afghanistan, marked by steps like the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee. However, the dialogue drew sharp criticism, notably from Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
BENGALURU, INDIA – The social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has announced its intention to appeal a High Court of Karnataka ruling that dismissed the company’s legal challenge to quash the Indian government’s mechanism for ordering content removal. The decision is seen as a significant setback for advocates of free expression and light-touch internet regulation in the world’s most populous democracy. “We will appeal this order to defend free expression,” X stated in a post on the platform on Monday, confirming its next legal step. The company launched a direct attack on the government’s content removal system, known as ‘Sahyog’.…
HYDERABAD/DADU/LAHORE, PAKISTAN – Pakistan’s ongoing flood crisis has entered a critical phase, marked by receding river levels in the south but sustained devastation in the central region, where breaches have crippled infrastructure and ignited political disputes over aid distribution. In Sindh, the Kotri Barrage passed the peak of its medium flood on Saturday but remained at a medium-flood state through Sunday evening, with upstream flows easing to 387,808 cusecs. Flows have normalized further north at the Guddu and Sukkur barrages. However, high pressure persists along the Indus at several key embankments, prompting intensified rescue efforts. Rescue 1122 in Shaheed Benazirabad…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – The Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan has become a flashpoint for renewed political hostility after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi linked his country’s victory to a military conflict and the Indian team staged a controversial refusal to collect the winner’s trophy. The controversy began late Sunday when PM Modi congratulated the Indian cricket team on X, declaring their win a continuation of “Operation Sindoor,” a military operation launched against Pakistan during a four-day military conflict between the two nations in May. “#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same — India wins! Congrats to…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Pakistan is hosting a significant gathering of Afghan political opponents, the first of its kind since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Organizers have stressed that the two-day “Regional Dialogue: Towards Unity and Trust” is “not against the Taliban government,” but rather an effort to foster consensus on Afghanistan’s future stability and inclusivity. The meeting comes amidst a period of delicate bilateral rapprochement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, marked by the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee and the upgrading of diplomatic ranks. However, the dialogue has drawn international scrutiny, including public criticism from Zalmay Khalilzad, the…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has moved to suspend an unprecedented order by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that restrained Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri from exercising his judicial powers. The decision came during the hearing of a petition challenging the IHC’s interim order, which was issued amid an ongoing controversy over the validity of the judge’s law degree. A five-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, ruled that the “operation of the impugned order is suspended.” Recognizing the gravity of the legal issue, the bench issued notices to all respondents, the attorney…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Pakistan’s enduring battle against polio faces renewed challenges as the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed two new cases, bringing the total reported polio cases in 2025 to 29. This development comes days after a poliovirus case was confirmed in Sindh’s Hyderabad district. Pakistan remains one of only two countries globally, alongside Afghanistan, where the poliovirus is still endemic. Despite immense global pressure and effort to eradicate the virus, progress has been hampered by ongoing obstacles such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and the spread of misinformation. The two new confirmed cases involve girls, according to the…
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN – Etihad Airways has resumed flights to Peshawar after a nine-year break, a development signaling renewed international confidence in the city’s aviation sector and significantly boosting global connectivity for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Etihad flight EY 276 from Abu Dhabi landed at Bacha Khan International Airport today and was greeted with a traditional water salute by airport authorities, marking the carrier’s first arrival in Peshawar since 2014. The airline’s official statement confirms that Etihad Airways will now operate five weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Peshawar on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. The outbound flight, EY 277,…
KARACHI, PAKISTAN – During the ITCN Asia 2025 Expo, Mazik Global officially launched Resource Cloud, the region’s first AI-powered, human-managed talent cloud platform. The platform is designed to seamlessly connect highly skilled professionals with global work opportunities, aiming to fundamentally reshape the region’s role in the international digital economy. Resource Cloud is presented not merely as a marketplace but as a managed, trusted ecosystem that consciously combines the sophistication of AI-driven evaluation and intelligent project matching with the critical oversight of human expertise. By integrating these elements, Mazik Global intends to strengthen the region’s position in IT services, enable scale…
LONDON, UK – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly endorsed Pakistan’s formal recommendation of former US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, praising his “decisive diplomatic intervention” that helped de-escalate a near-war situation between Pakistan and India in May. The conflict began after New Delhi retaliated following a disputed attack in occupied Kashmir. Speaking at a press conference in London, PM Sharif responded to a question about the nomination, asserting, “Mr Trump eased tension between Pakistan and India and has saved the region from major destruction.” He emphasized that without Trump’s intervention during the 2024 escalation—which Trump himself…
