A pivotal meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is anticipated to take place this evening (Thursday), amidst escalating political tensions and growing unrest across Sindh over the federal government’s controversial canal development plans. According to sources, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will arrive in Islamabad today and is scheduled to meet with the prime minister later in the evening. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will accompany him. The two PPP leaders are expected to convey the deep-seated concerns of the people of Sindh regarding the construction of six new canals along the…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Director General (DG) of Hajj stated on Thursday that resolving the issue concerning the remaining 67,000 Hajj applicants can only be achieved through discussions at the level of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), as reported by The News on Thursday. This development unfolded during separate briefings provided by the officials to the National Assembly and the Senate Standing Committees on Religious Affairs, amidst diminishing hopes for thousands of Pakistani Hajj applicants to perform the pilgrimage this year. Adding to the woes of the applicants,…
In the aftermath of the recent Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, India has implemented several retaliatory measures against Pakistan. Among these actions, the Indian government has blocked the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Government of Pakistan within its territorial boundaries. The account now displays a notification stating that it has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand. The decision to block the account follows the attack in Baisaran Valley, near Pahalgam, where militants opened fire on tourists, causing significant casualties. At least 17…
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday called on India to share evidence with the global community if Pakistan was involved in the Pahalgam attack. Addressing a press conference alongside Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and other ministers, Dar stated that Pakistan possesses evidence and intelligence indicating that certain foreigners arrived in Srinagar carrying weapons. “Indian intelligence agencies have kept these people in Srinagar,” he added. The foreign minister asserted that Indian spy agencies were supporting the foreigners who “are trying to export IEDs (improvised explosive devices)”. He affirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces stood ready to respond to…
Reports from Indian media indicate that Pakistan Rangers took a soldier of the Indian Border Security Force into custody on Thursday in Punjab. The Indian soldier was reportedly arrested after he inadvertently crossed into Pakistani territory.
In the Court of Time: A Mother, a Black Robe, the Land of Sindh — A Lament, A Trial By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada (A literary tribute inspired by the poem “ڪارو ڪوٽ” by Adi Noor ul Huda Shah) Scene: It is the court of Time. Silent, dignified, stretched from eternity to eternity. There is no judge — or perhaps there is, but he does not speak. A mother stands in the witness box, weary, wounded, draped in centuries of silence. She is wearing a black coat. Today, she is her own lawyer. There are no tears in her eyes,…
Since his return to the White House, President Donald Trump, in this fictional scenario, has drastically altered US foreign policy, caused significant turmoil in financial markets, and made the Oval Office a constant hub of activity. Here are 10 key fictional moments from the first 100 days of his supposed second term: January 20: A Flurry of Decrees Trump, in this narrative, signs a record 26 decrees on his first day back in the Oval Office. Donald Trump signs an executive order to introduce sweeping changes to the US electoral process. — AFP His initial actions set a confrontational tone,…
US Vice President JD Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed optimism about the progress in early trade deal discussions between their nations, their offices stated on Monday, as New Delhi seeks to avoid US tariffs and strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Vance arrived in India on Monday for a four-day personal visit with his family, which includes visits to the Taj Mahal and a speech in Jaipur, according to US officials. Following their discussions, a statement from Modi’s office highlighted their continued efforts to enhance cooperation in areas such as energy, defense, and strategic technologies. They exchanged…
According to a death certificate released by the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis died from a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure, AFP reported. The 88-year-old pontiff passed away at 7:35 am local time in his apartment at the Santa Marta residence. Nearly a month prior to his death, Francis had been discharged from a five-week hospital stay, during which he battled double pneumonia. The death certificate lists “cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse” as the causes of death. The Vatican document, signed by Professor Andrea Arcangeli, head of health for Vatican City, also revealed previously…
President Donald Trump on Monday voiced his support for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following reports that he shared details of a March attack on Yemen’s Houthis in a messaging group that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. The revelations that Hegseth used the unclassified messaging system Signal to share highly sensitive security details for the second time have emerged at a precarious moment for him and the Pentagon, where senior officials were recently removed as part of an internal leak investigation. “Pete’s doing a great job. Everybody’s happy with him,” Trump stated. When asked about his confidence in…
