Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Friday said that the establishment was standing by the government and playing its role in strengthening Pakistan. Speaking on Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” Talal said: “Today, the establishment has changed. It stands by the government. It [establishment] gives priority to Pakistan’s interest and is playing a role in [further] strengthening Pakistan.” His remarks came hours after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that he was in talks with the establishment in a “personal capacity”. Terming CM Gandapur’s claim “self-deception”, the minister said that the establishment clarified…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released its annual report on foreign trade barriers, listing Pakistan’s trade and investment policies, internet restrictions, and corruption, among other issues disrupting commercial operations. The Office of the USTR issued the 2025 National Trade Estimate Report (NTE) two days before the Trump administration rolled out reciprocal tariffs. It is the 40th report in an annual series that highlights significant foreign barriers to US exports, foreign direct investment, and electronic commerce. The day was termed “Liberation Day” by Trump, who signed an executive order imposing a flat 10% tariff on almost all nations and…
The federal government has appointed Riffat Mukhtar, who previously served as the National Highway & Motorway Police (NH&MP) inspector general, as the new director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), The News reported. Mukhtar, a Grade-21 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), brings extensive experience to the critical role within the FIA. He has earlier served as the Sindh inspector general of police as well. In a related development, Waqar-ud-Din Syed has been appointed as the director general of the newly-established National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), operating under the Interior Division. Syed is a Grade-20 PSP…
Pakistan has been elected as a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) for a four-year term, commencing in 2026 and concluding in 2029. The election took place during the voting held at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, the country expressed gratitude for the support it received from ECOSOC member states. The statement noted that Pakistan’s election to the CND reflects the international community’s confidence and trust in the country’s commitment to global drug control efforts. It further emphasised…
Owing to the increased attacks from terrorists operating from Afghanistan, Pakistan has urged the United Nations to recover and prevent weapons’ access to such groups as the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Majeed Brigade. “Terrorist armed groups are in possession of billions worth of illicit arms abandoned in Afghanistan, which are being used in violence against civilians and armed forces of Pakistan,” Counsellor at the Pakistan Mission Syed Atif Raza said at the “UNSC Arria-Formula meeting on Small Arms and Light Weapons Management in UN Sanctions Regimes” on Saturday. The diplomat’s remarks come against the backdrop…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed an inquiry committee to probe the alleged failure of Pakistani authorities to fulfill the formalities set by Saudi Arabia for availing the private Hajj scheme quota of 70,000 pilgrims. The three-member committee, headed by Federal Secretary for Cabinet Division Kamran Afzal, comprises Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Chaudhary Rashid Mahmood Langrial and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Secretary Abrar Ahmad Mirza and will present its report to the PM in three days, The News reported on Saturday. The Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, involves a series of rituals in Makkah and its…
It hasn’t been long since Onijah Andrew Robinson, the American woman, made headlines for her dramatic ordeal in Pakistan, where she was left stranded for four months after being abandoned by her “lover” upon arrival in Karachi. The US citizen had travelled to Karachi in pursuit of love, only to be abandoned by the young man named Nidal Ahmed Memon, a resident of Karachi’s Garden area, leaving her stranded in the country. Now, she’s back with a new and surprising claim — that this very man is still her “husband”. A recently surfaced video revealed that Onijah, who was stuck…
An Open Letter from a Sindhi to the Martyr of Democracy, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada A Cry from the Heart of Sindh Respected Martyr of Democracy, Leader of the People, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Sahib, Assalam Alaikum! As I write this letter, my heart feels heavy, my eyes are filled with tears, and my mind is engulfed in a storm of questions. We didn’t see you as just a political leader, we saw you as a savior. Your roar challenged Ayub’s tyranny, your speeches taught us how to dream, and your sacrifice taught us the meaning…
Donald Trump must pay over 626,000 pounds (about $821,500) in legal fees to a private investigations firm the US president sued over a dossier which alleged ties between his 2016 election campaign and Russia, a London judge ruled on Thursday. Trump brought a data protection lawsuit against Orbis Business Intelligence (OBI) over allegations in a dossier written by its co-founder, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, but Trump’s claim was thrown out last year. The so-called Steele dossier alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 election campaign and Russia as well as other salacious accusations, all of which Trump strenuously denied. Trump…
The Pentagon’s Inspector General’s office announced on Thursday that it was opening a probe into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of an unclassified commercial texting application to coordinate the highly sensitive 15 March launch of US strikes on Yemen’s Houthis. In a memorandum addressed to Hegseth, the Inspector General’s office said it would examine whether Hegseth’s use of Signal met Defense Department guidelines, including those related to classified information. Hegseth has repeatedly said no classified information was revealed in the chat, even though it included precise times for the launch of US airstrikes and some targeting details that are regarded…
