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A six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been formally constituted to probe the high-profile murder case of Dr. Varda. According to an official announcement issued from Peshawar, the JIT comprises high-ranking officials, including Khayam Hassan, Chairman of the Provincial Inspection Team, the Director General of Prosecution, AIG Sonia Shamroz, DPO Abbottabad Haroon Rashid, and representatives from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Special Branch. The JIT has been mandated to submit its comprehensive report regarding the murder investigation within five days. This development follows a police statement confirming that the primary suspect, Bilal Abbas, was killed during an exchange of fire, and his body was subsequently transferred to a local hospital.
### National Infrastructure and Safety
Severe weather conditions have crippled mobility across large parts of the country. Heavy fog resulted in drastically reduced visibility, leading to the closure of multiple sections of the motorway network. Affected routes include M-1 from Rashakai to Peshawar, M-2 from Hiran Minar to Thokar Niaz Baig, M-3 from Faizpur to Rajana, and M-5 spanning from Multan to Zaheer Pir and Rohri to Rahim Yar Khan.
Tragically, traffic incidents continued to exact a heavy toll. A fatal collision involving a bus and a trailer occurred on Motorway M-4 near Khanewal, resulting in the death of the bus hostess and injuries to four passengers. Separately, a passenger coach and a car collided near the Billy Tung Oil Depot on Pindi Road in Kohat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Concerns were also raised regarding delayed infrastructure projects. Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed reservations over the significant slowdown of the Karachi Yellow Line project over the past six years, noting that the overall project cost has surged by an alarming 190 percent.
### Governance, Accountability, and Politics
The Ministry of Finance has announced a major push for transparency, stating that detailed asset declarations of high-ranking federal and provincial officers will be made publicly available on a government website by the end of next year. The initiative includes a comprehensive scrutiny process for these assets.
Meanwhile, internal political pressures are mounting. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is reportedly grappling with a severe financial crisis and has requested that its parliamentarians contribute 10 percent of their monthly salaries to sustain the party’s operations. Adding to the tense political atmosphere, Federal Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry issued a stern warning, declaring that the political career of anyone who “crosses the red lines” will be terminated.
In foreign affairs, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif conducted high-level meetings with global leaders during his official visit to Turkmenistan. Domestically, Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah chaired an agricultural sector meeting, attended by Agriculture Minister Muhammad Bakhsh Mehar and the Chief Secretary, to discuss provincial farming policies.
### Economic Enforcement and Social Issues
In a major anti-smuggling success, Pakistan Customs reported the seizure of gold and silver exceeding PKR 306 million in value over the last five months.
At the local level, a peculiar economic crime surfaced in Lahore, where a vendor specializing in motorcycle installment plans was hit with traffic fines totaling PKR 2.3 million—all generated by the motorcycles he had sold on credit.
Finally, emphasizing persistent social challenges, Umme Rubab Chandio, hailing from Dadu district, vehemently criticized the prevalent feudal structure in Sindh, labeling the Sardari system as a “cancer” that continues to negatively affect thousands of local residents.
