The PTI has gone ahead with its march despite warnings from the federal government, which has vowed to prevent any violent gatherings in the capital. The protest aims to demand the release of jailed party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.

By late Sunday night, the convoy led by the KP chief minister had entered Karak district and reached Hamidan Chowk.

In a post shortly before 11pm, PTI said Afridi’s convoy was en route to Karak after the KP CM addressed supporters at a roundabout located at the border between Bannu and Karak districts.

Earlier in the day, Afridi reached Lakki Marwat by helicopter to lead his party’s long march, which was launched from Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway.

In Lakki Marwat, an AFP journalist saw thousands of people take to the streets. Many of the demonstrators carried red and green flags of the PTI, and a huge billboard affixed on the side of a truck read “release Imran Khan” and featured a picture of the beaming former prime minister.

Addressing thousands of participants in Lakki Marwat, Afridi urged the public to step out of their homes for the sake of Pakistan, saying Imran, along with his wife and sisters, was in prison and they should show the world that they were the “true owners” of the country.

He said the “PTI’s negotiating committee had gone to Islamabad to lower the political temperature, but those making decisions behind closed doors had sabotaged the talks.

“They wanted their will to prevail in KP, but I declared that only Imran Khan’s vision and policies would be implemented here. We do not accept any policy that is not in the interest of the people of KP and the Pashtuns,” he maintained.

The chief minister declared: “We are not ‘yes-men’; we are soldiers of Imran Khan, and we will carry forward his policies.”

He repeatedly asked the crowd whether it supported a military operation, asking those opposed to it to raise their hands.

He questioned the policy being followed to tackle terrorism, saying: “What kind of policy is this, where terrorism has persisted for 22 years?”

KP CM insisted there had been peace during Imran’s government because his policies were sound, but following the “regime change operation”, terrorists were resettled, leading to “infinite terrorism”.

In 2023, after his ouster, Imran had defended his government’s plan to resettle members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“We will eradicate terrorism, and if our policy is implemented, we will restore peace within 100 days,” he claimed.

He said the long march was being launched from Gandi Chowk and would conclude at another chowk. At this, the crowd shouted: “D-Chowk.”

“We are a political force and a party, and those who dream of the demise of the PTI can never succeed,” he added.

Afridi said the participants would leave from Gandi Chowk and their next stop would be Karak.

PTI workers had started gathering at Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi Highway on Sunday afternoon to participate in the long march. Strict security measures were in place, with a large police contingent deployed at the site along with armoured personnel carriers and bomb disposal squads.

Afridi assailed for using ‘state helicopter’

A special helipad was prepared near Maidadkhel for Afridi and a video shared on social media platforms earlier showed a crowd of PTI workers gathered around it as KP’s chief executive touched down.

A video shared by the PTI on its X account showed Afridi’s convoy surrounded by a large crowd of party workers and supporters.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticised Afridi for using a “state helicopter for a political march”.

Calling the use of the helicopter a “violation of the Islamabad High Court’s orders”, he wrote on X, referring to a recent ruling that directed provincial governments to ensure that no government resources or machinery was used to facilitate any march or gathering.

“Terrorism is spreading in the province and Nero is playing his flute,” Tarar quipped.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also said the use of the helicopter amounted to contempt of court by violating the IHC order.

“When the chief minister himself does not uphold the court’s orders and uses state resources for political activities, what expectation can there be for his workers to abide by the law?” Kundi wrote on X.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also made a sarcastic post on X, sharing the video and saying, “Sohail Afridi sahib’s Heli ride today from Peshawar to Lakki Marwat must have been for official work, possibly related to the security situation and counterterrorism efforts.”

Special Assistant to the KP CM for Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saad earlier told journalists at his residence that convoys from the southern KP districts would join the “peaceful long” march at Gandi Chowk.

“If workers from some southern districts, especially Tank and Waziristan, could not attend the long march today due to law and order-related curfew and other restrictions, they would join the movement on the way to Peshawar the next day,” he said.

Gandapur convoy returns to DI Khan

Earlier, PTI workers and supporters, led by former KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, set out from Dera Ismail Khan to join the party’s long march at Lakki Marwat.

However, according to Gandapur, they were forced to return from Yarik on their way because of road blockades and the prevailing law and order situation.

The former KP CM insisted that the decision was taken to avoid exposing party workers to unnecessary risk, after the convoy remained stranded at Yarik for several hours.

Addressing the workers at Yarik, Gandapur noted that Section 144 had been imposed in the area for three days and that the party leadership had clearly directed workers not to damage public property or engage in any activity that could worsen the situation.

Gandapur told the workers that the return should not be viewed as a withdrawal from the protest movement, but as a temporary decision based on the prevailing circumstances, the safety of the workers and the instructions of the party leadership.

He said the workers could again set out to join the long march if the situation improved or the party leadership issued fresh instructions. The PTI leader contended that if the party leadership called him again, he could reach the long march within two hours.

He emphasised that the law and order situation did not warrant keeping a large number of workers at the site overnight.

The former KP CM also told the workers that they could remain at Yarik if they wanted to, but he could not violate the instructions issued by the party leadership.

He stressed that the decision taken by the senior leadership was not merely a personal decision, but one that he regarded as being in line with Imran’s instructions.

However, during the address, some workers expressed disagreement with the decision to take the convoy back. They said they wanted to remain at Yarik and continue their participation in the protest for as long as the movement continued.

Gandapur expressed displeasure over their position and urged them to take the practical situation on the ground into account. “TikTok-type talk” should not be made here, he told the workers, stressing that decisions had to be based on the situation on the ground.

The former KP CM subsequently persuaded the workers to return, following which the convoy left Yarik for DI Khan.

Before departing from DI Khan, the ex-CM stressed that the protest should remain peaceful and urged the participants to maintain discipline and refrain from violence, vandalism and confrontation with law enforcement personnel.

He said the party would follow a policy of “live and let live” during the protest and directed workers not to take the law into their hands.

“Those who block roads or engage in confrontation are not our workers,” Gandapur said, asking the participants to remain peaceful throughout the march.

He further urged the participants to avoid any activity that could lead to clashes or damage to public or private property.

The PTI’s march, being carried out to demand the release of its jailed founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan, is the latest bone of contention between the two sides.

In August, the PTI announced the long march to Islamabad on Sept 27 against what it called the “illegal imprisonment” of its party founder. However, a couple of days before its scheduled long march, the party postponed the march until Oct 4 (today).

Federal ministers have warned that the Centre would have no option but to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP, citing the province’s security situation and the protest call, while PTI has warned of dire consequences if such a step was taken.

After weekend talks, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has further warned that the protesters will not be allowed to enter Islamabad.

Plan for the march

According to the plan for the march shared by the KP CM on X, PTI supporters from the districts of Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Bannu will join the long march from Lakki Marwat’s Gandi Chowk on Oct 4.

The caravan will halt for the night near Karak, from where people will depart at 12:30pm the next day and stay overnight near Kohat.

Then, at 12pm on Oct 6, protesters from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram, and Orakzai will join the convoy, which will move towards Peshawar and spend the night near Mattani.

The caravan will depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar on Oct 7 afternoon. “The remaining constituencies of Peshawar will join us at Kohat Road Bridge and the Motorway Toll Plaza. And we will spend the night near Charsadda Interchange,” the KP CM said.

They would then depart the Charsadda Interchange at 12:30pm on Oct 8 after people from Charsadda and Mohmand join them.

Refraining from detailing the final leg of the trip to the federal capital, Afridi said the people “of entire KP” would gather at Khairabad on Oct 8 and spend the night there. “God willing, the plan for the next phase will be announced there.”

Ahead of the march, movement on several roads on KP has been banned under Section 144.

Section 144 imposed in several KP districts

Section 144 has been imposed in several districts of KP through notifications issued by the respective deputy commissioners, with restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles along specified routes, citing security and public safety concerns.

In DI Khan, the movement of individuals and all types of traffic on specified roads and routes has been banned between 6am and 6pm from Oct 4 to Oct 6, citing the prevailing law-and-order situation and public safety concerns.

In Upper South Waziristan, Section 144 has been imposed from Oct 3 to Oct 5, banning the movement of cargo vehicles, rickshaws and dumpers over a possible VBSB/VBIED threat in adjoining areas.

In Lower South Waziristan, restrictions have been imposed under Section 144 from Oct 1 to Oct 10, banning the movement of loader rickshaws, single- and double-cabin cargo vehicles, Shahzore vehicles, Mazdas, Suzuki loaders and dumpers in Wana and Azam Warsak. The notification cited security and public safety concerns.

In District Tank, restrictions on the movement of individuals and all types of traffic along specified routes have been imposed under Section 144 from 9pm on Oct 3 until noon on Oct 5. The notification cited the prevailing law-and-order situation, public safety concerns and the need to ensure the safe movement of law enforcement personnel.

In Hangu, restrictions have been imposed under Section 144 from Oct 3 to Oct 6, banning the movement of individuals and all types of traffic on six routes, including the Hangu-Kohat, Hangu-Thall, Hangu Bypass and Hangu-Sumari roads.

The restrictions do not apply to law enforcement agencies and emergency services, while exemptions may be granted by the district police officer or security forces.

Hours-long negotiations yesterday between an opposition delegation comprising the PTI and Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), and a joint team of the government and PPP, ended in a deadlock.

While the federal government blamed the PTI for the failure of negotiations, the main opposition party denied the allegations and claimed that the federal government was responsible for all that happened on Saturday night.

In a press release posted on social media, the PTI expressed regret that the negotiations concluded without substantive progress, despite “serious efforts” to address concerns including political instability, access to the PTI founder as well as his medical treatment, and the worsening security situation in the country, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The statement said that the “principal point of the deadlock” was the party’s demand for immediate access to Imran, so that its leadership could consult him on matters of “national and political importance”.

According to the statement, the government agreed to restore meetings between Imran and his family members and lawyers from Tuesday, but did not agree to the additional measures concerning his medical assessment and treatment.

“In an effort to facilitate progress, the negotiating team conveyed that other demands could be set aside if the government agreed to this single request. However, according to PTI, the government declined to make access to Imran Khan part of the proposed agreement,” the PTI said.

“PTI welcomed the resumption of family and legal meetings but stressed that such access cannot substitute for proper medical examination and necessary treatment,” the statement read, adding that the party called for Imran’s health to be addressed with “seriousness, transparency and humanitarian consideration”.

The party stressed that just as leaders of other political parties remained central to decision-making and policy, the PTI must also be allowed to consult its chairman; restricting such consultation limited the scope for meaningful political engagement, it added.

Imran — imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts — is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Despite an order by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowing him twice-a-week meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays with his family, lawyers and other associates, Imran has been restricted from meeting visitors for several months.

His health has deteriorated over the course of his prison sentence, prompting outcry from members of the party.

According to the PTI, Imran’s health and medical treatment were also raised as a matter of fundamental importance in the talks, with the negotiating team seeking immediate access to him, his transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for treatment, and the constitution of an “appropriate” medical board — including his personal physician — to ensure his proper examination, diagnosis and treatment.

After his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January, Imran has been provided with treatment at the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

In mid-August, the Supreme Court ordered the government to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital within two days for examination and treatment. However, the government later revealed that Imran was instead taken to Pims, prompting a strong reaction from his family and party.

Security situation in KP

The security situation in KP also featured prominently in the discussions, with the PTI saying it stressed that the concerns of the public must remain central to counterterrorism policies.

According to the statement, the Centre sought the provincial government’s “unconditional support” for its counterterrorism measures and operations as well as support for imposing emergency measures within 72 hours in the merged districts and adjoining areas.

“The PTI reiterated its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and stressed that eliminating terrorism, protecting citizens and restoring lasting peace must remain a national priority,” it said, adding that the party paid tribute to the officers and personnel of the authorities that have sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism and expressed solidarity with civilians and families who had suffered from terrorist violence.

“Terrorism cannot be defeated through force alone or through unilateral measures that could expose innocent civilians to further loss of life, property or displacement,” the party maintained, calling for a strategy that combined “firm action against terrorism with protection of civilian populations and sensitivity to local realities”.

Accordingly, it proposed a meeting within 72 hours of authorised representatives of the federal and provincial governments to develop a mutually agreed strategy for peace and counterterrorism. It also proposed consultation with political parties represented in the KP Assembly, elected representatives, tribal elders and other relevant stakeholders in order for the policy to enjoy public confidence and be implemented effectively.

PTI also rejected attempts to characterise the position of KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi as political obstinacy, arguing that “had access to Imran Khan been facilitated, the chief minister could have consulted the PTI chairman directly on security and counterterrorism policy, potentially helping to bridge differences and create greater consensus”.

Responding to the press conference held by federal ministers after the talks ended without result, PTI said the government should address the substantive issues that prevented progress instead of seeking to place the responsibility on the opposition.

It called for an explanation as to why immediate access to Imran was considered unacceptable, why requests regarding his medical care were not accommodated, and why the proposed broader consultative approach was not accepted for developing a sustainable security strategy in KP.

The party reiterated that it remains “prepared to engage in political dialogue, constitutional processes, meaningful consultation and national consensus to address Imran Khan’s health and treatment, restoration of democracy, supremacy of the Constitution and law, political stability, terrorism and the wider challenges confronting Pakistan”.

The party stressed, however, that “meaningful negotiations” could not succeed through predetermined positions or demands for unconditional endorsement.

“Serious dialogue requires flexibility, mutual confidence, consultation and a genuine willingness to translate discussions into practical progress,” the statement added.

‘Three fundamental red lines’

Separately, Opposition Chief Whip Malik Aamir Dogar stated that the talks had fallen through on “three fundamental red lines”: meetings with Imran, his medical treatment, and KP’s terrorism policy.

“We made it clear that the authority to call off the long march rests solely with Imran Khan sahib, so a meeting with him is essential,” he said in a post on X.

The MNA added that, when the government was unwilling to do this, an alternative demand for Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas’s meeting with Imran was also put forward, but similarly rejected.

On the PTI founder’s health, Dogar said that the opposition’s minimum demand had been the inclusion of his personal physicians in his treatment to dispel “doubts and suspicions” about his health. This, too, was not agreed to, which heightened the opposition’s concerns.

The third “red line”, he said, was that the opposition demanded that “no decision be made unilaterally” regarding KP’s security and terrorism policy, but rather that all relevant stakeholders be taken into confidence.

“Instead of broad consultations on this matter, the government sought hasty decisions within 72 hours,” he said.

As a result of the government’s refusal of these demands and the party’s refusal to back down from them, he added, the negotiations ended in a deadlock.

Salman Akram notes Centre’s ‘insistence on unilateral’ CT measures

Earlier, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja asserted that the main reason for the breakdown of talks with the Centre was the latter’s insistence on “unilateral” counter-terrorism measures in KP.

In a post on X, Raja wrote that the “primary reason for the failure of the talks around 3am this morning” was that the “PTI-TTAP team stood firm on its principled position that anti-terrorism actions in KPK would be based on agreement between the federal government and the KPK government”.

He said the opposition wanted those actions to be “framed on the basis of consultation with, and the buy-in of, the different political parties represented” in the KP Assembly.

“This was not acceptable to the government team, that insisted that all actions unilaterally initiated by it would have to be owned by the provincial government,” Raja asserted.

“The PTI-TTAP team was clear that we have zero tolerance for terrorism and are committed to rooting it out. We also have a clear position against so-called collateral damage in the form of innocent lives and internal displacement of the local population.”

Raja noted that counterterrorism policies require support from the local population and ground intelligence.

“The wisdom provided by the jirga held in the KP assembly of all the political and tribal notables of the province, including the merged districts, must be heeded.

“This was not acceptable to the federal government,” he wrote.

In November last year, a peace jirga held at the KP Assembly, also attended by the governor, demanded that the Centre consult the KP government over Afghan policy.

Tarar accuses KP govt of ‘supporting’ terrorism

On the other hand, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar responded to Raja in a lengthy post on X, questioning why the KP government has not taken action against terrorism.

“It is only now, when your KP government is politically weak, [that] you have started responding to the federal government’s calls for [a] joint mechanism to fight terrorism, that too only as a strategy to save your political capital in KP,” the minister alleged.

“This is an old strategy of PTI, that when under pressure, they start talking of consultations and joint actions, but on [the] ground they do the exact opposite.”

Accusing the KP government of “double standards and hypocrisy”, Tarar contended that while it said it was taking steps to fight terrorism, its “narrative on terrorism is in favour of terrorists”.

“KPK government’s policy only encourages and supports [the] spread of terrorism in the province,” the PML-N leader alleged.

Tarar questioned why the KP government had not taken steps against terrorism or convened the provincial apex committee for meetings and why it had not condemned the “TTA regime for sponsoring terrorism inside Pakistan and conduct of cross-border attacks on the posts and drone attacks by them”.

“Why hasn’t the KPK Government not implemented NAP as per which clear action is required against illegal spectrum, illegal Afghan immigrants, measures for capacity enhancement of Police and [Counter-Terrorism Department]?” he added.

He asked why PTI leaders did not visit checkposts of security forces and police to express their support, and whether they had taken interest in the governance and development of esrtwhile Fata.

The minister urged the PTI to “stop selling this false narrative of collective consultations, jirgas or any other method, as this means nothing on [the] ground other than delaying tactics”.

Tarar reiterated his comments in a televised video statement, slamming the PTI for failing to abandon “double standards and hypocrisy”, which he said resulted in deadly terrorist attacks in KP.

“We were considering that they may go back on their word, and I had been saying it for the past two and a half weeks: if we are going to talk, then who should we talk to? And if we talk, what guarantee do we have that they will honour their word?” the minister asked.

He accused the PTI of taking U-turns and “expressing pride in them”, as well as failing to maintain a steady stance on the issue of protecting the lives and property of KP’s residents.

“Now different statements are emerging: Salman Akram Raja is saying one thing; [Adviser to KP Chief Minister on Information] Shafi Jan is saying that they want to change the policy on terrorism,” he added. “What is your policy? Does it even exist?”

Tarar alleged: “The only policy you have is deliberately supporting terrorism. Your policy is how you can elevate terrorists, how you can build a political terror-crime nexus and how you can spread terrorism across the province.

“I said earlier that you have to decide whether you stand with Pakistan or Afghanistan. You take the benefits of Pakistan, but are in favour of Afghanistan.”

“The policy change they are talking about is to give terrorists cover and protection,” Tarar further claimed.

He said people of KP were being killed in terrorist incidents because KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi “wants to free one prisoner”.

“Lives have been wasted and people have been martyred because the province’s CM prioritises the release of one convicted prisoner,” he insisted. “This is why I say they (PTI) are TTP’s (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) B-team and TTA’s (Afghan Taliban) C-team,” the PML-N leader alleged.

The minister further accused the KP government of having a “pro-terrorism mindset”, which he contended had contributed to a failure to prevent terrorist attacks and cross-border firing from Afghanistan.

“Because their mindset is pro-terrorism, then they don’t care that security forces, armed forces, police, and thousands of officers and troops have been martyred,” Tarar claimed.

“They cannot even honour their martyrs … They burned the Chagai monument in Peshawar. This is a terrorist mindset; can they stop terrorism with this mindset in govt? No, they never will,” the minister asserted.

The minister continued denouncing the PTI, accusing it of not building a forensic lab or creating a Counter-Terrorism Department, failing to install Safe City cameras and being unable to fortify police check posts.

“You’ll be surprised to know that since they took power, they have received over Rs700 billion for counter-terrorism under the NFC Award,” Tarar claimed, adding that it is “extra”.

“This year, if you look at the figures, they have earmarked Rs45bn for police capacity building and counter-terrorism, but only released Rs1.5bn. The rest is for salaries and expenses. Is this how the war on terrorism will be fought?” he asked.

Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the weekend talks collapsed as the PTI had initiated its long march, accusing KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of “sabotaging” the negotiations.

“Their team was reasonable. I am repeating that I will not blame anyone else for all of this collapsing. There is only one person responsible for the entire collapse, and that is the KP chief minister,” the interior minister declared.

He further said that Afridi was to be responsible “if there is any loss of life”. He said those supporting the PTI leader should “realise that they will be committing contempt of court, and we will take legal action against them to every possible extent”.

The announcement sets an ambitious goal for the embattled government, which recently lost swathes of the country’s Red Sea coastline and areas around the Bab al-Mandab strait — a chokepoint for international shipping — after a lightning offensive by Houthis.

Yemen’s government has struggled to roll back the surge, even with the military support of Saudi Arabia, where the Houthis said they had attacked oil infrastructure in the capital yet again on Sunday.

“I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory,” Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s presidential council, said in a statement.

Alimi called on all the armed forces “to begin carrying out their assigned missions, in accordance with the approved plans, until the country is liberated from the grip of the Houthi terrorist militia”.

The statement came just hours after the Houthis cut a vital supply route linking the besieged city of Taiz with the government’s interim capital Aden, according to four security sources.

The Houthi advance followed days of heavy fighting in and around Taiz, where dozens of combatants were reported killed on Friday.

The battle for Taiz is taking place on several fronts, including highlands overlooking coastal areas recently seized by the Houthis. Taiz is Yemen’s third-largest city after Sanaa and Aden.

“We were informed that the Houthis had taken control of the al-Safiya area, where they cut the main road and took control of the police station,” a police source in the area told AFP.

Three sources with the Yemeni military also confirmed Houthi control over the area and the supply route, with traffic along the road halted and the group now surrounding Taiz city.

The military sources added that fighting in the area was ongoing.

Sources from both sides told AFP on Sunday that fighting in and around the western province of Taiz has killed more than 70 people over the past day.

Sources from the internationally recognised government reported that 34 government troops were killed — 20 on the edge of Taiz province in neighbouring Lahj — while Houthi military sources said 39 of their fighters were killed in fighting across Taiz and in border areas with Lahj.

Taiz city itself remains under the control of government forces but has long been besieged from the north, east and west by Houthi fighters and remains one of the main fronts in Yemen’s long-running civil war.

“They’ve achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven’t fully taken control of it,” Farea Al-Muslimi, research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP.

Muslimi also downplayed expectations over what the coming government offensive might accomplish. “In my opinion, it’s meaningless,” he added.

But Taiz residents vowed to resist any Houthi advance.

“We will defeat and crush anyone who enters the city of Taiz. We will not abandon Taiz,” resident Zakaria Al-Dhubhani said.

“This is a message to the Houthis: I swear to God, we will not allow you to advance a single inch into the city.”

Saudi attacks

Following several years of relative calm, Yemen’s civil war reignited in July against the backdrop of the wider conflict in the Middle East.

It has also drawn in Saudi Arabia — leader of an anti-Houthi military coalition since 2015 — with the group regularly claiming attacks on the kingdom’s territory in recent weeks and declaring a blockade of its ships in the Red Sea.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree on Sunday said the group launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi energy giant Aramco’s sites in Riyadh and in the oil-rich Khurais area in the east.

“The strikes were precise, causing large fires at the targeted sites,” Saree said on X.

Saudi oil exports were already under pressure thanks to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

The Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV channel reported Saudi strikes on Sunday in the northern governorates of al-Jawf and Saada, saying at least two people had been wounded.

They came a day after Yemen’s government said its forces struck Houthi targets around the country, including in the capital Sanaa, the northwestern governorate of Saada and the group’s positions near Taiz in the southwest.

The Yemeni government’s air capabilities, however, are limited, and the Saudi-led coalition has long been the primary force carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis.

Experts believe the recent operations have most likely been conducted by Saudi warplanes as well.

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world and remains gripped by a vast humanitarian crisis that has unspooled since the civil war broke out in 2014.

That year the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa from the Saudi-led government, before going on to take control of much of the country’s north, with Riyadh’s international coalition intervening the following year.

Hunger warning

Hostilities between the Houthis and Yemen’s government had reignited after four years of a fragile truce when Iran sent a plane to Sanaa carrying a Houthi delegation.

The flight did not seek authorisation from Saudi Arabia, contravening a practice in place for a decade.

Riyadh retaliated with strikes on Sanaa airport, and in response the Houthis attacked Saudi territory for the first time since 2022.

Since then, fighting has intensified with the Houthis launching a lightning offensive in which they seized control of coastal regions along the Bab al-Mandab strait.

They have also struck multiple Saudi targets including oil infrastructure and the capital Riyadh while also announcing a naval blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.

The renewed fighting has worsened a humanitarian crisis sweeping Yemen, with the World Food Programme warning on Friday that three-quarters of the population was unable to meet its basic food needs.

Naqvi was addressing a press conference in Lahore after an hours-long second round of talks between the two sides ended without yielding any results.

“Their team was reasonable. I am repeating that I will not blame anyone else for all of this collapsing. There is only one person responsible for the entire collapse, and that is the KP chief minister,” the interior minister declared.

He further said that Afridi was to be responsible “if there is any loss of life”. He said those supporting the PTI leader should “realise that they will be committing contempt of court, and we will take legal action against them to every possible extent”.

He warned that no one would be allowed to violate the Islamabad High Court’s order regarding protest. The IHC order, issued on Sept 14, ruled that no political party or its leadership has the “lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad”.

Notably, Naqvi stressed that there “had been no request from our side for the long march to be postponed”.

“When we had the first meeting, we told them that the long march was not an issue for us. However, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto had already given an indication and had also given a date. A day earlier, he had said that the PPP wanted the long march to be postponed and for the temperature to be brought down,” he added.

Naqvi explained that the PTI was given the option to hold a protest but would not allow an attempt to “create a disturbance”.

“We gave them this option. Now, if they violate the orders, whether they are workers or politicians, whether they are protesting within KP or outside KP, we will pursue them one by one. This time, we want to ensure that this repeated episode of creating a disturbance in Islamabad comes to an end,” he asserted.

According to the interior minister, there were two agreements to be reached — one was a “main agreement” that would cover whatever was being decided with the opposition parties, and the other was regarding counterterrorism.

“If we had known that no one in this committee was authorised to give a commitment on behalf of the KP government, or that the KP government would veto all these things, we would not have held the negotiations in this form in the first place,” he remarked.

The minister said the two sides had agreed “100 per cent on political things” so that the KP government could come on board with the Centre on the counterterrorism issues.

“It is not appropriate that there is a war going on in one province and the ministers there are giving statements against the army, are not coming to funerals, and at the local level, somewhere or the other, terrorists are also being given support,” he added.

“If there is a military operation, would you tell the army which gun to use or which drone to use? This happens nowhere in the world,” he said.

Naqvi detailed Saturday’s developments: “I requested CM Afridi to onboard the KP government because, definitely, the problems we are facing are coming from the KP government. He said, ‘Okay, I am going now,’ so we postponed the meeting until tomorrow. All members agreed to the postponement.

“They (opposition team) held negotiations with CM Afridi for four hours. The KP CM gave them his feedback and gave them the mandate that whatever they finalise with him, they should proceed with it.”

The interior minister accused Afridi of changing the draft of the agreement despite what had been agreed to earlier.

“When I forwarded the draft to the KP chief minister, around 9pm he became active. Once the draft is finalised, he asks for changes once and then asks again, and by 12am or 12:30am at night, he brings an entirely new draft. And in that, he changed the things that we had locked after discussing them,” Naqvi asserted.

In an apparent jibe at the KP CM, Naqvi noted that placing “immature and inexperienced people in positions of authority had consequences for the country”.

“You have seen in the past how chief ministers came to this province and the country continued to suffer the consequences. Similarly, if an immature boy sits in a position of authority, has no experience and has not seen politics, then definitely he will call himself a representative of the people, but he will make decisions in the same way as my team and I witnessed yesterday.”

Commending the government’s delegation, the minister said: “They worked non-stop for 12 hours and, even before that, made sincere efforts to resolve the issue. I will give them credit for the fact that at no point did they say no. They remained focused on resolving the matter. From the smallest issue to the major ones, all the members made a sincere effort to resolve them in a good manner.”

Naqvi meets Kundi at Governor House

Naqvi then went to Peshawar, where he met KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.

According to a statement issued by the Governor House, both leaders expressed concerns over the “risk of facilitating terrorists to safely cross security checkposts” during the PTI’s Islamabad march.

They agreed that whenever the president and the prime minister deemed it necessary to impose governor’s rule or emergency to “save the province from terrorism and destruction, the Governor’s House will play a full Constitutional role”.

The interior minister and the governor discussed important matters at the provincial level, including growing unrest in the province, the political scenario, and the situation arising from the Islamabad march.

The statement read that the KP government’s attitude during the negotiation regarding counterterrorism actions was tantamount to enmity toward the people and the province.

Naqvi and Kundi also termed the use of helicopters and other government resources by Afridi and the provincial ministers for the march as a “blatant violation” of the IHC verdict.

Other matters of mutual interest were also discussed in the meeting, and consultations were held on numerous issues, according to the statement.

Kundi said in his own statement that KP Inspector General of Police Zulfikar Hameed was also present at the meeting, which revolved around the prevailing security situation in the province.

“The security of our people remains our foremost priority. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has sacrificed enough, and every institution must work together to protect our people and defeat terrorism,” the governor said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Naqvi’s residence to offer condolences over the death of his maternal uncle, Akmal Hussain Naqvi.

According to the PM Office, the interior minister also briefed PM Shehbaz in detail on the “key negotiations held last night and the progress made” so far.

PM Shehbaz also met with PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to discuss the “overall political situation in the country”, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

Matters of international importance were also discussed during the meeting, which was attended by Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz as well, the report added.

Conditions and demands

Earlier in the day, Naqvi also claimed on X that the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit an implementation plan within 72 hours, mainly covering counterterrorism initiatives, during the talks held over the weekend, but then backtracked.

According to Naqvi, the PTI had agreed to:

• Reconsider the Police Act 2026 in light of the security situation and the need to protect security matters from political interference
• Prevent terrorists from operating freely or finding safe havens in the province
• Unequivocal condemnation of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and all other terrorist groups
• Support the national policy on Afghan refugees, including repatriation and dismantling Afghan camps in KP
• No contact with the interim Afghan government
• Substantial funding for counterterrorism operations and the police
• Full provincial ownership of counterterrorism measures and stronger cooperation with the armed forces
• Decisions on counterterrorism in the former Fata and merged districts
• Implementation of the National Action Plan

“Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the KP government backed out of these commitments. Security must not be politicised while the province is at war,” he said.

The meeting between the opposition and federal government at Parliament House began after 4pm on Saturday, with discussions focusing on the PTI’s planned Oct 4 march to Islamabad. The talks extended into the early hours of Sunday without yielding any results.

However, shortly before 3am on Sunday, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, who was part of the opposition delegation, told the media that the talks had not resulted in a breakthrough.

He went on to say that the deadlock was over jailed PTI founder Imran Khan’s meeting with his personal physicians, and how to address terrorism in KP.

But Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, who was part of the government’s delegation, said the talks failed primarily because the “KP government could not assure whether they would cooperate in the fight against terrorism in the future”. He alleged that the PTI’s provincial government in KP did not want to implement the NAP and that the PTI delegation that participated in the talks had also left the venue “disappointed because the KP government did not cooperate on terrorism”.

Following these allegations, CM Afridi posted on X that he was sharing the text of the draft he sent to the opposition’s negotiating team, saying that “no even one demand in there was unconstitutional or illegal”.

He then went on to list the demands, calling for:

• Arrangements for meetings between the prime minister and the leaders of the opposition in both houses of Parliament to discuss important political, national, constitutional, legal, and democratic issues, particularly those facing delays. “The two sides shall be bound to ensure effective and feasible progress within two months towards resolving the aforementioned matters through mutual consultation and negotiations.”
• The prime minister to form a joint political negotiating committee comprising representatives from the ruling coalition, the PPP and opposition parties. “This committee shall engage in continuous negotiations with the opposition on national and political matters, points of disagreement, and other important issues, and shall seek feasible solutions through mutual consensus. The committee shall ensure significant progress on negotiations and resolutions within one month of its formation and shall present its recommendations to the relevant leadership.”
• Ensuring all legal, human and medical rights for Imran and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, in accordance with the jail manual, Constitution and prevailing laws. “Where legally applicable, necessary medical facilities and treatment shall be provided to them, taking into account the opinion, instructions and advice of their personal or nominated physicians.”
• Allowing Imran and Bushra Bibi to meet their family members, lawyers and other associates, in accordance with the jail manual and relevant laws. “Such meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the law and jail rules and regulations. However, the facility of meetings will not be used by any party for political or other purposes prohibited by law.”
• The process of taking up appeals filed by prisoners against their sentences to be initiated or completed within 10 days, where legally possible, in accordance with the Constitution and law. “All cases shall be decided by the relevant courts and legal forums in accordance with the Constitution, law, transparent judicial procedures and principles of justice, without undue delay. And women who are political prisoners, including Yasmin Rashid and Bushra Bibi, should be released expeditiously on humanitarian grounds.”
• Effective, continuous and meaningful consultation between the federal and provincial governments to eradicate terrorism, protect the lives and property of the people and establish lasting peace in KP. “Existing policies and measures should be reviewed and amended as needed.”
• Authorised representatives of the federal and provincial governments shall convene regular meetings within 72 hours and, through mutual consultation, formulate a clear, comprehensive and feasible strategy for peace and security. The implementation of this strategy, within the scope of the Constitution and law, shall be the joint responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.”

The KP CM said that PTI would announce the cancellation of the long march upon receiving a written assurance from the federal government for the effective implementation of the aforementioned assurances and agreed actions.

“However, if the federal government violates the agreed assurances, the negotiation process, or constitutional and legal requirements, or causes undue disruption to the negotiation process, PTI shall reserve the right to peaceful, democratic and lawful protest in accordance with the Constitution and law”, he added.

Responding to Afridi on X, Naqvi said the “negotiating teams finalised a separate draft with us, which both sides agreed to, in addition to the KP Terrorism Related Implementation Plan”.

Commenting on that, KP Information Minister Shafiullah Jan said the PTI’s negotiating committee “came with a full mandate that we would endorse every decision they made, however they deemed fit”.

“The provincial government’s mandate lies with the chief minister. The KP government’s policy cannot go against Imran Khan’s ideology. Your intent is not to end terrorism but to end PTI,” Jan asserted.

“The blood of our innocent Pakhtuns is not so cheap that, under your misguided policies, we would sacrifice another 80,000 lives. Terrorism has been forcibly imposed on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Those who start the fire can never put it out,” he claimed.

The provincial minister stressed that a policy shift regarding counterterrorism was necessary as “relying solely on the policy of guns and batons will not work”.

“A few self-proclaimed wise men sitting in closed rooms will not decide our future,” Jan said.

PPP says KP govt ‘began dictating terms’

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, who was part of the talks, also blamed the KP chief minister, saying the talks “collapsed on the KP government’s unilateral refusal to sign the afternoon’s pre-agreed draft on counterterrorism cooperation with the Centre”.

In a post on X, she emphasised that the idea behind the agreement was to bring the province on board on all counterterrorism actions.

The PPP leader said the government’s team had repeatedly asked for the provincial government of KP to be in the talks as well, but the chief minister or cabinet representatives did not turn up. “If they had a viable draft, they should have shown up themselves or communicated it to their committee over the two days, without constant reversals”, she added.

“No point presenting new drafts on social media after refusing to show up or sabotaging their own teams by broadcasting messages that subvert the process,” Rehman stated.

The senior politician went on to say: “I have never in my 25 years in parliament seen such a reckless squandering of an opening to begin political CBMs (confidence-building measures), and to bring stability to Pakistan after years of bitter political division.”

Rehman regretted that instead of “taking the opportunity the PPP-govt team offered them to unlock the blind alley they have taken themselves into, their Peshawar government began dictating terms after 8:30pm when all but final agreements had been signed”.

“We really went more than halfway. The rest could have followed.”

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team — which comprises federal police, Victorian state police and the ASIO intelligence agency — was “investigating the man’s links to Australia”, the Australian Federal Police spokesperson said.

Two sources briefed on the investigation said the co-pilot studied at a university in Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria. A third source said he studied at RMIT University around a decade ago. RMIT declined to comment.

The co-pilot of the flydubai flight FZ1073, which was bound for Israel from Dubai on Wednesday, attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe, the United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general said on Saturday, calling the incident a “terrorist attack”.

Flight FZ1073 would have felt like a “vertical roller coaster” when it plunged 16,000 feet in about 30 seconds before being levelled out and landing safely, according to an aviation instructor who recreated the descent in a flight simulator for Reuters.

Co-pilot in UAE custody

Two sources have said the co-pilot is an Omani national named Hamam Al-Hamami. Israeli officials have not named the co-pilot but said that he is from Oman. UAE authorities and flydubai have not publicly disclosed the co-pilot’s identity.

Reuters could not independently reach Al-Hamami, who is in UAE custody, for comment. The UAE has not announced any formal charges against him and it is not known if he has appointed legal counsel.

Oman has not commented on the incident.

Disaster on board flight FZ1073 was averted after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, who had attacked the captain in what Israeli officials said was an attempt to crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers and crew. The UAE public prosecutor has said the co-pilot had attempted to take control of the plane.

Most of the passengers on board were Israeli nationals.

A reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight took control of the aircraft and landed it at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was detained by Saudi authorities and later transferred to the UAE on Thursday.

The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Al-Hamami had allegedly visited “mosques and extremist websites” while in Australia, citing two people familiar with the investigation. Australian intelligence services held a file on the individual, according to FT.

Reuters could not immediately verify the FT report. The government of Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Netanyahu orders security review of flights

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a security review of international flights to Israel after the incident.

Netanyahu “has instructed the Head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel”, a statement from the premier’s office said.

Israel does not have official diplomatic relations with Oman, and Netanyahu has also claimed pilots from such countries were not permitted to operate flights to Israel. It is not clear how the co-pilot came to be assigned to the flight to Tel Aviv.

Calls have mounted in Israel for an investigation into the security lapse.

Transport Minister Miri Regev rejected responsibility for the failure, saying security oversight for flights operated by foreign airlines falls under the remit of the Mossad and Shin Bet, Israel’s foreign and domestic intelligence agencies.

A 2024 report by the state comptroller found there was no clear division of responsibility for the security of foreign airlines operating in Israel, and recommended that the government address the issue.

Israeli media has reported that pilots from countries hostile to Israel have repeatedly flown into the country in recent years.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid dismissed Netanyahu’s announcement of a security review as a “sham investigation”.

“The chain of failures that preceded the incident could have led to a disaster of historic proportions, and this is how an Israeli prime minister responds?” Lapid wrote on X.

“Just as Netanyahu escaped an investigation into the October 7 massacre, he is now running away again,” he added.

Gadi Eisenkot, a leading challenger to Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 election, wrote on X that “in a proper and functioning government, the minister of transportation would have submitted a letter of resignation last night”.

Members of the Greens, which has five members in Britain’s 650-seat parliament and which enjoyed a boost in recent local and special elections, backed the motion at the party’s conference, with 1,022 votes in favour and 813 against.

According to the motion, Zionism would be “treated as any other form of racism”, and the party supports the establishment of a “single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine”.

“This has been a serious and deeply felt debate within our membership,” a Green spokesperson said.

Later, the party issued a joint statement by Leader Zack Polanski, its co-deputy leaders and five MPs noting that it will not tolerate discrimination.

“We will continue to stand in opposition to genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the illegal occupation,” the statement reads. “We will continue to call out the heinous crimes of the Netanyahu government, and we will continue to work to ensure that the Green Party is an anti-racist party in every way.

It adds, “We know there is no conflict between supporting the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Jewish people.”

The Greens have enjoyed a surge in popularity under Polanski’s charismatic leadership, attracting voters dissatisfied with the centre-left Labour government’s stance on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. However, Polanski’s popularity has taken a hit in recent months, polls show, following several missteps.

“This motion would make the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party in living memory to adopt what appears to be an overtly antisemitic political platform,” three Jewish community groups said in a letter to the party ahead of the vote.

“We also emphasised the implications for the safety and welfare of all British Jews,” the heads of the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council warned.

Israel’s foreign ministry said the policy went “far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political debate”.

“Every political party in Britain, first and foremost the governing Labour Party, must unequivocally reject this twisted resolution,” it said.

The motion laid bare divisions in the party, with Polanski — who is currently running to become an MP in former prime minister Keir Starmer’s London constituency — skipping the vote.

Despite at least three out of five Green MPs opposing the motion, Polanski said earlier this week that the “displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people” was “clearly racism”.

United Nations investigators have accused Israel of committing “genocide” in the war in Gaza, a finding that Israel has rejected.

The crew members of MT Honour 25 reached Karachi after departing from Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 694.

Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi, MQM-P MNA Farooq Sattar and others welcomed the rescued seamen upon their arrival at Jinnah International Airport.

Shah said the loss of lives and injuries was an “extremely regrettable incident” and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

The minister said all expenses for the treatment and care of the injured will be borne by the Sindh government, with the wounded to be taken to Aga Khan Hospital.

Pakistan’s ambassadors to Djibouti and Ethiopia had seen off the four injured Pakistani crew members — Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan — along with the mortal remains of Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari from Addis Ababa.

The seven were among 10 Pakistanis aboard MT Honour 25, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in April. Apart from Pakistanis, the vessel’s crew also included seven Indonesians, an Indian and a Sri Lankan.

For around five months, there had been no progress either in negotiations or in the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for the recovery of the hostages, despite concerns abounding about their declining health.

Since the hijacking, the crew made several emotional videos and audio appeals, reporting that they ran out of clean water, food and medicine.

For its part, FO maintained that it remained “actively engaged” to secure the release of the sailors.

On Sept 29, Somali maritime police recovered the Palau-flagged oil tanker amid reports of casualties among the crew.

During the operation, it said, 21 suspected pirates were apprehended, while operations to locate the remaining members continue.

“Before the operation [had] begun, the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew. Among those killed were three from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India,” it said.

Advocate Quratulain of the Ansar Burney Trust, however, gave a separate account of the events, saying the pirates had brought the hostages onto the deck when they realised Puntland forces were approaching.

“They tied their hands and warned to kill them if the police force came anywhere near them without paying them the ransom,” she said, adding that the ransom demand had by then been reduced from an initial $3 million to $1m.

She said the pirates opened fire on the hostages as the security forces proceeded with the operation, killing three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a relief package worth Rs12.5 million for the deceased sailors’ families.

Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, in a hotel in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture, on Saturday and taking her wallet and backpack, ​police said. Ballard denied the allegations, police said.

Crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-run and drunk-driving accidents by US personnel have long sparked protests on Okinawa, which bears a disproportionate burden of hosting about 70 per cent of US military facilities in Japan.

US Ambassador George Glass posted on social media that he had spoken with Japan’s foreign ministry and Okinawa’s governor, offering “our sincere condolences and pledging full cooperation as the investigation continues”.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had lodged a protest with US authorities and called the crime “exceptionally brutal and vicious”.

The government has urged the US “to provide maximum cooperation with the investigation, enforce stricter discipline among US military personnel, and take thorough measures to prevent the recurrence of similar crimes,” Takaichi said in a post on X.

Public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media outlets, citing investigation sources, reported that CCTV footage from near the scene showed a foreign man entering a room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings.

Police then found a 20-year-old man who matched the description of the suspect seen in the footage, and asked him to accompany them voluntarily to a local police station where he was arrested, NHK reported.

He reportedly denied the charges.

“We have lost a family member and are deeply saddened. My parents, in particular, are utterly devastated at the loss of their daughter,” the woman’s brother said through local police, according to the Asahi Shimbun daily newspaper.

The US has around 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa.

Crimes committed by US personnel have been a thorn in relations between the close security allies.

“Incidents and accidents involving US military personnel cause great anxiety among the local community and must not be allowed to happen,” Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.

The US embassy and the Marine ​Corps expressed condolences over the incident and said they were cooperating with the Japanese ​authorities.

The Marines said in a statement that the suspect, who is assigned to the III Marine ‌Expeditionary ⁠Force and based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was in Japanese custody.

“The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behaviour,” it said.

Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a US Marine accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s to seven years in prison.

In 2017, a former US Marine and civilian military base worker was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa.

The same year, US Forces Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after an intoxicated US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck, killing its 61-year-old local driver.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, around 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested since Okinawa was returned to Japan from the US in 1972, after World War II.

In 2024, the number of arrests hit 80, the highest in 20 years.

Under Clayton, the new Super Intelligence Force — Trump’s preferred term for artificial intelligence — will ensure that the United States “continue to lead the world” in AI development, the president posted on his Truth Social platform.

Trump said the force had also been tasked to “protect the interests, and improve the lives of all Americans.”

Clayton will become the second person to hold the informal title after venture capitalist David Sacks, who held the role at the start of Trump’s second term before stepping down.

Sacks continues to advise the president on AI, as does Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Trump said last month he would create an AI force modelled on the Space Force he established during his first term, and name a czar to coordinate federal efforts.

A longtime Wall Street lawyer, Clayton represented Goldman Sachs during the 2008 financial crisis and Barclays in its purchase of Lehman Brothers’ assets.

He chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, where he largely took a pro-business stance but brought enforcement cases against the nascent crypto industry.

Crypto entrepreneurs have since become major Trump backers.

Trump tapped Clayton to lead federal prosecutors in Manhattan at the start of his second term, and the Senate confirmed him as intelligence chief in July.

He has no background in the tech industry.

The appointment would come as AI researchers warn of the technology’s potential dangers, following cases of AI systems going rogue and hacking outside systems.

Trump has resisted tighter AI regulation, arguing a slowdown could hand Chinese firms an advantage and that federal law enforcement can deal with bad actors misusing the technology.

Tech bosses at a White House meeting this week signed a commitment to self-police AI, an accord Trump described as “morally binding.”

Attitudes toward AI have soured in Washington, with lawmakers increasingly under pressure from voters to curb or slow its development over fears it could displace workers and upend society.

Those concerns gained force from a run of incidents in which tech giant OpenAI’s autonomous systems slipped out of their constraints, beginning with a July breach of Hugging Face — a widely used platform for sharing AI models.

Clayton told the Wall Street Journal on Saturday that Trump had insisted the new task force ensure US primacy in the AI field, amid stiff competition from China.

“The risk of not being first is high,” Clayton told the Journal.

“Not being first increases the identified, and unidentified, risks, particularly from our adversaries. Being first will better enable us to address those risks on behalf of the American people.”

The terrorists were identified as those belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan — the Radio Pakistan report said.

Security sources said that three key terrorist commanders were among those killed and foreign currency and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was found in the possession of the slain terrorists.

The IBO was a part of the Azm-i-Istehkam operation, the report added.

Operation Azm-i-Istehkam was launched in June 2024, symbolising the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended security forces for timely and effective action in DI Khan.

PM Shehbaz said in a statement that the Pakistani nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in the war against terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported.

In a separate statement, President Asif Ali Zardari said the nefarious designs of “terrorists operating under foreign patronage and with the support of local facilitators will never be allowed to succeed”.

KP has been witnessing terrorist attacks and security challenges for a long time. The province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August compared with 36 in July, representing an increase of 50 per cent, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

In response to these incidents, security forces have been conducting operations in various parts of the province.

On Saturday, state media reported that security forces had killed five Fitna al Khawarij terrorists during an IBO in KP’s South Waziristan district.

On Friday, seven terrorists were killed in the Eidak area of KP’s North Waziristan district during an IBO.

On Wednesday, security forces killed three terrorists in an IBO in KP’s Mir Ali. A day before that, in an IBO in KP’s Bara area, security forces killed five terrorists. On Monday, four terrorists were killed during an IBO in DI Khan.

On Sept 17, security forces killed 10 terrorists in separate operations in KP between Sept 15 and 17. Earlier in the month, over 20 terrorists were killed during multiple engagements in KP between Sept 3 and 5.

On Sept 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation.

On September 26 in DI Khan, 14 people, including two rescue officials, were martyred and 35 sustained injuries after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police checkpost and then targeted an ambulance shifting bodies to hospital.

In the first incident, burglars stole priceless heirlooms and antiques belonging to the family of the Nawab of Bahawalpur, worth Rs20 million, from the house of Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi, son of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, in F-8/3.

Police registered a case under Sections 454 and 380 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The incident came to light when the family found the storeroom broken into and the heirlooms and antiques missing. The stolen items included silver and gold articles, including a silver throne chair, silver ladder, silver bowls, silver statues, gold plates, Bahawalpur-crested gold plates and a large crested silver frame bearing the Bahawalpur State crest.

Antique arms and heritage weapons, including old musket guns and swords of the Bahawalpur State, were also found missing, along with other valuable articles.

The complainant told police that stock-taking and inventory were in progress and that a supplementary list of other missing items would be submitted once the inventory was completed.

In the second incident, a gang of robbers looted cash and gold worth Rs3 million from the house of Ali Akbar Naqvi in Naval Anchorage.

Four armed men raided the house and held Naqvi’s parents hostage at gunpoint. They then ransacked the house and took eight tolas of gold, a dozen silver rings, two watches, Rs100,000 in cash and other items before escaping.

In another incident, a man allegedly looted cash and gold worth Rs2.3 million from a house in Margalla Town. The suspect entered Ali Ashgar’s house by impersonating someone and allegedly threatened the family with dire consequences.

Meanwhile, a gang of robbers allegedly snatched a motorcycle from a man in Abbasiabad. Two armed men intercepted Safi Ullah and held him at gunpoint before taking his motorcycle, mobile phone and Rs300,000 in cash.

Likewise, burglars stole cash and gold worth over Rs4.4 million from the house of Mohammad Bilal in D-12. The incident took place when the residents had gone to Murree. On their return, they found the house ransacked.

Similarly, burglars stole cash and gold from the house of Wasim Ikhlas in Alipur.

Moreover, burglars stole cash and valuables worth over Rs4.5 million from the house of Nabil Shahzad in Sri Saral.

In another incident, thieves allegedly stole 28 iPhones worth Rs8 million from the house of Ammar Farooq in DHA Phase II.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has emphasised the urgent need to transform Pakistan’s agrifood system to improve access to healthy diets, a critical step towards addressing all forms of malnutrition and their related costs to society.

The UN agency, in its latest assessment on “Food Supply for Healthy Diets in Pakistan”, observed that a major challenge in the country’s current food supply is the persistent mismatch between the quantities of food available and those required for the population to consume a healthy diet aligned with the national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs).

“Enabling access to healthy diets for all is essential to achieving Pakistan’s national development priorities. Yet over 60 per cent of Pakistanis cannot afford a healthy diet, contributing to the high rates of malnutrition across the country. At the same time, diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCD) are rising, while various forms of undernutrition persist. Unhealthy diets are a common cause of all forms of malnutrition and contribute directly to morbidity and mortality from NCD,” the assessment shows.

The FAO listed priority policy actions to strengthen demand for healthy diets through consumer-focused policies; updating Pakistan’s FBDGs to reflect nutrition, health, and environmental priorities and use it for nutrition education and behavior change; introducing evidence-based fiscal measures, including taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and other foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats; introducing front-of-pack nutrition labelling to help consumers make informed food choices; protecting vulnerable populations; restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods, particularly those targeting children, expanding nutritious school meal programmes; and strengthening social protection programmes to improve access to nutritious foods.

The assessment recommended reorienting the agrifood system to deliver healthy diets, aligning agricultural policies and investment priorities to increase support for the production of vegetables, fruits, pulses, roots and tubers across the country, while supporting milk production in some regions; and providing greater incentives for food processors to meet food safety and quality standards and reformulate foods to reduce salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.

It called for promoting healthier retail food environments, through investments in storage, cold chains, and market infrastructure to reduce losses. These actions, combined with regular monitoring, can contri­bute to increasing access to and consumption of healthy diets in Paki­stan, both today and in the future.

The FAO assessment says large gaps were observed for several nutritious food groups, particularly vegetables, roots and tubers, fruits, and legumes and pulses.

However, important misalignment exists between Pakistan’s dietary guidelines and food supply, with supply gaps for several nutritious food groups, particularly vegetables, roots and tubers, fruits, legumes and pulses, while the supply for staples and sugar exceeds what is needed for healthy diets.

“Enabling equitable access to diverse, nutritious, safe, and affordable foods that support healthy diets is a policy imperative for Pakistan,” the assessment said.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

The government has said that while the grievances may be legitimate, violence is not and has accused the hard-left of whipping up the movement.

Critics have meanwhile accused some police of heavy-handed force against protesters, who are legally still children.

More than 5,000 people have been arrested since Monday, according to the interior ministry, while about 735 educational establishments were affected on Friday, the education minister said.

While the weekend may see a lull, a major new day of protest is planned for Tuesday.

AFP looks at the origins of the movement.

Multiple grievances

The protests affect lycees, the schools where French teens have their last years of school, aged from 15-18, the equivalent of high school in the United States and sixth form in the United Kingdom.

The students’ grievances are numerous, but chief among them are teacher absences, conditions in classrooms, overloaded school timetables and a school day that can be as long as 8:00am to 6:00pm, which some say is excessive.

“High-school students — particularly those from low-income neighbourhoods — feel they are receiving an inferior education,” said French sociologist Valerie Becquet.

Origin of the movement

The movement began two weeks ago on Sept 17 at the Saint-Exupéry high school in the Paris suburb of Créteil, in support of teachers striking over a lack of staff and resources.

It gained momentum, gradually spreading across the country over the last week.

Ironically, as tensions raged elsewhere in France, the situation at the Saint-Exupery high school returned to normal after educational authorities agreed to send additional staff, including a deputy principal and a nurse.

“Our grades were slipping. If we had not rallied now it would have augured very badly for the future,” said pupil Abderrahmane, who expressed “enormous” pride at taking part in the inception of the movement.

Role of social media

The protests are being further fuelled by the spread of dramatic images and videos on online platforms, notably TikTok.

Students themselves hold up their phones to record scenes such as burning trash cans or police deploying tear gas. Numerous channels, seeking to boost their reach, spread this footage and edit together the most dramatic moments.

“With social media, they can offer a narrative different from the one presented in traditional media — a narrative that is not manufactured,” said sociologist Becquet.

Social inequality

France offers all students access to the lycee but in reality there is a vast spectrum, ranging from vocational schools to elite institutions.

Despite numerous diversity initiatives, the latter remain dominated by students from white, affluent families with university-educated parents.

“There are glaring inequalities among different students and schools, and this is a real problem,” said Becquet.

Political exploitation

The protests have become a major issue of political tension just over half a year ahead of presidential elections, with the government accusing the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) of being behind the movement.

Senior LFI official Manuel Bompard has rejected the government’s accusations, saying it was “descending into conspiracy theories”.

Veteran LFI presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon — who is currently polling at over 40 per cent among 18-25-year-old voters — has strongly supported the protests, while calling for non-violent methods.

Police response

Protesters have blockaded schools, set fire to bins and other objects and hurled projectiles at police.

But police have also moved to disperse some of the protesters, notably firing tear gas canisters, using rubber bullets and sometimes beating them with batons.

After students clashed with police on Wednesday in Tours in central France, one young man wounded lost the use of his right eye, the city’s prosecutor said.

Numerous videos have gone viral showing alleged brutal conduct by security forces — such as a police officer placing his arm around the neck of a girl during her arrest.

But police have also been targets, notably an officer who was chased and beaten and kicked by a group of youths from a school in the eastern city of Belfort.

Header image: French high school students block access to the Lycee Paul Eluard high school as they protest to demand the hiring of substitute teachers, increased resources and better learning conditions, in Saint-Denis, near Paris, France, on Sept 30, 2026. — Reuters

It is expected that she will contest against her relative, former federal minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, who remained runner up in 2024 from NA-108, Jhang. He was defeated by PTI-backed Sahibzada Mahboob Sultan.

Sughra Imam is the daughter of renowned politicians Syeda Abida Hussain and Syed Fakhar Imam.

Talking to the media at her residence on Saturday, she praised the Supreme Court’s judgement declaring honour-killing offences non-compoundable, describing it as an important step towards ensuring that such cases could not be settled through compromise.

She said she had drafted and tabled the relevant legislation in 2014, which was subsequently passed in 2016 by the Senate.

She said the landmark legal reform was aimed at closing loopholes that allowed honour-killing cases to be compromised.

She also called for sustained community-awareness campaigns to challenge harmful practices and strengthen protection for women and children.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Protecting minors from online grooming, exploitation and harmful content is the state’s responsibility, the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) told the Islamabad High Court while proposing sweeping legal and institutional reforms to safeguard children on social media.

In a 17-page response submitted to the court in a case concerning social media usage by children under the age of 16, the commission acknowledged the concerns raised in the petition.

It underscored the need for age verification mechanisms and a comprehensive regulatory framework, stating that effective legal and regulatory measures are indispensable for online child safety.

The NCRC recommended integrating child online safety into the regulatory framework of the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, with a focus on age verification and effective protection systems.

To combat technology-facilitated child exploitation, the commission recommended boosting the capacity of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and establishing specialised systems to investigate online child sexual exploitation.

The commission also recommended a review and amendment of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in the context of child rights, noting the need to improve the existing legal framework for online child safety.

Digital platforms must be made more accountable for child safety, the commission said. It urged effective action against child sexual abuse material and online grooming, while implementing measures for the immediate removal of such content.

“There is also a need to limit unnecessary online contact between children and unknown adults,” the commission said, adding that legislation, platform accountability and effective enforcement are essential for children’s online safety.

The NCRC noted the importance of striking an effective balance between children’s digital rights and their protection online.

The commission asserted that the issue of children’s online safety demands effective legal and institutional measures rather than mere policy. Advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid are representing the petitioner in the case.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

Consumer Price Index-based inflation of 10.3 per cent in September clearly indicates that industry, businesses, and the general public will bear the brunt of these cost-push inflationary pressures.

Experts believe the central bank will not lower interest rates to stimulate economic activity. Instead, it will maintain a tight monetary stance to support ‘sustainable’ growth.

For the past four years, the government and the SBP have been satisfied with low but sustainable growth of around 3 to 3.7 per cent—a level that creates no jobs and does not address the severe problem of 44 per cent of Pakistanis living in poverty.

“There is no domestic or foreign investment, and existing industries are struggling to survive. The situation would not change unless a comprehensive economic policy is introduced to support domestic investment, which is being undermined by inflated energy prices and overall double-digit inflation,” said Amir Aziz, a manufacturer and exporter of textile made-ups.

“Inflation is only one factor. Bangladesh is in a much better position, as energy costs about 7 to 8 cents per unit, compared with 14 to 16 cents in Pakistan. This gives Bangladesh an advantage over Pakistani products,” said Mr Mohammad Hasham, who recently returned home after serving the Bangladesh textile industry for 25 years as the head of some of its largest textile units.

He said double-digit inflation is killing both the industry and investors, and economic activity is slowing, causing pain for the general public.

Tresmark Chief Executive Faisal Mamsa said that Pakistan’s authorities reportedly expect inflation to average around 7.5pc if oil returns towards $80, and around 8.2pc if it remains near $100 per barrel.

“They also expect inflation to moderate after December and argue that the current 11.5pc policy rate remains appropriate,” he said.

However, many experts disagree that the SBP policy rate will remain unchanged at 11.5pc despite double-digit inflation.

At the same time, the government raised cut-off yields by up to 75 basis points, with the highest at 12.49pc for the one-year tenor at Wednesday’s T-bill auction. The hike in returns on risk-free government papers reflected a possible rise in the SBP policy rate at the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Oct 26.

Mr Mamsa said the stable rupee helps contain imported inflation. Higher domestic fuel prices allow demand and imports to adjust.

“The IMF, meanwhile, continues to emphasise a more market-based exchange rate. The authorities are reluctant to reopen the imported inflation Pandora’s Box,” he said, adding that a market-based exchange rate parity does not automatically mean a weaker rupee.

“If remittances remain strong, reserves continue improving, the current account stays manageable, and the dollar demand remains contained, price discovery can still produce a stable currency,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in Hungary in their first match on Tuesday following a turbulent build-up in which the Irish squad voted to fulfil the fixture despite unease amongst the team over the war in Gaza.

During that match the Irish players wore armbands and pointedly lowered their heads while the Israeli national anthem played. There were no handshakes between the captains before kickoff.

With the return leg taking place on Sunday in Backa Topola after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) refused to host the match at home for security reasons, it was the Ireland manager’s pre-match press conference that gave rise to new tensions.

One journalist questioned Hallgrimsson on his thoughts about the incident on Wednesday during a Flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel, which Emirati judicial authorities and Israeli officials have described as a “terrorist act”.

“What do you say about the people that you support? Their ideology is based on murder,” one journalist asked.

“Just this week, one of them tried to kill 170 Israeli passengers, including 27 innocent children and thousands of others.” An Irish press officer replied: “We are not doing any questions like this today. We are doing football questions.” Another journalist then addressed the Ireland manager: “Your players call our players monkeys during the match…”, only to be immediately interrupted by an FAI official repeatedly insisting “that is completely untrue,” while the microphone was taken away from the reporter in question.

“Don’t touch me, don’t touch me,” the journalist exclaimed, as the Irish delegation brought the press conference to an abrupt end.

‘A lot of emotions’

Israeli authorities have condemned the actions taken by the Irish team, with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accusing Dublin of being on “the wrong side of history.” “Surviving this, coming out of it together as one would be a massive win for me. That is coming from my heart,” Hallgrimsson told journalists. “All the challenges that this team has gone through, all the criticism.

“Just surviving as a group after this game, that would be a big win for me and for this group, for the association.

“There’s been a lot of emotions from the people in Ireland about this, and obviously that affects the players as well.

“We want to do good, but it’s always going to be a challenge when the environment is as noisy as it is. So we try to focus on the football side, and we’ve done a lot of things to help in that area.

“One change that we’ve done in the last games is before we go onto the pitch, we do a little prayer and a huddle with the players and all the staff, just to cool our heads before we go onto the pitch.

“Conor Coventry has taken that part, so he is now called Brother Coventry in the squad. But it’s really good when you go into a high-intensity and big-pressure game like we’ve been doing, to start the game with cool heads.”

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

The department has also accelerated efforts to make all faulty (dummy) wagons fit for operation while taking action against the vendors who failed to supply parts on time.

“It is the vision of the prime minister as well as mine to make all-out efforts to maintain the railway infrastructure for safe train operation. This is why I have assigned the officers concerned the task to accomplish the target of making all dummy coaches and wagons fit for operation,” Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi explained while talking to Dawn.

“I have also asked the officers to replace the faulty brake cylinders, blocks and shoes with new ones,” he added.

According to the minister, the outsourcing of trains and luggage vans is also underway and 13 express passenger trains would be outsourced till Dec 31. For this, the process, including the advertisement and award of the contract, would be completed soon.

“At present, the commercial operation of six trains is being carried out by the private parties,” Mr Abbasi said, adding that the trains to be outsourced by December included Sandal, Allama Iqbal Express, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Fareed Express, Sukkur Express, Babu Passenger, Bulleh Shah Passenger, Mohenjodaro Express, Lasani Express, Sialkot Express, Karachi Express, Bahauddin Zakariya Express and Tezgam.

To a question, he said the railway bridge affected by the recent floods on Lahore-Faisalabad track would be rehabilitated within the next two months, helping railways to restore the rail traffic. For the first time, according to him, the freight revenue exceeded the passenger revenue in the railways.

“I think, the railways would be able to earn revenue of Rs120bn from the passenger and freight train operations alone by the end of the ongoing fiscal year on June 30,” he hoped.

Meanwhile, the minister presided over a meeting at the railway headquarters and directed the authorities to blacklist private vendors responsible for delays in the supply of equipment and materials. During the meeting, matters pertaining to railway operations, revenue generation, maintenance, security and outsourcing came under discussion.

Mr Abbasi directed the authorities to install modern CCTV cameras and deploy private security personnel at all railway workshops and yards to prevent theft. He said collective efforts were required to achieve the revenue targets set for the current financial year, adding that locomotives undergoing repairs should be restored to service according to the prescribed schedule.

The minister ordered legal action against negligent officials. The meeting was also told by the officers concerned that advance planning was essential for ensuring transparency and improving the railway system. He further directed that the ongoing track renewal work in Sukkur division should be completed by Dec 31 as it would save operational time by around one-and-a-half hours. He also ordered that the flood-damaged Mian Kallar Bridge be completed within 60 days and repair of employees’ residential quarters in Lahore within two months.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

Addressing an event in Karachi, Bilawal said that the federal government had been in contact with President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP regarding the recent security situation, particularly in KP.

Noting the terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan, Bilawal said, “In my opinion, the federal government had made up its mind and was 100 per cent ready; they wanted to immediately impose emergency or governor’s rule in KP.”

He noted that although imposing governor’s rule or emergency in any province was a Constitutional tool, the PPP “was of the view that before dropping this constitutional atomic bomb, political parties should absolutely find a political solution to fight terrorism in a better way”.

Sharing his party’s view, Bilawal said the PPP wanted to hold talks with the protesting party — the PTI — regarding its planned Oct 4 long march to Islamabad before making any decision.

While calling on all parties to engage in dialogue with PTI before imposing emergency, he also urged the latter to abandon its long march to Islamabad and acknowledge the success of their protest.

Bilawal said the PTI protest had been somewhat successful as the capital “has been shut for 10 days”, even if the party had not marched towards it. “A political party or worker should see that you have achieved success on the political stage.”

However, he pointed out: “But it is also correct that while you are focusing on your own politics, there is terrorist activity in KP every other day.

“If the provincial government does not consider this issue of terrorism and law and order important, and there are allegations that they are not standing with the federation, then we may be forced to declare an emergency or governor’s rule.”

The PPP chief noted that the terrorist threat from Afghanistan and India’s “hideous role” in supporting it was apparent. “Do not see terrorism through a political lens.”

“We want to come together to fight terrorism and not view it as a political issue, but a national one,” Bilawal emphasised, recalling a recent meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari.

The Bhutto scion called for a written agreement between the KP and federal governments which would outline “how they will combat terrorism together”.

“If there is any political deadlock, it needs to be kept separate from issues like terrorism or national interests.”

The government and PPP are jointly engaged in talks with the opposition, aimed at defusing the country’s ongoing political crisis.

The discussions precede the PTI’s planned Oct 4 protest march demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan, which has emerged as the latest point of contention between the party and the federal government.

The decision to have talks with the opposition was taken after PM Shehbaz called on President Zardari at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad earlier this week. National security, institutional cooperation on law and order and the possibility of using emergency powers were among the topics discussed.

A joint delegation comprising PML-N and PPP leaders met the opposition on Friday, with a second round of talks held on Saturday. As the politicians gathered at Parliament House, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq expressed hope that the talks would proceed in the same “cordial atmosphere” as the day before.

Bilawal announces water projects for Karachi’s SITE

Earlier in his speech, Bilawal congratulated the people of Karachi on the completion of a water project and added that the PPP saw its first success in local government elections.

“We have started a 35m gallon water treatment project, and this water will fulfil the needs of SITE,” he stated.

“The dirty water that used to pollute Karachi, our sea and our river will be treated, bringing benefits for all. In the second phase, 65 million gallons will be treated by January. Once this is completed, the capacity will reach 100 million gallons.”

“The number one priority for us is water. Eight per cent of Sindh’s water comes through Irsa,” Bilawal said, referring to the Indus River System Authority, which releases water downstream into Sindh. However, persistent water shortages due to Irsa not releasing sufficient water have triggered strong protests in the past.

He said Karachi and Sindh “do not get our deserved share” as the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord has not been implemented. “Rather than giving us water, they pursue projects without our permission, which causes water shortages in Sindh and Karachi.

“The Sindh government and KMC (Karachi Metropolitan Corporation) prioritised saving water for the people of Karachi, so that they can avail extra water,” Bilawal outlined, adding that several months ago, a 25m gallon water treatment facility was inaugurated in Kemari.

“As the mayor told you, the capacity will be increased by 55 million gallons, so that we can deliver those benefits to the people of Kemari,” he added.

Calling it the first project of its kind in Pakistan, Bilawal expressed hope that the needs of people in Karachi’s SITE area would be met, noting that it is the “engine” for the economy of the city and Pakistan.

Additionally, the PPP chief noted that by Oct 20, projects to provide 10m gallons of water to Lyari and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) through a pipeline would be completed.

The steep fall, after an attack on the captain by the co-pilot during a flight on Wednesday, would have put huge strain on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft — as well as the passengers and crew, said Alberto Paduanelli, owner of ALPA Simulation in Sherfield on Loddon, southern England.

The co-pilot of the flydubai jet, which was bound for Israel from Dubai, attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday, calling the incident a “terrorist attack”.

The co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, two sources with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters. UAE authorities did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of his identity. Reuters could not independently reach al-Hammami for comment.

Flydubai says the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation and it cannot comment further. Oman has yet to comment on the incident.

“A plunge of 16,000 feet (4,877 metres) over 30 seconds will feel like you are over on a very, very vertical roller coaster,” Paduanelli said, sitting at the controls of the simulator cockpit.

“The difference is that on the roller coaster, you know what’s happening,” he said, adding that with a sudden drop “you feel the negative g-force on your body”.

For passengers who are not strapped in, “Your body will literally lift from the seat”, he said.

Using a simulator to recreate the incident, Paduanelli said the aircraft’s autopilot disconnected before the plunge began, causing the jet to accelerate rapidly.

United States President Donald Trump has praised the Boeing jet for withstanding the severe forces put on it during the incident. The plane was levelled out after passengers overpowered the co-pilot, before a reserve crew of pilots onboard landed the plane.

“It was an amazing show of precise and powerful structural planning and design,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the 737 MAX “was able to withstand G Forces and Strain far beyond what it was designed and expected to do”.

Boeing did not respond to a request for comment.

Aircraft are designed and tested to withstand substantial aerodynamic loads, but Paduanelli said a prolonged high-speed dive can place extreme strain on an airframe.

“This was nothing but a miracle that nothing was hurt apart from the captain, unfortunately, and that two pilots were onboard,” Paduanelli said.

Details about al-Hammami’s past have trickled out.

Royal Air Maroc told Reuters he did a three-month training with the airline in 2025 but his application to work there afterwards was rejected. Buckinghamshire New University in Britain said he did a distance-learning course in aviation management with the institution, but no pilot training.

An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said on Sunday that authorities there were investigating al-Hammami’s “links to Australia”.

A source briefed on the investigation said the co-pilot studied at a university in Melbourne.

After a brief decline due to the government abolishing the Pers­onal Baggage Scheme and applying restrictions to control misuse of used car schemes for overseas Pakistanis, imports of used cars have started surging again.

In the month of September, a total of 2,276 vehicles were imported under the Gift Scheme as the strict restrictions under the Baggage Scheme continue, according to data from the Commerce Ministry.

The figures show that in May, only 48 used cars were imported mainly through the baggage scheme. However, the situation started to change from June onwards.

In June, a total of 843 vehicles were imported, including 806 under the Gift Scheme. The figure reached 1,938 in July, with 1,876 cars under the Gift Scheme.

August saw a total of 1,445 vehicle imports, while 2,276 vehicles were imported in September, with 2,238 under the Gift Scheme.

A senior executive of the auto industry noted that the reduction in duties on completely built units (CBUs) by 20-25 per cent in the 2026-27 budget has reduced the import cost.

“We have reports that a one-year restriction on transfer of ownership is not being implemented in some cities, due to which this business is flourishing again, but at the cost of the domestic auto industry which consists of 13 assemblers and over 300 auto parts manufacturers,” the executive added.

Auto parts vendors expressed their concerns too, claiming that auto production had finally begun to show an increase after a gap of three years, which was also contributing to Pakistan’s growth in the large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector.

“Locally produced cars contain up to 60pc local parts by value, amounting to an average of Rs1.5 million per vehicle, and import of 2,276 used vehicles meant loss of Rs3.4 billion of local parts production which creates jobs and operates in the documented economy,” said Abdul Rehman Aizaz, chairman of Pakistan Asso­ciation of Automotive Parts and Ac­­cessories Manufacturers (Paa­pam).

He termed it unfair that, on the one hand, the proposed auto policy was slashing import duties on new cars, while on the other hand, imports of used cars were being encouraged.

“Ultimately, Pakistan is moving towards a market dominated by imported new and used vehicles with no industrial activity,” the Paapam chairman said, terming the business of used cars completely unregulated.

Competition in auto sector

On the contrary, importers claim that Pakistan needs to have a competitive economy and that importing used cars was completely legal if done as per the government regulations.

“Currently, all imported vehicles are subjected to pre-shipment inspections by the accredited companies based in Japan as most of the used cars are imported from that country,” said Mian Shaoib Ahmed, chairman of All Pakistan Car Dealers & Importers Association.

Ahmed, also a member of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s (FPCCI) executive committee, stressed there was a demand for used cars in Pakistan.

He contended that new Chinese entrants have yet to make their mark in Pakistani markets, while Japanese car assemblers in the country were not yet ready for the competitive environment.

The FPCCI member lauded the government for recent changes in the vehicle import regime and added that used car imports under the Gift Scheme and commercial imports will continue to rise in the coming months.

Ahmed referred to a notification by the Engineering Development Board (EDB), dated Sep 30, which would relax the criteria for imports of used vehicles.

The changes in the recent EDB notification against the earlier notification included the removal of a clause for the minimum capital requirement of a company importing used cars, and now, any tax-registered individual or firm not even registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) can import vehicles.

The pre- and post-shipment inspection will be conducted through the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) instead of the EDB.

However, the PSQCA chief executive officer said that inspection was not done directly under or by the authority, but through its registered inspection agencies.

Currently, only two local inspection agents have been registered with the PSQCA; they are the representatives of firms accredited with the Japanese Foreign Principals Inspection Agencies.

The maritime police force of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland said on Tuesday that it had recovered the MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker with 19 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.

The Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday that three Pakistanis had died and three others were injured during the operation, later identifying the deceased as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.

According to a statement by the PMO issued on Saturday, arrangements were being made to repatriate the sailors’ remains as per the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The remains had been taken to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, with Ethiopian Airlines reviewing the next steps for transferring the bodies.

“Following this, final approval will be granted for their departure on a flight bound for Karachi. In accordance with the prime minister’s instructions, the relevant authorities are in continuous contact to expedite the repatriation process,” the statement read.

It added that the premier had assured of “all possible assistance” in bringing the deceased sailors home.

PM Shehbaz has announced a relief package worth Rs12.5 million for the deceased sailors’ families, the PMO said yesterday.

The prime minister announced financial support for the families of the deceased, including free housing and free education for their children. The PMO added that the premier spoke with Syed Kashif Umer’s son, Azhan Kashif, on the phone to extend his condolences and express his grief.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that four of the 10 Pakistani crew members had been “safely retrieved” and were scheduled to arrive in Karachi today.

The four crew members — Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani — were retrieved following “sustained efforts” by FO and Pakistan’s embassy in Djibouti, Dar said.

Months with no progress

The MT Honour 25 had been hijacked by Somali pirates on April 21, around 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region. Apart from Pakistanis, the vessel’s crew also included seven Indonesians, an Indian and a Sri Lankan.

For around five months, there had been no progress either in negotiations or in the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for the recovery of the hostages, despite concerns abounding about their declining health.

Since the hijacking, the crew made several emotional videos and audio appeals, reporting that they ran out of clean water, food and medicine.

For its part, FO maintained that it remained “actively engaged” to secure the release of the sailors.

On Sept 29, Somali maritime police recovered the Palau-flagged oil tanker amid reports of casualties among the crew.

“The naval and ground units of the Puntland Maritime Police Force conducted a planned operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district,” the maritime police had said in its initial statement.

In another statement, it announced that the operation had concluded and the recovered vessel was “now safe and under the Puntland government’s control”.

During the operation, it said, 21 suspected pirates were apprehended, while operations to locate the remaining members continue.

“Before the operation [had] begun, the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew. Among those killed were three from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India,” it said.

Lee said in a statement that commissioner Frank Strada would leave his post this month.

Pike’s lawyers say she is in critical condition, unconscious and on a ventilator in a hospital, after her execution by lethal injection went wrong on Wednesday.

Pike, 50, survived two injections of the normally lethal substance pentobarbital as punishment for the murder of Colleen Slemmer in 1995.

It was the second failed execution in Tennessee this year. The state halted an execution in May after medical staff failed to tap a vein in the prisoner’s arm.

Lee said he thanked Strada for “his willingness to put the interests of Tennesseans first during this difficult moment”.

In the same statement, Strada said, “I continue to believe the Department (of Correction) carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol.”

Lee, who previously denied Pike clemency, has halted further executions through the rest of the year while a review is conducted.

Had the drugs killed Pike, she would have been the first woman executed by the state in more than two centuries.

In the United States, only 18 women have been executed since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.

On Sept 16, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) set that judgement aside without substantively engaging with this evidence or the high court’s careful appraisal of it.

Its central reason was a definition. Harassment under the 2010 workplace harassment law, it declared, “is only restricted to conduct which is sexual in nature”. Even by that narrow test, the conduct proved was plainly sexual. Before the high court, the officers never contended it fell short of harassment.

Why does the FCC confine harassment to sex?

The Act’s title and preamble speak of ‘harassment’, not ‘sexual harassment’, and anchor it in the right to dignity. Nor does ‘sexual’ mean only the act of sex; it also means relating to the sexes, or to gender.

The Supreme Court said so on review in Nadia Naz, through Justice Ayesha Malik; “sexually demeaning attitudes” means demeaning a person because of their sex. Yale’s Vicki Schultz has shown that much workplace harassment has nothing to do with desire; it belittles women and signals they do not belong. And the 2022 amendment, ignored altogether, covers gender discrimination “which may or may not be sexual in nature”.

Courts elsewhere agree. The US supreme court held in Oncale that harassment need not be motivated by desire; Canada and India root it in equality and dignity. India’s law lists “sexually coloured remarks”, exactly what was proved, and the 2021 Nadia Naz judgement the FCC relies on quoted that very provision. ILO Convention 190 treats gender-based harassment, including sexual harassment, as one wrong.

This is where a constitutional court should begin. Article 14 declares the dignity of man inviolable, and the Act’s own preamble rests on it. A constitutional court’s first duty is to read statutes through fundamental rights and expand their frontiers, not shrink them. A woman made to name drawings of private parts before her colleagues has had her dignity violated by any measure.

Constitutional courts are judged not by the powers they claim but by the rights they protect.

Our Supreme Court had already arrived there. In Uzma Naveed (2022) and Muhammad Din (2025), both of which I authored, it held that harassment is not confined to the act of sex and that dignity is absolute and non-negotiable. The FCC dismisses Muhammad Din in one sentence, “with due respect”, ignores Uzma Naveed, and leans instead on the 2021 Nadia Naz judgement the Supreme Court set aside on review. In Haji Adam, decided by the same author the same day, substantial passages reappear word for word; it even names the bank case’s witnesses as the Pemra complainant’s. That raises a serious question whether each record received independent judicial consideration.

Precedent is not a courtesy; it is law. Judgements of the Supreme Court delivered before the 27th Amendment bound every court under Article 189. The amendment operates prospectively: it makes the FCC’s decisions binding from now on, but it does not erase nearly eight decades of constitutional jurisprudence. Having inherited the Supreme Court’s constitutional jurisdiction, the FCC inherited the law declared under it. If it doubts that law, the doctrine of precedent requires reasoned reconsideration by a larger bench, not a three-member bench’s single sentence. Even the FCC’s own test, set this March, forbids precedent being “ignored and disregarded in silence”.

The deeper problem is the court itself. It was created by the 27th Amendment, rushed through a parliament whose own mandate remains clouded by the disputed elections of February 2024, and carved out of a functioning Supreme Court for reasons never convincingly explained. Britain, the US, India, Canada and Australia entrust constitutional questions to a single apex court, and for good reason: splitting the apex invites conflict and political engineering. South Africa moved the other way in 2013, making its constitutional court the apex court in all matters.

Its first bench was chosen by the president on the prime minister’s advice, bypassing the Judicial Commission, with no published criteria or open assessment of merit. Such a court must earn confidence through its work.

A judgement rendered without hearing the attorney general or appointing an amicus (even the high court had one), and thin on scholarship and constitutional understanding, does not earn it. Nor does the price: salaries above the Supreme Court’s until that court was raised to match, generous staff allowances, and three more years of tenure.

Not a single woman sits on the FCC, a conspicuous absence in a harassment case. I cast no aspersion on any judge who accepted appointment; that is for each conscience. Yet the absence speaks. The women of our judiciary stand apart from this court and deserve the country’s admiration.

Such judgements belong to the bar too, for it is very much part of this new judicial era. Bar associations are guarantor institutions; in 2007 they marched until judges were restored. When the architecture of the 26th and 27th Amendments was assembled, that resistance never came. Too many at the bar’s helm measure ambition by proximity to power rather than fidelity to democracy. That is a deficit of character, not of numbers. When the guardians fall silent, unconstitutionalism rises.

Constitutional courts are judged not by the powers they claim but by the rights they protect. If this is the direction of travel, dark years lie ahead for rights. Faiz urged us to speak while our lips are still free. It now falls to the lawyers who remember 2007, the academy and those who refuse to be silenced to keep the lamps lit.

The writer is a former senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Professor of Practice at SAHSOL, Lums and currently a Visiting Fellow at Yale University, US.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

During the 1970s and 1980s, a dramatic political shift permanently altered the geopolitical topography of the Middle East and the broader Muslim world. Islamism gained momentum as secular nationalism declined. It was a collapse accelerated by the defeat of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

At the time, Western powers viewed Islamism, a right-wing ideology opposed to socialism and secular nationalism, as a useful counterweight to Soviet-backed nationalist regimes in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and, later, Libya. One of the most consequential applications of this strategy unfolded in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. Anti-Israel Palestinian resistance was largely dominated by secular and left-leaning groups operating primarily within the Israeli-occupied territories of Palestine and neighbouring nationalist Arab states.

The French scholar Jean-Pierre Filiu wrote that, in order to neutralise Palestinian resistance groups, Israel quietly nurtured the growth of local Islamist movements, specifically the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. This was a deliberate strategy, designed to fragment and undermine the primary face of Palestinian nationalism: Yasser Arafat’s left-leaning and secular Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

For Israeli strategists, the PLO’s anti-colonial rhetoric posed a serious political threat. To curb the PLO’s influence, Israeli military intelligence began to cultivate a counterweight in the shape of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. A charismatic Palestinian cleric, Yassin had begun building a social and religious network under the Muslim Brotherhood umbrella in Gaza, culminating in the founding of al-Mujama al-Islami in 1973.

The PLO viewed Yassin’s followers as “quietist fundamentalists” preoccupied with social welfare and moral purification. The PLO did not exhibit concern even when Israeli authorities permitted al-Mujama to operate unhindered. In 1979, the Israeli military administration formally recognised the al-Mujama charity, granting it permission to establish mosques, schools and medical clinics across Gaza.

Israel’s relentless efforts, across decades, to weaken secular Palestinian resistance to its occupation of Palestine by backing a ‘counterweight’ ultimately backfired. The current Hamas is the blowback

According to Filiu, while PLO sympathisers faced relentless crackdowns, Yassin was allowed to build a vast social network. Gulf funds, primarily from Saudi Arabia, flowed into al-Mujama’s coffers with minimal Israeli interference. In 1978, Israeli authorities even permitted the establishment of an Islamic university in Gaza, which eventually became a stronghold for Islamist recruitment.

Years later, Brig Gen Yitzhak Segev, the Israeli military governor of Gaza in the late 1970s and early 1980s, admitted that he was provided a state budget to assist in funding Yassin’s project to offset the PLO. In the book Israel’s Wars, political scientist Ahron Bregman wrote that defence minister Yitzhak Rabin maintained a policy throughout the 1980s of tolerating Yassin and his organisation’s activities, provided their hostility remained directed at the PLO rather than Israeli soldiers.

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw violent clashes erupt across Gaza and the West Bank between the PLO and Yassin’s followers. Members and supporters of al-Mujama torched PLO offices, attacked cinemas and targeted secular intellectuals.

However, the assumption that Yassin’s movement would remain a benign social organisation focused solely on rivalling the PLO proved to be a miscalculation. Writing in The Wall Street Journal in 2009, journalist Andrew Higgins documented how Israeli forces raided Yassin’s home in 1984 following a tip-off, discovering a concealed weapons cache. Yassin was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Yet, Higgins added, in a move underscoring Israel’s persistent conviction that Islamists remained a secondary threat compared to secular nationalists, Israel released Yassin just 11 months later, in 1985.

The turning point occurred in December 1987 with the outbreak of the first Intifada, a spontaneous grassroots uprising against Israeli occupation. Fearing that the PLO would bounce back to take command of the uprising, Yassin and his inner circle transformed al-Mujama al-Islami into a militant resistance organisation. In early 1988, the group published its founding covenant under a new name: Hamas.

Hamas was thus the direct byproduct of a charitable and proselytising network shaped in the 1970s by the Gaza chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood and facilitated by Israeli policy. Its original objective of drawing Palestinians toward religious piety and discrediting secular groups, evolved during the Intifada into an armed struggle. Hamas’ 1988 charter combined militant anti-Zionism with unyielding Islamism, calling for an Islamic state in Palestine and rejecting the PLO’s gradual move toward a diplomatic, two-state compromise.

Even during the initial months of the Intifada, Israeli authorities hesitated to suppress Hamas with the severity applied to the PLO, hoping the group would fracture the uprising. However, as Higgins observed, when Hamas initiated armed attacks, kidnappings and suicide operations against Israeli personnel, Tel Aviv recognised the scale of its strategic error.

By the time Israel outlawed Hamas and rearrested Yassin in 1989, the network that Israel helped nurture was deeply entrenched. This manoeuvre yielded a fierce adversary. Much like the American backing of the Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s, Israel’s policy towards the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood became a classic instance of strategic blowback. A quietist religious charity group transformed into an entrenched militant movement.

Even after the PLO’s influence waned from the 1990s onwards, evidence indicates that Israel’s strategic interest in leveraging Hamas persisted. As reported by The New York Times and The Times of Israel in 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition governments facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in Qatari cash transfers into Gaza between 2009 and 2023. The objective was to keep Hamas viable in Gaza, thereby keeping the Palestinian leadership permanently divided and isolating the PLO in the West Bank.

Netanyahu explicitly articulated this doctrine during his party’s meeting in March 2019, stating: “Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas…” This was widely quoted by major Israeli newspapers.

This policy relied on tactical coordination, work-permit allocations and economic incentives to manage Hamas, while derailing two-state diplomatic efforts. As detailed in one of Israel’s largest newspapers, Haaretz, in 2023, this long-standing gamble to sustain Hamas as a political wedge ultimately collapsed with the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

In the aftermath, some analysts argued that the far-right Israeli administration intentionally overlooked intelligence warnings to allow an attack that could serve as a pretext for destroying Gaza and dismantling opposition in the West Bank. In November 2023, The New York Times reporters Ronen Bergman and Adam Goldman revealed that Israeli military and intelligence agencies had possessed a detailed, 40-page Hamas attack plan for over a year.

This may be a show of reckless indifference, or an exhibition of hubris and a flawed strategic doctrine that assumed Hamas was permanently deterred. Indeed, but there is an increasing number of analysts who view the failure to act on these blueprints as evidence of deliberate omission.

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 4th, 2026

Mr Dimri said this while visiting the National Council of Arts in Islamabad. The heritage, art, and culture that Pakistan and India share have repeatedly fallen victim to toxic narratives designed to provoke hate. Yet the cultural link carries a powerful sense of mutual belonging. It may be premature to read too much into the Indian delegate’s visit or to view his words as evidence of a thaw after last May’s stand-off. Still, the episode offers some hope: if leaders on both sides choose to move forward, the dialogue could quickly regain momentum.

However, optimism should be tempered — as should any expectation that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Islamabad to attend the SCO summit. If he did, it would be a miracle, and the biggest surprise in decades — even bigger than Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to Islamabad in 1988 to attend the Saarc summit or Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s arrival in Lahore in 1999. Both occasions had generated enormous hope for peace between the two neighbours. What actually followed is a familiar story.

Another miracle would be if Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Islamabad SCO summit next year. Pakistan is more curious about this visit and hopes it may trigger a major shift in its geopolitics and ambitions in Central Asia, while influencing the regional discourse in ways that would irritate India.

Pakistan would be keen to enhance its defence cooperation with Russia, but particularly interested in making some progress on the much-discussed railway from Moscow to Islamabad and establishing a freight corridor using existing 7,000-kilometre-long railway networks, with Pakistan linked to Russia through Central Asia and/or Iran. Over the decades, Pakistan, the Central Asian states, and Iran have conceived many transnational projects, and each time with great enthusiasm, yet none has materialised. Afghanistan is always made to bear the burden of the blame because of its complex relationship with Pakistan.

Russia is likely to remain cautious about deepening its cooperation with Pakistan.

Is it not interesting that the conventional wars fought by India and Pakistan collectively may not have lasted for more than a few weeks, and that Pakistan fought its longest war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan? Pakistan and the Afghan mujahideen, together with the US, defeated the Russians, which was followed by the dismantling of the Soviet state. The Pakistani leadership still takes pride in that success.

Of course, times have changed, and Pakistan is looking to cultivate new economic and defence opportunities. Russia, however, is likely to remain cautious about deepening its cooperation with Pakistan. This is not because of their bitter past, from which both sides have moved on, but because of divergent regional interests, particularly over Afghanistan, and Russia’s deep and long-standing engagement with India.

Russian-Indian defence and economic cooperation is not necessarily an obstacle to developing ties with Pakistan. But it does mean that Islamabad cannot be regarded as a preferred partner in that context.

The disparity in economic relations is significant: Pakistan’s bilateral trade with Russia is less than half a billion dollars, compared with around $69bn in India-Russia trade. The gap is even more pronounced in defence cooperation.

India maintains a high level of military engagement with Russia through multiple military-technical cooperation frameworks, including joint research and development, co-development, co-production, and after-sales support. By contrast, Russia’s defence engagement with Pakistan remains selective and falls well short of a strategic military partnership.

At the same time, India’s diversification of its defence partnerships has not significantly weakened its relationship with Russia. Moscow may have reservations about some aspects of New Delhi’s growing defence ties with other countries, but there are no clear signs of a fundamental deterioration in bilateral relations.

Russia’s interest in Pakistan is, therefore, largely geopolitical — maintaining engagement with Islamabad allows Moscow to show that its international network of partnerships is broad, while also keeping channels open with Pakistan’s political and security leaders, including those who have close ties with US President Donald Trump.

Public diplomacy is a domain through which Russia keeps its support club intact and seeks to enhance it, engaging Pakistani media, academics, opinion-makers, and policymakers through exchange programmes. The SCO is another platform Russia uses more extensively than other partners for public diplomacy.

Russia and Pakistan share counterterrorism concerns, but their approaches to Afghanistan differ sharply. Russia has recognised the Taliban regime, but Pakistan is fighting a tough war against terrorism and sees Afghanistan as a source of the war.

In geo-economic terms, they have different priorities. Russia wants Afgha­n­istan in the camp of its Central Asian allies. At the same time, Pakistan is a major partner of the US in areas where the interests of the two countries converge in Afghanistan. This irritates not only Russia but also China, which wants the US to stay out of the region in its immediate neighbourhood. The US took two decades to leave Afghanistan, and China does not want to see it coming back.

It is not surprising that Indian-Russian relations have had few hiccups over decades. At the same time, Pakistan chose the US as its strategic partner after independence. Still, their relationship has not been smooth. Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China has also been tested recently, triggered by CPEC-related disputes and internal security concerns regarding Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

Perhaps Russia is a new love interest for a segment of Pakistan’s power elite, but the two have little to share. And the last optimistic note: what if India and Pakistan decide to live in peace? What would the geopolitical impact be?

The writer is a security analyst.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

Hostilities are continuing; there were reports on Saturday of both Riyadh and Sana’a being attacked.

Meanwhile, members of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement are due to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the Yemen situation.

Regarding Iran, the US has reportedly ordered thousands more troops, as well as an aircraft carrier group, to the Gulf. This mirrors the build-up of American forces around Iran before the US-Israeli assault targeted the Islamic Republic in late February. Top US officials have reportedly met at Camp David to discuss the Yemen and Iran files.

Diplomacy, it seems, is giving way to more war in the Gulf and the wider Middle East.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is dire, with hundreds of thousands of people uprooted, while the UN says millions of Yemenis, including more than 2m infants, face acute hunger. If the Yemen war sucks in more regional states, it will complicate matters further.

The best option, therefore, is for Muslim and Arab states to help restore the Saudi-Houthi ceasefire. The Houthi Ansarallah group must pledge to stop its attacks on Saudi Arabia, while ensuring free passage through Bab al-Mandeb. The Saudis, on their part, should consider lifting the blockade of Houthi territory, while encouraging all Yemeni factions to peacefully resolve the internal conflict.

The Yemen war has been raging for over a decade, and previous external interventions have failed to end it; in fact, continued violence has exacerbated the humanitarian situation.

With regard to Iran, it appears that President Donald Trump’s administration has halted kinetic action only till the November US midterms, and plans to restart hostilities after elections are out of the way. This would be a grave error.

US-Israeli aggression has caused great loss of life in Iran as well as damage to infrastructure, while the global economy has been shell-shocked due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The world — particularly the states of the region — cannot afford more disruption and war.

Mr Trump has turned down the recent Iranian proposal to open Hormuz. He should reconsider his strategy and restart dialogue with Tehran, while the Iranians should promise to reopen the strait if the US lifts its blockade of Iran and eases sanctions.

The US leader has hailed the exit of American troops from Iraq. He should work on a similar plan to bring his forces home from elsewhere in the Gulf and end the Iran war.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

Headline inflation measures how quickly the overall price basket is changing. It does not show how far the general price level has already risen. The official measure is based on prices collected from different markets and cities and combined into urban, rural and national indices. Therefore, a national average may not correspond to the retail price paid by an individual consumer in a particular market.

Lower inflation does not mean prices have returned to previous levels. It simply means that they are rising more slowly on average. Consumers continue to bear the cumulative impact of price increases recorded in previous years. This helps explain why easing inflation has yet to translate into a comparable reduction in the cost of living.

A comparison of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics prices between October 2024 and October 2026 illustrates the extent of that accumulated burden. Several essential food and energy items remained substantially more expensive than they were two years earlier, even though headline inflation later moderated. Among the sharpest increases were those in onions, electricity, diesel and petrol.

Slower inflation masks cumulative rise in essential prices over past two years

These individual price movements do not, of course, represent overall inflation, which is calculated from a weighted basket of goods and services. But they help explain the disconnect between official inflation readings and what consumers encounter in retail markets.

Wheat flour provides one of the clearest examples. The national average price of a 20kg flour bag increased from Rs1,835 in October 2024 to Rs2,697 in October 2026 — an increase of 47 per cent.

Beef with bone became 26.7pc more expensive, while the price of a 2.5kg tin of vegetable ghee rose by 18.5pc. Retail prices in individual markets can be even higher than these national averages.

The increases were steeper in transport fuels. Petrol rose from Rs248.18 per litre in October 2024 to Rs389.51 in October 2026, an increase of 56.9pc. High-speed diesel increased from Rs252.43 to Rs402.53 per litre over the same period, a rise of 59.5pc.

This is where the distinction between inflation and the price level becomes especially important. Inflation captures the pace at which prices are changing across a weighted basket. By contrast, consumers confront the actual price level when buying flour, meat, fuel and other necessities.

Several factors are contributing to the current price pressures, but former economic adviser to the government Dr Ashfaq Hasan Khan attributes them largely to higher global energy prices and domestic food prices, particularly wheat.

He said higher energy prices were a global phenomenon, but governments elsewhere had sought to cushion consumers by reducing the incidence of taxation. In Pakistan, he argued, the impact of higher international energy prices had been compounded by the petroleum levy.

“The petroleum levy is the root cause of rising inflation in Pakistan, besides higher global energy and food prices,” Dr Khan said, referring to a levy of Rs85 per litre.

He described the current pressures as predominantly from the supply side rather than the result of excessive consumer demand. That distinction matters for the choice of policy response, he argued.

“IMF is pressurising Pakistan to devalue its exchange rate and also increase SBP policy rate,” he said.

Under a conventional IMF stabilisation programme, tighter monetary policy is used to curb demand, helping contain inflation and ease balance-of-payments pressures. But if inflation is being driven mainly by energy costs, petroleum levies and food prices, higher interest rates do not directly address the underlying sources of the increase, Dr Khan argued.

“Raising interest rates is not the right solution to supply-side inflation,” he said, referring to the IMF demand for an increase in interest rates.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026

Trump’s post on Truth Social urged people to call a phone number that he said belonged to Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican.

The dispute centres on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent and end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.

Trump says most Americans want more afternoon sunlight, but Cotton has argued the change would plunge early risers into darkness during winter months.

“Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important bill,” Trump wrote.

When Reuters called the Arkansas number, it went directly to a voicemail box that did not identify itself as belonging to Cotton.

It’s the president’s second posting in as many days about Cotton’s opposition to the bill.

“Nobody wants to spend their precious time running all over the place, turning clocks back twice a year and having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning!” Trump wrote.

Most US states have observed the time switch since the 1960s. Clocks this year are slated to switch back to standard time on November 1.

In a Senate speech last October, Cotton said he would “always oppose” making daylight saving time permanent, adding that it would “again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans”.

The US House of Representatives passed the bill in July, but Cotton is not alone in the Senate. Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, this week called the bill “dead as disco” and said he did not think that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would bring the measure for a vote.

The offices of Cotton and Thune did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Golfers, farmers cited as supporters

The first constituency that Trump cited as wanting the change was golfers. The president shared an October 1 letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp supporting the bill.

“The PGA Tour, as an example, needs more daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments,” said Trump, who often spends weekends at his golf clubs around the country.

He also pointed to tennis players, hunters and farmers as proponents of year-round daylight saving time.

This is not the first time Trump has shared a senator’s phone number to make a point. During his first presidential campaign in 2015, Trump read Senator Lindsey Graham’s phone number at a rally and dismissed the South Carolina Republican as an “idiot”.

They later reconciled, with the late Graham becoming one of Trump’s highest-profile allies in Congress.

The intra-party dispute comes as Trump campaigns for Republicans across the country, including in Ohio on Saturday. Cotton is running for re-election, but his race is not considered competitive, as Trump received more than 64 per cent of the Arkansas vote in the 2024 presidential election.