On Thursday, the police booked five suspects over alleged abduction and sexual assault after the two women were rescued. Four of the suspects, including a close relative of a senior political personality, were arrested and later sent on a five-day physical remand.

Addressing a press conference, he recounted the events leading up to the recovery of the women and the subsequent arrest of the suspects.

“Our priority was to ensure the recovery of the women. We carried out raids in Sargodha and several other locations; at the same time, when we found the family tree of one of the suspects and after speaking to inhabitants at one of the raided houses, it emerged that the family of suspect used to live in the house some time back on rent and were probably related to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar,” he said.

The police official identified the suspect as Muhammad Raza Dar.

He continued: “As soon as this was flagged, we had to confirm the information, and we confirmed it from the family; we got the number (of the suspect) from them and began tracing his location.”

“The family definitely would have told him to surrender,” the police official remarked.

Kamran said that once the investigation began, he apprised the senior command and the government of the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s relation with a high-profile personality.

“We received strict orders from the government to treat him no differently than any other criminal,” he said, adding that it also emerged that there may be a “criminal gang” behind the incident rather than an individual suspect.

DIG Kamran noted that during the course of the investigation, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz issued strict directions to ensure “100pc merit” in punishment to the suspects.

The DIG recalled that raids were carried out in “Sargodha, the Shahdara house and DHA, so people were starting to pick up on it”. Subsequently, the suspect told the women he was taking them to the airport, claiming that he had received the ransom.

However, when the car moved towards Bhatta Chowk, the women began to suspect that he was not taking them to the airport. At this point, the car carrying the women crashed into another vehicle, which provided the women an opportunity to jump out of the car and run to a nearby shop, the DIG said.

He added that while this was happening, one of the women was also in touch with her father via WhatsApp and voice messages, who in turn was in contact with the Defence assistant superintendent of police (ASP).

“The father, Carlos, added the two women to a conference call with ASP Defence, and they told the official that they had managed to escape,” Kamran said.

Meanwhile, the suspect attempted to move. However, the police traced his location using a Safe City alert and his contact number and told him to surrender immediately.

“SP Cantt went to arrest him and brought him to the police station,” the Lahore DIG said.

He also dismissed the allegations that the two women were not recovered by the police.

“We have the record of a 15 (police) call at 12:40 after which subsequent action was taken, contact was established with the individual from Spain, and locations were traced,” he recalled, stressing that the police’s background work ensured the recovery of the foreign nationals.

Kamran held that the police’s “next test” was to ensure that no legal loophole, which may be exploited in favour of the suspect, was left.

He stressed that the police sought the consent of the two women victims for their medical examination with the help of their respective embassies.

He recalled that the women were reluctant to have their statements recorded as well due to their flight scheduled for July 2, but the Lahore police vowed to compensate for the revised tickets.

The two then departed Pakistan on July 3, he said, recounting that at the time of departure, both women commended Lahore police for their conduct and “requested a Pakistani flag they could take back with them”.

DIG defends ‘unfortunate’ incident at magistrate’s house

Kamran recalled that while the two women were due to depart Pakistan on July 2, the police had not yet obtained their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

At this, he recalled an “unfortunate” incident in which a station house officer (SHO) forcibly entered the official residence of the magistrate concerned for recording the statements of two foreign women.

Kamran apologised to the judiciary for the incident, but he still defended the move, saying that “if that had not happened, our media and international forums would have raised questions over our legal system”.

The press briefing also saw an outcry by journalists over the incident. When asked about it, the DIG explained that a duty magistrate was supposed to be available 24 hours, but the police were unable to establish contact with him in this case.

The SHO went to his house, rang the bell several times and did not receive an answer. Upon seeing the gate unlocked, the SHO entered the premises.

“The magistrate had shifted to another residence recently,” DIG Kamran said, adding that, however, when the SHO entered the house, the magistrate was present.

“His concerns are valid, of course, and we have taken action against the SHO as well,” Kamran said. However, the response did not quell the outcry, prompting the DIG to walk away from the presser.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the IG said the suspect was “arrested within nine hours” of the incident.

IG Rizvi noted that PAF Group Captain Asim Tariq tried to “save” a woman after witnessing an argument between her and the suspect, but the man opened fire, which struck the officer.

The IG highlighted that the group captain stopped the man when “he was trying to forcefully take the woman away with him”.

He hailed the martyred officer as a “true patriot and citizen of Pakistan”, who did what anyone else would have after witnessing such an incident with a woman.

IG Rizvi said the woman and the suspect used to work at a cash and carry outlet in G-6. The woman was a representative of a cosmetics company, while the man represented a brand of frozen food items.

The police chief said it was the third time that the suspect was giving the woman a ride to the store, adding that she was under the impression that he would take her to the same location.

“She did not know anything. She hadn’t even spent 10 days working there,” the IG said.

Narrating the turn of events, the IG said, “After picking her up today, Saad Abbasi wanted to take Nimrah to a park or some other location. The woman resisted, at which he had to stop the motorcycle […] at 9th Avenue.”

He added that an argument began between the two as the woman insisted on heading to her workplace for an inspection of her stall.

“The group captain was going for an official assignment towards Rawalpindi. When he was passing by there, he saw that a man was forcefully pulling a woman towards his bike,” he said.

The officer then took a U-turn, parked his vehicle next to the suspect’s vehicle, introduced himself and told the man to stay away from the woman.

IG Rizvi said the suspect moved his motorcycle forward but then “returned” and stopped “right next to the car”.

“He fired with the pistol he had, which hit the group captain and resulted in his martyrdom on the spot,” he said, recalling that the woman had already come to the left/passenger side of the vehicle.

The suspect then fled from the spot, the Islamabad IG said.

Tracing suspect ‘huge challenge’: IG

The police chief described the process of tracing the suspect as a “huge challenge” as the woman did not even know the suspect’s residential address.

He elaborated that 11 teams were constituted, including digital surveillance and Safe City camera teams.

IG Rizvi said the suspect was “so shrewd” that he changed his shirt, switched off his phone number and was trying to flee through the bus service.

“We observed 275 Safe City cameras and a number of private cameras and 137 CDRs (call detail records). We finally traced the suspect and came to know that the suspect had earlier done the same with another woman,” the IG said.

“Instead of coming to the police station, their families settled the matter mutually,” he stated about an incident when the suspect had taken a woman to Mianwali.

Noting that the suspect hailed from Abbottabad, he said 13 raids were carried out within Islamabad, while teams were also sent to Lahore, Dera Ismail Khan and other areas. He added that there were over 100 officers in the teams, who finally traced and apprehended the culprit.

The IG said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was supervising the entire operation and affirmed that all legal actions would be taken.

The proposed Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill 2026 had been approved by the National Assembly on June 11, but amid controversy over its multiple clauses, a special committee has suggested major changes to its language.

Addressing a press conference alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in Islamabad today, Khawaja noted the proposed bill sought to amend the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act of 1996, which she said no longer adequately addressed the requirements of modern digital technologies.

Highlighting the rationale behind the proposed amendments, Khawaja said the existing telecommunications law was enacted when 2G technology was in use and was no longer sufficient to meet the demands of modern technologies such as 5G and next-generation digital connectivity.

The minister said Pakistan had witnessed a nearly 25 per cent increase in data consumption over the past two years, driven by population growth and the rapid adoption of digital technologies.

“Spectrum availability has increased from 274MHz to approximately 750MHz through the country’s largest-ever spectrum auction, while the rollout of next-generation telecommunications infrastructure was also underway.”

The minister said the proposed bill was aimed at facilitating investment in Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, expanding high-speed internet access, and removing regulatory barriers without compromising citizens’ fundamental rights.

“The nationwide rollout of modern telecommunications services required extensive infrastructure, including fibre-optic networks, telecom towers, and both underground and overground installations.”

She highlighted that out of Pakistan’s population of around 240 million, only 3m households had fibre-based internet connections when the present government assumed office in 2024.

Over the past two years, Khawaja said, the number of fibre connections had increased to more than 5m through various policy and technical interventions.

She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had set a target of extending wired broadband internet to at least 10m households over the next three years.

However, Khawaja said, the country’s existing regulatory framework had “not been conducive” to attracting the investment needed to achieve that objective.

The minister emphasised that the proposed bill was intended to improve the overall regulatory environment and address long-standing challenges related to the Right of Way (ROW) for telecom infrastructure.

She added that all provincial governments had played a “constructive role in implementing structural reforms”, while the Centre had also introduced measures to encourage greater investment in the sector.

She said ensuring internet access for every household in Pakistan remained one of her ministry’s primary responsibilities and pledged that the government would continue its efforts to improve nationwide digital connectivity.

During the press conference, the minister reiterated that the proposed legislation would allow anyone to occupy private land. She recalled that PM Shehbaz had constituted a committee headed by Tarar to examine the bill after public concerns emerged.

IT minister hints at legal action if allegations against her found baseless

Referring to allegations made against her and the IT secretary regarding their financial integrity, the minister said she had requested PM Shehbaz to order a formal inquiry into the matter.

“I will fully accept responsibility if any wrongdoing is established through the investigation and will abide by whatever decision the prime minister makes,” the minister maintained.

However, she added that if the allegations were found to be baseless, both she and the IT secretary reserved the legal right to pursue legal action under the Constitution and relevant laws after consulting legal experts.

Speaking on the occasion, the law minister said the allegations of financial benefit against the IT minister and the IT secretary, made under the pretext of the bill, were unfounded.

“Expanding internet access across the country is the responsibility of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in line with the prime minister’s vision,” Tarar said.

He further said the parliamentary committee had found no evidence that the legislation was intended to favour any individual and noted that the NA had passed the bill with six amendments.

The law minister said the legislation primarily addressed issues involving housing societies that entered into agreements but later created obstacles to the development of telecom infrastructure.

“The consent of property owners will remain mandatory before laying fibre-optic cables through private land,” he clarified.

He emphasised that any citizen who did not wish to allow telecom infrastructure on their private property had the legal right to refuse, reiterating that the proposed law would not result in the forced use or occupation of anyone’s private property.

Djokovic’s 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round took the seven-time Wimbledon champion past Federer to 106 men’s match-wins at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Only Martina Navratilova (120) has won more singles matches at the All England Club across the men’s and women’s events.

The 39-year-old is through to his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final and his ninth in a row.

In his record-extending 66th Grand Slam quarter-final, Djokovic will play Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spanish 22nd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Djokovic’s win kept him on course for a blockbuster semi-final showdown with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who faces Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki in the last 16 later on Sunday.

“Survive to thrive, that’s how I feel. So hopefully the thriving part is coming,” Djokovic said.

“Our mind wanders all the time, it’s very hard to keep it in the present moment, whoever does that is a winner.

“I don’t get to feel inferior from the back of the court with too many players. Today was one of those days I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long, to be honest, so I had to mix things up.”

Djokovic has a 100 per cent record in 20 Wimbledon matches against players outside the top 100, winning all 34 matches he has played against qualifiers at the Grand Slams.

After dropping a set in two of his first three matches at the All England Club this week, Djokovic again looked out of sorts at times but did enough to keep his bid for tennis immortality on track.

The Serb is aiming to win a record 25th Grand Slam singles crown, which would break a tie with Margaret Court and take him level with Federer on eight Wimbledon titles.

It would also make Djokovic the oldest man to win a Grand Slam in the Open era.

Apologetic Djokovic

Djokovic is the only man to have reached five Wimbledon men’s singles quarter-finals aged 35 or over, surpassing the record previously held by Federer.

But improvements are needed from Djokovic before he can get his hands on the trophy on July 12.

Safiullin is ranked a lowly 132nd and had been in dismal form before this week.

The 28-year-old gave Djokovic a scare with his free-hitting style and it took the Serb three hours and 25 minutes to finally subdue him on sweltering Centre Court.

Djokovic seemed troubled by his vision as he constantly rubbed at his eyes in the first set.

But if Djokovic couldn’t believe what he was seeing when Safiullin moved 5-2 ahead, the Serb’s view gradually became more rosy.

He hit back to force a tie-break that he won with a far more focused approach.

Djokovic took a six-minute break before the start of the second set, reemerging to dominate the second set in ruthless fashion.

There was a notable dip in his intensity as he lost the third set, gesticulating and grumbling as points slipped away, before a ball smashed in frustration drew boos from the crowd.

“The outbursts as well, the meltdowns — I had a few of those today as well — I apologise,” he said.

But Djokovic restored order in the fourth set to wrap up a hard-fought victory.

In the first incident, a senior police official said that a group of armed men entered the Killi Badawan area and began firing on their opponents, which resulted in the death of four tribesmen and a young girl.

The four tribesmen died on the spot after receiving multiple bullet injuries, while the young girl succumbed to her wounds when taken to Quetta for treatment. The official added that before fleeing the area, the armed men fired “hundreds” of bullets in the air.

A heavy contingent of police and law enforcement agencies reached the site of the incident and launched an operation to trace the perpetrators.

Police said the armed attack stemmed from an old enmity as the aggrieved party had killed six persons of the attackers some time ago. One of the attackers was also quoted as declaring on the spot, “We have taken revenge today”.

Later, the attacked tribe briefly blocked the Quetta-Chaman highway, staging a protest with the bodies and demanding the arrest of the armed assailants.

However, Qila Abdullah Deputy Commissioner Manzoor Magsi and the assistant commissioner held successful negotiations with the protesters, following which the traffic was restored after several hours.

In another incident, two rival factions of the Bugti clan exchanged fire over a marriage proposal in Dera Bugti.

“Armed men of both groups took position with automatic weapons and opened fire against each other,” a senior police officer told Dawn, adding that four people were killed from both sides and another was injured.

The injured were shifted to the district hospital. A heavy contingent of law enforcement personnel was deployed in the area to prevent further clashes.

A 16-member squad has been named for the West Indies series, while a 17-member squad has been announced for the England series.

The announcement was made during a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squad lineup in a press release.

Pakistan will play a two-match Test series against the West Indies from July 25 to August 6, followed by a three-match Test series in England from August 19 to September 13.

The PCB statement added that left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah and wicket-keeper batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori are the uncapped players in the squad.

Previously, sources had reported that several key decision-makers were not in favour of either reinstating Azam as captain or handing the additional responsibility of Test leadership to T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha.

In February, Azam was moved down the batting order for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly.

He returned to form in April, however, with a blistering century off 52 balls driving Peshawar Zalmi to victory during the Pakistan Super League match against the Quetta gladiators.

16-member squad (in alphabetical order) for West Indies series:

Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

17-member squad (in alphabetical order) for England series:

Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

The oil-producing group agreed during an online meeting to increase quotas by 188,000 barrels per day from August, on top of similar increases for June and July.

The seven core members of Opec+, which groups Opec and allied producers including Russia, have hiked their output quotas from April through July by almost 800,000 bpd.

Yet the increase has remained largely on paper because of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which closed the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic for some of the most important Opec+ members, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.

Production begins to recover

Opec+ output fell to 33.13 million bpd in May, according to Opec data, from 42.77m bpd in February. It began to recover in June thanks to US efforts to help the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Opec+ nations export more oil, but is still below pre-war levels.

Despite persisting supply disruptions, oil prices have returned to pre-war levels, pressured by lower Chinese imports, higher exports from non-Middle East producers, and a record global strategic stock release coordinated by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“The group of seven kept unwinding their production cuts as widely expected,” UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

“The near-term focus will remain on how many tankers will manage to cross the Strait of Hormuz and how quickly demand and Chinese crude imports recover.”

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran to end the war has also helped convince traders that supply will ultimately return to normal levels.

Iraq pressing for higher quotas

Brent crude prices traded near $72 per barrel on Friday, down from recent peaks of more than $120 per barrel and back to levels traded just before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

Besides agreeing production targets, Opec+ is also facing other challenges after the UAE left the group and Iraq signalled it wants higher quotas.

Opec+ includes 21 members, including Iran, but in recent years only the seven nations and the UAE until its departure have been involved in monthly production management.

Those seven producers Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Oman are boosting output as part of the phased rollback of a 1.65m bpd supply cut agreed in 2023, when the group still included the UAE.

The UAE quit the alliance in late April because it wanted to align its capacity more closely with its production, free of production restraints imposed by the group.

From August, taking into account the UAE’s exit from May 1, the seven core members will still have about 379,000 bpd of the original cut to return to the market, according to Reuters calculations.

With the August increase now decided, they will have fully unwound the 2023 cut if they make one more hike of around the same size for September at their next meeting on August 2.

Khan was martyred on July 5, 1999, while fighting against Indian forces in the snow-capped mountains in Kargil.

The Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said that Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and the armed forces of Pakistan paid “profound tribute” to Khan to his “unmatched courage, unwavering devotion, and supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation”.

Khan had displayed “extraordinary gallantry and resolute leadership while defending the motherland against overwhelming odds” during the 1999 Kargil conflict, the ISPR statement said.

“Leading from the front with exceptional determination, he embraced martyrdom in the finest traditions of the Pakistan Army, leaving behind a legacy of honour, valour, and selfless service,” it added.

ISPR said that Khan’s sacrifice had continued to inspire generations of Pakistanis. It added that his sacrifice remained a “timeless beacon of courage, patriotism, and steadfast commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan”.

“The people and Armed Forces of Pakistan reaffirm their enduring resolve to uphold the ideals for which Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed laid down his life, ensuring that his legacy will forever endure in the nation’s history.”

‘Hero of Kargil’ remembered in Swabi

The 27th martyrdom anniversary of Khan was also observed in Swabi on Sunday with glowing tributes paid to him by locals.

People from all walks of life visited his tomb at Karnal Sher Khan village and prayed for the departed soul.

A ceremony of the Pakistan Army was held at Khan’s mausoleum, with Inspector General Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North Major General Rao Imran Sarta as a special guest.

A contingent of the Pakistan Army, which had arrived at the mausoleum a day earlier, saluted the martyr on the occasion, and the special guest laid a floral wreath at Khan’s tomb.

Khan, who was born in Faujoon Abad on January 1, 1970, first joined the Pakistan Air Force and later the Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer, posted at the Kargil sector.

He fought valiantly at an altitude of 17,000 feet in the Gultary sector along the Line of Control, inflicting losses on Indian forces until his final breath.

Numan Sher, Khan’s nephew, recalled that he remembers the day they came to know about the martyrdom of his uncle. He said that his grandfather — Khan’s father, late Khurshid Khan — always said: “I feel very happy and proud that I am the father of a martyred soldier. We are ready to give more sacrifices for our beloved country.”

Sher recalled a visit by the Khan’s friend, Major (retd) Sardar Ejaz Ahmad Sandhu, who remembered that before leaving for duty in Kargil, Khan had told his companions that he would return with a Pakistani flag draped around his body.

Fatalities jumped by more than 300 from Friday to 2,954, following the June 24 disaster that has left thousands homeless in the streets and sheltering in camps.

Tens of thousands more are still reported missing. The government has not given any estimates, but the United Nations has estimated as many as 50,000 are unaccounted for following the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude shocks.

One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters hit hardest in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital, Caracas, where scores of residential complexes were flattened.

Ten days after the double shocks, which came just 38 seconds apart, rescue teams are starting to wrap up searches for survivors while families still try to recover bodies of loved ones from the wreckage.

The critical window for rescues in disasters like earthquakes usually ends after 72 hours, though a few people have been found alive this week.

In an apparent sign that rescue missions were closing up, interim President Delcy Rodriquez held a ceremony to hand out medals to international teams, including their rescue dogs.

Venezuela is experiencing “a profound grief gripping our people, where families still hold out hope of finding loved ones alive, people who have lost everything”, Rodriquez said.

International disaster teams, including some US squads and some South American teams, were starting to finish up rescue operations, their members said on Saturday.

The Los Angeles County fire department rescue team is ending operations after its latest searches showed no signs of life, and teams from Florida and Virginia were packing up to leave this weekend, they said.

Many Venezuelans have expressed anger at what they see as their government’s slow response to the disaster, saying families spent the initial hours digging out loved ones themselves before international teams arrived.

Rodriguez has defended her government’s response, saying thousands of troops and officials had been dispatched.

In La Guaira, workers with heavy machinery on Saturday were starting to knock down collapsed structures, while in others, families were still trying to remove bodies of loved ones for funerals.

“We’re still working, still searching for bodies. We’re still going. It hasn’t been easy,” said Venezuelan volunteer Francisco Sasquia, helping dig out a collapsed residence.

“We found two bodies that have already been released to their families.”

Economic fallout

The UN has estimated that the twin earthquakes caused $6.7 billion in physical damage, equivalent to six per cent of GDP for Venezuela, an oil-exporting country.

Even before last week’s disaster struck, Venezuela had struggled with decades of economic crisis and political upheaval that undermined its infrastructure and health services.

Maiquetia International Airport in La Guaira, which serves Caracas, was also damaged in the quakes. It has reopened partially to allow humanitarian flights to land, but commercial flights are still suspended.

“We are in touch with some international partners, countries that will help in restoring the Maiquetia International Airport,” Rodriguez said at another event. “A plan will be ready next week.”

For Victor Colivert, the most important thing now was staying by the side of his nephew’s body, recovered from a building’s wreckage and now in a black body bag.

He fears losing it in the chaos. His family prevented forensic workers from taking the body away.

“If I have to go to China, to wherever, but I’m not leaving him alone,” he said. “I’m going with him.”

India, the world’s third-largest importer of oil and the second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas, faced major disruptions due to restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict between the United States and Iran.

With a temporary US-Iran deal in place to pause hostilities, oil and gas shipments are flowing through the Gulf waterway again, and restrictions and price hikes in India are being rolled back.

But Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said the energy crunch provided fresh impetus for India’s expansion of domestic supplies.

“We are currently in the process… to bid out about 250,000 square kilometres (96,500 square miles) of unexplored area,” Puri told AFP.

India is a modest producer in global terms.

Domestic crude production in 2025-2026 was 25.98 million metric tonnes, according to the oil ministry.

That meets just 10 per cent of India’s crude needs, equivalent to roughly 522,000 barrels per day (bpd) — a figure well below its production peak of just more than 900,000 bpd in 2011.

India survived the energy crunch by expanding its crude suppliers from 27 to 41 countries, including Iran, Venezuela, greater purchases from Russia and several African nations.

New Delhi has previously been criticised by both the United States and Europe for its purchase of Russian oil, with critics arguing that it bankrolled Moscow’s war against Kyiv.

But Puri said India had a “pragmatic approach” that put its energy needs above “ideological considerations”.

‘Ocean of energy opportunities’

The country’s domestic crude production is concentrated in the west — in its Mumbai offshore fields, Rajasthan and Gujarat — as well as the northeastern state of Assam.

But Puri has hailed what he calls an “ocean of energy opportunities” off India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, an 800-kilometre-long (500-mile) chain of environmentally sensitive islands in the seas bordering Thailand and Indonesia.

The vast Andaman Basin is geologically similar to hydrocarbon-bearing basins in Southeast Asia.

Puri posted a video on social media in June of a gas flare at an exploratory well drilled in the Andaman Sea by state-owned Oil India.

“Large number of deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration wells are planned in our offshore basins to fully exploit our hydrocarbon reserves,” Puri said when he released the video.

New Delhi is working with “deepwater exploration experts” including Petrobras, TotalEnergies, BP, Shell and ExxonMobil, he said.

In the same Andaman Sea, India is readying a $9 billion Great Nicobar Island Project to build a megaport, airport and city, creating a strategic base on what is, for now, a far-flung island covered in pristine forests and home to one of Earth’s most isolated peoples.

‘Exceptionally bullish’

The push pre-dates the Middle East war. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Samudra Manthan” mission during a speech marking Independence Day in August 2025.

The name refers to a central event in Hindu mythology meaning the “churning of the ocean”.

“We want to work in a mission mode towards finding oil reserves, gas reserves under the sea and hence India is going to start the National Deep Water Exploration Mission,” Modi said at the time.

But India’s bid to reduce dependence faces challenges.

Domestic demand in the world’s most populous nation of 1.4bn people is growing rapidly — even as the government vows to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.

India is also ramping up investments in renewables, nuclear energy and blending petrol with ethanol.

“India’s energy consumption today is growing at three times the pace compared to rest of the world,” Puri said.

“It has jumped from five million barrels per day in 2021 to about 5.6m barrels today, and would soon touch six million barrels per day, on the back of the robust economic and per capita income growth.” Puri said he was “exceptionally bullish” for the future.

“I am happy with the knowledge that our E+P (exploration & production) is going up and, believe me, it’s going to rise very fast,” Puri said.

He noted it was “a very capital intensive and time-consuming” process, but said he had high hopes.

“We are putting fiscal resources into oil and gas exploration in a very big way — with a $10bn programme,” he added.

“With it, we are going into one million kilometres of unexplored area.

KARACHI: An 11-year-old boy is set to be tried in a court of law for igniting a fire at the Gul Plaza Shopping Centre on Jan 17 that resulted in the deaths of 72 persons.

This was stated in a charge sheet filed in court by the investigating officer of the Gul Plaza fire case through in charge district prosecutor Abdul Razzaq Gujjar on Saturday.

Only on Friday, another prosecutor had returned the charge sheet to the IO, asking him to remove certain defects he pointed out and include the report of a judicial commission.

However, prosecutor Gujjar gave the go-ahead to the IO to file the charge sheet as the judicial commission’s report can be filed at a later stage.

According to the charge sheet, 72 people had lost their lives, eight sustained injuries and 1,153 shops were gutted in the devastating fire.

The IO named six persons — 11-year-old boy, Huzaifa; his father, Naimatullah, the owner of an artificial flower shop; Gul Plaza Management Committee members Tanveer Pasta; Amar Ismail; Muhammad Ramazan; and Muhammad Ameen — as accused persons.

All the nominated persons have been shown as absconders in the charge sheet. The IO has listed 42 prosecution witnesses in the case.

According to the charge sheet, several prosecution witnesses had recorded their statements under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code before a judicial magistrate. One of them, 13-year-old Aryan, deposed that he was present at his friend Huzaifa’s shop at Gul Plaza and Huzaifa was playing with matchsticks when the fire suddenly broke out in the shop.

It said that his testimony was also supported by two other eyewitnesses, Mohammad Talha and Hamza Amir, who deposed that Huzaifa’s father, Naimatullah, used to hand over the shop to his underage son.

It said as per the call data record (CDR), Naimatullah was also not present at the shop at the time of the incident.

The charge sheet stated that an underage boy was running the shop and the officials of the management committee had failed to take any action against Naimatullah or restrain him from allowing his juvenile son to operate the shop alone.

The charge sheet also stated that the exits points of the building were locked or blocked, there were insufficient fire extinguishers and fire safety equipment, no fire hydrant system was installed and no arrangement of emergency back-up lights as electricity was disconnected after the fire broke out and engulfed the building.

It further said that as per the CDR of the management committee members, they had not made any call to the fire brigade or other rescue and emergency services and had shown negligence on their part.

The IO also stated in the charge sheet that since Huzaifa is a minor, a charge sheet against him was being filed before a juvenile court.

Other suspects have been charged with the offences under Sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 322 (manslaughter), 337-H (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc.) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Earlier, IO Inspector Pervez Ahmed Bhutto had attempted thrice to submit the charge sheet, but the prosecution — deputy district prosecutors Muhammad Arif Sitai and Asadullah Maitlo — had pointed out defects and directed him to rectify them.

After scrutinising the charge sheet and other relevant record, the prosecution had raised objections for not including the names of officials from the relevant regulatory departments as well as those belonging to the previous union.

They had also asked the IO to obtain certified copies of the judicial commission’s report as well as the findings of a joint investigation team constituted by the Sindh government to probe the incident and to place the same on record along with the charge sheet.

However, the IO filed the charge sheet without removing these defects or obtaining report of the judicial commission and JIT.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

The July 7-8 summit, which is being hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will bring together leaders from the military alliance’s 32 member states.

Last month, Trump promised to make Erdogan “very happy” when asked about Turkiye looking to secure F110 jet engines and being readmitted to the F-35 fighter jet programme.

Analysts said it would likely mean freeing up fighter jet engines Turkiye wants to use in its flagship KAAN stealth fighter project.

“It’s likely to be the green light for the F110 GE engines for the KAAN fighter plane, about 40 of them. There had been obstacles to that supply and very possibly those are now being removed,” Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based Edam think tank, told AFP.

“Turkey has produced a couple of prototypes which are flying with the F110 engine, but it has been waiting for the supply of additional engines to increase the number of KAAN platforms,” he said.

KAAN is a twin-engine stealth fighter being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to replace the Turkish Air Force’s fleet of F-16s as Ankara seeks to join the exclusive club of nations producing fifth-generation combat aircraft, notably the US, China and Russia.

Although Turkiye will eventually fit the fighter with its own domestically-produced engine — the F110s lacking stealth capability — that project is still in the preliminary design phase, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said in September.

Turkiye received a first batch of 10 F110s in September, and talks with the US government to acquire 80 more were “ongoing”, he said.

Indigenous defence systems

But that’s been held up by a lack of political clearance linked to Turkiye’s 2017 acquisition of a Russian S-400 missile defence system, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in September.

Infuriated, Washington expelled Turkiye from its F-35 fighter jet programme in 2019 and imposed CAATSA sanctions a year later, hampering Turkish defence projects and souring ties.

“The CAATSA issue must be resolved. The US needs to take steps both regarding the F-35 and the engines for KAAN. KAAN’s engines are currently awaiting approval in the US Congress,” Fidan said, his remarks raising eyebrows back home as Turkiye had said the KAAN would be entirely domestically produced.

Ankara’s F-35 exclusion has forced it to refocus on self-sufficiency.

“Some argue we should not buy F-35s and invest that money into our own fifth-generation fighter jet programme. And that’s exactly what’s happening with President Trump’s decision to export jet engines,” Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara said.

“Without those engines, Turkiye cannot produce the KAAN jet.”

F-35 deadlock drags on

With a KAAN delivery date many years away, only Indonesia has placed an order, signing a $10bn contract to buy 48 fighters, although the Nato summit could generate further interest, Ulgen said.

“Looking at the failure of the German-French FCAS initiative, there may be some interest. Spain could potentially become a partner and there may be interest from the Gulf as well… But there are more obstacles to be overcome for it to become a credible offer on the international stage,” he said.

Experts expected little progress on the lingering F-35 dispute: for Congress to lift the CAATSA sanctions, Ankara would have to get rid of the S-400 — but selling it to a third country would require Moscow’s approval, and returning it to the Russians was not on the cards.

“The US administration might wish to… put this issue behind it and sell Turkiye some F-35, but that will go to Congress and changing the congressional decision won’t be easy,” said Professor Mustafa Aydin, an international relations expert at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

But Matthew Bryza, a retired US envoy and former senior White House and State Department official, said Trump could move to resolve the matter as the F-35 was an executive decision which he could easily reverse.

“President Trump can certainly declare that the S-400/F-35 dispute is finished. It’s the CAATSA sanctions that require congressional action. Whether he can persuade Congress to do that, depends on how much political capital he’s willing to expend,” he told AFP of a move that could be “politically costly in the lead up to the midterm elections” due to Turkiye’s opponents in the Greek and Armenian diaspora.

Munitions were suspected to have been dropped by a quadcopter drone on the house in the Nargasi area of Birmal tehsil, the sources said.

The incident reportedly occurred at the residence of a member of the Dinor subtribe. The deceased were identified as three girls aged between six and 15, while the injured include one woman and three young boys who sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Residents rushed to the scene immediately after the incident and launched rescue efforts before shifting the injured to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Wana for medical treatment. Hospital sources said the victims were receiving treatment, while medical staff continued to monitor their condition.

No official statement has been issued by the relevant authorities as yet. Officials have also not publicly confirmed the nature of the incident, its cause, or any claim of responsibility for the reported strike.

The incident has cast a pall of grief over the area, with local residents expressing shock and sorrow over the loss of civilian lives. Members of the local community have called for a transparent investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident and determine how it occurred.

According to local sources, similar alleged quadcopter drone incidents have previously been reported in several areas of Birmal tehsil, including Azam Warsak, Guldona Ghundai, Karmazi, Staff and Kalotai.

Local residents claim that such incidents have resulted in numerous casualties over time, contributing to growing fear and uncertainty among communities in the region.

Residents say the security situation in lower South Waziristan has deteriorated over the past one and a half years. They point to an increase in incidents of violence, including bomb explosions, targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion, and attacks on police and security personnel.

The reported rise in violence has heightened concerns among local communities, who have repeatedly urged the authorities to take effective measures to restore law and order and ensure the safety of civilians.

Earlier this week, a woman was killed and six other members of the same family were injured in a suspected drone strike in Pastawana, a village located in the mountainous terrain of Hassan Khel subdivision, around 50 miles south of Peshawar.

Separately, three people were killed and 10 others injured in an incident that police suspect involved the use of a quadcopter drone to drop a bomb on a house in KP’s Bajaur.

Last week, a child was killed and a woman injured in a suspected quadcopter attack in the War Mamund tehsil of Bajaur, according to police sources.

WASHINGTON: Isla­ma­bad is emerging as the leading venue for the next round of technical negotiations between the United States and Iran, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

The resumption of the talks is part of ongoing efforts to keep the diplomatic process on track and resolve longstanding disputes between Washington and Tehran.

“There are two possible venues for the technical talks — Islamabad and the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland,” one diplomatic source said. “Islamabad, however, is the more likely option.”

The technical talks are expected to take place on July 11, although a final decision on the venue has yet to be announced.

According to diplomatic sources, the negotiations will focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and Iranian assets frozen abroad. The discussions are also expected to address regional security issues, including efforts to preserve stability in the Strait of Hormuz and maintain the recently agreed ceasefire in Lebanon.

The July 11 meeting is intended to advance the framework established under the Islamabad Memo­randum of Understanding, signed two weeks ago, which gave both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and related issues.

The talks were temporarily delayed because of the multi-day state funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian officials have indicated that the composition of Tehran’s delegation will be announced after the funeral ceremonies conclude.

The latest diplomatic efforts follow indirect technical discussions held in Doha earlier this week. US President Donald Trump described those talks as “very good”, while Iranian officials said the two sides had reached an understanding on the partial release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets. US officials, however, reportedly disputed that any such agreement had been reached.

Diplomatic sources said mediators from Qatar and Pakistan continued to facilitate indirect contacts during the pause in negotiations, with discussions focusing on ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and preserving the 60-day ceasefire agreed after June negotiations in Switzerland.

The most recent high-level negotiations were held at Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort and were mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. Those talks produced what negotiators described as a roadmap for reaching a broader agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, maritime security and regional de-escalation.

Diplomatic sources said marathon negotiating sessions addressed nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief, security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Lebanon ceasefire. Although negotiators reported progress, they cautioned that the process remained fragile amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Officials familiar with the negotiations said the next round of high-level direct talks is expected to take place in Doha during the third week of July, after technical teams complete work on the details of a possible agreement.

US, Iran trade fresh barbs

Meanwhile, Washington and Tehran continued to exchange sharp verbal barbs during Khamenei’s funeral.

Speaking at an Independence Day event at Mount Rushmore, President Trump mocked the funeral ceremony, saying Washington had “given Iran a week off for a funeral because we’re nice”.

“We beat Venezuela in one day, and we knocked the hell out of Iran. They are dying to settle; they want to settle so badly,” he said during a speech marking the start of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the US, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday.

“We gave them a week off for a funeral because we are nice,” he added. He also claimed that Tehran was “dying to settle”.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran would seek justice against the US and Israel, adding that this would “remain an enduring cause”, according to Al Jazeera.

It also said the presence of high-level delegations from across the region and around the world at the farewell ceremonies for the late supreme leader was a clear indication of his stature and the greatness of the Iranian people.

Meanwhile, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said that “divine retribution” against the US and Israel was “not far off”, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

In a message, IRGC Navy chief Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei said he and his personnel “pledge to God that, by following the ideals of the martyrs, we will continue the path of the martyred leader of the Ummah with strength and steadfastness”.

“We have firm hope that divine retribution against the terrorist America and the illegitimate Zionist regime [Israel] is not far off,” he added.

‘Extra-regional powers’

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi issued a strong warning against any military activity by “extra-regional powers” in the Strait of Hormuz, emphasising that Tehran would hold those responsible for creating tensions “fully accountable” for their actions.

“The Strait of Hormuz is not a theatre for the military display of extra-regional powers,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.

“Iran, as the responsible power and gua­r­­antor of the Strait’s security, warns against any military movement in this waterway with the utmost seriousness,” he added.

In another development, Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf hit back at US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Iran’s food situation.

In an interview with CNBC, Trump repeated his claim that Iran would buy agricultural products from the US as part of any future peace deal, a claim Tehran has denied.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf responded by dismissing the US president’s assertions. “Imagine having 40-something million of your own citizens on food stamps and calling another nation hungry,” he said.

Ghalibaf further said the US must recognise that “realities have changed” following the Israeli-US war against Iran during a meeting with Uzbekistan’s parliamentary speaker, according to Al Jazeera.

He said “conditions have improved compared to the past” and that post-war developments had forced Washington to accept “existing realities”.

“In such an environment, trade relations can be expanded further, and we hope that the groundwork for lifting sanctions will also be prepared,” he added.

Ghalibaf further said that with the joint management of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and Oman, and a reduction in “American mischief” in the region, better prospects would emerge for transit cooperation.

—With input from Agencies

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

In a speech delayed by several hours when storms forced the temporary evacuation of crowds in Washington, Trump claimed that under his presidency the United States was “prouder than ever before”. While Trump had promised a huge political rally to stamp his brand on the national celebrations, the 80-year-old Republican largely stuck to a more traditionally patriotic script.

“For two and a half centuries, our American republic has stood as the crowning achievement of human history,” Trump told tens of thousands of people on the National Mall.

On stage, he hailed also veterans from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

But he then hailed the latter two as examples of the battle against “communists” — reprising his message from his speech on Friday night at the iconic Mount Rushmore monument.

“Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the word, only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America. We’re not going to let it happen,” he said.

‘Proud to be American’

Trump has repeatedly hammered home the theme recently ahead of November’s US midterm elections, after the anti-establishment left of the Democratic Party won a string of US primary victories.

“It’s like a cancer, you’ve got to cut it out,” he added.

The US leader also used the speech to boast of the recent military campaigns against Iran and Venezuela, saying Washington had “wiped out” Tehran’s military.

But the speech was short by Trump’s standards, at around 45 minutes long.

“We love Trump, we loved his speech,” said Richard Sullivan, 70, who came from Virginia with his wife Nancy and was wearing a Freedom 250 T-shirt.

“He went through our great history and had a word for the veterans that were here. He makes us proud to be American.”

A huge fireworks display began after the speech. Trump has said it will set a record as the world’s largest.

Americans braved a scorching heatwave in cities across the east of the country to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776.

Temperatures soared to a record 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4° Celsius) in the capital — an all-time high for July 4 — with 160 million Americans under extreme weather warnings, according to the National Weather Service.

Inclement weather meanwhile forced fireworks in New York to be pushed earlier, and resulted in evacuations at a concert in Philadelphia and a celebration on the Charles River in Boston.

‘Awesome country’

The elements also threatened to wreak havoc with Trump’s speech as tens of thousands were ordered to clear the National Mall several hours before his address due to approaching thunderstorms.

While many streamed toward exits, chaos broke out as other attendees refused to leave or tried to surge back in, where AFP reporters witnessed shouts of “charge!” and “Trump! Trump!”

Trump however insisted he was pushing ahead with the speech, telling Fox News that if D-Day veterans in World War II could brave bad weather then so could he.

“Experiencing a little heat is a lot less than what a lot of people sacrifice to give us this freedom in this awesome country,” said Randy Cole, 62, a retired civil servant attending festivities in Washington.

Yet Trump’s determination to put himself and his political brand front and center of the 250th anniversary celebration had highlighted the deep divisions caused by his second term in office.

Those divisions were on full display Saturday near Washington’s Capitol Hill, where masked men — some of them carrying Confederate flags and others sporting logos of the white supremacist Patriot Front — gathered to shout, “Reclaim America!” For Americans, the 250th anniversary offers a moment for reflection as well as celebration.

A Quinnipiac University Poll showed 61 per cent of Americans thought the US was not living up to the ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration has finalised three candidates for three vacant positions of judges, sources familiar with the development told Dawn, as the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) prepares to take up appointments.

The names forwarded to the JCP incl­u­­de District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, former Advo­ca­­te General Islamabad Ayyaz Shaukat, who currently serves as Chairman of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, and advocate Umair Majeed Malik, according to sources privy to the matter.

The development comes as the JCP, in its meeting on June 19, formally invited nominations from high courts for appointment of judges against vacant positions.

The commission has set July 4 as the deadline for submissions, following which the initial pool of nominees will undergo formal scrutiny under the recently approved 2026 rules.

Several other prominent names had been under consideration for elevation to the IHC bench before the finalisation of the three candidates.

These included tax law expert Usman G. Rashid Cheema and advocate Sultan Mazhar Sher Khan. Two serving district and sessions judges, including Shahrukh Arjumand and Humayun Dilawar were also among the leading candidates being considered for elevation.

The finalisation of candidates comes against the backdrop of intense lobbying by Islamabad’s legal fraternity, which has been demanding that vacancies in the high court be filled by lawyers belonging to the federal capital.

During a joint press conference held last month at the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, Islamabad Bar Council, IHC Bar Association and Islamabad District Bar Association had demanded that future appointments to the court be made from among Islamabad lawyers.

“The Islamabad High Court belongs to Islamabad, and appointments should be made from the Islamabad Bar,” Pakistan Bar Council member Raja Rizwan Abbasi had told reporters, arguing that judges in provincial high courts are generally appointed from within their respective provinces and the same principle should apply to the federal capital.

The lawyers’ representatives had also voiced serious concerns over alleged corruption in the district judiciary and called for judicial reforms. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, in its June 19 meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, approved new rules related to the appointment of judges and criteria for nominations to constitutional benches.

The commission approved the Judges Appointment Rules and amendments to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (Appointment of Judges) Rules, 2024. Under the approved framework, a seven-member interview panel has been established to vet prospective candidates for the superior judiciary.

However, sources told Dawn that recommendations generated by the interview committee will not be legally binding on the main commission, which retains absolute statutory authority to make final determinations through a majority vote.

The commission is likely to convene intensive sessions from July 21 to 23 to evaluate and finalise selections for high courts across the country.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

The government plans to do so through a series of projects and policy initiatives detailed in the Annual Plan 2026-27 released last month.

The Rs1.6bn allocation includes Rs344 million for the proposed National Centre for Rainfall Enhancement to support water security, climate adaptation and agricultural productivity.

Weather surveillance radar projects in Multan and Sukkur have been earmarked Rs195m and Rs5m, respectively, to improve real-time weather monitoring and early warning capabilities.

Another Rs1bn has been allocated for the modernisation of Hydromet Services in Pakistan project, which aims to upgrade hydrometeorological infrastructure, improve forecasting accuracy and strengthen climate-related data systems.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination was to receive Rs2.48bn under the budget for FY27, with the bulk of the allocation focused on forestry, biodiversity conservation, afforestation and ecosystem restoration.

Key initiatives include the Pakistan Climate Innovation and Green Growth Initiative to equip youth with green skills and support entrepreneurship through a Green Innovation Fund.

A National Forest and Tree Cover Assessment using remote sensing and machine learning technologies has also been planned to improve forest monitoring and restoration planning.

The programme will further introduce specialised initiatives under the upscaling of the Green Pakistan Programme, including the Pollution Load Assessment Network for environmental monitoring in Islamabad, a botanical garden in the federal capital and conservation efforts in the Margalla Hills National Park.

The government also plans to advance climate-smart agriculture, efficient water management, disaster risk reduction, green industrialisation, circular economy initiatives and domestic carbon market mechanisms to support sustainable economic growth.

The focus on resilience reflects Pakistan’s increasing exposure to climate-related disasters.

The Annual Plan noted that major floods in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2022 and 2025 caused extensive human and economic losses, damaging infrastructure and livelihoods across the country.

Citing the World Bank’s 2022 report, the plan says Pakistan suffers average annual losses of around $2bn from floods and earthquakes.

These losses could rise to $250bn by 2030 and $1.2 trillion by 2050, with damage in priority sectors reaching up to 30pc of GDP in a peak disaster year, highlighting the urgency of strengthening climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.

Last month, the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination had expressed concern that the climate mi­­nistry’s Public Sector Development Program­­me (PSDP) allocation dropped to Rs2.48bn, down from Rs3.5bn in the previous fiscal cycle.

Committee chairperson Senator Sherry Rehman had called the reductions in climate-related budget allocations “shocking” at a time when climate risks were increasing.

Except for disaster management finance, allocations in almost all climate categories have decreased compared to the outgoing FY25-26.

The mitigation funds have been reduced from Rs603 billion to Rs124 billion, while adaptation money has been slashed from Rs85bn to Rs70bn.

KARACHI: A lion whose distress image went viral on social media after being discovered in a private zoo in Nazimabad has been rescued and safely moved to an animal sanctuary, it emerged on Saturday.

“The lion was in bad shape so we had to get him out of the private zoo first in an emergency. There are still other animals that are in line to also be moved out of the place,” animal activist Jude Allen told Dawn.

He said that the lion was lucky to have a chain of events take place in his favour, the most important of which was the arrival of Sana Raja, a highly experienced wildlife rescuer and behaviourist with extensive fieldwork and training including exposure to advanced conservation practices in South Africa, in Karachi.

Allen got to know her during her previous mission of the rescue and rehabilitation of Rano, a Himalayan bear. “This time she was back in the city after successfully rescuing another two bears from abusive captivity in Islamabad who, on the special request of [Punjab minister] Marriyum Aurangzeb, were brought to Karachi to be kept at the animal sanctuary, Primal Earth Wildlife Sanctuary [PEWS], here,” said Allen.

Animal rights activist Jude Allen says big cat had signs of tail trauma, stunted growth

“And it was within two days of Sana’s coming to Karachi that the lion’s picture was posted on social media and showing it to her I requested her to stay in Karachi to help rescue the poor lion. Eventually, it was Sana who put the lion in the crate in which she had brought the two bears here from Islamabad,” shared Allen.

He is also extremely grateful to Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar, who gave necessary permission to get the lion out of the private zoo. “The legal paperwork to rescue the lion has been signed with the Sindh Wildlife by wildlife healer and founder of the PEWS, Ariana Magsi,” he added.

He recalled that when public pressure mounted and the post about the lion gained traction, crossing over 600 shares, the lion disappeared.

“What followed was a coordinated effort involving rescuers, concerned citizens and government departments. When the lion was eventually located and assessed, the findings were stark. He bore clear signs of tail trauma, a painful and widely condemned method used by untrained handlers to control big cats during transport. By forcefully pulling the tail, the animal is subdued through extreme pain, often resulting in lasting injury. There was swelling near the base of the tail, consistent with such handling,” Allen reported.

“Further examination reveals stunted growth, likely the result of repeated inbreeding, a hallmark of unregulated breeding operations. Signs of severe calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies had compromised his skeletal structure. This was not an isolated case of neglect. It was the visible outcome of a system that prioritises profit over life. And much of the damage, experts confirm, is irreversible,” he said.

The lion is now in quarantine at the PEWS, which happens to be Pakistan’s first purpose-built facility dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of captive wildlife.

“The lion is currently undergoing medical evaluation but his life going forward will be defined not by what he has lost, but by what can still be given. He may never run as a wild lion should. His enclosure will be carefully designed to account for his fragile condition. But for the first time, he will live without fear,” the animal welfare activist concluded.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

The petition, filed by Azhar Siddique, chairman of the Judicial Activism Panel, a public interest litigation association, names the federation, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, and the National Judicial (Policy-Making) Committee (NJPMC), among other federal and provincial authorities, as respondents.

The petitioner contends that despite the enactment of the 26th Amendment in 2024, constitutional benches have yet to be established in the Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Balochistan High Courts. To date, only the Sindh High Court has substantially implemented the framework envisaged under Article 202A. According to the petition, Article 202A uses mandatory language, stipulating that constitutional benches must be constituted and that only these specialised benches may exercise jurisdiction under Article 199.

The petitioner argues that the persistent failure to establish these benches has created an unequal, “two-track” system of constitutional justice. While litigants in Sindh have direct access to specialised constitutional benches, litigants in the rest of Pakistan must still have their constitutional cases heard by ordinary benches. Given the lack of any other effective or speedier remedy, the petitioner moved the LHC under its extraordinary constitutional jurisdiction in the public interest.

The petition also challenges the long-standing practice of the LHC’s case-filing branch raising preliminary objections, such as maintainability, jurisdiction, locus standi, and the availability of alternative remedies, before a petition is formally heard. The petitioner argues that these are exclusively judicial questions that cannot legally be decided by administrative staff. Such administrative screening acts as an unconstitutional barrier to justice, violating Articles 4, 9, 10A, and 25 of the Constitution. Legal precedents from Pakistan, India, and the UK, alongside international principles on judicial independence, dictate that maintainability must always be decided by judges rather than registry officials.

Between November 2025 and June 2026, the petitioner submitted 14 detailed representations to the president, prime minister, provincial authorities, and the NJPMC requesting the implementation of Article 202A and filing reforms. However, no reasoned response was received, save for a solitary letter from the NJPMC forwarding one representation to the LHC Registrar.

The petition highlights a severe crisis in the judiciary, noting that 76 out of 200 sanctioned high court judges’ posts across Pakistan remain vacant. This understaffing has allegedly encouraged excessive administrative screening instead of proper judicial case management. The crisis is particularly acute at the LHC, which alone faces a backlog of 198,005 pending cases, accounting for roughly 56.8pc of all pending high court litigation nationwide.

Relief sought

The petitioner has prayed the court to direct the respondents to decide the pending representations through detailed, reasoned speaking orders within 30 days. Furthermore, the court is urged to declare that vague or non-speaking communications do not satisfy constitutional requirements.

Finally, the petition asks the court to order the respondents to submit compliance reports to ensure the swift implementation of Article 202A and the permanent removal of administrative barriers to litigation.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

QUETTA: Police have registered an FIR over the tragic passenger coach crash that claimed dozens of lives at Dhanasar police station in Sherani district.

The deceased coach driver, Babu Ustad, has also been nominated in the FIR, along with the Mekhtar Bus Company management and owners. The case has been registered under Sections 322, 320, 337-G, 279, 427 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of SHO Zulfiqar Ali.

Authorities have sealed the bus company’s office and launched an investigation on the directives of Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. Investigators have questioned several people in connection with the incident.

Officials said 26 victims had been identified and their bodies dispatched to their native areas, while the identification process for the remaining victims was continuing. According to officials, most of the deceased belonged to various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while some were travelling to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced compensation of Rs2 million for the families of those killed and Rs1m for each injured passenger.

According to the FIR, there was an altercation between the bus driver and some passengers before the accident.

The FIR states that two passengers told the driver, “When you reach Peshawar, we will not spare you.”

It says the driver became enraged and replied, “If you make it safely to Peshawar, then you can decide whether or not to spare me.”

However, the FIR does not mention the reasons behind the dispute that some injured passengers had described.

According to the complainant, when police reached the scene, the New Mekhtar Company bus had plunged into a deep ravine. Initially, 31 people were found dead and 17 injured. One of the injured later succumbed to injuries, raising the death toll at that stage to 32.

The FIR alleges that driver Babu Ustad deliberately and recklessly drove the bus in an enraged state, endangering the lives of passengers. It further states that the owners and management of the bus company also bear responsibility and have been nominated in the case in accordance with the law.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

The main sit-in continued at the Eidgah ground, while smaller gatherings, with attendance ranging between 100 and 500 people, were also being held at Mutyalmera, Singola, Paniola and Shujaabad. According to official sources, participants at the main sit-in on the outskirts of Rawalakot were expected to organise a short rally near the protest site after assembling there at 2pm on Sunday.

“There is no information suggesting they intend to move beyond their respective protest sites,” an official said, attributing the rumours of long marches to the absence of communication facilities in the region.

An official described the sit-ins on the outskirts of the town as gatherings where participants mostly assembled in the evening “to enjoy the cool weather and free meals”.

He said there was no shortage of food supplies at the main protest camp, where rations had been stockpiled in a nearby marriage hall, and meals were being prepared in makeshift ovens. Food was also being provided to households accommodating participants from other areas, he added.

Poonch administration recommends disciplinary action against 70 more officials

The official maintained that although roads leading to Rawalakot remained blocked, there was no shortage of essential commodities in the town. “The administration has allowed grocery stores, medical outlets, poultry and dairy shops to operate so that residents can meet their daily needs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Poonch administration has intensified its campaign against government employees allegedly participating in the sit-ins by recommending disciplinary action against more than 70 additional officials.

Official correspondence showed that the employees included 42 from the education department — among them one lecturer and 32 teachers — 12 from the health department, five each from the electricity and public works departments, three from the local government and rural development department, and two each from the agriculture and forests departments.

The administration also recommended action against five employees of the National Bank of Pakistan and one employee of the Pakistan Post Office.

The proposed measures include stoppage of salaries and initiation of disciplinary proceedings.

Separately, the education secretariat initiated an inquiry against two retired teachers from Kotli after suspending their pensions over similar allegations, according to another official letter.

In a separate development, the AJK police rejected what it described as a coordinated social media campaign that claimed the law enforcement agencies had attacked the Eidgah sit-in in Rawalakot.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

He made the remarks during a joint press conference in Istanbul with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his official visit to Turkiye. The two leaders had held a bilateral meeting prior to the press briefing.

In his remarks, PM Shehbaz described discussions with Erdogan as “very comprehensive and productive discussions”.

“We expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, while reviewing concrete steps to unlock the full potential of our economic partnership,” he elaborated.

PM Shehbaz remarked that a “tremendous reservoir of goodwill” between the two nations provided them a “unique and ideal opportunity to achieve our mutually-agreed target of $5bn in bilateral trade”.

“Pakistan and Turkiye have always stood firmly beside one another on issues of fundamental national importance,” he said, affirming that Islamabad will continue to stand firmly with Ankara over the issue of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The prime minister expressed Pakistan’s “profound appreciation for Turkiye’s principled and unwavering support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their legitimate right to self-determination”.

“President Erdogan and I reaffirmed our shared belief that dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path to resolving disputes and preserving international peace and security,” he emphasised.

The premier extended his “deep and sincere appreciation for Turkiye’s strong and steadfast support” for Pakistan’s peace efforts that culminated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed on June 18 to end the US-Iran war.

“The future of Pakistan-Turkiye relations is infinitely promising and bright,” PM Shehbaz remarked.

He asserted that the decisions made “today will not remain words on paper, but they will translate into greater trade, stronger investment, deeper strategic cooperation and above all, a better future for our peoples”.

“Turkiye’s success is Pakistan’s success; Pakistan’s progress is Türkiye’s progress,” the prime minister said, assuring Erdogan of Islamabad’s unwavering commitment to further strengthen their countries’ partnership.

PM Shehbaz had begun his address by thanking the Turkish side’s hospitality and hailing the “unique friendship” between the two nations forged through shared history and common faith.

“Pakistan has always found its home in the hearts of the people of Turkiye, just as Turkiye lives in the hearts of every Pakistani,” he remarked.

He noted that the people of both countries stood together in moments that “shaped the course of history”, such as Turkiye’s War of Independence, when Muslims of the subcontinent supported Turkiye’s efforts for independence.

“Mothers took off their bangles, young daughters gave away their cherished jewellery, and countless families sacrificed their savings — a remarkable expression of love and solidarity,” the premier said.

He added: “But little did our forefathers know that this selfless generosity would be one day returned by the people of Turkiye with even greater compassion, affection and brotherhood.”

Highlighting that Turkiye always stood with Pakistan during difficult times, PM Shehbaz said: “That spirit of solidarity was reciprocated with remarkable generosity whenever Pakistan faced adversity.

“Whether during war, devastating earthquakes or catastrophic floods, the people of Turkiye stood firmly by Pakistan,” he said, recalling Erdogan’s visit to flood-affected areas of Pakistan in 2010 and his wife Emine Erdogan donating her necklace to support flood victims.

The prime minister further pointed out that under Erdogan’s instructions, a Turkish company set up a modern hospital, a school and model villages in Muzaffargarh.

“Today, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital and Emine Erdogan School continue to provide high-quality medical treatment to patients and high-quality education to our children,” he said.

“This gesture is a lasting testament to Turkiye’s compassion and enduring brotherhood between our two nations. This is why we proudly say Pakistan and Turkiye are two hearts with one soul,” the premier remarked.

PM Shehbaz lauded Erdogan: “Very few leaders of our time have demonstrated the vision, courage and steadfast resolve that President Tayyip Erdogan has shown in more than two decades of bold and dynamic leadership.”

He highlighted that Turkiye had undergone a “remarkable transformation economically, technologically and strategically” under Erdogan’s rule.

“He has strengthened Turkiye’s national prestige and confidence, preserved its independent voice and elevated its standing as one of the most influential countries in regional and global affairs,” the prime minister said.

Referring to the Pakistan-Turkiye business conference he addressed earlier, PM Shehbaz said: “The optimism, wisdom and entrepreneurial spirit I witnessed today reaffirmed my conviction that the economic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye is entering a new phase and opening a new chapter under President Erdogan’s able leadership.”

Addressing the press conference, President Erdogan said Islamabad and Ankara have reaffirmed their target to increase the volume of bilateral trade to $5 billion a year.

“In our talks today, we exchanged views on global and regional issues with a particular focus on our bilateral relations,” President Erdogan said.

Affirming that Turkiye’s solidarity with Pakistan “continues in every field”, the president said the two sides discussed the “steps we can take to further enhance our trade and investment relations in a manner befitting the spirit of solidarity”.

“We have reaffirmed our target of increasing our trade volume to the previously set level of $5 billion,” he added, referring to their pledge made in May 2024 based on potential identified in 2022.

Erdogan noted that both countries’ trade ministries were working on establishing a special economic zone (SEZ) planned for “our business people in Karachi”.

“Similarly, negotiations are ongoing on expanding the scope of our preferential trade agreement,” he said, expressing confidence that the B2B conference would contribute to Pak-Turkiye investment ties.

“We, too, encourage our investors to engage in more activities in Pakistan,” he added.

The Turkish president remarked that the bilateral cooperation in the defence industry was “one of the cornerstones of our economic relations and it continues to grow stronger with new projects each passing day”.

“We are implementing these projects step by step, and I am confident and I believe that they will further strengthen Pakistan.”

Erdogan expressed Turkiye’s desire to deepen cooperation in the fields of energy, transportation, critical minerals, and information technologies.

“I hope that today’s meeting and the decisions we have reached will lead to beneficial outcomes,” he concluded.

At the outset of his address, Erdogan mentioned Islamabad’s role in mediation between the United States and Iran.

He said the “entire world has had a sigh of relief thanks to the calm achieved through” the Islamabad MoU.

“Recent reports in the international media have highlighted challenges involved in the negotiation process,” he noted.

The Turkish president congratulated PM Shehbaz and the Pakistani “brothers and sisters whose invaluable efforts played a major role in achieving this outcome”.

“We too have supported and continue to support every step that will help to reduce tensions in our region and resolve issues through diplomatic means,” he affirmed.

Erdogan said Ankara was “closely monitoring the Israeli administration’s provocations aimed at sabotaging the agreement” between the US and Iran.

“The Zionist massacre team responsible has cited political survival to the continuation of conflicts in the region, and the Israeli occupying forces are also continuing their inhumane attacks on the people of Gaza,” he highlighted.

The Turkish president asserted that the “current war-addicted Israeli government must not be allowed to once again engulf our region in the smell of gunpowder and blood”.

“Turkiye seeks the establishment of an environment in which all the peoples of the region, regardless of their faith, can live in peace and security,” he stated, adding that his country was making every effort to create such an environment.

Erdogan emphasised: “No solution that does not derive strength from the contributions of countries in the region can possibly be lasting.”

He affirmed that Ankara would continue working with “brotherly countries, foremost among them Pakistan, to strengthen peace, stability and prosperity in our region”.

Erdogan also expressed his condolences on Friday’s accident near the Balochistan-KP border, which claimed the lives of 40 people.

Earlier, Erdogan had received PM Shehbaz at Vahdettin Palace, where an official welcome ceremony was held, Anadolu reported.

The two leaders then proceeded to a bilateral meeting, which was expected to be followed by delegation-level talks.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organisation head Ibrahim Kalin, the presidency’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and the president’s chief adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic attended the closed-door meeting.

Bilateral meeting

PM Shehbaz and President Erdogan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with a particular focus on trade, investment, energy and regional cooperation, during a meeting at the Vahdettin Palace in Istanbul.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with ministers and senior officials from both countries.

The two leaders reaffirmed the historic and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.

They held wide-ranging discussions on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, energy, offshore and onshore petroleum exploration, mines and minerals, and information technology. They also reiterated their commitment to achieving the mutually agreed bilateral trade target of $5bn, added the PMO statement.

Shehbaz and Erdogan also exchanged views on regional and global developments. According to the statement, the Turkish president appreciated Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, which it said contributed to the signing of the Islamabad MoU.

The prime minister thanked President Erdogan for Turkiye’s support for Pakistan’s peace efforts, while both leaders also appreciated the close diplomatic coordination between the two countries during the peace process and underscored the need for sustained efforts to ensure lasting regional peace.

The two leaders also reaffirmed Pakistan and Turkiye’s steadfast support for each other’s core issues.

Looking ahead to the eighth session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), due to be held in Turkiye later this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz extended an invitation to President Erdoğan to visit Pakistan, the statement added.

‘Turkiye one of Pakistan’s staunchest allies’

PM Shehbaz also addressed a Pakistan-Turkiye business-to-business (B2B) conference in Istanbul.

At the outset of his address, the premier called Turkiye “one of Pakistan’s staunchest allies around the globe”.

The prime minister noted that the strength of the Pak-Turkiye relationship “demands very strongly that these beautiful words from both sides must now be converted into something concrete”, referring to the speeches given by the two countries’ ministers.

“I think this is high time when Pakistan, with the great support of my very dear brother President Tayyip Erdogan, has been able to mediate peace between the United States and Iran,” he recalled.

PM Shehbaz described the mediation efforts, saying, “It wasn’t an easy task; a very uphill task.”

He added that “this mission would have been well-nigh impossible” without the “very sincere support” of Turkiye and other brotherly countries.

The prime minister called for finding “tremendous potential in this peace process not only for our bilateral benefits, but for the entire region”.

Commending Erdogan’s “dynamic leadership”, he noted that Turkiye had made “tremendous strides in the field of industry”.

“Today, your automobile industry is at par with your textile, livestock, agriculture, and this has been a kind of a mini-miracle in the last 20 years under President Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership.”

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz attended the moot. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Power Minister Awais Leghari and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja were among those from the Pakistani side who also addressed the conference.

The B2B conference was to “spotlight Pakistan’s trade and investment potential in priority areas, including SEZs (special economic zones), energy, trade, IT and privatisation sectors”, the FO spokesperson had said.

PM invites Turkish companies to expand investments in Pakistan

As he began the day, PM Shehbaz held a series of meetings with senior executives of Turkiye’s leading business groups and industry organisations in Istanbul.

He invited Turkish companies to expand their investments in several sectors in Pakistan, including energy, mining and minerals, infrastructure, maritime and logistics, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture and privatisation, according to the PMO.

The statement said PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to “strengthening economic cooperation and attracting greater Turkish investment across key sectors of the economy”.

He also underscored the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and emphasised the importance of translating the two countries’ exceptional relationship into a stronger economic and investment partnership, it added.

PM Shehbaz also discussed Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals and investor-friendly policy framework, adding that the government is committed to ensuring “a transparent, predictable and business-friendly investment environment”.

“He noted that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), working in close coordination with the relevant federal and provincial authorities, continues to provide one-window facilitation and institutional support for strategic investors,” the statement said.

Speaking with the chairman of Çalık Holding, Ahmet Çalık, Shehbaz stressed opportunities in Pakistan’s energy, infrastructure, information technology and privatisation sectors, welcoming the company’s interest in expanding its operations in Pakistan.

He also invited Albayrak Group to expand its investments in maritime infrastructure, port modernisation and logistics, “recognising its important contribution to Pakistan’s connectivity and infrastructure development”.

The statement said the premier appreciated the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkiye (TOBB) for its “continued efforts to strengthen business-to-business engagement between Pakistan and Turkiye” in a meeting with the organisation’s president.

He further proposed a structured institutional mechanism for regular interaction between the private sectors of both countries and invited TOBB to lead a high-level business delegation to Pakistan to explore emerging investment opportunities firsthand.

According to the PMO, the Turkish business leaders expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic outlook, the press release said, adding that the business groups “reaffirmed their interest in expanding investments and developing long-term partnerships across a range of strategic sectors”.

Turkcell invited to explore collaboration in 5G deployment, other areas

In a separate meeting with Turkcell Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ali Taha Koç, PM Shehbaz shared his government’s vision of establishing a Pakistan–Türkiye Digital Corridor.

According to a PMO statement, the digital corridor would “strengthen regional digital connectivity, facilitate secure cross-border data flows, and advance the integration of digital infrastructure”.

The premier underscored the importance of deepening Pakistan–Türkiye cooperation in the digital and technology sectors.

He invited Turkcell to explore long-term collaboration with Pakistani institutions in various areas, including 5G deployment, network optimisation, spectrum management, digital infrastructure and technology transfer.

“He also encouraged the company to consider partnerships in the local manufacturing of telecommunications equipment, software development, digital skills development and capacity building,” PMO said.

PM Shehbaz stressed that such cooperation would strengthen Pakistan’s technology ecosystem while generating opportunities for innovation, employment and sustainable growth.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “commitment to maintaining a transparent, predictable and investment-friendly business environment, supported by the SIFC, to facilitate strategic investments in high-value sectors, particularly information and communication technologies”.

On his part, the Turkcell CEO appreciated the government’s “forward-looking digital transformation agenda and expressed Turkcell’s keen interest in exploring opportunities for collaboration in telecommunications, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies”, PMO said.

He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to “working closely with the relevant Pakistani stakeholders to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to the shared economic and technological aspirations” of both countries.

PM Shehbaz had arrived in Istanbul on Friday for an official visit at the invitation of Erdogan, after attending the funeral of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

Last week, Pakistan and Turkiye signed three MoUs aimed at enhancing institutional collaboration, technical cooperation and knowledge sharing in the power sector during high-level consultations held in Istanbul.

The two foreigners recorded their statements on Thursday, the same day police booked five suspects over alleged abduction and sexual assault after the two women were rescued. Four of the suspects, including a close relative of a senior political personality, were arrested and later sent on a five-day physical remand.

The complainant-victim, a citizen of the Netherlands, provided her voluntary statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) following an investigation registered under a first information report (FIR) filed at the Defence C Police Station.

The charges include severe offences under sections 375-A (rape) and 365-A (kidnapping for extortion) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the victim’s sworn statement, she and her friend, who is a Venezuelan citizen, arrived in Pakistan on June 26, 2026 at the invitation of a local business partner whom they said they had originally met in Singapore in October 2025.

The primary suspect, who claimed to be well-connected to influential government figures, arranged their visas under the guise of setting up meetings with high-profile investors for the victim’s company, the Dutch woman said.

After spending three days at a hotel in Islamabad — during which they made sightseeing trips to Nathia Gali and attended business presentations — the group travelled to Lahore by car on the afternoon of June 29.

The suspect allegedly lured the victim and her companion to a modern house in Lahore under the pretext of celebrating a relative’s birthday. However, upon entering the residence, they found it empty.

Within 15 minutes, four men armed with firearms and ropes stormed the premises. The captors immediately tied the victims’ hands behind their backs and subjected both women to physical assault, the complainant alleged.

While the primary suspect initially acted as a fellow victim to mask his complicity, it later became evident he was working in tandem with the armed group, she further claimed.

She alleged that the captors demanded exorbitant ransom amounts, starting at $2 million, threatening to kill the women and sell their organs if they did not comply.

The victims were separated, the complainant said, recalling she was held downstairs under armed guard while her companion was kept upstairs.

During the night, she said, the prime suspect and an accomplice referred to as “the boss” forcibly took the victim’s phone and electronically transferred $17,000 in cryptocurrency from her accounts.

The woman said she was repeatedly coerced into sending frantic voice notes to her family and friends begging for money.

However, she managed to slip a pre-established distress code word—“CARLITOS”— into her messages, prompting her family in Europe to immediately alert international and local law enforcement authorities.

On June 30, she said, an armed assailant dressed in a black local suit sexually assaulted her in the bedroom.

On July 1, the key suspect drove the women away, claiming he was taking them to the airport, she said.

However, tracking the route on a hidden mobile phone, the Dutch woman said she realised he was deliberately lying and stalling, driving slowly while communicating suspiciously with “the boss”.

Fearing they were being driven to another secondary location, the women began screaming for him to stop. Seizing a moment of chaos when their vehicle slightly collided with a car ahead, the women jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran screaming into a nearby mechanic’s shop for safety.

A local traffic police officer spotted the women and immediately summoned emergency backup, the Netherlands citizen said.

Suffering from severe trauma, the women initially panicked and fled the first police response vehicle out of fear.

However, senior police officials arrived shortly after alongside a female officer, successfully calming the victims and presenting evidence that law enforcement had actively been tracking their kidnapping case for the past 48 hours.

The victims were safely escorted to the police station, where their official statements were secured.

Following the victim’s explicit confirmation that she gave her statement voluntarily and without outside coercion, the magistrate formally sealed the testimony to proceed with aggressive legal action against the perpetrators.

Second woman’s testimony

The other victim, a Venezuelan citizen, also recorded a separate testimony, which was similar to that of the Dutch woman and supported her version of events.

The 40-year-old woman also claimed she initially met the prime suspect at a cryptocurrency event in Singapore. Trusting his credentials, she said she and her friend — the other complainant — entered into a business venture with him.

She said the suspect allegedly built credibility by claiming to be the son of a high-ranking government minister and displaying a profile picture alongside a former prime minister on a messaging application.

Relying on these credentials, she said they agreed to travel to Pakistan.

However, upon arrival, they were taken to a secluded residence where they were bound and held captive.

During their confinement, she alleged, the prime suspect repeatedly interrogated her regarding her computer access and financial assets, threatening that both women would be killed if the demanded funds were not secured.

The victim further alleged that they were subjected to continuous harassment and that two individuals at the location sexually assaulted her. The captors also used broken glass to threaten them with physical mutilation, she further said.

“There was another guy and he was different from the others with guns and he could speak English very well,” she claimed.

In a meeting on Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Mar­yam Nawaz was informed that the digital health census was near completion and that nearly 94.3 million health and demographic profiles had been registered across Punjab.

“More than 85 per cent of the population in 18 districts has been covered through health and demographic profiling. Five districts have achieved 100 per cent coverage, while another five districts have completed over 95 per cent profiling,” the meeting was informed.

The meeting was informed that every household in Punjab had been assigned a “unique identification nu­­mber” through digital mapping, while 14,300 community health ins­pectors had conducted door-to-door visits to collect citizens’ medical, demographic and socio-economic data. The CM reviewed the programme’s digital dashboard, which contained comprehensive information on citizens’ health status, lifestyle, economic conditions, access to drinking water and disabilities.

Nearly 94.3m profiles registered; CM Mar­yam orders population management campaign

It was announced that 16 cardiac catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) would be made operational acr­­oss the province by December. Five labs were already functional, while facilities in Bhakkar, Baha­wa­lnagar and Layyah had been directed to become operational at the earliest.

The CM also sought weekly performance reports on the operational labs and directed officials to improve the home delivery system for medicines. She instructed the health department to launch a comprehensive population management campaign to address the province’s growing population.

“Without authentic data, no policy can be effective,” the CM said, adding that healthcare services would now be planned and delivered on the basis of 100 per cent verified digital data instead of estimates.

She observed that accurate data was essential to determine the number of patients and medicines required in each area and noted that many basic health issues and diseases had never before been systematically documented.

The meeting was informed that a proposal had been presented to lau­nch the ‘Maryam Nawaz Sehatmand Gharana Programme’, under which citizens would be directly linked with primary healthcare centres, reducing visits to hospitals. Patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, hepatitis, cancer, and malnutrition would also be monitored through a digital follow-up system.

A modern disaster recovery site would be established to ensure the security of Punjab’s health database.

The CM directed that phase two of cath labs in eight additional districts be completed by the end of July. The CM welcomed the negative environmental polio samples reported from 19 districts and appreciated the polio workers for safeguarding children against the disease.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday urged the United States to stand by his country after a recent US-backed framework deal with Israel aiming to permanently end hostilities after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.

The deal reached in Washington calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army there, starting with two “pilot” areas.

Hezbollah has rejected the deal, which does not set a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal.

In a congratulatory message to President Donald Trump marking the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, Aoun urged Washington to “keep always standing beside Lebanon’s right and just causes, its institutions, army and people”.

Aoun expressed hope that Lebanon could “turn the page on wars… and open a new page of hope, peace and stability”.

In a message also marking the independence anniversary, the US embassy in Lebanon said on X that “it is with great pride that we stand with the people of Lebanon as they forge a brighter future — one of peace, prosperity, and promise long overdue”.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes days earlier.

Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops still occupy swathes of territory near the border.

An agreement signed by Tehran and Washington on ending the regional war last month also established a ceasefire in Lebanon, which took effect on June 21.

Days later, Lebanon and Israel agreed to the US-backed framework aiming to pave the way for a permanent end to hostilities.

The United Nations Internatio­nal Organisation for Migration said this week that more than 640,000 displaced people have returned home since June 22.

Lebanese authorities have said the war has killed some 4,300 people and displaced more than one million others.

But many residents are unable to return to towns and villages near the southern border where Israeli troops are still present and many of which have suffered massive destruction.

On a visit to the south on Saturday including the heavily damaged city of Nabatieh, Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said authorities were working on a plan including for “prefabricated houses and rent assistance payments” to help people return home, or to areas nearby.

Israeli has kept up intermittent strikes on south Lebanon despite the ceasefire.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said an Israeli strike on the village of Mansouri on Saturday wounded one person, also reporting Israeli artillery shelling elsewhere.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

SAIPAN: People in the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands readied themselves on Saturday as the second super typhoon since April drew closer, bringing the equivalent of Category 5 hurricane winds.

Super Typhoon Bavi was moving westward with sustained winds of 269 kilometres per hour and gusts of 324km per hour, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said in an update at 7pm local time.

The eye of the storm was expected to pass Monday very close to the small island of Rota between Guam and Saipan, the main island of the Northern Marianas, with winds set to strengthen to 278km per hour.

“My girls were saying to me it’s scary, but it will be okay. My house is concrete, so the worst that can happen is a window could blow in,” Arabella Paulino, 48, said on a Guam beach as the sky darkened.

“Typhoon Sinkalu in April wasn’t as bad as Mawar in 2023. That brought my whole house down,” Derma Soaladaob, 51, said. “I stay up north, but I’m going to a hotel. I have a concrete house but with the noise and the wind, it’s scary.”

Guam was set to go into Condition of Readiness 2 — meaning a typhoon was expected within 24 hours — starting at 10pm.

Emergency shelters were due to open Sunday at 7am, the governor’s office said. Residents were told to bring enough food and water to last seven days for each family member to the shelters, as well as medicines and bedding. Pets were not allowed.

Any plans for celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary on Saturday, also Liberation Day for Saipan, were quickly overtaken by storm preparations.

Both territories declared a state of emergency. Many of the islands’ roughly 200,000 inhabitants queued at gas stations and thronged hardware stores to buy plywood to board up windows while stocking up on essentials.

Jeff Garcia, 48, who lives in Kagman Village in the Northern Marianas, said safety was the top priority, adding that they had weathered super typhoons before.

“We bought basic needs like wat­er, candles, batteries, and canned goods,” Garcia said. “As a communi­­ty, our greatest defence is our unity, our preparation and our discipline.”

The Northern Marianas archipelago and nearby Guam are home to around 210,000 people. Major battles were fought in the area during World War II.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit in mid-April, knocked out power for tens of thousands of people, uprooted trees, overturned cars and ripped metal roofs off buildings. A cargo ship, the MV Mariana, suffered engine failure and overturned.

One crew member’s body was recovered; five others were missing and presumed dead.

The American Red Cross warned that some locals were still in temporary shelters, even as it deployed disaster teams ahead of Bavi’s arrival.

Em Marilla, 42, of Saipan, said the thought of going through it all again without electricity and water was sad. “Furthermore, the application process for assistance takes far too long, and having to keep spending out of pocket for our daily needs is truly draining,” Marilla said.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

In his first interview since announcing his resignation June 22, Starmer said his successor as leader of the ruling Labour Party could not spend less time on turbulent international affairs.

So far, Burnham, the former Manchester mayor, is the only candidate to take over the centre-left party. He could be in office by mid-July.

“Whoever’s my successor is going to face the same global conflict,” Starmer told the BBC. “We keep saying, and it’s true, we’re in a more dangerous and volatile world than we’ve been in for probably most of my lifetime. That’s not just a phrase; that’s reality.”

Burnham’s supporters have said he should put more focus on domestic issues, such as the cost of living and the decentralisation of government. But Starmer stressed that his successor would not be able to spend less time on dip­lo­­macy, noting the two areas are deeply connected.

“If you’re prime minister and you care what bills are going to be like in any household around the country, you have to care about finding a lasting solution to the situation in Ukraine; you have to care about what happens in the Strait of Hormuz,” Starmer said.

In a social media question-and-answer session on Friday, Burnham said he would “100pc” give the same support to Ukraine as Starmer.

Starmer, who led Lab­o­ur to a win in the 2024 election, said he will rem­ain in parliament until the next vote.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026

Clad in black and waving blood-red flags seen as a call for vengeance and justice, mourners thronged the Grand Mosalla religious complex in Tehran, AFP correspondents said.

Authorities believe the ceremonies will mobilise more than 10 million people in the capital alone for tributes to the man who ran the country for three-and-a-half decades.

Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic republic as its number one from 1989 until his assassination aged 86 on the first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.

AFP photographs showed the coffins of Khamenei and four other family members at the front on a dais.

There was still no sign of Khamenei’s son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been unseen in public since being named supreme leader a week after the killing of his father.

Other top Iranian officials who survived the war welcomed foreign dignitaries who paid their respects at the coffin on Friday before the complex opened to the public.

Chants of “death to America” and “revenge, revenge” echoed at the venue.

“The leader was a father to us all. With his passing, we have all been left orphaned… There was no one like him. He was truly unique and peerless,” said Mohammad Mirsalehi, a 38-year-old cleric.

“We came (to the funeral) because we promised the supreme leader we would stand by him to the very end,” 37-year-old university professor Reza, who gave only one name, told AFP.

“For a long time, we shouted that we would sacrifice our lives for the leader, but it was he who sacrificed himself for us.”

Javad Akbari, 43, a food-processing plant worker, said: “I never had the chance to see the supreme leader up close, and I regret that. Today, I have come to bid him a final farewell.”

An AFP journalist saw mourners walking several kilometres to reach the venue. Hundreds of supporters of the Islamic republic had begun arriving on Friday evening outside the Grand Mosalla.

“We want to say a final goodbye to our leader, which is why waiting like this isn’t painful or difficult for us,” Somayye Hamedi told AFP.

Significant security measures have been imposed, with roads blocked and airspace expected to be closed for what is set to be the largest-scale public event in Iran since the burial of Khamenei’s predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.

‘Final goodbye’

The coffin will lie in state until Monday, when a procession will pass through Tehran.

On Tuesday, it will move to the clerical hub of Qom, before moving on Wednesday to cities holy to Shia Muslims in neighbouring Iraq, then proceeding for burial on Thursday in Khamenei’s home city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

He will be buried with his infant granddaughter, son-in-law, daughter and Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife Zahra Haddad Adel, who were all killed in the February 28 strikes.

The tiny coffin of his granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani, who according to state media was just 14 months old, was prominently displayed.

Officials who survived the war showed their grief and displayed a united front on Friday, with parliament speaker and top negotiator in the US talks Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visibly tearful.

Top Iranian officials paying their respects included Ahmad Vahidi, who was named chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) after his predecessor was assassinated in the same strikes that killed Khamenei, but had not been seen since.

The coming days will be closely watched for signs of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has communicated only by written statements and is said to have been wounded in the same strikes, though the extent of his injuries was never made clear.

International guests paying respects on Friday included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of the Russian security council, who attended on behalf of President Vladimir Putin.

Hamas and Hezbollah were also represented, as was the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

On Saturday, PM Shehbaz said the supreme leader’s “wisdom, leadership and profound influence on Iran and the wider region will be remembered for generations”.

“Pakistan stands with Iran in this time of grief,” he said.

‘Call for vengeance’

After five weeks of fighting, the Middle East conflict is on hold following an initial accord between Iran and the United States. But Iranian officials have warned Tehran is ready to resume fighting if needed.

“The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world,” said Ghalibaf, who urged Iranians to turn out en masse.

Army chief Amir Hatami vowed Israel and the US “will pay for the blood of the martyred leader and all the nation’s martyrs”.

But authorities will also want the event to go smoothly, deeply aware of the risk of crowd crushes that have marred similar events in the past. TV broadcasting guidelines on how to stay safe.

With temperatures well over 35 degrees Celsius expected over the next few days in Tehran, tankers were stationed to spray water on the roads to cool down attendees.

Ahead of the ceremonies, AFP correspondents reported that Tehran was quieter than usual, with many normally busy streets free of Tehran’s notorious traffic.

The move comes as the legacy of costly flaws continues to haunt the main IHC building, which cost over Rs11 billion and came under severe criticism for faulty elevators, an inefficient cooling system and substandard work.

According to official documents and a contempt application filed before the IHC, serious concerns have emerged over the execution of the Legal Facilitation Centre project at Constitution Avenue.

The recent application filed by the CDA seeks the appointment of an independent technical auditor — preferably the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) — to verify executed work, measurements and excess quantities.

The project, initially entrusted to the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), was transferred to the CDA following a federal cabinet decision in August 2024.

The original agreement cost for the facilitation centre was Rs1.446 billion, which has now ballooned to over Rs2.07 billion after approvals for variations.

However, the CDA has expressed concern regarding the pending formal approval of excess quantity statements — amounting to Rs492 million — with the contractor’s running bill of Rs313 million already submitted.

The documents reveal a troubling pattern similar to that of the main IHC building, which was plagued by project mismanagement.

According to an Auditor-General of Pakistan report on the main building, its cost rose to Rs5 billion, with Rs1 billion paid without a detailed measurement book, and the revised building plan never approved by the CDA.

Sources indicate that the facilitation centre’s contractor, which had earlier faced scrutiny over allegedly bogus credentials, has exceeded the original bill of quantities, raising concerns over transparency and financial propriety.

The CDA has pleaded before the court that “certain actions of the contractor as well as the Pak PWD, particularly in relation to excess quantities and pending approvals, have given rise to doubts requiring independent and impartial verification before any further financial commitments are undertaken”.

The facilitation centre project is now a matter of public importance.

With the total cost now exceeding Rs2bn and a revised completion date set for December 2026, the CDA has sought the court’s intervention to safeguard public funds and prevent future litigation.

The court is expected to take up the matter, which could expose another layer of “malfeasance in public works”.