He posted this on X, further stating that summaries to convene budget sessions in the National Assembly and Senate on June 10 (Wednesday) had been sent to the presidency for approval.

The sessions for the NA and the Senate have been advised to be summoned at 5pm and 4pm, respectively, Chaudhry added.

Before Chaudhry’s statement, uncertainty had surrounded the date for the budget’s presentation as the federal government, its coalition partners and provincial governments struggled to reach a consensus over the Centre’s demand for more than Rs1 trillion for strategic needs.

The meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) was postponed for the third time on Monday at the last moment amid continuing negotiations over the freezing of provincial shares in the federal divisible pool under the NFC Award.

Muzzammil Aslam, adviser on finance to the Khyber Pakht­unkhwa chief minister, confirmed that the Centre had told provinces that their financial shares under the NFC for the current year would not be increased next year and that any amount above the current year’s share would have to be returned to the Centre.

According to Aslam, the provinces had protested the demand as it would push provincial budgets into deficit and make it difficult for them to run their governments. He said the federal government team suggested that provinces could freeze salaries and limit development schemes.

Aslam said a date for the NEC meeting was uncertain, as many issues that had developed over time were too significant to be settled ahead of the council’s meeting. As a result, the federal budget scheduled for June 10 could slip further, as there was “no way forward in sight” and consensus bet­w­­een the Centre and provinces appeared distant, he said.

On the other hand, the PML-N-led government and its major ally, the PPP, on Monday reached a consensus on the broad framework of the federal budget.

The two sides met for a third round of talks at Aiwan-i-Sadr, with Presi­dent Asif Ali Zardari in the chair and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif leading the PML-N team.

The talks, attended by political bigwigs from both sides, were held in two phases — first at the delegation level and then in a final round involving top leadership.

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government had reached a “complete understanding” with the PPP on the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and the development budget.

He added that top-level political consultations and delegation-level talks would continue to address the remaining budgetary demands.

The sources said that three FCN personnel were being held hostage by terrorists.

Eight terrorists have also been killed in retaliatory action, and the attempt to capture the post was foiled, according to sources.

The sources said that security force personnel also reached the site of the incident, and they have cordoned off the area.

The action against terrorists by security forces was ongoing, they said.

Last month, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said in an assessment that after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation had deteriorated sharply in May 2026, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The country witnessed six suicide attacks during May, including four vehicle-borne suicide bombings. These attacks alone resulted in the deaths of 34 security personnel and nine civilians.

On May 9, a suicide attack in Bannu claimed the lives of 15 police personnel, after which Pakistan issued a “strong demarche” to Afghanistan.

Over a week later, a prominent tribal elder was among three killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that struck the busy Rustam Bazaar area of Lower South Waziristan’s Wana.

In early June, security forces foiled a terrorist suicide attack on a military post near Miranshah in North Waziristan.

As KP and Balochistan continue to grapple with militancy, with attacks often targeting security personnel and law enforcers, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations.

Earlier this month, security forces killed four terrorists in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan and Mohmand districts.

In late May, a total of 13 militants were killed in a two-day operation in the Darra Adamkhel area bordering the Kohat and Peshawar districts.

About a week before that, a fierce clash between police, a peace committee and terrorists in Bannu’s Miryan tehsil left at least 25 terrorists dead and several others injured. Two police personnel and two civilians were martyred in the exchange of fire.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

The military’s media affairs wing said in a statement that Lebanese armed forces’ Commander-in-Chief General Rodolphe Haykal called on CDF Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

He was presented a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out tri-services contingent upon his arrival at the GHQ, the statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

“During the meeting, both dignitaries exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional security environment, defence cooperation and prospects for enhancing bilateral military relations,” it added.

The discussions focused on strengthening professional interactions, training cooperation and institutional linkages between the armed forces of the two countries, the statement said.

It said Field Marshal Munir reaffirmed during the meeting the “importance Pakistan attaches to its longstanding and cordial relations with Lebanon and underscored the Pakistan Army’s commitment to expanding defence collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces”.

For his part, General Haykal “appreciated the professionalism and operational excellence of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged their contributions to regional peace, stability and international peacekeeping efforts”, it said.

“The visit reflects the shared commitment of both armed forces to fostering closer military-to-military cooperation,” the ISPR statement concluded.

On Saturday, Leba­non’s army General Haykal had departed for Pakistan as Islamabad continues efforts to mediate an end to the US-Isr­aeli conflict with Iran, which has also spilled into Lebanon.

The Lebanese army said the visit was at the invitation of Haykal’s Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Munir, but did not immediately provide further details on its purpose or duration.

He made these remarks during a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan while responding to remarks by Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to UN Nasir Ahmad Faiq.

Earlier in the session, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad detailed the use of Afghan soil by terrorists and its impact on Pakistan, calling for the Afghan Taliban to take action against militants. He also spoke about Pakistan’s counter-terrorism measures.

Responding to Faiq’s comments on Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations, Ambassador Ahmad said: “Pakistan’s actions, including those conducted in March, were directed solely against the terrorist and military support infrastructure that is operating from Afghanistan. And it is in no way directed against the brotherly people of Afghanistan.”

On March 16, the Afghan Taliban had accused Pakistan of striking a hospital in Kabul; however, Islamabad denied the accusations, maintaining that the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure linked to hostile activity in Pakistan and no civilian facility was targeted.

In response to the Afghan diplomat, Ambassador Ahmad reiterated Islamabad’s position that strikes targeted “drone storage and technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage sites, which were being used by the Afghan Taliban regime to carry out attacks against innocent Pakistani civilians”.

“The strikes were precise, deliberate and professional. No hospital or drug rehabilitation centre or civilian facility was targeted by these strikes. And as part of established practice, video footage of all six strikes was released by the Ministry of Information shortly after the operation, clearly showing the nature of the targets.

“The secondary explosions visible in the footage further confirmed that ammunition storage facilities were indeed struck with precision. So all insinuations to the contrary are not based on facts and are in fact just propaganda,” he asserted.

The ambassador said three key expectations of the international community were at the core of the day’s discussion: “inclusive governance, good governance, human rights, women and girls’ rights, and counterterrorism”.

Noting that there were expressions of concern regarding all three points, Ahmad pointed out that there were “clear demands from the majority of those who took the floor for the Taliban regime to comply with those commitments … with the exception” of India.

The Pakistani envoy remarked: “It does not come as a surprise to us, hearing comments made by the Indian representative … And we listened to, in fact, a long list of so-called development and humanitarian activities and support that India is purportedly carrying out in Afghanistan.”

He said that the Indian representative’s remarks seemed a “long prologue to something he actually intended to say, and something that he actually wanted to utilise and abuse this forum. And that was to target Pakistan”.

“So to us, it is absolutely clear — India’s key aims and objectives, even though under the garb of, under the disguise of development or humanitarian assistance, its key aims and objectives in Afghanistan are solely driven by the singular goal of destabilising Pakistan, including by using terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil. And that includes the TTP, which so many of my colleagues around the table condemned, and the BLA, which acts as a proxy of India to perpetrate terrorism inside Pakistan,” he said.

Ambassador Ahmad added that the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) — Fitna al Hindustan — was “supported and financed by India to destabilise and target Pakistan”.

‘India’s newfound love for Taliban’

In his remarks, Pakistan’s envoy pointed out that the Indian representative did not condemn the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the BLA even once.

“Yes, Fitna al Hindustan, who have been carrying out attacks targeting innocent Pakistanis who have tragically lost their lives at the hands of these terrorists,” he said.

He added: “I think for some time we are amused, perhaps, to listen to India’s newfound love for the Taliban. We know all the history, what’s there in the background. All those years, we knew what India’s position was. But for us, this is not a coincidence. This shift of policy comes at the heels of Pakistan’s successful counterterrorism operations against the terrorist hideouts and camps that are operating inside Afghanistan with the active support of India.”

Contending that New Delhi’s “hostile policies and complicity” were further validated by its envoy’s remarks during the session, Ahmad said, “I seriously believe that this behaviour should be a cause of concern for the Security Council and the international community.”

The ambassador went on to quip that India must find it “discomforting” to see its terrorist infrastructure being destroyed in Afghanistan by Pakistan’s security forces.

Referring to India’s calls on others to comply with international law, he said, “It would be laughable if we are not aware of India’s own record, and if the matter under consideration in the council was not that serious, for we know that India’s true face is truly exposed before the international community.

“It is a serial violator of international law,” he asserted.

Ambassador Ahmad further stated that India was not only a “state sponsor of terrorism” in India-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan, but also it was “openly aiding, abetting and financing terrorism elsewhere”, including extraterritorial assassinations in the US and Canada.

“It talks of international law. It is in serious breach of Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. It has seriously violated the Indus Waters Treaty by declaring that it is holding it in abeyance, without any reason, justification, and in complete defiance of the treaty’s provisions and international law.

“It was talking about cricket and sportsman spirit, and we know the sportsman spirit when it refuses to play, or if it refuses to shake hands with the players. This is a country that is coming to the Council and telling us what cricket and sports could bring in terms of peace and harmony,” the envoy said.

He added, “I think we should seriously consider also how we allow countries to take the floor in this council, and under what rules and etiquette they should be speaking in this council.”

Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Ahmad advised India to “do a little bit of introspection”.

“It can do [so] by discontinuing its policies of aggression, subversion and sabotage against neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan,” and calling on the country to “look inwards”.

“Pakistan is well aware of India’s motives and evil designs. But we will not allow them to nourish terrorists and threaten our national security,” he said.

Ambassador Ahmad concluded: “I would say that we have stopped them before and we will do it again, and we will do it always.”

‘Verifiable, non-reversible action’

Ambassador Ahmad earlier told the UNSC that Islamabad’s demand from the Afghan Taliban was simple and clear: “verifiable and non-reversible action“ against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.

“Regrettably, this demand remains unmet,” he said.

And while the window for course correction was narrowing, it remained open, he added.

“We hope the Taliban realise this in earnest and cooperate with the international community for the long-term peace and development of Afghanistan and, above all, in the best interest of all Afghans,” he said.

There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

For its part, Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. But, officials say those appeals have gone unheeded, while the Afghan Taliban reject these allegations.

During the UNSC meeting, Ambassador Ahmad noted that it had been nearly half a decade since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

“It was hoped that this would end the bloodshed and Afghanistan would be at peace with itself and its neighbours,” he said.

The envoy added that with the end of the civil war, it was “anticipated that the Taliban would take positive steps to transform into a responsible governing authority by adhering to their international obligations and commitments, and that they would lead Afghanistan into an era of stability and progress, provide the long-awaited relief to all Afghans and live in harmony with immediate neighbours”.

“For decades, terrorism has been a major problem in Afghanistan, with implications not just for Afghanistan, but the immediate neighbourhood and beyond. Afghanistan has a history of being a safe haven for terrorist groups, including those used as proxies by our adversaries to target Pakistan and other countries,” he highlighted.

It was “our expectation that the Taliban would take concrete and verifiable actions against terrorist groups such as the TTP, BLA and its Majeed Brigade, Islamic State-Khorasan, East Turkestan Islamic Movement and their affiliates that are operating with impunity on Afghan soil”.

“Regrettably, they have failed to undertake action, showing complete disregard for the legitimate security concerns of Pakistan and other countries,” the ambassador said.

He added that, besides “independent analysis and reports of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which clearly outline the terrorism situation in Afghanistan and the ground realities, along with the recent exponential rise in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, these developments serve as glaring reminders of the precarious situation and the continuing threats posed to international peace and security”.

“As a direct result of the freedom with which these terrorist groups operate in Afghanistan, Pakistan has borne the brunt of their attacks, as well as the Taliban’s growing nexus with these terrorist groups.

“And once again, a significant number of Afghans are found to be involved in terrorism inside Pakistan,” he added.

Ambassador Ahmad said these terrorist groups had access to advanced weapons and sophisticated equipment, including drones.

“Much of this can be traced back to the multi-billion dollar worth of arms and ammunition left behind by foreign forces — which was meant for use by the previous Afghan national government,” he said.

Moreover, during counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan, there have been more than 290 cases of seizures of such weapons, which are used for terrorism and suicide bombings in the western parts of Pakistan, and which have exacted a heavy toll of human life and material losses, he told the UNSC.

In 2025 alone, Pakistan reported more than 5,300 terrorist incidents and lost more than 1,200 lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, he said.

In this connection, he recalled that a vehicle-borne IED attack by the TTP on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 9 resulted in the martyrdom of 15 police officers.

“Our investigations revealed that the attack was planned by terrorists in Afghanistan.”

‘Pakistan will not sit idle while suffering from terrorist acts’

Ambassador Ahmad said: “It is deplorable that the Taliban have reverted back to their old tactics of providing safe havens to terrorist groups and chosen the perilous path of complicity, backed by an outside actor, the historic spoiler and instigator of chaos — that has moved fast as an opportunist to wage a proxy war against Pakistan.

“Let me make it clear: Pakistan will defend itself against whosoever attempts to harm our sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.”

Ambassador Ahmad recalled that numerous diplomatic efforts were made to counsel the Taliban.

He said: “We thank friendly countries for their genuine mediation efforts, particularly Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and most recently, China, to find amicable solutions.

Yet the Taliban’s continued intransigence and even refusal to publicly denounce and condemn terrorist groups such as the TTP and BLA is deeply disturbing — it is evidence enough of their complicity and active support for these groups. Pakistan will not sit idle while suffering from terrorist acts. We will respond in self-defence, as and when needed and always in conformity with international law and International Humanitarian Law,” he said.

Pakistan raises questions on UNAMA

Referring to a recent report by the UN secretary general, he said it “seems to largely externalise the responsibility for Afghanistan’s multifaceted challenges”.

“The fatalities of terrorists and their supporters as a result of counter-terrorism operations are mentioned within the ambit of ‘civilian casualties’, posing serious questions on the credibility of UNAMA’s reporting from Afghanistan and the nature of their engagement with the Taliban,” Ambassador Ahmad said.

He remarked that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was “swift in reporting incidents of cross-border actions and casualties but fails to provide the overall context — which is the grave terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan and its cross-border impact directed at Pakistan that is harming Pakistan and killing innocent Pakistanis”.

Ahmad further said that the report also did not provide information on the destabilising accumulation of small arms and light weapons inside Afghanistan.

“Nor does it adequately shed light on Afghanistan’s illicit economy, with its complex web of money laundering and terror financing networks, including hundi and hawala networks. Instead, the report resorts to shifting the blame on external dynamics, with little regard for the Taliban’s own policies that have brought Afghanistan to the brink of disaster,” he said.

The envoy stressed that “we must not lose sight of the fact that it is the Taliban’s reckless style of governance and flawed ideologies of extremism, suppression and radicalisation that have brought upon Afghanistan the calamities it faces today”.

“The Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026, we are told, is underfunded at 14 per cent — again a direct result of Taliban’s unwillingness to prioritise the welfare of Afghans over their own interest and authoritarian control,” he pointed out.

Noting that several references had been made to the Pak-Aghan border closure in the report, he said: “Let me clarify that the closure of border between Pakistan and Afghanistan does not, from Pakistan’s perspective, affect the movement of humanitarian supplies.

“Pakistan has been processing and facilitating the passage of humanitarian goods and material. However, the Afghan Taliban regime refuses to let them pass and keeps the border closed on its side, even to receive such life-saving cargoes, which obviously is to the detriment of the Afghan people.”

He went on to say that the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan “aligned with Taliban’s failings and deceitful narrative to meet the demands of the international community”.

“Women and girls are denied their fundamental human rights and dignity, with discriminatory and abusive practices — a clear violation of their international obligations as well as of Islamic laws, traditions and tenets of the Muslim faith. The Afghan people are being held hostage to these inhumane restrictions, oppression and selfish behaviour,” he said.

He said that Pakistan took numerous steps to support Afghanistan, including humanitarian relief efforts, political engagement, providing incentives to boost bilateral trade, offering transit concessions, issuing student and medical visas, conducting high-level visits to Kabul and participating in various regional cooperation initiatives to help Afghanistan succeed in its quest to find its rightful place in the international community.

For over four decades, he continued, Pakistan welcomed millions of Afghan refugees “despite limitations and insufficient international support, dealing with huge caseloads of illegal Afghans, including those without documentation, posing a serious threat to our security”.

But these were never meant to stay indefinitely, he added.

The ambassador called on the UN secretary general to “clearly outline the status of third country resettlement cases of Afghans in a transparent manner — cases that are pending for years, despite being a tiny fraction of what Pakistan had to deal with, in the face of national security threats that no country would tolerate”.

“While we provide all possible facilitation, the international community must step up and shoulder its responsibility. Shifting the blame of Afghanistan’s woes to the inflow of Afghan returnees will not solve the problem,” he said.

Ambassador Ahmad further said, “We look forward to the next steps of the UN-led Doha Process and action plan for its Mosaic approach, to address Afghanistan’s multifaceted challenges comprehensively, with well-defined objectives and a realistic roadmap as the only viable pathway for normalisation”.

Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said, were bound by geography, deep-rooted ties, civilisational links dating back centuries, and fraternal bonds of faith, culture and ethnicity.

“No country has suffered more from the consequences of conflict and instability in Afghanistan than Pakistan. So we understand, and we also know, that no country stands to benefit more from peace, prosperity and stability in Afghanistan than Pakistan.

“Pakistan’s demand from the Taliban is simple and clear: verifiable and non-reversible action against terrorists. Regrettably, this demand remains unmet. The window for course correction is narrowing but is still open. We hope the Taliban realise this in earnest and cooperate with the international community for the long-term peace and development of Afghanistan and, above all, in the best interest of all Afghans,” he said, concluding his address.

It was not immediately clear whether the Apache was shot down by Iranian fire, experienced mechanical failure or encountered some other problem, the report said.

The White House, US Department of State, and the US Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

Asked if he knew what brought the helicopter down, Trump said they would issue a report later on Tuesday.

“The pilots are fine,” Trump said, speaking on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport before returning to Washington, DC.

“Nobody injured.”

The incident happened a day after Iran and Israel said they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from Trump, though Tehran warned it would resume hostilities if Israel continued to hit Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The resumption of the tenuous ceasefire comes as Washington tries to reach an agreement with Tehran to end their more than three-month-old war.

Trump also told reporters he could have “an idea” for an Iran deal within a few days, without elaborating. The Republican president, struggling with record-low approval ratings ahead of November midterm elections, has often hinted at an imminent deal with Tehran, but none has yet eventuated.

The weekend saw the most direct confrontation between Iran and Israel since a ceasefire in April. Tehran had fired missiles towards Israeli territory late on Sunday, calling the strikes retaliation for attacks on the outskirts of Beirut.

Israel then hit Iranian air defence systems and a petrochemical plant that it claimed was used to produce ballistic missiles. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it retaliated with a strike aimed at a similar Israeli plant in the city of Haifa.

No deaths were reported by authorities on either side.

Trump tells Netanyahu to ‘be careful’

US and Israeli officials said Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday.

In an interview with Axios, Trump said he warned Netanyahu that if the Israeli leader went back to war with Iran, he might find himself fighting alone.

“I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,’” Trump said.

An Israeli military official said Israel was prepared to continue operations for “as long as it takes”, while Iranian officials struck a similarly defiant tone.

A military source quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency said Tehran was ready for a prolonged conflict and could renew strikes against US interests in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was exchanging messages with Washington in an atmosphere of “extreme suspicion”.

Tehran has long said any peace deal with the US depends in part on an end to fighting in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March.

Israel has never halted its Lebanon campaign, which has killed thousands of people, saying the conflict should be treated separately from any US-Iranian ceasefire. Hezbollah has also continued its attacks.

Tehran has continued to block most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Washington has imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump has said any peace deal must ensure Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies the US stance, saying its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes.

Iran’s demands include the lifting of international sanctions, the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets and recognition of its control of the strait.

US President Donald Trump had ordered the annual fee be added to H-1B skilled worker visas in September 2025.

H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialised skills — such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers — to work in the US, initially for three years, but extendable to six years.

Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the charge was effectively a tax, and therefore illegal because only the US Congress has the authority to create new taxes.

The decision came after 20 state attorneys general, all Democrats, filed a legal challenge. They argued that the fee would make it harder for public universities, schools, and hospitals to hire qualified international staff.

The Trump administration had defended the policy, saying the president had the power to impose the fee as part of immigration enforcement and efforts to limit certain categories of foreign entry into the US. The court rejected that argument.

Judge Sorokin said the government could not re-label a tax as a “fee” or “penalty” to bypass congressional approval.

The H-1B visa system allows up to 65,000 new visas per year, plus an additional 20,000 for people with advanced degrees. Normally, employers pay a few thousand dollars in administrative and processing costs for each H-1B application. The $100,000 charge was far higher than standard practice and widely seen as a major barrier.

Court records showed that only a small number of employers — about 85 — had paid the fee before it was challenged in court and effectively halted.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Xi agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of politics, economy and culture at a summit in Pyongyang that opened a new chapter in ties, the North’s official KCNA news agency said.

“The mutual understanding between China and North Korea has become deeper and more comprehensive, and the direction of future development has become clearer and more defined,” Xi told his hosts at a luncheon before his departure, Xinhua added.

Kim waved both hands as Xi’s plane taxied down the tarmac, in footage from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, after an enthusiastic send-off by Pyongyang residents, who lined the road to the airport, waving flags and shouting friendship slogans.

Earlier, the leaders jointly planted a fir tree in the grounds of a key political training school for party cadres, which Xinhua said symbolised “ever-renewing friendship”.

On the second day of his visit to China’s only formal treaty ally, Xi had also visited Pyongyang’s Sino-Korean Friendship Tower that commemorates Chinese soldiers who died in the Korean War, the agency added.

Both agreed to strive for closer strategic communication through visits by high-level officials, KCNA said.

Kim told Xi he would fully support the “One China principle,” which Beijing views as meaning that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country, regardless of changes in the international situation, it added.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing’s control, although Taipei rejects the sovereignty claims.

Analysts see contrasting priorities

Despite the expressions of goodwill, analysts saw contrasting priorities in the official summaries of the visit.

While Xinhua detailed proposals ranging from high-level exchanges to trade and agriculture, along with restoration of transport links, KCNA cast the summit more broadly as a pact of equal partners, the analysts said.

Pyongyang stressed regime dignity and the neighbours’ “special relationship,” added Lim Eul-chul, a professor at South Korea’s Kyungnam University, while Beijing emphasised practical state-to-state ties and its initiatives for international order.

“North Korea removed elements that could make it look like a subordinate, dependent or beneficiary party, and rewrote the relationship as one between equals,” said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

“It amplified signals of solidarity, such as anti-US and Taiwan-related messages, while erasing signals of dependence or subordination.”

China is North Korea’s biggest trade partner and analysts have said Xi’s trip could focus on trade and tourism.

Patriotic songs

Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan attended a performance of Chinese and North Korean songs, accompanied by Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, that highlighted “the value and closeness of DPRK-China friendship,” KCNA said.

It was referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Chinese-North Korean relations had reached a “new historical starting point,” Xi said at a banquet hosted by Kimfor the 65th anniversary of the neighbours’ friendship treaty, KCNA added.

Xi vowed that Beijing would not swerve from its commitment to safeguard common interests, Xinhua said on Monday.

But North Korean media did not say if Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme or relations with the United States figured in the talks.

Such an absence suggests Beijing would like the visit cast in terms of neighbourly ties, said Ja Ian Chong, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore.

During his first term, US President Donald Trump met Kim three times, before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over US demands for North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.

Trump has said he would be willing to restart talks.

“It is doubtful that Xi will serve as a catalyst for US-North Korea talks,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Thousands remained displaced and more than 450 injured following the magnitude-7.8 quake that struck off the southern island of Mindanao on Monday, according to national and local disaster agencies, though only four people were now believed missing.

In the hardest-hit Sarangani province, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter and fears of aftershocks were slowing rescue efforts, local officials told reporters at a Tuesday briefing.

“There are still aftershocks, so the rescuers are very cautious in their approach. That’s a challenge,” said regional civil defence chief Rodrigo Sosmena.

A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, while hundreds of tiny quakes followed.

Infrastructure damage, meanwhile, means some communities will be cut off for at least a week because of the damage to roads and the collapse of a bridge.

At a hospital just outside General Santos, the region’s largest city, AFP reporters heard cries of “push” then an infant’s cries as a mother gave birth outdoors behind a makeshift screen.

In Glan municipality, where at least 13 people were buried in their homes by a landslide, staff at another hospital told AFP more than 60 patients were on beds outside the facility due to fears for the building’s structural integrity.

“The hospital sustained a lot of damage,” she said.

“The municipal engineer decided we could not use the building.”

As of Tuesday morning, the death toll from provincial sources contacted by AFP stood at 41.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said he was “deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines, which has resulted in the tragic loss of precious lives and caused widespread damage”.

Extending condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the swift recovery of the injured, Dar expressed Pakistan’s “full solidarity” with the government and the people of the Philippines.

Recovery

Outside a collapsed grocery store in General Santos, rescuers resumed efforts after an overnight break to recover two store employees who were inside when the building crumpled.

AFP journalists watched as rescue dogs and their handlers scoured the pile of broken concrete and jagged metal bars.

A local rescuer told reporters the effort was now one of recovery rather than rescue, though a more senior official later insisted that decision had yet to be formally made.

At a nearby beach resort, a high-speed Coast Guard vessel plied the waters for two people who went missing while swimming in waters that churned violently as the quake struck.

Videos posted to social media and verified by AFP on Monday showed the catastrophic collapse of a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant in General Santos, while an unoccupied school building crumpled in another.

In another video verified by AFP, young schoolchildren could be seen screaming in the arms of their teachers as the quake violently swayed them back and forth on the ground.

A flimsy metal structure could be seen toppling in the background as the video uploaded to the school’s official Facebook page ends. An accompanying caption said no one was under the structure when it fell.

The earthquake saw thousands ordered to evacuate in coastal areas of the southern Philippines and neighbouring Indonesia as tsunami warnings were issued by multiple countries and a regional tsunami warning centre.

But by midday, the threat had passed and the alerts were cancelled.

Waves that did reach the Pacific coast of Japan, where authorities had issued a tsunami advisory, were reported to be no higher than 20 centimetres.

Eastern Mindanao was rocked by a pair of earthquakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude in October that killed at least eight people.

The Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) urged the federal government, senior customs officials and other relevant authorities to take immediate notice of the strategic importance of the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing, remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure the smooth movement of commercial vehicles.

It blamed the suspension of trade at the Gabd-Rimdan border on what it described as the incompetence of Pakistan Customs officials. The chamber accused customs authorities of deliberately disrupting formal border trade through unnecessary procedural delays.

“This crisis comes at a time when Pakistan’s border trade infrastructure is already under severe strain,” said GCCI President Jiand Hoot.

He noted that the Chaman border remains closed, while traders at the Taftan-Zahedan border are currently on strike due to deteriorating security conditions.

He further said that trade through the Panjgur and Mand-Radig border crossings is virtually non-existent because of poor road infrastructure and recurring incidents of arson and vehicle burnings.

“With other major trade routes effectively closed, the country’s overland energy supply chain has become heavily dependent on the Gabd-Rimdan border,” he said.

However, over the past 10 to 15 days, hundreds of LPG-laden bowsers and trucks have remained stranded at the terminal awaiting customs clearance, triggering shortages in major urban centres.

According to Mr Hoot, LPG prices have surged in Karachi and parts of Punjab, with the commodity reportedly unavailable even at Rs400 per kilogram.

Expressing grave concern over the worsening situation, he said the border disruption comes at a time when shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz have already placed additional pressure on national energy supplies.

“If the gridlock at Gabd-Rimdan continues, LPG could disappear from local markets altogether,” he warned.

Mr Hoot claimed that Iranian commercial vehicles are being systematically denied entry and turned back from the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) yard. He said the bottleneck has not only disrupted imports but has also paralysed exports.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

It is the latest controversy concerning the England team following a tour of Australia where the side was confronted with allegations of a drinking culture during a 4-1 Ashes series loss concluded in January.

“The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand,” the governing body said.

“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.

“We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.

“The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.”

Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a One-day International against New Zealand. As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff. The BBC, however, reported the curfew was still in place despite the first Test being over, and the investigation relates to more than a breach of the curfew.

England thrashed New Zealand by 115 runs before lunch on Sunday to go 1-0 up in a three-match series as they enjoyed a comprehensive victory in their first Test match since their humiliating Ashes defeat The second Test, across London at the Oval, starts on June 17.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

“We also have evidence that poachers also killed other medium-sized water birds such as the magnificent coots and moorhens,” said an official of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB).

Most of the IWMB staff was engaged with seasonal firefighting efforts in the Margalla Hills National Park, the official said, adding that “poachers took advantage of our absence to hunt the birds. About 12 to 13 flamingos were allegedly killed but we are still ascertaining the correct numbers”.

A report of the incident has been submitted with the assistant commissioner Islamabad.

Incident being investigated; report submitted with assistant commissioner

“The police are cooperating with the board and a first information report (FIR) will be registered after further investigations are complete,” the IWMB said.

According to the management board, the incident occurred on June 3, and was reported by a bird photographer.

The IWMB said sighting of flamingos in Rawal Lake was rare in this season, calling their killing an ecological tragedy.

“It was after many years that flamingos had been sighted in Rawal Lake. But the excitement was cut short when poachers along with locals hunted the flock, and forced the surviving birds to escape,” the official said.

After inquiries, the IWMB suspected the contractor who has commercial fishing rights for Rawal Lake.

According to a social media post about the incident shared with Dawn, the birds, circled around the lake but whenever they tried to land they were followed and shots were fired at them. The surviving birds took flight again and did not return.

The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board said it had collected enough evidence, including discharged cartridge, to register a complaint with the police. “The assistant commissioner had visited our office recently and extended complete support of the law,” the IWMB official said.

Despite strict laws and patrolling by IWMB staff meant to protect migratory birds, enforcement around the urban wetlands remains challenging.

The IWMB said it was surprised to see migratory birds in Rawal Lake in summers and believed they were vagrant birds, adding that flamingos frequented the Salt Range but were rarely seen in Rawal Lake.

“But now that they had graced our city, this act may have a devastating effect and they might never return,” the board official said.

Expressing serious concern over reports of the alleged killing of flamingos, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination spokesperson Mohammad Saleem Shaikh said the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board had taken immediate notice of the incident and initiated an inquiry.

He said an IWMB team had already visited the site, collected preliminary evidence and launched an assessment to ascertain the veracity of the reports and identify those involved in the alleged killing of the birds.

“The IWMB is treating the matter with utmost seriousness. Evidence gathered from the site is being evaluated and further investigations are underway to establish the facts surrounding the incident, including reports that the birds may have been slaughtered and their meat consumed,” Mr Shaikh said.

He added that if the allegations were substantiated, strict legal action would be taken under the applicable wildlife protection laws and all those found responsible would be brought to justice.

Saleem Shaikh said the relevant local police authorities had also been informed and were extending support to trace the perpetrators.

“The ministry and IWMB remain committed to the protection and conservation of wildlife, and any violation of wildlife laws will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he added.

He said flamingos were an important part of Pakistan’s wetland ecosystems and migratory bird populations, and their protection was essential for maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity conservation.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

MUZAFFARABAD: In the aftermath of Sunday night’s fierce clashes that claimed the lives of seven civilians and four law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) braced for a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on Tuesday (today) , announced by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Com­mittee (JAAC).

According to initial plans, the JAAC had decided that protesters would start a long march from the southernmost district of Bhimber, passing through Mirpur, Kotli and Poonch before reaching Muzaffarabad on June 10 for a sit-in outside the Legislative Assembly.

Government officials, meanwhile, appeared hopeful about the prospects of a tepid response to the protest call for several reasons, including the recent crackdown. In action against JAAC, the authorities had rounded up more than 200 people across the region and forced others into hiding, official sources and witnesses said.

“Situation is fluid. The JAAC leadership and crowd-pullers are on the run. So far, they haven’t been able to pull numbers on the streets, but there is a possibility of small protests at several places,” said one official.

“But it has been firmly decided that protesters will not be allowed to assemble anywhere, let alone stage a long march from one part of the state to the other,” another official said.

Some analysts were of the view that while shutters might remain closed and transport stay off the roads, the call for Tuesday’s strike was less likely to receive an overwhelming response due to the alleged stubbornness of the JAAC leadership.

“It was a good movement for rights in the beginning, but some of the committee’s obdurate and myopic leaders pushed it into a blind alley, for reasons best known to them,” remarked a retired government servant, requesting he should not be named. “Abolition of 12 seats might be close to the majority’s hearts in AJK, but it should not have been made a matter of life and death,” he added.

The officials who spoke to Dawn made it clear that the administration would neither force anyone to keep their shops open nor allow anyone to force others to shut down their businesses. “As long as people remain peaceful, the law will tolerate them. But the moment they try to create any problem, they will be dealt with firmly,” one of them said.

Rawalakot violence

On Monday, life remained normal in almost all parts of AJK, except Rawalakot, where shutters remained down for the second consecutive day and public transport stayed off the roads. Elsewhere, a partial strike was reported just from Dadyal, a lakeside town in Mirpur district.

In Rawalakot, the epicentre of the violence, the administration and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) succeeded in dispersing protesters shortly after midnight on Sunday. According to divisional commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan, the protesters had not only blocked access to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) but had also virtually taken over the facility, forcing doctors and paramedics to flee for their safety. He regretted that those present inside the hospital not only obstructed treatment for LEA personnel but also caused further injuries to some of them, apart from allegedly disrespecting the body of a martyred police constable.

Sharing details of the clashes, he alleged that the protesters possessed long-range firearms, petrol bombs and other ammunition. “They attacked law enforcers from side alleys with full planning, on the pattern of a guerrilla war,” he said. He said of the 30 or so hospitalised activists, three critically injured were airlifted to Islamabad along with four LEA personnel by helicopter.

Six activists remained under treatment in the hospital as detainees while others were shifted to the police station, he added.

Funeral prayers

Meanwhile, funeral prayers for the three AJK policemen — identified as SHO Hajira Muhammad Inayat and constables Muhammad Faisal and Faheem Anwar — were offered at 5pm at Rawalakot Police Lines with full honours. Among those in attendance were Chief Secretary Khushal Khan, IGP Liaqat Ali Malik and General Officer Commanding Murree Maj Gen Zarrar Mahmood.

The seven deceased civilians were identified as Usman Sabir of Koiyan village, Fahad Barkat of Rehara village, ex-serviceman Wasaid Siddique of Parrat village, Naqash Zardad of Matyalmera Danna village, Jamshed Ashraf of Hussainkot village, Muhammad Rasheed of Choti Nakkar Pakhar village, and Tariq Resham of Dothan village. The ex-serviceman was caught in crossfire, the commissioner claimed.

Sources disclosed that the funeral and burial rites of three activists, including Shazeb Habib, whose body had been lying in the CMH mortuary since Saturday, were performed by the administration and police, while those of the others were carried out by their families without any agitation.

In a statement posted on Facebook, a spokesperson for IGP Malik said that legal action against members of the proscribed committee allegedly involved in armed violence was continuing. He warned that strict legal action would be taken against those involved in attacks on LEA personnel and government property.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

As per Forms-47 issued by returning officers from 24 constituencies, the PPP bagged 11 seats, with the PML-N trailing with six seats. The candidates backed by the PTI won two seats, and its ally MWM was victorious in one seat. The independent candidates secured four seats.

In a post on X in the early hours of Monday, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari declared victory, saying the PPP had become the “single largest party” in the region.

“The Pakistan Peoples Party is emerging as the single largest party and we will be attempting to form government. I am grateful to the people for their trust and congratulations to Jiyalas on their victory,” said Bhutto-Zardari, whose party had alleged rigging during the polling.

Recount ordered

On Monday, the Elec­tion Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan ordered a reco­unt in two constituencies and re-polling in a few polling stations in GBA-16, Diamer.

The recount order came after independent candidate Safdar Ali Shirazi and PPP candidate Nazir Ahmed Advocate formally requested a recount of votes in GBA-20 (Ghizer-II), alleging irregularities during the counting process.

Acting on the request, the returning officer ordered a recount, which is scheduled to take place today. The commission also ordered a recount in GBA-3, Gilgit.

The Election Commission also ordered a re-poll at three polling stations in GBA-16 (Diamer-II).

Victorious candidates

PPP regional president Amjad Hussain won from GBA-1 (Gilgit), while former chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of PML-N won from GBA-2 (Gilgit). PTI-backed independent Sohail Abbas won from GBA-3 (Gilgit).

In Hunza, PTI-backed independent Naik Nam Karim won from GBA-6. In Nagar, Muhammad Ali Akhtar of PPP won from GBA-4 and Zulfiqar Ali Murad of PPP won from GBA-5.

In Skardu, Syed Tauqeer Mehdi of PPP won from GBA-7, Fida Muhammad Nashad of PPP from GBA-9, Nasir Ali Khan of PPP from GBA-10, and Mohammad Kazim Mesum of MWM from GBA-8.

In Kharmang district, Iqbal Hassan of PPP won from GBA-11. In Shigar district, Imran Nadeem of PPP won from GBA-12. In Astore district, Rana Farman Ali and Rana Muhammad Farooq won from GBA-13 and GBA-14, respectively.

In Diamer, Kifayatur Rehman of PML-N won from GBA-18, independent candidate Dilpazir Khan won from GBA-15, Ataullah of PPP from GBA-16, and Mohammad Naseem of PPP from GBA-17. In Ghizer, Syed Jalal of PPP won from GBA-19, Abdul Jahan of PML-N won from GBA-20, and independent candidate Aman Ali won from GBA-21 (Yasin).

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Now, India is increasingly counting the cost of the Iran war, which economists say will keep mounting if the deadlock between the US and Iran remains unresolved and the blockage of oil supplies continues.

As the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, India ships in about 90 per cent of its oil, making its economy one of the most exposed to the war and the prolonged war-related disruptions, which include the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of global oil and gas transit.

While India has announced a flurry of measures to contain the impact on the rupee and foreign exchange reserves, the latest of which were from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday, analysts say the broader drag on economic growth, inflation and government finances is set to increase so long as oil prices remain elevated.

“India is set for a series of supply shocks,” Michael Langham, emerging markets economist at Aberdeen Investments, said.

Apart from pressure on oil prices, the country also faces supply disruptions to fertiliser as a result of the Iran war, which will impact key crops like wheat when farmers are already bracing for an El Niño weather phenomenon that often portends drought.

“This will all drag on India’s growth outlook, yet the ability of the RBI to look through the energy price shock from the Strait of Hormuz will be increasingly difficult given the overlapping nature of these supply shocks,” Langham said.

At the end of last year, India’s central bank governor, Sanjay Malhotra, talked about a “rare Goldilocks” phase for the economy as it headed into 2026. Inflation levels were falling and growth remained relatively strong.

The Iran war upended that outlook.

India’s oil-and-gas import bill jumped 53pc in April from March, prompting forecasts for the balance of payments (BoP) deficit — essentially money coming into the economy netted off against money going out — to balloon.

HSBC says that Friday’s series of steps may do a lot to limit the currency damage. Until Friday, it had expected India’s BoP deficit to swell to about $65 billion in 2026-27, but now expects the measures to improve the balance by about $30 billion.

In 2025-26, India’s BoP deficit was at $25.2bn or 0.6pc of GDP.

India is also curbing gold imports, urging citizens to limit foreign travel and calling for more use of public transport to reduce oil demand.

‘Difficult position’

But the macro picture is more challenging.

Benchmark international oil prices surged after the war began on February 28, climbing to nearly $120 per barrel. Prices have eased, but they remain about 30pc higher overall, while gas prices have risen 75pc over the same period.

As a result, the central bank sees inflation averaging 5.1pc in the financial year to the end of March 2027, up from a 3.48pc reading in April, and economic growth slipping to 6.6pc from 7.7pc in the previous year.

While the RBI kept rates on hold last week, interest rate swap markets are pricing in at least 25 basis points of rate hikes over the next three months and more than 75 basis points over the next year.

“India continues to face deeper structural challenges which has weighed on foreign direct investment, employment, manufacturing expansion, consumption, and nominal GDP growth,” said Sat Duhra, portfolio manager at Asia ex-Japan equity team at Janus Henderson Investors.

Duhra said the energy shock will undermine growth and pressure government finances.

“Any move to rein in public-sector capex to stabilise conditions would risk further slowing growth,” he said.

“This leaves policymakers in a difficult position.”

Strong oil demand

India delayed raising retail fuel prices as import costs mounted. Petrol and diesel are up less than 10pc since then, compared with 50pc or more in some other oil-importing countries in Asia.

Petrol and diesel prices are deregulated, but the government exerts significant influence as the majority shareholder of the key retail companies.

Elsewhere, high prices have reduced demand and helped balance undersupplied markets.

The government has said it will not compensate fuel retailers for losses, a strategy analysts say will come at a cost for the government, such as through reduced dividends, and so cut its financial firepower to handle the crisis.

The government’s fertiliser subsidy is likely to jump 20pc in 2026-27, a government official said.

Fertiliser is vital for India’s agrarian economy, which supports nearly half the population, but may be more so this year given the risk of drought owing to El Niño.

The government also cut gasoline and gasoil taxes, forgoing 140 billion INR in monthly revenues.

The government is targeting a fiscal deficit of 4.3pc of GDP this financial year, but a Reuters poll forecast it would swell to 4.7pc and some economists see it going as high as 5pc.

India-based credit rating agency Crisil expects further small price increases in retail oil prices, which will have a wider impact.

“The broader effect will reverberate across the economy through higher-transport costs, pushing up both food and core inflation,” it said in a report.

Addressing a joint press conference after a meeting, the two presented a united front over what they described as the federal government’s longstanding neglect of the province.

The JUI-F leader described the emerging engagement between the two parties as a positive beginning.

CM Afridi said the purpose of the meeting was to hold detailed discussions on the pressing issues facing the province. He argued that the current NFC distribution formula was unconstitutional, and specifically flagged the issue of the former tribal districts, which have a population of over six million people but have not received their rightful share.

Instead, he said, other provinces were dividing FATA’s due share among themselves, leaving tribal communities marginalised.

The KP CM also questioned the suspension of wheat supply, calling it a violation of the Constitution. He also noted that while KP produces gas for the entire country, the province itself is being denied adequate supply.

Speaking to reporters, the Maulana said there was broad agreement among both sides on a range of demands. He stressed that provincial autonomy must be guaranteed for all provinces, and that the federal government could not be allowed to seize the resources of a province’s people and deprive them of their rights.

He echoed Afridi’s concerns on wheat, noting that the issue had persisted since Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure as chief minister of Punjab. He also dismissed earlier justifications about wheat smuggling to Afghanistan, asking what basis remained for such claims now that the border was closed.

On security, the JUI-F chief painted a grim picture, saying the law and order situation in the province was deteriorating, with government writ effectively collapsed in southern districts and ordinary citizens at the mercy of armed groups. He also called on the provincial government to take all parties into confidence on security matters.

The Maulana also called for provincial legislation on the registration of religious seminaries in line with

the federal law already passed, while CM Afridi confirmed that the KP Assembly would take up the matter.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

He made such observations in a scrutiny note after the IO in the murder case filed an interim charge sheet before the court concerned.

The murder case was registered at the Baghdadi police station on May 9 on the complaint of an auto mechanic against Pinky, three days before her official arrest in two other cases, including those pertaining to drugs and possession of an unlicensed weapon.

In the FIR, the complainant stated that while riding his motorcycle along Haji Peer Muhammad Road on April 7, he noticed a crowd gathered at a spot where a Madadgar-15 police van and an ambulance were present.

In scrutiny note to IO, prosecutor points to one-month delay in registration of FIR

The complainant claimed that he saw the body of a man lying on the footpath. He further stated that a small tin box was recovered from the deceased, on which the name of suspect Pinky was printed.

In the scrutiny note addressed to the IO of the case, the prosecutor pointed out that the FIR was registered with a delay of one month and that the investigator had failed to provide any explanation.

He further stated that the IO also failed to obtain footage from surveillance cameras installed in the surrounding area, adding that he did not record the statement of any eyewitness or of anyone, including the suspect who was allegedly in contact with the deceased.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant’s statement is yet to be recorded before a magistrate. He further noted that the reports of serologist, chemical examiner and DNA analysis are still awaited, and that the relevant expert opinions will be added to the final charge sheet.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate on Monday granted the IO an additional seven days to submit an interim charge sheet in the drugs and possession of an unlicensed weapon cases registered at the Garden police station against Pinky.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

At present, remittances exceeding Rs5 million are subject to restrictions if the sender and recipient are not blood relatives. The limit was previously set at Rs10m before being reduced to Rs5m.

According to sources, worsening conditions in parts of the Gulf region have prompted many Pakistanis to consider repatriating their funds. While the sale of overseas properties remains difficult, liquid assets can be remitted to Pakistan. However, the existing cap on transfers above Rs5m is viewed as a significant obstacle.

Pakistanis have consistently ranked among the largest foreign purchasers of property in Dubai, second only to Indians on several occasions. At the same time, thousands of Pakistani technology firms have relocated to Dubai in recent years, attracted by business opportunities and a more favourable tax regime.

Overseas Pakistanis struggle as remittance cap hinders repatriation of funds

“The war-like situation has entered its fourth month and there is still no clarity about Dubai’s future, even though it remained a prime target during the conflict that began on Feb 28,” said a financial expert with close links to the emirate.

He said most working-class Pakistanis continued to reside in Dubai, but wealthier individuals with substantial investments and property holdings were increasingly seeking to move their funds elsewhere amid concerns over the security of their assets.

Although no official data is available on Pakistanis expelled from Dubai, sources said they had witnessed several such cases. They added that many affluent Pakistanis were attempting to sell their properties and transfer their liquid assets out of the emirate.

Property prices in Dubai have fallen sharply, according to market observers, while finding buyers has become increasingly difficult.

Sources also pointed to challenges faced by Pakistanis in other countries. Thousands, they said, were encountering difficulties in settling in destinations such as South Africa, certain US states and other countries where immigrants were increasingly under pressure, prompting some to consider returning to their countries of origin.

“The removal of the remittance cap would benefit Pakistanis in several countries and could also support Pakistan’s economy by boosting remittance inflows,” a source said.

Meanwhile, State Bank data showed that trade with Abu Dhabi and Dubai increased despite regional tensions. During July-April FY26, imports from Abu Dhabi rose to $1.193 billion from $862 million in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Imports from Dubai increased to $5.592bn from $5.254bn over the same period.

In March, when the conflict in the Gulf region was at its peak, imports from Abu Dhabi fell to $50.5m but recovered to $121m in April. Imports from Dubai similarly declined to $437m in March before rebounding to $862m in April.

Exports to Dubai edged down to $1.554bn during the first 10 months of FY26 from $1.578bn a year earlier. Exports to Abu Dhabi, however, increased to $179m from $78m during the same period.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Under the scheme, 10,000 e-bikes and 300 docking and charging stations will be deployed across the city in the first phase, with residents able to hire a bike within seconds through a dedicated mobile application.

“The initiative is being developed under the government’s Green Mobility Programme and will require its final approval before formal launch,” Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal said while presiding over a meeting here on Monday.

“According to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision, we are introducing modern schemes to reduce smog and pollution. This is not a merely transport initiative, it is an environmental commitment. This is one of our most concrete steps in that direction,” he said.

Docking stations will be strategically placed at key residential and commercial areas, with a particular focus on connectivity to existing public transport hubs.

“The students, daily-wage workers, and office commuters stand to benefit most — groups for whom fuel costs and transport delays represent a genuine economic burden.”

As the Horticulture Agency Lahore would identify and provide land for docking and charging infrastructure, several other institutions are expected to join the effort, including the Lahore Parking Company, transport department, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA), and other relevant departments, Mengal said and added that diverting even a fraction of short-distance petrol-powered journeys to electric bikes could yield thousands of tonnes of avoided carbon emissions annually.

“Beyond carbon reduction, planners anticipate a measurable decline in traffic congestion, fuel expenditure, and noise pollution — benefits they describe as compounding over time as the network matures.”

He said that minors would be barred from registering with the application.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Financial experts on Monday urged policymakers to broaden the tax base, increase funding for climate change and social protection, focus on job creation, and provide relief to the salaried class.

Speaking at a pre-budget session, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), they noted that the country’s fiscal framework remains heavily focused on managing recurring crises rather than reducing the underlying vulnerabilities that continue to deepen poverty, inequality and climate risks.

Amid the government’s efforts to unveil the federal budget for 2026-27, they called for a decisive shift in fiscal priorities, urging policymakers to move beyond short-term stabilisation measures and place human development, climate resilience and productive investment at the centre of economic planning.

SDPI Deputy Executive Director (Policy) Dr Shafqat Munir Ahmad stressed the need to protect and increase allocations for education, health, nutrition and social protection, while significantly expanding investments in climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.

The country cannot continue financing recovery after every flood, drought and heatwave while underinvesting in prevention, preparedness, anticipatory action and human development,” he said, adding that the budget should be judged not only by fiscal numbers but also by its ability to reduce poverty, strengthen resilience and safeguard development gains.

Dr Shafqat also called for greater public investment in employment-generating sectors, particularly agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and emerging green economic opportunities. Social spending, he said, should be viewed as an investment in national productivity and economic competitiveness rather than a fiscal burden.

On taxation, SDPI Deputy Executive Director (Research) Dr Sajid Amin Javed warned against increasing the burden on salaried and documented taxpayers.

He noted that a large share of direct taxes continues to come from formally employed individuals while significant segments of the economy remain outside the tax net.

Dr Javed suggested that budgetary reforms should focus on broadening the tax base and improving productivity rather than relying on revenue measures that disproportionately affect middle-income households.

He also supported ongoing tariff rationalisation efforts, arguing that reducing tariff distortions could improve industrial competitiveness, attract investment and support export-led growth. “Pakistan needs structural reforms instead of annual revenue-driven adjustments,” he maintained, stressing that excessive reliance on indirect taxation ultimately weakens purchasing power and constrains economic activity.

SDPI Research Fellow Dr Khalid Waleed argued that the budget should serve as a roadmap for economic transformation rather than a mechanism for balancing accounts.

“A budget is not meant to be a calculator with a flag on it; it is meant to be a development strategy expressed in rupees,” he said.

Dr Waleed urged policymakers to ensure that fiscal decisions support job creation, productive investment and human capital development. While welcoming climate budget tagging, he cautioned that the exercise should not become a procedural requirement divorced from actual spending decisions.

“Climate budget tagging must be inclusive, not just a box-ticking activity,” he said, calling for climate risks to be integrated into fiscal planning, development spending and public investment decisions.

He advocated stronger incentives for renewable energy and warned against policy inconsistencies that could discourage investment in the clean energy sector.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Dr Mahnoor Nasir, who hails from Duki, was attacked while on duty on Saturday. The provincial government immediately shifted her to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi for specialised care.

After registering a case against the accused, Humayun Shah, investigators are now questioning hospital employees and close acquaintances of the attacker to determine the real cause.

“We are investigating the tragic incident, keeping in view all aspects to trace out the people who could be behind this episode,” a senior police officer said.

Balochistan’s chief minister visited the hospital on Sunday night to check on Nasir’s health, assuring full cooperation for her recovery.

On Monday, Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail telephoned Nasir’s father, Habibullah Khan Nasir, to offer arrangements for specialised treatment and plastic surgery abroad. Mandokhail emphasised that the provincial government is bearing all expenses related to her recovery from day one.

“The entire nation is proud of a brave daughter like Dr Mahnoor, and the people of Balochistan stand with her in this hour of difficulty,” Mandokhail said. He added that the government is utilising all available resources to ensure the safety and dignity of doctors and paramedical staff.

Meanwhile, the Young Doctors Association continued its strike across all government hospitals in Quetta, boycotting outpatient and other departments. The doctors have established a protest camp on the hospital premises, making speeches criticising health officials and demanding enhanced workplace security.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

The discussions, which started on Sunday and continued on Monday, come as violence continues to plague the territory despite the truce in place since October.

The talks bring together mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, along with representatives of several Palestinian factions, as efforts continue to push forward negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

According to the source, mediators were due to meet a Hamas delegation on Monday, followed by a wider meeting including all participating factions.

Efforts continue to push negotiations on second phase of ceasefire agreement

Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News channel said Sunday’s talks focused on “the proposed roadmap for completing the implementation of the agreement”.

“It was held in a positive atmosphere,” the channel reported, adding that there was agreement on the need to continue implementing US President Donald Trump’s plan.

The talks come amid rising regio­nal tensions, after Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday, in a serious test of another fragile truce and a potential threat to hopes for a deal to end the wider Middle East war.

Despite the Gaza truce technically in effect since October, daily violence has rocked the territory, over half of which is under Israeli military control in defiance of the ceasefire’s terms.

Israel has killed at least 936 people since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.

Both Hamas and Israel accuse each other of violating the truce.

The first phase of the ceasefire involved the release of the last Israeli prisoners held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.

A transition to the second phase, which was supposed to involve Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli military, has been stalled for months.

The question of Gaza’s post-war governance also remains one of the main sticking points in negotiations on implementing the provisions of phase two.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

• Woman, child among 12 killed in attacks on Zifta, Tyre
• Beirut counts 3,491 Israeli strikes since April 17; fresh bombardment damages Unesco heritage site
• Hezbollah denies contact with Trump

BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed 12 people on Monday as Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Men­assa revealed Israel has carried out nearly 3,500 air strikes since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect in April.

The Lebanese health ministry said the dawn raid on the town of Zifta in the Nabatieh district resulted in seven deaths, including a Syrian child and a woman, and wounded eight others.

Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on Tyre in southern Lebanon on Monday killed five people and wounded eight, the health ministry said, as Israel said it would continue strikes despite Iranian threats.

“An Israeli enemy raid on the city of Tyre, near the Red Cross centre, resulted in five martyrs and eight wounded, four of whom were Red Cross paramedics,” the ministry said in a statement.

The continuing violence underscores the fragility of the ceasefire that came into effect on April 17.

Nearly 3,500 Israeli attacks

During a cabinet meeting on Monday, Menassa said that between April 17 and June 7, Israel conducted 3,491 air strikes, 407 controlled demolitions and six razing operations, flattening entire villages in southernmost Lebanon.

PM Nawaf Salam said the escalation has caused additional waves of displacement. More than 1 million people have been displaced and over 3,600 killed since Hez­bollah drew Lebanon into the conflict on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme leader.

The heavy bombardment in Tyre also damaged a Unesco World Heritage site. Ali Badawi, the culture ministry’s regional director of archaeological sites for south Lebanon, said Sunday’s bombardment had “the worst impact” on Tyre’s ancient areas since the war began. “The amount of debris and damage at the site is high,” Badawi said. “Some archaeological artefacts were damaged when rubble fell on them, as debris fell over a large area, impacting a large number of elements at the site — columns, capitals, column bases, mosaics.”

Tyre’s ruins include Roman baths, a second-century triumphal arch and a hippodrome. Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame appealed to protect the sites, charging that Israel “does not respect” the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property.

‘No contact with Trump’

Amid the ongoing conflict, a senior Hezbollah official denied statements from US President Donald Trump suggesting the two sides had communicated.

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati said in written remarks that “there has been no direct contact between President Trump and Hezbollah officials”.

Trump told reporters last Wednesday that “we actually spoke with Hezbollah for the first time, ever,” and later claimed he had a “very good call” with the group through highly placed representatives.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

“The objective is to facilitate lawful travel while protecting the country’s citizens, safeguarding human lives, co­­untering organised criminal networks, and preserving the country’s international reputation,” the FIA chief said while talking to reporters here.

Dr Anwar said the FIA has intensified intelligence-led passenger screening at international airports, bringing illegal migration through Malawi to “zero” and cutting irregular flows to the EU by 64 per cent in early 2026. He said the measures target human smuggling, trafficking and visa abuse, and are meant to protect people from “exploitation, detention, deportation, trafficking, and loss of life on dangerous migration routes,” not to restrict genuine travel.

He said his agency has identified Belarus, Cyprus, Central Asian states and certain Eastern European transit corridors as routes “increasingly exploited by organised human smuggling networks” for onward illegal migration to Europe, he said. Malawi also emerged as a high-risk transit hub in 2025. Criminal facilitators, the DG said, lure vulnerable people with false promises of jobs, education, settlement and legal migration.

The FIA’s Annual Risk Ana­lysis Report 2025 listed Sou­theast Asian cyber-trafficking, organised migrant smuggling networks, and transit migration through Eastern Europe and Central Asia as critical threats. It also noted a rising trend of migration and deportation to Central Asian countries among young residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, besides hotspot districts of Punjab.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Abbas Shah directed the authorities concerned to arrest CM Afridi and produce him before the court. The order was passed after the chief minister failed to appear despite being summoned for the hearing.

The case was registered by the National Cyber Cri­me Investigation Agency (NCCIA), formerly known as the cybercrime wing of the FIA, over allegations of content deemed misleading against state institutions.

Expressing displeasure over the repeated absence of the accused, the court reissued the non-bailable warrants and adjourned further proceedings until June 18.

Physical remand

In a separate case, the same court handed vlogger Sohrab Barkat over to the NCCIA on a four-day physical remand.

The investigating agency produced the accused before the court and sought his physical custody for interrogation. After hearing the request, Judge Abbas Shah approved the four-day remand.

According to the agency, a case has been registered against Mr Barkat under relevant cybercr­i­­me laws. Investigators alleged that he uploaded a YouTube video related to the Joint Action Committee, which led to the registration of the case.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Reports of rifts within the PTI emerged soon after the induction of new ministers, advisers and special assistants – who took oath on May 22. It is understood that some of the MPAs in question are unhappy after not being included in the provincial cabinet.

The last sitting of the KP Assembly was held on May 18, which was adjourned by the chair till June 1. However, the house did not meet on the scheduled date, as the speaker first postponed it to June 8.

The latest notification issued by the assembly secretariat on Sunday said that the sitting would now be held on Monday, June 15 at 2pm.

One of the dissidents told Dawn that there were initially 25 of them, but the number had now risen to 30 over the past couple of days.

The lawmaker was unwilling to name them, as that would expose them to pressure from the party and the chief minister to withdraw from their stance. “The four to five dissident lawmakers who can tolerate the pressure are known to everyone,” he said.

MPA Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, who is also among the dissidents, told Dawn that they have their own grievances and political stance, which would be presented on the floor of the house.

He said that during a recent meeting, he had informed Speaker Swati that they were not a dissident group; they wanted a clear-cut announcement by the chief minister on plans for Imran Khan’s release.

“We don’t need any incentives; our one-point agenda is the decisive movement for the release of Imran Khan,” Ghani told Dawn.

He said that their other demands included arranging a meeting of party leaders and relatives with Imran Khan, providing him medical treatment through doctors of his choice at Shifa International Hospital, and expediting the court proceedings of his cases.

Ghani noted that sporadic protesters outside Adiala jail had proven to be ineffective, adding that they wanted to move towards “a permanent sit-in that continues until a logical conclusion”.

When asked whether former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur was leading the dissidents, he said that there was no one person leading the group; the lawmakers had come together on a single-point agenda, i.e., securing the release of the party’s founder.

Another dissident legislator told Dawn on condition of anonymity that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was perturbed by the rise of the dissident group.

“The chief minister is trying to make the dissidents happy by including their development schemes in the Annual Development Program,” he claimed.

When contacted, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati told Dawn that the assembly session would be convened after presentation of the federal budget in the National Assembly.

However, it is worth noting that the KP Assembly has been in session for the last couple of months.

On June 1, when the chief minister convened a parliamentary party meeting, only 57 out of the 92 lawmakers attended the meeting.

This was where many MPAs complained to CM Afridi about corruption in government departments, poor law and order in the province and indifference to police, district administration and bureaucracy to their legitimate demands related to people’s issues.

The next day, a group of dissidents wrote to interim party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, expressing concern over the “lack of efforts” by the leadership to secure Imran Khan’s release.

Efforts to win dissidents over

In the interim, the KP speaker and other party leaders are engaged in hectic politicking in a bid to win over the dissident lawmakers.

Speaker Swati recently met with Ghani to defuse tensions, the latter told journalists in Mansehra.

“Swati was here to defuse tensions with our group. We made it clear to him that we do not have any personal vendetta against the chief minister or any other in the government and firmly stand with PTI founding chairman Imran Khan,” Ghani said.

One of the group’s leaders, privy to the meeting between Swati and Ghani, claimed that the former had offered the latter the position of senior provincial minister in the cabinet, which Ghani had declined.

Ghani said that more than 30 MPAs were active members of their group. “We, all like-minded MPAs, whose number exceeds 30, have made it clear to the chief minister that if he stages a sit-in outside the National Assembly on June 10, we all will not return until the desired results are achieved,” he said.

He said that if the government presented the budget in the assembly without a prior meeting between CM Afridi and Imran Khan, the group would boycott proceedings and would not help in its passage.

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the results of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, the PTI announced on Monday that it would issue a white paper detailing “electoral irregularities” and also observe a ‘black day’ when the newly elected lawmakers of the region take their oath of office.

Addressing a press conference, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the party’s primary agenda was to address “widespread irregularities” in the GB elections held on Sunday. He claimed that PTI was barred from campaigning in the days leading up to the election, alleging that it was part of a “planned arrangement aimed at eliminating the party from the polls”.

He said that out of the region’s 24 seats, PTI-backed candidates were leading in two constituencies — Naik Karim in Hunza and Sohail Abbas in Gilgit — while their ally Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen’s Muhammad Kazim was ahead in Skardu.

However, he claimed that PTI-backed candidates were “winning 100 per cent” in a total of eight constituencies — one seat from Astore, one from Diamer, two from Nagar, and one from Ghizer. He alleged that due to “rigging, vote-stuffing, and the casting of bogus votes”, the PTI’s “victory” was overturned.

The PTI chairman said the party had demanded a re-election in Rehmanpur, Astore, stating that they had brought evidence of “167 bogus votes” to the presiding officer’s attention.

“The PTI rejects the process, results and vote count of this election,” the PTI chairman said, stressing that “once again, people who did not have the people’s mandate have been given a false mandate”, in an apparent reference to the 2024 general polls.

He also demanded that out of the six seats reserved for women and the three allocated for technocrats, the PTI should be given one from each category. Barrister Gohar also outlined plans to hold a protest in GB after consulting the PTI’s political allies.

Separately, the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) held a consultative meeting under the chairmanship of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai. During the huddle, the alliance condemned efforts aimed at “keeping the PTI out of the democratic process” in the GB elections.

In a statement, the TTAP called the GB elections an “action replay” of the 2024 general elections. “When the decisions are going to be made elsewhere, then what is the point of holding elections?” the statement said, adding that in the aftermath of the elections, “neither the election commission nor the electoral process had any credibility left”.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

“The recent surge in violence in the Middle East is a stark reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.

“We sincerely urge all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance,” the premier wrote, emphasising that the “final objective is just about to be achieved”.

He noted that Pakistan was working “earnestly and painstakingly, together with our brothers and partners, to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to the conflict”.

“Let us continue to remain on the path of peace and diplomacy which have bright prospects of success instead of violence and destruction!” PM Shehbaz urged.

PM Shehbaz’s statement comes after Israel and Iran exchanged attacks on Monday for the first time since the shaky ceasefire in the Middle East war took effect on April 8, despite United States President Donald Trump calling for restraint.

The flare-up saw Israel striking Iran after Tehran targeted it in vengeance for an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Saturday. Israel struck the Lebanese capital despite the US announcement of a truce plan last week.

Ceasefire agreements in Lebanon have failed to secure peace due to Israel’s escalated operations, including strikes, multiple forced displacement orders, and the seizure of the historic Beaufort Castle.

The region has been on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation on Israel and other regional countries hosting US military sites.

A temporary ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was reached on April 8 after Pakistan-led mediation efforts. The ceasefire remains formally in place but has been repeatedly tested by military incidents in and around the Gulf region.

However, indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran to reach a long-term peace agreement have drifted into what diplomats describe as a fragile stalemate despite both sides continuing to publicly endorse diplomacy over renewed confrontation.

At the centre of the deadlock are disagreements over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, its enrichment programme, the future of sanctions, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and regional security issues.

Stepping up its efforts to break the impasse in the US-Iran dialogue, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran this weekend, carrying a message from Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.