Kamal, who is also the federal health minister, made the announcement while addressing a press conference in Karachi, where he railed against the Sindh government’s indifference towards the metropolis and its people.

“MQM-P has decided that it will no longer stay quiet. We will adopt all the ways listed in the Constitution. We spoke in assemblies, they do not agree. We presented a constitutional amendment, they do not agree. Now, we will make use of the streets while staying within the law and the Constitution. We will come onto the streets with the people,” he said.

“The law and the Constitution give us the right to come out onto the streets. Pakistan is at a point where it cannot function under the same system any longer,” he said.

This system, he said, was the one with four provinces and a federating unit. Referring to the distribution of federal funds, Kamal said the federation had allocated Rs8.4 trillion among the four provinces, of which Sindh received around Rs2.2 trillion.

“These funds are allocated in the name of the people, but they remain confined to the Chief Minister House instead of reaching Karachi, Larkana, Hyderabad or Sukkur,” he alleged.

He said that funds dispensed to Sindh were never seen by the districts, adding that there was no system for disbursing the funds to union councils.

“And they say they will not touch the 18th Amendment. The 18th Amendment has not been enforced. That is why MQM-P announces that it will endorse all steps for the devolution of power … the top of the list of which is new provinces on an administrative basis,” he said.

During the presser, Kamal accused the Sindh government of preventing Karachi from playing its role in driving Pakistan’s economic growth, alleging that the provincial administration had failed to provide the city with basic civic services. He also questioned why Karachi was being held back despite its economic importance.

“Who can pull Pakistan out of this economic quagmire? And who is preventing Karachi from playing that role? It is the current Sindh government that is not allowing Karachi to contribute to Pakistan as it should,” he said.

Kamal said the provincial government was holding Karachi back and preventing it from contributing to the country’s development.

“We are happy for Lahore, but the tragedy is that if development was to take place anywhere in Pakistan first, it should have happened in Karachi,” he said.

The minister said Karachi should have led Pakistan’s progress and helped the country emerge from its economic challenges, but alleged that the PPP-led Sindh government had failed to allow the city to fulfil that role.

He also accused the provincial administration of failing to provide residents with basic services, alleging that Karachi lacked adequate drinking water, a proper sewerage system and sufficient schools, while many girls’ schools did not even have toilets.

He further alleged that the province had the country’s highest rates of child stunting and out of school children. He said that Sindh also reported more dog-bite cases than any other province, adding that incidents of children falling into open manholes were a recurring problem in Karachi.

“Sindh is the only place where children are losing their lives after falling into manholes,” he said.

Calling Karachi Pakistan’s “economic capital”, Kamal said the city generated revenue for the country and housed its seaports, yet continued to suffer from poor governance.

“It is an international city, yet news of children falling into manholes emerges from Karachi. Lawlessness is at its peak, there is no one to look after primary and secondary schools, and there have been no police reforms,” he said.

The minister contrasted Karachi’s condition with developments in other parts of the country, saying that while other cities were discussing air ambulances, metro systems and trains, Karachi was introducing bicycle ambulances.

“I want to tell those running the country not to mistake our silence for weakness. Hyderabad, Karachi, Sukkur and other cities are home to living, breathing people, but everywhere there is destruction,” he said.

Kamal said the MQM-P had proposed constitutional amendments aimed at addressing these issues, but they could not be passed because the party lacked the required numbers in parliament.

“Will our generations continue to suffer because this government needs the PPP’s numbers? From Karachi to Kashmore, our children are dying while political and democratic oppression continues,” he alleged.

Nearly five years after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban administration has reached a strategic impasse, balancing precariously on the precipice of a localised, multi-factional civil conflict. This impending instability is not merely a function of diplomatic isolation or international sanctions. Instead, it is being accelerated by an unsustainable internal economy of power, a volatile relationship with regional neighbours, and the emergence of decentralised, non-state resistance movements.

Fissures within

Domestically, the regime is fracturing along factional lines as the illusion of a unified command is replaced by a zero-sum power struggle between two competing power centres.

On one side stands the radical Kandahar faction, a hyper-conservative clerical elite gathered around Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which clashes directly with the militarised Kabul faction led by figures like Sirajuddin Haqqani, who oversee day-to-day governance.

Kandahar’s insistence on absolute ideological conformity and the centralisation of fiscal allocations has deeply alienated the field commanders responsible for winning the insurgency, privatising and paralysing the state’s administrative capacity while reducing the economy to a state of artificial survival dependent on illicit trade and irregular humanitarian inflows.

This growing internal pressure is further compounded by a consolidating political opposition that directly rejects the Taliban’s claims of absolute control and popular legitimacy.

Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), has challenged the regime’s narrative, explicitly dismissing the claim that anti-Taliban forces are fragmented or disconnected from the Afghan masses.

Massoud posits that the fundamental path toward resolving the Afghan crisis reduces to a singular, foundational principle: returning the executive right to make decisions directly to the Afghan people.

In his assessment, true national unity cannot be built upon a foundation of silence, fear, or the forced structural conformity imposed by the Taliban. Instead, a durable state architecture requires a system grounded in justice, mutual respect, and an institutional acceptance of Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic and cultural tapestry.

Hence, the Taliban’s internal security architecture is increasingly challenged by a dual-layered opposition consisting of distinct factions deploying radically divergent operational strategies.

While Ahmad Massoud’s NRF represents the formal, institutional wing of the resistance, drawing its lineage from the old political guard and maintaining a conventional military footprint in the northern valleys of Panjshir, Takhar, and Badakhshan, groups like Pasiban-i-Watan (Guardians of the Homeland) and the newer Sepahian-i-Mihan (Soldiers of the Homeland) operate as decentralised, grassroots phenomena. This forces the Taliban to simultaneously defend geographic frontiers in the north against the NRF and combat asymmetric sabotage from decentralised networks, overextending the regime’s security apparatus.

A foreign policy blunder

On the regional front, the failure of the Taliban’s foreign policy manifests in the collapse of its relationship with Pakistan, which further exposes its internal weaknesses.

For decades, Islamabad served as a vital geopolitical corridor for Kabul, yet upon assuming power, the Taliban prioritised ideological solidarity with transnational militant networks over the strategic necessities of state-to-state bilateralism. By providing operational sanctuary, material support, and intelligence access to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror outfit , the regime has enabled the group to execute lethal cross-border offensives, including incursions into regions like Chitral and sustained attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Recognising that the Taliban regime cannot or will not honour its counterterrorism obligations under regional frameworks, Islamabad has dismantled its policy of strategic patience in favour of kinetic deterrence and direct coercion.

Following escalations in cross-border militancy, Pakistan initiated military actions, including Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, deploying targeted cross-border airstrikes against militant infrastructure. In response, Taliban officials have weaponised nationalist sentiment by rejecting the legitimacy of the Durand Line frontier and dismantling border fencing.

This territorial defiance has led to sustained ground skirmishes at vital trade links like the Torkham crossing, disrupting regional commerce. Concurrently, the Taliban have accelerated diplomatic and strategic engagement with New Delhi, compounding Islamabad’s concerns vis-à-vis a revived two-front security threat.

Russia’s pragmatic approach

Desperate for external legitimacy to mitigate its domestic vulnerabilities, Kabul has also leveraged its diplomatic engagement with Moscow as evidence of international integration.

Russia’s steps toward formal diplomatic engagement, including the removal of the Taliban from its official list of banned terrorist organisations, have been framed by Kabul as a major foreign policy success. However, despite its technical-military cooperation agreement, Moscow’s approach is transactional, born of realpolitik rather than genuine diplomatic trust, viewing the Taliban as a buffer against the regional expansion of the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) terror group.

Within Kremlin, pragmatic engagement with Kabul coexists with deep skepticism over the Taliban’s long-term capability and strategic intent.

Russian analyst Andrei Serenko, head of the Russian Centre for Contemporary Afghanistan Studies, has drawn attention to the internal vulnerabilities of the Taliban rule and the emergence of new resistance dynamics that could further complicate Afghanistan’s security landscape and ultimately regional peace and stability. Taliban’s continued ties with regional radical groups, including the TTP, which Russia also has designated as a terrorist organisation, heavily cloud Moscow’s strategic calculations.

This is a central paradox confronting Russia’s Afghan policy: Moscow requires a sufficiently stable authority in Kabul to contain the IS-K, and facilitate its broader Eurasian ambitions, yet the durability of that authority is increasingly tested by internal factionalism, political resistance, decentralised terrorist networks, and deteriorating relations with Pakistan.

Ultimately, the Taliban regime is trapped between a deeply aggrieved neighbour to the east, mounting domestic resistance from within, and cautious partners to the north. The current stability in Afghanistan may therefore prove more fragile than territorial control suggests.

Unless it shifts away from ideological rigidity and addresses political, security, and regional contradictions accumulating beneath its rule, Afghanistan risks sliding once again toward fragmented sovereignty and conflict.

Under the new policy, individuals engaged in online investment scams, sextortion and related offences — and their immediate family members — could be barred from entering the country.

Announcing the policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move was part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to combat cybercrime, fraud and predatory online schemes targeting American citizens.

Rubia said in a statement that Trump had made clear in an executive order that “his administration is taking action to counter an unprecedented threat from online investment scams”.

The secretary said online investment scams, many allegedly “orchestrated by Chinese transnational criminal organisations, defrauded US citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 while also fueling corruption, money laundering and human trafficking”.

He added that American children had also been specifically targeted by overseas-based sextortion schemes, causing severe emotional and financial harm to victims and their families.

Under the new policy, visa restrictions may be imposed on individuals found responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and cyber-enabled criminal activities, including cyberscams and sextortion, Rubio said, adding immediate family members of such individuals may also be subject to the restrictions.

The statement added the US would use a range of measures — including, sanctions, criminal prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests and enhanced international law enforcement cooperation — to dismantle criminal networks operating across borders.

“By restricting visa issuance to those who are responsible for or complicit in these criminal enterprises, we are sending a clear message: the United States will go after those who prey on our citizens,” Rubio said.

Although the policy does not name any specific country other than referring to Chinese criminal organisations allegedly involved in investment scams, it applies globally and could affect nationals of any country found to be participating in cyber-enabled criminal activities.

Riyadh struck Houthi military targets in Hodeida on Friday, with rebel media reporting two wounded after the Yemeni group announced a maritime blockade of the top oil producer and hit its ships.

The flare-up marks a new front of the war that has engulfed the region following US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February, and comes on top of Iran’s parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh’s only other maritime route.

The rebels had accused Saudi Arabia of a “dangerous escalation” and said its actions “will not go unanswered”.

The Houthis’ Ansarollah media said on Telegram early on Saturday that a “Yemeni missile strike” had sparked fires in the southern Saudi city of Jizan on the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the claim.

But Riyadh’s civil defence agency had issued brief warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu early Saturday for “potential danger”, only to lift the warnings minutes later.

Similar warnings have been issued in the past when missiles or drones were fired at the kingdom.

The warning came after the Saudi-led coalition said on Friday it had hit Houthi sites and destroyed targets threatening commercial vessels in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping.

A Yemeni security source told AFP a naval base in the port city of Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island were among the Saudi targets.

The Houthis claimed attacks on two Saudi ships earlier this week, with Saudi Arabia confirming one of the attacks in the Red Sea.

Blockade

The Yemeni security source, who requested anonymity, said the Saudi strikes targeted a telecommunications building near Hodeida’s port and a naval base at Ras al-Kathib in Hodeida.

The Houthis’ al-Masirah television channel said two people were wounded — a worker in Hodeida and a woman on Kamaran island.

It said a telecoms building had been hit in Hodeida.

On Monday, the rebels had warned in a radio message to ships that they would target vessels “belonging to (the) Saudi enemy” that do not comply with their blockade.

Saudi state media cited a transport authority official on Friday as saying “the vessel (NCC MASA), belonging to a Saudi company, was targeted while sailing in the Red Sea today … resulting in minor damage to the vessel’s hull”.

The ship resumed its course, the SPA added.

Red Sea access has become vital for Saudi Arabia to keep shipping oil as traffic in Hormuz is disrupted.

‘Tipping point’

The escalation came after Trump said he would hold off on a major operation as Tehran was now getting “serious” in talks with Washington.

“No I haven’t,” Trump told journalists in the Oval Office when asked if he had made a decision on hitting Iran hard, for now dialing back reports that he was increasingly frustrated with the war and mulling a large-scale military operation.

“Look, we’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason.”

Trump said Iran had a choice between making a deal or facing a “much higher level” of strikes, after nearly two weeks of US attacks that have left a ceasefire in tatters.

The war that Trump once predicted would last four or five weeks is now nearing its fifth month, and is weighing on the Republican’s approval ratings ahead of crucial US midterm elections in November.

Trump added that he did not know what the “tipping point” would be for a decision, but reiterated that his red line would be if Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.

The United States says it is carrying out the strikes to stop Iran closing the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with strikes on US bases that have killed four service members.

The Iranian military said on Friday it had carried out attacks targeting US military assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, meanwhile, said they had targeted an Amazon data center in Bahrain, according to state media, though neither the US tech giant nor Bahrain has commented on the claim.

There was also no confirmation from the United States of any targeting of its facilities or personnel. In Bahrain, sirens sounded again early on Saturday, the interior ministry said, urging residents to take shelter.

“We are surviving solely on plain white rice and contaminated water. The company has not sent any form of assistance to us. The hijackers refuse to negotiate with any third parties; they only want to negotiate directly with the company listed on our ship’s documents.”

The Honour 25 — a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying 17 to 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis — was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia on April 21, 2026.

Three months have gone by and there has been no progress either in negotiations or the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for the recovery of the hostages.

Since its hijack, the crew has made several emotional videos and audio appeals, while reporting that they have run out of clean water, food and medicine.

“We are pleading with the government to intervene and compel our company to take responsibility for its crew. We are facing immense difficulties just to stay alive, and to this day, we have seen no progress. The company has provided absolutely zero assistance in terms of food or medicine. We humbly ask for the prayers of all the Indonesian people,” the captain’s message said.

As is widely known by now, the ship — besides seven Indonesians — also has 10 Pakistani crew members, as well as an Indian and a Sri Lankan.

“We don’t even have clean water to drink; we only have yellowish water to drink from our ship’s tank. We are given plain boiled rice to eat once every 24 hours,” said Pakistani crew member, Oiler Yasir Khan, through a recorded video message dated June 1, 2026.

Khan appeals to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, President Asif Zardari, and “any other relevant authorities” to “please help us or we won’t be able to survive here”.

“We only have our government to look up to. Therefore, we ask you to please do something for us so we can go back home and reunite with our families,” he said in the message.

These video messages are some of the last communications from the hostages.

Question of ownership

The agency responsible for hiring them, as known to the Pakistani crew, is called Purser Shipping Consultancy (SMC Pvt Limited / Helmsman Shipping Company, North Nazimabad, Karachi). From there, they know an ‘Osman’, but it was revealed later that he may only be a middleman who hired them.

In another video message — this time in English — Captain Ashari Samadikun has a book in his hands, showing the name of the ship’s official owners: Wharf Chartering Co of Dubai, who are not interested in talking to the pirates.

“This book mentions the ship owner company. There is no mention of anyone named Osman. He must be a middleman only,” he pointed out.

Earlier, under the supervision of the Somali pirates, there were several videos and phone calls to the families of the hostages to pressure them to pay the ransom. But after mid-June, the messages stopped.

“They used to give us around five or so minutes to speak, but that has all stopped now. The pirates have blocked our WhatsApp,” Ayesha Kashif, wife of Second Officer Syed Kashif Umer Naqvi, told Dawn.

“It seems that no one cares, because nothing has changed as far as the government’s stance goes in the recovery of our people. We are only told to be patient. And not having had any communication with our loved ones, think of our state of mind.”

“Izhar, my eldest son, failed to appear for his final A-Level exams in May-June. My three younger children also keep enquiring about their father. I’m using our savings to run the house,” she added.

Ali Akbar, the older brother of one of the ship’s oilers, Imran Ali, said that both his mother and his sister-in-law — Imran’s wife — have fallen ill with worry.

“We are trying to stay strong, but everyone cannot be strong. Our mother is also old,” he said.

Mahwish Yasir, the wife of Yasir Khan, said that her husband only tells her about their problems before the phone is taken from him.

“The last time that I spoke to him was around Eidul Azha. He told me then that some other pirates also tried taking control of their ship a few days ago, but were told to go away by the pirates already on the ship. It is a crazy situation,” she said.

Obaidullah, the older brother of another oiler named Rafiullah Khan, also said that the pirates are no longer interested in talking to them.

“They are in touch with the family of only one Pakistani crew member, the ship’s fitter Ameen Bin Shams,” he said.

When asked if it was even more worrisome that something might have happened to their relatives, the brother said that anything was possible given the way things were.

However, he added that he had a cousin who was also taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2012 and who told him that cutting off contact was a Somali tactic to increase panic.

Aisha Ameen, who is now the only person the pirates contact, said that she had also not received any communication for many days.

“I keep my cell phone close to me all the time. When they call, they only say to us what they want conveyed, they ignore our queries,” she said.

“From what we understood initially … the owner of the ship was Osman. But a WhatsApp message from the pirates to humanitarian Ansar Burney, who also tried to help in resolving the matter, says that ‘Osman’ is a third party in Somalia,” she shared, adding that he was “spreading lies” that the ransom demand was for $10m rather than $3m.

Ansar Burney — a former human rights minister — is the chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, a non-profit human rights organisation working in all areas of human and civil rights worldwide. He has previously participated in efforts to free Pakistanis captured by Somali pirates.

“And here we don’t even have any answers from our own government… For instance, the government will not speak to the pirates directly. The ship owner should do that. But it is not established who owns the ship. It is also said that the oil in the ship has a different owner in Yemen,” Ameen told Dawn.

“We are only told to remain calm and be patient. But for how long? It has been over three months now.”

“By now, there is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Pakistan Embassy in Djibouti, this ‘Osman’ fellow claiming to be the ship’s owner, and Ansar Burney pushing them to take action. But we still have no answers, no results,” she added.

Ameen shared that she has a seven-month-old son whom his father has not seen since he was born, and at her husband’s request, was holding off on the boy’s aqiqah — the sacrificing of an animal upon a child’s birth — until his return.

“My three-year-old daughter tells me that she is mad at her father because he no longer talks to her on the phone,” she said. What do I tell her? We are told to stay calm and trust the government. How do I stay calm? Whom do I trust?”

Foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that the government’s efforts to bring the men home continue, adding, “We understand the families’ pain.”

The vice chairperson of the Ansar Burney Trust, Shaheen Burney, told Dawn that there had been silence within the government for a long time. However, after the trust kept pushing for action, the matter was referred to the Ministry of Human Rights on the prime minister’s directive.

“We went to Islamabad for a detailed meeting regarding the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They told us that the Pakistan Embassy in Djibouti is also involved,” said Burney.

After this, the ministry also held a meeting with the families in Karachi. However, she said, the “same kind of things” were repeated in the meeting, with the ministry reiterating their limitations and that they could “only take the diplomatic way”.

After this, she said, PM Shehbaz directed the Ministry of Human Rights to take up the matter. The trust aired its concerns again in a meeting in Islamabad on July 3.

Another meeting took place on Friday (July 24), but Ameen has not yet seen the minutes of this one.

The Ansar Burney Trust has spoken, in the meantime, to both the ship’s captain — who was worried about the health of his crew — and the pirates, who Burney said do not recognise ‘Osman’ as the ship owner despite his claims, even though he is willing to negotiate.

“Almost 100 days have passed since the hijacking and there have been no concrete steps taken by the government in this matter,” she regretted.

A bench consisting of Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Inamullah Khan accepted Meena’s petition seeking the court’s directives to the respondents, including the interior ministry and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to remove his name from travel restriction lists, including PCL, and allow him to travel abroad.

On the order of the court, the government had submitted certain confidential documents related to the petitioner in a sealed envelope.

The government claimed that the petitioner’s name had been placed on the PCL on June 5, 2026, on the basis of a report submitted by security agencies.

Rules free movement can’t be restricted merely on registration of FIRs

“The report was produced in a sealed envelope, which was opened and perused by the Court before being returned to learned Deputy Attorney General,” the bench pointed out.

It added that a perusal of the report revealed that it contained only general allegations to the effect that the petitioner is involved in anti-state activities and that certain FIRs had been registered against him.

The bench, however, observed that the respondents failed to produce any material showing that the petitioner had been convicted in any of said criminal cases.

“It is repeatedly held by this Court in a number of cases that mere registration of criminal cases, in absence of a conviction or declaration of a person as a proclaimed offender, is not sufficient to curtail the fundamental right to freedom of movement, particularly where the accused has already been admitted to bail by the competent court.”

“The respondents were unable to demonstrate that the petitioner has either been declared a proclaimed offender or convicted in any criminal case. In these circumstances, the petitioner’s constitutional right to free movement cannot be restricted merely on the basis of registration of FIRs,” the court ruled.

The bench in its eight-page judgment also referred to the superior court verdicts.

The petitioner’s counsel, Bashir Khan Wazir, said that his client was provincial minister for higher education, pro-chancellor of public sector universities as well as minister of local government department.

He said that the petitioner had been invited by the German Embassy to participate in a joint research project at the University of Tubingen.

The lawyer pointed out that the federal government had placed his name on travel restriction lists, which was challenged by the petitioner in an earlier petition.

However, he contended that in response to that earlier petition, the federal government had informed a bench headed by Chief Justice S.M Attique Shah that his name was only on the PNIL (Provisional National Identification List) and no other list.

The counsel contended that the bench had granted interim relief to the petitioner on ordered removal of his name from the PNIL on condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

He added that the court had permitted the petitioner to travel to Germany to attend the program there.

Mr Wazir said that when the petitioner reached the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar on June 7, he was informed that his name was on the PCL and that his passport had been blocked.

He added that the petitioner was prevented from travelling abroad despite the court’s clear orders.

The lawyer argued that the respondents, despite their earlier statement before the court, subsequently placed his name in the PCL with mala fide intent to deprive him of his lawful right to travel abroad and to discharge his official responsibilities on behalf of the KP government.

He argued that the act of the government was in violation of constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of movement.

Deputy attorney general Atif Nazir appeared along with FIR deputy directors Asghar Jamal and Shahbaz Noor and opposed the plea of Meena Khan stating that his name was included in the PCL on the basis of reports of intelligence agencies regarding his activities.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

Addressing a joint parliamentary meeting of the PTI members from the national and provincial assemblies and Senate at the Chief Minister’s House here, Mr Afridi said that since Oct 15 last year when he assumed the office, the provincial government had consistently pursued constitutional, legal and democratic avenues to resolve political issues through dialogue.

He said that the PTI leadership had also remained committed to a negotiated resolution of outstanding matters; however, despite sustained efforts, these initiatives had not received a constructive response from the other side, according to a statement from his office.

Referring to efforts to meet with his jailed party leader and PTI founder, Imran Khan, the chief minister said he had approached both the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court and had sought meetings with their respective chief justices.

Expresses concern about Imran’s health in jail

He added that he had also raised the matter directly with the chief justice during a public event, maintaining that as the elected chief minister, it was both his constitutional and legal right to meet his party leader.

Mr Afridi emphasised that the provincial government’s policy direction was guided by Mr Imran’s vision, as the public mandate had been secured under his name and leadership.

He said that disregarding the mandate received by Mr Imran amounted to disregarding the democratic will of approximately 45 million KP citizens.

The chief minister said that the federal government was treating the province’s democratically elected government as a second-tier administration. Expressing concern about Mr Imran’s health, the chief minister called for his family members, sisters and personal physicians to be granted access to him.

He declared the PTI founder a national asset and the country’s most popular political leader, reiterating his call for access to family members, personal physicians and treatment at a medical facility of his preference.

Addressing allegations related to the events of 9 May, Mr Afridi said that PTI had consistently called for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts.

He reiterated Mr Imran’s publicly stated position that ‘the Army is mine and the country is mine,’ and said the PTI had responded to propaganda narratives through democratic and constitutional means.

The chief minister, however, said those efforts had not resulted in a resolution of the underlying issues.

He said after exhausting all constitutional and legal avenues, peaceful public protest was the only constitutional and democratic course available to the PTI.

“The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to peaceful assembly,” he said.

Describing the August 5 gathering as a defining political event, the chief minister said it would serve as a pivotal milestone in the party’s political strategy and that its future roadmap would be presented to the nation during the event.

He announced that following consultations with parliamentary representatives, the venue of the gathering had been relocated from the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium to a larger open site near the Peshawar motorway to facilitate public participation, improve traffic management and ensure easier access for participants travelling from across the province.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

SSP Operations Farhan Khan told Dawn that unidentified terrorists carried out the explosion.

“As a result of the attack, three police personnel sustained injuries. The injured officials, identified as constables Niaz Amin, Daud and Ziaullah, were shifted to the hospital,” he said, adding that police and other security agencies secured the area and initiated a search operation.

Further details would be shared as more information becomes available, he said.

The suspected quadcopter strike was the fifth such attack carried out in the area.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

“Mansehra is among the seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the delimitation process has begun, as under the new rules, we expect the number of village and neighbourhood councils to be reduced significantly from the existing 194,” assistant election commissioner Waqar Khan told reporters.

He said that the ECP in collaboration with the district administration and the assistant director of local government had initiated the delimitation exercise across the district.

“We have started procuring maps, training officials and constituting delimitation committees. These steps are expected to be completed by next week,” Mr Khan said.

He said that the preliminary delimitation of village and neighbourhood councils would be completed by August 28, 2026.

“The preliminary lists prepared by the delimitation committees will be displayed on August 29 to invite objections from the public,” he said.

Mr Khan said that objections to the proposed delimitations could be filed with the relevant committees from August 31 to September 18, 2026.

“The last date for communicating the decisions on objections is October 12, while the final notification of village and neighbourhood council boundaries will be issued on October 17, 2026,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

The KP-RETP is an IFAD-funded project under the planning and development (P&D) department with the objective of uplifting most vulnerable rural communities in the province by focusing on high-value agriculture, skills development and economic empowerment for women and youth.

Following the transfer of the project director of KP-RTEP, the IFAD as well as the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) have written to the KP government, raising concerns over the change of leadership which was done without the input of the donor agency. Copies of both letters are available with Dawn.

The change and subsequent strong reaction from the IFAD, according to a senior official, has put the government in a quandary, unsure whether to move ahead with its decision or rescind its orders.

Insists move against financing agreement, may disrupt project implementation

The official also said that the transfer row even has potential implications for other international donor funded projects in the province with many now having second thoughts over their contractual obligations with the provincial government.

According to credible sources at the heart of the controversial posting order is the alleged move to appropriate substantial sums of IFAD funds for training purposes with an engineering university in violation of its government contractual obligation with the donor. They said that the loan at 0.5pc was the cheapest loan offered in the country.

On July 20, the EAD wrote to the KP additional chief secretary for P&D department, saying IFAD has raised serious concerns regarding the transfer of project director without the prior consent of the donor in violation of conditions of financing agreement.

“The financing agreement signed between the government of Pakistan and IFAD and amended on 20th March 2025 stipulates that such level posting transfers should be done with the prior consent of IFAD and due justification,” it noted.

The EAD said that the IFAD, while expressing concerns over the slow implementation of the project, has also conveyed that the transfers of the project director at this stage might result in further slowdown or halting of project activities and loss of project staff.

“In view of the above, KP government is requested to ensure effective compliance of the requirement stipulated in the financing agreement signed with the IFAD and also furnish its views/justification on the transfer of the PD In deviation of conditions of financing agreement,” it said in the letter.

On July 14, the IFAD wrote a letter to the KP chief secretary and EAD secretary, saying the KP-RETP is 157.5 million euros project financed through an IFAD loan of 74.09 million euros and co-financed through an European Union grant of 15.27 million euros.

The project was cleared by the donor’s executive board in December 2021 while financing agreement was signed in May 2022 and implementation is spread over seven years, with scheduled completion date of June 30, 2029.

The donor noted that following its supervision mission of November 2023, the project was classified as an actual problem project due to its prolonged start-up delays, slow implementation progress and significant quality gaps. It said that under this status, the project was exposed to the risk of restructuring and/or partial cancellation of the loan.

However, it said that following the implementation support missions, the project rating was upgraded to potential problem project following the IFAD supervision mission of September 2025.

The IFAD said that when the project director assumed the position of project director, the project loan disbursement stood at only 8pc (6.1 million euros) and project expenditure accounted to less than 1pc (0.7 million euros).

“Under this leadership and as of April 30, 2026, IFAD loan disbursement increased to 24pc (17.8 million euros) while actual utilisation of loan proceeds rose to 8pc (6.2 million euros), representing a substantial improvement in the project implementation performance,” it said.

The donor said that the project was expected to achieve loan disbursement and expenditure of 40pc by mid-term in June 2027 and implementation of field activities must be significantly accelerated before the next supervision mission in December 2026 to enable the project to exit its current problem status.

It also said over the last two years, the donor had made significant investment in strengthening the project director’s capacity through training and technical support on its policies and these investments enabled him to develop a comprehensive understanding of the project’s technical, operational, fiduciary and institutional dimensions.

“Replacing the project director at this critical juncture may disrupt implementation, slow decision making and potentially contribute to further turnover with the project management unit. Such disruption could undermine the considerable efforts made by both the government and IFAD to bring the KP-RTEP out of problem status,” it noted.

The IFAD also reminded the KP government that under the provisions of the financing agreement between Pakistan and IFAD, the funds prior to no objection was required before the appointment or replacement of project director and other key staff of the project management unit.

“We request to consider maintaining the project director in his position to ensure continuity of leadership and effective implementation during this critical phase of the project,” noted IFAD country director for Pakistan Fernanda Thomaz Da Rocha.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

The condition of one of the climbers is said to be critical as he suffered a head injury, while bad weather has hampered the helicopter rescue operation.

According to sources, Mr Markel De La Fuente, Mr Gorka Prieto and their colleague had reached the base camp of Trango Tower to attempt the climb.

The Trango Towers are a family of dramatic granite spires located north of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range of Gilgit Baltistan.

Sources said the climbers were waiting for a weather window to begin their summit attempt. On Wednesday, a rockfall hit their camp, resulting in head and shoulder injuries to the three climbers. The climbers’ camp was also destroyed in the incident.

Mr Gorka Prieto sustained a serious head injury, following which the tour operator requested a helicopter rescue operation for the injured climbers.

General Secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan Ayaz Shigri told Dawn that the helicopter rescue operation could not be started due to bad weather conditions.

He said helicopters could not fly over mountains during adverse weather.

“Unfortunately, weather conditions across the North are not clear for flying for at least the next two to three days,” he said. Sources said the injured climbers were being shifted to Shigar through a ground rescue operation.

It takes at least a week to trek from the base camp to the nearest town of Shigar or Skardu.

Meanwhile, bad weather conditions have also affected attempts by various foreign expedition teams to scale the world’s second-highest peak, K2 (8,611m), Gasherbrum-I (8,080m), Gasherbrum-II (8,035m) and Broad Peak (8,051m). Sources at the base camps said climbers had established Camp 2 and Camp 3 on the peaks and completed acclimatisation rotations to begin their summit push.

However, weather conditions forced them to delay their expeditions.

Separately, a tourist from Islamabad lost his life on Friday after slipping and falling into Upper Kachura Lake while taking a selfie at the popular tourist spot in Skardu.

Police said the tourist fell into Upper Kachura Lake and drowned.

Local volunteers and police immediately launched a rescue operation and recovered the body from the lake.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

In the first case, FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle arrested suspect from Sialkot for duping students.

According to the FIA, the suspect was running an agency named “Broadway Consultancy” in Sialkot. He allegedly lured students and applicants with promises of admission to the University of Nevada, Reno and HEC-funded PhD scholarships, collecting $10,000 from each victim.

The FIA said the accused provided victims with fake and forged documents in the name of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, which were later declared fake upon verification by HEC.

An FIR has been registered against the suspect under sections 420, 468 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The operation was led by Assistant Director Investigation Mohammad Nouman along with ASI Mazhar Shah and other team members.

In a separate operation, FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle conducted a trap raid at Pims Hospital Islamabad on July 21, 2026, under the supervision of a judicial magistrate and with prior approval from the competent authority.

During the raid, an FIA official posed as an injured person and provided marked currency as advance for obtaining a fake Medico-Legal Certificate (MLC), after which the suspects were arrested red-handed.

Investigations revealed that the gang issued fake MLCs in exchange for bribes, which were then used to lodge false cases in various police stations across Islamabad.

The FIA said where no injury existed, the suspects would make superficial cuts on the body and stitch them to prepare fake MLCs.

During the operation, Mohammad Usman, an LDC at the Medico-Legal Office, was arrested while receiving Rs50,000 in marked currency. On his identification, PIMS medico-legal officer and Rameez Akhtar, a ward boy, were also taken into custody.

Old records of fake MLCs were seized from the site. Forensic examination of the suspects’ mobile phones recovered incriminating chats and banking transactions. An FIR has been registered against the accused under sections 420, 468, 471, 109 of PPC and section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

The court granted a 3-day physical remand of the two male suspects, while the Medico-Legal Officer was sent to jail on judicial remand. Further investigation is underway.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken the civic administration to task over the loss of about 50 per cent tree cover at Rawal Lake park due to commercial projects, directing it to rehabilitate it and present a report.

According to a source in the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to restore the green cover, take measures to control untreated waste flowing into Rawal Dam and prepare a report on the progress made.

The issue came into PM’s notice after Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) shared on its space4climate website images from 2004 to 2024.

These alarming images compared the densely covered Lake View Point of 2004 and massive anthropogenic activities up till 2024. The disturbing differences highlight Islamabad’s severe environmental degradation driven by unplanned urban expansion. The images also reveal the difference between the greenish colour of the water in the dam in 2004 compared to the blackish shade 20 years later.

Images on Suparco website from 2004 to 2024 prompt prime minister to direct CDA to restore green cover

In the last two decades, numerous recreational facilities have been established at the Lake View Park such as barbeque points, formula karting and off road tracks, a golf club and horse riding facility, dedicated food street, paintball battlefield, moj mela park, carnival park, kids play land and two massive parking spaces.

The Global Forest Watch (GFW) posted on its webpage that from 2001 to 2025, Islamabad lost 14 ha of tree cover, equivalent to a 0.46 per cent of the 2000 tree cover area, and 6.0 kilo tonnes of carbon emissions.

From 2001 to 2025, 77 per cent of tree cover loss occurred in areas of Islamabad where the dominant drivers of loss resulted in deforestation. In 2001-25, primary deforestation drivers were settlements and infrastructure (4 ha) and permanent agriculture (4 ha). Wildfires and logging are listed by GFW as temporary causes of loss of forest cover.

When contacted, CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiyani said that Rawal Lake Park was developed between 2005 and 2015. During this time, shrubs and vegetation of the area were reduced. Post-2015 tree cover of Rawal Lake Park has remained constant as evident in satellite imagery of Suparco. “No tree cutting in the area has occurred,” he said in a text message.

Last week, numerous fish died in Rawal Dam, possibly from suffocation.

The Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) attributed the fish dying to an increase in sewage and detergents flowing into Rawal Dam, degrading oxygen levels. Rawal Dam is the source of drinking water for residents of Rawalpindi.

Pak-EPA said setting up a sewage treatment plant upstream of the water body was the only technical solution to control sewage from flowing into it.

According to the Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad’s crisis was not merely a failure in urban planning but a violation of ecological justice and fundamental rights. The polluted water of Rawal Lake impacted the health of the surrounding fauna and flora.

An official in the ministry said the phenomenon of fish deaths was a recurring concern. Every year, Pak-EPA issued such statements and came up with the same findings, attributing fish deaths to thermal shock and dissolved oxygen depletion, adding that it was vital to plug the sources of untreated waste if possible, he said.

Sundaymar Dam

Meanwhile, residents living in proximity have also been complaining of increasing levels of untreated waste flowing into the Sundaymar Dam in Sector B-17. The dam is a source of drinking water for nearby housing societies. Despite complaints registered with the CDA, the concerns of the residents have not been addressed.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

Police investigating the incident said efforts were underway to trace and investigate the accused nurse, who had not been available so far.

They said the exact circumstances in which the child’s thumb was cut off would be known after the investigation.

Qasir Mehmood, the father of the child and a resident of Hassan Abdal, lodged an FIR with New Town police, stating that his 23-day-old daughter had been admitted to the Holy Family Hospital’s nursery ward for treatment after being born at the hospital.

He said that when he visited his daughter on Thursday evening, he found that her right thumb had been cut off.

After he inquired from the doctor, he was told that a nurse had mistakenly cut off the child’s thumb during treatment in the nursery ward.

The doctor informed him that the hospital would conduct an inquiry and let him know what had happened, he stated in the FIR.

After the complaint was lodged, local police reached the hospital and later registered a case under the relevant section of the law.

Meanwhile, the father of the newborn told Dawn on Friday that the nurse had joined the hospital’s inquiry and revealed the circumstances in which the child’s thumb was cut off.

“I have forgiven her after she apologised,” he said.

Separately, a Bykea rider was deprived of his motorcycle, cash and cell phone by three unidentified persons after reaching their destination in Ratta Amral.

Usman Ali complained to the police that while carrying three passengers on his motorcycle near Mandi Mor, he was taken to a deserted place where one of the passengers held him at gunpoint and snatched his motorcycle, cell phone and Rs800.

Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

Residents said the local administration remains a mere spectator.

They said daily fuel price revisions had pushed up the prices of edibles on a daily basis, with no check on the rising rates in the garrison city.

Tomatoes are available at Rs500 per kg, onions at Rs120 per kg and cucumbers at Rs300 per kg, while the prices of pulses have increased by five per cent at retail shops. The price of milk has reached Rs260 per litre and curd Rs280 per kg.

“It is difficult to pay electricity bills and buy edibles,” said a resident.

Tomatoes hit Rs500 per kg as residents complain of unchecked inflation

The common man is facing difficulties in making ends meet. “The prices of vegetables and pulses have increased tremendously, but there is no writ of the government to rein in the situation,” said Abdul Rehman, a resident of Dhoke Khaba.

Faiz Ahmed, a resident of Sadiqabad, said the prices of tomatoes had increased in recent days, leaving people with no option but to have bread and tea for lunch and dinner.

“Pulses’ rates have also increased, as white urad dal is available at Rs700 per kg, while wheat flour is available at Rs2,000 per 10kg, despite the tall claims of the Punjab government that it has reduced the prices of edibles,” he said.

Ibrar Khan, a resident of Ch. Bostan Khan Road, said low-income salaried people had no means to buy meat or chicken, as mutton was available at Rs3,200 per kg and beef at Rs1,800 per kg.

“We use low-quality pulses and vegetables. One meal costs Rs1,000 if we cook only vegetables,” he said.

When contacted, Rawalpindi Karyana Merchant Association Chairman Saleem Pervaiz Butt said the prices of pulses and vegetables had increased as the government had imposed sales tax on vegetable oil, raising its price to Rs3,000 per five-kg pack.

“We are also facing problems as wholesalers have increased the prices of pulses and wheat flour. We purchase edibles from wholesale markets at higher rates, and it is not possible for us to sell them at lower prices,” he said.

He said pulse prices had increased by five per cent due to higher transport charges from supply godowns to retailers’ shops.

He said the Punjab government had directed price magistrates to impose heavy fines on shopkeepers but had failed to rationalise the official price list after checking market rates.

“There are fewer customers in the market due to the increase in edible prices, and shopkeepers are also facing problems because of the decline in consumers,” he said.

He urged the district administration to revise the official price list of edibles in consultation with shopkeepers and wholesalers.

“The administration should also launch a drive to control prices at the wholesale market, as it is the main problematic area,” he said.

Rawalpindi Fruit and Vegetable Association President Ghulam Qadir Mir told Dawn that vegetable prices had increased, with tomatoes available at Rs500 per kg, cucumbers at Rs300 per kg, onions at Rs120 per kg, potatoes at Rs80 per kg and other vegetables above Rs150 per kg.

“The basic reason behind the price increase is the surge in fuel prices, as transporters have increased charges on a daily basis. Before daily fuel price fixation, transporters revised transport charges on a weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis, but things have changed now,” he said.

He said there was also a shortage of vegetables, as tomato and onion prices increased after the Afghan border was closed in the past. Fresh supplies used to come from across the border during the monsoon season.

He said it was the responsibility of the district administration to call a meeting of wholesale dealers and ask them to improve supplies, but the administration had turned a blind eye to the issue.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

LAHORE: The Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department has introduced portable X-Ray services for the diagnosis and treatment of captive wild animals.

This state-of-the-art diagnostic facility, which operates through the Wildlife Hospital at Lahore Safari Zoo, has recently been used to conduct on-site radiography of a fallow deer and a python housed at Lahore Zoo.

The diagnostic procedures were conducted under the direction of Lahore Zoo Director Ghulam Rasool, under the supervision of Deputy Director Shahzaib Khurshid.

Traditionally, radiography of wild animals required their safe immobilisation, after which they needed to be transported to an external veterinary facility, before being returned to their enclosures after the procedure. This process was not only time-consuming but also exposed animals to unnecessary handling, transportation stress and associated health risks.

The director says the introduction of portable digital X-ray technology has transformed this process, enabling veterinarians to perform the diagnostic imaging directly in the animal enclosure or treatment site.

He says this innovation significantly reduces transportation-related stress, enhances animal welfare, minimises potential complications during their movement, and enables faster clinical decision-making.

Early and accurate diagnosis is essential in wildlife medicine, where timely intervention often determines the success of treatment and recovery. He says that through successful deployment of this technology the Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department has strengthened its wildlife healthcare infrastructure in accordance with the international standards.

He termed it a major step forward in improving emergency response, disease diagnosis, orthopedic assessment, and the overall medical management of captive wildlife across Punjab.

The operationalisation of the services is expected to benefit a wide range of wildlife species by facilitating efficient, safe, and high-quality diagnostic care.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

According to them, in Tajpura and other traditionally low-lying localities in Lahore prone to rainwater accumulation, the newly constructed underground stormwater storage tank (UGST) played a key role during the first monsoon spell.

“Tajpura has historically experienced prolonged rainwater accumulation because of its topography. The UGST, with a storage capacity of nearly four million gallons, temporarily retained rainwater during peak rainfall, reducing pressure on the sewerage network and enabling faster drainage of the area,” said an official source while talking to Dawn on Friday.

“Similar facilities were developed at 14 locations/spots across Lahore, including Lakshmi Chowk, Johar Town and Chauburji, where they regulated stormwater flows during heavy rains.”

The official claimed that the province’s comparatively effective response to the first spell of monsoon rains was preceded by a province-wide sewerage desilting campaign and the introduction of a central digital monitoring system aimed at improving the operational readiness of water and sanitation agencies (Wasas).

“The pre-monsoon desilting drive was launched from May 1 as part of the government’s broader preparedness strategy ahead of the monsoon.”

The official claimed that the monsoon operation was being monitored through a central digital dashboard established at Punjab Wasa headquarters, enabling senior officials to track daily progress, review field operations and monitor the performance of individual agencies in real time.

“The dashboard introduced greater accountability and allowed operational bottlenecks to be addressed before the onset of heavy rains”

According to official data, the ongoing monsoon campaign resulted in the desilting of 3,998km of sewerage lines, 723km of storm water drains, cleaning of 222,545 manholes and 342 wet wells, besides removal of 659,475 tonnes of silt and solid waste from drainage infrastructure across Punjab. The campaign exceeded the targets set at its launch and was completed ahead of schedule.

The data shows that the comparative assessments carried out after the first spell of monsoon led to clearing of water more quickly in a number of cities than previous years.

“Lahore, Gujrat, Okara, Sahiwal, Sargodha and several other districts improved in both ponding depth and water clearance in a timely manner. Advance desilting works in the wake of Punjab Development Programme Schemes and improved preparedness of additional machinery and continuous monitoring through the Command and Control Centre are the ways adopted in this regard, as the desilting drive formed part of a wider contingency plan prepared before the monsoon season.

“Inspections are being conducted to verify the operational readiness of mobile dewatering machinery, generators and disposal stations. Additional pumping machinery was procured for cities across Punjab, while procurement of machinery and equipment in phases and parts is continued,” the official claimed.

The official said the government’s decision to establish new Wasas, equip them with modern machinery and bring them under a central monitoring framework had enhanced the agencies’ operational capacity, enabling a more coordinated response to monsoon-related emergencies and improving public service delivery across the province.

While acknowledging that exceptionally intense rainfall can still overwhelm urban drainage infrastructure in some localities, the official maintained that the pre-monsoon interventions had improved coordination and operational response during the first spell of the season.

“The rainwater stored in the storage tanks under wastewater harvesting strategy will not only be used for water plants by horticulture agencies, but also help us keep the underground water table raised,” another official maintained.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

The “Provincial Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2026” has been promulgated by Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, with immediate effect, as the Punjab Assembly was not in session.

Under the amendment, a new Chapter VI-A has been inserted into the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, that defines an “End-of-life vehicle and its scrapping”.

The ordinance gazette notified by the Punjab Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department and issued on Friday says every motor or transport vehicle shall be the “end-of-life vehicle” that is no longer validly registered or its registration has been cancelled under Section 35 of this ordinance.

Aims to retire such vehicles to cut urban pollution, improve air quality

Those vehicles will also be considered “end-of-life” that have failed fitness or emission tests and are unable to obtain certificates of fitness or emission under Section 39-A of this ordinance.

The vehicles damaged due to fire, natural disaster, accident or any calamity, and its owner certifies it as a scrap; or any other vehicle voluntarily offered to a vehicle scrapping facility for scrapping, by the owner, will also be considered “end-of-life”.

The ordinance explains “Scrapping of end-of-life vehicle” as disposal, recycling, de-polluting, salvaging reusable parts, or crushing the vehicle’s frame and non-reusable parts for recycling.

The ordinance’s Section 74-A makes scrapping mandatory, stating that every end-of-life vehicle “shall” be scrapped through a private facility or a facility established by the Transport and Mass Transit Department, in a manner to be prescribed later.

The government has also been empowered under Section 74-B to frame rules for implementation of the new chapter.

In the ‘Statement of Objects and Reasons’, the Punjab Transport and Mass Transit Department says the move is aimed at “strengthening air quality management and reducing population-weighted annual average exposure” by reducing vehicular emissions.

It adds that promoting eco-friendly mass transit and transition to electric vehicles required a legal mechanism for retiring old vehicles, which did not exist in the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965.

This is the third amendment to the Motor Vehicles Ordinance.

Officials say detailed rules will follow to specify vehicle age limits, testing procedures, and the role of authorised scrapping centres. The policy is expected to affect owners of old commercial and private vehicles, while also opening avenues for the recycling industry and authorised scrapping businesses in Punjab.

Experts say the law provides Punjab with its first legal framework for a vehicle retirement policy, similar to the models adopted in other countries to combat urban pollution.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

Additional District & Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui Malik announced the order after hearing the NCCIA’s request.

Declining the agency’s request to shift the trial to jail, the judge ordered that the case would continue on the next date of hearing.

However, the judge noted that the agency could approach the Punjab home department for the request for a jail trial. He adjourned the proceedings in the main case till Sept 10.

The NCCIA has already submitted the challan (charge sheet) of the case registered over alleged anti-state tweets on social media shared by the PTI activist, which were also aimed at “inciting hate” against the heads of state institutions.

The FIR was lodged under various sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

Since it is the first untoward event of the ongoing monsoon in Lahore, the district administration failed to evacuate the people from houses or provide them with facilities to protect them from the floodwater, leaving them with no option but to do arrangements on their own.

On the other hand, the River Chenab continues to be in high flood while the Ravi also entered the medium flood situation with various nullahs flowing more than their capacity, Dawn has learnt.

“There was no relief camp and none from the administration was there to see the situation. When the deputy commissioner reached the location on Friday, the wastewater flowing in the drain had already entered the village,” an official source revealed while talking to Dawn on Friday.

Chenab flowing in high flood, Ravi in medium

According to irrigation department, the Hudiara Drain originates in Gurdaspur district of India and enters Pakistan at RD-138 near village Lalo, and outfalls at RD 308, approximately 3,000 feet downstream of Multan Road. Beyond the outfall, the drainage flow enters a natural creek and ultimately discharges into the Ravi. The area between the outfall and the Ravi consists mainly of riverine agricultural lands and settlements in the form of outhouses. DC Muhammad Ali Ijaz visited the drain and inspected it up to its outfall at RD 308 near Mohlanwal (Lahore), Multan Road. During the inspection, the drain was observed to be functioning normally and the drainage flow was passing smoothly without any obstruction within the engineered reach.

“During the inspection, it was observed that further downstream, the natural creek had overtopped its left bank, allowing water to spread into the adjoining low-lying area and enter village Kanghawala. This overflow occurred within the natural floodplain due to the limited carrying capacity of the creek under increased drainage flow,” explained the official.

“Overall, the engineered portion of the drain up to RD 308 remained fully functional, while the downstream inundation was confined to the natural creek reach leading towards the Ravi,” he added.

According to an official source in the irrigation department, various nullahs are flowing more than their capacity due to rains. Husri Nullah’s capacity is 7,000 cusecs whereas it is currently flowing at 12,000 cusecs. The Nikki Deg Nullah’s capacity is also 7,000 cusecs whereas its actual flow is 9,000 cusecs there. The Main Deg Nullah’s capacity is 19,000 cusecs while it is flowing at 22,000 cusecs.

“Tehsil Muridke in Sheikhupura and Gujranwala areas are under threat of inundation due to surface runoff/precipitation near about 250mm. Almost collecting and draining the surface runoff of 185 sq km. The discharge from aforementioned nullahs/channels ultimately outfalls in Deg Diversion Channel and before entering the Ravi in Sharaqpur tehsil of Sheikhupura. Secondly, the floodwater discharge in the Ravi at Shahdara is 25,407 cusecs whereas discharge of the river at Baloki is 87,715 cusecs,” he explained.

Meanwhile, according to the flood forecasting division of Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Chenab continues to be in high flood at Chiniot while the Ravi also entered the medium flood situation on Friday.

The River Chenab at Chiniot Bridge is in high flood level. At Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad, it is in medium flood level. The River Indus at Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma, Taunsa is in low flood. All other gauging points are in their normal state.

It warned medium to high level flows in river Chenab at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad during next 24 hours, flash flooding in the hill torrents of DG Khan, the streams of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan and Urban Flooding in Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Hafizabad and Lahore.

The commissioner as well as the DC were not available for comments despite calls made by this reporter.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

Special Judge Dr Shaban Waheed sentenced accused Raheel Dhannani to five and three years in jail for committing offences under the customs act.

According to state prosecutor Naimatullah Soomro, the accused holding the Canadian passport was travelling with his family on Jan 24, 2023 from Karachi to Vancouver, Canada, via Bangkok.

The prosecution claimed that when the customs officials asked him to declare whether he was carrying any foreign currency, the accused replied in the negative.

However, when his luggage and bags were checked, the customs officials allegedly found $111,400 and Canadian dollars 31,425 in his possession.

On the other hand, the defence counsel contended that no declaration form was issued to the accused, no CCTV footage was produced, no independent witness was associated and no written declaration or written refusal was brought on record.

The counsel further argued that the accused was intercepted before completion of departure formalities and had not crossed the stage beyond which lawful declaration could not be made.

However, the court rejected the defence’s contentions and noted that once the accused entered the international departure stream carrying foreign currency far exceeding the legally permissible limit, without making a “lawful declaration despite being specifically questioned by the customs officials, the offence had crossed the stage of mere preparation and entered the realm of attempt”.

“The accused was an experienced international traveller; he possessed complete knowledge of the customs formalities; he was carrying foreign currency vastly exceeding the limit prescribed under the state bank notification; he denied carrying such currency when questioned by the customs officials; and no satisfactory lawful explanation was offered for attempting to take such a huge amount abroad without complying with the mandatory legal requirements,” the court observed.

It added: “These circumstances, viewed cumulatively rather than in isolation, exclude the possibility of inadvertence or bona fide mistake and unmistakably point towards a conscious and deliberate attempt to export foreign currency in contravention of Customs Act, 1969.”

The prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the court observed. “The attempted export of foreign currency in violation of the statutory restrictions attracts the definition contained in Section 2(s) of the Customs Act, and the prosecution has successfully proved that the accused knowingly attempted to export smuggled goods contrary to law.”

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said a modern, professionally trained and people-centric police force was critical to maintaining peace, countering terrorism and supporting economic growth in the province.

Addressing the 132nd Passing-Out Parade of Recruit Training Course Batch-5/2025 at the Shahid Hayat Police Training College in Saeedabad, he congratulated 974 newly trained recruits, including 315 women, describing them as a fresh and capable addition to the provincial police.

The ceremony was attended among others by Inspector General of Police, Javed Alam Odho, Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan, Additional IG CTD Zulfiqar Larik, DIG Training Faizullah Korejo and Principal of the College SSP Adeel Chandio, and other senior officers, along with families of the graduates.

A statement issued by the CM House stated that the chief minister said that the discipline and precision displayed by the recruits reflected the standards of training at Saeedabad. “I congratulate all 974 recruits. I am particularly pleased to see more than 300 women joining the force, which reflects the growing inclusivity and strength of Sindh Police,” he said.

Congratulates 974 newly trained police personnel on their passing-out parade

Mr Shah said that professional competence, honesty and dedication to public service must become the defining characteristics of the police.

He paid tribute to police personnel martyred in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, saying their sacrifices had helped restore peace, particularly in Karachi. “Because of the sacrifices of our police personnel, the security situation across Sindh has improved considerably,” he said.

The CM said that maintaining law and order remained the government’s top priority as it underpinned investment and development.

Reiterating the government’s commitment, Mr Shah said the provincial government would continue investing in police welfare, training and infrastructure, and in providing modern equipment and facilities.

Earlier, IGP Odho said that the strength of a police force laid the quality of its human resources.

He proposed upgrading Shahid Hayat Police Training College Saeedabad and Police Training College Shahdadpur into “Centres of Excellence”, saying about Rs9.045 billion would be required for the purpose.

He also sought enhanced training allowances for instructors, additional operational funding, creation of new training posts, and upgradation of facilities at Razzaqabad, Sakrand and Hyderabad.

Principal SSP Chandio said that the college, established in 1984, had trained more than 95,000 officers and personnel in 131 batches. “Trainees from Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, railways, motorway police, anti-corruption and the FIA have also been trained here,” he added.

The principal said that the current batch had received instruction in law, investigation, technology-based policing, safe weapons handling and ethics.

He requested government support for a concrete boundary wall, additional barracks, new mess facilities, water supply schemes, modern surveillance systems, bulletproof jackets and advanced weapons.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

The party announced that it would launch the third phase of its protest movement with divisional-level public rallies across the province if “continued injustices” over the distribution of the Indus River’s water are not stopped.

The announcement came during a protest rally led by PPP Sindh president Nisar Khuhro in Karachi’s Lyari area on Friday.

A large number of party workers, including women activists, participated in the rally carrying placards condemning “theft of Sindh’s water”.

Local PPP leaders, including Yousuf Baloch, Javed Nagori, Rauf Nagori and Khalil Hot, also attended the demonstration.

Holds rallies across province against ‘injustices’ in Indus River water distribution

Addressing the rally, Mr Khuhro said the party had organised protests at around 130 locations across Sindh to oppose what it termed the denial of the province’s constitutional share of Indus water.

He warned that if the grievances remained unaddressed, the party would escalate its campaign by holding divisional-level rallies throughout Sindh.

“Water is life. Without water there is no life and we will not allow anyone to deprive our people of their future,” he said accusing the federal government and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) of failing to implement the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord fairly. He alleged that Sindh was consistently being denied its rightful share while upstream provinces continued to receive preferential treatment.

The PPP leader claimed that water meant for Sindh was being diverted through the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal, Taunsa-Panjnad Link Canal and Jalalpur Canal, despite constitutional and legal objections. He argued that the link canals were intended to operate only during flood conditions but were instead being supplied with water on a regular basis, reducing downstream flows into Sindh.

“These diversions are turning Sindh’s agricultural lands barren, damaging crops and inflicting heavy economic losses on the province. Punjab is benefiting at Sindh’s expense by drawing water beyond its entitlement, while Sindh continued to face chronic shortages,” added Mr Khuhro.

He also criticised the construction and operation of the Jalalpur Canal, saying the project remained under consideration before the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and therefore should not have been made operational before a final constitutional decision.

He said that Sindh was under pressure from multiple fronts, Common Interests (CCI) and therefore should not have been made operational before a final constitutional decision.

He said that Sindh was under pressure from multiple fronts, claiming that while India was attempting to restrict river flows by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, the province was simultaneously being deprived of its allocated share within Pakistan through what he called unfair upstream withdrawals.

“If the injustices against Sindh continue, our protest movement will intensify and every division of Sindh will witness mass public gatherings,” he warned.

PPP South district president Javed Nagori addressed the rally, saying that the party would resist any attempt to deprive Sindh of Indus waters.

“Our blood may flow but we will not allow anyone to seize Sindh’s water. The party would fight on every front to protect the province’s legitimate water rights,” he added.

PPP leaders, activists and supporters took part in many rallies and demonstrations held in different cities and towns of Larkana, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Bakrani, Ratodero and Dokri talukas.

Buland Khan Junejo, Khair Mohammad Shaikh, Shahrukh Anwar Siyal, Asadullah Bhutto, Ghulam Rasool Leghari and other senior leaders addressed participants of the Larkana rally at Jinnah Bagh Chowk.

PPP Bakrani Taluka Presi­dent Tariq Anwar Siyal and Abdul Rehman Jatoi led a separate rally which marched up to the local press club, where the participants held a demonstration.

The party’s Dokri taluka also held a rally which was led by MNA Sardar Nazir Ahmed Khan Bughio, along with Sardarzada Mohammad Ali Amar Khan Bughio, Munir Ahmed Sohu, Advocate Sardar Ali Dino Khan Gadhi and others.

The participants held a demonstration in front of the local press club.

Participants in all the rallies and demonstrations carried banners, placards and party flags. They raised slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and condemned India’s ‘water terrorism’.

They resolved that no compromise of any kind would be made on the Indus water, which they said, “is Sindh’s lifeline”. They vowed to resist any attempt to block flows of the river by anyone. “We are all vigilant and we will not allow anyone to usurp Sindh’s rights,” they said.

PPP Shaheed Benazir­abad, Naushahro Feroze and Sanghar taluka and district chapters also organised anti-India rallies and demonstrations outside press clubs of their respective areas.

The main rally in Nawabshah was led by the party’s Divisional General Secretary Javed Nayab Leghari, City President Khan Bahadur Bhatti, General Secretary Syed Atif Hussain Zaidi, Senior Vice President Shahrukh Rashid Bhatti, Mayor Qazi Mohammad Rashid Bhatti, Deputy Mayor Chaudhry Mubashir Arain and others.

A large number of male and female leaders, activists and supporters, including UC chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors attended the rallies.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026