Newspaper - Editorial - March 2, 2026

Khamenei’s killing

Khamenei’s killing

THERE is no question about it: with the brutal assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and...
Updated 02 Mar, 2026 09:06am
NFC reform

NFC reform

PLANNING Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s call for forward-looking reforms in the NFC Award has reopened an important debate...
Published 02 Mar, 2026 07:18am
Migrant crisis

Migrant crisis

MIGRANT casualties represent the lifelong pain of families left behind. Yet countries do little to preserve ...
Published 02 Mar, 2026 07:17am
A new war

A new war

UNLESS there is an immediate diplomatic breakthrough, the joint Israeli-American aggression against Iran launched on...
Updated 01 Mar, 2026 09:24am
Breaking the cycle

Breaking the cycle

THE confrontation between Pakistan and Afghanistan has taken a dangerous turn. Attacks, retaliatory strikes and the...
Published 01 Mar, 2026 07:53am
Anonymous collections

Anonymous collections

THE widespread emergence of ‘nameless donation boxes’ soliciting charity in cities and towns across Punjab...
Published 01 Mar, 2026 07:53am
Afghan hostilities

Afghan hostilities

The need is for an immediate ceasefire and substantive negotiations, with the onus on the Taliban to rein in cross-border attacks.
Updated 28 Feb, 2026 09:23am
Cutting taxes

Cutting taxes

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s plan to cut direct taxes for businesses in the next budget acknowledges the strain...
Published 28 Feb, 2026 06:41am
KCR challenge

KCR challenge

THE Karachi Circular Railway is being discussed again. It seems that the project, or, rather, the hopes of it, are...
Published 28 Feb, 2026 06:41am
A collective effort

A collective effort

CONSIDERING the relentless wave of terrorist attacks Pakistan has been facing over the past few weeks, the...
Updated 27 Feb, 2026 08:57am
Criminalising criticism

Criminalising criticism

ISLAMABAD seems to have developed quite a thin skin. A letter sent to the prime minister on Wednesday by leading...
Published 27 Feb, 2026 08:05am
Utter chaos

Utter chaos

THE PTI is in disarray. The lack of discipline within its ranks, which it has long refused to address, is finally...
Published 27 Feb, 2026 08:04am
Rights on paper

Rights on paper

The report assigns Pakistan a legal frameworks score of 46.68, far below the global average of 67.
Updated 26 Feb, 2026 08:55am
Terrorists’ reach

Terrorists’ reach

AT least nine police personnel were martyred in separate terrorist attacks on Tuesday, bringing into focus both the...
Published 26 Feb, 2026 07:32am
Airport mess

Airport mess

THE chaos at the country’s major airports seems to be subsiding, with some order gradually restored after the...
Published 26 Feb, 2026 07:32am
Peace offering

Peace offering

BOTH the government and the opposition seem to be more receptive to the need for dialogue, but can they break new...
Published 25 Feb, 2026 07:55am
‘Greater Israel’

‘Greater Israel’

THE idea that the present state of Israel wants to morph into ‘Greater Israel’ — a quasi-mythical entity lost...
Updated 25 Feb, 2026 09:04am
A warming north

A warming north

THE Met Office’s warning of above-normal temperatures in Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir is a glimpse into a ...
Published 25 Feb, 2026 07:55am
Afghan strikes

Afghan strikes

IN the wake of the recent wave of terrorist attacks targeting Pakistan, with most of the atrocities linked to ...
Updated 24 Feb, 2026 09:03am
Tug of war

Tug of war

THE timing may be questioned, but the issue is not new. The PPP and the MQM-P are once again engaging in their old...
Published 24 Feb, 2026 07:09am
Easier CNIC access

Easier CNIC access

NADRA’S decision to issue CNICs to first-time applicants without requiring them to produce a birth certificate is ...
Published 24 Feb, 2026 07:08am
Hollow applause

Hollow applause

The current account turnaround, though largely driven by import compression, rising remittances and bilateral debt rollovers, has eased external pressures.
Updated 23 Feb, 2026 08:42am
Delayed appointment

Delayed appointment

THE recent appointment of a chief election commissioner for Azad Jammu & Kashmir has once again shone a ...
Published 23 Feb, 2026 07:38am
Fragile equilibrium

Fragile equilibrium

PAKISTAN is not short of food. It is short of resilience. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification...
Published 23 Feb, 2026 07:37am
March to war?

March to war?

With his huge build-up of forces around Iran, and frequent threats targeted at the Islamic Republic, the US president has created a very difficult situation for himself.
Updated 22 Feb, 2026 09:47am
Paper proscriptions

Paper proscriptions

THE Punjab government’s decision to publicly list 89 banned and unregistered groups, and to warn citizens against...
Published 22 Feb, 2026 06:45am
Cricket politics again

Cricket politics again

Pakistan refused to play India at the ongoing T20 World Cup and only changed its mind in view of the game’s greater good. It is time for India to reciprocate.
Updated 22 Feb, 2026 01:59pm
BoP meets

BoP meets

Trump told the meeting that “we will help Gaza”. So far no help has been visible.
Updated 21 Feb, 2026 09:09am
Out on the streets

Out on the streets

IT had been in the offing for a long time but the latest controversy proved too much for Tariq Hussain Bugti to ...
Published 21 Feb, 2026 06:29am
Karachi tragedy

Karachi tragedy

APPALLNG firefighting facilities, lax regulations and an uncaring provincial government fan the flames of tragedy in...
Published 21 Feb, 2026 06:29am
Difficult neighbour

Difficult neighbour

AS Pakistan contends with frequent acts of terrorism — many traced to the banned TTP based in Afghanistan — it ...
Updated 20 Feb, 2026 08:54am
Custodial killings

Custodial killings

PUNJAB has descended into a different kind of lawlessness in recent months propelled by the state’s readiness to...
Published 20 Feb, 2026 06:14am
Guided truths

Guided truths

THE law minister is right in asserting that journalism is a responsibility, and that delivering verified news is the...
Published 20 Feb, 2026 06:14am
Poor optics

Poor optics

Clearly, there is significant disagreement within the PTI camp concerning the right course of action regarding Imran Khan’s health.
Updated 19 Feb, 2026 08:48am
Terrorism spiral

Terrorism spiral

WITH a spate of terrorist attacks occurring in the country, a national-level response is required to address the...
Published 19 Feb, 2026 07:22am
Note: Updated 7:30 AM (PKT) every morning