The federal cabinet’s approval of a nationwide track-and-trace system for pharmaceutical products is a timely and important intervention in a sector where weak oversight can cost lives without making headlines. By approving amendments to the Drug Labelling and Packing Rules, the government has cleared the way for standardised 2D barcodes and serialisation data on medicine […]
crisis
Govt restores early market closures as US-Iran crisis fuels energy-saving drive
Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has restored early market closures starting today, Monday, an official notification said as the ongoing US-Iran conflict prompts authorities to implement austerity measures to conserve expensive fuel. The Punjab government on Monday decided to re-enforce the prescribed working hours for business centers across the province following the Eid holidays, ending the temporary […]
Govt plans oil reserves, storage push as Hormuz crisis exposes vulnerabilities
Pakistan plans to boost domestic storage for crude oil and refined products to increase its energy security, according to a government document that was shared with oil producers and some of the world’s leading trading firms. Despite depending on supplies through the Strait of Hormuz for up to 90% of its oil and liquefied natural […]
Schools go online amid Middle East war-driven oil crisis
Some schools in Pakistan shifted to online learning this week as authorities introduced emergency fuel-saving measures after global oil prices surged due to the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The government has ordered a series of austerity steps aimed at reducing fuel consumption, including temporary school closures, remote work arrangements for […]
Potato Crisis
Pakistan’s potato farmers are facing a crisis that exposes a familiar and deeply avoidable failure in agricultural policy. A bumper harvest, ordinarily a cause for celebration, has instead triggered a market collapse so severe that many growers are unable to recover even basic production costs. In Punjab’s potato belt, farmgate prices have fallen to as […]
The Crisis We Still Whisper About
Pakistan debates inflation, unemployment, failing schools, and collapsing hospitals almost every day. Yet the one issue quietly sitting beneath all these problems rarely enters our national conversation: our rapidly growing, uncontrolled population. It is the single most powerful force dragging millions of Pakistanis deeper into poverty; however, it is still the issue we whisper about, […]
Lahore’s Air Pollution Crisis
Long known for its rich culture and heritage, the city of Lahore is now infamous for its toxic air. The onset of winter brings the haunting déjà vu: smog blankets the city, threatening lives, disrupting daily routines, and diminishing the quality of life. One can readily attribute blame to factories, farmers, or even the weather. […]
Margot and Tom Ackerley face marriage crisis after big flop
Margot Robbie is said to be reeling following the embarrassing performance of her latest movie A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. According to a Radar Online report, the actress’ latest movie crisis is heaping pressure onto her marriage with producer Tom Ackerley. An insider said, “This has turned into a big, hard-to-ignore black eye for Margot […]
Mental Health Crisis
When a senior Islamabad police officer reportedly took his own life last month, shock and sorrow rippled across the country. What followed, however, was revealing: instead of compassion, a state TV journalist branded him “a coward and a fool.” The backlash laid bare a truth Pakistan avoids: that we still treat mental illness as weakness […]
Water Crisis
At a recent briefing with the World Bank, Sindh’s Chief Minister laid bare a devastating truth: more than 90 per cent of rural households in his province rely on unsafe wells. That figure is staggering, but it mirrors what is happening across Pakistan. From Balochistan’s parched settlements to Punjab’s canal colonies, villages survive on water […]