Fighting Terrorism on October 6, 2024One step forward: two steps back. On one hand, there was a seven per cent reduction in militant attacks and a 56 per cent drop in fatalities last month, as noted by a security analyses. However, an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan also claimed the lives of six soldiers over the weekend. Things have come […]
Uncharted Territory on October 5, 2024Pakistan is yet to experience even a brief calm as its long, hot summer of protests continues. There appears no end to the ongoing tussle between the opposition and Islamabad, diminishing the former’s hard-won political mandate in its citadel to a rubber stamp. Friday witnessed a flurry of strict security measures with highways blocked, communication […]
Smog Season on October 5, 2024Smog SeasonEvery year, the arrival of smog season in Punjab plunges the region into a state of crisis. The thick, toxic haze – signs of which can already be seen threatening the Lahore skyline – not only poses a grave threat to public health but also gives rise to far-reaching environmental and economic repercussions. That […]
Malaysia Milestone on October 4, 2024After months of diplomatic silence, Pakistan welcomed a high-profile foreign dignitary – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is on a three-day official visit to Islamabad at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The arrival of the Malaysian head of state breaks the long drought of international visits. Since the visit of the late […]
Not Cricket! on October 4, 2024This looks like a usual affair now: for the second time in less than a year, star batsman Babar Azam has stepped down as Pakistan’s cricket captain. His resignation speaks volumes of the struggles of the national team as well as the chaos in the corridors of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). When he took […]
Now, Iran… on October 2, 2024The long-feared wider war in the Middle East has now become a reality. For nearly a year, Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza and killed and maimed Palestinian people. Now, this conflict has expanded; Hezbollah was very much part of it from the very beginning while Yemen’s Houthis and Iran have been dragged into the war. […]
Public Benefit? on October 2, 2024The government has announced yet another reduction in the prices of petroleum products, marking the fifth cut in two and a half months. Petrol has become cheaper by Rs 28.57 and diesel by Rs. 37.35. While this should bring significant relief to the public, many are questioning whether the trickle-down effect of these price cuts […]
Perfect Storm on October 2, 2024Spelling an end to the brief honeymoon period of the PML(N) government as it rode on a wave of goodwill after reduced electricity tariffs were extended to provide relief to the inflation-stricken masses, October is here with a bang and going by the power regulator projections, there’s no bringing back the subsidised tariffs. Since negotiations […]
Broadening the War on October 2, 2024The recent escalation of violence in the Middle East, as Israel has now decided to decisively deal with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah by launching an all-out war against a country reeling from decades of economic crisis, has sparked heated debates around the world. No vague buzzwords about how long the IDF will stay there or how […]
Panjgur Tragedy on October 1, 2024“Let me tell you, it is not a case of Baloch having killed Punjabis but terrorists having martyred Pakistanis” Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti did not mince words when he sat in front of cameramen in August and emphasised that the state would take all necessary measures to put an end to this “genocide.” However, […]