India’s space programme has entered an uncomfortable phase where failure is no longer an exception but a recurring feature. The crash of PSLV-C62 in January 2026, which destroyed the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) Earth-observation satellite and 15 co-passenger spacecraft minutes after lift-off from Sriharikota, was not simply another technical mishap in an inherently risky domain. It was […]
The Federal Constitutional Court’s verdict on super tax has come to uphold the jurisdiction of the parliament to impose taxation. The court has retained the tax as well as certain provisions of the Income Tax Ordinance of 2001 to take effect from the dates on which they were levied at the prescribed rates. The court, […]
That Tirah Valley is a troubled spot in the context of state writ goes without saying. Credible reports suggest that the Valley bordering Afghanistan and located in Orakzai District and the southern part of Khyber District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, is serving as a sanctuary for terrorists belonging to a host of banned outfits including Islamic […]
As I pass by the University of Peshawar, my alma mater, I am transported back to another time. The years from 1978 to 1983 replay in my mind like an old reel, slightly faded yet unmistakably vivid. Those were years of youth, curiosity and intellectual freedom. The university was not merely an institution; it was […]
During past weeks, we debated American unilateralism and identified dominant trends likely to shape our world, in Op-eds titled, “Changing world and shifting geostrategic construct” and “International Trends – Extending the Argument” published in this space on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026, respectively. In a series of essays in The New York Times, […]
Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in India have prompted authorities in Thailand and Malaysia to step up airport screening to prevent the spread of the infection. Pakistan also subsequently ordered strict and enhanced health surveillance at all entry points following regional alerts. But what is the Nipah virus, and how worried should people be? What is Nipah […]
Pakistan has ordered strict and enhanced health surveillance at all entry points following regional alerts over the Nipah virus, a highly fatal zoonotic disease, the government said on Wednesday. Nipah is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organisation because of its ability to spark fast‑moving outbreaks, its fatality rate of 40% to […]
The Trump administration’s newly formed “Board of Peace” on Wednesday announced 26 countries designated as founding members of the initiative, including Pakistan. A week after United States President Donald Trump formally introduced the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the body launched an official account on US social media company […]
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case linked to allegations involving state institutions. The case relates to allegations that CM Afridi made misleading remarks against state institutions and damaged their credibility. The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency registered the case […]
The leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) voiced grave concern on Wednesday over reports that party founder Imran Khan was taken to a hospital last week without informing his party or family, calling it “abuse” and demanding immediate access to him. Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail […]