Gandapur opens K-P’s first food laboratory

In a landmark development for food safety and public health, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Wednesday inaugurated the province’s first Provincial Food Testing Laboratory and Centre for Research in Hayatabad, Peshawar. The cutting-edge facility, constructed at a cost of Rs905 million under the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA), is […]

Multi-party confab on security today

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government is set to host an All Parties Conference (APC) on law and order today at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar. Invitations have been sent out by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to political parties and representatives from various schools of thought. However, three major political parties — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan […]

Sino-US rivalry — collusion, competition, conflict

The US-China competition remains the ‘defining issue’ of international politics. My last piece titled the “Sino-US rivalry” was published in this space on January 11, 2024, where some relevant writings of the CNN-famed Fareed Zakaria and others were discussed. Given the comparative National Power Potential (NPP), the world seems to be drifting from unipolarity, ushered […]

Sanctuaries of violence!

It is never easy to speak about religion in Pakistan. Yet silence, especially when it protects abuse, is not piety. The recent tragic death of a young boy named Farhan — allegedly at the hands of his madrassa teachers in Swat town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — has once again exposed the dark underside of religious seminaries in Pakistan. […]

Degari honour killing suspect remanded

In a major development in the Degari honour killing case, primary suspect Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai was presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC-I) in Quetta on Monday. Presiding Judge Muhammad Mubeen granted a 10-day physical remand to the Special Crime Investigation Wing (SCIW) for further interrogation. Satakzai, a prominent figure in the region, is accused of […]

Pakistan, Bangladesh agree on visa-free entry for diplomats, officials

Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to grant visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, Radio Pakistan reported. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Lieutenant General (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, in Dhaka on Wednesday. The two […]

Islamabad unveils first ‘Online Women Police Station’

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police have launched Pakistan’s first fully functional “Online Women Police Station,” ensuring round-the-clock protection for women, children and vulnerable segments of society, with immediate access to justice and safety through a single call on helpline 1815. According to a police spokesperson, the Online Women Police Station is equipped to handle […]