CHINA , SAUDIA WELCOME TRUCE AS ISL AMABAD, K ABUL REAFFIRM JOINT EFFORTS TO TACKLE BORDER TERRORISM
CIn
take decisive action against this threat Asif stressed that regional peace can only be achieved through coordinated efforts to counter extremism Preparations are underway for an important meeting in Istanbul next week where officials are expected to finalize details of the new agreement
C r a c k d o w n o n i l l e g a l A f g h a n m i g r a n t s l a u n c h e d i n P u n j a b a n d I s l a
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
Authorities have launched a large-scale crackdown against undocumented Afghan nationals across Punjab including Islamabad and Lahore, as part of the government s drive to repatriate illegal migrants During a late-night operation in Islamabad’s Bari Imam area police arrested 17 Afghan nationals residing in the country without legal documentation The operation led by SP City at the Secretariat Police Station faced resistance from the migrants but ended with all suspects taken into custody Officials said the detainees would be deported to Afghanistan via the Torkham border Similar operations have begun across Punjab where police are identifying undocumented Afghan residents Authorities are geo-tagging nomadic Afghan families and verifying the identity cards of individuals suspected of registering as Pakistani citizens Lahore officials have pledged strict action against those found using fraudulent documents According to police sources, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is assisting in crosschecking family records as many Afghan families have lived in Pakistan for decades using Pakistani identity cards Officials confirmed that even those holding Afghan citizen cards or temporary residence permits are being sent back In Faisalabad, police said the evacuation of Afghan migrants has been completed The Foreigners Cell of Faisalabad Police reported that 448 Afghan nationals including an additional 35 discovered during searches have voluntarily relocated to Peshawar to avoid arrest Officials said the city has now been declared free of Afghan residents
Pakistan warns Afghanistan against cross-border terrorism: S anaullah
The agenda will cover intelligence sharing joint border surveillance and a framework for ensuring adherence to ceasefire agreements Asif expressed hope that resolving the terrorism issue would pave the way for further cooperation in trade, transit, and infrastructure development benefiting both economies He noted that stabilizing the border could allow Afghanistan to resume commercial activities through Pakistani ports
Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Monday sharply criticised the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government s decision to return bullet-proof vehicles supplied by the federal government, describing it as an “immature” act that undermines the fight against terrorism
Speaking to reporters
Chaudhry said the decision reflected poor judgment by the provincial leadership and put police personnel at greater risk while counter-terrorism operations were ongoing in the province
“The federal government has so far provided Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa with Rs600 billion for the war against terrorism
Chaudhry said That money was meant to strengthen the Civil Armed Forces, the Counter Terrorism Department and forensic laboratories yet no clear account has been given of how it was spent
He said the vehicles supplied by the federal government met international security standards and were designed to protect law enforcement officers operating in high-risk zones “These are bulletproof vehicles built to global standards he said Wherever these vehicles have been deployed, loss of life has been negligible
Rejecting the KP government s claim that the vehicles were substandard Chaudhry said the excuse was childish and immature He added that the same model of vehicles was being used by federal ministers and senior officials in terrorism-affected areas without any complaints
Chaudhry said the federal government had also provided the province with bullet-proof jackets, binoculars and weapons to improve the protection and capability of its security personnel “These vehicles and equipment were provided to secure our troops and accelerate the war against terrorism he said
The minister accused the KP government of lacking seriousness in its approach to counter-terrorism and of politicising security cooperation “This immature and underdeveloped mindset is an in-
justice to the public ” he said
Such people should not be the province s chief minister This kind of thinking is increasing risks for police personnel
He further claimed that the provincial authorities were not fully committed to eliminating terrorist networks It appears the provincial government is not interested in the total neutralisation of terrorists he said, alleging that police were being sent before armed terrorists without proper support ”
Chaudhry reiterated that despite the provincial government’s stance the federal government remained committed to supporting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in its counter-terrorism campaign The federation is, in good faith, providing cooperation to the KP government in the war against terrorism ” he said
those filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sunni
Ittehad Council (SIC) Lahore High Court Bar Association Lahore Bar Association Karachi Bar Association seven former presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), and several individuals have challenged the amendment s legality Appearing in person, senior lawyer Akram Sheikh urged the court to form a 24member full bench to hear the case “The court should not be further packed by adding more judges he argued adding that he would leave the issue of conflict
be struck down despite being part of the Constitution Justice Amin-udDin, meanwhile, observed that Sheikh had not raised a single constitutional or legal argument to support his stance The lawyer however maintained that existing precedents disqualified the current eightmember bench from hearing the matter When he further
s wife and a contractor named Mumtaz while several senior officials are suspected of enabling or ignoring the fraud over the years Both Qaiser Iqbal and his wife were produced before an accountability court in Peshawar which granted a seven-day physical remand for Qaiser and a four-day remand for his wife
The case involves the illegal withdrawal of more than Rs40 billion from the government treasury under Head of Account G-10113 Officials from the Communication and Works (C&W) Department District Accounts Office
(DAO), Accountant General (AG) Office, and the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) are accused of conspiring with private contractors in Upper Kohistan to embezzle funds meant for development projects As per reports investigators found that government money was siphoned off through fake bills, fabricated schedules, and bogus cheques prepared and processed by officials in collusion with contractors
Several suspects including government employees bankers and contractors have already been arrested while properties, gold, cash, foreign currency, and luxury vehicles worth billions of rupees have been seized NAB officials said further arrests are likely as investigations into the money trail and property ownership continue
Being unfair to Trump
Israel bent on sabotaging Trump’s Gaza peace plan
s
Phas reached a critical moment Both Israel and Hamas accepted
and eventually open the door to a Palestinian state a vision utterly at odds with the idea of a Greater Israel Hamas, meanwhile, plays its own dangerous game It has released some hostages but not all offering gestures instead of commitments It resists international monitoring and refuses to disarm fully keeping its weapons hidden beneath Gaza s ruins Divided between its political negotiators abroad and its commanders trapped underground Hamas sends mixed signals one hand extended toward negotiation the other still gripping a gun Yet beneath the defiance lies exhaustion Two years of relentless bombardment haveshattered its infrastructure and leadership The choice before it is stark: accept the peace plan as a path to survival or risk total annihilation For Hamas, which has lost much of its command structure and morale the plan offers a narrow corridor of escape perhaps the last chance to save what remains of its movement and people In this sense, Israel and Hamas now stand on opposite slopes of the same mountain Netanyahu fears that the peace plan could undo his long-cherished project of permanent dominance while Hamas sees in it a possible lifeline The plan s success could mean the end of Israeli expansionism the slowing of settlements, and the creation of a monitored Palestinian administration under international supervision outcomes that threaten Israel’s far-right coalition For Hamas by contrast successful implementation could spare its fighters from destruction and allow a gradual political reintegration through regional diplomacy If Israel s fear is loss of territory, Hamas s fear is extinction Amid these conflicting motives stands Donald Trump, the architect of the plan and now its enforcer He has been watching both sides closely issuing warnings with unmistakable urgency Move fast he insists or massive bloodshed will follow He has reminded Netanyahu that the continuation of bombing could endanger U S strategic ties and warned Hamas that renewed attacks will
bring devastating consequences Unlike the peace brokers of the past, Trump has tied his own credibility to the plan s survival, using both American influence and global pressure to hold the sides accountable The upcoming Monday meeting in Egypt will test whether this vigilance can translate into progress Representatives from Israel, Hamas, and regional partners will gather to confirm whether the ceasefire is real, whether hostages and prisoners are being exchanged according to schedule, and whether humanitarian routes are open If these benchmarks are met the second phase will begin: Israeli withdrawal deployment of international monitors and establishment of a temporary technocratic administration in
the arrival of international monitors Yet what the world now sees looks less like withdrawal and more like consolidation Within Israel’s ruling coalition many regard the peace plan not as a step toward stability but as a threat to years of expansionist ambition A genuine truce, they fear, would force Israel to retreat from its newly secured zones, halt settlements,
Yet the dang er looms that if the plan fails, Israel will swiftly point the fing er at Hamas and resume full-scale militar y operations Its goal would be not just to defeat Hamas but to eliminate it completely, take permanent control of Gaza and the West Bank, and then pursue a broader territorial expansion toward the east Such a move would plung e the entire region into crisis The United Nations, the United States, and the Muslim world must remain aler t to this possibility
‘pover t y porn’ fake images being used by aid agencies
AI-generated images of extreme poverty children and sexual violence survivors are flooding stock photo sites and increasingly being used by leading health NGOs, according to global health professionals who have voiced concern over a new era of “poverty porn” “All over the place people are using it ” said Noah Arnold who works at Fairpicture a Swissbased organisation focused on promoting ethical imagery in global development Some are actively using AI imagery, and others, we know that they re experimenting at least ” Arsenii Alenichev, a researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp studying the production of global health images said: The images replicate the visual grammar of poverty – children with empty plates cracked earth stereotypical visuals Alenichev has collected more than 100 AI-generated images of extreme poverty used by individuals or NGOs as part of social media campaigns against hunger or sexual violence Images he shared with the Guardian show exaggerated stereotype-perpetuating scenes: children huddled together in muddy water; an African girl in a wedding dress with a tear staining her cheek In a comment piece published on Thursday in the Lancet Global Health, he argues these images amount to “poverty porn 2 0” While it is hard to quantify the prevalence of the AI-generated images Alenichev and others say their use is on the rise driven by concerns over consent and cost Arnold said that US funding cuts to NGO budgets had made matters worse It is quite clear that various organisations are starting to consider synthetic images instead of real photography, because it s cheap and you don’t need to bother with consent and everything ” said Alenichev AI-generated images of extreme poverty now appear in their dozens on popular stock photo sites including Adobe Stock Photos and Freepik in response to queries such as poverty Many bear captions such as Photorealistic kid in refugee camp ; Asian children
Joaquín Abela CEO of Freepik said the responsibility for using such extreme images lay with media consumers, and not with platforms such as his The AI stock photos, he said, are generated by the platform’s global community of users, who can receive a licensing fee when Freepik’s customers choose to buy their images Freepik had attempted to curb biases it had found in other parts of its photo library he said by injecting diversity and trying to ensure gender balance into the photos of lawyers and CEOs hosted on the site But, he said, there was only so much his platform could do “It’s like trying to dry the ocean We make an effort but in reality if customers worldwide want images a certain way there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do In the past leading charities have used AI-generated images as part of their communications strategies on global health In 2023, the Dutch arm of UK charity Plan International released a video campaign against child marriage containing AI-generated images of a girl with a black eye an older man and a pregnant teenager Last year the UN posted a video on YouTube with AI-generated re-enactments of sexual violence in conflict, which included AI-generated testimony from a Burundian woman describing being raped by three men and left to die in 1993 during the country’s civil war The video was removed after the Guardian contacted the UN for comment A UN Peacekeeping spokesperson said: The video in question which was produced over a year ago using a fast-evolving tool has been taken down as we believed it shows improper use of AI, and may pose risks regarding information integrity, blending real footage and near-real artificially generated content “The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to support victims of conflict-related sexual violence including through innovation and creative advocacy Arnold said the rising use of these AI images comes after years of debate in the sector around ethical imagery and dignified storytelling about poverty and violence “Supposedly, it’s easier to take readymade AI visuals that come without consent because it s not real people Kate Kardol an NGO communications consultant said the images frightened her and recalled earlier debates about the use of poverty porn in the sector It saddens me that the fight for more ethical representation of people experiencing poverty now extends to the unreal ” she said Generative AI tools have long been found to replicate – and at times exaggerate – broader societal biases The proliferation of biased images in global health communications may make the problem worse, said Alenichev, because the images could filter out into the wider internet and be used to train the next generation of AI models a process which has been shown to amplify prejudice A spokesperson for Plan International said the NGO had as of this year: adopted guidance advising against using AI to depict individual children and said the 2023 campaign had used AI-generated imagery to safeguard the privacy and dignity of real girls” Adobe declined to comment
even if they seem high
A second factor to consider is the prevailing narrative which usually revolves around the message that this time is different A bubble is almost always buttressed by belief in a new paradigm or emerging technology – whether it be the internet, the Japanese production process, electricity, railroads, or canals The typical narrative creates a mental bridge between what actually is (current cash flows) and what could be (forecasts of future revenues) The bridge is what lures investors to buy into a possible upside While they may start by
TRUMP VOWS TO KEEP ‘MASSIVE’ TARIFFS ON INDIA UNTIL RUSSIAN OIL IMPORTS CEASE
on the Party leadership s draft proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030)
According to the session s agenda delegates will review the Political Bureau s report and deliberate on the proposals for China s next five-year blueprint an exercise that marks both a reflection on the current development cycle and a strategic outlook toward the future The meeting is seen as pivotal in China’s journey toward building a great modern socialist country as it designs a roadmap for what the Party describes as a critical five years leading up to the realization of socialist modernization The upcoming plan emphasizes six key commitments: upholding the Party’s overall
leadership, prioritizing the people s welfare, pursuing high-quality growth, deepening reforms, strengthening the interaction between market efficiency and government capacity and ensuring development-security balance Together these principles outline China s strategy for sustainable self-reliant and secure progress
The 15th Five-Year Plan is being described as a new mobilization for Chinese modernization It aims to align the nation’s institutional strengths with clear, long-term goals, consolidating public consensus through broad consultation and coordinated policymaking
Reflecting on the outgoing 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) the report highlights China s resilience in the face of a turbulent global environment including the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting geopolitical realities During this period, China implemented 17 major strategic tasks, 102 key projects, and over 5,000 programs achieving steady economic growth alongside green transformation and technological innovation Key sectors such as high-end manufacturing digital technology and lowcarbon industries flourished while innovation-driven policies deepened the integration of talent science and capital fueling the rise of new productive forces
CORPORATE CORNER
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, held a meeting today with Mr Khurram Jameel, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Healthineers Pakistan, at Aiwan-e-Sadr During the meeting Mr Jameel briefed the President on Siemens Healthineers ongoing initiatives in Pakistan s healthcare sector including advancements in medical technology, diagnostic solutions, and capacity-building programs aimed at improving access to quality healthcare across the country President Asif Ali Zardari appreciated Siemens Healthineers contribution to Pakistan s health infrastructure and emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering public-private partnerships that strengthen the national healthcare system He highlighted the importance of innovation research and collaboration with
ineers’
supporting Pakistan s healthcare transformation through state-of-the-art med-
Delegation from Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Including International Exper ts, Visits KIU; Meeting with Vice Chancellor KIU
A high-level delegation comprising the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, along with various international experts, visited Karakoram International University According to the KIU Public Relations Department the delegation included representatives from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office the British Embassy, WWF Germany and Pakistan, among other organizations The delegation met with Karakoram International University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Ataullah Shah During the meeting detailed discussions were held on biodiversity loss climate challenges and the conservation of sustainable natural resources In the meeting the Vice Chancellor briefed the delegation on the university's ongoing research initiatives to address environmental issues in the region, which include studies on glacier melting, habitat restoration and community-involved conservation efforts During the meeting the Vice Chancellor further stated that our efforts not only advance scientific understanding but also provide awareness and education to local communities on environmental conservation to ensure a safe environment for future generations After the meeting, the delegation visited the university's Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management The center focused on research in environmental conservation and ecosystem-based approaches
Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa visits T-Chowk Flyover project
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa visited the T-Chowk Flyover project along with the relevant officers He conducted a detailed review of the ongoing construction activities and inspected various sections of the project During a briefing on the project s progress, relevant officers consultants resident engineers and the project director briefed Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa that in line with the direction of Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi construction work on the T-Chowk Flyover project is progressing rapidly He was briefed that approximately 49% of the total construction work for the T-Chowk Flyover project has been completed It was informed that 100% of the pile cap and girder casting work along with 60% of the safety wall construction for the T-Chowk Flyover project has been accomplished It was also informed that traffic continues to flow normally during the construction phase Chairman CDA was also informed that work on the project is continuing 24/7 according to the timelines and will be completed within the stipulated period Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa expressed satisfaction with the progress of the development work and directed comprehensive planning for the project s completion, keeping in view the future expansion of GT Road He emphasized that while the project must be completed according to the timelines the quality of the development work must not be compromised in any way
T Y, L I G H T, RES P ECT
IHC gives police 3 days to recover NCCIA deput y director after alleged abduction
s ta f f r e p o r t
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday gave police a three-day ultimatum to recover the deputy director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), who was allegedly abducted earlier this month
The court issued the directives while presiding over the hearing of a plea filed by Rozina Usman for the recovery of her husband Muhammad Usman who she has alleged was taken away by four armed individuals on October 14
IHC Justice Muhammad Azam Khan heard the petition while Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi appeared in court on behalf of the wife During the hearing, the court directed that if police failed to recover the official within three days the NCCIA central director and the Islamabad inspector general should appear in court in person Meanwhile Abbasi told the court that he was unaware of the whereabouts of his client I don t know where the petitioner is; I fear she may have also been abducted, Abbasi told the court He added that the petitioner had called him saying she was being pressured to withdraw the petition
“The petitioner ’s husband was working on important cases and was kidnapped in a white Corolla the advocate said adding that now the petitioner s phone was also off and there had been no contact with her He urged the court to summon the NCCIA director and Islamabad police chief Abbasi further contended that the CCTV footage showed that Usman was allegedly abducted in a vehicle which had a fake number plate To this Justice Khan asked If the vehicle s number plate is suspicious how was it being driven around in Islamabad? He termed the situation a very serious matter , adding that there were checkpoints and CCTV cameras in the capital He directed
Two most-wanted Fitna-alKhawarij terrorists were killed in a joint operation by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and police in Swabi officials confirmed
According to a CTD spokesperson, the Fitna-alKhawarij terrorists, riding on a motorcycle, opened fire on CTD and police personnel during an intelligence-based operation Law enforcement officials retaliated killing both assailants on the spot Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain terrorists The CTD identified them as Nauman alias Mane and Abdul Basit alias Tilawat Shah both wanted in several cases including the targeted killings of police personnel
The CTD apprehended the two suspects Abdul Raheem Khoso and Ghulam Shabir, who had gone into hiding, from the Qasimabad area of Hyderabad
The Counter-Terrorism Department also recovered a cash amount from the arrested suspects
A search operation is underway in the area to locate two more suspects believed to have fled the scene the CTD added Earlier the Sindh police s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Hyderabad arrested two suspected terrorists of Fitna Ul Hindustan in an intelligence-based operation on Sunday
which was allegedly being used for terror financing
Evidence of their affiliation with Fitna Ul Hindustan including important papers and receipt books was also recovered the CTD added The CTD also recovered arms and ammunition from the possession of the terrorists The weapons are believed to have been used in a firing incident targeting a Counter-Terrorism Department vehicle in April of this year
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
The internal story of a crucial meeting of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Executive Committee (CEC) has come to light, revealing growing bitterness and distrust at the federal and Punjab levels between the government and the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) President Asif Ali Zardari told party executive members that everything would be resolved within a month, explaining that he had been asked for a month to fix
the issues During the CEC meeting, PPP took a decisive stance against the proposed Local Governments (LG) system in Punjab Zardari expressed confidence that the situation would improve within the month and urged the party to stay active and prepared for the upcoming elections in Punjab He also instructed party leaders to refrain from making public statements against the PML-N or the Punjab government The committee resolved that the PPP would participate fully in the local government elections in Punjab but banned any PPP leader
from issuing statements critical of the Nawaz League or the Punjab administration
In addition, the meeting decided that the government would assist flood victims in Punjab under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) The party also demanded that the subsidy rate for wheat be fixed at 4200 Pakistani rupees per mound, maintaining its disagreement with the federal government’s rate of 3500 rupees Responsibilities related to the formation of a new government in Azad Kashmir were also assigned to party leaders during the meeting
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the schedule for byelections in five constituencies across Punjab with polling set to take place on November 23 According to the spokesperson for the Provincial Elec-
tion Commissioner Punjab the by-elections will be held in NA-96, NA-104, NA-143, PP-98, and PP-203 covering areas of Faisalabad and Sahiwal The deadline for filing appeals against returning officers’ decisions is October 24 while appellate tribunals will decide on those appeals by October 31 The revised list of candidates
will be published on November 1 and candidates will have until November 3 to withdraw their nominations Election symbols will be allotted on November 4 The ECP stated that the schedule was issued under the Election Act 2017 and directed all authorities to ensure strict adherence to the code of conduct during the election process
PTI founder was “legally and ethically necessary” for Afridi to
and administrative
including cabinet formation Earlier the IHC registrar s office had objected that the court had already ruled on similar petitions and established a procedure for requesting
