Adil Shahzeb

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said Pakistan should treat the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty not merely as an environmental or diplomatic matter but as an existential challenge. Speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV on the sidelines of the International Seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan must adopt climate adaptation and water security measures on a war footing. He said the country should proceed with measures such as desalination, drip irrigation, canal lining and additional water storage, but cautioned that no new project should create the impression that Pakistan has accepted what India has announced regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. Bilawal stressed that nations confronted with existential threats succeed when they remain united.&nbsp; Referring to the recent Pakistan-India military conflict, the PPP chairman said the country demonstrated its strength by speaking with one voice, resulting in success not only on the military front but also diplomatically and on the narrative front. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2071915010314674346&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=69cc2ea11ff3cca3e23b9abfb627b8402df5441a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2071915010314674346"></iframe></div></div> He expressed hope that a similar national consensus would be sustained on the Indus Waters Treaty issue, saying Pakistan&#39;s response should be based on unity across political and regional divides. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also said Pakistan was facing challenges on multiple fronts, adding that India was pursuing policies aimed at destabilising Pakistan by supporting separatist and extremist elements. The PPP chairperson said Pakistan had defeated India during the recent military confrontation and expressed confidence that the country would also overcome broader attempts to undermine its stability.

In an exclusive interview with the Head of Pakistan TV Adil Shahzeb, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the Indus Waters issue must be addressed as a matter of national security alongside environmental and diplomatic concerns, with a coordinated and

SAT News Desk

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari says Pakistan must treat the Indus Waters Treaty as an existential issue, pursue urgent water security measures, and maintain national unity while rejecting any implication of accepting India's stance.

Pakistan must adopt climate adaptation, water security measures on war footing: Bilawal

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has moved from economic stabilization toward a new phase of growth after ending fiscal year 2025-26 with its strongest economic performance in four years, according to the Finance Ministry&#39;s latest Monthly Economic Update and Outlook released on Tuesday.&nbsp;The report portrays an economy emerging from years of high inflation and external financing pressures, citing stronger public finances, resilient industrial activity, record workers&#39; remittances and improving investor confidence as signs that macroeconomic stability has largely been restored.&nbsp;It says the government now expects export-led growth, continued fiscal discipline, energy-sector reforms and stronger business confidence to underpin economic expansion in the coming fiscal year.&nbsp;According to the report, Pakistan&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3.7% during FY2025-26, the fastest pace in four years, while the economy expanded to a record $452.1 billion.&nbsp;&quot;Despite early year flood-related disruptions and subsequent volatility in global commodity markets, stabilization gains were preserved, growth remained broad-based across agriculture, industry and services, and average inflation stayed in single digits within the target range,&quot; the report said.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/9da03189-1ec2-4180-b251-616518fe572b.jpg" style="width: 697px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Fiscal discipline strengthens recoveryThe ministry said prudent fiscal management continued to improve Pakistan&#39;s public finances.&nbsp;According to the report, the fiscal deficit narrowed to 1.1% of GDP during July-April FY2025-26 from 3.2% a year earlier, while the country posted a primary surplus of 3.5% of GDP, supported by higher revenue collection, expenditure management and provincial fiscal surpluses.&nbsp;Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) tax collections rose 9.7% to Rs11.23 trillion during July-May FY2025-26, driven by growth in both direct and indirect taxes. Total government expenditure, meanwhile, declined nearly 10%, largely because of lower debt-servicing costs, while development spending continued to increase.&nbsp;External sector remains resilientThe report said Pakistan&#39;s external position remained stable despite global uncertainty.&nbsp;The current account recorded a $255 million surplus during July-May FY2025-26, while workers&#39; remittances climbed to a record $38.1 billion, an increase of 9.2% compared with the previous fiscal year.&nbsp;Information technology (IT) services exports increased 20.4% to $4.2 billion, while foreign exchange reserves rose to $21.5 billion, strengthening Pakistan&#39;s external buffers.&nbsp;The report also noted that remittances reached a record monthly inflow of $4.3 billion in May, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remaining the largest sources of overseas inflows.&nbsp;Manufacturing leads broad-based growthIndustrial activity continued to gather momentum during FY2025-26.&nbsp;Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM) expanded 6.4% during July-April, rebounding from a 1.5% contraction during the same period last year. The report attributed the recovery primarily to stronger output in automobiles, food processing, wearing apparel and petroleum products, with 16 of 22 manufacturing industries recording positive growth.&nbsp;The agriculture sector also grew 2.9% despite flood-related damage, while agricultural credit increased 18.9%, supported by improved access to financing and higher imports of agricultural machinery.&nbsp;Investor confidence improvesThe Finance Ministry said improving macroeconomic conditions helped restore investor confidence during the fiscal year.&nbsp;The report attributed the improvement to the government&#39;s continued commitment to the International Monetary Fund&#39;s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), together with sovereign rating upgrades by Fitch and Moody&#39;s.&nbsp;It said these developments enabled Pakistan to return to international capital markets through a Eurobond issuance after four years and launch its first Panda Bond.&nbsp;&quot;The Pakistan Stock Exchange also witnessed a remarkable rally, with the KSE-100 Index reaching an all-time high and remaining among Asia&#39;s fastest-growing stock markets,&quot; the report said.&nbsp;Business confidence also strengthened, with company registrations increasing nearly 25% during July-April FY2025-26, while private-sector borrowing rose as firms increased investment activity.&nbsp;Favorable outlook for FY2026-27The ministry projected a favorable outlook for the new fiscal year.&nbsp;It said continued reforms, export-led policies, fiscal discipline and stronger manufacturing activity are expected to sustain growth while preserving macroeconomic stability.&nbsp;The report also said easing geopolitical tensions following the Iran-US ceasefire have improved global market sentiment, helping lower international crude oil prices.&nbsp;For Pakistan, a net oil importer, lower energy prices are expected to reduce imported inflation, ease transportation costs and strengthen the country&#39;s external account by containing the oil import bill.&nbsp;The ministry said improving external buffers, resilient remittance inflows, continued growth in IT exports and a more stable global environment are expected to reinforce Pakistan&#39;s growth momentum during FY2026-27.

Economy

Says stronger fiscal discipline, record remittances, resilient manufacturing and improving investor confidence have positioned the economy for continued export-led growth and macroeconomic stability during the next fiscal year.

Pakistan economy shifts from stabilization to growth after four-year recovery: Finance Ministry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has officially taken its seat as a permanent member of the United Nations&#39; International Olive Council (IOC) for the first time during the Council&#39;s 123rd Session in Lisbon, according to a statement from the country&rsquo;s embassy in Portugal on Tuesday. &ldquo;It marks a significant milestone for Pakistan&#39;s expanding olive industry,&rdquo; the statement added. According to the statement, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain led the Pakistani delegation at the meeting, accompanied by Pakistan&#39;s Ambassador to Portugal, Aisha Farooqui. Following Pakistan&#39;s admission to the IOC in May 2026, the country became a permanent member among 27 other olive oil-producing nations. Pakistan received a warm welcome from the IOC Executive Director, the Council Chairman and member states. Addressing the Council, the minister thanked the IOC for its confidence in Pakistan and reaffirmed the country&#39;s commitment to advancing the organization&#39;s objectives and to promoting sustainable, climate-resilient development in the global olive oil and table olives sector. The minister highlighted the remarkable progress of Pakistan&#39;s olive industry, noting that more than 7 million olive trees have been cultivated across 55,669 acres.&nbsp; He said that the country has established a complete farm-to-fork value chain, including 51 olive oil extraction units, modern processing facilities, nurseries, weather stations and four IOC-compliant quality laboratories. He added that Pakistan has also achieved self-sufficiency in producing certified olive saplings domestically, while its olive oil has gained international recognition, including a Silver Award at the New York International Olive Oil Competition.

Pakistan's Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain led the Pakistani delegation at the meeting, accompanied by Pakistan's Ambassador to Portugal, Aisha Farooqui.

Pakistan takes seat as permanent member of International Olive Council for first time

ISLAMABAD: India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed this week concerns raised by Pakistan&#39;s President Asif Ali Zardari about the treatment of Muslim religious sites in India, stating that Islamabad has &quot;no locus standi,&quot; or legal standing, to comment on the country&#39;s internal affairs. Days later, New Delhi condemned Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan as an assault on Afghan sovereignty. The contrast was immediate. The same government that rejects outside comment on its own conduct claimed standing to judge Pakistan&#39;s military response to a deadly terrorist attack inside its own borders. Indian MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called President Zardari&#39;s remarks &quot;unwarranted&quot; and accused Pakistan of a &quot;deliberate&quot; political attack driven by what he termed policies of bigotry and hatred, according to India Today. India urged to protect minority rightsPresident Zardari had voiced concern days earlier over a demolition notice served to the centuries-old Masjid Ganj Shaheeda, a mosque in Varanasi. The Pakistani president warned the move risked communal unrest and urged India to protect minority rights. A notice, posted on the mosque wall on June 12, ordered the structure removed by June 20 or face demolition, according to Maktoob Media. The mosque committee, Anjuman Intizamia Masajid, said the notice carried no signature, stamp or date, and is challenging it in the Allahabad High Court. The committee traces the mosque to the Hijri year 1034, the Islamic lunar calendar, corresponding to around 1624-25 CE, and predating the Mughal Empire&rsquo;s expansion over much of South Asia. It points to an 1883-84 British colonial-era settlement map listing the site as &quot;Palang Shahid,&quot; according to documents reviewed by Maktoob Media. The warning came 11 days after authorities demolished the roughly 200-year-old Azgaib Shaheed mosque and an adjacent Muslim tomb in Varanasi, clearing the site in 22 minutes overnight under heavy security as part of a railway redevelopment project, according to Deccan Herald. India&#39;s roughly 200 million Muslims make up about 14% of the country&#39;s population, the largest Muslim minority of any non-Muslim-majority nation in the world. India&#39;s claim that its internal affairs are off-limits to outside comment runs counter to a domestic record that is neither private nor settled. Riots in northeast Delhi in February 2020, set off by protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (a law widely criticized by rights groups for excluding Muslims from an expedited path to citizenship), killed 53 people and injured more than 200, according to NDTV. Inter-ethnic violence in the northeastern state of Manipur, which began in May 2023 and has continued since, has killed more than 200 people and displaced over 60,000 residents, Reuters reported. According to The Indian Express, communal clashes in Nuh and Gurugram, in the northern state of Haryana, in July and August 2023 killed six people and triggered a prolonged internet blackout. The pattern has continued into the past year. Communal violence in Nagpur, a city in the western state of Maharashtra, in March 2025, sparked by demands to remove a tomb linked to a 17th-century Mughal emperor, left one person dead, more than 30 injured, and over 105 arrested, according to The Hindu&#39;s Nagpur Bureau. India&#39;s NDTV reported that clashes over the Waqf Amendment Act (a law altering how Muslim charitable land endowments are governed, which critics say weakens Muslim control over religious property) in Murshidabad, in the eastern state of West Bengal, in April 2025 left three people dead after police opened fire on demonstrators. Rioting during Hindu festival processions in Cuttack, in the eastern state of Odisha, in October 2025 injured 25 people and forced a 36-hour curfew, according to The Hindu&#39;s Odisha Bureau. Abuse of Muslims India&#39;s &#39;domestic issue&#39;?None of these incidents drew the kind of foreign-government statement that India issued against President Zardari this week; they were treated as domestic matters. Meanwhile, President Zardari&#39;s comment on Varanasi was treated as an intrusion. That same government found no difficulty commenting on events across Pakistan&#39;s western border with Afghanistan. Pakistan struck targets inside Afghanistan on the night of June 28-29, days after a deadly attack on paramilitary Rangers personnel in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi on June 27. Pakistan&#39;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes targeted Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The terrorist groups operate from safe havens on Afghan soil with the tacit tolerance of the Taliban government in Kabul. India&#39;s external affairs ministry called the strikes &quot;a blatant act of aggression&quot; and said they amounted to an assault on Afghanistan&#39;s sovereignty, NDTV reported. India has issued no statement condemning the terrorist attack in Karachi that preceded those strikes, nor has it commented on the broader pattern of terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil operating from Afghan territory. The silence on attacks against Pakistan stands next to the speed of condemnation for Pakistan&#39;s response to them.

India

India rejects Pakistan’s concerns over religious sites as interference in domestic affairs, while condemning Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan, reflecting a double standard on sovereignty and external criticism.

How its response to President Zardari exposes India's diplomatic double standards

ISLAMABAD: The United States has experienced unseasonal snow, even as the country braced for heatwaves in several other parts.&nbsp; According to the National Weather Service, four states will be affected early this week, as the agency issued updated winter storm and winter weather warnings.&nbsp; In a report carried by The Guardian, the western US was covered by a cold front, bringing an unexpected change to the high summer temperatures amid the drought the region was engulfed in.&nbsp; The report said that temperatures from the Canadian border to California experienced temperatures between 5 C and 10 C since Friday, adding that the pattern is expected to continue over the coming week.&nbsp; The report said that the weather resulted in snowfall at unusually low elevations for the time of year, noting that snow typically sits at 3,300 meters (10,800 ft) in the summer; however, it fell as low as 1,800 meters (5,900 ft) on Sunday. According to NWS data, some regions indicate that Montana is still expected to receive heavy snowfall, with up to 81 cm (32 in) possible near Georgetown Lake. &ldquo;Plan on cold and wet backcountry conditions with a heightened hypothermia risk for those not properly dressed. Wet snow may down trees and block access to forest roadways,&rdquo; the federal agency warned.&nbsp; The Guardian also reported that a heatwave would return to the US around July 4, pushing temperatures into the high 30s Celsius. &emsp;

Americas

Four states will be impacted early this week as a federal agency issues updated winter storm warnings and winter weather warnings.





US experiences unseasonal snow as country braces for heatwave 

ISLAMABAD: Three of India&#39;s five worst-hit states for farmer suicides have been governed for most of the past decade by the Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh together accounted for most of the 10,786 farming-sector suicides recorded nationally in 2023, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The toll has not gone down under BJP-led administrations despite repeated promises of loan waivers and relief packages, the same records show. Maharashtra&nbsp;remains the country&#39;s epicenter. The state accounted for 38.5% of the total suicides in 2023. Under the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition from 2014 to 2019, the state recorded between 3,594 and 4,291 suicides a year. When the BJP alliance returned to power in 2022, the toll did not drop. The state recorded 4,248 suicides that year and 4,151 in 2023, according to the same records. Less than 12% of farmland in the Vidarbha and Marathwada cotton belt is irrigated, and pink bollworm resistance has repeatedly reduced cotton yields, according to research on the political economy of agrarian distress published in the Journal of Political Science. Loan waivers issued across successive Fadnavis and Mahayuti governments have not addressed this underlying structural gap, the research states. Karnataka&nbsp;tells a similar story. Under BJP rule from 2019 to 2023, the state recorded 2,392 farming-sector suicides in both 2021 and 2022, according to NCRB figures, accounting for roughly 22.5% of the national total in 2023. Drought and groundwater depletion in northern Karnataka have continued unaddressed through multiple BJP budgets, while farmers in the Mandya and Haveri sugarcane belts remain locked into high-cost informal land leases. No sustained expansion of irrigation accompanied the state&#39;s BJP-era relief announcements, the records show. In Andhra Pradesh, now governed by a TDP-led NDA coalition with the BJP since 2024, 927 farming-sector suicides were recorded in 2023. Between 2014 and 2022, the state reported 7,732 total suicides in the sector, with agricultural laborers (4,035) outnumbering land-owning cultivators (3,375), according to a factsheet on farm suicides published by the Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM). Small and marginal farmers make up 86.3% of landholders in the state but own only 54% of the land, the factsheet states, a gap that has persisted under every administration, including the current BJP-aligned government. Two more BJP-governed states show the same pattern. Madhya Pradesh, under BJP leadership for most of the decade, recorded 641 farming-sector suicides in 2022 and 777 in 2023, an increase under continuous BJP rule, according to NCRB data. Uttar Pradesh, governed by the BJP since 2017 under Yogi Adityanath, recorded a 42.13% jump in total farming-sector suicides in 2022 compared with the previous year, according to a study on farmers&#39; suicides published by Kerala Journal of Psychiatry, even as state officials pointed to the region&#39;s historically low totals. The pattern that emerges from BJP-led states is not one of crisis management but of crisis administration. Compensation eligibility in these states remains tied to formal land titles and proof of institutional bank debt, a requirement that excludes tenant farmers, women farmers, and landless laborers who borrow from informal moneylenders, according to the SOPPECOM factsheet. In Maharashtra, families must prove landownership, crop failure in that specific cycle, and outstanding institutional debt simply to qualify for the state&#39;s 100,000 Indian rupees ($1,056) ex gratia payment, the factsheet states. Suicides linked to informal moneylender debt, the kind most common among the very farmers BJP governments claim to protect, are officially classified as ineligible.

An Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activist acts as a farmer committing suicide during a protest following the completion of two years of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in New Delhi. (AFP)

Official data show farmer suicides remain high in several BJP-governed Indian states, with Maharashtra recording the most deaths, despite years of government promises to improve farm incomes and provide relief.

Decade of debt: Farmer suicides persist across India's BJP-governed states

Simran Siraj

Muhammad Usman Amin

Faraz Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to receive its first widespread monsoon spell of the season this week, bringing relief from the intense heat but also increasing the risk of urban flooding, flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) across several parts of the country, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and provincial disaster management authorities.&nbsp;The PMD said a westerly wave entering the country&#39;s upper regions from the night of June 30, combined with moisture-laden currents from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, will trigger widespread rain, windstorms and thundershowers from July 1. The system is expected to ease the prevailing hot and humid conditions but may also cause heavy rainfall, damaging windstorms and lightning.&nbsp;Rain with isolated heavy falls is forecast in Kashmir from July 1 to 6, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from July 1 to 5, northern and central Punjab, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore, from July 1 to 6, southern Punjab from July 3 to 5, Gilgit-Baltistan from July 1 to 5, northeastern Balochistan from July 1 to 4, and northern Sindh from July 3 to 4.&nbsp;The Met Office warned that heavy rains could trigger urban flooding in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar between July 1 and 4, while flash floods are likely in local streams and hill torrents, particularly in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dera Ghazi Khan. Landslides are also possible in vulnerable mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir between July 2 and 6. Authorities have been advised to remain vigilant, while tourists and farmers have been urged to take precautionary measures.&nbsp;Punjab braces for strong monsoon spells Punjab is expected to receive one of the strongest monsoon spells. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) says the first phase of the monsoon will begin on July 1, with a stronger rain-bearing system arriving on July 3.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, PDMA Punjab Director Hameed Ullah Malik said widespread heavy rainfall is expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Sialkot, Narowal, Mandi Bahauddin, Nankana Sahib, Sargodha, Lahore and surrounding districts, with rainfall totals reaching up to 150 millimeters in some areas.&nbsp;Early warnings have already been issued, he said, urging residents not to dump waste into drainage channels and to keep stormwater drains clear to reduce the risk of flooding.&nbsp;Although river levels are expected to remain within normal limits, heavy downpours could still inundate urban centers. Malik also noted that humidity is likely to remain high after the rains, causing &ldquo;feels-like&rdquo; temperatures to rise again once skies clear.&nbsp;Lahore remained under severe heat on Monday, with the heat index reaching 43 degrees Celsius due to high humidity, while the &quot;feels-like&quot; temperature hovered between 49 C and 51 C. Multilayered&nbsp;environmental threatIn Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities are preparing for what they describe as a &ldquo;multilayered environmental threat,&rdquo; as heavy monsoon rains coincide with accelerated glacier melt caused by recent heatwaves.&nbsp;The PDMA KP has warned that the combination significantly increases the risk of GLOFs, flash floods and landslides across northern districts.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are dealing with a multi-layered environmental threat this year,&rdquo; PDMA spokesperson Anwar Shehzad told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;The effects of severe heat have already destabilized glacial lakes in our northern districts. Adding monsoon rain to this means the risk of sudden floods and landslides in July is heightened.&rdquo;&nbsp;The province has activated its monsoon contingency plan, with its Provincial Emergency Operations Center operating around the clock. Deputy commissioners in vulnerable districts, including Upper and Lower Chitral, Shangla, Kohistan and Mansehra, have been directed to pre-position rescue machinery, stock emergency supplies and keep key roads open.&nbsp;Shehzad urged tourists and residents to avoid unnecessary travel near rivers and streams during heavy rainfall and warned against swimming or attempting to cross flooded waterways.&nbsp;He said citizens should use the PDMA&#39;s 1700 toll-free helpline to report emergencies. Cloudburst threats for Sindh, Balochistan In Sindh and Balochistan, experts say the season presents a different but equally serious challenge. Although seasonal forecasts indicate below-normal overall rainfall and above-normal temperatures that could push interior regions to as high as 53 C, climate specialists warn that isolated cloudbursts remain a major concern.&nbsp;&ldquo;Climate volatility means we have to rewrite our traditional risk assessments. A &#39;below-normal&#39; seasonal average can still contain single-day deluges that completely overwhelm existing municipal drainage networks,&rdquo; environmentalist Tariq Alexander Qaiser told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Dr Shaista Tabassum, an expert on international relations and transboundary water governance at the University of Karachi, said increasingly erratic monsoon patterns are placing growing pressure on governance, water management and disaster response systems.&nbsp;&ldquo;The physical challenges of the monsoon cannot be separated from structural resource management,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Whether dealing with a deficit of water or sudden hyper-local flooding, our institutional capacity to distribute relief, maintain urban drainage, and secure agricultural livelihoods is constantly being tested.&rdquo;&nbsp;She added that public messaging should clearly communicate that dry spells do not necessarily mean lower risk.&nbsp;&ldquo;Citizens need to remain vigilant regarding rapid drainage clearings around households to curb vector-borne diseases like dengue, while simultaneously maintaining extreme heat precautions during the stagnant, humid intervals between rains,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;Authorities in both provinces have already begun preparations. The Balochistan government has approved a Rs7.5 billion multi-hazard emergency plan covering flood response, heatstroke units and wildfire preparedness, while Sindh&#39;s PDMA has accelerated urban desilting operations and reinforced embankments along the Indus basin ahead of the monsoon season.

Climate & Environment

Pakistan is set to receive its first widespread monsoon spell of the season this week, bringing relief from the intense heat but also raising the threat of urban flooding, flash floods, landslides and GLOFs across several parts of the country.

Pakistan braces for monsoons from July 1; moderate to heavy rains expected

ISLAMABAD: Five years after the Taliban regained power, the global outlook on Afghanistan remains grim. On Tuesday, the Australian government became the latest to make this clear, as its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced that no area in the country, including Kabul, is considered safe. As a result, it renewed its highest-level travel ban for its citizens. Australians, the department said, have been injured, killed and arbitrarily detained, and the government&#39;s ability to help them is severely limited because it has no embassy in the capital. Australia&#39;s warning is not an outlier. It is the newest entry in a list of more than 30 governments, spanning North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, that have placed Afghanistan under their strictest possible travel designation, according to a review of national advisories. What once might have read as a patchwork of cautious diplomatic language now amounts to something closer to consensus. By 2026, the world&#39;s major foreign ministries agree that Afghanistan is not a place their citizens should enter for any reason. The United States set the tone years ago with its Level 4: Do Not Travel rating, the State Department&#39;s most severe classification, citing wrongful detention, kidnapping and terrorism, and noting it has no way to extract citizens in an emergency. Britain&#39;s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office goes further on the financial side, warning that travel insurance is automatically voided the moment a traveler crosses the border. Canada cites arbitrary arrest by Taliban authorities while New Zealand warns explicitly of kidnapping for ransom. Not merely travel advisoriesWhat distinguishes 2026 from earlier years is how far some governments have gone in turning advisory language into enforceable law. South Korea does not merely discourage travel; it bans it. Under Article 17 of the country&#39;s Passport Act, South Korean citizens who enter Afghanistan without prior ministerial approval risk prosecution, fines or the revocation of their passports, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That a sovereign government would criminalize travel to a single country says as much about Afghanistan&#39;s status as any advisory bulletin. The reasoning offered by European governments converges on similar themes. France tracks its citizens through a dedicated evacuation portal. Germany warns dual nationals they may face exit bans once inside the country. Spain points to the systematic denial of visas to journalists. Italy says its own consular operations have effectively shut down. Switzerland describes the absence of any functioning rule of law. Each ministry has framed the danger slightly differently, but the conclusion is identical: do not go. The restrictions extend past Afghanistan&#39;s borders. Uzbekistan had sealed its crossing entirely for four years before reopening it for trade in 2025, subject to strict screening, according to the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Tajikistan&#39;s frontier remains highly volatile, heavily militarized, and only partially open for commercial transit and approved travelers. Official policy focuses on securing the 1,300 km border, regulating official checkpoints such as Panji Poyon, and countering cross-border militancy and drug smuggling, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan. Turkmenistan requires a special government permit just to approach its border zone, with strict restrictions under the 50-kilometer &quot;Border Zone Permit&quot; system, according to the Turkmenistan embassy in T&uuml;rkiye. &nbsp; Public health adds another layer. Turkiye requires proof of polio vaccination from anyone transiting Afghanistan, while Spain and Germany mandate boosters for longer stays. Canada and New Zealand warn that rabies treatment is unavailable there. Taken together, the advisories describe something more than risk. They describe a country that, five years on, much of the world has effectively written off as unreachable. Australia&#39;s update this week is simply the latest government to say so out loud.

A Taliban security personnel frisks Afghans along a road in Kandahar on June 26, 2026. (AFP)

Afghanistan

Australia warns Afghanistan is entirely unsafe and renews top travel ban as global governments maintain highest-level advisories, citing violence, kidnappings, detentions, collapsed services, border closures, and lack of consular protection.

Australia joins countries warning against Afghanistan travel as global advisories rise

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, stated on Tuesday that the Indus Waters Treaty cannot be amended, revoked, suspended, or set aside unilaterally. He emphasized that any changes to the treaty must be made through mutual consensus, as it was originally established. While speaking at an international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, the minister said the conference was &ldquo;not merely discussing a treaty&rdquo;; rather, it was about the lifeline of more than 240 million people in Pakistan. The minister said that water is life and &ldquo;Indus has given life to Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp; The minister said that the treaty has &ldquo;endured wars, political upheavals and prolonged periods of tension.&rdquo; &ldquo;Its resilience, for more than six decades, demonstrates an enduring truth that cooperation, dialogue and adherence to international commitments remain the only sustainable path to peace,&rdquo; Tarar said. He said that India&rsquo;s failed attempt to unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance has led to international embarrassment for India at various forums, including legal ones.&nbsp; &quot;When a one-sided attempt is made to hold this treaty in abeyance, the moral, social, legal foundation of that attempt is extremely weak,&rdquo; he said, adding that any structure that has a weak foundation would fall flat on its face. &nbsp; &ldquo;The weaponization of water or attempts to unilaterally alter established arrangements undermine not only regional peace and stability but also the broader framework of international law,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; The minister said that Pakistan&#39;s collective future depends on transforming water from a source of contention into a catalyst for cooperation. &ldquo;History teaches us that rivers do not divide civilizations; they connect them. Rivers transcend borders, politics and generations,&rdquo; he said, adding that humanity&rsquo;s shared challenges demand shared solutions.&nbsp; He said that Islamabad has consistently demonstrated its commitment to peaceful engagement, constructive dialogue, and the faithful implementation of the treaty. However, he said, if an attempt is made to stop Pakistan&rsquo;s water, our national leadership is resolved to respond effectively to restore water. Not merely a water crisis, but a matter of justiceFederal Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik urged the international community to view the ongoing dispute over transboundary water flows as a matter of justice rather than merely a climate or water crisis, warning that the weakening of international treaties could have far-reaching global consequences. Addressing the seminar, he said that nearly half of Pakistan&rsquo;s population, around 120 million people, depends on agriculture, while a quarter of the country&rsquo;s GDP and its food security rely on uninterrupted river flows.&nbsp; &ldquo;Upstream actions, combined with the impacts of climate change, have intensified floods and water shortages, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, mass displacement, and significant disruption to education and livelihoods,&rdquo; the minister argued. Referring to the Indus Waters Treaty, the minister described it as one of the strongest international water-sharing agreements, noting that it has endured multiple wars between two nuclear-armed neighbors.&nbsp; He warned that any unilateral attempt to suspend or disregard such a treaty would undermine the credibility of the international rules-based order established after the Second World War. The minister also questioned the effectiveness of international legal mechanisms, saying that if countries reject the jurisdiction of international courts or ignore treaty obligations, it raises concerns for the future of global governance and dispute resolution. Highlighting the broader implications, he said, &ldquo;the issue extends beyond Pakistan, pointing to Europe&rsquo;s interconnected river systems where downstream countries depend on water originating in neighboring states.&rdquo; He cautioned that weakening international agreements on shared water resources could set a precedent affecting countries worldwide and called for the preservation of treaty commitments, international law, and principles of justice in resolving transboundary water disputes.

Foreign Affairs

Says Islamabad has consistently demonstrated commitment to peaceful engagement, constructive dialogue, faithful implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty; warns that if an attempt is made to stop Pakistan’s water, the national leadership stands resolved to respond effectively to restore water.

India cannot amend, revoke, suspend or hold IWT in abeyance: Pakistan minister

HONG KONG: Asian equities fluctuated Tuesday as investors struggled to build on a record day on Wall Street, where tech firms bounced after the hefty selling of the past two weeks, while the yen held around a four-decade low against the dollar. With optimism that the US-Iran crisis will eventually come to an end and the Strait of Hormuz reopen, attention has returned to central bank monetary policy and the future of the AI boom. The tech sector -- which has led a global rally across markets and pushed several companies to record highs -- has taken a pummelling of late on fears over stretched valuations, interest rates and when traders will see returns on their investments. But a rush to pick up bargains following that selloff fuelled a spike in New York, where the Dow hit a fresh peak and the Nasdaq climbed more than two percent. That came thanks to strong finishes for Magnificent Seven plays including Amazon, Meta and Nvidia. &quot;After last week&#39;s record selling in big tech, buyers returned to the same names they were throwing overboard only days earlier,&quot; said SPI Asset Management&#39;s Stephen Innes. &quot;That does not mean the AI trade has suddenly been cured. It means the patient stopped bleeding long enough for the surgeons to begin bidding the stock back up. &quot;For Asia, and especially Korea and Japan, that is the handoff.&quot; However, investors were unable to match their US colleagues, with Seoul&#39;s Kospi -- the best performing benchmark this year -- falling again, while Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Manila were also down. There were gains in Tokyo, Sydney, Taipei and Wellington. Traders were keeping an eye on Tokyo amid speculation the government could intervene in currency markets after the yen hit its weakest level against the dollar since 1986. The unit hit as much as 162.40 per dollar amid expectations the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates this year. The moves come ahead of US jobs data Thursday, with analysts warning a stronger-than-expected reading could fan bets on a US hike sooner than later. An increase in borrowing costs to a 31-year high by the Bank of Japan this month did little to support the yen, with government officials&#39; warnings of an intervention also falling short. Local media reported Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama as saying Tuesday that Tokyo &quot;will take appropriate action at any time as necessary&quot;. The government spent a record $72.4 billion to support the unit between April 28 and May 27 after it first slid past 160 per dollar. &quot;A major catalyst behind the dollar&#39;s move has been the arrival of new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, whose public comments have been interpreted as notably more hawkish&quot; than US President Donald Trump might have wished, said IG&#39;s Axel Rudolph. &quot;Warsh has repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining the Fed&#39;s inflation-fighting credibility and has signalled a willingness to keep policy restrictive if price pressures prove persistent. Markets have taken those signals seriously, with Treasury yields rising sharply in response. &quot;The prospect of higher US interest rates has widened the expected policy gap between the United States and many of its major trading partners, increasing demand for dollar-denominated assets.&quot; Oil prices edged down on easing concerns over Middle East peace talks after the United States and Iran exchanged fire at the weekend. Key figures around 0230 GMTTokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 70,116.82 (break) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.1 percent at 22,766.73 Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 4,058.89 Dollar/yen: UP at 162.15 yen from 161.92 yen on Monday Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1403 from $1.1430 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3235 from $1.3261 Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.14 pence from 86.17 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.4 percent at $70.46 a barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.6 percent at $72.70 a barrel New York - Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 52,182.74 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 10,484.22 (close)

Electronic boards display the foreign exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the US dollar at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo on June 30, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Business

 Asian equities fluctuate as investors struggle to build on a record day on Wall Street, where tech firms bounce after the hefty selling of the past two weeks, while the yen holds around a four-decade low against the dollar.

Pakistan must adopt climate adaptation, water security measures on war footing: Bilawal

Latest News

Pakistan must adopt climate adaptation, water security measures on war footing: Bilawal

Pakistan economy shifts from stabilization to growth after four-year recovery: Finance Ministry

Pakistan takes seat as permanent member of International Olive Council for first time

How its response to President Zardari exposes India's diplomatic double standards

US experiences unseasonal snow as country braces for heatwave