Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: The long-debated Durand Line, a 2,640-kilometer border demarcation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has once again come into focus as legal experts and political leaders reaffirm its legitimacy as an international border under international law. Historical Context of the Durand LineThe Durand Line was established in 1893 following an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand, representing British India, and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan. The line was meant to define the spheres of influence between British India and Afghanistan. Following the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, Pakistan inherited all international treaties and boundaries agreed upon by British India &mdash; including the Durand Line. However, successive Afghan governments have contested its legal status, arguing that the agreement lapsed after the British withdrawal. Legal Standing and International FrameworkLegal expert Ahmer Bilal Soofi notes that the international legal framework supports Pakistan&rsquo;s position. Referring to Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, he explains that while states may withdraw from certain treaties due to a &ldquo;fundamental change of circumstances,&rdquo; boundary treaties remain permanent and binding. &ldquo;This means that once a border treaty is agreed upon, it cannot be unilaterally disregarded due to political changes,&rdquo; Soofi emphasized, pointing out that boundary agreements enjoy a unique status in international law. A 1969 Supreme Court of Pakistan decision also reaffirmed the Durand Line as a valid and recognized boundary, rejecting any interpretation that challenges its legal sanctity. Khurram Dastgir Khan Reaffirms Pakistan&rsquo;s PositionSenior PML-N leader and former federal minister Khurram Dastgir Khan underscored that Pakistan&rsquo;s stance on the issue remains firm and consistent. &ldquo;Pakistan has insisted on and will continue to insist, and as a successor state to Great Britain, that the term &lsquo;Durand Line&rsquo; itself is not acceptable; it is the international border,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There are multiple agreements, documents, and international laws that declare it as the international border.&rdquo; He added that Afghanistan&rsquo;s continued reluctance to recognize the border stems largely from domestic economic and political factors. &ldquo;Their insistence that it is not the border is mainly due to their economic and political reasons to keep their population somehow questioned regarding the Pakistan situation,&rdquo; Dastgir noted. Emphasizing the importance of securing the frontier, he said Pakistan must invest further in strengthening the border. &ldquo;We have to find ways to secure the border, and we have to make sure that the Pakistan border is now an actual line that demarcates two countries. I cannot emphasize enough how important this issue is; this is really crucial for the future of peaceful Pak-Afghan relations.&rdquo; The Way ForwardThe reaffirmation of the Durand Line&rsquo;s legal status&mdash;both by legal authorities and political leadership&mdash;highlights Pakistan&rsquo;s consistent policy that the border is final and internationally recognized. Pakistani officials stress that effective border management and mutual recognition remain essential for fostering peaceful and stable Pak-Afghan relations in the years ahead.

Security

Foreign Affairs

The long-debated Durand Line, a 2,640-kilometer border demarcation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has once again come into focus as legal experts and political leaders reaffirm its legitimacy as international border under international law

Pakistan reaffirms Durand Line as international border: legal and strategic perspectives

After nearly two years of relentless violence, people in Gaza are welcoming the ceasefire with relief but also with fear that it may not last.&nbsp;Yousrah Abu Sharekh, Program Coordinator at INARA Gaza, said on Pakistan TV &#39;morning show&#39; that while the truce is &ldquo;a very positive and welcome development,&rdquo; it marks &ldquo;only the beginning of a very complex chapter ahead.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;There are more than 40,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries &mdash; and many have lost family members, homes, and a sense of safety,&rdquo; she said, adding that the emotional toll is &ldquo;enormous.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fwAStlkrViI" title="Pakistan-IMF Deal I Gaza Crisis I Harsh Winter Ahead I World This Morning" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>Humanitarian groups say trauma among Gaza&rsquo;s children is deep and widespread, with many showing signs of severe distress and fear of renewed fighting.&nbsp;&ldquo;People are happy, yes, but they are also anxious. There&rsquo;s a constant fear that the ceasefire might collapse,&rdquo; Abu Sharekh warned.&nbsp;Crowds celebrated the truce across Gaza, yet uncertainty remains. &ldquo;Children have lost so much, they don&rsquo;t want to lose more,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;The INARA coordinator also cautioned about the lingering dangers of unexploded ordnance and debris, calling them &ldquo;a serious threat to civilians, especially children.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about rebuilding homes; it&rsquo;s about restoring safety and hope,&rdquo; she stressed. &ldquo;The road ahead is long, but the ceasefire gives us a small window of hope.&rdquo;

World This Morning

‘It’s the start of a complex chapter,’ says INARA Gaza coordinator as over 40,000 children live with life-altering injuries.

Ceasefire brings relief — and anxiety — in Gaza: INARA’s Yousrah Abu Sharekh

BRUSSELS:&nbsp;The European Union &quot;strongly condemns&quot; US sanctions imposed on five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, the Commission said Wednesday. The US State Department announced Tuesday it would deny visas to Breton and four activists, accusing them of seeking to &quot;coerce&quot; American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. &quot;We have requested clarifications from the US authorities and remain engaged. If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures,&quot; said a statement from the Commission. &quot;Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination.&quot; The statement also said: &quot;Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world. &quot;The EU is an open, rules-based single market, with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values and international commitments,&quot; the Commission said. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced US decision to deny visas to five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, saying the move amounted to &quot;intimidation&quot; and &quot;coercion&quot;. &quot;France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures,&quot; Macron wrote on X. &quot;These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty,&quot; he added, saying Europe would defend its &quot;regulatory autonomy&quot;.

Europe

The European Union strongly condemned the US sanctions imposed on five European figures. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the US decision, saying the move amounted to intimidation and coercion

EU 'strongly condemns' US sanctions against five Europeans: Commission

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: After years of twin deficits, Pakistan has achieved fiscal and current account surpluses and is now pivoting toward export-led growth and structural reforms to secure long-term economic stability and investment opportunities.&nbsp;This was stated in an article by Pakistan&rsquo;s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, published by USA Today on Dec. 22. From deficits to surpluses&ldquo;The country&rsquo;s long battle with twin deficits &mdash; fiscal shortfalls and external imbalances &mdash; appears to have taken a decisive turn,&rdquo; Aurangzeb writes, adding, &ldquo;For the first time in years, Pakistan has recorded a primary surplus on the fiscal side alongside a current account surplus.&rdquo; He credited remittance inflows for providing &ldquo;much of the strength behind this improvement.&rdquo; Highlighting the country&rsquo;s achievements on the economic front, Aurangzeb states, &ldquo;inflation, once running at a crippling 38%, has fallen into the single digits, while foreign reserves have climbed to cover two and a half months of imports, surpassing $14.5 billion.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;The rupee has also shown rare stability, reinforcing investor confidence that Pakistan has moved beyond its latest crisis cycle.&rdquo; Moving beyond consumptionAbout the country&rsquo;s macroeconomic position, the Pakistani finance minister underlined that &ldquo;the economy expanded by 2.7% in the last fiscal year, which, although positive, remains well below what is needed to generate employment for a rapidly growing population.&rdquo;&nbsp; Historically, Pakistan&rsquo;s growth spurts have been fueled by consumption and debt, only to collapse into renewed balance-of-payments problems.&nbsp; This time, Aurangzeb insists, the strategy is different. Export-led growth&nbsp;The government is steering toward export-led growth, supported by a new budget that introduces structural reforms in taxation, energy, and state-owned enterprises.&nbsp; Tariff reform, in particular, is designed to end decades of protectionism and force industries to become globally competitive.&nbsp; As the minister noted, &ldquo;If they are competitive, then we move towards export-led growth.&rdquo; This shift also reflects a recognition that global demand is changing, and Pakistan must carve out its share in international markets.&nbsp; Information technology services, textiles, and agricultural exports are areas where the government sees potential to scale up and capture greater value. The finance minister writes that, &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s IT exports surpassed four billion US dollars last year, and officials believe this figure could double within five years if regulatory clarity and infrastructure investments continue.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;The finance ministry has also been working to simplify tax regimes for exporters, aiming to reduce the bureaucratic bottlenecks that have often discouraged competitiveness,&rdquo; he writes.&nbsp; Aurangzeb underlines that &ldquo;By redirecting focus from short-lived consumption to long-term productivity, Islamabad is trying to rewrite the country&rsquo;s economic playbook.&rdquo;&nbsp; Resilience for long term&ldquo;Beyond fiscal stability, Pakistan&rsquo;s reform agenda is broad and ambitious,&rdquo; the finance minister writes, adding, &ldquo;Privatization of state-owned companies, tariff liberalization, and new regulatory structures in the energy sector are intended to reduce inefficiencies that have long drained the exchequer.&rdquo;&nbsp; Aurangzeb stressed that these moves are about more than short-term savings.&nbsp; The finance minister further states, &ldquo;They form the foundation of what the World Bank has described as Pakistan&rsquo;s potential &#39;East Asia moment,&#39; recalling how liberalization spurred the economic rise of Southeast Asia.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Islamabad has already signed a landmark ten-year Country Partnership Framework with the World Bank, the first of its kind, which prioritizes climate resilience and population management alongside economic reform,&rdquo; he adds. Existential priorities&ldquo;Population growth and climate change,&rdquo; Aurangzeb underscores, are &ldquo;existential challenges that must be addressed urgently.&rdquo; &ldquo;Child stunting, learning poverty, and especially the exclusion of girls from education risk constraining the country&rsquo;s productive capacity for generations.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;We have to address that.&rdquo;&nbsp; On climate, the minister writes, &ldquo;Pakistan is leveraging technical assistance and financing from multilateral institutions to build resilience against increasingly severe floods and droughts.&rdquo; Risks on the horizonAurangzeb states, &ldquo;Global commodity price shocks, particularly in oil, could undo some of the progress on inflation and the current account.&rdquo; &ldquo;Political instability remains a perennial concern, with reforms often stalling amid shifting alliances.&rdquo; The finance minister maintains, &ldquo;The burden of external debt also looms large, making Pakistan dependent on continued discipline and international support.&rdquo; Opportunities for investorsAbout opportunities for investors, Aurangzeb writes that &ldquo;agriculture remains a priority&rdquo;, adding, &ldquo;minerals and mining sector is another area drawing attention.&rdquo; &nbsp; &ldquo;The Tethyan Copper Belt in Balochistan, home to one of the country&rsquo;s first copper projects, is being framed as a supply-side answer to global shortages.&rdquo; Aurnagzeb states, &ldquo;The government is also focusing on the new economy &mdash; data centers, artificial intelligence, and other digital services.&rdquo; Regulatory frameworks are being updated to ensure Pakistan is not left behind in emerging sectors.&nbsp; &ldquo;Technology change is a real game changer for Pakistan,&rdquo; writes Aurangzeb, encouraging US investors to take a closer look. Message to the worldIn his message to the world, Aurangzeb writes: &ldquo;Come and visit us. It can be trade or investment. But most of all, it&rsquo;s a beautiful country.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;By marrying structural reform with an invitation to partnership, Pakistan is presenting itself not as a perennial risk story but as an emerging opportunity in South Asia.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Investors willing to look beyond past turbulence may find in today&rsquo;s Pakistan a market at the cusp of transformation,&rdquo; he concludes.

Economy

Pakistan has entered the 2025 fiscal year on a strong footing, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighting a combination of fiscal surplus, external balance, and structural reforms as the country positions itself for sustainable growth.

‘Come and visit us’: Finance minister Aurangzeb says Pakistan 'emerging opportunity' for investors

ISLAMABAD: India has witnessed a surge in intimidation and harassment against the Christian community, with reports indicating that extremist elements are attempting to prevent Christmas celebrations in several areas. Footage circulating on social media shows members associated with Hindu extremist groups, including individuals linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegedly entering churches and public spaces to threaten worshippers and organizers of Christmas events. The extremists reportedly warned Christians that they would not be allowed to celebrate Christmas in India and threatened them with expulsion from the country if celebrations continued. A video widely shared on social media shows Christmas celebrants being forcibly removed from a public place in New Delhi. Women and children wearing Santa Claus hats were allegedly harassed and threatened by a group of caste Hindu men. Activist Suraj Kumar Bauddh posted on social media: &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t celebrate Christmas here. A group of caste Hindus misbehaved and threatened women and children, over wearing Santa Claus hats in New Delhi. These fanatic goons are insulting India.&rdquo;<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 969px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2003480210348605657&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ede63cbbf93057ac7ee3deab83b0fd81dcb40a16&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai also reported: &ldquo;Have been receiving a few videos of Christians being threatened ahead of Xmas. This verified video has shocked and angered me. A BJP district vice president Anju Bhargav assaulted and abused a visually impaired girl in MP&rsquo;s Jabalpur, claiming she was enabling &lsquo;religious conversion&rsquo; with a cop just standing by. Targeting Indian Christians in this manner ahead of Xmas is pathetic. Is this the mindset we wish to show to the world? SHAME.&rdquo;<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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2003297865129746807&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ede63cbbf93057ac7ee3deab83b0fd81dcb40a16&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Reports have also emerged from Chhattisgarh, where extremist Hindu groups allegedly set fire to houses belonging to Christians in recent days. Only days earlier, a controversial incident involving the Chief Minister of Bihar, who was criticized for pulling the veil of a Muslim woman during a public event, sparked nationwide outrage. These incidents indicate a continuing pattern of harassment against religious minorities in India during the holiday season.

India

The extremists warn Christians that they would not be allowed to celebrate Christmas in India and threaten them with expulsion from the country if celebrations continued.

Hindu extremists target Christian community ahead of Christmas in India

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Arif Habib, the founder of Arif Habib Group, has said Pakistan International Airlines&rsquo; (PIA) revival will focus on leveraging talented employees, international expertise, and strategic growth to restore the airline&rsquo;s success. Talking exclusively to Pakistan TV, Arif Habib said the revival of PIA represents a broader success for Pakistan, expressing confidence that the national carrier will regain its former stature. Arif Habib Consortium had won the bid by offering Rs135 billion for the 75% shares of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited. The runner-up was Lucky Cement, which offered Rs134 billion but was outbid by the Arif Habib Consortium.&nbsp; The third group was the private airline Airblue, which exited in the first round after its offer of Rs26.5 billion fell below the reference price of Rs100 billion.&nbsp; Arif Habib recalled that PIA was once among the world&rsquo;s leading airlines and said the new management is committed to restoring its past glory. &ldquo;We have resolved to bring the airline back to its past success by fully utilising the potential of its employees and inducting new aircraft,&rdquo; Arif Habib said.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 647px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2003497952954966521&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ede63cbbf93057ac7ee3deab83b0fd81dcb40a16&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2003497952954966521"></iframe></div>He said competent and high-performing employees would be given greater opportunities, adding that Pakistan had a large pool of talented professionals and the airline would benefit from them.</div> Referring to past experiences, he said privatisation efforts had previously led to additional employment, as when a business grew, it required more staff. He also said international advisers would be engaged to support the turnaround process to ensure sustainable growth and long-term success for the airline.

SAT News Desk

Says airline's competent and high-performing employees would be given greater opportunities.

PIA revival to ride on talent, global expertise and strategic growth: Arif Habib

ISLAMABAD: The Indian Navy has retired its ageing Russian-origin submarine INS Sindhughosh, reducing its conventional submarine fleet to 16, mostly old platforms, underscoring a widening capability gap as modernization plans fall years behind schedule, said an Indian media report. The report highlights a deepening &ldquo;acute and fast-worsening shortfall in underwater combat capability&rdquo; in the Indian Navy. &ldquo;This leaves the force with 16 conventional submarines, including 10 between 25 years and 40 years vintage. India&rsquo;s underwater arm of conventional submarines &ndash; operating on a mix of diesel-electric power &mdash; is now at the same numerical strength as it was in the late 1990s.&rdquo; Deepening crisis&nbsp;Highlighting the deepening crisis, the report states that &ldquo;of these 16 conventional submarines in the existing fleet, only six vessels are equipped with the &lsquo;latest technology&rsquo;.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;In the late 1990s, the Navy had a similar number of conventional submarines, but at least 14 of them &ndash; 10 of Russian origin and four of German origin &mdash; were equipped with the best available technology of that era.&rdquo; About the current situation, the report states, &ldquo;Today, only the six Scorpene-class vessels made in India, in collaboration with the Naval Group of France, all commissioned in the last six to seven years, have the latest technology.&rdquo; &lsquo;Impossible&rsquo;In 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a 30-year submarine construction plan targeting 24 conventional submarines by 2030. &ldquo;With just four years to go, getting to that number seems impossible,&rdquo; the report states.&nbsp; Ageing platforms of the Shishumar-class and the Sindhughosh-class dominate India&rsquo;s submarine force. In the 1990s, these very submarines featured the latest technology. In the late 1980s, India had sourced four submarines from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) of Germany.&nbsp; Two of these were built at Mazagon Dock Limited in 1992 and 1994, and the other two were built in Germany.&nbsp; The HDW has since been taken over by the TKMS and is operated in the navy as the Shishumar class.&nbsp; Only six of ten remain&nbsp;The Indian Navy inducted 10 Sindhughosh-class vessels from Russia between 1986 and 2000.&nbsp; With the decommissioning of the INS Sindhughosh, only six submarines remain.&nbsp; The Sindhurakshak was lost in an explosion in 2013; the INS Sindhudhvaj was retired in 2022, and the INS Sindhuvir was gifted to Myanmar in 2020.

The Indian Navy has retired its submarine INS Sindhughosh, cutting its conventional submarine fleet to 16 mostly ageing vessels, highlighting a widening underwater capability gap as modernization plans lag far behind long-standing targets.

As INS Sindhughosh signs off, Indian Navy down to 1990s’ strength: Report 

ISLAMABAD: Commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force, Rear Admiral Ahmed Mohamed Ebrahim Al Bin Ali, paid an official visit to Naval Headquarters in Islamabad, where he met Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Naveed Ashraf, NI, NI (M) on Tuesday, the military&rsquo;s media wing said.&nbsp;Upon his arrival, the visiting dignitary was warmly received by Pakistan&#39;s naval chief. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Navy presented a Guard of Honor in his honor, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).&nbsp;Rear Admiral Ahmed Mohamed Ebrahim Al Bin Ali later laid a floral wreath at the Shuhada Monument to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Pakistan Navy.&nbsp;During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on matters of mutual interest, including regional maritime security and prospects for enhanced bilateral naval cooperation.&nbsp;The two naval chiefs reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening professional engagement and defense collaboration between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Bahrain Naval Force.&nbsp;The visit reflects the longstanding, cordial relations between Pakistan and Bahrain and underscores the shared resolve of both countries to promote peace, security, and stability in the region.

Bahrain naval chief meets Pakistani counterpart

Two naval chiefs reaffirm their commitment to strengthening professional ties and expanding defence cooperation between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Bahrain Naval Force.


Bahrain naval chief visits Naval Headquarters, calls on Pakistani counterpart

DHAKA:&nbsp;The heir to Bangladesh&#39;s longtime ruling family and a leader of its most powerful political party, Tarique Rahman, is set to return home after 17 years in exile and ahead of key elections. Rahman, 60, an aspiring prime minister who has lived in London since he fled Bangladesh in 2008 over what he called a politically motivated persecution, is due to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday. Acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), he is expected to take the reins from his ailing mother, 80-year-old former prime minister Khaleda Zia. Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in the February 12, 2026, elections. But she was hospitalized soon after that pledge, and she has been in intensive care ever since. The elections will be the first since a mass uprising last year ended the 15-year hardline rule of&nbsp;Sheikh Hasina, who was at odds with the BNP. Since Hasina&#39;s fall from power, Rahman has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally.&nbsp; He had denied the charges. &lsquo;Fantastic day&rsquo;BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has promised Rahman will &ldquo;arrive among us on the soil of Dhaka&rdquo; on December 25, which he said will be a &ldquo;fantastic day.&rdquo; Rahman, often pictured beside his mother on BNP banners, has long been groomed for leadership. In June, he met in London with Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading the interim government until the February elections. Rahman, known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, carries a political name that has defined his life. His father, Ziaur Rahman, was an army commander. Ziaur Rahman gained influence months after a 1975 coup in which Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s father -- founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was murdered. &lsquo;Battle of the Begums&rsquo;That fuelled lifelong tensions between the Zia and Hasina families, dubbed the &ldquo;Battle of the Begums&rdquo;&mdash;&ldquo;begum&rdquo; meaning a powerful woman. Ziaur Rahman was assassinated when his son was 15. The younger Rahman grew up in his mother&rsquo;s political orbit, as Zia went on to become the country&rsquo;s first female prime minister, alternating her terms in power with Hasina. Rahman briefly studied international relations at Dhaka University before entering politics at 23, joining the BNP in its fight against military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad, according to his party. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&lsquo;Unnerves many&rsquo;&nbsp;</h2>Still, Rahman&rsquo;s career has been dogged by allegations of nepotism and mismanagement. A 2006 US embassy cable described him as the BNP&#39;s &ldquo;heir apparent&rdquo; who &ldquo;inspires few but unnerves many&rdquo;. Rahman was arrested on corruption charges in 2007 and claimed he was tortured in custody. Reports suggested his release was conditional on leaving politics.&nbsp; Freed later that year, he flew to London in 2008 for medical treatment and never returned. After Hasina swept to power in 2008, her government jailed tens of thousands of BNP members. In 2018, Rahman was again sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for allegedly orchestrating the 2004 attack on Hasina&rsquo;s rally -- a case the BNP called a bid to eliminate the Zia dynasty from politics. In Britain, he kept a low profile alongside his wife, a cardiologist, and their daughter. Since Hasina&rsquo;s ouster, Rahman emerged as an outspoken figure on social media and a rallying point for BNP supporters.

Bangladesh

Since Hasina's fall from power, Rahman has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally. 

Bangladesh political heavyweight Tarique Rahman to end exile

WASHINGTON: A US federal judge on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump&#39;s $100,000 fee to process H-1B visa applications, acknowledging it could &quot;inflict significant harm on American businesses and institutions of higher education.&quot;&nbsp;In a 56-page opinion, US District Judge Beryl Howell wrote that the president has &quot;broad statutory authority&quot; to address &quot;a problem he perceives to be a matter of economic and national security.&quot;&nbsp;The $100,000 application fee announced in September gave companies just 36 hours notice before it went into effect, triggering chaos and confusion over how it would work and who would be hit.&nbsp;The H-1B fee is part of a larger immigration crackdown by Trump, who has unleashed a massive push against migrants since returning to the White House &mdash; though until now it had not targeted the visa on which Silicon Valley relies heavily.&nbsp;Trump argued that the H-1B visa system was being abused to replace American workers with people willing to work for less money.&nbsp;The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system. India accounts for around three-quarters of the recipients.&nbsp;Tech entrepreneurs &mdash; including Trump&#39;s former ally Elon Musk &mdash; have warned against targeting H-1B visas, saying that the United States does not have enough homegrown talent to fill important tech sector job vacancies.&nbsp;The lawsuit was brought by the US Chamber of Commerce, a pro-business lobbying group,&nbsp;and the Association of American Universities, which represents 69 US-based research universities.&nbsp;Together, the plaintiffs claimed the affected workers &quot;contribute enormously to American productivity, prosperity and innovation.&quot;&nbsp;The Chamber is typically Republican-friendly, spending more than $76 million for lobbying in 2024 alone and nearly $6 million to back Republican political groups and candidates with direct contributions, according to OpenSecrets.org.&nbsp;At least two additional lawsuits against the $100,000 H-1B visa application fee remain ongoing.

Americas

US District Judge Beryl Howell writes that the president has "broad statutory authority" to address "a problem he perceives to be a matter of economic and national security."

Judge upholds Trump's $100k fee to process US tech visas

NEW YORK: Russia and China on Tuesday criticized the United States for its military and economic pressure on Venezuela, telling the UN Security Council it was &quot;cowboy behavior&quot; and &quot;intimidation.&quot; Venezuela, which requested the emergency council meeting with the backing of Moscow and Beijing, accused Washington of &quot;the greatest extortion known in our history.&quot; The United States has deployed a major military force in the Caribbean and has recently intercepted oil tankers as part of a naval blockade against Venezuelan vessels it considers to be under sanctions. At Tuesday&#39;s meeting, US Ambassador Mike Waltz responded to the criticism by saying, &quot;the United States will do everything in its power to protect our hemisphere, our borders, and the American people.&quot; US President Donald Trump accuses Venezuela of using oil, the South American country&#39;s main resource, to finance &quot;narcoterrorism, human trafficking, murders, and kidnappings.&quot; Caracas denies any involvement in drug trafficking and maintains that Washington is seeking to overthrow its president, Nicolas Maduro, in order to seize Venezuelan oil reserves, the largest in the world. &#39;The greatest extortion&#39; &quot;The acts by the US side run counter to all key norms of international law,&quot; said Vassily Nebenzia, Russia&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations, calling the US blockade an &quot;act of aggression.&quot; &quot;The responsibility of Washington is also evident for the constant catastrophic consequences of such cowboy-like conduct,&quot; he told the council. &quot;China opposes all acts of unilateralism and bullying and supports all countries in defending their sovereignty and national dignity,&quot; said the Chinese representative, Sun Lei. Venezuelan ambassador Samuel Moncada told the council: &quot;We are in the presence of a power that acts outside of international law, demanding that Venezuelans vacate our country and hand it over.&quot; &quot;This is the greatest extortion known in our history,&quot; he added. Waltz reiterated Trump&#39;s accusations against the Venezuelan leader, saying &quot;Nicolas Maduro is a fugitive wanted by American justice and the head of the foreign terrorist organization the &#39;Cartel de los Soles.&#39;&quot; Experts say there is no evidence of the existence of an organized group with a defined hierarchy that goes by that name. The US government has offered a $50 million reward for any information leading to the arrest of Maduro, a staunch ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Since September, US forces have launched dozens of air strikes on boats that Washington alleges, without showing evidence, were transporting drugs. More than 100 people have been killed.

US has deployed a major military force in the Caribbean and has recently intercepted oil tankers as part of a naval blockade against Venezuelan vessels it considers to be under sanctions.

At UN, Russia and China criticize US conduct toward Venezuela

THE HAGUE: Belgium on Tuesday joined a case brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The UN&#39;s highest court, based in The Hague, said in a statement that Brussels had filed a declaration of intervention. But Belgium&#39;s intervention does not mean it fully supports South Africa&#39;s accusations, nor that it defends Israel, but that it intends to clarify its interpretation of international law in the context of the case. Several countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey, have already joined the case. In December 2023, South Africa brought a case to the United Nations&#39; highest court in The Hague, alleging Israel&#39;s Gaza offensive breached the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Israel denies the accusation. In rulings in January, March and May 2024, the ICJ told Israel to do everything possible to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, including by providing urgently needed humanitarian aid to prevent famine. These orders are legally binding, but the court has no concrete means to enforce them. Israel has criticized the proceedings and rejected the accusations. Hamas&#39;s October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. The Israeli military&#39;s retaliatory campaign has since killed 70,369 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza&#39;s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.&nbsp; The campaign has also displaced the majority of the 2.2 million people in the Palestinian territory. Belgium was among a string of countries to recognize the State of Palestine in September, a status acknowledged by nearly 80% of UN members, though Belgium said it would not formally take the step until Hamas has been excluded from Palestinian leadership.

Middle East

Belgium's intervention does not mean it fully supports South Africa's accusations, nor that it defends Israel, but that it intends to clarify its interpretation of international law in the context of the case.

Articles by Monitoring Desk