Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) has officially designated 2026 as the &ldquo;Year of AI,&rdquo; signaling a shift from basic digitization to a future where artificial intelligence becomes a standard public utility. One of the province&rsquo;s most ambitious initiatives under the Smarter Governance Program is the rollout of GovGPT, an AI-driven tool developed through the Durshal Government Fellowship Program. The system is designed to assist government employees across KP in navigating complex regulations and procedures efficiently. &ldquo;We are working on governance digitization that provides real facilitation to citizens as well as the people who serve them,&rdquo; said Ibrahim Saleem, who oversees key projects at the Durshal Fellowship Lab, speaking to Pakistan TV Digital. Complementing this initiative, the Dastak App now features AI chatbots to respond to citizen queries, while Citizen Facilitation Centers (CFCs) serve as physical hubs where AI-backed systems help process documents such as birth and death certificates or domiciles, allowing citizens to track progress through a single window. KPITB is also using AI as a tool for social change. Karishma Zakaullah, head of growth and partnerships at Code for Pakistan, highlighted a gender-inclusive initiative under the D4WEE (Digitization for Women Economic Empowerment) program, run in collaboration with UN Women. The program trains 6,000 girls from Mardan, Swabi, and Peshawar in advanced AI and digital skills. &ldquo;This is the first-of-its-kind Women Digital Internship,&rdquo; Zakaullah said. &ldquo;Girls from far-flung areas like Chitral and DI Khan receive a stipend of Rs30,000, plus mobile phones and internet access, to learn high-demand ICT skills remotely.&rdquo; For urban residents, AI is being deployed to improve daily life. The KP Open Data Portal now powers intelligent traffic management, automatically adjusting congestion points using camera data and traffic flow metrics. Geospatial mapping and air sensors are being used to identify pollution hotspots and improve environmental health. Looking ahead, Voice2Gov is being developed to allow rural residents to access government services via voice commands in local languages such as Pashto and Urdu. By training both graduating students and government personnel in AI, KPITB is ensuring that the &ldquo;Year of AI&rdquo; represents a long-term transformation rather than a temporary trend. &ldquo;Our goal is the proper utilization of the full potential of AI to make life simpler for every citizen of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,&rdquo; Saleem said. A female visitor at the Durshal offices added, &ldquo;The focus is to make Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a leader in Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence while making people&rsquo;s lives easier and smarter.&rdquo;

Economy

System is designed to assist government employees across KP in navigating complex regulations and procedures efficiently; Dastak App now features AI chatbots to respond to citizen queries, while CFCs serve as physical hubs where AI-backed systems help process documents such as birth and death certificates or domiciles, allowing citizens to track progress through a single window.

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declares 2026 'Year of AI,' drives inclusive governance

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has increased its police budget by 408% over the last 12 years, prioritizing security spending above all other provincial departments to combat rising security challenges.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to official documents obtained from the Central Police Office (CPO), the total funding provided to the police force over the last decade has reached Rs824.3 billion.&nbsp;This increase is significant considering the uptick in terror attacks in 2025, which was the deadliest year for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in more than a decade. To keep pace with the scale and pace of terrorism, these funds are being used to empower the police force with additional personnel, state-of-the-art equipment, and training.&nbsp;For the current fiscal year (2025-26), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police budget has been set at over Rs157.57 billion, marking a 26.6% increase from the previous year. This growth rate significantly outpaces other sectors, such as health (19.2%) and education (11%).&nbsp;A total of Rs126.27 billion (a 25% increase) is dedicated to personnel salaries. A total of Rs25.57 billion (a 35% increase) has been earmarked for operational costs and equipment.&nbsp;Beyond personnel costs, the provincial government is aggressively enhancing the force&#39;s tactical capabilities. The CPO confirmed that non-salary funds are being utilized to transform the police into a high-tech fighting force.&nbsp;Key procurements and ongoing upgrades include investments in advanced equipment like anti-drone systems, night-vision guns, and armored command vehicles. Twenty bulletproof cars have already been delivered to the force.&nbsp; Over 2,000 Kalashnikov rifles, along with specialized sniper rifles, have been provided to enhance field capacity.&nbsp;The scale of this financial shift is clearer than in fiscal year 2014-15, when the total police budget was a mere 29.9 billion rupees. Over the years, the &quot;Non-Salary&quot; budget, essential for weapons and fuel, has grown from Rs3.61 billion in 2014 to over Rs25 billion today, reflecting a shift toward modernization and upgradation.&nbsp;The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government maintains that these funds are essential to enhancing police capacity and ensuring the province&#39;s safety amid evolving security threats.

Security

The increase, spread over 12 years, is significant considering the uptick in terror attacks in 2025, which was the deadliest year for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in more than a decade.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police budget surges by record 408% to over Rs150 billion

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) recorded 30 foreign tourists and 75,000 domestic visitors across the province&rsquo;s key destinations during the brief New Year period. As 2025 drew to a close, Pakistan&#39;s northwestern province witnessed a massive surge in tourism fueled by a picturesque winter spell, a fitting end to a record-breaking year.&nbsp; According to data released by KPCTA, a powerful weather system brought heavy snowfall and rain across the province, ending a prolonged dry spell and drawing thousands of visitors eager to witness the seasonal transformation. The Swat Valley emerged as the premier attraction, welcoming a staggering 52,788 domestic tourists and 28 foreign visitors during the final days of December.&nbsp; Other regions also saw significant activity; Naran and Kaghan hosted 3,300 visitors, while even remote areas like the Kumrat Valley and the Kalash Valley recorded hundreds of arrivals.&nbsp; The Galiyat region, in particular, became a focal point for winter enthusiasts.&nbsp; While 19,000 tourists visited the area in the final days of December, the influx intensified as the year turned to 2026. Shah Rukh Ali, Director General of the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), reported that more than 30,000 tourists flooded the area during the first two days of the new year. Approximately 6,200 vehicles ferried travelers into the region. Despite this heavy volume, traffic flow remained smooth, mainly because tourists used the Harnu and Barrian routes from Abbottabad.&nbsp; More importantly, DG Shah Rukh Ali confirmed that this high volume of visitors was handled safely, with no accidents or complaints reported across the region. The success was achieved through the strategic deployment of newly renovated snow-clearing machinery and the constant vigilance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Police.&nbsp; The efforts of the local authorities ensured that the transition into 2026 was both a festive and secure experience for travelers from across the country.

Climate & Environment

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province saw a surge in tourism fueled by a picturesque winter spell.

Over 75,000 tourists visit Pakistan's northwestern hill resorts during New Year's

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is considering a formal legal framework to regulate cannabis cultivation for industrial and medical purposes, according to official documents, as it explores new income streams for farmers and the wider economy. The initiative, which remains in the proposal stage, seeks to bring a long-stigmatized plant into a regulated system while assessing its benefits for local livelihoods, investment, and exports. A sub-committee of the Cannabis Regulatory Committee, chaired by Director General Excise Abdul Haleem Khan, met earlier this week to discuss licensing structures, documentation requirements, and excise duty proposals, according to minutes obtained by Pakistan TV Digital. Under the framework being considered, a license to cultivate medicinal cannabis on five acres of land is proposed at Rs600,000, while an industrial hemp cultivation license with less than 0.3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol content) for the same area is suggested at Rs300,000. Licensing for cannabis processing could cost Rs1.5 million per tenure, and industrial hemp processing licenses are proposed at Rs700,000 per tenure. A combined license covering both cultivation and processing of cannabis or hemp could cost Rs2 million per tenure. The sub-committee also suggested that excise duties be levied only at the processing and finished-product stages, leaving cultivation and transport exempt to prevent high-end product prices. &ldquo;Hemp is widely used in the production of pharmaceuticals, CBD [cannabidiol, a compound] oil, and fibers,&rdquo; said Director General Khan. &ldquo;We are initially proposing it as an alternative cash crop in districts such as Orakzai and Khyber, where the plant grows naturally.&rdquo; Dr Khan Bahadur, former Peshawar vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture, told Pakistan TV Digital, &ldquo;Cannabis is a global commodity used in dozens of advanced economies. The plant is an incredible resource for manufacturing durable fabrics, sacks, rope, and a source for low-cost and sustainable paper.&rdquo; He also stressed the medical potential of cannabis, noting that refined extracts such as CBD oil are widely used to treat conditions like glaucoma. &ldquo;Pakistan must explore this industry with a scientific mindset and not shy away, as global demand continues to increase,&rdquo; Dr Bahadur added. Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, an agricultural landowner from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Farman Ullah, said: &ldquo;This is a great step for farmers. It provides a much-needed alternative source of income, as the &lsquo;bhang&rsquo; (cannabis) plant is hardy and can grow just about anywhere.&rdquo; While the proposals remain under review and require provincial cabinet approval, officials anticipate that a regulated cannabis and hemp industry could generate significant economic activity, potentially adding up to $1 billion within the first few years through exports of raw hemp and high-value derivatives such as CBD oil and industrial textiles. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s favorable climate and fertile soil make it particularly suited for industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis cultivation. By carefully developing a regulatory framework first, the government aims to ensure sustainable, phased development of the sector while balancing economic opportunity with regulatory oversight. At the federal level, Pakistan set up the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority, a regulatory body&nbsp;established in 2024 to manage industrial and medicinal cannabis.

Health

The provincial government is weighing a formal legal framework to regulate cannabis cultivation for industrial and medical purposes, official documents show, as it explores new income streams for farmers and the wider economy

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mulls legalizing cannabis cultivation for medicine, industry

PESHAWAR: On a quiet weekday afternoon inside the University of Peshawar&rsquo;s business incubation center, Farishta Noor Uthmankhel speaks calmly about elections, community service, and the everyday boundaries faced by women in her hometown of Malakand in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp;Her voice is measured, but her journey carries far beyond the walls of the small office where she now runs her startup.&nbsp;Soft-spoken by nature, Noor has emerged as a recognizable advocate for women from Pakistan&rsquo;s tribal regions, taking local concerns to national and international platforms. Raised in Malakand, she is currently pursuing a master&rsquo;s degree in journalism while serving as a member of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s National Youth Council and developing her own business venture.&nbsp;Her work recently earned international recognition when she was named runner-up in the Asian category of the Women Changing the World Awards, bringing renewed attention to grassroots efforts led by young Pakistani women.&nbsp;&ldquo;I was nominated by someone in China,&rdquo; Noor said, recalling the announcement. &ldquo;It was not at all in my subconscious that I would even be a runner-up, because it was a competition between many countries.&rdquo;&nbsp;She remembers watching the virtual ceremony from her office. &ldquo;I was holding my heart, fingers crossed, praying to God,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;When I heard my name, I felt this was a great achievement, not only for the women of Pakistan, but especially for tribal girls.&rdquo;&nbsp;For Noor, the recognition reflects years of community-based work aimed at presenting a fuller picture of life in Pakistan&rsquo;s tribal areas. &ldquo;We are not violent as is portrayed,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We are actually a very peaceful society, and I want the world to see that.&rdquo;&nbsp;Her advocacy is rooted in Malakand and across KP, where she has focused on issues often left unspoken. Noor was the youngest Pakistani woman to contest local government elections, a step she described as necessary to ensure women&rsquo;s voices were present in decision-making spaces.&nbsp;She has consistently raised awareness about gender-based challenges, writing and speaking against practices that reduce women&rsquo;s agency. &ldquo;A woman cannot be a commodity for anything,&rdquo; she said, explaining the principle guiding her activism.&nbsp;One of her most visible initiatives addresses menstrual health, a subject often treated with silence. Noor visited schools and held discussions with young girls to encourage openness and understanding. &ldquo;If we do not talk about it, the problem remains,&rdquo; she explained.&nbsp;Her commitment also takes practical form. As a peace activist, she organized two medical camps in her hometown of Hariankot, becoming the first woman to do so there. The camps served more than 2,900 patients, many of them women seeking guidance on health concerns that had long gone unaddressed.&nbsp;Noor is preparing to represent Pakistan at the global Women Changing the World Awards ceremony in Paris on April 22 next year. &ldquo;I will be going there as a face of Pakhtun women and as a Pakhtun girl,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;She hopes the platform will allow her to highlight positive contributions from Pakhtun society and to amplify the work of women whose efforts often remain unseen.&nbsp;&ldquo;There are many Pakhtun girls doing remarkable work in their own fields,&rdquo; she noted. &ldquo;They just need a medium.&rdquo;&nbsp;While international recognition has broadened her reach, Noor says her long-term goal remains rooted at home. She envisions entering politics to help shape policies affecting her community. &ldquo;I want to go to the assemblies where I can do policy making, where I can speak about my community,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;Her concern is particularly for girls still outside the education system. &ldquo;My girls are still out of school, whether they are in Khyber or Waziristan or Mohmand,&rdquo; Noor said. &ldquo;I want to open a medium for them as well.&rdquo;&nbsp;Farishta Noor Uthmankhel is not seeking attention for herself alone. Through steady work and quiet resolve, she hopes to set a path for others to follow. &ldquo;I want Pakhtun women to illuminate the name of the country and the nation everywhere in the world,&rdquo; she said. An affirmation that meaningful change can begin with a single, determined voice.

Education

Farishta Noor Uthmankhel, a young activist from Malakand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has gained international recognition for amplifying the voices of Pathan women through grassroots activism and global advocacy.

From Malakand to world stage, Farishta Noor amplifies Pathan women

PESHAWAR: Rising in red brick and white stone in the heart of Peshawar Cantonment in Pakistan&rsquo;s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Peshawar Museum stands opposite the Governor House, its domes and arches holding firm against the dust, traffic and urgency of a modern city.&nbsp;To step inside is to step out of time.&nbsp;&ldquo;This place was never meant to be silent,&rdquo; said a senior museum official, Dr. Saqib Raza, standing beneath the soaring ceiling of the main hall. &ldquo;It was built to be seen, heard and remembered.&rdquo;&nbsp;Originally named the Victoria Memorial Hall, the structure was completed in 1907 to commemorate Queen Victoria&rsquo;s Golden Jubilee. Its architecture blends British colonial design with Mughal sensibilities, wide corridors, high ceilings, arched doorways and cupolas that draw the eye upward.&nbsp;For international visitors, the building itself serves as an introduction to Peshawar&rsquo;s historical role as a gateway between Central Asia and South Asia.&nbsp;The first sensation upon entering is space. The vast central hall, once a colonial-era ballroom, opens with a restrained grandeur. The original polished wooden floor remains intact, reflecting the white arches above. The room absorbs sound, creating a hush that feels almost ceremonial.&nbsp;&ldquo;You can feel the weight of history under your feet,&rdquo; said a local historian visiting with students. &ldquo;These floors have seen empire, independence and everything in between.&rdquo;&nbsp;The museum is globally renowned for its Gandhara collection, considered one of the largest and most significant in the world. The sculptures, carved nearly two millennia ago, narrate the life of the Buddha in stone, from scenes before his birth to his final moments. Excavated from ancient sites such as Takht-i-Bahi and Sahri Bahlol in what is now KP province, the artworks reveal a rare fusion of Greek and South Asian artistic traditions.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is where civilizations met and learned to speak each other&rsquo;s visual language,&rdquo; a curator explained, gesturing toward a serene stone figure draped in Greco-Roman folds.&nbsp;But the museum&rsquo;s story does not end with Buddhism.&nbsp;In the Ethnological Gallery, the living cultures of the region take center stage. Among the most striking objects are wooden effigies of the Kalash people, dating back nearly 3,000 years, alongside musical instruments, jewelry and ceremonial dress from Chitral and surrounding valleys.&nbsp;&ldquo;These are not relics of a dead culture,&rdquo; the curator said. &ldquo;They represent communities that are still here.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Islamic Gallery offers another turn in the region&rsquo;s layered history. Handwritten Qurans from the 16th and 17th centuries are displayed alongside Persian manuscripts nearly a thousand years old. Administrative records trace the mechanics of empire, including an original office order bearing the seal of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.&nbsp;Nearby, the Historical and Painting Gallery shifts the focus again, this time to colonial and post-colonial power. Portraits of King George V and Queen Mary, once displayed during formal dances in the hall, hang near images of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. An extensive coin collection spans centuries, with some pieces dating back to the 6th century BCE.&nbsp;&ldquo;For researchers, this museum is a map of continuity,&rdquo; said a visiting academic. &ldquo;You see how power, faith and culture overlap rather than replace one another.&rdquo;&nbsp;Today, the Peshawar Museum attracts scholars, artists and travelers from around the world. Yet it remains deeply rooted in its local context, standing between the ordered avenues of the cantonment and the dense, historic streets of Peshawar&rsquo;s old city.&nbsp;&ldquo;This museum doesn&rsquo;t just preserve history,&rdquo; the official said quietly. &ldquo;It reminds us that this region has always been connected to the wider world.&rdquo;&nbsp;In a city often defined by headlines of conflict and politics, the Peshawar Museum offers a different narrative. One of endurance, exchange and shared human heritage, told not in words alone, but in stone, wood and silence.

Culture

The museum stands as a monumental gateway to centuries of layered history, where architecture, art and culture quietly narrate the region’s enduring global connections.

Inside Peshawar Museum, where empires converge and centuries quietly speak

PESHAWAR: Afghanistan&rsquo;s economy is edging toward paralysis as the Torkham and Chaman crossings remain shut for nearly two months following intense border clashes and Kabul&rsquo;s refusal to curb terrorist groups attacking Pakistan from its soil. The prolonged closure has severed trade routes, inflated prices, and worsened an already dire humanitarian emergency. With commercial traffic halted, supply chains have collapsed in the landlocked nation, driving up the cost of essential goods. Afghanistan&rsquo;s major sectors, mining, agriculture, and construction, have been hit hardest. Pakistan, previously the largest buyer of Afghan coal, importing 12,000 to 14,000 tonnes per day, has suspended all coal purchases. Thousands of tonnes now sit stranded at the frontier. Citing local reports, Afghan media say the price of a 50 kg cement bag has risen from around $6 to nearly $10.5, crippling the construction industry and leaving daily wage earners without work. Construction is one of Afghanistan&rsquo;s biggest employers, absorbing an estimated 17% of the male workforce. Speaking of the difficulties, Afghan journalist Anees Ur Rahman said the sector had been &ldquo;hit hard by the lack of cement in the market,&rdquo; noting that authorities were exploring alternative import routes and discussing future domestic production. &ldquo;For now, the situation on the ground is that the construction sector continues to suffer,&rdquo; he said. Meanwhile, trade disruptions are also hurting manufacturers on the Pakistani side. Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Peshawar-based industrialist Zahid Shinwari said Afghan dependency on Pakistani imports was significantly higher than official figures suggest. &ldquo;Most of the iron used in Afghan construction comes from Pakistan, and all of it is at a standstill,&rdquo; he said. Shinwari had already suspended his own PVC exports ahead of the closure. The agricultural sector is facing a similar strain. Farmers are grappling with a steep rise in fertilizer costs, up about $40 over two years, while the border shutdown has blocked fertilizer imports through Gwadar and cut off Afghan farmers&rsquo; main export routes for produce such as onions, grapes, and tomatoes. Reports from Afghan media say growers, particularly in Herat province, are operating at &ldquo;barely any profit.&rdquo; Subsidies expected by farmers in recent years have not materialized, leaving many unable to cope with soaring input prices. The result, local sources say, is a sector sliding deeper into distress. The economic downturn is unfolding as Afghanistan confronts a worsening humanitarian situation. According to the World Food Program (WFP), food insecurity and malnutrition are rising sharply, with risks expected to intensify during winter. The agency warns that malnutrition among women and children could reach levels &ldquo;not seen in recent years.&rdquo; Trade suspension, compounded by what critics describe as Kabul&rsquo;s disregard for regional security concerns, has further endangered millions who rely on shrinking aid flows. Humanitarian workers caution that vulnerable communities are increasingly exposed to hunger, poverty, and economic isolation.

Afghanistan

The prolonged Pakistan-Afghanistan border shutdown has crippled Afghan trade, inflating prices, devastating construction and farming sectors, and worsening food insecurity as winter approaches, humanitarian agencies warn.

Border shutdown grinds Afghan economy to halt, deepening humanitarian crisis

PESHAWAR: In the rugged northern valleys where tradition runs deep and melodies echo across generations, Ustad Ijaz Sarhadi stands as a living symbol of Pakistan&rsquo;s musical heritage. As the country&rsquo;s sole remaining master of the Sarinda, an instrument rooted in centuries of history, he carries forward an art form that reflects the soul of the nation.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m the only one in all of Pakistan, the only one,&rdquo; Sarhadi shared with Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;Only one Sarinda. There are no other Sarinda players in Pakistan, none in all of Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;For him, the Sarinda is not merely an instrument but a cultural identity tied to the land itself. He proudly clarifies long-held misconceptions about its origin.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is from the Tirah Valley in northwestern Pakistan,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;People say it&rsquo;s from Afghanistan, but no. Whatever you play on it, it feels of the mountains, like you are traveling in the mountains and valleys... The Sarinda carries the fragrance of the mountains.&rdquo;&nbsp;The instrument&rsquo;s structure reflects indigenous craftsmanship: a wooden resonator stretched with goat skin, a key element fashioned from bull horn, historically supported by goat-gut strings, and a bow strung with horsehair.&nbsp;Its sound and construction both embody Pakistan&rsquo;s deep connection to nature and artisanal skill.&nbsp;Lifting his cherished Sarinda, Sarhadi speaks of a lineage that predates the country itself. &ldquo;This particular Sarinda is way older than Pakistan,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;My grandfather&rsquo;s uncle played this, then my grandfather, then my father, and I have kept it like a precious bouquet.&rdquo;&nbsp;His family&rsquo;s musical heritage is woven into the broader story of South Asian classical music. His grandfather, Ustad Pazeer Khan, served as a Sarindanawaz at All India Radio before Partition. The tradition flourished through his father, Ustad Muneer Sarhadi.&nbsp;&ldquo;My father performed at such a level that he earned even more fame than my grandfather,&rdquo; he recalled. &ldquo;He played the Sarinda so beautifully, he played all over the world. It was wonderful.&rdquo;&nbsp;Their excellence was nationally recognized. &ldquo;My father was awarded the Pride of Performance Award,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and I have been awarded The Pride of Performance &ndash; Sitara-E-Imtiaz.&rdquo;&nbsp;The outpouring of respect when his father passed away in 1980 deeply shaped his own artistic journey. &ldquo;When my father passed away, so many letters of condolences came, and not just from regular people... From Heads of State,&rdquo; he remembered.&nbsp;Inspired by that recognition, Sarhadi chose to uphold the family legacy. &ldquo;I realized that my father had had a big name [in this field]. That&rsquo;s when I decided to play. When I learnt the first note he taught me, he went out and got sweets for my mother.&nbsp;Pointing at me, he said, &lsquo;He will follow in my footsteps.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp;Over the years, he has become a cultural ambassador for the country. &ldquo;I traveled to 18 countries on behalf of the Government. I have performed in 18 countries,&rdquo; he said with pride.&nbsp;He hopes that his journey will inspire young Pakistanis to take interest in the Sarinda, ensuring that this timeless art continues to flourish. With his dedication and the nation&rsquo;s growing appreciation for its cultural roots, Ustad Ijaz Sarhadi&rsquo;s life work stands as a testament to Pakistan&rsquo;s rich artistic heritage.&nbsp;His message to the next generation is simple but powerful: the Sarinda is not just an instrument, it is a living piece of Pakistan.

Ustad Ijaz Sarhadi, Pakistan’s last Sarinda master, upholds a generations-old musical heritage, representing the nation globally and preserving a unique cultural tradition rooted in the country’s northwest.

Guardian of heritage: Ustad Ijaz Sarhadi keeps Pakistan’s proud Sarinda tradition alive

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan officially commenced the clearance of vital United Nations humanitarian aid consignments for Afghanistan at the Torkham border crossing, marking the first controlled movement of transit cargo since a complete suspension nearly two months ago. While speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, a customs agent stationed at the Torkham border confirmed the development, saying that trucks carrying relief goods have begun passing through the critical border terminal, but only those carrying a UN-authorized manifest. The resumption of activity would bring relief to Afghanistan after the halt of all cross-border cargo and Afghan Transit Trade in mid-October, following cross-border skirmishes between the two countries.&nbsp; The government&#39;s decision, driven by directives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, permits the movement of consignments belonging to three major UN agencies: World Food Programme, UNICEF, and UN Population Fund. In the first phase, 143 containers are being cleared through the Torkham and Chaman border crossings. The supplies were urgently needed as an unprepared Afghanistan faces the coming harsh winter. The clearance would proceed in three stages and would include only essential supplies such as food, medicine, medical equipment, and educational materials.&nbsp; Officials have made it clear that this controlled reopening is a humanitarian exception and does not signal the restoration of routine commercial trade between the two countries, which will remain shut as before. Only one-way transit of repatriated Afghans is being allowed.&nbsp; While commercial exports and imports through Torkham and other key crossings remain suspended, the movement of UN aid is a significant step toward easing tensions between the two bordering nations.

Foreign Affairs

While commercial exports and imports remain suspended, the clearance of UN aid is a step toward easing tensions between the two bordering nations.

Pakistan allows UN humanitarian aid for Afghanistan

PESHAWAR: Siyar Khan stands atop a shaky scaffold, balanced above the roaring chaos of Peshawar&rsquo;s Ring Road. Paintbrush in hand, he adds a final stroke to the gray flyover before beginning his descent. It is only when he climbs down, slowly, deliberately, that his struggle becomes visible.&nbsp; Once on the ground, he reaches for his crutches. They are not ordinary crutches. They are vibrant splashes of red, yellow, and electric blue, decorated in the same truck-art motifs that made Siyar famous. He painted them originally for customers with disabilities. Now, fate has willed that he must use them himself. &ldquo;When you are destined to fall, you fall,&rdquo; he told Pakistan TV Digital with a calm, almost casual acceptance. But as he settles on a charpai in his workshop, greeted warmly by fellow painters, the truth becomes clear: Siyar may have been injured, but his spirit hasn&rsquo;t bent an inch. Master of moving canvasesFor decades, Siyar dominated one of Pakistan&rsquo;s largest and most iconic canvases: the Bedford truck. Since the early 1990s, he has transformed mechanical giants into rolling murals, layering peacocks, falcons, flowers, and poetry across their frames. But when the coronavirus pandemic brought Pakistan&rsquo;s transport network to a standstill, Siyar&rsquo;s world shrank overnight. There were no trucks on the road, and no work for the artists who painted them. Instead of resigning himself to the crisis, Siyar reinvented his craft. &ldquo;My field changed from Truck Art to &lsquo;Truck Art Products&rsquo;,&rdquo; he recalled, pouring tea for his guests with the precision of a man who has spent a lifetime steadying his hands.&nbsp; &ldquo;I started painting clay pots, mobile covers, and purses. Suddenly, I wasn&rsquo;t just a mechanic&rsquo;s painter anymore.&rdquo; Teapots replaced truck doors. Lanterns replaced bumpers. His bold patterns migrated from highways to living rooms, reaching an entirely new audience. Global stage, painful contrastThe pivot didn&rsquo;t just keep Siyar afloat; it thrust him onto the global stage. He speaks proudly, though modestly, of invitations to the Dubai Expo, commissions for murals inside the Canadian and Thai embassies in Islamabad, and recognition from Lok Virsa, the country&rsquo;s national heritage institute. Yet with every international appreciation comes a reminder of home&rsquo;s indifference. &ldquo;Foreigners look at our work and see a masterpiece,&rdquo; Siyar said, frustration softening his voice. &ldquo;If an artist makes a portrait for a foreigner, they pay hundreds of thousands. But a local? They won&rsquo;t even pay Rs5,000 [$17.70].&quot; &quot;It is very simple: there is no value for the artist here.&rdquo; This is the dilemma of Pakistan&rsquo;s folk artists: globally admired, locally overlooked. While &ldquo;phool patti&rdquo; art is celebrated as a cultural export, its practitioners often struggle to make ends meet. Siyar dreams of changing that narrative. He wants a Pakistan where art is not dismissed as an indulgence, but respected as a profession. Where, as he put it, &ldquo;holding a brush is as dignified as holding a stethoscope.&rdquo; &#39;I still work hard&#39;Back in the workshop, the smell of paint thinner mingles with chai. Siyar picks up a brush and adds one last flourish to an old truck bumper. A nostalgic connection to his past life on the open road. His fellow painters watch quietly; they know his story better than anyone. He rarely mentions his achievements unless asked. Awards, expo invitations, government commissions, they are footnotes in his mind, not trophies. What he seeks is simpler: dignity for his craft. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t let it get me down,&rdquo; he said, adjusting his painted crutches as he prepares to stand. &ldquo;I struggle even on these broken legs. I still work hard.&rdquo; As he walks away, sunlight catches the neon blossoms on his crutches, illuminating them in sharp colour against the concrete around him. In that moment, they are more than support. They are a metaphor for his life. Siyar Khan has taken something associated with pain and limitation and turned it into art, proving that you don&rsquo;t need strong legs to stand tall; you only need vision, resilience, and color.

Siyar Khan has taken something associated with pain and limitation and turned it into art, proving that you don’t need strong legs to stand tall; you only need vision, resilience, and color.

From trucks to teapots: How a Peshawar artist refused to fall

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban authorities arrested a woman journalist in northern Kunduz province on Tuesday and transferred her to an unknown location, the Afghan Media Support Organization said in a statement. According to a statement posted on the organization&rsquo;s Facebook page, Nazera Rashidi has been detained for four days without disclosed charges. <div class="fr-embed" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAfghanistanMSO%2Fposts%2Fpfbid04oKVLy9c2LmT5oG1TTyWJ5CziDA9qDqmDeVCfY3BBshUtEiCyPMFjF56vxB1HCcnl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="687" style="border:none;overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> She is the sole guardian for her younger siblings in a household without an adult male, the organization said. The family told the Afghan Media Support Organization that Rashidi &quot;has not engaged in any illegal activities,&quot; according to the statement. The organization called for her immediate release and urged Taliban authorities to &quot;clearly state the legal reasons for her detention.&quot; The arrest adds to documented cases of journalist detentions since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Press freedom decline Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, scoring 17.88 out of 100. Within months of the Taliban takeover, 43% of media outlets disappeared, according to Reporters Without Borders. By late 2024, more than two-thirds of Afghanistan&#39;s 12,000 journalists had left the profession, the United Nations documented. Between August 2021 and September 2024, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded 336 cases of human rights violations against media professionals, including 256 arbitrary arrests and 130 instances of torture or ill-treatment. Impact on women journalists More than 80% of women journalists have stopped working since 2021, according to a survey by Reporters Without Borders in collaboration with the Afghan Independent Journalists Association. In some provinces, women&#39;s voices are banned from broadcasts, according to Human Rights Watch. Those still working face workplace segregation requirements and must cover their faces on camera. Afghan officials refuse interviews with women journalists or exclude them from press events, Human Rights Watch reported. Recent restrictions The Taliban banned broadcasting images of living beings in several provinces, including Takhar, in 2024 and 2025, and restricted social media access on smartphones. As of late 2025, the Taliban began broadcasting forced &quot;confessions&quot; of journalists online after arrests for alleged &quot;anti-Taliban propaganda,&quot; Reporters Without Borders reported. The General Directorate of Intelligence conducts most arbitrary detentions, while the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice provides oversight, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The Committee to Protect Journalists and the #KeepItOn coalition condemned nationwide internet shutdowns in late 2025 that Taliban authorities ordered to curb &quot;immorality.&quot; The Afghan Media Support Organization called on international institutions and human rights organizations to &quot;take practical measures to prevent the continued arrests and harassment of female journalists.&quot;

The Afghan Media Support Organization called on international institutions and human rights organizations to "take practical measures to prevent the continued arrests and harassment of female journalists."

Taliban detain woman journalist in northern Afghanistan

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: The year 2026 has barely begun, yet the early signals for India&rsquo;s economy are already deeply unsettling.&nbsp; In the first week of January alone, India&rsquo;s foreign exchange reserves suffered their sharpest weekly fall in 14 months, dropping by nearly 10 billion dollars to around $552 billion.&nbsp; The decline was not the result of a sudden external shock but of a conscious policy response: the Reserve Bank of India stepped in to sell dollars to defend a weakening rupee.&nbsp; That intervention itself is telling.&nbsp; It signals that currency pressures have intensified to the point that market forces alone are no longer trusted to maintain stability. The rupee&rsquo;s weakness is not new, but its persistence is increasingly problematic.&nbsp; Over the course of 2025, the currency depreciated by nearly 6%, making it Asia&rsquo;s worst-performing unit, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.&nbsp; The slide has continued into the opening days of 2026, with further losses driven by foreign capital outflows and uncertainty surrounding India&rsquo;s external economic relationships. Eroding external confidenceForecasts from major financial institutions suggest the Indian rupee could approach 92 to the dollar by March from the current value of 90.25, a level that would deepen imported inflation, strain corporate balance sheets, and tighten domestic financial conditions.&nbsp; In effect, currency weakness is becoming a mirror of eroding external confidence. Equity markets are reflecting the same anxiety.&nbsp; The new year opened with a sharp selloff that pushed both the Sensex and the Nifty lower, erasing between $140 billion and $166 billion in investor wealth in a matter of days.&nbsp; The immediate trigger was political, renewed warnings from Washington of higher tariffs on Indian goods, but the reaction revealed something more fundamental.&nbsp; Investors are increasingly uneasy about India&rsquo;s exposure to a world in which trade is becoming more politicized, alliances more conditional, and economic relationships more vulnerable to geopolitical shifts. Foreign investors, in particular, are voting with their feet.&nbsp; Largest annual outflow&nbsp;In 2025, foreign portfolio investors sold roughly $18 billion worth of Indian equities, the largest annual outflow on record.&nbsp; The trend has not reversed with the calendar.&nbsp; In the first nine days of 2026 alone, another $1.3 billion has already been pulled out of Indian markets.&nbsp; Capital that once flowed steadily into India&rsquo;s growth story is now retreating, not because growth has vanished, but because the risks surrounding that growth have become harder to price and harder to ignore. Trade tensions with the United States have emerged as one of the most destabilizing forces. Washington has already imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, partly linked to India&rsquo;s continued purchases of Russian oil.&nbsp; The situation has escalated further with political support in the US for even harsher measures, including proposals for tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries doing business with Russia.&nbsp; As the world&rsquo;s second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China, India finds itself uncomfortably exposed.&nbsp; Even if such extreme tariffs are never fully implemented, their mere possibility is enough to chill investment, disrupt planning, and inject uncertainty into trade and financial markets. What makes this moment particularly troubling is not any single indicator, but the convergence of pressures.&nbsp; Weakening currency&nbsp;A weakening currency is forcing the central bank to intervene. Falling reserves are signaling external vulnerability.&nbsp; Trade tensions are undermining investor confidence. Capital is flowing out, not in.&nbsp; Together, these forces form a feedback loop in which uncertainty feeds financial stress, and financial stress reinforces uncertainty. India is not facing a crisis in the classic sense.&nbsp; Growth has not collapsed, and the economy retains significant underlying strengths. But the narrative has shifted.&nbsp; For years, India was presented as the world&rsquo;s next great growth engine, stable, predictable, and increasingly central to global supply chains.&nbsp; In 2025, that narrative was replaced by a quieter, more cautious one: the economy is under strain. In 2026, it is only getting worse.

India

In 2025, foreign portfolio investors sold roughly $18 billion worth of Indian equities, the largest annual outflow on record; the trend has not reversed with the calendar. 

2026 starts rough for India: FX reserves drop, stocks lose over $140B

PARIS: Iran would strike US military and shipping targets in the event of a new attack by the United States during an ongoing wave of protests, the parliament speaker said on Sunday. &quot;In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,&quot; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told parliament in comments broadcast by state TV, apparently also referring to Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognize and considers occupied Palestinian territory. &#39;Significant&#39; arrestsMeanwhile, Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday. &quot;Last night (Saturday evening), significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures,&quot; Ahmad-Reza Radan told state TV, without giving details on the number or identities of those arrested. Iran&#39;s president to address nationMeanwhile, IRIB, Iran&#39;s state TV, said&nbsp;President Masoud Pezeshkian will address economic plans and &quot;people&#39;s demands&quot; in an interview on Sunday. It comes after two weeks of protests sparked by anger over the rising cost of living. &quot;In a conversation with the national media, the president laid out the status of the government&#39;s major economic plan to reform the subsidy system, and also discussed recent events and the government&#39;s approach to responding to the people&#39;s demands,&quot; IRIB state TV said, noting the interview would be broadcast later Sunday.

Middle East

Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday.

Iran to target US military, shipping if attacked: Parliament speaker

KHAN YOUNIS: At a hospital in Gaza, wards are filled with patients fearing they will be left without care if Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is forced out under an Israeli ban due to take effect in March. Last month, Israel announced it would prevent 37 aid organizations, including MSF, from operating in Gaza from March 1 for failing to provide detailed information on their Palestinian staff. &quot;They stood by us throughout the war,&quot; said 10-year-old Adam Asfour, his left arm pinned with metal rods after he was wounded by shrapnel in a bombing in September. &quot;When I heard it was possible they would stop providing services, it made me very sad,&quot; he added from his bed at Gaza&#39;s Nasser Hospital. Israel&#39;s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, which oversees NGO registrations, has accused two MSF employees of links to Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, allegations MSF vehemently denies. The ministry&#39;s decision triggered international condemnation, with aid groups warning it would severely disrupt food and medical supplies to Gaza, where relief items are already scarce after more than two years of war. Inside the packed Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, one of the few medical facilities still functioning in the territory, MSF staff were still tending to children with burns, shrapnel wounds and chronic illnesses, an AFP journalist reported. But their presence may end soon. The prospect was unthinkable for Fayrouz Barhoum, whose grandson is being treated at the facility. &quot;Say bye to the lady, blow her a kiss,&quot; she told her 18-month-old grandson, Joud, as MSF official Claire Nicolet left the room. Joud&#39;s head was wrapped in bandages covering burns on his cheek after boiling water spilled on him when strong winds battered the family&#39;s makeshift shelter. &quot;At first his condition was very serious, but then it improved considerably,&quot; Barhoum said. &quot;The scarring on his face has largely diminished. We need continuity of care,&quot; she said. &#39;We will continue working&#39;&nbsp;AFP spoke with patients and relatives at Nasser Hospital, all of whom expressed the same fear: that without MSF, there would be nowhere left to turn. MSF says it currently provides at least 20 percent of hospital beds in Gaza and operates around 20 health centres. In 2025 alone, it carried out more than 800,000 medical consultations and over 10,000 deliveries. &quot;It&#39;s almost impossible to find an organisation that will come here and be able to replace all that we are doing currently in Gaza,&quot; Nicolet told AFP, noting that MSF not only provides medical care but also distributes drinking water to a population worn down by a prolonged war. &quot;So this is not really realistic.&quot; Since the start of the war in October 2023, triggered by Hamas&#39;s deadly attack on southern Israel, Israeli officials and the military have repeatedly accused Hamas of using Gaza&#39;s medical facilities as command centres. Many have been damaged by two years of bombardments or overcrowded by casualties, while electricity, water and fuel supplies remain unreliable. Aid groups warn that without international support, critical services such as emergency care, maternal health, and paediatric treatment could collapse entirely, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without basic medical care. Humanitarian sources say at least three international NGO employees whose files were rejected by Israeli authorities have already been prevented from entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. &quot;For now, we will continue working as long as we can,&quot; said Kelsie Meaden, an MSF logistics manager at Nasser Hospital, adding that constraints were already mounting. &quot;We can&#39;t have any more international staff enter into Gaza, as well as supplies... we will run into shortages.&quot;

A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (AFP)

Wards are filled with patients fearing they will be left without care if Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is forced out under an Israeli ban due to take effect in March.

Patients cling to medical organization in Gaza hospital as Israel orders it out

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman said differences of opinion should not escalate into conflict, stressing that dialogue and democratic practice are the only sustainable paths forward for the nation, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported on Saturday.&nbsp;Speaking at an exchange of views with editors and journalists from national-level media outlets in Dhaka, the son of former Bangladeshi prime minister late Khaleda Zia said, &ldquo;Even if there are differences of opinion, they must be reduced through discussion. Differences should not escalate to the level of conflict.&rdquo;&nbsp;Referring to recent history, Rahman said, &ldquo;The nation has seen the consequences of vengeance or retaliation on August 5, 2024,&rdquo; adding that violence, revenge, and division have brought despair but also lessons for the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We saw on August 5 what the consequences of violence, revenge, and vengeance can be &mdash; whether for an individual, a party, or the nation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Emphasizing unity, Rahman urged people of all political affiliations to resolve disagreements through discussion rather than confrontation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;If we try, perhaps we can resolve many problems by keeping those differences as differences and solving them through discussions,&rdquo; he said. &#39;Must maintain the democratic process&#39;Highlighting the importance of democracy, the BNP chairman said, &ldquo;At any cost, we must maintain the democratic process,&rdquo; noting that elections must be held at all levels.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;If the democratic process continues uninterrupted, solving the country&rsquo;s problems is possible,&rdquo; he added, expressing hope that the process would begin on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-prepares-for-february-12-elections-with-postal-voting-security-measures" style="color:#0073e6;">February 12</a>.&nbsp;Rahman said reforms must address constitutional and legal issues as well as people&rsquo;s daily lives.&nbsp;&ldquo;There have been some fundamental issues like people&rsquo;s daily lives, security, healthcare, employment, and children&rsquo;s education,&rdquo; he said, pledging that politics should not remain limited to seminars and symposiums. Women empowermentOutlining BNP&rsquo;s future plans, Rahman discussed initiatives including women&rsquo;s economic empowerment, a universal Family Card, a Krishak Card for farmers, grassroots healthcare workers, expatriate skill development, youth employment, and IT sector expansion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Half of the country&rsquo;s populations are women; development is impossible, leaving them behind,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The BNP chairman said, &quot;If we can form a government with the people&#39;s mandate in the upcoming elections, initiatives will be taken to make women economically self-reliant.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Bangladesh

Speaking at an exchange of views with editors and journalists from national-level media outlets in Dhaka, the son of former Bangladeshi prime minister late Khaleda Zia said, 'Even if there are differences of opinion, they must be reduced through discussion. Differences should not escalate to the level of conflict.'

Differences must not escalate into conflict, says Bangladesh's Tarique Rahman

PARIS: Anti-government chants filled the streets of Iran&#39;s capital on Saturday night, as protesters pressed the biggest movement against the Islamic Republic in more than three years despite a crackdown under the cover of an internet blackout. Iran has blamed the United States for the demonstrations, which ignited in Tehran two weeks ago over economic hardship and have since spread nationwide with calls for ousting the clerical authorities. US &lsquo;ready to help&rsquo;Rights groups have reported dozens of deaths and expressed alarm on Saturday that authorities were intensifying the crackdown. Little information is filtering out after an internet shutdown, with monitor NetBlocks showing virtually no connectivity since Thursday. US President Donald Trump said his country was &quot;ready to help&quot; the movement, after warning Iran was in &quot;big trouble&quot; over its efforts to suppress the protests. &quot;Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!&quot; Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday. Possible military strikes&nbsp;According to the New York Times, Trump was recently briefed on options for possible military strikes. US officials, speaking to the Times anonymously, said Trump has not yet made a final decision about another intervention, after Washington joined Israel&#39;s 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June. Crowds gathered again on Saturday in the north of the Iranian capital, setting off fireworks and banging pots as they shouted slogans in support of the ousted monarchy, according to video verified by AFP. Other videos, that AFP could not immediately verify, showed demonstrations in other parts of the capital where protesters shouted anti-government slogans. Shah&rsquo;s son calls for targeted protests&nbsp;Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran&#39;s deposed shah, urged Iranians to stage more targeted protests over the weekend. &quot;Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centers,&quot; Pahlavi said in a video on social media. The demonstrations have posed one of the biggest challenges to the theocratic authorities who have ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. &lsquo;Vandals&rsquo; doing Trump&rsquo;s bidding&nbsp;After initially calling for &quot;restraint&quot; and acknowledging economic grievances, they have since hardened their stance. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a defiant speech on Friday, lashed out at &quot;vandals&quot; doing Trump&#39;s bidding. Amnesty International said it was analysing &quot;distressing reports that security forces have intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters&quot; since Thursday. Norway-based Iran Human Rights group has said at least 51 people have been killed in the crackdown so far, warning the actual toll could be higher. It posted images it said were of bodies of people shot dead in the protests on the floor of Alghadir hospital in eastern Tehran. &quot;These images provide further evidence of the excessive and lethal use of force against protesters,&quot; IHR said. Other images disseminated on social media and by Persian-language television channels outside Iran showed similarly large protests elsewhere in the capital, as well as in the eastern city of Mashhad, Tabriz in the north, and the holy city of Qom. In the western city of Hamedan, a man was shown waving a Shah-era Iranian flag featuring the lion and the sun. Iranian embassy in London&nbsp;The same flag briefly flew over the country&#39;s embassy in London after protesters reached the building&#39;s balcony, witnesses told AFP. On Thursday and Friday, an AFP journalist in Tehran saw streets deserted and plunged into darkness. &quot;The area is not safe,&quot; said a cafe manager as he prepared to close the shop around 4:00 pm. &lsquo;Enemy seeking to disrupt order&rsquo;&nbsp;Authorities say several members of the security forces have been killed, and state television aired images on Saturday of funerals for several members of the security forces killed in the protests, including a large gathering in the southern city of Shiraz. It also aired images of buildings, including a mosque, on fire. Iran&#39;s army said in a statement that it would &quot;vigorously protect and safeguard national interests&quot; against an &quot;enemy seeking to disrupt order and peace&quot;. Global leaders have urged restraint from Iranian authorities, with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen saying Europe backed Iranians&#39; mass protests and condemned the &ldquo;violent repression&rdquo; against the demonstrators.&nbsp;

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a speech on Friday, lashed out at ‘vandals’ doing Trump's bidding; Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's deposed shah, urged Iranians to stage more targeted protests over the weekend.

Fresh protests in Iran as internet blackout persists

MONTREAL: Prime Minister Mark Carney will begin a state visit to China on Tuesday, the first in eight years for a Canadian leader, with the aim of discussing trade and rebuilding ties after years of diplomatic tensions. Chinese President Xi Jinping invited Carney last October during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which Carney described as a &ldquo;turning point&rdquo; in the two nations&rsquo; strained relationship. The Jan. 13-17 trip seeks to &ldquo;strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, energy, agriculture and international security,&rdquo; a Carney spokeswoman told AFP. &lsquo;Huge step forward&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a huge step forward,&rdquo; said Gordon Houlden, a former Canadian diplomat and director of the University of Alberta&#39;s China Institute. Houlden told AFP that if &ldquo;some of the commercial problems that are affecting our exports had a political origin, then solving the political origin may, or should, have some positive effect on the trade.&rdquo; The last Canadian leader to visit China was Justin Trudeau in December 2017. Ties withered in 2018 after the arrest of a senior executive from Chinese tech giant Huawei on a US warrant in Vancouver and China&rsquo;s retaliatory detention of two Canadians on espionage charges. China has also been accused of interfering in Canadian elections in recent years. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Second-largest trade partner</h2>Carney will meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and business leaders to advance trade negotiations, focusing on efforts to attract new investors and secure strategic partnerships. In the face of protectionism and attacks from US President Donald Trump, he will also seek to develop new markets to lessen Canada&rsquo;s economic dependence on its neighbor to the south. China is currently Canada&#39;s second-largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching $118.7 billion Canadian dollars ($85.3 billion) in 2024. &ldquo;This visit is important because China is obviously an inescapable superpower,&rdquo; Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada&rsquo;s ambassador to China from 2012-2016, told AFP.<h2 style="line-height: 2;"> </h2><h2 id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2;">&lsquo;The elephant in the room&rsquo;&nbsp;</h2>He said a deal on Chinese energy supplies and electric vehicles was a possible outcome from the talks. But &ldquo;the elephant in the room,&rdquo; he mentioned, is the thorny issue of tariffs. Since the summer of 2024, Ottawa and Beijing have clashed on trade, with Canada imposing tariffs on electric vehicles and Chinese steel, while Beijing has retaliated with levies on agricultural products, including canola. Economic objectives vs security priorities&nbsp;&ldquo;Whatever agreements Canada has with China will be scrutinized in Washington and might have implications&rdquo; for three-way talks with Washington and Mexico on a free trade agreement, set to be renegotiated this year, said Vina Nadjibulla, vice president of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Carney&#39;s challenge is &ldquo;going to be to advance economic objectives while not sacrificing our national security and economic security priorities,&rdquo; she added. After his trip to Beijing, Carney is scheduled to travel to Qatar for a bilateral visit and then head to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.

Americas

The Jan. 13-17 trip seeks to ‘strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, energy, agriculture and international security,’ a Carney spokeswoman told AFP; bilateral trade reached $118.7 billion Canadian dollars ($85.3 billion) in 2024.

Canada's Carney plans to talk trade, relations during China visit

MUMBAI: India is aggressively seeking trade deals to open markets for exporters and soften the blow of steep US tariffs, as efforts to secure an agreement with Washington remain elusive.&nbsp;Relations between Washington and New Delhi plummeted in August after President Donald Trump raised tariffs to 50 percent, a blow that threatens job losses and hurts India&#39;s ambition of becoming a manufacturing and export powerhouse.&nbsp;That pressure, experts say, has pushed New Delhi into a rapid diversification drive beyond its biggest market.&nbsp;India signed or operationalized four trade agreements last year, including a major pact with Britain &mdash; the fastest pace of deal-making it has seen in years &mdash; and is now eyeing fresh deals.&nbsp;Negotiations are underway with the European Union, the Eurasian Economic Union, Mexico, Chile and the South American Mercosur trade bloc, either for new deals or to expand existing agreements.&nbsp;If successful, India would have trade arrangements with &quot;almost every major economy,&quot; said Ajay Srivastava, from the New Delhi-based Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).&nbsp;Srivastava said 2025 was &quot;one of the most active years&quot; for trade agreements, which he said aimed to &quot;spread risk&quot; rather than to pivot from Washington.&nbsp;&#39;Expand its destinations&#39;Washington&#39;s punishing tariffs aimed at stopping India&#39;s purchases of Russian oil &mdash; which it says finances Moscow&#39;s invasion of Ukraine &mdash; have driven New Delhi&#39;s desire to grow other markets.&nbsp;&quot;The strategy was a reaction, as I read it, to what Trump did,&quot; trade economist Biswajit Dhar told AFP. &quot;This has now become an imperative for India to actually expand its destinations.&quot;&nbsp;Major deals will help labor-intensive sectors hurt by tariffs.&nbsp;India&#39;s apparel export promotion council projects that the UK trade deal could help double garment exports to Britain over the next three years.&nbsp;The gains from a potential EU agreement could be even bigger.&nbsp;European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expected to visit New Delhi later in January, has said it would be the &quot;largest deal of this kind anywhere in the world&quot;.&nbsp;Although the two sides missed a deadline to conclude talks by the end of 2025 &mdash; reportedly over disputes related to steel and auto exports &mdash; Indian negotiators remain optimistic.&nbsp;German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit India and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, holding talks on &quot;intensifying cooperation in trade and investment&quot;, Modi&#39;s office said in a statement.&nbsp;Smaller agreements also matter.&nbsp;Trade between Oman and India totaled less than $11 billion last financial year, but a December deal with Muscat offers &quot;a gateway to the broader Middle East and Africa markets&quot;, and a template for a wider &quot;Gulf engagement strategy&quot;, analysts at Nomura suggested.&nbsp;And while a free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand added little to Indian export growth, it secured $20 billion in foreign investment, increased visa access and showed Washington that New Delhi is willing to compromise.&nbsp;&quot;The New Zealand FTA makes concessions on agricultural produce like apples, even though farmers here may have concerns,&quot; said an Indian commerce ministry official, who declined to be identified.&nbsp;&quot;Who says we can&#39;t be flexible?&quot;&nbsp;&#39;Eggs in one basket&#39;&nbsp;India&#39;s goods exports rose a surprising 19 percent in November 2025, reversing an October decline.&nbsp;While the surge was helped by electronics shipments &mdash; still exempt from US tariffs &mdash; marine product exports also posted gains.&nbsp;&quot;Diversification has certainly happened,&quot; KN Raghavan, of the Seafood Exporter Association of India said.&nbsp;&quot;We have increased exports to the EU and China,&quot; he said, adding they were the top markets after the United States.&nbsp;But exporters caution that alternative markets cannot fully replace the United States, with Raghavan saying a US deal is &quot;paramount&quot;.&nbsp;That remains in limbo.&nbsp;India&#39;s imports of Russian oil fell sharply in December to 1.2 million barrels per day from 1.8 million per day in November, according to Kpler trade data.&nbsp;It is unclear if that will be enough for Trump.&nbsp;Pankaj Chadha, chairman of the Engineering Export Promotion Council, said diversification had become a necessity to lessen dependence on the &quot;biggest and the most lucrative&quot; market.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s better not to put all your eggs in one basket,&quot; he said.

Experts says the pressure from the United States to stop buying Russian oil has pushed New Delhi into a rapid diversification drive beyond its biggest market.


India eyes new markets with US trade deal limbo

ISLAMABAD: The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation held its 22nd extraordinary session in Jeddah on Saturday, adopting two resolutions condemning Israel&rsquo;s recognition of the Somaliland region as an independent state and addressing Israel&rsquo;s continued actions against the Palestinian people. Pakistan&#39;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar participated in the meeting. He was received on arrival by OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha and Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the OIC, Ambassador Fawad Sheron. Addressing the session Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister strongly condemned Israel&rsquo;s illegal and unlawful recognition of the Somaliland region, as well as the subsequent unwarranted and highly provocative visit of its official to Somaliland.&nbsp;He described these actions as an act of political aggression and a direct assault on Somalia&rsquo;s internationally recognized borders, warning that such steps set a dangerous precedent and pose a serious threat to peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond.&nbsp;Senator Ishaq Dar also rejected any proposal aimed at the dislocation of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s principled commitment to an independent, contiguous, and sovereign State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.&nbsp;Appreciating the OIC&rsquo;s principled stance and consistent support for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, he urged the organization to intensify its efforts towards the realization of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.&nbsp;On the sidelines of the extraordinary session, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister held meetings with his counterparts from several OIC Member States, as well as with the Secretary-General of the OIC.&nbsp;The convening of the extraordinary session was described as a strong demonstration of the collective resolve of OIC Member States, conveying a clear message to the international community on the urgent need to uphold the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.&nbsp;The participation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the session reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s steadfast support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia. &#39;Threat to regional peace&#39; According to an OIC statement, the council adopted a resolution rejecting Israel&rsquo;s recent announcement recognizing the Somaliland region as an independent and sovereign state, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to regional peace and stability. The resolution reaffirmed the OIC&rsquo;s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.<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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" 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=2010062083786715388&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0795deb701a021fe1e1d859408547f1f842b0f87&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> In his address, Secretary General Taha said the extraordinary session was convened at a &ldquo;very delicate and sensitive time&rdquo; to discuss developments affecting Somalia&rsquo;s sovereignty. He said the meeting reflected the shared concern of member states and the need for a unified Islamic position in line with the OIC Charter, international law, and relevant United Nations resolutions. The secretary general said the session followed an earlier extraordinary meeting of the OIC executive committee held on Jan. 1 at the organization&rsquo;s headquarters, underscoring the urgency of the issue. The council also adopted a second resolution on the situation in Palestine. Taha stressed the need to compel Israel, the occupying power, to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. He called for a comprehensive and permanent cessation of hostilities, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, prevention of the displacement of Palestinians, and facilitation of the return of displaced persons to their homes. The meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers was preceded by a preparatory session among senior officials. Earlier in the day, Dar inaugurated the new chancery building of the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah.

The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted two resolutions condemning Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region as an independent state and Israel’s continued actions against the Palestinian people.

OIC adopts resolutions condemning Israel, backing Somalia and Palestine

JOS: Gunmen have released a group of people they kidnapped in central Nigeria who were traveling for a Muslim religious event, the brother of one of the victims told AFP on Saturday. On December 21, 2025 unidentified attackers abducted 28 people, including women and children, in Plateau state while they were traveling to a Maulud gathering to mark the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. Kidnappings for ransom are common in the West African country. But the abduction in Plateau state came after a spate of mass kidnappings in November that drew international scrutiny over the country&rsquo;s grim security situation. &ldquo;Yesterday night, an official of the State Security Service called and told us that our people have been rescued,&rdquo; said Ibrahim Musa, a brother of one of the victims. Musa told AFP he and others &ldquo;are eagerly waiting to receive our people&rdquo; once they are handed over by security forces to their families. The Plateau abduction occurred on the same day authorities secured the release of 130 schoolchildren &mdash; the last batch of more than 250 snatched from their Catholic boarding school in north-central Niger state. It was unclear how the Plateau travelers were freed. Paying ransoms is technically illegal in Nigeria, though the government is often suspected of doing so. Neither the police nor the State Security Service &mdash; also known as the Department of State Services &mdash; immediately responded to a request for comment. US President Donald Trump has latched onto the insecurity in Nigeria, focusing on the killing of Christians and putting Abuja under diplomatic pressure. In late December, the US launched strikes on what it and the Nigerian government said were militants linked to the ISIS group. Nigeria&rsquo;s myriad armed conflicts kill people across religious lines, and some experts have warned Trump&rsquo;s focus on Christian victims may inflame communal tensions.

Africa

Gunmen have released a group of people they kidnapped in central Nigeria who were traveling for a Muslim religious event, the brother of one of the victims told AFP on Saturday.

Articles by Muhammad Usman Amin