Web Desk

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan at the United Nations on Tuesday said that children &ldquo;living under foreign&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-says-israeli-actions-raising-ethnic-cleansing-fears-in-west-bank-gaza" target="_blank">occupations</a>&rdquo; are especially vulnerable to human rights abuses and violence, as the country joined about 20 nations condemning Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territory.&nbsp; First Secretary Zulfiqar Ali from Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said that &ldquo;as the most vulnerable victims of armed conflict,&rdquo; children bore &ldquo;its deepest and most enduring scars.&rdquo;&nbsp; While speaking at the United Nations Security Council meeting, the first secretary said that the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/israel-conducting-gradual-de-facto-annexation-of-west-bank-un-official" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">surge</a>&nbsp;in violence has exposed children to &ldquo;multiple grave violations,&rdquo; robbing them &ldquo;not only of safety, but of childhood itself.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pakistan echoes the concerns expressed in the Secretary General&rsquo;s last report, which details 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024,&rdquo; Ali said.&nbsp; He added that children living under foreign occupations were particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses and violence.&nbsp; &ldquo;In Occupied Palestinian Territory &mdash; both in Gaza and the West Bank &mdash; countless children have been killed or scarred for life,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; Separately, the plight of children in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was regrettably omitted despite the worsening situation after India&rsquo;s illegal and unilateral measures of August 5, 2019. &nbsp; &ldquo;This selective omission risks obscuring the full scale of violations affecting children in situations of foreign occupation,&rdquo; the first secretary said, reminding the council that the &ldquo;unprovoked and unlawful&rdquo; Indian aggression in May last year resulted in the &ldquo;martyrdom of 15 children, among other civilian casualties.&rdquo; Pakistan joins global condemnation&nbsp;Separately, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/nearly-20-nations-slam-israels-west-bank-moves-towards-de-facto-annexation" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">joined</a>&nbsp;the condemnation of Israel&#39;s recent moves to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/top-israeli-minister-pushes-for-emigration-of-west-bank-gaza-palestinians" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">tighten</a>&nbsp;its control over the occupied West Bank. The statement issued early on Tuesday was signed by regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Egypt, European powers France and Spain, and Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey, among others. It was also endorsed by the secretaries general League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the Palestinian Authority. In addition to around three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.

Middle East

First Secretary Zulfiqar Ali says 'most vulnerable victims of armed conflict,' children bear 'its deepest and most enduring scars;' selective omission risks obscuring the full scale of violations affecting children.

Pakistan at UN highlights risks to children under occupation, joins global condemnation of Israel 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met Qatar&rsquo;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, saying that the two countries would continue to &quot;work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.&quot; &quot;Had an excellent meeting with the Amir of Qatar and my dear brother His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha this evening,&quot; PM Sharif said in a tweet on X.&nbsp; During the meeting, the two sides discussed advancing &quot;brotherly fraternal bonds&quot; and transforming them into &quot;mutually beneficial economic relationships,&quot; the PM said.&nbsp; <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=2026356165458731273&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=4883c37a0baedad375390932eca2a9cb9bfba6dd&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 750px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The PM, who is on a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistans-pm-sharif-heads-to-qatar-for-key-trade-energy-talks" target="_blank" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" rel="noopener noreferrer">two-day official</a> visit to Qatar,&nbsp;was also joined by DPM/FM Senator Ishaq Dar and CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. &nbsp; According to Radio Pakistan, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Qatar, expressing satisfaction&nbsp;over the positive trajectory of political engagement. Qatar&#39;s Emir&nbsp;reiterated Qatar&rsquo;s commitment to a deepening economic partnership to a higher strategic level. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of disputes. Earlier that day, PM Sharif also met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar&#39;s prime minister and foreign minister, in Doha. The leaders reaffirmed the strong brotherly ties between the two countries and expressed satisfaction with the increasing momentum in political, economic, and institutional engagement, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO). The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defense, labor mobility, and cultural collaboration. A joint task force of both countries was mandated to accelerate cooperation in all these areas, as per the statement. Both sides emphasized the importance of &ldquo;implementing decisions taken during recent high-level engagements and institutional mechanisms,&rdquo; including the Joint Ministerial Commission and Bilateral Political Consultations, it added. The two sides also discussed regional issues, including developments in Gaza and broader Gulf security dynamics.&nbsp;PM Sharif appreciated Qatar&rsquo;s &ldquo;constructive diplomatic efforts&rdquo; in promoting dialogue and de-escalation in the region. &ldquo;Both leaders underscored the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes and adherence to international law, including the UN charter,&rdquo; the statement added. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Qatar to further strengthen their strategic partnership and to remain engaged and in contact on bilateral, regional, and international current issues.&nbsp;Defense, security cooperation Earlier today, Sharif met Qatar&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, to discuss defense and security cooperation, according to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office. The leaders discussed ongoing collaboration between the armed forces of both countries and Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to further strengthening defense ties. Sheikh Saoud praised Pakistan&rsquo;s military&#39;s professionalism and expressed Qatar&rsquo;s interest in expanding the defense partnership.&nbsp;Trade cooperationEarlier in the day, PM Sharif met Qatar&rsquo;s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, who is also the Chairman of the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Business Task Force.&nbsp;The two reviewed bilateral trade and economic cooperation and expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in Pakistan-Qatar relations.&nbsp; They agreed to implement decisions from the sixth Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission meeting and to meet a joint task force during Ramadan to review Qatari investment proposals.&nbsp;Later, the prime minister welcomed a delegation from the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), led by its Chairman, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani.&nbsp;&nbsp;PM Sharif invited QBA members to explore investment opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology, and export-oriented manufacturing. He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) provides a one-window platform for efficient and timely investment decisions. Sheikh Faisal expressed interest in expanding business-to-business cooperation. Both sides agreed to maintain engagement through upcoming task force visits and business forums to convert discussions into concrete partnerships.&nbsp; The meetings also focused on strengthening links between businesses and entrepreneurs in both countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi attended all meetings.

Foreign Affairs

Discussions focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defense, labor mobility, and cultural collaboration; joint task force of both countries mandated to accelerate cooperation in all areas.



Pakistan PM, Qatar Emir pledge deeper economic and regional cooperation

ISLAMABAD: The Israeli opposition plans to boycott Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech in the Knesset during his visit to the country, according to local Israeli media.&nbsp;According to reports, opposition leader Yair Lapid and his party are in a standoff with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana after he decided not to invite the president of the Israeli Supreme Court, Isaac Amit, to a special parliamentary session, a departure from customary practice.&nbsp;Lapid, in a post on X, said: &ldquo;We want to be in the session, we need to be in the session. Prime Minister Netanyahu must instruct Ohana to allow us to participate in the session.&rdquo;&nbsp;Speaking in the local media, he added that the opposition does not want &quot;the leader of a nation of one and a half billion people standing here before a half-empty Knesset,&quot; and claimed the Indian embassy was &quot;in a panic.&quot;&nbsp;The Indian prime minister is visiting Israel Feb. 25-26, according to India&rsquo;s foreign ministry.&nbsp;Lapid cautioned that empty seats during Modi&rsquo;s visit would send a negative message and could potentially harm international relations, according to The Jerusalem Post.&nbsp;The tensions come amid a broader rift between the government and the judiciary, as the government has refused to formally recognize Amit as the Supreme Court&rsquo;s chief justice.

Asia

Israeli opposition, led by Yair Lapid, may boycott Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Knesset speech due to Supreme Court President Isaac Amit’s exclusion.

Israel’s opposition threatens to boycott PM Modi’s speech, Indian embassy 'in a panic'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 in Islamabad on Feb. 25, bringing together national leaders and experts to promote reforms under the &ldquo;Reimagining Governance for URAAN Pakistan&rdquo; agenda and lead institutional transformation across the country. During the two-day event, 25 special sessions will be held to promote practical reforms and drive change across key areas, including civil service reform, energy renewal, digital transformation, ICT governance, population planning, and institutional performance. The forum is described as the planning and development ministry&rsquo;s &quot;largest and most important governance dialogue of the year,&quot; the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. The event aims to &ldquo;translate ideas into practical actions&rdquo; and accelerate governance transformation in Pakistan through comprehensive dialogue and integrated strategies. The forum will discuss Pakistan&rsquo;s governance reform agenda in detail, focusing on URAAN Pakistan&rsquo;s Five E&#39;s: Equity, Exports, Energy, Environment, and e-Pakistan. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chairman of the Senate, Yousaf Raza Gilani, will attend the forum, along with more than 100 speakers, including federal and provincial leaders, parliamentarians, senior government officials, policy experts, development partners, academicians, private sector representatives, and members of civil society. Prominent participants will take part in the session, including Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Yar Muhammad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, along with several federal ministers, senior officials and experts, APP reported.

Economy

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the two-day Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 in Islamabad, which will focus on reforms across the civil service, energy, digital transformation, governance, and institutional performance.

Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 to help accelerate institutional reforms

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s upper legislature, the Senate, passed a resolution strongly condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s recent statement about his country&#39;s intention to form a regional alliance with India and other nations against Muslim countries, according to Radio Pakistan. The resolution, moved by Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, took &ldquo;strong exception to the vile proclivity&rdquo; of the Israeli leadership toward diminishing the unity and integrity of the Muslim Ummah on political and ideological grounds, it said. Earlier this Sunday, while addressing a cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country &ldquo;will create an entire system &mdash; essentially a kind of hexagon of alliances &mdash; around or within the Middle East,&rdquo; Times of Israel reported. He listed India, Greece, Cyprus, and &ldquo;unnamed Arab, African, and Asian countries,&rdquo; the report added. &ldquo;The intention here is to create an axis of countries that see reality, the challenges, and the goals in the same way, in contrast to the radical axes,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying. &ldquo;Both the radical Shia axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis &mdash; the radical Sunni axis,&rdquo; Netanyahu added. Senate condemnsThe Pakistan Senate condemned the Israeli forces&rsquo; continued violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the &ldquo;blatant disregard&rdquo; of international law, the UN Charter, relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, as well as the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, it added. &ldquo;The House rejected any attempt by the Israeli occupying power to change the legal or historical status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including the status of the holy sites,&rdquo; as per Radio Pakistan. The resolution deplored continued &ldquo;provocative&rdquo; steps and statements by the leadership of Israel that &ldquo;threaten regional and international peace and stability,&rdquo; including the latest statement expressing its intention to forge so-called alliances against Muslim nations, it added. It also denounced attempts by Israel to undermine the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of brotherly Islamic countries and rejected, in this regard, the announcement made by Israel recognizing the independence of the &ldquo;so-called Somaliland&rdquo; region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, it added. The Senate urged the international community to end Israeli impunity and hold it accountable for its crimes against humanity, as well as its actions that pose a threat to all regional countries. It demanded the &ldquo;full&rdquo; Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories and sustained, unimpeded humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. This should also include support through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, as well as an early start to the recovery and reconstruction process in Gaza, it added. The House reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s historic and unwavering support for the Palestinian people&rsquo;s inalienable right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital.

The resolution condemned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks on regional alliances, denounced Gaza ceasefire violations, reaffirmed support for Palestine, urged international accountability, and withdrawal from the occupied territories.

Pakistan Senate passes resolution condemning Israeli PM’s alliance statement

ISLAMABAD: Iran and Pakistan are currently in one of their &quot;most constructive phases&quot; in decades, Iran&rsquo;s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri-Moghaddam said Tuesday during a talk at an Islamabad think tank, according to a press release. The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East, and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad hosted a public event titled &ldquo;Pakistan-Iran Relations: An Enduring Partnership in a Changing Region.&rdquo; &nbsp; Amiri-Moghaddam said the two neighbors share a long border and together represent nearly 350 million people. He noted that strong people-to-people ties, a strategic location, and complementary economic structures create opportunities for cooperation. The ambassador described the two countries as brotherly nations bound by culture, history, and religion. He said ties predate Pakistan&rsquo;s creation, with Iran being the first country to recognize the new state and supporting Pakistan during the 1965 and 1971 wars. The Iranian ambassador said that more than 25 high-level delegations have been exchanged with Pakistan over the past two years, with 25 agreements and memoranda of understanding signed across sectors, reflecting an upward trajectory in bilateral relations. Two Iranian presidential visits took place during this period, along with visits by Iran&rsquo;s Speaker of Parliament, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the foreign minister, and other senior officials. Collaboration extends through regional engagement and mutual diplomatic support. Both countries are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation, he said. He noted that Pakistan and Iran together form a market potential of nearly two billion, which could expand further with the inclusion of Turkiye. He said ties rest on a foundation of shared history, culture, and strategic interests. He said Pakistan and Iran align on issues such as Palestine, while terrorism and separatist movements require closer coordination. He acknowledged that difficult periods strained relations, but said the countries are now closer than ever despite challenges such as terrorism and sectarianism. He added that amid regional hostilities, Pakistan and Iran remain committed to pursuing peaceful solutions. Pak-Iran ties grounded in shared security Meanwhile, CAMEA Director Dr Amina Khan said the bilateral relationship between Iran and Pakistan was grounded in historical ties, geographic proximity, and shared security and economic interests. She said that relations have remained positive in recent years, marked by high-level engagement, close coordination on regional developments, and adherence to the principle of sovereign equality. She noted that both countries are aligned on issues including Afghanistan, the Gaza crisis, and broader regional stability. The director also mentioned that Pakistan condemned Israel&rsquo;s 12-day military strikes on Iran last year as &ldquo;reckless&rdquo; provocations and a &ldquo;grave violation of Iran&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity,&rdquo; international law, and the UN Charter. An engaging question-and-answer session was held at the end of the event, which was attended by diplomats, academics, students, practitioners, and members of civil society, according to the press release.

Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri-Moghaddam speaks at an Islamabad public talk on Pakistan-Iran relations, highlighting 25 agreements and high-level delegations over the past two years. (Institute of Strategic Studies/Facebook)

Iran and Pakistan mark a constructive phase in relations, with 25 delegations and agreements exchanged, shared regional and economic interests, and alignment on issues like Afghanistan and Gaza, according to officials.

Pakistan ties at 'most constructive phase': Iran ambassador

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">Bangladesh&rsquo;s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday announced that the government has approved the withdrawal of 1,202 additional cases described as politically motivated, filed against opposition leaders and activists during the 17-year rule of the Awami League, state media reported.<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">According to state-run <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-leads-rmg-exports-to-eu-for-five-straight-years-report" style="color:#0073e6;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">Bangladesh</a><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;"> Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), an official message circulated to the media said the decision came after a review process examining allegations that the cases had been lodged to harass opposition figures and suppress dissent.<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">Earlier, the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/govt-aims-to-launch-family-card-scheme-before-eid-bangladeshi-relief-minister" style="color:#0073e6;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">government</a><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;"> had approved the withdrawal of 1,006 similar cases. With the latest decision, the total number of cases cleared for withdrawal has risen to 2,208, BSS reported.<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">Sources at the Home Ministry said the withdrawal process would proceed in line with existing legal procedures. Relevant authorities have been directed to take necessary steps to implement the decision.<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">The government said the initiative aims to ensure justice, reinforce democratic values, and restore public confidence in the country&rsquo;s legal system, according to BSS.

Salahuddin Ahmed from giving his speech at Nagorik Coalition Event 

Bangladesh

According to state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, an official message circulated to the media said the decision came after a review process examining allegations that the cases had been lodged to harass opposition figures and suppress dissent.



Bangladesh withdraws 1,202 more ‘politically motivated’ cases filed during Awami League rule

ISLAMABAD: Russia&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry has estimated that Afghanistan hosts between 20,000 and 23,000 fighters from various international terrorist groups, raising concerns over regional security, according to Afghan media.&nbsp;Ariana News, quoting Russia&#39;s foreign ministry, reported that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals. Among the larger groups, it cited around 3,000 Daesh fighters, 5,000-7,000 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-warns-ttp-emerging-as-significant-regional-threat-from-afghan-soil" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)</a>, and 400 to 1,500 from al Qaeda. Smaller groups reportedly include the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU/Turkestan Islamic Party), and Jamaat Ansarullah.&nbsp;The assessment noted that Daesh remains hostile toward Afghan authorities but lacks the ability to seize territory, focusing instead on undermining public confidence.<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: 897px; 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=2025934201611252211&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0f788f5019564c51946ce9062ca401b85a0de722&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban-led Interim Afghan government, rejected the report.&nbsp;Speaking to TOLO News, he claimed Afghanistan is under a unified authority, and no foreign terrorist groups operate freely within its borders.&nbsp;Mujahid dismissed Russia&rsquo;s report as politically motivated, drawing parallels with similar allegations made during the US occupation.&nbsp; &ldquo;Afghanistan is secure, and these reports do not reflect ground realities,&rdquo; he said, urging Russia to base its assessments on objective facts.

Afghanistan

Its foreign ministry says that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals. Among the larger groups, it cited around 3,000 Daesh fighters, 5,000 to 7,000 from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and 400 to 1,500 from al Qaeda.

Russia estimates up to 23,000 terrorists present in Afghanistan 

ISLAMABAD: English cricketers have come out in support of Pakistan players after reports claimed that Indian-owned franchises in The Hundred may overlook them during the upcoming player auction. According to BBC Sport, four teams with ownership links to the Indian Premier League are not considering Pakistan players for the draft scheduled for March 11 and 12. The development has sparked concern across the English cricket community, with senior players warning that any exclusion based on nationality would damage the league&rsquo;s credibility. Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali said it would be a &ldquo;massive shame&rdquo; if Pakistan players were ignored. &ldquo;In the UK, I&rsquo;m not sure that can happen &mdash; and I hope it doesn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; he told Telegraph Sport on Monday, adding that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would be expected to keep a close watch. Former England batter Mark Butcher also criticized the reported move, saying the issue goes beyond legal considerations.&nbsp; Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Podcast, he said: &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t just a legal thing, it is an optics thing,&rdquo; warning that any perceived exclusion of Pakistan players would damage the league&rsquo;s image and credibility.<div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVG6kvMEv0y/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=687&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2Fnew#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A7721786%2C%22ls%22%3A834.1000000238419%2C%22le%22%3A1117.300000011921%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="920" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</iframe></div>Previously, England&rsquo;s limited-overs captain Harry Brook had also expressed disappointment at the prospect. &ldquo;Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years and have some awesome players, some of the best players in the world,&rdquo; Brook said. &ldquo;It would be a shame not to see some of them in The Hundred.&rdquo; Former England captain Michael Vaughan urged the ECB to intervene, saying the board owns the competition and should ensure that all players are treated fairly.<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: 975px; 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=2024783177613504772&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0f788f5019564c51946ce9062ca401b85a0de722&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2024783177613504772"></iframe></div></div>The ECB has written to franchises to reiterate that The Hundred is open to players from around the world and that recruitment decisions must align with the league&rsquo;s inclusive principles. A total of 67 Pakistan cricketers have registered for the auction, including leading names such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf. The issue has raised broader questions about the influence of franchise ownership structures and the balance between global cricket politics and domestic league governance, as pressure mounts on The Hundred&rsquo;s organizers to ensure a transparent and merit-based auction process.

Cricket

Four The Hundred teams with ownership links to the Indian Premier League are not considering Pakistan players for the draft scheduled for March 11 and 12.

English stars call out Indian-owned cricket franchises over Pakistan boycott row

ISLAMABAD: The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) in India&#39;s Gujarat state is demolishing houses on a large scale in Jangleshwar, a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood, triggering allegations of &ldquo;bulldozer justice&rdquo; and &quot;communal targeting.&quot; Several Indian media outlets reported on Monday the &quot;sweeping anti-encroachment operation&quot; along Gujarat&#39;s Aji river, where families have lived for nearly&nbsp;six decades. Gujarat is particularly sensitive to ethnic targeting and communal hatred because the brutal images of the 2002 massacre, in which more than 2,000 Muslims were killed, are still fresh in the minds of the populace.<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" 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=2025842935527522436&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c514526a2c3983abb755db59d9713c47e1c30328&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The civic body says it is clearing &ldquo;illegal encroachments&rdquo; for a riverfront redevelopment and flood prevention, as part of an Aji Riverfront project, but critics and rights observers argue the crackdown reflects a wider pattern in Gujarat where demolition drives disproportionately impact Muslim-majority pockets.&nbsp; They point to the fact that the most intense phase of the operation is centred on Jangleshwar, a Muslim enclave for over 40 years, and claim similar encroachments in non-minority areas are often regularised or ignored, while Muslim settlements face total clearance. Local media outlet Maktoob reported that the large-scale demolition drive has resulted in destruction of hundreds of residential structures and has left numerous families homeless.<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" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2025895818797150332&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c514526a2c3983abb755db59d9713c47e1c30328&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 713px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Indian media reported that the operation has been carried out under heavy security, with authorities deploying 2,500 to 3,000 police personnel, alongside a heavy presence of paramilitary forces, drone surveillance, and riot-control preparations, including water cannons and tear gas.&nbsp;Rajkot police have also imposed restrictions, declaring the city a no-drone fly zone (Feb. 23-25) and prohibiting gatherings of four or more people until Feb. 26, measures locals describe as intimidating in a residential locality. Gujarat&nbsp;Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi intensified controversy by calling the area a &ldquo;hub for criminal elements,&rdquo; citing past arrests. Human rights organizations say such rhetoric &ldquo;criminalizes&rdquo; Muslim neighbourhoods and is used to justify extra-judicial punishment through demolitions. Affected residents describe sudden displacement and uncertainty. Videos from the site show distraught women and children amid rubble. &ldquo;We lived here 60 years, became homeless in a day,&rdquo; one woman said, asking where she would take her children.<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" 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=2025906325235150942&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c514526a2c3983abb755db59d9713c47e1c30328&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The demolition drive is continuing despite three separate&nbsp;petitions pending against it before the Gujarat High Court, according to ANI News.&nbsp; While authorities claim hundreds of families have been offered alternative housing under government schemes, residents and observers say the on-ground reality is mass displacement without assured rehabilitation, deepening allegations that &ldquo;urban planning&rdquo; is being weaponized against a minority community.

India

Indian Gujarat's 'anti-encroachment' demolitions centers on the Muslim-majority Jangleshwar, have displaced hundreds of families amid heavy policing. Critics call it 'bulldozer justice,' citing selective enforcement and weak rehabilitation.

Indian Gujarat’s 'bulldozer justice' hits Muslims, sparks outrage

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has said that media reports have &ldquo;inaccurately interpreted&rdquo; the data on the exit of foreign companies from Pakistan, clarifying that 79 new foreign companies were registered, whereas &ldquo;only 19 foreign companies have ceased operations in Pakistan during 2022 to 2025.&rdquo; For months, headlines have painted a grim narrative: that foreign companies were leaving Pakistan, investment was drying up, and confidence in the country&rsquo;s markets was collapsing.&nbsp; However, the reality, according to the country&rsquo;s top corporate regulator, was far more nuanced and optimistic. The SECP stepped in to correct misconceptions, clarifying that the oft-cited numbers in the media were misleading.&nbsp; In a statement issued earlier this week, the regulator said: &ldquo;Only 19 foreign companies have ceased operations in Pakistan during 2022 to 2025, whereas 79 new foreign companies were registered during the same period.&rdquo; The SECP also highlighted a common source of confusion: &ldquo;The figure of 125 ceased foreign companies, cited in some media reports, represents the cumulative total of companies that ceased operations since 1977 to date. This does not reflect the number of companies that exited in the last three years.&rdquo; As of February, 1,157 foreign companies remained registered and operational in Pakistan, a figure that underscored the continued investor confidence in the country&rsquo;s regulatory and business environment. The inflow of foreign capital was not limited to a single sector.&nbsp; In energy, giants such as Saudi Aramco, Wafi Energy, Gunvor Group, Turkish Petroleum, and SOCAR expanded their presence, while UAE-based DP World entered a joint venture with the National Logistics Corporation, reinforcing Pakistan&rsquo;s logistics and supply chain infrastructure. Technology and digital services also saw significant activity.&nbsp; Global firms such as Google, Samsung, IceWarp, and Russoft Synercon were expanding operations, and local companies such as Woot Tech received substantial foreign investment. In a notable deal, Bazaar Technologies acquired Wemsol, and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Waqub Data Company took an 80% stake in Woot Tech. The telecommunications sector has been witnessing consolidation, with PTCL acquiring Telenor Pakistan. In the pharmaceuticals sector, Pfizer transferred its Karachi manufacturing plant to Lucky Core Industries to ensure production continuity, and Sanofi sold its majority stake to a local investor consortium, renaming the company Hoechst Pakistan Limited. Agriculture, mining, and even emerging sectors such as electric vehicles also drew attention.&nbsp; Italy&rsquo;s Euricom S.p.A. acquired a 50% stake in Fatima Euricom Rice Mills, while mining and minerals companies, including Barrick Gold, Strategic Metals US, and Nova Minerals US, continued their investment. Electric vehicle companies like BYD, Chery Automobile, and NWTN Motors were also exploring Pakistan&rsquo;s market potential. Foreign investors already in the country are doubling down. The SECP noted: &ldquo;Mashreq Bank has launched and is expanding Pakistan&rsquo;s first digital bank. Kuwait-backed Raqami Digital Bank plans to invest $100 million. Nestl&eacute; is investing an additional $60 million, and the Engro Jazz consortium is committing more than $550 million toward digital infrastructure expansion.&rdquo; The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase II also accelerated industrial cooperation.&nbsp; To date, 24 business-to-business agreements worth $1.5 billion and memoranda of understanding totaling more than $7 billion have been signed, spanning agriculture, renewable energy, information technology, minerals, and industrial relocation. The SECP&rsquo;s data painted a clear picture: Pakistan was not witnessing an exodus of foreign companies.&nbsp; Even in January alone, foreign investors invested in 82 local companies from diverse countries, including China, the US, the UK, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and more. The narrative of panic is misleading. Companies have continued to enter the market, existing investors have continued to expand their commitments, and foreign capital has continued to flow. As the SECP concluded: &ldquo;Foreign investment is continuing, partnerships are expanding, and Pakistan&rsquo;s regulatory environment continues to inspire confidence among international investors.&rdquo; In an environment where fear often dominates headlines, the numbers tell a different story. Pakistan is not just holding steady; it is growing, attracting strategic investments, and positioning itself as an increasingly attractive destination for foreign capital.

For months, headlines have suggested a grim narrative stating that foreign companies were leaving Pakistan, the investment was drying up, and the confidence in the country’s markets was collapsing. 

Pakistan defies panic as foreign investment continues to rise

LONDON: Britain&#39;s government committed Tuesday to releasing documents on <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/king-charles-strips-andrew-of-royal-titles-royal-lodge-residence" style="color:#0073e6;">ex-prince</a> Andrew&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/uk-monarchy-reels-from-andrews-stunning-arrest" style="color:#0073e6;">past role</a> as a trade envoy, after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal widened with the arrest of a veteran UK politician. The fallout from the publication last month by US authorities of millions of files related to Epstein is reverberating around the British monarchy and political circles. It has piled pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#39;s Labor government to release documents on Andrew and former minister Peter Mandelson, who are both now the subject of high-profile police investigations. Minister Chris Bryant told parliament that the government would release vetting documents on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor&#39;s appointment as trade envoy, a post he held from 2001 to 2011. It came after the third largest party, the Liberal Democrats, deployed a little-used parliamentary mechanism intended to force ministers to disclose files that stem from when Tony Blair was Labor prime minister 26 years ago. Bryant said publishing the documents was &quot;the least we owe the victims&quot; of Epstein, adding that Andrew was &quot;a rude, arrogant, and entitled man.&quot; &#39;Stain on country&#39;&nbsp;Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last year, is being probed by police over allegations that he shared sensitive documents with Epstein during his time as envoy. The former prince was <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/uk-police-say-exprince-andrew-released-under-investigation" style="color:#0073e6;">arrested</a> last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and his brother King Charles III has said the &quot;law must take its course.&quot; Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said Andrew&#39;s association with Epstein, and that of Mandelson, who was bailed in the early hours of Tuesday, were a &quot;stain on our country.&quot; &quot;We must begin to clean away that stain with the disinfectant of transparency,&quot; he said. The party&#39;s motion, known as a &quot;humble address,&quot; passed without a vote due to the government&#39;s support. Bryant said he wanted to &quot;manage people&#39;s expectations&quot; about how quickly the papers can be released, due to the age and quantity of the material, as well as the police probe. Mountbatten-Windsor, long embroiled in scandals over his friendship with Epstein, has denied any wrongdoing. Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, claimed she was trafficked three times to have sex with the British royal, starting in 2001 and twice when she was 17. Andrew settled a US civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Giuffre while not admitting liability. The push for the files on Andrew comes as the government prepares to release in early March a first set of documents relating to the 2024 appointment of Mandelson as UK ambassador in Washington. The main opposition Conservative Party had also earlier successfully used a &quot;humble address&quot; to compel their release. &#39;Pushed appointment&#39;&nbsp;Mandelson, a key figure in British politics for decades and Britain&#39;s envoy to Washington until September, is facing a separate misconduct in public office probe, also related to his links to Epstein. His appointment has triggered a political storm with two of Starmer&#39;s top aides resigning over the row and raising questions about the prime minister&#39;s judgement. Starmer sacked Mandelson as envoy after just seven months over revelations about the depth of his ties to Epstein. Later released files appear to show that Mandelson passed on financial information to the disgraced financier when he was UK business secretary around 2009-2010. When Andrew was appointed trade envoy, Mandelson was a pivotal figure in Blair&#39;s Labor and was nicknamed the &quot;Prince of Darkness&quot; for his media manipulation skills. Mountbatten-Windsor&#39;s biographer, Andrew Lownie, told AFP Blair and Mandelson &quot;pushed his appointment through.&quot; Mandelson has apologized for his friendship with Epstein and insisted he did not know about the financier&#39;s sexual offences, despite Epstein&#39;s 2008 conviction for child prostitution. He was arrested by police on Monday and held for questioning before being released on bail early on Tuesday. In a statement, law firm Mishcon de Reya, which is representing him, said the arrest was due to the &quot;baseless&quot; concern that he was a flight risk. The firm said there was &quot;absolutely no truth&quot; in the suggestion that he was &quot;planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad,&quot; adding that his priority was to cooperate with police and &quot;clear his name.&quot; Neither Mandelson nor Andrew has been charged with any offence. Starmer has apologized to Epstein&#39;s victims for appointing Mandelson, and accused him of lying about the extent of his ties to the tycoon during the vetting process. Police on Tuesday evening said they had &quot;now ended&quot; a search of an address in Berkshire, west of London, linked to Andrew&#39;s arrest. It is believed the property is Andrew&#39;s former residence, Royal Lodge, on the royal family&#39;s Windsor estate.

Europe

The fallout from the publication last month by US authorities of millions of files related to Epstein is reverberating around the British monarchy and political circles; it has piled pressure on Prime Minister Starmer's government to release documents on Andrew and former minister Mandelson, both now subject of high-profile police investigations.

UK govt says will release files on 'rude' ex-prince Andrew

PARIS: Iran&#39;s foreign minister announced Tuesday that a deal to prevent a military conflict with the United States is within reach, just two days before <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-president-says-recent-talks-with-us-show-encouraging-signals" target="_blank">talks</a>&nbsp;between the rivals are set to resume in Geneva. Abbas Araghchi&#39;s appeal came as Iran issued a muted warning to student protesters against the backdrop of mounting US threats of action to halt Tehran&#39;s nuclear program. &quot;We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests,&quot; Araghchi said in a social media post. The minister added that a deal was &quot;within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.&quot; Tehran and Washington are due to hold a third round of negotiations on Thursday in Geneva, the latest since talks resumed earlier this month. The talks will be held following a heavy US military deployment in the region in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-denies-top-us-officer-warned-of-iran-strike-risks" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">recent weeks</a> and threats by President Donald Trump of a strike on Iran if no deal is reached. Iran has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-would-respond-ferociously-to-any-us-attack-even-limited-strikes" target="_blank">repeatedly</a>&nbsp;said it would respond firmly to any attack, and on Monday, the foreign ministry warned that any strike, even a limited one, &quot;would be regarded as an act of aggression.&quot; In his post on Tuesday, Araghchi vowed Iran will &quot;under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,&quot; but insisted on the country&#39;s right to &quot;harness dividends of peaceful nuclear technology.&quot; &quot;We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage,&quot; he added. Iran and the US held five rounds of nuclear talks last year, but those negotiations were brought to an end with Israel&#39;s unprecedented attack on Iran, which triggered a 12-day war. &#39;Red lines&#39; protest warning&nbsp;Meanwhile, university students in Tehran kicked off a new semester with gatherings that revived slogans from nationwide protests against the country&#39;s leadership. On Tuesday, the fourth consecutive day of the campus protests, videos verified by AFP showed two groups facing off in a large hall at a Tehran university before scuffles broke out. Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani, giving the first official reaction to the rallies, said that while students had a right to protest, they must &quot;understand the red lines.&quot; US military build-up&nbsp;The initial wave of protests began in December, sparked by economic woes in the sanctions-hit country, but soon grew into nationwide demonstrations that crested on Jan. 8 and 9, posing one of the biggest challenges to Iran&#39;s leaders in years. The unrest prompted a government crackdown that resulted in the death of several people. Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by &quot;terrorist acts&quot; fueled by the United States and Israel. The crackdown in January prompted Trump to threaten to intervene militarily on the protesters&#39; behalf, though the focus of his threats soon shifted to Iran&#39;s nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. Since then, the US has carried out a massive military build-up in the Middle East aimed at pressuring Tehran into cutting a deal, even as the two sides pursue indirect negotiations. Washington deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea, and another, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has arrived at a US base in Crete en route to the region.

Americas

Foreign Minister Araghchi says have a “historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns”; Tehran and Washington are due to hold a third round of negotiations on Thursday in Geneva, the latest since talks resumed earlier this month.

Iran says deal 'within reach' ahead of US talks

LONDON: Pakistani players will not be <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/english-stars-call-out-indianowned-cricket-franchises-over-pakistan-boycott-row" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">discriminated</a>&nbsp;against in selection for the Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Tuesday, despite reports they could be overlooked due to political tensions with India. The BBC reported last week that the four Indian-owned franchises of the eight-team competition &mdash; Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds &mdash; were not considering Pakistani players for next month&#39;s auction. A total of 67 Pakistan players &mdash; 63 men and four women &mdash; have submitted themselves for selection. &quot;The England and Wales Cricket Board and all eight of The Hundred team franchises reaffirm their commitment to ensuring The Hundred continues to be a competition that is inclusive, welcoming and open to all,&quot; the ECB said in a statement. &quot;All eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team.&quot; Players from Pakistan have not featured in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions between the two countries. With several IPL owners now owning teams in multiple countries, opportunities for Pakistani cricketers to participate in other leagues are in danger of being further reduced. Players will go under the hammer in London on March 11 and 12. Former England captain Michael Vaughan had been among those to call for action from the ECB over the rumors. &quot;They own the league and this should not be allowed to happen,&quot; said Vaughan, who referenced the ECB&#39;s stated aim of cricket becoming the most inclusive sport in England. &quot;The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen.&quot;

Players from Pakistan have not featured in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of tensions between the two neighbors; players will go under the hammer in London on March 11 and 12; former England captain Michael Vaughan among those to call for action from the ECB over rumors.

ECB insists Pakistani players will not be frozen out of the Hundred

KANDY: Captain Harry Brook scored his first T20 international century to take England into the World Cup semi-finals with a nervy two-wicket win against Pakistan in the Super Eights in Kandy. Brook, promoted to number three for the first time in a T20 international, scored exactly 100 off 51 deliveries as England chased down their target of 165 with five balls to spare, despite a late wobble. After England restricted Pakistan to 164-9, Brook came in second ball of the innings with the score 0-1 after Phil Salt&#39;s golden duck, caught behind off Shaheen Shah Afridi. Wickets tumbled in the power play but Brook stood firm. He lifted his side from a precarious 35-3 to 155-6 when he was dismissed, having scored the second fastest century in T20 World Cup history and the first by a team captain. Brook hit four sixes and 10 fours, surpassing his previous best T20 international score of 81 not out against Pakistan in Karachi four years ago. He went to the landmark in style, powering Afridi for a six and four to complete his century off 50 balls before being bowled by the left-arm quick next ball. Brook explained that the decision for him to move up the order from five had been prompted by coach Brendon &quot;Baz&quot; McCullum. &quot;Baz said that this morning, what do you think about going number three? Pakistan&#39;s your team. I was just like, let&#39;s do it,&quot; said Brook. &quot;We wanted to try and maximize the power play a little bit more and everybody knows that I like to try and take the game on and I was going to do that from ball one. &quot;Thankfully it came off and I managed to get us a decent start.&quot; Afridi, returning to the side, took 4-30 also removing Jos Buttler for two and Jacob Bethell for eight in the power play. Brook added 45 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran (16) and even a burst of two wickets from Usman Tariq did not perturb the England skipper who batted with guts and resolve. Will Jacks helped his skipper towards victory with a brilliant stand of 52, scoring 28 off 23 balls. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Jacks and Jamie Overton in the penultimate over to induce some late nerves, but Jofra Archer hit the first ball of the final over for the winning four. &#39;Outstanding&#39; battingThe defeat leaves Pakistan needing to beat Sri Lanka on Saturday and hope other results go their way to reach the last four after their first match in the Super Eights against New Zealand was washed out. &quot;The way Harry Brook batted was outstanding. He completely took the game away from us,&quot; said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha. &quot;We just have to wait and see how the other results go. We&#39;ll be hoping they go our way, and then we know we&#39;ll have to win against Sri Lanka.&quot; New Zealand face Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Colombo. Spinner Liam Dawson took 3-24 earlier and was ably supported by Overton (2-26) and Archer (2-32) to restrict Pakistan to 164-9. Opener Sahibzada Farhan continued his good form with a 45-ball 63, with two sixes and seven fours, his third half-century of the tournament. Archer dismissed Saim Ayub for seven in the third over while Dawson picked up Salman Agha for five in the next. Farhan and Babar Azam added 46 for the third wicket. Farhan completed his fifty off 37 balls before Overton trapped him lbw.

England captain Harry Brook scored a T20 World Cup century, leading England to a nervy two-wicket win over Pakistan in Kandy. Brook’s 100 off 51 balls powered a crucial chase after Pakistan posted 164-9.

Brook 100 puts England into T20 World Cup semi-finals

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has warned that Pakistan will act again if attacks originating from Afghan soil continue, saying the country has no choice but to defend itself if Afghan Taliban fails to take action against terrorist groups. &ldquo;We have told the Afghan government if again in future something will happen and if we have intelligence reports that these are their hideouts, we will strike again,&rdquo; Governor Kundi said while speaking on Pakistan TV&rsquo;s programme &lsquo;Experts Corner&rsquo;. He said Islamabad has repeatedly asked Afghan authorities to ensure their territory is not used for attacks against Pakistan, adding that terrorist organisations, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and al-Qaeda, continue to operate from across the border and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kundi said Pakistan has presented evidence at international forums showing that Afghan territory is being used against it, but Afghanistan has failed to take effective action. Referring to recent cross-border strikes, he said Pakistan responded after attacks in Bajaur and Bannu, maintaining that intelligence-based operations targeted militant hideouts. He described the operations as successful and reiterated that similar measures would be taken if cross-border attacks persist. &ldquo;If one government is not taking any action then Pakistan has to take action,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; The governor said Pakistan has been fighting terrorism for more than two decades, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He identified the TTP as a major threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and blamed the Balochistan Liberation Army for violence in Balochistan. Kundi expressed full support for the military, police and Frontier Corps, praising their coordination and sacrifices in efforts to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also criticized a previous policy that allowed terrorists to return to Pakistan, saying it reversed gains achieved during operations between 2008 and 2013 in Swat and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).&nbsp; He argued that many terrorists regrouped and rearmed, benefiting from weapons left behind after the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan. On the merged districts, he said promised development funds had not been fully delivered or effectively utilized, contributing to unrest.&nbsp; He stressed the need for sustained investment in infrastructure, education and policing to ensure long-term stability in the region.

The Experts Corner

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi warned Pakistan will act against cross-border attacks from Afghanistan if Afghan Taliban fails to curb TTP and al-Qaeda, emphasizing security, development, and long-term stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Pakistan to act again if attacks from Afghan soil continue: Kundi

BRUSSELS: The EU&#39;s trade chief said Tuesday his US counterparts had told him Washington stands by a key trade deal with the bloc, following an adverse Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump&#39;s tariffs.&nbsp;After the Supreme Court ruled last week that Trump lacks authority to impose levies under a 1977 law, the US leader responded with fresh tariffs of 10% on imported goods -- which Trump has vowed to hike further to 15%.&nbsp;That raised complex questions about what the new duties mean for the EU deal clinched last year with Trump, which imposed 15% tariffs on most EU goods.&nbsp;&quot;I have been in constant touch with my counterparts, and they both reassured me they stand by the deal with the European Union,&quot; Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told EU lawmakers.&nbsp;The top trade negotiator also touched on another sensitive topic in transatlantic ties: Trump&#39;s 50% duties on steel and aluminium imports, which the EU has been pushing to bring down.&nbsp;The president expanded levies on the metals in August to include several hundred products that contain steel or aluminium.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he discussed how to address the issue with his US counterparts.&nbsp;&quot;I hope we can find solutions in this matter very soon,&quot; he told the European Parliament&#39;s trade committee.&nbsp;The bloc&#39;s parliament put the EU-US deal on ice Monday as it sought more clarity on the fallout from the Supreme Court ruling, only a day before the committee was due to give its green light.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he understood the body&#39;s decision, but added: &quot;It is imperative we keep the process moving forward in implementing our commitments.&quot;&nbsp;EU member states&#39; representatives in Brussels heard from the EU executive on Monday, and a European diplomat said everyone agreed &quot;a deal is a deal&quot;.&nbsp;The EU executive told senior diplomats that if imports face a blanket 10% levy, pre-existing duties could mean some products are taxed at a higher rate than the trade deal&#39;s 15%.&nbsp;Another concern is that Trump&#39;s new flat levy could apply indifferently to the EU and to countries that made fewer trade concessions to Washington -- and were therefore previously taxed at a much higher rate.&nbsp;&quot;The EU now loses a comparative advantage vis-a-vis other countries, which was what made the deal palatable in the first place,&quot; the diplomat told AFP.

The EU says US officials reaffirm commitment to last year’s trade deal despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting tariff powers.

Articles by Web Desk

Pakistan at UN highlights risks to children under occupation, joins global condemnation of Israel

Pakistan PM, Qatar Emir pledge deeper economic and regional cooperation

Israel’s opposition threatens to boycott PM Modi’s speech, Indian embassy 'in a panic'

Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 to help accelerate institutional reforms

Pakistan Senate passes resolution condemning Israeli PM’s alliance statement

Pakistan ties at 'most constructive phase': Iran ambassador

Bangladesh withdraws 1,202 more ‘politically motivated’ cases filed during Awami League rule

Russia estimates up to 23,000 terrorists present in Afghanistan

English stars call out Indian-owned cricket franchises over Pakistan boycott row

Indian Gujarat’s 'bulldozer justice' hits Muslims, sparks outrage

Latest News

Pakistan defies panic as foreign investment continues to rise

Pakistan at UN highlights risks to children under occupation, joins global condemnation of Israel

UK govt says will release files on 'rude' ex-prince Andrew

Iran says deal 'within reach' ahead of US talks

ECB insists Pakistani players will not be frozen out of the Hundred