CPEC 2.0: From Infrastructure to Economic Transformation

By Shamsul HaqThe China-Pakistan relationship is entering a new phase. As the global order undergoes profound changes marked by geopolitical competition, economic uncertainty and shifting trade patterns, the partnership between Islamabad and Beijing has acquired renewed significance.At the centre of this relationship is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which now stands at a critical juncture….

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سیلاب سے نمٹنے کے لیے جامع منصوبہ ناگزیر

پشاور: ریٹائرڈ سپرنٹنڈنگ انجینئر محکمہ آبپاشی خیبر پختونخوا اور سابق انچارج فلڈ وارننگ سیل انجینئر عبدالولی خان یوسفزئی نے پاکستان میں مون سون بارشوں کے دوران شہری سیلاب، سڑکوں کی تباہی اور نکاسی آب کے مسائل سے نمٹنے کے لیے جامع انجینئرنگ اور منصوبہ بندی پر مبنی حکمت عملی اختیار کرنے پر زور دیا ہے۔…

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Displaced Children in Pakistan’s Khyber Pay the Price for a War They Didn’t Start

By Muhammad Younas and Islam Gul BARA, Khyber District, — Twice uprooted by conflict, tens of thousands of children from Pakistan’s Tirah Valley are now facing a growing health crisis in displacement, battling measles, malaria, skin infections and gastrointestinal illnesses as an overstretched health system struggles to cope. For families who fled their homes earlier…

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Fuel Price Swings Add to Economic Strain on Pakistan’s Working Families

By Riaz HussainPESHAWAR, — Frequent changes in fuel prices are adding to the financial pressures facing millions of ordinary Pakistanis, increasing transportation costs and putting further strain on household budgets already squeezed by higher food, education and healthcare expenses.For 46-year-old Nisar Khan, a taxi driver and father of six, the rising cost of petrol has…

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Afghan envoy urges dialogue with Pakistan, rejects military pressure

ISLAMABAD – Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan on Wednesday called for direct dialogue to resolve security disputes between the two neighbours, rejecting military action and the use of trade and transit as political pressure. Addressing the National Defence University in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb acknowledged Pakistan’s concerns over militant threats allegedly emanating from Afghan territory, but…

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Pakistan Faces Potential $4.5 Billion Export Loss as Afghan Border Closure Disrupts Trade

Riyaz Hussain ISLAMABAD — Pakistan could suffer an estimated $4.5 billion loss in exports because of the prolonged closure of its border and trade routes with Afghanistan, according to a new report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). The report comes as trade between the two countries has faced serious disruptions since October…

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14 Newborn Babies Killed in Fire at PIMS Hospital in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Fourteen newborn babies were killed when a fire broke out in the neonatal unit of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad early Wednesday morning, raising serious questions about fire safety and emergency response arrangements at one of the country’s major public hospitals. According to officials, the fire erupted at around 6:45…

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Not for a Nobel Prize, but for a Noble Cause

By Ibn-Taha and Syed Ahmer Raza KARACHI- The students were jubilant, parents proud and teachers visibly moved as the Summer Teacher Training Program 2026 came to a close. For the organizers, however, the ceremony represented something larger than the completion of a professional course: a belief that lasting educational change begins with the people standing…

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Silent Crisis: Child Abuse Continues to Haunt Pakistan Despite Stronger Laws

By Riaz HussainMARDAN: Child abuse continues to pose one of Pakistan’s most pressing child protection challenges, with hundreds of children falling victim to sexual abuse, abduction, violence and exploitation every month despite stronger legislation and growing public awareness.The issue has once again come under the national spotlight following a series of disturbing incidents across the…

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Pakistan’s Tobacco Dilemma: Balancing Farmers’ Livelihoods, Industry Interests and State Regulation

By Shamsul Haq Every summer, as tobacco leaves begin to mature across the fertile plains of Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda, a familiar dispute resurfaces. Farmers demand higher prices for their crop, tobacco companies complain of overproduction and regulatory constraints, while the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) finds itself accused by both sides of failing to ensure…

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