By Riaz Hussain PESHAWAR: Journalists in Pakistan continued to face violence, intimidation and legal pressure during 2025-26, raising concerns about press freedom and the safety of media workers, according to a new report by Islamabad-based media rights organisation Freedom Network. The report documented 78 incidents involving journalists between October 2025 and August 2026, including the…
Riaz Hussain The State Bank of Pakistan has raised its policy rate by 0.50 percentage points to 12 percent, raising concerns about higher borrowing costs for businesses and a potential slowdown in industrial growth. According to the central bank, ongoing tensions in the Middle East, elevated energy prices and domestic wheat supply problems have increased…
By Riaz Hussain Peshawar: Pakistan’s suspension of commercial trade through key crossings with Iran has intensified pressure on the country’s regional trade at a time when commerce with Afghanistan remains severely disrupted. The latest restrictions have stranded hundreds of cargo containers and raised concerns about export earnings, employment, supply chains and the rising costs faced…
By Shamsul Haq The 77th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China was celebrated on October 1st. The longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and China serve as an example to the world. In the following lines, we will present a detailed overview of Pakistan-China relations and the journey of friendship between the two nations.Pakistan…
By Riaz Hussain SWABI: The hujra (guest house) of Abdul Karim Tordheer, a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from PK-51, was allegedly raided by unidentified armed men late Tuesday night, with reports that his brother, Abdul Nasir, and three security guards were abducted from the premises. According to sources, the armed men arrived at…
The worsening security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is increasingly being accompanied by a political confrontation between the provincial and federal governments, with both sides accusing the other of failing to address the province’s security challenges. The dispute has intensified after a series of deadly attacks in southern KP, including the September 26 bombing at the…
By Shamsul Haq Relations between the world’s two largest economic and military powers, China and the United States, have in recent years been marked by rivalry, mistrust and periodic confrontation. Against this backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25 carries considerable diplomatic significance. The central question,…
Riaz Hussain The rearrest of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, hours after Pakistan’s Supreme Court suspended their 17-year sentences has triggered strong reactions from lawyers, rights activists, politicians and social media users. The couple was sentenced to a combined 17 years in prison in a controversial case…
By Riaz Hussain PESHAWAR: For Pakistan, a crisis thousands of kilometres away in the Middle East could eventually show up at petrol stations, on electricity bills and in the prices of everyday goods.Growing tensions around two of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints — the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — are…
Riaz Hussain MARDAN: Police in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province foiled a grenade attack on a police post in Mardan district, killing the suspected attacker and leaving three police officers with minor injuries, officials said. The attack took place at at the Sari Behlol police post, which falls within the jurisdiction of Takht Bhai police…
