Pakistan imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on 11 October 2026. The two constitutional powers have different tests. What must Parliament examine? Continue reading Governor’s Rule in KP: What Articles 232 and 234 Really Require
When a minority girl disappears in Pakistan and returns with conversion and marriage papers, who checks her age and hears her freely? The first police response may decide whether protection works. Continue reading When a Hindu Girl Disappears, Who Gets to Speak for Her?
Pakistan is the EU’s largest GSP+ beneficiary, but Europe is rewriting the conditions attached to preferential trade. The new regime begins in 2027, Pakistan must reapply by the end of 2028, and the stakes extend far beyond tariffs. Continue reading Pakistan Cannot Treat GSP+ as Permanent. Europe Is Changing the Bargain.
Pakistan says militant sanctuaries across the Afghan frontier threaten its citizens. Kabul accuses Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty. After renewed air strikes and border fire, Pakistan faces a harder question: can military pressure contain the TTP without creating a permanent conflict with Afghanistan? Continue reading Pakistan Is Striking Across the Afghan Border. How Far Can Islamabad Go Without Starting a Bigger War?
Pakistan has moved away from immediate economic crisis, yet many middle-class households still feel financially exposed. Inflation, electricity costs and job insecurity reveal the widening gap between national economic stabilisation and security at the kitchen table. Continue reading Pakistan’s Economy Has Stabilised. Why Does Middle-Class Life Still Feel So Fragile?
I was watching Palki Sharma explain Pakistan’s fuel crisis when the reporting suddenly began to sound like a punchline. She called the conservation measures a “lockdown.” Then came the claim that Pakistan’s military could use as much fuel as it wanted. I checked the actual government measures. They tell a more complicated story. Operational military vehicles are exempt, but administrative and non-operational formations are not. There is another fact that deserves attention. Palki herself acknowledged: “This is not a crisis of Pakistan’s making.” Pakistan is facing a regional energy shock, but our own weak energy planning has made the damage … Continue reading A Very Pakistani Problem”? How Palki Sharma Turned a Regional Energy Shock Into a Pakistan Punchline
Whenever I read about the Biharis of Bangladesh, I notice where the story usually begins: 1971. I understand why. That year contains the terrible questions of loyalty, collaboration, killings and revenge. But beginning there produces a distorted picture. It turns an entire population into a problem created by a war. My family also came from Bihar. Perhaps that makes me more sensitive to the missing part of this history. The Urdu-speaking migrants of East Pakistan did not spend twenty-four years waiting for 1971 to happen. They worked. They raised families and entered professions. Many became part of the railways and … Continue reading The Biharis Were Not Outsiders to East Pakistan. They Helped Build It.
Karachi’s transport data and Pakistan’s harassment laws show why this issue is bigger than bad manners I have watched women in Karachi change where they stand when a man keeps looking at them. Nothing dramatic has to happen. No hand reaches out. No abusive word is spoken. Sometimes the eyes are enough. A woman moves closer to another woman, adjusts her dupatta or waits for the next bus because the space around her no longer feels comfortable. We usually describe this behaviour with a familiar Urdu word: ghoorna. Staring. It sounds almost trivial when translated that way. Bad manners. Poor … Continue reading Why Women’s Unsafe Commutes Are an Economic Problem for Pakistan
Pakistani Umrah pilgrims are facing tighter scrutiny at airport immigration counters.FIA says human-smuggling networks have used legitimate religious travel as the first stage of illegal migration routes.That changes how officers assess first-time travellers and unusual itineraries.A genuine Umrah visa can still be part of a wider smuggling plan.The problem begins when risk indicators start replacing evidence.Older travellers and family-funded pilgrims may struggle to explain bookings they did not arrange themselves.Their confusion can look suspicious even when the journey is genuine.Human smugglers exploit exactly this gap between lawful documents and hidden intent.I examine why FIA has become more cautious with some … Continue reading Why Pakistani Umrah Pilgrims Face Tougher FIA Airport Screening
A valid visa does not always mean a Pakistani traveller will be allowed to leave the country.FIA can still stop a passenger if officials believe the journey raises immigration or human-smuggling concerns.Recent Lahore High Court rulings have placed new limits on that power.The courts have stressed that offloading decisions need specific reasons and a proper record.I examine why Pakistan’s airport screening system now resembles a second layer of travel permission.The issue is not whether FIA should fight human smuggling.The harder question is whether suspicion can become an unpublished test at the departure counter.For genuine travellers, the consequences can be immediate … Continue reading Can FIA Stop You Even With a Valid Visa? Pakistan’s Airport Offloading System Explained
