For once it had appeared that the stalemate could be broken through negotiations. The two sides sat across the table last week to find some middle way to end the impasse. Hopes were raised when the first round ended on a promising note. Both sides reined in their vitriol for a while. The next round was...
Author: Team IBC English (Team IBC English)
Death and truth
APRIL 23 marked six months since the death of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya. This week the Pakistan Press Foundation announced the 2023 Press Freedom Award for the journalist posthumously on the eve of World Press Freedom Day. Although Arshad Sharif’s murder is now over six months old, the mystery surrounding his death remains unsolved. According...
UN says Taliban envoy can meet Pakistan, China ministers next week
A UN Security Council committee on Monday agreed to allow the Taliban administration’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to travel to Pakistan from Afghanistan next week to meet with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China, diplomats said. Muttaqi has long been subjected to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo under Security Council sanctions. According...
The invisible problem
POLITICS in Pakistan is like an Abbas Mastan film (think Race) where twists and turns come faster than an Agatha Christie novel and the end brings so much relief from the edge-of-the-seat moments that no one wants to think of the holes in the plots. The only difference is that no one — just no...
Raid at Elahi’s home: LHC seeks detailed report from Punjab police, ACE
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday directed the Punjab police chief and the director general of the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to submit a detailed report regarding the late-night raid at the home of ex-Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. The orders came during the hearing of a petition filed by Elahi’s son, Rasikh, against...
Christian Maid accused of Blasphemy in Govt School, PakPattan
Musarat Bibi, a Christian woman employed as a peon in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School 66 E/B situated in the Arif-Wala Pakpattan Pakistan, has been arrested on the accusation of desecrating Holy Quran, when she was cleaning the storeroom cupboards along with the gardener Mohammad Sarmand on the orders of the school administration. While...
How to change an unhealthy lifestyle
There are several steps you can take to start controlling an unhealthy lifestyle: Start by taking stock of your current lifestyle and identifying any habits that may be detrimental to your health, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, poor diet, or inadequate sleep. Once you’ve identified your unhealthy habits, set realistic goals...
The Taliban conundrum
FAR from easing, Pakistan’s Afghan dilemma has become more acute in recent months. Despite several high-level interactions with Kabul aimed at securing its cooperation to contain the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which resides in Afghanistan, little headway seems to have been made. This is evident from the continuing surge in attacks in Pakistan conducted by TTP...
Attacks on journalists rise by 60pc
ISLAMABAD: At least 140 cases of threats and attacks against journalists, media professionals and media organisations were reported in Pakistan over the past year, a report showed on Sunday, indicating an annual increase of over 60 per cent. The annual Pakistan Press Freedom Report, prepared by the media rights watchdog Freedom Network, showed that Islamabad...
Labour Day message: PM Shehbaz hails workers as central to economic growth
As the world marks Labour Day today (Wednesday), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has highlighted the workers’ pivotal role in economic development, in his message on the occasion. “The day symbolises the sanctity and dignity of labour, and at the same time, it was an acknowledgment of the importance of workers and labourers for being central...