Category: politcs

Falak Javed Bail Case: Why the Zaman Park Ruling Doesn’t Free Her Yet

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Lahore court building where Falak Javed bail case was heard

Summary Falak Javed, a PTI social media activist, walked away with post-arrest bail in the Zaman Park police attack case on Saturday, months after her arrest and several rounds of adjourned hearings. Yet she is not walking out of jail. The Falak Javed bail order settles only one of several cases she faces, and the rest, tied to the May 9 unrest, are still pending before the courts. Background The case traces back to a visit by an Islamabad police team to Zaman Park, Imran Khan’s Lahore residence, to serve…

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New AJK Government Takes Charge as Iftikhar Gilani Sworn In as Prime Minister

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New AJK government leader Iftikhar Gilani taking oath as Prime Minister in Muzaffarabad

Summary The new AJK government has formally taken shape after Barrister Iftikhar Gilani of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was sworn in as the 17th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The oath-taking ceremony was held in Muzaffarabad, marking the completion of the region’s post-election political transition. Gilani secured a clear majority vote inside the AJK Legislative Assembly, defeating his Pakistan Peoples Party rival. Background Azad Kashmir went to the polls earlier this year to elect a new Legislative Assembly, and the process stretched across several weeks due to re-polling…

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PPP Blocks Gas Revenue Bills as Coalition Tensions Boil Over

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PPP leader Naveed Qamar speaks to reporters in Islamabad after PPP blocks gas revenue bills in parliament

Summary The Pakistan Peoples Party brought two government bills on gas-sector revenue to a halt on Friday. The move came inside the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum, where PPP lawmakers used their numbers to put off any vote. It is the latest sign that the PPP government rift with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition has not cooled down. Gas revenue bills Pakistan watchers were tracking closely are now stuck, and nobody in Islamabad is promising a quick fix. Background For weeks, the PPP has been pulling back its support…

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Pakistan Economy 2026: Aurangzeb Promises Policy Consistency to Foreign Investors

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Finance Minister Tells Dutch Businesses to Expect Stability, Not Boom-and-Bust Cycles Pakistan economy 2026 headlines took a positive turn this week after Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb assured Dutch and other interested foreign businesses that the government intends to offer consistent policy and a stable operating environment, rather than the sharp cycles of growth and decline investors have grown used to. The commitment came during a roundtable in Islamabad hosted at the Dutch ambassador’s residence, bringing together Dutch company executives, Pakistani business leaders, government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps.…

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Pakistan Afghanistan Relations: No Thaw Until Kabul Acts Against Terror Groups, Says FO

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Islamabad Holds Firm Despite Renewed Diplomatic Push With Kabul Pakistan Afghanistan relations remain stuck at a familiar impasse. Despite fresh diplomatic movement between the two neighbours, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has made it clear that nothing will meaningfully change until the Afghan Taliban take real, checkable steps against militant groups operating from Afghan soil. The message came at a weekly briefing in Islamabad, where the outgoing FO spokesperson said dialogue and goodwill gestures are not a substitute for action on the ground. Background: Years of Tension Between Islamabad and Kabul Pakistan…

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Dar Meets Araghchi on Sidelines of SCO Summit 2026, Pushes for Islamabad MoU Implementation

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Ishaq Dar and Abbas Araghchi shake hands at the SCO Summit 2026 in Bishkek

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sat down with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit 2026 in Bishkek. The two men agreed on one thing above all: the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has to be followed through, not just signed and shelved. The meeting took place as the wider Middle East remains tense, and it added another data point to Pakistan’s ongoing effort to keep itself in the middle of that conversation rather than on the sidelines of it.…

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Pakistan Prime Minister 2026 Kyrgyzstan Visit: Shehbaz Sharif Heads to Bishkek for SCO Summit

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov at the SCO summit in Bishkek, 2026

Shehbaz Sharif Begins Three-Day Kyrgyzstan Trip as Pakistan Takes Over SCO Chair.Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Bishkek on Monday, opening a three-day visit that runs from August 31 to September 2, 2026. Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov extended the invitation, and the trip centres on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of State meeting. The Foreign Office confirmed the schedule in a statement issued before departure. It described the visit as combining the SCO summit with a separate round of bilateral talks in the Kyrgyz Republic, and…

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Joint Awami Action Committee Explained: The Group Behind AJK’s Protest Movement

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Joint Awami Action Committee members leading a rally in Azad Kashmir

Summary The Joint Awami Action Committee, usually shortened to JKJAAC or JAAC, has become the single most important political force behind the wave of unrest that has repeatedly gripped Azad Jammu and Kashmir since 2023. Understanding who they are — and the region they operate in — helps explain why these protests keep recurring rather than resolving after one round of talks. Background Azad Jammu and Kashmir, often shortened to AJK or called Azad Kashmir, is the Pakistan-administered portion of the wider, long-disputed Kashmir region. Unlike the provinces of Pakistan,…

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Trump Says US Has Secured Majority Control Over Venezuela Oil Reserves

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Oil tanker loading crude near Venezuela oil reserves under new US partnership deal

Summary President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States has secured majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela oil reserves. The agreement, reached through a partnership with private business, marks one of the biggest energy deals in recent history. Officials say the deal could reshape US fuel supply while boosting Venezuela’s battered economy. Background Venezuela oil reserves have long been recognised as the largest proven reserves on the planet, sitting at roughly 303 billion barrels. Despite this, the country’s output has collapsed over the past…

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President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir: A Complete Guide to AJK’s Current Leadership and Government

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President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore at the AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad

Azad Jammu and Kashmir is currently governed by an interim setup led by Acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar and Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Many readers search for the “governor” of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, but the territory does not have a governor in the way Pakistan’s provinces do. Instead, it is headed by a President, who serves as the constitutional head of state, while executive authority rests with the Prime Minister and the elected AJK Legislative Assembly. This article explains who currently holds…

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