The government on Tuesday slashed the price of petrol by Rs8 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.

Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs338 per litre, while HSD will cost Rs371 on Nov 11 (Wednesday), according to a notification by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra).

The government continues to levy Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel.

Under an arrangement announced on Nov 2, for 30 days, oil refineries will contribute to the petroleum levy by bearing a cumulative impact of Rs15 billion, according to the government. This allows a Rs14.71 reduction in the petrol price at the consumer end.

On Sept 17, the government rolled out the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme across the country to ease the public’s burden amid rising fuel prices due to the Middle East situation.

The subsidy scheme applies to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles of up to 800cc.

The government and Jamaat-i-Islami held another round of negotiations today to formulate a way forward on relief in petroleum prices.

Rise in fuel prices

The price of HSD has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on Feb 28.

The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March.

Meanwhile, the government has reintroduced a raft of austerity measures in response to rising fuel prices amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Under these measures, markets are required to close by 9pm, and fuel allocations for official vehicles have been cut by 50pc for three months.

Since July 17, the government has been revising fuel prices on a near-daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had decided to give Ogra the responsibility of deciding fuel prices on a daily basis based on international market trends.

Prior to this, the government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since early March, alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the conflict. The federal government had also announced targeted relief measures in April to provide subsidised fuel.

Petrol is mainly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes.

Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large, as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators.

Petrol and HSD are the major revenue earners, with monthly sales of about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes, compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene.

Upon arrival, the prime minister was received by Turkiye’s Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gökhan Yazgı, Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate Amna Baloch and senior Turkish officials, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

The premier is accompanied by PPP Senator and former climate minister Sherry Rehman, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and his adviser Tariq Fatemi, according to PMO.

At the COP31 Leaders’ Summit, PM Shehbaz will highlight Pakistan’s climate priorities and emphasise the urgent need for enhanced global climate action and strengthened international cooperation to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, PMO said.

The premier will also address a high-level dialogue on clean energy transition and electrification convened by the COP31 presidency, titled “35 by 35: Powering the Future” and scheduled for 3pm local time.

According to PMO, a “Pakistan Pavilion” has been established at the COP31 venue where 54 events will be hosted on various themes.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office (FO) elaborated that the prime minister will also highlight “Pakistan’s steps towards rapid solarisation and expansion of its renewable energy capacity, as part of its transition towards a cleaner and more resilient economy, along with its efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and early-warning systems”.

He will call for predictable, adequate and accessible climate finance for developing countries to strengthen their resilience and pursue sustainable development, it added.

FO termed PM Shehbaz’s participation an “expression of Pakistan’s strong support for the climate agenda”.

On the sidelines of the summit, PM Shehbaz is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other world leaders.

Nations urged to exit fossil fuels

On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged nations at COP31 to plan for a future without fossil fuels, even as host Turkiye celebrated the discovery of new oil reserves.

Fossil fuels took centre stage at the UN climate summit, where Turkiye is seeking pledges to electrify the global economy rather than concrete new commitments to tackle coal, oil and gas.

Turkiye’s “electrification” push comes as scientists warned that emissions from burning fossil fuels — the primary driver of climate change — were projected to remain near-record highs for another year.

Guterres said “an accelerated transition away from fossil fuels is fundamental” to rein in global temperature rises on track to blow past the 1.5C target in a matter of years.

“Let’s be clear: fossil fuels are not only driving the climate crisis.

Dependence on them carries a steep economic and security price as the crisis in the Middle East has laid bare,” he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a different note on Monday, hailing the discovery of two oil fields — potentially containing 135 million barrels of crude — as “good news”.

The contrast underscored a central challenge facing countries deadlocked over how quickly the world should move away from polluting fuels to cleaner forms of energy.

Since agreeing in 2023 for the first time to transition away from fossil fuels, nations have struggled to advance that goal at the annual COP conferences.

At last year’s COP30 in Brazil, fossil fuels were not explicitly mentioned by name in the final agreement.

The COP31 climate talks kicked off on Monday with an early fight over money as the UN’s chief urged world leaders to “get serious” about tackling the crisis after a year of devastating weather extremes.

The summit comes after a year of punishing heatwaves in Europe, major wildfires in Indonesia and catastrophic floods in Nepal, with an exceptionally strong El Niño weather phenomenon fuelling more climate chaos.

‘Difficult start’

Negotiators had been locked in discussions late on Sunday over demands by developing nations to include items on climate finance in the official agenda.

“This has already been a difficult start for COP31,” said Jasper Inventor, head of Greenpeace’s COP31 delegation.

Under UN climate agreements, developed countries, which are historically responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions, have provided financial support to help developing nations adapt to climate impacts and transition to cleaner energy. But poorer countries say the sums remain insufficient.

Inventor said developed countries were “taking a hard line” over whether to include a platform, agreed at COP30 in Brazil last year, aimed at discussing how wealthy nations should provide funds to developing nations.

African countries are also pushing for the agenda to include discussions on the tripling of adaptation finance, which aims to help poorer nations pay for measures such as building sea walls or planting drought-resistant crops.

Observers say few major breakthroughs are expected at COP31 as countries grapple with an oil price shock and geopolitical tensions fuelled by the US war on Iran and Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.

As negotiators tussled in Antalya, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation released a report indicating that 2026 has continued a streak of exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels.

The EU’s climate monitor warned last week that 2026 would most likely be the second-hottest year ever recorded, while scientists say 2027 could top the chart, fuelled by El Niño.

According to an official announcement issued by the PCB, the match, originally scheduled to be played in Lahore from November 17 to 21, will now take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on the same dates.

“The second Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, originally scheduled to be played in Lahore from November 17 to 21, has been relocated to Rawalpindi due to prevailing weather conditions,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a post on X.

He said the decision was taken in view of increasing smog levels in Lahore and concerns over deteriorating air quality.

It may be mentioned that Lahore has been grappling with severe smog for the past 10 days, with the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reportedly touching 600, placing it among the world’s most polluted cities.

The venue change means both Tests of the two-match series will now be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The first Test is currently under way at the same venue.

Pakistan declared their first innings at 434 for nine on the second day, with Saud Shakeel top-scoring with 93. Sri Lanka were 114 for three in their second innings when bad light stopped play.

Sri Lanka have been touring Pakistan since early October. Pakistan won the three-match T20I series 2-1 before claiming the ODI tri-series, which also featured England.

The ongoing Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff brought together the warring sides for several hours of negotiations — the first since February — that are set to continue on Wednesday.

Kushner told delegates the United States had “narrowed the gaps” between the sides — without providing details — and hoped to move towards a “solution” to Europe’s worst conflict since World War II.

In Paris, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the talks as “very productive” and called for Europeans to be eventually included at the negotiating table “because they are part of solving this problem”.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said the talks were “constructive and quite substantive”, saying his team reported to him that humanitarian issues and security guarantees were among what was discussed.

Speaking in Copenhagen, the Ukrainian president also said it was “time” for Europe to choose a representative for the talks.

Europe has been rattled as Trump has floated a deal with Russia on rewriting Europe’s post-war security, also worrying that Washington will force Kyiv to accept a de facto defeat.

At the Abu Dhabi talks, Trump’s son-in-law Kushner said the US hoped to “create a new framework” of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe that will secure “decades, if not centuries, of peace”.

Moscow, which several weeks before invading Ukraine issued an ultimatum to Western countries to roll back troops from eastern Europe, had also said this was a priority.

Ukraine has warned against a “Yalta 2.0”, referring to Western leaders dividing Europe with the Soviet Union after World War II, and the EU has said security arrangements can only be discussed after a ceasefire.

“Putin wants the USSR back,” Zelensky told Danish media.

Russia, which occupies swathes of its smaller neighbour, pummelled Ukraine with more attacks overnight, cutting power to thousands as temperatures plummet.

Putin has repeatedly turned down broader ceasefire offers and vowed his troops will press on in Ukraine.

Moscow pushes security review

In a sign it is serious about reviving its demand to review Europe’s decades-old security arrangement, Russia included a diplomat — Sergei Ryabkov — who logged Moscow’s pre-invasion demand for Nato to pull back from eastern Europe.

A Russian delegation source had said that settling the war was “merely one item on the agenda” and that Moscow’s main objective was reviewing security “for the entire continent”.

Kyiv’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov met the US envoys and European, EU and Nato officials before the negotiations.

Nato’s general in Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, is also taking part.

In a joint statement, the Europeans, Ukraine, US and Nato reaffirmed their “shared commitment to a strong post-war European security architecture”.

Ukraine pushes for truces

Umerov said Kyiv’s priorities remained securing a ceasefire and security guarantees.

“Our people are waiting to end this war,” he said.

As talks continued, Ukrainian and French foreign ministers in Paris commended US efforts to push for “partial truces”, which could serve as a “first step toward a complete and unconditional ceasefire”.

Last month, a local truce in Ukraine’s Kherson region brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump became the longest pause in fighting during the war.

Kyiv is also pushing post-war support for its army.

A senior Ukrainian source told AFP that Ukraine wanted at least 10 years of financial support to sustain an 800,000-strong army able to defend any future Russian attack.

Land issue

There is huge distrust in Ukraine towards Trump’s aims.

The US leader hinted before the talks that Kyiv might have to give up land, saying: “They’re going to end up with a little bit different shape.”

Russia’s troops have advanced westward but have not been able to seize the whole of the coveted Donetsk region, and Moscow demands Kyiv surrender the parts of the embattled area it controls.

“Allowing Russia to decide the borders of Europe will be a huge mistake,” Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen said, as she hosted Zelensky on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian leader is due to meet other Nordic leaders in Denmark and earlier spoke to Finland’s Alexander Stubb, telling him Kyiv’s negotiators are doing their “best” to ensure talks “deliver results”.

Stubb is rumoured to be one of the contenders who could represent Europe at negotiations to end the war.

The Finnish leader and Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre held a rare phone call with Putin last month, which they called “frank and substantive”.

Lawmakers elected in the Oct 27 vote took their oaths of office as Gadi Eisenkot, a former general, sought to forge a coalition after Israel’s president tasked him on Sunday with forming a government.

Eisenkot and his allies also lack a majority and he has yet to strike deals with parties that could bring him to power. If both Eisenkot and Netanyahu fail to form coalitions, another election could follow.

Presiding over the swearing-in ceremony, President Isaac Herzog told lawmakers: “You must do everything to avoid a repeat election.

“Reach out a hand for compromise, even between rivals… Look upon one another with generosity. There is much work to be done here, and it requires the ability and experience found in every part of this House.”

Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new candidate manages to form a coalition.

His right-wing Likud party’s alliance with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties outperformed election expectations but still lost its majority, now holding 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.

Eisenkot’s centre-right Yashar party and patchwork partner factions hold just 48 seats. But they have potential allies in Israel’s Arab-led parties, which hold 19 seats and are aligned with Eisenkot in their vehement opposition to Netanyahu.

This means that the newly sworn-in parliament could still deliver on some of Eisenkot’s campaign promises. It also could allow Eisenkot to replace the current Knesset speaker, a Likud member.

Speaking after parliament was sworn in, Netanyahu called for a unity government, claiming that Iran was seeking to revive its nuclear programme and that Israel could come under growing international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran.

“Only such a (unity) government will be capable of confronting challenges of this magnitude,” he said.

Proposal for Oct 7 probe

Eisenkot’s party moved to immediately propose setting up a commission to investigate failures that allowed Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attack — a move backed by the Arab parties but long resisted by Netanyahu.

Yashar also said it was proposing a mass repeal of Netanyahu’s controversial overhaul of the judiciary, which had triggered some of Israel’s largest ever protests.

Herzog told Knesset members that parliament was “duty-bound to leave no stone unturned” in investigating and understanding the “catastrophe” of Oct 7, while he said Israel continues to face threats from Iran and its allies.

During the swearing-in, far-right Israeli leader Itamar Ben Gvir heckled a prominent leader of the Arab-Israeli community.

“Who is he pledging allegiance to, Hamas?” Ben Gvir shouted at Yousef Jabareen, leader of the largest Arab-majority Joint List.

“Anyone who is not loyal shall not be in the Israeli Knesset!” he wrote on X shortly after.

Path to forming govt

Herzog on Sunday gave Eisenkot the initial mandate to form a government, starting the clock for him to cobble together a coalition within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.

Ahead of the parliament opening, Eisenkot’s party announced progress in naming people to seek key positions.

The opposition will put forward Matan Kahana — like Eisenkot, a former senior military figure — as speaker of the parliament, Eisenkot’s Yashar party said.

Avigdor Lieberman, a right-wing opposition leader who has played a key role in deciding who can enter the government, will be nominated as chair of the foreign affairs and defence committee.

The opposition’s choice for speaker would need to secure a larger number of votes than anyone backed by Netanyahu’s bloc, which has been trying to push back a vote on the speaker.

The newly formed government would need 61 votes to be approved to take office.

Eisenkot could secure the threshold with support from Arab-Israeli lawmakers, who secured a record number of seats on the back of anger in the minority community over Netanyahu’s hard-right government.

But Lieberman had been clear he would not allow Eisenkot to rely on Arab-Israelis to come to power. He has instead proposed an alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jews, despite his years of bitter denunciations of the community for its singular priority on maintaining an exemption from mandatory military service.

Arab-Israelis are also likely to object if Eisenkot carries out another major offensive in Gaza.

Eisenkot has largely backed Netanyahu’s war decisions, although he has vowed to crack down on extremist settlers in the West Bank who have been attacking and stealing from Palestinians with virtual impunity.

The PPP chairperson was addressing an event to mark the completion of one million houses for flood affectees under the Sindh Flood Resilience Project (SFRP), which he said “made history” by being the largest house-building programme in the world.

“The Sindh government has built one million houses, and when this project is completed, we would have built two million houses,” Bilawal said.

Referring to the ongoing oil and energy crisis due to the US-Iran war, he said that Pakistan and the world were facing an “economic catastrophe” and stressed that “Pakistan’s politics will definitely have to be reset” to combat it.

“But via this reset, political parties will have to work together instead of fighting,” he added.

Emphasising that the public did not want to witness further fighting, the Bhutto scion reiterated, “We need a political reset.”

He invited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to first “restore the trust of his allies”, then of opposition parties, “instead of picking new fights with them”.

The former foreign minister contended that the ongoing economic crisis was one of the worst in the world’s history, and therefore, the support of all Pakistanis, including those in the opposition, was needed to face it.

“Unless we face this crisis together, we will not be able to save our people from this difficulty.”

Bilawal’s remarks follow exchanges of harsh remarks in recent weeks between federal ministers and veteran politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has now decided to strengthen his ties with the opposition alliance.

These developments came after the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief joined the opposition in criticising the Centre’s imposition of governor’s rule and emergency in the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On its part, the Centre has repeatedly cited the KP government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the counterterrorism fight for its decision, following which the PPP’s governor now heads the provincial administration.

As he highlighted the efforts of the Sindh government post the 2022 floods, Bilawal particularly thanked the premier for the Centre’s support in the flood rehabilitation projects.

Without naming PTI founder Imran Khan, the PPP chairman said that a predecessor of PM Shehbaz “did not give us a single penny” to help the flood-hit people of Sindh.

“He even said ‘Sindh is not ours’, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has at least not made us feel this,” Bilawal said. He attributed SFRP’s success to Sindh’s efforts, international support and “cooperation of the Centre”.

The PPP chairman said that some politicians believed that the country would make progress if it was reset and run according to the wishes of the rich; however, he believed that it should be run according to the will of the poor and homeless.

“During the days of the flooding, our enemies were saying that we [PPP] were only making this much effort to make money,” he said, referring to the initiative to build homes for those affected by the 2022 floods.

He also suggested that the Sindh chief minister write to international corruption monitors and invite them to investigate the housing initiative, declaring that “there is no corruption in this scheme”.

“As we are facing a financial crisis, the people of Sindh who are enduring historic poverty, inflation and unemployment are receiving financial security,” the PPP chairman said.

“This is the responsibility of every government, party and Pakistan’s people.”

“I can tell the people of Sindh that every project, whether it is a historic housing project or free hospital care, aims to lift the financial burden off the people’s shoulders,” he added.

The European Investment Bank’s international development arm, EIB Global, is providing a €100m loan to the government for the initiative, which aims to rebuild around 2.1m rural homes damaged by devastating floods in 2022.

The project has a total cost of almost $2 billion and covers 40 per cent of rural households in Sindh.

The provincial government has also sought financial assistance of $350m from the World Bank for the project for the fiscal year 2026-2027.

The premier made the remarks, aired on Tuesday, at a ceremony marking the dome placement of the C-5 plant near Mianwali. The placement of a nuclear plant’s dome, which is weather-sealed, signifies the end of civil works and the beginning of internal construction and installation.

A government press release hailed the progress as a “major milestone” for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). It noted that the C-5 project will have a generation capacity of 1,200 megawatts (MW) and is expected to commence electricity generation in September 2030.

In his remarks, PM Shehbaz noted that while the structure may be a mix of concrete and steel, it represented “a promise of clean, reliable and affordable electricity”.

He highlighted the advantages, saying it generated “power that does not rise and fall with the price of imported fuel; power that does not depend on whether the sun shines or the wind blows; and power that runs through the night” for factories and hospitals.

He also observed that Pakistan, as a climate-vulnerable country, has a responsibility to pursue energy solutions that support economic goals while protecting the environment.

“This project will turn dreams into hope and hope into reality one day soon,” the premier added.

PM Shehbaz recalled that when he stood at the site in July 2023 during the groundbreaking ceremony, he had said that Pakistan “would not wait for anyone, but would build its own future through our hard work and untiring efforts”.

“Today, less than three-and-a-half years later, the dome stands in place ahead of schedule,” the premier added, calling it a proud moment for the country and thanking engineers, technicians and workers from Pakistan and China who worked on the project.

“I am confident that with the same commitment we will see this project commissioned ahead of time,” he remarked.

Continuing his speech, he thanked Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for his support in advancing Pakistan’s socio-economic development.

The premier also extended his gratitude to China for its assistance in building C-5, Pakistan’s seventh nuclear plant that the neighbour helped build.

“Each one stands as a living testament to a friendship that has never wavered, be it the wildest storms or fair weather,” PM Shehbaz said, thanking Chinese President Xi Jinping and his government.

“Your engineers have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with ours, through summer heat and winter chill as one team,” he added.

“The friendship between our two countries is often described as higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey, more precious than gold and diamonds, and stronger than steel.”

He extended congratulations to the China Atomic Energy Authority and PAEC, as well as gratitude to the people of Mianwali for hosting the plant.

“Our defining role must be to harness every resource, every technology and every citizen to build the Pakistan that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had dreamt of: a Pakistan that is economically dominant, energy independent and environmentally resilient,” PM Shehbaz stated.

According to PID, PAEC Chairman Dr Raja Ali Raza Anwar highlighted that nuclear power plays an important role in Pakistan’s energy security by providing reliable and low-carbon electricity.

He added that Pakistan’s nuclear power plants safely and efficiently generate 3,530MW of electricity, avoiding 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the press release read.

He further highlighted that nuclear energy accounted for around 16.6 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, despite representing only 8.6pc of its installed capacity, with its share of electricity generation rising to 26pc during winter.

Under pressure after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party’s sweeping losses in midterm elections, Hegseth now faces a congressional effort to remove him from office.

“It’s a farce and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it,” a defiant Hegseth told journalists of the impeachment proceedings launched by Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican, the previous day.

“What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle,” Hegseth said.

Massie, a fierce critic of Trump, is leaving office after losing a primary contest to a candidate backed by the president.

Trump has backed Hegseth so far, and on Tuesday wrote on social media that the Pentagon chief “gets an ‘A’ plus, plus, plus for his defence” against the impeachment efforts.

Hegseth on Tuesday defended military interventions in Yemen, Iran and Venezuela as well as strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

‘Would do it again’

“I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow,” he said, equating the effort to remove him with an attack on US troops.

“These resolutions tell every one of them that their service was a crime. Their service was not a crime. These are heroes,” said Hegseth.

Several of the articles of impeachment relate to the Iran war, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional consultation on US military interventions.

Hegseth is a staunch defender of the widely unpopular war against Iran, which he has described as a “courageous and historic effort”.

The 2025 conflict with Yemen’s Houthis also features in Massie’s articles of impeachment, which charge Hegseth with starting the operation without congressional approval and in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States.

Massie also branded strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific as “extrajudicial killings” and said Hegseth “chilled independent legal review within the Department of Defence.”

He also accused Hegseth of suppressing free speech by trying to punish Democratic Senator Mark Kelly over a video in which he and other lawmakers urged military and intelligence personnel to refuse illegal orders.

“Using the powers of his office, Secretary Hegseth retaliated against and sought to intimidate United States Senator Mark Kelly for his statement,” one of the articles of impeachment said.

With three wins from as many matches, Pakistan finished top of Group A to qualify for the semi-finals, where they will take on Bangladesh in the first semi-final on Thursday.

Batting first, Pakistan posted 275-7 in their allotted 50 overs, with half-centuries from Ahmed Hussain and captain Farhan Yousaf laying the foundation for the total.

Ahmed top-scored with a brisk 89 off 73 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, while Farhan contributed 74 off 95 balls, including six fours and three sixes.

The pair steadied the innings after Pakistan had slipped to 64-3, adding 135 runs for the fourth wicket. Hasnain Abbas Dar provided late impetus with a quick-fire 25 off 23 balls.

For Nepal, Bipin Sharma took three wickets for 58 runs.

In reply, Nepal were bowled out for 174 in 43.4 overs. Ahmed completed an impressive all-round performance, claiming four wickets for 35 runs in his 10 overs. Mohammad Huzaifa and Mohammad Sayyam took two wickets each.

Rohit Chand was Nepal’s top scorer with 37.

Qureshi has been indicted in multiple cases pertaining to the May 9, 2023 riots and has remained behind bars since August 2023. In July 2024, the PTI leader was indicted by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in a case registered by the Shadman police over allegedly attacking and burning the police station.

Speaking to Dawn, his counsel Rana Mudassar Umar said: “[Qureshi] was taken to PIC today as he fainted and suffered a fall a few days ago. We had submitted an application in the anti-terrorism court; however, due to holidays, the issue was delayed.”

He said that Qureshi was being held under observation for 24 hours, “after which it will be decided whether he has to be admitted to the hospital”.

Last week, Qureshi’s daughter, Meher Bano, in a post on the social media platform X, said that she had learnt about her father’s fall from “family after they met him in Kot Lakhpat jail”.

“Three-and-half years ago a hale and hearty lion heart was sent to jail on trumped up charges … For over two years, he has been in Kot Lakhpat jail now facing ludicrous and false charges relating to May 9. He has been acquitted multiple times but [remains] behind bars due to the government’s malafide,” she alleged.

Qureshi’s son, Zain, said on Wednesday that he met his father in jail, where he mentioned that he had collapsed while walking within his jail barracks.

“I request the prison authorities to immediately arrange for a CT scan so that his health condition can be thoroughly assessed. Furthermore, he should be taken to a qualified dentist for the treatment of a cracked tooth,” he said on X.

On Nov 6, a meeting of the PTI core committee also expressed concern over Qureshi’s “fall and the resulting impact on his health”.

The committee called for the relevant courts, the government and the prison administration to immediately transfer Qureshi to a hospital and ensure his complete medical examination and necessary treatment.

In December last year, Qureshi, who is also a former foreign minister, underwent a procedure to remove his gallbladder at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute. Prior to that, he was taken to the PIC in May after complaining of heart pain.

Commercially available flight tracking data showed at least 10 Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker refuelling planes left the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall, eastern England, on Monday. One flew to a base in Germany, one to Scotland and two to Spain, while the destinations of the other six were not reported.

At least three Osprey multipurpose aircraft also departed from Mildenhall and landed at Lakenheath, another RAF base 4 miles away.

Video filmed by a member of the public from outside the base and verified by Reuters showed two Ospreys taxiing on the runway after landing at Lakenheath.

Asked about the moves, the US European Command said the Air Force moves aircraft between locations for a variety of reasons, and it would not comment on force protection measures for operational security reasons.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the protection of Britain’s military bases was a top priority, and that the government worked closely with the police and allies to protect them.

Security measures were kept under constant review and the government was investing in air defence and counter-drone capabilities, he said.

Asked if he was confident that Britain’s bases were safe, he said: “Yes.”

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

US removed bombers in September

According to the Wall Street Journal, the evacuations were prompted by a threat from Iran. The precise nature of the threat was under discussion among US officials, it said.

Iran has denied any links to specific attacks in Britain, but its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have said airbases used by US forces there and in other countries are legitimate targets. Britain has been warning for months that Iran has been planning attacks, recruiting people online to carry them out.

In September, the US removed bombers that had been used to strike Iran from another British base, RAF Fairford, on security grounds after a group of men approached the base in white vans.

Two men were charged last month in relation to that incident, with prosecutors alleging one of them had tried to assist Iranian intelligence in Britain.

Britain’s domestic spy chief Ken McCallum said in a speech last month that Iran-linked operations had led to more than 50 arrests over the past year.

Iran was ramping up attempts to hit harder targets such as military sites in the UK, even though its previous activity had been limited by the lack of sophistication of the criminals it used as proxies, he said.

The US upgraded the security posture at RAF Mildenhall and another UK base, RAF Lakenheath, to FPCON Charlie, the second-highest defensive threat level, the Wall Street Journal report said, citing a US official familiar with the matter.

The Fairford incident, which remains largely unexplained, attracted huge international attention at a time of heightened concern about the security implications for Western states of the war between the United States and Iran.

Burnham has said the activity at RAF Fairford was “highly likely” to have been coordinated in Iran.

On Aug 18, a three-member SC bench had directed the government to shift Imran to Islamabad’s SIH within the next two days as it heard several petitions concerning his health. However, the government took the PTI founder to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for a check-up and then transported him back to prison.

The SC’s office has already turned down Uzma’s two previous requests for an early hearing of the contempt plea, which was filed on Aug 22. The second early hearing request was submitted after the SC had fixed the main petition for Sept 16. However, on that day, the SC deferred the matter in the wake of the Federal Constitutional Court’s (FCC) directives.

In both denials, the registrar office had stressed that the fixation policy required proceedings to be conducted turn-wise. It noted that 94 different criminal original petitions belonging to the same category were already pending before the SC for hearing.

Subsequently, on Tuesday, a fresh application for early hearing was filed through Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari on behalf of Dr Uzma, following the PTI’s claim that Imran’s blood pressure surged above 190 recently.

Moved under Order XXXV Rules 5 and 6 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, the application requests the SC to order fixation of the contempt plea for next week.

The contempt plea had named Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General Prisons Mian Salik Jalal and Adiala jail’s Superintendent Sajid Baig as respondents.

In the fresh application, Dr Uzma has stressed the urgency in the matter due to reports circulating in the media that the incarcerated leader’s blood pressure recently rose to 192 and that there were serious concerns about his health.

“If an early hearing of this matter is not granted, the applicant’s and Imran Khan’s guaranteed rights will continue to be prejudiced,” the application stated, arguing that his fundamental rights, particularly with respect to health and well-being, as well as access to medical advice and facilities and family members, would continue to be violated.

The application stated the previous contempt plea had also sought court directives to arrange and facilitate weekly meetings between Imran and his family members, including petitioners and his other sisters, Noreen Niazi and Aleema Khan, along with his cousin Qasim Zaman.

It had also sought phone calls between Imran and his sons Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan twice a week.

On Sept 16, resuming the hearing on petitions concerning Imran’s health, the SC had expressed reservations over the Federal Constitutional Court’s (FCC) directive that cases pertaining to the PTI founder’s hospital transfer be fixed before it.

However, the SC had deferred its own proceedings, observing that propriety demanded deferment. At the time, the court said it was adjourning the proceedings for a date after three weeks, and is yet to be fixed for hearing.

The FCC had issued the orders, directing the court’s office to requisition the relevant cases from the SC and fix them before it under Article 175-E of the Constitution.

The directive was issued on a plea by three Adiala jail inmates seeking relief similar to that provided to Imran by the SC in the Aug 18 interim order.

A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, had also observed that fixing cases before the FCC requisitioned from the SC did not fall under clause 5 of Article 175-E of the Constitution.

Article 175-E, which was inserted in the Constitution through the 27th Constitutional Amendment, empowers the FCC to call for the record of any case and authorises it to decide matters involving major questions of constitutional law.

On Monday, a rock mass collapsed at the T-5 construction site. An emergency was declared following the collapse; construction work was suspended and workers were directed to move to safer areas. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the authority said Wapda Chairman retired Lt Muhammad Saeed visited the site on Monday and Tuesday in the wake of the incident to review the situation.

“The chairman visited … the intake structure, tunnel, power house and other important sites of the project. The consultants, contractor and Wapda project management briefed him on the current situation and the measures taken so far,” it said.

Following this, the chairman presided over a meeting at the project site, where the possible causes of the incident were discussed in detail, it added.

“Short, medium and long term preventive measures to handle such situations and strategies to address the current issue were deliberated upon. Immediate response measures were also finalised and their execution initiated,” it said.

“However, the consultants, contractor and Wapda teams were unanimous in their assessment that, as of now, there is no threat to the integrity of main Tarbela dam or any of its critical structures,” the statement said.

According to the handout, the Wapda chairman directed the consultants to submit a detailed report covering all aspects of the incident at the earliest. He further directed the consultants, contractor and Wapda project team to execute remedial measures immediately, and to finalise the contingency plan to minimise the delay in the overall completion of the project due to the incident. He also ordered a departmental inquiry to probe the incident.

“The Ministry for Water Resources had also sought initial assessment report of the incident from Wapda which has been submitted today,” it said, adding that the Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Watto had also been briefed by the Wapda chairman.

Meanwhile, Wapda engineers and technical team were busy restoring and repairing the damaged parts of the project on Tuesday, according to officials.

“The public should know that the situation is completely under control and no one should worry about the incident,” Swabi Deputy Commissioner Nasarullah Khan said.

He said that he, the deputy commissioner of Haripur and the officials concerned were dealing with the situation under a coordinated strategy.

DC Nasarullah said that the increase in the flows of the Indus River downstream had been authorised by Wapda’s technical team under safety and technical measures.

Separately, an official present at the site of the project urged the public not to pay heed to unconfirmed reports and to refer only to information from official sources.

The suspect, Ahsan, was produced before Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Nasrullah Wattoo on Tuesday after completion of his one-day physical remand.

During the hearing, the investigating officer informed the court about the progress made in the investigation. He urged the court to extend the remand by seven days in order to interrogate the suspect and complete the investigation.

After examining the record and hearing the accused, the court observed that he had been nominated in the first information report (FIR) and that a pistol had also been recovered from him.

The court subsequently extended the remand by four days to facilitate the investigation and directed the investigating officer to produce the accused on Nov 14. The court also directed the police to complete the investigation and submit the relevant record.

No lawyer appeared on behalf of the suspect during Tuesday’s proceedings.

Meanwhile, it emerged that police had decided to conduct a polygraph (lie-detector) test of the suspect, amid alleged inconsistencies in his statements during the investigation.

According to the application seeking his physical remand, the polygraph test was scheduled to be conducted at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) in Lahore on Wednesday (Nov 11).

Investigators expected to receive its report on Saturday, which they said may help them establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Rabia, who was associated with 92 News and had previously co-hosted a current affairs programme with senior journalists Amir Mateen and Rauf Klasra, was shot dead at her residence in the Gulshanabad area on Nov 8.

According to the FIR registered at Saddar Beruni police station on the complaint of her brother, Khurram Ahmed, the victim’s mother and sister were present at the house when they heard a gunshot from the bedroom.

The complainant stated that his sister, who was living at the house along with their mother, rushed towards the bedroom after hearing the gunshot and found Rabia lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Her husband was allegedly standing nearby, holding a pistol.

Meanwhile, amid reports that the complainant had decided to withdraw the murder case, a senior officer told Dawn that it was now up to the trial court to decide whether to accept the request to withdrawal the case, if such a request was filed.

She was speaking at a Honhaar Scholarship and laptop distribution ceremony at Government Comprehensive High School in Jhelum.

During her address, Maryam said voters did not support political narratives but instead judged political parties by their public service record. She cited the PML-N’s victories in recent local elections in Sahiwal and Gujranwala, despite opposition parties having “joined hands” against her.

“No matter how much you talk or how many claims you make, if you have not served the people, there comes a day when you are deprived [of public support],” she said.

“If some people have objections and are levelling allegations of corruption against the Punjab government, why don’t they resign from the cabinet?” the provincial chief executive said, in an apparent reference to Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik’s recent allegations of corruption against the Punjab government.

She maintained that there had been no corruption in the development projects worth trillions of rupees launched by her government over the past three years.

Referring to the opposition’s criticism of her government, Maryam said attempts were being made to distract her as elections drew closer.

She said she was answerable to the people for the expenditure of public money, adding that she would not spare any minister or official against whom evidence of corruption or bribery was presented.

“I have not said that corruption has completely ended in Punjab,” she said.

The chief minister said she would not comment on other provinces, as their respective governments were answerable to their own populations. However, she claimed that Punjab was the only province where the chief minister pursued a new corruption case every day.

Maryam asserted that her government had broken the tradition of concentrating development spending in major cities.

She cited the expansion of the Green Bus service to cities including Jhelum, Khushab, Layyah, Bhakkar, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan, saying similar transport facilities and infrastructure were being provided across the province.

The chief minister also highlighted the establishment of Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence, saying they were comparable to expensive private schools.

She said the schools offered facilities such as air-conditioned classrooms, computer laboratories, artificial intelligence laboratories and science laboratories, along with qualified faculty.

Maryam also praised provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat for his work in the education sector. She announced that 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence would be established, with work on the initiative in Jhelum scheduled to begin on Dec 15.

She further said the government was establishing cardiac treatment facilities in 25 cities where such services had previously been unavailable. Patients visiting catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) at public hospitals would be able to receive procedures, including angiograms, angioplasty, stenting and pacemaker implantation, free of cost, she added.

She further said cancer hospitals were being established in every divisional headquarters, while the country’s first government-run cancer hospital was being built in Lahore.

On Friday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that Salik’s recent corruption allegations against the Punjab government are part of efforts to set the ground for an “alternative arrangement”.

He alleged that Salik’s allegations “are part of setting the stage for some post-period”.

“This statement was given selectively against Punjab. Corruption is prevalent everywhere in Pakistan. […] I have tweeted about it many times,” he added.

Asif continued: “There is an attempt to create an alternative arrangement — to discredit incumbent people so that a fresh team can be presented. Whoever is behind this, that is what I was signalling to. Please do not ask me anything more than this; I can share my personal assessment.”

What did Salik say?

During a talk show on a private television channel last week, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader praised former Punjab chief minister and his uncle Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, further criticising the incumbent provincial administration headed by Chief Minister Maryam and alleging that he regularly heard complaints of corruption.

He also questioned lavish government spending, particularly the use of an official aircraft, arguing that public representatives should remain mindful of the country’s economic difficulties. He said officials using government aircraft should be required to demonstrate the tangible outcomes and public benefits of their trips.

He also called for greater ministerial accountability, proposing that federal and provincial ministers should be empowered to perform their duties while also being held accountable for their performance.

Salik’s remarks carry particular political significance given the fractured relationship between the Chaudhry family and the PTI leadership. Salik, the younger son of PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, belongs to a family whose political loyalties have diverged sharply since the ouster of Imran Khan’s government in 2022 through a no-confidence vote.

While Elahi and his son, former federal minister Moonis Elahi, aligned themselves with the PTI, the Shujaat family chose to stand with the Sharifs. Salik’s elder brother, Shafay Hussain, is also part of CM Maryam’s cabinet in Punjab.

Last Tuesday, CM Maryam said she had sent a Rs5 billion defamation notice to Salik, demanding that he retract his remarks.

She claimed the PML-Q leader’s anger stemmed from neither corruption nor progress and the issue was that she had changed the deputy commissioner of Gujrat a few days earlier, whereas Salik wanted a DC of his choice to be appointed.

Meanwhile, responding to Maryam’s remarks, Salik said he stood by his statement and had responded honestly to a question during the interview.

Sri Lanka, who still trail by 320 runs, will resume their innings on the third day with Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 40 and Dhananjaya de Silva on 22. Their resistance came after Pakistan’s pace attack made early inroads, although bad light brought an end to play after 27.1 overs.

Resuming at 281 for five, Pakistan built on their overnight position through a series of valuable contributions, with Saud Shakeel and debutant Ghazi Ghori adding 96 runs for the sixth wicket.

Saud, who had reached 57 on the opening day, continued to anchor the innings but narrowly missed out on a century, falling for 93 off 199 balls after being caught behind off Asitha Fernando.

Ghazi provided useful support with 48 before his dismissal brought debutant Arafat Minhas to the crease. Minhas made an impressive contribution, striking 52 off 72 deliveries, including nine boundaries and a six, to further strengthen Pakistan’s position.

He was eventually dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka, while Razaullah added a brisk 10 before Pakistan declared in the 107th over.

The innings was notable for the number of half-centuries, with five Pakistan batters reaching the milestone. Three of those came from debutants, as Tayyab Arif scored 57, Mohammad Taha made 51 and Minhas contributed 52. Captain Babar Azam also registered a half-century, while Shakeel’s 93 proved the highest individual score.

Fernando and Madushanka shared six wickets between them, claiming three apiece, but Sri Lanka struggled to contain Pakistan’s batting depth.

In reply, Pakistan’s fast bowlers quickly put the visitors under pressure. Mohammad Abbas provided the breakthrough by removing opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck, caught behind, before debutant Saqib Khan struck to dismiss Dinesh Chandimal for just one.

Lahiru Udara attempted to stabilise the innings with a fighting 42, but Saqib struck again, having him caught behind by Ghazi to leave Sri Lanka in further trouble.

With three wickets down, Mendis and de Silva showed greater composure, putting together an unbeaten 49-run partnership to prevent further setbacks. Mendis looked particularly assured, reaching 40, while de Silva remained not out on 22 as the pair negotiated Pakistan’s attack.

However, the fading light prevented Pakistan from making further inroads, forcing the umpires to call an early close.

Pakistan will resume on the third day firmly in control, with a substantial first-innings lead and three Sri Lankan wickets already in hand.

The visitors, meanwhile, face the difficult task of rebuilding their innings and narrowing the deficit, with Mendis and de Silva carrying the responsibility of providing the resistance needed to keep them in the contest.

Citing data from the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan, Senator Barrister Zamir Hussain Ghumro, chairing a sub-committee of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution, said the figure was equivalent to more than $18 billion.

The convener said the country was facing twin issues of exorbitant federal expenditure and heavy borrowing totalling $135bn.

“At present, federal government expenditure stands at around Rs19 trillion, while total tax and non-tax revenue was Rs20tr, leaving nothing for the provinces and forcing the federal government to resort to heavy borrowing,” Ghumro said.

The PPP senator contended that had the government implemented the 18th Amendment, devolved provincial matters and handed over CCI matters to the permanent secretariat of the CCI as envisaged under Article 154 of the Constitution, the country would not have needed handouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

During the last 15 years, the IMF gave Pakistan $15bn, while the government spent $18bn to $20bn on devolved ministries and institutions, he claimed.

“Had this amount been spent on infrastructure and social development, Pakistan would have been a different country.

“A taxpayer’s hard-earned money had been consigned to unauthorised expenditure,” he added.

The convener said the federal government makes two kinds of expenditure from the Federal Consolidated Fund: “charged expenditure” on remuneration and other perks of the president, Senate chair and deputy chair, National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, auditor general, high court and Supreme Court judges; and debt servicing, which the NA does not vote on, and “other expenditure” in the form of demands for grants by federal ministries created on federal subjects.

“It must not spend a penny on provincial or other purposes,” Senator Ghumro stressed.

“This is taxpayers’ money paid to the federal government to be spent for the purposes and services rendered by the federal government under the Constitution.

“The federal government is not obliged to provide health, education, housing, sanitation, water or other services for which the Constitution empowers provincial governments.”

Senator Ghumro added: “A citizen cannot pay the federal government for purposes and services not rendered by it under the Constitution; hence such unauthorised expenditure of more than Rs5tr amounts to gross misuse of authority under the law and Constitution and must be accounted for legally.”

He said neither the Ministry of Finance can send demands for grants for such expenditure nor the auditor general or Accountant General of Pakistan can authorise it.

They have to see that the expenditure is for purposes and services to be provided by the federal government under the Constitution, he said.

“Those matters are specifically mentioned in the Federal Legislative List. All powers under Article 142 are vested in the provinces except those enumerated for the federation in the Federal List.”

Senator Ghumro said that, under Article 154 (functions and rules of procedure of CCI) read with Article 97 (extent of executive authority of federation), executive authority over subjects mentioned in the Federal Legislative List’s Part II is to be exercised by the CCI and not the federal cabinet.

The convener noted that the CCI and Cabinet Division had sent summaries to the prime minister to abolish 24 ministries and institutions, thus curtailing federal expenditure, but the prime minister had yet to respond.

He said that, even otherwise, such ministries would become redundant as the Auditor General of Pakistan and the finance ministry would not allow such expenditure.

He directed the CCI and Cabinet Division to send a fresh note to the prime minister for abolition of ministries on provincial and CCI matters.

In July, the Functional Committee on Devolution had expressed serious concerns over the re-establishment of federal ministries on subjects devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.

It had also constituted a sub-committee to examine the alleged violations.

During a meeting of that sub-committee last month, senators sought a probe into a staggering Rs2.6 trillion expenditure by the federal government on education and health ministries.

Provinces’ share in federal appointments

The sub-committee also took up the matter of shares of provinces in federal appointments in ministries and corporations.

The Establishment Division informed the committee that, as per its instructions, 5,000 jobs of Balochistan had been advertised to rectify its share as required under Article 38(g) of the Constitution.

Senator Ghumro said the committee had identified a shortage of more than 30,000 jobs in Balochistan’s share, which must be filled. The convener noted that a shortage of more than 80,000 jobs had been pointed out in Sindh, and that positions must be advertised to rectify it.

The Federal Public Service Commission secretary informed the sub-committee that appointments for the shares of Sindh and Balochistan in services would be expedited as they had cleared the earlier backlog. He said a special CSS examination was conducted for these provinces.

The sub-committee observed that there was a meagre number of appointments of secretaries, CEOs and other high positions from Sindh and Balochistan.

The convener said Article 38(g) envisages shares in all grades, and the federal government must submit a grade-wise position in grades 18 to 22 in 15 days.

It must expedite the process through ministries in grades 1-15 positions, by FPSC in grades 16 and 17 positions and in grades 18 to 22 by the federal government and the prime minister. Compliance must be substantive and practical, he said.

The Senate panel called for implementation, rather than “statements of intent”.

It also expressed displeasure over the non-submission of a report by the information ministry, which had sought a month to devolve print media organisations and functions at the federal level and develop a mechanism to give broadcasting rights to provinces under Article 159 of the Constitution.

It directed the ministry to finalise all issues in 15 days and submit compliance.

‘Highly sophisticated silver swapping case’

Meanwhile, a separate Senate panel was briefed by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle on a coordinated multi-city operation in connection with the silver swapping and heist case earlier this year — involving alleged corruption, smuggling and suspected involvement of officials.

Senator Saifullah Abro chaired a meeting of a sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control.

The panel was informed that during the investigation, it was revealed that the suspects had allegedly adopted a systematic modus operandi involving fabrication of fake container seals, counterfeiting, substitution of genuine silver with lead bars and concealment of the stolen consignment.

The investigation established that approximately 400 kilogrammes of silver had been swapped, out of which 214kg had so far been recovered, while the case involved an estimated financial loss of Rs4m. Legal proceedings had been initiated against the suspects, who were facing proceedings before competent courts.

The FIA said the investigation was continuing through digital and financial forensics, asset tracing and other measures to identify all individuals involved and recover the remaining stolen silver.

The Safe City director general explained that the theft had been carried out in a highly sophisticated and carefully planned manner.

When the consignment reached Lahore, it was discovered that the original silver had been replaced with lead bars. He explained that one vehicle had initially been prepared for the operation. However, as it exited the airport, another identical vehicle approached from behind and carried out the swapping operation. The vehicle carrying the consignment was subsequently taken away. The entire sequence was detected through the Safe City surveillance system.

Further investigation revealed that replica boxes had been prepared specifically for the operation, and the individual suspected of manufacturing and supplying these boxes was apprehended after four weeks.

The Safe City DG also questioned the allegations of their involvement, stating that had they been involved, they would not have detected and exposed the swapping activity themselves.

The chairman appreciated the FIA’s efforts and lauded the recovery of 214kg of silver.

Abro remarked that the incident deserved to be made into a film.

He suggested that if Sindh had a dedicated film-making wing, or a similar facility existed in Balochistan, a film should be produced highlighting the entire incident, particularly how the theft was planned and executed and how it was subsequently detected through the Safe City surveillance system.

The meeting was attended by Senator Umer Farooq and senior officials from relevant ministries and departments.

Records sought from FBR

The panel led by Abro also ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to bring complete records of consumption certificates, payments and verification documents to an in-camera meeting on Nov 16, as it pursued the alleged misuse of the Fata/Pata tax exemption scheme involving imports worth Rs1,120bn and recovery of evaded taxes.

The chairman expressed serious displeasure over the absence of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s (NCCIA) DG, questioning the “non-serious” attitude of the authorities, particularly when it had already been decided in the previous meeting that the DG would brief the committee.

During the briefing, representatives of FBR and FIA presented their respective positions. The FBR maintained that it had not received any formal notice from the court, whereas the FIA informed the committee that its legal adviser had received the relevant court order.

Senator Abro and panel members expressed concern over the apparent lack of coordination and questioned why the FBR had remained unaware of the court proceedings for nearly two months.

The committee was briefed on the reconciliation gap between Customs import data and consumption certificates for the period from 2018 to June 2026. It was informed that total imports amounted to Rs1,120.66 billion, against which consumption certificates covered imports worth Rs389.87bn, leaving an apparent unreconciled difference of Rs730.80bn.

The sector-wise analysis revealed apparent differences of Rs148.25bn in steel, Rs146.96bn in textile/fabric, Rs100.88bnin food, and Rs76.49bn in ghee and oil. The committee emphasised the need for a comprehensive, transaction-wise reconciliation to ascertain the actual position and determine any potential tax liability or revenue loss.

The FIA informed the committee that 512 notices had been issued to various companies in connection with the ongoing investigation, out of which 19 companies joined the proceedings with partial records, while more than 100 notices were returned or remained undelivered. The matter is under examination before the competent court, and proceedings are investigative in nature, aimed at obtaining relevant documents and explanations.

Possible corruption, abuse of authority, diversion and wrongful release of securities are being independently examined in accordance with the law, the FIA added.

Senator Abro said the committee had been pursuing the matter for a considerable period and the authorities must demonstrate seriousness and take concrete action instead of prolonging the proceedings.

The panel was also briefed about the FBR’s reluctance to share relevant records with the parliamentary committee, particularly when the department was prepared to provide information to the court and other authorities.

Referring to Article 66 of the Constitution, Senator Abro asked the FBR to clarify the authorities to whom such records could legally be disclosed. The members stressed that parliamentary oversight must be respected and that legal provisions should not be used to delay accountability.

The chairman sought a comprehensive explanation of the certificates, the amounts released against them and the supporting documentation. He particularly highlighted 20 certificates involving approximately Rs64bn and directed the FBR to provide complete details, including records and justification for their issuance. He further referred to the terms of reference concerning approximately Rs74bn and questioned the release of payments without adequate verification and scrutiny.

Expressing serious concern over the financial implications, the chairman observed that the alleged tax liability associated with the matter could be substantial and that the state must recover every rupee legally due. He referred to an estimated amount of Rs1,120bn and stressed that the FBR must ensure proper assessment and recovery of applicable taxes.

Senator Abro directed the FBR to examine the relevant Statement of Requirements (SOR) issued in 2021 and investigate whether the consumption certificates and subsequent releases had been processed in accordance with the applicable legal framework.

The chairman also raised concerns regarding the large number of companies and petitioners involved in the proceedings and directed the FBR to examine the list of petitioners, verify their respective positions and issue notices wherever necessary.

Referring to reports of individuals possessing substantial assets, large convoys of vehicles and unexplained sources of income, Senator Abro urged the FBR to investigate possible financial irregularities and money laundering. The members stressed that the investigation must also examine financial trails and possible involvement of influential individuals and networks.

The committee further discussed the alleged movement and importation of tobacco-related material through the Fata/Pata exemption regime and its subsequent use by companies operating outside the exempted areas.

The chairman observed that the issue involved a substantial loss to the national exchequer and required coordinated action by the FIA, FBR, Customs and other enforcement agencies.

He directed the authorities to provide complete import records from January 2018 onwards, particularly details of consignments, their movement, destinations and companies involved.

He also sought details of companies involved in importing material without payment of applicable taxes and directed Customs authorities to furnish records of imports through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former Fata areas, particularly for the period after June 2026. He emphasised the need to examine the tracking and movement of containers and to identify any misuse of the exemption mechanism through companies established in other parts of the country. The committee was informed that a significant number of companies had already been referred to the FIA for investigation, while further cases remained under examination.

The chairman stressed that the investigation must be pursued without “fear or favour”, observing that the money involved belonged to the people of Pakistan. He also emphasised that wherever law-and-order constraints prevented officials from accessing certain factories, assistance of law enforcement agencies should be sought.

The chairman directed that the next meeting, scheduled for Nov 16, be held in camera to examine sensitive financial and investigative records.

The FBR was directed to bring complete details of all consumption certificates issued from Nov 2025 onwards, along with corresponding payments, pay orders, supporting documents and verification records. The authorities were also directed to provide complete details of the remaining companies under investigation without further delay.

Furthermore, the KP Customs authorities were given four to five working days to furnish the required import and movement records, taking into account different routes and customs regimes through which consignments had been processed. The chairman directed that all relevant information be compiled and presented before the committee in the next in-camera meeting.

The couple is serving prison sentences in the £190m corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. An accountability court had sentenced Imran to 14 years in prison and Bushra to seven years.

The IHC also directed the authorities to facilitate meetings between Imran and his legal team.

At the outset of the proceedings on Tuesday, Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, heading a division bench, observed that he had allowed the lawyers to meet Imran and Bushra.

He recalled that on June 29, the court had specifically directed the counsel to proceed with arguments and obtained an undertaking that no adjournment would be sought.

Barrister Salman Safdar responded that the undertaking had been given by Advocate Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, who should explain his position before the court.

He said he was present to argue the appeals as well as a civil miscellaneous application seeking permission for Bushra to receive medical treatment.

Justice Dogar, however, observed that the undertaking had been furnished by Khosa and that arguments on the main appeals would commence forthwith and conclude in due course.

Khosa, however, informed the court that he had not been granted access to Imran.

Taking note of the matter, the chief justice asked Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Hayat Malik whether arrangements could be made for Khosa to meet the PTI founder within the next couple of days. The advocate general responded in the affirmative.

Justice Dogar reiterated that he wanted formal arguments in the appeals to begin.

Meanwhile, lawyer and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja informed the court that he had received instructions from Imran. Justice Dogar observed that the court’s directions also formed part of the judicial record.

Barrister Safdar told the bench that he had been denied access to Imran for the past seven months and to Bushra for the past 11 months. Justice Dogar recalled that Barrister Safdar had earlier expressed his inability to argue the case due to restrictions on meetings with his clients.

The counsel further pointed out that the paper books in the appeals had yet to be received from the IHC. He said the case involved approximately 3,500 pages of documents and testimony from 35 witnesses, which required thorough examination before he could properly present his arguments.

Seeking reasonable time for preparation, Barrister Safdar said he had been allowed to meet Imran and Bushra for only 40 minutes, which was insufficient to discuss the cases in detail.

He also apprised the court of Bushra’s medical condition, saying that she appeared deeply concerned when he met her after a gap of 11 months and that her eyes appeared to be badly infected.

Regarding Imran’s health, he said that although his eyesight had improved somewhat, his blood pressure remained unstable, putting him at risk of a brain haemorrhage.

He added that the PTI founder was more concerned about his wife’s health than his own.

Barrister Safdar said Bushra had been wearing sunglasses during their meeting and had removed them only at his insistence. He maintained that her eye condition appeared serious and required immediate attention from a specialist.

He argued that women could be granted bail on statutory grounds and that Bushra urgently needed medical treatment. He requested the court to consider granting her bail for a fortnight to enable her to receive appropriate medical care.

Advocate General Malik, however, maintained that Bushra had been provided with proper medical treatment. He argued that individuals convicted and sentenced by courts could not claim the same absolute rights as law-abiding citizens.

Justice Dogar observed that Khosa would argue the main appeals and directed the advocate general to facilitate his meeting with Imran.

Barrister Safdar also requested an opportunity to meet both Imran and Bushra, explaining that his last meeting with them had taken place after a prolonged gap.

Raja supported the request and asked the court to allow Barrister Safdar to accompany Khosa during the proposed meeting with Imran.

Justice Dogar, however, observed that the matter relating to Bushra’s medical treatment was pending before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and that Barrister Safdar could pursue the issue of access to his clients before the appropriate forum.

Barrister Safdar reiterated his request that Bushra be permitted to receive medical treatment from a specialist of her own choice.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, the court directed the advocate general to arrange a meeting of at least an hour between Khosa and the PTI founder. It also directed the authorities to ensure that the paper books were prepared and made available before the next hearing.

Barrister Safdar informed the bench that he had also been instructed to argue both appeals. The court further allowed Barrister Safdar to meet Imran and Bushra before adjourning the proceedings for 10 days.

Speaking to the media outside the IHC, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the party had knocked on every court’s door and approached every forum to seek justice.

“It feels as though court orders in our favour were written in pencil, while those in others’ favour were written in permanent marker. Perhaps that is why no one even noticed the orders issued in our favour, let alone implemented them,” he contended.

“What is needed now is for decisions to be written not in pencil or permanent marker, but with the same pen for everyone,” he demanded, urging equal justice for every citizen.

“All of Pakistan, every political party and the public are looking to the courts for justice,” he said. He said that the courts should issue extraordinary orders in these extraordinary circumstances so that all obstacles to justice could be removed.

“We hope the court will not stop at merely issuing an order, but will also ensure that its order is implemented,” he said, talking about the most recent orders issued by the IHC.

“We also demand that the government immediately implement the court order and ensure that lawyers can meet Imran,” he urged, asserting that it was the ex-premier’s fundamental and legal right.

The £190m pound case pertains to the Al-Qadir Trust settlement, where NAB alleged that Imran and Bushra obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from a real estate firm for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the United Kingdom during the PTI government.

The amount was deposited in the Supreme Court account as part of a settlement with the property tycoon.

An accountability court in Islamabad had sentenced Imran and Bushra to 14 and seven years in prison, respectively, on Jan 17, 2025, in the case. Subsequently, both had challenged their convictions before the IHC.

A division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Amir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehr allowed an appeal filed by the provincial government against Achakzai’s acquittal and set aside the local court decision dated September 4, 2020.

Achakzai was convicted under Section 320 (punishment for qatl-i-khata by rash or negligent driving) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for causing the death of Traffic Sub-Inspector Haji Attaullah.

He was also ordered to pay diyat to the legal heirs of the deceased. Furthermore, the court directed the learned Additional Sessions Judge-VI, Quetta, to issue non-bailable warrants for Achakzai’s immediate arrest.

Traffic sergeant Ataullah was killed when a fast-moving vehicle hit him at GPO Chowk in Quetta in June 2017. The ex-lawmaker was returning from the Balochistan Assem­­bly after attending a session when the vehicle hit the traffic policeman, who was performing his duty at the place.

He suffered serious injuries and later died at the hospital.

Initially, police had registered an accident case against unidentified persons. But after the CCTV footage of the accident went viral on social media and was repeatedly shown by TV channels, Balochistan police decided to lodge a manslaughter case against the former MPA, who belongs to the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

He was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) six months later. However, in 2020, a local court in Quetta acquitted him in the case. Subsequently, Quetta police filed an app­eal filed against the acquittal.

Achakzai is a close relative of opposition leader and PkMAP chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai. He was elected to the Balochistan Assembly twice and remained a minister in the provincial cabinet. He also served as chairman of the provincial assembly’s Public Accounts Committee.

The report, released on Tuesday, said the number of likely crop-residue fires in Punjab, Pakistan, remained almost unchanged from the corresponding period last year.

Lahore’s average PM2.5 concentration stood at 126 micrograms per cubic metre during the period, exceeding the 24-hour National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) on all 40 days for which valid data were available. The average was 11pc lower than in the corresponding period in 2025.

Satellite instruments detected 18,825 fires across Punjab, Pakistan, 89 per cent of which were classified as likely crop-residue burning. The highest daily count was recorded on Nov 1, with 1,102 detections.

The 24-hour National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) were exceeded on all 40 days for which valid data were available. The average concentration was 11pc lower than during the corresponding period in 2025.

Sheikhupura recorded the highest number of fires at 2,559, followed by Jhang (2,192), Okara (2,062), Hafizabad (1,893) and Gujranwala (1,417). The five districts accounted for 54pc of the total detections.

The report found a positive correlation between upwind fire activity and PM2.5 levels in Lahore. On days when air trajectories passed over areas where burning was taking place, the average concentration reached 175 micrograms per cubic metre, compared with 93 micrograms on other days.

A similar pattern was observed in Multan, where average PM2.5 levels reached 203 micrograms on days influenced by fires, compared with 88 micrograms on other days. In Bahawalpur, the corresponding figures were 125 and 65 micrograms.

However, the report cautioned that the association did not establish the precise contribution of crop-residue burning to urban pollution, as stagnant weather conditions and reduced atmospheric dispersion also contributed to the accumulation of pollutants.

The number of likely crop-residue fires in Punjab, Pakistan, was 8pc above the 2020-2025 average, although the comparable satellite record showed a 1pc decline from 2025.

The assessment also examined whether fireworks during Diwali celebrations in India on Nov 8 had contributed to deteriorating air quality in Punjab.

It found that easterly winds carried air from Indian territory towards Pakistan during the night. Of the 48 back trajectories arriving in Lahore, Kasur and Sialkot between 9pm on Nov 8 and midnight on Nov 10, 45 had passed over Indian territory within the preceding 12 hours, most frequently near Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Jammu.

However, the report said the available evidence did not support attributing Lahore’s poor air quality after Diwali to fireworks across the border.

Lahore’s average PM2.5 concentration between 6pm on Nov 8 and 1am on Nov 10 was 234 micrograms per cubic metre, 10pc higher than the average recorded during the same hours over the preceding seven days.

In comparison, the average concentration in Kasur increased by 27pc and in Sialkot by 33pc, while Narowal recorded a 2pc decline.

The increase was greater in cities farther from the international border. Faisalabad, located 130 kilometres from the border, recorded a 40pc increase, while Multan, 180km away, also saw a 40pc rise.

The average increase in the four border cities — Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot and Narowal — was 36 micrograms per cubic metre, compared with 85 micrograms in Faisalabad and Multan.

The report noted that pollution transported from across the border would be expected to cause a greater increase in border areas than in cities farther inland. However, the observed pattern did not support that explanation.

Sialkot was an exception, recording a 37pc increase in PM2.5 during the night after Diwali, with air trajectories passing over the Jammu area.

The assessment also found that emissions from New Delhi had not reached Lahore during the period analysed. Air from Delhi entered Pakistan near Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur only after 3am on Nov 10, with its closest approach to Lahore remaining 266 kilometres away.

The report said distinguishing between emissions from fireworks and smoke from agricultural fires required chemical analysis of particulate matter, including elements such as potassium, strontium and barium, which Pakistani monitoring stations did not measure.

Air quality improves

Meanwhile, the Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) reported an improvement in Lahore’s air quality on Monday following emergency mitigation and enforcement operations.

The city’s average air quality index (AQI) reading, recorded at 489 at 9am, fell to 232 by 3pm — a reduction of 257 points, or approximately 53pc — according to the department’s monitoring network.

Data from all 11 monitoring stations showed a decline in AQI readings during the period. Egerton Road recorded the biggest improvement, with its reading falling from 500 to 167, followed by GT Road, where the AQI dropped from 500 to 172.

DHA Phase 6, Shahdara, Barki Road and Punjab University also recorded improvements, as did Wagah Border, Gulberg III, Kahna Nau, Safari Park and Multan Road.

The department said multiple anti-smog guns had been deployed along high-traffic corridors and at dust-prone locations and pollution hotspots, while mist-sprinkling operations covered around 640 kilometres of designated routes.

The government had earlier warned of deteriorating air quality in Lahore, Kasur and adjoining border districts on Nov 9 and 10, identifying Diwali fireworks, agricultural residue burning in Indian Punjab, easterly winds and stagnant atmospheric conditions as potential contributing factors.

A special assessment issued on Nov 8 had cited 2,347 incidents of crop-residue burning in Indian Punjab up to Nov 4. Of these, 1,081 were recorded in the districts of Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Amritsar. It had also warned that smoke from Diwali fireworks could reach Lahore within five to 13 hours, depending on wind conditions.

EPCCD Secretary Silwat Saeed said the department was responding to deteriorating air quality through coordinated enforcement, real-time environmental monitoring and targeted field interventions.

She said the department was using its monitoring infrastructure and Punjab Climate Watch data to identify pollution hotspots and direct operational teams to areas requiring immediate action.

Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh said the department had adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards major sources of air pollution.

He said Quick Response Units were responding to satellite-detected fire anomalies and reports of crop-residue burning, with field teams being dispatched to extinguish fires and take action against those responsible.

He added that inspections of factories, brick kilns and other emission-generating units had been intensified, while anti-smog gun operations were being carried out at full capacity in Lahore.

The director general said the improvement recorded at all 11 monitoring stations was encouraging, but enforcement, surveillance and mitigation operations would continue.

The PAQI report indicated a very high number of fires in areas upwind of Lahore on Nov 10, 11 and 12, with 642, 668 and 617 fires, respectively, expected under forecast wind conditions.

Rain forecast

Separately, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday forecast rain in most districts of Punjab over the next two days, saying it was likely to reduce smog but intensify cold weather.

According to a PDMA alert issued on Tuesday, Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad and Sheikhupura are among the districts likely to receive rainfall.

Rain has also been forecast in Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Attock, Chakwal, Khushab, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Murree and adjoining areas.

The authority also forecast strong winds, rain and isolated hailstorms in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Multan and adjoining areas.

The PDMA directed commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to remain alert and advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during storms and seek shelter in safe places. It also warned people against staying in open areas during thunderstorms and lightning.

The nomination has been submitted to the US Senate, whose foreign relations committee will review it. If approved by the committee, the nomination will proceed to a vote by the full Senate.

Baker would be appointed as the US ambassador to Pakistan following the Senate’s confirmation.

She assumed the role of charge d’affaires at the US embassy in Islamabad in January 2025, following the departure of then-ambassador Donald Armin Blome. She had arrived in Islamabad as deputy chief of mission in August 2024, according to details available on the embassy’s website.

Prior to that, she served as the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Doha from Aug 2021 to July 2024.

Baker was also deployed as the deputy chief of mission and charge d’affaires of the US Mission to Libya, deputy director of the Iran Regional Presence Office at the US consulate in Dubai and economic counsellor at the US embassy in Kuwait. She also served as the director of the Office of North African Affairs in the US State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs Bureau.

“From 2009-2011, Natalie served as the political and cconomic counsellor in Libya, as the bilateral relationship was normalising after a nearly 30-year pause.  She remained in Libya until the Libyan Revolution forced the embassy to evacuate in February 2011,” the website says.

Hasina, whose 15-year rule was ended by a mass uprising she tried to crush, has vowed to return in December to Bangladesh, where she was convicted of crimes against humanity over the 2024 crackdown on protesters.

“Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face the execution of the verdict,” Md Aminul Islam told reporters, responding to reports she planned to return from self-imposed exile in neighbouring India.

He added that the 79-year-old fugitive had missed the deadline to appeal against her conviction, leaving her with no further legal recourse.

“The statutory appeal period has expired and no appeal can now be filed,” he said.

The daughter of a revolutionary who led Bangladesh to independence in 1971, Hasina presided over breakneck economic growth, helping transform the South Asian nation of 170 million people from a largely agricultural economy into a global manufacturing hub.

Critics have accused Hasina of jailing political rivals, enacting harsh anti-press laws and overseeing widespread human rights abuses, including the killing of opposition activists.

Her 2024 crackdown left up to 1,400 people dead, according to the United Nations.

She fled to neighbouring India by helicopter in August 2024 as angry crowds stormed her palace.

She has remained there ever since, hidden from public view. Only occasionally has she addressed news conferences by telephone, her voice sounding frail.

Hasina has repeatedly said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December, telling AFP she is “fully aware” she faces being hanged if she returns.

She said “fear cannot decide” her “duty to the people”.

Extradition process

Hasina defied orders from the court to return to Bangladesh to attend her trial last year on whether she bore command responsibility for the bloody crackdown on the student-led uprising.

Witnesses included a man whose face was ripped apart by a gunshot.

Hasina, who was assigned a state-appointed lawyer, called the trial a “jurisprudential joke”.

In November 2025, a court in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia after finding her guilty on three counts of crimes against humanity, including incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has sought her extradition from India, which says the request is under legal review.

Her continued presence there has strained relations between the neighbouring countries.

She also faces a string of other cases, including corruption charges.

Hasina’s lawyers this week requested to renew her passport, without saying where or when she wished to travel.

Islam said the passport authority “may refuse to issue a passport” to anyone found guilty of serious crimes.

“Our advice to Sheikh Hasina would be, if you genuinely wish to return to Bangladesh, you should write to the Indian authorities and seek to facilitate your return under the extradition treaty,” he said.

Hasina’s pledge to return presents a political challenge for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government.

Many Bangladeshis want to see her hanged, while others fear her return could galvanise her former supporters and trigger a fresh confrontation between rival camps.

Police on Monday said they had arrested 12 people for a series of petrol bomb attacks, including against property, an empty bus and police vehicles this month. None of the attacks resulted in casualties.

Dhaka police spokesman Md Akhtar Hossain said the suspects were members of Hasina’s banned Awami League party.

The cause of the sudden bedlam? Trump was eager to show off UFC CEO Dana White, a close friend more comfortable with watching fighters bash each other in the Octagon than mixing it up with reporters.

After heavy Republican losses in the midterm elections less than a week ago, Trump announced on Saturday that he had offered the White House press secretary job to White. Trump said on Sunday he was just teasing, but White came to the White House anyway to see the president.

“Everyone please take a seat in the briefing room RIGHT NOW,” was a press assistant’s urgent instruction for reporters over the loudspeaker.

The announcement set off a stampede among the press corps with TV technicians plugging in cables and setting up microphones. The spot on the podium where the presidential seal would normally hang was left vacant.

“Dana is really very unique. The only problem is he’ll talk for a little while and then he’s going to beat the hell out of you,” Trump joked.

Trump announced that a UFC fight this weekend at Madison Square Garden will feature “the two greatest women fighters of all time”.

“How would I do against one of them?” Trump asked White. “Would I do well?” “I don’t think so,” White said.

White, who organised a series of UFC bouts on the White House grounds in June, made clear he had no desire to tussle with reporters.

“I have zero political aspirations,” said White, while nonetheless taking a few questions.

In his first four years in office, Trump was a regular presence in the White House briefing room, but now, nearly halfway through his second term, he takes questions in other places. He has talked about moving the press corps out of the West Wing to a “less obnoxious location.” But there was no talk of that on Monday. After Trump took questions on Iran, Ukraine, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and other topics, he turned back to White.

“Would you like to be press secretary of the United States of America?” said Trump. “Would you like that, or do you just want to stay with that ridiculous UFC?” “Thanks for the offer, sir,” said White. “I do not want to be in politics.”

The postponement of the exams was announced in a press release by the BISE on Nov 9, following the North Waziristan deputy commissioner’s instructions.

A revised schedule for the examinations would be announced later, the press release said, adding that examinations at centres set up at Cadet College Razmak and in Bakakhel tehsil would be held as per schedule.

In North Waziristan, this is the second time that these exams — scheduled to start on October 12 — have been postponed. They were initially postponed last month, not just in North Waziristan but also in Bannu, Lakki Marwat.

Meanwhile, a curfew was imposed in areas from Bobali and Mir Ali up to Isha, an official statement by the district administration said. The curfew would remain in place until the completion of an ongoing security operation in these areas.

The Bannu-Miranshah Road will also remain closed for traffic during this period.

Area Representative and Development Council member Malik Rohullah Khan said the general officer commanding north had issued instructions for the curfew. However, he added, residents had been allowed to visit markets for the purchase of essential daily-use items in Miranshah and Datta Khel on his request.

He further stated that residents wishing to travel outside North Waziristan could use the Miranshah, Isha and Razmak routes.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including North Waziristan, has been facing security challenges for a long time.

Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Muzak village, on the southern outskirts of Mir Ali on Monday and neutralised two terrorist hideouts, the military’s media wing said the previous day.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, security forces recovered a huge cache of prepared improvised explosive devices, explosive preparation material, weapons, and ammunition from hideouts, which were established inside mosques.

On Oct 8, the state media reported that the troops had killed nine terrorists in another IBO in North Waziristan.

According to statistics released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, KP recorded 40 terrorist attacks in October, compared with 58 in September, representing a decline of 31pc. Fatalities from these attacks decreased from 90 to 38, a reduction of approximately 58pc, while injuries fell from 165 to 19, an improvement of 88pc.

As per the report, the erstwhile Fata region experienced a comparatively modest decline in terrorist violence. The think tank recorded 30 attacks during October, compared with 34 in September, a reduction of 12pc.

Trump also danced around the question of when he personally was aware of intelligence linking the chip boss to Alice Huang, a Chinese executive who had allegedly been funnelling information to Beijing.

The US leader said he had spoken to Huang earlier on Monday “to see if he’s feeling alright,” calling the Taiwanese-born tech boss an “amazing guy”.

“I asked him that question, ‘did you have any idea that she was a spy?’ He said, ‘I had no idea that she was a spy,’ and I really believe him,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

He added: “I hope there is no problem. I believe he is suffering greatly … more so because of his family, his wife, who he loves, and his family. But he’s definitely suffering.”

Jensen Huang sent a message to Nvidia employees on Sunday in which he acknowledged having an affair and apologised to both his family and company staff.

Trump said he was not aware of the allegations when Huang accompanied him to China in May. Huang is a key figure in the AI revolution and close to the US president.

“No, I didn’t hear about it then. But a lot of people have heard about it,” Trump said.

Huang has also attended numerous White House events, including a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September.

But Trump would not specify when he was told.

“Not too long ago. We’ll look into it, I know the FBI is looking into it in terms of something else, and I think he’ll be in good shape,” Trump said.

Asked by AFP to clarify the president’s remark as to whether there is an investigation into Huang under way, the FBI declined comment Monday.

The company said Claude Fable 5.2 was designed for coding, reasoning and AI agent tasks, while Claude Mythos 5.2 was developed for approved cybersecurity and life-sciences research applications.

Access to Claude Mythos 5.2 will be restricted to organisations approved through Anthropic’s verification programmes for cybersecurity and life-sciences research, while Claude Fable 5.2 will be available more broadly, the company said.

Anthropic said the new models could generate outputs up to 30 per cent faster than their Claude 5.1 predecessors and communicate more clearly with users.

The models are priced at $8 per million input tokens and $40 per million output tokens, lower than the prices of previous Fable and Mythos releases, according to the company.

The launch follows Anthropic’s introduction of Claude Haiku 5.5 in October, as the AI startup expands its product portfolio ahead of a planned IPO.

Competition in the artificial intelligence industry has intensified, with OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms rolling out new models focused on coding, reasoning and AI agents to attract developers and enterprise customers.

It is against this backdrop that a new UN assessment — Extreme Heat and Agriculture — by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Meteorological Organisation has sought to underscore the rapid erosion of farm productivity, especially in rain-fed regions, and its impact on rural households owing to rising temperatures across the country. The findings are particularly worrying for Punjab, where frequent and severe heatwaves are disrupting rural livelihoods. Fruit productivity in the province’s high-rainfall areas has halved. Livestock is suffering, with heat stress reducing milk production and increasing the incidence of diseases among small ruminants.

The consequences are not confined to farms. Lower output means reduced incomes for farming households, with extreme temperatures accelerating the spoilage of vegetables, dairy products, and other perishables. Families earn and eat less. Gender inequality deepens the problem. Rural women, who undertake considerable agricultural and household work, face prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. Pregnant and lactating women are particularly vulnerable, with a sharp increase in the risk of premature births during severe heatwaves.

However, climate adaptation is yet to find a place in our agricultural policies. The effects of rising temperatures on the sector that sustains two-thirds of the population cannot be mitigated with input subsidies, crop support prices, or procurement targets. Farmers need heat-resistant crop varieties, better water management technology, and access to modern farming machinery. Investment in cold storage, efficient supply chains and public and livestock health services is equally important. Agricultural research requires greater private investment and better human resources.

Without tweaking policies to respond to the climate challenge, repeated heatwaves will erode productivity, making farming less viable for smallholders. The problem crosses the border. Both sides of Punjab face the same climate challenges, requiring Pakistan and India to cooperate on farm resilience. Heat is already cutting into rural incomes and into what families can afford to eat. Farm policies that ignore it will fail the people they are meant to support.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2026

Moutaz Eyad Daghlas was killed in Burqa, northwest of Nablus, late on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its teams treated two people with gunshot wounds and took them to hospital, but that Israeli forces blocked access to a third wounded person and detained three volunteer paramedics.

The Israeli military, asked by AFP about the incident, alleged Tuesday it had acted to “thwart stone-hurling” in the area.

“The soldiers identified several individuals who intended to hurl stones at a highway used by Israeli vehicles. This was in an area where stones have recently been hurled at Israeli vehicles,” the military said.

“The soldiers responded by firing towards them in order to remove the threat.”

Israeli forces have routinely opened live fire on Palestinians, including minors who throw stones in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said Israeli forces killed at least 241 children or teenagers in the territory between the October 7, 2023, and late June this year.

Violence has increased in recent weeks, especially in the run-up to Israel’s October 27 election, before which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought to appeal to hardline settlers in the West Bank.

On October 23, Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Hebron before being killed by Israeli forces, who later responded with a major operation in the flashpoint city.

Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,116 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Authority figures.