Government websites in Europe and elsewhere went offline on Wednesday after the disclosure of critical vulnerabilities in a widely used programming language sent website operators around the world scrambling to protect their systems.

Developers of the PHP programming language on Wednesday released urgent new fixes to vulnerabilities that had quietly been lurking in their software for years until they were uncovered using AI, saying that all users were “encouraged to update immediately.”

With tech firms warning that some hackers were already exploiting the flaws, government agencies across Europe were among those that took sites offline as a precaution.

Because a fix is now public and artificial intelligence tools are able to reverse engineer the bug with little effort, experts said they were bracing for a wave of intrusions as hackers jumped to get ahead of fixes.

AI was powering a “race to exploit,” said Costin Raiu, co-founder of cybersecurity research and incident response firm TLP: Black. He said the next step was the “mass compromise of every vulnerable web server on the internet”.

PHP, a language that dates back to the early 1990s and initially stood for “Personal Home Page”, underpins huge parts of the public-facing web and is baked into WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and Magento sites, meaning that any critical vulnerability potentially has enormous knock-on consequences.

“All servers using any version of PHP released in the last 20 years will be vulnerable,” said Tiffany Farriss, the interim chief executive of the Drupal Association. “This issue impacts the majority of the Internet.”

Cybersecurity agencies in Europe, Australia, Japan and Britain have urged PHP users to update immediately or take websites offline until patches can be applied.

The Dutch cybersecurity agency itself went offline, saying it had done so as a precaution because of the vulnerabilities. The operator of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia also said it had taken down an unspecified number of systems until they could be safely patched.

Even some world leaders, who don’t typically get involved with software updates, weighed in. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a post on X, said website owners should “check whether your live site uses PHP and prepare to apply the new fix.”

Bug found with AI

The flaw in PHP was discovered using artificial intelligence, Alphabet-owned cybersecurity company Wiz said in a blog post.

The vulnerabilities remained hidden in the PHP codebase for more than a decade and would have been extraordinarily complicated for a human hacker to have taken advantage of, the post said.

“Pre-AI, this manual work would be difficult to implement and even harder to scale,” it said. “With AI, this is no longer a barrier.”

Wiz said its research relied on Wiz Atlas, its autonomous AI vulnerability research tool, as well as Google’s Gemini 4 Argon and OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol. Wiz said it coordinated with the PHP team, OpenAI, and the cybersecurity company Calif on the discovery of the vulnerability and patch verification.

The company said it also partnered with Google Cloud, Cloudflare, Amazon’s AWS, Microsoft, WordPress.com operator Automattic, and other companies such as Fastly, Akamai, Imperva, and Vercel to protect customers and prepare mitigations.

In a statement, the White House said it was made aware of the flaw on Friday.

“This discovery demonstrates exactly why American leadership in SI is so critical,” the White House said, referring to President Donald Trump’s preferred term for artificial intelligence. “This is American innovation strengthening our national security.

Critical software

When a visitor loads a page, a server running PHP assembles the content and sends it to the browser. It is free, open-source software maintained by volunteers.

Because of its ubiquity, PHP runs roughly 75 per cent of websites whose programming language can be identified, according to web technology tracker W3Techs, and because the vulnerabilities are considered so dangerous, experts are anxious about a potentially vast pool of sitting ducks.

AI-assisted hacking campaigns, which have proliferated in recent weeks, would only make things worse, said Lukasz Olejnik, a visiting senior research fellow at King’s College London.

“The scale is huge, and with AI, exploitation may happen instantly, on a large scale,” Olejnik said.

The risk is particularly acute for small websites run by individuals or organisations with limited technical resources, often on shared hosting services where customers do not directly manage the underlying servers. Security experts said such sites could take longer to patch and remain exposed well after fixes become available.

Mass outages

In the Netherlands, several organisations followed the example of the National Cyber Security Centre and took public-facing websites offline, including the Port of Rotterdam, government portal Overheid.nl, the national football association KNVB, the websites for the country’s five largest political parties and several hospital websites.

Danish municipal IT company Kombit said it had shut down several services, including the national school communication platform.

Disruption was even more widespread in Finland, where state IT services provider Valtori said government public network services had been taken offline “as a precautionary measure”.

France’s Interior Ministry said it had placed all of its websites into preventive maintenance. Japanese cloud service provider Sakura Internet said on Wednesday it had suspended a database appliance function.

LAHORE: The son of Aleema Khan, detained sister of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday, seeking the production and release of his mother, as well as two aunts.

All three of Imran’s sisters — Aleema, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan — were detained by authorities in September, under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, as the PTI geared up of for a planned protest march towards Islamabad. Their detention was ordered for 30 days.

Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, filed a fresh plea challenging their detention in the LHC on Wednesday.

The petition stated that Imran’s sisters remained at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail despite the lapse of the 30-day period of their detention.

The Punjab home secretary (grievance redressal commissioner), the inspector general of police, the Lahore capital city police officer and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent have been named as respondents.

The petition, filed through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, said the sisters’ detention orders were issued on Sept 20 and expired on Oct 19, yet the jail authorities had not released them despite requests.

“Therefore, detention of the detenues is against the law and fundamental rights of the individuals,” it contended.

The plea further said that the three sisters were not wanted in any case, and raised concerns that they may be implicated in “false criminal cases” if not released.

The petition argued that their detention was a consequence of their efforts for their brother’s release. It further contended that the preventive detention could not replace ordinary criminal law, and that the order violated Article 10 as well as the safeguards of Section 3 of the MPO.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the jail superintendent to produce the detainees before the court and “set them at liberty, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”. He asked the court to declare the detention orders void and issue directives for the detainees’ release, while suspending the operation of the orders.

The petition has been fixed for Thursday before Justice Abher Gul Khan.

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel expressed concern on Wednesday over the alleged inappropriate conduct of Airports Security Force (ASF) personnel when scanning parliamentarians and passengers at Karachi’s airport and directed that the official concerned be summoned to the next meeting.

The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi to consider various privilege motions.

Senators Jan Muhammad, Dost Ali Jaisar, Saadia Abbasi, Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, Bushra Anjum Butt and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, along with senior officials, attended the meeting.

Taking up a privilege motion moved by Senator Zehri concerning the alleged inappropriate conduct of ASF personnel, the committee reviewed the response received regarding an inquiry report that it had sought last month.

The chairman informed members that a reply had been received, along with a report stating that the official concerned had been transferred from his previous posting to another location.

Senator Abbasi emphasised that the matter was not confined to parliamentarians but also concerned ordinary citizens. She observed that alleged misuse of authority and inappropriate searches of passengers’ belongings could create a negative public perception of elected representatives.

Senator Zehri expressed serious concern over the alleged rude behaviour of the personnel and underscored the importance of treating passengers with dignity and respect. She questioned the legal provisions under which the authorities were empowered to search passengers’ belongings, maintaining that such searches should only be conducted when required by security considerations and strictly in accordance with the law.

The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) senator noted that the initial response had maintained that all actions were taken in accordance with the law, while subsequent information indicated that the official had been transferred.

She stressed that the official should be summoned to present his position and explain the legal authority for such actions.

The chairman directed that the official concerned and other relevant officers be summoned to the next meeting, and instructed authorities to arrange professional training for airport personnel to ensure passengers were treated respectfully and dealt with courteously and professionally.

The committee had taken up the privilege motion by Senator Zehri in a previous meeting on Sept 11, regarding alleged misbehaviour by ASF officials during a check-in for Emirates flight EK-601 on July 24.

Senator Zehri told the committee that while she was travelling to London, an ASF official searched her hand-carry bag and questioned her about the cash she was carrying.

She said she offered to go to a side office to count foreign currency as per procedure, but the official instead opened her bag at the desk where three other bags were already open for inspection.

The committee at the time directed that an inquiry be completed within 15 days and that the officer found responsible be produced before the next meeting.

Sub-panel formed on PIFD row

The committee also considered a privilege motion moved by Senator Butt, who heads the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, against Hina Tayyaba Khalil, vice chancellor (VC) of Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD), and two others.

According to the motion, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Senator Butt alleged a breach of her privilege and that of the Senate and its standing committee arising out of the conduct of the vice chancellor in connection with proceedings relating to matters concerning PIFD.

The motion alleged that the VC’s contractual tenure had expired in Dec 2025, but she continued to hold office.

It stated that the Senate panel on education had been examining matters concerning PIFD and required the VC to appear. However, the VC failed to appear, and her conduct required examination from the standpoint of the privileges and authority of the Senate and its committee.

The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and the secretary of his ministry.

Senator Mehdi observed that the officials should have informed the committee in writing of the reasons they were unable to attend. He noted that Senate members of the university concerned had previously been invited to attend a meeting through Zoom but had failed to participate, and directed that show-cause notices be issued to the absent members.

During the discussion, Senator Zehri sought an update on an inquiry assigned to Saleh Farooqi as inquiry officer.

Senator Butt expressed reservations about the inquiry procedure, alleging that teachers summoned at her request had faced pressure. She said that as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Federal Education, she had acted as facilitator and forwarded complaints to the relevant authorities.

Senator Abbasi informed the committee that a decision by the inquiry committee was expected the following day.

After deliberations, the chairman directed that a sub-committee be constituted to examine the matter comprehensively and summon 13 individuals involved in the case. The committee approved the formation of the sub-committee with Senator Palwasha as convener and Senators Dost Ali Jaisar and Jan Muhammad as members.

Pims conditions reviewed

The committee also took up a privilege motion moved by Senator Khan against Dr Sherjeel Zaheer, director of the Emergency and Accident Centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), concerning alleged remarks following the senator’s social media post highlighting the poor condition of equipment and facilities.

The PPP senator said she had raised the issue after witnessing the condition of a patient who allegedly could not receive assistance due to non-functional equipment. Members expressed serious concern over cleanliness, patient care and administrative affairs.

The chairman directed an unannounced visit to the hospital, while also accepting a written apology tendered by Pims.

The committee also examined a privilege motion moved by Senator Khan against Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan concerning alleged unparliamentary conduct in a standing committee.

The two had been involved in a heated exchange during a December 2025 meeting over a question related to the construction of a road project.

Senator Mehdi said a letter seeking a response had been sent, but no reply had been received.

The committee expressed displeasure over the minister’s absence and directed that another letter be issued. The matter was deferred.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday directed the relevant authorities to provisionally de-seal the official residence of Suriya Bibi, the deputy speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly that has been non-functional since the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency in the province on Oct 11.

The court also restrained law enforcement agencies from arresting Bibi till further orders.

The directives were issued by a two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Muhammad Faheem Wali, who took up Bibi’s plea challenging the sealing of her official residence and her anticipated arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

A written order of the hearing is yet to be released, during which the bench also issued notices to the provincial government, the KP inspector general of police (IG) and other officials, seeking their replies on Bibi’s petition.

Advocate Yasir Khattak appeared on behalf of the petitioner at the hearing and argued that his client, being the elected deputy speaker of the KP Assembly, was “entitled to protection under the Constitution and laws of the land”.

“The petitioner holds a constitutional office and is entitled to perform her official functions without unlawful interference, discrimination or arbitrary executive action,” he contended.

The counsel further said that under Section 20 of the KP Provincial Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975, Bibi was entitled to a “fully furnished official residence” in Peshawar for her “entire tenure as the deputy speaker”.

He informed the court that Bibi had been allotted an official residence at Race Course Garden, Peshawar through a June 3, 2024 notification.

The lawyer claimed that following the imposition of governor’s rule on Oct 11, police, “without any reason and justification”, raided Bibi’s official residence to “harass her and illegally and unlawfully arrest her”.

He added that on Oct 14, at midnight, the respondents, along with some officials, again “raided Bibi’s house without any reason and justification or prior notice under the law and locked the house”.

Advocate Khattak argued that the “impugned action has deprived the petitioner of lawful access to her official residence, as well as her belongings, including official documents and essential items”.

He contended that the mere imposition of emergency or governor’s rule did not, by itself, establish a lawful authority to seal the residence of the petitioner.

He said his client didn’t seek immunity from any lawful and bona fide action taken in accordance with the Constitution, but “arbitrary, discriminatory or unauthorised interference with respect to her residence, without a lawful justification, is open to challenge before this court”.

The plea

In her petition, Bibi sought a declaration of the court that the sealing/locking of her official residence was undertaken without lawful authority, in violation of due process, and was illegal, unconstitutional and without lawful effect.

She requested the court to direct the relevant respondents, including the provincial government and the KP IG, to “immediately” de-seal the premises and restore the her lawful access and possession to the official residence.

Bibi further sought directives for the IG and Peshawar deputy commissioner to not raid her house and illegally arrest or detain her, particularly not to “illegally arrest” her on the basis of any order issued under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance and to act strictly in accordance with law.

She requested the court to restrain the respondents from “unlawfully interfering” with the her access to her residence or removing her personal belongings and documents from the house.

The provincial government, through its chief secretary, KP governor, KP IG, Peshawar deputy commissioner, Administration Department secretary, among others, have been named as respondents in the plea.

Following the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, a case has also been registered against Bibi for allegedly refusing to return an official vehicle.

The federal government imposed emergency and the governor’s rule in KP on Oct 11, citing the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism.

In the days preceding the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, political tensions between the Centre and the opposition — including the PTI which was in power in KP — had remained high since jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party announced a protest march to Islamabad to demand his release.

After the imposition of governor’s rule, now-non-functional KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and other PTI leaders have been taken into preventive custody.

ISLAMABAD: Taking exception to the prosecution’s shifting stance without realising the gravity of that conduct in a case regarding expired drugs, the Supreme Court has ruled that whenever reasonable doubt arises, a suspect should not be deprived of the benefit of bail.

The object of a trial is to make an under-trial suspect answer criminal trial instead of punishing by letting him rot behind bars, regretted Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar in a verdict published on Wednesday.

He was heading a three-member bench that on July 22 heard a criminal appeal filed by Muhammad Akbar, who was originally granted bail by the SC on April 16 in a case registered at Quetta’s New Sariab Police Station.

The SC extended the bail granted earlier on the same terms and conditions, adding that observations made in this bail order were tentative in nature and will not prejudice the case pending before the trial court of either party.

“We are of the firm view that the case of the petitioner requires further inquiry,” Justice Mazhar said in a five-page order.

“Whenever reasonable doubt arises with regard to the participation of the accused in the crime or the truth or probability of the prosecution case as well as the evidence proposed to be produced in support of the charge, the accused should not be deprived of benefit of bail and in such a situation it would be better to keep him on bail than in jail during the trial,” the order read.

Justice Mazhar narrated the sequence of events, noting that the original case was lodged against the suspect under Sections 379, 420, 274, 275, and 276 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), as well as Sections 23 and 27 of the Drugs Act 1976, concerning transportation of expired drugs.

These sections deal with offences affecting public health and safety since they relate to drug adulteration and misrepresentation, and carry penalties up to six months of imprisonment.

Based on these sections, a two-judge SC bench on April 16 granted post-arrest bail to the petitioner on furnishing bail bonds to the tune of Rs100,000 with two sureties in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

When the SC’s bail order was sent for compliance, it emerged that the prosecution modified the first information report (FIR) by replacing the original provisions with Sections 409, 471, 468, 467, 420, 109 of PPC, read with Section 5 (2) of the 1947 Prevention of Corruption Act.

These sections outline major white-collar and financial crimes involving public servants, forgery, cheating, and abetment. Frequently combined in corruption, bank fraud and property misappropriation-related cases, the provisions spell out severe punishments, ranging from 10 years in jail to life imprisonment.

During the July hearing, when the court confronted state counsel Baqir Shah and Investigating Officer (IO) Muhammad Ajmal about why the FIR was modified by adding new sections of the PPC, they responded that these additions were made on Jan 15 but failed to offer any plausible reason why the modified FIR was not brought on record when the SC granted bail.

They could also not justify deletion of Section 23 and 27 of the Drugs Act 1976 from the FIR when the initial allegation against the petitioner was transporting the expired drugs with alleged violations of the Drugs Act.

When the court asked the IO what new evidence was brought on record which necessitated these insertions, he simply replied that four statements of witnesses were recorded under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). He further said the prosecuting Quetta deputy superintendent of police sought the opinion of the deputy inspector general (Legal), who opined to delete and add new sections.

“It appears from the conduct of the prosecution that to complicate the case with some ulterior motives, the prosecution acted unfairly and added certain sections without realising the effect of deleting these sections of the Drugs Act,” Justice Mazhar observed.

He said another aim may be to frustrate and deprive the petitioner of concession of bail.

Though Justice Mazhar refrained from adverse observations since the matter was still pending with the trial court, he regretted that, due to the concealment of facts, the possibility cannot be ruled out that new sections were added after court order only to deprive the petitioner of bail.

“We are sanguine that new section/offence can be inserted, provided that something was gleaned to the prosecution on investigation of crime but not on the whims of prosecution,” Justice Mazhar stated.

He remarked that the prosecution has “not acted seriously” and that if any insertion was made before the bail was granted, it should have been brought to the SC’s knowledge “for consideration without playing hide and seek”.

The judge regretted that due to “such callous conduct”, the petitioner who was earlier granted bail was still behind the bars.

Due to divergent pleas of the prosecution, as well as insertion and deletion of new and old sections of PPC in the same FIR during trial, the case has otherwise been made out to be a case of further inquiry, the judgment said.

“The prosecution is itself confused regarding the culpability of the petitioner due to changing stances,” it observed, adding the case of further inquiry presupposes tentative assessment which may create doubt with respect to the involvement of the suspect in the crime.

Apple on Wednesday said it will have ‘limited’ numbers of its folding iPhone Duo phone available for walk-in customers when the device launches on Friday, after initial online orders sold out in minutes and pushed delivery times for some customers to January.

Apple announced its first folding phone in September, with analysts expecting it to quickly come to dominate a niche segment where rivals such as Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have sold premium offerings for years.

But the iPhone Duo is also a more complex product than standard candy-bar iPhones, with a tight-fitting hinge that analysts believe may take time for Apple to learn to manufacture in high volumes.

“On Friday morning, our teams look forward to welcoming customers at Apple Stores to experience iPhone Duo and the incredible iPhone line-up for themselves,” Apple said in a statement.

“Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we’re working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers’ hands as quickly as possible,” it said.

The availability of walk-in units will vary by country, Apple said.

Online order pickup and limited walk-in purchases will be available in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico and much of the UK and Europe.

Other regions will only have iPhone Duo units available for customers who already bought them online, including mainland China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the UAE, Apple said.

On the China-governed island of Macau, the iPhone Duo will be available for walk-in customers only, with limited inventory, Apple said.

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) five-day physical remand of a suspect in an alleged Rs35 billion fraud involving the online sale of counterfeit US postage labels.

The suspect, identified as a 33-year-old resident of Khanewal, had been charged by a Florida jury with defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) of $126 million, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida said on Sept 28.

The NCCIA’s Lahore zone announced his arrest at a press conference a day ago, saying that the suspect operated a website to market and sell over 5m fake postage stamps over a period of more than three years.

Subsequently, the suspect was produced before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo on Wednesday, where the NCCIA sought his 14-day physical remand for interrogation.

The agency’s investigating officer told the court that the suspect had allegedly been operating a website, LabelsBank.com, since August 2023 to sell more than 5m counterfeit postage labels.

Partially allowing the agency’s request, the court granted it a five-day physical remand of the suspect.

According to the US Department of Justice, the website run by the Pakistani national was not authorised to sell USPS products and services.

The counterfeit labels allegedly allowed customers to ship packages at rates “far below legitimate USPS prices”, it said, adding that it caused losses exceeding $126m to the postal service.

US prosecutors alleged that the website sold the labels for around $2 each, regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination. A US court order authorised the seizure and shutdown of the website.

On Tuesday, NCCIA’s Lahore Zone Additional Director Atif Ameer said eight special teams had been formed in Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh to trace the suspect and investigate the network.

He said 16 bank accounts had been used in the scam, including some allegedly operated by his close relatives.

OpenAI said on Wednesday it was expanding advertising on ChatGPT to 26 more countries, including Pakistan, ​bringing the total to 89 as ‌the AI company beefs up its advertising business to boost revenue ahead of a potential initial public ​offering.

The company said in August its ads ​business had reached an annualised revenue run ⁠rate of $1 billion.

OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT ​in the US earlier this year, and ​more than 100,000 advertisers have since run campaigns on the platform, the company said.

The expansion adds 14 more ​Latin American countries, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia ​and Peru, following launches in Mexico and Brazil.

Ads are also launching in markets across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Advertisers can access ​ChatGPT ads ​in the ⁠new markets through technology partners, or get self-service access via Ads Manager ​on the company’s platform.

Ads will appear ​only ⁠on ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free.

In ⁠September, ​OpenAI introduced AI-powered tools for ​advertisers and began testing business-sponsored agents with select US advertisers.

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday appointed a state counsel to cross-examine prosecution witnesses from the defence side in a security breach case against lawyers Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha.

Advocate Taimur Janjua has been directed to be present at the next hearing as Imaan and Hadi’s lawyers failed cross-examine the witnesses during Wednesday’s proceedings in the case pertaining to the alleged disruption of a security route of an international cricket team and incitement to public unrest in 2024.

Imaan and her husband, Hadi, have been accused of removing barriers from the route in the case, and the couple was indicted on Oct 7. They are facing a jail trial in the case, with ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presiding over the proceedings at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

Advocate Aimal Khan Mandokhail appeared before the judge on behalf of Imaan and Hadi on Wednesday and requested an adjournment.

However, the court declined the request, observing that the prosecution witnesses were present at the hearing and the defence could cross-examine them.

“The witnesses are present; you may proceed with the cross-examination,” Judge Sipra said.

But, Advocate Mandokhail said senior counsel Riasat Ali Azad was not present and that he would cross-examine the witnesses.

The judge observed that the accused were lawyers themselves and could conduct the cross-examination in their own case if they wished.

Moreover, the court order stated that it was “made crystal clear” at the last hearing that the accused should ensure the presence of their lawyers for cross-examination.

“But the defence side is reluctant, rather refused to cross-examine. Both the accused are advocates themselves, and they have been asked to cross-examine the witnesses, but they have also refused to do so. In view of that, this court has no other option but to appoint a state counsel on behalf of the accused at the state expense as provided in law,” the order read.

The court appointed Janjua from a list of five lawyers provided by the Islamabad advocate general.

The hearing was adjourned till Oct 22 (Thursday).

Advocate Janjua had previously been appointed to represent Imaan and Hadi in a controversial social media posts case — a development to which the couple had objected.

He had shown up in the Islamabad district and sessions court during a November hearing instead of Advocate Shakeel Jatt, the state counsel who was initially appointed to represent the duo in the case.

That was after Advocate Jatt had refused to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses in the case, saying that he could not “ask questions dictated” to him.

At a December hearing, Hadi had informed the court that a no-confidence application had been filed against Advocate Janjua.

Imaan and Hadi’s rearrest

The lawyer couple has been in jail since their arrest on Jan 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the Islamabad High Court and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.

Just a day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in the controversial social media posts case.

The convictions were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations (UN) experts.

On Sept 17, following months of litigation before the courts, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in the case. The SC ordered their release pending the Islamabad High Court’s final verdict on their appeals against the trial court’s decision.

However, the reprieve was short-lived as hours later, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an ATC, which sent them to jail on judicial remand.

The fresh case in which the two were arrested was registered at the federal capital’s Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.

Imaan and Hadi were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads and were nominated by name in the FIR. However, at the time of registration of the case, no section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) had been added.

The FIR included sections 188 (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their official duty) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in the performance of official duties).

When Justice Department (DOJ) staffers arrived in Minnesota this summer to monitor the state’s primary election, they found themselves under scrutiny as well.

Minnesota officials deployed about 40 state employees, working in pairs, to track the DOJ lawyers as they travelled through two counties during the August vote.

The monitoring effort reflected mounting tensions between Minnesota and the Trump administration over elections and immigration.

Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon said his office is likely to continue coordinating with the state attorney general’s office to shadow federal monitors during the November 3 midterms, when control of Congress is at stake. California has launched a similar programme.

While Simon acknowledged the DOJ monitors were not disruptive, the moves by Minnesota and California nevertheless underscore the unease in Democratic-led and some Republican-led states about the DOJ’s plans to deploy about 1,000 monitors in all 50 states on Election Day, roughly triple the number in the last midterm election. The deployment would be the largest observation effort in the department’s history.

The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive approach to election oversight, pressing states for voter-registration data and arguing that stricter measures are needed to ensure public confidence in the vote. Critics, including both Democratic and some Republican election officials, view the moves as federal overreach.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said in an interview that “they are the source of interference,” referring to the federal government. “They are the ones that are intimidating and creating the suppression.”

Justice Department officials accuse critics of fear-mongering about the monitor programme, saying it will focus on compliance with civil rights laws as in prior elections.

DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels said the monitors will be trained not to interfere with election processes and will focus on countering voter intimidation and protecting access.

The DOJ has not yet revealed where monitors will be deployed, but department officials said priorities include areas with a history of voter access issues and places with competitive races that could be targets of voter intimidation.

The expanded monitor programme has led several states to issue new guidelines to local election officials and poll workers about the limited authority DOJ observers will have on Election Day.

Some state and local laws allow election officials to prevent DOJ monitors from being present inside polling locations.

DOJ staff can observe voting, speak to voters after they leave polling places and report immediate concerns to local law enforcement or election officials. But they cannot conduct investigations on the spot or otherwise stop anyone from voting.

In Nevada, the chief election official, Democrat Cisco Aguilar, said local law enforcement will be trained to remove any DOJ monitor breaking rules or refusing to leave a polling place if asked.

In Maine, where a key race could help decide control of the Senate, the secretary of state has told local election supervisors to contact the state if federal monitors request permission to observe.

A long-running programme

The Justice Department for decades has dispatched election monitors to document potential civil rights violations, such as polling locations that lack Spanish-language ballots or are inaccessible to people with disabilities.

The Trump administration has reshaped the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, which runs the monitoring programme, prompting an exodus of career staff and a new focus on election fraud and voting by non-US citizens.

The new emphasis has led some state officials, rights groups and former DOJ lawyers to fear the expanded programme could be used as a tool to sow doubt about the security of the election, in which Democrats are widely expected to gain control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.

“There’s never been a time when DOJ’s presence would have been viewed as this much of a threat,” said Stacey Young, a former DOJ lawyer who previously worked as an election monitor and now runs Justice Connection, an advocacy group that has opposed the Trump administration.

A particular concern among voter rights groups is the department’s plan to deploy criminal prosecutors as monitors, in a break with historical practice. The department has relied on civil lawyers and support staff in the past out of concern that the presence of criminal prosecutors at the polls could make voters apprehensive.

A major civil rights group, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), has sued to bar prosecutors and other law enforcement personnel from serving as monitors, arguing the Trump administration’s plans amount to voter intimidation.

A senior DOJ official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details, said voters were unlikely to notice a difference between prosecutors and other DOJ staff.

“Monitors will not identify themselves as prosecutors,” Pels said in a statement, arguing the NAACP lawsuit is based on “unwarranted fear and baseless speculation”.

She said the monitors would document instances of any alleged voting by non-citizens they uncover, a core Trump administration priority that has not historically been a focus of the programme.

“If monitors observe any violation of federal election law, including voting by non-citizens, they record and report it to the department,” Pels said.

The senior DOJ official said monitors would not seek to check voters’ citizenship status on Election Day. Reports from monitors, however, could contribute to investigations after the election, the official said.

It’s unclear what evidence of illegal voting monitors would be able to collect while observing in polling places.

The Trump administration has made voting by non-citizens a centrepiece of its campaign, alleging voter fraud, prosecuting alleged offenders in past elections and seeking to block California from counting some 20,000 mail ballots from voters the administration alleges are likely non-citizens.

Studies have found that the practice is rare, but President Donald Trump and his allies have held up isolated cases as evidence to falsely claim that US elections are “rigged.”

Few incidents in primaries

The DOJ has said it monitored hundreds of polling places in 11 states during this year’s primary elections. Few incidents were reported, but in Wyoming, the state’s Republican governor, Mark Gordon, asked the state attorney general to probe what he described as aggressive conduct by DOJ monitors, including requests to examine voting machines.

The DOJ official said monitors only asked about the machines to inquire about access for people with disabilities. A spokesperson for Gordon said disagreements remained about the episode.

Officials in several states told Reuters they had worked successfully with DOJ monitors in prior elections and did not anticipate disruptions this year.

Two Minnesota counties, Hennepin and Ramsey, invoked state law to keep DOJ monitors from within 30 metres of polling places during the primary election in August.

The death of a suspect, allegedly during an exchange of fire with Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD), sparked questions from lawyers and journalists on Wednesday regarding extrajudicial killings and due process.

The CCD, established last year, has been criticised by human rights advocates and civil society members for a high number of casualties.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) alleged earlier this year that the CCD has adopted a “deliberate policy of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings”. In response, the department termed the claims as unfounded and contrary to the department’s operational framework.

The suspect who was killed in the latest alleged encounter was accused of running over a 14-year-old boy, who worked for him, with his car in a private housing society in Multan. That incident also sparked anger among the public, with a police officer saying the teenager had been “subjected to barbarity”.

The CCD claimed that the suspect, identified as Tauqeer, had escaped from its custody after it was granted the man’s three-day physical remand. According to the department, he was found dead after an exchange of fire when its personnel attempted to stop two individuals riding a motorcycle on Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass.

The alleged encounter came on the heels of another incident in Islamabad where the police claimed a suspect was killed when his accomplices opened fire on a police team transporting him.

Lawyers and journalists took to X to voice their concerns over the rule of law.

Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry, founder of Women in Law, said extrajudicial killings were not the kind of justice people expected from the state, describing them as another example of the state failing its citizens.

“When we demand ‘justice’, what we mean is through the rules of fair investigation, fair trial and due process,” she said.

Journalist and writer Shabbir Dar said extrajudicial killings “exposed the failure of the criminal justice system that consumes billions in public funds but has lost the confidence of both the public and those in power”.

Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari also weighed in on the incident, asking in a post on X: “‘Out of control’ is the new control?”

A post from PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt, which was later deleted, prompted criticism as well.

“This is [Punjab Chief Minister] Maryam Nawaz sahiba’s government; justice is served immediately here,” wrote Butt, sharing screengrabs of a TV report regarding the Bahawalpur encounter.

Journalist Hasnaat Malik criticised Butt’s post, questioning the need to spend enormous amounts of funds on courts if justice was to be delivered in this manner.

“It would have been better if punishment was given after fulfilling all legal requirements,” he said.

Advocate Abdul Moiz Jaferii took aim at Butt, who heads the Punjab Women Protection Authority, for “celebrating” the suspect’s killing.

“This is not justice, it is vengeance. And an admission of guilt,” the lawyer said in a post on X.

Barrister Rida Hossain noted it was “short-sighted, unjust, and wrong to defend police encounters allowing the executive to act as judge, jury, and executioner”.

She highlighted HRCP’s figures of casualties during alleged police encounters, arguing that “this imbalance suggests deliberate executions”.

Journalist Absa Komal termed “celebrating extrajudicial killings” as “legal and moral bankruptcy”.

“When the police themselves become judge and executioner, it is not the rule of law, but the law of the jungle,” the former DawnNews anchor said, sharing a post about both recent incidents.

Senior journalist Naimat Khan pointed out that a “lawmaker from the ruling party is celebrating an extrajudicial killing of an accused person who should have been tried in a court of law to deliver justice to the victim”.

“The extrajudicial killing of even a guilty person reflects a profound mistrust in the justice system and government and undermines the rule of law,” he stressed.

Journalist Maryam Nawaz Khan termed it a “total failure of the system”.

“When the state relies solely on CCD or police encounters, it’s an admission that our judicial system is dead,” she contended while commenting on Butt’s post.

TV anchor Nadia Mirza also questioned the characterisation of the killing as justice.

“Oh!! so now you are calling an extrajudicial killing JUSTICE. Strange … where are courts?” she said in a post on X.

Journalist Javeria Siddique highlighted that extrajudicial killings directly violated the rule of law, adding that a civilised society punished people through courts rather than “encounters, enforced disappearances or targeted eliminations”.

Shazia Nizamani, chairperson of the Sindh Women Lawyers Alliance, called for the suspect to have been tried in court, saying Punjab police should have produced him before a judge to face trial and sentencing.

“How is it possible that handcuffed suspects, surrounded by armed policemen, manage to escape in case after case?” she asked.

LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) announced on Wednesday that it will launch the third phase of its nationwide protest movement against the petroleum levy on Friday, with sit-ins planned in all districts across the country, according to a press release by the party.

The government currently levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. The Centre and JI had agreed to form committees in early September — when the latter had planned a nationwide strike — to recommend measures to reduce the levy.

Wednesday’s press release by JI said the new phase of demonstrations would begin on the instructions of party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, and that the party’s clear and firm demand remained the complete abolition of the petroleum levy.

JI claimed that the government had made no further contact regarding a planned meeting between Rehman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which the latter had offered to hold.

The press release recalled that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and the PM’s adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, had contacted JI Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch to convey the premier’s message seeking a meeting.

“Both sides had agreed that their respective committees would meet to work out a schedule for the proposed meeting,” it read, noting, however, that the government had made no further contact after that.

The party stressed that Rehman had already clarified that the agenda of any meeting with the prime minister would be the abolition of the petroleum levy.

“The JI emir has warned that if the government continues to delay action and refuses to provide relief to the public, the matter will be decided through street protests.”

It added that the JI’s campaign against the petroleum levy would continue nationwide until its demand was met.

On Aug 16, the JI announced sit-ins in all the provincial capitals of Pakistan against the petroleum levy and had called for a nationwide strike on Sept 3.

On Sept 20, the party launched a protest march towards Islamabad, warning that if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy, the protest could turn into one to oust the government.

However, on Sept 22, the JI emir said his party, whose convoy had reached Multan, was postponing its long march at the request of PM Shehbaz, pending a meeting with him.

Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia on Wednesday signed a multilateral pact to promote cooperation in defence production and capabilities, the Turkish defence ministry said.

The signing took place in Qatar, with ministers of the four countries attending the ceremony. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan at the signing.

The Foreign Office has yet to comment on the signing of the defence pact, but Asif posted on X his “key statements” on the ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU).

The remarks were posted as a visual share, which said: “Pakistan places great importance on strengthening defence cooperation with trusted partners. This memorandum reflects Islamabad’s shared commitment to contributing to regional peace and stability.

“We look forward to exploring opportunities for strengthening self-reliance, industrial collaboration, joint production and technology transfer while drawing on the complementary strengths of our respective defence industries, in accordance with relevant international and domestic laws and regulations.”

The statement further said, “Through this partnership, we aim to advance cooperation across joint research and development, training exchanges and industrial capability building.”

Turkiye and Qatar released similar statements on the signing of the pact.

Reuters quoted the Turkish ministry as saying that the pact, titled ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’, was aimed at defence cooperation and strengthening defensive capabilities.

“The agreement holds substantial economic importance,” it said, adding the accord sought to foster cooperation in military production, boost military capabilities, and help collaboration in technical military training, research and development.

“By leveraging the unique military production capabilities of each country, the initiative will facilitate cooperation and integration, enhance defence industrial capacities, and enable the fulfilment of the needs of allied and friendly nations,” it added.

Later, the Qatari defence ministry also released a similar statement.

Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman, and Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Defence Yusuf Jauhari were the other signatories. Haluk Görgün, who heads Turkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries, was also present on the occasion.

Görgün said in a statement that the accord formed the foundation of a “strategic cooperation” to develop joint production and technology.

“Technology sharing, joint development and strengthening domestic production capabilities lie at the heart of sustainable defence industry. As Turkiye, we value partnerships that go beyond off-the-shelf procurement models, that foster the development of a nation’s own human capital and industrial infrastructure,” Gorgun said.

“We believe that the Badr MoU will contribute to transforming the complementary capabilities of Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkiye into concrete projects,” he added.

State-run Qatar News Agency said the pact was named ‘Badr’, “referring to the full moon, to signify how the four nations complement one another through this agreement, given its immense importance in terms of both defence and the economy”.

“Other friendly nations may join the MoU, in accordance with criteria agreed upon by the four countries,” it said.

Pakistan has strong brotherly and historic ties with the three countries, with intense diplomatic engagement seen in recent months with Qatar and Turkiye particularly.

Pakistan and Turkiye, along with Saudi Arabia, are members of the Makkah Defence Alliance, under which they are to treat an attack against any of them as an attack against all. Qatar had welcomed that pact as cooperation aimed at regional security and stability.

Islamabad and Doha have remained engaged as mediators in the US-Iran war. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Turkiye are part of the Regional Four (R4) Group along with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which emerged in March and has met several times since then.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Qatari counterpart during his visit to Doha, where the two agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in internal security.

During his November 2025 visit to the Gulf state, President Asif Ali Zardari met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and offered to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence production.

Last month, Indonesian naval chief Admiral Dr Muhammad Ali called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.

The two sides “reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the domains of professional training, defence collaboration and joint exercises”, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The naval chief had also met President Asif Ali Zardari.

In January, Defence Minister retired Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin had called on CDF Munir, with ISPR saying he expressed Jakarta’s desire to further expand defence ties with Pakistan.

Pakistan has developed somewhat of a gluttony for all-rounders. And it makes sense.

As cricket has evolved, we have increasingly been assessing players and performances based on utility, impact and numbers, instead of drawing decontextualised conclusions based on skill alone.

It is important to be good, yes, as it always has been. But now, being good simply isn’t enough – the real question is: you may be good, but are you also useful?

Of course, it all sounds a bit pedantic when you put it this way, because the skill itself is a measure of utility. The better you are, the more useful you can be for your team.

But this might exactly be why the notion of a pure all-rounder, as opposed to being a batter who can bowl or vice versa, is so captivating.

If you can score runs with the bat, and save the same runs with the ball, and dismiss the opposition in the process, and do all of those things well, there is little anyone can hold over you.

So then you must understand, that pure all-rounders, as they come, are rare.

This, then, puts into perspective the sort of performances Arafat Minhas is putting in so early into his career.

Arafat is one of those players that just is an all-rounder. Some of them luck into the reality — discover that they can roll their arm over more-than-adequately, or realise that some of the shots they play while coming out to bat down the order can pass as good batting (think Naseem Shah and a certain set of sixes).

Others are a bit more deliberate with their polishing — adding more tools to their repertoire to amass as much utility as possible.

Arafat makes it look innate, even though it is anything but.

It wasn’t just that he, along with Hasan Nawaz, batted Pakistan out of a tricky situation in their One-day International tri-series match against England on Tuesday, where the Green Shirts had first found themselves at 81-4, and then at 133-5.

Or that he dismissed Tom Banton and, more importantly, Harry Brook, to trigger his exceptional six-wicket haul that would take Pakistan convincingly over the line.

What was particularly remarkable about Arafat during the game was that he managed to take Pakistan out of situations that normally result in the team sinking further down.

The top four faltering with the bat has often meant the rest of the line-up is more or less fated to fall similarly, while an uninspiring start with the ball has led to many panicked instances of waywardness.

But Arafat dug in, at first complementing Hasan’s free-flowing and match-defining 74-ball-79, before accelerating to finish at 59 runs off 58 balls, his late assault including three exquisite boundaries off consecutive deliveries off Sonny Baker’s bowling.

“When I went out to bat, Hasan was batting with me and we had discussed that we need to build a partnership and we will go deep,” he said to the broadcaster in a post-match show.

He added that the two targeted to “ to reach 200 in 40 overs and then assess the situation for the last ten overs,” and that Hasan’s intent meant that neither were under any pressure during their partnership.

“This calculation is very important in a 50-over match.”

It was also encouraging signs for Pakistan that hurdles in both innings did not lead to panicked decision-making by the players, rather, they were intuitively battled through with genuinely good cricket, especially by Arafat.

He dismissed opener Tom Banton after a blitzing 57, but the real treat was his delivery to dismiss Harry Brook, a player who has been so ruthlessly good against Pakistan across formats.

“As a left-arm spinner, when I bowled Harry Brook, that was very important,” he said.

“And it will remain a memorable delivery, because it is a dream ball for a left-arm spinner [for the ball] to beat the batsman and hit the stumps.”

Arafat’s prowess floating to the top is particularly encouraging for Pakistan in the context of the 50-over World Cup approaching next year, the marquee event this tri-series is meant to begin building towards.

Pakistan had a disappointing show last time out in India, but what was particularly disappointing was how the team’s spin arsenal fared even in favourable conditions — a dire set of sporting circumstances that culminated in the team’s first ever ODI loss to Afghanistan.

Usama Mir scalped four wickets in four matches, while Shadab Khan managed only two in three.

While the upcoming set of challenges in Africa will most certainly come with different conditions than those the team met in India, having players like Arafat be part of the process is a start in rectifying old lacking.

“Saim had bowled before me, and he told me that the ball was holding a little bit,” he said, speaking in a video reflection posted on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s social media handles, adding that communication of this sort was crucial in longer games, reflecting his sentiment about planning out the partnership with Hasan.

A five-wicket haul on debut against Australia, and a half-century with six wickets — something previously only achieved by Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi for Pakistan — against England in his fifth ODI means that the big shoes that Arafat will hope to continue filling in his career could well be his own.

Waqar Younis asked him as much, whether his early success means the expectations are all the more lofty.

He replied that the work it took to get to this stage, was simply only to get to this stage.

“This was not the goal, the goal is much bigger and farther ahead. I’m thankful for the performances that I have been able to put in at this stage at the start of my career, but I have to do a lot more,” he said.

No skill in cricket is innate, or can be taken for-granted as such. Arafat, who was, in his own words, handed the hard ball by his father to bowl spin at the age of eight or nine, can probably attest to that. But if he keeps making all-round excellence look as sublime as he did yesterday, this sentiment might require some reckoning.

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday took an apparent swipe at counterpart Donald Trump of exploiting France’s riots for advantage in the US midterm election battle, as Paris prepared for more protests this weekend.

Macron, speaking during a visit to Qatar, implied that Trump, and possibly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also in election mode, made “stupid comments” on the unrest for political gain, though he did not name either leader.

“There are people who campaign at France’s expense — leaders who are in campaign mode, whether here in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic,” he told reporters in Doha.

Macron made his remarks as he and his government struggled to get on top of a crisis that has scarred France’s image both abroad and in financial markets, six months ahead of presidential elections to choose his successor.

France’s government has admitted it “lost control” in the frenzy of street violence that erupted last weekend, when masked youths clashed with police, looted shops and vandalised public buildings.

Trump has sought to link the “revolution” in France to “migrants, jihadists, and communists” as he campaigned for his Republican party in the United States on his anti-immigration messaging.

He also on Tuesday hailed French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who shares his ideologies, as a conservative voice, with surveys putting her as the frontrunner in France’s presidential race.

Trump’s ally Netanyahu, facing his own tough election battle, on Tuesday argued that France had been hit by an “invasion of extremist Islam”.

Several analysts have dismissed the claims that migrants were driving France’s protests.

Curfews

The unrest overshadowed demonstrations held on Saturday in which more than half a million people marched nationwide against the cost of living. Those rallies followed four weeks of student protests that have closed many schools across France.

Since the rioting — the worst France has seen in years — and ahead of further cost-of-living demonstrations this coming Saturday, Macron’s government has warned it will brook no further violence.

Authorities in Paris and several other cities imposed nighttime curfews Monday and Tuesday in certain zones prone to protests or looting.

Macron said that on Thursday he would chair a meeting of key ministers and intelligence officials to receive a “detailed account” of what happened last weekend.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who on Wednesday held a meeting with union leaders organising marches, has vowed a “massive” police deployment for the fresh demonstrations called for Saturday by the Yellow Vest movement protesting rising inflation.

The convulsion in France, the EU’s second-biggest economy after Germany, has rattled financial markets already nervous about the country’s growing debt pile and deficit.

The yield on the French government’s benchmark 10-year bond has been rising, and on Wednesday surpassed five percent as investors demanded a higher return given the fiscal woes. A rising yield signifies a drop in bond prices.

The Paris stock market also fell.

On Friday, the Moody’s ratings agency is expected to lower its grade on France’s public debt.

The country’s political landscape is so fragmented that Lecornu has little chance of winning swift parliamentary consensus for a cost-cutting budget that needs to be adopted before the end of this year.

Le Pen leads race

The latest survey, carried out by Ifop in the wake of the riots, suggested Le Pen would lead first-round voting intentions by a wide margin and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon emerged as her most likely opponent in the runoff.

France’s neighbours Italy and Belgium have also started to experience similar unrest, on a smaller scale. Italy’s government has ordered 500 troops to Milan to stem street violence there.

Macron said that “we don’t need a state of emergency” that would likewise permit soldiers to reinforce police against rioters, adding that “we have the means” already at authorities’ disposal, such as curfews.

While the partial curfews have led to a calming of the situation in Paris and elsewhere, they have disrupted travel for commuters looking to take urban rail after 11pm (2am PKT).

“It’s quite disconcerting,” said one Paris commuter who gave only his first name, Louis, when he found his line closed. But “if it can prevent further acts of vandalism… then yes, I think it’s a good thing”, he said.

The Yellow Vest movement behind last weekend’s demonstrations announced on Wednesday that it had formally told authorities it planned to hold its Paris march on Saturday starting from Bastille square.

The movement also wants to hold follow-up nationwide demonstrations on Nov 5.

The images broadcast around the world of France’s street violence last weekend have prompted several countries, including the United States, China and Germany, to issue travel advisories for their citizens in France.

The first Ebola case detected in Nigeria is the Bundibugyo strain, which is behind a major DR Congo outbreak, and the patient is a diplomat, an emergency meeting heard on Wednesday.

The case in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, was detected in a woman who had travelled from Uganda to the capital Abuja on Oct 3, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said.

Since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-May, the deadly viral haemorrhagic fever has spread to several countries across the continent, including to neighbouring Uganda.

“We did three levels of tests, but all molecular. The strain was Bundibugyo,” Olajumoke Babatunde, director of the public health laboratory service at the NCDC said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also confirmed that it was the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is still neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment.

“This person is actually a diplomat,” another official said, adding the patient has deteriorated into “multi-organ failure”.

The director general of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, warned on Tuesday of “an extremely serious threat” as Kenya also declared its ninth Ebola case.

In several months, the DRC’s Ebola epidemic has become the deadliest in the country’s history, killing 4,381 people out of more than 9,000 confirmed cases, according to the health authorities.

Nigeria has identified 44 contacts that are being monitored, while intensifying efforts to find other people who may have been exposed.

The WHO said in a statement that infection prevention and control was being “ramped up” at the private hospital where the patient sought care.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Ten people were killed and 44 others injured when a passenger bus overturned after hitting a road divider on the Indus Highway in Rajanpur district’s Rojhan tehsil, Rescue 1122 said.

The accident occurred in the Bangla Hidayat area at around 5:45am. The bus was reportedly speeding when it collided with the divider and toppled over.

The deceased include seven men, two women and a girl, Rescue 1122 said in an incident report.

Of the 44 wounded, 38 were being treated at the Rajanpur District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, while four critically injured persons were referred to Dera Ghazi Khan and two seriously hurt to Rahim Yar Khan’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

Rescue 1122 said it “responded promptly” upon receiving the emergency call and mobilised 10 ambulances and two rescue vehicles from Rajanpur, Jampur and Rojhan. It said 35 rescuers took part in the emergency response.

Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Imran Ranjha, the district police officer and the assistant commissioner also reached the site to oversee the situation and coordinate the response.

Later, Umerkot SHO Shakeel Dreshak told Dawn that a case had been registered at his police station, in which the bus driver was also named.

The first information report (FIR), seen by Dawn, was registered on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Shakeel Abbas and invoked Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 322 (unintentional murder) and 337 (causing injury to head or face) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR said the bus, which was travelling at a high speed, hit a divider on a road, turned on its side. The complainant accused the driver of negligence.

DC Ranjha initially told Dawn that the bus driver had fled the scene after the incident, as well as the bus’s owner. He later told Dawn that the driver had been taken into police custody and was being treated at a hospital.

On Monday, a road accident on Multan’s Bosan Road claimed the lives of five men in their 20s early after their speeding Toyota Corolla hit a road divider before crashing into the wall of a nearby plot and catching fire.

According to Rescue 1122, around 1,352 road traffic incidents, resulting in an average of 14 deaths, are reported per day across Punjab.

Washington’s envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Saint Petersburg early Wednesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin following what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “positive” talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

The trip by President Donald Trump’s special envoy is part of efforts to draw a line under a bitter feud between him and Zelensky over the war with Russia.

After talks with Witkoff in Oslo, Zelensky thanked Washington on Tuesday for the resumption of US intelligence sharing on Russian strikes.

The positive tone followed days of friction between Kyiv and Washington after Trump struck a diesel-supply deal with Putin and called for Zelensky to be replaced after Ukraine refused to stop hitting Russian oil refineries.

“We are thankful that intelligence works,” Zelensky told reporters in Oslo, describing the early warnings as “very, very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians” when ballistic missiles were about to strike.

Rubio said during a visit to India that Witkoff would next head to Russia after the “positive” talks with Zelensky.

“He’ll now, armed with those ideas, be able to go to Saint Petersburg and share them with the Russian side — and let’s see if we can make some progress,” Rubio said.

Witkoff’s planned meeting with Putin on Wednesday would include Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner participating virtually, a US official told AFP.

Trump’s envoy was met at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg by the Kremlin’s adviser for international economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, according to news agencies.

‘Make a deal’

Trump said Tuesday that he had asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, an American taken captive by Russian forces years earlier in Ukraine, though it was not clear if the request would be raised in Wednesday’s talks.

“I’ve been talking to him at length. I’ve asked him to release him. Let’s see what happens,” Trump told journalists in Washington.

Trump has also been keeping up the pressure on Ukraine, saying at the White House that he wanted Zelensky to “make a deal” with Russia, which is ramping up its strikes as a bitter winter looms.

Trump, who called on Zelensky to resign last week, also criticised the Ukrainian president for not accepting terms he said he had offered during an infamous televised row in the Oval Office in February 2025.

Ukraine reacted with dismay after Trump also waived sanctions against Russia’s war machine.

The feud spiralled as Zelensky accused Trump of weakness, and then alleged that the United States was deliberately withholding vital intelligence and delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles.

Ukraine has also reported a reduction in speeds on Starshield, the US military satellite system it uses for battlefield communications and strikes on Russian-occupied territory.

Trump has denied ordering a reduction in speeds on Starshield after Elon Musk — whose company SpaceX developed it — said the order could only have come from the White House.

Rubio said Wednesday that Washington had no prior knowledge of the slowdown of the SpaceX satellite communications.

“The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr Musk,” Rubio said in Mumbai.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that it was indeed Musk who ordered the slowdown in the military-grade version of Starlink.

‘Our future’

Witkoff’s meetings follow furious diplomatic efforts in Washington, Kyiv and Western capitals to calm the row.

Zelensky told US senators on Monday that “the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles” already paid for by European countries, while the shipment was waiting for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s signature.

Several European countries were ready to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own stockpiles but were awaiting US approval, he said.

Trump, whose Republican Party faces tough midterm elections as fuel prices soar, has accused Zelensky of a lack of effort to resolve the conflict.

He said he was ready to meet Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss denuclearisation, adding that talks could also cover the Ukraine war — sparking fears in Kyiv that it was being sidelined.

Zelensky insisted Tuesday that Kyiv needed to be represented at any meeting regarding Ukraine’s future.

“If there are issues about Ukraine, our future, it can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations,” he said.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and visiting Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral defence cooperation on Wednesday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Muizzu arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on a three-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit marks the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years, and comes as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, established in 1966.

CDF Munir called on the visiting president in Islamabad, where the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, the prevailing regional security environment, and avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation, the Radio Pakistan report said.

“Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening defence cooperation, institutional linkages and professional exchanges,” it added.

The CDF highlighted the “longstanding and cordial relations” between the two countries. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation and promoting peace, stability and security in the region through constructive engagement, Radio Pakistan said.

It added that President Muizzu commended the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and appreciated the country’s continued efforts to promote regional peace and stability.

PM Shehbaz vows strengthening of bilateral relations

Earlier, PM Shehbaz vowed to strengthen bilateral relations with the Maldives, as the two countries signed 20 memorandums of understanding (MoUs).

Addressing a joint press stakeout following the signing of 20 wide-ranging MoUs, PM Shehbaz said, “There is no doubt that the two countries [will] keep on strengthening these relations for all time to come.”

The premier extended a “very warm welcome” to the visiting dignitary and his delegation.

PM Shehbaz expressed his “warmest greetings and heartfelt affection to the people of Dhivehi Raajje, the land of islands, a nation whose spirit is as vast as the ocean that surrounds it,” hailing 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The prime minister noted that he and Muizzu, in their bilateral and delegation-level talks, discussed “all important issues which have direct bearing between our two brotherly countries and of course, regional and international issues”.

“I am very happy to announce that we had a wonderful session, very productive and very fruitful discussions,” he remarked.

PM Shehbaz noted that the conversations encompassed “economic and trade relations, our strategic defence cooperation, our support for training of our brothers and sisters from Maldives in Pakistan in various walks of life; police, defence, education, health and many other” fields.

The prime minister went on to announce that both sides had agreed to raise their bilateral trade from $13.9 million — “just a fraction of our potential” — to $200m in the next two years.

Highlighting that the two South Asian countries had “very strong” relations, coupled with a “long list of mutual achievements”, PM Shehbaz said both sides noted that their ties “do not reflect the true strength of our economic cooperation”.

Thanking Muizzu for his “personal support in this behalf”, the premier went on to announce that Islamabad would support Malé in promoting the plantation of 5m trees in the Maldives by providing 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of various plant species within a mutually decided timeframe.

Referring to the MoUs signed, he affirmed that he “will be very happy to personally work with [Muizzu] to translate these written MoUs into action with prompt decision-making and speedy implementation”.

The prime minister declared that Pakistan was “absolutely ready to provide technical expertise to various segments of our mutual cooperation and, above all, Pakistan is very happy to learn that Maldives is moving forward speedily to establish data centres in other places”.

“This is great news, and as a matter of good luck, Pakistan has also attained a reasonable level of expertise and professional capability in this field,” he added, noting that the country had set up data centres in various locations. He offered Pakistan’s “experience and our professional capabilities in this behalf” to the Maldives.

PM Shehbaz noted that a large number of Maldivian students were receiving education in Pakistani universities and colleges, particularly in the field of healthcare, and that 250 Pakistani doctors and other paramedics were serving in the Maldives.

“This shall continue in future with bigger numbers so that whatever requirements you have, we as a brotherly country would be more than happy to fulfil those requirements willingly and with utmost sincerity of purpose,” the prime minister said.

Speaking on international developments, PM Shehbaz commended the Maldives’ “unwavering” support for the Palestinian cause, adding that Islamabad remains fully committed to the Palestinians’ right of self-determination and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine.

The premier further said he briefed Muizzu on Pakistan’s principled position on occupied Jammu and Kashmir, declaring Islamabad’s support for a peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“Till they have won their struggle and gotten the right of self-determination, Pakistan shall continue to support them diplomatically and, of course, support them at all international forums till they become an independent sovereign country as per UNSC resolutions, and their sacrifice will not go to waste at all,” he said.

The prime minister also expressed Pakistan’s “serious concern” over India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance in April 2025, pointing out that it was a violation of an international binding treaty.

“Pakistan’s position is loud and clear and beyond an array of doubt; legally binding treaties must be respected and shared water resources must never be weaponised or used as an instrument of political pressure or blackmailing,” he stated.

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan has made it “abundantly clear at various forums”, including the UN General Assembly last month, that water was a “red line” for the country.

“Waterflows in any canal or ocean, sea or straits, carries trade, commerce, message of prosperity and progress, and not threats, confrontations and conflicts,” he said.

“Water is a lifeline for humanity […] so this should be known to all and sundry that any violation in this behalf will be regarded by Pakistan as an act of war,” the prime minister warned.

Concluding his remarks, PM Shehbaz said Muizzu’s visit had given Pakistan-Maldives relations “new purpose and new momentum”.

He remarked, “The same ocean that touches the shores of Karachi and Gwadar embraces the islands of the Maldives.

“For centuries, its waves have carried traders, scholars and travellers between our lands. Today, they carry the renewed promise of our wonderful friendship whose finest chapters are yet to be written.”

In his comments, Muizzu appreciated PM Shehbaz, the government and people of Pakistan for “their exceptional warmth and gracious hospitality”.

He added that his visit coming on the 60-year mark of Pakistan-Maldives diplomatic relations made it “particularly significant”. The 60 years have been marked by warmth, friendship and shared perspectives, he said.

“This visit takes place after a decade-long interval. It offers us an important opportunity not simply to celebrate the friendship of the past but to define the partnership of the future,” Muizzu said.

Stressing on the close relations between the two countries, he said, “Only two such longstanding friends could have talked so widely and agreed on so much about our future together”.

Muizzu said, for him, the talks represented a “clear shared ambition to move the Maldives-Pakistan partnership into a new era”.

He said the discussions encompassed several sectors including trade and investment; health and education; environment, fisheries and agriculture; youth and sports; policing and defence; training and capacity-building; and tourism.

The Maldivian president said he was pleased about the signing of 20 MoUs.

“These memoranda will open new avenues for cooperation among multiple sectors, but agreements are meaningful only when they produce results. Our next step, of course, is to translate these understandings into tangible opportunities and meaningful benefits for the people of both nations.”

Muizzu also said he endorsed the goal to take the two countries’ bilateral trade quantum from $13m to $200m in two years.

“The Maldives and Pakistan are worlds of untapped potential for each other,” the Maldivian president said.

He reaffirmed that the two countries would take a “firm step in the right direction”, adding that Thursday’s business forum would provide an opportunity to bring together business leaders, inventors and innovators from both countries to turn the friendship into mutually beneficial investments.

He said he was encouraged by the discussions to establish direct flights between Pakistan and the Maldives, adding that direct flights would help support tourism as well.

He further said that the two countries’ leaders saw “considerable potential in halal and Muslim-friendly tourism”.

Moreover, Muizzu appreciated Pakistan’s scholarships and placements for Maldivian students, adding that the leaders would broaden the opportunities further, especially in artificial intelligence, digitisation and future technologies as well as health.

“We want our next generation to be prepared for the future and be prepared to shape that future.”

Muizzu stressed that climate change was “not an abstract environmental concern” for the Maldives, but “it is a direct challenge to our security, our development and our future”.

He welcomed cooperation with Pakistan in areas of climate resilience, conservation, sustainable waste management and renewable energy. He thanked PM Shehbaz for his announcement of donations to help the Maldives plant 5m trees in five years.

“Our nations share a commitment to advancing common interests through constructive engagements.”

He said the Maldives remained committed to revitalising the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, adding that “rebuilding trust, encouraging meaningful dialogue and strengthening mutual understanding are essential to unlocking the full potential of regional cooperation”.

He further expressed the Maldives’ “unequivocal and steadfast solidarity” with Palestinians and their “legitimate right to self-determination”.

Muizzu also commended Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts “to promote dialogue, de-escalation, humanitarian assistance and a just and lasting peace” in the Middle East.

Concluding his remarks, he said, “For 60 years, Pakistan has stood as a trusted friend of the Maldives.”

The two countries have now agreed to “build a new era of partnership on the foundations of our six decades of friendship”, he said.

The Maldivian president was later conferred with an honorary doctorate in politics by the International Islamic University Islamabad, with PM Shehbaz noting that the degree recognised Muizzu’s “sagacious and wise leadership and your great public service to your people in the Maldives”.

20 MoUs signed

Pakistan and the Maldives signed a series of MoUs aimed at deepening bilateral relations in multiple sectors, including defence, IT, cybersecurity, health, education, social protection, agriculture and tourism, among others.

PM Shehbaz and Muizzu were present at the ceremony where representatives from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents.

The two countries signed an MoU on cooperation in the fields of information technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digital skills, and technology and innovation. An MoU was inked to strengthen cooperation in combating illicit trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs.

The two sides also signed an MoU on social protection as well as on health cooperation and between Maldives Food and Drug Authority and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.

Both nations also signed MoUs focused on the recruitment of health professionals, strengthening defence ties and maritime security cooperation.

An MoU was signed to boost agriculture cooperation, besides another one on promoting fisheries cooperation.

To promote ties in technical and vocational education, an MoU on collaboration to promote technical and vocational education and training was signed, while another MoU was inked to promote educational cooperation.

The representatives of Pakistan and the Maldives also exchanged MoUs on cooperation in the field of youth and sports development, air connectivity, tourism and in the field of arts, culture and heritage.

The MoUs were signed between the National College of Policy and Law Enforcement of the Maldives Police Service and National Police Academy, Islamabad; Civil Service Commission of Maldives and the Federal Public Service Commission of Pakistan; and Civil Service Commission of Maldives and Civil Service Academy (CSA) of Pakistan.

In order to boost commercial engagement, an MoU was signed between the Maldives State Trading Organisation (STO) and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for cooperation in trade of agriculture commodities, food and other products, besides signing another pact aimed at boosting cooperation in the field of environment.

Prior to the MoU signing ceremony, Muizzi was welcomed at the Prime Minister House with a guard of honour. He held introductions with federal ministers while PM Shehbaz greeted the Maldivian delegation.

According to a statement by PM Office (PMO), the prime minister extended a “warm welcome to the esteemed guest”, followed by a guard of honour by smartly turned-out contingents of all three armed forces.

The visiting dignitary also planted a sapling at PM House, and prayers were offered for the progress and prosperity of both countries.

A Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum will also be held during the visit to promote interaction between the two countries’ business communities and explore opportunities for trade and investment.

President Zardari calls for stronger bilateral economic cooperation

President Zardari also met his Maldivian counterpart at the President’s House in Islamabad, where he emphasised the need to translate the political goodwill between the two countries into “greater trade, investment, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges”.

According to a press release by the President’s Secretariat, he also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Maldives in education, healthcare, human resource development, social protection and sustainable development.

“The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” the statement said.

President Zardari reaffirmed the importance Pakistan attaches to its “longstanding fraternal relations” with the Maldives, highlighting that Muizzu’s state visit coincided with the 60-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and provided “fresh momentum” to the bilateral partnership.

He also recalled Pakistan’s contributions to the development of the Maldives, including the Parliament building and the School of Medicine in Malé.

The press release added that both leaders expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

They recognised the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable countries, particularly small island developing states and climate-vulnerable developing economies.

“President Zardari expressed Pakistan’s readiness to deepen cooperation with Maldives in climate resilience, environmental protection and sustainable development, including support for President Muizzu’s Five Million Tree Initiative,” the statement said.

Additionally, the leaders exchanged views on regional and international developments and underscored the importance of “dialogue, diplomacy, sovereign equality, mutual respect and peaceful resolution of disputes”, it said. They also reaffirmed their support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine.

According to the statement, Muizzu was accompanied by Maldivian Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam; Minister of Defence and National Service Hassan Rasheed; Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan; Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed; and High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives Mohamed Thoha.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Maritime Minister Junaid Anwar, Senators Sherry Rehman and Saleem Mandviwala, former federal minister MNA Naveed Qamar, the foreign secretary, and the High Commissioner of Pakistan to the Maldives were also present, it added.

The meeting was followed by a state banquet hosted by President Zardari in honour of President Muizzu and his accompanying delegation. It was attended, among others, by PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Commander National Strategic Command General Syed Aamer Raza.

Meeting with Dar

Earlier in the day, DPM Dar called on Muizzu, welcoming him and his delegation to Pakistan, the FO said on X.

Dar “underscored the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, education, climate change and tourism”, the FO said.

DPM Dar also welcomed the Maldivian business delegation in the Maldives-Pakistan Business Forum and “expressed hope that B2B engagements would yield concrete trade and investment opportunities”.

Muizzu, speaking to Dar, “expressed Maldives’ desire to deepen its close relations with Pakistan and explore new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation”, the FO said.

Separately, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry held a meeting with Maldivian Minister for Homeland Security Ali Ihusan and exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, a statement by the interior ministry said.

According to the statement, the two agreed to promote cooperation on immigration and to curb human smuggling and organised crime.

It quoted Chaudhry as saying: “Pakistan values sharing experiences and security cooperation with friendly countries to promote peace and stability in the region. Pakistan wants to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the Maldives in the areas of law enforcement and internal security.”

He stressed the need for cooperation between the two sides to tackle the challenges of illegal immigration and human smuggling and assured the visiting dignitary on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s behalf of “all-possible assistance for enhancing bilateral cooperation”.

Last month, the Maldives’ parliamentary speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah met with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.

In 2015, former Maldivian president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom undertook a two-day state visit to Pakistan on May 6-7 at the invitation of then-PM Nawaz Sharif.