Industrial and gas-related accidents are not new to Karachi. At the heart of this tragedy lies a deeper governance crisis. Karachi is Pakistan’s economic engine, a city that fuels national revenue and sustains millions of livelihoods. Karachi’s citizens live daily with infrastructural fragility: exposed wiring, crumbling buildings, leaking pipelines, and overcrowded industrial zones. If this tragedy does not prompt comprehensive reform, then it will join a long list of preventable disasters that briefly shocked the conscience before being absorbed into the city’s weary normalcy.

Islamabad: Muhamad Zulasri bin Rosdi, First Secretary of the High Commission of Malaysia in Islamabad, attended the Roundtable Conference of Diplomats and Commercial Counsellors organised by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). The conference aimed to strengthen economic diplomacy and enhance trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and the international business community. He also highlighted the Islamabad Sister Cities Initiative as a platform to advance economic diplomacy, city-to-city cooperation, and business engagement. He highlighted opportunities for cooperation in urban development, tourism promotion, trade facilitation, and people-to-people exchanges, particularly through closer collaboration between city authorities and the business community. Participants from diplomatic missions and the commercial community welcomed ICCI’s initiative and described Pakistan as a promising destination for trade and investment, expressing interest in joint ventures and expanding bilateral trade cooperation.

LAHORE :The Punjab School Education Department has issued a notification enforcing a standard dress code for teachers in public schools across the province. Male teachers have been advised to wear simple shalwar kameez or pants and shirts, while female teachers have been directed to wear decent and modest attire. The new dress code will be strictly implemented in all public educational institutions starting from February 23, 2026. Authorities stated that heads of educational institutions will be responsible for ensuring daily compliance with the dress code. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have also been directed to strictly monitor implementation and ensure full adherence to the instructions.

Pakistan-India warDuring his address, Trump referred to last year’s Pakistan-India military confrontation, describing it as a rapidly escalating crisis between two nuclear-armed neighbours. He said he became acquainted with Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Munir at a time “when there was some fighting going on”. Gaza Board of PeaceThe Board of Peace meeting centred on efforts to stabilise Gaza following months of war. Ahead of the session, Trump announced that board members had pledged $5 billion, approximately £3.7 billion, towards reconstruction. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Washington on a three-day official visit at Trump’s invitation to attend the inaugural session.

WASHINGTON : Five countries have committed troops for an international security force for Gaza, the commander of the force said on Thursday during a meeting of President Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace. “The first five countries have committed troops to serve in the ISF – Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania. Two countries have committed to train police – Egypt and Jordan,” International Stabilization Force commander Army Major General Jasper Jeffers said. Jeffers also said the ISF would begin by deploying in southern Gaza’s Rafa, train police there and “expand sector by sector.”The long-term plan is to use 20,000 ISF troops and train 12,000 police, Jeffers said.

During an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen released on Saturday, Obama was asked if aliens were real. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” Obama said. Area 51 is a classified Air Force facility in Nevada that fringe theorists have speculated holds alien bodies and a crashed spaceship. Pentagon investigationsThere was no indication in Obama’s remarks that the former president released classified information. The website of the National Archives and Records Administration says it has records related to UFOs across numerous collections.

Previously, a two-judge bench had upheld the trial court’s decision to terminate the founder’s right to defend due to his absence. Despite the court recognizing his injuries on two occasions, the trial court had still terminated his right to defend, and witness statements were being recorded in his absence. Justice Ayesha Malik questioned how the trial court could deny the right to defense after acknowledging the founder’s injuries. She clarified that the Supreme Court was issuing notices to the opposing party while reviewing the legality of the trial court’s actions. The Supreme Court’s intervention ensures that the founder’s right to defense is safeguarded while proceedings are temporarily stayed.

ISLAMABAD : Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination and Ad-Hoc President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani announced the immediate lifting of the ban on national hockey team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt. The two-year ban was imposed by the former PHF president Tariq Bugti before he tendered resignation over allegations of mistreatment of players during Australia tour. Wani emphasized that Butt will now focus solely on training and matches, while the federation will handle all other matters. As part of his leadership, Wani outlined plans for transparent and democratic elections within the federation to elect new leadership. In the short term, Wani pledged to address immediate issues while developing a comprehensive vision for the future.

WASHINGTON:US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said that the United States appreciates Pakistan’s support and participation in the Gaza Board of Peace. According to the spokesperson for the US Department of State, Secretary Rubio met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Washington. During the meeting, Secretary Rubio thanked Pakistan for supporting President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and for participating, as a founding member, in the inaugural session of the Board of Peace. The US Secretary of State also welcomed Pakistan’s participation in the recent ministerial meeting on critical minerals held in Washington. He discussed the development of the critical minerals and energy sectors, as well as trade and investment opportunities for US companies.

KARACHI A cylinder explosion in a building in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar area has killed 16 people and injured 15 others. A case has been registered at the Soldier Bazaar police station, and the building’s plot owner, Mahmood Irshad, has been arrested. The blast occurred in the area of Aga Khan School near Street No 5 in Rana Colony, Soldier Bazaar, on the first floor of the building on Wednesday night, causing part of the building to collapse, rescue sources said. According to rescue sources, a 10-year-old girl, identified as Nazia, and a 60-year-old Mohammad Riaz were among the dead. Rescue officials said the body of a woman was also recovered from under the rubble, while identification of another victim was being ascertained.

LAHORE:The Punjab government has announced a Rs3 billion initiative to install 30 advanced fog cannons mounted on electric trucks in a major push to combat smog and escalating air pollution across key cities and industrial areas. The project forms part of the province’s wider clean air and climate resilience strategy, aimed at lowering pollution levels and reinforcing environmental safeguards. The “One City, One Policy” model is also being rolled out to modernise and streamline air quality management in Lahore. Across the province, over 50 modern air quality monitoring stations have already been installed. In addition, a digital environmental monitoring mechanism is being activated to tighten oversight of industrial emissions.

What Paul Coffey’s return to the Oilers coaching staff means for the organizationCoffey returns to a role he had held for the previous two seasons, just seven months after it was announced he wouldn’t return. After back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, the Oilers changed their coaching staff. The coaching staff announcements occurred on July 14th. Do they believe in their coaching staff? If the Oilers don’t have a long playoff run, the blame can’t fall solely on the coaching staff.

Islamabad, Pakistan – On the occasion of the blessed arrival of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam has extended heartfelt felicitations to Muslims around the world, with special prayers for the government and people of Pakistan. Quoting the Holy Qur’an, Ambassador Moghadam referenced the verse from Surah Al-Baqarah (2:183):“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.”In his message, the Ambassador described Ramadan as a profound period of spiritual reflection, self-purification, empathy, and unity. He underscored that the holy month presents a divine opportunity to cultivate patience, generosity, and devotion to Almighty Allah. Ambassador Moghadam highlighted the enduring unity of the global Muslim Ummah, rooted in belief in One Unique God, reverence for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), adherence to the Holy Qur’an, and shared direction towards the Qibla. According to him, these sacred bonds forge an unbreakable thread of faith and brotherhood, vividly reflected during Ramadan.

The recent meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and the Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) comes at a crucial moment for Pakistan’s industrial future. The proposal to institutionalize sectoral planning through structured secretariats under sect oral councils deserves serious attention. Embedding industrial planning within national policy architecture would not only improve coordination but also enhance accountability, a critical ingredient often missing in past reform efforts. When raw materials are imported at low or zero duty without corresponding downstream export growth, local value addition suffers. If governance gaps are addressed and sectoral planning is embedded within a transparent policy framework, Pakistan’s industrial base including its chemical sector can move from reactive survival to proactive growth.

ISLAMABAD:- Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of Islamabad establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, saying such a move may be considered in the future if Palestinians secure an independent homeland for themselves. Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and maintains a firm policy of non-recognition, rooted in its support for an independent Palestinian state in the Middle East with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. “So this [recognition] is something, you know, it’s not on the cards at all,” he said. Asif accused India of waging a “proxy war” against Pakistan via militant attacks, saying that New Delhi and Kabul, as well as militant outfits, “are on the same page.”He said some “friendly countries” had tried to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid increasing tensions. “But these attempts did not really produce any results,” Asif said.