By Sardar Khan NiaziFew issues generate as much debate in developing countries as population growth. When accompanied by investments in education, healthcare and skills training, population growth can produce what economists call a “demographic dividend” — a period when the working-age population outnumbers dependents, boosting economic output. However, population growth can just as easily become pernicious. The global experience suggests that population growth is neither inherently beneficial nor inherently harmful. Population growth, then, is not destiny.

One stat to be excited about for every Blue Jays hitter heading into 2026Baseball is all about the statistics—especially when it comes to hitting. The Toronto Blue Jays were great at doing exactly that last season by just about every metric, and figure to be strong again in 2026. He was tied for sixth on the Blue Jays with 36 free passes last year despite having just 227 plate appearances. He’s already making a strong first impression in Spring Training and could be an immediate contributor for the Blue Jays. Myles Straw – 29.4 mph sprint speedStraw is the Blue Jays’ fastest runner by a wide margin; his sprint speed ranked in the 95th percentile in 2025.

By placing sovereign purpose, public value and constitutional accountability at the core of its AI framework, Pakistan is asserting that its digital future will not be outsourced. The declaration’s eight pillars reflect a mature understanding of what responsible AI governance should look like. Estonia’s success as a digital state demonstrates that size and resources are not the ultimate determinants of digital transformation vision, governance and execution are. Pakistan’s Digital Nation Act and the establishment of the Pakistan Digital Authority now provide the institutional backbone to translate vision into action. If backed by disciplined execution and sustained reform, it can become a cornerstone of national development in the digital age.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has declared the Sindh High Court’s order to block the identity card to implement the court’s decision illegal. The judgment said that depriving a citizen of his identity card is tantamount to taking away the fundamental right to life. The Supreme Court ruled that there is no scope for blocking the identity card under Section 51 of the Civil Code. The court clarified that no court can block the identity card of a citizen without an express order in the law. The trial court had ordered the blocking of the petitioner’s identity card for non-payment of the amount, which was upheld by the Sindh High Court, however, the Supreme Court declared this move illegal.

Mike Hesson has said that the Pakistan cricket team is entering the Super 8 stage with full preparation and a clear strategy and every player has been made aware of his role. Addressing a press conference in Colombo, the head coach said that the team has finalized its preparations and the players understand their responsibilities well. He praised the performance of New Zealand batsman Mark Chapman against Pakistan and said that although he has played a good innings, every match comes with different conditions and challenges, so no one player will be given undue attention. The head coach said about Usman Tariq that he is a player who is skilled in both attack and defense and this ability of his is very valuable for the team. He clarified that psychological superiority in a match does not have any special meaning, but success depends on skill, planning and complete preparation.

Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari said that the distribution of the Ramadan Nighaban package is continuing successfully in Punjab. The KP government has not yet been able to announce the distribution of the Ramadan package. She said that the eyes of the founder, the teeth of the founder and the comforts of the founder in prison are important for the KP government. The KP government’s focus is more on the release of the force and spreading new sedition than Ramadan. This is the biggest Ramadan package in the history of Pakistan.

The opening match of the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup will be played between Pakistan and New Zealand today. In the group stage, both teams have reached the Super Eight by winning against weak opponents, while both teams have lost to strong opponents in their respective groups. The biggest challenge for the New Zealand team will be the change of venue. The Kiwi team has lost only 14 wickets in the four matches played so far. The match between the two teams will start at 6:30 PM Pakistan time.

Meta, the company that owns social media platforms Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, has decided to completely shut down Messenger. According to global media reports, Meta has announced that the app will be completely deactivated from April 15, 2026, after which messages, photos, videos, documents and any other content will not be able to be sent or received on this platform. If a user accesses Messenger, Facebook will send it to its built-in messages. The company has already started informing users about this so that an alternative can be arranged before the application is closed.

Renowned actress Hania Amir has broken her silence on the recent controversy in the Pakistani showbiz industry and has put forward her clear stance. The matter came into the spotlight when former model Mah Noor Rahim criticized the actress, saying that she is a close friend of a producer who has been accused of harassment. Along with this, some models and actresses also shared screenshots of the alleged messages on social media, after which the matter became the center of attention. The actress’s statement received mixed reactions on social media. A large number of fans praised her for taking a clear stand against harassment, while some users said that she should have spoken out more openly and by naming names.

US President Donald Trump has given Iran a clear deadline of 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement. According to the World News Agency, Donald Trump has threatened that if Iran does not negotiate within the given time, a major military attack will be launched. After President Trump’s deadline to Iran, the US Air Force in Europe began to assume its military positions towards Iran. A day earlier, the British news agency claimed that the US president was considering directly targeting Iran’s top leadership, while some reports also mentioned limited attacks on Iran. There has been no official response from Iran to these reports, however, Iranian officials have made it clear in the past that any attack will be met with a strong response.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland. PHOTO: REUTERSThe United Nations on Friday called on governments to clamp down on scam centres, which have mushroomed in Southeast Asia with hundreds of thousands of people trafficked into forced labour. The UN human rights office released a report documenting torture, sexual abuse, forced abortions, food deprivation, solitary confinement and other abuses. "The litany of abuse is staggering and at the same time heart-breaking," said UN rights chief Volker Turk, urging governments to act against corruption that is "deeply entrenched in such lucrative scamming operations, and to prosecute the criminal syndicates behind them". His office had said in a 2023 report that hundreds of thousands of people were forced to work in the centres, which other investigations have found are responsible for billions of dollars of online fraud.

It is the highest level since 2014 when the poverty rate was recorded at 29.5%. The situation of income inequality in society was more alarming, as the survey showed that inequality jumped to 32.7 - the highest ratio since 1998 when it was recorded at 31.1. Pakistan has now officially the 21 years' highest unemployment rate of 7.1%, highest poverty rate in 11 years and the highest inequality in 27 years, which are the direct outcomes of the poor policy choices by the ruling class. In Punjab, poverty increased from 16.5 to 23.3%, an increase of 41% within seven years. Despite recent macroeconomic improvement, households experienced prolonged real income compression due to historically high inflation, energy price adjustments, exchange rate depreciation, and higher taxation, especially indirect taxes.

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.

Pakistan’s maritime horizon is not merely a stretch of blue water; it is a living, breathing ecosystem that sustains livelihoods, biodiversity, and the promise of a thriving blue economy. Its global moratorium on commercial whaling stands as one of the most significant conservation achievements of the twentieth century. More than 27 whale and dolphin species have been recorded along our coastline, including the endangered Arabian Sea humpback whale, blue whale, Bryde’s whale, and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. Marine conservation cannot rest on sporadic success stories. Pakistan stands at a crossroads where policy, science, and public responsibility must converge.

WASHINGTON :The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has acknowledged signs of economic improvement in Pakistan, stating that inflation has remained under control while macroeconomic stability has strengthened under ongoing reform programs. Speaking at a press briefing in Washington, IMF Director of Communications Julie Kozack announced that an IMF delegation will visit Pakistan starting February 25 to conduct important review discussions. These discussions will assess Pakistan’s progress on policy implementation, structural reforms, and macroeconomic targets agreed under the IMF-supported programs. She further stated that inflation in Pakistan has remained contained, providing relief to consumers and supporting macroeconomic stability. The upcoming IMF review mission is expected to play a crucial role in determining the continuation of financial support and assessing Pakistan’s adherence to agreed economic reforms, as the country seeks to consolidate gains and maintain long-term economic stability.