Pakistan

PTI’s Naeem Haider Panjutha accused the Election Commission of double standards after it issued a notice against KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over remarks in the NA‑18 Haripur by‑election. He argued ruling party figures campaign freely while PTI leaders face scrutiny, while the ECP insists Afridi’s statement incited the public and endangered election staff.

Senior journalist Hasanat Malik has claimed that the government sought Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s input before moving ahead with the 27th Constitutional Amendment, effectively receiving a green signal to proceed.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has reignited debate over military accountability by declaring that former Army Chief General (Retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa should face a court martial for his role in the 2018 political landscape. While Asif’s remarks were fiery, senior journalist Muneeb Farooq argues that Pakistan’s civil–military power balance makes such accountability virtually impossible, leaving Bajwa’s legacy shielded by institutional protection and political realities.

The persistent “toxic discourse and agitation” ultimately shattered the hopes many had pinned on PTI’s political rise.

Pakistan’s security forces eliminated 13 militants linked to cross‑border networks during two separate operations in Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan, according to ISPR.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has written to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, demanding implementation of court orders allowing family meetings with former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.

Senior journalist Hafeez Ullah Niazi argues that efforts to suppress Imran Khan’s popularity are backfiring, with recent mistreatment of his sisters near Adiala Jail intensifying public anger and exposing systemic flaws in Pakistan’s political establishment.

The International Monetary Fund has described corruption in Pakistan as a persistent challenge, warning that weak rule of law, political influence, and structural inefficiencies are undermining economic growth and public trust in institutions.

Senior journalist Ansar Abbasi has condemned the mistreatment of Imran Khan’s sisters, who staged a sit‑in outside Adiala Jail, highlighting both government restrictions and the silence of PTI supporters.

The judiciary has initiated implementation of the 27th Amendment, with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Federal Constitutional Court Chief Justice Ameenuddin Khan jointly approving new appointments. Justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Aamer Farooq have been nominated to important judicial bodies.