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Unsustainable rise

PAKISTAN’S population debate has seen moments of concern, followed by long stretches of inaction. The health minister has recently warned that the country could become the world’s fourth most populous nation within five years. This projection has huge implications and should dispel any remaining complacency. Already home to over 255m people, Pakistan is adding roughly 6.2m individuals every year, a figure larger than the entire population of some countries. It is not simply a question of size, it is also a question of pace, planning and political will. The consequences of unchecked growth are plain to see. Hospitals are stretched thin, struggling to meet rising demand with limited resources. Schools are overcrowded, while millions of children remain out of education. Urban centres expand in an unplanned sprawl, straining water supplies, sanitation systems and transport networks. Meanwhile, the economy fails to generate enough jobs for a rapidly expanding youth population. These pr...
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Pakistan breaching temperature thresholds set for 2030

ISLAMABAD: While the international community strives to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030, Pakistan appears to already be breaching some extreme temperature thresholds despite its minimal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report. The Pakistan Meteo­rol­o­gical Depar­tment (PMD), in a special summary of observations, reported that the nation experien­ced several temperature extremes during the rece­ntly concluded month of March. The report noted that the country’s average nighttime minimum temperature was the second-highest on record. “The country-level nig­ht­time (minimum) temperature of 14.7 C was warmer by +2.7°C than the countrywide average of 12.0°C and ranked 2nd highest,” the PMD stated. The highest record of 15.0°C was reported in 2022. Furthermore, the natio­nal mean temperature for the month was the fifth highest ever recorded. “The national mean temperature of 21.6°C was warmer than the country-average of 19.3°C with an ano...
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Karachi board postpones matric exams to April 10

The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) on Sunday announced that Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams in Karachi were being rescheduled and would now commence on April 10. The BSEK had earlier announced that SSC annual examinations would be held from April 7 to May 2 in the Karachi Division. A press release issued by the BSEK on Sunday said citing the board’s controller of examinations that the board was currently transitioning from a manual to a digital system. “Therefore, the software application was overloaded and faced temporary disruption. The IT team is working to resolve the issue,” the press release said. In view of the situation, the SSC examinations were being rescheduled to begin on April 10, 2026 to ensure that they were conducted in an “organised … and transparent manner,” the press release said. It further said that a revised examination schedule would be issued soon, while students were to sit their exams at centres already allotted to them. from Dawn...
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Bannu bombing

ALTHOUGH Operation Ghazab lil-Haq has led to a decline in the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, the threat has not been entirely eliminated, as the recent suicide bombing targeting Domel police station in KP’s Bannu shows. At least five people were martyred — all civilians reportedly belonging to the same family. Meanwhile, a planned suicide bombing targeting a police station was foiled by law enforcers in Lakki Marwat’s Bittani area. Police personnel raided a forested area and captured the terrorists suspected of planning the attack. This part of KP is particularly plagued by terrorism, and its proximity to Afghanistan makes it vulnerable to attacks by groups such as the banned TTP. To bring peace to these long-disturbed areas, the state must concentrate on two fronts: externally, by confronting the terrorist threat from Afghanistan, and internally, by improving intelligence capabilities and busting terrorist networks before they strike. The action in Lakki Marwat sho...
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Tehran says Islamabad talks depend on terms

• Araghchi denies rejecting Pakistan as venue for talks • Dar discusses UN resolution with Bahrain FM, calls Egyptian counterpart • Ghalibaf says sustainable security in region Iran’s priority, offers bilateral arrangements ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday pushed back at reports that Iran was unwilling to travel to Islamabad for future talks with the US, underscoring that Tehran’s position hinged on the terms and conditions of any negotiations. “Iran’s position is being misrepresented by the US media. We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad,” Mr Araghchi said in a post on X. “What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he further said. His remarks came a day after a report by The Wall Street Journal said Iran had declined to participate in talks in Islamabad, citing objections to US demands and suggesting Pakistan’s efforts had st...
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Pakistan to return $3.5bn UAE debt before month end: official

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan has decided to return $3.5 billion in debt to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the end of this month, a senior Pakistani official said on Friday. The official described the move as a cost the country was willing to bear to uphold “national dignity,” even as it is set to significantly draw down foreign exch­ange reserves. The official disclosed that Abu Dhabi had sought the immediate return of the amount. “The amount will be returned as soon as possible,” the official said, adding that “national dignity could not be compromised for financial considerations”. These funds were part of external financing support extended by the UAE in 2019 to help stabilise Pakistan’s balance of payments. The official said the dec­i­sion had ended the uncertainty surrounding the deposits placed through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, which had been rolled over multiple times since 2019. In recent months, the extensions had become as shorter as month long, reflecting Emi...
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‘Silence’ stonewalls Pakistan-led US-Iran talks initiative

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan-led initiative to facilitate US-Iran talks has been held up, with Tehran yet to formally respond to proposals for dialogue despite back channel exchanges in recent days, a senior official told Dawn on Friday. The official, who was speaking on background, said some ground had been covered, with messages relayed between Washington and Tehran, but the absence of a clear Iranian signal has slowed momentum at this critical stage. “It is surprising that despite the obliteration of significant naval, air force, and other military and civilian infrastructure, Iran has not responded positively to calls for negotiations,” the official, who is familiar with the discussions, said. He said both Pakistan and China had urged Iran to engage, but “Tehran has so far not conveyed its readiness to take part in the dialogue.” He added that Pakistani leaders, despite Tehran not giving a reply, have remained in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister ...
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