Cambodia Flies Over 250 Drones Across Thai Border, Violating Ceasefire

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Registrar’s Office has issued the cause list for the upcoming week. According to the cause list, eight benches will be available to hear cases during the week. These include six single benches and two division benches. The court has constituted two division benches to hear cases involving matters requiring consideration by two judges. The first division bench will comprise Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro and Justice Umair Majid Malik. The second division bench will consist of Justice Muhammad Asif and Justice Shah Rukh Arjumand. The cause list also includes six single benches. These benches will hear cases assigned to individual judges during the upcoming week. The six single benches will comprise Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Muhammad Asif, Justice Ayaz Shaukat, Justice Umair Majid Malik and Justice Shah Rukh Arjumand. The Registrar’s Office has issued the schedule as part of the court’s regular judicial proceedings. Cases listed before the respective benches will be taken up according to the cause list. The cause list determines which cases are scheduled for hearing and which judges will hear them. Lawyers and litigants will appear before the relevant benches on the dates fixed by the court. The Islamabad High Court will continue hearing cases through the six single benches and two division benches during the coming week.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed deep grief over the deaths of newborn babies in the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. Bilawal said mothers carry their children for nine months and never expect them to become victims of negligence after birth. He described the deaths of the newborns as one of the most tragic incidents and said the parents, whose hopes were extinguished shortly after their children were born, were now seeking justice. “Those parents whose hopes were extinguished as soon as they were lit are helplessly demanding justice,” Bilawal said. He also criticised the government over what he described as failures in administration and management, saying innocent citizens were paying the price for institutional shortcomings. The tragedy occurred after a fire broke out in the nursery area of PIMS, resulting in the deaths of 15 newborn babies. The incident has triggered widespread grief and calls for accountability. According to an initial report prepared by the PIMS administration, an oxygen-related device near an incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) reportedly burst, causing oxygen to catch fire. The report said the fire generated heavy smoke, which entered the babies’ breathing system through connected pipes. It stated that the infants died due to a combination of oxygen interruption, smoke exposure and burns. The initial findings indicated that the fire was initially limited but spread rapidly. However, officials have given different preliminary accounts regarding the cause of the fire. Rescue authorities and hospital officials initially said the blaze was linked to an air-conditioner compressor, while the hospital’s preliminary report pointed to an oxygen-related device. The presence of oxygen cylinders and equipment in the intensive care area reportedly contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. One newborn was reportedly rescued from the affected area. The tragedy has also raised questions about emergency response and the presence of staff in the nursery. Parents and eyewitnesses alleged that staff members were absent when the fire broke out and claimed that doors were closed, making evacuation more difficult. They also questioned the response time of rescue services. PIMS Executive Director rejected the allegation that staff were absent from the intensive care unit. He said two doctors, four nurses and other staff members were present in the ICU when the incident occurred. He also maintained that the hospital had an adequate fire safety system. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) also said its rescue teams reached the hospital promptly after receiving information about the fire. According to the authority, the teams brought the blaze under control and shifted the affected children to the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, the bodies of the infants who died in the tragedy have been handed over to their families. The incident has prompted authorities to launch a formal investigation. The district administration has constituted an eight-member inquiry committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire. The committee has been directed to submit its findings within 24 hours. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has also offered himself for accountability over the incident and said no person found responsible for negligence would be spared. The conflicting preliminary accounts about the cause of the fire, along with allegations concerning staffing and emergency response, are expected to be examined by the inquiry committee.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has accused international broadcaster Al Jazeera of presenting a misleading picture of the recently held Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, alleging that its coverage selectively portrayed the electoral process. In an official statement, the ministry said the broadcaster reported from selected polling stations in Muzaffarabad and relied on carefully chosen interviews and timings that did not accurately reflect the overall conduct of the elections. It claimed the reporting created a distorted impression of the voting process and failed to represent the broader electoral environment. The ministry further alleged that such coverage appeared aimed at undermining the credibility of the elections and ignoring what it described as the democratic will expressed by voters across the region. It maintained that the people of AJK had exercised their right to vote despite political tensions. Alongside its criticism of the coverage, the ministry reminded foreign media organisations operating in Pakistan that reporting assignments outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi require prior approval under the country’s External Publicity Guidelines. It urged all foreign correspondents to comply with the regulations governing reporting in other parts of the country. The AJK elections, however, remained under intense scrutiny after allegations of irregularities and isolated incidents of violence emerged during polling. Opposition parties accused authorities of interfering in the electoral process, while the ruling coalition exchanged allegations of rigging and misuse of state resources. Human rights organisations also expressed concern over reports of deaths and injuries linked to election-related unrest. They called for transparent and independent investigations into the incidents and stressed that maintaining public order should not come at the expense of fundamental rights, including peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. The elections were held against the backdrop of political unrest that has continued in AJK since last year’s protests over governance reforms and constitutional issues. The controversy surrounding reserved refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly also remained a major political issue during the campaign.