Hunting down tax dodgers with science, not guesswork

Thousands of students are paying the price for a system that should have protected them. The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training has once again exposed how badly the Higher Education Commission has handled degree verification and attestation for students of the University of South Asia Lahore, NICE Karachi and PIMSET campuses. Nearly 37,000 young people remain caught in a bureaucratic mess that is not of their making. This situation demands urgent action, not more excuses. The numbers alone tell a troubling story. Over 6,000 students from USA Lahore, more than five thousand from NICE and close to twenty five thousand from PIMSET campuses have been left waiting for degrees that should confirm years of hard work. Only a fraction of these students have received clearance so far. Meanwhile, HEC officials keep offering vague claims of progress instead of solid facts. Senator Masroor Ahsan was right to press officials for real figures instead of general statements. When lawmakers cannot get straight answers, ordinary students stand even less chance. The most troubling part of this episode is the state of the so called online attestation system. HEC claimed the process had gone fully online, yet officials could not say how many students from these specific institutions had actually benefited. This is not a technical detail. It is a matter of trust. A digital system that cannot show basic figures for the very students it claims to serve is not truly functional. Real students are suffering because of this failure. One student said his complaint had remained stuck as in progress since June, without any verification letter or clearance certificate. Another said the portal did not even show his attestation status despite completing the process multiple times. These are not isolated glitches. They reflect a system that was launched without proper testing or planning. Minute Mirror strongly condemns this prolonged delay and the lack of transparency shown by HEC in handling these cases. Students have already lost valuable time waiting for degrees needed for jobs, higher studies and other opportunities. The commission must move beyond promises and deliver a functioning, transparent and fully online verification system without further delay. The Senate committee has given HEC 15 days to submit detailed reports on NICE and PIMSET. This deadline must be treated seriously.

This editorial is based on a news story published in Minute Mirror newspaper. Punjab’s government promised that buying medical supplies centrally would save public money. It has done the opposite. Minute Mirror’s investigation into the province’s Rs40 billion procurement deal for surgical and medical disposables shows a system that looks broken from top to bottom. The numbers speak for themselves. Out of 125 medical device categories, 50 attracted only one bidder. That is 40 percent of the entire deal decided without any real competition. When only one company bids for a contract, there is no pressure to keep prices fair. This is not how public procurement should work. The price hikes are shocking. Surgical blades that should cost around Rs14 are being bought for Rs 78. Sutures that cost Rs77 are now priced at Rs 289. Even simple IV cannulas and blood transfusion sets have jumped far beyond reasonable benchmark rates. These are not luxury items. These are basic supplies used every single day in emergency rooms and operating theatres across Punjab’s public hospitals. Taxpayers were told centralizing this system would bring bulk discounts. Instead, it appears to have opened the door to inflated rates and limited competition. Even more troubling, the final financial outcomes seem to contradict objections raised earlier by vendors before the Grievance Redressal Committee. Such contradictions cannot be brushed aside. They must be explained clearly and honestly. This is public money. It belongs to the people of Punjab, not to a handful of favoured suppliers. The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department owes the public a full explanation. An independent inquiry should be launched immediately. Every contract award must be reviewed, and every price hike must be justified. Minute Mirror urges the provincial government to act now. Transparency is not optional when public health and public money are both at stake.

Iran has told Pakistan that it is ready to talk with the United States again. This is good news. It gives hope that a long and dangerous conflict may finally move toward peace. According to reports, Iran wants the talks to happen step by step. The first step would be about the Strait of Hormuz. The next step would be about frozen Iranian money. The last step would be about the nuclear programme. Iran has also made it clear that it will not accept any plan to build a new route through the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is too important for the world’s oil trade, and Iran sees any move to bypass it as a threat to its own control. Pakistan has a chance to play an important role here. Pakistan already helped bring Iran and America together once. That happened in Islamabad on June 17, 2026, when both sides signed an understanding. It led to a rare direct meeting between Iranian and American officials in Switzerland. Qatar also helped by hosting a round of talks in Doha. But that effort did not last. Talks broke down. Tensions turned into military conflict. Both sides blamed each other. Yet the fact that Iran is now willing to talk again shows that diplomacy is not dead. It shows that even after war, countries can choose peace over more fighting. The world should support this new chance for talks. War brings only loss. Diplomacy, even when it is slow and difficult, is always the better path. But support for talks does not mean forgetting the past. The United States must be honest about what happened last time. It broke the Islamabad memorandum once. This is not a small matter. When a country breaks a signed agreement, it becomes harder for others to trust it again. Iran has every right to ask why it should believe American promises this time. If Washington wants Iran to return to the table in good faith, it must do more than talk. It must offer strong and clear guarantees. These guarantees should be written down. They should be backed by other countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, who can act as witnesses. Words alone are not enough after a broken promise. Actions and guarantees are what will rebuild trust. Pakistan is in a good position to help here. It has earned the trust of both Iran and America through its past role. It should use this position to make sure this second chance is not wasted, and to make sure that Iran gets the guarantees it needs before it agrees to sit down again.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) goes to the polls on Monday, July 27, as the first phase of general elections begins in Mirpur division. Chief Secretary Khushal Khan announced on Sunday that all arrangements stand complete, speaking alongside Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel Khan at a joint press conference. He confirmed the full election process starts July 27, as the constitution requires. Polling material has already reached returning officers. Nearly 17,000 security personnel will guard the vote, with police units from all four provinces supporting the local AJK police. The chief secretary said authorities are closely watching social media. He warned that anyone spreading false propaganda or attempting to disrupt the vote will face strict legal action. AJK has historically recorded strong voter turnout, and he expects the same trend this year. Raja Mohammad Shakeel Khan confirmed Mirpur division votes on Monday, with roughly 22,000 election staff deployed and preparations finalised. The chief election commissioner visited Mirpur personally and expressed satisfaction with the setup. Police, Rangers, and the Federal Constabulary remain on high alert throughout the region. Khan called voting the public’s most powerful democratic tool and urged citizens to participate fully. He addressed old boycott-call videos circulating online, calling them misleading, and confirmed no untoward incident has marred the campaign so far. All political parties and candidates have accepted the code of conduct. A day earlier, the AJK Information Department urged journalists to report responsibly, sharing only verified and balanced information during polling, counting, and results. Reporters were also asked to avoid content that could trigger unrest or confuse voters. This election is a genuine test, not just a formality. Fair conduct matters more than smooth logistics. Every vote must be counted honestly, and every result must be accepted without manipulation, by winners and losers alike. The banned Joint Action Committee needs to absorb a hard truth here. Street agitation has repeatedly failed to deliver lasting change in Kashmir’s political life, while the ballot box remains the only tool that converts public demand into real, recognised power. Boycotting the system does not weaken it; it simply hands the field to others. PTI’s continued absence from the electoral arena tells the same story. Sitting out elections has never once worked as a strategy anywhere, and AJK will be no exception. Democracy rewards participation, not withdrawal, and those choosing silence now may find their voice missing when it matters most.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s call for a “grand dialogue” on Balochistan is welcome. So is Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s emphasis on development, stability and opportunities for the province’s youth. But after decades of conflict, political mistrust and economic grievances, Balochistan needs more than another declaration of good intentions. It needs a credible process that produces visible results. The most important point in the prime minister’s remarks is his acknowledgement that the people of Balochistan have a legitimate claim to the province’s natural resources. This is not a minor issue. Balochistan is rich in minerals, gas and other natural resources, yet many of its people continue to face poverty, unemployment and inadequate public services. The question, therefore, is not simply whether Pakistan owns these resources. It is whether the people living on this land feel that they receive a fair share of the benefits. This is where the proposed dialogue becomes important. Dialogue cannot mean inviting selected representatives to Islamabad, listening to speeches and then returning to business as usual. If the government genuinely wants to address grievances, the process must include a broad range of Baloch voices, including political parties, elected representatives, tribal elders, young people, civil society and other stakeholders. At the same time, violence cannot be accepted as a solution. The killing of workers because of their ethnic or provincial identity is indefensible. Ordinary citizens from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or elsewhere should not become targets simply because they work in Balochistan. Protecting citizens and maintaining law and order is the basic responsibility of the state. But security alone cannot produce lasting peace. If every political or economic grievance is treated only as a security problem, mistrust will deepen. Similarly, blaming every problem on foreign interference may explain part of the situation, but it cannot replace an honest examination of local grievances. Field Marshal Asim Munir’s emphasis on Balochistan’s youth is equally significant. The province’s young people need universities, technical education, jobs, businesses and a genuine stake in the province’s economic future. Development projects should not merely pass through Balochistan; they should create opportunities for Balochistan’s people. The same principle applies to natural resources. Mining, ports and energy projects can transform the province, but only if local communities see tangible benefits. Transparency in contracts, employment for local people, revenue sharing and investment in education and health should be treated as essential parts of every major project. Also, infrastructure alone cannot create that future. Roads, airports and ports matter, but people must also believe that development is improving their lives. In this context, the vision of both Mr Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for the people of Balochistan offers a clear direction for the government and the people. 

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement has reached a new level of importance. US President Donald Trump has publicly welcomed the pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. This is not a small development. When the president of the United States acknowledges a regional defence framework, it sends a signal to the whole world. It tells other nations that this agreement carries real weight, not just symbolic value. Trump called it a step toward greater regional security. He said it shows Middle Eastern and regional states are willing to strengthen their own ability to protect themselves. This recognition matters. It places the pact on the global radar. It also gives Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye a stronger diplomatic standing as they build this new framework of cooperation. The agreement was signed in Makkah on August 7, bringing together Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Erdogan. It focuses on collective deterrence, defence planning, intelligence sharing and strategic coordination. Erdogan himself has called it a message for global peace, especially given rising US-Iran tensions. Yet a serious question remains unanswered. Where is the response from the Gulf Cooperation Council? Where is the voice of the Arab League? Both organisations represent the wider Arab and Gulf world. Both have a direct stake in regional security matters. Their silence on such a major defence pact is puzzling. This agreement was signed in Saudi Arabia, a leading GCC member. It naturally affects the interests of every Gulf state. Yet there has been no clear statement, no formal reaction from these key regional bodies. This silence raises real concerns. Does it suggest internal disagreement among Gulf states? Does it hint at hesitation to publicly support a pact that includes Türkiye and Pakistan? Or is this simply strategic caution before making a formal position? Whatever the reason, this silence cannot continue indefinitely. Regional stability requires clarity, not ambiguity. The GCC and Arab League must break their silence soon. Their voice matters just as much as any global power’s approval.