Pakistan, Iran action on the border

The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production has exposed a governance failure that Pakistan cannot afford to ignore. The Export Processing Zones Authority has been running without a permanent chairman for an extended period. This is not a minor administrative gap. It is a warning sign of how casually the government treats institutions that are meant to drive industrial growth and attract investment. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla was right to raise alarm during the committee session. Leadership vacuums do not just delay paperwork. They shake investor confidence, stall strategic decisions, and put Pakistan at risk of falling short on commitments made under the IMF Extended Fund Facility. The phase-out of incentives and restrictions on EPZ sales to the domestic market are not small technical details. They are conditions tied directly to Pakistan’s economic credibility on the world stage. The situation around the draft Automotive and Auto Parts Manufacturing Policy 2026-31 tells a similar story. The policy has admirable goals. It wants to promote New Energy Vehicles, increase domestic value addition, and boost exports. But good intentions are not enough. Local manufacturers are being squeezed by high tariffs on raw materials and steep duties that put them at a serious disadvantage. Without resolving these operational bottlenecks first, the policy risks becoming another document full of promises that never translate into results on the ground. The government must understand that ambition without execution is meaningless. If domestic producers cannot compete because of avoidable cost disadvantages, foreign competitors will fill the gap while Pakistan’s own industry falls further behind. It is encouraging that the committee has directed stakeholders to submit formal grievances and scheduled a follow-up session with the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industries and Production. But scheduling meetings is not the same as solving problems. The government must move quickly to appoint permanent leadership at the EPZ Authority and address the structural issues raised by industry representatives. The country does not have the luxury of time. Every delay chips away at investor confidence and puts the country’s IMF compliance and international trade credibility further at risk. The government must take stock of this situation now, before it becomes yet another missed opportunity for industrial growth.

The protests by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against rising petroleum prices, the petroleum levy and inflation should not simply be treated as a political activity. The government needs to understand that the public’s economic pain is real. Whenever petrol and diesel prices increase, their impact goes far beyond the fuel station. Transport becomes expensive, food prices rise and the cost of doing business increases. A daily-wage worker, a small shopkeeper, a farmer and a salaried person all feel the pressure. The government’s petroleum levy may provide additional revenue, but it also adds to the burden on ordinary citizens. At a time when many families are already struggling to manage household expenses, every increase in fuel prices creates another problem. The protests in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar show that this issue has become a serious public concern. The government should listen to these voices instead of dismissing them as opposition politics. This does not mean that the government can ignore its own financial difficulties. Pakistan needs revenue to run the state, pay for public services and meet its financial obligations. But revenue collection should not depend too heavily on indirect taxes that affect everyone equally, including poor and middle-class citizens. The government must find a better balance. It should review the petroleum levy, reduce unnecessary taxes and control non-development expenditure. At the same time, it should improve tax collection from sectors and individuals with greater ability to pay. Most importantly, the government must communicate honestly with the public. If higher fuel prices are unavoidable because of international oil prices or economic conditions, people deserve a clear explanation and a plan for relief. The JI protests should therefore be seen as a warning. The government may disagree with the party’s politics, but it cannot ignore the economic reality behind the protests. Pakistan’s economic recovery will have little meaning if ordinary people continue to struggle to afford transport, food and basic necessities. The government must act with sensitivity and provide practical relief before public frustration grows further.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has launched Vision Pakistan 2047, a long-term plan to boost jobs, education, technology and growth for young Pakistanis. On paper, the plan looks promising. It talks about giving women a bigger share in jobs, helping startups grow, building new schools, sending students abroad for training, and handing out laptops to deserving students. These are all good ideas that any nation would welcome. But here lies the real problem. Pakistan has never struggled to write good plans. Our history is full of grand visions, five-year plans, and national frameworks that were launched with big promises and bigger ceremonies. Vision 2025, Vision 2030, and several other such documents came before this one. Where are they now? Most were quietly shelved and replaced by the next government’s own vision, often with a new name and the same old promises. This is the real dilemma facing Vision Pakistan 2047. A plan is only as good as the system that carries it forward. Pakistan’s problem has never been a shortage of ideas. It has been a shortage of follow-through. Policies get written, launched, and celebrated, but rarely do they survive a change in government or bureaucracy long enough to show results. Even more troubling is who ends up designing these plans. Often, the same officials and institutions responsible for the failure of earlier visions are handed the task of drafting the next one. If the people who could not deliver Vision 2025 are now writing Vision 2047, what guarantee do citizens have that this one will be different? Reserving 35 per cent jobs for women and 10 per cent funding for startups sounds encouraging. Expanding Danish Schools and distributing laptops are steps in the right direction. But none of this matters unless there is honest accountability, consistent funding, and political will that outlasts one government’s term. Pakistan does not need another beautifully worded vision document. It needs a system that actually delivers on what it promises. Only then will 2047 look different from 1947.

The Senate Sub Committee has once again put the Federal Board of Revenue in an uncomfortable spot, and rightly so. FBR has failed to explain what happened to Rs1120 billion worth of tax exempted imports that entered former FATA and PATA regions between 2018 and 2026. That is not a small sum. It is a number large enough to demand answers, not silence. Why has FBR not provided complete records? Why is a manual tracking system still in place for imports worth over a trillion rupees? These are basic questions, yet the Board seems unable or unwilling to answer them. Every day without proper automated verification is a day that opens the door to goods slipping illegally into taxable markets, undercutting honest businesses and draining public revenue. The tobacco sector adds another layer of concern. Major companies like Pakistan Tobacco Company and Philip Morris Pakistan Limited are now under scrutiny, alongside serious cases of cigarette theft and a tax charge sheet against a senior tax official. When 2,828 cigarette cartons worth Rs25 crore go missing from an FBR warehouse, it raises a simple question: who is minding the store? FBR must stop treating Parliament’s demands as optional. Consumption certificates, tax records, and clear Standard Operating Procedures are not favours to be delayed. They are basic obligations of an institution meant to protect national revenue. Senator Saifullah Abro’s Committee deserves credit for pushing this issue repeatedly. But pressure from one Senate committee cannot substitute for real reform inside FBR. The Board must answer, and answer now, before more billions disappear into the gaps of its own negligence.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is right to celebrate Pakistan’s progress at the Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems Expo 2026. Local drones, simulators and autonomous platforms on display are genuine achievements, and the government deserves credit for organising this event. Such expos give young innovators a stage, and they should happen far more often. One expo a year is not enough for a country trying to catch up in robotics and artificial intelligence. But an honest look tells us something the speeches often skip. Pakistan’s technology sector has largely grown because of private effort, not government funding. Young software engineers, startup founders, freelancers and university students have kept this sector alive, often without meaningful state support. Many built their skills through free online courses, self-funded projects and sheer persistence, not through government grants or well-funded labs. When government share of support has been minimal, it is unfair for credit to travel only upward. The youth of this country deserve real recognition, not just polite mentions in a prime ministerial address. If Pakistan genuinely wants technological independence, praise alone will not build it. Research budgets remain thin. Universities struggle with outdated labs and low funding, a problem raised repeatedly by academics themselves. Local innovators frequently move abroad, not because they lack patriotism, but because opportunities and funding are stronger elsewhere. Indigenous drone and simulator production is encouraging, but it cannot substitute for a broader national investment in research, education and startups. The government’s job now is to convert one successful expo into a lasting system. That means consistent funding for research institutions, easier access to capital for young tech entrepreneurs, and closer partnerships between universities and defence industries. It means holding such expos regularly, not as one-off showcases, but as part of a serious innovation calendar.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 has struck western Colombia. The disaster has taken at least 164 lives. More than 880 people are injured. Over 3,200 people remain missing. These numbers may still rise as rescue teams continue searching through collapsed buildings. Our hearts go out to the people of Colombia. Families have lost loved ones. Homes have turned into rubble. Hospitals meant to save lives have themselves collapsed, forcing doctors to treat patients on the streets. Even a historic cathedral, standing tall since the 1920s, could not survive the shaking earth. This is a moment of deep grief for Colombia and for all of humanity. This tragedy reminds us of another dark chapter closer to home. In October 2005, a massive earthquake struck Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northern Pakistan. That disaster killed over 73,000 people. Entire towns were destroyed within seconds. Schools collapsed while children were still inside. The scars of that day remain fresh in the memories of countless families even today. Nature does not choose its victims. Earthquakes can strike any nation, rich or poor, prepared or unprepared. Yet the scale of destruction often depends on how ready a country is. Colombia’s new government now faces this crisis just days after taking office. Pakistan knows well how difficult such moments can be. The world must treat these repeated disasters as a wake-up call. Governments should invest more in earthquake-resistant buildings. Hospitals and schools must be built to withstand strong tremors. Early warning systems and trained rescue teams can save many lives when disaster strikes. Colombia now needs support from the international community. Rescue equipment, medical aid and financial help can ease the suffering of affected families. Pakistan, having faced similar pain in 2005, understands this need better than most nations. We mourn with Colombia today. We also hope this tragedy pushes every vulnerable nation, including our own, to take earthquake preparedness seriously before the next disaster strikes.