Phetchabun Authorities Monitor Receding Pa Sak River Levels Amid Ongoing Flood Impacts

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the people of Kashmir on Kashmir Exploitation Day, urging the international community to play a more active role in resolving the longstanding dispute. In his message, President Zardari said lasting peace in South Asia depends on a peaceful and just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue. He stated that India’s actions cannot alter the internationally recognized status of the dispute or weaken the determination of the Kashmiri people, adding that Pakistan will continue to stand firmly with them. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the measures introduced by India since August 2019 have led to increased repression and restrictions on fundamental freedoms in the region. He also accused India of attempting to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory. The prime minister called on the international community to move beyond expressions of concern and play a responsible role in achieving a fair and lasting resolution to the Kashmir dispute. He also urged India to end alleged human rights violations in the occupied valley and reverse the unilateral measures introduced in August 2019.

WASHINGTON: Pakistan needs to improve transparency in its public finances and give Parliament and citizens earlier access to key budget and debt information, according to a new US State Department assessment. The department’s 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report said Pakistan had made progress in making financial information publicly available but still faced important gaps, particularly in the timely release of its proposed budget and disclosure of government liabilities. The report noted that Pakistan’s approved budget and year-end financial reports were easily accessible to the public, including online. However, it found that the government did not release its executive budget proposal within a reasonable timeframe. According to the assessment, publishing the proposed budget earlier would give lawmakers and the public more time to examine the government’s spending and revenue priorities before the document is formally approved. The report also raised concerns over limited public information about government debt, especially liabilities linked to major state-owned enterprises. Greater disclosure, it said, would help provide a clearer picture of the country’s financial position and allow Parliament to better assess potential fiscal risks. Despite these shortcomings, the US assessment acknowledged that Pakistan’s publicly available budget documents contained substantial information on planned government revenues and expenditures, including income from natural resources. Pakistan’s auditing system also received a largely positive assessment. The report said financial information was generally reliable and subject to review by the country’s supreme audit institution, which it found to have an appropriate level of independence under international standards. Audit findings were also made available to the public within a reasonable period. The report found that Pakistan had established legal procedures for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licences and appeared to follow those rules in practice. It also noted that information on public procurement contracts was accessible and described the legal framework governing the country’s sovereign wealth fund as sound. The State Department identified three major areas where Pakistan could further strengthen fiscal transparency: releasing the executive budget proposal on time, providing more detailed information about government debt, including state-owned enterprise liabilities, and bringing military and intelligence budgets under adequate parliamentary or civilian oversight. Overall, the report did not portray Pakistan’s financial system as broadly opaque. Instead, it recognised several areas of progress while calling for stronger parliamentary scrutiny and greater disclosure of information that could help lawmakers and the public understand the country’s fiscal risks.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has asked the federal government to explain the constitutional implications of keeping Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice on judicial appointments pending with President Asif Ali Zardari. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued notices to the president, the federal government and the attorney general on Monday while hearing a petition challenging the delay in approving appointments to the superior courts. The court also directed the respondents to submit separate concise reports detailing when the prime minister’s advice was sent to the president and what action had been taken on it. The case has been fixed for hearing on August 11. The petition was filed by lawyer Luqman Zafar through his counsel Zahid Asif Chaudhry, who questioned the prolonged delay in completing the constitutional process for judicial appointments. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, had recommended 19 additional judges and the confirmation of five judges for the high courts during meetings held on July 20 and 21. The recommendations were subsequently forwarded by the prime minister to President Zardari for approval under Article 48 of the Constitution. During Monday’s proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that the use of the word “shall” in Article 48(1) placed a constitutional duty on the president to act on the prime minister’s advice. He maintained that although the president could return the advice for reconsideration within the prescribed period, the Constitution did not permit an indefinite delay. The counsel further argued that the delay was affecting the administration of justice at a time when the superior courts were already struggling with a growing backlog of cases. According to the petitioner, prolonged vacancies could also undermine the public’s constitutional right to timely access to justice. Justice Tahir directed that notices be served through all available modes. Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez was also asked to ensure that the respondents provide the court with clear timelines regarding the submission and handling of the judicial appointments summary. The presidential delay has already had consequences for the high courts. Four additional judges of the Peshawar High Court whose confirmation had been recommended by the Judicial Commission ceased to hold office on August 4 after their terms expired without formal notifications. A similar situation arose in the Sindh High Court, where an additional judge left office after his extended tenure ended on July 29. The oath-taking ceremony for the newly recommended judges had originally been scheduled for July 27 but was postponed indefinitely after the president neither approved the summary nor returned it for reconsideration. With the matter now coming under judicial scrutiny, the Islamabad High Court is set to examine whether the continued delay in acting on the prime minister’s advice is constitutionally permissible.