Top National Thailand Stories From the Past Week: Nominee Crackdown Continues, and More

The federal government has announced a public holiday across Pakistan on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the holiday for 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal. The government has also issued an official notification confirming the decision. According to the notification, Wednesday, August 26, 2026, will be observed as a public holiday across the country. Government offices and institutions covered by the notification will remain closed on the day. The holiday will allow people to observe Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ and participate in religious gatherings and other activities. Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ is observed every year on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Special religious programmes, processions and gatherings are held in different parts of Pakistan on the occasion. The announcement of the public holiday comes as preparations for the religious occasion continue across the country. Authorities are also expected to make security and traffic arrangements for major gatherings and processions.

KARACHI: Petrol pump dealers across Pakistan have announced an indefinite closure of fuel stations from August 15. The decision comes amid an ongoing strike by goods transporters. Talks between the government and transport representatives have failed to resolve their differences. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association announced the decision on Tuesday after a meeting of representatives from different parts of the country. Association Chairman Malik Khuda Baksh said dealers had given the government 72 hours to address their concerns. He warned that petrol stations would remain closed until the dealers’ demands were accepted. The dealers are mainly seeking an increase in their commission on petrol sales. They are demanding an 8% margin on petrol, saying the existing rate is no longer sufficient to cover rising operating costs. Baksh said the association represents around 14,000 dealers and that members were under growing financial pressure. He said dealers had previously postponed their strike after receiving assurances from the government that their concerns would be addressed. According to the association, the government was given additional time to resolve the issue, but the deadline passed without a satisfactory outcome. The dealers had earlier agreed to delay a planned nationwide shutdown following talks with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik. At the time, government representatives assured the dealers that their longstanding concerns would be considered. However, the latest announcement indicates that no final agreement has been reached. The dealers have also raised concerns over the mechanism used to determine fuel prices. They have called for greater clarity and timely implementation of decisions concerning petroleum margins. The announcement comes as the country’s goods transport sector remains affected by a separate strike. Transporters have continued their wheel-jam protest after talks with federal and provincial authorities failed to produce a breakthrough. The overlapping disputes could create additional pressure on the country’s fuel supply and transport network if the shutdown goes ahead.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that all appeals and bail petitions filed under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law will now be heard by the Federal Constitutional Court. The judgment clarifies that the Supreme Court no longer has jurisdiction over these matters following amendments made to the accountability law earlier this year. In its detailed written verdict, the court stated that the legal amendments introduced to the NAB law have transferred the authority to hear appeals and bail applications from the Supreme Court to the Federal Constitutional Court. The judges observed that Sections 32 and 32A of the amended NAB law do not empower the Supreme Court to hear such cases. The ruling further states that all pending NAB appeals and bail petitions currently before the Supreme Court will automatically be treated as transferred to the Federal Constitutional Court under the relevant constitutional provisions. This means future proceedings in accountability cases will be conducted by the newly established constitutional forum. The decision also has significant implications for the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who had challenged a High Court decision regarding his bail before the Supreme Court. His petition had earlier been returned by the Supreme Court Registrar after procedural objections were raised. Following the latest judgment, his bail application will now be heard by the Federal Constitutional Court. The question of jurisdiction emerged during proceedings in another pending NAB case before the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the bench examined whether the court could continue hearing accountability matters after the recent amendments to the NAB law. The amendments, enacted on March 5, 2026, reassigned the authority to hear NAB appeals and bail petitions to the Federal Constitutional Court through Section 32A of the amended law. The changes were introduced as part of broader judicial and constitutional reforms. The case was heard by a three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, with Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan as members of the bench. During the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the Supreme Court should retain the power to hear bail applications in NAB cases. He referred to an earlier post-amendment decision in which the Supreme Court had granted bail in an accountability matter. Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, representing the federal government, argued that all NAB appeals and bail petitions should now be heard exclusively by the Federal Constitutional Court. He maintained that different stages of the same case could not be heard simultaneously by two separate courts, as this would create legal complications and procedural inconsistencies.

The federal Ministry of Industries and Production has allowed the export of imported sugar at a lower price, a decision that could cause billions of rupees in losses to the national exchequer, according to ministry sources. Sources said the government has permitted the export of 100,000 tonnes of sugar. However, a decision on exporting 250,000 tonnes of cheaper locally produced sugar has not yet been taken. The sources described the decision to allow the export of only 100,000 tonnes as disappointing. They said the move could create financial losses because the sugar being exported was imported at a comparatively higher cost. The sources further warned that the decision could also affect sugarcane procurement in the country. According to them, sugar mills may face difficulties in purchasing sugarcane from farmers if the current situation persists. Sugar mill owners had already informed the Ministry of Industries and Production about the issue, sources said. They had reportedly warned the ministry that the limited export decision could make it difficult for mills to manage their stocks and purchase the upcoming sugarcane crop from farmers. The government is now facing a challenge in balancing sugar exports, domestic prices, the interests of farmers and the financial impact on the national exchequer. Sources said further decisions regarding the export of locally produced sugar are expected after reviewing the market situation and available stocks.