Trump’s nod to Makkah agreement

A court in New Delhi has sentenced former AAP leader Tahir Hussain to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. Four other men received the same sentence. This case has been one of the most talked about legal battles to come out of the violence that shook northeast Delhi five years ago. On the surface, this looks like justice being served for a man who lost his life. But many observers, particularly within India’s Muslim community and civil rights groups, view this case with deep unease. Tahir Hussain was a Muslim municipal councillor, and his conviction fits into a wider and troubling pattern many have documented since Narendra Modi’s government came to power. Critics argue that Muslims accused in the 2020 riots have often faced harsher and faster prosecution than Hindu individuals accused of similar or worse violence during the same unrest, where investigations have moved slowly or produced few convictions. Rights groups have long raised concerns about India’s use of anti-terror laws, preventive detention, and prolonged pretrial custody against Muslim activists, students, and political figures since 2019. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both documented what they describe as a shrinking space for religious minorities to seek justice fairly in India today. Hussain’s supporters argue that he was targeted because of his political visibility and religious identity, not purely because of evidence. This does not mean the court’s findings should be dismissed outright. A judge examined evidence over several years, and Ankit Sharma’s family deserves acknowledgment of their loss. But the broader climate around India’s justice system, especially in communally charged cases, deserves scrutiny. When convictions consistently fall along religious lines, the question of whether the process was truly even-handed becomes impossible to ignore.

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.

The government says it closed the financial year with a primary budget surplus of around Rs3.6 trillion. This is the third year in a row that the government has managed this feat. On paper, this looks like good news. It shows fiscal discipline and helps Pakistan meet its IMF targets. But a closer look tells a different story, one that ordinary citizens are living through every day. The surplus was not built on stronger tax collection. The Federal Board of Revenue actually missed its target by nearly Rs1 trillion. Instead, the government leaned heavily on the petroleum levy. Collections from this single source jumped by 28 per cent and crossed Rs1.567 trillion. This levy is charged at Rs80 per litre on petrol and diesel. It hits every citizen directly, from the farmer running a tube well to the daily wage worker commuting to a factory. This is the real problem. A government struggling to widen its tax net is instead squeezing more money out of fuel prices. Every rupee added to the petroleum levy pushes up transport costs. It raises the price of food, medicine and almost everything else that must be moved from one place to another. This is exactly why inflation continues to bite ordinary households, even as officials celebrate a fiscal surplus in press releases. The government now plans to collect Rs1.7 trillion through this levy in the current year. That means more pressure on fuel prices is coming. A surplus achieved through petroleum taxes instead of genuine reform is not a lasting solution. It only shifts the burden onto people who are already struggling with high prices. Pakistan does not need more levies. It needs real tax reform that brings undertaxed sectors into the net, so ordinary citizens are not made to carry the weight of fiscal discipline alone.

Pakistan and China marked the 99th founding anniversary of China’s People’s Liberation Army at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir praised the Chinese military and called the friendship between the two nations a bond built on trust. Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong thanked Pakistan for hosting the event and promised continued support under the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. The words on both sides were warm, and the friendship is real. It has lasted through decades of change. But warmth alone does not build an economy. Pakistan needs more than ceremonies and speeches. It needs results. China has shown the world what discipline and planning can achieve. In a few decades, it moved millions of people out of poverty. It built factories, highways, ports and technology companies that now compete with the best in the world. Pakistan should study this record closely and ask what lessons apply at home. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was meant to be a turning point. It has delivered roads and power plants, but progress on trade, industry and jobs has been slow. Pakistan’s leaders talk often about brotherhood with China. They talk far less about learning from China’s work ethic, its focus on exports, and its long-term planning. Friendship between nations should serve the people of both countries. For Pakistan, that means turning diplomatic goodwill into factories that run, exports that grow, and jobs that last. It means learning how China trains its workers, manages its cities, and plans decades ahead instead of just one budget cycle. Pakistan and China have a friendship worth celebrating. But the next chapter of this relationship must move beyond guards of honour and official statements. It must bring real economic change to ordinary Pakistanis.

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. 

Rising oil prices are becoming a global emergency, and the blame lies squarely on the actions of the United States, Israel, and their Gulf allies for initiating this ugly war. Crude oil prices are rising fast, and ordinary people everywhere will pay the price. This week, global oil benchmarks jumped to their highest levels in nearly two months. Some cargoes are now trading close to one hundred ten dollars a barrel. Dated Brent, the price used for most of the world’s oil, touched one hundred five dollars and seventy cents on Thursday. This is not a small change. When oil becomes expensive, everything else becomes expensive too. Transport costs rise. Food prices rise. Electricity bills rise. Factories pay more to run machines. Poor countries suffer the most because they cannot absorb these shocks. Rich countries feel the pain too, but developing nations face hunger, inflation, and unemployment on a much larger scale. The real question people should ask is simple. Why is this happening now. The answer points directly at the ongoing confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Tensions between these sides have pushed the region toward war. Gulf partners aligned with Washington have allowed this dangerous situation to continue instead of pushing for peace. Their silence and their support for aggressive policies have made the crisis worse. The world cannot afford this. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important routes for oil shipments. Roughly one fifth of the world’s oil passes through this narrow waterway. Threats to this route create fear across markets, and fear pushes prices higher even before real disruption happens. Kazakhstan’s export terminal on the Black Sea was also hit by drone attacks, cutting the country’s oil output nearly in half. This shows how connected today’s conflicts have become. War in one region shakes markets everywhere. The solution is not complicated. The fighting must stop. The Strait of Hormuz must remain open and safe for all shipping. Iran has suffered heavy losses from sanctions and military pressure, and fair compensation should be part of any lasting settlement. World leaders often speak about protecting the global economy. Now is the time to prove it. The United States, Israel, and their Gulf partners hold real power to de-escalate this crisis. They must choose diplomacy over confrontation, before ordinary families across the world are forced to pay for a war they did not start.