US appeals Court again blocks Trump’s $100,0…

British-Pakistani filmmaker Seemab Gul’s award-winning film Ghost School has been denied certification by the Sindh Board of Certification, preventing its theatrical release in the province where the film is set. The decision has sparked discussion about artistic expression, girls’ education and the portrayal of social issues through cinema. Gul has appealed to the Sindh Board to reconsider its decision. She said the film was made from a child’s perspective and aims to encourage audiences to think about education and the challenges faced by children. The filmmaker said she had asked the board to explain the reason for refusing certification but had not received an explanation. Despite the decision in Sindh, Ghost School has already gained recognition at several international film festivals. The film won the Best Director award at the UK Asian Film Festival. It also premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a nomination in a major competition category. It was later screened at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah. The film also received an honourable mention at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and secured a special award at the Asian, African and Latin American Film Festival. The film follows 10-year-old Rabia, who tries to understand why the only school in her rural village has stopped operating. Through the young girl’s journey, the story examines barriers to girls’ education, resilience and problems within publicly funded schools. The film focuses on the issue of so-called “ghost schools”. These are schools that exist officially but are no longer functioning properly as educational institutions. Gul explained that some such schools were never fully completed. They may lack basic facilities such as doors, windows, water, electricity or gas. In other cases, she said, schools were completed and teachers initially worked there, but operations eventually stopped. The filmmaker described the issue as a serious challenge in Pakistan, where millions of children remain outside the formal education system. Gul said the film was not intended simply to highlight a problem. Instead, she wanted to tell the story through a child’s eyes and encourage discussion about access to education. The refusal to certify the film in Sindh has therefore raised broader questions about whether filmmakers should be able to explore sensitive social issues through cinema. Gul has urged the provincial certification authority to review its decision and allow audiences to watch the film.

Another group of 110 Pakistani students has safely returned from Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing following efforts to facilitate the repatriation of citizens affected by tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to border security officials, the students were brought back as part of ongoing arrangements to ensure the safe return of Pakistanis who had remained stranded across the border. Earlier, around 70 Pakistani students were also repatriated through the same crossing about a month ago. Authorities said the latest return reflects continued coordination between officials on both sides of the border to ease the movement of stranded individuals. The repatriation process was carried out smoothly under agreed arrangements aimed at addressing humanitarian concerns. In addition to the return of students, authorities also permitted 592 Pakistani cargo trucks to re-enter the country through the Torkham border. The move is expected to provide relief to transporters and traders whose commercial activities had been disrupted due to restrictions at the border. Border officials said the phased return of students and commercial vehicles was made possible through coordinated efforts involving diplomatic representatives, border security authorities from both countries and local facilitators working to improve cross-border movement.

Governor of Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said that those who had been supporting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in implementing its policies and defending its decisions had reached the limits of their endurance. Speaking to a delegation of the Pakistan English Media Association (PEMA) at the Governor’s House on Monday, he said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had now assumed the role of an opposition party and would continue to function as a genuine opposition until the next general elections, scheduled for 2029. PEMA Chairman Zulqernain Tahir and President Rameez Khan led the delegation, which also included Secretary General Ali Raza and members Mubashir Bokhari, Babar Dogar, Shahar Bano, Mubashar Hassan, Faisal Ali Ghumman and Samiullah Randhwa. He made it clear that the PPP would not return to the present coalition arrangement following the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections and would instead play the role of an effective opposition, particularly in Punjab. Mr Khan said the PPP had never favoured coalition governments as a means of running the country, even during the previous parliamentary term. Although the party was widely regarded as an ally of the PML-N-led government, he said it was, in practice, steadily moving into opposition. He maintained that those backing the present government appeared increasingly powerless in the face of poor governance and allegations of corruption. Responding to a question, the PPP leader said internal differences within the party had been resolved to enable it to function as a more effective opposition. Mr Khan also dismissed speculation over a power-sharing arrangement at the federal level, saying there was no written agreement under which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would serve for two and a half years before handing over office to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for the remainder of the term. He said there could be no disagreement that the people of Pakistan were grappling with rising unemployment and persistent inflation. The PPP, he added, would continue to raise these issues publicly to mobilise support while also exerting political pressure on the PML-N government to improve its performance and deliver meaningful relief to the public.