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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Ministry on Thursday disputed media reports that portrayed a recent call between the two countries&#39; foreign ministers as Beijing pressuring Islamabad to do more on Iran-US mediation, saying the coverage misrepresented the exchange &quot;both in letter and spirit.&quot; In a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation for Pakistan&#39;s diplomatic role and offered full support, a characterization at odds with reports from several local and international outlets. Iran-US diplomatic engagement The spokesperson said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been in sustained contact with regional and international counterparts over the Iran-US ceasefire efforts. According to the ministry spokesperson, Dar held separate calls with Singapore&#39;s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on May 8. The call with the Iranian FM primarily focused on the welfare and repatriation of Pakistani and Iranian seafarers aboard a vessel seized by US authorities near Singaporean waters. In a call on May 11, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud backed Islamabad&#39;s efforts and agreed on the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. On May 12, Austrian Foreign Minister Beat Meiniere Zenger expressed support for Pakistan&#39;s role in facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington. Iranian aircraft at Pakistani airbase The ministry categorically rejected a CBS News report alleging the presence of Iranian military aircraft at Nur Khan Air Base. Andrabi called the report &quot;misleading, speculative, and disconnected from factual context.&quot; According to the spokesperson, the aircraft arrived during a ceasefire period to support diplomatic engagement linked to the Islamabad talks. It carried diplomatic personnel, security teams, and administrative staff. The ministry spokesperson said the aircraft had no connection to any military contingency. Bannu terror attack Pakistan summoned Afghanistan&#39;s charg&eacute; d&#39;affaires in Islamabad following a terrorist attack on the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu on May 9. Over 15 officers were martyred, and several others were wounded. According to the spokesperson, a preliminary investigation backed by technical intelligence traced the attack to a group operating from Afghan soil. &ldquo;In the formal d&eacute;marche, Pakistan demanded immediate, concrete, and verifiable action against perpetrators, including those affiliated with Fitna al-Hind, [Fitna-al] Khawarij&rdquo; and &ldquo;ISKP,&rdquo; Andrabi said. PM calls on Qatar, Azerbaijan The spokesperson said that Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held calls with the leaders of Qatar and Azerbaijan. The talks covered regional developments and Pakistan&#39;s ongoing peace efforts.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi speaks during a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, May 14, 2026. (MOFA/X)

Foreign Affairs

Spokesperson rejects media reports claiming Beijing pressured Islamabad on Iran-US mediation, saying Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi instead praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and expressed full support during the recent call.

Media misrepresented China-Pakistan call on Iran mediation: Foreign Office

JERUSALEM: Dozens of Israeli peace activists gathered on Thursday to show solidarity with Palestinians ahead of annual rallies marking Israel&#39;s capture of East Jerusalem, with the thousands-strong marches known for descending into nationalist anti-Palestinian violence. Jerusalem Day, as the occasion is known, commemorates Israeli forces taking East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Israel considers all of Jerusalem, including the annexed Palestinian-majority east, to be its indivisible capital. The international community, however, does not recognize this. Every year, thousands of Israeli nationalists, many of them religious Jews, march through Jerusalem and its annexed Old City, including in predominantly Palestinian neighborhoods, waving Israeli flags, dancing and sometimes accosting residents. Under the blazing morning sun on Thursday, dozens of Israeli peace activists wearing white T-shirts and carrying colorful flowers descended the stone steps towards the Old City&#39;s Damascus Gate. One elderly woman stood handing out yellow flowers to Palestinians crossing through the gate, while another greeted them with &quot;good morning&quot; in Arabic. Clutching white flowers in his hands, 52-year-old Ilan Perez said he wanted to &quot;show my sympathy and love with flowers&quot;. &quot;It was important for me to come in order to show some solidarity with the local community and say that as a Jew, as a Zionist, as someone who wants a Jewish state here, I want them to be part of it and be part of the nation with equal rights,&quot; said Perez, who works in the tech industry and had come from the city of Raanana, near Tel Aviv. Palestinian shops shuttered&nbsp;Inside the Damascus Gate, a Palestinian man was busily cellotaping a padlock shut on his storefront in anticipation of the violence expected to erupt later in the afternoon. Shops along the march&#39;s route were shuttered, and Israeli police stood stationed behind metal barriers. Authorities sometimes order Palestinian shops in the Old City to shut for the march, which ends at the Western Wall -- the last remnant of the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray. Near the city&#39;s Via Dolorosa, a handful of activists from the Israeli-Palestinian grassroots movement Standing Together were preparing to perform so-called protective presence, a tactic normally used to deter Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. &quot;This day, thousands of basically settlers and right-wing fascist young and older people will be roaming the streets chanting very racist things, trying to destroy places owned by Palestinians and just terrorizing the whole place,&quot; said Rula Daoud, co-director of Standing Together. &quot;Our presence is to just protect people from being attacked, places from being vandalized. And we try to de-escalate this day. So we are not here to protest,&quot; she said, adding that Standing Together had around 300 activists stationed in the Old City, alongside others from different peace organizations. Daoud said the march was becoming more violent every year, particularly after Hamas&#39;s October 7 attacks on Israel, and accused the police of not intervening to curb the violence. Around midday, a group of dozens of revelers waving large Israeli flags and wearing stickers with the slogan &quot;Israel is forever&quot; streamed through Damascus Gate singing and playing loud music.

Middle East

Israeli peace groups hand flowers to Palestinians near Damascus Gate as shops closed and police deployed ahead of Jerusalem Day marches, often marked by racist chants and violence.

Peace activists gather ahead of Jerusalem Day rallies known for violence

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan successfully conducted a training fire of the indigenously developed Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile on Thursday, ISPR said. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release on Thursday, the missile is equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigation systems and is capable of striking long-range targets with high precision. The training fire was conducted by the Pakistan Army Rocket Force Command to enhance the operational readiness of troops and validate the technical performance of various subsystems designed to improve the missile&rsquo;s accuracy and survivability. Senior officers of the Pakistan Army Rocket Force Command, along with scientists and engineers from the missile&rsquo;s development agency, witnessed the training launch. The president, prime minister, COAS &amp; CDF, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of the Air Staff congratulated the scientists, engineers and troops involved in the successful test. They praised the technical expertise, dedication and commitment of all those who contributed to the development and successful training fire of the Fatah-series missile system, ISPR said.

A successful training fire of indigenously developed Fatah-4, Ground Launched Cruise Missile was conducted today by Army Rocket Force Command.

Security

Missile has long-range precision-strike capability, enhances the operational readiness of strategic forces. 

Pakistan successfully conducts training fire of indigenous Fatah-4 cruise missile: Military

LONDON: Pressure mounted on Britain&#39;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer Thursday when his former deputy Angela Rayner emerged as a potential challenger in a frenzied battle for the leadership. Starmer, who led his Labour party to victory in 2024 elections ending 14 years of Conservative rule, is fighting to save his job after disastrous local and regional polls last week. Four junior ministers have resigned and more than 80 MPs have urged him to quit but he has vowed to cling on. Although no one has so far broken ranks to formally challenge him, media reported that Health Minister Wes Streeting was preparing to resign on Thursday to run for the top job. The prospect of a challenge by Rayner also grew as she announced that UK tax authorities had &quot;cleared&quot; her of deliberate wrongdoing in a tax affair, opening the way for her to compete in a potential leadership contest. She was forced to step down in September for underpaying a property duty, but said on Thursday the UK tax authority HMRC had exonerated her of &quot;the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax&quot;. Media reported she had paid off &pound;40,000 ($54,000) in outstanding tax. &quot;I welcome HMRC&#39;s conclusion, which has cleared me of any wrongdoing,&quot; she said in a statement. &quot;I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC has accepted this.&quot; Although Rayner suggested in interviews that she would not be the one to trigger a race, she told the Guardian newspaper she would play &quot;whatever role I can&quot; to &quot;deliver the change&quot;. &nbsp;Left-wing figurehead&nbsp;Streeting, 43, is popular on the right of Labour, but is disliked by MPs on the left who would prefer Rayner or Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as leader. Burnham is currently blocked from running as he does not have a seat in the Westminster parliament. The 46-year-old Rayner, seen as a working-class champion in the party, is a figurehead among Labour&#39;s left-wing base. She quit as deputy PM and housing, communities and local government minister after an investigation found she had breached the ministerial code over the purchase of a flat in southern England. Voters last week punished Starmer over his 22 months in power in local ballots which saw huge gains for the hard-right Reform UK party and the left-wing populist Greens at Labour&#39;s expense. The Labour Party lost control of the devolved Welsh parliament for the first time and failed to make up ground on the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) in the parliament in Edinburgh. Rayner earlier stopped short of calling for Starmer to resign, but said voters were frustrated with the way the government was being run. &quot;What we are doing isn&#39;t working, and it needs to change,&quot; she said in a 1,000 word assessment of the party&#39;s electoral woes on Sunday. Under party rules, any challenger would need the support of 81 Labour MPs -- 20 percent of the party in parliament -- to trigger a contest. Starmer has vowed to stay put and came out fighting on Monday, pledging to do better. &quot;I know I have my doubters, and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will,&quot; he said.

United Kingdom

Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure after poor election results, resignations and leadership rumblings, with Angela Rayner emerging as a potential challenger as divisions deepen within Britain’s Labour Party.

British PM battles to stay in power amid rebellion

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Social activist Muhammad Saeed Sheikh, who received Sitara-e-Khidmat from President Asif Ali Zardari, has emphasized the importance of strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and the United States, particularly through initiatives focused on trade enhancement and community-driven economic collaboration. Speaking on Pakistan TV&rsquo;s morning show &lsquo;World This Morning&rsquo;, Muhammad Saeed Sheikh said one of the key mechanisms supporting this goal is the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association (HKSCA), which was officially approved by the Houston city government. According to him, the sister city framework has provided a structured platform for not only cultural exchange but also meaningful economic engagement between the two cities. Sheikh shared that his journey in community service began in 1980, when he chose to dedicate himself to social work over political activity. Starting with the Junior Chamber (JCs) in Hyderabad, he later rose to become the national president of Pakistan JCs in 1992. After moving to the United States, he continued his work through the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce USA, eventually serving as its president in 2008, consistently focusing on building networks that support leadership, service, and economic connectivity. He described his key role in establishing the Houston-Karachi Sister City relationship in 2009 and developing a network of more than 40 community organizations engaged in humanitarian and civic initiatives. These networks have also played a role during major crises, including the 2011 Sindh floods, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, COVID-19, and winter emergencies in the United States, coordinating relief efforts across communities in both countries. Muhammad Saeed Sheikh reiterated that his guiding principle remains that &quot;service to humanity is the best work of life&quot;. He also highlighted large-scale community initiatives such as Houston&rsquo;s annual Iftar event, which has grown into a major gathering of over 2,000 participants from diverse faiths and backgrounds, reflecting his emphasis on inclusivity and social cohesion. He further said his contributions have been recognised in both Pakistan and the United States through various civil honors, expressing gratitude to the President of Pakistan, diplomatic institutions, and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation.&nbsp; He described these recognitions not as a final milestone but as a continuation of his broader mission to advance humanitarian service and strengthen Pakistan&rsquo;s economic development through deeper US-Pakistan community and trade collaboration.

Muhammad Saeed Sheikh speaking on Pakistan TV’s morning show ‘World This Morning’ (Photo: Pakistan TV Satellite)

Economy

Sitara-e-Khidmat recipient Muhammad Saeed Sheikh highlighted the need for stronger Pakistan-US economic ties, citing the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association and decades of community service aimed at promoting trade, humanitarian cooperation, and cross-cultural engagement between the two countries.

Saeed Sheikh's humanitarian work earns state recognition

ISLAMABAD: Afghan journalists say they are facing mounting pressure, arbitrary detention and threats of violence under Taliban rule, forcing many to work in constant fear while continuing to report on conditions inside the country, Hasht e Subh Daily reported.&nbsp; Journalists and media advocates say reporting in Afghanistan has become increasingly dangerous since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Many reporters say they risk being summoned, detained or imprisoned for publishing material deemed critical of the authorities. Despite those risks, journalists continue to document daily life and report on issues affecting ordinary Afghans. Sahar, a journalist using a pseudonym for security reasons, said pressure on her work has intensified, particularly on social media platforms. &ldquo;Even working in social media now comes with fear and stress,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;There is always the concern that the Taliban could arrest me at any moment, in any place.&rdquo; She said worsening economic conditions have also undermined the viability of independent media outlets, leaving journalists uncertain about their livelihoods. Media coverage restrictedAccording to Sahar, many media organizations are under pressure to produce reports and content that conform to Taliban directives, limiting editorial independence and restricting critical coverage. &nbsp; Taliban authorities arrested three media workers from the Afghanistan Media Organization in July 2025, and all remain in detention, according to the UNAMA report 2026.&nbsp; Officials from the Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and the General Directorate of Intelligence detained the three employees during a broader crackdown on journalists and civil society activists. Two of the detainees were sentenced in December 2025 to prison terms of 2.5 years and 3 years, respectively. The third media worker has not been formally sentenced. The Taliban accused the three of promoting women&rsquo;s education, spreading immorality and espionage. &#39;Systematic destruction&#39;Moreover,&nbsp;Taliban authorities detained three journalists this week, including two reporters from the country&#39;s largest broadcaster, TOLOnews, in what global rights groups call the systematic destruction of independent media.&nbsp; TOLOnews confirmed Sunday that reporters Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish have been held since Thursday without explanation. Sources told Amu TV, an Afghan media outlet, that Niazi was seized in western Kabul. His whereabouts remain unknown. A third journalist, Ahmad Jawed Niazi, the director of Paigard News Agency, was also arrested at his Kabul office this week, according to the Afghanistan Media Support Organization, an exiled press advocacy group. Relatives of all three say they have received no information about their conditions or legal status. Journalists working inside Afghanistan face persistent security threats, including surveillance, harassment and detention, while efforts to document these abuses continue. The Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on the press since taking power, drawing repeated criticism from international press freedom organizations and human rights groups.

A member of the Taliban special forces pushes a journalist (L) covering a demonstration by women protestors outside a school in Kabul on September 30, 2021. (AFP)

Afghanistan

Afghan journalists say they are working under constant fear of detention and violence as Taliban restrictions tighten and press freedom continues to shrink.

Afghan journalists report growing fear, pressure under Taliban rule

ISLAMABAD: A US government panel heard allegations of escalating persecution of Muslims and Christians in India, with activists and experts accusing members of the ruling BJP and affiliated Hindu nationalist groups of enabling hate speech, violence and discrimination, according to Clarion India on Wednesday.&nbsp; The testimony was presented in Washington before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan body that advises the US government on global religious freedom issues.&nbsp; Among those testifying was journalist and researcher Raqib Hameed Naik, who is the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate and founder of India Hate Lab, which tracks hate speech and anti-minority violence in India.&nbsp; In his testimony, Naik said that &ldquo;attacks against minorities are no longer isolated incidents but part of a broader climate of impunity&rdquo; adding that, &quot;hate speech targeting Muslims and Christians has become normalized in India&rsquo;s political and public discourse.&quot; According to figures cited in his testimony, 1,318 incidents of hate speech were recorded in 21 Indian states in 2025, marking what he described as a 97% rise compared with 2023. Naik reportedly called for targeted Global Magnitsky sanctions against BJP leaders and Hindu nationalist figures accused of inciting or enabling violence against minorities.&nbsp; Lamenting on the nefarious methods used by Hindutva and racist groups to target minorities, Naik said that, &quot;We have long noticed unmarked cars and suspicious figures at our protests, community gatherings, mosques, and gurdwaras.&quot; He alleged that anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate campaigns have increasingly become normalized in political rallies, religious gatherings and online spaces.&nbsp; The hearing also focused on allegations that homes, businesses and places of worship belonging to minorities have been demolished or attacked in several Indian states.&nbsp; &ldquo;If this trend continues, India could become one of the countries with the largest internally displaced populations in the world,&rdquo; Naik told the commission. He called on the US to designate India as a &ldquo;Country of Particular Concern&rdquo; under international religious freedom provisions. Hate speech has intensified under ModiCritics at the hearing argued that hate speech against Muslims and Christians has intensified under Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s government and the BJP&rsquo;s broader Hindutva political ideology.&nbsp; According to Reuters and rights groups cited during discussions, attacks on minorities, anti-conversion laws and inflammatory rhetoric have drawn repeated international concern in recent years.&nbsp; India Hate Lab data showed a rise in anti-minority hate speech incidents, with most cases allegedly occurring in BJP-governed regions.&nbsp; Witnesses also accused social media platforms of amplifying anti-Muslim and anti-Christian narratives while failing to adequately moderate extremist content.&nbsp; &#39;Transnational repression&#39; The hearing reportedly examined what activists described as &ldquo;transnational repression,&rdquo; including intimidation and harassment faced by critics of the Indian government abroad.&nbsp; The Indian government has repeatedly rejected accusations of discrimination against minorities and has dismissed earlier USCIRF and US religious freedom reports as &ldquo;biased&rdquo; and politically motivated.&nbsp; New Delhi maintains that its policies benefit all communities equally and argues that foreign criticism often misunderstands India&rsquo;s social and constitutional framework.&nbsp; The latest hearing nevertheless adds to growing international scrutiny over religious freedom and minority rights in India, particularly as rights organizations continue documenting attacks, hate speech and communal tensions across the country.

India

Hears allegations of rising persecution, hate speech and violence against Muslims and Christians in India, with activists urging sanctions against alleged BJP-linked offenders.

US panel hears claims of rising persecution of Muslims, Christians in India

NEW DELHI: BRICS nations, including Iran and Russia, met in New Delhi on Thursday, where India warned of &quot;considerable flux&quot; in a world hit by conflict, economic uncertainty and energy insecurity. The war in Iran and the related fuel crisis are dominating discussions in the two-day gathering. India was hosting the foreign ministers from the expanded bloc that now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. &quot;We meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations,&quot; India&#39;s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in his opening speech, before closed meetings began. Among the foreign ministers attending were Iran&#39;s Abbas Araghchi and Russia&#39;s Sergei Lavrov. &quot;Ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainties, and challenges in trade, technology, and climate are shaping the global landscape,&quot; Jaishankar added, saying many countries &quot;continue to face challenges on energy, food, fertilizer, and health security&quot;. Disruptions around Gulf shipping routes and the Strait of Hormuz continue to drive volatility in oil and gas markets, increasing pressure on energy-importing economies, including India. India&#39;s foreign ministry also condemned an attack on an Indian-flagged ship off Oman on Wednesday as &quot;unacceptable&quot; -- with all sailors rescued safely by Muscat. &quot;We deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,&quot; the foreign ministry said, without giving further details of who launched the attack. Araghchi, speaking in New Delhi, insisted that the Strait of Hormuz &quot;is open for all&quot; commercial vessels that &quot;cooperate&quot; with its navy. &quot;There is no such thing as a military solution to anything related to Iran,&quot; Araghchi said. &quot;We Iranians never bow to any pressure or threat, but we reciprocate the language of respect.&quot; &#39;Volatile global environment&#39;The conflict involving Iran has added strain to India&#39;s economy, which is heavily reliant on Middle Eastern energy supplies and fertilizer imports, and has cast uncertainty over New Delhi&#39;s growth outlook. India, the world&#39;s third-largest oil buyer, normally sources about half of its crude through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that has been repeatedly blocked since the war began. Ship‑tracking and import data show that India has partially plugged the gap by turning to old allies, expanding promising ties and reviving suppliers it had not tapped in years. The biggest backstop has been Russian crude -- a fuel source New Delhi spent much of the past year trying to pivot away from under stiff US tariffs. Jaishankar met with Lavrov on Wednesday evening. &quot;Our political cooperation is even more valuable in an uncertain and volatile global environment,&quot; Jaishankar said in remarks at the meeting, adding that discussions included &quot;trade and investment, energy and connectivity&quot;. BRICS expandsBRICS was created in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers. The grouping, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has since expanded, as members sought to boost the bloc&#39;s global political and economic influence. It now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was not attending, with US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday. India will hold a leaders&#39; summit later this year, and the foreign ministers will also meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the foreign ministry said. With deep divisions among some members, including over the war in the Middle East and criticism of Western powers, it was unclear whether a joint statement would be released at the meeting&#39;s end.

Africa

China

Americas

Asia

Ministers meet amid widening geopolitical tensions, energy shocks and trade uncertainty, with the war in Iran exposing divisions within the expanded bloc and raising doubts about a joint statement.

Iran war and oil dominate BRICS meet in India

ISLAMABAD: In southern Afghanistan, Taliban morality police have detained two doctors in Kandahar for treating female patients who were not accompanied by a male guardian, according to local medical sources and a report from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The doctors were arrested over the past four days in private clinics in the Hazrat Ji Baba area of Kandahar after continuing to treat women despite repeated warnings from officials of the Taliban&#39;s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the sources said. Medical workers said morality officers regularly visit clinics, hospitals and pharmacies across Kandahar and instruct doctors not to examine or treat women unless they are accompanied by a mahram or male guardian. Under the policy, women arriving alone must either be turned away or wait until a male relative arrives, according to healthcare workers. &ldquo;The morality officers come almost every day asking about women&rsquo;s examinations, male doctors&rsquo; work, and even our beards and clothing,&rdquo; one doctor said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. &ldquo;We are under immense pressure and do not know what to do.&rdquo; Healthcare workers said inspections also focus on personal appearance, including beard length, hairstyles and clothing considered by Taliban authorities to be Western in style. &ldquo;The morality officers tell doctors they must grow beards,&rdquo; said one healthcare worker, identified by the pseudonym Ahmad. &ldquo;If someone&rsquo;s beard is trimmed or shaved, they are treated harshly, insulted and threatened.&rdquo; Clinic managers said morality officers patrol different parts of the city daily to inspect private and public health facilities. &#39;Where should they go?&#39;Doctors warned the restrictions could have severe consequences for women&rsquo;s health in Kandahar, where female specialists are in short supply, and many women rely on male doctors for treatment. &ldquo;Many women do not have a male guardian, so where should they go?&rdquo; one doctor said. &ldquo;There are very few female doctors in Kandahar, and most women rely on male doctors. If this is stopped, health problems will increase seriously.&rdquo; In its latest quarterly report released Tuesday, UNAMA said Taliban morality officers in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Paktia had instructed health centers not to treat women without a male guardian. The report also documented detentions and mistreatment linked to clothing, beard trimming and listening to music and said female healthcare workers had been ordered to travel only with a male guardian.

Medical care in Afghanistan - (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

Action highlights growing restrictions on women’s access to healthcare in southern Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban detain two doctors for treating women without male guardians

ISLAMABAD: A high-level panel led by Indian PM Modi met to select the next director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but the process drew sharp criticism from the opposition, according to The Hindu on Tuesday. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is part of the selection committee, reportedly described the meeting as a &ldquo;mockery&rdquo; of the process and submitted a formal dissent note. The committee, which also includes the Chief Justice of India or a nominee, is meant to ensure transparency and bipartisan consultation in the appointment of the head of India&rsquo;s premier investigative agency. However, Gandhi objected to the way the meeting was conducted, saying the discussion lasted only a few minutes and did not allow for meaningful deliberation. He also questioned the shortlist of candidates, arguing that the process appeared predetermined rather than consultative. Gandhi complained that despite repeated written requests, he was not provided with the self-appraisal reports or 360-degree reports of the eligible candidates.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2054240346893385872&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=8de341bf7e2a56d8b239a5841a00bad3ebaa3e61&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Accusations of &#39;institutional capture&#39;The criticism has reignited allegations of the opposition that the BJP-led government is tightening its control over key institutions. Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the government of &ldquo;institutional capture,&rdquo; claiming that agencies like the CBI are being influenced to serve political interests. They argue that central investigative bodies are increasingly used to target opposition leaders while cases involving ruling party figures are handled differently. The BJP has consistently rejected such accusations, maintaining that agencies operate independently and that investigations are based on evidence. The selection of the CBI director is particularly sensitive because the agency handles major corruption cases and politically high-profile investigations. Process lacks transparency, says criticsConcerns over the appointment process have raised broader questions about the credibility and autonomy of institutions tasked with upholding the rule of law. Critics say that if the selection process lacks transparency, it risks undermining public trust in the agency&rsquo;s impartiality. The meeting comes at a time when the role of central agencies in India has been under intense scrutiny from both political actors and civil society. The current CBI director, Praveen Sood, who was already serving on an extension, was given another one-year extension amid the political row.

Rahul Gandhi criticizes selection process, terming it a “mockery” and accusing the government of weakening transparency amid opposition concerns over institutional capture and political targeting by central agencies.

Media misrepresented China-Pakistan call on Iran mediation: Foreign Office

Latest News

Peace activists gather ahead of Jerusalem Day rallies known for violence

Pakistan successfully conducts training fire of indigenous Fatah-4 cruise missile: Military

British PM battles to stay in power amid rebellion

Media misrepresented China-Pakistan call on Iran mediation: Foreign Office

Saeed Sheikh's humanitarian work earns state recognition