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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening defense and security ties with Tajikistan. This he said in a meeting with Colonel General Sobirzoda Emomali Abdulrahim, Minister of Defense of Tajikistan, who called on him, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, said a press release issued by Pakistan military&rsquo;s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security, and bilateral defense cooperation were discussed. Enhancing military ties&nbsp;Both sides expressed their resolve to enhance the existing military-to-military collaboration, particularly in the areas of training, counter-terrorism, and regional security, it said. The visiting dignitary appreciated the professionalism of the Pakistan Army and acknowledged its role in promoting regional stability and peace, the statement said. The COAS, while emphasizing the importance of collective efforts for regional stability and prosperity, reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening defense and security ties with Tajikistan, the ISPR&rsquo;s statement said.

Security

Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir met Tajik Defense Minister Sobirzoda, reaffirming commitment to defense and security ties; both emphasize military collaboration, counter-terrorism, training, and regional stability promotion.

Pakistan, Tajikistan pledge stronger defense, regional security cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s public debt has fallen by more than Rs1,371 billion ($4.847 billion), the largest quarterly reduction in 69 months. In a post on X (Twitter), the advisor to the country&rsquo;s Finance Minister, Khurram Schehzad, wrote that this was the first quarterly decline in nearly six years, with the last drop occurring in December 2019. <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;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1990401813116276974&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b93cea67d457c50ae4be591fd9102aada938c5a8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The decline, from Rs80,518 billion ($284.9 billion) in June 2025 to Rs79,146 billion ($280 billion) in September 2025, represents a 1.7% reduction. The decrease is attributed to the country&rsquo;s strong fiscal management and the strategic early retirement of high-cost debt, which has helped reduce the country&rsquo;s future borrowing requirements and refinancing risks. Schehzad&nbsp;noted that this shift would strengthen Pakistan&rsquo;s medium-term financial stability and provide the government with greater fiscal flexibility moving forward. &ldquo;Lower debt servicing will create fiscal space for priority spending on development, social protection, and growth,&rdquo; the advisor wrote. The drop in debt also signals improving policy credibility and boosted investor confidence, he added.

Banking

This was the first quarterly decline in nearly six years, with the last drop occurring in December 2019.

Pakistan cuts public debt by $4.8 billion in largest 6-year drop

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said on Monday that Pakistan is in regular contact with the Russian government as Moscow had offered to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul&rsquo;s Afghan Taliban regime.&nbsp;The Pakistani envoy expressed these views in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV from Moscow, where he spoke about the upcoming SCO summit and member states&rsquo; reaction to the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s continued harbouring of terrorist organisations on its soil.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/d1bf899d-d80c-4ed3-a688-5b3d0f37b6a5-WhatsApp Image 2025-11-17 at 20.54.06.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp Image 2025-11-17 at 20.54.06.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic" style="text-align: left;">Pakistan&rsquo;s ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, speaks exclusively to Pakistan TV about the SCO Summit and issues related to the Afghan Taliban on November 17, 2025.</figcaption> Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban reached a ceasefire in Doha on Oct. 19, but tensions remain high between the neighbours after two subsequent rounds of talks to devise a mechanism against terrorist organizations using Afghan soil remained inconclusive in Istanbul due to the inconsistent position of the Taliban delegation. Pakistan remains consistent on its basic demand that the Afghan Taliban regime take clear and verifiable actions against militant groups operating from Afghan soil.&nbsp; &ldquo;Russia has offered to mediate between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime,&rdquo; Ambassador Tirmizi told Pakistan TV. &ldquo;Russia has been kind enough to offer its assistance, and we are already in regular contact with the Russian government [regarding this] as well,&rdquo; he added. Last month, the ambassador said Pakistan attended a talk on Afghanistan in Moscow where Russians were trying to tell the Afghan Taliban that they should be a factor of stability and connectivity in the region rather than a factor of instability.&nbsp; &ldquo;That is the whole endeavor on the part of Pakistan as well as Russia to convince the Taliban regime whether they want to be part of the Eurasian dream under SCO,&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;Then they have to ensure that their soil is not used against any territory, any country or against any religion, be it Pakistan, Central Asia or Russia.&rdquo; Tirmizi said the SCO-member states consider it fundamental to persuade the Afghan Taliban regime to review its policies if wanted to be accepted as a credible partner in the international arena. &ldquo;Their soil should not be used to destabilise other countries of the world,&rdquo; he added. The Pakistani envoy said Russia understands that without peace in Afghanistan there cannot be any meaningful exchanges in all SCO states.&nbsp; &ldquo;Because Afghanistan is the linchpin which connects South Asia to Central Asia and Eurasian landmass,&rdquo; he added.</figure>

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s envoy in Moscow says Russia offered to mediate between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban as tensions persist. SCO states urge Taliban to curb militant groups and ensure Afghan soil isn’t used for regional instability

Pakistan in regular contact with Russia as Moscow offered to mediate with Afghan Taliban: envoy

MILAN: Norway qualified for their first World Cup since 1998 after Erling Haaland struck again in a 4-1 thumping of Italy on Sunday which sealed a spot in next summer&#39;s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. &nbsp;Haaland scored the decisive brace in the space of seconds at a soaking San Siro for Norway, who completed Group I with a perfect 24 points from their eight qualifying matches.&nbsp;Norway would have had to lose by nine goals or more in order to be overtaken by Italy for the group&#39;s only automatic place for next summer&#39;s finals in North America, but Stale Solbakken&#39;s side ended their campaign in glorious fashion in front of 70,000 people.&nbsp;However, Solbakken was coy as to his powerful team&#39;s chances now that a 28-year weight has come to an end.&nbsp;&quot;Let&#39;s see the draw first... I haven&#39;t even thought about it. For me, it (tonight) was to go from 99 percent to 100 percent and now we have done it in a great way,&quot; Solbakken told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;Let&#39;s see what the draw brings before we go into those questions.&quot;&nbsp;Haaland&#39;s father Alf-Inge was still an international player when Norway last competed in the World Cup 27 years ago, a tournament won by a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France.&nbsp;And the Manchester City striker, called a &quot;goal machine&quot; by Solbakken, will be one of the players to watch in North America after smashing in 16 goals during qualifying.&nbsp;The 25-year-old is averaging more than a goal a game for club and country this season and was typically ruthless when presented with his opportunities to both put Norway ahead and then double their lead in the 78th and 79th minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Norway sink Italy&nbsp;Pio Esposito opened the scoring for Italy in the 11th minute, but once Antonio Nusa levelled with a thumping strike in the 63rd minute, there was only one team who looked like winning, and Jorgen Strand Larsen&#39;s brilliant individual goal completed the rout in stoppage time.&nbsp;Italy will head to the play-offs in March after finishing the group six points behind Norway following two bracing defeats to Solbakken&#39;s team, and exited the San Siro field to a hail of whistles from the few home fans who had stayed until the end.&nbsp;Coach Gennaro Gattuso apologised to supporters during his short interview with public broadcaster RAI and was clearly concerned about the second half collapse.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s worrying, I&#39;d be a liar to say that it doesn&#39;t concern me, because when you have nights like this it&#39;s much easier if you can stay together, improve the day to day,&quot; said Gattuso.&nbsp;&quot;What worries me is that we&#39;ll next see each other in three months&#39; time.&quot;&nbsp;Italy&#39;s bid for direct qualification was compromised from their opening match against Norway, a 3-0 defeat which ended Luciano Spalletti&#39;s reign as coach.&nbsp;Since Gattuso took over, the Azzurri have performed better but there is no-one in their team of the class of Haaland, a shame for a country which has produced some of the game&#39;s best-ever players.&nbsp;Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups thanks to humiliating defeats in the play-offs to Sweden and North Macedonia, the latter coming less than a year after being crowned European champions in 2021.

Football

Erling Haaland’s late brace sealed Norway’s 4–1 win over Italy, earning their first World Cup berth since 1998. Italy, collapsing after leveling, face play-offs amid mounting concerns over their form.

Haaland leads Norway past Italy to reach first World Cup since 1998

LAGOS: Nigeria&#39;s football coach has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo of practising &quot;voodoo&quot; after his squad&#39;s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup ended in a penalty shootout loss in the African play-offs final.&nbsp;DR Congo and Nigeria drew 1-1 after extra time in the tie in Rabat on Sunday and the central Africans won 4-3 on penalties to book a place in inter-confederation play-offs in Mexico next March.&nbsp;In his post-match remarks to journalists, coach Eric Chelle said a member of the DR Congo team &quot;did some voodoo, every time, every time, every time&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;That is why I was a bit nervous,&quot; said former Mali international Chelle, who took charge of Nigeria in January.&nbsp;Chelle had admitted prior to the match that it was going to &quot;be very difficult in Morocco&quot;.&nbsp;Using hand gestures, he said he saw a DR Congo member waving his hand as if sprinkling or shaking something. &quot;I don&#39;t know if it&#39;s water or something like that.&quot;&nbsp;In a nervy shootout in which four spot-kicks were saved and another missed, DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba defied a bottle thrown toward him and torrential rain to convert the winning penalty as his country seek a return to the global showpiece after a lengthy absence.&nbsp;Nigeria, an African football giant, lie 19 places above DR Congo in the world rankings and were pre-match favourites.&nbsp;The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the second World Cup in a row. They had not missed back-to-back editions since their debut in 1994.&nbsp;While Nigeria have been regular participants at the World Cup, the sole appearance by the Congolese came in 1974 when the mineral-rich central African country was called Zaire.&nbsp;President Bola Tinubu urged the squad to &quot;put behind them the loss&quot; and to focus on preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which runs from December 21 to January 18.&nbsp;&quot;We must now plug all the loopholes. Our football administrators, players ... must go back to the drawing board,&quot; said Tinubu in a statement.

Nigeria’s coach Eric Chelle blamed alleged “voodoo” after a tense penalty-shootout loss ended Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup hopes. Underdog Congo advanced, while President Tinubu urged Nigeria to regroup ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria coach blames 'voodoo' after World Cup hopes crushed

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa said Monday the surprise arrival of 153 Palestinians on a plane last week indicated &quot;a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians&quot; out of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The group landed in Johannesburg on a chartered flight on Thursday without departure stamps from Israel in their passports. Reports said a shadowy organisation named Al-Majd was involved in their travel from Gaza. &quot;We are suspicious, as the South African government, about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane,&quot; Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters. South African border police kept the group on the plane for 12 hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa allowed them entry on a standard 90-day visa exemption. It emerged later that a first plane carrying 176 Palestinians had arrived on October 28, according to the local Gift of the Givers charity that is assisting the arrivals. &quot;We do not want any further flights to come our way because this is a clear agenda to cleanse out Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank and those areas, which South Africa is against,&quot; Lamola said. &quot;It does look like it represents a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world, and is a clearly orchestrated operation,&quot; he said. &#39;Misled&#39; South Africa, which is set to host world leaders at the G20 summit this weekend, is seen as one of the strongest supporters of the Palestinian cause. Pretoria filed a case against Israel with the International Court of Justice in 2023, accusing it of genocide in Gaza. The Gift of the Givers NGO told AFP the Palestinians it is assisting said they had paid around $2,000 per person to Al-Majd for the trip and did not know they were going to South Africa. &quot;What we&#39;ve been told is that they were promised some type of travel out of Gaza to some form of safety in a country that would welcome them,&quot; representative Sarah Oosthuizen told AFP. Some of the passengers appeared to have been misled about their final destination, with a few believing they were headed to Indonesia, Malaysia or India, she said. Travellers in the first group &quot;definitely did not know that they were coming to South Africa&quot;, Oosthuizen said. The second plane -- which carried a group including men, women and children -- flew from Israel&#39;s Ramon airport to Nairobi before boarding the chartered plane to Johannesburg, she said. The accommodation they had been promised on arrival turned out to have been booked for only up to a week and &quot;when they were settled in these accommodations, their contact with Al-Majd went silent,&quot; Oosthuizen said. Some of the group had told the NGO that they wished to apply for asylum, she said. &#39;Investigating&#39; The Palestinian embassy in South Africa said Thursday the travel of both groups &quot;was arranged by an unregistered and misleading organisation that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza.&quot; The group had &quot;deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner,&quot; it said. When AFP in Jerusalem tried to contact Al-Majd, none of the numbers listed on their website were in service. Their linked address only led to the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Israeli authorities told AFP at the weekend that the 153 Palestinians had been allowed to leave Gaza after receiving &quot;approval from a third country to receive them&quot;, without naming the country in question. Lamola on Monday said Pretoria was investigating the matter.

Middle East

South Africa suspects a scheme to forcibly relocate Palestinians after 153 arrived unexpectedly on a flight, possibly misled by unregistered group Al-Majd; investigations ongoing.

South Africa says 'suspicious' flights from Israel an 'agenda to cleanse Palestinians'

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Sunday organized the Uraan Pakistan Fest in the capital&rsquo;s F-9 Park, reported Radio Pakistan.&nbsp;The festival, held under the government&rsquo;s public-engagement initiatives, drew large crowds despite heightened security concerns in the city.&nbsp;The ministry said the event was arranged under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and in line with the administration&rsquo;s focus on public-oriented cultural activities.&nbsp;Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Islamabad&rsquo;s district authorities oversaw what officials described as foolproof security arrangements, following recent advisories urging caution at public gatherings.&nbsp;Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar reviewed preparations ahead of the festival.&nbsp;&ldquo;Healthy recreational activities are included in the government&rsquo;s priorities,&rdquo; he said, noting that the turnout showed residents&rsquo; desire for safe public spaces even during periods of tightened vigilance.&nbsp;Entry was free as crowds packed the venue throughout the night, with many families staying for hours as musicians Atif Aslam, Farhan Saeed, Nimra Mehra, Jabar Abbas, and Zunair Zahid took the stage. Hosts Shafaat Ali and Sofia Ahmad guided the program, which mixed music, comedy, and family-oriented entertainment.&nbsp;Officials said the strong attendance reflected public confidence and a broader appetite for positive community-oriented events after weeks of concerns about threats to large gatherings.&nbsp;According to organizers, the festival succeeded in offering &ldquo;pleasant, safe, and quality entertainment&rdquo; for Islamabad residents.

Culture

The government-organized Uraan Pakistan Fest drew large crowds to Islamabad’s F-9 Park despite security concerns, offering free entry, major musical performances, and heightened safety measures as officials highlighted public demand for safe, positive recreational events.

Crowds pack Islamabad’s F-9 park to attend Uraan family festival   

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) rejected claims made by former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, that a senior commander of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) was killed in the Punjab region of Pakistan. The controversy began when Khalilzad shared a post on X (Twitter) from Al-Mirsad English. The post claimed that a commander named Burhan, also known as Zaid, had been gunned down by armed men in Akhtar Abad, Punjab. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> It described Burhan as a key figure in ISIS-K and alleged he had been involved in operations across Afghanistan. Khalilzad, a prominent figure in US foreign policy, retweeted the post. He called the report &ldquo;good news&rdquo; and linked it to broader regional security concerns, suggesting it marked a blow to ISIS-K&rsquo;s operations. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> However, Pakistan&rsquo;s MoIB in a post on X called the claim &ldquo;false and misleading.&rdquo; The ministry said the incident took place in Habibabad, not Akhtar Abad, as claimed. Habibabad is located in the Kasur district of Punjab. The killing occurred on March 5, 2025. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> The MoIB clarified that the incident was not related to ISIS-K. It wrote that it was likely a result of a robbery or a personal dispute. Official records show Burhan had been living with his father-in-law in Habibabad and had no known ties to ISIS-K or any militant group. A police report, filed on March 6, 2025, confirmed the incident was a local crime. The Saddar Patoki police station registered a First Information Report, and investigations are ongoing. Authorities have found no evidence linking the killing to terrorism. &ldquo;There is no credible evidence to suggest Burhan was involved in ISIS-K,&rdquo; the MoIB statement said. &ldquo;This was a criminal act, not terrorism.&rdquo; The ministry also rejected the broader narrative. It dismissed suggestions that ISIS-K had a presence in Punjab. &ldquo;The claim that ISIS-K is active in Punjab is false,&rdquo; the statement said. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s security agencies have found no evidence of ISIS-K elements operating in the province.&rdquo; Khalilzad&rsquo;s post had raised concerns among some observers. They feared it could signal a shift in the security situation. The MoIB asked both local and international media to verify such claims through reliable sources before reporting. The ministry also&nbsp;cautioned against sharing unverified or sensationalized information.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refutes the post by former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad; clarifies that the incident was not related to ISIS-K and was likely the result of a robbery or a personal dispute.

Pakistan denies report of ISIS-K commander killed in southern Punjab

V&Eacute;LIZY-VILLACOUBLAY: France&#39;s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky Monday signed an accord for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighter jets and other hardware, a boost for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.&nbsp;The letter of intent inked by the two leaders sets out possible future contracts for Ukraine to acquire 100 Rafale fighter jets &quot;with their associated weapons&quot;, the French presidency said.&nbsp;It also lays out deals for the new generation SAMP-T air defense systems which are under development, radar systems and drones.&nbsp;The accord signed at France&#39;s Villacoublay air base is not a purchase and sales contract and is projected to be realized &quot;over a timeframe of about 10 years&quot;, the presidency added.&nbsp;Zelensky, who has suffered setbacks over the last week due to a corruption scandal at home and Russian forces closing in on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, wrote on X ahead of meeting Macron that the accord would be a &quot;historic deal&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;A great day,&quot; Macron wrote in a brief post on X in French and Ukrainian over a picture of the deal being signed.&nbsp;The aim is to &quot;enable it (Kyiv) to acquire the systems it needs to respond to Russian aggression&quot;, added a French presidential official, asking not to be named.&nbsp;The Ukrainian president had already signed a letter of intent last month to acquire 100 to 150 Swedish Gripen fighter jets.&nbsp;France has delivered Mirage fighter jets to Kyiv, but until now there had been no talk of Ukraine acquiring the Rafale, the crown jewel of French combat aviation.

Europe

France and Ukraine signed a letter of intent for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale jets plus air-defense systems, radars, and drones over 10 years, strengthening Ukraine amid battlefield pressure and following its earlier Gripen plans

Macron, Zelensky sign accord for Ukraine to buy French fighter jets

BERLIN:&nbsp;Germany is set to remove restrictions it imposed in August on arms exports to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip, the government announced Monday. &ldquo;The restrictions on arms exports to Israel ... will be lifted,&rdquo; government spokesman Sebastian Hille told reporters, adding that the decision &ldquo;will take effect on 24 November.&rdquo; Chancellor Friedrich Merz had justified the original August decision as a reaction to plans announced by the Israeli government at the time for an escalation in its Gaza City offensive. &ldquo;We have always stated that we would review this practice in light of developments on the ground,&rdquo; Hille said on Monday. &ldquo;Since 10 October, there has been a cease-fire in Gaza, which has also fundamentally stabilised,&rdquo; he added, noting that &ldquo;this forms the basis for this decision&rdquo; to lift the restrictions. &ldquo;We expect everyone to adhere to the agreements that have been made,&rdquo; Hille said, including &ldquo;maintaining the cease-fire, providing large-scale humanitarian aid.&rdquo;

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during an economic summit hosted by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung at the Adlon Hotel in Berlin on November 17, 2025. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

Americas

Germany is set to remove restrictions it imposed in August on arms exports to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip, the government announced Monday.

Germany to lift curbs on arms exports to Israel

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that the state must ensure every woman receives her share of inheritance, calling the right &ldquo;divinely bestowed.&rdquo; &quot;It is incumbent upon the State under the Constitution and the clear injunctions of Islam to ensure the effective and unfettered realization of women&#39;s right to inheritance,&quot; says a seven-page judgment authored by Justice Athar Minallah and concurred by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan. The verdict came as a result of the Supreme Court&rsquo;s dismissal of a petition submitted by Abrar Hussain, who had spent years attempting to prevent his sister, Mst. Bibi Shahida, from receiving her legal share of a Karachi property left behind by their late father, Irfan Hussain Khan, who died in 2002. Shahida originally filed a lawsuit in 2015, claiming that her brother had taken over their father&#39;s house, blocked her access to her inheritance, and rented out portions of it without paying her a share of the income. The bench upheld prior decisions of the trial court, appellate court, and the Sindh High Court, all of which ruled that Abrar Hussain unfairly deprived his siblings, particularly his sister, Bibi Shahida, of their legitimate inheritance for more than two decades. According to the SC ruling, Hussain &quot;took exclusive possession of the property; thereby depriving the other legal heirs of their lawful shares.&quot; &ldquo;The petitioner (Hussain) had no case on merits and yet persisted in litigation, thereby prolonging the deprivation of his siblings of their lawful inheritance, which devolved upon them on 1.1.2002, the date of their father&rsquo;s demise,&rdquo; Justice Minallah wrote. The basis of the petitioner&rsquo;s claimShahida&#39;s claim was supported by all of her siblings, with only Hussain contesting it, arguing that their father had &lsquo;gifted him&rsquo; the property before his death. Abrar used two documents to support this claim:&nbsp;An alleged &quot;iqrar nama&quot; from 2000 and a&nbsp;supposed &quot;possession certificate&quot; issued by a union council nazim. The Supreme Court declared the documents &ldquo;dubious and unreliable,&rdquo; saying Hussain&nbsp;failed to present credible witnesses or proof. The bench stated that the so-called iqrar nama lacked basic information such as witnesses&#39; addresses and CNIC numbers. &ldquo;The challenge before this Court was nothing more than an attempt to delay and frustrate the rights of the other legal heirs, amounting to a mere abuse of process,&rdquo; Justice Minallah noted. The final orderThe judgment reiterated that the state has a constitutional duty to ensure that &ldquo;every woman is informed of, and enabled to claim, her rightful share in inheritance without delay, fear or dependence on lengthy litigation.&rdquo; The bench called for the establishment of a proactive state-run mechanism to assist women in claiming their inheritance, adding that those who deprive women of their rights &ldquo;through coercion, deceit or undue influence&rdquo; must be held accountable. The judgment also referred to the Federal Shariat Court&#39;s landmark decision earlier this year, which determined that customs such as Chaddar, Parchi, or Haq Bakhshwai &mdash; often used to deprive women of inheritance &mdash; were &ldquo;un-Islamic&rdquo; and held no legal validity. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, refused leave to appeal, and ordered Abrar Hussain to deposit Rs500,000 within seven days, to be distributed among the rightful heirs.

File:Supreme Court of Pakistan.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Education

The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that women’s inheritance is a 'divinely bestowed' right; dismissed a man’s petition blocking his sister’s share; fined him Rs500,000; urged the state to establish mechanisms to ensure women receive their inheritance.

Pakistan, Tajikistan pledge stronger defense, regional security cooperation

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