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THE LAST DAYS OF BENAZIR BHUTTO

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THE LAST CONVERSATION It was December 2007. A chill had begun to descend over Islamabad, and over Pakistan’s democracy. The country was just weeks away from general elections that had been agreed to between Gen Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, after torturous negotiations laid down in the ‘Memorandum of Understanding.’ Having returned from exile, Benazir Bhutto was navigating a minefield of threats, both political and personal. But that cold evening, she made time for a quiet dinner with the former prime minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif, at Zardari House in Islamabad. It was in a highly friendly setting. The dinner meeting was consequential, as the Charter of Democracy signed between the two just a year ago had buried the hatchet from the 1990s, when the two parties were at each other’s throats while taking turns forming governments. It was also consequential as it was their last conversation — the one in which both poured out their hearts as never before. But it was most consequential for ...
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On World Water Day, President Zardari calls on India to restore Indus Waters Treaty

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday called on India to immediately restore full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in accordance with international obligations. In a message on World Water Day, President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the unilateral suspension of the treaty by India. “This deliberate weaponisation of shared water resources is a matter of deep concern. India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance, disrupt hydrological data-sharing, impede agreed mechanisms and undermines both the letter and spirit of a long-standing international agreement that has governed equitable sharing of the Indus river system for over six decades,” he said. “Such conduct threatens food and economic security, jeopardises the livelihoods of millions who depend on these waters and sets a dangerous precedent for the management of transboundary resources under international law,” he said. The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the three wes...
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Helicopter crashes in Qatar after ‘technical malfunction’ during routine duty: ministry

Rescuers were searching for the crew and passengers of a Qatari military helicopter that crashed in the Gulf state’s waters after a “technical malfunction”, the government said early Sunday. “A Qatari helicopter had a technical malfunction during a routine duty, which led to its crash in the regional waters of the state,” Qatar’s defence ministry said in a statement posted to X. “Searching operation for its crew members and passengers is in progress,” it said. The interior ministry said that several specialised teams have been deployed. Qatar has not specified where the helicopter was flying or the number of people on board. While Qatar has been targeted by several strikes since the start of the Middle East war, no connection has been made between this chopper and the conflict triggered by US-Israeli attacks on Iran. from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/UoWV5fP
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‘Brain drain affecting higher education’

QUETTA: Balochistan Gov­ernor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail said on Thursday that brain drain is seriously affecting higher education in public universities of the province as senior professors are migrating to other provinces due to lack of facilities and job insecurity in public sector universities of Balochistan. “The lack of necessary facilities and opportunities is forcing the province’s bright minds to migrate to other provinces,” Mr Mandokhail said during a meeting with vice-chancellors of various public sector universities of the province. He stressed the need for formulating a comprehensive policy to reverse this trend and to pave the way for “brain gain” instead of brain drain. “Universities and their campuses in the province’s remote districts are currently facing a severe shortage of facilities,” the governor said. He said the government will provide professors, associate professors, and assistant professors with both job security and benefits to enable them to work wholeheart...
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War Diary Day 21: Muted Nowruz, Eid in Iran

On the twenty-first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, a sombre Nowruz and Eidul Fitr eve set the domestic mood in Iran, as fresh military developments and a shifting coalition posture pointed to an imminent widening of the war. Across Iran, the Persian New Year arrived without usual festivities associated with it. Celebrations were scaled down, with war, blackouts and economic strain shaping public sentiment. Markets remained open but subdued, and even among diaspora communities, observances lacked the usual fervour. ‘Rare moral boost’ Against this backdrop, a reported Iranian air defence success provided a rare morale boost. Iranian systems are said to have damaged a US F-35 during a combat mission, forcing it to make an emergency landing at Al-Dhafra Airbase in the United Arab Emirates. While the operational impact appears limited, the symbolic value of hitting a stealth fifth-generation aircraft would be considerable. The Iranian media is projecting it as evidence that adv...
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US rushes $16bn arms to Gulf after Iran warns of ‘zero restraint’

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SMOKE rises after an Iranian retaliatory salvo damaged an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa.—Reuters • Tehran strikes Qatari LNG plant, Saudi and Kuwaiti refineries • Trump warns of ‘furious response’ if attacks on Qatar continue • Rules out troop deployment, but officials say reinforcements under review • Hegseth sets no timeline for war; White House to seek $200bn more from Congress • Global energy markets shaken; Brent jumps to $119, gas prices up 35pc • Riyadh asserts it reserves right to retaliate after refinery drone strike • Netanyahu says Israel ‘acted alone’ in striking Iran gas field • Claims Tehran no longer able to enrich uranium or build missiles DOHA: As Washington rushed to arm its Gulf allies with a $16.46 billion military package, Iran issued its starkest warning yet, vowing “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure is targeted again, pushing the Middle East closer to a regional war. The developments came after Iranian attacks on the world’s largest LNG p...
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Iran says it struck US F-35 over central Iran, with fighter jet’s fate unclear

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that it had struck and “seriously damaged” a US F-35 fighter jet over central Iran. In a statement, the IRGC said the aircraft was hit by its air defence systems at around 2:50am (local time) on Thursday (2320GMT Wednesday night), adding that “a US F-35 fighter jet was struck and seriously damaged” over central Iran. It added that “the fate of the aircraft remains unknown and is under investigation,” noting there is a “high possibility” that the jet may have crashed. The IRGC also said the operation came “following the successful interception of more than 125 US-Israeli drones,” adding that the incident “reflects significant and targeted improvements in the country’s integrated air defence systems.” The US military, meanwhile, said in a statement that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran. The military said the pilot was in stable condition. A US official, speaking ...
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