Four fiefdoms and a flag
Pakistan's four provinces are not an administrative map. They are four estates, kept intact by the men who profit from the distance between citizens and the state.
Top stories
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INTERNATIONAL
Glacial lake burst in Bhutan puts Bengal and Assam on flood alert along the Sankosh
A glacial lake outburst in Bhutan’s Gasa district released about 7.4 million cubic metres of water into the Sankosh, prompting evacuation calls in Cooch Behar and alerts in Assam’s Dhubri and Kokrajhar.
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ECONOMY
Google owner Alphabet loses $500 billion in a day as AI search eats into ad sales
Alphabet shares fell almost 13% to a six-month low as profits dropped 25% and Google said AI summaries in search were hurting ad revenue.
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INTERNATIONAL
Australia’s ‘mushroom murderer’ Erin Patterson loses appeal and will die in prison without parole
Victoria’s Court of Appeal threw out Erin Patterson’s challenge to her death cap murder convictions and removed her 33-year non-parole period, meaning she will never be released.
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NATIONAL
Dar and Singapore’s Balakrishnan discuss trade, investment and ASEAN ties as relations turn 60
Ishaq Dar and Vivian Balakrishnan held delegation-level talks in Islamabad on trade, investment, connectivity and Pakistan’s engagement with ASEAN ahead of Singapore’s 2027 chairmanship.
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NATIONAL
Policeman martyred as terrorists attack police post in KP’s Bajaur
A policeman was martyred when Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists attacked the Silai Pati police post in Bajaur’s Barang tehsil; the attackers fled after police returned fire.
Ask Pakistan. Get the proof.
- What did the budget change for salaried workers?
- Why did the State Bank hold the rate?
- How much have remittances risen?
Every answer from Thursday Times reporting and the official record. On WhatsApp too.
Featured
Security forces shoot down five terrorist drones targeting Balochistan check-post
Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan terrorists tried to strike a check-post in Kharan district, but all five drones were destroyed before reaching their target, security sources said.
Pakistan to take $600m World Bank loan for investment reforms, pledging new laws and free wheat and sugar trade
Under the BRIDGE programme, due for approval in January, Pakistan will pass an Investment Act and a factoring law and open up trade in wheat and sugar to lift private investment.
CENTCOM chief briefs Trump on Iran strike options as US transport planes land in Israel
More than 10 US military cargo flights reached Israel’s Nevatim and Ovda bases in a week, as Washington and Israel reportedly weigh renewed strikes after the midterms and Vance rules out a “forever war”.
The Thursday Times targeted in major cyberattack by Indian hackers
An extensive security investigation uncovered a sustained Indian intrusion into the publication’s digital infrastructure. With normal operations restored, The Thursday Times says its commitment to independent journalism remains unchanged.
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Why Pakistan doesn’t need a treaty to defend Makkah
Pakistan's commitment to defending Makkah predates the pact it just signed, and its silence on specifics isn't hesitation, it's strategy.
5 min read
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How Pakistan overtook India in global diplomacy
What does it take to go from an unanswered White House phone call to a UN Security Council seat in two years? Ask Pakistan. The Makkah Defence Pact. US-Iran mediation. An invite from Damascus. India lost Washington's favor in the same stretch.
7 min read
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A prisoner in his own inner citadel
Imran Khan’s sister says he is fit, with normal blood pressure and improved eyesight. Official records document specialist treatment and family access. Yet the international narrative remains one of isolation and medical crisis. The record versus the rhetoric.
10 min read
Why Afghanistan is called a global hub of terrorism
UN monitors, US intelligence and Russia all warn of terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, as Pakistan becomes the country most affected by terrorism.
“Provided by the de facto authorities in conjunction with weapons permits and travel documents.”
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Through the Maldives, Pakistan stakes a claim to a bigger Indian Ocean role
A maritime security pact signed during President Muizzu’s visit gives Islamabad a foothold in waters New Delhi has long treated as its own backyard.
4 min read
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With Badr, four Muslim powers bet on building their weapons together
Signed in Doha with little fanfare, the Badr memorandum joins Turkish factories, Qatari capital, Pakistani scale and an Indonesian market. Read as industrial policy rather than a pact, it may matter more than it looks.
7 min read
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Inside the Makkah alliance: DG ISPR on expansion, legal basis and the Muslim world’s test
DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry details the Makkah alliance's secretariat, its Article 51 legal basis, and a maritime coalition spanning Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, in an interview with Independent Arabia.
2 min read
Pakistan in Numbers
The prices and figures behind your bills and savings, kept up to date.
See all the numbers- InflationHow fast prices are rising, over a year10.3%Down from 11.1%Sep 2026
- PetrolPrice of a litreRs 377.91No change30 Oct 2026
- Foreign reservesDollars the State Bank holds$21.49bnUp from $21.47bn16 Oct 2026
- Dollar rateRupees for one US dollarRs 276.75Down from Rs 276.8629 Oct 2026
- Stock marketThe KSE-100 index167,193Up from 165,73729 Oct 2026
- Load-sheddingPower shortfall, as reported4,000 MWUp from 3,600 MW6 Oct 2026
Westline
How markets and wars dictate society.
Read Westline
The backlog Britain built
Ministers of both parties have spent a decade blaming the people in the queue. The numbers point at the people running it.
Abdullah Esquire
The Tories edge past Reform, but credibility is the real fight
Abdullah Esquire
Trump’s infatuation with Munir is a love letter to charisma
The Editorial Desk
Every Starmer stumble brings Kemi closer
TT Monitoring Desk
Binance freezes assets after $6.3 billion breach in what may be biggest crypto heist ever
The exchange suspended deposits and withdrawals and says it will cover all losses, as an analytics firm blames North Korea’s TraderTraitor unit and bitcoin slides to a six-week low.
Abu Dhabi court jails eight for life over arms smuggling to Sudan’s army
The court found the men ran an “integrated scheme” to supply weapons to Sudan’s military and launder the proceeds through UAE companies and bank accounts.
London court revives Ras Al Khaimah’s $273m claim against India over bauxite deal
The Court of Appeal ruled that an arbitration tribunal was wrong to turn away the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority’s case over a cancelled Andhra Pradesh aluminium project.
Houthis claim six attacks on Saudi airports and oil sites days after Tehran talks
The group says it targeted Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, Rabigh and airports in Riyadh and Dammam; Saudi air defences intercepted two missiles over the capital, wounding one person with shrapnel.
Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missile fired at Eastern Province, third attack in three days
Civil Defence issued an alert in the Eastern Province before the all-clear. Debris from earlier interceptions damaged property in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Houthis claim strike on Saudi defence ministry as Pakistan vows to defend kingdom ‘with full force’
Saudi air defences intercepted two missiles over Riyadh after the Houthis also claimed a hit on the Ras Tanura refinery, as Türkiye moved to ratify the Makkah defence pact.
Dar and Singapore’s Balakrishnan discuss trade, investment and ASEAN ties as relations turn 60
Ishaq Dar and Vivian Balakrishnan held delegation-level talks in Islamabad on trade, investment, connectivity and Pakistan’s engagement with ASEAN ahead of Singapore’s 2027 chairmanship.
Policeman martyred as terrorists attack police post in KP’s Bajaur
A policeman was martyred when Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists attacked the Silai Pati police post in Bajaur’s Barang tehsil; the attackers fled after police returned fire.
New provinces would cost up to Rs730bn a year, think tank says, urging stronger local governments first
PRIME puts the recurring bill at Rs47-57bn for two new provinces and says the smallest of 30 proposed units would spend almost half their NFC share just running a government.
Asim Munir and Maldives’ Muizzu agree to deepen defence cooperation
The army chief met the Maldivian president in Islamabad on the second day of the first visit by a Maldivian head of state in 11 years, as the two countries signed a defence and maritime security pact.
Makkah defence pact text shows a ten-year lock-in and a Pakistani first in line to run its secretariat
The 16-article agreement between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia treats an attack on one as an attack on all, bars withdrawal for a decade and gives Pakistan the first turn as secretary-general.
Türkiye plans parliamentary mandate to deploy military personnel to Saudi Arabia
An AK Party lawmaker told Reuters the request would follow ratification of the Makkah defence pact, which Ankara sent to parliament on Tuesday. There has been no official confirmation from Ankara, Riyadh or Islamabad.
Hesson backs Babar and Fakhar to ‘stand up’ in tri-series final despite top-order slump
Pakistan face Sri Lanka in Saturday’s final at the Gaddafi Stadium after being bowled out for 110 by the same side on Tuesday.
Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties as Fofana blazes over to send Iraola’s side into League Cup quarter-finals
Joe Gomez, who has never scored a senior goal, rifled home his kick before Fofana’s miss. Liverpool host Bournemouth in the last eight.
Vincent Kompany out of hospital after collapse caused by meningeal irritation, Bayern say
The Bayern coach collapsed at training last Friday and will rest at home, with the club saying his return is “weeks, not days” away.
The names and the hits
The people who have written for The Thursday Times, and the stories readers came for most.
Written for The Thursday Times
Reham KhanBroadcaster, formerly of the BBCCelebrity sufferings
Mohammad Ishaq DarDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign MinisterPurchasing power is being squeezed from the common man
Mian Javed LatifPML-N member of the National Assemblyعمران خان کا ایجنڈا
Absar AlamFormer PEMRA chairmanجنرل باجوہ کا بیٹا اور میرا بیٹا
Hina Parvez ButtPML-N, Punjab Assemblyلوٹ کے بدھو گھر کو آ رہے ہیں
Ahmad JawadFormer PTI information secretaryقیامت سے قیامت تک
Ammar MasoodChief editor, WE Newsاک نئی قرداد پاکستان
Hammad HassanColumnist, Jangثاقب نثار کے جرائم
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