The tailor’s son who dreamed of another age: the life of Allama Iqbal
From Sialkot to Cambridge, Heidelberg and the mosque at Cordoba: how a poet who argued with God came to imagine Pakistan. A Big Read in eleven chapters
Top stories
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INTERNATIONAL
Eisenkot calls Netanyahu unfit for ‘one more minute’ after Knesset speech
Netanyahu used the new Knesset’s swearing-in to accuse Arab lawmakers of seeking Israel’s destruction. Eisenkot, who holds the mandate to form a government, called the speech hate-filled and shameful.
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INTERNATIONAL
Sharia student loans spark ‘two-tier’ row in Britain
Universities are advertising interest-free, government-backed loans for students who will not pay interest. Reform UK calls it “anti-British”; the government says no one gets a better deal.
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EMIRATES
Dubai ruler orders tents for 50,000 in Gaza as winter rains hit camps
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s shipment will go through Operation Gallant Knight 3, which the UAE says has delivered $4.16 billion of aid to Gaza in three years.
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INTERNATIONAL
Chicago father dies hours after ICE deports him to Pakistan
Ayaz Ahmed, 61, had no criminal record and chronic illnesses. His family says he collapsed after a 38-hour ICE flight; ICE calls claims of neglect “categorically false”.
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ECONOMY
Gulf fintech body opens Pakistan chapter, citing World Bank’s MENA shift
The UAE-based MENA Fintech Association links Pakistan’s banks, start-ups and regulators to its 22-market network, after the World Bank grouped Pakistan with the Middle East.
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
Smog drives second Sri Lanka Test out of Lahore to Rawalpindi
The Test will be played from November 17 to 21 as planned, but at Rawalpindi, where Pakistan lead the first Test with Sri Lanka 320 behind.
Saudi air defences down Houthi missiles fired at Riyadh and the south
The Houthis claimed hits on Riyadh airport and Abqaiq, but Bahrain’s king landed at the same airport on Tuesday as Yemen’s army pressed an offensive on the ground.
Petrol cut by Rs8 to Rs338 a litre as oil slides to two-month low
Diesel falls Rs7 to Rs371 from Wednesday, the second cut in a week, but petrol is still about Rs72 a litre dearer than before the Gulf war.
More stories
PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir attend Chashma-5 nuclear plant dome ceremony
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards unveil new underground missile city
Terrorists who turn mosques into bomb stores have told us who they are
Lahore has reopened a gurdwara. India should reopen Kartarpur
Eisenkot and allies name Matan Kahana as their pick for Knesset speaker
Judge calls Russell Brand a ‘sexual predator’ whose fame protected him
Lahore gurdwara on Temple Road reopens for first time since Partition
Bangladesh files spying case against Indian man over alleged RAW links
Imran Khan’s ex Jemima says she called police on ‘violent’ Russell Brand
Trump picks Natalie Baker as US ambassador to Pakistan
Lahore’s air needs more than a change of wind
Trump approval holds at 32%, near career low, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Trump says Gulf states want Iran blockade kept, US ‘locked and loaded’
Instagram will use AI worldwide to spot teens lying about their age
Lahore tops world pollution list at 590 before air eases by evening
Publish the Tarbela 5 report, and make someone answer for it
US rock band Burn the Ballroom makes new music with Pakistani artists
Khawaja Asif backs up to 12 provinces, but not on ethnic or language lines
Terrorists who turn mosques into bomb stores have told us who they are
Security forces found explosives and torture cells inside two mosques in Mir Ali. The terrorists who did it have no claim on Islam. Pakistan should back the soldiers who cleared them, restore the mosques quickly and make every pulpit part of the fight
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Lahore has reopened a gurdwara. India should reopen Kartarpur
A Temple Road shrine shut since 1947 is open again, and more than 50 gurdwaras are being restored. Pakistan should keep them open and full of pilgrims. India should reopen the Kartarpur Corridor before Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary
10 min read
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Lahore’s air needs more than a change of wind
The wind cleared Monday’s smog. It will not clear the next one. Punjab has more tools than ever, and now needs a year-round plan measured by the air people breathe
9 min read
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Publish the Tarbela 5 report, and make someone answer for it
Water has broken into the extension twice in 15 months. Pakistan needs this dam, which is why it needs the inquiry findings on the table and not another assurance
7 min read
Why Washington chose an Iran hand for its Islamabad embassy
Natalie Baker has run the US embassy for 22 months without the title. Her nomination signals continuity, a focus on the Iran war and a heavy energy and minerals agenda, but a Senate that changes hands in January may make her wait
“Few American diplomats have seen the Iran problem from as many of the capitals now trying to solve it.”
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Pakistan’s freelancers had a record year. The plumbing is catching up
Freelancers earned $1.76bn last year, up 78 per cent. Upwork’s wallet payouts and new certification refunds help, but getting paid, staying safe and building skills still cost too much
7 min read
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The Nvidia affair shows how far the AI chip war now reaches
A spy memo, a board inquiry and a confession from Jensen Huang: what the scandal at the world’s most important chipmaker means for the contest between Washington and Beijing, and for Pakistan
7 min read
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After losing Congress, Trump is closing ranks
A combative new chief of staff, prosecutors pointed at Democrats and a cage-fighting promoter offered the press podium: what Trump’s first four days after the midterms say about the next two years, and what they mean for Pakistan
8 min read
Words by
Justice Markandey Katju
The significance of Abdul El-Sayed’s victory
“Dr El-Sayed’s victory is a message not only for America but also for India and the whole world,” writes former Supreme Court of India Justice Markandey Katju.
Words by
Dr Yasir Arafat
Pakistan’s mineral ambitions need more than mines
As global investors gather for PMIF26, Pakistan must look beyond mineral extraction and invest in the infrastructure, skills and industries that can turn its geological wealth into lasting prosperity
Words by
Justice Markandey Katju
The fetish of democracy
“90% of Indians have feudal, not rational, mindsets, full of casteism and communalism, which I often call ‘gobar’, so they are unfit to vote,” writes former Supreme Court of India Justice Markandey Katju.
Words by
Justice Markandey Katju
The way out for India
Elections cannot end India’s poverty and division, the former Supreme Court of India judge argues. Only a united people’s struggle can
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 346.00Down from Rs 352.597 Nov 2026
- Foreign reservesDollars the State Bank holds$21.52bnUp from $21.49bn23 Oct 2026
- Dollar rateRupees for one US dollarRs 276.72Up from Rs 276.6610 Nov 2026
- Stock marketThe KSE-100 index179,335Up from 173,88710 Nov 2026
- Load-sheddingPower shortfall, as reported4,000 MWUp from 3,600 MW6 Oct 2026
How Pakistan lives.
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
Dubai ruler orders tents for 50,000 in Gaza as winter rains hit camps
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s shipment will go through Operation Gallant Knight 3, which the UAE says has delivered $4.16 billion of aid to Gaza in three years.
No backpacks, no passengers: UAE delivery riders face new rules from January
Riders must carry orders in approved boxes, wear uniforms, carry valid permits and never give anyone a lift while working, under federal traffic rules that take effect on January 1
UAE’s new traffic rules from January: five-car cap, child seats, nine-hour limit
What changes for drivers, delivery riders and e-scooter users under regulations taking effect on January 1
Shrapnel damages Aramco building in Riyadh as Houthi missiles are shot down
Saudi Arabia says an Aramco administrative building in the capital was hit in an attempted attack, with no one hurt, as air defences destroyed four Houthi missiles fired at Riyadh and the south
Aramco profit jumps 34.5% to $36.25bn despite attacks and lower output
Higher oil prices and a joint venture exit lifted the Saudi oil giant’s earnings, even as the Iran war cut its output and its facilities came under fire.
Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi ballistic missile after strikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa port, as Houthis threaten Aramco
Civil defence alerts were issued and lifted across southern Saudi cities, while Houthi media say seven people were wounded in coalition strikes in Hodeidah province.
Gulf fintech body opens Pakistan chapter, citing World Bank’s MENA shift
The UAE-based MENA Fintech Association links Pakistan’s banks, start-ups and regulators to its 22-market network, after the World Bank grouped Pakistan with the Middle East.
PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir attend Chashma-5 nuclear plant dome ceremony
The dome has been placed on the 1,200MW C-5 reactor in Mianwali, a Chinese-designed Hualong One unit that will be Pakistan’s largest nuclear power plant
Lahore gurdwara on Temple Road reopens for first time since Partition
The Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib in Mozang has been restored and reopened for worship, 79 years after it was shut
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards unveil new underground missile city
Footage released on Tuesday shows ballistic and cruise missiles and their launchers in a tunnel complex. Iran has not said where it is, and the claims cannot be independently checked
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.
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.
Hamza Zahoor’s unbeaten century gives Pakistan U19 win over India
Pakistan recovered from 61 for five to chase down 209 with three wickets to spare in Oman and go top of Group A at the Under-19 Asia Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal after 23 years, 234 caps and 146 goals
The 41-year-old hands back the number 7 shirt, weeks after walking out of the national camp
Hunza’s Maliha Ali stuns Russian champion at MMA World Championships
The 24-year-old won by split decision to reach the quarter-finals in Tbilisi, where her twin sister Manesha is also chasing a world title
From the paper’s own studio
Campaigns, films, adverts and launches, made in-house by the people who make the paper. Brands, causes and institutions can hire the same team.
- Marketing
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- Promotion
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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
Most read, all time
- World Bank places Pakistan in MENA, ending South Asia classification
- Islamabad beats New York, London and Paris in quality of life index
- Jemima Goldsmith finds love again with Irish financier Cameron O’Reilly
- Cristiano Ronaldo wins his first Saudi Pro League Title with Al Nassr
- COMMENTARYThe Superstar Playboy Politicians
- OPINIONThe reality of Dr Shahbaz Gill
- ANALYSISA detailed guide to Maryam Nawaz’s first 100 days as Punjab’s Chief Minister
- TORQUEPlanning a motorway trip? Here’s how to get your M-Tag, and what happens if you don’t
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