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
Second cyclone in a week to hit India’s Andhra Pradesh on Monday as Arnab recovery continues
The IMD says a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal will strengthen into a cyclone, likely named Murasu, and cross the Andhra coast on November 2.
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INTERNATIONAL
Trump may order major Iran strike if Republicans lose in midterms, Axios reports, as Qatar presses talks in Tehran
A US official told Axios that Trump could ‘do something bold’ if embarrassed at the polls, as Qatari mediators reported ‘positive progress’ after 12 hours of talks in Tehran; the White House denied any link.
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INTERNATIONAL
Ebola deaths in DR Congo pass 5,000 as outbreak spreads to Nigeria and Saudi Arabia bars Kenya travellers
More than 10,000 people have been infected by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved treatment or vaccine, in the DRC’s deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.
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INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan tells UN rights council Taliban let terrorists operate from Afghanistan, 4,700 Pakistanis killed in three years
Pakistan accused the Taliban regime of complicity with terrorist groups targeting it, as a UN rapporteur urged states not to normalise ties with Kabul until it reverses its repression of women.
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INTERNATIONAL
Brazil summons Argentine diplomat over Flávio Bolsonaro’s flight to the US
Brasília called in Argentina’s chargé d’affaires over how the defeated candidate crossed Argentina in defiance of a court order, straining ties between Lula and Milei.
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
US approves $2.1bn sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, paid for by European and Canadian allies
The State Department cleared 500 PAC-3 interceptors for Ukraine, funded by Canada, Germany, Norway and an EU loan, after Kyiv warned it was critically short of air defence missiles.
Shehbaz Sharif to visit Moscow in December for talks with Putin, leading big business delegation
The prime minister reviewed preparations for a Russia visit in the first week of December, where he will meet Vladimir Putin and address a joint business forum, sources said.
Revolt in Omar Abdullah’s party as 17 National Conference legislators issue 15-day ultimatum over ‘coterie culture’
Seventeen ruling-party legislators in Indian-administered Kashmir demanded an end to ‘unilateral decisions’ after a cabinet expansion left them out, as MP Aga Ruhullah prepares to quit.
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 276.61Down from Rs 276.8230 Oct 2026
- Stock marketThe KSE-100 index166,409Down from 167,19330 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.
Saudi Arabia downs Houthi drone aimed at Makkah region as Pakistan condemns attacks at UN
The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed a Houthi drone heading for the Makkah region and a cruise missile aimed at western Saudi Arabia, as Pakistan told the UN it stands in complete solidarity with the kingdom.
Pakistan offers Saudi Arabia tax-free oil storage as a hedge against Hormuz and Red Sea risks
Pakistan has approved a tax-neutral bonded policy letting Saudi companies keep commercial oil reserves in the country, and the Saudi embassy has started same-day visas for Pakistanis.
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.
Three policemen martyred in terrorist attacks in Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur; head constable abducted
Terrorists martyred a CTD constable in Bannu, a constable in Lakki Marwat and another in Bajaur, while a head constable was abducted; police killed two terrorists in a retaliatory operation in Lakki Marwat.
CDA gives Fazlur Rehman’s Islamabad residence 15 days to remove ‘illegal’ construction
A Capital Development Authority notice cites a guard post and generator on CDA land and setback violations at the JUI-F chief’s G-6 house, warning of sealing, demolition or cancellation of the allotment.
Pakistan ‘cautiously optimistic’ on US-Iran mediation, DG ISPR says, as Makkah pact door left open to Tehran
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Field Marshal Asim Munir’s two Tehran visits signalled progress, warned of ‘powerful spoilers’, and said the Makkah Defence Alliance does not bar new members.
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.
PSL 12: franchises can retain seven players but must release a top-tier star if they use the full quota
All eight PSL franchises agreed auction rules for PSL 12: up to seven retentions, a Rs45 crore salary cap, a January 13 retention deadline and the auction on January 23.
Ronaldo hits 67th career hat-trick as Al-Nassr win 5-3, moving to within 15 goals of 1,000
Cristiano Ronaldo scored three times in 15 second-half minutes against Al-Kholood to reach 985 career goals, with João Félix providing four assists.
Africa Cup of Nations goes back to every two years after CAF U-turn
CAF has scrapped its plan to hold Afcon every four years; the tournament returns to a biennial cycle, with editions in 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2033.
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
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- TORQUEPlanning a motorway trip? Here’s how to get your M-Tag, and what happens if you don’t
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