Pakistan’s economic recovery has gained credibility after the IMF praised stronger than expected growth, improved external balances and the country’s first current account surplus in fourteen years. The Fund notes that reserves are rising and inflation is contained, though climate risks and reform challenges persist.
Pakistan’s military has sentenced former Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed to fourteen years after a far reaching court martial that examined accusations of political meddling, secrecy violations and misuse of authority, with further investigations now under way into his alleged attempts to engineer political agitation.
President Trump has introduced the Trump Gold Card, a fast-track residency programme designed for wealthy applicants, billed as a revenue booster and a premium alternative to the traditional Green Card.
Afghanistan’s top scholars have issued a joint decree reinforcing the Islamic Emirate’s Sharia authority, declaring national defence a personal duty and banning foreign military involvement without explicit state permission.
Field Marshal Asim Munir linked Pakistan to the State of Madina, called the Saudi defence pact historic and said Pakistan has been honoured as a guardian of the Haramain. He branded terrorism as India’s habit, insisted that only the state can declare jihad and urged religious scholars to unite the country around knowledge, hard work and a wider national vision.
Speaking to religious scholars in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan will not progress through “magic” or shortcuts but through hard work, unity and respect for the armed forces. He hailed the army’s performance against India, urged clerics to fight sectarianism and argued that tough decisions by political and military leaders have helped pull the economy back from the edge of default.
In a blistering London speech, the Conservative leader tore into mental-health diagnoses, child-poverty metrics, and Labour’s welfare vision — igniting the fiercest policy fight of her campaign.
In a few pointed lines at the White House, President Trump accused India of “dumping” rice into US markets and demanded to know why New Delhi is “allowed” to do so without heavier tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied any exemption, but the exchange has raised the prospect that Indian rice could become the next flashpoint in US–India trade
A new nationwide corruption survey paints a cautiously positive picture for Pakistan’s state. Most respondents say they did not pay a bribe in the past year and many acknowledge economic stabilisation, but they also demand stronger accountability, cleaner political funding and real protection for whistleblowers.
Pakistan’s new Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has tied the future of relations with Kabul to the fate of the TTP, warning Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers that they must choose between partnership with Islamabad or continued tolerance of Pakistani Taliban networks on Afghan soil, as a powerful new tri service command comes online in Rawalpindi.
