Pakistan’s English-language newspaper of record
The Indus Waters Treaty remains under strain as India suspends its participation after a Kashmir attack the Pakistan government denies involvement in. Pakistan warns any change to water flows could amount to war, while mediators push for dialogue and adherence to international law.
Torrential rains and flash floods have intensified across Afghanistan, Pakistan and neighboring regions. Authorities have recorded hundreds of deaths, with the NDMA and local agencies warning of ongoing risks as rivers swell and monsoon systems persist. Cities face evacuations, damaged homes, and disrupted livelihoods.
Pakistan’s Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026 have been issued, requiring accreditation and travel clearance for reporting outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Rights groups call the move a restriction on press freedom; the government says it provides a transparent framework for registration and reporting.
A fire has killed 14 newborns in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences’ mother-and-child unit in Islamabad. An interim inquiry has found poor fire safety, delayed emergency calls and absent supervisory staff. The prime minister has suspended officials, ordered criminal proceedings and approved compensation for the bereaved families.
A formal inquiry into the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences fire has found systemic and institutional failures that allowed a spark from an air-conditioning unit to become a catastrophe, with 14 newborns dying. The report cites locked or obstructed exits, absent nursery fire procedures, and delayed external rescue despite rapid frontline response.