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Workers at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles have overwhelmingly voted to authorise a potential strike during the World Cup, just days before football’s global showpiece begins.
The Unite Here Local 11 union, which represents about 2,000 stadium food and beverage workers, is demanding better pay along with assurances that federal immigration agents will not be allowed to enter the venue.
A whopping 96 per cent of voters approved the strike call, meaning they have the green light to walk off the job at any time, with the World Cup due to open on Thursday.
“Contract negotiations with stadium food service operator Legends Global and FIFA have not had significant progress on key economic and workplace safety issues,” the union said in a statement.
New talks are scheduled for Monday, ahead of the first World Cup match on US soil on June 12 at SoFi.
Cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, and others are represented by Unite Here.
SoFi Stadium — the world’s most expensive sports venue, which opened in 2020 at a cost exceeding $5 billion — will host eight World Cup matches.
“If we’re forced to strike, those $100,000 FIFA suites will have nothing but bottled water and Doritos,” said union co-president Kurt Petersen.
The union has demanded that workers be allowed to walk out if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel come to SoFi during World Cup matches and create “a reasonable fear for their safety.”
ICE has faced sharp criticism from human rights organizations for their sometimes brutal raids in various US cities, including Los Angeles.
Stadium workers have also expressed concerns about being forced to share their personal information with FIFA, football’s world governing body, to get World Cup accreditation — amid fears that data will be shared with ICE.
“The FIFA World Cup will generate enormous profits, but we are still fighting for basic respect and security,” stadium bartender Cesar Zamora said in a statement provided by the union.
“We deserve better, and if that means going on strike, I’m ready. “
GILGIT: The people of Gilgit-Baltistan will vote in the general elections for the GB Legislative Assembly on Sunday after the polls were delayed by four months due to harsh winter weather.
The PPP and other political parties have staged a series of rallies across the region and ramped up efforts to garner support ahead of the polls.
All arrangements have been finalised, with elections to be contested in 24 constituencies. According to the GB Election Commission, there are 958,480 registered voters in the region, including 503,772 male and 454,708 female voters.
A total of 396 candidates are contesting the elections, with 266 running as independents. Only eight women are contesting the elections, five of them as independent candidates.
Meanwhile, 23 candidates from the PPP are contesting the elections, while the PML-N has fielded 22 candidates. Both parties have nominated one female candidate each. Additionally, 15 candidates from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and 10 from the PTI are in the fray.
Moreover, 10 candidates are contesting on the tickets of the Pakistan Nazaryati Party, while nine belong to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), seven to the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), and six each to the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Four candidates are representing the Awami Workers Party (AWP), while one candidate each from the Awami National Party (ANP), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and the PML-Q is also in the race
The polling will run from 8am to 5pm on Sunday.
GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan has issued a notification delegating the powers of a first-class magistrate to all district returning officers and returning officers to ensure the peaceful, transparent and lawful conduct of the elections.
According to the notification, Khan said that the strict implementation of election laws, adherence to the election code of conduct and transparency in the electoral process would be ensured at all costs so that free, fair and impartial elections could be held while upholding the trust of the people.
In a statement, GB Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ghulam Abbas appealed to the people to actively participate in the electoral process and exercise their right to vote, saying that the vote is the voice of every citizen, the foundation of the democratic system and a national duty.
He said that elections are an important pillar of any democratic society and that active participation of the people is key to strengthening democratic traditions.
The caretaker minister added that the people of GB have always shown maturity and responsibility in national affairs, and expressed hope that they would turn up at polling stations in large numbers on election day.
He emphasised that every vote matters and plays a key role in the development, prosperity and future of the region. He urged the people to rise above any pressure, fear or bias and exercise their vote according to their free will.
Abbas further said that all relevant institutions were fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure peaceful, transparent and fair elections, urging the people to abide by the election code of conduct, cooperate with law enforcement agencies and play their positive role in making the democratic process successful.
He said that for a strong, stable and developed Gilgit-Baltistan, it was essential that every eligible voter exercise their right to vote and contribute to the further strengthening of the democratic process.
WASHINGTON: The US Congress is moving to tighten oversight of Pentagon leadership decisions and limit unilateral military action against Iran, in a rare bipartisan effort that underscores renewed tensions over presidential war powers and civilian control of the military.
On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee adopted a bipartisan provision that would require the Pentagon to notify Congress within five days whenever a senior military officer is dismissed, along with a written explanation for the decision.
Lawmakers say the measure is intended to improve transparency over personnel changes at the top levels of the armed forces, where congressional visibility has traditionally been limited.
The move comes amid broader scrutiny on Capitol Hill of the Trump administration’s handling of military operations against Iran and recent changes in senior defence leadership.
While Congress frequently debates executive war powers, bipartisan agreement on measures that directly constrain presidential military authority is uncommon in a sharply divided Washington.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives also adopted a War Powers resolution aimed at limiting the president’s ability to continue military operations against Iran without congressional authorisation.
The measure reflects growing interest among lawmakers in reasserting legislative authority over sustained military action under the 1973 War Powers framework, which requires congressional consultation when operations extend beyond defined time limits.
The latest resolution, introduced by Democratic Representative Pat Ryan, passed on Thursday by voice vote without objection, signalling unusual bipartisan consensus on an issue that has historically divided Congress along party lines.
The push for greater oversight has been fuelled in part by reports that US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed roughly two dozen senior military officers since taking office.
Some lawmakers in both parties have questioned both the scale of the removals and the absence of public explanations for the decisions.
Scrutiny intensified further after the removal of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, a highly regarded officer with more than four decades of service.
Republican Congressman Steve Womack described Gen George as a “patriotic American,” reflecting unease within parts of the Republican caucus over the decision.
While civilian control of the military is a core principle of US governance, lawmakers have raised concerns in hearings about whether recent personnel changes have been accompanied by sufficient transparency to Congress, particularly at a time of heightened military activity in the Middle East.
The new reporting requirement still faces a long legislative path, needing approval by both chambers of Congress and the president’s signature. But its advancement at the committee level, alongside the War Powers resolution, signals a cautious but notable shift in congressional willingness to assert oversight over both military operations and senior Pentagon personnel decisions.
Even so, Republican lawmakers remain broadly supportive of the administration’s defence posture, suggesting that the emerging push for oversight is more focused on process and transparency than on a fundamental break with the White House’s military policy.
Tremors were felt in Lahore and other districts of Punjab on Friday after a 4.9-magnitude earthquake was reported, said a statement by the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
A PDMA spokesperson said the depth of the earthquake was recorded at 18 kilometres, while the epicentre was located in the Kashmir region.
“No loss of life or property due to the earthquake has been reported in Punjab,” the spokesperson said, adding that the relevant authorities were engaged in inspecting buildings.
He further said that any earthquake-related damage could be reported to the PDMA helpline 1129, adding that district emergency operation centres across Punjab, along with the PDMA’s provincial control room, were operational round the clock.
In late May, at least one person was killed and 11 others were injured after several houses were seriously damaged following a reported earthquake in Jhelum’s Pind Dadan Khan tehsil.
On May 4, tremors were also felt in Islamabad and Rawalpindi after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake was reported.
WORLD Environment Day arrives as the planet edges deeper into climatic uncertainty. New global temperature records are being set with unsettling frequency, and the World Meteorological Organisation has warned that the years from 2026 to 2030 are likely to rank among the hottest ever observed. There is a strong possibility that another record-breaking year will emerge before the decade is out, while average global temperatures are expected to remain close to or above the 1.5°C threshold that governments once hoped would help avert the worst impacts of climate change.
The warning may be global, but its implications are intensely local. In May, temperatures in parts of Sindh and Balochistan climbed towards 50°C, triggering heatwave alerts and heightening concerns about pressure on already strained power, water and health systems. At the same time, scientists continue to raise the alarm about the glaciers and snow reserves that feed the Indus basin. For a country whose agriculture, food security and energy production depend heavily on the Indus basin, changes in the region’s ice reserves carry consequences that extend far beyond the mountains.
Pakistan knows all too well the consequences of environmental neglect. The catastrophic floods of 2022 inundated vast areas, displaced millions and inflicted losses running into billions of dollars. Yet, despite repeated reminders of the country’s vulnerability, environmental protection continues to occupy a peripheral place in policymaking. Climate adaptation efforts move slowly, urban expansion often proceeds with little regard for sustainability, forests remain under pressure and air pollution continues to burden public health. Shrinking green spaces leave cities increasingly exposed to extreme heat, while weak enforcement of environmental regulations allows ecological degradation to continue largely unchecked.
Pakistan is right to remind the world that it contributes only a tiny fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions and deserves greater international support. But that argument carries weight only if it is matched by seriousness at home. Fragmented planning, weak implementation and chronic underinvestment have left the country less prepared than it should be.
World Environment Day is often marked by pledges, ceremonies and symbolic gestures. This year, it should prompt something more. As the federal budget approaches, the government has an opportunity to demonstrate that climate resilience is finally being treated as a national priority. Adequate resources must be allocated for adaptation measures, disaster preparedness, water conservation, ecosystem restoration and more livable, heat-resilient cities.
Just as importantly, climate considerations must be embedded across development planning rather than confined to a handful of environmental programmes. Pakistan has received ample warning of what lies ahead. The upcoming budget should show that the state understands the scale of the challenge and is prepared to invest accordingly.
• From penalising green technology to sidelining adaptation, the government’s spending choices seem to contradict its own climate commitments • Without new budget pillars, proper risk screening, end to ‘green taxes’, country’s fiscal plans will only deepen climate vulnerability
FOR a country whose economic survival is tied to shoring up its climate-resilience, the government’s budgetary allocations have failed to reflect this pressing concern.
Besides measures that discourage the adoption of solar energy and electric vehicles, the government continues to invest in mega-hydro projects despite adverse ecological impacts; proposes ‘false solutions’ such as carbon capture instead of reducing reliance on fossil fuels; and leaves the adaptation agenda by the wayside despite recurring floods.
The upcoming budget, according to officials from the climate change ministry, features at least eight proposed projects focused on climate resilience, afforestation, green growth, biodiversity conservation, and environmental monitoring under the Public Sector Development Programme — with a total allocation of Rs2.78 billion.
However, experts have repeatedly criticised the government’s seemingly “anti-climate policies”, particularly attempts to tax renewable energy, which they believe will undermine the climate-smart policy direction spurred by recent IMF and World Bank programs.
The IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) requires Pakistan to revise its public investment framework so that at least 30 per cent of the project appraisal weighting for infrastructure projects reflects climate change adaptation and mitigation criteria.
In the outgoing fiscal year, at least Rs86bn worth of PSDP projects were tagged as ‘climate adaptation’, and measures worth over Rs600bn classified as ‘climate mitigation’.
“This year, these numbers will increase. However, the true essence of tagging must be followed — it should be inclusive, not just a box-ticking activity,” said SDPI Research Fellow Dr Khalid Waleed.
Pakistan is no stranger to climate-induced disasters. From 1992 to 2021, it cost the country $29.3 billion, according to a State Bank of Pakistan report on climate change’s economic impact. The 2022 monsoon floods alone cost at least $28 billion. By 2050, Pakistan stands to lose up to 6.5 per cent of its GDP, with agriculture and industry bearing the brunt.
Both the SBP and experts agree the country is unprepared unless it climate-proofs its fiscal plans. The approach, they stress, must be rooted in science, putting people at the centre and promoting climate-smart development models.
All the tools
Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, an Islamabad-based climate expert and former climate change advisor at the Planning Commission, argues that while the government has all the tools at its disposal, it doesn’t seem interested in using them.
The government formally notified Pakistan’s Handbook on Climate Risk Screening for Policy Planning in June 2024. Yet, in the financial year that followed, none of the around 57 approved projects underwent “necessary risk screening, in violation of the approved policy”, said Mr Sheikh, who helped develop the handbook. “The budget exercise every year is basically the dialogue of the deaf,” he said, describing the process as devoid of climate-smart proposals.
Failing to climate-proof PSDP projects “increases the cost of climate action and makes populations more vulnerable”, he warned.
Dr Fahad Saeed, who runs the Weather and Climate Services think tank in Islamabad, regrets that scientific evidence is missing from Pakistan’s climate policymaking. The government allocates funds for climate action before even deciding whether they will be spent on mitigation, adaptation, or loss and damage. Without a cost-benefit analysis rooted in evidence, “decisions are not embedded in science,” he said, calling for an audit of climate-earmarked budgetary allocations.
Climate-tagging development
Last year, the government touted the budget as “climate-focused” and introduced “climate budget tagging” under the RSF to classify climate-sensitive expenditures in line with the National Climate Change Policy.
Ammara Aslam at the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development said that while the associated conditionalities and mandatory climate screening are “present on paper, climate-proofing the budget would require a robust implementation framework”. Every department and sector, she argued, needs to transition “from broad, unallocated budgetary statements to funding specific, verifiable, climate-resilient infrastructure projects”.
Dr Shafqat Munir, who leads the resilience programme at SDPI, called tagging “a good step” but insufficient in the current scenario.
“IMF and World Bank programmes are helping to open the door, but they are not yet transforming Pakistan’s fiscal model.” The RSF, he noted, “is still too reform-heavy and financing-light. It can improve systems, but it cannot close Pakistan’s adaptation financing gap”.
New pillar
Dr Munir argued that climate change should be embedded as a standalone pillar in development planning, with new budget heads for adaptation, climate-risk financing, and anticipatory action.
“Let’s move beyond budget tagging,” he said, calling for poverty-proof and climate-risk-sensitive allocations for 2026-27. His five-point priority agenda: protection of people, livelihoods, infrastructure, fiscal stability, and growth — in that order.
Experts also urged the government to promote rather than tax green technologies. “Taxing green technologies does not do any service to Pakistan’s renewable energy goals,” said Ms Aslam, calling for existing and proposed duties on solar panels, battery storage, and related components to be scrapped.
Mr Sheikh agreed, warning such measures could undermine Pakistan’s climate-smart policy direction entirely.
Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan starred in Pakistan’s four-wicket win in their decisive third and final one-day international against Australia in Lahore on Thursday.
Shaheen grabbed 3-30 to bundle Australia out for 157 before Shadab added a fighting 29 not out to his two wickets, helping Pakistan to their winning target in 41.5 overs.
That gave Pakistan a 2-1 series win — their third successive ODI series victory over Australia – after they won the first match by five wickets in Rawalpindi.
Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann’s career best 3-38 — including Babar Azam’s wicket for 40 — had given the visitors some hope of an unlikely win.
At 112-6, Pakistan were in a spot of bother but Shadab found an able partner in Abdul Samad as the duo added a match-winning 49 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket stand.
Shadab’s second boundary sealed the win, while Samad’s 18 not out included one boundary.
Shaheen praised a complete team effort.
“All bowlers executed plans well to keep Australia down to 157,” said Shaheen. “The conditions were tough for the batters but the players put in a great effort.
“I think it was a complete team effort throughout the series.”
Australian captain Josh Inglis praised his team.
“I thought the bowlers and the fielding group made a great effort to put us in a position to potentially win the game, but it wasn’t to be in the end,” he said.
“We have some young and inexperienced guys so it’s a great learning experience for them.”
Earlier, Shaheen was ably supported by Abrar Ahmed (2-19) and Shadab (2-28) as Australia’s innings folded in 42 overs after they won the toss and batted.
Spinners Abrar and Shadab built on Shaheen’s early strikes as Pakistan made a strong comeback after a disappointing loss in the second game.
Inglis top-scored with a 71-ball 65 which included eight boundaries and a six, with Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey scoring 19 each and Adam Zampa making 10.
Shaheen had Matthew Short caught off the second ball of the match before Inglis added 46 for the second wicket with Labuschagne and another 52 for the third with Carey.
But Australia lost their last seven wickets for a meagre 38 runs with two run outs also hurting their innings.
Australia won the toss and chose to bat against Pakistan at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
On Tuesday, an understrength Australia shocked Pakistan by 41 runs in the second ODI in Lahore, levelling the three-match series 1-1, with fast bowler Nathan Ellis taking a career-best four-wicket haul.
Teams
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
Australia: Josh Inglis, Matt Short, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Oliver Peake, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa.
WASHINGTON: Three senior Democratic leaders urged their colleagues in the US Senate on Thursday to support the move to prevent President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran without congressional approval.
Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a joint statement that the House of Representatives on Wednesday “successfully passed a War Powers Resolution” and that it is “now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing.”
They reminded Republican lawmakers that the Iran war has now lasted more than 90 days.
The 90-day period is significant because a US law designed to limit a president’s ability to wage war requires the “president to seek authorisation from Congress if military operations continue beyond that timeframe”.
The statement comes as the legislation moves into the Senate, where lawmakers are expected to decide whether to take up and pass a companion measure or adopt the House-passed version directly.
The resolution is part of a broader congressional effort under the War Powers Resolution framework, which allows Congress to challenge or limit sustained military operations initiated without explicit authorisation.
What happens next in the Senate
The immediate next step is a Senate floor process. The chamber will likely debate and vote on a version of the resolution, following earlier procedural votes that allowed similar measures to advance.
Several senators from both parties have previously supported moving the legislation forward, increasing the likelihood of formal consideration.
However, significant uncertainty remains over final passage. Republican leadership has generally opposed restricting the president’s wartime authority, arguing that such measures could interfere with ongoing military and diplomatic operations.
At the same time, Democrats are unified in pushing for congressional oversight of any continued military engagement with Iran.
Expected outcome after Congress
Even if the Senate approves the resolution, it is expected to face a presidential veto from President Donald Trump. The administration has argued that congressional restrictions would undermine national security decision-making and limit executive flexibility during an active conflict.
Overriding a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, a threshold that current political alignments make highly unlikely.
Although the measure faces steep procedural and political hurdles, its advancement reflects renewed tensions between Congress and the White House over war-making authority.
Regardless of its final fate, the debate underscores ongoing disputes about the limits of presidential power in authorising and sustaining military operations abroad.
The Republican-led US House of Representatives approved a resolution on Wednesday to block President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran, reflecting growing concern among members of his party about the three-month-old conflict.
The House voted 215 to 208, as four Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution, which directs Trump to withdraw US troops from Iran unless Congress declares war or authorises the use of military force.
The move marked the first time the Republican-controlled House had approved a measure seeking to force Trump to wind down military operations against Tehran since the war began three months ago.
It was the latest setback for Trump in Congress despite his party’s slim majorities in both the House and Senate.
For now, the vote is largely symbolic, as legislation must pass the Senate as well as the House to become effective, and there is debate over whether war powers resolutions would be constitutional even if they are approved by Congress.
The vote, nonetheless, reflects unease among some Republicans over Trumps handling of the conflict and marks a rare bipartisan effort to curb presidential war powers as the war has entered a fourth month.
Three previous war powers resolutions had failed in the House by increasingly slim margins and the chamber’s Republican leaders abruptly postponed a vote on this one last month when it looked likely to pass.
The Senate advanced a separate, but similar resolution last month in a procedural vote, after seven previous attempts had failed. Further votes on the Senate measure have not yet been scheduled.
The four House Republicans who voted for the war powers resolution were Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
No Democrats voted against it. Seven House members did not vote.
Recent pushback against Trump
Trump recently has faced some opposition from members of his party in Congress, after months in which very few Republicans pushed back against his policy initiatives.
Separately on Wednesday, the House approved a procedural motion that clears the way for a vote on the Ukraine Support Act, which would provide security aid to Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion. The act reached the floor only after a petition reached a 218-signature threshold last month to move ahead.
Six Republicans and one independent who normally votes with Republicans voted in favor of the Ukraine measure.
Republicans recently have revolted against Trump’s plans to create a “weaponisation” fund to pay his political allies who said they had been the subject of government abuse.
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also criticized Trump’s pick of loyalist Bill Pulte — a mortgage regulator with no national security experience — to serve as acting director of national intelligence.
Separation of powers
Democrats have called on Trump to come to Congress for authorisation to use military force in the Iran conflict, noting that the US constitution says only the legislature, not the president, can declare war.
They warned that Trump may have pulled the country into a long conflict without setting out a clear strategy and also railed against higher prices for gasoline, food and other products since the joint US-Israeli air strikes on Iran began on February 28.
“The passage of this WPR today signals a significant turning point: more and more Republicans are listening to their constituents who do not want another open-ended war in the Middle East,” Representative Gregory Meeks, who sponsored the war powers resolution and serves as ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement after the vote.
“This is a loud and unambiguous message to Donald Trump on behalf of the American people: it’s time to end his deeply unpopular and illegal war of choice in Iran,” the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats posted on X.
Democrats have made affordability a central theme of their economic message ahead of midterm elections in November that will decide whether Republicans keep control of Congress.
US producer prices posted their biggest increase in four years in April, boosted by soaring costs for goods and services since the war began.
The Trump administration insists that the war on Iran is necessary for US national security, citing an urgent need to prevent the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear weapon.
Republican critics of the war powers resolutions call them political grandstanding by Democrats who want to weaken the United States and score points against Trump.
ISLAMABAD: With the federal budget for the financial year 2026-27 expected to be tabled on June 10, two major ruling partners, the PML-N and the PPP, continued their consultations on the proposed fiscal measures, with another round of the pre-budget meeting scheduled for later this week.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Wednesday that the budget would be tabled on June 10.
Sources said the next meeting between the PPP and PML-N would be attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who will be back from his election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan before the June 7 polls.
PPP sources said these were routine pre-budget meetings to discuss taxation and other measures and multiple rounds could take place before the budget session expected on June 10.
A PPP leader said they were trying to reach an agreement with the government on the fiscal measures in light of the new IMF demands, adding that they were unhappy with the budget in its current form.
Another source said the consultations were also delayed because the IMF approval came “too late”.
The PPP leaders told Dawn they opposed new taxes and hoped the government would change its approach to taxation to provide relief to the inflation-hit masses.
Sources said the PPP delegation emphasised that the government should prefer a broader tax base instead of exerting pressure on the same class which was already paying taxes.
On this, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government would try its best to improve enforcement in broadening the tax net.
A statement issued by his office said that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, along with the finance minister, held a meeting with PPP leaders as part of routine pre-budget consultations.
The discussions focused on current expenditure and development spending priorities, including the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), as well as broader economic priorities such as fiscal sustainability, public welfare measures, development initiatives, and inclusive growth for the fiscal year 2026–2027, said the official handout.
“It was unanimously agreed to recommend to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif @CMShehbaz that the Budget for fiscal year 2026–2027 be announced on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.”
The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, MNA Syed Naveed Qamar, Senator Sherry Rehman, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Federal Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, and other senior officials from the concerned ministries and departments.
The Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa had a “big head-start”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief acknowledged Wednesday, but insisted efforts to rein in the deadly virus were making progress.
The outbreak, which was declared on May 15 in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has so far been confirmed to have infected 359 people, including 61 who have died.
But the actual numbers could be far higher, with the virus believed to have been spreading under the radar for some time before it was detected.
“The outbreak had a big head-start and we’re still behind,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at the UN health agency’s headquarters in Geneva, but insisted that “we’re catching up”.
Tedros, who had just returned from a trip to DRC, where he travelled to the outbreak’s epicentre in Ituri province, said he had been “very encouraged by the level of commitment I saw everywhere I went”.
But challenges remain, he said, warning that “the virus is ahead of us… we need to move faster”.
It has been clear from the start that the difficulties would be daunting, with the outbreak concentrated in Ituri, where decades of armed conflicts have forced millions of people from their homes and into crowded camps.
Ebola patient visited UAE
The region’s insecurity, limited testing capacity, lagging contact tracing and mistrust among some of the population are among the challenges facing the response, Tedros said.
On top of that, no vaccine or approved treatment exists for Bundibugyo, the rare strain of Ebola behind the current outbreak.
Ebola, which is passed on through close contact and bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.
The current outbreak — the 17th to hit the DRC — has to date seen 344 confirmed Ebola cases across three of the country’s provinces, including 60 deaths, said the WHO.
The UN health agency also tallied 116 suspected cases of the disease.
Fifteen cases, including one death, have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda, including a Congolese resident who had arrived there after first travelling to the United Arab Emirates, Tedros said.
“WHO is working with public health authorities in Uganda and the UAE to gather additional information, assess the risk of exposure during travel, and to facilitate contact tracing,” he said.
Speed up contact tracing
The agency has said the risk from the outbreak is “very high” at the national level, “high” at the regional level, and “low” at the global level.
Tedros stressed on Wednesday that while the WHO recommends exit screening at airports, ports and border crossings in affected countries to prevent the spread of the virus, broader limits were unhelpful.
“Blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries are disrupting supply chains and hindering the response,” he warned.
“We ask countries that have imposed blanket travel restrictions to lift them.” Reining in the outbreak would instead centre on significantly bolstering and speeding up the response on the ground, including by decentralising laboratory testing in Ebola hotspots, Tedros said.
At present, only around 45 per cent of known contacts of Ebola cases have been followed up, the WHO chief said.
“To get ahead of the outbreak, we need to get that number up to above 90pc.” Abdi Rahman Mahamud, the WHO’s emergency alert and response director, told reporters that so far, more than 1,400 tests had been conducted.
But decentralisation across five priority locations – Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde and Tchomia – should soon make it possible “to do 1,000 tests a day”.
The federal government on Tuesday decided to extend the operating hours of shops, markets, restaurants and other commercial outlets as part of its ongoing austerity measures, citing longer daylight hours and rising summer temperatures.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The government had announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 in the wake of the Middle East war to deal with the global energy crisis, which had arisen due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
As per the revised schedule, the closing timings are as follows:
Shops, markets, malls, and general retail: 9pm
Restaurants, cafes and eateries: 11pm (takeaway and delivery services exempt)
Marriage halls and event venues: 10pm (no change in timings)
Essential services (pharmacies, hospitals, fuel stations, IT & telecom-related services) are exempted.
“The Committee also directed provincial governments to ensure effective implementation of these guidelines in coordination with federal authorities,” the statement said.
On May 11, PM Shehbaz had extended the countrywide austerity drive till June 13.
The measures extended included 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowance for official vehicles, with the exemption of operational vehicles such as ambulances and public buses.
Other steps included grounding 60pc of official vehicles and a complete ban on foreign visits by ministers and government officials, excluding those deemed essential for the country’s interests, as specified the last time.
Among previously announced austerity measures, the working week for all government offices was reduced to four days — Monday to Thursday.
However, the additional holiday was not availed by banks. It did not apply to the agriculture and industrial sectors, or essential services such as hospitals and ambulance services.
Under the measures, the salary of parliamentarians was to be cut by 25pc, while employees of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government-supervised institutions were to see their salaries cut by 5pc-30pc.
Expenses of government departments were reduced by 20pc, along with a ban on purchasing vehicles, furniture, air conditioners and other items for government departments.
ISLAMABAD: Four PTI leaders, including the party’s general secretary, were expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan while local leaders were detained on Tuesday.
General elections in GB are scheduled for Sunday (June 7), after a four-month delay attributed to harsh winter weather.
According to the PTI leadership, the party is not being allowed to campaign in the upcoming elections.
“Today, upon entering Gilgit-Baltistan, I, along with Shaukat Basra, Naeem Panjutha, and Zaheer Babar, was stopped by the police within the jurisdiction of Jal Police Station and prevented from proceeding further,” PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja claimed in a post on X.
“The DSP informed us that my name had been specifically listed in their records. We and our colleagues from the Insaf Student Federation (ISF) were subsequently surrounded by police vehicles and forcibly escorted out of the province,” claimed the PTI general secretary.
Raja said that these actions “represent an attempt to restrict our constitutional right to free movement and political activity”.
“Such measures cannot suppress the voice of the people or their democratic aspirations. The nation has already made its decision: it stands with Imran Khan and the cause of freedom,” he added.
Talking to Dawn, Raja said that party leaders were travelling to GB by road, as PTI stalwart and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had earlier not been allowed to travel by air. Similarly, PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar was also expelled from the region.
“When we reached the area of Jal police station in Diamer District, we were stopped by the police,” he alleged.
“The police officer was already aware that I was going to Gilgit-Baltistan. They told us that they had orders not to allow us to go there. I asked them who had given the orders, but they said, ‘You can understand who has given us the orders,’” he added.
Raja added that the police travelled with the PTI leaders until they reached Babusar Top, at which point they returned.
Shaukat Basra, while talking to Dawn, said that the people of GB were supporting PTI, and that was why the government was scared of the party’s election campaign.
“They are not giving us a level playing field for the elections, but I believe that the strategy of the government will backfire. While we were expelled, the local leaders and workers of the ISF, who had come to receive us, were arrested by the police,” he added.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram strongly condemned the incident, comparing it with the general elections held on February 8, 2024.
According to Akram, Raja and other party leaders were barred from entering GB and sent back, a “repeat of the suppression tactics used against PTI leadership ahead of and during the 2024 general elections”.
He claimed that police were being provided lists and were identifying and stopping PTI-affiliated individuals from entering the region. Akram said the alleged action “constitutes a clear violation of the Constitution and democratic principles”.
Furthermore, he said a systematic campaign was being carried out in the name of issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs), mirroring the administrative hurdles and restrictions imposed on PTI candidates and workers across Pakistan in February 2024.
He said ruling parties, particularly the PML-N and PPP, were enjoying full state patronage.
“The administration is providing them with facilities and protocol for their public meetings, while every door is being shut on PTI, a clear replication of the one-sided state support extended to these parties in February 2024”, he said.
Earlier today, political bigwigs sought to garner public support in GB as PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addressed rallies.
Bilawal said the region should be afforded the same rights and protections that other provinces enjoy under the 18th Amendment.
Meanwhile, the PML-N supremo lamented the lack of development in the region.
“I am speaking to you after many years. Isn’t that the case? Perhaps you have forgotten me,” Nawaz said while addressing the public in Gilgit, prompting roaring chants in his support.
The PML-N president then assured the GB residents that he would hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and ask him to expand the airport so that commercial jets could operate there.
PAKISTAN’S farmers are awaiting the next budget with growing fears and fading hopes. Their concerns this year are fundamental, as the government — amid pressure for reform — continues experimenting with subsidies, procurement prices, input-cost liberalisation and agricultural trade.
The cost of this trial-and-error has become an existential problem for farmers and the agricultural sector.
The agriculture sector’s fading hopes are a direct result of the government’s inability — or unwillingness — to adopt a long-term policy direction and muster the political will needed for its implementation.
Deregulation of agricultural inputs has led to a continuous rise in production costs, which the government hesitates to pass on to consumers because of political consequences.
Wheat policy reversals, deregulated input costs and controlled output prices are curtailing farm profitability
Consequently, farmers and agri-sector experts alike agree the government should make a clear decision this year, develop a consistent policy framework, and commit resources to it in the coming budget.
Iqrar Ahmad Khan, former vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and author of the Punjab government’s last agricultural policy, supports the farmers’ demands.
“After all, this is going to be the third budget of this government; it must decide where it wants to take the sector. If it wants to regulate agricultural inputs and trade, it should do so clearly. If it plans to deregulate, it must do so unambiguously. But it must make the direction clear.
“If deregulation is the preferred path, as appears to be the case, then the government should stop interfering in the market on behalf of different stakeholders — whether farmers, consumers, traders or manufacturers — at different levels and times, and let the market find its own equilibrium.”
Citing policy somersaults on wheat — the national staple around which much of the agricultural economy revolves — farmers explain how an inconsistent mix of liberalised and controlled policies is proving ruinous for growers.
Responding to lenders’ demands, the federal and provincial governments withdrew from the wheat procurement process two years ago.
But after a crippling price crash last year, the Punjab government lured commercial wheat buyers into the market by promising to share their financial burden and ensure profitability. Within weeks, as the entire model began to collapse, the province reverted to old tactics: raiding farmers’ stocks, seizing wheat shipments on roads and using administrative power to build up the reserves of private buyers.
In the process, it incurred farmers’ wrath twice over — first by withdrawing from the wheat market and then by seizing their produce to rescue a failing liberalisation model. Such somersaults have become routine and now define the government’s handling of the entire agricultural sector.
Structural weaknesses
Beyond pricing and procurement issues, many believe the crisis in agriculture is also rooted in structural weaknesses that successive governments have failed to address.
Dr Asif Ali, vice chancellor of Nawaz Sharif Agriculture University, argues that since landholdings in Pakistan are already highly fragmented — and continue to be divided with each passing generation — the government needs to mitigate the effects through cluster farming and crop zoning.
These clusters could then be linked with providers of quality agricultural inputs, including seed, fertiliser and pesticides, which could also conduct training programmes for farmers. Such a model would help improve the marketing of agricultural produce as well.
He further points out that nearly 65pc of farmers own less than five hectares of land. For such small landholders, most forms of mechanisation are either financially unaffordable or commercially impractical. He suggests the government announce measures in the budget to establish farm machinery rental centres, enabling small farmers to access equipment without bearing the full cost of ownership.
A question of survival
While some experts focus on structural reforms, farmers’ representatives insist the most immediate issue remains economic survival.
Khalid Khokhar of the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad advocates making agriculture profitable on an urgent basis, arguing that it is no longer economically viable. He suggests the creation of a pricing commission to calculate the cost of production for each crop every year, add a 25pc profit margin and announce the price before the crop reaches the market.
“Either put a cap on the cost of inputs or remove the cap on the price of outputs,” he warns. “Otherwise, farmers may soon be pushed out of business and existence.”
Running dry
Water sector remains the most critical challenge facing agriculture. According to data from the Indus River System Authority, water shortages remained in double digits in six of the last 10 years, touching nearly 30pc in 2022-23. Not a single year during this period was free of a water deficit.
Naeem Hotiana, a farmer from central Punjab, points to a stark funding gap: the outgoing Wapda chairman demanded Rs400 billion annually to complete ongoing water projects but received only Rs35 billion — less than 10pc of the required amount.
“The irrigation system was originally designed for 65pc land utilisation, whereas the current cropping intensity in Punjab has already crossed 150pc. Now combine the realities of limited surface-water availability, shrinking groundwater reserves and barely one-tenth of the required investment being provided, and imagine the situation that is emerging. Doesn’t it scare one out of one’s senses?”
He warns the situation will worsen as environmental pressures mount. “Climate change, which is already testing the limits of existing water supplies, only deepens the anxiety.”
European Union (EU) top diplomat Kaja Kallas on Monday said the bloc sought stability in the region, adding that it was in everyone’s interest for the ongoing war in the Middle East to end and for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open.
Kallas, who serves as vice-president of the European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to participate in the 8th round of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which was held earlier today.
In an interview on the Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Kallas said, “This is in everybody’s interest that this war is stopped and the Strait of Hormuz is opened. We are paying a very high price. There are a lot of things dependent on the Strait of Hormuz.”
During the appearance on the show, she commended Pakistan for being a mediator between the United States and Iran, bringing all the parties together, adding that, “Eventually, the [warring] parties have to decide.”
“Everybody is hoping that the first phase of this agreement is signed, so the talks on the difficult topics like nuclear can be started,” she said.
Kallas added that the EU seeks stability in the region. “The problems of our neighbour today could be the problems for us tomorrow. We are all very interlinked.”
She called the Strait of Hormuz a “chokepoint”, mentioning that the EU was also looking forward to diversifying its trade routes and supply chain. “You cannot remain dependent on a single route.”
When asked if she sees any parallels between Russia’s war against Ukraine and Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, she replied: “I see parallels in all these crises undermining international law. We have the UN Charter, which is very clear: you can’t attack another country; you have to respect another country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. No one should be above the law.”
Talking about the renewal of Pakistan’s GSP+ status, Kallas said, “We discussed it with our counterparts today. The preferential access to our markets is also conditional.”
“It is true that we have a report coming up in July, and then the question of renewing this preference,” she added.
“However, the conventions have to be adopted, particularly on human rights issues, where we need to see improvements.”
She elaborated that the renewal process goes through the EU Parliament.
“The EU Parliament is always scrutinising, and we have been raising these issues on what more can be done to improve the situation,” she said.
When asked whether the EU was satisfied with Pakistan’s legislation to meet the conditions, she said: “Our counterparts are mentioning what they are doing in various files, but this is something where we clearly need to see improvements.”
“We are putting forward some very concrete questions. Hopefully, there is time for improvement in those areas, and then we can renew this scheme easily,” she concluded.
