Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has called on the judiciary to encourage alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and detailed the Supreme Court’s ongoing efforts to establish a mediation centre.

In remarks aired on television on Monday, the SC judge stressed the need for mediators to be referred more cases, saying, “For that, the courts have to be willing to refer cases to mediation and must never think that by doing so, they are shying away from their primary responsibility of adjudication.”

He noted that, having already paid lawyers, parties were reluctant to pay a fee for mediators and, therefore, some mediation centres had a policy of pro-bono mediations.

“To encourage parties to go into mediation, what we have decided now is to train as many judges as mediators, and also officials in the high court and the Supreme Court who are law graduates, who will be willing to conduct mediation in their own pay scale,” the judge said.

Justice Aurangzeb, along with Lahore High Court’s Justice Jawad Hassan, was presenting a keynote address at the launch event in Islamabad of “ADR ODR International x ICDRL Peacemakers Community (AIPC)”, linked to the International Centre for Dispute Resolution Lahore (ICDRL).

Justice Aurangzeb also said that the SC was in the process of establishing a “court-annexed mediation centre”, with financial assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He highlighted that the SC now had two accredited, trained mediators and that the law ministry was starting a programme on Monday to train more mediators.

“By the end of this year, I hope to take the number to at least a dozen, so that parties who cannot afford to pay for the mediators are referred to the mediation centre, which will be housed in the Supreme Court […] for mediation to be conducted free of cost,” the judge said.

He further noted, “When being responsible for choosing lawyers to be trained as mediators, I had to bear in mind that they had to represent the entire spectrum of law, ranging from banking law, service law, civil disputes, land disputes and so on and so forth.”

Justice Aurangzeb observed that there was no shortage of mediators in Pakistan, adding that they were “experts in different fields”.

“You cannot be expecting mediators to work pro bono,” he said, emphasising that mediation was a “very lucrative part of the profession”.

However, Justice Aurangzeb also warned against the “counterproductive effect” of referring cases to mediation, with mediation becoming a “time-consuming device”.

He contended, “The experiment of mandatory mediation can start off with a few laws.”

While asserting that mediations will be more common in Pakistan, Justice Aurangzeb said, “But we are at the nascent stage. Do remember: our journey started in 2022. In Turkiye, it started in 2013 and by 2022, they had three million cases decided through a process of mediation.”

He highlighted that the figure for Turkiye was now at a staggering 9m. “Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms have to be adopted to address this issue,” he asserted.

Speaking about the SC’s planned mediation centre, he recalled, “The chief justice was very reluctant to give me the best space in the SC for this purpose. The mediation centre has to be nice, it has to have a nice view. People have to come there and be comfortable.

“So I have taken the nicest view overlooking Constitution Avenue,” he added. The judge explained that this was inspired by his visit to Turkiye’s chamber of commerce, where he was told that the mediation room with a scenic view of the Bosphorus had more successful mediations than the one with a dull view.

SC’s former senior puisne judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has previously repeatedly called for adopting the ADR mechanism.

Days after taking oath in October 2024, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi had nominated Justice Shah as the chairman of the SC’s three-member ADR Committee. This came as the court began taking steps in line with the Case Management Plan 2023 — a brainchild of Justice Shah — to address the growing backlog of cases.

In a first, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in November 2023 formally inaugurated a mediation centre, aimed at reducing the backlog of cases in the IHC and the district courts.

KARACHI: Twenty-five sacrificial goats worth Rs1.9 million were stolen from Gulistan-i-Jauhar, police said on Monday.

Malir Cantt Station House Officer (SHO) Agha Abdul Rasheed told Dawn that a man had bought 25 goats and housed them at an empty plot in Block 8. The police official said that the man had also hired a watchman to watch the animals.

However, on Saturday night, around three to four suspects arrived at the location in a Suzuki van and took away all the goats, the SHO said.

According to SHO Rasheed, the watchman told police that he was awake at the time of the incident, but the suspects tied a cloth over his face and forcibly took away the goats.

The official said that police had obtained CCTV footage from the area and asked the owner to lodge a first information report (FIR) to initiate legal proceedings.

However, so far, the owner appeared reluctant to pursue the case, the official said.

In 2024, a truck containing a consignment of sacrificial goats was hijacked by four armed men in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. Police said that the truck carrying the goats was on its way from Hyderabad to Gulistan-i-Jauhar when the driver stopped the vehicle near Kamran Chowrangi to inquire about the address of his destination.

In the meantime, four suspects riding two motorbikes emerged, held the driver at gunpoint, snatched his cash and cell phone and then took away the truck with the goats on board.

The victim Abdul Manan told the media that the estimated value of the looted sacrificial animals was around Rs1.5 million.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an alert for glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, it emerged on Monday.

According to the alert issued by the PMD on Sunday night, a moderate westerly wave was expected to enter the upper regions of the country. It said that the weather system was expected to hit KP and extend to Gilgit-Baltistan by Monday.

During this period, the department predicted widespread rain and wind-thunderstorms, with isolated heavy falls in mountainous catchments.

“The weather patterns significantly elevated the risk of Glofs, debris flow, and flash flooding in vulnerable areas, especially in Swat, lower Chitral, Dir, Upper Hazara, Kohistan, Hoper, Ghulkin, Shishper, Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, Ghanche, Shigar and Astore,” it said

The Met department advised people in glacial valleys to avoid proximity to riverbanks and stream beds during the rainfall; monitor local nullahs for sudden changes in water colour (muddiness) or unusual sounds (grinding rocks); and secure livestock and essentials on higher ground.

It also directed the disaster management authorities to ensure round-the-clock preparedness and maintain active communication with technical focal persons in remote valleys. Authorities were also asked to disseminate weather alerts through text message and social media platforms to ensure timely public awareness.

“All concerned departments and residents of vulnerable areas have been urged to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward situation during the forecast period,” it said.

Separately, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued instructions to the deputy commissioners of Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat, Upper Kohistan and Mansehra.

It directed the officials to undertake proactive monitoring and surveillance of vulnerable Glof sites to ensure timely early warning and response.

The district administrations were also told to conduct evacuation drills in at-risk communities to ensure full preparedness and to ensure that safe evacuation sites were fully stocked and ready for utilisation.

They were also asked to alert the population residing in low-lying areas, ensure that the communities in vulnerable areas were forewarned and ensure the availability of rescue personnel.

It also advised local residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary movement near streams, waterways and rivers. The authority directed people living in low-lying areas to remain alert and move to safer locations in case of an emergency. The PDMA urged people to immediately move to safe places if they noticed sudden changes in water flow or heard mudslides or falling rocks.

It also directed the district administrations to coordinate with the departments concerned for the timely restoration of roads in case of any blockage. “In case of heightened risk, controlled breaching of vulnerable Glof sites may be coordinated with the concerned departments, to prevent sudden outburst events,” it said.

Clothes seller Lata Solanki used to face a devastating choice when India’s summer heat hit dangerous levels: risk her health going door-to-door for sales, or lose her income?

But now the 42-year-old is part of an insurance scheme that pays out when temperatures hit a threshold, so she can stay home without jeopardising her finances.

The “parametric” model pays out automatically when specific triggers are breached, in Solanki’s case after two consecutive days at 43.72 degrees Celsius.

The payout is modest, but it helps, she told AFP in Ahmedabad, one of India’s hottest cities.

“At least we feel there is some support,” she said. “Because of the heat, the fan runs day and night. The bill goes up.”

In 2023, the year before she joined the scheme, Solanki kept working during a heatwave and ended up sick at home for 20 days, losing at least 2,000 Indian rupees ($21) in income.

The following year, she received 750 Indian rupees from the scheme, small but more than the cost of the premium, and a relief in a country where the average monthly rural household income is 10,000 Indian rupees ($105).

India lost an estimated 247 billion hours of labour to extreme heat in 2024, equivalent to nearly $194bn in economic losses, according to the Lancet Countdown research group.

Agriculture and construction bore the brunt, and climate change is accelerating the number of days of extreme heat India sees.

Parametric insurance is seen as a way to protect the most vulnerable from climate impacts like heat, but also heavy rain.

In India’s northeastern state of Nagaland, the government has insured its entire population against economic losses due to heavy rainfall under a parametric model since 2024.

The federal government is examining how to extend the schemes more widely to “supplement insurance mechanisms and reinforce protection to the people”.

‘Some relief’

Unlike traditional insurance, parametric policies do not require individual damage assessments.

Instead, payouts are triggered automatically by heavy rain, high heat or even air pollution.

The scheme helping Solanki is a collaboration between the non-profit Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) and global insurer Go Digit, supported by the Climate Resilience for All initiative.

MHT programme manager Nital Rahul Patel said the idea emerged after surveys and discussions with women workers in Ahmedabad, where temperatures sometimes hit 45°C.

“They would say it is very hot every year,” she said. “But when we broke down their expenses, we realised incomes were falling by 2,000-2,500 rupees ($21-26) over four months of summer.”

The scheme began in 2024 with 26,000 women across Gujarat. Their 354-rupee premium was covered by Climate Resilience for All.

In 2025, enrolment rose, but the scheme made no payments because the temperature threshold was not met.

This year, the trigger has been revised down to 42.74°C, and the scheme aims to cover more than 30,000 women.

If temperatures hit the threshold for two days, they will qualify for payments ranging from 850 to 2,000 Indian rupees ($21).

Higher temperatures trigger higher payments, but the amount is a one-off, not cumulative. It is assessed and paid at the end of the heat season in September.

Rakhi Gulshan Singh, a seamstress earning around 4,000 rupees a month, signed up even though she works indoors.

“When I run the sewing machine, it becomes even hotter,” the 30-year-old said, who got a payout in 2024. “It is small, but it gives some relief.”

‘Faster and more transparent’

Adarsh Agarwal, appointed actuary at Go Digit, said his company has covered more than 50,000 people since it began working on parametric insurance two years ago.

While still a “niche product”, he said demand has increased.

There is now “more knowledge and more curiosity”, he told AFP, and his firm has offered both heat and air-quality parametric schemes.

Payment thresholds are set based on historical weather data and intended to be “practical, sustainable and aligned to the intended segment while managing basis risk”, he added.

The schemes can be “faster and more transparent” than traditional insurance, said Aniruddha Bhattacharjee, senior researcher for climate resilience and engineering at Climate Trends.

But payouts tend to be small, and effectiveness depends on how accurately trigger thresholds reflect actual ground realities, since models are largely built on historical data.

India’s government weather forecasters are already predicting boiling, above-average temperatures in May and June, which Solanki joked might turn out to be good news.

“Maybe we will get a payout,” she said.

But regardless, she plans to stay enrolled “even if it means paying the premium from our pockets”.

Header image: This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows Rakhi Gulshan Singh (R), a seamstress and policyholder of a heat insurance scheme, sitting outside her single-room rented house in Ahmedabad. — AFP

• Iran conveyed response via Pakistani mediators
• Officials say Tehran wants to focus on ending hostilities, leaving ‘contentious’ matters like sanctions relief, N-issues for later
• Pezeshkian says dialogue ‘does not mean surrender or retreat’; Khamenei meets military commander
• After Washington meetings, Qatari PM discusses diplomatic efforts with PM Shehbaz

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s formal response to the latest US proposal, conveyed through Pakistani mediators, aimed at ending the ongoing Gulf conflict, as diplomatic efforts become increasingly strained amid continued military preparations and repeated ceasefire violations across the region.

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it TOTALLY UNACCEP­TABLE,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, without providing details of the response.

Iranian state media, however, mentioned the response focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier at a ceremony in Islamabad, held to mark the one-year anniversary of Pakistan’s victory over India, said he had been told by Field Marshal Asim Munir that “we have received Iran’s response”. “I cannot go into more detail. I commend the efforts of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and congratulate Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has dedicated himself [to this cause],” he added.

Reuters quoted a Pakistani government official involved in the talks as saying that Islamabad sent Iran’s response to the US proposal soon after receiving it. Also, Iranian state media reported Tehran’s reply to the American draft was handed over to Pakistani intermediaries after the completion of internal consultations and final review by the Iranian leadership.

“The response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the latest proposed text by the US for the end of the war was sent today to the Pakistani mediator,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by official media.

According to Iranian officials, Tehran proposed that the current phase of negotiations may focus primarily on ending hostilities in the region, while more contentious matters, including sanctions relief and the nuclear issue, could be addressed at later stages.

Another Iranian source said that Tehran’s response was positive and the ball was now in Washington’s court. He hoped that the reply could pave way for resumption of dialogue in coming days.

The official said that the response is backed by political consensus within Iran.

Distrust of the US, meanwhile remains deeply entrenched in Iranian psyche. Iran’s envoy to Beijing in a post on X said that any potential agreement “must necessarily” be guaranteed by China and Russia as influential powers, besides its validation by United Nations Security Council.

In a post on X hours after the response was conveyed, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote that negotiation does not mean surrender or retreat.

“We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat. Rather, the goal is to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation and to defend national interests with resolute strength,” he wrote on X.

Military commander meets Khamenei

The diplomatic move came hours after Major General Ali Abdullahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei and briefed him on the preparedness of the country’s armed forces.

Iranian media reported that Gen Abdullahi presented an assessment of the combat readiness of the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, law enforcement units, border forces, the Defence Ministry and the Basij force.

The commander said Iranian forces remained fully prepared “in terms of combat morale, defensive and offensive readiness, strategic plans and equipment” to confront what he described as “American-Zionist enemies”.

He warned that any “strategic error or aggression” by the United States or Israel would be met “quickly, intensely and powerfully”.

According to the Iranian account, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the armed forces and ordered new measures to continue confronting adversaries forcefully, building on previous wartime directives during what Iranian officials have termed the “Third Imposed War”.

The latest diplomatic exchanges took place amid persistent tensions despite a fragile ceasefire that has repeatedly come under pressure, particularly in the Gulf waters and on the Lebanon front.

Diplomatic contacts intensify

Over the weekend, US officials held consultations with Qatari leaders before Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani telephoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday, the two leaders reviewed the evolving regional situation and ongoing peace efforts.

PM Shehbaz appreciated Qatar’s “continued and steadfast support” for Pakistan’s peace initiatives, while both sides underlined the importance of constructive engagement to ensure success of diplomatic efforts.

Qatar recently stepped up its role as a complementary mediator to that of Pakistan-led ‘quartet’ comprising Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, which launched the broader Islamabad process. This development also aligns with a broader regional dynamic, wherein alongside Oman, Qatar has long served as one of Tehran’s preferred interlocutors in the Persian Gulf for sensitive issues.

In this context, Tehran’s decision to permit the passage of a Qatari LNG tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, with the shipment destined for Pakistan, carries a symbolic message serving as a quiet signal of goodwill that simultaneously benefits Pakistan, reinforces Qatar’s bridging role, and underscores the interconnected nature of the current diplomatic efforts.

With input from Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad and Anwar Iqbal in Washington

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026

Australia will use the upcoming white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh to test their depth after naming squads featuring three potential debutants, selectors said on Monday.

All-rounder Liam Scott has been included in the ODI squads for Pakistan and Bangladesh, with Victoria batter Ollie Peake joining him in the Pakistan squad.

T20 specialist Joel Davies has been included in the squad for three T20Is in Chattogram, Bangladesh, starting on June 17.

Mitchell Marsh will captain all squads, with Australia to play three ODIs against Pakistan in Rawalpindi and Lahore from May 30 before travelling to Bangladesh for three ODIs in Dhaka in the run-up to the T20 series.

“It’s always exciting to see new players get an opportunity to play international cricket and be a part of the national team,” selector George Bailey said in a statement.

“The blend of experienced players coupled with new or returning players will provide a nice mix for these subcontinent tours.” Fast bowlers Billy Stanlake and Riley Meredith return for the Pakistan ODIs, while spinner Tanveer Sangha was named in both 50-over squads.

Meredith will also remain with the group for the T20 leg in Bangladesh.

Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett will join the squad for the Bangladesh ODIs after their Indian Premier League commitments, replacing Peake, Stanlake, Meredith and Matt Short.

Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson returns for the T20 component along with Aaron Hardie.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Monday announced a major reduction in tariffs at Gwadar Port aimed at boosting global transit traffic, according to an official statement.

According to the statement, the minister said that berthing fees for container ships have been reduced by 25 per cent, while port charges on international transshipment containers have been cut by 40pc. He added that port charges on transit container cargo have also been reduced by up to 31pc.

Further, a one-month free storage facility has been introduced for general cargo, the minister added.

“Ships bringing transit and transshipment cargo have been given major relief,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying. The minister stated that record incentives were being offered compared to other national ports, adding that the new tariffs were expected to substantially reduce operational costs for shipping lines.

He further said that implementation of the policy to develop Gwadar as a regional logistics hub had commenced, with expectations of increased cargo handling at the port and an acceleration of economic activity, alongside new employment opportunities and expansion in the logistics sector.

A day earlier, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch said that amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic importance of Gwadar Port had significantly increased due to its shorter access routes to Iran and Central Asia, along with investor-friendly incentives.

During a meeting with members of the All Pakistan Shipping Association (APSA) in Karachi, he said the port was increasingly being viewed as a safe alternative trade gateway for the region.

He said Gwadar had the potential to become the future hub of regional trade and logistics because of its low operational costs, modern facilities, and shorter trade routes. He added that the Gabd-Rimdan border route had emerged as an effective multi-modal corridor for promoting trade with Iran and Central Asia.

Earlier this month, Baloch also said that four transshipment shops were recorded at the port during April, indicating Gwadar’s growing importance as an alternative trade route in the region.

Oil prices rallied on Monday, after US President Donald Trump said Iran’s response to a US proposal was “unacceptable,” raising supply fears as the Strait of Hormuz stayed largely closed, which kept the global market tight.

Brent crude futures climbed $4.16 or 4.11 per cent to $105.45 a barrel at 0340 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate was at $99.80 a barrel, up $4.38, or 4.59pc.

Last week, both contracts recorded 6pc weekly losses on hopes for an imminent end to the 10-week-old conflict that would allow oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The oil market continues to trade like a geopolitical headline machine, with prices swinging sharply based on every comment, rejection, or warning coming from Washington and Tehran,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday and is expected to discuss Iran, among other topics, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to US officials.

“Market attention now shifts squarely to President Trump’s visit to China this week,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note.

“There is hope he can persuade Beijing to leverage its influence over Iran to push for a comprehensive ceasefire and a resolution to the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The world has lost about 1 billion barrels of oil over the past two months and energy markets will take time to stabilise even if flows resume, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said on Sunday.

Another two tankers carrying crude exited the Strait of Hormuz last week with trackers switched off to avoid Iranian attacks, Kpler shipping data showed, underscoring a rising trend to sustain Middle East oil exports.

“Even if the acute oil shock fades by late 2026, the ongoing risk of renewed disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, depleted inventories and weaker policy coordination is expected to keep a geopolitical risk premium embedded in prices,” ING analysts wrote in a note on Monday.

They expected Brent to remain above $90 per barrel through 2026 and around $80 to $85 per barrel into 2027 as demand growth resumes and inventories are gradually rebuilt.

CHITRAL: Iconic snow leopard often called the “Ghost of the Mountains,” is making a vibrant comeback in the rugged terrains of Chitral, marking a significant milestone for regional wildlife conservation.

After a worrying thirteen-year silence where its sightings were virtually non-existent, the elusive cat has begun appearing frequently across various valleys since last year thereby sparking joy among local communities who viewed the animal’s return as a positive sign for the health of Chitral’s mountain ecology.

Saleemuddin, chairman of the Chitral National Park Association, confirmed that the predator had seemingly disappeared from the region mysteriously over a decade ago thereby filling the residents with the fear of its total extinction from the Hindukush belt.

He said that over the last one year, however, the snow leopard has been frequently sighted in Lot Koh Valley, inside the Chitral Gol National Park, in Bashqar Gol of Upper Chitral and within the Kalash Valley and Gahiret-Golen conservancy.

Experts attributed this “recolonisation” to a thriving food chain coupled with a number of other factors which tempted the wild cat to make a ‘come back’ to the area.

Jamiullah Sherazi, regional programme manager of the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) Chitral, credits the return to robust conservation efforts backed by civil society saying that the populations of Kashmir Markhor and Ibex, the snow leopard’s primary prey, have surged due to better protection.

“As the Markhor and Ibex descend to lower altitudes in search of winter fodder, the leopard follows them toward the villages, leading to more frequent sightings,” he explained.

He said that the density of the population was further evidenced during the recent trophy hunting season.

“In Gobor and Booni Gol, hunters reported several instances where snow leopards actually intercepted and attacked the specific Ibex selected for trophy hunting. For conservationists, these encounters are a clear indicator that the snow leopard population in Chitral is not only present but actively thriving,” he said.

He insisted that for the people of Chitral, the sight of the thick-furred cat is more than just a wildlife update, it is a symbol of a wilderness that remains wild, balanced and preserved for future generations.

However, the comeback of this elusive snow leopard is good news for conservationists and wildlife lovers, but it also brings challenges and hardships for herders and livestock owners who share habitats with snow leopards.

Ajaz Ahmed, a conservationist attached with a government department, said that the livestock depredation and attacks on domestic animals remain serious concerns for local communities which necessitates that a holistic compensation and insurance mechanism should be established for snow leopard range communities to promote the peaceful coexistence of humans and snow leopards in harmony.

He said that soon after the re-emergence of the predator in Chitral the incidents of predation in different villages have increased exponentially during which dozens of cattle heads had been decimated which may spark human-carnivores conflict.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026

• Backed by certain quarters, crackdown on drugs, gutka, mainpuri in full swing
• Recent sacking of three SSPs said to be linked with ongoing action
• IG Odho claims supply of drugs and banned items has been curtailed
• Says SHOs ‘mixed-up with narcotics dealers’ will certainly go

A SUDDEN flurry of activity by police, though much awaited, is being seen in Sindh to take on those dealing in the infamous narcotics trade. The actions are largely seen in major urban centres. While the action is indeed appreciable, it remains enigmatic too.

Investigations and background conversations by Dawn with senior government sources reveal different theories behind the ongoing exercise.

People with authority both in civilian and non-civilian set-ups confide to Dawn, on condition of anonymity, that the Sindh police have been “pushed” by the powers that be to tackle the issue of narcotics trade, tobacco, gutka, safina, mainpuri, ‘ice’ or crystal meth (methamphetamine), seriously.

Linking the recent removal of the SSPs of Sanghar, Thatta and Umerkot districts from their respective posts with the ongoing action, they said that sleuths of an intelligence agency had picked up an accountant of SSP-Sanghar office along with some suspected dealers.

However, the transfer notifications remained silent about the reason, but a top-ranking official has confirmed that an internal inquiry was underway against one of the two officers.

“As for theories, one is, the powers that be want the police to curb it, for the cross-border trade is a potential source for terror financing of banned outfits in Balochistan who seek to destabilise the country. Another one indicates this campaign may have political reasons,” notes a senior official, who is privy to government-level interaction for quite some time.

The third theory indicates that the police leadership has been told that drugs trade can bring weapons to Sindh thus needs to be crushed, the official says.

“The smuggled products from Afghanistan and Iran end up in Balochistan to head for Sindh where centres like Karachi and Hyderabad serve as big markets. Balochistan has no such prospects for either drugs or gutka, mainpuri. So, the boys rightly believe if supply is curbed, it [the trade] will drop,” he adds.

“This is what is seen”, he continues, “in Karachi, where the trade has declined by 80pc through these steps, for this purpose, the SHOs, that were believed to be part of the trade or patronising it, have been removed,” says the officer.

In Karachi, another senior official says, around 17-18 SHOs have been shown the door.

“Names of SHOs are now recommended by an Additional IG-led committee with three DIGs as members. Policemen with no criminal record, corruption-related suspension, having best communication skills and experience of thana are recommended to SSPs concerned for posting. It can be replicated elsewhere in Sindh,” he adds.

It was against this backdrop that the police started coming down heavily on sale/supply of narcotics in major urban centres, including Hyderabad, which is considered a “goose that lays golden eggs for policemen”.

Since this black economy is undocumented exact numbers of earnings couldn’t be determined, but the scale of banned trade shows it involves huge amounts of money shared right from bottom to top levels.

“Millions exchange hands on a weekly basis here. It has enabled officers to invest in foreign destinations, filling stations, real estate, etc, through their buddies,” quips another police officer, who knows in and out of the business. “Hardly, a district level police officer can be mentioned who avoided the charm of this earning,” he claims.

“That’s why,” says an officer, “some SHOs were glued to particular police stations for a long time due to their political backings”.

There are several police stations in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the province which are considered lucrative.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026

THE US-Israel war on Iran may not be over, but it has already underscored major changes in the geopolitical order. Whereas, during earlier regime change operations, the US and other Western states were largely able to go in, heavily bomb foes and leave countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq in ruins, the Iranian ruling establishment has proven a tougher nut to crack.

Though the US and Israel have caused immense damage where human lives and property are concerned, and many top Iranian political leaders and generals have been killed, the Islamic Republic has not fallen. Despite internal fissures before the war, even many of those Iranians critical of their rulers have rallied around their flag in the face of foreign aggression.

As pointed out by the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan at an event in Islamabad recently, more regional changes may be in store after the war winds up. He specifically mentioned the diminished role of the US and Israel in the region, while pointing out that states such as Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye would deepen their partnerships.

Indeed, the war has illustrated the limits of American power, and points to an empire in decline. America’s rulers should consider the fact that their militaristic adventurism has brought them few benefits, as they struggle to exit a quagmire of their own making against a materially much weaker foe. Many of the Arab states must also be reflecting on a harsh reality: the multibillion-dollar American security umbrella could not protect them from the barrage of Iranian missiles.

The fact is that the US has only one true security commitment in the Middle East — Israel. All other alliances are clearly transactional and expendable. Yet despite these bitter truths, some Gulf states have decided to double down and deepen ties with the US and Israel. They are most likely betting on the wrong horse.

Arguably, the age of the foreign imperial protector is over. Sovereign states must make their own decisions and construct a mutually beneficial security architecture. In this regard, Iran, the Gulf states, Turkiye and the wider Arab and Muslim fraternity of nations, including Pakistan, must come together to manage their own affairs and resolve internal disputes amongst themselves in an amicable manner.

Pakistan has played an admirable role in trying to bring the US and Iran to the peace table, while the Saudis and Iranians have also maintained channels of communication throughout the war. These processes must be taken forward. Depending on outsiders for security is a bad idea. Moreover, giving Israel a foothold in the region is a surefire recipe for disaster. The Zionist state thrives on the dictum of divide and rule and hopes to devour even more Muslim and Arab land. It must not be allowed to create more regional chaos.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026

GLOBAL politics is hurtling towards a multipolar system the likes of which we haven’t seen since the late 20th century. Several indicators bear this out: the global hegemon for the past four decades, the US, is experiencing a decline in its ability and willingness to project power outwards, as seen in its continued failure in Eastern Europe and the Persian Gulf, and in the increased reluctance and reticence of its allies to pick up its slack. Much of this decline stems from internal structural pressures: destabilising inequality, lopsided growth and investment confined to finance and IT, polarised elite factionalism, and a turn to racist nativism and insularity as the response to these problems.

In the rest of the world, China’s stature as the premier industrial power remains uncontested, and its role as a provider of military prowess is growing rapidly. Coupled with Chinese liquidity generating debt and investment-based infrastructure partnerships in many parts of the world, the demand for foreign patronage and support is being met by a new supplier.

Lastly, the institutional structures that generated order under unipolarity are themselves being hollowed out. Free trade stands abandoned by its erstwhile promoter, the US. There is increased scepticism around the strings that come with World Bank and IMF lending, and the UN along with any moral notion of international law was rendered thoroughly redundant during the livestreamed genocide in Gaza. The last pillar standing is the US dollar as the world’s currency but its role may diminish as currency-swap arrangements grow in popularity.

What do these global transformations mean for countries like Pakistan? Subordinate within the existing global political system, does a new multipolar moment, especially one whose structures and norms are as yet unclear, signal prospects for positive change? To answer this question, one must hold a clear understanding of what positive change looks like in practice. To me, at least, this means a sustainable improvement in Pakistan’s long-standing domestic sociopolitical and economic issues.

In the current moment, emerging multipolarity is actually strengthening the status quo in both politics and economics.

These issues are first, a dysfunctional economic system that is unable to generate an aggregate increase in total output without breaking down; nor is it able to improve productivity levels relative to comparator countries; nor is it capable of meeting basic subsistence requirements of more than a third of its population (let alone the material aspirations of the rest).

Second, a formal political system that currently offers little room for actual politics and claim-making, stifled as it is at the very top by a security-dominated structure, and at all levels by extreme levels of executive control, including on the judiciary. As a result, avenues for raising demands and seeking redress at any level of government are non-existent, with the costs of rule by diktat suffered most frequently by marginalised groups.

And third, the issue of inequality between different ethno-linguistic groups, mapping onto variations in development across Pakistan’s geography. The political outcome of this inequality ranges from intra-province conflicts in Sindh, to bolstering secessionism in Balochistan and insurgencies along the border with Afghanistan.

So to reiterate the question, can global multipolarity offer prospects for improvement in Pakistan alongside these three contradictions (economic dysfunction, political suppression and inter-community conflict)?

Some observers argue that a multipolar world allows countries like Pakistan to play off superpowers against each other and extract better deals for themselves. That once the constraints of the current neoliberal world order wither away, economic policymaking can finally escape the prescription of creditors such as the IMF to unlock greater prosperity. That in the absence of active meddling by an imperial hegemon, domestic politics will reflect popular sentiment and desires more actively.

These beliefs had merit at the dawn of the last multipolar moment after World War II, and they are not without logic today. But as the experience of new states in the aftermath of decolonisation revealed then, the domestic implications of the geopolitical order are shaped first and foremost by domestic politics. And given current patterns of domestic politics in Pakistan, the prospects of tangible improvement across those three key issues remain dim.

In the current moment, emerging multipolarity is actually strengthening the status quo in both politics and economics. On the political front, it is through the emboldening and empowerment of hybrid regime structures at the expense of democracy. The credible role played by the military establishment and its civilian front in mediating the war on Iran through a network of ties across the US, Iran, the Gulf and China has increased its indispensability on the global front while cementing its position in office domestically. As a consequence, there is greater brazenness in the actions of the executive, visible in evictions of working class households in Islamabad, control over the judiciary, or in the continued denial of space to both ethnic and mainstream political opposition.

On the economic front, increased political relevance globally offers the prospect of unearned foreign liquidity and concessional finance, reducing any incentive to fix domestic productivity. The IMF continues to play along, China remains a reliable provider of military support, and Saudi Arabia has stepped in to fill the gap left by departing Emirati deposits. Beyond crisis management, there is little resembling a plan for economic rejuvenation, and in any case, a volatile neighbourhood with increased risks across the eastern and western borders provides ample justification for a security-first approach to governance.

At this admittedly early stage of a changing world order, multipolarity is cementing domestic tendencies that already prevail. The status quo, along with the economic interests aligned with it, will continue to navigate geopolitics in ways that serve regime consolidation rather than broad-based development. For that calculus to change, the three issues/ contradictions identified above would need to become the organising basis of a political challenge capable of compelling a renegotiation of state-society relations. That is a high bar. But it is the only honest answer to the question of what multipolarity can offer a country like Pakistan. The world can change its architecture without changing who benefits inside Pakistan’s borders. That part remains entirely a domestic problem and a domestic responsibility.

The writer teaches sociology at Lums.

X: @umairjav

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026