Sunday, September 14th, 2025
The Social Media Ban That Sparked a Revolution
Laiba Bashir BS International Relations The protests in Nepal began shortly after the government banned 26 popular social media platforms on September 4, 2025. These included Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. The government argued that the ban was necessary because these companies failed to comply with new regulations requiring them to register with Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The rules were introduced to help authorities curb harmful content such as misinformation, hate speech, and online fraud. Despite repeated warnings and opportunities to register, theRead More
RCCI calls for at least 3% policy rate cut in upcoming SBP meeting
RAWALPINDI, SEPT 14: /DNA/ – The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has called on the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to implement a substantial reduction in the policy rate — by at least 3 percentage points — in the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for Monday, September 15. RCCI President Usman Shaukat emphasized that while the central bank has halved the policy rate to 11% since June 2024, further monetary easing is both timely and essential. “With inflation projected to average around 6% in the currentRead More
Zardari in China: strategic diplomacy or political foresight?
Opinion Ansar Mahmood Bhatti President Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and one of the country’s most seasoned politicians, has embarked on a rare and strategically important 10-day visit to China. The unusually long duration of the trip itself makes it distinctive, since heads of state generally do not undertake such extended visits. This signals that both Beijing and Islamabad attach exceptional importance to this engagement. In many ways, Zardari’s visit is not just ceremonial diplomacy but a calculated move within the broader canvas of Pakistan-ChinaRead More
Call for Legal Reform: Murree community unites to end child marriage
MURREE, SEPT 14: /DNA/ – As part of the ongoing project “Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality,” supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad, an awareness session was held in Murree to advocate for the amendment of the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2015 (Punjab). The proposed change calls for raising the minimum legal age of marriage for girls from 16 to 18 years. Organized in collaboration with the Hill Fruit Research Sub-Station, Sunny Bank, Murree, the session was part of the second phase of the Avocado Festival. It broughtRead More