By Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal Democracy is meant to be a contest of performance. Governments seek re-election by presenting their achievements, while opposition parties challenge their record and offer alternative policies. Voters are expected to judge them on matters that shape everyday life; employment, inflation, education, healthcare and the quality of public institutions. Yet this democratic ideal is often overshadowed by a more expedient political calculation. When domestic performance becomes difficult to defend, political leaders increasingly turn to external threats to shift public attention from governance to national security. The appealRead More

ISLAMABAD, OCT 24: Pakistan on Saturday rejected the Afghan Taliban regime’s assertion that Afghanistan lacked the capacity or interest to destabilise Pakistan, calling Kabul’s statements “diversionary allegations” and urging the regime to address Islamabad’s longstanding security concerns over terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Islamabad said blaming Pakistan’s security institutions would not absolve the Afghan Taliban regime of its responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan. “Pakistan’s concerns are not based on conjecture,” theRead More

ISLAMABAD, OCT 24: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has retained Junaid Akbar Khan, who has been missing since the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as the party’s provincial president, ruling out any organisational changes. In a notification shared on his X account, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan clarified that Akbar would continue to serve as the party’s provincial president. “In his absence, Senator Noor-ul-Haq Qadri will preside over party meetings and perform his duties in accordance with the constitution, while PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan willRead More