Pakistan Desk | Future Soch

Iranian President calls for closer Pakistan-Iran contacts

September 22, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for continued and closer contacts between Pakistan and Iran during a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran.

Pezeshkian said the two countries could further strengthen cooperation across various sectors and use their local and regional capabilities to meet their needs.

He also said what he described as U.S. pressure had encouraged greater closeness and interaction among Muslim countries.

Naqvi said Pakistan was committed to expanding cooperation with Iran in trade, economic, tourism and political affairs.

He added that Pakistan also wanted to further broaden cooperation with Iran in the fields of culture and science.

Poliovirus found in environmental samples from Karachi, Hyderabad

September 21, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Poliovirus has been detected in environmental samples collected from four Karachi districts and Hyderabad in August, according to a report by Sindh’s Emergency Operations Centre.

The report said poliovirus was found in one environmental sample each from Karachi’s West and Korangi districts, while one sample each from the Central and South districts also tested positive.

Two environmental samples collected in Hyderabad also tested positive for poliovirus.

No poliovirus was detected in environmental samples from Karachi’s East, Keamari and Malir districts, the report said.

Samples collected from Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Qambar, Larkana, Kashmore, Dadu, Badin, Jamshoro, Sujawal, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar also tested negative for the virus.

The Emergency Operations Centre said authorities would increase their focus on polio vaccination and other preventive measures in districts where positive environmental samples were detected.

KP CM Afridi warns of reaction to detentions by plainclothes personnel

September 21, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said Monday that there would be a reaction whenever people are detained by unidentified personnel in plain clothes, as tensions rise ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s planned Sept. 27 protest.

Addressing the provincial assembly, Afridi said the party would hold what he described as a legal, constitutional and peaceful protest on Sept. 27.

“If anyone in plain clothes picks someone up, there will be a reaction,” Afridi said, without specifying who he was referring to.

Afridi alleged that the government was not respecting court orders and the law and questioned where the country was heading. He also referred to an alleged attack on Shakur Khan and claimed that PTI banners had been burned and protest camps dismantled.

He called for dialogue to resolve the situation and challenged the authorities to impose governor’s rule if they believed it was necessary.

Earlier, during a news conference in Peshawar, Afridi rejected allegations of “politics of chaos” and said the party had exhausted its constitutional and political options before announcing the long march.

PTI has announced a march on Islamabad for Sept. 27 and says it is seeking the release of its founding chairman, former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The party is currently finalizing its strategy for the planned protest.

The planned demonstration comes amid heightened political tensions and arrests of PTI-linked figures ahead of the protest. Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi have been detained in Lahore under the Maintenance of Public Order law, according to reports.

Juvenile card requirement dropped for MDCAT candidates in Sindh

September 19, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The mandatory juvenile card requirement for candidates appearing in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 in Sindh has been waived, allowing students without the document to take the exam.

According to a press release, the relaxation was approved by the MDCAT committee on the instructions of the Sindh Health Department.

Candidates who do not have a juvenile card have been directed to bring their original, photograph-bearing marks sheet for identification at the examination center.

The original marks sheet for either matriculation or intermediate will be accepted, and candidates’ identities will be verified against the document at the test center.

The press release said the requirement was relaxed to facilitate candidates who did not have juvenile cards.

The MDCAT 2026 examination in Sindh will be conducted by Sukkur IBA Testing Services.

PTI to challenge IHC ruling on Sept 27 long march in Supreme Court

September 19, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced plans to challenge an Islamabad High Court ruling against its planned Sept. 27 long march in the Supreme Court.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the Sept. 27 long march would not be postponed and that the party would challenge the high court’s order in the Supreme Court and other higher courts.

Akram criticized Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s remarks, questioning whether government ministers should threaten opposition parties with the use of force.

The Islamabad High Court issued a 37-page detailed ruling on a petition challenging the PTI’s planned long march, stating that activities that infringe on citizens’ fundamental rights would amount to a violation of the Constitution.

The court said no political party had a legal right to block highways or roads and directed provincial governments not to use public funds or state resources for the Islamabad march.

It also prohibited the use of government vehicles and machinery to facilitate the long march.

The court ordered that an immediate helpline be established for government employees facing unlawful orders and warned that those violating court directives or affecting citizens’ rights could face legal action.

The ruling further stated that a public officeholder who violates the Constitution or law would be considered to have breached their oath of office.

It added that government officials could face consequences if their actions resulted in violations of citizens’ fundamental rights.

Sindh to hold MDCAT 2026 examination on Sept 20

September 18, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for admission to medical and dental colleges in Sindh will be held Sunday, September 20, with examination centers established in seven cities across the province.

The test will be conducted in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sukkur.

In Hyderabad, the Public School Unit No. 3 in Latifabad has been designated as the examination center. In Jamshoro, the test will be held at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.

Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur Public School has been designated as the center in Mirpurkhas, while the Police Training School Ground will host the examination in Larkana.

In Shaheed Benazirabad, the examination center will be at Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology. In Sukkur, candidates will take the test at IBA Public School on Old Airport Road.

The SIBA Testing Services said maps of the examination centers had also been released to help candidates. Separate entrance routes have been marked on the maps for the NED University and Dow University centers in Karachi.

SIBA Testing Services advised candidates to check their reporting time, examination center and designated entrance in advance.

The MDCAT examination will last three hours. Question papers will be collected from candidates after the examination, according to SIBA Testing Services.

Suicide bombing at Kohat police lines mosque kills 21, injures 103

September 18, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KOHAT: A suicide bombing during Friday prayers near a police lines complex in Kohat killed 21 people, including 15 police officers, and wounded 103 others, officials said.

The blast occurred during Friday prayers and caused a crater outside the mosque, severely damaging its exterior and collapsing part of a wall, police said.

Kohat Medical Superintendent Dr. Tahir said six civilians and 15 police personnel were among those killed. The wounded included 73 police officers and 30 civilians.

Among those killed was Dr. Israel Khan Orakzai, chief district specialist at Liaquat Memorial Hospital, he said.

Of the 103 wounded, 90 were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital and 13 to Liaquat Memorial Hospital. Four patients were later referred to hospitals in Peshawar, while 34 injured people remained under treatment, Dr. Tahir said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed told Geo News that a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into the gate of the old police lines before exploding. Gunfire also erupted, followed by another suicide blast at the Special Branch building, he said.

The Central Police Office in Peshawar said seven armed militants had entered the police lines and that police and counterterrorism personnel engaged them. Six militants, including a suicide bomber and a sniper, had been killed, it said.

Security forces and police cordoned off the area as rescue operations continued.

Emergency declared at DHQ Hospital

An emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Hospital, where several wounded police officers were being treated, hospital officials said.

Police closed the Kohat-Hangu Road to traffic and deployed additional personnel around the police lines.

Rescue officials said nearby buildings were also damaged in the blast and rescue operations were continuing at the scene.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack and sought a detailed report from police officials.

He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had made major sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and that such attacks would not weaken the nation’s resolve.

Pakistan protests Indian warship’s alleged EEZ violation

September 16, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday lodged a strong protest with India over what it described as provocative and irresponsible actions by Indian Navy vessel INS Kolkata in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, saying the incident could have triggered a serious crisis.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said the Indian warship and its onboard helicopter had repeatedly attempted to enter the area where the Pakistan Navy has been conducting Sea Spark 26 exercises since Sept. 1.

According to Pakistan’s account, INS Kolkata carried out dangerous manoeuvres near Pakistan Navy vessels despite repeated warnings. The Foreign Office said the Indian vessel’s activities violated the 1991 bilateral agreement between Pakistan and India.

The Foreign Office said that on Sept. 15, INS Kolkata changed course dangerously and came into contact with Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain. It said PNS Hunain attempted to avoid the collision, but the vessels made contact before the Indian ship increased speed and left the area.

Pakistan described the incident as highly provocative and said the professional conduct of its naval personnel prevented the situation from escalating further.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan viewed the alleged Indian naval violations with serious concern and called on India to respect international law and bilateral agreements.

It also accused India of presenting a distorted version of events and said the actions reflected an attempt to escalate the matter diplomatically.

The Foreign Office said India’s chargé d’affaires was summoned in Islamabad and a strong protest was conveyed over the incident. Pakistan also said its High Commission in New Delhi would deliver a formal protest note to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

India, meanwhile, has presented a different account of the incident. Its Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it had summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires and lodged a protest over what it called the “unacceptable and unprofessional” conduct of Pakistani naval units that led to a collision with an Indian Navy vessel in international waters.

India said the incident caused no major damage and accused the Pakistani vessel of violating Article 10 of the 1991 agreement governing advance notice of military exercises, maneuvers and troop movements.

The conflicting accounts underscore heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following the maritime incident in the North Arabian Sea.

Jamaat-e-Islami rejects PM’s petrol relief package

September 15, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch has rejected the prime minister’s Rs100-per-liter petrol relief package, saying it cannot be a substitute for abolishing the petroleum levy.

Speaking to reporters after the third round of talks between the government and JI in Islamabad, Baloch said technical discussions were held on independent power producers (IPPs) and the petroleum levy.

He said Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Energy Minister Awais Leghari briefed the JI delegation during the talks.

Baloch said the JI had rejected the prime minister’s petrol relief package and made it clear that the petroleum levy should be abolished.

“If the levy is abolished, consumers can get relief of Rs103 per liter on petrol,” he said.

He described the prime minister’s relief measure as a “deception” and said the government had been told to convey to the prime minister that the JI’s march toward Islamabad would go ahead.

Regarding IPPs, Baloch said Leghari had presented the government’s complete position and acknowledged that issues involving 54 IPPs had been finalized following the JI’s previous protests.

The JI has been holding sit-ins in various cities against inflation and the petroleum levy. The party has also announced a long march toward Islamabad on Sept. 20.

Karachi Safari Park elephant Madhubala falls ill with suspected infection

September 15, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Madhubala, an elephant at Karachi’s Safari Park, has fallen ill with a suspected infection and is currently unable to use her right hind leg, officials said Tuesday.

According to Safari Park administration, Madhubala developed swelling in her right hind thigh, preventing her from putting weight on the affected leg. She reportedly suddenly fell to the ground a day earlier and had to be lifted with the help of a crane.

Officials said Madhubala has previously suffered from foot infections and abscesses. She had also experienced calcium deficiency in recent days, but her calcium levels have now improved.

Several medical tests have been conducted on the elephant, the administration said.

A veterinary expert said Madhubala has been given antibiotics because of concerns about a possible bacterial infection. However, further medical examination is needed to determine the exact cause of her illness.

The expert added that prolonged exposure to hard flooring can be a major cause of foot-related problems in elephants.

Meanwhile, a KMC spokesperson said he was unaware of Madhubala’s current health condition.

Madhubala was transferred from Karachi Zoo to Safari Park in November 2024, where she was kept with elephants Sonia and Malika. Sonia died about a month after Madhubala’s transfer.