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From denial to acceptance: Iran war’s mental toll on Pakistani expats in UAE

KARACHI: Saman*, a resident of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was at her workplace when a loud explosion occurred in Abu Dhabi — a retaliatory strike by Iran against US-Israel strikes on its territory. Her two children were at home, while her husband was also at work. Her workplace was far from the site of the explosion, so she did not hear it. However, she remained in denial that such an incident could occur in a safe and secure country like the UAE. “Neither did I hear the sound of the first explosion, nor did I concentrate on it as it was another super busy day at work,” Saman told Dawn , adding that her colleagues, who were surprised by the incident, shared the news with her. While still in denial, she immediately checked the news and learned about the incident. Her focus then shifted from the event to the safety of her children and her husband. “My husband checked on my safety through messages, while my daughter, who was terrified by the incident, sent me a text. We soon spok...
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India’s privatisation drive derails because of weak investor interest in state-run firms: report

India is considering shelving three planned privatisation sales amid weak investor appetite, two government sources said, a slump that has already derailed its attempt to sell a stake in IDBI Bank and is a fresh blow to the government’s flagship divestment programme. The privatisation plan, delayed for years, is now facing fresh setbacks that include dwindling interest in state-run firms such as Shipping Corporation of India and HLL Lifecare, besides the collapse of the IDBI Bank stake sale last week after bids fell short of the government’s minimum price. India’s finance, shipping and health ministries and the companies did not respond to Reuters ’ queries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious privatisation plan was aimed at having the state exit most sectors while remaining only in sensitive ones such as telecom and banking. But the government could only sell Air India to Tata Sons, and indirect holdings in steel-maker Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd to Tata Steel, and Fe...
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Dar to depart on Riyadh visit for meeting of regional FMs, will call for ‘swift end’ to Middle East conflict

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will depart for Riyadh on Wednesday for a meeting with the foreign ministers of regional countries, where he will advocate for a “swift end” to the conflict in the Middle East, the Foreign Office (FO) said. The conflict began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries. Amid the hostilities, the FO has termed Pakistan’s role a “ bridge builder ”. Dar will be attending at the invitation of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud from March 18 to 19, during which he will “express complete support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of all brotherly countries in the region, and call for an end to all attacks on their territory”. According to FO, Dar will reiterate “Pakistan’s call for a swift end to the ongoing conflict” and call for a return to “dialogue and diplomacy”. The foreign minister is also expecte...
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Asia pivots to coal as Middle East conflict chokes LNG supply

Asian utilities are boosting coal-fired power generation to cut costs and safeguard energy supply, industry officials say, as the US-Israeli war on Iran chokes liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and soaring prices threaten to suppress LNG demand. Asia spot LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs in the second major supply shock in four years, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and No 2 global exporter Qatar has halted shipments. In South Asia, Bangladesh is increasing coal power generation and coal-fired power imports in March, daily government data shows. Pakistan, meanwhile, aims to further boost power generated from domestic sources after solar additions helped it avoid a repeat of the LNG supply volatility behind widespread outages following Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion, Power Minister Awais Leghari said. “With a reduction in LNG generation, plants running on locally mined coal will be able to produce more during off-peak hours,” Leghari to...
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Jailed PTI leaders criticise lack of economic restructuring measures amid Gulf conflict

LAHORE: Pakistan’s fragile economy, already reeling from the shock of rising oil and gas prices, has been further exacerbated by a lack of economic restructuring measures, five senior PTI leaders incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail said on Tuesday. In an open letter shared by their counsel Rana Mudassar Umer, PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Omar Sarfraz Cheema said that Pakistan’s hard-earned macroeconomic stability, gained by “squeezing” ordinary citizens over the last three years, would wither away in the next three weeks if the Gulf conflict were to persist. It also said that uncertainty and the shock of rising oil and gas prices had scrapped the chances of a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Commenting on the country’s economic situation, the leaders said it was becoming increasingly difficult to meet the performance criteria agreed upon at the time of budget formulation for the curre...
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In letter to CJP, jailed PTI leaders seek early hearing of appeals pending before LHC ‘for last 8 months’

LAHORE: Several jailed PTI leaders have written to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, seeking the early hearing of appeals against their convictions in a May 9 riots case, it emerged on Monday. On July 22, 2025, a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and others to 10 years in prison in a case related to violence on Sherpao Bridge. In the letter — a copy of which is available with Dawn — Rashid, Cheema, Rasheed and Chaudhry contended that despite being “law-abiding citizens of Pakistan”, their constitutional rights had been “trampled” upon as they continued to suffer “political victimisation”. “We have been languishing in jail for the last 34 months,” the letter stated. Recalling the July 2025 sentences, the leaders said they had submitted appeals against their convictions before the Lahore High Court (LHC) since their sentencing. “[However,] for the last eight months, our appeals and suspensions...
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What the attack on Iran’s nuclear sites means for the non-proliferation regime

On March 2, just a few days into the ongoing war, the United States and Israel carried out attacks on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. After initially disputing the claims, the IAEA later confirmed damage to the entrance buildings of the underground fuel enrichment plant at Natanz, located on the outskirts of Qom. The attack came several months after the 12-day standoff between Iran and Israel, when a similar attack was carried out on the Natanz uranium enrichment site’s underground structures. These attacks have established a dangerous new precedent in global nuclear politics. The targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities — Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan — operating under the IAEA safeguards renders irrelevant the very system designed to ensure nuclear programmes remain peaceful. “Again, they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday. Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” said Reza Najafi, Iran’s envoy to ...
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