Infinity Social Updates

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that while political differences between opponents were common during elections, they should never turn into animosity, apparently referring to the deepening differences between the ruling party and its coalition partner, the PPP, at the Centre. Addressing a party convention in Murree, the party president congratulated the winners of the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while extending commiserations to the losing candidates. However, he noted that the complaints from the PPP have been “upsetting”. “We have always maintained good relations with our opponents. There is always disagreement in politics, but it should not reach the point where it creates animosity,” he said. More to follow from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/qV1I8lt

The European Union faces a sobering geopolitical reality: its influence in regions, such as the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, that directly affect its security and economic interests is diminishing. The Iranian dossier serves as the clearest example. Once a primary architect of the Iran nuclear deal, the EU now finds itself marginalised as US-Iran backchannel negotiations and regional security calculations dictate the trajectory of the relations with Iran. Europe neither participated in any combat operations nor did it play any diplomatic role in bringing the conflict to its resolution. Brussels has been reduced to the role of a concerned but impotent bystander. Into this vacuum, Pakistan has moved with strategic intent. Islamabad has close military-to-military relationship with Washington, with Field Marshal Asim Munir having forged a relationship of trust with US President Donald Trump. On the other hand, Pakistan has long historical ties with Iran, as well as deep relations...

ISLAMABAD: After a gap of 14 years, 27 police stations in the federal capital were provided 30 new vehicles on Saturday to improve response time and mobility. According to a statement issued by the interior ministry, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry handed over the keys to Islamabad police during a ceremony held at Police Lines. The statement quoted Naqvi as saying that the concept of modern policing was impossible with non-functional vehicles. “Only by meeting police requirements in line with the times can we achieve the desired results. These new vehicles will improve police response time,” he said. He was further quoted as saying that all necessary resources were being provided to Islamabad police to ensure public safety and security. “With the provision of resources, police will be able to perform their duties in a better manner,” he said. He said construction and upgradation of a...

Chinese AI startup Z.ai said on Friday its open-source GLM-5.3 model had neared Anthropic’s restricted Mythos 5 in identifying software vulnerabilities, bolstering the credentials of a Chinese AI challenger gaining traction among Western developers. Z.ai said GLM-5.3 scored 84.5 per cent on CyberGym, a test of whether a model can review code, identify security flaws and confirm that they are real. That was slightly higher than the 83.8pc it reported for Mythos 5. The results have not been independently verified. GLM-5.3 lagged behind Mythos 5 in converting discovered flaws into working attacks, a standard part of defensive security research. Z.ai said its model scored 54.4pc on the ExploitBench test of this capability, versus 78.0pc for Mythos 5. In a separate timed test, Z.ai said GLM-5.3 completed 105 attack-development tasks in two hours and 130 in six hours. Mythos 5 completed 181 and 247 tasks, respectively. Anthropic has made Myt...

US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner will visit Israel next week in hopes of bridging gaps on a Gaza plan rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, officials said Friday. Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza of Trump’s so-called Board of Peace implementing the deal, will visit both Israel and key mediator Egypt. The trip comes after Netanyahu publicly rejected a 15-point plan announced by Mladenov in which Hamas agreed to hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza. A Board of Peace official said Kushner and Mladenov hoped for “constructive conversations” on advancing Trump’s overall peace plan that began with the October 2025 declaration of a ceasefire, which has reduced but not ended Israeli strikes in Gaza. “The United States and Israel agree on the end state, which is a demilitarised Hamas,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “We will hear the concerns that have been raised and ...

IT has been 79 years since Pakistan was brought into being. Much water has passed under the proverbial bridge, but basic contradictions around national identity, resources and representation, and relations with neighbouring countries are as acute as they were in 1947. At the heart of it is the ahistorical notion that the subcontinent’s Muslims are a timeless nation with social mores and interests distinct from Hindus. East Pakistan’s secession in 1971 could have spurred a fundamental reformulation, but the state chose to reinforce this narrative. The rise of Hindutva in recent years, and the events of May 2025 in particular, have given state ideologues a new lease on life. Yet the treatment of Pakistan’s peripheries continues to provide fuel for competing national claims amongst politicised youth across numerous geographies. These voices remain at best unheard and at worst suppressed. And so, Pakistan remains beset by a fundamental paradox — a state that insists on projecting itself...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday sought comments from the Directorate General Immigration and Passports and the federal government on a petition challenging the non-renewal of the passport of Arshad Khan, popularly known as ‘Arshad Chaiwala’. Justice Umair Majeed Malik issued notices to the Director General Immigration and Passports and the Federation through the Interior Secretary on the petition filed by Mr Khan, who rose to fame after his photograph while working at a tea stall in Islamabad went viral on social media. During the hearing, Barrister Umar Ijaz Gilani appeared on behalf of the petitioner and contended that his client was a well-known entrepreneur who had promoted Pakistani culture globally. The counsel submitted that the authorities had failed to renew the petitioner’s passport despite the passage of almost a year since he had applied for its renewal. According to the petition, Arshad Khan applied for renewal of his passport on August 20, 2...

PESHAWAR: A highly wanted terrorist commander was killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the Bannu police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the district police confirmed on Thursday. Bannu’s District Police Officer (DPO) Captain (retd) Muhammad Furqan Bilal confirmed the terrorist’s killing in a conversation with Dawn . The DPO confirmed that the terrorist was identified as a high-profile commander, Naseer Muhammad alias Geedarh , who carried a Rs6 million bounty on his head. According to a statement issued by the police, an operation is underway against terrorists in the jurisdiction of Domel Police Station under the supervision of DPO Bilal, involving both the Bannu district police and CTD teams. The statement elaborated that the operation is being conducted in Akbar Ali Khan Kili, Sada Khel, Sadarwan and the adjoining areas, where police and CTD teams are carrying out targeted actions based on intelligence reports regardi...

Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia will form political and military mechanisms under a defence pact signed between the regional powers last week, Turkiye’s defence ministry said on Thursday, adding the alliance would also deepen defence industry cooperation. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed last week as the Middle East grapples with fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran , which has dragged in regional players and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. At a weekly briefing in Ankara, the ministry said the mechanisms would include the three countries’ defence ministers, foreign ministers, and military chiefs. It added that the joint military exercises were also being planned under the pact, while cooperation could include joint production and technology sharing in the defence industry. The remarks come a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he hoped more countries would join the agreement. “Our vision for it is not li...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated several initiatives for the youth, including the Power Sector Innovation Programme, the National Youth Employment Policy and the Skills Ambassador Programme. The premier was speaking at an event in Islamabad to mark International Youth Day 2026, celebrated on August 12. The ceremony also highlighted high-achieving students from Daanish schools. Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said, “We work day and night for our youth.” He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz for providing opportunities for the youth during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab and commended the premier’s leadership in advancing Pakistan, adding that under his leadership, no one could stop the country from moving forward. “The world is talking about Pakistan’s progress today,” he said. More to follow from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/CbGiQcj

The American AI company Anthropic announced it will add an invisible watermark to text produced by its Claude chatbot so as to comply with European Union regulations . But the company noted that this mark only means the text was processed by Claude, not that the chatbot actually generated it. The new feature unveiled on Monday in San Francisco will not be visible to humans and will remain in place even after text is cut-and-pasted. But the tool has limitations, Anthropic said. Detecting a Claude watermark means the text may have been processed by Claude but does not confirm the source, the company said in a statement. For example, it said, “Claude may not be the original author. People often use Claude to proofread, translate, summarise, or convert files. The output can carry a Claude mark even if the underlying ideas, text, or data originated from another source.” Conversely, a text that is very short or has been heavily edited may not carry a watermark. When Claude generates a ...

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Wednesday said that the PTI could not “absolve themselves of responsibility” after a man was shot dead by law enforcement officials on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road for allegedly open firing on security forces. PTV News, quoting security sources, said the alleged assailant was a resident of Khyber district and an “active PTI member”. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had slammed PTI’s “politics of violence” after state media reported the incident. However, the PTI had distanced itself from the incident, saying it had nothing to do with terrorism and that efforts were being made to link the party to it. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Chaudhry said, “For years, the PTI leadership has been told not to perpetuate the politics of hatred and anarchy.” He said that the party was told not to influence the youth with “ideas which could not be removed”. “When a young person fills his mind with such hatred and anarchy,...

LAHORE: A sessions court on Tuesday summoned TikToker Rajab Butt and four other suspects to frame charges against them in a case of alleged sexual assault of a social media influencer. Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafaryab heard a private complaint filed by the social media influencer against Butt and four others and directed all five suspects to appear before the court on August 18 for indictment. The social media influencer had filed the private complaint in 2025, alleging that she was subjected to sexual assault and subsequent blackmailing by the suspects. She claimed to have evidence for the allegations, including WhatsApp conversations, a medical report and her statement recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The suspects, who rejected the charges against them, had secured pre-arrest bail from a sessions court. Last month, Nawab Town police registered a case against Butt and his accomplices for allegedly attacking some women and opening fire ...

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has sent a legal notice to former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi and sought Rs1 billion in damages over allegations that the party received money to suppress public protests, according to a statement by the JI. The statement said the legal notice was sent on July 27 through Advocate Tahir Iqbal Malik on the directives of the party’s Karachi General Secretary Taufiquddin Siddiqui. When Dawn contacted Zaidi for his comment on Tuesday, the former FBR chief said he had forwarded the notice to his lawyer for legal advice. The JI’s statement, citing the party’s notice, said Zaidi made serious allegations against the party during a podcast interview and subsequently in statements circulated on YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. The notice alleged that the former FBR chairman described the party as the “establishment’s firewall” for “diluting” public issues and protests. In the notice, the statement said, ...

Father after father AFP spoke to in Afghanistan about the education ban that stops their daughters from going beyond primary school choked up in despair. The pain and anguish it is causing behind closed doors is clear from interviews AFP conducted across the country, with even deeply religious fathers questioning the ruling. The Taliban authorities justify the ban — the only one of its kind in the world — on their interpretation of Islamic law. But “you will never find in the Quran that education is only for men”, said one devout father, while another — who praised the Taliban government for restoring security and reducing corruption — said he couldn’t “find any proper justification for this”. All the men — whose identities AFP is protecting — described the emotional turmoil the bar is causing, with fathers losing sleep over what to do to help their bright and frustrated daughters. Nine out of 10 Afghan men questioned in a UN survey last year said it was important for girls t...

In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday urged the appointment of a new chief election commissioner of the Election Commission of Pakistan, as well as two members representing Sindh and Balochistan. In the letter, dated August 10 and available with Dawn , Achakzai, who heads the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and is chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, drew the prime minister’s attention to a “critical constitutional duty” and stated that the statutory tenure of the CEC and the members representing Sindh and Balochistan had ended on January 26, 2025. To that effect, he urged the “immediate filling” of the offices, terming it “essential for maintaining the operational continuity, independence, and credibility of the commission”. In his letter, Achakzai cited two provisions of the Constitution, including Article 213(2A), which he said “mandates that the prime minister shall, in consultation wit...

FIFA President Gianni Infantino came under renewed fire on Monday as a joint letter from three confederations — European football’s governing body UEFA, Confederations of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC) — declared football “belongs to no individual”. Infantino has been the butt of scathing criticism ever since launching, and then withdrawing within days, a plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including World Cups. FIFA had hit back on Saturday at “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” football’s governing body and Infantino. However, Monday’s letter from UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC showed his critics are unbowed. “Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,” they wrote. “When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the confederation...

BANNU/SWAT: A terrorist attack on the Chatkekal police post near Jarogo Waterfall in Upper Swat was foiled after police personnel mounted a strong counterattack late on Sunday night, District Police Officer (DPO) Mushtaq Ahmad said. According to police, more than 12 terrorists surrounded the post and opened fire from all sides. The police personnel deployed at the post immediately retaliated with effective gunfire, forcing the attackers to retreat and flee the area. Initial reports suggest that two terrorists were injured in the exchange of fire. Security personnel have intensified surveillance in the area, while further details are being ascertained. The DPO praised the personnel deployed at the post for their prompt response and bravery, saying Swat police remained at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. “Such cowardly attacks cannot demoralise Swat Police. Our personnel know how to respond effectively to terrorist attacks,” he said. The ...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a Gaza plan hailed by US President Donald Trump, vowing no military pullout until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed. After more than a week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, Netanyahu explicitly opposed it as he faced pushback from his right-wing base ahead of elections. “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said, referring to a plan endorsed in late July by Hamas. The Israeli military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens”, Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting. The document, the latest stage in a US-led ceasefire announced in October that has reduced but not ended Israeli operations in Gaza, said Hamas would surrender weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body. The plan said Israel would begin pulling out forces in tandem with the disarmament, an idea adamantly rejected by Israel, which als...

More than 100 days after being taken hostage by Somali pirates, crew members on board MT Honour 25 have released another distress message in which they appealed directly to the Pakistani government for their release, it emerged on Sunday. The Honour 25 — a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying 17 to 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis — was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia on April 21. Despite over three months passing, there has been no progress either in negotiations or the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for the recovery of the hostages, despite concerns abounding about their declining health. In two video messages seen by Dawn , the Pakistani hostages and foreigners can be seen in a state of extreme distress, with most looking sick and weak. They requested that the Pakistani government talk to the Somali pirates and take steps to release them. Yasir Khan, a hostage aboard the ship, said that many of the crew members had falle...