Monthly Pakistan Affairs

25/04/2026

CJP Yahya Afridi Oposes Judicial Commission

• In letter to commission, Justice Afridi warns move will set ‘undesirable and potentially far-reaching precedent’
• Fears it will ‘erode public confidence’ in judiciary’s independence and stability
• Last year, he described transfer of three judges to IHC from different provinces under Article 200 as something to be ‘rejoiced’

24/04/2026

Saudi Arabia moves to block Pakistan’s $5.5 billion weapon sales to 2 African countries as strategy shifts

Saudi Arabia has asked Pakistan to halt a $1.5 billion weapons deal with Sudan and reconsider a separate $4 billion defence agreement linked to Libya, signalling a shift in Riyadh’s regional strategy and adding fresh uncertainty to Islamabad’s push to expand its defence footprint across Africa.

18/04/2026

US Iran Talks in the final stages.
A new report said that one proposal to end the war with Iran would involve releasing $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for its stock of enriched uranium.

The report came from Axios, which framed the concept as part of multiple pieces of a proposed deal and cited sources it did not name.

The report noted that a Sunday negotiating session in Islamabad, Pakistan, is likely.

10/04/2026

The Lahore-bound Shalimar Express derailed near Sheikhupura on Friday, leaving rail traffic on the Faisalabad–Lahore section suspended.

According to official sources, one of the passenger coaches of the train derailed while it was heading towards Lahore. No injuries or casualties were reported.

Rail traffic on the route has been suspended.

09/04/2026

With a fragile ceasefire barely holding and tensions still flaring, Islamabad is set to host talks between the warring parties this Saturday.

09/04/2026

The Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education on Thursday postponed the matric examinations scheduled to be held on April 10 (Friday) — when the federal capital will be abuzz with diplomatic activity during talks between the US and Iran.

03/04/2026

Natural gas and LNG prices are also rising. But countries like Pakistan are more resilient because of the unprecedented growth of solar, says Nabiya Imran, at the Pakistani think tank Renewables First.

"The widespread adoption of solar and batteries kind of serves as a hedge or a protection sort of against these price shocks that the fossil fuel markets are very vulnerable to globally," she says.

30/03/2026

Iran’s Parliament Speaker accused the U.S. of using negotiations as cover while ‘secretly planning a ground invasion.'

21/03/2026

A pessenger boards a train before Eid.

21/03/2026