Category: National

Pakistani law professor and author Muneeb Qadir and Indian journalist Arvind Saharan became the latest figures in a cross-border online spat, sparking a viral debate over history, trolling, and interpretation of events like the 1965 India-Pakistan war.

The clash began after an edited clip from their interview circulated online, with critics mocking Qadir for calling himself a “history buff” and questioning his knowledge. 

Some even accused him of “googling historical facts” mid-interview. The clip quickly went viral, triggering a storm of reactions from Pakistani netizens.

In response, Qadir released a clarification video, defending his approach and emphasizing that the full context of the interview had been ignored. 

He also criticized what he described as attempts to bait him into propaganda, refusing to assign blame to either country for historical conflicts.

“The clip can be interpreted in so many ways,” he said. 

He explained that the interview had started as a light, cultural exchange between Pakistan and India, but Saharan asked a leading question: “Who do you think is guilty for the 1965 war?” Qadir refused to assign blame to either country, arguing that territorial disputes are complicated and cannot be simplified into black-and-white narratives.

“I was never going to say Pakistan was at fault,” Qadir said. “Statehood, nationalism, and territoriality are complex. Any sovereign nation attempting to reclaim its territory can adopt measures it deems necessary. The same logic applies globally from Russia in Ukraine to America’s attention on Greenland and Venezuela.”

The online debate intensified when Saharan responded to Qadir’s clarification, challenging him:

“Do you want me to make a video and play your voice notes from before and after the discussion? You were keen to participate and even thanked me for it. What you said is entirely your responsibility.”

Qadir fired back:

“You want me to make screenshots of your messages praising me to the moon to reveal your duplicitous face, you snake?”

Saharan replied: “Please make the screenshots and share them. I’m dying to see them.”

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued new strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for girls’ colleges across the province, triggering reactions on social media over what some users have termed “Talibanisation” of education.

Under the new SOPs, colleges are required to obtain prior approval from the Director of Higher Education (DoHE) before organising any kind of event. 

Activities involving music, dancing, modeling, or other performances are completely prohibited, and mobile phones are banned during college hours and events.

The directives also mandate that students must wear their college uniforms while attending any event, and videos or photos of such events must not be shared on social media. 

Additional measures include strict security and supervision arrangements, “to ensure the safety and modesty of students,” according to the official notice issued by the Directorate of Higher Education, K-P.

The new measures come amid a longstanding education crisis in the province, where gaps in access to schooling have persisted for years.

The notification has sparked mixed reactions online. Some users criticised the directives, with one writing, “What is this, are we in Afghanistan? Hope this notification will revert back.” Another called it a “Tribal Talibani stoneage mentality.”

However, some people supported the move, with one social media user commenting, “This is good. We are training responsible, decent, empowered women.” Another reaction read, “Where’s the surprise? Typical PTI, the political wing of TTP.”

A marriage hall in Kasur’s Mustafaabad area was sealed on Monday when a three-year-old boy died after falling into an uncovered sewerage manhole on the premises, officials said.

According to local authorities, the child, identified as Ali Hoor, was present at the marriage hall when the incident occurred. Witnesses said the boy was playing inside the premises when he fell into an open manhole. His body was later retrieved from the sewer by people at the scene.

Assistant Commissioner Ghulam Fatima ordered the immediate sealing of the marriage hall following the incident. She also directed relevant departments to look into the circumstances surrounding the lapse that led to the manhole being left uncovered.

In a separate directive, Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza instructed police to arrest the owner of the marriage hall and initiate legal proceedings. Officials said action was being taken to fix responsibility in connection with the child’s death.

The incident in Kasur comes amid multiple fatalities linked to uncovered manholes reported across Punjab in recent weeks. In January, a woman and her infant daughter died after falling into an open sewer near Bhati Gate in Lahore.

According to rescue officials, the manhole near Bhati Gate had been left open due to construction work in the area near the Data Darbar Birds Market. Officials said limited visibility during nighttime hours contributed to the incident.

The victims were identified as Sadiya and her nine-month-old daughter Rida. Rescue officials said the two were swept away by fast-moving water after falling into the sewer. The woman’s body was recovered after hours of search efforts, while the body of the infant was found nearly 17 hours later, approximately eight kilometres away in the Saggian area.

Following the Lahore incident, disciplinary action was initiated against police officials. Station House Officer Zain Abbas was suspended over allegations of detaining and torturing the husband of the deceased woman, according to officials.

Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Sarfraz Bugti has said that the province’s problems are not political and could only be addressed through a military response, confirming that at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel lost their lives during recent militant attacks.

Speaking to a private media program, CM bugti dismissed claims that a large numbers of militants had taken part in the coordinated assaults, stating that the actual number of attackers was between 200 and 250. 

He stressed that militant groups deliberately use civilians as human shields during attacks in urban areas. The provincial chief executive also estimated that the total number of terrorists, their sympathisers, and facilitators in Balochistan ranges between 4,000 and 5,000.

Bugti linked the resurgence of organised militancy since 2021 to what he described as a policy of appeasement following 2018, saying that militants were able to regroup and grow stronger after a new government took office. 

“When a new policy came, we started appeasing them. Because of this, by 2021, they became organised. In 2023 and 2024, they became even stronger,” he added, noting that his government reviewed this policy after assuming office in 2024.

Security forces have continued operations across the province. Over the past two days, 177 terrorists have been killed during coordinated sweeps, including 22 more during overnight operations following Saturday’s attacks, according to security officials.

The military’s media affairs wing said that the spate of assaults was carried out by Fitna-al-Hindustan, a designation highlighting India’s alleged role in supporting terrorism in Balochistan.

The attacks on Saturday targeted more than 10 cities and towns, primarily aiming at security and government installations. Suicide bombers, including female attackers, were involved, resulting in the deaths of 15 security personnel and 18 civilians.



Following the assaults, security forces launched cordon and sweep operations across towns, cities, and rural areas to eliminate remaining militant presence. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said peace had been restored in Balochistan and that security forces were now engaged in a mopping-up operation.

Mobile internet services, suspended since Saturday, continued to remain shut for the third consecutive day in Quetta and other cities. Balochistan’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Hamza Shafqaat, said services were expected to be restored on Tuesday.