• Achakzai questions govt’s handling of Tehran diplomacy, Afghanistan ties
• Senate resolution seeks coordinated national action to curb population growth
ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the National Assembly and Senate on Thursday raised concerns over the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and alleged human rights violations, while both houses also discussed electoral reforms and the need to strengthen parliamentary institutions.
National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai criticised the government for failing to take parliament into confidence over recent diplomatic developments in Tehran.
“How can four people decide the future of the whole nation?” he asked, warning that such decisions could push the country towards “anarchy and civil war”.
Mr Achakzai also opposed the suspension of trade with Afghanistan, describing Afghans as traditional friends of Pakistan and criticising the country’s past policies towards its neighbour.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the parliamentary proceedings and the prevailing political situation in KP were creating a negative impression among the public. He also called for an end to hereditary politics in the country.
Meanwhile, speaking on a point of order in the Senate, PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Syed Ali Zafar accused the government of undermining constitutional protections through the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP.
He argued that fundamental human rights could not be suspended or compromised, regardless of the political situation. “There is one thing that cannot be broken, suspended or compromised: the fundamental human rights of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
Mr Zafar expressed concern over the detention of Noreen Niazi, sister of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, claiming that she had suffered a heart attack and was hospitalised but her family was not being allowed to meet her.
Responding to the concerns, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said Noreen Niazi had been provided medical treatment in Lahore and was in satisfactory condition.
On allegations that her family was being denied access, Mr Sanaullah assured the house that details would be sought and the matter addressed according to the circumstances.
He defended her detention, alleging that she had sought to create unrest by mobilising people for a protest march towards Islamabad.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also criticised the government’s actions in KP, alleging that the province had been “snatched from the people”.
He also questioned the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP, arguing that democratic institutions could not function without respect for the law.
Separately, the Senate passed a resolution calling for urgent and coordinated national action to address the challenges posed by the country’s rapidly growing population.
The resolution, moved by PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman, called for a comprehensive national response to population growth and its impact on public services and socioeconomic development.
Ms Rehman said Pakistan’s population was projected to reach approximately 390 million by 2050 at the current growth rate, placing unprecedented pressure on national resources.
Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026
EU council president calls deadly strike ‘cruel and devastating’; fragile ceasefire holds in Oleshky. What we know on day 1,710
European leaders have reacted with outrage to a deadly attack by a Russian drone that slammed into a busy railway platform in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukraine had intelligence about more ballistic missile strikes to come. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need for “far more than a localised ceasefire”, referencing the current truce in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. The EU council president, António Costa, who described the Dnipro attacks as “cruel and devastating”, called for greater pressure on Russia after the latest strikes against civilians. “The EU will continue to increase the pressure on Russia and to support Ukraine until a just and lasting peace is achieved,” he added. “We call on all our international partners to do the same.”
Later on Thursday, Russian forces launched an attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, hitting warehouses and triggering a fire. Emergency services were headed to the scene on the east side of the Dnipro River, he said.
Describing the Dnipro train station attack – which killed at least 14 people and injured another 14 – as “horrific”, the president of Ukraine insisted “sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues”. Zelenskyy warned also that Ukraine had intelligence about preparations by the Russians of new ballistic missile strikes. “We need the means to take out all this Russian evil. We are expecting relevant decisions,” he said. Another attack on Dnipro hit a student dormitory, setting it ablaze, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said, adding the assaults had cut power to 350,000 households.
The strikes came as Ukraine and Russia kept to a fragile local ceasefire in the ravaged city of Oleshky and prepared to send a humanitarian convoy to the southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation since 2022 and where residents have faced months of food, water and medicine shortages. Russia’s human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova said on Friday that local residents had until 2 pm local time (1100 GMT) on 30 October to evacuate, Russian news agency Interfax reported. Two people, including one sapper, were killed while de-mining in Oleshky, she said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military has paused its strikes on Russian oil refineries after pressure from US President Donald Trump, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, citing people with knowledge of the operations. Ukrainian units carrying out long-range strikes were told in mid-October that the campaign against refineries was effectively on hold once missions already in motion were completed, the Journal reported. The unofficial pause is expected to last until after the US midterm elections and potentially deeper into November, the newspaper said.
After the Dnipro attack, Zelenskyy renewed his criticism of a deal struck between Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to ease some US sanctions on Russia allowing Moscow to release diesel on to global markets. “How many such terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on some Russian oligarchs and the energy sector, instead of de-escalating?” he asked.
Late on Thursday, Putin said he supported any steps aimed at restoring relations with European countries, saying the outbreak of any conflict would leave a situation with no winners. Commenting on his phone call this week with the leaders of Norway and Finland, Putin told reporters after hosting a summit with African leaders: “And if anyone wants it, let them prepare, but right now they have not achieved their goal – to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. And if things go too far, there will be no winners at all. .”
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP
© Photograph: Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP
© Photograph: Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP
 |
Meet Zakon: Ukraine creates its own national font to replace Russian type in state documents. The antiqua typeface draws upon the works of Ukraine's 20th century artists amid a decolonization push |
 |
Ukraine and the Netherlands team up on missile defense as Europe plans its own missile killer, free of US approval. The best time to intercept an incoming ballistic missile is when it's just halfway to its target. Can Ukraine afford this capability? |
 |
A Russian disinformation campaign cloned Euromaidan Press to blame Ukraine for Russia’s own strike on Kramatorsk (we took the fake down). Researchers tie the fake to Storm-1516, a Russian influence operation that has overtaken RT and Sputnik by cloning trusted news brands to publish fabricated stories under their names. |
“The enemy has changed tactics”: Zaporizhzhia faces record number of Russian FPV drone attacks, hitting public transport 3 times in one day. The attacks injured 14 people, including a 14-year-old boy, and damaged residential buildings, warehouses, and vehicles.
Ukrainian Neptune strike destroys two Russian Su-34 bombers used to attack frontline cities, Ukraine’s Navy says. The aircraft are a key part of Russia’s tactical aviation fleet, used to launch guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian military positions and settlements near the front line.
Russia’s October losses hit record high of 49,040 with three days left, Ukraine says. Russia’s estimated personnel losses reached a new monthly high by 29 October, surpassing the previous record set in December 2024.
Russian jet drone hits Dnipro railway platform, killing 14 people next to a Zaporizhzhia-bound train. An air alert was on and the railway had ordered an evacuation, but many passengers were still beside the train when the drone struck.
Baking soda by day, armor chemistry on contract: drones reportedly strike Russia’s Bashkir Soda Company. The plant, which Russian Telegram channel Astra says sits on a closed register of defense suppliers, is the country’s only producer of a chemical used in bulletproof fibers.
Russia may use the Oleshky truce to rebuild its forces, ISW warns, as evacuees face a route through Russia and Belarus. The agreement spells out every leg of the evacuees’ trip except the last one home.
Promised discharge, but no trust: Why Ukraine’s new military contracts are struggling. Only 8,600 Ukrainians have signed the army’s new fixed-term contracts in four months.
Ukraine may already be pushing Operation Vivaldi across the Zherebets River. It’s a risky gamble. Two mappers put Ukrainian troops on the river’s eastern bank this week, including at Terny, where Russia crossed in 2024 and kept pushing until Vivaldi drove it back.
Nearly 5,000 tons of nitric acid for Russia’s military-industrial complex. Why did Azot plant become strategic target?. A military observer explains why Ukraine keeps striking Russia’s Azot plant.
Ukraine finds Russia’s Geran drones fitted with a compass that works through GPS jamming, but Western electronics still at their core. Ukraine is also studying a new jamming device, and the findings go into its sanctions work.
Russian “Susanin” drone component may push Ukraine into nighttime blackouts. Roads and highways would go dark first, presidential adviser says. Ukraine may have to rethink its wartime blackouts if Russia begins mass use of drones and missiles carrying the “Susanin” optical-navigation module.
Russia is building Starlink no foreign company can switch off. Ukraine names 49 firms behind it, and 23 face no sanctions from Kyiv’s allies at all. One of them is Roscosmos, which puts the satellites in orbit.
Licensed, not banned: what China’s new rules mean for the parts inside Russia’s Shahed-type drones. Ukraine’s sanctions commissioner says Geran engines are on Beijing’s updated list and sees an opening for Kyiv.
Some European diplomats doubt Seoul over what they see as a tilt toward Russia during Moscow’s war on Ukraine, but Seoul says it backs ending the war, FT reports. Kyiv has already clashed with Seoul over fuel reaching Russia and two North Korean prisoners of war.
Russia’s sanctioned top diplomat heads to the US to campaign against the sanctions on its war. Moscow says Lavrov will use the G20 meeting in Atlanta to denounce sanctions, the economic pressure built to make Russia pay for invading Ukraine.
Germany holds two 19-year-olds over Bulgaria’s Starlink arson, and Sofia says they also attacked the network Ukraine fights with elsewhere in the EU. Bulgaria wants them extradited, and their lawyers say they will fight the warrant.
“I really don’t want this to be Yalta 2, 3, 4”: Zelenskyy fears Trump-Xi-Putin meeting could redivide world, with Ukraine on agenda. Great powers may sit down to redraw the world’s spheres of influence again.
Russia abducts Ukrainian children, and the Netherlands now funds UN search for them as part of new €1.2 billion aid package. Dutch companies get a way into rebuilding Ukraine: €136 million for partnerships and more export insurance in a new aid package.
Classrooms in Sumy Oblast are moving underground due to Russian shelling: 13 such schools are already operating, nine are under construction, and another 14 are at the design stage. Russian attacks have damaged 165 schools in Sumy Oblast since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Demining complete, humanitarian convoy ready: Oleshky mission advances as ceasefire holds and Lubinets heads to occupied city. Ukrainian, Russian, and US delegations are coordinating a humanitarian operation in occupied Oleshky after mine clearance along designated routes. The mission aims to bring aid to civilians and facilitate their safe departure.
Six lanes and metro line under fire: Kyiv prepares about $22 million for backup river crossings after Russian strike on Southern Bridge. The bridges are of critical importance. About 600,000 vehicles cross the Dnipro River in Kyiv every day.
Russia may not give Oleshky evacuees a free choice to return to Ukraine, ISW warns, after Putin called the town a “Russian settlement”. Those who choose Ukraine will likely have to travel through Russia first, with no public guarantees that they will be let go.
Ankara tells Washington it’s ready to help revive Ukraine-Russia talks—but names no date or venue. Moscow claims a contact is near but that talk of Abu Dhabi is premature while it is still preparing. Kyiv wants that round before a summit without Ukraine.
€100 million at stake: what Ukrainians could save by joining Europe’s euro-payment zone, if parliament votes before November. Ukrainian small businesses pay for every euro transfer in paperwork and days of waiting.
Ukraine wants its Abu Dhabi talks with Russia before a proposed Trump-Putin-Xi summit. Tusk pointed to a first Abu Dhabi round after 4 November. Kyiv says the meeting now depends on Washington.
Read our previous daily review here.
The 3pm blackout has been in place across the UK since the 1960s
© Getty
The 3pm blackout has been in place across the UK since the 1960s
© Getty
© PA Wire
Keira Callaghan says being prepared should be a public health measure, not a privilege, and Chris Rotheram is experiencing prescription anxiety. Plus five more letters in response to the Be Ready campaign
The Be Ready campaign may offer sensible advice in principle (Every Briton should stockpile water and food supplies, government advises, 22 October), but as a midwife working in Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest boroughs in London, I can see first-hand that its practical recommendations risk excluding precisely those families who are already most vulnerable.
For families living in a single room in a shared house, storing nine litres of water per person alongside three days’ worth of essential supplies may simply be unrealistic. When families are already struggling with the cost of food, heating and everyday necessities, buying additional emergency provisions may also be financially impossible.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: pundapanda/Getty Images
© Photograph: pundapanda/Getty Images
© Photograph: pundapanda/Getty Images
ISLAMABAD – The federal government kept petrol prices unchanged while increasing the price of high-speed diesel by 85 paisa per litre for October 30, 2026.
According to the notification, the petrol price stays at Rs377.91 per litre. High-speed diesel rate jumped from Rs399.82 to Rs400.67 per litre.
The revised rates take effect on October 30, bringing another increase for diesel consumers while petrol users face no change.
Meanwhile, international oil prices edged lower on Thursday as hopes for renewed US-Iran diplomacy eased some concerns over Middle East supply disruptions.
Brent crude futures traded at $114.92 per barrel, down 40 cents or 0.35%, while US West Texas Intermediate crude stood at $102.12, down 66 cents or 0.64%, according to the latest available Reuters update at 10:35pm Pakistan time on October 29. These were intraday prices, rather than closing rates.
The post New Petrol, Diesel Rates in Pakistan for October 30 appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
KARACHI – For Pakistani riders, owning premium bike has been difficult due to hefty import costs, and rider community is excited for Benelli’s planned move into local assembly that could bring that dream closer, with the prospect of lower prices giving enthusiasts something to watch.
The distributor of Benelli, QJMotor and Moto Morini motorcycles in Pakistan, is preparing to assemble selected motorcycles domestically under a programme scheduled to begin next year. The company announced Benelli’s inclusion, expanding a project that could give Pakistan’s premium motorcycle segment more competitively priced options.
The assembly facility was expected to be ready by December 2026, with the first locally assembled motorcycles rolling out in January 2027. Moto Morini’s Alltrhike 450 adventure motorcycle is expected to lead the programme, followed by a 300cc offering. Benelli’s first locally assembled model and its specific delivery schedule have yet to be clearly confirmed.
For Pakistan’s premium bike market, the price tag will be the decisive factor. Imported motorcycles carry substantial costs, placing many international models beyond the reach of buyers looking to upgrade from smaller commuter bikes.
The distributor is reportedly planning assembly through Completely Knocked Down kits to reduce costs and says it intends to pass the benefit on to customers.
Alltrhike 450 offers an early indication of the potential savings. Its reported imported price of Rs2.6 million could fall to a tentative Rs1.995 million after local assembly. That estimate applies to the Moto Morini model. Revised prices for locally assembled Benelli motorcycles have not been announced.
The imported Benelli range includes TNT 150i, 180S, 302S and TNT 600i. These motorcycles span different price and performance categories, although their inclusion in the local assembly lineup remains unconfirmed. More details are expected on November 2, including clarity on the first Benelli model selected for the programme.
The post Benelli Coming to Pakistan bringing Affordable 600cc Bikes appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
KARACHI – Pakistan’s central bank reserves increased by more than $7 billion over the past year, reaching $21.52 billion following another weekly rise.
State Bank of Pakistan shared update of its foreign exchange holdings which increased by $33 million during the week ended October 23, 2026, taking the total to $21,521.7 million. The gain followed a $19 million increase in the previous week, when SBP reserves stood at $21.49 billion as of October 16.
Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves reached $26.75 billion in the latest reporting week. This included $21.52 billion held by the central bank and $5.23 billion in net reserves maintained by commercial banks. Compared with $14.47 billion on October 24, 2025, the central bank’s holdings have grown by approximately $7.05 billion, an increase of 48.7% over roughly one year.
The upward trend included some declines. Reserves hovered at $16.38 billion in late March before slipping to $15.83 billion in April, and recovered to $17.19 billion in May, eased again in June and subsequently climbed above $21 billion in September.
| date | reserves |
|---|---|
| October 24, 2025 | $14.47 billion |
| November 28, 2025 | $14.57 billion |
| December 26, 2025 | $15.92 billion |
| January 23, 2026 | $16.10 billion |
| February 20, 2026 | $16.21 billion |
| March 27, 2026 | $16.38 billion |
| April 24, 2026 | $15.83 billion |
| May 29, 2026 | $17.19 billion |
| June 24, 2026 | $16.53 billion |
| July 24, 2026 | $17.03 billion |
| August 28, 2026 | $17.12 billion |
| September 25, 2026 | $21.44 billion |
| October 23, 2026 | $21.52 billion |
The post State Bank of Pakistan Reserves hit $21.52 Billion after nearly 50% annual jump appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
© PA Wire
Login
