Fall Guy
The Supreme Court has removed an additional registrar over mistakenly fixing a case before a regular bench rather than the constitutional bench. The mistake, says the apex court, wasted the time and resources of the institution as well as the relevant parties. The regular bench that heard the case has initiated contempt proceedings against the additional registrar.
Tightening Immigration
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has directed immigration officials to increase vigilance of first-time foreign travelers aged 15-40 to curtail human trafficking. It has also sought improved profiling of travelers to Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan, as human smugglers use these states as transit points.
Dry Spell
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of potentially escalating drought conditions in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab due to rainfall deficits from September 2024 through January 2025. In its advisory, the PMD has warned the situation is likely to worsen, as there is no forecast for significant rainfall through March.
Taking on More Debt
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has confirmed that Pakistan has agreed to terms for a $1 billion loan with two Middle Eastern banks at 6-7% interest rate. One of the loans is bilateral, while the other is for trade, he has said, adding the short-term loans aim to boost the country’s finances ahead of the upcoming first review of the $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.
Water Woes
Government and opposition senators alike have urged the government to place before the Council of Common Interests a plan seeking to divert water from the Indus River for corporate farming. PPP’s Sherry Rehman has claimed the plan risks leaving parts of Sindh water deficient. Rejecting the concerns, Water Resources Minister Musadik Malik has claimed no construction on the Indus River.
Not Cricket
The International Cricket Council has denied reports the Board of Control for Cricket in India has removed the name of host nation Pakistan from their team’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 jersey. The global cricket body has said it is a mandatory requirement for all participating teams to display the tournament’s official logo on their kits, including the host nation’s name.
Tackling Terrorism
The military’s media wing has announced that security forces killed a terrorist identified as an Afghan national in the Zhob district of Balochistan earlier this month. It has cited the incident as “irrefutable evidence of Afghan nationals’ involvement in terrorist activities within Pakistan.” It has also urged Kabul to ensure Afghan soil is not used to launch terror attacks against Pakistan.
No Pain, No Gain
Admitting that planned restrictions on economic transactions of non-filers will lead to disruptions, Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik has told a National Assembly panel it is necessary to document “black money.” In his briefing, the minister has criticized past policies to use non-filers for revenue generation, stressing this institutional failure cannot be allowed to continue.
Investors Beware
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has warned citizens against investing in Bahria Town’s Dubai project amidst ongoing probes against Bahria’s owner, Malik Riaz. In its advisory, the watchdog has claimed any investments in the Dubai project may amount to money laundering and could invite criminal proceedings. It has said efforts are underway to secure Riaz’s extradition from the U.A.E.
Planetary Parade
Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research has announced that four planets—Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn—will be visible to the naked eye in the night sky at the end of the month. Neptune and Uranus will also be visible by using a telescope. The celestial event precedes a rare “seven planet parade” in late February when all the planets will be appear in a straight line from Earth’s perspective.