Battery storage imports cross 4.5GW in H1

Pakistan imported more than 4.5 gigawatts of battery storage equipment during the first half of 2026, accounting for nearly half of the country's cumulative imports of 9.5GW, as households and industries increasingly turn to energy storage to avoid high electricity tariffs. The figures were disclosed during a high-level parliamentary dialogue on energy and the economy organised by the Parliamentary Forum on Energy and Economy, where participants discussed the future of battery storage in the power sector and regulatory arrangements.

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Snowfall lures tourists to Galiyat resorts

The first snowfall of the winter season transformed the picturesque Galiyat hills and adjoining mountain valleys into a winter wonderland over the weekend, attracting thousands of tourists from the plains eager to enjoy snow-covered landscapes and capture memorable moments with their families. White flakes blanketed the slopes, rooftops and pine trees of Nathiagali, Ayubia, Dongagali and Khanspur in Abbottabad district, bringing the normally tranquil hill resorts to life. Children played in the snow, families posed for photographs and visitors shared images of the spectacular scenery on social media. Nathiagali witnessed a substantial influx of domestic tourists following forecasts of snowfall by the Meteorological Department. Hotels, guesthouses, motels and private accommodation facilities remained heavily occupied as visitors arrived from across Punjab and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa. At nearby Ayubia, families queued for the famous chairlift, enjoying panoramic views of the snow-covered mountains. "The chairlift ride at Ayubia takes tourists to a new height of thrill and excitement," said Professor Dr Naveed Farooq, a lecturer at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, while enjoying the scenery with his family. He said the natural beauty of Khanspur, Dongagali and Bagnotar had left a lasting impression on visitors, adding that the snowfall and cool breezes from the Kashmir hills had enhanced the winter experience. "I visited Babusar Top before coming here, where the floating clouds were equally mesmerising. Every hill station has its own attraction," he said. The snowfall also provided an economic boost to local communities, with hotel owners, restaurant operators, horse riders, photographers, transporters and shopkeepers reporting increased business. Some residents opened additional rooms in their homes to accommodate tourists seeking affordable lodging. However, the influx of visitors renewed concerns about excessive accommodation charges and rising prices of essential commodities during the peak tourist season. Dr Naveed Farooq urged the district administration to monitor hotel tariffs and commodity prices and ensure adequate parking facilities at major tourist destinations. Former ambassador Manzoorul Haq said private hotels were reportedly charging between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 per room per night in Nathiagali, Naran-Kaghan and Kalam. He warned that unchecked overcharging could discourage families travelling on limited budgets.

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Army destroys Afghan border check posts after 5 of a family injured, one killed in Angoor Adda: official

The Pakistan Army on Tuesday night destroyed Afghan Taliban check posts after they targeted civilian areas in South Waziristan's Angoor Adda along the border, injuring five members of a family and killing one member. In a post on X, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Information Adviser Samar Haroon Bilour, citing security sources, stated that "in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan, the Afghan Taliban regime, showing stubbornness, targeted the civilian population". She added that "the cowardly attack by the Afghan Taliban regime resulted in a shell landing on a house in the civilian population, wounding five members of the same family and one civilian attaining martyrdom." ‼️ *ٹاپ بریکنگ* *پاک افغان سرحد پر افغان طالبان ریجیم کی اشتعال انگیزی اور پاک فوج کا منہ توڑ جواب* جنوبی وزیرستان کے علاقے *انگور اڈہ* میں افغان طالبان ریجیم نے ہٹ دھرمی کا مظاہرہ کرتے ہوئے شہری آبادی کو نشانہ بنایا ، *سیکیورٹی ذرائع* ​افغان طالبان ریجیم کے بزدلانہ حملے میں… pic.twitter.com/ANg8h9c157 — Samar Haroon Bilour (@SamarHBilour) October 27, 2026 The statement said that the incident sparked "widespread anger" among locals over the targeting of civilians. "Pakistan Army gave an immediate and highly vigilant strong response to the Afghan aggression," it said, adding that multiple Afghan force check posts were destroyed in the "robust retaliatory action" by Pakistani forces. The statement said Pakistani troops remained on high alert along the border and were fully prepared to thwart any further aggression, adding that the military’s response to the attack on civilians was continuing. In a post on X, the South Waziristan deputy commissioner stated that the Afghan Taliban had engaged in "unprovoked" firing on civilian houses, further adding that many "shops were damaged". Afghan Taliban Regime fired unprovoked on civilian houses & Angoor Adda Bazar, South Waziristan (Lower), night of 27 Oct. One civilian killed, five injured by a mortar round, many shops damaged. Pakistan Forces on the border have and are responding effectively and heavily. — Deputy Commissioner South Waziristan Lower (@dcswlower) October 27, 2026 The latest attacks come after Pakistan carried out “calibrated” air strikes against terrorist hideouts near the Afghan border and conducted intelligence-based ground operations on September 21 that killed a total of 37 terrorists following a series of deadly attacks in K-P. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in a statement, said that three targets were destroyed in precision strikes, including a training centre for suicide bombers. It said 28 terrorists, along with several suicide bombers, were killed, while large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the centres and hideouts were also destroyed. On September 24, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Pakistan had carried out “precision” aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan after drones launched from Afghan territory entered Pakistani airspace, describing the strikes as a response to a “deliberate and unlawful incursion”. Pak-Afghan tensions The development came amid fighting ​between Pakistan and Afghanistan that started in October 2025. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring ⁠militants ​who launch attacks in Pakistan, ​although Kabul denies this, calling the militancy its neighbour's domestic problem. Amid continued tensions between the neighbours, Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched around the end of February following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation by Pakistan. The clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes targeting terrorist positions. The two sides had agreed to a week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eidul Fitr on March 18, following requests from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Pakistan in April put forth three core demands to the Afghan Taliban during peace talks in Urumqi, China, including Kabul formally declaring the TTP a terrorist organisation, dismantling its infrastructure, and providing verifiable proof of the action. These demands form the basis of Pakistan's negotiating position, which sources say has hardened amid persistent security concerns.

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Pakistan’s child protection system failing to address online sexual abuse: HRCP

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) warned on Tuesday that online sexual abuse of children remained a serious child protection concern, with underreporting, weak institutional coordination and inadequate safeguards preventing many cases from coming to light. In its report on online child sexual abuse, the commission said the issue must be treated not merely as a cybercrime challenge but as a violation of children’s fundamental rights, dignity and safety. The report refers to a case reported in Muzaffargarh in 2025, in which at least 50 children, including children aged six or younger, were allegedly subjected to sexual exploitation through an international network. Read: 1.5 million children face online abuse Every statistic in a report on online child sexual abuse is a child whose safety, dignity, and rights were taken from them. Our recent report on online child sexual abuse sounded an alarm but the cases we document are only those that are reported in the first place. Many cases… pic.twitter.com/1xqPB0QSU7 — Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) October 27, 2026 Citing figures from the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, the report states that reports linked to suspected child sexual abuse material in Pakistan exceeded two million in 2021. However, these figures represented reports of suspected online activity and should not be interpreted as the number of individual victims. The HRCP has called for stronger coordination among child protection authorities, police, cybercrime investigators, prosecutors and the judiciary to ensure effective investigations and accountability for perpetrators. It has also stressed the need to provide affected children with legal assistance, psychological support and rehabilitation services. Read More: NCCIA rescues 13-year-old Karachi girl in probe into suspected dark web network The commission said awareness campaigns alone would not address the problem, calling for stronger child protection mechanisms, institutional accountability and greater responsibility from online platforms to make the internet safer for children. According to a report launched by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan in September, around 1.5 million internet-using Pakistani children aged 12 to 17 were subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse online in a single year. The report examined the nature and scale of online sexual exploitation and abuse, experiences of children and caregivers, perspectives of frontline professionals, and gaps in Pakistan's legal and institutional response.

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Naqvi hints at Imran's transfer to Islamabad’s new Model Jail

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi hinted on Tuesday that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan could be shifted to a new jail in Islamabad. Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Speaking to the media during a visit to the Islamabad Model Jail facility, the interior minister informed that the project had been completed after being "pending for 17 years", further adding that the new jail would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the coming days. While responding to a reporter’s question about how much time it would take to transfer prisoners from Adiala jail, Naqvi stated that all prisoners from Islamabad’s courts would be shifted to the jail. Read: Imran to be moved to Islamabad jail When asked if Imran would also be shifted to the jail, he replied: "My specific answer is that whosoever is a prisoner of Islamabad will be shifted here." Naqvi noted that while work on the project had initially begun in 2009, construction work commenced in 2016, further adding that when he first visited the project in 2024, “only 40 to 50 per cent of it had been completed and the project had nearly been abandoned”. Read More: Model jail misses sixth completion deadline The minister credited Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and the team of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for completing the project, working "day and night”, adding that Chaudhry had inspected every aspect of the facility. “Now this project is ready. We are now waiting for the prime minister for the opening in the next few days, and then we will transfer the prisoners here,” he added. وزیر داخلہ نے نئی جیل میں قیدیوں کے لیے فراہم کردہ سہولیات کا تفصیلی جائزہ لیا وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے قیدیوں کے لیے تیار کھانا کھا کر معیار چیک کیا اسلام آباد ماڈل جیل کا جلد وزیراعظم پاکستان افتتاح کریں گے، محسن نقوی — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) October 27, 2026 "The entire team, including CDA chairman, worked hard on reviving this project that was nearly abandoned". He said he had inspected the jail's kitchen and hospital during the visit, adding that prisoners currently held in Islamabad would be shifted to the new facility after inauguration by the premier. 17 برس سے زیر التواء اسلام آباد ماڈل جیل کا منصوبہ مکمل وفاقی وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی اور وزیر مملکت طلال چوہدری کا اسلام آباد ماڈل جیل کا دورہ وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے ماڈل جیل کے مختلف حصوں کا معائنہ کیا وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی نے جیل ہسپتال، کچن، میس، بیرکس اور ویٹنگ ایریا کا دورہ کیا pic.twitter.com/sPR8sEyEh0 — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) October 27, 2026 The interior minister said the jail had been built in accordance with “international standards” and its administration was fully prepared to begin operations after inauguration by the premier. The interior minister further added that in the first phase, 1,500 prisoners would be transferred to the jail while around three to four thousand prisoners would be accommodated in the second phase. According to jail sources, 1,500 prisoners, including Imran, are expected to be shifted to the facility in the initial phase. The first phase includes three completed barracks, a 35-bed mini-hospital, a mosque and a kitchen. They said Imran could be moved to the new facility between November 20 and 30. A special ward for him has reportedly been completed, while installation of its closed-circuit television surveillance system is in its final stages. Naqvi had also indicated in February that  indicated that Imran may be shifted to the new jail.  Speaking to the media after a visit to the under-construction prison, the interior minister was asked whether Imran would also be moved to the new facility, to which he had said, “If he has been sentenced by Islamabad, then he will come here. The people [sentenced in] Islamabad will be brought here.” Background of Islamabad Model Jail Located in Sector H-16 of the federal capital, the Islamabad Model Central Jail is spread over 90 acres and has been designed to accommodate 2,000 inmates. Once completed, it will become the first purpose-built prison for the federal capital, replacing the existing arrangement under which Islamabad's prisoners are housed at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. The state-of-the-art correctional facility is being developed with modern security infrastructure and rehabilitation-focused amenities. The complex will include separate barracks for women and juvenile inmates, a fully equipped hospital, a mosque, a library, vocational training centres, courtrooms, administrative offices, residential accommodation for prison staff and a school for their children. Officials say the facility has now entered its final phase of construction, although several key components still require completion before it can become operational. At present, Islamabad has no functional prison of its own, forcing all undertrial and convicted prisoners from the capital to be lodged at Adiala Jail. Every day, hundreds of prisoners are transported between Rawalpindi and Islamabad courts for hearings, placing a significant burden on police manpower, security arrangements and traffic management. Authorities believe the completion of the Islamabad Model Jail will substantially reduce these logistical challenges while improving security during prisoner transportation and providing a modern correctional environment.

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Khawaja Asif hints at 'progress' in Makkah alliance’s talks with Iran on Saudi-Houthi conflict

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday hinted at the possibility of "progress" in a meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance members with Iran, stating that the participants had likely arrived at a "conclusion" to end Saudi Arabia's conflict with the Houthis. Members of the Makkah Defence Alliance and Iran agreed to continue further dialogue in an effort to ramp up cooperation for regional peace and security after a high-level meeting in Tehran. Attacks by Yemen's Houthis have spiralled in recent weeks, and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran has grown more heated. Both countries have also drawn up plans to restart the wider war, possibly after the US midterm elections on November ​3. Read: Makkah alliance, Iran agree to continue dialogue for bolstering cooperation in regional peace, security Speaking on a private news channel, Asif said it seemed that "some progress" had transpired in the Tehran meeting, given how Iran had issued a joint statement after the meeting about deciding to launch joint efforts towards peace along with regional countries. Questioned whether the meeting was more about the US-Iran war or the Saudi-Houthi conflict, he said the talks in Tehran were directed as “more of an effort for what is happening in Saudi Arabia”, further adding that while the US-Iran aspect would have been discussed, the presence of the Saudi defence minister and the Turkish intelligence chief were also significant. “The joint statement from Iran has come at the highest level of the country’s hierarchy. I think we have arrived at some sort of a conclusion that will help close out this war." He added: "Let us hope that after Iran’s joint statement, there are some steps taken towards peace." The minister underscored that it remained binding on Pakistan to safeguard Saudi Arabia, especially given how the Houthis were targeting Riyadh airport and the holy sites. “We will defend Saudi Arabia with all of our might and capability. "Just as Pakistan’s defence is indispensable for us, in the same manner, the defence of Saudi Arabia is also compulsory for us. Under the agreement, the three countries are committed through an arrangement to collectively deal with threats," he said. Responding to a question of whether Iran would bring Houthis to the negotiating table or make them stop attacks on the kingdom, Asif stated that elements such as the Houthis operated as independent actors and did not necessarily require patronage. “Once you have a setup in a country where there is no state structure, then it is possible for groups like this to operate in this manner”. Asif further noted that Saudi Arabia's war with Yemen started in March 2014, and it had been Pakistan’s commitment ever since to defend the kingdom. "Now three countries are bound by the agreement that we will defend each other's territory against any foreign aggression." The defence minister stated that Pakistan’s peace initiatives, led by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, had positive effects. Commenting on elections in Israel and the United States, Asif said it was unfair to create and continue conflicts for political reasons. "In my view, for limited political objectives, wars should not be started." Tensions rising Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and ​drones on Sunday as fighting with the Houthis ​continued unabated. Ministers from the Makkah pact countries ⁠held an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month and agreed to ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi attacks have become an increasingly destabilising element in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, turning US ally Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider ​war. Read More: Saudi-led coalition intercepts 3 drones over Riyadh, southern Saudi Arabia Tensions between Washington and Tehran have sharpened in recent days. President Donald Trump said on Friday the US may carry out another ​military operation against Iran and ⁠Iran's leaders have said that a renewed US military campaign would be met with a stronger response than before. Iranian security officials have told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to hit Gulf undersea cables if the United States and Israel attack again. A US intelligence memo this week warned that Iranian plots against American personnel had reached "advanced stages". The war, now nearly eight months old, has weighed ⁠on US President Donald ​Trump's approval ratings ahead of the midterms. The Makkah agreement's first article says the parties shall use "all necessary means" to ​eliminate threats to one another's territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters. Efforts by Turkiye’s parliament to ratify the agreement began last week and are still underway, while Pakistan approved the pact last ​week.

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Where have Karachi’s Olive Ridley turtles gone?

Once familiar visitors to Pakistan’s sandy shores, Olive Ridley sea turtles have all but vanished from the country’s recorded nesting grounds. Now, the discovery of a dead turtle on Clifton Beach has brought an old ecological mystery into focus: if these turtles still inhabit the Arabian Sea, where have the breeding females gone? The turtle’s death has no confirmed explanation. It may have become entangled in a fishing net, collided with a vessel or fallen victim to marine pollution. But its appearance on Karachi’s shoreline has renewed concern over a far bigger disappearance - the collapse of Olive Ridley nesting along Pakistan’s coast. According to WWF-Pakistan technical adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan, these turtles were once found in significant numbers at Sandspit, Hawke’s Bay, Manora, Sonmiani Beach and other coastal locations. Historical research cited by experts recorded more than 500 Olive Ridley nests along Karachi’s beaches during the 1980s and 1990s. By 1996-97, that number had reportedly plummeted to just two. In the years that followed, researchers failed to establish reliable evidence of regular nesting by the species on Pakistan’s shores. The turtles, however, have not disappeared entirely from regional waters. Olive Ridleys continue to inhabit the Arabian Sea, leaving scientists with a crucial unanswered question: have Pakistan’s breeding females shifted to distant shores, or are other factors disrupting their nesting cycle?   Khan believes satellite tracking could help unravel the mystery. He cited a study in a neighbouring country in which an Olive Ridley fitted with a GPS tag crossed the Arabian Sea and reached Oman to breed. Similar research in Pakistan could identify migration routes, locate breeding grounds and reveal the dangers turtles encounter in their journeys across the sea. The need for such research is underscored by recent encounters along Pakistan’s coastline. Two Olive Ridley turtles caught in fishermen’s nets near Jiwani, Balochistan, were recently rescued and released. Their presence offers evidence that the species continues to frequent Pakistani waters, even as its nesting history remains largely unaccounted for. The dead turtle at Clifton is not an isolated reminder of the pressures facing marine life. Several dead green turtles have previously been found at Hawke’s Bay and Sandspit, raising wider concerns about the hazards confronting sea turtles along Karachi’s increasingly busy coastline. Fishermen Sajag Forum Chairman Muhammad Bakhsh Jat warned that plastic bags, discarded plastic waste and marine pollution posed serious threats to marine life. Damage to the marine ecosystem, he said, also threatens the livelihoods of fishing communities that depend on healthy coastal waters. Experts identify entanglement in fishing nets, intensive human activity, pollution and changes to natural nesting habitats among the principal dangers facing sea turtles. Yet the precise reasons behind the collapse of Olive Ridley nesting on Pakistan’s beaches remain uncertain, and specialists caution that more scientific investigation is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn. Olive Ridleys are capable of travelling thousands of miles between feeding and breeding areas. Tracking their movements could therefore help determine whether turtles frequenting Pakistani waters are nesting elsewhere and, if so, where their breeding grounds lie. It could also provide the scientific basis for regional cooperation to protect their migration routes and habitats. For now, the dead turtle on Clifton Beach is both a troubling sight and a reminder of how much remains unknown beneath the Arabian Sea’s surface. The species may still be passing through these waters, but until its movements are tracked and its breeding destinations identified, the silence of Pakistan’s once-recorded nesting grounds will remain an ecological mystery.

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