The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced LLM and PhD scholarships for talented students from Balochistan.

Under the scheme, students from Balochistan will be awarded LLM scholarships at Pakistani universities, as well as LLM and PhD scholarships abroad.

Applicants must hold a Balochistan domicile and local certificate.

The upper age limit has been set at 30 years for LLM and 35 years for PhD candidates.

Applicants are required to have completed LLB and LLM degrees with at least 50% marks, while a minimum of 50% marks in the aptitude test is also mandatory.

The deadline for submitting applications is January 13, 2026.

Separately, the HEC has also released the schedule for the Law Admission Test (LAT) for entry into LLB degree programmes at Pakistani universities and institutions.

According to the schedule, the deadline for applications is December 29, 2025, while the test will be held on January 25, 2026.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday met Baroness Jenny Chapman, the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for International Development and Africa, to discuss bilateral cooperation in development, climate change, economic engagement, and regional matters.

According to a statement from the prime minister’s Office, Baroness Chapman, who is currently on an official visit to Pakistan, held talks with the premier at the prime minister’s house.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in key sectors. Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan and the UK share longstanding relations rooted in a common history, strong institutional ties, and mutual respect.

He also highlighted the role of the British Pakistani diaspora in reinforcing people-to-people links and serving as a bridge between the two countries.

Welcoming the visit, the prime minister described it as an important opportunity to advance bilateral engagement and expressed confidence that it would help further consolidate the Pakistan-UK partnership.

Earlier this week, Baroness Chapman also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, where the two sides discussed cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, according to a foreign office spokesperson.

Dar underscored the important role of the Pakistani-British community as a vital bridge between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, the spokesperson said.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on regional and international developments, including ongoing international peace efforts related to Gaza.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday warned that elements involved in acts against Pakistan’s security and solidarity would face strict accountability, holding former ISI chief Faiz Hameed responsible for orchestrating major political conspiracies in the country.

According to the state broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, talking to media persons in Sialkot, the minister said, “People hiding in different sectors involved in anti-state acts should be held accountable for their crimes”.

Referring to legal proceedings against security officials, he added, “The military institution, in a transparent trial, punished the former Director General ISI, and there are still more legal proceedings to be initiated against Faiz Hameed”.

Highlighting the severity of recent incidents, the minister said, “The incidents witnessed over the past few days have no precedent in Pakistan’s history.”

He also addressed the removal of former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, claiming it was based on fabricated allegations. “Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was removed from office based on fabricated allegations under a conspiracy,” Asif said.

He accused Hameed of political bias, stating, “Faiz Hameed misused his position to protect the interests of PTI and he also hatched the conspiracy of May 9 events”.

Hameed was sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment by a Field General Court Martial on December 11, 2025, after being found guilty on multiple charges, including misuse of authority, engaging in political activities, violating state secrecy laws, and causing wrongful loss to individuals, ISPR reported.

The proceedings, initiated on August 12, 2024, lasted 15 months under the Pakistan Army Act. Hameed was given full legal rights, including a defense team of his choice, and retains the right to appeal.

Asif reacted to the verdict, saying, “The nation will, for years to come, reap the harvest of the seeds sown by former Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed and former Army Chief General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.”

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also welcomed the verdict, noting that Hameed had “crossed the red line” by misusing his authority, acting as a political adviser to PTI, and that further investigations into related political matters would continue. The Top City case, among others, formed the basis for Hameed’s conviction.

Senator Faisal Vawda said the 14-year sentence was only the beginning of a broader accountability process, asserting that no general, judge, or political leader is above the law, and further trials, including those linked to May 9 unrest, will continue.

Asif further held Hameed responsible for Nawaz Sharif’s ouster in 2017. “The removal of Nawaz, the cases lodged against him, the allegations, and Imran’s coming into power, this whole project was enacted under the supervision of Faiz Hameed,” he said.

He added that Hameed, along with his “partner” Imran Khan, was responsible for causing “significant damage” to the country and was “in charge of project Imran”, particularly during the 2018 general elections.

The minister claimed that during PTI’s tenure, Hameed facilitated the imprisonment and intimidation of political opponents, asserting that Imran’s “vision” was materialised through Hameed. “His main beneficiary was Imran,” Asif said.

Calling this period a “shameful” chapter, he alleged that Hameed orchestrated the May 9, 2023, riots in coordination with PTI workers, describing it as an “attack” on the sanctity of the armed forces.

He warned that conspirators attempting to prop up Imran today had their roots in the Faiz-Hameed nexus, stressing, “These two personalities cannot be separated.”

Asif vowed to continue the “process” of accountability, saying, “Those who have put the country’s future at stake for power cannot be considered Pakistanis. Whether they are in uniform like Faiz or in a waistcoat and Peshawari sandals like Imran”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had emerged from severe economic distress due to the efforts of his government and its economic team, saying the economy was in a precarious state when the government assumed office, and the country was close to financial default.

“We were at the verge of financial default. Our inflation was galloping and policy rate was crippling. So one could not imagine any kind of investment in Pakistan, let alone FDIs. And the business in the country was in a turmoil. But we did not lose hope,” said PM Shehbaz while addressing the launch ceremony of the National Regulatory Reforms on Saturday.

He further said the challenges were daunting but were overcome through teamwork, planning and sustained effort. “Of course, those were very scary challenges, right looking into their faces, but through outstanding teamwork, excellent planning and untiring efforts, the country was out of the economic woes,” he said.

PM Shehbaz stressed the need for continued hard work to meet future goals and turn ambitions into reality. “And this was the commitment, unwavering determination to walk in that very difficult path in the last one and a half year. And here we are. And today, Alhamdulillah, we are now discussing how to now move forward and grow our economy,” he added.

The prime minister also referred to the approval of a $1.2 billion tranche by the International Monetary Fund, describing it as a positive development. He said excessive regulations had previously hurt industrialists, businessmen and the wider economy, discouraging both domestic and foreign investment.

The government, he said, was now focusing on attracting foreign investment in agriculture, information technology, and the mines and minerals sector. Highlighting Pakistan’s demographic profile, Shehbaz said the country’s large youth population was being offered vocational training with international certification.

“They will find productive jobs not only in Pakistan but abroad, making Pakistan richer and prosperous,” he said.

Calling the new regulatory framework a “quantum jump”, he said it would facilitate business, industry, agriculture and foreign direct investment from Europe, the Far East and the Middle East, while reducing inefficiency, corruption and waste.

“So I think today is a great day that we are able to now announce and let the nation know, 240 million people, that the government is fully aware of the challenge of the day and they are ready to walk with them with the speed they want us to walk,” he said.

PM Shehbaz praised federal and provincial teams for coordinated efforts and thanked the British government and UK International Development for their support.

He said Britain remained a key partner, alongside Middle Eastern allies such as Saudi Arabia, and described Pakistan’s relations with the United States as positive.

Speaking at the event, the prime minister’s special assistant Haroon Akhtar said the reforms marked a fundamental shift in governance. “Today marked more than a policy moment as it marked a turning of the page,” he said, describing the transition from a regulatory to a developmental state.

He said the reforms were built on three pillars: tariff rationalisation, regulatory modernisation and export-led industrial revival. Under the new national tariff policy, he said, the government was moving towards predictability, competitiveness and the elimination of arbitrary duties.

UK Minister of State for International Development Baroness Jenny Chapman said Pakistan had strong entrepreneurial potential, abundant natural resources and a strategic position in global trade.

Describing the reforms as a positive achievement, she said the ambitions were shared by both countries. “And the links between our people play a huge part in the flow of trade and investment between our two countries as well. Trade is now at 5.5 billion pounds a year. We’ve got a new trade dialogue and we’re supporting Pakistan’s efforts to work with the 1.6 million strong Pakistani diaspora in the UK to unlock private capital,” she said.

The deteriorating situation in Tirah Valley has highlighted deep-rooted governance failures, with security officials pointing to the absence of basic services, weak administration and limited law enforcement as key challenges in the remote region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Officials of the Frontier Corps said the vacuum created by poor governance has been exploited by extremist and criminal groups, including Fitna-al-Khawarij, which they accused of promoting instability and financing activities through drug trafficking and extortion.

Inspector General Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North said the province shares a 1,224-kilometre-long border with Afghanistan, of which around 717 kilometres fall under the responsibility of the FC. He said the terrain includes snow-covered and rugged mountains, high peaks and narrow passes, making border management a complex task.

The IG said cameras have been installed at various points to counter infiltration, adding that the border can only be fully sealed if it is respected from both sides. He noted that fencing between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been completed for the first time, turning it into what can now be termed an international border and creating a barrier against unchecked movement and infiltration.

Referring to security challenges, the IG said that last year in Bagh Maidan, 64 FC personnel were martyred and 198 were injured, adding that no other institution had suffered such a high number of casualties in the area. He said there are locations such as Duatoi where a narrow passage exists but effective checking cannot be carried out due to lack of legal authority.

He further pointed out that only three police personnel are currently deployed to monitor the entire local population, underscoring the severe shortage of law enforcement resources.

Wing Commander Colonel Waqas said the absence of civil administration was stark, noting that for a stretch of up to 60 kilometres in Tirah Valley there is no district administration, police presence or hospital. He said there are no government schools in the area and no appointed teachers, which has deprived children of education.

“When children do not go to school and are denied education, awareness does not develop and they are pushed towards illegal activities,” he said.

Colonel Waqas said the FC is running 16 schools in the valley and has recruited teachers on its own to provide basic education. He added that there is no hospital in the area and residents often approach the FC even for basic medical needs such as injections. The FC, he said, also organises free medical camps for the local population.

He described drug trafficking as a major problem in Tirah Valley, alleging the involvement of Fitna-al-Khawarij. He said funds generated through narcotics and extortion are used against security forces and civilians.

Officials warned that continued mismanagement and the failure of local governance structures are allowing militant and criminal elements to entrench themselves further in the region, aggravating both security and humanitarian challenges for the local population.

Pakistan is confronting a fresh policy dilemma over the fate of thousands of Afghans who had been allowed to stay temporarily in the country under a US-sponsored relocation programme.

The uncertainty follows President Donald Trump’s decision to indefinitely suspend the initiative after the recent attack in Washington, throwing into limbo the future of Afghans who worked with American forces during the two-decade war.

Official sources told The Express Tribune that Pakistan had been “closely monitoring” developments in Washington. “If the United States decides not to take these individuals, then Pakistan will be left with no option but to send them back,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity. “Islamabad cannot indefinitely host a population that was never meant to stay here permanently.”

The suspended programme designed to facilitate the relocation of Afghans who served alongside US troops, contractors, and agencies during the American presence in Afghanistan. After the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Washington worked with Islamabad to allow these Afghans to enter Pakistan on a temporary basis for vetting and onward processing.

Pakistan accepted thousands of such individuals, many with families, on the understanding that their stay would be short and strictly for transit purposes.

The US had assured Islamabad that all eligible Afghans would be relocated after security clearances and administrative formalities. However, the abrupt shutdown of the programme has created deep concern in Pakistani official circles.

“We offered temporary hospitality at Washington’s request,” another official said.

“Pakistan does not have the economic capacity nor the political space to absorb this population permanently.”

The suspension comes at a sensitive moment, as Pakistan continues its broader repatriation campaign targeting Afghan refugees, a policy that has already prompted the return of nearly a million Afghans, though officials maintain that the group awaiting US relocation is legally and administratively distinct.

“These individuals were here under a formal US arrangement. That is why their cases cannot be mixed with undocumented migrants,” the official clarified. “But now Washington’s decision has altered the status quo.”

The Taliban government, for its part, has repeatedly urged neighbouring states to repatriate Afghan nationals, insisting that the security situation in the country has improved.

Human rights groups, however, warn that former interpreters, aid workers, and others associated with the US mission remain vulnerable to persecution.

Several of these Afghans currently residing in Pakistan expressed anxiety after news of the programme’s suspension.

Pakistani officials privately acknowledge that the stalled relocation process has added friction to an already complex bilateral relationship. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Washington to expedite the processing of Afghan applicants, arguing that delays create both security risks and humanitarian burdens.

Diplomatic sources say Pakistan has been engaging US officials to seek clarity on the future of the programme. However, Trump’s indefinite suspension, announced in the aftermath of the Washington attack, signals a sweeping shift in US immigration policy, with deep implications for partners like Pakistan that cooperated during the chaotic 2021 evacuation.

“If the US shelves the programme permanently, Islamabad will have to make a difficult call. Keeping these Afghans indefinitely is simply not sustainable,” said the official.

For now, Pakistan is expected to wait for an official communication from Washington before making a final decision.

As uncertainty deepens, thousands of Afghan families remain stranded, caught between an America that no longer appears willing to take them and a Pakistan that insists it cannot host them indefinitely.