Chung Police in Lahore successfully prevented a major theft at the residence of renowned qawwal, Sher Miandad Khan. The incident occurred while the Khan family was away attending a wedding function. The prime suspect, a domestic worker employed by the family, was apprehended shortly after the crime.

The theft unfolded when Zarina Bibi, a domestic worker in the Khan household, stole valuable jewelry in the family’s absence.

The worker managed to flee the scene with the stolen items, but the police acted quickly, using investigative technology to trace her whereabouts to her home, where she had buried the stolen jewelry in her backyard.

The police recovered approximately 6 tolas of jewelry from the ground. They have registered a case against the domestic worker, which will now proceed in court, where the suspect faces serious charges.

If found guilty, Zarina Bibi could face imprisonment, a fine, or both, depending on the value of the stolen property, as specified in Section 379 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

A recent example from Karachi involved a maid who stole jewelry worth Rs 6.5 million from her employer’s home before fleeing, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance in households across the city.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti’s appeal to postpone local government elections in the provincial capital. The commission has clarified that the elections in Quetta will be held as per schedule, on December 28. These polls have been pending since 2022.

The ECP has issued a written decision in this regard, noting that the request to postpone the local government elections had been submitted by Bugti and has been rejected.

The commission has directed the provincial government to ensure foolproof security and arrangements for the elections. The provincial government has been ordered to provide full assistance to the ECP under Article 220 of the Constitution of Pakistan which mandates that all federal and provincial executive authorities assist the commission, ensuring independent functioning and fair elections.

Meanwhile, Member ECP Shah Muhammad Jatoi of Balochistan has written a dissenting note, expressing concern of low voter turnout due to severe weather conditions and the prevailing security situation. He has suggested the elections be postponed until conditions improve.

In his appeal seeking postponement, CM Bugti had also cited the deteriorating law and order situation, as well as the internet shutdown and harsh weather, which he said causes people to migrate seasonally, resulting in low turnout.

The ECP has already completed preparations for the elections in Quetta, with the printing of ballot papers having begun on Monday.

Thailand has resisted US tariff pressure aimed at enforcing peace with Cambodia, as border clashes reignited this week, ending the Trump-backed ceasefire from July. At that time, a call from then-US President Donald Trump and the threat of “crushing tariffs” had helped halt five days of intense fighting.

“Bangkok’s resistance is a test for Trump’s tariff play, but the tariff has always been a blunt instrument,” said Chong Ja Ian, political science professor at the National University of Singapore. “Whether it can get a lasting ceasefire over longstanding and deep-seated animosities has been and is doubtful.”

Trump, in his quest for a Nobel Peace Prize, has attempted to mediate in several conflicts in recent months using tariffs as leverage, with mixed results, while also alienating some countries. Earlier this year, his push to halt fighting between India and Pakistan—reportedly using sky-high tariffs—strained relations between New Delhi and Washington. India, however, denies tariffs played any role in ending hostilities.

At a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Trump said he expects to make a phone call on Wednesday to stop the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, without elaborating.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stressed that resolving the border conflict should remain separate from ongoing trade negotiations. In October, the United States and Thailand announced a reciprocal trade framework maintaining a 19% tariff on Thai products, while identifying areas for potential tariff cuts. “We feel that it’s unjust already that we should be subject to a unilateral tariff of 19%, and perhaps they want to impose even more tariffs if they’re not happy,” Sihasak said in an interview on Tuesday.

Thailand and Cambodia have disputed parts of their 817 km (508 miles) land border for over a century. Efforts to address overlapping claims have made little progress, leading to periodic military flare-ups.

The current hostilities come as Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul—who took power in September after his predecessor was ousted over the border issue—prepares to dissolve parliament next month and trigger snap elections in March. Anutin has already faced criticism over his government’s slow response to deadly floods in the south last month, threatening to derail his Bhumjaithai party’s ambitions.

“It puts Bhumjaithai in this position of angling to prove its leadership mettle during its short stint in leadership, and that’s quite clearly to try to win votes in the election that’s coming,” said Laura Schwartz, senior analyst at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

While higher tariffs remain a risk, Anutin and his party may seek to harness nationalist sentiment by taking a tougher stance on trade and separating it from the border dispute. Anutin faced sharp criticism from some of the more nationalistic elements when he signed the ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump and Malaysia, said Voranai Vanijaka, a lecturer at Bangkok’s Thammasat University. “So he’s going to keep Trump away for now,” he added.

A nationwide poll in August showed Thais overwhelmingly trust the military—which has been most strident in its response to Cambodia—over the political leadership.

“Thailand may face an immediate tariff blowback, but it is betting on its military superiority and the limited nature of the conflict,” said Chong. “It probably believes that it can prevail and the Trump administration will live with that result.”

The Federal Constitutional Court has annulled the decision that classified the allotment of Evacuee Trust Property to the Punjab Education Department as a governmental dispute. The court has remanded the matter to the Lahore High Court for a fresh decision.

Evacuee Trust Property Board was established in 1960 with its HQ in Lahore to look after the Evacuee Trust Properties / Land left over by the Sikhs/Hindus who migrated to India during partition in 1947-48. The ETPB states that its objectives are, “To supervise and control all Evacuee Trust Land / Property attached to the charitable, religious or educational trusts or institutions or any properties which form part of the ‘Trust Pool’”.

The hearing, conducted by a two-member bench headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, questioned whether allocating Evacuee Trust Property to the Education Department could truly be considered a dispute between two governments. He further asked how land historically used for Hindu cremations had been allotted to the department.

Justice Rizvi noted that construction was likely to have taken place on the land since its allotment in 1989. He also asked how the Punjab chief minister had authorised the allotment of Evacuee Trust Property to the Education Department. The Additional Advocate General of Punjab requested time to seek instructions.

Justice Rizvi inquired what action the Evacuee Trust Property Board itself had taken regarding the allotment, and why the Board had filed an appeal under the name of the central government. He observed that this was not a dispute between the federal and provincial governments.

Justice Rizvi stated that the decision of the Lahore High Court was being set aside and the case was being remanded for rehearing. The Lahore High Court will now hear the matter afresh. Both the ETPB and the Additional Advocate General consented to the court’s proposal.

The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to all relevant parties in the degree controversy involving Justice Tariq Mehmood Jehangiri. Notices were sent to the federal government through the Ministry of Law, the President through the Principal Secretary, the secretary of the Judicial Commission, and the parliamentary committee on judges’ appointments.

Notices were also sent to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Karachi University. Justice Tariq Mehmood Jehangiri has been served notice, and all parties have been asked to submit responses within three days. The court has declared the writ petition admissible.

The HEC submitted its report to the court, stating it has no role in university administrative affairs and that the petition is an internal matter of the university. The commission said universities and their authorised bodies are solely responsible for issuing degrees.

It added that Justice Jehangiri’s degree was never presented to the HEC for verification and no request is pending. The HEC clarified it neither issues nor approves degrees and cannot verify a degree not recognised by the relevant university.

Karachi University outlined the reasons for the cancellation of Justice Jehangiri’s degree. The university said that in 1989 the Unfair Means Committee imposed a three-year ban on Tariq Mehmood after finding him guilty of cheating and threatening an examiner. Under the 1989 decision, he was eligible to retake examinations in 1992. The university said the student used a fake 1990 enrolment form bearing a forged stamp of Government Islamia College to obtain a degree despite the ban.

The university added that the enrolment number 5968/87, which appears on the degree, was originally allotted to a student named Imtiaz Ahmed. Another enrolment number, 7184/87, was obtained in 1990 through forgery for LLB Part II. Multiple enrolment numbers and altered names were used to secure mark sheets and the degree.

Karachi University said a citizen, Irfan Mazhar, applied for verification of the degree on May 23, 2024. The university rechecked both enrolment numbers, and the Controller of Examinations declared dual enrolment impossible, terming the degree and mark sheets invalid.

The registrar of the Islamabad High Court emailed on July 5, 2024 seeking confirmation of the Controller’s findings, and the university verified the letter declaring the degree invalid. The principal of Islamia College confirmed that Tariq Mehmood was never enrolled at the institution between 1984 and 1991.

During court proceedings, the Chief Justice instructed the Advocate General Islamabad to read Karachi University’s report in court. The Advocate General read the responses submitted by Karachi University and HEC. Judicial Assistant Barrister Zafarullah Khan supported the admissibility of the writ petition and presented legal arguments.

Petitioner Mian Dawood, Advocate, began his arguments, highlighting the university’s letter that declared the degree fake. Written responses from HEC and Karachi University were submitted to the court.

The bench hearing the case comprises Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Azam Khan. Judicial Assistant Barrister Zafarullah is also present.

Citizens across Punjab have reported receiving fake e-challan SMS messages. In response, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority has issued a warning, urging residents to stay vigilant of such online scams.

According to a Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) spokesperson, Safe City never requests cash, account, or bank details via SMS. And that legitimate e-challan notifications are only sent from the official Punjab government number, 8070.

Scammers attempt to extort money by luring citizens into clicking on suspicious links. The public is strongly advised not to make any payments through suspicious SMS or websites. All PSCA services are completely free for citizens.

The spokesperson further urged them to immediately contact 15 or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Wing if they receive any suspicious-sounding messages. E-Challan SMS always includes details such as the time, location, and the relevant violation information.

Strict action would be directed against those attempting to commit fraud under the PSCA name. The authorities have filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to identify and take legal action against the individuals responsible for cloning the authority’s official website.

Scam texts were usually something we swiped away without much thought. A fake bank alert here, a courier delivery hoax there — but security researchers warned the game was changing.

According to Wired, cybercriminals were deploying “SMS blasters.” These were portable devices that posed as a cell tower to trick nearby phones into connecting to them, after which they sent out a mass broadcast of fake SMS messages.

Once they hijacked that connection, the devices could unleash up to 100,000 texts an hour, swamping whole neighbourhoods with phishing attempts.