The political economy of blockade

US President Donald Trump. SCREENGRAB The Strait of Hormuz has always been more than a narrow waterway. It is a lever that, when pulled, does not simply interrupt the flow of oil but rearranges the geography of power itself.  The ongoing aggression against Iran by the US–Israel axis, and the slow choking of this chokepoint…

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FCC restores govt powers to block passports

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday put on hold a landmark ruling of the Lahore High Court (LHC) that had struck down key provisions of the Passport Rules 2021, effectively restoring the federal government’s powers to inactivate passports and impose long-term travel bans on deportees and suspected human traffickers. The interim relief means…

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PM sees strong mineral export potential

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting on the gemstone sector in the federal capital. PHOTO: APP ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday noted that Pakistan had been blessed with abundant natural resources, including precious stones, and stressed that the sector offered strong potential to increase exports using local resources. The premier chaired a…

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FIFA World Cup to get cash boost

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced a sharp increase in financial distributions for the 2026 World Cup ahead of the body’s Congress in Vancouver. Photo: AFP LONDON: FIFA on Tuesday boosted overall World Cup cash distributions to nearly $900 million following concerns over the spiraling costs for teams taking part in the tournament.Football’s global governing body…

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Pakistan’s oil market is fuelling the crisis

Govt must let prices reflect costs and replace blanket subsidies with targeted cash support Kerosene oil. ISLAMABAD: When war returns to the Middle East, oil stops being a commodity and becomes a headline. The latest bout of conflict has again injected fear into energy markets, lifted freight and insurance costs, and pushed crude benchmarks upward….

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Unseen. Misunderstood. Suicidal

PUBLISHED July 06, 2025 KARACHI: On paper, M* is living the life. She has a job she likes as a biomedical scientist and research fellow in women’s health. She has found her purpose: working to improve the lives of women with chronic health conditions through her FemTech start-up. So why does she want to kill…

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