Mr Dar made the remarks during a meeting with Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan Irfan Neziroglu, during which the two sides discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the evolving regional situation.

The ambassador briefed the deputy prime minister on progress under various bilateral institutional mechanisms aimed at advancing cooperation across a range of areas following recent high-level interactions between Pakistan and Türkiye.

The deputy PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further deepening engagement with Turkiye in key priority areas and emphasised the need for continued coordination between the relevant departments of both countries.

On the regional situation, Mr Dar underscored that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path to resolving issues and achieving lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Attestation probe

The deputy PM also took notice of media reports concerning alleged irregularities in the apostille and document attestation system and constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the verification process at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The committee has been tasked with identifying any misuse or irregularities in the apostille and document attestation system, reviewing the role of courier services involved in the process.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2026

Titled the “National Cybersecurity Handbook 2026-27”, the document, issued by the National Cyber Emergency Resp­onse Team (PKCERT) and the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications, outlines baseline operational standards for digital security across public-sector entities.

According to the handbook, cybersecurity is not solely a technical responsibility but a shared one, as every user can affect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of gov­e­rnment information assets.

The handbook’s guidance on artificial intelligence highlights a growing area of cybersecurity risk.

Govt warns staff against using personal emails, devices, AI tools

It says officials should not enter classified government documents, official emails, source code or citizens’ personally identifiable information into public AI platforms.

Government employees are advised to use only AI tools authorised by their departments and to remove names and sensitive information from prompts or uploaded files.

AI-generated outputs should also be reviewed by humans for accuracy and potential security implications.

The document also warns against installing unapproved AI extensions or plugins and sharing administrative credentials, API keys or passwords with AI tools.

One of the key instructions is that official email accounts must be used for government correspondence and departmental work. Personal accounts such as Gmail and Yahoo should not be used except where exceptionally authorised by the department, while official emails must not be forwarded to personal inboxes.

The handbook further says official email addr­esses should not be used to register on shopping, gaming or social media websites, while mailing lists and directories should not be shared with unauthorised entities.

Only authorised government devices are to be used for official work. Where a personal device is operationally necessary, prior departmental authorisation is required, and the device must meet prescribed security standards.

Officials have similarly been instructed to use only sanctioned cloud services and approved applications.

The handbook places particular emphasis on the early reporting of cyber incidents. These include unauthorised access atte­mpts, ransomware notes, suspicious emails, unusual deletion or modification of files and unexplained system behaviour.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday approved a revised structure for the public under the fuel relief scheme currently in vogue across the country, expanding it to include more two- and three-wheelers, and easing weekly limits to offer motorists more flexibility in how they use the support.

The prime minister, who is currently abroad on an official visit, directed that motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws up to 20 years old should also be included in the scheme.

“All motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws registered on or after January 1, 2006, will be eligible for registration under the fuel relief scheme,” a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

In addition, two- and three-wheelers can now benefit from a concession of Rs500 in one week without quantity limits.

According to details, where each token previously entitled the holder to five litres of fuel, now people will be able to obtain a token that entitles them to a Rs500 discount. Each token remains valid for a period of seven days from issuance.

Eligible citizens will now be able to avail a maximum concession of Rs2,000 per month, through multiple token redemptions According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, around 24 million people are currently benefitting from the fuel relief scheme.

Addressing a press conference, the minister detailed steps being taken to ensure that the subsidy scheme is implemented smoothly, saying that parliamentarians and political teams were assisting citizens through facilitation camps that had been formed across the four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and Islamabad.

Mr Chaudhry said he had personally visited several facilitation camps in the capital, which were being approached by a large number of people, whose feedback and complaints were being conveyed directly to the teams supervising the package.

The minister conceded that some initial issues had emerged in the implementation of the scheme, particularly regarding the payment mechanism for petrol pump owners, but these had been resolved after meetings with the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association.

Talking about the austerity measures imposed by the Centre, he said they were meant to reduce government expenditure. Except for vehicles engaged in operational field activities and those of the defence services, fuel allocations for government vehicles had been reduced by 50 per cent, he said.

Mr Chaudhry also said that restrictions had also been imposed on new purchases of government vehicles and other items, while official dinners and lunches had been curtailed. He added official foreign trips would not be government-sponsored, and where an official trip was necessary, economy-class travel would be used.

Meanwhile, the provinces showed little movement on the question of austerity measures on Friday. Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seem to still be mulling the measures.

However, a senior Sindh government official told Dawn that the decision to revise market and restaurant closure timings in line with the federal government notification is likely to be announced next week.

“The government does not want early closure [of markets] this weekend to facilitate traders,” he added.

Azfar-ul-Ashfaque in Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the National Command Authority and former director general of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) Lt Gen (retd) Mazhar Jamil has warned that the erosion of traditional arms-control frameworks, shrinking space for diplomacy and growing reliance on hard power and emerging technologies are creating new challenges to strategic stability in South Asia.

Speaking at the seventh edition of the “Training of the Trainers” workshop on strategic matters organised by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad, Gen Jamil said the global and regional strategic environment was becoming increasingly complex.

He said persistent threat perceptions, unresolved disputes such as Kashmir and India’s military posturing had contributed to continuing security tensions in the region.

“Strategic stability cannot be separated from the underlying political realities,” he said, cautioning that Indian military adventurism and hegemonic approaches in a nuclearised South Asia carried unacceptable risks.

Referring to the experience of May 2025, Gen Jamil stressed that there was no space for war between two nuclear-armed states.

He also highlighted Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence, conventional capabilities, national resilience and cohesive response framework, including the principle of Quid Pro Quo Plus, saying these were aimed at ensuring that no aggressor could achieve its political or military objectives through force.

Earlier, Maj Gen (retd) Syed Shahab Shahid, director general of Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs at the SPD, said the global arms-control, disarmament and non-proliferation architecture was facing growing challenges.

He called for a balanced, equitable and non-discriminatory approach that took into account the legitimate security concerns of all states.

Gen Shahid said the continued modernisation and diversification of nuclear and strategic capabilities, alongside emerging developments in South Asia, were reshaping the strategic environment and creating new challenges to strategic stability.

He warned that the selective application of non-proliferation norms and security arrangements could undermine confidence in the existing international security architecture.

He stressed the need for a consistent and inclusive approach to strengthening strategic stability, reducing risks and advancing meaningful arms-control and non-proliferation objectives.

The officials also pointed to disruptive technologies and growing reliance on hard power as factors complicating efforts to reduce risks and prevent conflict in the region.

The workshop brought together senior professors and academics from universities across Pakistan, along with think-tank professionals, foreign policy experts and diplomats.

It aimed to strengthen understanding of contemporary strategic issues and develop the capacity of academics and trainers to contribute to informed discourse on strategic stability, nuclear deterrence, arms control and non-proliferation.

In his opening remarks, CISS Executive Director Amb Ali Sarwar Naqvi reflected on Pakistan’s strategic environment, tracing the evolution of its regional relevance and the opportunities and challenges shaping its security landscape.

He highlighted Pakistan’s role as a diplomatic actor and its stated commitment to regional stability, while underscoring the importance of effective strategic responses to an increasingly complex security environment.

In his keynote address, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said Pakistan was emerging as a credible middle power in the evolving international order.

He said Pakistan’s ability to mediate, engage and build partnerships in an increasingly fragmented world reflected the country’s “growing strategic weight”.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2026

“We call upon Houthi militia for immediate cessation of these provocative acts which could have dire consequences for maritime security, and regional peace and stability,” Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told a Security Council meeting convened by Bahrain.

The meeting came two days after the Security Council was briefed on the rapidly deteriorating situation around Bab al Mandab, where the Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s western coast and reportedly captured several islands in the southern Red Sea.

United Nations Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari told the council that the situation in and around the strait had become “increasingly volatile”.

Pakistan’s permanent representative to UN reaffirms ‘unwavering support’ for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

The UN official called for restoration of navigational rights and freedom in and around the Red Sea and Bab al Mandab in accordance with international law.

Ambassador Asim said the Houthi attacks seriously undermined maritime security and threatened peace and development in regional countries, “especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, which he said was facing “blatant and unprovoked aggression” by the Houthis.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unw­a­vering support” for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity, saying that Pakistan stood in “complete solidarity” with its leadership, government and people.

The Bahrain-arranged meeting, held under the theme “Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment”, was chaired by Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the country’s foreign minister.

In earlier remarks, Bahrain’s representative Jamal Fares Alrowaei condemned “the Houthi escalation that violates the truce” and threatens regional and international security.

He said the escalation had also worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis by forcing civilians to flee their homes.

“It is high time for the Security Council to take a more decisive stance,” he stressed.

Saudi representative

Saudi Arabia’s representative Abdulaziz M. Alwasil warned that the Houthi escalation threatened Yemen, regional security, international trade and global supply chains.

He cited attacks on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran that injured civilians, as well as renewed attacks on Sept 14 and continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

He said the Houthis and militias supporting them were pursuing a policy of “choking the straits”, holding the international community and global economy hostage.

Alwasil said protecting vital waterways was a collective responsibility requiring a firm Security Council response. “Saudi Arabia remains committed to de-escalation and peace while reserving its right to defend its territory and citizens,” Alwasil added.

China’s representative Sun Lei expressed concern over the rapid escalation and reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Opposing attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure, he said protecting shipping in the Red Sea was a common international responsibility and the rights of merchant vessels must be respected.

“Securing freedom of navigation requires ending armed conflict and achieving lasting peace,” Sun said, urging all parties to exercise restraint and return to negotiations.

Hormuz concerns

Ambassador Asim said disruptions to commercial shipping in both Bab al Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated that crises at sea could have consequences far beyond the affected regions.

“Disruption of commercial shipping and attacks on merchant vessels, both in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al Mandab, has underscored that crises at sea have grave implications for continents and countries,” he observed.

“The volatility at these maritime choke points has not only imperilled peace and stability but also skyrocketed energy prices and heightened fears of global food insecurity,” he added.

He said the Strait of Hormuz was a critical maritime trade route for the transit of one-third of globally traded crude oil and a significant share of the fertiliser trade.

“Pakistan is deeply concerned at disruptions in the Strait, including attacks on commercial shipping,” he said, calling for “an immediate de-escalation of tensions, security of ships and crew members, and restoration of normal passage through the Strait”.

Bahrain’s concept note warned that attacks and threats against merchant vessels, the laying of sea mines and interference with navigational rights could rapidly disrupt global energy flows, international trade, food supply chains and humanitarian operations.

Pakistan stresses diplomacy

Ambassador Asim linked Pakistan’s position on maritime security to its diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States.

“Guided by these foundational principles, Pakistan acted as a mediator between Iran and the United States, following the outbreak of hostilities between the two countries,” he said.

“With the support of our friends and partners, we spearheaded diplomatic efforts for de-escalation and broader regional stability, culminating in a ceasefire and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”

He said Pakistan would continue efforts “for a negotiated settlement of all outstanding issues for an early return to normalcy at sea and land”.

“In pursuit of this objective, Pakistan looks forward to working with all peace-loving nations, in region and beyond, for furtherance of maritime peace and security, and safety of commercial shipping and merchant vessels,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2026