Pakistan faces internet disruption as sea-cables damaged

At the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the organisation Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) raised concerns over the continued misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and their impact on religious minorities.

"We reject this statement made by Pakistan on the matter. India's credentials regarding non-proliferation are impeccable and well recognised by the global community. A country with a well-documented history of clandestine nuclear proliferation can hardly preach the virtues of export controls and proliferation risks. Such ludicrous statements are nothing more than an attempt by Pakistan to distract from its own abysmal record," he said.

India on Thursday rejected Pakistan's allegations of aggravating skirmishes with Afghanistan, calling them "baseless" and accusing Pakistan of blaming others for its own misdeeds.

Pakistan faces a severe shortage of life-saving medicines, including cancer drugs and vaccines, due to government delays in notifying official prices. While global supply remains stable, regulatory hurdles have stalled legal imports, raising concerns over patient survival and the potential rise of unregulated, counterfeit medicines.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned a drone strike on the commercial vessel Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean. Calling it "a terrorist attack & a war crime," she detailed the crew's rescue after a gas explosion, criticised Malta's refusal to assist the injured, and denounced the European silence.

Pakistan's fruit and vegetable supply remains dominated by traditional middlemen and the "mandi" system, with digital platforms handling only 2-3% of trade. Restrictive provincial laws and lack of infrastructure force farmers into dependency on commission agents, stalling modern technological transformation in the agricultural sector.

Residents in Balochistan's Zehri and Surab regions are facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to a four-day curfew and military operations. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee reported acute food shortages, blocked healthcare access, and alleged house raids by security forces, urging international bodies to investigate these fundamental rights violations.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has reported significant damage to civilian infrastructure across Iran following the ongoing military campaign by US and Israeli forces, which began on February 28, 2026. The IRCS said that more than 19,000 civilian units across the country have been damaged as a result of US-Israeli airstrikes.

In an interview with ANI, Alba Party spokesperson and parliamentary candidate for Glasgow South, Dhruva Kumar, said that the debate around Scottish independence has shifted from a theoretical aspiration to a practical necessity in a post-Brexit world.

Speaking with ANI, she called for South Asian nations to "talk as one" and collaborate with partners like India to maintain regional stability, moving away from insular foreign policy slogans.