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The recovery plan for war-battered Gaza, under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP), has been significantly scaled back and, instead of reconstructing the entire territory, now envisions a small pilot project in the south of the besieged territory, the British publication The Guardian reported on Thursday. The board was initially proposed in September 2025 and formally established in January. Under its charter, the US government serves as its official depository and Trump has designated the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington as the Board’s headquarters. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November last year authorised the board, along with cooperating states, to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza following a ceasefire that began in October under a Trump-backed plan accepted by Israel and Hamas. According to the publication, the new pilot project now aims to construct a small temporary camp for a fraction of Gaza’s population, with a Palestinian administration, police and a small contingent of the International Security Force (ISF). The plan is not expected to take shape before the end of 2026. However, some steps have been taken in recent weeks to initiate the process, the British publication said. It said some Moroccan and Kosovan officers had arrived in Israel to form the cadre of the ISF, which is intended to protect the pilot camp, while a logistics base is under construction near Kerem Shalom to house the force’s vehicles, equipment and other material. Construction on the pilot camp, situated near Rafah, to house civilians has yet to begin. “Satellite images of the area show disturbed earth but no new structures. Substantial progress is not expected before Israel holds elections on 27 October, which could bring down Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government,” said The Guardian in its report. An unnamed diplomat quoted in the report said that the BoP had “no choice but to make the most of very limited progress, as an admission of failure would open the way for extreme factions in the Israeli government with radically different plans for Gaza”. “The aim is just to keep something going, keep the ball in play, because if you stop there are others with a more extreme agenda just waiting to jump in and take over, and they are talking about wholesale population transfer and colonisation,” the diplomat said. There are growing concerns that Netanyahu, facing the prospect of electoral defeat, may launch another full-scale offensive in Gaza ahead of the October vote, the report added. The publication’s report further added that Israeli officials have repeatedly suggested that a return to war is inevitable, citing Hamas’s refusal to disarm. Hamas, however, has said it is willing to lay down its weapons under certain conditions and participated in negotiations in Cairo over the weekend on possible disarmament mechanisms. However, the Palestinian resistance group is unlikely to disarm as long as Israel keeps carrying out strikes in Gaza and continues to occupy large swathes of Gaza. In January, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner pledged that aid access would be expanded and basic infrastructure, including water, sewage and electricity systems, hospitals and bakeries, would be restored across the Gaza Strip within 100 days. The pilot camp outlined in the current blueprint would comprise portable cabins for tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza and would be established in the buffer zone along the ceasefire line near Rafah, said the publication’s report, adding that the camp would be overseen by the ISF and a specially trained Palestinian police force. “Preference for settlement in the pilot camp would be given to former residents of the Rafah area, but it is not clear what other criteria would be used in vetting Palestinians wanting to move there,” added The Guardian. The report also touched upon funds for the reconstruction of Gaza, stating that very little of the $17bn originally pledged for Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza has actually materialised. Pakistan is among the 14 countries that signed the charter of the Board of Peace on January 22 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, becoming a founding member of the body. The list of founding members also includes Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, spanning the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caucasus. The board was originally conceived to oversee the ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza, but its charter expands its mandate to peace-building in all areas affected by or at risk of conflict.

The Trump administration moved on Thursday to tighten the duration of visas for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists. The new final rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) creates a fixed time period for F visas for international students, J visas that allow visitors on cultural exchange programs to work in the US, and I visas for members of the media. Those visas are currently available for the duration of the program or employment in the US. The effective date is 60 days from publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review. US President Donald Trump, a Republican, kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January 2025. His administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration, revoking student visas and green cards of university students over their ideological views and stripping legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants. The latest action would create new hurdles for international students, exchange workers and foreign journalists. Under the new regulations, the student and exchange visa periods would be no longer than four years. The visa for journalists — which currently can last years — would be up to 240 days or, in the case of Chinese nationals, 90 days. The visa holders could apply for extensions, it said. In August, China’s foreign ministry opposed the proposed new rule for Chinese journalists as being discriminatory. The Chinese Embassy did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday. Student stipulations The regulations prohibit graduate students from changing their “educational objectives” at any point or from transferring to another school without authorisation. They halve the amount of time students have to leave the United States after completing their degree or training from 60 to 30 days. “Most Americans understand the value of welcoming international students and getting rid of needless red tape,” said Doug Rand, a former DHS official. “This rule would do the opposite.” David J Bier, immigration studies director at the Cato Institute, said there was no legal basis for the study and transfer restrictions in the new regulations. “International students, many of whom will have spent years in the USA, will now have just 30 days to find an employer to sponsor them or immediately be turned into illegal immigrants. Have these people no understanding of how life works?” he asked. The department cited a dramatic rise in such visas in the posting. It said there were more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, a more than 11 per cent increase over the previous year. The US granted visas to more than 500,000 exchange visitors and 37,300 members of the media in fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, 2023, it said. The significant increase in the volume of such visitors “poses a challenge to DHS’s ability to monitor and oversee these non-immigrants while they are in the United States”, DHS said. The department said it has many examples of students and exchange visitors staying for decades on their visas. Visa holders who want to stay in the United States beyond their fixed period of admission will need to apply to DHS for an extension or gain readmission by travelling abroad and then re-entering the United States, DHS said.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s oil supply chain players appeared nervous as petrol stocks declined to a 14-day cover on Thursday, prompting the government to urgently address procedural issues and activate enforcement mechanisms to discourage hoarding for profiteering in the market. The decline comes amid rising prices following renewed US-Iran hostilities. Informed sources said the government may have to revert to the fuel conservation measures adopted over the past couple of months as it reviews the latest regional situation. A session with the oil industry, urgently convened by the recently created National Coordination and Management Council (NCMC) — a civil-military body on energy supplies — “holistically” reviewed the availability of petroleum products across the country. Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema is the chairman, while Lt Gen Zafar Iqbal is the co-chairman of the NCMC’s executive committee. Informed sources said petrol consumption had risen over the past three weeks following a substantial price cut. In the first half of July, petrol consumption was almost 18-20 per cent higher year-on-year, while diesel demand was about 40pc higher than in July over the past five years. This was a clear indication of a reduction in smuggled inflows from Iran due to the narrower price gap. The cancellation of a couple of Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) planned import cargoes after they failed to secure clearance from the NCMC amid falling global prices ahead of the interim US-Iran peace agreement also contributed to this. Subsequent tensions sent import premiums skyrocketing again. PSO’s two latest petrol cargoes attracted around $25 per barrel in premiums, compared to $12 about 10 days ago. However, as of Thursday, petrol and diesel were estimated to be costlier by around Rs10-12 and Rs40-42 per litre, respectively, providing an incentive for dealers to seek greater supplies from oil marketing companies and for hoarders to profiteer. While PSO remains the country’s fuel lifeline, smaller players are reluctant to burn their fingers, citing more than Rs66 billion in pending price differential claims against the government. Oil companies have also complained of challenges in customs clearance. Diesel stocks now stand at a cover of around 21 days and local refining is keeping pace with requirements. Petrol consumption currently stands at around 25,000 tonnes per day against stocks of 345,000 tonnes, while local refineries can supply no more than 9,000 tonnes per day. HSD stocks stand at around 465,000 tonnes against daily consumption of about 23,000 tonnes, with local refineries supplying around 16,000 tonnes per day. It was against this background that the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) — an association of over three dozen refiners and OMCs — raised red flags by writing an urgent warning to the government about an ensuing supply chain challenge. During the NCMC meeting, “the supply-side challenges highlighted by the representatives of the OCAC were discussed and addressed”, an official statement said. The committee observed that the concerns raised by OCAC primarily stemmed from an abnormal increase in petroleum product sales during the first 15 days of July. An analysis presented by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) also indicated the possibility of hoarding in anticipation of a potential price increase, the statement added. “The NCMC emphasised that Ogra’s enforcement mechanism should play a more proactive role, and urged provincial governments to ensure that there is no hoarding and that petroleum products remain readily available to the general public without any inconvenience,” the council said after the meeting. The meeting was attended by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik, representatives of oil marketing companies and refineries, as well as officials from the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), Member Customs FBR, OGRA and other relevant stakeholders. “The committee reaffirmed that petroleum product stocks in the country are sufficient and directed all relevant stakeholders to maintain uninterrupted supply across the country,” the statement concluded. Informed sources said the customs authorities promised to remove challenges at their end immediately. A day earlier, the OCAC had updated the government about the challenges and demanded the immediate disbursement of about Rs67bn in Price Differential Claims (PDCs) to ensure smooth supplies. It had complained that a portion of existing stocks were unavailable for sale due to bottlenecks in the customs clearance process, effectively reducing immediately saleable inventory. “Under the prevailing circumstances, any further delays in customs clearance could materially impact product availability and increase the likelihood of localised shortages, especially in upcountry locations”, the OCAC had said.

Pakistan on Thursday became a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the agreement establishing the forum in Shanghai, China, the Foreign Office (FO) said. “Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the agreement on the establishment of the WAICO on behalf of Pakistan at the signing ceremony held today in Shanghai, China,” the FO said in a post on X. As a founding member of WAICO, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to advancing international cooperation in the area of artificial intelligence, especially from the perspective of the Global South, it added. “Pakistan looks forward to working closely with fellow WAICO member states in efforts to help bridge the global AI divide and to promote equitable access to AI to advance development for all,” the FO added. Earlier in the day, FM Dar arrived in China to sign the agreement on behalf of Pakistan. China had proposed the creation of WAICO last year for AI governance. In an earlier statement, the FO said that FM Dar would also participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 during the visit and engage with other leaders to advance international AI cooperation and promote inclusive, equitable AI governance. He was also supposed to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, as well as meetings with other officials to discuss matters of mutual interest during the China trip. Meeting with Chinese FM During the Shanghai visit, FM Dar also held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), the FO said. “The two leaders reviewed the broad canvas of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” it added. The FO said that during the meeting, the leaders underscored the importance of advancing high-quality development under CPEC 2.0 and enhancing collaboration in trade, investment, science and technology, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence. “The two sides also exchanged views on the latest regional and global developments and reaffirmed their resolve to maintain close coordination on issues of mutual interest.” The FO further said that the meeting further reinforced Pakistan-China strategic cooperation and reflected the two countries’ shared commitment to innovation-driven development and emerging technologies. Dar arrives in China Earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reached China’s Shanghai on two-day visit to sign an agreement for Pakistan to join WAICO as a founding member, the FO said. China proposed the creation of WAICO last year for AI governance. Upon his arrival in China, Dar was received by Shanghai Vice Mayor Wu Wei, Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires to China Aizaz Khan and Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai Shahzad Ahmad Khan, the FO said on X. It added that apart from attending the signing ceremony of WAICO, Dar will also participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 during the visit and engage with other leaders to advance international AI cooperation and promote inclusive, equitable AI governance. Last July, opening WAIC in Shanghai, Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasised the need for governance and open-source development, announcing the establishment of a Chinese-led body for international AI cooperation. During a four-day visit to China by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in May this year, Pakistan expressed its support for “China’s initiative of establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, believing that this represents a concrete step toward promoting the development of artificial intelligence for good and for all”. Islamabad pledged to work with Beijing to “advance global governance and international cooperation” on AI. What to expect at WAIC Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to outline an ambitious vision for China’s role in ​global AI governance at WAIC on Friday, as Huawei showcases its most advanced AI computing cluster yet in a sign of ‌Beijing’s drive to build a domestic alternative to US technology. Xi’s attendance at the annual WAIC for the first time underscores Beijing’s view of AI as both a driver of economic growth and a strategic technology in global competition. Huawei’s Atlas 950 SuperPoD large-scale AI computing system will make its public debut during the ​forum in Shanghai. The launch is one of the clearest demonstrations yet of China’s efforts to assemble such systems without US giant Nvidia’s ​most advanced chips. Designed for large-scale AI training and inference, the system links thousands of Huawei’s Ascend AI processors through high-speed ⁠interconnects so they operate as a single computing cluster. DeepSeek’s latest V4 model has been adapted to run entirely on clusters built using Huawei’s Ascend chips, highlighting ​progress by Chinese firms in building AI ecosystems independent of US technology. Domestic media reported that Chinese chipmakers, including Biren and MetaX, would also release new “supernode” ​computing clusters. The gathering comes as Washington and Beijing prepare for their first government-level AI talks under US President Donald Trump’s administration, turning WAIC from a technology showcase into an early test of how China intends to compete for influence over the rules governing AI worldwide. The two rivals set out competing visions for AI governance at a UN AI ​dialogue last week, where Washington argued that sweeping regulation would stifle tech breakthroughs and Beijing framed its low-cost, open-source AI models as a public good ​that would bridge global AI inequality. “Against this backdrop, WAIC has become more than a technology showcase; it is now a geopolitical stage where Beijing seeks to articulate its vision ‌of AI ⁠as both a national priority and a diplomatic instrument,” wrote George Chen, chair of digital practice at the Asia Group. The conference coincides with a ​High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in ​Shanghai, where progress on WAICO ⁠and implementing the Global AI Governance Initiative are expected to be announced. Beijing is also expected to promote China’s open-source AI models as a low-cost alternative to Western offerings, arguing they can broaden access to the technology. “The development of ​AI must never move toward a technological monopoly that walls itself in, but should always be anchored to the ​fundamental goal of ⁠serving humanity,” read a People’s Daily commentary this week. Besides Chinese tech industry heavyweights, international leaders including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will attend WAIC. Nine Turing Award and Nobel laureates, including deep learning pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Richard Sutton, will also attend, but there is little representation ⁠from major ​US tech firms. Other product launches expected at the ​forum include AI agent smartphones from ZTE-owned Nubia and AI startup StepFun, according to Chinese media.

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Thursday dismissed the post-arrest bail petition of podcast host Rehan Tariq in a case registered under blasphemy laws and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered a first information report (FIR) against the YouTuber on June 25, after he conducted a podcast with a religious scholar and discussed highly sensitive and controversial sectarian issues, sparking controversy among followers of different sects. The NCCIA had arrested the Youtuber from Lahore’s international airport upon his arrival from abroad. On Tuesday, he was sent on judicial remand by a magistrate. Advocate Mian Dawood argued before the magistrate on behalf of the petitioner, saying that the prosecution had failed to produce any evidence linking his client to the alleged social media uploads. He argued that conducting an interview and asking questions on historical or religious matters were constitutionally protected journalistic functions. He further pointed out that the first information report (FIR) did not specify which questions were allegedly objectionable. The advocate stated that opinions obtained from prominent religious scholars showed that the questions did not amount to disrespecting any revered Islamic personality. The counsel further argued that the petitioner was entitled to bail because the prosecution allegedly failed to comply with the requirements of Section 196 (Prosecution for offences against the state) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). He stated that the offences fell within the non-prohibitory clause, the investigation had been completed, no further recovery was required, and the case warranted further inquiry. In his verdict, Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo dismissed the bail petition, noting that no case for extraordinary concession of bail had been made out in the matter. The NCCIA registered the FIR against Tariq under section 11 (hate speech) of the Prevention of Electronic Act 2016, as well as section 153-A (spreading hate or promoting enmity between different groups), section 295-A (outraging religious feelings) and section 298 (uttering words or making gestures with the deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Earlier this month, the magistrate granted the NCCIA a six-day physical remand of the podcast host upon the request of the investigating officer. In May, the NCCIA arrested 11 social media activists in different cities of Punjab for allegedly spreading “anti-state propaganda and inciting unrest” among the public.