🇵🇰Week of November 2

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the provinces to prepare a coordinated polio eradication plan within a week, ordering the strategy formulated by the end of that period. The directive came as a fresh polio case from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Khyber district took the nationwide tally for 2026 to 9.123

The First Lady called for continuous efforts against the polio challenge, according to Business Recorder. Her appeal ran alongside the prime minister's order for a provincial plan.4

The new case is the ninth recorded in Pakistan in 2026, with the latest infection detected in Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The count was reported the same day the prime minister set the one-week deadline for the provincial strategy.23

Pakistan and the United Kingdom reaffirmed a shared commitment to combat terrorism during a counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad. UK Minister Stephen Doughty visited Pakistan to deepen co-operation on growth, education and security. Both sides agreed to deepen their counterterrorism partnership and to focus on emerging threats.123

Pakistan's Foreign Office said the two countries expressed concern at the threat posed by terrorist groups operating in and from Afghanistan. The talks covered the continuing threat from the TTP and other groups. Both sides also agreed to address emerging threats including disinformation and the misuse of social media.456

The dialogue was held as a formal counter-terror exchange between Pakistan and Britain, with Afghanistan's security situation on the agenda. Islamabad framed the outcome as a deeper partnership against emerging threats.73

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situation on the agenda after the center imposed an emergency and governor's rule in the province. Shehbaz said the center acted to curb militancy and save the economy.1234

The ruling PML-N and its main ally, the PPP, held a consultative meeting convened by the prime minister on Tuesday to review the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the federal takeover, and also discussed the proposed Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms. A high-level huddle on the province agreed to scale up intelligence-based operations, and Shehbaz directed institutions to adopt a coordinated strategy.56

Attributed claim: Minute Mirror, an oppositional outlet, argued that democracy is no substitute for governor's rule, framing the federal takeover of the province as a step against elected government rather than a security measure. Pro-government Arab News carried the prime minister's justification that the emergency was imposed to curb militancy and save the economy.72

Democrats seized control of the US Congress, capturing both the Senate and the House of Representatives in a nationwide rejection of Donald Trump. The result puts the opposition in position to block legislation and launch broad investigations into Trump's administration during the final two years of his presidency.12

The Democratic landslide also gives the party power to thwart Trump's judicial appointments, according to Dawn's account of the outcome.1

Trump hand-picked Senate candidates, and Republicans paid the price for those choices, Daily Monitor reported.3

Attributed claim: Fox News described a blue wave sweeping Democrats into power while key races were still hanging in the balance, a state-of-play framing that leaves the outstanding contests unsettled. Dawn and Reuters, by contrast, reported the Senate and House as already captured by Democrats.412

Pakistan's government assured the public it will meet gas demand through the winter and pledged to ensure supply during mealtimes, Dawn reported. The assurance came as cooking gas prices climbed, with Reuters describing LPG as the 'fuel of the poor' and reporting that soaring prices have forced rickshaw drivers in Pakistan to cut meals.12

Business Recorder cast the shortage as a policy failure in the making, publishing an analysis titled 'Pakistan's cooking gas crisis: a policy failure in the making' alongside the price reports. The outlet's framing puts the cause in government policy rather than in market conditions alone.3

Information Minister Tarar said the government is moving to end LPG monopolies and abolish the discretionary quota system, The Nation reported. The measure targets the allocation arrangements behind the distribution of cooking gas.4

Attributed claim: The accounts divide on cause and remedy: Reuters and Dawn lead with the effect on rickshaw drivers' meals, Business Recorder attributes the crisis to policy failure, and The Nation, a pro-government outlet, carries the minister's pledge to dismantle monopolies and the quota system.2134

Pakistan cut the price of petrol by Rs3.40 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs7.76 per litre. Petrol will sell at Rs374.51 per litre from 3 November. The reductions follow a fall in global oil prices.123

Arab News linked the fall in global crude prices to hopes for peace between the United States and Iran. The outlet reported the price cut as a response to those lower international prices.3

Business Recorder reported that the pricing changes may cost refineries Rs49 per litre. The Express Tribune put the burden on refineries at Rs15 billion.45

The Nation reported that consumers are getting Rs14.71 in relief as the government ordered refineries to surrender an extra war-time premium on petrol.45

Security forces killed 17 terrorists in multiple intelligence-based operations in Balochistan, the military's Inter-Services Public Relations said. A soldier, Sepoy Hikmat Ullah, was killed during an intense fire exchange in Kharan. The operations were reported across Balochistan districts.1234

The Express Tribune and Islamabad Post carried the ISPR account naming Sepoy Hikmat Ullah as the soldier martyred in Kharan. Radio Pakistan reported the killing of 17 terrorists in Balochistan without naming the soldier in its headline. Business Recorder reported the same toll of 17 terrorists killed in multiple operations in Balochistan.1234

Eurasia Review published an opinion piece titled "Disinformation As A Weapon" alongside the operation reports, without stating a factual dispute over the Balochistan toll. No cited source in this cluster gives a conflicting casualty figure for the 17 killed.5

Two policemen were killed and another was injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them as they travelled to join a polio team for security duty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Mohmand district on Tuesday, police said. Headquarters Deputy Superintendent of Police Liaquat Ali confirmed the details. The attack took place in the Taman Zai area of Pindiali tehsil, where the policemen were deployed to protect polio workers during the ongoing vaccination campaign.12

Rescue 1122 said two police personnel were killed and a third injured in the firing on the police team providing security for the anti-polio campaign in Mohmand. The officers were on their way to duty when the gunmen struck.2

In a separate incident the same day, four polio workers were abducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Tank district. The kidnapping was reported alongside the Mohmand shooting.345

Lahore topped the world's list of most polluted cities as its air quality index crossed 500. Air pollution also reached alarming levels in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and several Punjab cities.12

A drone-based smoke monitoring system failed, leaving authorities without that tool as smog levels rose. Separately, smoke-emitting vehicles were fined in Lahore.23

The Express Tribune reported that October pollution was less than last year, a figure that sits against the same week's reading of an AQI above 500 in Lahore.41

The News Pakistan argued that temporary measures are not enough to fight smog, calling for action beyond the short-term steps taken so far.5

The minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee arrived in Islamabad, where Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani pressed for stronger parliamentary cooperation between Pakistan and China. Gilani said the two sides should translate CPEC-II opportunities into economic benefits for Pakistan.1234

Pakistan and China launched an information corridor called CPIC to counter misleading narratives and promote cultural exchange, and opened a new research centre to deepen party-to-party ties. Gilani accepted honorary chairmanship of the Pakistan-China Governance Research Center.456

The Express Tribune reported that China is pushing Pakistan ties beyond government-to-government contacts, while The Nation reported Gilani stressing parliamentary diplomacy for global engagement. The Daily CPEC reported Gilani reaffirming strong Pakistan-China ties and calling for trade ties between the two countries.78910

Gilani also called for stronger Pakistan-Germany ties through trade and investment, and Pakistan, Türkiye and Azerbaijan pledged stronger ties for peace, according to reports from Islamabad.1112