Entertainment
At China-hosted SCO summit, Pakistan warns against state-sponsored terrorism
- PM calls for dialogue, respect for sovereignty at SCO summit.
- Says Pakistan has evidence of foreign involvement in terror attacks.
- Premier slams Israel’s ongoing atrocities against Palestinians.
While highlighting the menace of state-backed terrorism, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday urged respect for sovereignty, regional dialogue, and a collective approach to counterterrorism, as he addressed the 25th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in China’s Tianjin.
Terming his presence in Tianjin an honour, the premier said the city represents China’s foundational values and serves as a bridge between civilisations and cultures.
PM Shehbaz landed in Tianjin on Saturday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During his six-day official visit, the prime minister will meet President Xi and Premier Li Qiang, according to the Foreign Office (FO).
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and cooperation, PM Shehbaz said the SCO reflects Islamabad’s enduring resolve to strengthen regional connectivity and collaboration.
Calling for the upholding of bilateral and international agreements, PM said: “We [Pakistan] expect SCO member countries to follow all bilateral treaties. Uninterrupted access to due share of water, as per existing treaties, is essential to strengthening the objectives of the SCO.”
He further said: “Pakistan believes in multilateralism, dialogue, and diplomacy, not unilateralism or confrontation…There is nothing more sacred than sovereignty and territorial integrity for any nation.”
PM Shehbaz also called for a comprehensive dialogue to resolve longstanding issues in South Asia. “Stability in Afghanistan remains in the interest of the entire region,” the premier stated.
The prime minister also condemned terrorism in all its forms and called out state-sponsored terrorism, saying: “Those who have long used terrorism to advance political interests must know the world no longer buys this fictitious narrative”.
‘Foreign involvement in terror attacks’
The premier went on to say that Pakistan has irrefutable evidence of foreign involvement in recent terrorist attacks, including the Jaffer Express hostage incident and attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
“Those responsible for these heinous crimes and their facilitators must be held accountable,” he asserted.
Highlighting Pakistan’s fight against terrorism, he said: “We [Pakistan] have sacrificed over 90,000 lives, including children, mothers, engineers, scientists, citizens, and officers — not just for Pakistan, but for the peace and security of the entire region.”
Strongly criticising Israeli actions in Gaza, he said: “[The] ongoing atrocities and hunger in Gaza are a permanent scar on our collective conscience.” He reiterated Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution in line with UN resolutions.
The prime minister also condemned the unjustified and unacceptable aggression against Iran by Israel.
On China’s role, PM Shehbaz praised President Xi Jinping’s leadership and added: “China’s success is a reflection of his visionary and wise leadership. Its global leadership is evident not just within the SCO but across major international initiatives.”
He expressed gratitude to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for exceptional hospitality and excellent arrangements.
PM Shehbaz described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a flagship project that exemplifies mutual cooperation and regional development.
Entertainment
William, Kate’s firm step to shield children from ancient Christmas rule
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who stole the spotlight at Kate Middleton’s annual Christmas carol concert, will be joining King Charles and rest of the royals for a major gathering at Sandringham.
While Prince William and Princess Catherine’s children are anticipating to reunite with their other cousins they will be the prominent young royals that the public will be waiting to see when they walk out on Christmas Day.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who are doting and protective parents to their three children, had set a strict rule to shield them from some royal traditions, which could probably leave them in distress, a royal chef pointed out.
There are very specific protocols set in place for royals, senior and non-working, young and old alike, which have to be followed to the T. Even with the young age, a royal is expected to be disciplined in the royal stair etiquette, Darren McGrady revealed to Harper’s Bazaar previously.
Darren has experience working for both late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Diana. He explained that the children, in order to learn ‘polite conversation’, had to be separated from William and Kate at meal times.
“Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had to learn very early on what they can and cannot do,” he said. And until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly, they were not allowed to sit with all the elders at the massive dining table set for the family.
For William and Kate, the move had been made a bid to protect their children from the pressure from avoiding any slip-up. It seems that the children have depicted with their poise that they just might be ready for the big step.
Entertainment
ECC approves 600 MHz spectrum auction as govt eyes rolling out 5G in six months
- Internet speed in Pakistan is not up to world standards: IT minister.
- Says effort underway to complete auction in first week of Feb 2026.
- Pakistan ranked 97th, 146th for mobile and broadband speed.
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee has approved auction of 600 MHz spectrum which would not only improve the internet speed but also pave way for the roll out of 5G internet in the country, Information Technology and Telecommunication (IT) Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Tuesday.
Addressing a joint presser along with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the IT minister said the federal government was eyeing completing the internet spectrum auction by early 2026 after the ECC’s nod.
Expanding on the matter, IT Minister Khawaja said that spectrum advisory committee’s recommendations will be taken to the cabinet soon and that consultation with other relevant parties, including the telecom sector, will be ensured during the process.
“Due to a lack of spectrum, internet speed in Pakistan is not up to world standards,” the minister noted, adding that the government is going to hold an auction of 600 MHz spectrum.
Shaza further said that efforts were underway to roll out 5G in six months.

Highlighting that the internet formed the basis of the entire digital system, she said that the government will increase both the speed as well as internet access and that efforts were being made to complete the auction in the first week of February 2026.
The spectrum auction announcement comes as slow internet speed, coupled with intermittent outages and restricted access on various occasions, are not uncommon for the netizens in the country.
As per Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Pakistan ranked 97th globally with regards to mobile internet speed which was measured at 24.79Mbps in November. The statistics were much worse for fixed broadband speed where the country ranked 146 with download speed of mere 18.27Mbps.

However, last month, the country significantly expanded its international internet capacity with the launch of the South-East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SEA-ME-WE) 6 submarine cable system.
The 19,200-kilometre high-capacity fibre network connects the country to major digital hubs between Singapore and France.
The system, offering over 100 terabits per second (Tbps) of total capacity, provides one of the lowest-latency routes between Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe.
Under the deployment, Pakistan had been allocated 13.2 Tbps, of which 4 Tbps has been activated immediately — a major boost that will support cloud computing, data centres, fintech, e-commerce, streaming platforms and the broader digital economy.
The new SEA-ME-WE 6 network features more fibre pairs and more than double the capacity of earlier SEA-ME-WE systems, ensuring greater resilience across high-traffic Asia-Europe routes.
Entertainment
Viral videos falsely link Pakistan to Bondi Beach attack
Following a recent attack at Bondi Beach, Australia, which killed 15 people, two videos began circulating on social media. One claimed that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed Pakistan for the attack and announced a visa ban on Pakistani nationals. Another purported to show Pakistanis celebrating the incident.
Both claims are false.
Claim
A six-second video shared on December 15 shows Australian PM Albanese announcing the arrest of a “Pakistani-origin terrorist” linked to the Bondi Beach attack and suspending all visas for Pakistani nationals.
Fact
This claim is false. The video’s audio has been manipulated using Artificial Intelligence. The original footage is from a press conference on August 3, 2022, three year before the Bondi Beach attack. In the 15-minute press briefing, Albanese speaks about climate change, not the attack.
The presser can be seen here
Additionally, Hiya, a deepfake detection tool, rated the online video’s audio 1 out of 100, indicating it is a deepfake. No credible Australian media outlet has reported any such announcement by the PM.
Claim
A 20-second video circulating online allegedly shows Pakistanis celebrating the Bondi Beach attack.
Fact
This claim is false. The video predates the Bondi Beach attack and has been online since 2023. It was shared by several social media users in 2023 which can be seen here and here.
Verdict: Both videos circulating online are misleading and falsely linked to the Bondi Beach attack.
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