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US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised $10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington.

Pakistan, however, was not named among the five nations who have committed troops for the International Stabilisation Force, which will be tas­k­ed with securing reconstruction zones and supporting a post-conflict governance arrangement in Gaza.

Trump brought together allies from around the world — many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States — to hail his peacemaking at the first Board of Peace meeting.

Presiding with a gavel over the meeting in the gleaming Washington building of the former US Institute of Peace, which has been gutted and renamed after the 79-year-old Republican, Trump hailed the “powerful people” who joined his board.

“We will help Gaza. We will straighten it out. We’ll make it successful,” Trump said, holding up a document with pledges before the disco beats of his adopted theme-song “YMCA” came on the speakers.

“We will make it peaceful, and we will do things like that in other spots. Spots will come up, things will happen,” Trump said.

Troops pledges

The Board of Peace came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating Israeli onslaught in Gaza.

The plan’s second phase calls for the disarmament of Hamas.

In a first for an Arab country, Morocco announced it was ready to send police as well as officers to the nascent International Stabilisation Force.

The force’s American commander, Major General Jasper Jeffers, said that Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Kosovo were also sending troops and announced that an Indonesian officer would serve as his deputy.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, earlier said it was ready to send 8,000 troops — nearly half of the 20,000 sought.

Trump hailed Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who attended, calling the former military officer accused of human rights abuses in East Timor a “tough cookie.”

Nickolay Mladenov, a veteran Bulgarian diplomat named high representative for Gaza by the United States, also announced the beginning of recruitment for a post-Hamas police force in Gaza and said 2,000 people had applied in the first hours.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi was also asked about the ISF and Pakistan’s view on it during a weekly briefing in Islamabad today.

In response, he said: “We understand that a decision is awaited on the contours of the mandate of the International Stabilisation Force, and till such time, we’re not in a position to take any decision on this matter.

“We have identified our red lines quite explicitly. The deputy prime minister and the foreign minister has done so here from this platform, and elsewhere. Pakistan can be part of a peacekeeping mandate, but we would not be part of any disarming/ demilitarisation mandates. This discussion at [the Board of Peace meeting in] Washington might take place today. We will update you as and when these developments take place.”

For his part, Trump said during the moot in Washington that he hoped the use of force to disarm Hamas would not be necessary. He said Hamas had promised to disarm and it “looks like they’re going to be doing that, but we’ll have to find out.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, representing Israel at the meeting, demanded disarmament of Hamas and “a fundamental deradicalisation process” in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Israel that Hamas will be disarmed one way or the other. “Very soon, Hamas will face a dilemma - to disarm peacefully or disarmed forcefully,” he said.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said any international force must “monitor the ceasefire and prevent the (Israeli) occupation from continuing its aggression”. Disarmament could be discussed, he said, without directly committing to it.

Gaza reconstruction

Trump, who has sharply curtailed foreign aid, said the United States would contribute $10bn to the Board of Peace. He also announced that contributing nations had raised $7bn as an initial down payment for Gaza reconstruction.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates each promised at least $1bn. White House Press Secretary said more than $6.5bn was pledged, presumably excluding Trump’s offer.

Trump also said FIFA will raise $75 million for soccer-related projects in Gaza and that the United Nations will chip in $2 billion for humanitarian assistance.

“Together we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering,” said the realtor-turned-president, who has spoken improbably of building tourist resorts in Gaza.

Trump did not explain exactly where the money would go and whether Congress had approved the contribution he announced for the institution, which has drawn criticism for its opaque nature.

Trump will wield veto power over the Board of Peace and can remain its head even after leaving office, while countries that want to stay on permanently rather than enjoy a two-year stint will need to pay $1bn.

Critics say the Board of Peace remains vague, including how it would interact with existing institutions, including the United Nations, to which Trump has drastically cut support.

“It’s a confused mix of ambition and narcissism, unleavened by any effort at intellectual coherence,” said Bruce Jones, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

---

Initial input from Reuters

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• Counsel argues law violates Articles 4, 8, 10-A, 35 and 227 of Constitution
• Lahore court convicts man of assaulting wife, mother-in-law

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Human Rights on a petition challenging the vires of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2026, and sought their response.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir of the IHC heard the petition filed by Advocate Abdul Wahab Farid against the recently enacted law.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner, Maham Fatima and Sardar Tariq Hussain, arg­ued that the impugned legislation was contrary to several constitutional provisions, including Articles 4, 8, 10-A, 35 and 227. They contended that the law infringes fundamental rights and is inconsistent with Islamic injunctions.

The counsel submitted that the procedure prescribed under the new law for registration and redressal of complaints violates the right to a fair trial guaranteed under Article 10-A of the Constitution. They further argued that certain provisions confer excessive and arbitrary powers that could be misused and undermine due process.

After a preliminary hearing, Justice Tahir issued notices to the respondents and adjourned further proceedings until a date to be fixed by the office.

Man convicted

Meanwhile, a model criminal court (minor offences) in Lahore issued a judgement Wednesday in a domestic abuse case, convicting a man of assaulting his wife and mother-in-law.

Judicial Magistrate Hamidul Rahman Nasir conducted the trial, which involved testimony from several witnesses, including the victims and police investigators.

The incident took place on April 2, 2021. According to the FIR, the conflict began when the man allegedly pressured his wife to seek employment against her wishes. When she refused, he and several of his family members reportedly began beating her.

Following a telephone call from the wife, her mother and brother arrived at the scene.

The prosecution argued that during the ensuing confrontation, the man assaulted his mother-in-law, tearing her clothes and beating her until she lost consciousness. Neighbours eventually intervened to rescue the victims.

The FIR stated that after only two months of marriage, the husband began subjecting his wife to routine physical abuse. As a result, she stayed at her parents’ house for about eight months and received medical treatment at their expense.

The defence contended that the FIR was fabricated and pointed to the absence of official medico-legal certificates.

However, the prosecution explained that hospital protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic and police negligence contributed to the lack of formal documentation.

The magistrate found the man guilty under Section 354 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which addresses assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.

In the judgement announced on Tuesday, the magistrate sentenced the husband to three months’ rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs1,500 for assaulting his wife. He was also awarded another three months’ rigorous imprisonment for assaulting his mother-in-law, along with a fine of Rs1,500.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2026

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Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that recognition of Israel by Pakistan was “not on the cards at all” as he highlighted the country’s support for the Palestinian cause.

The minister made the remarks in an interview with France 24. The comments come as the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, led by US President Donald Trump, will be held in Washington on February 19. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will be attending the meeting.

In the interview, Asif was asked about Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace and if the country would contribute troops for a military force in Gaza.

“I don’t see any problem in that. It all depends on what sort of terms of reference are drafted for that peace force,” he said, highlighting that Pakistan was a part of UN peacekeeping missions.

“So we have that experience. Palestine is a cause that is very close to our hearts. We have been demonstrating solidarity with them for many, many, many decades,” he said.

He said that Pakistan had supported the cause of Palestine on countless international forums.

“So this is something worth attempting. This is a good opportunity. Let’s hope it brings us closer to the two-state solution in the Middle East,” he said.

The interviewer then pointed out that many Muslim countries had normalised ties with Israel and asked whether this was on the table for Pakistan.

“No, not yet. You know, I do not see this option even being considered by Pakistan. Maybe, in the future, when there is a total paradigm shift and two states are established and Palestinians have the right of self-determination, their own homeland,” he said.

“At the moment, it is not on the cards at all,” he said.

‘India waging proxy war’

The minister was then asked about the security situation in the country, including the attack at an imambargah in Islamabad.

In response, Asif said that there were almost “all franchises of terrorism” in neighbouring Afghanistan, which he attributed to the “non-seriousness” of the Afghan Taliban government. He said that the Afghan Taliban was providing terrorists safe haven on their soil.

“Nothing can happen from across the border from Afghanistan … any attack in Pakistan, it has the blessings of the Afghan government,” he said.

Asked about Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan, the minister said, “We always have that option and we can exercise that option. We won’t hesitate.”

He further said that if terrorist outfits were operating from Afghan soil, the responsibility lay with Kabul’s rulers.

Asked about India, the minister highlighted the military conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025.

“Our air force practically decimated whatever attempt they were making to invade Pakistan. So now they are waging a proxy war against Pakistan,” he said.

“Delhi and Kabul and all these terrorist outfits are on the same page,” he said.

He said that friendly countries had attempted to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul but “these attempts did not produce any results”.

He said that the Afghan Taliban had accepted that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was operating from their territory.

“They indirectly said that they had no control over them. We told them that allow us to deal with them … they accepted their responsibility verbally, but whatever we agreed upon … they are not ready to give it in writing,” he said.

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• Hillary accuses Trump of orchestrating ‘cover-up’
• Los Angeles mayor calls for 2028 Olympics chief to resign
• Hyatt boss steps down

SANTA FE: Lawmakers in the US state of New Mexico passed legislation on Monday to launch the “first full investigation” into what happened at Zorro Ranch, where the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women.

A bipartisan committee will seek testimony from survivors of alleged sexual abuse at the ranch, located about 50 kilometres south of Santa Fe, the state capital. Legislators have urged local residents to testify.

Meanwhile, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton accused President Trump of orchestrating a ‘cover-up’ over the Epstein files.

“Get the files out. They’re slow-walking it,” the former first lady said in an interview with the BBC.

In other developments, the mayor of Los Angeles called upon Casey Wasserman, the chief organiser of the 2028 Olympics committee, to resign after his name figured in the Epstein files.

Thomas Pritzker, the chairman of the Hyatt chain of hotels, said he had decided to leave his position after emails revealing his ties to Epstein came to light.

Truth commission

The “truth commission” named by New Mexico, comprising four lawmakers, seeks to identify ranch guests and state officials who may have known what was going on at the 7,600-acre property, or taken part in alleged sexual abuse in its hacienda-style mansion and guest houses.

The Democratic-led investigation adds to political pressure to uncover Epstein’s crimes that has become a major challenge for President Donald Trump, weeks after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related files that shed new light on activities at the ranch.

The files reveal ties between Epstein and two former Democratic governors and an attorney general of New Mexico.

The committee started its work on Tuesday, and will deliver interim findings in July.

“He was basically doing anything he wanted in this state without any accountability whatsoever,” said lawmaker Andrea Romero, a Democrat.Testimony to the committee could be used for future prosecutions, she said.

Victim advocates applauded the move, saying Zorro Ranch had been overlooked by federal investigations that focused on Epstein’s Caribbean island and New York townhouse.

“Many of the survivors had experiences in New Mexico, and as we’ve learned, you know, there were local politicians and other people that were aware of what was happening in New Mexico,” said attorney Sigrid McCawley, whose law firm has represented hundreds of Epstein survivors.

Hillary Clinton slams ‘cover-up’

“Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” Clinton, who is due to testify before a Congressional committee on the issue next week, told the BBC in Berlin.

Former president Bill Clinton features regularly in the files, but no evidence has come to light implicating either of the two in criminal activity.

The couple has been ordered to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is probing the deceased financier’s connections to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled.

“We will show up but we think it would be better to have it in public,” Hillary Clinton told the BBC. “I just want it to be fair,” she said. “I want everybody treated the same way.”

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called on Casey Wasserman, whose name was also mentioned in the Epstein files, to step down as chief organiser of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Bass told CNN it was “unfortunate” the Olympic organisers were supporting Wasserman after revelations he exchanged flirtatious emails with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. He said: “My opinion is that he should step down. That’s not the opinion of the board.” She said that “we need to look at the leadership” of LA28.

Hyatt CEO resigns

The executive chairman of the Hyatt hotel chain also stepped down after emails revealing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

Businessman Thomas Pritzker maintained contact with Epstein well after the latter was convicted in 2008.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2026

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LAHORE: Punjab officials are tight-lipped on reports that claim the provincial government has acquired a Gulfstream aircraft for “VIP transport role”.

Meanwhile, the alleged move continues to draw criticism.

On Monday, it was claimed by an X account, The Stratcom Bureau — which mainly shares defence and security news — that the “government of Punjab, Pakistan has acquired a new, 2019-manufactured Gulfstream GVII-G500 aircraft for their VIP transport role”.

In a separate post by the same account, it was claimed that “the registration number of the luxury plane is N144S” and its “old Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration would be changed to Pakistani registration soon”.

The post also said that the approximate asking price for the aircraft was $38 million to $42m.

Meanwhile, the US FAA registry shows that the aircraft is currently owned by TVPX Aircraft Solutions Inc. Trustee, which, as per its website, commonly acts as the registered owner for aircraft trusts, facilitating the buying, selling, and leasing of planes, particularly for non-US citizens or for privacy reasons.

According to flight tracking service Flight Radar, the aircraft has been flying between various airports in Punjab since at least February 12.

Dawn reached out to several officials for a confirmation of the purchase’s claims, but they remained tight-lipped on the matter.

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and Additional Chief Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar did not respond to calls and text messages to clarify the Punjab government’s position.

Additional Secretary (Welfare) Waseem Hamid, however, denied the claims of the aircraft’s purchase and abruptly disconnected the call.

Dawn also tried to contact Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, but she, too, did not respond to any calls or the query sent to her as a text message.

Amid this silence by the officials, the reported purchase of the aircraft continues to draw criticism, including by former finance minister Miftah Ismail and ex-Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair.

Sharing the Stratcom Bureau’s post on X, Miftah juxtaposed the reported purchase of the aircraft with the recent hike in petroleum prices by the government.

“So while Pakistanis are supposed to tighten our belts and sacrifice, Punjab’s entitled VIPs are fastening their seatbelts for taking off in luxury private jets,” he said.

Similarly, Zubair posted on X: “Such a beautiful plane worth more than 1,000 crore, which has been bought by the Punjab govt for the use of its CM and party’s elite.”

He questioned whether a nation facing economic difficulties, with 45 per cent of the people living below the poverty line and amid record unemployment — afford this luxury.

“Punjab government aay issue a denial if not true,” he said about the claims of the aircraft’s purchase.

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Dipendra Singh Airee hit an unbeaten 50 as Nepal saved their best for last to end their T20 World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket win over Scotland on Tuesday.

Chasing 171 for victory, Nepal looked in trouble at 98-3 in the 14th over before Airee took the initiative in his 23-ball knock as his team achieved the target with four balls to spare in Mumbai.

Airee put on 73 runs with Gulsan Jha, who made 24 not out, as Nepal earned their first win after three losses in Group C.

Nepal’s fans erupted with joy at the Wankhede Stadium after seeing their team win for the first time in the tournament since 2014.

“I want to thank the fans who came from Nepal and supported us, that gives a lot of motivation to all of us,” said player of the match Airee.

“And in the last World Cup, we didn’t win a single match. So that’s why this win is very important for us.” It was Nepal’s first victory in the T20 World Cup since they beat Hong Kong and Afghanistan in the opening stage 12 years ago.

Nepal had given England a mighty scare in their opener before losing by four runs and then went down in the next two games.

Put in to bat, Scotland posted 170-7 after a 45-ball 71 by opener Michael Jones

Nepal pace bowler Sompal Kami stood out with figures of 3-25.

Nepal started strongly with Kushal Bhurtel scoring 45 as he put on 74 runs with fellow opener Aasif Sheikh, who made 33.

Spinner Michael Leask picked up three quick wickets as Scotland fought back but Airee led Nepal over the line for a memorable win.

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KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched ‘Cyber Shield’, a comprehensive cyber resilience strategy, to counter growing global and domestic cyber threats to the financial ecosystem, aligning with international best practices.

As part of its Vision 2028 agenda, the SBP launched Cyber Shield, a major initiative aimed at strengthening the safety and robustness of the country’s banking and financial system.

The banks have been facing increasing incidents of cyber crimes, while the international organisations believe that every second Pakistani is facing the cybersecurity problem.

With the rapid digitisation and very high growth of online payments, cyber threats have also increased. Bankers said the situation is not alarming, but there is a need to implement quick remedies to control it, which would help strengthen the banking system in Pakistan.

Outlines key priorities to counter growing threats by 2030

“The milestones laid down in the strategy will be implemented in a phased manner by 2030. All regulated entities are required to align their internal cybersecurity programs with the strategy to ensure compliance,” said the SBP.

The central bank said the strategy has been designed to better protect banks and financial institutions from cyber threats, thus ensuring that people and businesses can continue to access financial services safely.

The SBP said it set out a clear roadmap to help financial institutions strengthen their systems and controls, prevent cyber incidents, respond quickly when cyber threats materialise, and recover effectively from them.

“As the banking ecosystem faces increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the strategy aims to enhance cyber defences of the regulated entities through a holistic, forward-looking and collaborative approach,” said the SBP.

Bankers said cybersecurity experts are not available to meet the growing demand in financial institutions, as many young Pakistani experts prefer jobs abroad with higher pay. There is no attractive policy to retain cybersecurity experts in the country.

The SBP said the Cyber Shield focuses on five key priorities: strengthening the ability of banks to withstand cyber incidents, improving governance and accountability for cybersecurity, encouraging cooperation and information-sharing across the financial sector, building skilled cyber talent, and continuously updating security practices to keep pace with new risks.

“The SBP will closely monitor both global and domestic cyber developments and will update the strategy as needed to address emerging threats,” said the SBP.

By strengthening cyber resilience across the banking sector, SBP aims to safeguard customers, support digital innovation in a secure environment and ensure financial stability, it added.

About 90 per cent of bankers believe that cybercrime is the biggest challenge confronting the banking industry in the country, according to a previous survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Pakistan.

Seventy per cent list fraud as their major concern, and 60 per cent believe terrorism financing is the biggest threat, the survey showed.

“Banks in Pakistan operate within an evolving financial crime compliance ecosystem,” said the survey report.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026

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