Justice Yahya Afridi has been appointed as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan, following approval from President Asif Ali Zardari. Afridi, who has served as a Supreme Court Justice since 2018, will officially assume office on October 26, succeeding Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The appointment was finalized after a 12-member special parliamentary committee nominated Afridi under the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The decision received the backing of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the president signed off on the recommendation.

Justice Afridi brings decades of legal experience to the role. His legal career began in 1990 when he enrolled as an advocate of the high court, followed by his registration with the Supreme Court in 2004. He previously served as Assistant Advocate General for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and as a Federal Counsel for the Government of Pakistan.

Afridi’s judicial career advanced in 2010 when he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Peshawar High Court. Two years later, he was confirmed as a permanent judge. Notably, Afridi made history by becoming the first judge from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to serve as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court in 2016. He held the position until his elevation to the Supreme Court on June 28, 2018.

New Era in Judiciary

The selection process for Afridi’s new role was not without political drama. The special parliamentary committee, formed on Monday by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, held an in-camera session at Parliament House late Tuesday. Comprising eight MNAs and four senators from various political parties, the committee worked to reach a consensus on Afridi’s nomination.

However, the session took place without the participation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its ally, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), both of which boycotted the meeting. They objected to the recent constitutional amendments that led to the formation of the committee.

In their absence, nine members attended the session, with eight supporting Afridi’s nomination. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Kamran Murtaza cast the only dissenting vote, favoring senior puisne judge Mansoor Ali Shah.

The composition of the special committee included representatives from key political parties. PML-N members Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, and Azam Nazeer Tarar, along with PPP leaders Raja Pervez Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, and Senator Farooq H. Naek, played significant roles in the deliberations. Rana Ansar of MQM-P and PTI-affiliated members Gohar Khan and Senator Ali Zafar were also part of the panel, though the latter abstained from the proceedings.

In a bold act of defiance, Pashtun Frontier Corps (FC) officials stationed in Bannu have resigned, rejecting their roles as enforcers of the Paki establishment’s oppressive policies. The resignations follow widespread protests across the Pashtun belt, where citizens have taken to the streets demanding peace, dignity, and justice. This rising wave of resistance reflects growing frustration with the Pak Army’s long-standing exploitation of the region for Punjabi Pakistan’s games.

The officials’ decision comes amidst a broader trend of resignations from police ranks, as security personnel refuse to partake in the “dollar wars” — proxy conflicts funded by foreign aid, which have turned the Pashtun homeland into a battlefield for Pakistan’s military ambitions. The Pashtun belt, long treated as a pawn by Islamabad, has faced years of military operations, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and airstrikes, under the guise of counterterrorism.

These resignations as a significant turning point, with growing fears within Islamabad that more Pashtun occupied-government employees may abandon their posts and join the struggle for peace and self-determination. “The day is not far when Pashtuns will leave government jobs en masse and stand shoulder to shoulder with their people,” said PTM Chief Manzoor Pashteen, adding that this movement could further fracture Pakistan’s already unstable control over its restive regions.

The Pakistan Army, notorious for its colonial-style governance, has used brutal tactics to suppress Pashtuns in their homeland, including silencing peaceful activists from the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Yet, the resistance only grows stronger. The protesters have vowed to reject military oppression and continue their struggle for peace, dignity, and a future free from war.

Salutations are pouring in for the officials and protesters who have refused to enforce the occupied-state’s oppressive policies. Their courage underscores a deepening solidarity among Pashtuns.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for a bilateral discussion in Kazan, Russia, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. This marks the first formal interaction between the two leaders in five years, reflecting recent efforts to de-escalate tensions along their shared border.

The meeting comes after India and China reached an agreement to resume regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a region that has seen increased friction since 2020.

The last time PM Modi and Xi met was in October 2019 during the Mahabalipuram Informal Summit in Tamil Nadu, just months before the violent clashes in Galwan that resulted in a military standoff. Since then, the leaders have engaged briefly during the G20 meetings in Bali in 2022 and Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2023.

On October 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that an agreement had been reached regarding patrolling arrangements along the LAC. Misri stated that this resolution was the result of extensive discussions with Chinese counterparts at both diplomatic and military levels. He highlighted the involvement of military commanders in addressing the tensions that have persisted since the Galwan clashes.

Historic Modi-Xi Meeting

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also confirmed the resolution of the border conflict, stating, “We have reached a resolution on the relevant matter and will work with the Indian side to implement the solution. We are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels.”

The anticipated meeting between PM Modi and President Xi in Kazan is expected to be a significant moment for India-China relations. Discussions are likely to include the recent agreement on patrolling along the LAC, trade relations, and regional stability.

In previous meetings, such as the Mahabalipuram summit, PM Modi and Xi discussed international and regional issues, focusing on improving people-to-people contact and enhancing trade while maintaining peace along the extensive 3,500-kilometer India-China border. PM Modi also showcased several iconic monuments to Xi during this visit, which culminated in a lengthy one-on-one dinner discussion.

Kazan Summit

Both leaders met earlier in April 2018 during the Wuhan Informal Summit, which aimed to mend ties following the Doklam standoff in 2017. Discussions at that summit addressed the strategic long-term perspective of India-China relations. The leaders also interacted during the Bali G20 Summit, where they acknowledged the need to stabilize bilateral relations.

In 2023, PM Modi and Xi discussed unresolved issues along the LAC in Johannesburg, agreeing to direct their officials to intensify efforts for disengagement and de-escalation. Former Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra noted that PM Modi stressed the importance of maintaining peace along the border for normalizing ties between the two nations.

The ongoing border tensions between India and China escalated in 2020 following aggressive Chinese military actions in eastern Ladakh. Since then, the two nations have conducted numerous meetings to address the situation.

In September 2023, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in St. Petersburg, where they reviewed efforts to resolve remaining issues along the LAC, with both sides agreeing to expedite disengagement efforts.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed the discovery of a hidden Hezbollah bunker containing millions of dollars in cash and gold. The claims were made during a televised briefing on Monday, where IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari declassified intelligence regarding Hezbollah’s financial operations located beneath a hospital in Beirut.

Hagari said that the Israeli Air Force executed a series of precise strikes targeting Hezbollah’s financial stronghold, Al-Qard Al-Hassan, urging Lebanese citizens to avoid areas near Hezbollah facilities. “Our strikes will degrade Hezbollah’s ability to finance its attacks on Israelis,” he said, adding that the significant underground vault was specifically designed to support Hezbollah’s operations against Israel.

According to Hagari, the bunker, believed to be directly beneath Al-Sahel Hospital in Beirut, was intentionally constructed under a residential building, raising concerns about civilian safety. He emphasized that the IDF would refrain from targeting the hospital itself, stating, “We are not at war with the people of Lebanon. We are at war with Hezbollah.”

The IDF’s strikes late Sunday affected at least 15 branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Hagari highlighted that the organization violates international law and is sanctioned by the United States and other Western nations.

He further described Hezbollah’s financial structure, which reportedly relies on funds from the Iranian regime and contributions from the Lebanese people. Intelligence suggested that cash and gold are transferred through Syria and that Hezbollah operates factories in Lebanon and other countries to generate income.

Israel has announced intentions to conduct further strikes against Hezbollah’s infrastructure, with recent airstrikes leading to the displacement of over a million people in Lebanon. In retaliation, Hezbollah has been launching regular rocket attacks into Israel since the onset of renewed conflict following the Hamas raid in October of the previous year.

A devastating airstrike by Pakistan Army targeted the bustling Pir Mela Bazaar in the Zakhakhel area of Tirah Valley, resulting in injuries to dozens of innocent civilians, including young children. The attack, which took place recently, raises serious concerns about the military’s aggressive tactics against Pashtuns.

The airstrike struck during peak hours, inflicted chaos and terror among the local population. Many of the injured were transported to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar for urgent medical care, with activists urging the community to come forward for blood donations to aid the victims.

This assault on civilians highlights the ongoing military operations in the Pashtun belt, where the Punjabi Pak Army has increasingly resorted to targeting public, in the name of counterinsurgency strategies. The growing confidence in the Pashtun Jirga signals that the end of Pakistan’s military-driven dollar war in the region may be near. Therefore, the Pakistan Army is using airstrikes as a blunt instrument to crack down on the Pashtuns, who have risen to protest against the Punjabi Army elites for the suppression of the Pashtun population in their own land.