RAWALPINDI, Feb 18: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), working in coordination with Qatari authorities, has seized as many as 4.48 kilograms of cocaine at Islamabad International Airport and arrested two suspects in a joint, intelligence-led operation.

According to the ANF spokesman, the operation followed enhanced cooperation agreed at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Conference on Counter Narcotics held in Islamabad in April 2025.

Acting on shared intelligence, ANF officials intercepted a Pakistani woman, identified as Sehrish Bano, who was travelling from Sharjah to Islamabad via Doha. A search of her hand-carried trolley bag led to the recovery of 4.482 kg (gross weight) of cocaine concealed in a manner designed to evade detection.

During questioning, the suspect disclosed that her handler, who was also linked to the intended recipient, was waiting outside the airport’s arrival area. ANF teams subsequently conducted a follow-up operation and arrested the handler, identified as Amir Asad Ullah, along with his vehicle.

Investigators said the drug-laden bag had been handed to the woman during transit at Hamad International Airport in Doha by a Nigerian national acting on the instructions of handlers based in the United Arab Emirates.

The arrested suspects, recovered narcotics, and the seized vehicle are in ANF custody, while coordinated investigations have been launched in Pakistan and Qatar, the spokesman informed.

He said the case demonstrated the growing use of women as couriers by trafficking networks seeking to avoid suspicion, and underscored the importance of international intelligence sharing in countering transnational drug crime.

ANF said it remained vigilant and committed to dismantling trafficking networks through close national and international cooperation.

PESHAWAR: Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad has said that the body will meet in Peshawar for Ramadan 2026 moon sighting today.

The central committee will convene at 4:30pm at the Auqaf Hall under Maulana Azad, whereas zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees will meet in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Islamabad.

Speaking on Geo News’ programme “Geo Pakistan”, Maulana Azad said that in recent years Ramadan has been announced on the same day, in recent years and God willing, this time it will be the same as well.

The official also noted that the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), and Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) are also part of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and will assist the body in moon sighting.

The Suparco has forecast that the crescent for Ramadan 1447 Hijri is likely to be visible on February 18 (today) — making February 19 the expected first day of fasting.

It is estimated that at sunset on February 18, the moon’s age will be approximately 25 hours and 48 minutes. In coastal areas, the time difference between sunset and moonset is expected to be around 59 minutes, enhancing the chances of naked-eye sighting.

A day earlier, the Ramadan crescent was sighted in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait, whose residents are observing their first fast today.

The countries reporting no sighting on Tuesday include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Japan, Turkiye, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei.

The Muslim world welcomes Ramadan with deep religious devotion, as over a billion believers fast to practice patience, self-discipline, and generosity.

Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.

As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar — which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis — Ramadan shifts annually across the Gregorian calendar.

In Pakistan, the government has announced a Ramadan package worth Rs38 billion, benefiting more than 12 million families through digital payments, who will receive Rs13,000 each.

Meanwhile, the Power Division has directed all electricity distribution companies (Discos), including K-Electric, to ensure an uninterrupted supply during Sehr and Iftar in Ramadan.

All Discos have been directed to promptly address electricity consumer complaints and avoid unannounced load-shedding.

ISLAMABAD, FEB 18: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced the formation of “Imran Khan Release Force”, which will struggle to secure the former prime minister’s release from jail.

The cricketer-turned-politician, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he claims were politically driven following his ouster in a 2022 parliamentary vote.

The PTI seems to have sped up its call to seek his release following the revelation, in a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court, that he only has 15% vision left in his right eye. The government, however, maintains that the ex-premier is getting the best treatment possible.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi recently told journalists that the PTI leadership and Imran’s personal doctors were satisfied with the treatment, but his sister, Aleema Khan, was politicising the issue.

In a press conference outside the Supreme Court today, Imran’s loyalist Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that he had been assigned the responsibility of leading a “street movement” by the incarcerated PTI founder.

He alleged that court orders were being “thrown into the dustbin” and claimed that the PTI founding-chairman is still being denied access to his personal doctors.

Announcing the formation of “Imran Khan Release Force”, the provincial chief executive said the force would be formally registered and would pursue a peaceful struggle. He added that members of the force would take an oath in Peshawar immediately after Eid ul Fitr.

The force, he further said, would have a clear chain of command and that the PTI founder would decide who would be given command responsibilities. He stressed that preparations would be completed before launching any struggle.

According to Afridi, the movement would be aimed at the supremacy of the Constitution, democracy and an independent media.

LONDON, FEB 17: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, this afternoon.

During their warm and cordial conversation, the two leaders extended heartiest felicitations to each other on the blessed occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan and prayed for peace and tranquility of the Ummah.

Both leaders reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen the deep-rooted fraternal relations between Pakistan and Qatar.

The Prime Minister conveyed his deep appreciation for Qatar’s diplomatic efforts, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, to foster peace and reconciliation in the Middle East and other parts of the world.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their resolve to continue working together closely to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: Experts and digital rights advocates have stressed the need for an urgent overhaul of Pakistan’s cyber-governance, suggesting the establishment of “One-Stop Crisis Centers” to combat a staggering rise in technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TFVAW).

The call was made during a high-level seminar hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here wherein participants highlighted that cybercrime complaints in Pakistan reached a record high of 171,000 in 2025, marking a sharp escalation from 102,000 just five years ago, said a press release.

Dr Razia Safdar, SDPI’s Senior Policy Advisor, emphasized that though the government is promoting digital transformation, the lack of safety is creating a “new frontier of violence.” She cited global data showing that 67% of women are affected by online misinformation and 66% experience cyber harassment.

“Online harassment is no longer confined to the digital space; it translates into real-life threats,” Dr Safdar warned, noting that AI-driven threats like deep-fakes and manipulated content are causing irreversible emotional and reputational harm.

Fahmida Khan, Deputy Country Representative for UN Women Pakistan, shared a harrowing personal experience where her own photograph was misused on an online platform. “If individuals in professional positions can be exploited so easily, the risk for women in rural areas is catastrophic,” she stated.

Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, the SDPI Visiting Fellow and former IG Police, criticized the existing infrastructure, noting that while Islamabad has introduced modern “facilitation centers,” much of the country lacks specialized units for gender-sensitive interviewing. He debunked the myth that cybercrime is untraceable, stating that “every digital act leaves a forensic footprint,” but admitted that law-enforcement needs better training in trauma-informed approaches.

Muhammad Akram Mughal, the Deputy Director of National Cyber Crime Investigation (NCCI), revealed the immense pressure on state resources. While complaints have surged, the conviction rate for cybercrime in Pakistan remains a low 3.7 per cent.

“Our investigators are overwhelmed. Under international standards, one officer should handle 10 cases; in Pakistan, they are managing over 400 each,” Mughal explained. Despite these hurdles, he noted that over 250 awareness seminars in universities have helped reduce certain incidents by 30 per cent.

Discussing the economic repercussions of digital insecurity Naghmana Hashmi, Advisor for Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment at Workplace (FOSPAH), and the former ambassador said that nearly 15 per cent of professional women are compelled to leave their jobs due to online harassment.

“Pakistan loses billions annually in productivity due to workplace harassment. We cannot achieve economic growth if half of our population is scared to be harassed online,” she argued.

Usman Zafar, a digital resilience specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlighted the “gendered propaganda” used to silence women in public life. He distinguished between misinformation and mal information, the sharing of private, real content with harmful intent, which is increasingly used to target activists and journalists.

The panel concluded with a multi-level strategy for a safer digital Pakistan, i.e. i) Developing a comprehensive legal framework specifically for TFVAW, ii) One-Stop Crisis Centers: Adopting the Thailand model to provide legal, medical, and psychological support without the immediate requirement of an FIR, iii) Integrating digital citizenship and privacy management into the national school curriculum, iv) Enforcing human rights standards for tech companies operating within Pakistan.