Overview

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called senior party figures to push a ceasefire and review Punjab–Sindh tensions, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was directed by President Asif Ali Zardari to help de‑escalate and is set to brief the premier.
• PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party is not seeking to embarrass the government, alleging Punjab has ignored clauses of the coalition agreement and pointing to disputes over canal water and flood relief.
• PML‑N’s Rana Sanaullah said differences can be settled at the highest level, naming Asif Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif, and defended Maryam Nawaz’s response as a political duty.
• The Election Commission of Pakistan reserved its decision on long‑delayed Punjab local polls, with the chief election commissioner signaling the commission could start delimitation immediately and assert its authority after years of deferrals.
• ISPR reported an intelligence‑based operation in Orakzai that killed 19 alleged Indian‑sponsored militants; 11 soldiers, including Lt Col Junaid Arif and Maj Taib Rahat, were killed during the clash, and clearance operations are continuing.