WASHINGTON: Robert Mueller, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director has died aged 81. The New York Times reported Mueller&#39;s death, citing a family statement, but did not specify a location or cause. Mueller led the FBI for 12 years, starting just days before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, during which time he built up the bureau&#39;s counterterror mission.

Americas

Robert Mueller, the former FBI director has died aged 81; The New York Times reported Mueller's death, citing a family statement, but did not specify a location or cause.

Former FBI chief Robert Mueller dies age 81

BRUSSELS:&nbsp;The European Commission on Saturday urged EU member countries to lower their target for filling natural gas storage in the coming months, to alleviate price pressures caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran. EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen sent a letter asking to &quot;consider reducing your filling target to 80 percent as early as possible in the filling season to provide certainty and reassurance to market participants&quot;, down from the usual 90% goal. Iran&#39;s retaliation for the US-Israeli <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/drone-strike-hits-iraq-gas-complex-cuts-supply-official" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">war</a> launched against has included attacks on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/oil-prices-surge-stocks-sink-on-energy-shock-fears" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">oil- and gas-producing</a> Gulf neighbors, effectively closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz to tankers. Price shock&nbsp;Oil prices have soared more than 50% since the start of the war, which was triggered on Feb. 28, and natural gas prices in the EU have risen by more than 30%. The price shock is expected to lead to a higher pace of inflation, and dampen economic growth. While Europe is entering its warmer months, this is the period its countries refill their gas storage in preparation for winter. With higher gas prices, though, and elevated risk for supply, the EU is facing competition with Asia for supply. &quot;Developments in Iran and the wider region threaten regional and global security,&quot; Jorgensen said in his letter. &#39;Refill stores early&#39;&quot;When it comes to energy, this situation and the attacks on energy infrastructure are significantly impacting global oil and gas markets.&quot; He said that the EU&#39;s gas supply &quot;remains relatively protected at this stage&quot;, as it gets most of its liquified natural gas from the United States. &quot;But, as a net energy importer on global markets, the resulting high and volatile global prices may also impact the EU gas storage projections.&quot; Consequently, Jorgensen said, EU countries should look to refill stores early, and do so over a longer period, &quot;to mitigate pressure on prices and avoid (an) end-of-summer rush&quot;.&nbsp;He noted that, in case of &quot;difficult conditions&quot; and a commission assessment, the countries can deviate from the target by up to 20%.

Business

EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen sent a letter asking to ‘consider reducing your filling target to 80 percent as early as possible in the filling season to provide certainty and reassurance to market participants’.

EU urges reduced gas-storage target as US-Israeli war on Iran crimps supply

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the ongoing attacks against Bahrain, extended condolences to victims, and emphasized the importance of dialogue and de-escalation. Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-pm-reviews-regional-crisis-iran-evacuation-afghan-security-escalation" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shehbaz Sharif</a>, in a post on X on Saturday, said he &ldquo;spoke with my brother His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to convey warm Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to him and the people of Bahrain.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2035350150827376938&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=15b5cc666b33cd318823f53d4c29da5639c4274d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2035350150827376938">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>He added, &ldquo;I reiterated Pakistan&rsquo;s strong condemnation of the ongoing hostilities in the region, particularly the attacks against <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bahrain-naval-chief-visits-naval-headquarters-calls-on-pakistani-counterpart" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bahrain</a>, and extended my deepest condolences on the loss of lives and those injured.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;I also shared our continued diplomatic outreach for peace and stressed the importance of dialogue and de-escalation,&rdquo; the prime minister said. Conversation with Turkmenistan president&nbsp;In a separate post, Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office stated that &ldquo;Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with H.E. Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, on the auspicious occasion of Eid ul-Fitr, today.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2035312877444448503&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=15b5cc666b33cd318823f53d4c29da5639c4274d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 749px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2035312877444448503"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;The Prime Minister extended Eid ul Fitr greetings to the Turkmen President, the Turkmen leadership, and the brotherly people of Turkmenistan.&rdquo; The office added, &ldquo;The feelings were warmly reciprocated by the Turkmen President, who also conveyed his best wishes for the people of Pakistan.&rdquo; &ldquo;The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan and expressed their shared commitment to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries across all spheres of mutual interest, particularly trade, energy, connectivity, and regional development.&rdquo;&nbsp; The post added, &ldquo;The two leaders also underscored the importance of enhancing collaboration in ongoing regional initiatives, particularly in advancing mutually beneficial projects. The conversation was marked by warmth and mutual goodwill, consistent with the cordial relations between both sides.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

Sharif says he reiterated 'Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the ongoing hostilities in the region, particularly the attacks against Bahrain, and extended my deepest condolences on the loss of lives and those injured.’

Pakistan’s PM Sharif condemns attacks on Bahrain, stresses dialogue, de-escalation

NEW DELHI: India has blocked the release of &quot;The Voice of Hind Rajab&quot;, a film about the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl by Israeli forces, the movie&#39;s distributor told AFP on Saturday. The Oscar-nominated docudrama by French-Tunisian director Kaouther <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/who-is-behind-the-voice-of-hind-rajab" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Hania</a> recounts the real-life death of Hind Rajab in Gaza last year as her family attempted to flee during Israel&#39;s war on Gaza. Manoj Nandwana of Jai Viratra Entertainment, the film&#39;s Indian distributor, said a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told him that the film&#39;s theatrical release would &quot;hamper India&#39;s relations with Israel&quot;. &lsquo;It&#39;s strange&rsquo;&quot;After screening it for the board it was clear to me that they would not clear it for release in India,&quot; Nandwana told AFP on Saturday, adding that he was not officially notified of the denial. &quot;The film has been released all over the world including in Israel. Why is it bad or sensitive for Indians?&quot; Nandwana asked. &quot;It&#39;s strange.&quot; The film was, however, screened at an international film festival in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata in November last year, Nandwana said. New Delhi has expanded ties with Israel in defense, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East and historically supporting Palestinian statehood. Over two decades&nbsp;Last month, <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indias-modi-heads-to-israel-to-strengthen-cooperation" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> visited Israel for two days -- the first trip by an Indian premier in over two decades -- just days before Israel and the United States began a campaign of airstrikes on Iran. Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor from the opposition Congress party said blocking the film was &quot;disgraceful&quot;. &quot;In a democracy, screening a film is a reflection of our society&#39;s freedom of expression and has nothing to do with government to government relations,&quot; he said in a post on X. &quot;This practice of banning films or books because of the offence they might cause to foreign countries must stop immediately. It&#39;s unworthy of a mature democracy.&quot; Silver Lion grand jury prize&quot;The Voice of Hind Rajab&quot; was nominated for Best International Feature at this year&#39;s Oscars but lost to the Norwegian family drama &quot;Sentimental Value&quot;. Last year, the film won the Silver Lion grand jury prize at the Venice Film Festival where it left audiences in tears at its premiere.&nbsp;

India

Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor terms blocking the film ‘disgraceful’; last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel for two days -- the first trip by an Indian premier in over two decades.

India blocks release of Oscar-nominated Gaza film 

JERUSALEM: Diplomats from 13 European countries and Canada on Saturday slammed growing &quot;terror&quot; by settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, after a surge in deadly attacks. Since the start of March, six Palestinians have been shot dead in settler attacks in the West Bank, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based health ministry. &quot;We strongly condemn increasing settler terror and violence by the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-expert-claims-israel-using-systematic-torture" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israeli </a>security forces inflicted upon Palestinian communities,&quot; said a joint statement from the diplomatic missions of countries including France, Spain and Britain. &lsquo;Appalled by the killings&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;We are especially appalled by the killings of Palestinians over these past weeks. This <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/palestinians-say-israeli-settler-fire-kills-two-in-west-bank" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">violence</a> by settler militias, aimed at taking over land and creating a coercive environment, forcing Palestinians to leave their homes, must end.&quot; The statement called on the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defence-says-israeli-strikes-kill-at-least-5" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israeli</a> authorities to &quot;prevent and prosecute the lethal violence, raids and attacks&quot;. &lsquo;Morally and ethically unacceptable&rsquo;Israel&#39;s military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir on Wednesday criticized the increase in settler attacks in the West Bank, calling it &quot;morally and ethically unacceptable&quot;. Alongside roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law. More broadly, violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023. It has continued despite the ceasefire and spiked since the start of the war against Iran. Over 1,000 Palestinians killed&nbsp;According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,050 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war. Israeli troops last week shot dead two children and their parents in a car, Palestinian authorities said.&nbsp; The Israeli military and police said soldiers opened fire on a vehicle over a perceived safety threat, killing four people inside. Official Israeli figures say 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations.

Middle East

Since the start of March, six Palestinians have been shot dead in settler attacks in the West Bank, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based health ministry.

European nations decry 'increasing settler terror' in West Bank

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has stressed that terrorists operating from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan will not be allowed to undermine Pakistan&rsquo;s security. The CDF made the remarks during his visit to Kurram, where he spent Eid-ul-Fitr with troops and officers, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday. He offered Eid prayers with soldiers and prayed for the country&rsquo;s peace, stability and prosperity. Interacting with officers and troops, the CDF extended Eid greetings and praised their high morale, professionalism and unwavering commitment in safeguarding the nation. He commended the troops for their performance in Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, noting that the operation is focused on dismantling terrorist networks and ensuring lasting peace in border regions. Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s stance, the CDF said Afghan soil must not be used by hostile elements to carry out activities against Pakistan, while underscoring the country&rsquo;s commitment to regional peace and stability. Paying tribute to the martyrs, he said the success of ongoing operations is rooted in the sacrifices of fallen soldiers and the determination of officers and jawans. He also expressed pride in the troops&rsquo; steadfastness and reiterated the armed forces&rsquo; resolve to defend Pakistan&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Upon arrival, the CDF was received by the Corps Commander Peshawar, the ISPR said.

Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir offers Eid-ul-Fitr prayers with troops during his visit to Kurram on March 21, 2026. (Photo: ISPR)

Security

Makes the remarks during his visit to Kurram, where he spent Eid-ul-Fitr with troops and officers, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations.

Pakistan will not allow Afghan-based terrorists to threaten its security, says CDF

DHAKA: Bangladesh is pushing to secure loans of around $2 billion from multilateral agencies for tackling energy security concerns amid soaring global fuel prices driven by the Mideast war. The government has already taken several measures to curb fuel consumption, including halting production at most fertiliser factories. The government has now adopted a three-pronged approach to ensure sustainable energy supply, the prime minister&#39;s finance and planning advisor Rashed Al Titumir said Saturday. &quot;Part of that is securing loans,&quot; Titumir told AFP. &quot;The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has committed $1.3 billion, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged $500 million as budget support,&quot; Al Titumir said, adding the government was pursuing the loans for early disbursement. The government may also approach the World Bank. &quot;As we want to keep foreign currency reserves intact, we have limited options other than seeking loans,&quot; Al Titumir said. The government is also exploring alternatives for sourcing energy from &quot;North America, South America or Africa&quot;. &quot;We are exploring all available options for alternative energy sources,&quot; Al Titumir said. Bangladesh -- which imports 95 percent of its oil and gas needs -- has not raised electricity and fuel prices despite the global surge. Most crude fuel is sourced from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while around 35 percent of gas supply also comes from the Middle East. An attack on a site at Qatar&#39;s Ras Laffan LNG hub could disrupt gas supply, given the country&#39;s reliance on the facility. Since the outbreak of the Mideast war, authorities have taken several measures to curb fuel consumption. These include setting limits on fuel purchases, halting production at most fertiliser factories, deploying police to patrol filling stations, and using the navy to escort LNG shipments.

Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for Finance and Planning. (File photo: BSS)

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is pushing to secure loans of around $2 billion from multilateral agencies for tackling energy security concerns amid soaring global fuel prices driven by the Mideast war.

Bangladesh rushes to secure $2bn loan amid energy crisis

SAN FRANSCISCO: A federal jury in California found Friday that tech tycoon Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders, driving down the company&#39;s share price as he was poised to buy it in a $44 billion deal. The verdict in the class action securities lawsuit means the world&#39;s richest person could be ordered to pay billions of dollars, according to damages calculated by jurors. Minutes after the judgment was announced, the entrepreneur&#39;s lawyers informed AFP that their client will appeal the decision, characterizing it as a &quot;setback.&quot; After a three-week trial in a San Francisco federal court &mdash; which included in-person testimony from Musk &mdash; the jury found that two tweets posted in May 2022 by the Tesla and SpaceX CEO contained false statements responsible for a plunge in Twitter&#39;s share price. Investor Giuseppe Pampena had filed the suit on behalf of people who sold Twitter shares between mid-May and early October 2022. Musk acquired the social media platform in late October 2022 and later renamed it X. Jurors agreed that Musk violated a securities rule that bars false and misleading statements that sink a stock price, in this case that of Twitter, the verdict form showed. An attorney for the plaintiffs estimated the damages at about $2.6 billion. Musk, who has a near-constant presence on X, did not immediately react to the verdict. Teflon tycoon?The judgment marks a rare legal defeat for Musk, often dubbed &quot;Teflon Elon&quot; for his ability to emerge unscathed from lawsuits he is expected to lose. His lawyers, in fact, reminded AFP of this track record, noting that a Texas court cleared him just that same day in a separate defamation case. In 2023, a jury in the same San Francisco federal court cleared him within hours of similar charges brought by Tesla shareholders, following his 2018 tweets claiming he had the funding to take the automaker private. The civil complaint in California accused Musk of driving down Twitter&#39;s stock price to gain leverage to renegotiate the purchase price or get out of the deal completely, causing people who sold shares to lose money. Musk tweeted at one point during the process that the acquisition deal was temporarily on hold until Twitter executives could prove the percentage of &quot;bots&quot; &mdash; fake accounts run by software instead of real users &mdash; was as low as the social media platform claimed. The plaintiffs contended that these statements were part of a scheme designed to pressure the board of directors into accepting a price lower than his initial offer &mdash;&nbsp;at a time when Tesla&#39;s share price was falling, meaning Musk would have to sell more of his shares to finance the deal. Musk abandoned his effort to get out of buying Twitter in late 2022 after the company took him to court to uphold the contract. Musk has since merged the social media platform with his artificial intelligence startup xAI and his private space exploration firm SpaceX. Forbes magazine early this month estimated Elon Musk&#39;s net worth at $839 billion, a figure based primarily on his stakes in his portfolio of companies including Tesla and SpaceX.

This combination of pictures created on October 10, 2023, shows (L) SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, 

Gadgets

The verdict in the class action securities lawsuit means the world's richest person could be ordered to pay billions of dollars, according to damages calculated by jurors

US jury finds Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders

GENEVA: A UN expert claimed Israel was systematically torturing Palestinians on a scale &quot;that suggests collective vengeance and destructive intent&quot;, in a report released to the media on Friday. Francesca Albanese, the UN&#39;s special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, said that since Hamas&#39;s October 7, 2023, attack, which triggered the Gaza war, Palestinians in custody &quot;have been subjected to exceptionally ruthless physical and psychological abuse&quot;. AFP has sought a comment from Israel&#39;s mission in Geneva, which has previously accused Albanese of being motivated by an &quot;obsessive, hate-driven agenda to delegitimize the state of Israel&quot;. Albanese has faced harsh criticism, allegations of anti-Semitism, and demands for her removal from Israel and some of its allies, over her relentless criticism and long-standing accusations of &quot;genocide&quot;. Last month, France and Germany called for her to resign following her remarks to a forum in Doha. Albanese said they had done so based on &quot;false accusations&quot; and a &quot;manipulation&quot; of what she had actually said. Though appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, special rapporteurs are independent experts and do not speak on behalf of the United Nations itself. &#39;Unprecedented scale&#39;&nbsp;A statement accompanying her new report said that while Albanese &quot;unequivocally condemns torture and other forms of ill- treatment committed by all actors, including Palestinian armed groups&quot;, this report &quot;focuses on Israeli conduct&quot;. Entitled &quot;Torture and genocide&quot;, the report &quot;examines Israel&#39;s systematic use of torture against Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territory since October 7, 2023&quot;. It claimed that &quot;torture in detention has been used on an unprecedented scale as punitive collective vengeance&quot;. &quot;Brutal beatings, sexual violence, rape, lethal mistreatment, starvation, and the systematic deprivation of the most basic human conditions have inflicted profound and lasting scars on the bodies and minds of tens of thousands of Palestinians and their loved ones,&quot; the report said. &quot;Torture has become integral to the domination of and punishment inflicted on men, women and children, both through custodial abuse and through a relentless campaign of forced displacement, mass killings, deprivation and destruction of all means of life to inflict long-term collective pain and suffering,&quot; it said. Israel is party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Albanese said she had gathered written submissions, including over 300 testimonies. &#39;Widespread humiliation&#39;Albanese said that since October 2023, arrests of Palestinians in the occupied territories had &quot;escalated dramatically&quot;, with more than 18,500 people arrested, including at least 1,500 children. The report said around 9,000 Palestinians were still in detention, while &quot;more than 4,000 have been subjected to enforced disappearance&quot;. Albanese said Israel&rsquo;s detention system &quot;has descended into a regime of systemic and widespread humiliation, coercion, and terror&quot;. She said Israel should &quot;immediately cease all acts of torture and ill-treatment of the Palestinian people as part of its ongoing genocide&quot; and urged all countries &quot;to do everything in their power to stop the destruction of what remains of Palestine&quot; as every delay &quot;worsens irreversible harm and further entrenches a system of cruelty&quot;. Albanese urged the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to request arrest warrants for Israel&#39;s Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. She is due to present her report to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.

A representative of Qatar is seen on screens as he delivers a speech on human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran during a session of the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva on March 16, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, said that since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, which triggered the Gaza war, Palestinians in custody "have been subjected to exceptionally ruthless physical and psychological abuse".

UN expert claims Israel using 'systematic' torture

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan marked Eid ul Fitr with religious devotion, vibrant celebrations, and a strong message of unity, as millions gathered for special prayers while the country balanced festivity with economic caution amid a global crisis. From the early hours of the morning, worshippers, including children dressed in new clothes, thronged mosques and open prayer grounds across cities and villages. Families embraced after prayers, while streets filled with a festive atmosphere marked by traditional food, greetings, and visits to relatives. Eid ul Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, prayer, and charity. Muslims celebrate the occasion with communal prayers, giving to the poor, and sharing meals, reflecting both spiritual renewal and social solidarity. In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation and urged collective responsibility in challenging times. &ldquo;This Eid specially demands human sympathy, national unity, and collective responsibility from us,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;the true joys of Eid are only complete when we share these joys with the deserving and needy individuals around us.&rdquo; Addressing the economic situation, the prime minister highlighted the impact of regional conflict and surging global oil prices. &ldquo;Oil that was available for $72 per barrel a few weeks ago has crossed $158 per barrel,&rdquo; he noted, warning that the burden of rising prices was being felt globally. He said the government had rejected steep fuel price increases to protect citizens. &ldquo;I rejected this proposal because I knew the previous increase was already a heavy burden on the common man,&rdquo; he said, adding that the government absorbed costs of around Rs69 billion to prevent sharp hikes. However, he cautioned that such measures were temporary. &ldquo;This is not a lasting solution,&rdquo; he said, announcing a shift toward targeted relief for the most vulnerable and calling for a national movement of austerity. &ldquo;We must adopt austerity in our daily lives and avoid unnecessary expenses,&rdquo; he urged. President Asif Ali Zardari, in his Eid message, emphasized unity, compassion, and adherence to national values. &ldquo;The true message of Eid is piety, self-accountability and moral purity,&rdquo; he said, urging citizens to uphold patience, tolerance and brotherhood. He also called for sharing happiness with the underprivileged and reaffirming commitment to constitutional supremacy and the rule of law. Economic impactAlongside the celebrations, Eid once again demonstrated its significant economic impact. Seasonal spending surged nationwide, with the State Bank of Pakistan reporting a rise of Rs1.5 trillion (approximately $5.38 billion) in currency circulation during the fiscal year, driven largely by Ramadan and Eid-related activity. The central bank also issued around Rs27 billion ($96.8 million) in fresh currency notes ahead of Eid, supporting both retail transactions and the cultural tradition of giving Eidi, cash gifts to children. Additional financial inflows further strengthened consumer activity, with Zakat and Fitrana estimated between Rs50 to 70 billion ($179 to $251 million), alongside increased remittances during the period. Despite global economic pressures linked to ongoing regional tensions, the convergence of faith, festivity, and financial activity highlighted Eid&rsquo;s dual significance in Pakistan, both as a deeply spiritual occasion and a key driver of economic life. As the nation celebrated, messages from its leadership underscored a shared theme: unity, compassion and collective resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges.

Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Skardu, Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan, on March 21, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

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