Web Desk

VIENNA: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker on Monday at the Hofburg Palace, where the two leaders held talks on bilateral relations and international issues. In an official statement, the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office reported that PM Sharif was received at the Federal Chancellery with a guard of honor ceremony. He also signed the guest book. Bilateral talks PM Sharif and the Austrian Chancellor first met privately. They later led delegation-level discussions. Pakistan&rsquo;s delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch. According to the PMO, the talks covered economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, education, information technology, health care and workforce mobility. Both sides agreed to expedite the finalization of memoranda of understanding under consideration in these areas. Global issues The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments. They talked about the role of the United Nations in addressing peace and security, sustainable development, climate action and human rights. Both confirmed their support for multilateral cooperation and noted mutual backing for each other&rsquo;s candidatures in international forums. Business forum The two leaders also co-chaired a forum of chief executives from Austrian and Pakistani companies. Participating firms represented renewable energy, energy efficiency, manufacturing, construction, information technology, textiles, surgical instruments, leather goods, sports equipment, health care, tourism and agriculture. Officials agreed to expand government-to-government and business-to-business engagement through existing platforms. PM Sharif invited Austrian companies to attend the EU-Pakistan Business Forum scheduled for April in Islamabad. Official invitation PM Sharif thanked Stocker for hosting the meetings and invited the Austrian chancellor to visit Pakistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was presented Guard of Honour upon arrival in Austria's Federal Chancellery, Vienna, 16 February 2026. (PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s prime minister was honored at the Austrian Chancellery in Vienna, where national anthems were played, and delegations met for talks during his two-day official visit to Austria.

Pakistan PM meets Austrian Chancellor for bilateral talks in Vienna

KANDY: Sri Lanka&#39;s Pathum Nissanka scored the first century of the 2026 T20 World Cup on Monday to put his side into the Super Eights and leave Australia on the brink of elimination.&nbsp;Nissanka scored 100 not out off 52 balls with five sixes and 10 fours as Sri Lanka, chasing Australia&#39;s 181, reached 184-2 with two overs to spare in Kandy to win by eight wickets.&nbsp;A victory by Zimbabwe over Ireland in Group B on Tuesday, or against Sri Lanka on Thursday, will eliminate the 2021 champions.&nbsp;If Zimbabwe lose both, Australia will need to beat Oman in their final match on Friday by a big margin to get through on net run rate.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re in the lap of the Gods now I think,&quot; said Australia captain Mitchell Marsh.&nbsp;&quot;Lot of emotions in the room right now. Haven&#39;t been at our best. Disappointed bunch at the moment.&nbsp;&quot;We shouldn&#39;t have lost to Zimbabwe with all due respect to them and then we were under pressure.&nbsp;&quot;We will be watching the Ireland-Zimbabwe game. However, things are out of our control at the moment.&quot;&nbsp;Nissanka was involved in a 97-run stand off 66 balls with Kusal Mendis for the second wicket with the wicketkeeper-batsman posting his third fifty in the competition.&nbsp;Nissanka became the first Sri Lankan to score two hundreds in T20 internationals.&nbsp;After Mendis&#39;s dismissal, Nissanka and Pavan Rathnayake put on 76 off 34 balls to see Sri Lanka to victory.&nbsp;Nissanka played some glorious cover drives off the spinners and played some elegant flicks against the quicks.&nbsp;One of my dreams&quot;Very happy to score a hundred in a World Cup. It had been one of my dreams to be honest,&quot; Nissanka told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;Our fielding was outstanding today. We spoke about how being sharp on the field is important on a flat wicket like this.&nbsp;&quot;We knew they were 20 runs short. Here the par score is 200. The instruction was for me bat long even though the run rate kept climbing.&nbsp;&quot;We knew bad balls would come and it was important to cash in when they came along.&quot;&nbsp;Sri Lanka came into the World Cup after a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of England, but have gained momentum and have won all three games so far.&nbsp;&quot;Happy to go through to the Super Eights,&quot;said Nissanka.&nbsp;&quot;We had put in a lot of hard work but we didn&#39;t have much momentum leading up to the World Cup. Glad things are falling in line.&nbsp;&quot;Still, it&#39;s a long tournament and we need to keep fighting.&quot;&nbsp;Australia&#39;s campaign has been plagued by injuries, with pace spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood out with injury.&nbsp;Their captain Marsh, who missed the first two games, returned and gave them a rollicking start by scoring 54.&nbsp;Marsh and Travis Head (56) scored 104 runs off 51 balls for the first wicket.&nbsp;With Australia eyeing a total in excess of 200, Sri Lanka&#39;s slow bowlers kept them to 181 with leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha picking up 3-37.&nbsp;But in going for quick runs Australia collapsed, losing their last six wickets for 21 in 24 balls.

Cricket

Pathum Nissanka smashed 100 off 52 balls as Sri Lanka beat Australia by eight wickets, reaching the Super Eights. Australia now face possible elimination after collapsing late despite strong starts from Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head.

Sri Lanka's Nissanka leaves Australia on brink of T20 World Cup exit

DHAKA: Bangladesh&#39;s interim leader Muhammad Yunus stepped down on Monday in a farewell broadcast to the nation before handing over to an elected government.&nbsp;&quot;Today, the interim government is stepping down,&quot; the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said.&nbsp;&quot;But let the practice of democracy, freedom of speech, and fundamental rights that has begun not be halted.&quot;&nbsp;Yunus returned from self‑imposed exile in August 2024, days after the iron‑fisted government of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown by a student-led uprising, and she fled by helicopter to India.&nbsp;&quot;That was the day of great liberation,&quot; he said. &quot;What a day of joy it was! Bangladeshis across the world shed tears of happiness. The youth of our country freed it from the grip of a demon.&quot;&nbsp;He has led Bangladesh as its &quot;chief adviser&quot; since, and now hands over power after congratulating the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its leader Tarique Rahman on a &quot;landslide victory&quot; in elections last week.&nbsp;&quot;The people, voters, political parties, and stakeholder institutions linked to the election have set a commendable example,&quot; Yunus said.&nbsp;&quot;This election has set a benchmark for future elections.&quot;&nbsp;Rahman, 60, chief of the BNP and scion of one of the country&#39;s most powerful political dynasties, will lead the South Asian nation of 170 million.&nbsp;Rebuilt institutionsBangladeshi voters endorsed sweeping democratic reforms in a national referendum, a key pillar of Yunus&#39;s post-uprising transition agenda, on the same day as the elections.&nbsp;The lengthy document, known as the &quot;July Charter&quot; after the month when the uprising that toppled Hasina began, proposes term limits for prime ministers, the creation of an upper house of parliament, stronger presidential powers, and greater judicial independence.&nbsp;&quot;We did not start from zero, we started from a deficit,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;Sweeping away the ruins, we rebuilt institutions and set the course for reforms.&quot;&nbsp;The referendum noted that approval would make the charter &quot;binding on the parties that win&quot; the election, obliging them to endorse it.&nbsp;However, several parties raised questions before the vote, and the reforms will still require ratification by the new parliament.&nbsp;The BNP alliance won 212 seats, compared with 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, according to the Election Commission.&nbsp;Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman conceded on Saturday, saying his Islamist party would &quot;serve as a vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition&quot;.&nbsp;Newly elected lawmakers are expected to be sworn in on Tuesday, after which Tarique Rahman is set to become Bangladesh&#39;s next prime minister.&nbsp;Police records show that political clashes during the campaign period killed five people and injured more than 600.&nbsp;However, despite weeks of turbulence ahead of the polls, voting day passed without major unrest and the country has responded to the results with relative calm.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus resigned in a farewell address, urging the nation to uphold democracy, free speech, and fundamental rights as power transfers to an elected government.

Bangladesh's Yunus announces resignation, end of interim govt

PARIS: Elon Musk-owned social network X was failing to show posts to users in many countries on Monday, monitors said, the latest in a series of interruptions. X appeared to be suffering &quot;international outages,&quot; connectivity monitor Netblocks posted on the open-source social network Mastodon. The breakdown was &quot;not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering&quot;, added Netblocks, which regularly flags technical issues with popular online services and sites, as well as interference by national governments. Its most recent posts about similar outages for X came on February 9, the day of the Super Bowl in the US, and February 1. There was also a spike in user reports of problems with X at around 0130 GMT Monday, according to aggregation website Down Detector. AFP journalists in countries including France and Thailand were also unable to access X. Spokespeople for X did not immediately respond to AFP&#39;s request for comment. Musk laid off thousands of people at the former Twitter and changed its name after buying the service in 2022. He has since merged it with his xAI company, which develops the Grok chatbot. xAI is set to in turn be absorbed by Musk&#39;s rocket firm SpaceX, with that merged entity expected to go public as early as summer this year.

Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk-owned X faced international outages on Monday, with users in many countries unable to view posts. Netblocks said the disruption was not linked to internet restrictions. Similar issues were reported in February, while X gave no immediate comment.

X hit by 'international outages': monitors

GENEVA: Iran said Monday that the US position on Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear program had &ldquo;moved towards a more realistic one&rdquo; ahead of a second&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/swiss-say-oman-to-host-usiran-talks-in-geneva-next-week" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">round of talks</a>, as Iranian and US officials prepared to meet amid rising regional tensions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that, based on discussions held in Muscat, &ldquo;at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,&rdquo; according to the official IRNA news agency. He said Iran&rsquo;s &ldquo;inalienable rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty were recognized,&rdquo; including the peaceful use of nuclear energy and enrichment. Iran&rsquo;s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Geneva at the head of a diplomatic and expert delegation for what Tehran described as &ldquo;indirect&rdquo; talks with the United States mediated by Oman. Iran&rsquo;s state-run IRIB said the second round of negotiations would take place on Tuesday. Araghchi said on X that he met with International Atomic Energy Agency (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-cooperation-with-iaea-suspended-after-european-move-on-un-sanctions" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">IAEA</a>) chief Rafael Grossi in Geneva for a &ldquo;deep technical discussion.&rdquo; Grossi confirmed the meeting, calling it &ldquo;in-depth&rdquo; ahead of Tuesday&rsquo;s negotiations. Araghchi is also set to meet Swiss and Omani counterparts and other international officials, Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry said. &ldquo;I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats,&rdquo; he wrote on X. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re hopeful there&rsquo;s a deal,&rdquo; adding that President Donald Trump &ldquo;always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes.&rdquo; The White House said Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law Jared Kushner were dispatched for the talks. Tehran and Washington restarted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-fm-looks-to-more-nuclear-talks-but-warns-us" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations</a>&nbsp;this month after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June, triggering a 12-day war during which Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Key sticking points include Iran&rsquo;s stockpile of enriched uranium, which had reached 60% purity before the war. More than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium were last seen by nuclear watchdog inspectors in June. Iran has said the material remains under the rubble of nuclear sites struck during the conflict. Washington has repeatedly called on Tehran to reduce its enriched uranium stockpile to zero. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any deal must involve removing all enriched uranium from Iran and ending its enrichment capability. Israel has called for Iran to have &ldquo;no enrichment capability&rdquo; and for all enriched material to be transferred abroad. Iran insists on its right to enrichment but has said it is prepared to dilute its highly enriched uranium if all sanctions are lifted. Dilution involves blending enriched uranium with other material to lower its concentration below a specified threshold. Baqaei said Iran would press for the lifting of long-standing US sanctions that have deepened the country&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-nuclear-deal-officially-ends-as-un-sanctions-return" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">economic crisis</a>. &ldquo;Time is of the essence for us. Our people are under the pressure of oppressive sanctions, and reason and logic demand that we lift these sanctions as soon as possible,&rdquo; he said. Iran&rsquo;s deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifts sanctions. &ldquo;If we see the sincerity on their part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,&rdquo; he said. Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said Tehran was seeking a deal that would generate economic benefits for both countries, particularly in aviation, mining, and oil and gas sectors. &ldquo;For the agreement to be viable, it is essential that the United States also be able to benefit from it in areas with strong and rapid economic return potential,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. The talks come as Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards began military drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. State television said the exercises aim to prepare for &ldquo;potential security and military threats.&rdquo; Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the Strait, through which about 20% of global oil passes. Tensions have escalated after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier group to the Gulf following nationwide protests in Iran. Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Tehran, first over the reported crackdown on the protests, and more recently, over the nuclear program. On Friday, he said a change of government in Iran would be the &ldquo;best thing that could happen.&rdquo; Demonstrations against Iran&rsquo;s clerical authorities were held in several cities abroad over the weekend, including in the United States. Inside Iran, protesters have continued to shout slogans against authorities despite the crackdown. Switzerland has represented US interests in Iran since Washington broke off relations following the 1980 hostage crisis, a year after the Iranian revolution.

Asia

Iran says Washington’s approach to its nuclear program has shifted in a more realistic direction ahead of fresh talks, according to foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, who shared the view following discussions.

Iran says US stance on nuclear issue 'more realistic'

ISLAMABAD: The Indian Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider petitions seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged hate speech, warning that courts are increasingly being turned into &ldquo;political battlegrounds&rdquo; during election season. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the apex court would not invoke its jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution, stressing that allegations involving cognizable offences must first be brought before the relevant high court. The bench expressed concern about what it described as a &ldquo;disturbing trend&rdquo; of litigants bypassing the high courts and approaching the Supreme Court directly in politically sensitive matters. According to Indian media reports, the controversy relates to remarks allegedly made by Sarma at a public gathering, including past references to &ldquo;Miya&rdquo; &mdash; a term widely regarded as derogatory for Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam &mdash; as well as a now-deleted video shared by the Assam BJP&rsquo;s social media handle showing the chief minister symbolically firing a rifle. Petitioners argued the statements amounted to hate speech, warranting immediate legal action. Three separate petitions were filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI leader Annie Raja, and four prominent Assamese figures, including retired professor Hiren Gohain and former state police chief Harekrishna Deka. The pleas sought the registration of criminal cases and the constitution of an SIT to investigate Sarma&rsquo;s speeches. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioners, described Sarma as a &ldquo;habitual offender&rdquo; and pressed for direct intervention by the top court. The Chief Justice, however, rejected the plea. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t undermine the authority of the High Courts. It has become a trend now that every matter ends up in the Supreme Court. Don&rsquo;t demoralize the High Court judges,&rdquo; Chief Justice Kant was quoted as saying by LiveLaw, an <span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">Indian legal news portal providing real-time coverage of court proceedings. The court directed the petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court for appropriate relief.

Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (photo: X/@himantabiswa)

India

India’s Supreme Court declined to hear petitions seeking an FIR and special probe against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged hate speech, warning against turning courts into political battlegrounds and directing petitioners to approach the high court.

India's Supreme Court warns against politicizing judiciary, declines pleas against chief minister

ISLAMABAD: Tarique Rahman is set to become Bangladesh&rsquo;s next prime minister after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party gained an outright majority with 209 seats in the recently-held 13th Jatiya Sangsad (parliamentary) elections. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the new prime minister and cabinet members at the South Plaza of the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-incoming-government-signals-regional-reset-pushes-saarc-revival" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jatiya Sangsad</a> on Tuesday, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported. &ldquo;The Parliament Secretariat is set to hold the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/planning-minister-to-represent-pakistan-at-bangladesh-oathtaking-ceremony" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">oath-taking ceremony</a> of the new cabinet members at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. Earlier, the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-vote-resets-power-balance-backs-reforms-after-years-of-upheaval" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Parliament Members</a> (MPs) will be sworn-in at 10:00 a.m at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Complex,&rdquo; Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat Kaniz Maula said, according to BSS. Oath-taking ceremonyThe Cabinet Division and the Parliament Secretariat have been making all-out preparations for the oath-taking ceremony since Saturday, she added. Breaking with a long-standing tradition, the swearing-in ceremony for the new government will be held at the South Plaza of the Parliament Complex rather than at Bangabhaban, the presidential residence.&nbsp; The cabinet secretary will conduct the oath-taking ceremony, BSS reported, quoting a Bangabhaban source familiar with the development.&nbsp; According to the rules, following the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members of parliament, a meeting of the BNP Parliamentary Board will be held to elect its parliamentary leader, BSS reported, quoting a BNP source. Appointment of PM&nbsp;The leader of the house will then meet the president and inform him that the party holds an absolute majority in parliament, officially requesting appointment as the prime minister of Bangladesh. Next, the president will appoint the party leader as prime minister, who will then choose other members of the cabinet.&nbsp; President Shahabuddin, as the head of state, will administer the oath first to the prime minister, followed by the ministers, state ministers, and deputy ministers.&nbsp; Gazette publication&nbsp;According to the constitution, elected members are required to take an oath within three days of the gazette publication.&nbsp; On Friday night, the Election Commission published the gazette for 297 out of 299 parliamentary seats in the 13th parliamentary polls.&nbsp; In this election, the BNP secured an absolute majority by winning 209 seats.&nbsp;Their former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, will be the main opposition party with 68 seats. Other parties and independent candidates have won the remaining seats.&nbsp;

Following the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected people's representatives, a meeting of the BNP Parliamentary Board will be held to elect its parliamentary leader. The leader of the house will meet the president and inform him that the party has an absolute majority in parliament, requesting appointment as prime minister. The president will then appoint the leader as prime minister, who will select the other cabinet members.

Bangladesh's newly-elected representatives to take oath on Feb. 17

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday rejected what it described as Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;illegal measures&rdquo; in the Occupied West Bank, strongly condemning attempts by the Israeli occupying power to convert areas of the territory into so-called state property and expand settlement activities. &quot;Such steps are in clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and must be rejected by the international community,&quot; the Foreign Ministry said. MoFA said the occupying power&rsquo;s continued disregard for international law and its &ldquo;provocative actions&rdquo; undermined prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region. Calling for accountability, Pakistan urged the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity and ensure respect for international law. Reaffirming Islamabad&#39;s longstanding position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Pakistan reiterated full support for Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The statement backed the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The European Union called on Israel to reverse its approval of a process to register land in the West Bank, warning it was a &quot;new escalation&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;This constitutes a new escalation after recent measures already aimed at extending Israeli control&quot; in the occupied West Bank, EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. &quot;We reiterate that annexation is illegal under international law. We call on Israel to reverse this decision,&quot; he added.

Palestinian children and journalists disperse as Israeli tanks enter the Jenin camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)

Islamabad denounces Israel’s move to convert West Bank land into “state property”; says Israel's action breaches international law and UN resolutions; urges global measures while reaffirming support for Palestinian statehood.

Pakistan condemns Israeli West Bank land seizures, demands international action

JHAPA: Nepali candidates launched campaigning on Monday for next month&#39;s parliamentary elections, the first since deadly anti-corruption&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gen-z-protests-digital-platforms-fuel-change-from-asia-to-africa" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a>&nbsp;toppled the previous government in 2025. In the key battleground of Jhapa-5 &mdash; a constituency in Nepal&#39;s eastern plains with the world&#39;s highest peaks on the horizon &mdash; a head-to-head political fight dominating the campaign was already heating up. The ousted former prime minister&#39;s bid to return to power &mdash;&nbsp;73-year-old Marxist leader KP <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/nepals-exchief-justice-sushila-karki-becomes-interim-premier-after-protests" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sharma Oli</a> &mdash; is being challenged on his home turf by a rapper-turned-mayor casting himself as a symbol of youth-driven political change, 35-year-old Balendra Shah. Both Oli and Shah kicked off campaigning in Jhapa on Monday, wooing voters to their cause. &quot;KP Oli is a need of this nation,&quot; 66-year-old Jhapa resident Hima Karki told AFP, one of 163,000 voters in the constituency, a mix of towns and farming settlements. &quot;He is the savior of the nation, and his victory from here is certain.&quot; Others were more doubtful of Oli&#39;s return to power. &quot;Only the youth can bring change,&quot; said Chhabi Khatiwoda, 33, a Jhapa resident who has switched his support from Oli to Shah, who has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the fourth biggest in the last parliament. &quot;It is high time we all became politically aware and work for new Nepal.&quot; The youth-led protests in September were triggered by a brief <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/meta-urges-australia-to-change-teen-social-media-ban" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">social media ban</a>, but were fueled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of touch. Over two days in September, 77 people were killed, scores were injured, hundreds of buildings set on fire &mdash; including parliament, courts and a Hilton hotel &mdash; and Oli was ousted. It was the Himalayan nation&#39;s worst violence since a decade-long civil war ended in 2006. &quot;This election will draw the future of the country,&quot; Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the start of campaigning. Young and old Two weeks of campaigns will see a host of new, younger candidates promise to offer change, challenging veteran politicians who say they provide stability and security. &quot;Today is the first day,&quot; Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane told AFP, but said that the active participation of parties was &quot;a good signal of a positive environment for the election&quot;. Shah, who first gained national attention through Nepal&#39;s underground hip-hop scene, releasing songs that railed against corruption and inequality, cultivated a devoted following on social media.&nbsp;But Oli-loyalist Hima Karki said the election battle would not be won online. &quot;Others may win on social media but we will win in the real election,&quot; he said. Also in the race is Nepali Congress, the country&rsquo;s oldest party. It was once part of Oli&#39;s coalition government, but has elected a new leader since the uprising &mdash;&nbsp;49 year old Gagan Thapa. And, at the other end of the spectrum from <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/angry-with-governments-the-worlds-young-fill-streets-as-gen-z-protest" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gen Z politics</a>, supporters of the ex king Gyanendra Shah, 78 &mdash; deposed in 2008, ending 240 years of monarchy &mdash; will also campaign. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which draws support from royalist nostalgia and frustration with mainstream politics, rallied thousands in Kathmandu on Friday as the ex-king drove through the streets waving from his car. &#39;Way out&#39; Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time. They will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional representation. More than 3,400 candidates are competing in the direct vote, 30%&nbsp;aged under 40. Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters. &quot;This election is being conducted in a special condition,&quot; former chief justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. &quot;This has to give the country a way out.&quot; The Election Commission has said it is ready to hold the polls as planned despite concerns over weather conditions, as many high-altitude areas may be snowbound that early in the year. The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated election schedule brought on by the September unrest. Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with around 300,000 officers and temporary election police deployed.

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli (2L), Nepal's former prime minister and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) leader, greets supporters during a door-to-door election campaign rally in Damak, Jhapa district on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

Nepal launches campaigns for first post-uprising polls

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/field-marshal-asim-munir-meets-us-state-secretary-on-munich-security-conference-sidelines" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir</a>&nbsp;and Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan&nbsp;discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of economic collaboration, investment and security&nbsp;in Abu Dhabi, the military&rsquo;s media wing said on Monday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two sides also exchanged views on regional developments and stressed the importance of continued coordination to promote peace and stability in the region.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir appreciated the UAE&rsquo;s longstanding investments and sustained support for Pakistan&rsquo;s economy and security, saying it reflects the deep-rooted ties between the two countries. He also commended the UAE leadership for its role in supporting Pakistan&rsquo;s economic and social development.&nbsp;The Pakistani military chief affirmed that the UAE&#39;s security and stability are integral to Pakistan&rsquo;s own security, reiterating Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership for mutual benefit and regional prosperity.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir meets Abu Dhabi Deputy Ruler Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo: ISPR/Handout)

The two also exchanged views on regional developments and stressed the importance of continued coordination to promote peace and stability in the region.

Pakistan PM meets Austrian Chancellor for bilateral talks in Vienna

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