21 Days
Thousands of poor patients are not getting treatment
Peace is back this Monday, June 29.
As expected (thankfully), Iran and the US have agreed to stop attacking each other and talk again. I know you’re sick of hearing it, as am I (although I will say it’s a relief when they decide to talk again), but I’ve listed the major developments below, the main one being that talks will continue in Doha on Tuesday.
Bad news in KHI for HIV patients and zero accountability for the hospital, a major operation overnight in Afghanistan and did you know that doctors are still protesting for justice over the Dr. Mahnoor case?
See you all tomorrow and you know what, I’m going to dig out some great local news today for this newsletter because enough - we need news to look forward to. As a Cancerian, July is a month I love, so I vow to try my best to give you happy, local, daily news (might regret it when I find nothing…).
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Security forces killed 29 militants in a major intelligence-based operation and follow-up precision strikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, targeting hideouts linked to India-backed Jamaat ul Ahrar and Fitna al-Khawarij. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said key militant commander Khan Farosh was among those killed in Bajaur, while three more militant camps in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar were destroyed overnight. The operation comes after a renewed surge in terror attacks, with Islamabad vowing its “Azm-e-Istehkam” campaign will continue at full force against foreign-sponsored terrorism.
Families of around 200 children infected with HIV at Karachi’s Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital protested at the Karachi Press Club, demanding an FIR against hospital staff over alleged medical negligence that has already claimed nine young lives. Parents say they have spent months seeking justice, proper treatment, and financial compensation, while also facing poverty, social stigma, and even threats to stay silent. Their lawyer claims contaminated syringes caused the outbreak and accused authorities of delaying the inquiry, calling it a deliberate cover-up to shield those responsible.
Balochistan’s doctors’ strike has entered its 21st day, shutting OPDs in govt hospitals and leaving thousands of poor patients without treatment. The protest follows an acid attack on a doctor, Dr. Mahnoor, with the Pakistan Medical Association demanding a judicial inquiry and the suspension of senior health officials over what it calls a stalled investigation. Dr. Mahnoor was attacked by a lift operator in civil hospital in Quetta. The suspect was killed by the police after the attack. Dr. Mahnoor was taken to KHI for treatment and the govt had announced they were sending her abroad for further treatment. Doctors are protesting for the safety of their peers and if their demands aren’t met, are planning to march to Islamabad.
*All information below taken from The Current, GEO News, Dawn and Al-Jazeera
The peace deal is back on track after days of tit-for-tat strikes threatened to collapse it entirely. According to US officials, both sides have now agreed to halt attacks in the Gulf and return to negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, with talks expected to resume in Doha on Tuesday.
Iran had agreed to reopen the Strait for commercial traffic while the US committed to easing pressure on Iranian ports in the Islamabad MoU signed earlier this month. A US official said both sides would “stand down for now” and vessels would be allowed to move freely, raising hopes that the interim agreement can still hold.
One of Iran’s major grievances remains access to previously frozen funds, with Iranian officials saying the lack of access is proof that the US has not upheld its side of the bargain. At the same time, Iran has doubled down on its stance over the Strait of Hormuz, insisting only Tehran has control over it, warning that any challenge to its control or attempts to bypass it would only “increase tensions.”
The military fallout of the past 48 hours continues to ripple across the Gulf. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have destroyed eight US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait using ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation for recent US strikes on Iranian facilities.
Meanwhile, regional air travel is beginning to recover. Iranian state media announced that flights between Tehran and Dubai will resume on Monday, signaling at least some restoration of normalcy after days of heightened disruption.
In Lebanon however, just days after Israel and Lebanon signed a US-backed agreement intended to end hostilities, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri dismissed the deal as “contradictory and impossible to implement,” calling it an imposed agreement. Hezbollah echoed that rejection, warning it reserves the right to defend Lebanon after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire through repeated attacks in southern Lebanon. Israeli strikes on Sunday wounded at least two people.
Iran has made Lebanon a key part of its negotiating position. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran is “seriously pursuing” the removal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, stressing that the first paragraph of the US-Iran MoU explicitly addresses ending hostilities in Lebanon and preserving its territorial integrity.
Pakistan remains actively engaged in the diplomatic effort. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The next round of talks in Qatar now carries enormous weight, not only for US-Iran relations, but for the wider Gulf, Lebanon, and global energy markets.
Giving up doesn’t mean giving in. Stand strong, you made the right choice.
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