In a landmark judgment, the Lahore High Court has held that parents cannot lower or waive the support of minor children even with mutual consent, and said that child maintenance is a legal entitlement that cannot be compromised by parents or guardians.

Justice Usman Ghani Rashid Cheema who heard petition moved by Shazia Noreen remanded the matter to Family Court. The court held that parents or guardians cannot cut or terminate the maintenance payable to underage children.

The court called upon the Family Court to decide the maintenance after looking into the financial status of the children’s father and other relevant criteria.

The combined monthly support for a minor girl and her brother was determined at Rs60,000 in January 2026, the verdict said. But the children’s mother had promised in an affidavit to lower upkeep and drop other requests.

The youngsters appealed to the Sessions Judge, Sargodha, but their plea was dismissed. The Lahore High Court observed that it is up to the court to decide if any arrangement between the parents is in the best interest of the minor children and whether it curtails their rights.

The court said that judges must be mindful and vigilant to preserve the rights of minor children, noting that “minor children are not our tomorrow, but our today.”

Two innocent civilians have been killed and another injured after India’s Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire near the Pakistan-India international border in Kasur, according to Pakistani security sources.

The sources said the three innocent men, residents of Ladhar village, had moved only a few steps beyond a border pillar when the BSF opened fire without warning. The deceased were identified as Azmat Rasool and Mohsin Jutt.

Security officials said the men were unarmed and had made no attempt to cross the international border or the border fence. They maintained that the firing was a violation of established border protocols.

The incident comes a day after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry exposed India for staging what he described as another “false-flag” operation.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the DG ISPR rejected Indian claims that former Pakistan Army Havaldar Muhammad Asif had been killed as a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Indian authorities and media had claimed that a militant identified as Mohammad Asif alias Musa had been killed during an operation in the Korag-Yousmarg area. Indian reports further claimed that the deceased had previously served in the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG).

However, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif presented Muhammad Asif before the media, saying he was alive and had retired from the SSG in 2023. Asif said he received calls from friends after Indian reports claimed he had been killed.

The military spokesman rejected the Indian claims and questioned the identity and circumstances surrounding the reported killing.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces (COAS & CDF) of Pakistan chaired the 277th Corps Commanders’ Conference at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi where military leaders reviewed the current security environment, counter-terrorism operations and operational preparedness.

The forum began with Fateha for the Shuhada of the Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies and civil society who sacrificed their lives in service of the country. Participants paid tribute to their sacrifices and commemorated martyrs of Pakistan.

The conference reiterated the need for a high level of readiness in the face of the changing security scenario. It also highlighted Pakistan’s stated right to self-defense and action against terrorists emanating from Afghanistan.

Security review

The forum blamed the Taliban leadership for the repercussions of facilitating terrorism, saying it was doing it on behalf of India. The remarks came as the military leadership evaluated security problems and reiterated its resolve to tackle threats to Pakistan’s national security.

The participants complimented the continued intelligence based counter-terrorism activities of law enforcement agencies. However, the summit emphasized that operational measures need to be supplemented with non-kinetic initiatives to address the root causes of militancy and insecurity.

These include people-centric government at the grassroots level, strategic engagement with the public, deconstructing the terror-crime nexus purportedly working under the patronage of vested interests and boosting police capacities.

The meeting underscored that these efforts should be in line with the National Action Plan and Vision Azm-e-Istehkam which were referred to as frameworks for tackling the country’s security concerns.

Internal stability

The commanders stressed the need for domestic stability and restated their position against efforts to foment disturbance. The forum added that no matter what pretext any attempt to create a situation similar to that of May 9 will be handled with resolute force and action within the framework of the law, without hesitation or discrimination.

The reference to May 9 is about the turmoil which broke out in 2023 after the imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan, where military installations and other public property were assaulted at various places. The military leadership stressed its determination to respond to efforts to destabilize the country.

The conference also underscored the need to sustain counter-terrorism efforts while improving governance, public participation and law enforcement capacity to address security issues on a number of fronts.

Regional Links

The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement comprising Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was welcomed by the forum. It said it was a development contributing to long-standing strategic cooperation and collective defense connections among the countries.

Participants also strongly criticized the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and voiced solidarity with the Kingdom. The summit reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to protect the security and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain, the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah.

The military leadership underlined the country’s stance on the Kashmir issue regarding Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It also reiterated its support for the resolution of the dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

The debates highlighted the forum’s focus on Pakistan’s security priorities, its regional partnerships and long-standing diplomatic views.

combat-readiness

In his concluding remarks, Field Marshal Asim Munir lauded the professional acumen and operational readiness of military forces. He called on the commanders to keep the pace of intelligence-led operations and to continue to enhance the combat power of the Armed Forces.

The guidance required increased use of current technology, increased training, and better integration across many operational domains. The focus on multi-domain integration demonstrated the necessity to build joint capabilities to address changing security problems.

Munir said he firmly believed that the Armed Forces, with the backing of the public were completely prepared to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.