Farhan, who was appointed captain for Pakistan’s men’s cricket campaign at the Asian Games in Japan, said on Thursday that he would consider it a “proud moment” if he were given the opportunity to lead the national side in the future.

“If I get the opportunity, why not continue in the future as well?” Farhan said during a media talk on the sidelines of Pakistan’s pre-departure training camp at the National Bank Stadium.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has not publicly confirmed a permanent change in the T20 leadership. Head coach Mike Hesson said on Wednesday that Farhan’s appointment for the Asian Games was an opportunity for him to gain captaincy experience and that his future in the role would be a matter for the PCB and selection committee to decide later.

According to media reports, however, the PCB is believed to be considering Farhan as part of a longer-term T20 leadership plan, with the upcoming Asian Games campaign to be among the factors assessed before a decision is taken.

For now, Farhan was keen to keep the focus firmly on the assignment in Japan, where Pakistan enter the 10-team T20 competition at the quarter-final stage. Their first match is scheduled for Sept 28, with the semi-finals on Oct 1 and the medal matches on Oct 3.

“Right now, the entire focus is on the Asian Games,” Farhan said. “I cannot say anything about what happens afterwards because my entire focus is on this tournament. I have been made captain for the Asian Games, so that is where my attention is. We will see what happens later.”

Farhan’s elevation comes as Pakistan look to develop a younger T20 core. The squad contains four players yet to make their T20I debuts — Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood — while Abdul Samad has been named vice-captain.

Farhan, who has represented Pakistan in 46 T20Is, said he was confident in the group despite the relative inexperience of several players.

“Senior or junior does not matter. The players who perform are the ones who make the team,” he said. “As captain, I am confident because the players who succeed are the ones who are in form and come into the team after performing.”

The captain also played down the prospect of Pakistan becoming overly focused on a potential clash with India, saying the team would approach the tournament one match at a time.

“The India match comes later. Before that, we have other matches to play. It is not necessary for us to focus entirely on the India match,” he said.

Pakistan have also prepared specifically for the unfamiliar conditions expected in Japan, with Farhan saying the team had requested practice wickets that would replicate the anticipated slower conditions and had played scenario-based matches during their four-day Karachi camp.

The PCB had said the team would depart for Japan on Thursday night after completing its pre-departure camp in Karachi.

Farhan said the captaincy itself would not alter his approach.

“Whether I am captain or a player, I will have the same mindset and play according to what T20 cricket requires,” he said. “I expect the same from my players. They should play for the team and help Pakistan win matches.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar delivered Pakistan’s statement at the meeting of the top UN body, where AI executives said the technology calls for heightened vigilance.

Speaking at the France-chaired briefing on artificial intelligence and international security, DPM Dar said: “We must ensure that AI does not become another facet of the ongoing arms race.

“Concerted efforts are required to erect the necessary guardrails, regulations and governance frameworks. In the military domain, we need measures of restraint and confidence-building to address the risks of miscalculation and compressed decision-making.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Hugging Face CEO Clement Delangue and Yoshua Bengio, co-chair of the UN International Independent Panel on AI, also briefed the council.

Anthropic’s CEO pledged to slow down where needed to ensure the safety of new releases, while Altman also said that “this moment calls for extreme care”.

In his remarks, shared by the Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday, DPM Dar emphasised that the “foremost priority is to retain human judgement and control in all stages of AI design, development, and integration”.

He said humans must remain in control to define structures of AI systems as well as to limit the speed and nature of future capabilities.

The deputy premier further said that the technology should not be a “monopoly of a few actors”, calling for international collaboration in AI development.

He noted that AI was “supercharging existing challenges such as misinformation, fake news, cyber attacks, including on critical infrastructure by state and non-state actors”.

“We must undertake concrete action to address the gaps and challenges that carry huge implications for peace and security,” he maintained.

“Pakistan takes the call to pace the AI frontier seriously,” the DPM told the UNSC.

“We welcome the recognition that no single company or country can manage these risks alone, and that competitive pressures are driving a race that no one can win safely,” he observed.

At the same time, Dar cautioned that efforts to pace the AI frontier “must not become a new form of gatekeeping” and measures pursued in the name of safety “must not become instruments of denial of technology”.

He emphasised that decisions on how to manage AI risks “cannot rest with a handful of companies or capitals”.

“Therefore, it is critical to avoid fragmentation in AI development and governance. Discriminatory agendas and inequitable forums with select representation are not helpful,” he asserted.

The deputy premier called for AI governance to be taken up in “representative and inclusive forums with universal participation under UN auspices”.

The minister welcomed the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva and highlighted Pakistan’s founding membership of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), terming the latter a “concrete step towards promoting the development of AI for good and for all”.

The meeting was also attended by foreign ministers of Denmark and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UK foreign secretary, and the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, according to FO.

Senior representatives from Panama, Greece, Somalia, Bahrain, Latvia, Colombia, China, Russia and Liberia also participated.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged joint action within the UN framework and with companies to set rules for a new era.

But diplomatic efforts could clash with the United States’ position.

Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said rapid advancement is not a reason to pause AI’s development or constrain it with new governance structures.

Tech chiefs urge caution in AI development

The UNSC meeting followed weeks of global headlines about the risks of uncontrollable AI and calls for a slowdown, which have been resisted by US President Donald Trump.

“The industry must not accept too much technological risk just because the benefits are too great and important to slow down,” the OpenAI CEO told the United Nations’ top body.

He warned that as AI systems become more capable and autonomous, they could move faster than institutions or concentrate power into too few hands.

Altman also urged governments to work with each other and the industry on decisions shaping the technology’s future.

“In our history, there have been times where countries who compete and don’t always like each other very much still come together for shared interests and the collective good in the face of a powerful new technology,” he said.

“We believe this must be one of those times,” he added.

Altman said his company would try to walk a “middle path”.

“We don’t want to fall into the trap of blind optimism,” he said, but cautioned against falling into “doomerism” too.

Speaking after Altman, the Anthropic CEO said his company understands that as AI models become more powerful, “even more stringent standards of safety will be required”.

He said Anthropic aims to improve its ability to prevent misuse of the technology.

“We will slow down as much as necessary in order to make sure that every successive AI technology that we release is actually safe,” Amodei said in a video feed.

“If managed poorly, I even believe that AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole,” he added.

Delangue of Hugging Face noted that while his company was targeted by AI, it also used the technology to fend off the attacks.

“The world needs open-source AI more than ever to defend itself.”

The KP government on Wednesday approved a proposed law to replace the KP Police Act, 2017, curtailing the powers of the inspector general of police (IGP) by making the police chief’s operational, administrative and financial decisions subject to approval from the provincial government or chief minister.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, Chaudhry said policing and the maintenance of public order were primarily provincial subjects under the constitutional framework established by the 18th Amendment, but provinces did not have unlimited powers to legislate beyond the Constitution and existing legal frameworks.

He said the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) rules and other relevant laws provided the framework governing the police and could not be overridden through provincial legislation.

“You cannot change the command structure of a police force that is fighting terrorism, losing its personnel every day, and continuing to perform its duties and make sacrifices despite limited resources, through legislation that is inconsistent with Pakistan’s Constitution and the PSP rules,” he said.

“You cannot use such legislation to structurally dismantle its command structure.”

The minister said the proposed law did not merely curtail the powers of the IGP but “dismantled the entire command structure”.

He said the proposed law would also strip regional police officers, who are deputy inspectors general (DIGs), of the authority to appoint grade-17 officers, including deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), while additional inspectors general would no longer be able to make appointments to grade-17, 18 and 19 posts that were not field postings.

“How can one person take all these powers into their own hands?” he asked, alleging that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was seeking to bring the entire system under his “personal and political control”.

Chaudhry also questioned whether police officers would continue to take decisions on professional grounds if the command structure was weakened, warning that the move could affect “discipline and morale within the force”.

Referring to the chief minister’s authority over postings, he said all four chief ministers had limited powers in this regard, but these did not affect the police command structure.

He also questioned why the provincial government had not introduced the proposed legislation earlier if changes to the 2017 law were considered necessary.

Chaudhry criticised what he described as inadequate resources for the KP Police, including lower salaries compared to those of police forces in other provinces.

He also questioned the availability of protective equipment, armoured vehicles, security arrangements, forensic laboratories and residential facilities for police personnel.

He questioned the proposed composition of a six-member body under the new law, saying it would comprise members of the provincial assembly.

“Why not include opposition members, civil society representatives, journalists, police officers and judges? They could also provide valuable advice,” he said.

Instead, he alleged, the provincial government had “brought in its own people” and sought to exercise control over the police down to the district and tehsil levels.

Chaudhry said there could be differences between police forces in different provinces, such as changes in uniform colour or the creation of separate traffic police, but certain fundamental aspects had to remain uniform.

He said it was “extremely unfortunate” that the proposed changes had been brought forward at a time when terrorism was at its peak in KP.

Asked what options the federal government had, Chaudhry said the proposed law had only been approved by the provincial cabinet and would now be sent to the provincial assembly.

He said there were several areas where federal laws continued to apply even after the 18th Amendment, adding that provinces could not legislate in a manner that conflicted with the Constitution or applicable federal laws and rules.

“These are such rules that no province can change them,” he said, adding that the proposed legislation would likely be challenged before the courts.

Chaudhry said that if the matter reached parliament and further legislation was required after debate, the federal government would not hesitate to take the matter forward.

Responding to a question about the PTI’s call for a long march, the minister of state said all routes to the federal capital are open.

However, he made it clear that the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision would be implemented in letter and spirit to protect the lives and property of the people.

KP governor vows to block proposed law if it reaches his office

Meanwhile, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi shared a video on X of his remarks at a conference, saying the provincial government wanted to turn the police into its “slave” and a “PTI tiger force”.

“We will not allow the police to become anyone’s slave. They want the police to be subservient to them and become PTI’s tiger force. We will not allow the police to become tiger force. Instead, we will give the police the powers they need to take action against anyone who commits a wrongdoing,” he said.

Kundi added that no government official, including the governor, chief minister or any other government functionary, could order the police to act unlawfully.

“The law is equal for everyone,” he said, adding that the proposed law was facing criticism because of the PTI government’s record.

Asked whether he would approve the proposed law if it came to him, Kundi said, “It has not even come to me yet, so why would I approve it? When this unconstitutional and illegal Police Act comes to me, I will not approve it.”

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the direction during a hearing on an issue arising from a contempt of court petition.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Abdul Kareem appeared before the court on its orders.

The chief justice expressed displeasure over FIRs being printed in small fonts, observing that the documents were difficult to read.

She remarked that the problem was being seen in case after case.

“While police are saving paper, we are losing our eyesight,” the chief justice remarked.

She observed that fitting the narration of three pages onto a single page would obviously make the font unreadable. The CJ directed the IGP to ensure that FIRs across Punjab were printed in a uniform, larger font.

The IGP told the court that a letter had already been sent to the chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board regarding an increase in the font size.

The CJ sought a detailed report from the IGP on the steps taken in this regard and adjourned the hearing until Sept 29.

She also sought a separate report on a contempt of court petition filed by a citizen against the police.

On Wednesday, during hearing of a petition filed by a citizen, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdullah appeared before the court on behalf of the Chung police.

When Justice Neelum asked SP Abdullah to read the FIR aloud, he was unable to properly read or narrate its contents.

“Why is the FIR not readable? I cannot understand what has been written in it,” the chief justice remarked.

She also took a sarcastic jab at the handwriting, observing that it looked like “flies” and quipping: “Even the size of the flies is bigger [than this].”

A student of Aitchison College and later a medical graduate of Lahore’s prestigious King Edward Medical College, he had set his sights on medicine and was doing his house job at Mayo Hospital when fate intervened in the most unexpected way.

A day before the 1990 general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), his father, retired Colonel Muhammad Naqi Khan, then minister for health, died in a tragic road accident while campaigning.

The family elders soon decided that his only son should carry forward the political legacy. At 26, and with little political experience, Dr Naqi was persuaded to take the plunge.

He contested the 1990 election on a Muslim Conference ticket but lost. The setback, however, proved only a temporary detour. The assembly was dissolved within a year, paving the way for fresh elections, in which the young doctor returned to the fray — and this time emerged victorious.

That was the beginning of a parliamentary career that would span more than three decades.

In those days, a first-time legislator was not expected to walk straight into the cabinet. The convention was to start at the bottom and work one’s way up. Dr Naqi did precisely that, serving as parliamentary secretary for health and planning and development from 1991 to 1996.

He won again in 1996, but with the PPP forming the government, he spent the next five years on the opposition benches. He lost the 2001 election but was subsequently elected by assembly members to the AJK Council, where he served until 2006.

Born on Jan 19, 1964, Dr Naqi comes from a prominent political, social and educational family of Poonch whose public-service tradition stretches back several generations.

At the heart of that legacy stands his grandfather, Col Khan Muhammad Khan, popularly remembered as Khan Sahib and Baba-e-Poonch.

A soldier, politician, social reformer and educationist, Khan Muhammad Khan served in the British Indian Army during the First World War and was awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. After retiring as a subedar major, he served as police inspector of Poonch before turning his energies to social welfare and public life.

Education was one of his abiding passions.

In an era when formal education remained beyond the reach of many people, particularly in rural areas of Poonch, Khan Sahib devised the “Muthi Bhar Atta” — or “handful of flour” — scheme. Households contributed a handful of flour every week, which was sold, with the proceeds channelled into educational activities.

In 1934, he founded the Sudhan Educational Conference to encourage both religious and modern education. The same year, he was elected to the Tehsil Bagh and Sudhnoti seat of the Praja Sabha, the first legislature of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. He retained the seat until 1946, when he voluntarily stepped aside in favour of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, who would later become the first AJK president.

The educational initiative also spawned scholarships for talented students and helped establish educational and religious institutions. During the 1947 Kashmir conflict, Khan Sahib served as chairman of the War Council and played a prominent role in the movement that led to the establishment of the territory now administered as AJK.

Dr Naqi was born four years after his grandfather’s death, the youngest of Col Naqi Khan’s four children, with three elder sisters.

His father had followed the family tradition into public life, serving in the army before entering AJK politics. From 1975 to 1977, Col Naqi served as senior adviser to the AJK prime minister. In 1985, he contested and won the election from Sudhnoti and became the minister for health and food in 1988. His death in 1990 unexpectedly pushed his son into the political arena.

Dr Naqi returned to the assembly in 2006 for a third term and served as minister for health and population welfare. He later held the portfolios of education and information technology. He was elected for a fourth term in 2011 on a PML-N ticket and remained on the opposition benches until 2016.

The 2016 election brought him back for a fifth assembly term. He subsequently served as minister for health and also held the finance and planning and development portfolios. Over the years, he thus occupied a range of responsibilities spanning health, education, information technology, finance and development.

After losing the 2021 election, Dr Naqi was set to stage a comeback in the 2026 polls. However, elections in seven constituencies of Poonch division, including his own, were put on hold because of the law and order situation.

Luck had something else in store for him.

As the government formation process was completed on the basis of 46 seats — excluding the seven constituencies of Poonch and Sudhnoti — the top two constitutional offices also went to representatives from other divisions, with the speaker coming from Mirpur and the prime minister from Muzaffarabad.

This led to growing calls for the presidency to go to a representative of Poonch division. Dr Naqi, with his long parliamentary experience and roots in the region, soon emerged as the name around which those calls coalesced.

His nomination came at a time when the presidency had been vacant since the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood in January. The office was held in an acting capacity first by Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar and later by his successor, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq. After securing 31 votes against the opposition PPP’s 14, Dr Naqi ascended to the presidency, completing an unlikely journey from medicine to the region’s top constitutional office.

Dr Naqi’s personal life, too, has remained closely intertwined with politics and public service.

He married Ghulam Dastagir Khan’s daughter, linking him to the family of the prominent Gujranwala politician who served several times as an MNA and federal minister.

His brother-in-law, Engr Khurram Dastagir Khan, also served as an MNA and federal minister. His wife, a master’s degree holder in English literature, is a homemaker. The couple has three sons, who were educated in the United Kingdom and are employed in the private sector.

One of his elder sisters founded an elite school in Rawalpindi in 1988 that has since grown into a chain of educational institutions.

Away from politics, however, Dr Naqi is described by friends as a man who keeps pomp and show at arm’s length. He has little taste for protocol and is generally described by those close to him as soft-spoken, approachable and unfailingly courteous.

Even those who have crossed swords with him politically or criticised him publicly have often found him reluctant to respond in kind. Friends say he has generally preferred courtesy, patience and reason to confrontation — and that the smile rarely leaves his face.

That temperament will now accompany him into a constitutional office that demands a different kind of politics from the rough-and-tumble of electoral contests.

His election also has a particular resonance for Poonch, a region that has produced generations of political leaders, soldiers, educationists and social reformers and has contributed considerably to the political and social development of AJK.

For a family whose public life stretches from Khan Sahib’s educational campaigns and role in the 1947 struggle to Col Naqi Khan’s political career, Dr Naqi’s elevation to the presidency marks another turn of the wheel.

And for the doctor who once entered politics almost by accident, after setting out to build a career in medicine, his election as president marks an unlikely culmination — at least for now — of a journey that began with a family tragedy more than three decades ago.