Islamabad Capital Territory

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan

Pakistan's National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued an urgent cybersecurity advisory warning government departments, financial institutions and organisations operating critical online services about two serious vulnerabilities in PHP based systems that could expose websites and applications to cyberattacks.

The advisory, circulated to federal ministries, government departments, regulatory authorities, public-sector companies, financial institutions and information technology service providers, calls for immediate protective measures to safeguard digital infrastructure, online services and sensitive information.

According to National CERT, two critical vulnerabilities, identified as CVE 2026 109618 and CVE-2026 109619, have been discovered in PHP systems widely used to operate websites, online portals and business applications.

Both vulnerabilities carry severity scores of 9.2 out of 10 under the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, indicating a substantial cybersecurity risk to affected systems.

Successful exploitation could potentially enable unauthorised attackers to execute malicious code remotely, gain access to sensitive information or interfere with normal server operations without requiring prior authentication.

National CERT has directed relevant organisations to identify vulnerable PHP installations, prioritise security updates and strengthen protection for internet-facing applications.

The advisory also emphasises the use of web application firewalls (WAFs) as an additional protective measure against potentially malicious requests and attempts to exploit vulnerable web services.

IT departments and cybersecurity teams have been advised to maintain close monitoring of system logs, identify unusual activity and investigate potential indicators of compromise.

Organisations have also been instructed to report suspected system intrusions, unauthorised access and web shell activity promptly to National CERT Pakistan.

The warning is particularly relevant to organisations operating online financial platforms, government information systems and business applications that depend on affected PHP technologies.

It may also have implications for digital systems used in the property and construction sectors, including online land record services, property transfer portals, housing development platforms, building approval systems and electronic payment services, where those platforms rely on vulnerable PHP installations.

However, the advisory does not establish that any specific Pakistani land records platform, development authority or property portal has been compromised.

The actual exposure of individual services depends on their software versions, hosting environments, security configurations and the measures already implemented by their operators.

International cybersecurity authorities have issued similar warnings following the disclosure of the vulnerabilities.

The PHP development team released emergency security fixes on October 21, 2026, while cybersecurity agencies across several countries urged website administrators and service providers to apply the updates immediately.

Security specialists have emphasised that web application firewalls should supplement, rather than replace, software patching and continuous system monitoring.

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan

Pakistan is intensifying efforts to attract international investment into its mineral sector as growing global demand for copper, lithium, gold and other critical minerals increases the strategic and economic importance of the country's natural resources.

Pakistan's mineral wealth has been estimated at approximately $8 trillion, with 92 minerals identified across the country and 52 being commercially extracted.

However, the $8 trillion figure represents a broad estimate of mineral potential rather than a verified valuation of economically recoverable reserves.

The government is seeking to translate this resource potential into investment, industrial development and long-term economic activity through greater international engagement and improved infrastructure.

A major initiative in this regard is the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026, scheduled to take place on November 12 and 13 at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

The forum is expected to bring together international investors, mining executives, policymakers, financial institutions and technical experts to explore opportunities in mineral exploration, extraction, processing and associated infrastructure development.

Discussions will also address investment regulations, financing requirements, sustainable mining practices and the infrastructure needed to support commercially viable mineral projects.

Global demand for critical minerals has increased alongside the expansion of electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, battery storage technologies and advanced industrial applications.

Copper and lithium, in particular, have gained strategic importance because of their extensive use in electrical infrastructure, batteries and technologies supporting the transition towards cleaner energy.

Pakistan's geological position provides significant opportunities for mineral exploration.

Parts of the country lie within the Tethyan Metallogenic Belt, a major mineral-bearing geological zone extending from southeastern Europe through Türkiye and the Middle East towards the Himalayan region.

The belt is particularly associated with copper and gold mineralisation, providing a geological foundation for large-scale mining developments.

Major mineral projects, including Reko Diq in Balochistan, highlight Pakistan's potential to attract international investment in mineral extraction and supporting infrastructure.

Pakistan's critical minerals prospects received further attention in July 2026 when Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) confirmed the presence of lithium in underground formation water obtained from a high-temperature geothermal well in Sindh.

The discovery was made at the Wahid Bakhsh well in Khairpur district through advanced geochemical analysis of geothermal brine.

According to the company, the lithium concentrations were comparable to those found in certain internationally recognised lithium-bearing geothermal brine resources.

However, the discovery does not establish that large-scale commercial extraction is already feasible.

Further technical studies are required to determine the extent of the resource, suitable extraction technologies, production costs and overall commercial viability.

OGDCL has also initiated cooperation with the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology to explore technologies for lithium extraction and assess the potential for commercial development.

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan

Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has told the National Assembly that the incumbent government has reclaimed 200,000 acres of railway land and pledged to recover all remaining railway land occupied by public and private entities.

Responding to questions from Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Nisar Ahmad Jatt, Pir Fazal Shah and Syed Rafiullah Shah during Question Hour, the minister outlined measures concerning the recovery of railway land and improvements to rail infrastructure.

Abbasi said work on the railway line from Karachi to Rohri would begin next year with support from the Asian Development Bank. He said 480 kilometres of new railway track would be laid at a cost of $2.5 billion.

The minister said the Karachi–Rohri section forms part of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, while discussions are continuing on laying the railway line from Rohri to Multan.