Political Analysis and Global Affairs

  Power-bank limits differ by airline. Karachi passengers should check capacity, cabin-storage and onboard-use rules before departure. At Karachi airport, a power bank looks like one of the least important things in a passenger's bag. Passport, visa, medicines and boarding pass demand more attention. The small battery that keeps a phone alive during a long connection usually goes into a backpack almost without thought. Yet I would now put the power bank on the pre-flight checklist, especially when travelling from Karachi through Dubai or Doha. The reason is simple. Airlines have tightened their treatment of portable lithium batteries, and the rules are not identical. A power bank acceptable on one airline may create a problem on another. For a Pakistani traveller, particularly an older passenger making a long international journey, knowing the rule before reaching Jinnah International Airport can prevent an unnecessary argument at security or the boarding gate. Why Airlines Wor...

Bank Alfalah replaced my compromised credit card, but an important question remains: can old stored payment credentials or Mastercard ABU connections continue after card replacement?   The call from a Bank Alfalah social-media representative came on Thursday morning. I expected to discuss the relationship between my old credit card and the replacement card that followed it. Instead, she told me that I had to cancel my subscriptions with merchants myself. She also told me that Mastercard does not allow what I had been calling a "hard closure." I tried to explain that I was asking a different question. I wanted to know what happened to the payment credentials associated with my compromised card when Bank Alfalah replaced it. That question has become more important than the terminology I originally used. A new piece of plastic with a new card number looks like a clean break. Mastercard's own documentation shows why the digital reality can be more complicated. It Started...

The rule can affect Pakistani passengers flying to Dubai or connecting there for another country. A valid visa may establish your right to seek entry, but flydubai can still require a separate verification before check-in. Pakistani passengers travelling on flydubai may need OK to Board approval before airline check-in. At Karachi airport, the first decisive counter is not always FIA immigration. It may be the airline desk, where a member of staff studies a passenger’s passport and then asks a question the traveller did not expect: “Do you have OK to Board approval?” The passenger may hold a genuine electronic visa. The ticket may also be fully paid, yet the journey can stop before the suitcase enters the airline’s system. I understand why this confuses Pakistani travellers. We usually think of international travel as a simple chain. Obtain a visa, buy a ticket, then go to the airport. Modern travel does not work that way. A government decides who may enter. The airline decides whom ...

  A practical guide for Pakistanis flying within the United States or returning home through a U.S. airport Pakistani travelers using U.S. airports should understand the different rules for identification, power banks, checked baggage, customs declarations and airline refunds before departure. Rules and official guidance checked on September 2, 2026. A Pakistani traveler can arrive at a U.S. airport with a valid ticket and passport, yet still create a serious problem by putting one power bank in the wrong bag. I see this kind of travel advice circulate quickly in Karachi, usually through WhatsApp, YouTube, or family groups. The difficulty is not a shortage of information. It is knowing which information actually comes from the U.S. authority that controls the rule. That distinction matters more in 2026. TSA controls passenger security and identification at airport checkpoints. FAA safety rules govern lithium batteries on aircraft, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection deals with...

  A replaced Bank Alfalah credit card can still face unauthorized charges if an old recurring-payment or stored-credential relationship remains active. Bank Alfalah replaced my compromised card. I thought the old payment trail had ended. An unauthorized USD 8 transaction made me look much more closely at what “card replacement” actually means. The New Card Was Supposed to End the Problem I looked at the transaction and felt more irritation than panic. It was only about USD 8. That was precisely the problem. The amount was small enough to dismiss. Yet I had already gone through the trouble of replacing my Bank Alfalah credit card after problems with an online merchant. The old card should have belonged to the past. Instead, another unauthorized transaction appeared. For an ordinary cardholder, the first thought is obvious: How did a merchant get access to my new card when I never gave it the new number? I work around banking and payment systems, so that question bothered me f...

  A Pakistani couple presents passports and supporting documents at an airport immigration counter before an international flight. At Karachi airport, the journey can suddenly narrow to one immigration counter. A passport lies open under white light. An officer asks where the passenger will stay, who bought the ticket, and why the traveller has so little cash. The answers may take less than a minute, yet a weak answer can place an expensive journey at risk. I understand why Pakistani travellers fear this moment. Stories about passengers being offloaded circulate through WhatsApp groups and family conversations, often without the facts that explain what happened. Some people possessed incomplete papers. Others held a valid visa but could not explain a doubtful itinerary. The result is a fog in which every question feels like an accusation. The sensible response is preparation. A Visa Opens the Door, but It Does Not End Screening Many first-time travellers assume that a foreign embas...