Wahab, a Democrat and prominent member of the party’s progressive wing, defeated fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez in a closely fought election in California’s 14th Congressional District, overcoming millions of dollars in outside spending directed against her campaign. The result was formally announced on Thursday.

Her victory gives Afghan Americans and Muslims a new presence on Capitol Hill while highlighting the growing influence of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Wahab had been widely expected to win. She finished more than 25 percentage points ahead of Hernandez in the June primary, but the final contest proved much closer. With most of the votes counted, Wahab led by roughly six percentage points.

The race took an unexpected turn after outside groups poured millions of dollars into the contest. Groups associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent an estimated $6.3 million to $6.4m on advertising supporting Hernandez and attacking Wahab, according to campaign finance reports.

The scale of the spending helped turn what had appeared to be a comfortable Wahab advantage into a surprisingly close contest.

Wahab will serve the remaining months of the term of former representative Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.

The special election was held to fill the remainder of his term, but Wahab and Hernandez will face each other again in November in a contest for the full two-year term.

Wahab was born in Queens, New York, to Afghan refugees who had fled Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s.

Her father was murdered when she was young, and the case of his killing was never solved. Her mother died shortly afterward, leaving Wahab and her sister in foster care. The sisters were eventually adopted by an Afghan couple in Fremont, California, where Wahab was raised.

“I will fight for this district that raised me,” she said in a statement.

“From foster care to Congress, this journey shows the possibility of the American Dream.”

Wahab attended John F. Kennedy High School and Ohlone College before earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from San Jose State University in 2010. She later earned a doctorate in social work from the University of Southern California.

In 2022, she won election to the California State Senate, becoming the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to that chamber. Her election to Congress now gives Afghan Americans a historic first at the federal level.

Wahab has been a critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. She has described Israel’s invasion of Gaza as genocide and expressed support for a free Palestine.

She also supports the demand for ending US military aid to Israel, distinguishing between humanitarian assistance and weapons support.

In 2025, Wahab co-authored a California Senate resolution, with input from the bipartisan California Legislative Jewish Caucus, calling for an end to the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Wahab’s victory comes amid a broader rise of progressive Muslim politicians in American elections. In Michigan, Muslim physician Abdul El-Sayed recently won the Democratic nomination for the US Senate, defeating Representative Haley Stevens in a closely watched primary in which pro-Israel groups spent tens of millions of dollars against him.

On Tuesday, the SC had directed the government to move Imran to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility. All eyes were on the hospital with a heavy police presence stationed on Thursday night. However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar revealed on Friday that Imran was instead taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

It is worth mentioning that the SC had ordered that Imran’s medical reports or information concerning his health should not be used for political purposes.

On Friday, Imran’s sister Uzma Khan, who was present for his medical examination, addressed a press conference in Islamabad alongside his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan. She said they had received a phone call on Friday to reach Adiala jail, where Imran is incarcerated.

“So we reached the Adiala jail at around 8-8:30pm,” she added. Uzma said they were then taken to a deputy superintendent of police’s room, whom she identified as Sibtain.

“Later, Sibtain sahib asked Dr Sultan to go outside the room with him and me to stay in the room. Then, after around 10 to 15 minutes, a female assistant sub-inspector took me to a car.”

She added that all this while, police did not answer any of her queries, including those about Dr Sultan. Uzma said she was then taken to Pims.

“I asked them why you have brought me here; the SC has instructed for (Imran’s) treatment at Shifa International Hospital. At that, they told me we were there for a follow-up regarding Imran’s eye.”

Imran has been taken to Pims for treatment multiple times after his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January.

Recounting her visit to Pims on Friday night, Uzma said, “There was darkness all around.”

She said she was taken to an office as a man used the torch from his mobile phone to light the way. She said she assumed the office belonged to the head of a department at Pims.

“We sat there for a while, and then they took me upstairs. When I went upstairs, Imran was sitting there. He too was a little surprised. He then stood up, he was in shock. He told the doctors who were with him that she is my sister and we were meeting after 10 months,” she recalled.

Uzma said she told him he was there for a checkup and would later be taken to Shifa International Hospital, adding that she also enquired about Dr Sultan at Pims but received no response.

She said they were then taken back to an office, where an examination of Imran’s eye was conducted. “There were two to three doctors there, but I was not familiar with any of them. They introduced me to Dr Arif, but I did not know any of the others,” she said.

She said they were then taken to an office where an examination of Imran’s eye was conducted.

“They asked, ‘Khan sahib, which eye drops do you use?’

“I said if the drops they had prescribed were not mentioned in their notes. None of them knew,” she added.

One of the doctors said Imran needed to immediately undergo a test as his blood vessel had to be checked, she recalled, adding that she told the doctors they would be going to Shifa International Hospital for an examination and checkup.

Uzma said they were again shifted to another place after that, where the doctors said Imran had to be administered an injection.

More to follow

Uzma Khan was addressing a press conference in Islamabad, where she shared her account of Imran’s visit to the hospital.

He was taken to the hospital following the Supreme Court’s directives after the superintendent of the Adiala jail — where he is imprisoned since August 2023 — submitted a report on his health condition. However, while the court had directed the government to move Imran to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility, for medical checkup and examination, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar revealed that he was taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) instead.

The minister said a team of doctors conducted a detailed examination of him at Pims and declared him “medically fit”.

Narrating her account of the episode alongside Imran’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, Uzma said they had received a phone call on Friday evening to reach the Adiala jail.

“So we reached the Adiala jail at around 8-8:30pm,” she added.

More to follow

The MoU was signed during a reception hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in honour of the Google team at the PM House, according to an official press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“Pakistan and Google signed an MoU to promote national digital transformation and innovation,” it said.

Under the agreement, the two sides will expand cooperation in digital skills, information technology exports and innovation, the PMO said.

It said Pakistan and Google had agreed to expand the Google Career Certificates programme to promote digital skills, with Google targeting 150,000 certificates in Pakistan for 2026.

The two sides also agreed to enhance access for Pakistani students to Google’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

“Pakistani students will have free access for one year to advanced AI tools, including Google AI Plus and Gemini,” the PMO said.

“Pakistan and Google agreed to cooperate on establishing an AI centre of excellence in Islamabad,” it said, adding that the centre would train Pakistani youth and human resources according to the requirements of the global market.

The PMO said the two sides would also cooperate to enhance the global competitiveness of Pakistan’s mobile applications and gaming industry, promote digital payments and expand the scope of digital commerce.

It said Pakistan and Google would cooperate on using AI to improve public service delivery and make government affairs more efficient.

“AI-powered data analytics will be used in the Federal Board of Revenue’s digitisation programme,” the PMO said.

The two sides also agreed to use AI in agriculture for crop monitoring, forecasting and sustainable farming practices, while digital platforms would be leveraged to help small and medium-sized enterprises gain access to global markets, it added.

According to the PMO, a task force comprising the government, Google and relevant stakeholders would be established to prepare a roadmap for Pakistan’s IT exports and competitiveness.

“The task force will identify barriers to IT exports and opportunities for growth,” it said.

The PMO said the agreement would also expand opportunities for young people in digital skills, startups and the technology sector through greater cooperation.

“The cooperation marked significant progress towards PM Shehbaz’s vision of increasing Pakistan’s IT exports and digital economy to $30 billion by 2030,” it said.

“The cooperation between the government of Pakistan and Google will lay the foundation for a new era of digital transformation and innovation in Pakistan,” the PMO added.

On Thursday, Google announced a $500,000 investment to help Pakistani families navigate the internet safely, launching an initiative to equip hundreds of thousands of households with digital safety tools.

The funding, committed by Google.org, will support the “Digital Pasban” initiative, which aims to provide 200,000 households with Urdu-language safety toolkits, videos and parental workshops.

The financial commitment aligns with Google’s strategy for a long-term business presence in Pakistan, marked by the inauguration of its local office in Karachi earlier this week.

The US-based technology giant opened the office on Tuesday, nearly four years after it first registered in the country, describing the move as a major milestone.

The avalanche struck on July 30, cutting off contact with the 10-member international expedition led by world-renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. Purja’s company later confirmed there were no survivors.

The bodies of eight members of the expedition, including Pakistan’s Sohail Sakhi, were found in subsequent missions, but those of Geis and Nepal’s Nawang Thindu Sherpa had remained missing. Officials had earlier said that a leg believed to be Geis had been found.

On Friday, Alpine Club of Pakistan President (retired) Major General Irfan Arshad Khan said in a statement that the US climber’s body was found on the slopes of Broad Peak by local rescue volunteers.

He said that the body was in the process of being shifted to the Base Camp.

ACP General Secretary Ayaz Shigri told Dawn that local porters, who were with a trekking team, had voluntarily assisted in the search for the body.

“The body has been identified as Geis. It will be shifted to base camp and then airlifted to Skardu by Pakistan Army helicopters,” he said. He said the search for the remaining missing Nepali climber would continue.

Team sent to Spantik

Separately, a team of local climbers was dispatched to Spantik to retrieve the body of Pakistani climber Dr Asma Mushtaq, who died after suffering a medical emergency while descending the peak.

The ACP said on Thursday she developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at an elevation of about 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) during the descent.

High-altitude sickness encompasses a range of pulmonary and cerebral conditions caused by hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, due to rapid ascent and inadequate acclimatisation to high altitudes.

Shigri said on Friday that Mushtaq’s family had arrived Skardu. He said arrangements would be made to airlift the body from base camp.

Mushtaq originally hailed from Lahore and worked as a UK-based doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. Apart from her medical profession, she was a passionate traveller, vlogger and mountaineer who actively documented her expeditions on social media.

She completed a successful winter ascent of the 4,076-metre Musa ka Musallah peak and was associated with expeditions to Rupal and Arandu. She was also member of Karakoram Calling Treks. In a 2024 post seeking K2 sponsorship, she described herself as “a doctor and mountaineer”.

The two leaders made these assertions in their separate messages on the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, which is observed annually on August 21 to honour and support the victims of terrorism.

In his message, shared by the Prime Minister’s Office on X, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan was joining the international community in observing this day dedicated to remembering the victims of terrorism and extended its “heartfelt solidarity and tribute to all those who had suffered from this scourge”.

He noted that terrorism remained one of the most serious challenges confronting humanity.

“Only those devoid of humanity can inflict suffering and play with the lives of innocent people to pursue their nefarious objectives. The families of those who have lost their lives to terrorism, as well as those who have sustained lifelong injuries, equally deserve our compassion and solidarity,” he added.

The premier said Pakistan was among the countries that had suffered immensely from terrorism.

“Not only have our valiant armed forces made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against this scourge, but the brave officers and personnel of our law enforcement agencies, as well as our countless innocent citizens, have also laid down their lives.

“We salute the courage and sacrifice of all those civilians and security personnel who have lost their lives in acts of terrorism,” he said.

He highlighted that Pakistan had also paid a “heavy economic and social price” in the fight against terrorism.

“Terrorism has adversely affected the economic well-being of our people and hindered Pakistan’s journey towards development, progress and prosperity. With our unwavering national resolve, Pakistan will continue this struggle until this menace is completely eradicated,” he said.

The prime minister added, “No nation, civilisation, religion or faith in the world advocates terrorism. Acts of terrorism are a manifestation of diseased minds and an expression of inhuman ideologies.”

He stressed that “unconditional condemnation” of terrorism by the international community, coupled with effective mutual cooperation, was indispensable for the complete eradication of terrorism.

The prime minister further noted that the physical, psychological and social rehabilitation of victims of terrorism was also part of shared global responsibility and said that the government, despite its limited resources, consistently remained mindful of the welfare and needs of the victims of terrorism and the law enforcement personnel engaged in combating this menace.

“Pakistan has a comprehensive support system in place for martyrs, their families and victims of terrorism. Ensuring that all victims have easy and timely access to healthcare, rehabilitation and essential civic services remains a foremost priority of the government,” he said.

He called upon relevant institutions at the global, national, collective and individual levels to raise their voices against terrorism, subversion and all negative tendencies, while upholding universal human values and the rule of international law.

President’s message

In his message, shared by the Presidency on X, President Zardari expressed solidarity with the survivors of terrorism, their families and communities whose lives had been forever changed by violence.

Echoing PM Shehbaz’s words, he too said that Pakistan had paid an “enormous price” in the fight against terrorism.

“For more than two decades, tens of thousands of our people, including children, political leaders, members of the armed forces, law enforcement personnel, first responders and public servants, have lost their lives.

“From Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to the innocent children and teachers of Army Public School Peshawar, and countless other Pakistanis, terrorism has inflicted wounds that remain part of our national memory,” he added, particularly mentioning the assassination of his late wife and former prime minister Benazir in 2007 and a deadly Army Public School attack in 2014 that claimed nearly 150 lives.

Even today, he said, “our citizens and security personnel continue to make sacrifices, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. We salute their courage and stand with every family that has lost a loved one to terrorism”.

He stressed that no religion, faith, sect, ideology, grievance, cause or political objective could justify the killing of innocent people.

“Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned without distinction. The international community must ensure that no territory is used to perpetrate terrorism against another country and that no terrorist organisation receives sanctuary, financing, weapons, logistical assistance or any other form of external support,” he asserted.

At the same time, he said, remembrance must lead to responsibility and recovery.

Victims and survivors often lived for years with physical injuries, psychological trauma, loss of livelihood, interrupted education and social isolation, he noted, adding that their suffering could not be answered merely through immediate relief or one-time financial compensation.

“They deserve empathy, medical and psychosocial care, education, rehabilitation, legal assistance and livelihood opportunities that enable them to rebuild their lives with dignity.”

The president said Pakistan remained committed to strengthening a coordinated and survivor-centred system of support. “In keeping with this year’s focus on victim-led digital initiatives, we should responsibly harness technology to make information, assistance and rehabilitation services more accessible to victims and their families,” he emphasised.

“Supporting victims of terrorism is not an act of charity. It is a matter of justice, human dignity and national responsibility.

“Government institutions, healthcare and educational institutions, civil society, the private sector, media and development partners must work together to ensure sustained support for victims and their families. The suffering of victims must not disappear from our national conscience when it disappears from the news cycle,” he emphasised.

The president also stressed that the “struggle against terrorism must also confront the extremism, intolerance and hatred that allow violence to take root”.

“We must address the social, ethnic and religious discrimination that extremists exploit to spread hatred and division. When intolerance is allowed to deepen, it can create fertile ground for radicalisation, violent extremism and ultimately terrorism,” he added.

Terrorism, he said, could not be defeated by security measures alone.

“We must build a society in which our young people are protected from radicalisation and in which differences in ethnicity, religion, sect or political belief must never become a justification for violence. No child should inherit the fear, trauma or hatred created by terrorism,” he stressed.

The president noted that terrorists had targeted Pakistanis across provinces, communities, faiths and institutions. However, they had failed to “break our national resolve”.

“The sacrifices of our people belong to no single province, ethnicity, sect or institution. They are sacrifices made for Pakistan as a whole.”

On this day, he said, “let us remember those we have lost, stand with those who continue to bear the consequences of terrorism, and renew our collective determination to defeat terrorism and build a peaceful, tolerant, pluralistic, compassionate and resilient Pakistan”.

Concluding his message, he prayed for those who lost their lives to terrorism and wished strength and patience for their families.