Pakistan

Larry the cat, the UK’s most famous feline, on Monday welcomed his seventh housemate at 10 Downing Street since he began patrolling the corridors of power more than 15 years ago. “Politicians come and go; cats are permanent,” Larry’s X account @Number10cat posted, as the country’s chief mouser waited for incoming leader Andy Burnham to replace Keir Starmer. In instructions to his new employers, he wrote: “Larry likes his breakfast at 9, brunch at 1030 and lunch at noon with plenty of snacks in between. The rest of the job is a doddle.” Here are some things to know about the troubled office’s only purr-manent resident. Humble roots Recruited to deal with a rodent problem, Larry arrived at the prime minister’s official residence on February 15, 2011, when David Cameron was leader. He was adopted from a London animal shelter when he was believed to be about four years old. Since then, the white and tabby cat, officially introduced on Downing Street’s website as the “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office”, has reign...

Britain’s King Charles III on Monday appointed Andy Burnham as prime minister after outgoing Keir Starmer officially tendered his resignation, the palace said. “Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement, adding the king had asked him to form the next government. Burnham, 56, is delivering his first speech outside 10 Downing Street. Burnham became Britain’s sixth prime minister to move into Downing Street in 10 years, with an in-tray overflowing with challenges and little time to make his mark. The new leader takes over from the unpopular Starmer just two years after the outgoing prime minister led the Labour Party to power in a landslide election victory after 14 years of Conservative rule. In an interview with The Times published late on Sunday, Burnham set out his ambition for change, saying he wanted to draw a line under a decade of political turmoil. “What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. That’s the way ...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed all registered political parties to submit their audited annual financial statements for the fiscal year 2025-26 by August 29 in accordance with the Elections Act, 2017.

PESHAWAR: A vehicle carrying Afghan families returning to the neighbouring country was swept away in a flash flood triggered by rains in the Landi Kotal tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district on Monday, Rescue 1122 said. Rescue workers have so far recovered the bodies of three people travelling in the car, the emergency service said, adding that the search for the others was under way. Rescue 1122 said in an initial statement that the vehicle was swept away near Sultan Khel Market, following which rescue teams were dispatched to the site and a search operation was launched. In subsequent statements, it said the bodies of a woman and a man were found by Rescue 1122 divers, who had the assistance of local residents, in the Jamrud town, while the body of a child was recovered from the Parang Sang area. The bodies were initially taken to Type D Hospital in Jamrud and later to the Afghan refugee camp in Landikotal, Rescue 1122 said. During their search, rescue personnel also found the body of a man who was...

Indian police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters in New Delhi on Monday as they tried to march on parliament to demand the resignation of the education minister over irregularities in major examinations. The protesters, mostly young students, ran for cover as police charged at them and fired tear gas shells near Jantar Mantar in the Indian capital. They are seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam irregularities, including question paper leaks and technical glitches. Thousands of protesters started gathering from early Monday, defying a steady monsoon drizzle and police barricades, marking one of the biggest demonstrations in the capital in five years. “Our country deserves a government that is bothered about what the young people have to say and is willing to correct its mistakes,” said Sumit Kumar, 18. “The future belongs to us and not these politicians.” The protest comes after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly taken to hospital on Saturday, bringing ...

A thief stole the battery from a police officer's car parked inside a residential apartment complex in Karachi's Gulshan-e-Iqbal, with the incident captured on CCTV footage.

Pakistan and Canada on Monday renewed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, to discuss ways to expand cooperation in a range of key sectors.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed law enforcement agencies to intensify operations against terrorists, criminals and extortionists across the province.

The Bureau of Aircraft Safety Investigation (BASI) has continued its investigation into the K2 Airways cargo plane crash, with investigators conducting an aerial assessment of the crash site near Ormara.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday hailed the visit of Canada’s FM Anita Anand as an “important milestone” in bilateral ties, stressing that economic cooperation remained a “key priority”. He made the remarks during a joint press briefing with Anand, who arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day. “Her visit is an important milestone in Pakistan-Canada relations and reflects our shared commitment to further strengthening our bilateral ties,” Dar said. “Pakistan and Canada enjoy long-standing and multifaceted relations underpinned by historical linkages, people-to-people contacts and a vibrant Pakistani diaspora in Canada,” he highlighted. The deputy premier noted that economic cooperation remained a “key priority” in the bilateral relationship with Canada. He said the two sides discussed ways to further expand trade and investment ties, including greater facilitation of business-to-business (B2B) linkages and enhanced engagement in areas of mutual interest. Dar said Pakistan welcomed ...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that the modernisation of Pakistan Railways’ infrastructure will be instrumental in establishing the country as a regional trade and logistics hub. He made the remarks while presiding over a review meeting on the progress of the Pakistan Railways Transformation Plan. During the meeting, he directed the swift upgradation of Pakistan Railways to make it a more effective and revenue-generating mode of transport. He also remarked that the railway was the most cost-effective and efficient mode of transport for both passengers and freight. He added that a modern and efficient railway system would play a pivotal role in strengthening Pakistan’s economy, promoting trade and enhancing regional connectivity. PM Shehbaz directed that all railway development projects be completed within the stipulated timelines while maintaining the highest quality standards. He instructed the relevant authorities to present proposals regarding the upgradation of the Rohri–Multan se...

The Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) is helping transform barren land into productive farmland by supporting farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural development across the country.

Heavy monsoon downpours and cloudbursts caused flash floods in several parts of the country, claiming at least four lives, leaving three people missing and causing extensive damage to homes, schools, roads and public infrastructure.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has foiled an attempt by four passengers to travel illegally to Europe by using the pretext of performing Umrah with their mother.

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Monday sent three suspects on 14-day judicial remand in a case pertaining to the kidnapping and rape of two foreign women. Defence C police produced the three suspects before the court on the expiry of their physical remand. The police asked the court to remand the suspects in judicial custody. The magistrate accepted the request and sent the suspects to the judicial lockup, directing police to submit their investigation report at the next hearing. A duty magistrate on Sunday had allowed the police five-day physical remand of a suspect identified as “Boss” by the complainant in the first information report (FIR). Separately, a Lahore High Court judge on Monday disposed of a habeas corpus petition filed by the mother of the aforementioned suspect seeking recovery of her son from police custody. A law officer told the court that the petitioner’s son was on physical remand, after which the LHC disposed of the petition. Four other suspects, including a relative of a senior politic...

The district administration has declared Tuesday, July 22, a local public holiday across Multan to mark the 787th annual Urs of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya Multani (RA).

Torrential monsoon rains triggered flooding in several parts of Pakistan on Saturday, sweeping away vehicles, damaging public infrastructure and disrupting transport links, as authorities warned of more heavy rainfall and flash floods in the coming days.

A fresh monsoon weather system has entered Pakistan, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasting light to heavy rainfall in Lahore and most districts of Punjab as authorities intensify preparedness measures ahead of the wet spell.

Every year, as the sugarcane crushing season approaches, Pakistan finds itself trapped in the same debate. Farmers demand higher cane prices to offset rising production costs. Sugar mills argue that increased procurement prices make sugar commercially unviable. Governments intervene to broker settlements, while consumers brace for higher retail prices. By the end of the season, all of them have negotiated a price. Yet almost no one asks the most important question: why does Pakistan continue to treat sugarcane as a pricing problem rather than a productivity challenge? This difference matters because prices merely redistribute value within the supply chain; productivity creates new value for everyone. A grower harvesting more cane from the same land earns higher income without depending entirely on a single factor of price increases. Millers process more efficiently, consumers benefit from a more stable supply, and the economy becomes more competitive. Unfortunately, public policy has rarely been designed arou...

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is set to arrive in Pakistan on Monday on an official visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in what marks the first visit by a Canadian foreign minister to the country in nearly two decades.