Pakistan

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday sentenced 11 individuals, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of National Assembly Abdul Latif, to a collective punishment of 15 years and 4 months in prison, along with fines, in connection with the May 9 riots and the attack on the Ramna police station.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad has said that Pakistan and India are nearing a return to their troop deployment levels prior to the latest hostilities that erupted between the two nuclear-armed nations earlier this month.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday announced the establishment of a medical college in Layyah, reaffirming her government’s commitment to education and technology.

Justice Munib Akhtar, the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court, was sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan during a formal ceremony held in Islamabad.

The province of Sindh, a traditional favourite for migratory birds, saw the most drastic decline in the number of migratory birds due to climate change, with a staggering drop of over 50 per cent in two years. The country’s once-thriving wetlands, long a sanctuary for millions of migratory birds fleeing Siberia’s brutal winters, are witnessing a disturbing decline in avian visitors. Experts warn that a mix of prolonged drought, receding water levels, and growing habitat degradation is driving away these seasonal guests — some possibly for good. According to the Sindh Wildlife Department’s 2024-25 waterfowl count, the number of migratory birds fell sharply from 1.2 million in 2023 to 603,900 in 2024 and just 545,000 this year, a staggering drop of over 50pc in two years. In 2023, the region experienced an exceptional influx of birds, buoyed by the lingering effects of the catastrophic 2022 floods that, while devastating for communities, temporarily revived Pakistan’s lakes, streams, and lagoons. The excessive ...

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has served final notices to several public sector organizations for non-payment of long-pending gas bills, warning of potential legal and administrative action if dues are not cleared immediately.

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial has clarified that no additional taxes will be imposed on solar panel imports in the upcoming 2025 budget.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has released its detailed forecast for the 2025 monsoon season, highlighting a mix of weather conditions across the country, including the risk of flooding in several regions and higher-than-normal temperatures in others.

Pakistani squash ace Noor Zaman clinched the final spot in the main draw of the prestigious British Open underway in Birmingham after beating Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey 3-1. The duo had met a month earlier, where Zaman’s 3-2 win over El Torkey saw him being crowned U23 World Champion on home turf in a thrilling comeback. Yesterday, 44th ranked Zaman defeated the Egyptian 11-5, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7 in a 46-minute game at the Solihull Arden Club in Birmingham. “Alhamdulillah, after a 20-year gap, I have qualified for the Main Round of the British Open. I am the first Pakistani to achieve this milestone,” Zaman said in a post on X. “Zaman found his range at the front and back of the court early in the fixture and looked focused as he took a commanding 2-0 lead,” according to a press release by the British Open. “The Egyptian responded by taking the third game 11-3, firing the ball in short and capitalising on Zaman errors. In a competitive fourth, there was noting to separate the two as the score reached 5-5, Zaman es...

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that trade negotiations with China were “a bit stalled” and suggested President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping could get involved. “I would say that they are a bit stalled,” Bessent told broadcaster Fox News when asked about trade talks with Beijing. “I believe that we will be having more talks with them in the next few weeks, and I believe we may, at some point, have a call between the president and party chair Xi,” he said. The world’s two biggest economies agreed this month to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, a surprise de-escalation in their bitter trade war following talks between top officials in Geneva. Under the May 12 truce, Washington agreed to temporarily reduce the tariff on Chinese imports to 30 per cent from 145pc, while China said it would lower its import duty on American goods to 10pc from 125pc. “I think that given the magnitude of the talks, given the complexity, that this is going to require both leaders to weig...

Half the global population endured an additional month of extreme heat over the past year because of manmade climate change, a new study found on Friday. The findings underscore how the continued burning of fossil fuels is harming health and well-being on every continent, with the effects especially under-recognised in developing countries, the authors said. “With every barrel of oil burned, every tonne of carbon dioxide released, and every fraction of a degree of warming, heat waves will affect more people,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-author of the report. The analysis — conducted by scientists at World Weather Attribution, Climate Central, and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre — was released ahead of global Heat Action Day on June 2, which this year spotlights the dangers of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. To assess the influence of global warming, researchers analysed the period from May 1, 2024 to May 1, 2025. They defined “extreme heat days” as th...

Pakistan has strongly condemned India’s unilateral withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty, terming it a serious violation of international agreements.

The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has announced an immediate crackdown on mobile SIMs issued against expired or fake Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs).

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday accorded his assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, according to a notification by the Presidency shared by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on X. The bill, which seeks to protect the rights of children and eventually eradicate marriages of children under the age of 18, reached the presidency on May 27 after sailing through both houses of parliament. However, the move attracted strong opposition from religious segments of society, with the CII ruling that classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape did not conform with Islamic law. “The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament,” the notification read. “Pakistan has reached a milestone in the enactment of important legislation against child marriages,” Rehman said in a statement. She said that the approval of the bill was successful despite resistance from various sections, adding that President Zardari signed the bill despite...

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Mr.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm stance on its water rights, warning that the country will not allow its “red line” to be crossed amid India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

LAHORE: A pumped-up Pakistan side will look to go all out against Bangladesh in the second T20 International in Lahore on Friday to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series. Pakistan during the past year or so have experienced an alarming decline in their T20 International contests, winning only nine while losing nineteen. Currently languishing at eighth in the ICC T20 International team rankings, the Green-shirts under new captain Salman Ali Agha no doubt will seek to make progress against Bangladesh who are ninth. The home side in the series opener on Wednesday comfortably defeated Bangladesh by 37 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium thanks to impressive batting by Salman (56), Shadab Khan (48, 4-26) and Hasan Nawaz (44). Returning fast bowler Hasan Ali (5-30) produced his best-ever show in the game. Pakistan are expected to remain unchanged for the second T20 while Bangladesh are most likely to make a couple of changes as they will look to keep the series alive. Both teams did not practise on Thursday, ...

ISLAMABAD - Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) and China’s Tang International Education Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to upgrade 20 vocational institutes in Karachi.

Peshawar - Advisor to CM on Information, Barrister Saif has emphasized that reproductive health is not merely a health issue but also a cornerstone of sustainable national development.

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, visited the head office of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC) on Thursday and formally inaugurated the newly established KP-EZDMC Tower.