Pakistan

Egypt has handed opposition figure and former presidential hopeful Hisham Kassem a new six-month prison sentence for defaming a former minister, his lawyer told AFP on Thursday. Kassem was released in February 2024 after serving a six-month sentence that effectively stopped him from contesting a December 2023 presidential election. The new sentence was issued in absentia on Wednesday because Kassem is out of the country, his lawyer Nasser Amin told AFP. Kassem had not been notified of the new charges against him, Amin said, adding: “These measures have been very concerning.” The European Parliament described Kassem’s original prosecution in September 2023 as “politically motivated”. His latest conviction was on charges of defaming another former labour minister, apparently in the same comments as the first. Human rights group the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights condemned the ruling, describing it as “continued judicial persecution for political purposes”. “Retrying Kassem for the same incident and on ...

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22 emergency control centres established; safe shelters readied

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Sanitation crisis deepens as contractor fails to deliver machinery

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the agriculture sector was being developed on modern lines to achieve self-reliance and directed the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for the sector. During the second quarter of FY25, the agriculture sector experienced a significantly declined growth rate of 1.10pc compared to 5.80pc the previous year. The prime minister has previously stated his government’s determination to transform the sector on modern lines to achieve self-sufficiency, emphasising its vast potential for rapid economic development. Chairing a meeting on agricultural sector reforms today, the prime minister stressed that government’s priority for the promotion of modern technology in the agricultural sector. He also directed the relevant department to present a National Agri-Innovation Plan for the agricultural sector. The prime minister instructed the formulation of a coordinated strategy to develop the agriculture sector in consultation with provinces and relevant stakeho...

The federal government has officially declared May 16, 2025, as Youm-e-Tashakur to celebrate the success of Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, marking a significant national triumph.

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch on Thursday briefed Islamabad-based diplomatic missions on the latest developments in Pakistan-India relations.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook and told him not to expand his production facilities in India, but to do so in America. “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said during his visit to Qatar. “I said to him, Tim, you’re my friend, I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now you’re building all over India,” he said, referring to Apple’s plan announced in February to invest $500bn in the US over the next four years. View this post on Instagram Trump said he informed Cook that he does not want him to build production facilities in India, and that Apple will be “upping their production in the United States”. The US president claimed that selling American goods in the world’s most populous country is “very difficult” because India has one of the highest tariff barriers in the world. However, he noted that while the Asian country looks for a deal on import duties, India has offered them a “no-tariff” deal. Trump’s remarks ca...

The Accountant General (AG) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has flagged numerous suspicious individuals and questionable bank accounts allegedly tied to major financial misconduct in the Rs40 billion Kohistan corruption case.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has released a special song titled "Yalghaar" to commemorate the success of the Pakistan Army’s Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday warned in an interview with British broadcaster Sky News that any Indian ceasefire violation would be met with a “swift and assured response” by Pakistan, cautioning that serious escalation could result in mutual destruction. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came as the former blamed Islamabad for the Pahalgam attack. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took American intervention for both sides to finally drop their guns. On May 10, when tensions between the two countries peaked, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached between India and Pakistan. According to the government, forty civilians — including seven women and 15 children — lost their lives in the Indian aggression, and 121 others sustained injuries. Speaking...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has alleged that Baloch rebels are receiving official support and shelter in Afghanistan.

Special Olympics Pakistan, in collaboration with the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), organized trials in Table Tennis, Bocce, Powerlifting, and Basketball at the NUML on Thursday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Kamra Airbase to commend the brave pilots of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) who secured aerial dominance by downing Indian aircraft during the historic 'Marka-e-Haq' operation.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that India had offered a trade deal that proposed “no tariffs” for American goods, while expressing his dissatisfaction with Apple’s (AAPL.O) plans to invest in India. New Delhi is seeking to clinch a trade deal with the US within the 90-day pause announced by Trump on April 9 on tariff hikes for major trading partners. “It is very hard to sell in India, and they are offering us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariffs,” Trump said in a meeting with executives in the Qatari capital Doha. Reuters has reported that New Delhi has offered to reduce duties to zero on 60 per cent of tariff lines in a first phase of the deal under negotiation with Washington, while offering preferential access to nearly 90pc of the merchandise India imports from the US. India’s equity benchmarks jumped to a seven-month high after Trump’s comment on the deal with India. The Indian trade ministry did not reply to a mail seeking comments on the proposed deal. T...

Pakistan has welcomed the United States’ decision to lift all sanctions on Syria, terming the move a “pivotal step towards regional stability”, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. US President Donald Trump, on his Gulf tour, met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday. Despite concerns within sectors of his administration over Syria’s leaders’ former ties to Al Qaeda, Trump said on Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift. “Pakistan has consistently advocated for constructive engagement and dialogue. The easing of sanctions is expected to facilitate economic growth, improve access to essential services, and support the rebuilding efforts of the Syrian authorities,” the FO statement read. Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment towards Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, the statement said, “Pakistan supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned resolution.” “We commend the commitment of all countries, in particular the US, T...