Pakistan

QUETTA: Members of the Hindu community staged a protest rally in Quetta on Wednesday, condemning what they called baseless allegations against Pakistan by the Indian government regarding the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in held Kashmir. Led by Sanjay Kumar, a PPP minority member of the Balochistan Assembly, the rally included men and women carrying placards and banners with anti-Modi and anti-India slogans. The protesters marched through various roads and streets of the provincial capital before gathering outside the Quetta Press Club. Chanting slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, protesters rejected any involvement by Pakistan in the Pahalgam attack. “The Hindu community in Pakistan stands united with the country’s armed forces. If India dares commit aggression, over 10 million Hindus in Pakistan will stand behind our military,” Sanjay Kumar said while addressing the gathering. Other speakers, including several women, also condemned the Indian government’s actions an...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s media is standing at a crossroad amid an existential threat and increased restrictive environment, deteriorating safety and job security, significant challenges to professional integrity of media and its practitioners, says Freedom Network’s annual Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom Report for 2025. Titled “Free speech and public interest journalism under siege”, the report finds that the existential crisis was triggered by amendments to Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in January 2025 that now “makes it easier” for authorities to arrest, fine and imprison journalists and dissidents — both offline and online — besides other challenges. “The existential threat is serious as such a situation is seen rare in Pakistani media history. This situation is threatening the very foundation of democracy and the state is more brutal now than it was before to tolerate hard questions,” Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak said, as the report launch coincides with World Press ...

ISLAMABAD: The government has appointed Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, the incumbent dire­ctor general of the country’s premier intelligence agency, as the new National Security Adviser (NSA). The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief becomes the country’s tenth NSA. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday said that Gen Malik would retain his role as DG ISI, a position he has held since September 2024. “Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI(M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated. His appointment marks the first time a serving ISI chief will concurrently serve as the NSA. The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam attack. The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the PTI government was ousted after former Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a vote of confidence. At the time, Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA. The NSA holds the status of a federal minister and se...

• Registrar says ex-PM’s appeal at ‘motion stage’, much needs to be done before regular hearing • Bushra Bibi’s appeal to be taken up by division bench next week ISLAMABAD: In a major blow to Imran Khan’s hopes for a legal reprieve, the Islamabad High Court has signalled that his appeal against a 14-year sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case won’t be heard this year — effectively keeping the former prime minister in legal limbo throughout 2025. The report by the IHC registrar office was submitted to a division bench in response to an application, seeking the early hearing of an appeal against the conviction of the PTI founder and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. As per the report, a criminal appeal filed in January 2025 by Mr Khan, sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, faces indefinite delays, with the court confirming that the case would not be heard during the current calendar year. The report cited the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) recommendations, according to which the c...

• Forces continue to trade fire at LoC; checkpost in held-Kashmir destroyed after ‘unprovoked firing’ • India closes airspace for Pakistani planes until May 23; flights to GB cancelled for a few hours • US Secy of State urges PM Shehbaz to help probe Pahalgam attack; tells New Delhi to work with Pakistan for de-escalation ISLAMABAD: Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at calming tensions in the Subcontinent, fears of a possible military confrontation between India and Pakistan continued to persist on Wednesday. Following a statement by Information Minister Atta Tarar in the early hours of Wednesday, where he warned of a possible incursion by India within the next 24-36 hours, a number of incidents of Indian aggression heightened tensions. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistani security forces delivered a robust response to India’s unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), destroying an Indian checkpost after late-night aggression on April 29-30. According to secu...

MULTAN - Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said on Wednesday that Pakistan is a great blessing of Allah Almighty, established through the sacrifices of millions of people.

Burewala - The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) conducted an operation at a bakery in Burewala, seized 1800 rotten eggs and wasted on the spot.

Vehari - Under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision for a cleaner and greener Punjab, the “Suthra Punjab” initiative is gaining strong momentum in Vehari and surrounding areas.

MUZAFFARGARH - According to details, following the arrests of several major proclaimed offenders, the legal process of confiscating the movable and immovable properties—worth millions of rupees—of those absconding and involved in serious criminal cases has been completed.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday received a telephone call from U.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a strong warning to India, stating that Pakistan will deliver a "firm and proportional" response to any acts of aggression by New Delhi.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday constituted a 13-member larger constitutional bench to hear review petitions challenging its previous verdict concerning the distribution of reserved seats.

Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Allama Tahir Ashrafi, has announced that the upcoming Friday will be observed as Youm-e-Istehkam Pakistan (Day of Pakistan’s Resolve).

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has called on the nation to remain fearless in the face of ongoing tensions at the border with India.

In a serious violation of the ceasefire, Indian forces opened fire across the Line of Control (LoC), targeting the Kayani and Mandal sectors around midnight between April 29 and 30, according to security sources.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, along with DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, will address a critical press conference today at 7:10 PM at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has cancelled six round-trip flights between Islamabad and the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu, according to ARY News.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has firmly denounced recent acts of terrorism in the province, clarifying that the attacks were motivated by national identity rather than ethnic differences.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the prolonged delay in the completion of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, calling the situation an “embarrassment.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident, India has initiated widespread evacuations of villages near its border with Pakistan, intensifying regional tensions.