Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday issued notices to respondents, including the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), during a hearing on review petitions filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), challenging an earlier verdict that awarded reserved seats to PTI-backed.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday said that the Pakistani nation was born to struggle and does not fear from achieving this goal.

• Official says livestream stopped due to prevailing India-Pakistan tensions • Omar Ayub complains to speaker about his speeches being censored • Ayaz Sadiq asserts his right to expunge remarks ‘in the House and in chambers’ ISLAMABAD: National Assembly pro­­ceedings were not broadcast live on its official social media platforms for a second consecutive day, on Tuesday, as the House continued a discussion on tensions with India following the Pahalgam attack. But when Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan raised the issue of his speech being censored, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq asserted his authority, saying he had the right to expunge anything deemed “against national interest”. The proceedings were not live-stre­amed on the NA’s official YouTube and Facebook channels, while PTV aired speeches from the treasury benches only. When contacted for comment, a senior National Assembly Secretariat official said that live-streaming of parliamentary proceedings had been stopped on social media in view of the sensitivity of ...

ISLAMABAD - Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman yesterday said that India was creating a regional crisis by threatening war.

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afrid Tuesday said that the 26th Amendment had introduced changes in the powers of the chief justice that should be respected.

• Revised cause list excludes Justices Ayesha Malik, Aqeel Abbasi, strength of bench reduced to 11 members • Both judges question ECP’s legal grounds for seeking review • Counsel argues July 12 verdict granted relief to a ‘non-party’ • Constitutional Bench issues notices to respondents, seeks commission’s reply to PTI’s contempt petition ISLAMABAD: In a move that left at least two judges visibly bewildered, the 13-judge Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the respondents on petitions seeking to revisit the July 12, 2024, verdict that allocated reserved seats to the PTI. However, Justice Ayesha A. Malik and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi insisted that the presiding judge, Justice Aminuddin Khan, formally record their opposition to issuance of notices to the respondents, as they had dismissed the review petitions outright — which had been filed by the PML-N, PPP and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), The two judges indicated that they would later provide separate reas...

ISLAMABAD - The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Tuesday adjourned the indictment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in an audio leak case, while maintaining his arrest warrant due to his continued absence.

In the wake of India’s missile attacks on multiple cities in Pakistan, the Punjab Home Department convened an emergency meeting, chaired by Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, to assess provincial security preparedness under the federal government's recently issued “War Book” guidelines.

TAXILA: A water crisis looms over the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as the water level has decreased in Khanpur Dam and the available water may cater to the needs of its beneficiaries for only 35 days. Rocks and mounds have become visible in different parts of the reservoir, especially at the main storage site and the spillways, which speaks volume about the impacts of climatic changes and alarming water table reduction. If heavy rainfall does not occur within the next 10 to 15 days, the water level in the dam is expected to fall drastically to almost the dead level. The authorities said the catchment area of the dam, which included Margalla Hills and Galiyat, had not received enough rain, worsening the situation. The dam authorities feared that they would have to suspend water supply for irrigation purposes to the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa besides curtailing drinking water supply to Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Officials say they would have to suspend supply for irrigation purposes be...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader paid rich tribute to the centuries-old brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye and remembered Abdul Rehman Peshawar – a freedom fighter as a symbol of brotherhood.

RAWALPINDI - Federal Minister for Railways, Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has stressed the importance of discipline and sports activities during his address as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the Interdepartmental Sports Competitions held at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) on Tuesday.

The Indian Army has reportedly raised a white flag at the Chora Complex along the Line of Control (LoC), signalling a retreat in the face of a powerful counteroffensive by the Pakistan Army, security sources revealed on Wednesday.

The British Council Pakistan has announced that all examinations scheduled for today will continue as planned, despite heightened tensions between Pakistan and India following recent military escalations.

India has launched a “cowardly” missile attack on Pakistani territory, firing missiles from its airspace, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD - Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan on Tuesday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to support local manufacturers, emphasizing the importance of boosting the automotive sector.

US President Donald Trump has said said the escalation between India and Pakistan was a “shame”. He was the first world leader to react to the tense situation after India carried out strikes inside Pakistan which also retaliated and reportedly shot down Indian jets. “It’s a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval [Office],” he said inside the White House after overseeing the swearing-in ceremony for his special envoy, Steve Witkoff. “I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time,” the US president added. “I hope it ends very quickly.” In a statement, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for restraint from both countries, Associated Press reported. “The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot ...

Vehari - The University of Education, Lahore, Vehari Campus organized a solidarity rally in support of the Pakistan Army and to protest against India’s aggressive policies.

Bahawalpur - In line with the Punjab Police’s “Justice at Your Doorstep” initiative, District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Hassan Iqbal held an open court at the SDPO office in Circle Hasilpur, where he listened to and addressed public complaints directly.

Vehari - District Police Officer (DPO) Vehari, Muhammad Afzal, conducted a surprise visit to Police Station Karampur.

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Tuesday expressed concern over gas loadshedding in many areas despite excess supplies. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, presided over Senator Umar Farooq, was also told that Sindh was now the largest producer and consumer province in the country — producing about 1,609 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas and consuming about 1,115mmcfd. During the meeting, Senator Kamil Ali Agha raised the issue of unannounced gas loadshedding in Lahore. He reported that consumers had been forced to use LPG cylinders due to gas load shedding, which had become a “persistent hardship for citizens”. He noted that in recent years, the government’s policies seemed to have disproportionately favoured the industrial sector with subsidised gas but domestic users neither get the subsidy nor gas supply. He deplored that a major city like Lahore had gas supply issues and called for a policy shift that prioritised domestic users. Lawmaker says govt prioritising industries over d...