Pakistan

As many as 29,609 tickets have been issued for traffic rule violations since the newly implemented e-ticketing system was inaugurated in Karachi, according to data from the police. Sindh Chief Minister inaugurated the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), commonly known as the e-ticketing system, at the Central Police Office (CPO) last week. He explained that the new system replaces the outdated manual ticketing process with a fully automated e-ticketing mechanism, utilising advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as speeding, red-light jumping, and helmet non-compliance. Of the 29,609 tickets issued, 17,639 of them were issued to drivers not wearing a seatbelt, while 6,362 were issued to motorcyclists not wearing helmets, the data shows. Another 1,967 tickets were issued for speeding, while 1,655 were issued for running through red lights. Meanwhile, 943 tickets were issued for using mobile phones while operating a vehicle and 298 were handed out for having tinted windows and ...

Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that both the government and the PTI, along with Imran Khan, need to show flexibility in order to create space for engagement to decrease the political friction in the country. Fawad is one of the three former PTI leaders who say they have been engaging with the party’s incarcerated leadership to put an end to politics of confrontation as part of their political outreach initiative. They also visited PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, after he was taken to a hospital in Lahore from prison, on Thursday, to convince him to join their campaign. “I’ve said this from the first day, the government should move one step forward and the PTI and Imran Khan should move back one step so space is created,” said the former PTI leader while speaking during an interview on DawnNewsTV show ‘News Wise’. He maintained that both sides would have to decide on the need to bring down the temperature, warning that if the PTI did not pursue engagement and talks, it would face similar trea...

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday expressed its displeasure at the city administration’s lack of action to counter smog and pollution, questioning the use of anti-smog guns and tree cutting in the metropolis. Last Wednesday, Lahore ranked as the most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality, according to global monitor IQAir. As of today, it still leads the world in terms of poor air quality, registering an air quality index (AQI) reading of 259, which the monitor considers very unhealthy. The Punjab government has tried numerous methods to reduce the smog, including limiting citizens’ time moving in the city, fining industrial units and brick kilns causing pollution and using ‘anti-smog guns’ to fire tiny droplets of water into the air, cleaning dust and other particulates. According to a Dawn correspondent present during the hearing, LHC Justice Shahid Karim summoned the Director General of the Punjab Environment Protection Department, Hamid Sheikh, and questioned why trees are being cut down,...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that Pakistan had successfully re-established itself as a respected voice in regional and international forums due to the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Through the prime minister’s sustained diplomatic outreach, Pakistan has successfully re-established itself as a respected voice in regional and international forums, from the United Nations and SCO to OIC and the World Economic Forum,” said the defence minister while addressing a seminar organised by the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad. He said the government’s current diplomacy reflected a “confident and forward-looking” Pakistan that engaged constructively, built bridges and believed in the power of partnerships. “These achievements reaffirm a simple truth. When guided by clarity of purpose, coherence of policy and continuity of engagement, Pakistan’s diplomacy becomes its strongest national asset. Ladies and gentlemen, our journey of diplomacy is far from over. The progress we have made is ...

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At least three terrorists were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Monday. “Movement of a group of khwarij, opposite general area Esham, North Waziristan District, who were trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was picked up by the security forces.” The military’s media wing said troops effecttively engaged the group of khawarij. “As a result of precise and skillful engagement, two khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij were sent to hell.” In July, the government designated the banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan as Fitna al Khawarij, mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan. The ISPR added that one of the terrorists killed was identified as Qasim, and Afghan national who was serving in the Afghan Border Police. In another intelligence-based operation (IBO) in KP’s Tank district, security ...

Salaried class paid Rs555b in FY25; $21b tax exemptions erode revenue base

SBP review shows 9.1b digital transactions mark record year amid trust, connectivity challenges

Australian, Canadian drilling firms contacted for exploration of reserves

FinMin says commission will assess possibility of taking back education, population ministries from provinces

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Experts say fossil fuel dependency locks economies into carbon-heavy growth

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Suggests overhaul of sector, establishment of dedicated ministry