Pakistan

An impressive 47 researchers from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, have been recognized among the world’s top 2% scientists for 2025, according to the latest global rankings jointly compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier.

KARACHI: The Sindh government has introduced a new system of traffic penalties, including fines and a demerit points system, by amending the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, to improve road safety across the province. Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a statement on Thursday that violations including overspeeding, driving without a license, signal violations, wrong-way driving, overloading, and reckless behaviour would now carry higher fines and demerit points. Under the revised penalty structure, overspeeding will result in fines of Rs5,000 for motorcycles, Rs15,000 for cars, and Rs20,000 for heavy vehicles, along with eight demerit points. Driving without a license will be penalised with a fine of up to Rs50,000 and six demerit points. Reckless driving will attract a fine of Rs25,000 and eight points. The new system also includes fines for one-wheeling, riding motorcycles without helmets, using tinted windows, driving in the wrong lane, and carrying passengers on vehicle roofs. “These measure...

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, visited Kinnaird College for Women University, where he was warmly welcomed by faculty members and students.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal announced on Friday that the government has reached a consensus agreement with the Awami Action Committee (AAC), marking a major breakthrough in efforts to resolve the ongoing issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) through dialogue.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday voiced optimism over the latest diplomatic progress in the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling it a “significant step” toward achieving a long-awaited ceasefire.

Peshawar - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday visited Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar to inquire about the police personnel injured in the Ghari Qamardin bomb blast.

A coalition of unions, employers and religious groups filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to block US President Donald Trump’s bid to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly-skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco is the first to challenge a proclamation Trump issued two weeks ago announcing the fee as the Republican president moves to further restrict immigration to the United States. Plaintiffs include the United Auto Workers union, the American Association of University Professors, a nurse recruitment agency and several religious organisations. They argued that Trump’s power to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals does not allow him to override the law that created the H-1B visa programme. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson in a statement said Trump’s administration engaged in lawful actions “discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down American wages, while providing certainty to employers who need to bring the best talent f...

ISLAMABAD - Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday rejected the Middle East peace plan presented by former US president Donald Trump, terming it pro-Israel and unacceptable.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday categorically said that Pakistan nei-ther recognizes the Israeli state nor maintains diplomatic ties with it.

MUZAFFARABAD - The government and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) are close to reach-ing an agreement as both sides held a high-level second round of talks to resolve the unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Friday maintained that the province alone has the right to decide how its water resources are utilised, stating that she would not let anyone interfere in the internal affairs of Punjab.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed commitment to transform Pakistan into an attractive destination for investment in the region through transparency and by crafting economic policies aligned with global standards.

Foreign minister informs NA US made changes to peace plan proposed by Pakistan, other Muslim states No change in Pak stance over two-state solution of Palestine Pak-KSA defence agreement can become Eastern Nato if more nations join.

ISLAMABAD - Acting President of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, met with Lord Shafaq Mohammad of Tinsley, Member of the House of Lords, former Member of the European Parliament Barrister Tanveer Hussain, and Chaudhary Mehboob Hussain here at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday.

LAHORE - The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday approved the bail petition of Muhammad Sadiq, an accused in an attempted murder case, and ordered his release.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday cleared the last hurdle in resuming direct passenger flights to the United Kingdom, as London issued the Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit (FOP).

KARACHI: The Sindh police have requested Interpol and the British police to share the detailed log of a tracker fitted in a high-end vehicle reported stolen from the United Kingdom and recently spotted in Karachi. The black Range Rover Sport was stolen on Nov 11, 2022 from Harrogate, UK, and in February this year, with the help of its tracker, it was located in Karachi on Korangi Road. Later, Interpol sent a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Islamabad, the Karachi police and the Anti-Vehicles Lifting Cell (AVLC), alerting them about the stolen vehicle. Talking to Dawn on Friday, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon said that the Interpol’s letter was received two days ago at the office of AVLC SSP. “We have sent an email to the UK police and asked them to send us a detailed log of the tracker fitted in the vehicle,” he said. Interpol says the SUV was last tracked on Korangi Road in February The IGP said that the police also sought the source of the active location of the vehicle fro...

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has turned down a petition seeking the quashment of a cybercrime case registered against a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government official, who is accused of orchestrating a malicious online campaign against the family of Judge Humayun Dilawar and the judiciary.

ISLAMABAD - Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Friday apologised for the assault on journalists at the National Press Club here a day earlier, assuring the media that steps will be taken to ensure such an incident does not reoccur in future.

• Employees to pay 10pc, govt 12pc • Pension liabilities rise to Rs1.055tr in 2024-25, driven by armed forces pensions ISLAMABAD: With some discretionary changes, the government announced on Friday that federal employees will contribute 10 per cent of their pensionable pay to qualify for a 12pc contribution from the public exchequer under the newly formalised contributory pension fund scheme. The total contribution rate will thus be 22pc, replacing the traditional pension system for new entrants. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) published the “Federal Government Defined Contribution (FGDC) Pension Fund Scheme Rules 2024” under the Public Finance Management Act 2019, which regulates the scheme according to the Voluntary Pension System Rules 2005 and Non-Banking Finance Companies and Notified Entities Regulations 2008. These rules supersede an earlier MoF order of August 2024, which had set the government’s contribution at 20pc. On Aug 20, 2024, the MoF initially announced the introduction of the contributory pens...