Pakistan

Five-colour bins set to facilitate recycling, prevent hazardous burning

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Over 1,100 of 11k tested animals show infection symptoms

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Motorcycle snatchers flee, open fire during police chase

While the PTI issued an internal memo to establish a chain of command, some of the party leaders criticised the move as an effort to run the party like an “army unit” and argued that differences of opinion are the “beauty and plus point” of the organisation. The leaders believe that the internal memo is undemocratic and ensures one-man rule instead of decentralisation. They also claimed that the original constitution of PTI had a core committee and nothing like a political one. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that “the internal memo was the need of the hour and was issued by Additional Secretary General PTI Firdous Shamim Naqvi to streamline recent issues faced by the party.” The memo, available with Dawn, states that in the centre, provincial presidents and general secretaries or equivalent office bearers will report to the party’s secretary general. Similarly, at the provincial level, the regional president and general secretary will report to the secretary general of the party on organi...

Sleuths say TikToker Iman was allegedly abused at birthday gathering

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PML-N president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday called for accountability for “those who brought Imran” into power, claiming that they were bigger “criminals” than the PTI founder. “Imran Khan was not the only criminal; the ones who brought him to power were the bigger criminals, and they should be held fully accountable,” said the PML-N supremo while addressing a gathering of newly elected lawmakers today. Nawaz has generally maintained a low profile since the PML-N, following the formation of a coalition with the PPP, came into power after the 2024 elections. In 2018, according to figures provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan, PTI had emerged as the largest political party in the country, winning 115 of the 270 National Assembly seats on which the elections were held. During a session in parliament following the election of then-PM Imran, PML-N leader Shehbaz brought up allegations of rigging in the July 25 polls. Alleging that 1.6 million votes were rejected, he questioned the...

Vows Adiala visits, rallies as PTI decries force used against workers on Nov 26

The joint counter-terror drills between troops of the Pakistan Army and the Royal Saudi Land Forces concluded on Wednesday, said a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). “Troops from both brotherly countries demonstrated exceptional standards of professionalism, operational skill, and interoperability throughout the exercise,” said the military’s media wing. The exercise, Al Battar-II, focused on enhancing joint proficiency in counter-terrorism operations, with an emphasis on fighting in urban terrain, countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and refining tactical drills and procedures through integrated training. “The exercise also served to further strengthen the deep-rooted and historic military-to-military ties between Pakistan and the KSA,” said the ISPR. The military’s media wing further stated that all “objectives were successfully achieved, reinforcing the commitment of both nations to regional peace, security, and collaborative defence preparedness”. The closing ceremony of...

The Punjab Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025 has officially come into force following approval from the Governor, introducing major reforms in driving regulations, vehicle documentation, fines, and road safety across the province.

Karachi is among the nine densely built megacities in Asia and the Pacific which are particularly vulnerable to heat and are projected to become substantially hotter in the years ahead, a report released by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) on Wednesday said. The report, titled Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising Heat, Rising Risk, stated that urban areas are already at high risk for extreme heat due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Densely built surfaces trap heat and raise city temperatures above those of surrounding rural areas. It added that this challenge is being exacerbated by rapid and often unplanned urbanisation and insufficient green spaces, further warning that UHI would raise temperatures by 2 to 7°C, on top of global warming. As access to cooling, water and healthcare comes under increased strain, children, the elderly and outdoor workers in densely populated urban areas are disproportionately affected. Higher-income areas usually lie in cooler...

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, who is now part of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), has observed that the Noor Mukadam case is the direct result of a “vice” spreading in society known as “living relationship”, it emerged on Wednesday. It appeared the judge was referring to a live-in relationship, where two unmarried individuals in a romantic relationship cohabitate. Noor, aged 27 years, was found murdered at the Islamabad residence of Zahir Zakir Jaffer in July 2021. In May, a three-judge Supreme Court bench, led by Justice Hashim Kakar and including Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Najafi, had upheld the death sentence awarded to Zahir, who was convicted by an Islamabad trial court in 2022. Last month, the apex court had taken up Zakir’s review petition challenging the capital punishment awarded to him. During the hearing, Justice Najafi told senior counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed, representing the convict, that it would be more appropriate for him to start arguments after going through the additional note he had n...

Comments from judges part of the Supreme Court’s bench that upheld Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence in the Noor Mukadam murder case once again stirred strong reactions on Wednesday. Noor, aged 27 years, was found murdered at Zahir’s Islamabad residence in July 2021, with the probe revealing she was brutally tortured before being beheaded. Not only had Zahir’s death sentence been upheld by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in 2023, but by a three-member bench of the SC as well on May 20 this year. In an additional note released today, one of those judges, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, stood by the SC judgment but remarked that the “case is a direct result of a vice spreading in the upper society” known as a live-in relationship. He went on to say that such ties “defy not only the law of the land but also the personal law” under Sharia, and termed them a “direct revolt” against God. The judge even cautioned the younger generation about “horrible consequences”, specifically noting that the case was a “topic for the social...