Pakistan

Encroachments on natural drains blamed for flood damages, economic losses in Sindh

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ILO criticised over compensation funds; memorial event postponed due to rain

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar on Thursday warned renowned rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir of a contempt of court case for allegedly calling him a “dictator”. A heated exchange between the two took place during the hearing of a plea filed on behalf of rights activist Dr Mahrang Baloch, who has been in custody since March. The petitioner had sought the removal of Mahrang’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL), which restricts a person’s travel abroad. Mazari was representing her in the court, when, at one point, the IHC chief justice remarked, “If I issue any order in this case, then Miss Mazari would go downstairs and hold a programme, [saying] that a dictator is sitting [here].” At this, Mazari maintained she had said “no such thing that could be considered outside the boundaries of the law”. “You should also remain within the boundaries of respect,” Justice Dogar then told Mazari. At that, Mazari clarified that “whatever I have said was in a pers...

In a meeting with the Qatari emir on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged unity in the Muslim world to confront Israeli provocations following Tel Aviv’s recent airstrikes targeting residential areas in Doha. PM Shehbaz reached Doha today on a one-day visit, where he met Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to express solidarity and regional unity after the attacks, state media reported. “The prime minister emphasised that Israel’s ongoing aggression in the Middle East must be stopped and the Muslim world needs unity in its ranks to confront Israeli provocations,” according to a statement by state broadcaster PTV on X. The statement said the prime minister strongly condemned the Israeli attack as a “blatant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stated that the leadership and people of Pakistan were deeply concerned about the attack, which was contrary to international laws. “Reaffirming the historical and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar, the prime min...

Parental career imposition, meagre income generation force many doctors to drop their white coats after graduation

Flood alerts, family tracking, crime reporting, disability-friendly tools added

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Rs700m set aside for project; Walled City Authority, MCF to oversee works

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Italian goalkeeper says ‘fully focused to make history and become a symbol for the club’

United States investigators said on Thursday they had found the bolt-action rifle they believed was used to kill influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk as he gave a talk at a university in Utah, but were still searching for the shooter. Kirk, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at Utah University, sparking a manhunt for a lone sniper who the governor said had carried out a political assassination. Authorities said they still had no suspect in custody as of Wednesday night, some eight hours after the midday shooting at Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah, during an event attended by 3,000 people. Cellphone video clips of the killing posted online showed Kirk addressing a large outdoor crowd on the campus, about 64 kilometres south of Salt Lake City, around 12:20pm MT (18:20 GMT or 23:20 PKT), when a gunshot rang out. Kirk, a staunch defender of gun rights, was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his n...

Charges primarily relate to the period between 2010/11 and 2015/16

Peter Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the United States, was sacked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday after a trove of emails revealed the depth of his ties with the late convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Known for his behind-the-scenes manoeuvring during a career lasting over three decades, Mandelson was forced from Britain’s most desirable diplomatic post after some of his letters and emails to Epstein were revealed this week. Starmer, struggling in opinion polls after numerous setbacks, had strongly backed his ambassador on Wednesday as a state visit by US President Donald Trump, with whom Mandelson had developed strong ties, looms next week. Trump has also faced questions about his links with Epstein, with the White House denying that an alleged birthday letter from him to the late financier is authentic. Mandelson called Epstein ‘my best pal’ Mandelson, who was key to the Labour Party’s success when Tony Blair was prime minister, had come under scrutiny after US lawmakers released do...

He retired in November of 2014

Ingrid Stenevik scores header in 76th minute

A high-level defense delegation led by Commander Iraqi Air Force Lieutenant General Staff Pilot Mohanad Ghalib Mohammed Radi Al-Asadi called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in Islamabad today.

Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson dismissed concerns about the national squad’s batting performance on Thursday ahead of the upcoming Asia Clup clash with India. The arch-rivals will clash in a geopolitically-charged men’s Asia Cup contest in Dubai on Sunday. It will be the first cricket match between the sides since four days of military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. While reigning T20 world champions India are the firm favourites to retain their title, Pakistan are on a high, having convincingly beaten Afghanistan in the final of a tri-series, also involving hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. Pakistan play against Oman tomorrow. Questioned during a pre-match press conference in Dubai about the team’s batting performance and judgement, Hesson said he was “not quite sure” where the concerns were arising from, saying the team had played against the “best wrist spin attack” in the world and won by over 70 runs against Afghanistan in the tri-series final. “It’s very m...

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Thursday set aside a lower court’s order to block 27 YouTube channels, granting relief to 11 petitioners. In July, it emerged that an Islamabad court had ordered YouTube in June to block 27 channels for disseminating “fake, misleading, and defamatory” content against the government and armed forces. The sanctioned accounts were being run by journalists, political commentators and social media influencers in Pakistan and overseas. The ban order sparked criticism from various legal and digital rights groups. Among the 27 channels were those of the PTI, journalists Matiuallah Jan, Wajahat Khan, Ahmad Noorani and Asad Ali Toor; former anchors Imran Riaz, Orya Maqbool, Sabir Shakir, and Moeed Pirzada. Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majoka had later suspended the order for at least seven petitioners. A total of 11 of those impacted had appealed against the lower court’s order. ADSJ Majoka conducted a hearing over the matter today and expresse...