Pakistan

The Punjab Home Department said on Friday that five prison officers were suspended for allegedly being involved in the physical torture of inmates at Attock Jail. An under-trial prisoner was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the lavatory of the Attock District Jail in April. Prison officials had claimed that the prisoner had taken his own life by hanging himself with a drawstring. The inmate’s body was found by his fellow prisoners hanging from the window of the jail washroom. An order from the home department, issued a day ago, said Deputy Superintendent Executive Sarmad Hassan, Assistant Superintendent Mushtaq Ahmed, Chief Warden Muhammad Rafiq, Head Warden Zulfiqar and Warden Muhammad Ayub were placed under suspension for 90 days with immediate effect on charges of “inefficiency, negligence and misconduct” under Section 6 of Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act, 2006. A statement from the home department spokesperson said the five were suspended for “abuse of authority,...

Australia’s world-leading ban on under 16s joining social media sites cleared a big hurdle on Friday as a trial found digital age checks can work “robustly and effectively”, according to AFP. Australian lawmakers passed landmark rules to ban under 16s from social media in November 2024, approving one of the world’s toughest crackdowns on popular sites like Facebook, Instagram and X. Sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and X could face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32m) for failing to comply with the legislation. They have described the law — which is due to come into effect by the end of this year — as vague, rushed and “problematic”. There has been widespread concern over children’s use of online platforms as evidence shows that social media can have negative effects on children’s mental and physical health. Digital age verification systems — which would be critical to the ban — can work, said the interim findings of an independent Age Assurance Technology Trial, conducted for the government. “Thes...

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Friday termed “Pakistani talent and Chinese technology an invincible wall” for peace, security and stability in South Asia during a dialogue held in Islamabad. Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy. The senator’s comment came during a keynote address at the Pakistan-China Dialogue hosted by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) under the auspices of the “Friends of Silk Road”, according to a statement by the PCI. The event was attended by diplomats, parliamentarians, students and scholars. Mushahid, who serves as the PCI chairman, observed: “The global balance of economic and political power is shifting from West to East, heralding the Asian Century.” He lauded China’s “peaceful rise as a source of strength for developing nations across Asia, Africa and Latin America” and thanked Beijing fo...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed relevant authorities to prepare a comprehensive business plan for the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) within two weeks, aimed at reducing the country’s $4 billion annual maritime trade expense.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran has received multiple “serious” US messages requesting negotiations, but Iran has “nothing to say” to Washington due to its role as a “partner in the crimes” committed alongside Israel.

Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, on Friday, expressed concern over the rising number of derailments and called for a detailed analysis and proactive measures to prevent future occurrences.

An Islamabad court on Friday extended the physical remand of the main suspect in the murder case of social media influencer Sana Yousaf for another three days. Islamabad Police had arrested Umar Hayat, the main suspect in the 17-year-old’s murder, on June 3, nearly a day after she was gunned down in her house in the federal capital. Police had claimed the man murdered Sana because she repeatedly refused his advances. Hayat was presented before the court of Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Hafeez upon the completion of his four-day physical remand. His 14-day judicial remand at the Adiala Jail for his identification parade had already been completed, with the victim’s mother and aunt identifying him. Deputy district public prosecutors (DDPPs) Adnan Ali and Raja Naveed Hussain, along with Investigation Officer (IO) Mazhar Bashir Khan, appeared on behalf of the state before Magistrate Hafeez. Hussain informed the judge that the vehicle used by the suspect had been recovered, while his phone was yet to be taken into ...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has credited Pakistan’s recent diplomatic and economic strides — including a major boost in ties with the United States — to what he termed the “hybrid model of governance.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, in her message on World Refugee Day, expressed solidarity with refugees across the globe, emphasizing that becoming a refugee is not a choice but a tragic necessity driven by the need to survive.

Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear installations so far pose only limited risks of contamination, experts say. But they warn that any attack on the country’s nuclear power station at Bushehr could cause a nuclear disaster. Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities in its military campaign, but that it also wants to avoid any nuclear disaster in a region that is home to tens of millions of people and produces much of the world’s oil. Fears of catastrophe rippled through the Gulf on Thursday when the Israeli military said it had struck a site in Bushehr on the Gulf coast — home to Iran’s only nuclear power station — only to say later that the announcement was a mistake. What has Israel hit so far? Israel has announced attacks on nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, Arak and Tehran itself. Israel says it aims to stop Iran from building an atomic bomb. Iran denies ever seeking one. The international nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has reported damage to the uran...

The European Union on Friday banned Chinese firms from government medical device purchases worth more than five million euros ($5.8 million) in retaliation for limits Beijing places on access to its own market. The latest salvo in trade tensions between the 27-nation bloc and China covers a wide range of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that represent a market worth 150 billion euros in the EU. “Our aim with these measures is to level the playing field for EU businesses,” the bloc’s trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said. “We remain committed to dialogue with China to resolve these issues.” In response, China accused the EU of “double standards”. “The EU has always boasted that it is the most open market in the world, but in reality, it has gradually moved towards protectionism”, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing. “Under the guise of fair competition (the EU) actually carries out unfair competition, which is a typical case of double standards.” T...

A suspect was arrested in yet another case of child pornography in Punjab’s Muzaffargarh, Police said on Friday. Earlier in the month, the government claimed to have dismantled an international child exploitation network operating out of a so-called gaming club in Muzaffargarh, where children aged six to 10 were lured, abused and filmed for the sake of selling their videos on the dark web. “Several children were sexually abused and filmed in Sardarabad village,” a police statement said today. The matter came to light when one of the victims contacted the police. According to the statement, the suspect had been blackmailing the children using compromised videos. A first information report (FIR) of the incident was lodged at Saddar police station in Muzaffargarh district under section 292 (sale, distribution, and public exhibition of obscene material) and section 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, a boy was sexually abused and film...

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly descended into pandemonium as the general debate on the provincial budget commenced, leading to a nearly two-hour suspension of the proceedings amidst intense sloganeering by the government and opposition benches on Thursday. The members reportedly damaged microphones. A Treasury MPA accused an opposition member of stealing his watch, fueling the chaos. The session, presided over by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, began three hours and 35 minutes behind schedule and immediately plunged into disarray. The uproar began when treasury MPA Bilal Yamin accused opposition member Ejaz Shafi of stealing his watch. This ignited a furious reaction from the opposition that countered with slogans of ‘Nawaz Sharif is a thief!’. As opposition members streamed into the House in protest, the accusation of the stolen watch echoed through the chamber, with government members waving their watches and chanting ‘watch thief’. Speaker Khan struggled to restore order. Bilal Yamin insisted that the oppo...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a weather alert as pre-monsoon rains are set to begin across the province today, with significantly above-average rainfall expected in several districts.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting on the affairs of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), directing authorities to urgently expand the national shipping fleet by acquiring vessels on lease to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on foreign shipping services.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) has restrained the authorities concerned from raising any structure apart from a jogging track on the premises of an amenity plot / park located in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The apex court also said that the people must not be deprived of the park’s utility, subject to a nominal entrance fee meant for its maintenance. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar was hearing a civil petition filed against an order of the Sindh High Court (SHC) at the SC’s Karachi Registry. It also allowed a request by the counsel for the respondents to transfer the matter to the principal seat at Islamabad after seeking the approval of the chief justice of Pakistan, as the lawyer submitted that, since the injunctive order had been passed, the interests of the respondents were at stake. Bench rules ordinary people should not be deprived of park’s utility Citing DHA, Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), M/s Optimum Sports (Private) Limited and o...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting regional peace, stability, and international cooperation during his official visit to the United States, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced plans to freeze the bank accounts of individuals and businesses that fail to register for sales tax in the fiscal year 2025–26.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, unveiled Pakistan’s National Electric Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025–30, outlining a comprehensive strategy for transitioning to clean, affordable, and locally produced electric mobility.

CHITRAL: Shandur Polo Festival will start from Friday (today) in the highest polo ground of the world and it will continue for three days with matches between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) being the major event. The tourists will also enjoy cultural and musical evenings while fireworks and enthralling musical concerts will be arranged at night time. Arranged by the district administrations of Lower and Upper Chitral districts with the financial assistance of KP Culture and Tourism Authority, the event has been included in the calendar of events of the province. Tourists have started arriving here to proceed to the venue which is 156 kilometres from the city with travel time of five to six hours while a great number of vehicles is seen on Chitral-Booni Road leading to Shandur. The polo ground has been renovated and arrangements made for water and power supply, power generators, telephone, transport, media coverage,security and provision of other facilities. The players of both Chitral and GB h...