Pakistan

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has welcomed the upcoming meeting between Pakistan’s Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and former US President Donald Trump, calling it a promising step toward enhancing Pakistan-US relations.

Firefighters have been unable to completely put out the massive blaze that erupted in Karachi’s Millennium Mall on Tuesday night, as inflammable items stored in shops continue to reignite the flames. Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com on Wednesday evening that 12 fire tenders attempted to control the blaze after seven hours of hectic efforts. However, he noted that the blaze has not been completely extinguished, as clothes and other goods kept inside hundreds of destroyed shops are still fuelling the blaze. “We are expecting to continue firefighting operations until Wednesday night because of the presence of clothes, cell phones, gaming zones and other items,” Khan said. “Firefighters are searching every shop and are extinguishing any flames that are reignited.” Responding to a question, the Rescue-1122 spokesperson said that there was a fire safety system in the mall, but it was not functional. “When the firefighters attempted to use the fire suppression system, it could not be oper...

India is a perpetrator of foreign interference, Canada’s intelligence agency said in a report published on Wednesday, just after India’s and Canada’s prime ministers vowed to strengthen ties at a global summit hosted by Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held what both sides called productive talks on Tuesday at the G7 summit in Alberta and agreed to reinstate top diplomats they had withdrawn last year. Carney drew outrage from some members of Canada’s Sikh community when he invited Modi to the G7. Canada-India relations have been tense since former prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2023 accused India’s government of involvement in the June 18, 2023, murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. Modi’s government has denied involvement in Nijjar’s killing and has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Sikh separatists. The intelligence report noted transnational repression “plays a central role in India’s activity in Canada”, though i...

The Pakistan Navy successfully carried out a rescue operation at sea to save an injured Indian crew member, according to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a heatwave alert for June 18 to 22, warning of dangerously high temperatures across several regions of Pakistan.

At least 935 people have been impacted by theextreme heat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this month, rescue officials said on Wednesday. Climate change is a pressing reality for Pakistan, directly impacting millions of lives. Heatwaves, intensified by climate change, are becoming more frequent, prolonged and severe, disproportionately affecting communities with limited resources to adapt. According to Rescue 1122 KP spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi, “The ongoing heatwave across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reached alarming levels, affecting both human lives and the environment.” He told Dawn.com that, “A total of 935 people were impacted by the intense heatwave in June, of which 48 were taken to hospitals in critical condition due to heat-related health complications.” He added that to mitigate the impact of the heatwave, Rescue 1122 has established 108 anti-heatwave camps across 34 districts of the province. “The camps are equipped with first aid and hydration facilities to provide immediate relief to those suffering from he...

Three Pakistani schools — two in Lahore and one in Quetta — have been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025, according to a press release issued by the award’s founder, T4 Education, on Wednesday. T4 said in a press release that the five awards are “the world’s most prestigious education prizes” and winners are chosen “by an expert judging academy based on rigorous criteria”. The awards are for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity and Supporting Healthy Lives. Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School, Nordic International School from Lahore, and the Beaconhouse College Programme’s Juniper Campus in Quetta are the three shortlisted Pakistani institutions. “All 50 finalist schools across the five prizes will also take part in a public vote, which opened today, to determine the winner of the Community Choice Award,” the press release read. “All six winners will be announced in October.” According to T4, Sanjan Nagar — a charity-run prima...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said situation in the region in the backdrop of Iran-Israel conflict is quite alarming and it poses a serious threat not only to the region, but also to the global peace.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari announced on Tuesday that over 140,000 homes are nearing completion under the provincial government’s flagship “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” scheme.

Two people were killed and one was injured during a shooting incident in Karachi’s Ittehad Town, police said on Wednesday. South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com, “The incident occurred inside a house near Amir Muawiyah Mosque. Police have detained two people from the site of the incident, recovering a 30-bore pistol from there. A woman was being investigated.” DIG Raza added that the exchange of fire occurred due to “personal enmity between the two sides.” According to the preliminary investigation, a man brought a married woman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district to Karachi, he said. “The firing exchange took place after the woman’s husband and brothers arrived at the scene to take her back,” he added. He further said that two people died on the spot and another person, sustaining bullet injuries, was arrested. “The crime scene unit is at the scene and evidence is being collected,” he said, adding that the bodies of the deceased have been taken to the Civil Hospital ...

The iVerify Pakistan team reviewed this content and determined that it is false. To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan analysed the flight-tracking image to verify whether the aircraft mentioned actually existed in the US military and whether the mapped locations were accurate. Posts from multiple Indian users on the social media platform X on Tuesday shared an air traffic map claiming that Pakistan is helping the United States in obtaining crucial intelligence on Iran’s sensitive sites amid the conflict with Israel. However, the image is fake with numerous discrepancies. Nearly 80 people, including top army officers, were killed while civilians were among over 300 wounded in Iran as a result of Israel’s strikes on military sites and private residences on June 13. Iran subsequently launched its retaliation with ballistic missiles fired at Israel, and the two countries continued to exchange volleys over the weekend. Tensions have escalated since, with more than 224 Iranians killed and over 1000 injured, m...

Terrorists have blown up a gas pipeline in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district which supplied gas to Punjab, police said on Wednesday. Assistant spokesperson to the Lakki Marwar’s district police officer, Qudratullah, said, “The explosion triggered a fire and caused a massive gas leak. The pipeline was attacked in the Torwah seasonal stream area, which provided cover for the perpetrators.” Calling the incident a “major act of sabotage”, Qudratullah added: The khawarij (terrorist) operatives targeted a key gas pipeline from the Bettani Gas Field to Punjab, using explosives to destroy a main section of the line.“ “Soon after the blast, security forces were dispatched to the site and cordoned off the area,” Qudratullah further said, adding that emergency teams had also been mobilised to control the fire and assess the extent of the damage. “Investigations are underway to identify and apprehend those involved in the attack,” he said. “Officials have condemned the incident as an assault on critical national...

At least 18 people have died since Monday as torrential rains lashed parts of India’s western Gujarat, state officials said. Disaster response teams have been deployed to help residents in the south of the state, who are bracing for more heavy monsoon rainfall. “Eighteen people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while dozens have been rescued across low-lying areas by disaster response teams,” the state government said late on Tuesday. The worst-hit areas included Palitana and Jesar towns, which on Tuesday registered 867 millimetres of rain over the past 24 hours. State relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said the 18 deaths were the result of storms, lightning strikes and structural collapses due to rough weather. “The state is fully geared to handle the situation, and inter-departmental coordination is being intensified to ensure swift relief and rescue operations,” Pandey said. Those rescued included 18 farm labourers who were trapped in mango orchards in the Gadhada area and 22 people in Su...

A ban on smartphones in schools issued by Taliban authorities in southern Afghanistan came into force, students and teachers confirmed to AFP on Wednesday, over concerns of “focus” and “Islamic law”. The directive by the provincial Education Department in Kandahar applies to students, teachers and administrative staff in schools and religious schools. “This decision has been made to ensure educational discipline, focus”, the statement said, adding that it was taken from a “sharia perspective” and that smartphones contribute to “the destruction of the future generation”. The policy, which has already taken effect in schools across the province, has divided opinion among teachers and students. “We did not bring smartphones with us to school today”, Saeed Ahmad, a 22-year-old teacher, told AFP. “I think this is a good decision so that there is more focus on studies,” he added. Mohammad Anwar, an 11th grader, said, “The teachers are saying if anyone is seen bringing a phone, they will start searching the students...

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday received a telephone call from the UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon David Lammy MP during which both the leaders expressed deep concerns over the fast deteriorating regional security situation.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs5 billion in the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 to conduct long-awaited local body elections.

The coordinator to the Prime Minister (PM) on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, termed the meeting of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir with United States President (US) Donald Trump as a positive development for Pakistan and the broader region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Wednesday issued a stern warning against hoarding, artificial shortages, and overpricing of essential food items, saying the government will take strict action against such malpractices.

In a significant move to reform Pakistan’s sports sector, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP), Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, announced that the era of favoritism in sports is coming to an end.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Senator Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that nearly two dozen member nations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have strongly condemned the recent Israeli aggression against Iran in a joint statement issued yesterday.