Islamabad | Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast more rainfall in Punjab and Islamabad on Thursday, as flood-affected areas in the country's north continue to grapple with widespread damage caused by recent downpours.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced that a pilot project to establish a Law Enforcement Investigation Centre on the model of China will be launched in Islamabad to improve the country's criminal justice system.

• PTI holds protests, rallies countrywide to mark third anniversary of Imran Khan’s arrest • Party claims one MNA, four MPAs, several workers arrested in Lahore • Police use teargas, baton-charge Karachi protesters; 10 workers detained PESHAWAR / LAHORE / KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: The opposition PTI marked the third anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s arrest on Wednesday with protests and rallies across the country, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned of a march on Islama­bad next month, while police action and arrests were repor­ted from Lahore and Karachi. In a fiery speech at a large rally organised to mark three years of Imran Khan’s imprisonment, CM Afridi warned that the PTI would march towards Islamabad on Sept 27 if the cases of Mr Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were not heard on merit and restrictions on their meetings with lawyers, family members and political leaders were not lifted. A large number of people from across the province atten­ded the gathering, which was also ad...

WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Wednesday informed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that multiple terrorist groups continued to operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan, posing a growing threat to regional security. Speaking at a UNSC briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also highlighted Islamabad’s concerns over Jammu and Kashmir, as the Council met on the seventh anniversary of India’s August 5, 2019, decision to revoke the region’s special constitutional status. Ahmad described the measures imposed on that day as a new phase of repression against the Kashmiri people and accused India of committing what he called “state terrorism” in the disputed territory. He said the international community must show “zero tolerance” for such actions and should not allow counterterrorism efforts to be used as a pretext to suppress what Pakistan describes as legitimate struggles for self-determinat...

All foreign media personnel will now require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB) to travel to any city outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi for news coverage, according to recently issued guidelines. The new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, 2026, outline requirements for the registration and accreditation of “foreign media houses, organisations and outlets working in Pakistan and all eligible journalists, media owners, media professionals, sources, freelancers, sponsors, fixers, attached persons, assignees etc, of Pakistan working or contributing for them”. All foreign media personnel already accredited or registered with the MOIB’s External Publicity (EP) Wing will require a mandatory NOC from the wing for movement to any city except Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, in order to produce “news content, story, video, film, documentary or social media content” for official use. For leisure trips to Abbottabad and Murree, a NOC may be granted by the EP Wi...

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has handed over former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and other suspects to police on a three-day physical remand in a case registered in connection with a protest. The police produced the former senator and another person named Daniyal before Duty Judge Rukhsanda Shaheen in the ATC. During the hearing, the prosecution requested a 30-day physical remand of the suspects, stating that the police needed to recover a vehicle and weapons allegedly connected with the case. After hearing the arguments, the court granted the police three-day physical remand of Mushtaq and the other suspects and directed that they be produced before the court again upon completion of the remand period. The first information report (FIR) was registered at Islamabad’s Shalimar Police Station on July 31, on the complaint of Sub-inspector Ghulam Murtaza. The FIR said Mushtaq and dozens of others had led a crowd of about 400-500 people and gathered in the capital’s F-10. It accused the former senator of...

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Heavy rainfall lashed Rawalpindi and Islamabad from early morning, inundating low-lying areas and causing water levels in Nullah Lai and seasonal streams to rise, prompting authorities to declare a rain emergency across the twin cities.

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that Pakistan was doing its “utmost” to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month. Addressing a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan noted with concern that the security situation in the Middle East “remains precarious despite the relative calm of the past few days, which had rekindled hopes that this positive development, this calm, would consolidate into a durable and fully respected ceasefire and pave the way for dialogue”. Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s support for dialogue and diplomacy, maintaining that it remained the “only viable path forward”. “We welcome all efforts aimed at sustaining cessation of hostilities and resumption of dialogue between Iran and the US,” he said, adding that Pakistan remained engaged and will continue to do so. “Let me add that the negotiations between parties are ongoing to normalise the situation, particularly th...

Parts of Punjab and Islamabad received rain on Wednesday morning, marking the onset of a fresh monsoon spell in the country just as a previous one that caused flooding in several areas of Punjab and over 100 deaths ended. As of 11am, one injury in a rain-related incident in Punjab’s provincial capital, Lahore, was reported during the new rain spell. According to Rescue 1122, a 25-year-old man was injured in a roof collapse incident at a house in Lahore’s Baghbanpura. The emergency service’s statement said the roof was made of wooden beams and other material, and the injured was taken to Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital. Meanwhile, an update by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) at 11:30am said the highest amount of rainfall in the city by then was recorded in Tajpura at 44.8mm. It was followed by 44.4mm of rain in Mughalpura, 32.8 in Shadipura, 31.4 at Pani Wala Talab, 29mm at Chowk Nakhuda, 26.8mm in Johar Town, 26mm in Mannawan, 22.4mm at Lakshmi Chowk, 16.4mm in Farrukhabad, 7.6mm in Saggian, 6.2mm in Nishta...

Islamabad - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on an official visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted the police another seven-day physical remand of suspect Saad Abbasi, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq. On July 5, the PAF group captain was martyred in Islamabad in a bid to save a woman as the suspect was trying to take her away “forcefully”. As Tariq intervened, Abbasi opened fire, which struck the officer. The Islamabad police had arrested the suspect within nine hours after the incident. ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case on Monday. Abbasi was produced before the court after the completion of his initial seven-day physical remand. During the hearing, Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kayani appeared before the court and sought a further 15-day physical remand of the suspect. The prosecutor informed the court that the pistol allegedly used in the murder had been recovered, adding that the perpetrator had allegedly hidden the weapon after the incident. The prosecution further sub...

ISLAMABAD: Following the cancellation of the official accommodation allotted to Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Babar Sattar in Islamabad, the IHC registrar on Friday issued him a notice directing him to vacate the residence within 30 days. On April 28, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan approved the transfer of Justice Sattar from the IHC to the PHC. Following his transfer, Justice Sattar had decided to continue residing in the federal capital during his tenure at the provincial high court instead of seeking a separate official residence in Peshawar. According to the notice issued by the IHC registrar, the Estate Office cancelled the allotment of the official residence on July 3. The notice stated that Justice Sattar had been transferred from the IHC to the PHC and, following the cancellation of the allotment, had been given one month to vacate the premises. It further clarified that the 30-day period would be calculated from July 3, the date on which the Estate Office cancelled the allotment. Accordingly...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated the country’s “largest” data centre and Sky47 AI cloud in Islamabad, terming the facility “awe-inspiring”. The project has a capacity of 8.5 megawatts. Sky47 is also developing a 5MW data centre at Karachi’s Port Qasim, slated for completion in September. Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz said it was a privilege and an honour to be part of the ceremony. “The facility we have just visited is awe-inspiring,” he added. He further said the data centre was built in record time, showcasing the best minds from across Pakistan in both the military and civilian sectors. He commended the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, under whose supervision the data centre was built. PM Shehbaz said he was hopeful that “if we follow this model, there is no reason — and I am absolutely convinced, more than ever before — that not only will we be able to make up for the losses of the past, but we will also create a...

ISLAMABAD - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday hailed Pakistan’s role in advancing regional peace and strengthening dialogue, saying Islamabad had demonstrated a genuine commitment to peace through its efforts to facilitate talks between Iran and the United States, as Pakistan’s newly appointed Ambassador.

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni on Wednesday visited the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) headquarters in Islamabad, where he was briefed on the authority's modern identity management system and digital public service initiatives.

Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the Houthis’ recent threats to Saudi Arabia and to trading with the kingdom via the Red Sea, warning that it had the right to self-defence if its “maritime interests” were targeted in “any hostile act”. Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. A map showing the locations of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal. — made using ArcGIS “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Wednesday, denouncing the “continued threats” by Houthis. Islamabad said it was “particularly c...

• Iranian foreign minister meets Pakistan’s new envoy, discusses ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation • Interior Minister Eskander Momeni lands in Islamabad, will hold talks on US conflict with Pakistani leaders today ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday identified peace and security as the two key objectives for strengthening relations with Pakistan. He made the remarks while speaking to Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran after receiving copies of his credentials. The meeting came as fresh diplomatic efforts were underway to halt the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran after an earlier Islamabad-mediated understanding collapsed because of differing interpretations of the memorandum agreed by the two sides, particularly regarding arrangements linked to the Strait of Hormuz. Following the presentation of his letters of credence, Siddiqui and Araghchi discussed bilateral relations, regio...

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Monday expressed her country’s interest in exploring new avenues for trade and bilateral cooperation with Pakistan as she met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. Anand is on a one-day official visit to Pakistan, during which she held separate meetings with PM Shehbaz as well as Deputy PM and FM Ishaq Dar. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) following their meeting, Anand expressed the “keen desire of her government to explore new opportunities for trade and cooperation, especially in the field of agriculture, mining, energy as well as in the auto and auto parts industry”. The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) would be “instrumental” in enhancing Canadian investors’ confidence to invest in Pakistan, the PMO quoted her as saying. The PMO statement, which described the meeting as “warm and cordial”, further quoted Anand as saying that her visit was on the instructions of PM Mark Carney to “expand ...

ISLAMABAD - Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni will arrive in Islamabad on Monday for a day-long official visit carrying a special message from Iranian President Dr.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Saturday, underlined the importance of upholding ceasefire commitments under the Islamabad MoU and avoiding any actions that could further escalate tensions.