June | Pakistan

A VIEW of the crumbling roof of one of the rooms at the ART Centre in Larkana, which is in a state of disrepair.—Dawn LARKANA: The Anti­ret­roviral Treatment (ART) Centre at Chandka Medical College (CMC) Children’s Hospital registered 73 new HIV-positive cases among children in June alone, with most patients belonging to different parts of Khairpur district, raising concerns over the growing burden on the facility and the shortage of healthcare staff. Officials at the centre said around 20 follow-up patients visit the facility daily. They pointed out that the centre was functioning without a pharmacist and required additional junior doctors to cope with the increasing caseload. The ART Centre operates under the Directorate of Communicable Disease Control (CDC). During a visit, Dawn observed that a portion of the ceiling plaster had fallen in the area where doctors and support staff perform their duties. Prof Dr Shanti Lal, head of the Department of Paediatrics at CMC Children’s Hospital, said routine HIV scre...

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record last month as a searing heatwave swept across a continent facing increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes, the European Union’s (EU) climate monitor said Thursday. The report comes as a new heatwave is battering Europe this week, following a record-breaking one in June and an unusually early spring hot spell in May. The average temperature in western Europe reached 20.74 degrees Celsius in June, more than 3℃ above the 1991-2020 norm, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. It broke the region’s previous record set in June 2025. “We will see more heatwaves in a warmer world,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which operates Copernicus. “They will be more intense and they will last longer, and they will impact more geographical areas,” Burgess told AFP. It was the second hottest June on record for the world and for Europe as a whole, Copernicus said, as hum...

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has notified an around 15pc increase in the price of Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for the current month, mainly because of purchases from the international spot market at short notice amid supply disruptions caused by the US-Iran war. The latest price notification places the RLNG price for June 15pc higher than in May, almost 56pc higher than in March, and 73pc higher than in February. This has mainly resulted in a substantial increase in fuel costs for power generation, which is evident from the fact that the fuel cost for RLNG-based power generation in May worked out to Rs31 per unit, compared with Rs13.72 per unit in April. Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan, and its distribution-stage system losses stand at 12.55pc, compared with about 10.6pc a couple of months earlier. On the other hand, Lahore-based Sui Northern G...

ISLAMABAD - Despite several high-profile attacks, Pakistan witnessed a decline in overall anti-state violence and related security incidents during June 2026 as compared to the preceding month, said a security report issued on Wednesday.

Despite several high-profile attacks, Pakistan witnessed a decline in overall anti-state violence and related security incidents during June, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). According to PICSS — an Islamabad-based think tank that monitors terrorism, anti-state violence and related security trends — 184 terrorists were killed in operations by Pakistani security forces, accounting for the largest share of the total 262 fatalities. On the other hand, 52 civilians and 26 security forces personnel lost their lives during the month. The breakdown of the injured showed that 63 civilians, 50 security forces personnel, 18 pro-government peace committee members and three terrorists were wounded. Compared with May, fatalities among Pakistani security forces declined by 62 per cent, while civilian deaths dropped by 27pc. Terrorist deaths also registered a 32pc decrease. Among the injured, PICSS recorded a 43pc decline in security forces casualties, a 57pc decrease among civi...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate eased slightly to 11.1 per cent in June from 11.7pc a month earlier, mainly due to lower prices of energy and essential food items, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. The modest decline suggests that recent cuts in petrol and diesel prices have provided some relief to households. However, the government has yet to fully pass on the benefit of lower international oil prices to domestic consumers, limiting the overall reduction in inflationary pressures. On a month-on-month basis, inflation decreased by 0.3pc compared to the previous month. Inflation between July 2025 and June 2026 was recorded at 7.05pc, over the 4.49pc in the corresponding months last year. This was despite a high base effect from last year. The government has projected a revised inflation target of 7.5pc for the current fiscal year. For FY27, it has projected an inflation target of 8.2pc. The continued increase in monthly inflation, measured by the Consu...

ISLAMABAD - The federal government on Monday announced two-day public holidays across the country on June 25 and 26 (Thursday and Friday) to observe the 9th and 10th of Muharram-ul-Haram, 1448 A.

The federal government on Monday announced two-day public holidays across the country on June 25 and 26 (Thursday and Friday) to observe the 9th and 10th of Muharram-ul-Haram, 1448 A.

The federal and Sindh governments on Monday announced public holidays on June 25 (Thursday) and 26 (Friday) on account of Ashura. In a notification dated June 22, the Cabinet Secretariat said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared Muharram 9 and 10, falling on June 25-26, as public holidays. Meanwhile, the Sindh Information Department also issued a notification to this effect on social media platform X. The notification, issued by Sindh’s chief secretary, said. “The government of Sindh, hereby declares June 25 and 26, 2026 as public holidays throughout the province of Sindh, on the occasion of Ashura (Muharram 9 and 10, 1448 A.H).” It added that all offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the government of Sindh, except essential services, would remain closed. Muharram is a month of mourning, observed in particular by Shia Muslims worldwide. It commemorates the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, where, amongst many, the grandso...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has set June 30 as the deadline for completion of all sewerage and drainage projects across the province and imposed a ban on leaving excavation work incomplete or roads open after digging.

SARGODHA - The Sargodha police’s Anti-Vehicle Lifting Squad (AVLS) recovered 30 stolen and tempered motorcycles worth millions of rupees and handed them over to their rightful owners during successful operations conducted across the district in the month of June 2026.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced that all its field formations will observe normal working hours on June 27 and 28, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday), to facilitate the collection of duties and taxes.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend the fourth meeting of the R-4 group of countries in Cairo on June 21 at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart, Dr Badr Abdelatty, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO). “At the invitation of Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend the 4th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the R-4 Group of Countries, to be held in Cairo, Egypt, on 21 June 2026,” said the statement. The meeting would bring together the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan to “discuss regional developments and exchange views on issues related to peace, security, and stability”. “Building on the outcomes of previous R-4 meetings, the ministers will also discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest,” added the statement. During the visit, FM Dar would hold bilateral consultations with his Egyptian counterpart and would also call on...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the continuation of the federal government's austerity measures until June 30, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday.

Pre-sales of Grand Theft Auto VI, the feverishly anticipated video game release, will begin on June 25, Rockstar Games said on Thursday. GTA VI, due to be released on November 19 after two delays, is the eighth main entry in the blockbuster franchise and is set to arrive more than 13 years after GTA V, the second best-selling video game in history. Rockstar Games, owned by New York-based Take-Two Interactive, announced the date in a post on X, saying pre-orders would begin across digital platforms and at select retailers. Rockstar also released the game’s official cover art but did not disclose pricing. Analysts believe the game will be available at a base price of $80, based on recent comments from Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick and industry reports. As popular as it is notorious for its sexual and violent content, the franchise has allowed players to roleplay as criminals doing dirty deeds across sprawling cityscapes since its first entry in 1997. The newest game was originally due to be released ...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declared a public holiday across the province on June 17, 2026, on the occasion of 1st Muharram 1448 AH, marking the beginning of the Islamic New Year.

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) until June 17, 2027, while highlighting concerns over Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, terrorism threats, human rights situation and regional stability. The resolution, drafted by China and adopted by all 15 UNSC members, reaffirms the UN’s central role in supporting peace and stability in Afghanistan and maintaining engagement with the country’s de facto authorities and other stakeholders. Although Pakistan is not mentioned by name in the text, several provisions of the resolution carry direct implications for Islamabad, particularly on refugee returns, regional security, counterterrorism cooperation and economic connectivity. The Security Council directed Unama to support efforts to create conditions conducive to the “voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return and reintegration of internally displaced persons and refugees,” a...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Monday announced that the Muharram 1448 AH moon was not sighted in the country. The first of Muharram will fall on Wednesday, June 17, while Ashura will be observed on June 26. In a notification, the ministry said: “In pursuance of the decision of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee in its meeting held today in Lahore, the federal government in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Islamabad, hereby announces that the moon of Muharram 1448 AH has not been sighted.” “Therefore, the 1st Muharram 1448 AH shall commence from Wednesday, June 17, 2026,” it added. Earlier today, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported that the committee would meet at Iqbal Hall, Badshahi Mosque in Lahore to sight the Muharram moon, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Muharram is a month of mourning, observed in particular by Shia Muslims worldwide. It commemorates the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, where, amongst many, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Peac...

Pakistan has officially announced that the crescent moon marking the beginning of Muharram 1448 AH was not sighted anywhere in the country, making June 17 (Wednesday) the first day of the Islamic month.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the austerity measures it had imposed on March 10, 2026, due to disruptions in petroleum supplies amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict. On March 10, the apex court announced that the country’s courts would observe four-day work weeks. It further stated that the monthly ceiling of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) allocated to judges and entitled officers should be reduced by 50 per cent. A notification issued with the approval of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi stated that the notification, dated March 10, 2026, has been withdrawn. “Accordingly, all austerity measures adopted in the said notification shall cease to have effect from June 15, 2026,” it added. The government had announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 in the wake of the Middle East war to deal with the global energy crisis, which had arisen due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Following the government’s announcement, institutions including the Supreme Court, the...