Lahore | Pakistan

Pakistan Railways has unveiled plans to launch a high-speed bullet train service between Lahore and Karachi by 2030, cutting travel time between the two provincial capitals from 20 hours to just five.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to cut back its Paris operations, continuing flights only from Islamabad while discontinuing its Lahore–Paris service.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday granted the police a five-day physical remand of PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah Khan in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023 riots. The Lahore Police arrested Shershah, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from outside his home on Friday. His brother Shahrez Khan, who was picked up on Thursday, was also handed over to police custody yesterday for eight days over the same allegations. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill presided over today’s hearing, where PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared as Shershah’s counsel and Imtiaz Sipra as the prosecutor. The prosecution sought a 30-day physical remand, while the defence counsel requested that the suspect be discharged from the case. Judge Gill then granted the police Shershah’s five-day custody. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting Imran’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also a...

Lahore Police on Friday confirmed that another son of Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, was taken into custody from his Lahore residence, a day after his brother was arrested in connection with the May 9 riots. The deputy investigation of Lahore Police confirmed to Dawn.com that Shershah Khan, akin to his brother Shahrez Khan, was also arrested today for his involvement in the May 9 riots. Aleema’s lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassir Umar, said that “Shershah was taken from his house after his appearance at a Lahore anti-terrorism court in relation to his brother’s case”. The PTI, in a post on X, called the incident an “abduction” and lamented that “the rule of law has been replaced with the law of the jungle”. The move comes a day after PTI announced that men in plainclothes had “abducted” Aleema’s son from her residence. Lahore police later announced that Shahrez had been arrested in connection with a May 9 case. Aleema addressed the arrest on social media this morning, saying, “(The policemen) brut...

Lahore police have confirmed the arrest of Shahrez Khan, son of Aleema Khan, in connection with cases linked to the May 9 incidents.

Leaders claim plainclothes men raided Aleema's house in Lahore

A Lahore man accused of “sextortion” of a minor via social media platform Snapchat was handed over to police for a five-day physical remand, the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Thursday. As per the court order given by a district and sessions court in Lahore, it was notified that the accused should be handed over to the police for a five-day investigation. According to NCCIA’s application for the remand, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the accused was arrested after NCCIA received a tip-off from an international organisation. He was booked for sharing pornographic material via the social media application Snapchat and engaging in “sextortion” of a minor. Upon arrest, NCCIA confiscated the phone of the accused and found pornographic material on the phone, in its “screenshot” and “screen-recording” folders. During the initial interrogation conducted by the NCCIA, the accused confessed to the crimes. Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) was registered against the ...

A Lahore magistrate on Sunday dismissed the case against transgender persons for allegedly organising an “objectionable” private party after police had arrested them earlier. According to the court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the case was dismissed after “no incriminating material is available on record which connects the accused persons with the commission of alleged offences. “Hence, the request of 10 days for physical remand of the accused persons is hereby turned down, and the accused persons present in the court are hereby discharged in this case.” The order added that no private witness of the occurrence was associated during the raid, nor were any statements taken. “Moreover, no permission for making a raid is attached with the file on a private place. Prima facie, it seems that the accused persons were included in the case on the basis of forged and concocted facts,” the order said. Lawyer Haider Butt represented the accused in the case. He confirmed to Dawn.com that all the acc...

This particular column is based on my last trip to Lahore from Cambridge, where I am considered a ‘Lahore Specialist’. Just imagine!! Last month, the university further promoted and confirmed a ‘lifelong’ research position. I will not tell what it is named. The last time I flew in on our national airline trip, it was a disaster. Oh it was delayed several times with an unannounced departure. Not surprised. No wonder it was banned. The seats were reshuffled, disgraceful food quality, insipid tea (… most like cold tea, Sir!), the lights inside going crazy and snappy crew reassuring the aircraft will not crash. It was a delight to enter the dust-bowl skies of Lahore and the searing heat. For once, the Begum literally looked red. Before leaving for Lahore I visited a sub-continental eatery in Cambridge called ‘Dishoom’, which started pre-Partition in Bombay (Mumbai), then opened a branch in Karachi and then moved to London and finally to Cambridge. It is a Parsi-owned eatery and if you tell them that you are from ...

The three-day celebrations of the 982nd annual Urs of the great Sufi saint Hazrat Data Ali Hajveri (RA) began in Lahore on Wednesday under tight security arrangements.

LAHORE: Police claimed on Tuesday to have busted a gang involved in looting citizens through online taxi apps and arrested its four members. As per a handout, the gang had been operating by using fake ride-hailing apps to target passengers. According to details, a citizen was robbed of valuables worth millions of rupees after booking a ride on Jail Road, Lahore. The driver fled with the victim’s belongings. The victim quickly contacted Police Helpline 15. A virtual patrolling officer at Punjab Safe Cities Authority immediately traced the suspects’ vehicle using advanced surveillance cameras and AI-powered tracking systems. The data was shared with Lahore police, who swiftly apprehended the suspects. Upon arrest, police recovered vehicles, luxury items, weapons, and more than 200 SIM cards from the gang. Initial investigations revealed that the gang had been defrauding citizens by posing as drivers through fake taxi apps. Authorities have urged the public to use only authentic and reliable platforms when booki...

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday ordered the confiscation of properties owned by PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed a day after they were convicted in two May 9 cases. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill on Monday sentenced the four PTI leaders to 10 years in prison in the cases pertaining to the Shadman police station attack and burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House. The court, however, acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cases. Today’s hearing was also taken up by Gill, who ordered the confiscation of the convicted PTI leaders’ properties. The judge issued jail warrants for the leaders and handed them to the jail superintendent. In its verdict yesterday, the ATC had also fined Dr Yasmin, Chaudhry, Cheema and Rasheed Rs600,000. PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed were sentenced to five years in prison in the Shadman case. In a separate development today, Judge Gill ordered the release of Qureshi in the two ...

Light rain and drizzle in various parts of Lahore on Tuesday brought a welcome change in weather, easing the recent spell of humidity.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday acquitted PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in two more cases related to the May 9 riots, while sentencing Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rashid to 10 years in prison. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, following which thousands were arrested. The ATC had reserved its verdict in the two cases on Saturday related to the May 9 riots — the Shadman police station attack and burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House — after completing proceedings at Kot Lakhpat jail. The judge concluded the hearings inside the jail in two sessions during the whole day. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the judgments today and convicted Dr Yasmin, Chaudhry, Cheema and Rashid in both cases. PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed were also sentenced to five years in prison in the Shadman case. Advocate Rana Mudassar confirmed today’s sentencing to Da...

LAHORE - An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday reserved its verdict in two high-profile cases related to the May 9 incidents, the Shadman police station arson case and the burning of police vehicles near Rahat Bakery Chowk.

Pakistani security forces have downed an Indian drone in Lahore’s Manawan area, raising fresh concerns over cross-border surveillance activities.

Police on Friday seized an Indian surveillance drone in the Jandiala Road area of Manawan, Lahore.

A tragic accident near Akbar Chowk flyover in Faisal Town, Lahore, claimed the lives of a married couple who fell from the bridge while riding a motorcycle.

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore Zone has detained five suspects involved in human trafficking, along with a main suspect linked to the 2023 Greece boat tragedy, ARY News reported. According to the FIA spokesperson, the suspects were arrested during combined raids in Lahore and Sheikhupura. In the FIA Lahore raids, the arrested suspects […]

Police personnel detained PTI protesters in Lahore and Karachi on Tuesday after party activists took to the streets to officially kick off a nationwide movement for the release of ex-premier Imran Khan, who has been in jail for two years now. Imran, imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023 in a case related to state gifts, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials in alleged terrorism cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Imran had issued a nationwide protest call, with a statement attributed to him saying that the “movement that begins on August 5 will continue until democracy is restored in its true spirit”. According to PTI leader Asad Qaiser, August 5 was the inception of the protest, but it should not be considered a “final call”. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (operations) Faisal Kamran told Dawn.com: “More than 30 PTI activists trying to block roads in different areas of the city were taken into custody.” He denied reports of the police arresting hu...