Rawalpindi | Pakistan

Around 200mm of rain had been records in Rawalpindi; Islamabad records around 150mm of rain in E-11

ISLAMABAD: The deployment of three Army companies in Rawalpindi under Article 245 of the Constitution is a procedural measure linked to security requirements and has no connection with political activity or any military trial, reliable sources said Monday.

Army deployed in Rawalpindi for 6 months

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi police said on Wednesday that they had arrested three cops, who were posted as guards at Adiala jail, for their alleged involvement in the escape of a prisoner while he was being transported to Jhelum jail from a court in the garrison city. According to a police statement, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tauqeer Hussain, Head Constable Mahboob Khan and Constable Qasim were arrested on the directives of Rawalpindi City Police Officer Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera. Police said the escape took place in the Mandra area on Tuesday, identifying the prisoner as Hammad, who had a record of involvement in cases of “serious crime”. According to police, search operations and raids were underway to arrest the prisoner. According to the first information report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the prisoner was being transported back to Jhelum jail after a court appearance when the three cops “conspired” with him and made the van driver stop at a hotel along the GT Road near Mandra police station as part of...

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi police said on Wednesday that they had arrested three cops, who were guards of the Adiala jail, for their alleged involvement in the escape of a prisoner while he was being taken back to Jhelum jail from a court in the garrison city. According to a police statement, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tauqeer Hussain, Head Constable Mahboob Khan and Constable Qasim were arrested on the directives of Rawalpindi City Police Officer Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera. Police said the escape took place in the Mandra area on Tuesday, identifying the prisoner as Hammad, who had a record of involvement in cases of “serious crime”. “The [arrested] cops and the prisoner’s accomplices had plotted to shift him to a private car. When Mandra police tried to stop the suspects, Hammad and his accomplices opened fire on them,” the police statement read, adding that while Hammad escaped, one of his accomplices, identified as Danial, was arrested. A Kalashnikov was also found in his possession, police said. Separately, Gujjar K...

RAWALPINDI: More than 4,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, to be held on August 2 for the migrant seats of the Rawalpindi division, according to the regional police. Polls in AJK are currently being held in three phases over security concerns, with the first set of polls held in Mirpur division on Monday. These include polls for the 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Kashmir. A spokesman for Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Babar Sarfraz Alpa said that a foolproof security plan had been devised to ensure the smooth conduct of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections, with the deployment of 4,029 police personnel. He said 175 polling stations had been set up for the elections in four constituencies of Rawalpindi Division: Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Murree. The polling stations had been categorised as ‘A’ (highly sensitive), ‘B’ (sensitive) and ‘C’ (normal). “P...

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.

General Aamer Raza met with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday, according to the military’s media wing. “The field marshal congratulated the general officer on assumption of command,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. General Raza was promoted to the rank of a four-star general and appointed to the position of Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), according to an announcement by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday. According to the PMO, the premier congratulated the newly promoted general and wished him the best for “undertaking this important responsibility”. The ISPR added in its statement that General Raza was presented with a guard of honour upon his arrival at GHQ on his appointment as CNSC. It added that the general laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-i-Shuhada and offered prayers for the martyrs. General Raza has previously been awarded the Hilal-i-Imti...

MUDASSIR RAJA RAWALPINDI Controller of Examinations Tanveer Asghar Awan conducted surprise visits to multiple examination centres across Fateh Jang, Pindi Gheb, Khour Company, Jand and Rawalpindi on Monday as part of ongoing monitoring to ensure transparency in ongoing board examinations.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the accused in an honour killing case involving a young woman from Rawalpindi, who was murdered after a jirga rejected her choice of marriage. A three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, and comprising Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, issued notices on an appeal filed by the Punjab Prosecution Department against the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench’s order granting bail to members of a jirga, including Zafarullah and Rafaqat Mehmood, on February 9, 2026. Zafarullah, the brother of the deceased woman Sidra, had sought post-arrest bail from the high court, which was granted on the grounds that other co-accused — Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan and Rashid Mehmood — had also been granted bail by the high court on October 30, 2025. An additional sessions judge in Rawalpindi had earlier granted bail to another accused, Sikandar, on December 10, 2025. The offence was committed...

Maryam Nawaz is set to formally inaugurate the newly renamed “Marka-e-Haq Square” in Rawalpindi on Sunday, as authorities finalised extensive security arrangements for the ceremony.

A shocking double murder in Rawalpindi has sparked outrage after two young men were allegedly abducted and brutally killed over a minor financial dispute involving just Rs1,300.

Mild to moderate earthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Monday, causing brief panic among residents, though no loss of life or property was reported.

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema refuted on Tuesday a notification that claimed a local holiday had been announced in the garrison city for April 22 (Wednesday). “This notification circulating on social media is fake,” the DC said on X, sharing a photo of the order, which stated that he had declared a “local holiday in the territorial jurisdiction of Rawalpindi on April 22”. Dismissing it, the DC urged the public “to rely only on official sources for authentic information”. On Sunday, Islamabad DC Irfan Nawaz Memon also dismissed as fake a notification announcing that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 until further notice. The developments take place as authorities take several measures in anticipation of hosting US-Iran talks in Islamabad. In Rawalpindi, some roads have been closed, and many universities and schools have also been shut while others remain open.

• Some roads, markets closed, transport suspended • Many varsities start online classes and others remain open RAWALPINDI: The residents of Rawalpindi are in a state of confusion as some roads have been closed while others remain open, many universities and schools have been shut while others continue to operate. Moreover, both goods and public transport are off the roads. These disruptions come as the second round of US-Iran peace talks has yet to begin in Islamabad, prompting the government to implement heightened security measures in this regard. The roads around Nur Khan Airbase and the area between Rawalpindi and Islamabad were closed. Markets in Raja Bazaar, Saddar and other areas were opened, but those in residential streets around the old airport as well on Murree Road from Shamsabad to Faizabad were closed.‎ Moreover, the Metro Bus Service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad and the electric buses remained suspended while the district administration directed to also suspend all public and goods transpor...

Rawalpindi police on Saturday denied reports regarding the closure of markets across the city until further notice, terming them baseless. A statement posted on the social media platform X quoted City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani as saying that no directives had been issued by Rawalpindi police regarding the closure of markets. He said that all markets and businesses were open as usual till 8pm as per the government’s policy. He added that effective security arrangements were being ensured in view of the “movement of foreign delegations”. He said police teams were actively conducting search, sweep, and combing operations in different parts of the city to maintain law and order. He said police were working day and night to ensure foolproof security at all times. Separately, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema also shared visuals regarding reports of hotels and markets being closed until further notice. “This news is fake and not issued by the district administration. The publ...

Heightened diplomatic activity in Islamabad has prompted authorities in Rawalpindi to enforce a comprehensive security plan, with sweeping restrictions coming into force from midnight.

The Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education on Thursday postponed the matric examinations scheduled to be held on April 10 (Friday) — when the federal capital will be abuzz with diplomatic activity during talks between the US and Iran. In a statement, it said that the exams at 64 examination centres across the city had been postponed. However, it said that exams in other districts of Rawalpindi Division would continue as per the schedule announced. According to a statement issued by the Rawalpindi BISE, the postponed exams included compulsory Urdu and geography. A new date for the postponed papers would be announced later, and the candidates would be duly informed, the statement said. The district authorities of the twin cities have declared two local holidays in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on April 9 (today) and April 10 (Friday) to ensure security for the scheduled peace talks between Iran and the United States. Due to the sensitivity and importance of the talks, comprehensive security measure...

Matriculation examinations set for tomorrow in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been deferred, with revised dates to be announced in due course.

District administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have announced local holidays in the twin cities on April 9 (Thursday) and 10 (Friday). In a post on the social media platform X, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon said, “Local Holidays Announced in Islamabad – 9th & 10th April.” He also shared the notification by the office of the Islamabad district magistrate. However, he added, essential services will remain operational. According to the official, these included the Capital Development Authority, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration, Islamabad police, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd and hospitals. “Citizens are advised to plan their activities accordingly. Thank you,” he said. Separately, a notification issued by Rawalpindi DC Hassan Waqar announced a local holiday in the territorial jurisdiction of Rawalpindi on April 9 and 10. “However, all emergency dealing departments/ institutions/ authorities shall remain operational,” the notif...