Pakistan

Pakistan’s pre-Hajj flight operation is set to conclude today (Saturday), marking the final phase of transporting pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025.

Hours after Pakistan decided to enhance ties with Afghanistan yesterday, the Afghan foreign ministry welcomed the decision and announced upgrading the status of its chargé d’affaires in Islamabad to ambassador. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relations by exchanging envoys earlier this month — a key step towards normalising ties after years of strained relations due to terrorism concerns repeatedly voiced by Islamabad. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an ambassador,” the Afghan foreign ministry said on its X account late on Friday. “In reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the status of its mission in Islamabad from chargé d’affaires to ambassador,” the ministry added. Zakir Jalaly, an Afghan foreign ministry official, wrote on X that the current chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, will ...

The Punjab government on Saturday said that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be in place to prevent disturbance of public peace and danger to human life from June 5 to June 11. A notification issued by the provincial government today said that it was reported that during Eidul Azha, random people burned the heads and feet of sacrificial animals which emitted unhealthy smoke and unpleasant smell. “Members of the public throw entrails of sacrificial animals on roadside and drains, which causes smell/insanitary conditions and blockage of sewerage system,” the notification added. It continued that people in different areas swim in the “canals, ponds, lakes, riverbanks and distributaries during Eid holidays”, placing their lives at risk. “Cattle sellers illegally establish sale points for sale/purchase of sacrificial animals within populated areas of districts, which causes hindrance in smooth conduct of traffic and also spread of different diseases,” it read. “The said activities are not ...

In a rare weather shift for May, several areas of Gilgit-Baltistan experienced unexpected snowfall, bringing a wave of chilly weather to the region.

Peshawar - The 33rd meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet was held on Friday, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the chair.

Peshawar - Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, visited the Peshawar Press Club, where he presented a cheque of Rs.

Pakistan has voiced deep concern over the increasing incidents of Islamophobia in India, urging New Delhi to ensure the protection and rights of all its citizens, regardless of their religion.

The Punjab Home Department has imposed Section 144 across the province ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, issuing a notification to restrict certain activities from Thursday, June 5 to Wednesday, June 11.

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday raised alarm over the alleged leaking of Cambridge University’s Advanced Level (A-Level) examination papers in Pakistan, warning it has put the academic futures of bright students in jeopardy. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education met at the education ministry with Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi in the chair. The members said there were alleged reports that four question papers had been leaked and were available on various WhatsApp groups. They said reports alleged that the question papers were available for sale a day before the exam and were sold for dollars. MNA from Faisalabad Mohammad Ali Sarfraz, who attended the meeting as a special invitee, informed the committee about the leaked papers. He said leaking of papers had put future of shining students at risk. “My own daughter, who has excellent academic record, was crying after one of the papers as some other students got the question paper in advance and 100pc same questions appeared in the e...

KHYBER: A student died after he was tortured by the head of a primary school in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district on Friday, the police said. They added that Waqar Ahmad, head of a private school in Sur Kamar locality, subjected a student of grade 5, Khiyal Mat Khan, to corporal punishment during the morning assembly, leaving him critically injured. The student later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The police said that the school head used a stick to beat the student on head, neck, face and back, which caused his death. They said that they had arrested the accused when the matter was brought to their notice. Residents of Jamrud demanded exemplary punishment for the accused, and also an end to corporal punishment in educational institutions. Meanwhile, Afghan drivers complained of police torture of one of their colleagues in Shah Kas area on Friday. They alleged that traffic police manhandled an Afghan driver right in front of the police training centre in Shah Kas without him committing any traffic viol...

LAHORE: Sahibzada Farhan looked keen on making up for lost time. Almost six months since he last represented Pakistan, the flamboyant opener sparkled with a career-best 74 as hosts trounced a hapless Bangladesh by 57 runs in the second Twenty20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday to seal the three-match series with a game to spare. With Sahibzada in full flow — having returned to the national team fold after an impressive show in the Pakistan Super League — and Hasan Nawaz making a quickfire 51 not out, Pakistan amassed 201-6 after electing to bat. The bowlers then came to the fore as Bangladesh lost their way after a bright start; spinner Abrar Ahmed being the destroyer-in-chief with 3-19 as Pakistan bundled them out for 144 with only Tanzim Hasan Sakib (50) offering some late resistance. It was Pakistan’s first series victory since they beat Zimbabwe in December last year. Sahibzada’s poor return in that series had seen him fall out of national reckoning, but on his return, he set the tone for Pa...

NEW DELHI: An Indian airline has decided to terminate its leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines by Aug 31 after India’s aviation regulator said on Friday it would only extend the deal for three months, a move that will push the carrier to seek alternatives. The agreement between the two airlines has come under public criticism in India after Turkiye came out in support for Pakistan during the recent conflict. The pact has also been opposed by IndiGo’s rival Air India, which has lobbied the Indian government to end the deal, citing business impact and security concerns. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it had denied IndiGo’s request for a six-month extension and approved only three months, citing passenger convenience. The lease was due to expire on Saturday. The regulator said IndiGo gave an undertaking that it will terminate the lease with state-owned Turkish Airlines by Aug 31 and will not seek a further extension. One of the two Turkish Airlines’ wet-leased Boeing 777s operating a fligh...

KARACHI: A teenage boy reportedly died of heatstroke on Friday as temperature crossed 40 degree Celsius mark in parts of the city on Friday. The boy, aged around 15 years, was brought dead to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi from Moachko. “His post-mortem examination was carried out. It was apparently a heatstroke case,” Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn. Sources said he was a homeless person and the body was found in Murad Kalmati Goth’s jungle area. Meanwhile, the Met department’s data showed that the city’s average temperature was 40 degrees Celsius, though some areas, including Gulistan-i-Jauhar, were hotter (40.1 degrees Celsius). The relative humidity recorded in the morning was 60 per cent. The department has forecast hot and humid weather over the next two days (Saturday-Sunday) with maximum temperatures ranging between 37 degrees Celsius and 39 degrees Celsius. The heatwave persisted in Sindh cities. On Friday, Mohenjo-Daro became the hottest place in the country with the maximum tempe...

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week as Islamabad seeks to make a deal on tariffs. Pakistan faces a potential 29 per cent tariff on its exports to the US due to a $3 billion trade surplus with the world’s biggest economy, under tariffs announced by Washington last month on countries around the world. Pakistan’s formal negotiations with the United States on reciprocal tariffs started earlier in the day with a phone call between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, a press release from the finance ministry said. “Pakistan representatives are coming in next week,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after departing Air Force One. “And India, as you know, we’re very close to making a deal with India. And I wouldn’t have any interest in making a deal with either (Pakistan and India) if they were going to be at war with each other. I went that and I let them know,” the US president stre...

Ehsan Malik, Pakistan Business Council CEO KARACHI: Business leaders have advised the government to avoid surprises in the upcoming federal budget by proposing significant relief for the salaried class, including a reduction in the general sales tax (GST) and the phasing out of the super tax. In addition to balancing the external account and managing the fiscal deficit, Pakistan Business Council CEO Ehsan Malik stated that there is now an urgent need to augment defence spending through higher export earnings. The PBC’s budget proposals aimed to fiscally incentivise the rapid growth of exports and the indigenisation of inputs. Given the constraints on the fiscal account, the council sought a gradual reduction in corporate and super taxes, as well as the withdrawal of multiple taxation on inter-corporate dividends. Relief was requested for salaried employees, as was a reduction in GST, which at 18pc incentivised evasion. He emphasised that a higher tax-to-GDP ratio should be the result of business growth, not t...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir are scheduled to visit Quetta today (Saturday) for a one-day trip focused on addressing the law and order situation in Balochistan.

• Justice Mandokhail issues 36-page dissenting note against majority decision to uphold civilians’ military trial • Regrets govt opted to burden military courts instead of improving judicial system ISLAMABAD: Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench on Friday issued a 36-page dissenting note challenging the majority verdict that upheld the trial of civilians in military courts and raising questions about the use of military courts for civilian cases. “Nowhere in the world, courts martial try terrorism-related cases,” said Justice Mandokhail, a member of the seven-judge constitutional bench, in the dissenting note. Justice Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, in a minority judgement on May 7, set aside intra-court appeals against the Oct 23, 2023, five-judge judgement that had declared the military trials of civilians illegal. While brushing aside the perception that civil courts had failed to tackle the menace of terrorism and courts martial were the only solution to th...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday met with World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Najy Benhassine as she reaffirmed a shared commitment to bolstering cooperation across key development sectors.

LAHORE - President Asif Ali Zardari has underscored the vital importance of sustained political, economic, and defense stability as essential pillars for the nation’s development, prosperity, and a secure future.

GILGIT: Local traders involved in Pakistan-China trade via Khunjerab Pass launched an indefinite protest sit-in on Friday, blocking the Karakoram Highway (KKH) at Pissan in Nagar, stranding thousands of local and international travellers on both sides of the route. The protest call was issued by the Pak-China Traders Action Committee, an alliance comprising the Gilgit-Baltistan Importers and Exporters Association, the Nagar Chamber of Commerce, and small trade associations from Nagar, Hunza, and Gilgit. Protesters chanted slogans against Pakistan Customs and the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government. According to the protesters, the primary grievance is the suspension of customs clearance for imported consignments from China at Sost Dry Port for the last six months, effectively halting Pak-China trade. According to traders, 257 consignments imported from China have been stuck at Sost Dry port since December last year, causing “billions of rupees losses” from expired items, daily port charges, and other expenses. T...