Pakistan

Three armed men shot dead in a police encounter on the outskirts of Quetta were identified as members of a kidnapping gang, police said on Sunday, adding that weapons and a vehicle used in the abductions were recovered from the scene. The incident occurred on Saturday in Quetta’s Killi Khali area, within the jurisdiction of the Brewery Police Station, where the suspects were killed during a shootout with police. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Serious Crimes Investigation Wing, Imran Qureshi, told Dawn.com that after identifying the men killed in yesterday’s encounter, an investigation was launched, which revealed that all three were involved in kidnappings. “Two accomplices of the kidnappers managed to escape during the exchange of fire, while a police constable sustained injuries,” SSP Qureshi said. “Two of the slain suspects were identified as Nawab Ali and Ahmed Sultan, while efforts are underway with the help of NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) to find out the identity of the th...

President Asif Ali Zardari has reaffirmed his commitment to politics of reconciliation and tolerance as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) intensifies its efforts to bring about an in-house change in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly.

With no majority in parliament and surrounded by allies outraged by his acceptance of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have set his sights on Israel’s next elections. A political phoenix, Netanyahu is the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has been its dominant political figure for decades and heads one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel’s history. But he does not hold an absolute parliamentary majority after an ultra-Orthodox party quit in July, protesting against the government’s failure to pass a law to exempt its community from military service. The summer parliamentary recess came at just the right time to shield the government, which now holds just 60 of 120 seats, from motions of no confidence. But the resumption of the Knesset’s work on October 20 heralded the return of transactional politics and potential threats for the government. Under pressure from US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas that came into effect on...

RAWALPINDI: Tomato prices have surged in local markets, selling at Rs370–400 per kilogram, as traders attribute the hike to floods in Punjab and the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. They, however, expect the situation to improve with supplies arriving from Swat and Sindh in the coming days. “Although the rate of tomatoes has dropped slightly from Rs600 to Rs370–400 per kg, it is still unaffordable for the common man as it is a daily-use item,” said Rawalpindi Fruit and Vegetable Market Association President Ghulam Qadir Mir while speaking to Dawn. Explaining the reasons behind the price hike, he said that floods during the monsoon season, the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and the government’s negligence in bridging the demand-supply gap were the main factors. He added that most of the tomato supply usually comes from Central Asia and Afghanistan, but border tensions had disrupted the trade. Meanwhile, local supplies from Punjab were also affected due to floods. “Iranian tomatoes reach...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Riyadh from 27 to 29 October to attend the Ninth Future Investment Initiative (FII9), leading a high-level delegation to explore avenues for strengthening economic and investment cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. The FII9 will convene global leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators to explore the theme, “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth”. Thematic discussions will address global challenges and opportunities, focusing on key topics such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion, and geopolitical shifts. “At the invitation of His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will lead a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, as well as senior Cabinet Ministers — to Riyadh from 27 to 29 October 2025 to participate in the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiati...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed for hearing a petition seeking the closure of former prime minister Imran Khan’s X (formerly Twitter) account. Meanwhile, a district court in the capital extended the interim bail of the PTI founder’s wife, Bushra Bibi, in a protest case. According to the cause list issued by the IHC registrar’s office, the petition will be taken up on November 4 by Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir. The court has already issued notices to the PTI founder, the National Cyber Crime Agency, the superintendent of prisons and other relevant officials seeking written responses. The petition filed by a citizen, Ghulam Murtaza, through Barrister Zafarullah contended that the PTI founder was allegedly broadcasting illegal and provocative messages from his X account while in prison. The petitioner maintained that such an online activity could incite public unrest and undermine law and order. It requested the court to order the removal of all unlawful or disruptive posts and to restrain an...

Punjab continued to face severe smog conditions on Sunday as Gujranwala was recorded as the most polluted city in the province with an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 562, ARY News reported.

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted nine-day physical remand of 16 activists of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to the police in multiple cases registered under terrorism charges. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill heard the police’s request when the suspects were produced before the court. The investigating officer sought a 27-day physical remand, arguing that the custody of the suspects was needed for interrogation in cases of violent protests and attacks on law enforcement officials. After examining the record, the judge allowed a nine-day remand and directed the police to produce the suspects again on November 3, along with a progress report on the investigation. The suspects are facing cases registered with the Nawab Town, Kahna and Shahdara police stations under different provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. CONVICTION: An ATC on Saturday sentenced two members of a banned outfit to five-year rigorous imprisonment each after finding them guilty of possessing explosive mater...

The “ABU Media and Culture Days” Conference opened in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sunday, bringing together media leaders, policymakers, and technology experts from across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the rapidly evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern broadcasting and journalism.

India has issued a NOTAM for large-scale joint military exercises near the Pakistani border, signalling another escalation in its ongoing aggressive posturing despite suffering a major setback in May.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia from October 27 to 29, the Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday.

BAJAUR / KOHAT / PESHAWAR: At least 12 militants were killed in a series of security operations in Bajaur, Hangu and North Waziristan districts between Friday night and Saturday, officials and local sources said. Separately, a station house officer (SHO) was injured in Hangu during follow-up action after a bomb attack on Friday evening that killed SP Asad Zubair and two police guards. In the Jhallar area of North Waziristan, security forces killed three militants and averted a “potential catastrophic attack” by destroying a vehicle being prepared for a suicide attack, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. Acting on intelligence about the presence of “Khawarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij”, troops “effectively engaged” the militants’ location and destroyed the vehicle besides killing three militants. SHO wounded in follow-up action after attack on SP The state uses the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “A saniti...

• Case linked to multimillion-rupee naval farms land scam • Plea alleges officials implicated woman in criminal case ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has ordered the constitution of a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate into the alleged abduction of a woman and her three minor children, an episode now linked to a multimillion-rupee Naval Farms land scam recently unearthed by a joint enquiry committee (JEC). Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC issued the directives while hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Waqas and others. The petition alleged that police officials, acting on behalf of unidentified people, abducted Sana Sohail, wife of Aleem Sohail, who worked in a private farm, along with her daughters — 12-year-old Harim, seven-year-old Laiba, and three-year-old Nimra — from Lahore on Sept 17. It added that the officials later implicated the woman in a fabricated criminal case at the Tarnol police station in Islamabad. According to the court order, CCTV footage dated Sept 17 confirmed that...

• Citywide AQI hits 412; PM2.5 concentrations far above safe limits • Citizens urged to wear masks, avoid unnecessary outdoor activity • PDMA says smog intensity expected to rise from Nov to mid-Dec • Govt imposes blanket ban on stubble, solid waste, plastic burning LAHORE: Lahore has ranked as the world’s most polluted city for the past three days, with air quality plummeting to hazardous levels as smog blanketed the city and the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting 412, prompting health warnings and a province-wide crackdown on pollution sources. Data revealed that Lower Mall was the worst-affected neighbourhood, with an AQI of 680, followed by Iqbal Town (577), Syed Maratib Ali Road (543), Shadman (507), the Punjab University area (506), and Shalimar (495). Environmental experts have urged residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity, particularly in the morning and evening, and to wear masks when outside. PM2.5 concentrations in Lahore’s air are multiple times above global safety thresholds, raising...

• PPP lawmakers from Kashmir separately meet Zardari, Bilawal to ‘discuss political situation’ • Insiders say decision ‘almost finalised’, incumbent premier may be given choice of ‘honourable exit’ ISLAMABAD: As the PPP plans to install its own prime minister in Azad Jammu Kashmir, the party lawmakers from the region separately met party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari to mull options for the removal of the incumbent PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq. Only a picture of Mr Zardari’s meeting with the lawmakers was issued by Saturday night, while a handout issued by the PPP regarding the meeting with Mr Bhutto-Zardari also did not mention the possibility of a no-confidence motion against the AJK premier. The party leaders discussed the AJK’s “political situation” in the meeting, said the official statement. Sources, however, claimed the party meeting considered names for Mr Haq’s successor. They said the PPP had “almost finalised” the decision to oust the AJK prime minister through a no-trus...

Nako Dost Muhammad’s night world had been without light for almost a decade. In the remote village of Kolahu, tucked away in the dusty hills of Tump in Balochistan’s Kech district bordering Iran, darkness was a constant — precluding the hum of a fan, the promise of refrigerated medicine and the safety of a well-lit room. A scorpion’s sting in the night was a crisis met only by the dim, choking flame of a kerosene lamp. From the school in the village to the dispensary nearby, none had power. This changed a few months ago, when a truck with unfamiliar tools and a curious, maintenance-free battery — the key components of a home solar system, provided under a new scheme by Balochistan’s energy department. Nako was one of 40 people in his village to receive the “home solar solution.” LET THERE BE LIGHT… In the vast, sun-scorched expanse of Balochistan — Pakistan’s largest yet most energy-deprived province — a connection to the national power grid is a rarity. Official reports suggest that only about a third of the...

Green shirts defeated Saudi Arabia 3-1 to top Pool E

The 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap of one minute and 15.586 seconds to beat Leclerc

Kimmich, Guerreiro and Karl were on target as the champions kept their perfect start alive across all competitions

LAHORE - The Pakistan Railways has decided to remove engineering obstacles between Lahore and Rawalpindi within a month, a move aimed at reducing travel time for passengers.