Pakistan

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Stress coordination on matters of mutual interest

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that the government was committed to making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) a profitable institution. He made the remarks during a ceremony at the Islamabad International Airport to mark the national flag carrier’s inaugural flight from the capital to the United Kingdom (UK) after a gap of nearly five years. Last month, the airline had received Third Country Operator approval for the UK. The development came after Britain’s Department of Transport concluded that security arrangements in the country were “satisfactory and in line with international standards”. Flight operations to Manchester are resuming in the first phase, with plans to extend them to Birmingham and London in the second. “After a long and difficult delay of five years, today the resumption of flights from Islamabad to Manchester is a feat we have achieved through our hard work and determination,” Asif said. “This success is not a coincidence, but a living testament of the government’s prior...

The PDMA Punjab has issued a notification declaring the flood-affected districts as disaster-affected areas.

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi stressed on Saturday the need for further coordination between their countries on matters of mutual strategic interest. Pakistan and Egypt share long-standing bilateral relations. In May, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s desire for stronger bilateral ties with Pakistan in a phone call with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Last week, Pak­istan and Egypt agreed to enhance cooperation in the maritime and industrial sectors, aiming to foster joint ventures and promote their blue economies. The army chief is currently on a visit to the country. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today said the army chief held a meeting with the Egyptian president at the Itihadia Presidential Palace in Cairo. “COAS commended the Egyptian leadership for key role in the region’s peace and stability, while President el-Sisi expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s positive and proa...

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi inaugurated a newly established Padel Tennis Court and Fitness Arena in the Diplomatic Enclave, marking another step toward improving recreational facilities for members of the diplomatic community in the federal capital.

The alleged suicide of Islamabad Police SP Industrial Area, Adeel Akbar, has ignited debate within police ranks over whether his medical leave had been formally sanctioned.

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, died late on Friday at the age of 93, the palace said. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Authorities ordered flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days, banned weddings and concerts, and instructed citizens to wear black. Former Queen Sirikit’s body will lie in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Thorne Hall in the capital, Bangkok, according to the palace. People react as they hold portraits of Thailand’s former queen Sirikit in front of Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok. People hold portraits of Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit as they gather in front of Chulalongkorn Hospital, where she passed away, in Bangkok on October 25. — AFP People react as they hold portraits of Thailand’s former queen Sirikit in front of Chulal...

Pakistan and Iran have discussed exploring new avenues for cooperation in the blue economy by strengthening road, railway, and maritime connectivity between the two neighboring countries.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has officially resumed flights to the United Kingdom after a hiatus of more than five years, marking a major milestone for the national carrier.

Countries signed their first United Nations (UN) treaty targeting cybercrime in Hanoi on Saturday, despite opposition from an unlikely band of tech companies and rights groups warning of expanded state surveillance. The new global legal framework aims to strengthen international cooperation to fight digital crimes, from child pornography to transnational cyberscams and money laundering. More than 60 countries were seen to sign the declaration on Saturday, which means it will go into force once ratified by those states. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the signing as an “important milestone”, but that it was “only the beginning”. “Every day, sophisticated scams destroy families, steal migrants and drain billions of dollars from our economy… We need a strong, connected global response,” he said at the opening ceremony in Vietnam’s capital on Saturday. The UN Convention against Cybercrime was first proposed by Russian diplomats in 2017, and approved by consensus last year after lengthy negotiation...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled a hearing for November 4 on a petition seeking the suspension of the X (formerly Twitter) account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated.

Three suspected robbers were killed in a shootout with police in Quetta’s outskirts on Saturday morning, an official said. Saddar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shaukat Jadoon told Dawn.com that three armed suspects opened fire on a police patrol party in the Killi Khali area, a locality on the outskirts of Quetta, within the limits of the Brewery Police Station. “All three suspects were killed during the police’s retaliatory action,” DSP Jadoon said. “Weapons were recovered from the possession of the dacoits,” the officer said, adding that their bodies were taken to the Bolan Medical College for medico-legal procedures. The suspects were dacoits and were present in the area with the intention of committing a robbery, the DSP said. Further police investigation was being carried out, he added. Last month, Sala­h­u­ddin Achakzai, a prominent tribal elder of the Achakzai tribe, was shot dead and two others were injured when arm­ed men riding motorcycles targeted them on the outskirts of Chaman. In late Au...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring equal participation of Balochistan in Pakistan’s national development, emphasizing that the province’s progress is vital for the country’s overall prosperity.

The Punjab government has extended the enforcement of Section 144 across the province for another week, until November 1, to maintain public order and prevent potential unrest.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday stressed that consensus among provinces was necessary for unity and ensuring the “true spirit of a federation” within the country. Addressing the Balochistan Workshop in Islamabad today, PM Shehabz recalled various challenges faced by the people of Balochistan. Noting that some of those challenges required financial resources, the premier recalled meetings in Lahore held ahead of the 2009 National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, which he had attended as the then-Punjab chief minister. “I would like to mention in all humility that in Lahore, all four chief ministers were gathered together, along with their finance ministers. Three days’ marathon session went on without a break — of course, when night fell, we would go for a few hours’ rest and then gather the next morning again.” He noted that then-Balochistan CM Aslam Raisani had conditioned the acceptance of the NFC Award on “100 per cent financial resources being added to Balochistan’s share”. “I said Punjab is read...

The second round of crucial negotiations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban is set to take place today in Türkiye, where both sides will discuss the establishment of a verifiable monitoring mechanism to counter cross-border terrorism.

US President Donald Trump slammed Canada for playing “dirty” on Friday as a row over an advertisement featuring former leader Ronald Reagan that prompted Trump to scrap trade talks showed no sign of abating. The Canadian province of Ontario said it would pull the offending anti-tariff ad on Monday so that negotiations could restart, after Trump alleged that the ad misrepresented the views of fellow Republican Reagan. But Trump showed no sign of backing down, saying Ontario should not have let it air during the first two games this weekend of baseball’s World Series. Adding extra spice to the row, the World Series features a Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, facing a US team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays thrashed the Dodgers 11-4 in the first game on Friday. “Canada got caught cheating on a commercial, can you believe it?” Trump told reporters before heading on a trip to Asia. “And I heard they were pulling the ad — I didn’t know they were putting it on a little bit more. They could have pulled i...

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, died late on Friday at the age of 93, the palace said. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a fashionista and the nation’s caring matriarch — with some Western media featuring her on magazine covers and comparing her to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy. “I had heard that she had been unwell and, given that she was in her 90s, I knew this day would come,” 53-year-old housekeeper Sasis Putthasit said early on Saturday in the capital Bangkok. “But I didn’t expect it to be today,” Sasis told AFP. “I feel sad because she was a mother figure to the country, and now she’s gone.” Sirikit had “suffered several illnesses” while h...

LAHORE: Lahore was declared the world’s most polluted city on Friday as a hazardous blanket of smog enveloped the metropolis, prompting authorities to issue a severe public health warning. The crisis was quantified by alarming data, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching a “hazardous” level of 362. The situation was even worse in specific neighbourhoods, with the Shalimar area recording a staggering AQI of 690, followed by Shadman at 611 and Syed Maratib Ali Road at 609. Other areas, including Iqbal Town, Lower Mall, and the Civil Secretariat also registered levels falling in the “emergency range”, posing serious health risks to the residents. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast no immediate respite, warning that a thick layer of smog is likely to persist over eastern Punjab, with a further increase expected in the coming days. Met Office sees no immediate respite The department explicitly identified industrial pollution and vehicle emissions as the primary drivers of smog an...