Pakistan

The Foreign Office on Thursday condemned Tel Aviv’s attempt to “extend its so-called ‘sovereignty’” over parts of the Occupied West Bank a day after a bill applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank won preliminary approval from the Knesset. Israeli lawmakers voted on Wednesday to advance two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, barely a week after US President Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending Israel’s two-year military offensive in the Gaza Strip. In a statement released today, the FO said, “Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s attempt to extend its so-called ‘sovereignty’ over parts of the occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, through a draft law introduced in the legislature of the occupying power.” The FO said that these actions constituted a “flagrant violation” of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. “Such provocative and unlawful measures undermine ongoing efforts to ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that regional connectivity was not optional, terming it essential for growth and shared progress. “Connectivity is not optional. It is essential for stability, growth and shared progress. Regional cooperation directly impacts the lives of millions of our people,” he said while addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad. Transport Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, among others, are participating in the two-day conference. Delegates from the Asian Development Bank, Economic Cooperation Organisation, International Road Transport Union, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific are also attending. In his remarks, Dar said that many countries in the region were already investing in forward-looking connectivity projects. “Central Asia is emerging as a true trans Eurasian land bridge,” he ...

Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Justice Aalia Neelum, on Thursday issued a major ruling regarding cases involving sexual assault of minor girls.

Former captain Babar Azam has made a return to Pakistan’s T20I squad as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced squads for the upcoming white-ball series. The National Selection Committee named a 15-member squad for the T20I series against South Africa to be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 28 to November 1. The same squad will be playing the T20I tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe to be staged at the same venues from Nov 17-29. In the T20I squad, Babar, Abdul Samad and Naseem Shah have made a comeback to the side after missing out on previous events. Usman Tariq is the only uncapped player included in the T20I squad, according to the PCB press release. A 16-member squad has also been announced for the ODI series against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan and South Africa, who are currently playing the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, will also feature in a three-match ODI series to be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from Nov 4-8. The ODI series will...

ISLAMABAD - The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Wednesday booked PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar Khan on charges of propagating ‘highly offen-sive’ content against the state through her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Pakistan is ready to play a constructive role in bridging differences between the United States and China, Islamabad’s Ambassador to Washington Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said on Wednesday.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to impose a complete ban on traditional brick kilns as part of its efforts to tackle environmental pollution and reduce smog levels in the province.

United States President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies on Wednesday, complaining that his talks with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war “don’t go anywhere”. The European Union also unveiled a fresh wave of sanctions to pressure Russia to end its relentless, three-and-a-half-year invasion of its neighbor, which is allied with both Washington and Brussels. Trump has held off pulling the trigger on sanctions against Russia for months, but his patience snapped after plans for a fresh summit with Putin in Budapest collapsed. “Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere,” Trump said in response to a question from an AFP journalist in the Oval Office. But Trump added that he hoped the “tremendous sanctions” against Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil would be short-lived. “We hope that the war will be settled,” he said alongside Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday evening tha...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed gratitude after the provincial government successfully met the target of providing 100,000 interest-free housing loans to low-income families under the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar project.

Members of Parliament and political leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, where they discussed the overall political landscape as well as the progress of ongoing development projects in the province.

Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains suspended for nearly two weeks as key border crossings have yet to reopen following recent clashes between security forces on both sides.

Citizens urged to report presence of extremist groups, illegal foreign nationals CM Maryam chairs third consecutive meeting on law and order Warns culture of violence, mafias will no longer be tolerated.

LODHRAN - On the special instructions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a provincial cabinet committee, led by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, visited the central flood rehabilitation camp set up at the Multan Sports Ground to review ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts for flood-affected families.

• Two policemen martyred in Noshki • Security man loses life in landmine blast QUETTA: At least 11 militants were killed in separate operations in Chagai and Sibi districts over the past 24 hours, whereas two police constables were martyred in Noshki, and a security official lost his life to a landmine in Kachhi, officials said on Wednesday. Officials said security forces launched an intelligence-based operation in the mountainous area of Dalbandin in Chagai after reports of militants hiding there. Troops cordoned off the location and came under heavy fire. A fierce gun battle ensued and lasted about an hour, leaving six suspects dead. “The Fitna al-Hindustan terrorists were hiding in the area and were detected through aerial reconnaissance,” officials said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the hideout. They said the operation had reduced threats to security forces and civilians in the vicinity. In a separate action, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted an operation in Sibi afte...

ISLAMABAD: A key government minister on Wednesday offered to shift PTI founder Imran Khan to his Banigala residence if the party submits a written application to this effect. Subsequently, the PTI has responded that the offer can be considered if the government demonstrates its “seriousness” on the issue. In an appearance on Asma Shirazi’s talk-show on Hum News, Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry suggested that Mr Khan could be shifted to Banigala, where PTI leaders and his family members can meet him on a daily basis. Later, talking to Dawn, Mr Chaudhry said that there were 8,000 prisoners in Adiala jail and they were also suffering beca­use of the PTI founder and his political activities. “We are ready to shift him if they submit an appl­i­cation. There [at Bani­gala] PTI leaders can meet him and play Ludo and other games day and night,” the minister added. He said that Mr Khan cannot be released, but he can be shifted to his Banigala residence by declaring it a sub-jail. “The PTI s...

• Emission standards critically outdated, committee told • Official says Pak-EPA lacks financial, technical resources to do its job • Senate panel urges Centre to strengthen initiatives for climate-vulnerable Gilgit-Baltistan • Calls for sharing of early-warning data for disaster prevention in northern areas ISLAMABAD / GILGIT: Critical inadequacies in Pakistan’s environmental oversight were highlighted on Wednesday, after a parliamentary committee heard that emission standards remain frozen at Euro-II levels, a benchmark long-abandoned by most nations. Following the revelation, the National Assembly’s Standing Comm­ittee on Climate Change and Environ­mental Coordination voiced serious concerns and directed the Ministry of Climate Change to present a mechanism for air-quality monitoring, along with a comprehensive action plan. During the sitting, the committee received a joint briefing from the ministry and the Islamabad Capital Terri­tory administration and was informed that country’s vehicle emission limits...

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Wednesday that it had booked PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar under the country’s cybercrime laws for spreading misinformation about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s trip to Egypt to attend the signing of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. PM Shehbaz visited Egypt last week to participate in the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit and attend the signing ceremony of a peace agreement aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. Among his many engagements with world leaders, the premier had also met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, where all three leaders expressed satisfaction over the recent ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Fact-checking platform iVerify Pakistan noted that posts from multiple users on social media platform X, particularly PTI supporters, since October 13, had shared a low quality and blurry image of the meeting with the Armenian premier , claiming it showed PM Shehbaz and Israeli PM Benjamin N...

At least 72 riverine dacoits surrendered to the authorities, as part of the provincial government’s newly implemented ‘Sindh Surrender Policy’, a press release issued by the Sindh Home Ministry said on Wednesday. The policy, approved earlier this month, will allow dacoits to surrender arms in return for assurances of protection for their families, rehabilitation and livelihood support. For decades, dozens of dacoit gangs armed with sophisticated weaponry have operated with impunity in northern Sindh as well as southern Punjab. Kidnappings for ransom, extortion rackets that cripple local businesses, brutal killings and looting people on highways have become a daily reality. According to a press release from the home department, “Around 72 dacoits surrendered under the Sindh Surrender Policy, and laid down more than 200 small-scale and heavy ammunition.” The weapons include: 62 G3 rifles, 97 submachine guns, 48 double-barreled guns, two RPG 7s, an anti-tank recoilless rifle and a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun. The d...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Saudi Arabia yesterday reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region.

ISLAMABAD - Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, during his official visit to Romania called on Lieutenant General Leonard-Gabriel Baraboi, Chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff.