Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has praised the officers and personnel of the Pakistan Navy for successfully thwarting a major drug smuggling attempt worth billions of rupees in the Arabian Sea during a major operation conducted under the Saudi-led Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Combined Task Force-150 (CTF-150) through PNS Yarmouk.

Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero believed that laws were silent amidst the clash of arms. However, the notion that rules were necessary even in times of armed conflict have ancient roots. From the ancient Vedic traditions, Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’, Roman law, the Bible, and the Qur’an, all of these texts include stipulations of what is or is not allowed in war. These norms have evolved into the contemporary law of armed conflict, which aims to spare those not directly involved in hostilities and limit the effects of violence to the amount necessary for the purpose of war. They aim to balance the need to uphold humanitarian rules even in times of armed conflict and that of military necessity, which would allow for a party to the conflict to engage in lawful conduct in order for it to win the war. Ultimately, they seek to inject some element of humanity into the awful business that is warfare. Cardinal Principles Distinction The laws of armed conflict are applied when there is a “resort to armed force ...

Justice Ayesha Malik on Wednesday observed that there was no bar on a full Supreme Court hearing a case fixed before the Constitutional Bench under Article 191A introduced in the 26th Amendment. She made the remarks as an eight-member resumed hearing over three dozen petitions against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which was passed by Parliament during an overnight session in October last year. At the time, the PTI claimed seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour. The legislation, which altered judicial authority and tenure, has been a lightning rod for debate, with both opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s independence. The tweaks took away the SC’s suo motu powers, set the chief justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) term at three years and empowered a Specia...

After complaints by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi regarding bulletproof vehicles provided by the federal government, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday that the vehicles in question would be sent to Balochistan instead. On Monday, Afridi had blamed the “flawed policy” of the federal government for the resurgence of terrorism being witnessed in the province. He further claimed that the federal government was neither giving KP funds allocated under the country’s ongoing war against terrorism, nor “other constitutional rights”. He had also alleged that the bulletproof cars provided by Naqvi were “defective and old”, adding that they should be recalled. Late on Tuesday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had commented on the claims and said that like KP, his province was also affected by terrorism. “It is an appeal to the interior minister that if the KP government is refusing to take the bulletproof vehicles, they should be transferred to the Balochistan government so that t...

Pakistan Navy ship Yarmook seized narcotics worth more than $972 million from sailboats in the Arabian Sea, according to a statement issued on Wednesday from the naval network overseeing the operation. The Combined Maritime Force (CMF), a naval partnership that includes the United States, said the Pakistani naval vessel intercepted two different dhow sailing boats within 48 hours last week. It was working in “direct support of Saudi-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150” of the CMF during focused operation Al Masmak, which began on October 16. “The crew boarded the first dhow and seized over two tons of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $822,400,000 [on] October 18. Less than 48 hours later, the crew boarded a second dhow and seized 350 kilogrammes of [crystal meth] worth $140,000,000 and 50kg of cocaine worth $10,000,000,” the CMF statement said. The narcotics were transported back to the ship for testing to confirm the contents and subsequently disposed of, the statement added. The inter...

A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court (ATC) again issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, on Wednesday in a case pertaining to protests staged by the PTI in November last year over her absence from the hearing. This is the fourth time that the court has issued an arrest warrant for Aleema in the case. November 26 protests, as they famously came to be known as, saw more than 10,000 PTI protesters surge into Islamabad, defying a ban on public gatherings and a lockdown to skirmish with 20,000 security forces enlisted to turn them back. A day of clashes between security forces and protesters in the city’s Red Zone had ended in the PTI leadership’s hasty retreat, with the party announcing that it was calling off its planned protest sit-in “for the time being”. Subsequently, cases were registered against several PTI leaders under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Two of these cases were registered at the Taxila police stat...

United States President Donald Trump has stated that he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a phone call where they talked about having “no wars with Pakistan”. The US president has repeatedly claimed credit for ending the conflict between Pakistan and India earlier this year in May. India has denied the claim that the US president was responsible for brokering the ceasefire via trade threats. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has praised Trump for his “leadership and proactive role” in helping the two neighbours achieve peace in the region. Participating in a Diwali celebration at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he had a “great conversation” with Indian PM Modi over the phone. “We talked about trade — we talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade, he’s very interested in that. Although we did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan,” he said. “I think the fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that — and we have no war with Pakista...

North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, a week before a key Asia-Pacific leaders’ meeting in South Korea. It was the first launch of ballistic missiles since May by Pyongyang, which has defied a United Nations Security Council ban on the weapons. It was also the first such launch since Lee Jae Myung was elected president in South Korea, with a platform of engagement with North Korea. Lee and United States President Donald Trump are expected to meet in South Korea next week at a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Trump is also expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. South Korea detected several projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles fired from an area near North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, in a northeasterly direction early on Wednesday, its Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Trump to visit South Korea Lee and Trump have discussed the idea of trying to meet North Korean ...

A delegation of the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers called on Federal Minister for Industries and Production Khalid Hussain Magsi and discussed measures to promote quality and certified steel production in the country.

The inside story of Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s meeting with the MQM-Pakistan leadership has emerged, with the discussion focused on terrorism, urban governance, and the sense of deprivation in Sindh’s major cities.

PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan has called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to facilitate a meeting between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the PTI founder in Adiala Jail for consultation over the new provincial cabinet.

Electricity consumers may get partial relief as power tariffs are expected to be reduced by 37 paisas per unit under the monthly fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for September.

US President Donald Trump has said he advised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that there should be “no war with Pakistan,” citing trade pressure as a diplomatic tool to help ease tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a fresh notification announcing large-scale transfers and postings of officials across multiple regions and districts.

• Interior minister holds separate meetings with religious leaders at Mufti Muneeb’s residence, meets Muttahida leaders at Governor House • Evades question about ban on TLP, says action against those carrying weapons is ‘non-negotiable’ KARACHI: In a strong message, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made it clear on Tuesday that the federal government would take decisive action against any armed group operating in the country, regardless of its location or affiliation. He also issued a firm rebuttal to the growing perception on social media, clarifying that the federal government was not targeting any specific religious sect. The interior minister held a meeting with leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan at the Sindh Governor House. Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, MQM-P Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and senior leaders Dr Farooq Sattar and Aminul Haque lauded Mr Naqvi’s recent role in handling the law and order situation and in upholding the writ of the state across the four provinces. Later, accom...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday launched an initiative under which over 7,000 professionals would be trained in semiconductor design and research. The prime minister said the initiative, to be known as INSPIRE, was “a milestone in Pakistan’s transition to a knowledge-based digital economy” and signalled its entry into the $600 billion global semiconductor ecosystem. Under the programme, 7,200 professionals would be trained in semiconductor design and research. Shehbaz Sharif kicked off the “initiative to nurture semiconductor professionals for industry, research & education” (INSPIRE) to mark Pakistan’s transformative step toward technological self-reliance and global competitiveness. PM unveils ‘INSPIRE’ to train 7,200 professionals, aiming for a share in the $600bn global market In his address, the prime minister said the launch of INSPIRE was a milestone in the country’s transition toward a knowledge-based digital economy, where innovation, research, and human capital drive sustainable ...

• Azma says 3,800 of group’s ‘financiers’ identified; assets frozen • Expects ban on party to be enforced ‘within a few days’ • ‘Due diligence under way’ on Punjab’s summary, says Talal • Claims govt ‘making arrangements’ in light of JUI-F’s ‘possible’ march on capital • Khawaja Asif calls for ‘hard state’ approach to curb extremism LAHORE: Individuals providing “financial or political support” to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) will face terrorism charges, the Punjab government warned on Tuesday, as it pressed the federal government to proscribe the group. “Some 3,800 TLP financiers have been identified. Their funding sources have been blocked and legal action will be initiated against them under anti-terrorism laws,” Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari told a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday. She said the Punjab cabinet had forwarded a summary to the federal government seeking a ban on the TLP and expected a decision soon. “We expect the ban on TLP to be enforced within a few days,” s...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday night said tremors of a 5.3-magnitude earthquake were felt in the twin cities and the northern areas of the country. The PMD stated that the epicentre of the quake was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 234 kilometers and occurred at 11:15pm local time. It added that the quake was felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat, Dir and Malakand. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) registered a 5.1 magnitude quake 34km west of the Ishkashim border town in Badakhshan province at a depth of 243.9km. A screenshot of a map showing three earthquakes registered north and west of Pakistan. — Screengrab via USGS Two Reuters witnesses said strong tremors were felt in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul. The twin cities and other northern areas were similarly jolted by tremors on Friday when a magnitude of 5.6 struck at a depth of 120km at 5:15pm in the Hindu Kush mountains.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday is­sued stay orders on the auction of PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari’s property.

26TH AMENDMENT CASE HEARING.