Pakistan

Meanwhile, Auditor General of Pakistan, Maqbool Ahmad Gondal, also called on the President.

PESHAWAR - Sohail Afridi has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ISLAMABAD - Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar Wednesday said that the constitutional bench can hear the 26th Amendment case and that judges from all the constitutional benches can be included if necessary.

ISLAMABAD - The Federal Government has slashed the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs 5.

ISLAMABAD - Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Wednesday sought his release on parole, claiming he can help Pakistan settle its all issues with Afghanistan amid border hostilities between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said yesterday that Pakistan’s election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council with an overwhelming majority of votes reflects the international community’s recognition of Pakistan’s contribution to promoting human rights agenda.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain held a high-level meeting with Acting U.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the need for joint national and interna-tional efforts to ensure the availability of adequate, balanced, and nutritious food for all, particularly in the face of growing climate challenges.

President Asif Ali Zardari has emphasized that equal, safe, and affordable access to food is a fundamental human right, stressing that food security is a shared responsibility of all segments of society, not just the government.

Expressing grave concern over Indian military leadership’s irresponsible statements under immense political pressure, Pakistan Army on Wednesday warned that every act of ag-gression will be dealt with a swift, resolute and intense response that will be remembered by posterity.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second review of the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Ex-tended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have agreed to continue polit-ical consultations on matters of national importance.

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime on Wednesday agreed to a temporary 48-hour easefire, effective from 6:00pm Wednesday, following days of intense cross-border fighting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

At least 13 people, including women and children, were killed when a speeding truck overturned on the Swat Motorway on Thursday, according to motorway police officials.

The government has announced a reduction in petroleum product prices for the next fortnight, bringing relief to consumers across the country.

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he authorised the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in US efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s government. The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing US officials familiar with the decision, saying the Trump administration’s Venezuela strategy aims to remove Maduro from power. The administration has offered $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction on drug trafficking charges. The new authority would allow the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean, the Times reported. Asked why he authorised the CIA to operate in Venezuela, Trump told reporters his reasons were migration of Venezuelans to the United States and drug trafficking. “I authorised for two reasons really,” Trump said. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America…they came i...

ISLAMABAD: A judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has surrendered his US permanent residency, commonly known as a green card, after the introduction of a stringent vacation and travel policy that requires judges to seek prior approval from the Chief Justice before travelling abroad. According to well-placed sources in the IHC, the judge has obtained a five-year visa on his official passport following the cancellation of his Green Card. The decision came in the wake of recently introduced amendments to the Presidential Order and a General Standing Order which make it mandatory for judges to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from chief justices of their respective courts before leaving the country, even during holidays or vacations. The new standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued under the policy state that the entire time of a judge, including leave, vacations and holidays, is at the disposal of the state. The chief justice has been empowered to regulate such leave and may cancel it even after a j...

PESHAWAR: As tensions with Afghanistan spike, the country’s security forces claimed to have killed dozens of militants who were attempting to infiltrate Pakistan, state media and official sources said. The action was undertaken in Mohmand district, officials said, thwarting an attempt by dozens of militants to enter Pakistan, PTV News reported. The operation was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence rep­orts, indicating that a large group of militants was mobilising near the mountainous Khor area of Baha­dar Kalay, officials said. “Security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched an intensive operation,” sources said. State media claimed that at least 30 terrorists had been eliminated, but local sources said the number may be higher. There was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) until going to press, but PTV News claimed the incident demonstrated how the Afghan government was now relying on militant groups to try and exact revenge after their attempts to attack P...

• 48-hour ‘Qatar-brokered’ truce initiated at Afghan Taliban’s request • Both sides pledge to seek resolution through dialogue • Khawaja Asif says ceasefire may not hold as Taliban have become ‘proxy for Delhi’ • Latest round of clashes erupted after Afghan fighters target Chaman border posts overnight • Pakistan confirms retaliatory strikes on militant camps in Kandahar city, Spin Boldak • Two explosions rock Afghan capital; TTP leadership targeted in ‘precision strikes’, state-run PTV reports ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghan­istan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time and would last for 48 hours. “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive resolution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the Foreign Office...

The federal government on Wednesday night slashed the price of petrol by Rs5.66 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.39 per litre for the next fortnight. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division, the petrol price now stands at Rs263.02 per litre from Rs268.68 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of diesel has dropped to Rs275.41 per litre from Rs276.81 per litre. Meanwhile, superior kerosene oil (SKO) and light diesel oil (LDO) also experienced rate cuts, with SKO dropping in price from Rs184.97 per litre to Rs181.71 — a drop of Rs3.26. LDO price dropped by Rs2.74 from Rs165.50 per litre to Rs162.76. The notification added that the new rates were decided on the recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the relevant ministries. Widely used in motorcycles, rickshaws, and private vehicles, petrol has a direct impact on the budgets of middle- and lower-income households. HSD fuels heavy transport, agricultural machinery, and trains. Its price is considered h...