Pakistan

The death toll from a massive blaze in a Hong Kong apartment complex rose to 65 on Thursday, with over 250 still missing, as police said the fire may have been caused by a “grossly negligent” construction firm using unsafe materials. Almost a full day after the fire began, firefighters were struggling to reach residents potentially trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex due to intense heat and thick smoke from the blaze that erupted on Wednesday afternoon. Hong Kong’s government said the death toll from the fire had risen to 65. The fire had “claimed 65 lives and injured 70 people” by 8pm local time (5pm PKT), a government spokesperson told AFP, citing fire service figures, adding that 10 firefighters had been injured since the blaze broke out yesterday. The tightly packed complex in the northern Tai Po district has 2,000 apartments in eight blocks that are home to more than 4,600 people in a city struggling with chronic shortages of affordable housing. “We bought [a place] in this ...

Three high-profile Indian speakers who were set to take part in a much-anticipated Oxford Union debate on 27 November 2025 pulled out at the last minute, effectively handing an uncontested win to their Pakistani counterparts.

The most sweeping transformation of the higher defence organisation took effect at midnight on Thursday with the abolition of the post of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, even as the government had yet to notify the appointment of the country’s first chief of defence forces under the new structure. The operationalisation of the amendment to Article 243 of the Constitution, passed by parliament on November 13 and signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari, was timed to coincide with the retirement of the last CJCSC, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. With his departure, the tri-service coordinating post created in 1976 stood dissolved, ending nearly five decades of institutional representation for the navy and air force at the apex of military decision-making. Gen Mirza retired as the 18th and final occupant of the CJCSC office, a position which critics argued never fully realised its intended role of ensuring robust coordination among the three ser...

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of France to Pakistan Nicolas Galey yesterday unveiled Pakistan’s first-ever large-scale Urban Art Fresco, celebrating contemporary street art and cross-cultural artistic exchange.

ISLAMABAD - National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday administered the oath to five newly elected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members of National Assembly during the session.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on Thursday emphasized the coordination, mutual strategy, and cooperation between the armed forces.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan attaches great value to its brotherly relations with the United Arab Emirates, which are deeply rooted in shared faith, cultural affinity, and decades of close cooperation at the political, economic, social, and parliamentary levels.

RAWALPINDI - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi here Thursday staged a sit-in along with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers in protest against repeatedly denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.

Islamabad - A shooting incident at patrolling United States national guards, by Rahmanullah Lakanwal near the White House has reignited international concerns about the growing reach of Afghan-origin extremist networks and the broader global security implications of instability in Afghanistan.

The man suspected of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House on Wednesday was an Afghan national who worked alongside US forces in Afghanistan, US media reported. Washington has labeled the violence an “act of terror” and announced increased oversight of foreigners who entered the United States from Afghanistan in recent years. What we know about the suspected shooter Multiple media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, CBS and NBC identified the man as 29-year old Rahmanullah Lakanwal and say he arrived in America in 2021. A relative of Lakanwal told NBC that he arrived after serving in the Afghan army for 10 years in support of US Special Forces. The relative told NBC that Lakanwal originally came from Afghanistan’s southeastern Khost province and had spent some of his military service at a base in the southern province of Kandahar. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban and was the center of heavy fighting during the 20-year war between the then-insurgents and foreign-backed forc...

Recommends corporate tax cut, lower interest rate & pragmatic exchange rate

Total forex deposits oscillate around $19.6b; gold steady despite global dip on Fed cut jitters

Govt plans to ease regulations, remove unnecessary restrictions

Distribution companies seek Rs0.65/kWh relief in electricity bills

.

US Exim, global banks line up as company vows to complete 1st phase in 3 years

Say growth limitations will continue if country does not have larger, more competitive export base

Rally marks shift from sluggish pace in recent days, reflects improving interest

Event features regulatory dialogue to remove trade barriers

A high-profile debate at the Oxford Union that was scheduled to feature senior figures from Pakistan and India was cancelled after the Indian delegation withdrew at the last minute, prompting strong reactions from Pakistan’s High Commission in London and triggering speculations about why India pulled out last minute. According to statements issued by the High Commission, the debate centred on the motion “This House Believes India’s Policy Towards Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy” had been confirmed weeks in advance. It is scheduled for 12:30am PKT. Pakistan’s delegation, comprising former Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman Lt Gen (R) Zubair Mahmood Hayat, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar and former diplomat Dr Mohammad Faisal, was already in London for the event. The High Commission claimed that India’s originally announced speakers, General M.M. Naravane, Dr Subramanian Swamy and politician Sachin Pilot, “withdrew at the eleventh hour”, leaving the event without its oppo...