Pakistan

Activation of China route as energy corridor can prove to be windfall for Pakistan, complemented by 923-hectare free t

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has converted the death sentence of a man convicted in a rape case involving a 10-year-old schoolgirl in Sheikhupura into life imprisonment, while upholding other penalties awarded to him.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday said that no party should doubt the sincerity of either the United States or Iran in the ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving outstanding issues between the two countries.

The National Assembly on Sunday approved 88 demands for grants totaling more than Rs43.

Delegations from the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar arrived at Switzerland’s Burgenstock on Sunday for “technical-level” talks aimed at ironing out the details of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed by Tehran and Washington to bring an end to the conflict that has engulfed the majority of the Middle East. On the table today several important issues: the lifting of the US blockade of Iran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli strikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah, unfreezing of Iranian assets, and the sale of the country’s oil. Each side will participate in bilateral talks ahead of the quadrilateral talks including mediators Pakistan and Qatar scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrive at Zurich Airport, in Zurich, Switzerland, June 20, 2026. ─ Reuters Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi (C) arrives at the Burgenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne on June 21, 2026. ─ Reuters Sp...

Members of the National Assembly on Sunday paid tribute to former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto on the occasion of her 73rd birth anniversary, honoring her legacy of democracy, public service and women's empowerment.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir held an important meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Zurich on Sunday amid ongoing diplomatic efforts related to US-Iran negotiations.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a countrywide weather alert, warning that strong winds, dust storms, thunderstorms, heavy rain, urban flooding and glacier-related flood threats may affect different parts of Pakistan over the next 12 to 24 hours.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a nationwide weather alert, warning that thunderstorms, strong winds, heavy rainfall, urban flooding and glacier-related flood risks could affect several parts of Pakistan over the next 12 to 24 hours. According to the NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC), the forecast weather pattern is consistent with the seasonal outlook issued three to four months ago. The NDMA said it has been continuously providing advance warnings and risk assessments to relevant federal, provincial and district authorities to ensure timely preparedness and effective response measures ahead of potential emergencies. The alert forecasts rain accompanied by thunderstorms, windstorms and dust storms in most parts of the country. Punjab and Islamabad Rainfall is expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Talagang, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Gujar Khan, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Khushab, Jhang, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Kha...

Beneath the scorching sun in the Sindh mango belt, labourers balance on tree branches, working at a swift pace to throw the freshly picked fruit into sacks held ready by farmhands waiting below. Though mango season is well underway, far less of the fruit will be bound for the lucrative export market than usual, with an agriculturally dependent economy caught in the crosshairs of the Middle East crisis that the government has helped mediate. An initial deal between the warring sides announced by Islamabad this week has come too late for this mango season, which began in June in Sindh. Mango traders told AFP they expect export sales to fall at least 30 per cent this year due to dampened demand in key markets, including the Gulf, and soaring shipping costs. Adding to the financial pain, local households struggling with a spike in inflation emanating from the regional crisis are holding off on buying the fruit, depressing domestic sales. This photograph taken on June 4, 2026 shows mango farm owner Ali Palh showin...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday announced Advocate Amjad Hussain as the party’s candidate for the post of Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister. The announcement came a day after the PPP — which emerged as the leading party during the recent general elections — announced it would form a government in GB with the support of the PML-N. Local PPP and PML-N leaders have agreed on a proposed power-sharing formula under which the region’s chief minister would be from the PPP, while the governor of GB, as well as the leader of the opposition, will be from the PML-N. According to an official statement shared on X, “Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has decided to appoint PPP’s provincial president, Advocate Amjad Hussain, as the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.” It added that the PPP chairman also had a telephonic conversation with Hussain. “The PPP chairman issued instructions to Advocate Amjad regarding government formation and the implementation of the constitutional and economic rights of the people,” th...

Japan marked the 1,000th match in World Cup history with a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia in Group F on Saturday, as Ayase Ueda scored twice to send the North Africans out. Hajime Moriyasu’s side, who drew 2-2 with the Netherlands in their opener, went ahead after four minutes when a sweeping attack ended with Keito Nakamura cutting the ball back for Daichi Kamada to score. Tunisia, beaten 5-1 by Sweden in their first match and playing under new coach Herve Renard, struggled to cope with Japan’s pressing and movement from the outset. Japan almost doubled their advantage in the 11th minute with an attack down the right flank, with Tunisia’s Dylan Bronn turning a low cross away from Kamada. From the resulting corner, Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen produced a fine save, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had not crossed the line. Moriyasu’s team continued to dominate possession, their front line harrying Tunisia’s defence and preventing Renard’s side from establishing any rhythm in the Monterrey hea...

Scottish authorities said on Saturday they charged a man in connection with attacks in Edinburgh that wounded five people with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the suspect “appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred”. Police Scotland said officers had arrested a 36-year-old white Scottish man and there was “no further threat to the public”. “A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday, June 19, 2026,” police said late on Saturday. “A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal, and the individual will appear at court in due course.” Footage posted online showed a bare-chested man, believed to be the suspect, roaming the streets of the Scottish capital with a large weapon. A police statement said they received multiple emergency calls late on Friday from people reporting “violent attacks including threats, robbery and vandalism across Edinburgh, with five men injured”. The victims, two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27, and 39...

Samuel Huntington is making a comeback. In his 1996 book The Clash of Civilisations, the American political scientist deeply divided academic opinion by arguing that culture, rather than ideology, would drive post-Cold War conflicts. In 2019, the British political theorist Christopher Coker wrote that the contemporary concept of the ‘civilisational state’ serves as a real-world evidence of Huntington’s core thesis. According to Coker, culture, rather than ideology, has become the primary currency of international politics. Indeed, Coker’s observation was the outcome of the increasing use of the term ‘civilisational state.’ But it was originally coined by American political scientist Lucian Pye in 1990. He viewed China not as a nation state in the European tradition but rather “a civilisation pretending to be a nation state.” In 2009, the British academic Martin Jacques wrote that the West continues to misread China by treating it purely as a nation state. He asserted China must be understood as a civilisation...

KARACHI: A court on Saturday granted police more time to file the final charge sheet against alleged cocaine dealer Anmol Pinky and other suspects in a drug peddling case. At the last hearing, an investigating officer had filed an interim investigation report against prime suspect Pinky and others in a drug case lodged at Garden police station, while the court had sought the final report from police on June 20. When a judicial magistrate (South) took up the matter for hearing on Saturday, the IO could not file the final charge sheet and requested more time on the grounds that forensic and other reports were still awaited. While adjourning the hearing till June 27, the court allowed further time and directed the IO to file the final investigation report by the next hearing. The magistrate also reserved orders till the next hearing on applications seeking permission to record the voice samples of the suspects in the drug case and to discharge the names of two suspects from the case. The IO had filed an applicat...

KARACHI: Despite the war in the Gulf region, Pakistani workers continued to leave for jobs in countries directly affected by the conflict, particularly during March. Official data showed that during January-May, over 300,000 Pakistanis found employment in Middle Eastern states led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The largest number of Pakistani workers left for Saudi Arabia, while around 50,000 emigrated to the UAE, one of the countries most affected by the war. According to data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, 143,586 Pakistanis left for Saudi Arabia during the five-month period, the highest number for any single destination country. Saudi Arabia was also drawn into the conflict and reportedly faced multiple attacks by Iran targeting American facilities in the kingdom. Although the war, which began on Feb 28, ended after about a month following a ceasefire, intermittent strikes by the US and Israel, as well as retaliatory attacks by Iran, continued to fuel uncertainty across the reg...

ISLAMABAD: The much-touted bill aimed at advancing fibreisation across the country has run into trouble after the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom deferred it, while criticism on social media has targeted the IT minister and sections of the telecom sector over what critics describe as an ‘exploitative law’. Concerns about the intentions behind the Pakistan Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill 2026 have intensified due to the timing of the government’s attempt to secure its passage through both houses of parliament. The bill was approved by the National Assembly on June 11, a day before the presentation of the federal budget 2026-27, and was presented in the Senate on June 15. Following objections from PTI senators, who demanded that the proposed legislation be referred to the relevant standing committee, Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom Chairperson Senator Palwasha Khan convened a meeting the next day, June 16. Lawmakers reject clause letting telcos use public land without fee; flag Rs50m ...

Naveed Qamar says climate funds must not be consumed without projects • Panel seeks stricter recovery of petroleum levies from OMCs • Islamabad token tax hike approved despite middle-class concerns ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Saturday raised concerns over the proposed carbon levy amid growing climate challenges, warned that reduced duties on scrap could create environmental risks and approved an increase in Islamabad’s token tax that is likely to affect middle-class vehicle owners. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue reviewed the National Tariff Policy 2025-30 in detail, focusing on the phased reduction in import duties. Lawmakers asked tax authorities to redraft the proposed climate levy, stressing that it must be backed by a clear and defined objective. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul briefed the committee, while Commerce Minister Jam Kamal remained absent. Since last year, the committee, chaired by MNA Naveed Qamar, has undertaken a clause-by-clause review of the Finan...

ISLAMABAD: Setting a rapid pace for judicial appointments, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has formally invited nominations to fill 10 vacant positions of additional judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC). The move comes just a day after the commission approved the Inter­views of Judges Appointment Rules, creating a specialised seven-member panel to vet prospective candidates for the superior judiciary. According to an official communication circulated by the JCP Secretariat, nominations on the prescribed format have been sought for the LHC benches and must reach the commission by July 4. Sources told Dawn that following the compilation of these nominations, the JCP is scheduled to convene intensive sessions from July 21 to 23 to evaluate and finalise selections for the Lahore, Sindh, and Balochistan high courts. Concurrently, candidate recommendations for the Peshawar High Court (PHC) are being finalised and are expected to be placed before the commission during the same period. The swift procedural...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday warned those spreading baseless rumors and misinformation, saying such elements were attempting to create instability and confusion in the country through fabricated narratives.