Pakistan

Jordan’s King Abdullah II is set to arrive in Pakistan today (Saturday) for a two-day state visit on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marking a renewed push to deepen relations between the two nations.

KOHAT: Four terrorists were killed in two operations carried out by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police in Kohat and Karak districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security officials said on Friday. The terrorists killed in Bazid Khel village of Darra Adam Khel on Thursday late night were identified as Muhammad Qasim, Shahid and Sahir alias Pata, all belonging to the Saad alias Shah Gul group, the officials said, adding that they were involved in attacks on police, including the killing of Constable Younis on Sept 17. Sahir was also involved in an attack on a police check post in Tor Chappar on Oct 6, in which Constable Bahadar was martyred. District Police Officer Shehbaz Elahi said the SHO of Muhammad Riaz Shaheed police station was on routine patrol when unknown gunmen opened fire at 1:22am. Police retaliated, leading to an intense exchange of fire that resulted in the killing of the three terrorists. Weapons were recovered from them. In Karak district, the CTD killed another terrorist in the Banda Da...

• Opposition lawmakers tear copies of the bill, surround speaker’s dais, shout slogans during the session • JUI-F’s Younis Zehri terms the bill ‘against Islamic teachings’ • CM Bugti cites Shariat Court’s judgement in response • Opposition vows to challenge legislation in court QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Friday adopted the Child Marriage Prohibition Bill with majority votes amid strong protests by opposition members. The presentation and passage of the bill triggered heated scenes in the House, with opposition lawmakers shouting slogans and creating a ruckus. During the chaos, opposition members encircled the speaker’s dais and tore copies of the bill. The session, chaired by Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, began with the draft law on banning child marriage being presented to the House. Speaking on the bill, Leader of the Opposition Younis Zehri of the JUI-F said the legislation was against the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah and was being introduced merely to please a non-governmental organisation....

• Global watchdog ranks country 27th out of 100 • India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh fared better • China, Iran and Russia at bottom ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been ranked 27th out of 100 — ‘Not Free’ — in terms of internet freedom by a global democracy watchdog in a recent report, which cited government measures to expand censorship practices. During June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, the report issued by the US-based Freedom House noted that the authorities threatened to block virtual private networks (VPNs) and adopted amendments to the country’s cybercrime law that rights groups said could be abused. On the other hand, countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are markedly more open, classified as ‘Partly Free’, with much higher freedom scores of 51, 53, and 45, respectively. The watchdog was unable to track Afghanistan’s score. The countries placed at the bottom are China, Myanmar, Iran and Russia with scores of 9, 9, 13¸and 17, respectively. The watchdog noted that governments in the countries that suffered...

• Seniority principle seen flouted as ex-CB judges sidelined • Lawyers fear judges chosen for loyalty, not competence • Five judges boycott oath-taking ceremony • President accepts Mansoor, Minallah resignations; lawyers hail duo as ‘national heroes’ • Full court skips FCC, resignations issue; okays SC Rules ISLAMABAD: The Federal Consti­tutional Court (FCC) formally commenced on Friday after its chief justice and four judges took oath, though the proceedings were overshadowed by a boycott from five senior judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and questions are being raised over what principle, if any, guided these appointments. Critics point out that if seniority was the yardstick, none of the appointees — except Justice Aminuddin Khan, who has been elevated as chief justice of the FCC — is senior to members of the now-defunct Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court, several of whom have been ignored. View this post on Instagram This, they argue, is done in contrast to the spirit of the 1996 Al-Jih...

• Asia suffered 47pc of total losses over 33 years • Floods in Pakistan affected 9m people, destroyed crops on large scale ISLAMABAD: Disasters have caused an estimated $3.26 trillion in agricultural losses worldwide over the past 33 years — an average of $99 billion annually, or roughly four per cent of global agricultural GDP — according to a new report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) on Friday. The report, titled Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025, highlights how digital technologies are transforming the way farmers, governments and communities monitor risks, anticipate impacts and protect livelihoods. “The global agricultural sector stands at a critical juncture, facing an unprecedented convergence of disasters, while simultaneously witnessing remarkable advances in digital technologies that offer new possibilities for understanding, predicting and managing disaster risks,” it added. Between 1991 and 2023, disasters wiped out 4.6bn tonne...

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Babar Azam finally ended his 807-day wait for a One-day International century, scoring an unbeaten 102 to lead Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, sealing the three-match series with a game to spare. The former Pakistan skipper, under intense scrutiny after 83 innings without a three-figure score, struck eight boundaries in a 119-ball innings that blended patience with poise. He reached his milestone in the 47th over, pulling pacer Pramod Madushan to midwicket for a single, before collapsing to his knees in prostration and embracing Mohammad Rizwan at the non-striker’s end. The Rawalpindi crowd erupted, having waited long for this moment. Reaching the milestone, Babar equalled former opener Saeed Anwar’s record for the most ODI hundreds for Pakistan — 20 centuries. Rizwan played the ideal supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 51 off 54 balls, hitting five fours and a six. The pair added an unbroken 112 for the third wicket, guidi...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Friday declared the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulations, 2011, to be a law that violates basic human rights and approved a resolution passed by the KP Assembly to withdraw its appeal against the law from the apex court. In 2019, the then Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) provincial government extended the law to the entire province; however, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) nullified the move, terming the law a violation of basic human rights. The government, however, later obtained a stay order from the Supreme Court against the PHC verdict. On September 8, the KP Assembly passed a resolution recommending that the provincial government withdraw its appeal. “This House recommends that the provincial government declare the implementation of the law in KP and the merged districts to be against basic rights and withdraw its appeal against it from the Supreme Court,” the resolution read. On Friday, the chief minister’s aide on information and public relations, Shafiullah J...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined British High Commissioner Jane Marriott yesterday to celebrate the 77th birthday of King Charles III at a reception hosted by the British High Commission in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD - Colonel General Sobirzoda Emomali Abdulrahim, Minister of Defence of Tajikistan, yesterday called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday acquitted two brothers, Abdul Aziz Khan and Mangla Khan, who had been imprisoned for 20 years in connection with the deadly 2005 bombing outside the PIDC House in Karachi, ruling that the prosecution failed to present reliable evidence.

ISLAMABAD - Chief of General Staff of Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Syed Aamer Raza has called on Chief of General Staff, Royal Saudi Armed Forces, General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, in Riyadh on Friday.

ISLAMABAD - National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday highlighted growing prevalence of diabetes in the country and its social and economic impact.

ISLAMABAD - The Federal Government has set up an independent commission for the protection of journalists and media workers under Section 12 of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021.