Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Just past midnight on May 7, a low hum of tension filled the Combat Operations Centre at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Headquarters in Islamabad. On radar screens, dozens of Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters began clustering to the north, maneuvering with unmistakable intent. Within minutes, Pakistan’s skies were alive with scrambling fighter jets — including the most recently inducted J-10C aircraft, flown by one of its most storied units: No. 15 Squadron, the “Cobras.” Nearly a month later, the PAF formally acknowledged what many had speculated — that it was the Kamra-based 15 Squadron that led the charge in shooting down six Indian Air Force (IAF) jets during what’s now considered one of the largest air-to-air engagement in South Asia in more than half a century. Pilots from Kamra-based No. 15 Squadron expected to be decorated at a formal ceremony later this month Eighteen of the squadron’s 20 J-10C aircraft took part in the mission, executing a high-risk intercept against a large-scale Indian formatio...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday termed India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) as “a blatant violation and act of water aggression “ and warned that Pakistan will give a befitting response under the decisions taken in the April 24 National Security Committee (NSC).

ISLAMABAD - Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that the 1972 Simla Agreement between Pakistan and India has lost its sanctity due to New Delhi’s unilateral actions, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

ISLAMABAD: Almost forty-five per cent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, according to a World Bank report released on Thursday. The finding, based on a survey conducted in 2018-19, comes in the wake of an update of global poverty lines made by the bank, and not because of any change in underlying economic conditions across the world. The proportion of people living in extreme poverty has risen from 4.9pc to 16.5pc, according to the report. The latest findings come in the wake of World Bank’s update of global poverty lines and not because of any change in the underlying economic conditions across the world. Poverty assessments revised to reflect changes in cost of living and consumption habits “For Pakistan, the poverty rate based on the new $3 international poverty line (IPL) under 2021 purchasing power parity (PPP) is 16.5Pc, compared to 4.9pc under the previous $2.15 line (2017 PPP),” said the World Bank. About 82pc of this increase is due to the higher value of the new IPL, reflecting i...

QUETTA - Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Bugti has stated that India’s intelligence agency, Reasearch and Analysis Wing (RAW) is sponsoring the terrorist group “Fitna-e-Hindustan” to destabi-lise Pakistan.

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday handed record-long suspensions to three Indigenous Maori lawmakers who last year staged a protest haka on the debating floor. Maori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were banished from parliament for 21 days, the longest-ever suspension. Fellow Maori Party lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest current MP, was suspended for seven days. The bans stem from a haka performed during voting in November on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to redefine the principles of a key pact between Maori and the government. Waititi held up a noose as he rose to speak in defiance of the ban on Thursday. “In my maiden speech, I talked about one of our (ancestors) who was hung in the gallows of Mt Eden Prison, wrongfully accused,” Waititi said. “The silencing of us today is a reminder of the silencing of our ancestors of the past, and it continues to happen. “Now you’ve traded the noose for legislation. Well, we will no...

No society can achieve sustainable development without addressing needs of its labour force.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott on Thursday discussed bilateral parliamentary and diplomatic relations, as well as regional and global developments and matters of mutual interest.

KOHAT - A blast occurred at the house of former Senator Abbas Afridi in Kohat, police said on Thursday.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday disposed off the contempt petition of former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry after his name was removed from the Passport Control List (PCL).

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially notified Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Hina Arshad Warraich as winner of the PP-52 Sialkot by-election, solidifying her position in the Punjab Assembly.

ISLAMABAD - A high level defence delegation led by Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, Commander of the Air Force & Air Defence of Belarus, visited Air Headquarters Islamabad.

LAHORE: A monthly income of over Rs75,000 is now required to support a family of six with basic necessities such as food, housing, utilities, healthcare and education, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). As the government prepares to announce the federal budget, the HRCP has urged that wages must reflect the principle that “full-time workers should be able to live with security, health and hope.” In its latest report titled ‘From Survival to Dignity: The Case for a Living Wage’, the HRCP argues for the implementation of a living wage rather than a minimum wage. It noted that millions of workers across the country earn far below the living wage threshold, which forces them to make impossible choices between feeding their families and paying for essentials like electricity and medicine. “The implementation of a living wage can be justified on many grou­n­­ds,” the report said. “From a human rights perspective, a living wage becomes a fundamental right to ensure that workers not only mee...

• Bilawal urges world to stand against Indian aggression, says water an existential issue for Pakistan • Ex-US diplomat endorses call for neutral Pahalgam probe, regrets Pak-US ties ‘still stuck in the past’ • VP Vance meets Indian delegation as US officials assure Pakistan of ‘equal representation’ WASHINGTON: As fomer foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari blamed India for pushing South Asia towards the first nuclear war over water, a former US ambassador to Pakistan endorsed Islamabad’s demand for an independent inquiry into the Pahalgam incident, which led to a full-blown conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi. At a policy forum hosted by the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, former US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson stressed that the United States-Pakistan relationship was hindered by mistrust, despite ongoing security cooperation. “The US-Pakistan relationship is so stuck in the past that India was not required to present any forensic or investigative evidence after the Pahal­gam atta...

ISLAMABAD: The national cybersecurity authority has urged citizens to use social media responsibly and remain vigilant against cyber threats. The advisory issued by the National Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) highlighted risks like disinformation, fraud, harassment, invasion of privacy and data breach. The PKCERT flagged the increase in cyber incidents affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online grooming. Women are “frequently targeted” with cyber harassment, identity theft and image-based abuse, risks that are “compounded by broader societal inequities”. The advisory cautioned that many social media posts are “deliberately designed to provoke strong emotions—such as anger, fear, or shock—prompting users to react or share them quickly without giving the content much thought”. It added that social media platforms use algorithms to display content that triggers intense emotional reactions. “This approach keeps users engaged for longer periods, even if the information is not ...

RAWALPINDI: Citizens should brace for sweltering heat during Eidul Azha as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a countrywide heatwave alert. According to the advisory, a high-pressure weather system is likely to develop over the country on June 7 and is expected to grip most parts from June 8. Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, daytime temperatures are likely to remain 5 to 7 degrees Celsius above normal in central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from June 7 to 12. In upper and central Sindh, southern Punjab and parts of Balochistan, daytime temperatures are likely to remain 04 to 06°C above normal from June 7 to 12. Advisory urges citizens to avoid exposure to direct sunlight Dust storms and gusty winds are also expected over the plains due to excessive heat. “Rising temperatures in northern areas may enhance snow-melting rate during the forecast period,” the advisory stated. The PMD has advised citizens, especially ...

ISLAMABAD: As part of a broader vision to enhance regional integration and connectivity, Uzbekistan Airways, the national carrier of the Republic of Uzbekistan, will launch direct flights between Tashkent and Islamabad beginning June 14, 2025. In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Uzbek embassy in Islamabad said that operating every Saturday, the new route underscored the shared commitment of Uzbekistan and Pakistan to strengthen their long-standing partnership and deepen cooperation across multiple sectors. This direct link marked a strategic advancement in bilateral relations and aligned with the broader goals of the Central and South Asia connectivity initiative. In addition to the new Islamabad route, Uzbekistan Airways currently operates biweekly direct flights to Lahore on Wednesdays and Fridays. These connections were helping expand the airline’s regional footprint, linking Pakistan’s major cities not only with Uzbekistan, but also with the wider Central Asian region and beyond. “Together, these ...

RAWALPINDI: A toddler who went missing while playing in the street was found dead in a sewerage line in Ratta Amral on Thursday, allegedly murdered by a boy, a close relative of the little girl. Maryam, one-year-old girl, while playing outside her house in Mohalla Qazian Ratta Amral with other children, went missing. After the disappearance, Maryam’s parents started a search for her, but failing to find clues, her grandmother, Ms Musarat Bibi, sought police help and registered a case under the relevant section of the law. During the search, the missing girl’s body was found in the main sewerage line of Dhoke Ratta on Thursday. The local police reached the spot and shifted the body to the District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem. An investigation launched to ascertain the facts behind the tragic death of the little girl. Later on, police arrested the accused, who was identified as Azan Sultan, 10 and a half years old, and lived in the same house. The accused boy was shifted to the protection bureau by th...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday taking strict notice of a polio case reported in the Diamer district, directed the relevant authorities to improve immunization further.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan strongly condemned the provocative storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalating Israeli atrocities, calling these reprehensible acts, including violations at multiple entrances of the Mosque, a direct assault on the sanctity, historical character, and legal status of the revered Muslim holy site.