Pakistan

The Federal Constitutional Court has decided to establish registries in all four provinces.

Malaysia plans to ban social media for users under the age of 16 from next year, joining a growing list of countries moving to curb access to digital platforms over child-safety concerns. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday that the government was reviewing mechanisms used in Australia and other nations to impose age restrictions, citing the need to shield youths from cyberbullying, financial scams and child sexual abuse. “We hope by next year that social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts,” he told reporters, according to a video of his remarks posted online by local daily The Star. The effects of social media on children’s health and safety have emerged as a global concern, with firms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Google and Meta Platforms — the operator of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — facing lawsuits in the United States over their alleged role in fuelling a mental-health crisis. Australia is set to deacti...

Washington and Kyiv said that any eventual deal to halt the war with Russia must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty, after “constructive” talks between US, Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva. After a day of meetings that kicked off based on a United States’ proposal that was criticised as being in Russia’s favour, negotiators have drafted “an updated and refined peace framework”, a US-Ukraine joint statement said on Sunday. US President Donald Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, which began after Russia launched a full-scale invasion. But Kyiv was seeking changes to the draft that accepted a range of Russia’s hardline demands, with the 28-point plan requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). “The talks were constructive, focused, and respectful, underscoring the shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace,” the joint statement said. “The...

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape daily life, speakers at Karachi’s Adab Festival gathered at Habitt City on Sunday to discuss how the technology has evolved, what it offers, as well as the blind spots and ethical risks it now poses for the future. The session, titled Designing Tomorrow with Artificial Intelligence, featured Dr Salman Khatani and Sadaf Bhatti, with Ahsan Siddiqui moderating. Entrepreneur Jehan Ara was scheduled to attend but was unable to do so. Siddiqui began by noting how quickly technological trends shift, recalling earlier waves, from AutoCAD to digital marketing and e-commerce, before today’s AI boom. He pointed out that while people eagerly use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini for tasks such as grammar fixes or image edits, far fewer understand how such systems can be used to create new tools themselves.  “Change is the only constant,” he said, while raising a broader question about the technology’s origins. Bhatti traced AI’s emergence to 1956 and the study of neurons; histor...

WASHINGTON: US Exp­ort-Import (Exim) Bank’s chief said the organisation would provide a $1.25 billion loan to Barrick Mining’s Reko Diq mine in Pakistan, as part of a larger plan to invest $100bn to bolster US and allied supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear energy, and natural gas. The first tranche of deals will include projects in Pakistan, Egypt and Europe, the organisation’s chair John Jovanovic told the Financial Times in an interview on Sunday. He added that the West was over-reliant on supplies that “are no longer fair”. “We can’t do anything else that we’re trying to do without these underlying critical raw material supply chains being secure, stable and functioning,” Jovanovic was quoted saying. Jovanovic told FT that the bank has $100bn left to deploy of the $135bn autho­rised by Congress. He said the bank’s early deals would also include a credit insurance guarantee for $4bn of natural gas being delivered to Egypt by New York-based commodities group Hartree Partners. The Exim Bank did not r...

AFTER receiving a warm and cordial welcome during its inauguration at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building, calls are now growing to shift the newly-formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to its originally-designated premises, in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) building. The ongoing tug-of-war over who gets control of the Constitution Ave­nue premises is increasingly starting to resemble a joint family squeezed into an old ancestral home, where every member complains about inadequate space and competing needs. Last week, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) demanded that the FCC be moved out of its temporary location within the IHC building, asserting that the new court must eventually operate from the FSC premises. The bar leadership also warned that any attempt to relocate the IHC itself would be met with determined legal and democratic resistance. Islamabad judiciary wary as newly formed Federal Constitutional Court could potentially usurp its coveted Constitution Avenue location The esta...

Voting held on five NA seats in Punjab, one in K-P; Ruling party maintains broad lead; PPP secures one PA seat

Joint statement asks Afghan regime to safeguard women's rights

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By-elections were held for six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly seats on Sunday amid allegations of rigging by the PTI. According to reports citing unofficial and preliminary results from some polling stations received until midnight, the PML-N was leading in a few constituencies. Most seats on which the by-elections were held had fallen vacant after the disqualification of PTI lawmakers due to their convictions for alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023 violent riots. The six NA constituencies where polling was conducted included one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, NA-18 (Haripur), and the rest in Punjab — NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan). The seven Punjab Assembly constituencies where by-polls were held were PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98 (Faisalabad), PP-115 (Faisalabad), PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh). The PTI had officially boycotted the polls in all constituencies except Lahore and Haripu...

Policymakers must move beyond tariff policy, adopt wider business reforms

Pakistan stands to benefit from joint ventures in EV components, solar equipment & AI skill development

Proposals to restrict high-end chips to cloud rental could leave AI use dependent on US servers

Pakistan's promise to protect women and drive economic growth remains unfulfilled

Stabilisation measures implemented since late 2024 have yielded undeniable results, though cost has been substantial

Rapid rotations, lack of specialised training leave civil servants unprepared to deliver in era that demands expertise

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday condemned in the strongest possible terms, the attacks by Israeli occupying forces across Gaza, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of several Palestinian civilians, including women and children and left many more wounded.

PESHAWAR - A road mishap on Swabi Motorway claimed the lives of four people and left five others seriously injured on Sunday.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday issued the strongest warning to provin-cial and district administrations, declaring that no official or contractor showing poor perfor-mance or negligence will be spared.