Pakistan

Gold and silver prices fell sharply in a broader market selloff on Thursday, as an advance in the dollar to a near two-week high and signs of easing US-China trade tensions added further pressure on the precious metals. Spot gold declined 2.5 per cent to $4,838.81 per ounce, as of 05:35am GMT (10:35am PST), retreating from a near one-week high hit earlier in the session. US gold futures for April delivery dropped 1.9pc to$4,855.60 per ounce. “The dollar received a new lease of life with the (Kevin) Warsh nomination (as Federal Reserve chief), and the currency has been able to keep making forward progress … traders are more circumspect now on gold in light of recent extreme volatility,” Tim Waterer, KCM chief trade analyst, said. The dollar rose to a near two-week high on Thursday, making greenback-priced gold more expensive for other currency holders. “Sentiment (has) turned soggy across most asset classes, including precious metals, cryptocurrencies and regional equities, with losses feeding into one another...

The last nuclear treaty between Russia and the United States expired Thursday, abruptly ending decades of restrictions on how many warheads the two top powers can deploy and triggering fears of a global arms race. New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), signed during a warmer period of relations, ended with the turn of the calendar to February 5, with US President Donald Trump not following up on Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend the treaty’s limits for one year. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it a “grave moment for international peace and security” and urged Washington and Moscow to head quickly to the negotiating table. “For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the Russian Federation and the United States of America,” Guterres said in a statement, which considered the treaty over at midnight GMT or 7pm in New York. “This dissolution of decades of achievement could not c...

Security forces have concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan, killing 216 militants during a series of coordinated, intelligence-based operations carried out across multiple districts, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s principled and unwavering support for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people, saying the country would continue to stand by them until the realization of their legitimate aspirations.

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Pakistan must create up to 30 million jobs over the next decade to turn its youth bulge into an economic dividend or risk instability and outward migration, World Bank President Ajay Banga has stressed. Pakistan is entering the implementation phase of a 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) deal agreed with the World Bank last year, while also working with the International Monetary Fund to stabilise its economy. But Islamabad is still facing mounting pressure to deliver sustained growth and jobs. “We’re trying to move the bank group as a whole from the idea of projects to the idea of outcomes,” Banga said in an interview with Reuters in Karachi during a visit to Pakistan this week. “Job creation is the North Star.” ‘Generational challenge’ Pakistan needs to generate 2.5m to 3m jobs a year — roughly 25m to 30m over the next decade — as millions of young people come of age, Banga said. Failure to do so could fuel “illegal migration or domestic instability”. Banga said Pakistan’s population dynamics mean ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday called on the international community to take decisive action to address the worsening human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and to hold India accountable for its illegal and unilateral actions.

A five-year-old boy was critically injured and his one-year-old brother also hurt after a metal kite string slashed their necks in Gulistan Colony, Rawalpindi, in a disturbing incident linked to illegal kite flying.

Train services from Quetta to various destinations in Balochistan and other provinces were restored on Tuesday after a suspension of several days due to security concerns, railway officials said.

KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) on Wednesday introduced KWSC Unified App aimed at modernising the city’s water and sewerage services through a single, integrated mobile platform. Describing the app as a major digital reform, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the unified app consolidates all water and sewerage-related services into one system, enabling citizens to lodge complaints, pay bills, book water tankers and track requests with ease. He said the initiative is designed to enhance operational efficiency, improve transparency and ensure greater accountability by reducing manual processes and providing real-time access to services for residents across Karachi. Officials said the app is available in Urdu, English and Sindhi and has been designed with a simple registration and OTP-based verification process to ensure ease of use for all segments of the population. During the launch ceremony held at the KWSC headquarters, a technical briefing highlighted the app’s systems and service-...

• Say right to freedom of expression should never be conflated with criminal conduct • IHC tells Shireen to approach Adiala jail authorities for meeting request ISLAMABAD: Five United Nations experts have expressed alarm over the conviction of human rights activist Advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, on multiple charges in a case pertaining to controversial social media posts under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). On Jan 24, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced Ms Mazari and Mr Chattha to jail. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, UN special rapporteurs Margaret Satterthwaite, Ben Saul, Mary Lawlor, Irene Khan and Gina Romero noted that the two were convicted on multiple criminal charges, resulting in lengthy prison sentences “for simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law”. “Lawyers, like other individuals, are entitled to freedom of expression. The exercise of this right should never be conflated with criminal conduct...

• King Charles’ brother Andrew shunted out of royal residence as police probe claims another woman was sent to royal estate by known convicted child sex trafficker • Peter Mandelson also faces Met Police inquiry; under-fire PM Starmer agrees to release record linked to his appointment WASHINGTON / LONDON / OSLO: The fallout from the revelations contained in the Epstein Files continued to cause upheaval in Europe, with notable British and Norwegian figures — including royals and top government officials — facing intense scrutiny for a variety of wrongdoings. King Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has left the Royal Lodge mansion, his home of two decades, after Thames Valley Police said they were assessing allegations that a second woman was sent to the UK by convicted sex trafficker and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, for a sexual encounter with the former royal. In 2014, the late Virginia Giuffre became the first woman to publicly accuse the embattled ex-royal of similar encounters. Giuffre filed a civi...

• Araghchi says talks with US ‘scheduled’ for Friday in Oman • Regional leaders urge United States to proceed with dialogue following reports of breakdown • Uncertainty triggered after Rubio said talks should include missile programme; Iran wanted issue kept ‘off the table’ • Trump says Iran supreme leader ‘should be very worried’ • Regional players like Pakistan, S. Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt ‘unlikely’ to take part at this stage ISLAMABAD / WASHINGTON: The prospects for talks between Iran and the United States seemed fraught with uncertainty on Wednesday, even after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly announced the date and timing of the proposed negotiations. “Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat on about 10 am Friday. I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements,” he posted on X late on Wednesday night. A US official also confirmed that the neg­o­tiations are on track, Reuters reported. The statement came amid swirling speculation tha...

• FBR ready to consider super tax recoveries on a case-to-case basis, Senate panel told • Aurangzeb says IMF mission due by month end, external financing needs fully covered. • Reveals discussions underway with UAE; currency notes being changed ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) review mission’s planned visit this month, the government has hinted at the recovery of around Rs217 billion super tax arrears in instalments to facilitate businesses, and changing all currency notes. Testifying before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Wednesday, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial expressed willingness to collect super tax arrears in instalments and clarified that the pending tax recoverable following the Supreme Court (SC) judgement in government favour was Rs217bn, not Rs300bn as speculated. The FBR chairman said the government did not want business closures for tax recoveries and would be ready to consider super tax recoveries on a case-to-ca...

• Proposes a preferential trading arrangement to cut reliance on China • Pakistan weighs options to maintain ties with both Washington and Beijing WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday outlined plans to establish price floors for critical minerals and form a preferential trading arrangement among participating countries, a proposal that Pakistan has so far chosen to approach cautiously as it seeks to maintain close ties with both Washington and Beijing. US Vice President J.D. Vance told representatives from more than 50 countries that Washington was proposing a coordinated system to stabilise prices of critical minerals essential for clean energy, advanced technology and defence industries, arguing that market volatility had discouraged long-term investment. Diplomatic sources in Washington told Dawn that Pakistan has been briefed on the US proposal but has not yet signed on. Islamabad was represented at the two-day meeting by Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik, rather than a senior political ...

QUETTA: A coalition of opposition political parties announced the withdrawal of province-wide protests in Balochistan following a meeting with government officials on Wednesday, a move described as a “goodwill gesture” amid the province’s current security and political situation. In response to the announcement, the Balochistan government agreed to release all government employees recently arrested by police while attempting to enter the “Red Zone”. The decision was reached during a meeting between an authorised government committee and an All Parties delegation representing a broad spectrum of political leadership, including the Awami National Party (ANP), National Party, Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party (PkNAP), and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). During the session, the political coalition formally ended its protest movement, citing the prevailing circumstances in Balochistan. In turn, the government confirmed it would move forward with the release of detained employees to de-escalate tensions. The two sid...

37 MoUs and agreements signed; $1b trade target set, up from a meager $250m

Field Marshal Asim says terrorists, facilitators won't be spared

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Order delivers major setback to People's Party