Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday that its recent tree-cutting drive in the capital was conducted on the direct instructions of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The statement was part of a written report submitted to the court in response to a petition challenging the CDA’s tree-cutting drive, which had drawn significant public criticism. Recently, large-scale tree removal took place in at least three locations in Islamabad, including acres of tree cover around Shakarparian, drawing criticism alleging large-scale environmental damage. However, authorities have maintained that only Paper Mulberry trees were cut down as they were a major cause of allergies. In its submission, the CDA defended the campaign as a “well-planned operation” aimed at removing Paper Mulberry trees, which it described as a major source of pollen allergies and asthma in Islamabad. The authority cited scientific research, including a study published in the Journal of Global...

Multiple pro-PML-N accounts on social media platform X were sharing a clip since February 1, of cricketer Wasim Akram, claiming that he said PTI founder Imran Khan visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island. However, Akram said no such thing. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and United States financier, was accused of running a years-long sex trafficking network involving underage girls, with abuse linked to multiple properties in the US and overseas. He died in August 2019 in a New York jail while awaiting trial on federal trafficking charges. His close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted by a US court for recruiting and grooming minors for Epstein’s abuse and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022. Millions of new files relating to Epstein have been released by the US Department of Justice, showing many of the world’s most renowned individuals. On Feb 1, a user who appears to be a PML-N supporter based on his bio and past posts shared a video of Wasim in a podcast with the following caption: “Imra...

Pakistan’s benchmark index, KSE-100, closed in the green on Tuesday at 186,900.73 points. Overall, the index closed 1 per cent higher than its previous close of 185,057.83. The index hit an intraday high of 187,518.78 and a low of 185,545.92. Trading volumes improved to 390,194,995 at a value of 37,168,423,725 Topline Securities noted that “the upbeat tone of the market was largely attributed to sustained buying by local institutions, as highlighted by yesterday’s data from the National Clearing Company, reinforcing confidence and underpinning the day’s positive close”. The top active stocks were K-Electric Limited rising 3.38pc at a volume of 99,508,200 to Rs7.35, First National Equities Limited, rising 5.46pc at a volume of 91,350,753 to Rs1.74, Bank of Punjab, rising 4pc at a volume of 86,293,221 to Rs40.04, Hascol Petroleum Limited, declining 3.47pc at a volume of 27,837,936 to Rs25.02, and Worldcall Telecom Limited rising 0.61pc at a volume of 26,727,949 to Rs1.66. The top advancers were Crescent Star In...

Elon Musk said on Monday that SpaceX has acquired his artificial-intelligence startup xAI in a record-setting deal that unifies Musk’s AI and space ambitions by combining the rocket-and-satellite company with the maker of the Grok chatbot. The deal represents one of the most ambitious tie-ups in the technology sector yet, combining a space-and-defence contractor with a fast-growing AI developer whose costs are largely driven by chips, data centers and energy. It could also bolster SpaceXs data-center ambitions as Musk competes with rivals like Alphabet’s Google, Meta, Amazon-backed Anthropic and OpenAI in the AI sector. The transaction values SpaceX at $1 trillion, and xAI at $250 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. Investors in xAI will receive 0.1433 shares of SpaceX for every share of xAI as part of the acquisition, this person said. Some xAI executives may also opt for cash instead of SpaceX stock at $75.46 per share, the person said. “This marks not just the next chapter, but the nex...

Pakistan has praised Türkiye’s 130-year-old social care institution Darülaceze as a global model for inclusive long-term care, highlighting its blend of state responsibility, philanthropy, volunteerism and community ownership.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday it had not received any indication from India that it would stop buying Russian oil following the announcement of a trade deal with US President Donald Trump. Trump said he had struck a deal to reduce tariffs on India and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine. India’s purchases of Russian oil — discounted due to Western sanctions complicating logistics and cutting off markets — have surged since Russia launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine and its Western allies have been seeking to cut off the billions of dollars in revenue, a vital source of income for Russia’s stretched economy and its military. “So far, we haven’t heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP. Trump said he was cutting levies on Indian goods to 18 per cent. He had previously imposed 25pc “reciprocal” tariffs on many products, plus an additiona...

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott met Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq at Parliament House on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties, parliamentary cooperation, and key regional and global issues.

The Sindh government has decided to upgrade 300 treatment and prevention centres under the Rabies Control Program Sindh (RCPS) to strengthen efforts against the spread of rabies across the province.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Punjab government and other respondents on a petition seeking action against those responsible for the incident in which a mother and her daughter died after falling into an open manhole near Bhatti Gate. Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi heard the petition filed by Aamna Malik and the Judicial Activism Panel. Advocate Azhar Siddique, on behalf of the petitioners, pointed out that incidents of citizens falling into manholes were on the rise, which was a matter of serious concern. The counsel expressed regret that negligence was shown by leaving a manhole open in a highly populated area. He claimed that the government took merely cosmetic measures instead of proceeding against the officials responsible for the incident. Siddique asked the court to determine responsibility for the incident and initiate action against those responsible. The assistant attorney general stated that the petitioner unnecessarily made the federal government a party to t...

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Shireen Mazari on Tuesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking urgent judicial intervention to allow her to meet her imprisoned daughter, human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, and son-in-law Hadi Ali Chatha, both held in Adiala jail. A sessions court had sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in prison on multiple charges in a case pertaining to controversial social media posts. In a writ petition filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, Mazari, through prominent lawyers including Kamran Murtaza, members of the Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) Raja Aleem Abbasi, Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqub, Zafar Khokhar, Asif Irfan, Abdul Rehman Hur Bajwa, President Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Syed Wajid Ali Gillani, President District Bar Association Chaudhry Naeem Gujjar, Riasat Ali Azad, and others, alleged that jail authorities had completely cut off the detainees from family contact and legal counsel, without any written order, recorded re...

LAHORE: The federal government on Tuesday notified a reshuffle in the Punjab police high command, with Special Branch Additional Inspector General Rao Abdul Kareem appointed as the new inspector general of police (IGP), replacing Dr Usman Anwar. A day earlier, a highly-placed source confirmed to Dawn that the government has approved a change in the provincial police’s top ranks. In three separate notifications, available with Dawn, Dr Anwar was notified as the new director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), replacing current DG FIA Riffat Mukhtar, who was transferred and directed to report to the Establishment Division, while Kareem was notified as the Punjab IGP. In a post on X, the Punjab police also confirmed the announcement and expressed optimism that “under his inspiring leadership, the Punjab police will achieve milestones in protecting citizens’ lives and property, ensuring swift delivery of justice, and further strengthening the law and order situation”. According to a separate press ...

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced special measures to ease environmental pressure during the Basant festival, urging citizens to prioritize collective transportation over private vehicles.

Preparations for the revival of Basant are gathering pace as the Punjab cabinet has allowed the manufacturing of kite-flying material not only in Lahore but also in four additional districts, a move aimed at ensuring adequate supply ahead of the festival’s return after more than two decades.

Gold and Asian stocks were on the rebound on Tuesday as trade took a calmer tone after wild swings in metals markets and a deal to cut US tariffs on India helped the mood, while the Australian dollar rose after an interest rate hike. Australia’s central bank joined Japan as the only developed-world economy to tighten policy, saying above-target inflation and a tight labour market justified a unanimous decision to lift the cash rate 25 basis points to 3.85 per cent. Markets had mostly anticipated the move, though are now rushing to price in a follow-up in May, which was enough to push the Aussie about 1pc higher and over 70 US cents. India’s rupee, and stocks cheered an announcement by US President Donald Trump that tariffs on Indian goods would be cut from 50pc to 18pc in return for New Delhi halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers. Details, however, were scarce. Elsewhere, Japan’s Nikkei jumped 4pc to recoup Monday’s losses, and South Korea’s KOSPI rose 5pc. S&P 500 futures ESc1 were up 0.1...

The federal government on Tuesday appointed former Punjab inspector general of police Dr Usman Anwar as the new director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), following a recent reshuffle in the province’s top police leadership.

The naval chiefs of Pakistan and Azerbaijan have pledged to strengthen their existing bilateral defence relationship, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. Islamabad and Baku maintain robust defence cooperation. In 2024, Azer­bai­jan signed a massive $1.6 billion deal with Pakistan to acquire JF-17 Block III fighter jets, developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf met with Commander Azerbaijan Naval Forces (ANF) Rear Admiral Shahin Mammadov, at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad today, where the two leaders “pledged to further strengthen and diversify the scope of [the] existing bilateral defence relationship”. The two, during the meeting, also “discussed matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security situation, and avenues for enhanced cooperation in training and defence”. The Azeri naval commander, upon arrival at the headqua...

On the special directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON Engineer Amir Muqam, and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr.

Shab-e-Barat will be observed across the country tonight with religious devotion and solemnity, as Muslims engage in special prayers and acts of worship seeking divine mercy and forgiveness.

Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) on Tuesday issued a traffic advisory, announcing temporary diversions on major roads of the federal capital during the evening hours.

Commander of the Azerbaijan Naval Forces (ANF), Rear Admiral Shahin Mammadov, called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf at Naval Headquarters on Monday, where the two sides discussed regional maritime security and avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation.