Pakistan

LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department has arrested a YouTuber for recruiting individuals for a banned outfit and registered a case against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The FIR identified the suspect as Muhammad Saad bin Riaz, associated with YouTube channel named Eon News. A case has been registered against him on behalf of the state under Section 11F(2), pertaining to membership and support of a proscribed organisation and Section 11W, which relates to the dissemination of material linked to banned groups. According to FIR, the arrest was made on April 27 during a search operation near GPO Chowk on Mall Road. “After getting information from a source that a suspected al-Qaeda member was present at a mosque, Hanfia Ghusia Mughal Saraiy, opposite to Lytton Road, he was caught recruiting individuals and distributing prohibited material.” During the raid, officials claimed to have recovered five copies of a book about Osama bin Laden from his custody along with an al-Qaeda membership card. Meanwhile...

QUETTA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Balochistan, has announced the launch of a protest movement against raids on religious seminaries across the province. Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey, the provincial chief of the JUI-F, stated that a province-wide shutter-down strike and protest demonstrations would take place on May 6. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, he said that on May 10, seminary students and party workers from across Balochistan would march towards Quetta. He added that JUI-F members in the provincial assembly would stage strong protests inside the Balochistan Assembly. He also announced that party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would address a JUI conference in Pishin on June 4. These decisions were taken during a meeting of the JUI-F’s provincial leadership and later announced at the press conference. Opposition Leader Mir Younas Aziz Zehri, Maulana Salahuddin, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Agha Mehmood Shah, Malik Sikandar, and others were also present. Red line Maulana Wasey alleged his party f...

KARACHI: The war in the region has almost wiped out foreign investment in Pakistan’s domestic bonds, leaving little chance of recovery if the current situation prevails, said financial experts. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data showed that foreign investors have almost left the domestic bonds, which had been their preferred choice, as returns were highest in the region and very high compared with most other countries. A day ago, the central bank further increased the yields on Treasury Bills by up to 83 basis points to almost 12pc, making them more attractive to investors. The SBP data showed that over 94pc of foreign investment in T-bills left the country by April 17. Mideast war drives 94pc outflow from treasury bills This could be a result of destabilisation due to war in the region, which is still ongoing without knowing the final outcome of this deadlock in the talks between Iran and the United States. Threats and counter-threats between the two countries have created a broad range of uncertainties, ...

• Analysts say inflation may exceed 11pc, CAD could rise above $8bn • GDP expansion may slow to 2.5-3.0pc in FY27 KARACHI: Pakistan’s inflation is likely to remain in double digits if the surge in oil prices persists amid the unresolved Middle East conflict, analysts warned, adding that rising costs and disrupted imports are already straining the country’s external position. Topline Securities Ltd released its latest “Pakistan Strategy” report on Saturday, analysing the impact of soaring oil prices amid regional tensions and their implications for Pakistan’s economy and stock market. The brokerage said the situation is prolonged and evolving, with outcomes hinging on whether the conflict ends or a peaceful resolution is reached. The report projected that if current conditions persist, Pakistan’s inflation over the next 12 months could average 9-10 per cent, with fourth-quarter FY26 inflation surpassing 11pc. These forecasts are based on an oil price of $100 per barrel, with every $10 increase adding roughly 5...

• Al Qaeda leader had agreed in writing to relocate by September 2011 • Two brothers sheltering him sought separation, citing exhaustion • Agency claims to be entirely unaware of the relocation plan, says delayed raid would have missed the opportunity WASHINGTON: A decade after the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, a fresh Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) account reveals that the Al Qaeda leader nearly slipped out of his hideout months before the US raid. The CIA’s official record, updated with newly posted documents and released on Friday, shows that Bin Laden was actively planning to leave his hideout in Abbottabad months before the American operation, while simultaneously continuing to direct al-Qaeda operations from within the compound. According to letters recovered from the compound, Bin Laden had agreed in writing to a relocation plan after sustained pressure from the two brothers who had sheltered him for years. On Jan 14, 2011, he wrote a formal letter acknowledging tensions and e...

WASHINGTON: A man stands atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on Saturday to protest the US-Israeli war on Iran. Guido Reichstadter climbed the bridge in Washington on May Day, stayed there overnight, and posted a sunrise photo from one of the bridge’s arches while calling for an end to the war on Iran. Speaking to the media from atop the 51-metre structure, the 45-year-old father of two called for peaceful means to build pressure on the authorities to end what he described as an ‘illegal war’.—Reuters • Iranian military warns renewed hostilities with Washington ‘likely’ • Trump boasts of Hormuz blockade, says ‘we are like pirates’ • Tehran reaches out to Qatar, South Korea to discuss ongoing negotiations • Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill over 12 people, injure dozens; Lebanese army chief meets US general TEHRAN/BEIRUT: Amid a surge in deadly strikes by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and little headway in talks between the US and Iran, an Iranian military official warned against the ‘likely’ resump...

EFFORTS being made to reopen a road after a landslide in Gilgit-Balti­stan.—Dawn • KKH, Astore valley road temporarily blocked • Heavy rain, thunderstorms also expected in KP GILGIT: Intermittent rain across Gilgit-Balti­stan on Saturday triggered landslides and road blockages, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a fresh alert warning of glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) in the region due to an approaching westerly weather system. The blocked roads included the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and the Astore valley road, which were later reopened for traffic after debris was cleared. According to police, scattered rain was recorded across the region on Friday and Saturday. In Hunza’s Murtazabad area, rain-induced flooding temporarily blocked the KKH, but traffic was restored after clearance operations. Landslides and falling debris also blocked the Astore valley road at multiple locations, after which the Gilgit-Baltistan Com­munication and Works Department deployed machinery to clear the road....

LAHORE - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while chairing a meeting on energy sector reforms on Saturday, directed the authorities concerned to formulate a comprehensive strategy to stabilise electricity tariffs.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ambassador Tahir Andrabi said Saturday that no temporary ceasefire is currently in place with Afghan Taliban.

ISLAMABAD - Opposition’s prolonged boycott of parliamentary bodies to put pressure on the government has actually given a free-hand to the ruling parties to pass bills, adjust audit paras without any resistance for the last eight months.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his government’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting press freedom, while ensuring a conducive environment for the media to operate.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to assess the overall law and order situation in the country.

KSA allows Hajj travel for children aged 12

• Iran says renewed conflict with US 'possible' • Some ships seized by US after exiting Iranian ports • IRGC flex

K-P jirga to raise drone attacks with Centre

Says cross-border attacks, infiltration continue from Afghanistan

Naqvi briefs Shehbaz on security situation

Austrian police have arrested a man suspected of lacing jars of baby food with rat poison in what authorities presumed was an extortion scheme. Police, cited by the APA news agency, said the suspect, aged 39, was apprehended in the state of Burgenland, south of Vienna. They did not name him nor say where exactly he was arrested. He was charged with deliberately causing a public danger and attempted grievous bodily harm. The arrest comes two weeks after Austrian authorities detected rat poison in baby food jars sold in some supermarkets. The jars were made by the German-based company HiPP, and German police became involved in the case. Five tampered jars were recovered before they were consumed in the following days in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Police said they believed the crime was carried out to extort the company, which put out a product recall in Austria. One of the adulterated jars was bought in a Spar supermarket in Burgenland state, in the city of Eisenstadt. It was found to contain 15 ...

Transfer of three judges to provincial HCs changes court's seniority order

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