Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) yesterday rallied behind the armed forces and urged for dialogue after victory against the Indian aggression.

Gilani, Matvienko reaffirm commitment to deepening bilateral relations, parliamentary diplomacy, trade.

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday banned the use of newspapers with Quranic verses for packaging. The home department issued a letter about imposing an immediate ban on the use of rough papers or newspapers containing verses of the Holy Quran for packaging or preserving commodities. The order, enacted under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, aims at preventing potential disturbances to the public peace and tranquility. The directive, signed by the home secretary, cites concerns over the misuse of religious texts in everyday trade practices, which could offend religious sentiments. The ban will remain in effect for 90 days across the entire province, starting from May 12. The authorities were directed to ensure widespread dissemination of the order through official channels, including the gazette, newspapers and broadcast media. The Punjab Police, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners have also been directed to enforce the prohibition strictly. Published in Dawn, May 14th, ...

• PPP’s Khar says India has crossed red lines, misread Pakistan’s restraint as weakness • Insists ceasefire after face-off between nuclear powers should be celebrated ISLAMABAD: Amid India’s dangerous war rhetoric, Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday cautioned that New Delhi could again resort to military misadventure out of political desperation, warning of the grave consequences such an escalation could bring between two nuclear-armed neighbours. Addressing the National Assembly dur­­­ing a discussion on recent tensions with India, several members lambasted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “certified terrorist” and warning that he could go to any extent for political gains as his politics thrived on corpses. Former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that India’s crushing defeat at the hands of Pakistan was nothing to celebrate. “We must all be unapologetic as a country that celebrates a ceasefire. Why not celebrate the ceasefire? Yes, we absolutely will,” she said. Ms Khar warned that Indi...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday adjourned proceedings in a politically sensitive case involving the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) after SIC’s counsel Faisal Siddiqui requested time to respond to new legal grounds submitted by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

ISLAMABAD - Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Senate, on Tuesday highlighted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s great services in making the country’s defence impregnable.

ISLAMABAD - The Anti-Terrorism Court of Islamabad on Tuesday moved a step closer to a verdict in the May 9 case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers, as statements from the accused have been recorded.

• New law proposes real-time monitoring of stocks • Imposes up to Rs100m fine on sale of smuggled petrol ISLAMABAD: The government has introduced a landmark bill in the National Assembly aimed at digitally tracking petroleum products from import and production to retail sales in a bid to curb smuggling and adulteration, which cause massive revenue losses estimated at Rs300-500 billion annually besides affecting environment and vehicle engines. The Petroleum (Amend­ment) Act, 2025 — moved by Pet­roleum Minister Ali Per­vaiz Malik on Monday — seeks to amend the 1934 Petroleum Act. The draft law envisages new clauses for information technology-based tracking of petroleum products to curb smuggling and to initiate strict actions against illegal transportation and decantation of petroleum products, along with actions to be taken against illegal petrol pumps. All local refineries and major oil marketing companies have been demanding — both individually and from their collective forums — that the government take str...

QUETTA: The bullet-riddled bodies of four abducted truck drivers from Punjab were found on Tuesday in the Galangoor area of Noshki district, approximately 100 km west of Quetta, officials said. The drivers were transporting LPG imported from Iran on May 9 when armed men intercepted their trucks in the Ahmedwal area on the Quetta-Taftan highway. The assailants burst the trucks’ tires and abducted the four men at gunpoint before security forces arrived at the scene, according to authorities. Local residents informed the administration about the bodies, prompting Levies and other law-enforcement agencies to rush to the site. The bodies were taken to the district hospital in Noshki. Hospital officials confirmed all four men died from multiple bullet injuries after being shot from a close range. The deceased were identified as Moin and Huzaifa, residents of Pakpattan, and brothers Imran Ali and Irfan Ali, residents of Rahimyar Khan. Their bodies were sent to respective hometowns after legal formalities were comple...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif conducted surprise visits to various areas of Lahore on Monday to inspect ongoing development projects under the Lahore Development Plan.

ISLAMABAD - At least 40 civilians including 7 women and 15 children and 11 personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces embraced martyrdom during barbaric Indian strikes, Pakistan Army said on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD - PPP’s senior lawmaker Hina Rabbani Khar yesterday condemned India’s actions in the recent regional military tensions and warned that India misread Pakistan’s restraint as weakness.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that the individuals and sectors capable of paying taxes must be brought into the tax net.

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi Tuesday highlighted the long-standing and cordial judicial relations between Pakistan and Türkiye, rooted in mutual respect, shared legal traditions, and deep cultural ties.

NEW DELHI: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s harangue about India’s victory over Pakistan dodged the question whether US President Donald Trump did intervene in bringing about the ceasefire, it was stalking him on Tuesday. The Wire said that Indian opposition parties asked whether the ceasefire was a result of US mediation, marking a clear departure from India’s longstanding policy of ‘no third-party mediation’. Opposition parties have demanded to know why Modi remained silent on Trump’s claims, whether India has changed its longtime policy of no third-party mediation and if the US president’s claims of trade being used to end the conflict is true. In a statement, Congress MP Jai­r­am Ramesh said Modi’s “much-delayed address to the nation was upstaged by President Trump’s revelations”. “The prime minister was completely silent on them. Has India agreed to US mediation? Has India agreed to a ‘neutral site’ for a dialogue with Pakistan? The prime minister should immediately have a meeting with leaders of all...

• Islamabad rejects inflammatory rhetoric by Modi, says remarks ‘dangerous escalation’ rooted in misinformation • FO says will closely monitor Indian actions, take necessary measures to preserve rights under Indus treaty • Security forces jam, seize ‘Indian surveillance drone’ in Lahore ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan on Tuesday said it rem­ai­ned committed to the current ceasefire understanding with India, but any fut­ure aggression will be met with full resolve, as the Foreign Office lambasted a provocative spe­ech delivered by the Indian prime minister on May 12. A statement issued by the Foreign Office said that Pakistan rejected “the provocative and infla­mmatory assertions” made by the Indian premier, and the remarks were “a dangerous escalation rooted in misinformation, political opportunism, and a blatant disregard for international law”. In his speech, PM Modi had accused Pakistan of retaliating with strikes on Indian military and civilian targets, claiming that India’s air defence systems repelled the attacks ...

WASHINGTON: Hours after US President Donald Trump urged India and Pakistan to “go out to dinner” together to resolve their disputes, the State Department said Washington is now focused on encouraging direct communication between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Speaking at the Saudi-US investment forum in Riyadh, President Trump highlighted his role in brokering the weekend ceasefire between the two South Asian rivals and urged them to build on this breakthrough. “I said, ‘fellas, come on, let’s make a deal. Let’s do some trading. Let’s not trade nuclear missiles, let’s trade the things that you make so beautifully’,” Trump said, without clarifying which Indian or Pakistani leaders he had spoken to or when. “They’re actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together,” he said while addressing his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who accompanied him to Saudi Arabia. Development comes hours after Trump urges both nations to ‘go out to dinner’ t...

• Netanyahu says ceasefire is possible, but vows not to stop war • Israeli strike kills another journalist CAIRO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military would enter the besieged enclave “with full force” in the coming days, vowing not to stop the war. A statement from the office of Israeli PM Netanyahu on Tuesday said, “In the very coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the operation.” “Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with injured reserve soldiers in his office late Monday. “There will be no situation where we stop the war. A temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way,” he added. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a January 19 ceasefire that had largely halted the war with Hamas. Earlier this month, Israel’s government approved plans to expand its Gaza offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term p...

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Fore­ign Minister Ishaq Dar has said a nuclear war was never an option for the government during last week’s escalation with India. The deputy prime minister, in an interview with CNN, said Pakistan had no choice but to launch strikes in self-defence following cross-border stri­kes by India on May 7. Terming India’s strikes “war and a wishful attempt to establish its hegemony in Kashmir,” Mr Dar said Pakistan was “very sure that our conventional capa­city and capabilities are str­ong enough” to beat Ind­ian ground and air forces. Deputy PM Dar said there was no direct contact between Indian and Pakistani officials before US intervention, contradicting a previous assertion made by India that Pakistan’s director general of military operations contacted his counterpart with an offer for talks. When asked how the cea­sefire deal was rea­ched, the foreign minister said Pakistan’s “counter-escalation” brought world powers into the picture. After Pakistan’s strikes on May 10, Mr ...

ISLAMABAD: With tensions between India and Pakistan already at a boiling point, both countries on Tuesday expelled officials from each other’s high commissions after accusing them of espionage — further straining diplomatic ties in the wake of recent border hostilities. The diplomatic tit-for-tat began with India declaring a Pakistani official posted at its High Commission in New Delhi persona non grata, accusing him of engaging in activities “not in keeping with his official status”. The official was ordered to leave the country within 24 hours, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a brief statement. India’s move followed the arrest of two individuals in Indian Punjab on Sunday, who were allegedly involved in leaking sensitive military information to a purported Pakistani handler. According to Punjab Police, one of the suspects had been passing details about Indian Army movements, reportedly under the direction of an official linked to the Pakistani mission in Delhi. The chargé d’affaires of the Pakistan...