Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The government is finalising a plan to introduce a subsidised housing scheme for the lower-income class and mortgage facilities for the middle class with the involvement of commercial banks, starting with government-sponsored 200,000 low-cost housing units. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to formally announce the scheme to revive the housing and construction sector, which is passing through challenging times along with purportedly 72 associated industries, an informed source told Dawn. The sources said the government would initially provide about 200,000 low-cost 3-5 marla housing units after their construction in the public sector at 50pc subsidy on financing and then expand it. A draft plan was shared with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and commercial banks on Monday. A meeting on affordable housing finance schemes was presided over by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday to address the critical challenges faced in long-term housing finance and explore viable policy models for low-...

• Resolution adopted unanimously praises forces for ‘befitting response’ to Indian hostility • House apprised of govt’s five-year privatisation plan ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution commending the armed forces for giving a befitting response to the Indian aggression last week before US President Trump announced that a “full and immediate ceasefire” was reached between the two countries. The resolution in the National Assembly, moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, said the long-term stability in South Asia can only be achieved through “sincere and structured negotiations”. Reiterating Pakistan’s pledge to regional and global peace with dignity and honour, the resolution underscored that “democracies are committed to dialogue not conflict”. It urged the authorities to actively engage the international community to resolve the issue of Indian occupied Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of locals and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolu...

GENEVA: Countries are meeting at the United Nations on Monday to revive efforts to regulate the kinds of AI-controlled autonomous weapons increasingly used in modern warfare, as experts warn time is running out to put guardrails on new lethal technology. Autonomous and artificial intelligence-assisted weapons systems are already playing a greater role in conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza. And rising defence spending worldwide promises to provide a further boost for burgeoning AI-assisted military technology. Progress towards establishing global rules governing their development and use, however, has not kept pace. And internationally binding standards remain virtually non-existent. Since 2014, countries that are part of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) have been meeting in Geneva to discuss a potential ban fully autonomous systems that operate without meaningful human control and regulate others. Autonomous and AI-assisted weapons systems are playing a bigger role in conflicts UN Secretary-General An...

NEW DELHI: Indian anchor Arnab Goswami was reporting the decimation of Pakistan when suddenly, out of the blue, the ceasefire was announced. His colleagues from various pro-Modi TV channels were reporting about a “regime change” in Pak­istan when not mentioning the firing of Russian-made Bra­hmos missiles into densely populated parts of Karachi. Their audiences were beg­inning to doubt the rav­ings but had nowhere to verify the facts. Prac­tically every foreign channel or newspaper was made inaccessible in India by overt or covert means. “Who authorised Presi­dent Trump to interv­ene?” Goswami was frothing at the mouth. In his dream world, there couldn’t be Pakis­tani pilots outfoxing their Ind­ian counterparts, or Pakis­tan having better planes. The political leadership has usually been defended by its TV channels. That nexus could be coming to a head. The brunt of the attack, however, was borne not by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would have been the obvious interlocutor with President Trump. Mr Modi’s ...

BEIRUT: Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said on Monday, warning the Israeli-blockaded enclave faces a high risk of famine by the end of September. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report cited a significant deterioration since October. It forecast that 2.1 million people across Gaza — roughly the entire population — will likely experience high levels of acute food insecurity, with 469,500 projected at “catastrophic” levels — the most severe stage. The previous IPC analysis in October found 133,000 people in that category. Israel sealed off Gaza in early March when it resumed military action against Hamas after a ceasefire collapsed. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said the IPC had “constantly talked about famine; famine has never happened because of Israel’s efforts to get more aid in.” He blamed Hamas for causing hunger by allegedly stealing aid. Hamas denies this, accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon. Warns half ...

• Death toll from unprovoked shelling across LoC jumps to 32 • Educational institutions to reopen today • AJK premier hails army’s response as president wants immediate relief for affected families MUZAFFARABAD: Indian troops violated the ceasefire agreement late Sunday night by resorting to ‘unprovoked’ shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in the death of a young man in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), officials said on Monday. According to Sardar Waheed Khan, Director General of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Indian forces targeted several villages in the Nakyal sector of southern Kotli district shortly after 11pm, using both small and heavy arms during a 40-minute barrage. In Bari Dhara Mathrani, one of the affected villages, 32-year-old Muhammad Shahid, son of Muhammad Taj, sustained critical abdominal injuries when shrapnel from a mortar shell struck him. He was initially treated at the THQ Hospital in Nakyal and later referred to the DHQ Hospital in Kotli, where he succumbe...

• Offers trade boost if both nations continue to engage in dialogue • Modi warns New Delhi will not tolerate ‘nuclear blackmail’ • Khawaja Asif says future talks to focus on Kashmir, terrorism and water • Asserts any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its water rights will never be allowed WASHINGTON: Amid easing tensions following a ceasefire bet­ween India and Pakistan, Presi­dent Donald Trump has claimed that US intervention prevented a “bad nuclear war” between the two nations, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised address to the nation asserted that New Delhi would not tolerate “nuclear blackmail” in the event of further conflict with Islamabad. Trump’s comments, made during a press interaction at the White House, signal a rare moment of US diplomatic mediation bet­ween the two South Asian nuclear powers and suggest a broader Ameri­can strategy that ties peace to economic engagement. “We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been k...

• DGMOs from both sides hold ‘initial round’ of talks to reinforce truce • Dar says second round to follow within two days • COAS calls conflict ‘defining chapter in the country’s military history’ as ISPR rejects reports of ceasefire breach ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Indian senior military officials on Monday agreed to uphold the ceasefire reached last week and reduce troop deployments along the international border, following days of hostilities between the two countries that had raised fears of a wider conflict. The directors general of military operations (DGMOs) from both countries held a scheduled conversation at 4:30pm that lasted about 45 minutes. The discussion was originally scheduled for noon, but was postponed till afternoon — the delay was attributed by some sources to a difference over the agenda of the meeting. The two officers — Pakis­tan’s Maj Gen Kashif Abdul­lah and India’s Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai — discussed measures to reinforce their mutual co­mmitment not to fire or eng­age in any aggressive or...

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned an All-Party Conference (APC) on Tuesday at Prime Minister House, ARY News reported citing sources. The APC is scheduled to take place at 12:00 PM, the sources said and added that the meeting is expected to discuss the successful Operation Bunyanum Marsoos along with other crucial national issues. […]

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan National Assembly recently received a list of 24 nationalized enterprises scheduled for Privatization, approved by the Cabinet Committee on  Pakistan Privatization. According to the decision finalized in a meeting on August 2, 2024, highlights a three-phase privatization strategy. Ministry of Privatization has categorized the privatization into three phases, in which the entities […]

Peacock has shared the first look and release date for ‘The Paper,’ the upcoming spinoff of the popular show ‘The Office.’ To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu – Click Here The first-look image was unveiled during the NBCUniversal upfront presentation to advertisers on Monday in New York. Cast members include Hollywood actors Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina […]

US pop star Madonna has joined hands with filmmaker Shawn Levy to develop a limited Netflix series on her life. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu – Click Here The limited Netflix series on the life of Madonna is in the early stages of development, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. The upcoming […]

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. “Afghanistan has experienced improved security conditions, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevents its nationals from returning home,” Secretary Noem stated in a press release. The TPS designation for Afghanistan will expire on May 20, 2025, […]

The Scream actor, Matthew Lillard, has confirmed that he will appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, marking his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Scream actor, best known for playing Stu Macher in the 1996 horror hit, shared a few hints about his Marvel role but made it clear that major details are […]

Hamas handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump. “The (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the US administration, as part of the efforts undertaken by mediators to achieve […]

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Pakistan has strongly rejected Indian media claims of alleged drone intrusions along the Line of Control (LoC), calling them baseless and fabricated, ARY News reported, citing security sources. Sources report that no Pakistani drone has crossed the border or the LoC at any point. They added that Indian media is once again spreading false narratives […]

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued the schedule for the by-election on the vacant Senate seat following the demise of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Prof. Sajid Mir. According to a notification issued by the ECP, the polling will take place on May 29 in the Punjab Assembly building. According to the […]

The recent military escalation with arch-rival India won’t have a large fiscal impact on Pakistan and can be managed within the current fiscal space, with no need for a new economic assessment, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in an interview with Reuters on Monday. Trade talks with the United States — which had played a key role mediating a ceasefire between the two countries — would likely have progressed in “short order” and that Pakistan could import more high-quality cotton, more soy beans and was also exploring other asset classes, including hydrocarbons, Aurangzeb said in the online interview. Regarding the conflict, Aurangzeb described it as a “short duration escalation” with minimal fiscal impact, stating it can be “accommodated within the fiscal space which is available to the government of Pakistan”. When questioned about potential increased military spending in the upcoming budget, Aurangzeb deferred comment, saying it was premature to discuss specific plans. However, he said: “Whatever we...