Pakistan

Security forces have arrested a key terrorist commander in Quetta who was working as a university lecturer, sources said on Monday.

Several parts of the city received light drizzle on Monday, offering brief relief from the prevailing humid weather.

• At least 323 dead, 150 missing in the province; PM orders ministers to supervise KP relief efforts • 657 lives lost nationwide since June 26; NDMA warns of more rain spells next month • Food shortages, lack of utilities take hold as parts of GB remain cut off • Flows in Punjab rivers subside to ‘low flood’ levels PESHAWAR/ISLAM­ABAD: With more than 150 people feared missing, the recent catastrophic floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have claimed at least 323 lives, provincial authorities said on Sunday, as the nationwide toll from rain-related incidents since late-June rose to 657. As another two to three waves of heavy rain are expected in early September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed members of his federal cabinet to personally supervise relief operations in the worst-hit KP province. Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Asfandyar Khattak said that as per details collected by revenue staff in the Buner and Shan...

Air Canada’s fleet of hundreds of planes remained grounded on Monday morning after striking flight attendants refused a government-backed order to get back to work and called on the airline to return to the bargaining table. The carrier, which normally carries 130,000 people daily and is part of the global Star Alliance of airlines, had planned to start ramping up operations on Sunday evening, after a labour relations board ordered the union to return to work and start binding arbitration. The union said no, setting up an almost unprecedented standoff with the Canadian government, which had requested the back-to-work order. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 10,000 Air Canada cabin crew, had pushed for a negotiated solution, saying binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. The attendants are striking for better wages and to be paid for work on the ground, such as boarding passengers. They are currently only paid when planes are moving, sparking some vocal support from Cana...

ISLAMABAD: A multiparty conference (MPC) on Sunday declared that past internal and foreign policies are responsible for the current instability and terrorism plaguing Pakis­tan, particularly in the Khyber Pakht­unkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The conference, organised by the Awami National Party (ANP), asserted that peace and development are not possible without democracy, the supremacy of the constitution, and granting rights to the provinces. Although 20 political parties atten­ded the conference, the PTI was absent. According to ANP sources, the PTI was invited to the conference, but no prominent leader from the party attended it on Sunday. Attendees included Senator Aimal Wali Khan, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N’s Irfan Siddiqui and PPP’s Nayyer Bukhari, among others. Calls for an end to military operations in KP, Balochistan In a joint declaration, the participants condemned all forms of terrorism and extremism, which they alleged were a result of past policies, and stressed the need for new...

• 120,000 connections for LNG-based piped supply planned in first year • Move comes amid push to address continuing glut in gas network ISLAMABAD: The government is almost set to allow new gas connections at the price of imported LNG — around Rs3,900 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) at the current rate — and almost four times the current connection fee. Sources told Dawn that a summary has been moved by the petroleum division to the federal cabinet for lifting the ban on new connections, with a first-year target of 120,000. Priority would be given to applicants who had previously been issued demand notices or had paid the urgent fee but could not get connections because of a subsequent ban. The number of new connections would be enhanced for next year. Around 250,000 applicants fall in this category, who would have to file affidavits not to approach the courts for their past claims and the connection fee increase. Before the ban, consumers were allowed to pay an upfront fee of Rs25,000 to secure a con...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the government is working on a priority basis to digitalise the economy and shift financial transactions to a cashless and digital system. Chairing a review meeting on cashless economy in Islamabad on Sunday, he directed all the provincial chief secretaries to fully cooperate with the federal government in expanding the Raast digital payment system to the district level. The prime minister expr­essed satisfaction over the progress made towards a cashless economy and digital financial systems. The meeting was briefed that Pakistan will develop digital public infrastructure to create digital IDs for every citizen, integrating national identity cards, biometrics and mobile numbers. These digital IDs will enable secure and efficient payments. It was further said that the provincial governments have shown significant progress in linking government-to-public and public-to-government payments with the Raast system. The meeting was info­rmed that the federal developme...

A Lahore magistrate on Sunday dismissed the case against transgender persons for allegedly organising an “objectionable” private party after police had arrested them earlier. According to the court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the case was dismissed after “no incriminating material is available on record which connects the accused persons with the commission of alleged offences. “Hence, the request of 10 days for physical remand of the accused persons is hereby turned down, and the accused persons present in the court are hereby discharged in this case.” The order added that no private witness of the occurrence was associated during the raid, nor were any statements taken. “Moreover, no permission for making a raid is attached with the file on a private place. Prima facie, it seems that the accused persons were included in the case on the basis of forged and concocted facts,” the order said. Lawyer Haider Butt represented the accused in the case. He confirmed to Dawn.com that all the acc...

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the importance of a united response from the public to climate change by promoting the ‘Green Pakistan Programme’, as unpredictable weather patterns were causing disasters across the country, most recently in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where cloudburst-triggered flash floods led to significant damage. “At this critical time, when climate change has […]

Gunmen shot dead at least seven people at a pool hall in the Ecuadoran city of Santo Domingo, police said Sunday, in the country’s latest gruesome massacre amid soaring gang violence. “Seven people died from gunshot wounds” at a pool hall in the nightlife district of Santo Domingo, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of […]

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has revealed the reason behind his decision to pass on the directing duties for the ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’ sequel. Click here to read more Lifestyle stories Tarantino directed 2019’s original film, starring actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. The film was a hit and grossed over $392 […]

ISLAMABAD: At least 657 people, including 392 men, have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Pakistan since June 26, while 929 others have been injured, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Of the nationwide death toll, 171 were children and 94 women. Among the injured, 437 were men, 256 children, and 236 […]

Air Canada on Sunday suspended its plan to resume flights over a strike by flight attendants that has effectively shut down the airline and snarled summer travel for its passengers around the world. The announcement came despite the country’s industrial relations board ordering an end to the strike by around 10,000 flight attendants, which had […]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Information on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, on Sunday, expressed grave concern that as many as 1,000 people may have died in the recent flash floods in KP. Speaking on ARY News program Aiteraz Hai, Ikhtiar Wali said he had personally visited the flood-hit areas and witnessed large-scale devastation. […]