Pakistan

A flag hoisting ceremony was held at Pakistan House, Singapore, on Thursday to celebrate the 78th Anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence and Marka-e-Haq.

The Pakistani Embassy in Beijing marked the nation’s 78th Independence Day with a solemn flag-hoisting ceremony, celebrating both the birth of Pakistan and its historic victory in Marka-e-Haq, along with the successful execution of Operation Bunyan-un-Marsous.

Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh marked Pakistan’s Independence Day with a unique gesture distributing vouchers for 5 litres of petrol to citizens.

Karachi police on Thursday announced comprehensive security measures for the Chehlum procession of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), which will take place tomorrow, while also issuing a traffic plan. Chehlum, also known as Arbaeen (40 in Arabic), marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is marked by processions by Shia Muslims across the country. Karachi’s Additional Inspector General (IG) Javed Alam Javed said in a statement that 7,465 police officers and personnel will be deployed for security duty at 108 processions, 2,901 at 501 majalis, and 1,113 at 642 imambargahs on Chehlum, for a total deployment of 11,479 officers and personnel. “All roads intersecting the route of Karachi’s main procession will remain completely closed, and extraordinary measures have also been taken around Nishtar Park,” he added. According to the Additional IG, all station house officers have been instructed to remain present in their respective areas, intensify ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the formation of “Army Rocket Force Command” to bolster the nation’s defence capabilities. Islamabad is boosting its military capabilities following its recent military confict with India, increasing defence budget by 20 per cent for the fiscal year 2025-2026. “On this occasion, today, I announce the formation of the Army Rocket Force Command,” the prime minister said while addressing a special ceremony held at Islamabad’s Jinnah Sports Stadium on late Wednesday night to celebrate Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day and Marka-i-Haq. Marka-i-Haq (Battle of Truth) is a term the state uses for the recent conflict with India, when Pakistan responded to Indian aggression following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, before a ceasefire was reached on May 10. “Equipped with modern technology and capable of targeting the enemy from every direction, this force will prove another milestone in further strengthening our conventional war capabilities,” PM Shehbaz said. Pakistan has sophi...

A spell of heavy downpour lashed various parts of Abbottabad district on Thursday, triggering flash floods that severely disrupted traffic flow and caused damage to infrastructure. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country. Starting in late June, Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country in the past month by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. The torrential rains led to the blockage of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) at multiple points within Abbottabad city, leaving commuters stranded for hours. According to local authorities, all major nullahs and ravines in the district, including the River Door, swelled beyond their banks, creating dangerous conditions for nearby residents and motorists. The sudden surge of water from the upper catchment areas inundated low-lying localities and washed debris onto the KKH, making several stretches ...

The Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator, Badar Shahbaz, has been honored with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in recognition of his outstanding services in the field of media during the “Maarka-e-Haq” (Battle for Truth).

Hundreds of people in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have fallen victim to water-borne diseases owing to a severe shortage of clean drinking water following devastating floods in the region, government data showed on Thursday. The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as unprecedented heat­­waves, erratic weat­her patterns and glacial melting have triggered cloudbursts and intense floods across the region. On Wednesday, a glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) swept away part of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), while on Tuesday evening, a powerful torrent surged through the Juchar nullah in Gulmit, Gojal, and Hunza, triggered by accelerated glacier melt. “Diamer, Shigar, Skardu, Astore, and Gilgit are most affected by poor and unsafe water, with the people of these districts being admitted to hospitals and clinics every day,” said GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq. A government report said children under the age of five have also begun falling victim to cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and p...

More than 360 people fell ill in Indonesia’s town of Sragen in Central Java after consuming school lunches, an official said on Thursday, in the largest food poisoning case to hit President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals programme. Since its launch in January, the free school meals programme has been marred by mass food poisoning cases across the archipelago, affecting over 1,000 people. Sragen government chief Sigit Pamungkas told Reuters that 365 people fell ill and a food sample was being tested in a lab. The government would pay for any medical treatment if needed. Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, a ninth grader at Gemolong 1 middle school, told Reuters he was woken at night by sharp pain in his stomach. He had a headache and diarrhoea, which he deduced had been caused by food poisoning after seeing schoolmates’ social media posts complaining of the same. The likely contaminated lunch was turmeric rice, omelette ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber and lettuce salad, sliced apple and a box of milk, cooked in a c...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning of accelerated snow and glacier melt in Gilgit-Baltistan as temperatures in the region remain 7-9 degree celsius above normal.

Pakistani embassies across the world celebrated Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day with traditional zeal and fervour by holding flag hoisting ceremonies and highlighting historical significance of the day.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday visited the under-construction Technology Park in Islamabad and expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work on the project.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued the schedule for a by-election on the general Senate seat from Punjab, vacated after the disqualification of PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry.

A prestigious awards ceremony was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday to confer Pakistan’s highest civil and military honours on prominent national figures.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for rising beyond divisions and standing united for a Pakistan that is built on justice, equality, and service to all, as the nation celebrates Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day today. They said the day served as a reminder of courage, unity, and sacrifices that led to the creation of Pakistan and paid homage to founding father Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the workers of the Pakistan Movement for their struggle and sacrifices. In his message on the occasion, President Zardari emphasised that the nation had “reaffirmed its strength, resolve, and unity in the face of external aggression”. “Our success in Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos is a landmark moment in our history,” he said. “It was a demonstration of unshakable national will, professional excellence, and united purpose.” In July, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said this year’s Independence Day would be marked as “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth). The term is used by...

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has congratulated the nation on Pakistan’s Independence Day, calling it a day of sacrifice, struggle, and the fulfillment of the dream of freedom.

At least five cops were martyred and another eight left injured as militants attacked police checkpoints at different locations late at night in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Upper Dir and Lower Dir, police said on Thursday. Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks on police forces. The country has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. In KP’s Upper Dir, three cops were martyred after their mobile was attacked by terrorists, while another six were injured in the same attack, the police said in a statement. Police have launched a search operation to find the perpetrators, and the injured were rushed to the nearby hospital. Meanwhile, in Lower Dir, “two separate terrorist attacks on police checkpoints in the areas of Maidan, Lajbok and Sha...

Oman’s Ministry of Labour (MOL) has issued updated regulations for the Wage Protection System (WPS) under Ministerial Resolution No.

India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order. Past trade across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes between the neighbours was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism. The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia. But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, the countries have moved to mend ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to hold talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July. That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly border clash in 2020 between their nations’ troops. “For a long time, China-India border tr...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due in London to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, to take stock ahead of US President Donald Trump’s key talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Zelensky, who was in Germany on Wednesday, has been working with European leaders to press Trump not to allow Putin to carve up Ukraine’s territory at the Alaska summit. He is due to meet Starmer at 9:30am local time (1:30pm PKT) at the British premier’s official residence, 10 Downing Street. On Wednesday, Trump joined a Germany-hosted virtual meeting with European leaders, including Zelensky, who sought to set red lines ahead of the summit on ending the war in Ukraine. Zelensky said he warned Trump that the Russian leader was “bluffing” about his desire to end the war. Trump later threatened “severe consequences” if Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine and while he did not specify what the consequences could be, he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting on Friday pro...