Pakistan

Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday reaffirmed his longstanding commitment to the development and prosperity of South Punjab and the welfare of its people.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review progress on cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia in the health sector, following the recent visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Pakistan.

Wheat prices have surged sharply over the past ten days across Punjab and Islamabad, triggering concerns over flour availability and rising costs for consumers.

LAHORE: Bushra Bibi’s daughter has moved the Lahore High Court (LHC), requesting to be allowed a meeting with her mother in Adiala Jail, it emerged on Friday. Bushra is serving a seven-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case. She was recently sen­tenced to 17 years’ imprisonment in the Toshakhana 2 case, which revolved around the purchase of an expensive jewelry set gifted to ex-premier Imran Khan by the Saudi crown prince during his May 2021 visit. Bushra’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, filed the petition through LHC Bar President Asif Niswana under Article 199 of the Constitution. The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn, named the Punjab government, via the home department secretary, the provincial inspector general of prisons, and the superintendent of Adiala jail as respondents. It said that Maneka was a “law-abiding citizen of Pakistan” as well as the real biological daughter of Bushra Bibi, and was “aggrieved” by the “unlawful, arbitrary, and unjustified refusal of the jail au...

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday issued directions to law enforcement authorities to arrest lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, “within 24 hours”, warning them of contempt in case of non-compliance. Mazari and Chattha have been facing legal proceedings in a case on accusations of inciting divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country. During today’s hearing, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka issued strict orders to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Islamabad, Jawad Tariq, to arrest Mazari and her husband within 24 hours. “Take them from Pakistan, India or Afghanistan. You have 24 hours. I don’t know whether they are at sea or in the sky. Wherever they are, arrest Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha within 24 hours, otherwise contempt of court proceedings will be initiated,” the judge remarked during the heari...

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was backing the newly appointed “Palestinian Technocratic Government” in Gaza, where Washington has announced the launch of a second phase in a ceasefire that went into effect in October but remains fragile. “I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the Board’s High Representative, to govern Gaza during its transition,” Trump said on social media. Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off in October on Trump’s plan, which says the Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by an international so-called “Board of Peace” that is meant to supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period. In another post, Trump said the “Board of Peace,” of which Trump himself is the chair, was formed, and its members would be announced shortly. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where, since the start of the truce in October, over 440 ...

Pakistan has told the UN Security Council that it hopes for an early normalisation of the situation in Iran, warning that the UN Charter and international law prohibit external interference in the internal affairs of states. “The UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against other states’ territorial integrity or political independence, or interference in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of states,” Ambassador Asim Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the 15-member Council on Thursday evening. The United States convened the Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Iran, with the country’s Ambassador Mike Waltz criticising the actions taken against Iranian protesters and assuring them of President Donald Trump’s support. In his remarks, the Pakistani envoy said, “We have been carefully observing developments in Iran and the region in recent days,” pointing out that new threats to regional peace and stability remain a seriou...

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged United States President Donald Trump to delay any American military strike on Iran, according to a report by The New York Times, a development that highlights growing regional unease over the risk of a wider conflict. Netanyahu spoke to President Trump on Thursday, the same day the US president publicly suggested that Tehran had eased its internal crackdown and halted executions, citing information from “very important sources on the other side”, remarks that were widely read in Washington as a signal of hesitation about imminent military action, the report said. The Israeli leader’s intervention comes as several key Arab partners of the US have also pressed the Trump administration to avoid an attack on Iran, warning that such a move could trigger a broader regional war, according to a senior official from a Gulf Arab country cited by the newspaper. Officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have contacted senior US officials over the pa...

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump on Thursday during a White House meeting, as she tries to gain some influence over how the president shapes the South American country’s political future. A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal. In a social media post on Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!” Machado, who described the meeting as “excellent,” said the gift was in recognition of what she called his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. Machado’s attempt to sway Trump came after he dismissed the idea of installing her as Venezuela’s leader to replace the deposed Nicolas Maduro. Trump openly campaigned for the prize before Machado was awarded it last month and complained bitterly when he was snubbed. Though Machado gave Trump the gold medal that honorees receive with...

• Report claims Hibatullah Akhundzada ‘spooked’ by possibility of schism between his hardline base in the south, more pragmatic ministers in the capital • Zabihullah Mujahid ‘confirms’ existence of audio recording, but terms BBC claim ‘unfounded’ A STARK message from the Taliban supreme leader, warning of internal threats to the Islamic Emirate, has seemingly laid bare the long-speculated divide bet­ween Kandahar and Kabul, BBC News reported. An audio recording of a speech — delivered by Hibat­ullah Akhundzada at a seminary in Kandahar aro­und a year ago — contains what some are interpreting as confirmation of differences among top Taliban leaders. In the leaked clip, obtained by the BBC, Akhundzada can be heard saying that internal disagreements could eventually bring them all down. According to the investigation by BBC Afghan, two distinct groups have eme­rged within the Afghan Tali­ban, each presenting competing visions for how Afgh­anistan should be governed. One is entirely loyal to the Akhundzada-led Ka...

PESHAWAR: Bannu Cantonment once again came under a rocket attack after a projectile hit an under-construction house in the Defence Colony area on Friday. The rocket was fired from an unknown direction, resulting in a several-feet-deep crater and the collapse of the house’s ceiling. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Earlier, on the night of December 31, 2025, Bannu Cantonment was also targeted in a rocket attack when a rocket landed in vacant houses near the CMH. While no loss of life occurred in that incident, property damage was reported. According to initial information, the same type of rocket was used in both attacks, which militants have named the “Al-Farooq 2”. Following the December 31 attack, the model of the fired rocket was also widely circulated on social media. Security agencies have launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident, while evidence is being collected from the site to determine the motives behind the attack and identify those responsible. In another incident, militan...

KARACHI: The Ministry of Commerce has amended the Import Policy Order 2022, imposing a ban on the import of used cars under the “personal baggage scheme.” The ministry on Wednesday issued an SRO 61(I)/2006, which said that used cars would be imported only under the “transfer of residence and gift schemes.” Vehicles imported under the gift and transfer of residence schemes shall remain non-transferable for a period of one year from the date of importation, the SRO said. Vehicles imported under the transfer of residence scheme shall be from the same country in which the overseas Pakistani resides. The time frame for importing the vehicles has also been extended to 850 days from the previous 700 days from the date on which the Goods Declaration for the last import under this order was filed. Commerce ministry restricts import of second-hand vehicles to ‘gift’ and ‘transfer-of-residence’ schemes The SRO further stated that minimum safety and environmental standards and regulatory measures, as applicable to the co...

Hopes immigrant visa pause temporary; Welcomes Gaza ceasefire second phase

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PPP chairman showcases Sindh's progress in major sectors

Requests loan rollover; World Bank says investment stays below targets

Central bank holdings rise by $16m; gold down by Rs3,700/tola

Petroleum minister orders weekly monitoring, weighs diverting gas from industry to households

Business leaders urge shift from aid-driven policies to investment, innovation