Pakistan

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday sent two separate relief consignments to Swat and Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aimed at supporting communities hit hard by recent flooding and rain-triggered devastation.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of eight bail petitions filed by PTI founder Imran Khan in the May 9 cases until Wednesday (August 20).

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar Monday said Pakistan was seeking to improve its relations with the United Kingdom and the United States and will enhance trade ties with these countries.

Relations between China and India are on a “positive trend” towards cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart in New Delhi, according to a readout of the meeting published on Tuesday. The world’s two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia, and fought a deadly border clash in 2020. India is also part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, Australia and Japan, which is seen as a counter to China. But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff war, the countries have moved to mend ties. During talks on Monday with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, Wang said the two countries should “view each other as partners and opportunities, rather than adversaries or threats”. He pointed to the resumption of “dialogue at all levels” and “maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas” as evidence that bilateral ties were on a “positive trend of returning t...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that Punjab will benefit from Japan’s expertise in curbing environmental pollution, improving waste management and developing modern cities on advanced lines, according to a handout issued by the Information Department here on Monday.

BUNER - Residents of Buner district where devastating floods have killed more than 200 people said on Monday they were too scared to go back to their deluged homes as authorities warned of more rains to come.

Holds wide-ranging talks in UK to deepen partnership.

ISLAMABAD - Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) Monday reaffirmed its commitment to realize an accessible and equitable justice system for all citizens.

LAHORE - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has granted a Senate ticket to the senior party leader Rana Sanaullah Khan for a general seat from the Punjab Assembly.

ISLAMABAD: Fitch Ratings on Monday projected improved prospects for Pakistan’s banking sector, citing stabilising macroeconomic indicators, falling inflation, and a return to economic growth. The global credit agency expects Pakistan’s GDP to grow by 3.5pc in FY27, with inflation averaging 5pc — a significant shift from the turmoil and high inflation of recent years. In a brief commentary, Fitch said banks are well-positioned to capitalise on improving operating conditions as macroeconomic headwinds ease. It noted that stronger business volumes, driven by economic recovery and better credit demand, would support banking performance in the near term. The outlook follows Pakistan’s upgraded sovereign credit profile, with Fitch raising its Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘B-’/Stable from ‘CCC+’ in April 2025. The upgrade reflects ongoing reforms, fiscal improvement, and greater economic resilience. The agency pointed out that consumer price inflation, which had peaked at 38pc in May 2023, eased to 4.1pc...

QUETTA: The Gover­nment of Balochistan on Monday dispatched a sizable consignment of relief goods to assist families affected by flooding in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The shipment, which includes essential items and non-food supplies, is designated for 1,500 families in GB and 1,000 families in KP. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti issued special directives to send the relief to address the urgent needs of those impacted by the disasters, according to Government spokesperson Shahid Rind. “Balochistan stands with the people of the flood-hit provinces in this difficult time,” Mr Rind said. Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2025

• Over 20 rescued; local govt shuts down schools in light of extreme weather • Flooding continues to afflict GB areas; govt says 39 people killed, 1,000 homes damaged since July People, including foreign tourists, make a hazardous crossing after a flood swept away the bridge in Ghanche.—Dawn MUZAFFARABAD/GILGIT: At least five pe­ople were killed in Azad Jammu and Kash­mir on Monday in different rain-related incidents as monsoon-induced floods ravaged multiple areas in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Bal­tis­­tan, blocking roads and destroying infrastructure. In Neelum Valley, a vehicle with tourists on board skidded off the “slippery road” and plummeted almost 250 feet down the ravine. Three people were killed on the spot, while the fourth succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. Neelum Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Ahmed Janjua said a Karachi-based couple along with their two-year-old daughter — who survived the accident — and a helper were coming back from Taobutt when they met the accident near Shu...

Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open after top seed Jannik Sinner retired as he was feeling unwell on Monday, raising concerns about the Italian’s fitness just days before he is due to begin the defence of his US Open title. The Spanish second seed snapped the world number one’s 26-match winning streak on hardcourts when his ailing rival signalled he could no longer continue while trailing 5-0 in the first set of the final. “This is not the way that I want to win trophies, I just have to say sorry, I can understand how you must feel now,” Alcaraz told Sinner during the presentation ceremony after capturing his third Masters 1000 crown of the season following his success in Monte Carlo and Rome. “As I said many times, you are a true champion and I am sure from these situations, you are going to come back even stronger, as you always do. That’s what true champions do.” View this post on Instagram Sinner had been bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2015 to win back-to-back Cincinnati titles ...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast widespread rains on Tuesday across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad, with heavy to very heavy showers expected in several areas.

BERLIN: German foreign ministry spokesman Josef Hinterseher has said more than 200 Afg­hans waiting to be offered sanctuary in Germany had been deported by Pakis­t­­an to their Taliban-run home country in re­cent days and the German government was urging Isla­m­­abad to allow them back. The deportees are part of a group previously offered refuge in Germany but now caught between Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s tougher immigration policy and a wave of expulsions from Pakistan. Hinterseher told reporters that Pakistani police re­­cently arrested “around 450” Afghans who were pre­viously accepted under the German scheme for peo­ple at risk from the Taliban. Of those, “211 peo­ple, according to our current information, have been deported to Afgha­nistan,” he added. Another “245 people were allowed to leave camps” in Pakistan where they had been gathered prior to their scheduled deportation, he said. “We are continuing to talk to Pakistan to facilitate the return of those who have already been deported.” Last week, tw...

• Awan refers to SC ruling on no-trust motion against Imran Khan as ‘complex matter’ requiring adjudication • PTI’s counsel rejects AGP’s view, says parliament is sovereign and not subordinate to courts • Senators alarmed by rising cases of gender-based violence in 2024; conviction rates below 1pc ISLAMABAD: Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan on Monday called for keeping the doors open for judicial intervention in parliamentary proceedings. Making a rare appearance before the Senate, some three weeks after being summoned for an explanation on the alleged interference of the judiciary in internal parliamentary processes, the AGP referred to Article 69 of the Constitution, under which the validity of any proceedings in parliament cannot be called in question on the ground of any irregularity of procedure. However, he insisted that the bar was not absolute. “There is a lot of sanctity attached to it, but it is not absolute,” he remarked. He also referred to April 4, 2022, judgement of the Sup...

ISLAMABAD: Amid strong opposition from Balochistan senators, the Senate Standing Com­mittee on Petroleum on Monday reluctantly cleared with narrow majority vote a government bill — The Petroleum (Amendment) Act, 2025 — already passed by the National Assembly last week to digitalise petroleum products at every stage. Senators Maulana Abdul Wa­­say of JUI-F and Manzoor Kakar of BAP from Balochistan alleged the bill would deprive citizens of a livelihood as authorities plan crackdown on small petroleum related businesses with closures and heavy fines, open floodgates of corruption, thus further alienating the people of Balochistan while large tankers would keep flowing smuggled products across mainland. PML-N Senator Sadia Abbasi also initially appeared unimpressed by the proposed bill and suggested a meeting with FBR and Customs authorities for the senators from Balochistan. She said there was no point in passing the bill while senators from Balochistan opposed it and recalled that a bill about federally admini...

WASHINGTON: The administration of President Donald Trump has revoked more than 6,000 student visas for overstays and breaking the law, including a small minority for “support for terrorism,” a State Department official said on Monday. The move, first reported by Fox Digital, comes as the Trump administration has adopted a particularly hard-line approach toward student […]

VERNON: In a viral incident in Vernon, Connecticut, a 40-year-old man trapped inside a playground tube slide in Northeast Elementary School on Saturday. Emergency responders were sent to the school in afternoon to rescue him as this was also a surprising situation for them. According to the fire department of Vernon, the incident took place […]

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued guidelines for the public on password security to protect their financial and social media accounts. “Your password is your first line of defense in the digital world. A strong password not only safeguards your personal data but also keeps cyber threats at bay,” the PTA said in […]