Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast heatwave conditions across the country this week, starting in the south and central areas from Thursday. “Due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere, heatwave conditions are likely to develop over southern and central parts of the country from May 7-11 [and] in upper parts from May 8-10,” a press release issued on Wednesday by the PMD said. It noted that daytime maximum temperatures may rise to 46-50°C in Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur. It also forecast 43-47°C weather in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Rajanpur, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan; and 39-43°C in the upper regions, namely Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Gujrat,...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed hope on Wednesday that the indefinitely extended ceasefire between the United States and Iran could be made permanent. US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended what was initially a two-week ceasefire between the two countries, brokered with the help of Pakistan’s mediation, but the conflict — and its widespread economic fallout — remains unresolved. Addressing the second session of the Ulema Council Conference in Islamabad, the foreign minister said that Pakistan’s efforts had been directed towards securing direct negotiations and a ceasefire — “first it happened, then it was extended, then extended a second time, then a third time”. “At least the deaths of several hundred people a day — with the toll going into the thousands — has stopped,” he added. He called on the council to pray for Pakistan’s efforts, saying that they were now geared towards turning the ceasefire into a “permanent end to the war”. Dar also called on Muslim states ...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Punjab, has issued a warning about an intense heatwave likely to affect the province from May 7 to 11.

The government planned a 500-megawatt floating solar power project at Keenjhar Lake in Sindh for the generation of clean, renewable energy to support the country’s growing energy needs while reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has unveiled a lineup of events scheduled from May 8 to 10 to mark the Marka-e-Haq celebrations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures.

ISLAMABAD: A day before the scheduled hearing in the £190 million corruption case, counsel for former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi on Wednesday said they were not authorised to argue the main appeals against conviction and sought an adjournment of the May 7 hearing. In an application filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Barrister Salman Safdar, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Sarmad Muneeb said their engagement was limited to arguing applications for suspension of sentence, adding that no formal power of attorney or instructions had been obtained for the main appeals. The lawyers also informed the court that, despite repeated efforts, the authorities at Adiala jail had not facilitated meetings with the clients for the purpose of obtaining instructions or executing fresh powers of attorney. “The undersigned expresses inability to proceed further in the absence of proper instructions, formal engagement, and requisite Power(s) of Attorney,” the application stated. The ...

The Government of Pakistan has suspended new gas connections across the country due to an ongoing supply crisis, according to official sources.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that it and the newly established Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan operate as “coordinate courts” with distinct constitutional jurisdictions, and neither is subordinate to the other.

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has ruled that the constitutional scheme following the passage of the 27th Amendment treated the Supreme Court (SC) and the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) as coordinate courts exercising clearly demarcated jurisdictions over distinct matters. The ruling was made in a 13-page order authored by the CJP and issued on a set of petitions arising from a Feb 17, 2020 Peshawar High Court consolidated judgement. It was issued by a two-member bench, comprising CJP Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan. The order stated that the constitutional scheme following the 27th Amendment did not position the SC or the FCC as an appellate forum to each other. The constitutional amendment was passed by Parliament in November last year, leading to the establishment of the FCC as a court that was to hear all matters of a constitutional nature, including those involving disputes between provincial and federal governments, public interest and the enforcement of fundamental r...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive plan for the expansion of Simly Dam to ensure a sustainable and abundant water supply for the capital.

Punjab has taken a major step in the insurance sector, launching what officials describe as an “insurance revolution” with the introduction of a new general insurance company, making it the first province in Pakistan to do so.

The 9th meeting of the Senate of COMSATS University was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi, where key academic, administrative, financial, and policy matters were reviewed in detail.

The United States Department of State has announced the phased closure of its consulate general in Peshawar, transferring diplomatic responsibilities to the US Embassy Islamabad.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast mainly hot and dry weather across most parts of the country during next 24 hours, with very hot conditions expected in southern regions.

Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed authorities to formulate a comprehensive strategy to meet future energy needs through renewable sources, while calling for stricter action against electricity theft.

United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would briefly pause an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran. Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had outlined the effort that began on Monday to escort stranded tankers out of the Gulf. The strait has been virtually shut since the conflict began, blocking some 20 per cent of world oil supplies and igniting a global energy crisis. “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized...

Four people have been killed in political unrest after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party celebrated victory in state polls in West Bengal, police and party officials said on Wednesday. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept polls in the key eastern state of more than 100 million people, winning 206 of the 294 assembly seats, according to results announced on Monday, for its first-ever victory in West Bengal. West Bengal had been ruled by Modi’s fierce critic and adversary Mamata Banerjee as chief minister since 2011. Banerjee, leader of the regional All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), also lost her seat in the polls and has rejected the results. Police said clashes between rival party supporters erupted in the state capital Kolkata after results were announced on Monday. Analysts say the BJP’s victory in the largely Bengali-speaking state is one of its most significant since Modi was first elected prime minister in 2014, expanding its dominance beyond the Hindi-speaking heartlan...

A spell of hot and dry weather persisted across most parts of Pakistan on Wednesday, with several areas of Sindh and Balochistan experiencing extreme temperatures.

In a televised message marking Marka-i-Haq, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday warned that Pakistan’s reaction to any miscalculation in the future would be “more intense and decisive”. Last year’s military conflict with India, starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Pakistan’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, with a ceasefire ending a military escalation between the two countries on May 10, has been called “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state. In his message, Asif said Marka-i-Haq was not just a “memorable episode for Pakistan, but a line that we have drawn forever”. Anyone on the other side of this line should understand that Pakistan exercised tolerance and restraint during the 2025 episode, he said, warning that in case of an “incorrect assessment or miscalculation” in the future, the response would be “more intense and decisive”. He added that Pakistan did not want any fighting in 2025, and it desired the same today. “But there should not be any doubt; Pakistan does not only re...