Pakistan

Islamabad - Funeral prayer of Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Hussain Shaheed (resident of District Sargodha) was offered today at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday once again summoned the Superintendent of Adiala Jail to appear personally before the court in a case regarding Bushra Bibi’s medical condition and family meetings, warning that failure to appear would result in issuance of his arrest warrants.

Rawalpindi - Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique along with Member National Assembly Tahira Aurangzeb here on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH).

• CDA mulls tourism development at key water source • Critics cite past controversies and ecological risks ISLAMABAD: City managers are planning to develop water sports and recreational facilities near Simly Dam, a move that may pose environmental challenges for residents. The dam, built in 1983, is located 30 kilometres east of Islamabad in the foothills of lush green mountains and is considered a main source of clean drinking water. The other dam in Islamabad, including Rawal Dam, which supplies water to Rawalpindi, is already heavily polluted, mainly due to uncontrolled contamination in its catchment area. Simly Dam, located in a less-visited area, remains a source of clean drinking water. However, the federal government and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) now plan to introduce recreational activities in the area. Recently, the CDA board approved a summary for hiring former chairman Kamran Lashari as a consultant (city curator) for the “preparation of a comprehensive citywide culture and tourism vi...

KARACHI: Caregivers of children up to five years of age in Sindh will receive Rs3,000 every quarter for growth monitoring, nutrition counselling and school readiness, as the provincial government rolls out a Rs14 billion Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme. The decision was taken on Wednesday at the third board meeting of the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA), chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. The board approved a package of initiatives to expand the province’s social safety net, strengthen maternal and child welfare, and provide seasonal income support to rural women. The ECD project, funded by KfW, a German state-owned investment and development bank, will target 885,000 children aged between one month and five years. Murad approves Rs14bn early childhood development initiative; quarterly payment of Rs3,000 each to benefit over 885,000 kids, meeting told According to a statement issued by the CM House, the meeting was attended, among others, by provincial ministers Dr Azra Fazal,...

ISLAMABAD: The functioning of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) came under scrutiny on Wednesday when the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) questioned the notion that its records are immune to tampering. “Who says Nadra records cannot be tampered with?” wondered Justice Aamer Farooq while hearing a habeas corpus petition regarding the custody of a minor girl, Ayesha Tariq, who had converted from Christianity to Islam. Justice Farooq was heading a two-judge FCC bench that also comprised Justice K.K. Agha. During the hearing, senior counsel Muhammad Saqib Jillani, representing the girl’s parents, argued that Ayesha was underage, adding that a Nadra certificate to this effect had been placed on record. He also expressed concern that the girl might have married. Orders shifting of newly converted Muslim girl to Darul Aman in habeas corpus plea Additional Advocate General Punjab Waseem Mumtaz Malik, however, submitted that if the girl was under 18, she should be sent to her parents; otherwise, ...

• Judgement says special courts not limited to ownership, possession matters • Rules they can hear inheritance, partition, contract, transaction disputes LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has declared that special courts established for overseas Pakistanis can hear a wide range of property-related disputes, going beyond narrow questions of ownership and possession. In a judgement authored by Justice Anwaar Hussain, the court decided multiple petitions related to the scope of jurisdiction under the Punjab Establishment of Special Courts (Overseas Pakistanis Property) Act, 2025. The matter reached the high court after special courts declined to hear several cases — including suits relating to specific performance, cancellation of transactions and inheritance claims — on the grounds that such disputes fell outside their limited mandate. These matters were subsequently referred back to civil courts, prompting affected litigants, including overseas Pakistanis, to challenge the interpretation before the LHC. In o...

The second Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference kicked off in Islamabad on Wednesday, with business leaders and experts highlighting the impact on the country’s agricultural sector and vulnerable communities, and the need for determined implementation of legal and policy frameworks, as well as climate finance. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, Pakistan remains among the most climate-vulnerable nations, underscoring the critical need for coordinated, locally grounded, and globally informed responses. The two-day conference, organised by DawnMedia, brings together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from across sectors to examine intersecting challenges and chart a path forward. Federal ministers, government officials, business leaders, and agriculture and water experts were among the various speakers who presented their perspectives on tackling the climate crisis. Key takeaways: Pakistan must be disciplined in management of energy transition: Dawn CEO Nazafreen Saigol ...

Israel struck Beirut on Wednesday for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, with Israel claiming it targeted a commander of the group’s elite Radwan force in the city’s southern suburbs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the action in a joint statement. Israeli media reported that the commander was killed in the strike, but there was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military or Hezbollah. The Lebanon ceasefire has underpinned a broader US-Iran truce, with a halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon being a key Iranian demand. As Iran and the US say they are drawing closer to a deal to halt their conflict, the strikes threaten the ceasefire that halted Israeli attacks on Beirut. Israeli troops have remained in areas south of the Litani River and strikes continued in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has responded by firing and launching armed drones towards Israeli soldiers. Israel earlier on Wednesday called for residents to eva...

Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in multilateral events hosted by India but bilateral events ​remain off the table, India’s sports ministry has said. India ‌also said the visa process for sportspersons and officials will be simplified, while office bearers of international sports governing bodies will be ​granted multi-entry visas. “With regard to international and multilateral events, ​in India or abroad, we are guided by the ⁠practices of international sports bodies and the interest of ​our own sportspersons,” the ministry said in a memorandum. “It is ​also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.” “In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be ⁠participating in ​competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we ​permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry added. The statement comes as India is set to host the Commonwealth Games ​in 2030, while they have also bid for t...

ISLAMABAD: PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Wednesday maintained that the formation of the Punjab Coordination and Monitoring Committee would not be discussed, as the party leadership planned to raise the issue in the upcoming party meeting. The composition of the aforementioned committee has been a subject of internal rift within the party, with leaders opposing the nomination of Amjad Khan Niazi as the convenor of the body, as he had parted ways with the party in the wake of May 9, 2023, protests. A senior PTI leader, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that a number of party leaders believe that the newly formed body was nothing but an attempt to “occupy” the party in Punjab. His claim referred to the committee’s terms of reference, which include the task of coordinating organisational matters between Punjab’s four regions through engagement with their presidents and general secretaries. PTI’s Punjab chapter comprises four regions — Central, West, North and South — each led by its respective pre...

On Marka-e-Haq Day, forces signal firm resolve

• Trump says Iran deal 'very possible', but threatens strikes if not • PM Shehbaz sounds optimistic • Tehran yet

Pak efforts keep ceasefire alive

India opens door to Pakistani athletes

Paigham-i-Islam Conference awards title of 'Greatest Victorious General of the Century' to CDF Asim Munir

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday met Governor Balochistan Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail here at Aiwan-e-Sadr to discuss the overall situation in the province.

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