Pakistan

Pakistan and Vietnam have agreed to expand cooperation in the Halal seafood industry, signaling a new chapter in bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal stated that the PML-N government averted national default through tough but necessary economic decisions.

A collision between a bus and minibus in Tanzania has killed 38 people after both vehicles were set on fire by the crash, the presidency said on Sunday. The accident in Sabasaba, in the Kilimanjaro region, on Saturday evening occurred after one of the bus’s tyres punctured, causing the driver to lose control. “A total of 38 people died in the crash, including two women,” a presidency statement said, adding that 28 others were wounded. “However, due to the extent of the burns, 36 bodies remain unidentified,” the presidency said. Six of the injured were still in hospital for treatment, it added. Deadly crashes are frequent on Tanzania’s roads. In a 2018 report, the World Health Organization estimated that 13,000 to 19,000 people in Tanzania were killed in traffic accidents in 2016, far higher than the government’s official toll of 3,256.

The leader of a peace committee and two of his companions were shot dead by terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Sunday, according to police officials. The incident reflects the escalating militant presence in Lakki Marwat, where attacks have become more frequent in recent months despite ongoing efforts by local peace committees to maintain order and resist terrorist influence. Shahid Khan, a spokesperson for Lakki Marwat police, told Dawn.com that the head of the Shahab Khel peace committee was heading to Qabol Khel when he was attacked in the Kara Wanda area. “The peace committee chief Ghulam Dastagir alias Fauji and his friends Saleem Khan and Salahuddin were killed,” Shahid told Dawn.com. “A search operation was launched in the area after the incident.” Peace committee officials in KP have been targeted in the past by terrorists. In April, there were two incidents targeting peace committees, one of which was in Lakki Marwat. On April 29, a fierce gun battle was reported between memb...

In a move that could signal a significant shift in the country’s political dynamics, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan at his residence.

Two of the three women who accidentally fell into a dam in the Killi Zazagi area of southwestern Balochistan have been rescued, while search efforts continue for the third, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

The government on Sunday notified a 50 per cent increase in fixed gas charges for domestic consumers, according to a notification from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). On Friday, the federal cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved the hike in fixed gas charges for all consumers from July 1. The ECC decided to increase fixed charges by 50pc for domestic consumers and shift the partial burden to bulk, power sector and industrial consumers. According to the Ogra notification, seen by Dawn.com, fixed charges for domestic consumers in the Protected category have risen to Rs600 from Rs400, while those in the non-protected category have to pay Rs1,500 as opposed to the previous charge of Rs1,000. For non-protected consumers exceeding consumption of 1.5 cubic hectometres (hm³), the price has risen to Rs3,000 from Rs2,000. Though the fixed charges have been increased, the price of gas itself has not risen, according to the notification. The sale prices for both Protected and Non-protected ...

Two Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed and two others arrested during an intelligence-based operation by security forces in Balochistan, the military's media wing, ISPR, reported on Sunday.

An Indian aviation minister on Sunday said investigators were probing “all angles” behind the Air India crash earlier this month when asked by the media about possible sabotage. All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in the western city of Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground, but a police source told AFP after the crash that the toll was 38. India’s minister of state for civil aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said the investigation was looking at “all angles” when asked specifically about possible “sabotage”, in an interview with Indian news channel NDTV. “It has never happened before that both engines have shut off together,” Mohol said earlier in the interview, in reference to theories by some experts of possible dual-engine failure. The minister added that until the investigation report is published, it would be premature to comment on the cause. The team appointed to investigate the crash started extracting da...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday formally inaugurated the ‘Apna Meter, Apna Reading’ power smart mobile application — an initiative aimed at promoting transparency in the billing process by allowing consumers to take their own meter readings and send them to their respective power companies. The initiative aims to phase out the role of meter readers in power distribution companies (Discos) across the country amid frustration by power consumers. The current pro rata system removes electricity consumers from the ‘protected category’ or pushes them into the next slab, leading to higher bills. Speaking at a ceremony to launch the app, the prime minister said the initiative is a revolutionary step undertaken by the government as part of power sector reforms over the past year. “We implemented reforms in the power sector, but we have a long way to go. We brought merit-based appointments to the boards of Discos, and took strong action against the corrupt mafia,” he said. PM Shehbaz said that the minister of e...

Security forces on Sunday killed two terrorists and apprehended two others during an operation in Balochistan’s Duki district, a statement from the military’s media wing said. The statement, issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the area upon the suspected presence of terrorists.. During the operation, security forces “effectively engaged the Indian-sponsored terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, two Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell, while two terrorists were apprehended,” the ISPR said. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were seized from the dead terrorists, who, according to the military’s media wing, remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. “[A] sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian sponsored terrorism from the cou...

A powerful thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rainfall swept across Lahore and its surrounding areas, offering long-awaited relief from the intense humidity that had gripped the region.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday declared Justice Sarfaraz Dogar the “senior-most judge” of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), according to a fresh seniority list released by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The development followed the Supreme Court’s verdict on June 19, declaring the transfer of IHC judges constitutional and referring the matter of seniority determination to the president. Earlier this year, the law ministry’s transfer of three judges to the IHC had disrupted the seniority list. On Friday, however, five judges of the IHC challenged the SC’s decision to uphold the transfer of three judges — Justice Sardar Dogar from the Lahore High Court (LHC), Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro from the Sindh High Court (SHC), and Justice Muham­mad Asif from the Balochistan High Court (BHC). According to the latest seniority list, Justice Dogar was designated as the most senior judge of the IHC, while the two other judges, Justice Soomro and Justice Asif, were ranked 9th and 11th, respectively. President Zardar...

President Asif Ali Zardari has officially declared Justice Sarfraz Dogar as the senior most judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), and made permanent the transfer of Justice Sarfraz Dogar along with two other judges.

On the directives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, an anti-encroachment operation has been launched along the banks of the Swat River.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated “Apna Meter, Apni Reading” Power Smart Mobile Application to bring more transparency in the electricity billing process.

Pakistan thrashed hosts South Korea 91-6 at the Asian Youth Netball Championship on Sunday to mark their third consecutive win of the tournament. The green shirts had a strong first quarter to lead 23-2 and extended their lead to 45-3 by halftime. The score was 70-4 in the third quarter, and the women managed to end the game 91-6 to sit at the top of the rankings of Pool B. According to details, Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Haleema, Sarina Hussain, Jasmine Farooq, Farah Rasheed , Amani, Parisa , Sumayya Ahmed and Alina were recognised as outstanding players in the match. Senior officials of the Pakistan Netball Federation congratulated the team on their victory. Pakistan now faces Japan on Monday and the Maldives a day later. In a post on Instagram, the netball federation extended its gratitude to coach Amanda Newton “for her exceptional coaching, technical expertise, and unwavering dedication to the Pakistan Youth Girls Netball Team.” “Under her guidance, our team has shown incredible skill and determinati...

The body of a child who was swept away in the Swat River on Friday has been recovered from Charsadda, rescue officials said on Sunday, making this the 12th body recovered from the incident. At least 19 people have been killed and six others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid heavy rains and the consequent flash floods and landslides, according to data from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). KP Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi said the child’s body was recovered from Charsadda and shifted to a hospital. “He will be shifted to his native area in an ambulance,” Faizi said. “One person remains missing and a search operation is underway.” According to Faizi, a total of 17 people were reported missing on Friday when torrential flash floods triggered by heavy rains affected several areas in Swat and Malakand divisions. Four people were rescued, while 11 bodies had been recovered. Today, a 12th body was recovered, leaving one person who remains missing. Separately, the body of a young man who dr...

ISLAMABAD: Five judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) have challenged the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the transfer of three judges from other high courts to the federal capital. The appeal was filed on Saturday, two days before the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) meeting to appoint chief justices to at least three high courts on July 1. In its judgement anno­unced on June 19, the Supreme Court’s Const­itutional Bench, had held by a majority of 3-2 that the transfer of three judges to IHC from Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan high cou­rts was within the framework of the Constitution. The Constitutional Ben­ch had also partially sent the matter to the president to determine seniority amongst judges, based on their service records. Now, IHC’s justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan and Saman Rafat Imtiaz, who originally challenged the transfers, have filed an intra-court appeal (ICA) against the June 19 judgement. The ICA, jointly moved by senio...

Three people were killed and six injured in a stampede during a festival in Bhubaneswar, eastern India on Sunday, officials said. “Three people have died and six sustained injuries; none of them are serious and all are out of danger,” YB Khurania, director general of police in the state of Odisha, told Reuters. The incident occurred at dawn as thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at an annual chariot festival in Puri, said a senior administrative officer told Reuters. He asked not to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media. Stampedes occur routinely during large Hindu gatherings in the world’s most-populous country, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces, often ignoring safety protocols. In January, at least 39 people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, northern India.