Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Former Nadra chairman Tariq Malik has been named one of the world’s top 25 identity leaders by US-based company Okta. The list, by Okta Ventures, the venture investment arm of Okta, is a “diverse compilation of forward-thinking developers, strategists, business leaders, and public servants”. “The honorees are being recognised for their tireless efforts in software creation, standards evolution, and strategic implementation to keep digital transactions safe and seamless. Their work tackles some of the most pressing challenges in the digital age,” it said. To mark the honour, Malik has been featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, New York City, alongside 24 other global leaders. In his featured interview, Malik said: “Digital identity succeeds or fails not on technology, but on whether its governance can withstand political pressure.” He argued that identity systems must be treated as core governance infrastructure, supported by institutional independence, legal safeguards, and accountabili...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday held a meeting with Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister, to discuss the evolving regional situation and bilateral relations.

The weather in Karachi remained hot and dry on Tuesday, though temperatures are expected to fall slightly compared to the previous day, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.

A blast at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting a call from President Xi Jinping for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday. The explosion in Liuyang, under the administration of Hunan’s capital city of Changsha and a hub for fireworks manufacturing, occurred on Monday at around 4:40 pm (0840 GMT), according to reports by CCTV and Xinhua. Social media footage showed massive plumes of smoke billowing up into clear blue skies against a backdrop of lush, green mountains. Reuters verified the location shown in the footage, which was posted on social media on May 4, as Changsha. A Xinhua video showed thick clouds of smoke rising from a large site littered with collapsed buildings and debris. Five rescue teams of nearly 500 personnel, together with three rescue robots, were dispatched to the scene, adopting a “human machine coordinated approach” to conduct grid-style searches, according to Xinhua. Two black powder storage warehouses within t...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict, which provided legal cover to the otherwise controversial One Constitution Avenue project, significantly boosted its market value and attracted around 70 new high-net-worth investors. Former prime minister Imran Khan was also among these investors, but sources told Dawn that the cricketer-turned politician had already sold his apartment (C11E) in 2022 and this property is now registered in the name of Shahid Naseer. The Supreme Court bench, headed by then chief justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Faisal Arab, in its verdict had directed the defaulting construction company to pay Rs17.5 billion to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in eight annual installments. Before becoming a judge, Justice Ahsan had also served as a lawyer of the said company. The company deposited first installment of Rs1.7 billion, but later reneged on its commitment. SC’s 2019 ruling triggered investment surge in contested high rise According to the sources, the ...

• Verdict authored by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani declares Council’s 2025 opinion against Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza ‘null and void’ • Judgement says advisory body overstepped its constitutional mandate under Articles 229 and 230 ISLAMABAD: In a landmark verdict, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has no legal authority to issue opinions on the criminal culpability of individuals. In a detailed order written prior to his transfer to the Lahore High Court, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani declared the CII’s 2025 opinion, which labelled cleric-turned-YouTuber Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza a blasphemer, as “illegal, without lawful authority, and null and void”. The court held that the constitutional body had grossly overstepped its mandate by entertaining a reference from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against him. The judgement stressed that under Articles 229 and 230 of the Constitution, the CII’s advisory jurisdiction is strictly limited to p...

The Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) provided humanitarian assistance to over half a dozen sailors stuck aboard an Indian offshore tug and supply vessel in the Arabian Sea, security sources said on Monday. The rescue and support operation for the crew, which included six Indians and one Indonesian national, was initiated after the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Mumbai contacted Pakistani authorities and requested assistance. They reported a technical fault on the MV Gautam, which was en route from Oman to India, security sources said. The Pakistan Navy deployed the PMSS Kashmir to carry out rescue operations. Emergency assistance, including food, medical aid, and technical support, was provided to the crew of MV Gautam, the sources said, adding that support operations for the vessel remain ongoing. Last month, the Pakistan Navy carried out an operation in the Arabian Sea and rescued 18 crew members, including foreign nationals, of a merchant vessel following a distress ca...

Russia on Monday declared a unilateral ceasefire with Ukraine between May 8-9, when Moscow marks its annual World War II Victory Day commemorations, and threatened a “massive missile strike” on Kyiv if Ukraine violated it. Ukraine responded by declaring a truce of its own between May 5-6, saying it was “not serious” to expect it to observe a ceasefire during a Russian military holiday. The quarrelling between the two sides comes with a lull in US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war, as Washington shifts its focus to conflict in the Middle East. Russian strikes killed nine people across Ukraine on Monday, according to Ukrainian officials, while a Ukrainian drone crashed into a high-rise building in an upscale Moscow neighbourhood overnight. “In accordance with a decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire has been declared from May 8–9, 2026… We hope that the Ukrainian side will follow suit,” the Russian defence ministry said in a post on state-backed m...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday chaired a detailed video-link meeting with deputy commissioners across the province to review progress on the Punjab Development Plan and the Lahore Development Plan, with a strong focus on infrastructure uplift, drainage systems, and urban beautification.

Islamabad - Sufficient stock of petroleum products is available in the country to ensure their uninterrupted availability throughout Pakistan until the third week of the next month.

Islamabad - Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday met with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin at Parliament House, reaffirming the strong and growing partnership between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday received the Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, and both sides discussed the evolving regional situation.

The Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) provided humanitarian assistance to over half a dozen sailors stuck aboard an Indian offshore tug and supply vessel in the Arabian Sea, security sources said on Monday. The rescue and support operation for the crew, which included six Indians and one Indonesian national, was initiated after the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Mumbai contacted Pakistani authorities and requested assistance. They reported a technical fault on the MV Gautam, which was en route from Oman to India, security sources said. The Pakistan Navy deployed the PMSS Kashmir to carry out rescue operations. Emergency assistance, including food, medical aid, and technical support, was provided to the crew of MV Gautam, the sources said, adding that support operations for the vessel remain ongoing. Last month, the Pakistan Navy carried out an operation in the Arabian Sea and rescued 18 crew members, including foreign nationals, of a merchant vessel following a distress ca...

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi on Monday announced the recovery of 80 acres of government land illegally allotted to Bahria Town in the Gulshan-i-Sarmast housing scheme in Hyderabad’s Deh Ganjo Takkar, a press release said. According to the press release, the land worth Rs6 billion was located in a prime area of Hyderabad district. “The management of Bahria Town got the possession of the land through the illegal allotment against the meagre amount of Rs383 million, which was also defaulted,” the bureau said. Furthermore, the statement said that Bahria Town had also failed to fulfil the terms and conditions of the allotment, as the land was intended for the establishment of a university. “Accordingly, the matter was taken up with Hyderabad Development Authority and as a result of efforts and intervention of NAB, the HDA cancelled the allotment and possession with forfeiture of the partially paid amount by Bahria Town,” the statement added. Last week, an accountability court issued ...

WASHINGTON: Public opinion within parts of the American-Jewish community on the US-led war against Iran has shown a noticeable shift, with support easing and opposition rising over time, according to a recent survey. While different polls focus on different segments of the community, both point to growing reservations about the campaign as it has progressed. The Jewish People Policy Institute’s “Voice of the Jewish People Index” survey, which tracks attitudes among a more connected segment of American Jews engaged with organised communal life, records a steady decline in support over the course of the conflict. Backing fell from 68 per cent in the war’s first week to 62pc in the third week, and further to 60pc in the week following the ceasefire, while opposition rose from 26pc to 34pc over the same period, the survey shows. A separate nationwide survey conducted by GBAO Strategies for the advocacy group J Street, which reflects a broader sample of American Jewish voters, suggests that scepticism is even more...

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday partially suspended a lower court verdict in a defamation case filed by singer-cum-actor Ali Zafar against Meesha Shafi, to the extent of damages payment. The court, however, maintained Shafi would remain barred from repeating the allegations of sexual harassment against Zafar. As an interim relief, the bench suspended the trial court’s decision to the extent of the damages only. The LHC allowed Shafi to deposit half of the amount of damages with the court and furnish a surety bond for the remaining amount instead of making the payment to Zafar. The decision came on an appeal filed by Shafi following a sessions court order in March, in which she was directed to pay Zafar Rs5 million in damages for levelling allegations of sexual harassment against him. The lower court had ruled that the allegations had “not been proved to be true or made for public good, and thus constitute actionable defamation”. Subsequently, Shafi challenged the civil decree in the LHC. Her app...

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad to review the current political and security situation in the province.

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: An attempted suicide attack on a security forces’ post near Azam Warsak Bazaar, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan area, was foiled on Monday evening, officials said. According to security sources, the attacker attempted to target the army post using an explosives-laden coach; however, due to timely action by Pakistan Army personnel, the vehicle was destroyed before reaching its target. Police officials said the explosion damaged a nearby religious seminary, a petrol pump, shops and the roofs of several houses, some of which partially collapsed. As a result of the incident, one civilian was martyred while 15 others sustained injuries. All of the injured were immediately transported to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana. Medical Superintendent Dr Jan Mohammad said that a state of emergency had been declared at the hospital, with the injured being provided medical treatment. Local residents told Dawn that the blast was so powerful that people rushed out of their rooms in fear and...

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was informed by the petroleum ministry on Monday that the country has sufficient reserves of POL products till the third week of June. The information was conveyed to the deputy premier during a high-level meeting to review the country’s petroleum, oil, and lubricants stock position. “The Petroleum Ministry briefed the committee on the prevailing supply situation, confirming that, after factoring in incoming shipments, sufficient stock levels are available to ensure uninterrupted availability of POL products throughout Pakistan until the third week of June 2026.” Global fuel prices have skyrocketed over the past two months as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains paralysed since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28. The attendees were also informed that the supplies are being continuously monitored on a daily basis by the National Coordination and Management Committee (NCMC), to “ensure effective oversight and proactive supply chain management...

Iranian sailors, who had been evacuated to Pakistan after being released by the United States, crossed the border and entered their home territory on Monday, reported Iranian state media. According to IRNA, 15 of the 22 sailors crossed through the Rimdan border terminal in Sistan-Baluchistan. Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) said that as a “confidence-building measure” by the US, 22 crew members on an Iranian ship seized by US forces had been evacuated to Pakistan. The statement came hours after American outlet ABC News reported that an Iranian ship seized by the US after it “failed to comply” with the blockade imposed by the country on Iranian ports had been transferred to Pakistan for repatriation. “US forces completed the transfer of 22 crew members of M/V Touska to Pakistan for repatriation,“ the report quoted US Central Command Spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins as saying. “Six other passengers were already transferred to a regional country for repatriation last week,” he said. According to the report, Ira...