Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rain with thunderstorms and possible hailstorms in different parts of the country.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed the government’s resolve to protect press freedom and stressed the importance of credible journalism. They issued separate messages on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, reaffirming that Pakistan, as a state, remained firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting freedom of the press. In his message, President Zardari said this year’s theme, “Shaping a Future at Peace”, underscored that peace cannot be secured without truth. Noting that Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteed the right to press freedom subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law, the president said, “A free, independent and diverse media is not a threat to a confident nation, rather a proof of one.” “At the same time, freedom brings responsibility. Accuracy must not be sacrificed for speed and balance must not give way to partisanship. Public trust, the most valuable asset of free press, must be earned, protected and never taken for granted,” h...

Wildfires that scorched forests in northern Japan, reportedly the second biggest in over 30 years, have been brought under control after 11 days, officials have said. Hundreds of firefighters and more than 1,000 military personnel had battled the blazes since late April, as they burned around 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) across the mountainous Iwate region. The affected area is almost five times the size of New York City’s Central Park. At least eight buildings were damaged, and two people suffered minor injuries, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Thousands of people were evacuated as fires picked up. Otsuchi town mayor Kozo Hirano told reporters on Saturday that he had been “informed that… the fire had been brought under control” after visiting the area with fire officials. He credited aerial and ground firefighting operations, as well as heavy rainfall, for containing the flames. But Hirano said authorities would remain vigilant as there was a possibility that smouldering embers would re...

Monks perform rituals in connection with Vesak Day at Dharmarajika Stupa near Taxila. — Dawn TAXILA: After nearly 15 centuries of silence, the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa came alive on Friday as chants of Buddhist monks echoed once again across the historic site, marking the first such occasion since its destruction in the 5th century CE by the White Huns. For centuries, the site had remained largely quiet, disturbed only by the soft tread of visitors and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. On Friday afternoon, however, the centuries-old calm gave way to a spiritually charged atmosphere as monks performed religious rituals and delivered a Dhamma sermon at one of the most significant Buddhist heritage sites associated with Emperor Ashoka. The peace prayer ceremony was organised by the Punjab Archaeology Department in collaboration with Buddhist delegations from five Southeast Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar. The ritual began in the afternoon with venerable monks from S...

RAWALPINDI: The residents of Bahria Town Rawalpindi on Saturday staged a protest demonstration against the administration of Bahria Town for not providing civic facilities despite getting hefty fees from them. A large number of residents, traders, property owners, investors, families, and community leaders from Bahria Town Phases 1-8 assembled at Allama Iqbal Junction Phase 8. Jamaat-i-Islami representatives also participated in the protest. The participants carried placards, banners, and display boards, clearly expressing their demands and urging Malik Riaz and Bahria Town Private Limited to relinquish control. Tahir Nihad Bajwa, Chairman of RABT and President of BRACE, led a procession and said that highlighted systemic failures in governance, service delivery, and regulatory oversight and declared that the community has been paying heavily without receiving basic rights or services. He presented the charter of demands and said that it had already been submitted to all relevant authorities. He urged the Raw...

ISLAMABAD: Security measures put in place around places of worship, especially during Friday prayers, were found unsatisfactory, raising concerns about public safety. Police officials told Dawn that the Islamabad inspector general of police himself found security arrangements around worship places unsatisfactory and compromised when he visited mosques and imambargahs during Friday prayers. The police chief visited several worship places, including Jamia Masjid Bibil in Sector G-6/3, to check and review security measures during Friday prayers. However, he found improper arrangements at the mosque, as no police official was present on duty. Besides, improper and unsatisfactory security arrangements were also found at various worship places in the capital, including some located inside the high-security zone. IG visited several worship places to check and review security measures during Friday prayers There were no security arrangements around a number of worship places. In some cases, an unarmed lone policeman ...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Saturday approved the design of the Gujranwala Mass Transit System.

LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department has arrested a YouTuber for recruiting individuals for a banned outfit and registered a case against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The FIR identified the suspect as Muhammad Saad bin Riaz, associated with YouTube channel named Eon News. A case has been registered against him on behalf of the state under Section 11F(2), pertaining to membership and support of a proscribed organisation and Section 11W, which relates to the dissemination of material linked to banned groups. According to FIR, the arrest was made on April 27 during a search operation near GPO Chowk on Mall Road. “After getting information from a source that a suspected al-Qaeda member was present at a mosque, Hanfia Ghusia Mughal Saraiy, opposite to Lytton Road, he was caught recruiting individuals and distributing prohibited material.” During the raid, officials claimed to have recovered five copies of a book about Osama bin Laden from his custody along with an al-Qaeda membership card. Meanwhile...

QUETTA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Balochistan, has announced the launch of a protest movement against raids on religious seminaries across the province. Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey, the provincial chief of the JUI-F, stated that a province-wide shutter-down strike and protest demonstrations would take place on May 6. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, he said that on May 10, seminary students and party workers from across Balochistan would march towards Quetta. He added that JUI-F members in the provincial assembly would stage strong protests inside the Balochistan Assembly. He also announced that party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would address a JUI conference in Pishin on June 4. These decisions were taken during a meeting of the JUI-F’s provincial leadership and later announced at the press conference. Opposition Leader Mir Younas Aziz Zehri, Maulana Salahuddin, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Agha Mehmood Shah, Malik Sikandar, and others were also present. Red line Maulana Wasey alleged his party f...

KARACHI: The war in the region has almost wiped out foreign investment in Pakistan’s domestic bonds, leaving little chance of recovery if the current situation prevails, said financial experts. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data showed that foreign investors have almost left the domestic bonds, which had been their preferred choice, as returns were highest in the region and very high compared with most other countries. A day ago, the central bank further increased the yields on Treasury Bills by up to 83 basis points to almost 12pc, making them more attractive to investors. The SBP data showed that over 94pc of foreign investment in T-bills left the country by April 17. Mideast war drives 94pc outflow from treasury bills This could be a result of destabilisation due to war in the region, which is still ongoing without knowing the final outcome of this deadlock in the talks between Iran and the United States. Threats and counter-threats between the two countries have created a broad range of uncertainties, ...

• Analysts say inflation may exceed 11pc, CAD could rise above $8bn • GDP expansion may slow to 2.5-3.0pc in FY27 KARACHI: Pakistan’s inflation is likely to remain in double digits if the surge in oil prices persists amid the unresolved Middle East conflict, analysts warned, adding that rising costs and disrupted imports are already straining the country’s external position. Topline Securities Ltd released its latest “Pakistan Strategy” report on Saturday, analysing the impact of soaring oil prices amid regional tensions and their implications for Pakistan’s economy and stock market. The brokerage said the situation is prolonged and evolving, with outcomes hinging on whether the conflict ends or a peaceful resolution is reached. The report projected that if current conditions persist, Pakistan’s inflation over the next 12 months could average 9-10 per cent, with fourth-quarter FY26 inflation surpassing 11pc. These forecasts are based on an oil price of $100 per barrel, with every $10 increase adding roughly 5...

• Al Qaeda leader had agreed in writing to relocate by September 2011 • Two brothers sheltering him sought separation, citing exhaustion • Agency claims to be entirely unaware of the relocation plan, says delayed raid would have missed the opportunity WASHINGTON: A decade after the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, a fresh Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) account reveals that the Al Qaeda leader nearly slipped out of his hideout months before the US raid. The CIA’s official record, updated with newly posted documents and released on Friday, shows that Bin Laden was actively planning to leave his hideout in Abbottabad months before the American operation, while simultaneously continuing to direct al-Qaeda operations from within the compound. According to letters recovered from the compound, Bin Laden had agreed in writing to a relocation plan after sustained pressure from the two brothers who had sheltered him for years. On Jan 14, 2011, he wrote a formal letter acknowledging tensions and e...

WASHINGTON: A man stands atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on Saturday to protest the US-Israeli war on Iran. Guido Reichstadter climbed the bridge in Washington on May Day, stayed there overnight, and posted a sunrise photo from one of the bridge’s arches while calling for an end to the war on Iran. Speaking to the media from atop the 51-metre structure, the 45-year-old father of two called for peaceful means to build pressure on the authorities to end what he described as an ‘illegal war’.—Reuters • Iranian military warns renewed hostilities with Washington ‘likely’ • Trump boasts of Hormuz blockade, says ‘we are like pirates’ • Tehran reaches out to Qatar, South Korea to discuss ongoing negotiations • Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill over 12 people, injure dozens; Lebanese army chief meets US general TEHRAN/BEIRUT: Amid a surge in deadly strikes by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and little headway in talks between the US and Iran, an Iranian military official warned against the ‘likely’ resump...

EFFORTS being made to reopen a road after a landslide in Gilgit-Balti­stan.—Dawn • KKH, Astore valley road temporarily blocked • Heavy rain, thunderstorms also expected in KP GILGIT: Intermittent rain across Gilgit-Balti­stan on Saturday triggered landslides and road blockages, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a fresh alert warning of glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) in the region due to an approaching westerly weather system. The blocked roads included the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and the Astore valley road, which were later reopened for traffic after debris was cleared. According to police, scattered rain was recorded across the region on Friday and Saturday. In Hunza’s Murtazabad area, rain-induced flooding temporarily blocked the KKH, but traffic was restored after clearance operations. Landslides and falling debris also blocked the Astore valley road at multiple locations, after which the Gilgit-Baltistan Com­munication and Works Department deployed machinery to clear the road....

LAHORE - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while chairing a meeting on energy sector reforms on Saturday, directed the authorities concerned to formulate a comprehensive strategy to stabilise electricity tariffs.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ambassador Tahir Andrabi said Saturday that no temporary ceasefire is currently in place with Afghan Taliban.

ISLAMABAD - Opposition’s prolonged boycott of parliamentary bodies to put pressure on the government has actually given a free-hand to the ruling parties to pass bills, adjust audit paras without any resistance for the last eight months.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his government’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting press freedom, while ensuring a conducive environment for the media to operate.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to assess the overall law and order situation in the country.

KSA allows Hajj travel for children aged 12