Pakistan

MUZAFFARABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi on Saturday underlined the need of using the latest technology to achieve the set targets of the judicial system.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday emphasised the importance of expanding cooperation between Pakistan and China in political, economic and cultural fields, underlining Pakistan’s commitment to deepening people-to-people contacts and public diplomacy.

ISLAMABAD - In line with its commitment to prudent use of public resources, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has streamlined and rationalized the security of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, scaling down the number of official vehicles from eight to two, resulting in release of considerable number of security personnel for routine policing.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit State of Qatar to participate in the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit being held in Doha on 15 September 2025.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Saturday reaffirmed that Pakistan’s position on Palestine was “absolutely clear” and well known to the entire world.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lauded the security forces for successful operation against Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in Lal Qila Maidan area of Lower Dir district.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a condemnation on Sunday after it was reported that an 11-member committee of elders had declared that all transgender persons would be expelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district. “The HRCP strongly condemns the reported decision by community elders in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to form a committee aimed at expelling transgender persons from the district. Such actions are unconstitutional, discriminatory and amount to incitement to violence against an already marginalised community,” the HRCP said in a statement on X. It added that “no citizen can be deprived of the right to reside, work or earn a livelihood anywhere in Pakistan on the basis of gender identity”. The human rights body called on the provincial and district authorities to “immediately ensure the safety and dignity of transgender persons in Swabi and uphold their fundamental rights under the Constitution and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018”. The committee of elder...

Authorities have announced that the spillways of Rawal Dam will be opened today (Sunday) at 3:30 PM following a sharp rise in the reservoir’s water level, which has reached 1,752 feet.

For some Americans on the far right, Charlie Kirk died a “martyr”, and any criticism of the hugely popular conservative activist must be punished. Online vitriol and grassroots persecution have exploded in the wake of the assassination of the 31-year-old who had been an electrifying presence on the US right, with the killing further deepening fraught political divisions in the country. Laura Sosh-Lightsy, assistant dean of students at a university in the southern state of Tennessee, found herself in hot water after posting on social media about Kirk’s death. “Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy,” she said on Facebook after the killing, which happened Wednesday in front of a large crowd at a university in Utah. Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn quickly called out the comment — and Sosh-Lightsy. “This person should be ashamed of her post. She should be removed from her position,” the Tennessee lawmaker said. Middle Tennessee State University’s president announced that same night an employee’s firing for a “cal...

Security sources have reported growing divisions within Fitna-al-Khawarij following heavy setbacks in recent months, with several key formations eliminated during border crossings.

SWABI: Elders formed an 11-member committee here on Saturday, declaring all transgender persons will be expelled from Swabi district. The development came after a Wednesday incident when the transgender people and participants of a music programme used “abusive language” against the police over the latter’s bid to stop the event. The police later launched a crackdown, leading to the arrest of 226 people, including two transgender persons. The 11-member committee comprises tehsil president of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Maulana Abdul Samad Haqqani, religious leader Maulana Abdul Hadi, Gul Nabi Khan, president of Islahi Jirga Maneri Payyan, Bakhtiar Khan, general secretary, Bashir Khan, president, Islahi Jirga Maneri Bala, Gul Rehman, general secretary, Yasir Khan, president of Anjuman-i-Dokandaran, Swabi city, Irsalan Khan, senior vice-president, Zamin Shah Bhutto president of traders Link Road Swabi and two transgender. Maulana Haqqani said: “We don’t want our youth to get involved in wrong activities and wish ...

The water level in the Indus River has surged sharply, crossing six lakh cusecs at Guddu Barrage, according to the barrage control room.

KARACHI: Salman Ali Agha didn’t flinch. He knew exactly what to say. “There’s no such message to the players,” he responded when asked at the Asia Cup captains’ press conference if he had instructed his men to keep their cool against India on Sunday — their first meeting since the brief armed conflict between the two countries in May. “My players are more than welcome to show aggression whenever they want,” Salman went on. “As far as it remains within the field.” It was a breath of fresh air for Pakistan cricket fans — both casuals and diehards. Honesty, assertiveness and an unapologetic tone have defined Salman’s early days as Pakistan’s Twenty20 International captain. His arrival has coincided with Mike Hesson’s appointment as white-ball head coach, and together they’ve tried to instil a structure long missing from Pakistan cricket. “Salman’s appointment as Pakistan’s captain has raised expectations,” Ali Zaki, a 22-year-old fan, told Dawn on Saturday. “Although our team is inexperienced, the intent from th...

Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari on Saturday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for waiving electricity bills of consumers in flood-affected areas.

Preparations have been finalized for Pakistan’s first-ever national cervical cancer prevention campaign, which will begin tomorrow (Monday) and continue until September 27.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued an alert ahead of the 11th spell of monsoon rains, warning of potential flooding in rivers, streams, and nullahs.

VEHARI - Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Naib Ameer Hafiz Liaqat Baloch, during his visit to Vehari criticised government institutions for failing to manage floods and demanded the Supreme Court take suo motu notice, saying India released water without prior intimation.

GUJRAT - Punjab Minister for Industries Chaudhry Shafay Hussain and Minister for Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal Punjab Sohail Shaukat Butt visited a flood relief camp at Fawara Chowk in Gujrat, where they distributed essential supplies among families affected by recent flooding.

THATTA/LARKANA: Rising pressure of floodwaters on the Baghar Ochto protective dyke of Indus River has triggered fresh fears of flooding in Mangli area near Ghorabari as Chhachh Lake in the riverine area has already overflowed and submerged several villages. Entire settlements of Ramzan Mallah, Usman Khaskheli, Urs Mallah, Allah Dino Mallah, Haroon Mallah, Ghulam Mallah, Haji Shahdad Khaskheli, Haroon Khaskheli, and Suleman Mallah have been encircled by water, cutting off their road access to nearby towns. The villagers are now using boats to receive food and other essentials. As the lake swells with Indus waters, reverse flow has begun, inundating vast tracts of the riverine belt. The Ghar Marhu canal, which irrigated hundreds of thousands of acres through Udero Lal Barrage on the river, was blocked near the GBU dyke last week in a desperate attempt to preempt damage from the rising floodwaters. But preparedness on ground remained questionable. Near Isa Khaskheli village, the irrigation department has set up ...

KARACHI: Pakistan cannot regulate cryptocurrencies within its current financial system, as the State Bank tightly manages foreign exchange, but virtual assets may still serve as an alternative to hawala, said former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman and economist Shabbar Zaidi. Speaking at a session on Adopting Digital Currency and Cryptocurrency in Pakistan: Possibilities and Concerns, organised by the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) on Saturday, Mr Zaidi outlined the risks and opportunities surrounding digital currencies. He said a law enabling cryptocurrency regulation has been passed and is under discussion in parliament. However, he stressed that digital or virtual currencies, by design, are difficult to regulate. “Cryptocurrencies flourish because they leave no trail. A currency born unregulated cannot be regulated,” he argued. While the US market has seen widespread adoption, he noted, the difference lies in the freer foreign exchange regime. In Pakistan, commercial banks canno...