Pakistan

KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the provincial government has connected the Bus Rapid Transit Orange Line with BRT Green Line, providing travel ease to citizens from Orangi Town to Numaish. The Orange Line runs from Orangi Town to North Nazimabad while Green Line connects Surjani Town with Numaish via North Nazimabad. “Citizens used to complain that they had to pay fare twice by accessing the Green Line. However, now the entire journey will be possible on a single ticket, which will provide travel convenience to 100,000 people daily,” he said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Orange Line depot. Talking to the media, Mr Memon said it will now be possible to travel on the Orange Line and the Green Line at the same fare. Sharjeel says commuters can now travel from Orangi to Numaish in one fare; double-deckers to hit Karachi roads today During the tenure of the federal government, the ridership of the Green Line was up to 55,000 per day, whereas it has now in...

ISLAMABAD: Findings of UNHCR’s “Afghanistan post-return monitoring survey report” released on Tuesday highlighted different challenges for Afghan returnees from Iran versus Pakistan: those from Iran often have more education, better food security, and housing, while returnees from Pakistan face severe economic hardship, relying more on daily wages, and carrying heavier debt burdens. The returnees from Iran were less likely to have income-generating employment, and more often reported barriers to girls’ education. Those returning from Pakistan after April found more casual income opportunities but struggled to afford rent and maintain sufficient food. According to the survey, across all groups, returnees continue to settle in areas with fragile conditions marked by deepening poverty and limited access to essential services. Many cannot return to their areas of origin due to lack of shelter, land, or livelihoods. Over half of households surveyed reported missing essential civil documentation, restricting access...

ISLAMABAD: Pak­istan on Tuesday launched the country’s first-ever private-capital-funded Pakistan Skills Impact Bond (PSIB), backed by a guarantee from the Min­istry of Finance to opera­tionalise the inaugural Rs1 billion pilot tranche of a three-year instrument to fund a wider and scalable Technical Skills Development Programme. The launch ceremony, which also featured the signing of financing documents including investor and issuer agreements, was attended by senior government officials, development partners, private sector leaders and representatives of international organisations. The PSIB represents a fundamental restructuring of how Pakistan finances skill development, shifting decisively from input-based public spending to outcome-driven, private-sector-enabled social investment. It was designed to deliver measurable outcomes such as certification, job placement, and at least six-month retention for every trainee. The model will gradually evolve so that subsequent tranches link repayment to a nominal p...

ISLAMABAD: The Jud­icial Commission of Paki­stan (JCP) is expe­cted to meet on January 12 to consider the confirmation of three additional judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), sources told Dawn. The judges under consideration are Justice Mohammad Azam Khan, Justice Mohammad Asif, and Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas. The IHC administration has alre­ady forwarded the service records of the three judges to the JCP along with recommendations of Chief Justice Sardar Moha­mmad Sarfraz Dogar, who will participate in the meeting as a member of the JCP. Justice Azam and Just­ice Minhas were appoi­nted as additional judges to the IHC, whereas Jus­tice Asif was appointed as a judge in the Balochistan High Court before he was transferred to Islamabad through a presidential order that also brought incumbent CJ Dogar to the IHC. These transfers and the subsequent elevation of Justice Dogar as chief justice witnessed unprecedented internal discord within the IHC. Several judges appeared as litigants before the Supreme ...

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says that as Pakistan enters 2026 as the world’s fifth most populous country, with a population exceeding 225 million, high population growth and fertility rates, persistent gender inequality, and rising climate vulnerability, the urgency of addressing population dynamics has intensified. These realities underscore the need to view population not as a burden but as a strategic driver of sustainable and inclusive development, UNFPA Pakistan said in a statement on Tuesday. Looking ahead to 2026, UNFPA called for a shift in how population is reflected in national planning and financing, particularly in the NFC formula. Moving beyond population size as the primary det­e­rminant, a forward-loo­k­ing appro­ach should rew­ard provinces for measurable progress in gender equ­ality, climate resilience, bal­anced population outco­mes, and improvements in the quality of health and education services. Such reform would align fiscal incentives with human development res...

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The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was pulling out its remaining forces in Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for UAE forces to leave the country within 24 hours. “In light of recent developments and their potential implications for the safety and effectiveness of counterterrorism missions, the Ministry of Defence announces the termination of the remaining counterterrorism personnel in Yemen of its own volition, in a manner that ensures the safety of its personnel and in coordination with the concerned partners,” said the UAE’s Ministry of Defence on X. The statement added that UAE’s presence in Yemen was limited to specialised personnel “as part of counterterrorism efforts, in coordination with relevant international partners”. The Gulf monarchy also rejected Saudi Arabia’s accusations that it supplied weapons to a Yemeni separatist faction amid rising tensions between the two Gulf monarchies. “The shipment in question did not contain any weapons, and the vehicles unloaded were not intended for ...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu said the mortal remains of two Pakistani nationals Armanullah s/o Gul Rahman and Ihtasham s/o Mukhtar Gul, both residents of Nowshera, have been repatriated to Pakistan through Taftan border earlier Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD - The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved a summary of the Defence Division seeking a Technical Supplementary Grant for the procurement of bullet-proof vehicles, noting the operational imperatives and security-related requirements underpinning the proposal The meeting the committee was.

NAWABSHAH - President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday visited his ancestral graveyard, Baloo Ja Quba in Nawabshah, where he paid homage at the graves of his mother, Begum Bilquis Sultana, and his father, Hakim Ali Zardari.

ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday in a meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi pledged full support of the federal government in ensuring peace in the province.

LAHORE - With snowfall forecast in Murree, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman on Tuesday directed the district authorities and relevant departments to remain on alert to prevent disruptions and ensure the safety of tourists.

ISLAMABAD - Reaffirming the Constitution’s promise of equality, inclusion and peaceful coexistence, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, in his capacity as Chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), undertook a field visit to District Tharparkar—one of the country’s.

LAHORE - Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Aalia Neelum on Tuesday inaugurated three landmark digital systems aimed at modernising the judicial and financial management framework of Punjab’s judiciary.