Pakistan

Pakistan dispatched another consignment of humanitarian supplies to Gaza on Thursday as part of measures to provide Palestinians with life-saving aid following Israel’s invasion of the enclave. The latest aid consignment was dispatched by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with the support of Al-Khidmat Foundation. This is the second aid consignment sent by Islamabad within the last week. Earlier, on Monday, the 28th consignment was dispatched. Pakistan had sent the first aid consignment, including medicines and tents, for the people of Gaza on Oct 19, 2023, days after the Israeli bombardment began. The relief goods were dispatched through a chartered flight from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore to Egypt’s Al-Arish airport for onward delivery to Gaza. Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its two million residents. Tel Aviv’s two-year relentless onslaught on the Gaza Strip killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, displaced most of its pop...

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi on Tuesday reviewed development progress in District Khyber and inaugurated multiple projects reflecting the provincial government’s focus on modern education, improved healthcare, infrastructure development, and positive engagement of youth.

Acting on the instructions of the prime minister, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday dispatched the 29th consignment of humanitarian assistance to Palestine, comprising 100 tons of essential food supplies.

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict in a petition challenging the trial proceedings in the Toshakhana criminal case against the PTI founder, while directing authorities to ensure his eye examination is conducted before February 16.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated the “One App” digital traffic challan system, introducing what officials described as the country’s first evidence-based enforcement mechanism aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in traffic management.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to arrive in Washington, DC, on February 18 to attend the inaugural meeting of the Gaza Peace Board a day later, diplomatic sources said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced financial compensation for the families of those killed and injured in the recent suicide bombing that targeted a mosque in Islamabad, reiterating that the sacrifices of the victims would not go in vain.

Gold prices dipped on Thursday as the US dollar firmed after stronger-than-expected January jobs data dented expectations for near-term interest rate cuts, while investors awaited inflation data due on Friday for more monetary policy cues. Spot gold edged 0.3 per cent lower to $5,063.11 per ounce by 04:53 GMT. It closed Wednesday with a more than 1pc gain. US gold futures for April delivery lost 0.3pc to $5,083.90 per ounce. “The stronger jobs report leading to a slight pare back in Fed rate-cut expectations may have played a role in gold’s lacklustre move,” said Christopher Wong, a strategist at OCBC. The US dollar index rose following the surprisingly strong employment report that suggested underlying US economic health. A stronger dollar makes greenback-priced metals more expensive for other currency holders. “Sensitivity to the dollar, yield repricing, and uncertainty around Fed policy should continue to pose two-way risks for gold in the interim,” Wong said. US job growth unexpectedly accelerated in Janu...

Israel has joined US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday during his visit to Washington, where he met Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Visuals released earlier on Wednesday after the Netanyahu-Rubio meeting showed them holding a document with Netanyahu’s signature on Israel joining the board. Netanyahu said on X that he “signed Israel’s accession as a member of the ‘Board of Peace’”. He later discussed Iran with Trump. A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorised the board and countries working with it to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump plan on which Israel and Hamas signed off. Under Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Trump thereafter said the board, with him as chair, would be expanded to tackle global conflicts. The board will hold its first meeting on February 19 in Washington t...

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration’s point man for South and Central Asia has told Congress that Pakistan remains an important US partner in the region, with Washington seeking to expand trade, economic cooperation, and security ties with the country. Addressing the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Sub-committee on South and Central Asia on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur underscored Pakistan’s role in regional engagement and highlighted growing bilateral cooperation. “Pakistan is another important partner in the region. We are working together with Pakistan to realise the potential of its critical mineral resources, combining US government seed financing with private sector know-how would benefit both of our countries,” he told the sub-committee. Referring to broader economic engagement, Kapur said: “Our trade in energy and agriculture is expanding as well.” He also pointed to continued security cooperation between the two countries, adding: “And our ongoing counter-terrorism cooperatio...

LAHORE: Punjab Police and traffic personnel will be provided body cameras in phases within the next two months, said Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem on Wednesday. He was chairing a meeting at the Central Police Office to review the implementation of reform measures in the Punjab Police under the ‘Fast, Fearless, Transparent Justice’ initiative. He said that panic buttons were being installed outside police stations so that citizens could immediately lodge complaints in case of any misconduct or lack of hearing. He directed that at all police stations, offices, checkpoints, and Khidmat Marakaz, citizens should be addressed respectfully as “sir or madam” and “sahib or sahiba”. He said that counseling and training of officers and personnel would be arranged to improve the overall perception of Punjab Police’s conduct. IGP also speaks to citizens through 1787 Complaint Centre It was made clear that officials involved in corruption, abuse of authority, and misconduct would face immediate and ...

• Orders Power Division to file review petition to protect existing contract holders • Nepra approves Rs132bn fixed charges for 28.5m households • Decision applied retrospectively; lowest slabs to face up to 75pc jump ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stepped in on Wednesday to seek a review of Nepra’s revised rules for rooftop solar users, while the power regulator simultaneously rubber-stamped a government plan to impose hefty fixed charges on residential consumers. The premier also directed the Power Division to file a review petition against the regulator’s move regarding new solar regulations. On Monday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) revised the terms for all existing and future net-metered solar consumers — known as prosumers — on the pretext of rising solar penetration and the need to protect an expensive and inefficient state-run power network. The notification effectively ended the net-metering regime and shifted prosumers to net billing. A statement issued by the Pr...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) enabled the recovery of about Rs506 billion in disputed tax revenue over the past year by deciding hundreds of long-pending tax and revenue cases and lifting stay orders that had blocked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from collecting dues, according to the court’s Annual Report 2025-26. The report highlights that prolonged litigation and judicial delays in tax matters have kept vast amounts of public revenue locked in courts, adversely affecting fiscal stability and economic circulation. To address this critical challenge, the IHC chief justice introduced a series of strategic administrative and judicial reforms aligned with the policy directions of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC). A central pillar of this reform agenda was the constitution of specialised division benches dedicated exclusively to tax and revenue cases — a step aimed at ensuring focused hearings, uniform legal interpretation and faster resolution of high-value disputes. Two ...

New consumers face steeply reduced benefits; Non-solar users save Rs2 per unit

LAHORE: A new ordinance promulgated by Punjab Governor Saleem Haider Khan on Wednesday declared child marriage a non-bailable offence and set 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both males and females, eliminating the previous gender-based distinctions. Up until now, the minimum legal age for marriage in Punjab was 18 years for men and 16 years for women under the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. This has changed with the promulgation of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, under which offenders could face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to Rs1 million. The law comes into effect immediately across the province and was promulgated under Article 128(1) of the Constitution as the Punjab Assembly is not in session. Under the new legal framework, nikah khawans (marriage registrars) have been barred from registering child marriages and could face imprisonment of up to one year and fine of Rs100,000 in case of violations. Similarly, adults contracting marriage with ...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday appreciated efforts for easing tensions and promoting regional peace, warning that any military escalation involving Iran could destabilise the Gulf region, South and Western Asia. He said this while addressing a ceremony hosted by the Iranian embassy in Islamabad on the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Any instability involving Iran, or any attempt to resolve issues through military means, carries grave risks. Such actions could … undermine global peace, and cause serious harm to the global economy. The stakes are far too high for confrontation,” President Zardari said. He further stated that Pakistan opposed unilateral sanctions and coercive measures, including against Iran, and believed that “peaceful engagement best serves regional and global security”. “Pakistan welcomes efforts aimed at easing tensions and encourages continued dialogue among relevant parties in a constructive spirit, with the objective of promoting peace and stability in the regio...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday announced the launch of the province’s first Sports City in 2027 and declared that the Khelta Punjab Pink Games would be expanded to the tehsil level across the province to promote women’s participation in sports.

ISLAMABAD - The delegation of the European Union, team Europe in Pakistan and the Embassy of Ukraine on Wednesday strongly condemned Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine and reiterated their unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday underscored the urgent need for de-escalation and diplomatic engagement in the region, cautioning that any military confrontation involving Iran would have far-reaching and destabilising consequences for the Gulf, South Asia and the broader West Asian region.

Shehbaz Sharif takes notice of the new Nepra rules for rooftop solar consumers Orders to immediately file review petition Tariff hike for domestic consumers using up to 300 units as Nepra imposes fixed charges.