Pakistan

Ex-members oppose 'unnatural' ward boundaries; disparities threaten fair elections

Commissioner reviews progress, directs preservation of historic character

.

Projects to cover 41 cities across Punjab with an estimated cost of Rs5 billion

Attribute it to emotional stunting, lack of social skills and weak eyesight

.

Projects include new tube wells and replacement of outdated sewerage network

.

.

Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said on Tuesday that the government was contemplating a smart lockdown as a fuel conservation measure following the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. “The chief minister who heads the committee on austerity measures has conducted multiple in-person and online meetings on a daily basis,” he said, while speaking to the media in Rohri. He said the provincial government had reduced the fuel consumption allowance for official vehicles by “60 per cent”. He also called on the media to raise awareness, saying that if the war on Iran continued for a prolonged period, it would have “terrifying” effects on everyone, including Pakistan. He said that the energy sector would be the first “to be hit”, saying that the prices of commodities were directly linked to fuel prices. He called on the citizens to limit their movement, saying, “We have to save petrol, oil and gas.” He said that it would be better in the long run if citizens reduced the unnecess...

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Tuesday strongly condemned the sentencing of three women activists by an Indian court, terming the verdict a manifestation of “political coercion” aimed at silencing dissent in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In a social media post on X, Rathore denounced the life imprisonment awarded to Kashmiri leader Asiya Andrabi, along with 30-year sentences handed down to her associates Fehmida Sofi and Nahida Nasreen by a special court of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi. “These verdicts are not about justice; they are instruments of political coercion designed to criminalise dissent and suppress the legitimate voice of the Kashmiri people,” he said, adding that targeting women for their political beliefs laid bare the “deep bias” in the system. Andrabi is the founder of a Kashmiri rights group called the Dukhtaran-i-Millat, or Daughters of the Nation. The court sentenced her, Fehmeeda and Nasreen under the...

The members of the committee formed to monitor petrol prices were told on Tuesday that cargo inflows were continuing as scheduled and petrol cargoes for the current month and for April had “largely been secured”, with additional shipments planned to further strengthen supply buffers. According to a post by the finance ministry on X, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a meeting of the committee to review the energy supply situation and assess developments in global oil and gas markets amid evolving geopolitical conditions. “The committee undertook a forward-looking assessment of the national petroleum supply outlook, reviewing stock availability of crude oil and refined petroleum products across the energy value chain. Members were informed that overall inventories remain at comfortable levels, supported by secured import arrangements and ongoing production,” it said. It added that supply lines from import terminals to refineries, storage installations, and retail outlets were reported to be operating...

ISLAMABAD: Sisters of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan were again not allowed to meet him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Tuesday, while his party termed the persistent denial of meetings with the ex-prime minister a “blatant violation of fundamental human and constitutional rights”. The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesday and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the ex-premier has not been largely restricted from meeting visitors for several weeks. His last meeting took place with his lawyer, Salman Safdar, on February 10, after the Supreme Court’s intervention following a long period of no visits being allowed. Speaking to the media outside the Adiala jail, one of Imran’s sisters, Aleema Khanum, said it was important to determine the cause of Imran’s medical issues, which have garnered attention in recent days. Concerns mounted after partial vision loss in Imran’s right eye was reported via Safdar after he met him. Doctors later confirmed that,...

Phased return of Afghans to begin with prisoners held in jails

Poultry prices in Quetta jump by Rs150 in just three days

.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan stood “ready and honoured” to host “meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran. “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said in a post on the social media platform X. “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he said, tagging US President Donald Trump, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Subsequently, the US president shared PM Shehbaz’s statement on his Truth Social platform. PM Shehbaz’s statement came shortly after the Foreign Office (FO) urged the media to refrain from speculation and await official announcements when asked about reports of Islamabad being a possible venue for talks between the US and Irani...

The Afghan Taliban announced on Tuesday that it was freeing a US national who had been detained for more than a year. The foreign ministry said the family of linguist and researcher Dennis Coyle had written to the supreme leader of Afghanistan, requesting his release for Eid. “The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate deemed his period of detention sufficient and decided on his release,” a statement read. The announcement came after a meeting of Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, US former special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, and a member of Coyle’s family. The UAE facilitated the release, the ministry said, adding that Coyle had been reunited with his family in Kabul on Tuesday. Coyle, 64, was arrested by the Afghan authorities in January 2025, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans taken hostage or arbitrarily detained abroad. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed Coyle’s rele...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday announced a financial support package to help its developing member countries mitigate the economic and financial impacts resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. A press release issued by the lender quoted ADB President Masato Kanda as saying, “ADB will deliver rapid, flexible, and scalable assistance to help countries manage immediate pressures and strengthen long-term resilience, notably fast-disbursing budget support and trade and supply chain finance to secure the import of essential goods, now including oil.” Kanda further said that this built on the ADB’s track record of supporting Asia and the Pacific through “periods of global uncertainty”. ADB has ample resources to safeguard existing and planned operations, while expanding emergency support in line with developing member countries’ needs, including utilising its countercyclical lending buffer, the statement said. It added that the bank was closely monitoring global market developments and their pot...

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sustained an objection on the maintainability of a petition filed against the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his sons in a Rs16bn money laundering case. LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the plea filed by a young lawyer as an “objection case”. The office of the LHC’s registrar had objected to the maintainability of the petition, questioning the locus standi (the right to bring a legal action to a court) to agitate the matter. During the hearing, the chief justice asked the petitioner’s counsel, Amir Saeed Rawn, how his client was an aggrieved party in the matter. The LHC chief justice noted that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the prosecuting agency, had not filed any appeal against the acquittal judgment of the trial court. To the court’s query, the counsel said the decision was issued in December 2022 despite the availability of substantial evidence in the case. He alleged that the FIA had colluded with the accused to secure the acqui...