Pakistan

Assembly panel signals relief options, including retest and age limit flexibility

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Brothers die trying to save friend as unsafe transmission lines over homes spark outrage

Exam chief's bribery claims implicate former chairmen, senior officials in Rs2b probe

Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said the government is taking comprehensive measures to ensure greater participation of women in national development by expanding opportunities across multiple sectors, particularly information technology.

The US Department of Justice said on Thursday that it was immediately loosening restrictions on some marijuana products and accelerating the process of reclassifying the drug as less dangerous in one of the biggest changes to US drug policy in decades. The Trump administration immediately moved FDA-approved marijuana products and state-regulated medical marijuana from a group of drugs classified as highly addictive to one that has a low to moderate potential for abuse. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the US government would also fast-track a broader consideration of marijuana under federal law, moving the psychoactive plant from a so-called Schedule I drug to a Schedule III. The move would list marijuana alongside common painkillers, ketamine and testosterone rather than its current status with drugs like heroin and LSD. The measures are likely to reshape the pot industry, lowering barriers to researching the drug’s potential health benefits, easing tax burdens and making it easier for firms to secu...

ISLAMABAD: Amid murmurs of divisions within the PTI, not a single party leader arrived at Adiala jail on Thursday, one of two days on which former premier Imran Khan is allowed visitors. The Islamabad High Court has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the ex-premier has been largely restricted from meeting visitors for several months as the court’s directives have not been implemented. On Wednesday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had sent a list of six leaders to the jail administration, as per the court orders, to meet Imran. PTI leaders Falak Naz Chitrali, Fazal Elahi, Ehtesham Khan, Sardar Ghulam Ali, Asghar Khan Lehri, Syed Naseebullah Agha and Chaudhry Javed Akhtar Gujjar were included in the list. However, on Thursday, none of the party leaders managed to reach Adiala jail till 4pm, the cutoff time for meeting with inmates. Speaking to Dawn, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said t...

Pakistan rejected Indian propaganda linking it to the 2025 Pahalgam attack on Thursday, deploring that the neighbouring country was focusing on “weaponising its false narrative” in the midst on an ongoing regional crisis. The April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam saw 26 people, mostly tourists, killed in what is being described as the deadliest armed attack in the disputed Himalayan region since the year 2000. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan without any evidence. For its part, Pakistan strongly denied the allegations and called for a neutral investigation. On the attack’s one year anniversary, some in India appeared to link Pakistan again with terrorism. Meanwhile, the Indian army also said that a “response is assured” against acts of terrorism. Subsequently, without referring to any particular instance, the Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad said in a statement: “At a time when Pakistan, along with its international partners, is undertaking concerted diplomatic efforts for regional and international peace ...

The Federal Board of Revenue has increased taxes on imported second-hand mobile phones by revising customs valuation, making at least 62 models more expensive in the local market.

In a significant step toward inclusivity, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prisons Department has appointed a transgender individual to its prison police for the first time.

The Lahore High Court has issued a notification announcing the transfer and appointment of 18 session judges across Punjab, following approval from Chief Justice Aalia Neelum.

QUETTA: At least nine people working at a copper and gold project site in Balochistan’s Chagai district were killed in an armed attack by unidentified assailants, according to officials. In a statement, the mining company National Resources Limited (NRL) said the attack took place on Wednesday evening, adding that security forces, including the Frontier Corps, responded promptly, secured the area and launched a clearance operation. The company did not mention any casualties in its statement. However, local authorities confirmed the incident and nine casualties. “At least nine employees, including two security guards, were killed,” a senior official of the Chagai administration said on condition of anonymity. Police officials also confirmed the attack and the killing of nine people. All nine bodies were taken to Prince Fahad Hospital in Dalbandin. In its statement, NRL said it remained “fully committed to the development and empowerment of local communities in Balochistan, with a strong focus on improving live...

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), through its National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC), on Thursday issued a nationwide alert warning of an intense heatwave in several regions until May 5. The authority also forecast rain, windstorms and thunderstorms in parts of the country between April 24 and 29. The NDMA urged the authorities and citizens to activate response measures and take precautionary steps. The NDMA said the current weather pattern was consistent with its seasonal outlook issued three to four months earlier, and noted that a detailed assessment for the April to June period had already been shared. According to the advisory, Sindh, southern Punjab and parts of Balochistan were expected to face severe heatwave conditions. Major cities including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and Turbat were likely to remain under extreme heat. Further, central Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may also see a sharp rise in temperatures. At t...

A US naval blockade of Iranian ports is likely to squeeze Iran’s oil output in the coming weeks but claims it will throw the Islamic republic into economic free fall remain premature, analysts say. After weeks of bombing and counter-strikes, focus has shifted to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, which ordinarily carries around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. In response to Iran’s blockade of the Strait since the start of the Middle East war, the US imposed a counter-blockade of the Islamic republic’s ports, a push to force its leaders into a compromise in peace talks. That bid, however, looks set to fail, at least in the short term. “If the blockade lasts for more than two or three months, it can cause more damage” to Iran, economic analyst and professor at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Saeed Laylaz, told AFP. “If Iran suffers any damage, the damage to the countries in the southern Persian Gulf will definitely be greater,” he added. There’s a limit on how long Iran can bide i...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Directorate General of Customs Valuation has increased the customs value for 62 models of older and used mobile phones, saying the move was aimed at aligning assessed values for duty and tax purposes with prevailing market rates, it emerged on Thursday. The development comes after senior FBR officials had assured a National Assembly parliamentary committee last week that mobile phone rates would be reduced in the upcoming budget. The directorate issued the revised benchmarks through the Valuation Ruling No. 2070 of 2026 on Thursday, replacing the earlier Ruling No. 2035 issued in January. Ahead of finalising the revised values, the Directorate also held a meeting with relevant stakeholders on April 13. The new valuation will apply to imports of old and used mobile phones in commercial quantities without packing or accessories. According to the data, the sharpest upward increase was recorded in Google Pixel and Samsung models, indicating that the new ruling signi...

A new patriotic anthem titled Watan ki Khatir has been unveiled, celebrating the bravery and sacrifices of fallen soldiers while capturing the spirit of national unity.

The Sindh Government has announced revised guidelines for fee collection in private schools for the 2026–27 academic session, aiming to bring greater transparency and uniformity to the system.

The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) on Thursday finalized its electoral strategy for the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections and announced candidates for nine seats in the first phase.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), through its National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC), on Thursday issued a nationwide alert warning of an intense heatwave in several regions until May 5, along with forecasts of rain, windstorms, and thunderstorms in parts of the country between April 24 and 29.