Pakistan

A prominent American publication has described 2025 as a year of dramatic transformation in Pakistan–United States relations, pointing to a major shift in Washington’s diplomatic priorities in South Asia.

The Sindh High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of a contempt of court petition linked to the academic degree controversy of former judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, postponing the matter until after the winter holidays.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) extended on Monday an interim order that suspended a Karachi University (KU) syndicate and Unfair Means Commi­ttee’s declaration cancelling the law degree of former justice Tariq Mehmood Jahnagiri, who was removed as an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge last week. Jahangiri has found himself mired in a fake degree controversy since last year and has been facing legal proceedings in the SHC and IHC over the matter. While an IHC division bench, led by Chief Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, ruled on December 18 that his degree was “invalid” and his elevation to the high court was “without lawful authority”, the SHC extended today its order under which KU’s August 2024 decision to cancel his degree remains suspended. The order has been suspended until the next hearing, the date for which will be decided later. The decision was taken by a two-judge bench, comprising Justices Yousuf Ali Saeed and Abdul Mobeen Lakho, as it heard a contempt plea filed against the KU Vice Chancellor (...

The Punjab government on Monday informed the Lahore High Court that forthcoming local government elections in the province will be conducted on a party-based system, allowing political parties to issue tickets to their candidates.

The Punjab government has abolished the British-era Forest Act and introduced a modern, technology-driven system designed to curb corruption and strengthen environmental governance.

Head coach Shahid Anwer said that Pakistan had achieved their goal of playing “fearless but not careless cricket” after they won the Under-19 Asia Cup with a crushing victory over India on Sunday. Opener Sameer Minhas led the way for Pakistan at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai with a breathtaking 172 to set up a massive 191-run victory for his side. “We began a process on June 17 [this year],” recalled Shahid at a news conference in Islamabad on Monday, following the team’s arrival and a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif where a Rs10million cash award was announced. “It was an unprecedented step … we called up 70 players, conducted trials and gave each player four matches each and then they participated in a regional One-day tournament,” he added. “The top performers, 30 of them, then took part in a five-month long camp … that’s how the team was made. “We wanted to play fearless but not careless cricket. We wanted a united team and the result is in front of us.” Team mentor and manager Sarfaraz Ahmed...

Bangladesh has rejected India’s dismissal of a protest outside its high commission in New Delhi as “misleading propaganda”, saying the incident was “highly regrettable“. According to Bangladeshi media, around 20 to 25 protesters gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Saturday evening. According to mission officials, the protesters raised anti-Bangladesh slogans and issued threats against the Bangladesh high commissioner, Prothom Alo reported. In response, the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement on Sunday saying India had taken note of “misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident”. “The fact is that about 20-25 youth gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20 and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh,” he said. According to Prothom Alo, Das — a garme...

A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow on Monday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces”. The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head of the Russian General Staff’s training department, was killed when the bomb, which had been placed under his parked car, detonated in a residential quarter of southern Moscow. AFP reporters at the scene saw a mangled white Kia SUV, its doors and back window blown out. The frame was twisted and charred from the blast. The scene had been cordoned off by security forces, and investigators were sifti...

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued an interim order on Monday to suspend the operation of the newly enacted Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance, 2025, which empowers deputy commissioner-led committees to decide property disputes. Justice Neelum issued the ruling during a hearing of petitions by Abida Parveen and others that challenged decisions pertaining to property disputes taken under the ordinance. Through her interim order, she also suspended decisions taken under the new legislation to take away the possession of properties. Expressing her disapproval of the law, she remarked: “Someone should inform the government that if this law remains in force, even Jati Umra (the Sharif family residence) could be vacated within half an hour. “It appears that some people want to hold all powers.” Questioning the purpose of the law, CJ Neelum asked how could a revenue officer hand over the possession of a property in a matter pending before a civil court. The ...

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has conferred the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class on Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for his efforts to “advance Pak-Saudi ties”, it emerged on Monday. According to a report by Saudi Gazette, the medal has five classes; excellent, first, second, third, and fourth. It is usually awarded to those who have rendered outstanding services to Saudi Arabia or one of its institutions. The official Saudi Press Agency reported late on Sunday that CDF Field Marshal Munir was given the medal in honour of his “distinguished efforts to strengthen the strategic relationship and cooperation between the two nations”. The report added that the ceremony took place during the Saudi minister’s reception of CDF Field Marshal Munir in Riyadh. “Prince Khalid congratulated Field Marshal Munir on his appointment as Pakistan’s chief of defence forces, wishing him continued success in his new role,” the report add...

Multan’s Nishtar Hospital has sacked a doctor working as an additional house officer for misbehaving with a patient’s family, a video of which had gone viral on social media, it emerged on Monday. In the video, the family members could be heard saying that the patient had passed away after doctors refused to give her a blood transfusion. When the video panned to the doctor in question, he raised his arm, showing his middle finger and walking away. A large crowd could also be seen in the video. The doctor, identified as Qasim Jamal, was suspended from duty on Dec 19, a day after the incident occurred. Meanwhile, an inquiry committee was also formed to probe the incident. Subsequently, the hospital issued a notification the same day stating that the doctor had been terminated with immediate effect for misconduct, and violating hospital rules and professional ethics. In the incident report dated Dec 20, the director of the Accident and Emergency Department said that the patient was admitted to the hospital in a ...

Two suspects in last week’s deadly mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach trained for the attack in the countryside, police alleged in court documents on Monday, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed tougher laws against hate speech and extremism. Father and son Sajid Akram and Naveed are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in almost three decades. Sajid, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998. His 24-year-old son, Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, was moved from hospital to jail on Monday, police said. Police documents released on Monday said the two had carried out “firearms training” in what was believed to be the New South Wales countryside prior to the shooting. Pictures were released showing the accused firing shotguns and moving in what authorities described as a “tactical manner”. The pair also recorded a video in October railing against “Zionists”...

Dense fog once again blanketed large parts of Punjab, including Lahore, on the night between Sunday and Monday, severely disrupting road traffic and forcing the closure of several motorway sections due to extremely low visibility.

Gold prices surged to a record high on Monday, riding on growing expectations of further US interest rate cuts and strong safe-haven demand, with silver also joining the rally to hit an all-time peak. Spot gold rose 1.2 per cent to a record $4,391.92 an ounce, while spot silver climbed 2.7opc by 0344GMT to hit a historic high of $69.23. Bullion has gained 67pc so far this year, shattering multiple records and breaching the $3,000 and $4,000 per ounce milestones for the first time. It is poised for its biggest annual gain since 1979. Silver has surged 138pc year-to-date, vastly outperforming gold, underpinned by robust investment inflows and persistent supply constraints. “With December usually producing positive returns for gold and silver, seasonality is on their side,” said StoneX senior analyst Matt Simpson. “Given that gold has already risen 4pc this month and we’re nearing the end of the year, bulls may want to tread with caution as volumes are to deplete and odds of profit-taking are also likely on the ...

KARACHI: The Sindh government has directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to immediately take steps to stop the breeding of exotic species at the Karachi zoo, with particular emphasis on big cats. The directive was issued by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah while chairing a meeting of officials representing the KMC, zoo and relevant departments. The meeting reviewed the existing conditions, management practices and future planning related to exotic animals housed at the zoo. Mr Shah emphasised that the government was committed to ensuring animal welfare, ethical management and compliance with international best practices concerning captive wildlife. He stated that uncontrolled breeding of exotic species, especially big cats, posed serious challenges in terms of animal welfare, space constraints, safety and long-term management, and needed to be addressed without delay. During the meeting, the KMC and zoo authorities were directed to initiate immediate measures to halt the breeding of exotic a...

ISLAMABAD: With a 1.4 percentage-point increase in the tax-to-GDP ratio last year, mostly through additional revenue measures worth Rs2.5 trillion, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) now expects the federal tax contribution to remain stagnant over the next five years and a slight improvement coming from provinces. The latest IMF estimates suggest Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) receipts rose from 8.9 per cent of GDP in the fiscal year 2023-24 to 10.3pc in 2024-25, but still missed the Fund’s programme target of 10.7pc. For the current fiscal year, the IMF projects FBR revenue at 11.1pc of GDP, which would then remain flat at that level until FY30. In absolute terms, FBR revenue increased from Rs9.3tr in FY24 to Rs11.74tr in FY25, with a massive shortfall. For the current year, collections are projected at Rs13.98tr, implying a shortfall of Rs328 billion under existing assumptions. The IMF noted that tax revenue collection in FY25 fell short by Rs1.224tr relative to budget projections and by Rs524bn relative...

ISLAMABAD: The Pri­vatisation Commission is all set to privatise Pak­istan International Air­lines Corporation Ltd (PIAC) on December 23 (Tuesday), as only three bidders remain in the race after the exit of Fauji Fertiliser Company Ltd. According to the programme circulated by the Privatisation Commission on Sunday, bids will be submitted between 10:45am and 11:15am, while bids will be opened at 3:30pm, a process that will be shown live on television networks, as decided by the government. The three bidders are: a consortium comprising Lucky Cement Limited, Hub Power Holdings Lim­ited, Kohat Cement Com­pany Limited, and Metro Ventures (Private) Limi­ted; a consortium comprising Arif Habib Corporation Limited, Fatima Fertiliser Company Limited, City Schools (Private) Limited, and Lake City Holdings (Private) Limited; and Air Blue (Private) Ltd. Chairman of the Privatisation Commission and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation, Muhammad Ali, said during a YouTube interview that Fauji Fertiliser Company...

JERUSALEM: Israel’s security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the country’s far-right finance minister said on Sunday was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The latest approvals come days after the United Nations said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank — all of which are illegal under the international law — had reached its highest level since at least 2017. The Israeli government’s decision brings the total number of settlements illegally approved over the past three years to 69, according to a statement from the office of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. “The proposal by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz to declare and formalise 19 new settlements in Judea and Samaria has been approved by the cabinet,” the statement said, without specifying when the decision was taken. Decision brings the total number of settlements illegally approved over the past three years t...

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Division, in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA), has launched Zarkheze, a digital platform aimed at digitising agricultural finance and expanding access to formal credit for small farmers. Under the initiative, farmers will be able to apply digitally through the Zarkheze app for financing of up to Rs1 million. After verification and agronomic assessment, applications will be forwarded to the bank chosen by the farmer for processing. The programme provides that 75 per cent of the financing will be disbursed in kind for the purchase of agricultural inputs through banks’ pre-approved agri-vendors. Farmers will also receive advisory services through the Land Information Management System (LIMS). Officials said the product was designed not only to provide financing but also to improve productivity by ensuring access to quality inputs and advisory services. To encourage banks to increase lending to small farmers, the government has off...

ISLAMABAD: The government is considering launching a new project aimed at making educational boards of the country equipped with modern technology on the pattern of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE). Since 2015-18, the federal government has upgraded FBISE through a Rs50 million project, “Modernisation and Standardisation of Examination System.” The project was a brainchild of Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. According to documents, the project was completed in three years “with accomplishment of all set targets.” After completion of the project, the then PML-N government wanted to replicate it across the country. However, with the change of its government the plan could not be executed. Planning, education ministries and FBISE working on proposed project, says board chairman According to documents, a series of meetings of the project steering committee represented by all provinces was held in 2018-19, but no tangible progress could be made due to lack of interest by the ...