Pakistan

Bangladesh recorded 194 child deaths due to measles in an outbreak that began last month, while the number of suspected child cases exceeded 28,000, the government data showed on Thursday. Between three and five children died from the disease every day for the past week. Five children died on Wednesday, including three in the capital Dhaka, and another five on Thursday. The government said it launched a robust nationwide vaccination programme since the outbreak began on March 15, the worst in the South Asian nation for decades. “Our target is to vaccinate 18 million children,” health department spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP. “So far, we have covered a little over one-fourth of our target, and it may take another two weeks to see the impact of this vaccination programme.” Md Sajib and Afsin Meem lost their three-year-old son, their only child, on Tuesday, and a photograph of a relative carrying his tiny body along a road was shared extensively on news sites. “After noticing a rash on our son’s skin, we rushe...

ISLAMABAD: The government has projected additional power generation capacity needs of 62,660 to 70,720 megawatt (MW) till 2035 to support the country’s economic growth of 3.5 per cent (low) to 6.4pc (high). This is part of the revised Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2025-35 and the Transmission System Expansion Plan (TSEP) 2025-35 prepared by the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) — a power division entity — in consultation with all the relevant stakeholders, including the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). The two plans cover the entire power network, including those of distribution companies and K-Electric. A distinguishing feature of the revised IGCEP is the consideration of Least Cost Violation (LCV) for Diamer-Bhasha, and ACWA solar power plants. The plan also considers the impact of solarisation on the end-consumer tariff, the inclusion of strategic power plants using LCV, the induction of a significant quantum of net metering (8,120 MW), and the consi...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed displeasure at the lack of functional early weather warning systems for protection against climate risks in Gilgit-Baltistan and ordered an inquiry into the matter. He issued the directive while chairing a review meeting on pre-monsoon strategy and climate preparedness. During the meeting, the premier expressed displeasure at the non-functional early warning system, particularly against glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) in GB. Glofs refer to the sudden release of water and debris from a glacial lake, leading to the loss of lives, property, and livelihoods in mountain communities. Over 7.1 million people in GB and KP are vulnerable to the phenomenon, according to the Ministry of Climate Change. PM Shehbaz ordered an inquiry into the system’s “non-functionality” and the “ineffective performance of relevant institutions, despite being given clear instructions last year”. He asserted that “incompetence and poor performance will not be tolerated,” m...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Jiang Zaidong, during a courtesy call paid on him, where the regional situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s peace efforts also came under discussion.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s benchmark index KSE-100 continued its bearish momentum on Thursday, losing over 2,400 points. KSE-100 declined by 2,405.93 points or 1.4 per cent to close at 169,173.37 points from the previous close of 171,579.30 points. The bourse rose to an intraday high of 171,561.74 points shortly after opening and declined to an intraday low of 168,416.02 points at 1:27pm. “Bears returned to centre stage as tensions flared around the Strait of Hormuz, where reports of blockades and vessel seizures rattled global sentiment. Meanwhile, Islamabad continues to await Iranian and American officials for expected peace talks, keeping uncertainty elevated,” Topline Securities said. “Amid the risk-off mood, the benchmark index plunged to an intraday low of 3,163 points before settling at 169,173 — down 2,405 points (-1.40%) — as broad-based selling gripped the market,” it said. It said that trading activity stayed relatively subdued, with volumes clocking in at 1,321 million shares and turnover...

KARACHI: Three station house officers (SHOs) were suspended on Thursday after an alleged drone incident in Sindh’s Khairpur district resulted in four deaths. A statement issued by the office of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar said “four civilians were killed in a drone attack in Saeed Khan Lakho village”. Both Lanjar and Sindh Inspector General (IG) Javed Alam Odho also took strict notice of the incident and sought a report from the Sukkur deputy inspector general (DIG). IG Odho also issued directives for the suspension of the Kandhra, Patni and Saleh Pat SHOs in Sukkur, ordering “strict legal and departmental action” against them. Subsequently, an order issued by the Sindh Police Department stated that Kandhra SHO Shoukat Ali Arain, Patni SHO Imran Khan Bhayo and Saleh Pat SHO Allauddin Phulpoto have been placed under suspension and “closed to ‘B’ Company PHQ/Garden Karachi”. “During the period of suspension, they will draw their pay and allowances as admissible under the rules,” the police order said...

The Punjab cabinet has approved a significant increase in domicile fees while transitioning the issuance system to a fully digital platform, aiming to improve efficiency and transparency.

Inside the gynaecology clinic of Karachi’s largest public hospital, the air felt several degrees hotter. It was only 9:30am on a Friday in late February, and the windowless waiting room was already packed with women jostling for a place to sit, calling nurses for help, and scuffling for an ultrasound. Asiya, 21, was pregnant with her third child. The baby was due in May, when the mercury often crosses 38 degrees Celsius, and humidity soars past 70 per cent, making the heat unbearable. As temperatures rose in the room, Asiya felt nauseated and dizzy. “The heat exhausts me,” she said. “My body feels like lead, I’m barely able to stomach food. I am afraid that my child might be born sick.” Asiya lives in Lyari, one of Karachi’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, with narrow alleys and little to no green space. Inside her home, ventilation is poor and cooling scant. Intense summer heat in her neighbourhood is compounded by power outages that last up to 12 hours a day, shutting down fans and other appliances t...

Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Thursday inaugurated a new research facility aimed at addressing rising trends of violence and extremist behaviour in society.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) made fresh commitments worth $3.672bn to Pakistan in 2025, up 22pc from $2.995bn the previous year, as it ventured into new areas such as the mineral sector. In its Annual Report 2025, released on Thursday, the Manila-based lending agency also reported new financial support commitments of $1.485bn to the public sector for the year, a one-third increase from $1.113bn in 2024. Most of these loan commitments were made on ordinary commercial terms. “In Pakistan, a policy-based guarantee is helping to mitigate credit risk for commercial bank lending to smaller enterprises and to mobilise commercial financing of $1bn,” the bank said, adding that under ADB’s approach to supporting critical minerals-to-manufacturing value chains, it approved an innovative financing package for a copper-gold mine in Pakistan to strengthen the global copper supply chain. The bank will also provide advisory support to Pakistan to prepare road maps for digital skills development, in addition to investing ...

ISLAMABAD: The first global assessment examining all Unesco-designated World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Global Geoparks reveals that every 1ºC of global warming avoided could halve the number of sites exposed to major disruption by the end of the century, it emerged on Thursday. In its assessment, titled “People and nature in Unesco-designated sites: Global and local contributions”, Unesco said that by failing to act now, pressures will intensify and natural systems in more than one in four sites could reach critical tipping points by 2050, potentially undermining both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Scaling up integrated management, restoration, inclusive governance, and targeted policies, alongside increased investment, was termed essential to sustain and expand these proven approaches and strengthen their resilience, Unesco said. The report further stated that securing the future of Unesco-designated sites requires investment commensurate with their global signifi­cance. Ma...

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday opposed a proposed park project that the government plans to set up at the foothills of the Margalla Hills on 1,000 kanal. A press release issued by the Interior Ministry stated that a new park would be established at the foothills of the Margallas. According to the press release, the decision to develop the park was made in a meeting on CDA issues chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Reacting to the proposal, General Secretary PPP Human Rights Cell Malaika Raza issued a statement and strongly opposed the plan. “The proposed Margalla Park plan amounts to ecological terrorism, an assault on Islamabad’s geography, environment and social fabric with long-term repercussions,” she said. Pakistan is already facing a climate crisis. Islamabad, once celebrated as one of the most beautiful capitals in the world due to its greenery and hills, is under urgent threat as tree felling accelerates and natural beauty erodes, she added. “More than 29,000 trees ha...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed that transport in the country be gradually shifted to electric vehicles. The premier chaired a meeting on energy security, where he stressed that “energy security had become an important aspect of the country’s overall future planning,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Taking note of the global energy crisis in the wake of the Iran war, PM Shehbaz said that due to the government’s “timely steps, an energy crisis has been averted”. The prime minister told the meeting that to secure the country’s future energy needs, “work was underway to maintain strategic crude oil reserves”. As part of the energy security plan, the premier further stated that modes of transportation in the country should be gradually shifted to electric vehicles, “for energy conservation and sustainable development”. He instructed that electric buses and motorcycles should be purchased for government use. The premier also directed the expedited establishment of...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan, Natalie Baker, in Islamabad, where the two discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold a second round of US-Iran talks, the interior ministry said. According to the interior ministry’s statement, during their “important meeting”, Naqvi and Baker exchanged detailed views on the latest regional situation and discussed diplomatic efforts regarding the possible second round of US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad. Naqvi commended US President Donald Trump’s initiative to extend the ceasefire, calling it a “welcome development” that made significant progress towards reducing tensions. “We also hope for positive progress from Iran’s side,” the interior minister was quoted as saying. The meeting emphasised the need for continuity in diplomatic channels for a lasting resolution to the conflict. According to the ministry, the minister told Baker that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir were making “a...

Cursor, an AI code-generation startup co-founded by Pakistani-born Sualeh Asif, has secured a $60 billion acquisition deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to multiple reports on Thursday. Along with OpenAI and Anthropic, Cursor is one of several Silicon Valley startups that have drawn waves of developers by using ​artificial intelligence to automate coding, a business where AI companies ​have found early commercial traction, according to Reuters. SpaceX announced in a post on X that Cursor gave SpaceX the right to acquire the company later this year for $60 billion. If SpaceX doesn’t buy Cursor, it will pay $10 billion for their work together, the company said. “The combination of Cursor’s leading product and distribution to expert software engineers with SpaceX’s million H100 equivalent Colossus training supercomputer will allow us to build the world’s most useful models,” it added. Originally from Karachi, Asif attended Nixor College before attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and r...

Federal health authorities on Thursday ordered strict nationwide enforcement of a ban on conventional disposable syringes and initiated a review of safer alternatives, citing growing concerns over unsafe injection practices linked to the spread of HIV.

ISLAMABAD: After a gap of 28 months, state-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) on Thursday floated urgent tenders to import three LNG cargoes for delivery between April 27 and May 8 amid rising temperatures and a power shortfall. PLL has set April 24 (Friday) as the deadline for bids, which will be opened the same day, given the urgent need to meet power demand that fell short by more than 4,500MW at peak, resulting in six to seven hours of loadshedding. The tender was issued following Qatar’s reluctance to dispatch LNG cargoes stranded in the Gulf due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Three LNG cargoes meant for Pakistan had earlier returned from Hormuz for security reasons. All three tenders are for cargoes of 140,000 cubic metres each, to be delivered on a delivered ex-ship (DES) basis. Each cargo typically supplies around 100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to Pakistan. Last month, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) notified a massive 19–22 per cent increase in the price of regasified liquefi...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced 460 scholarships for students from Balochistan for the academic year 2025–26, in a move aimed at promoting equitable access to higher education.

Voting began on Thursday in two of India’s politically key opposition-held states, with tens of millions casting ballots in West Bengal and the southern Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in the national parliament, is hoping to make inroads in the opposition strongholds. In West Bengal, which has a population of over 100 million, polling opened in the first phase to elect members from 152 constituencies of the 294-seat legislative assembly. The second phase, covering the remaining 142 seats, will be held on April 29. “Nearly 36 million people are eligible to vote,” said Manoj Agarwal, the state’s chief electoral officer, adding that around 8,000 polling stations had been designated “supersensitive”. Modi’s BJP has waged an aggressive bid to dislodge West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power in the state since 2011. Banerjee’s party won 213 of the 294 seats in the ...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Thursday forecast mainly dry weather across most parts of the country over the next 24 hours, with hot conditions expected to persist in plain areas during daytime.