Pakistan

The federal government on Wednesday announced a three-day public holiday from May 26-28 (Tuesday to Thursday) to mark Eidul Azha. According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, shared by state-run APP on the social media platform X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared May 26 to 28 as “public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Azha”. Pakistan will observe Eidul Azha on May 27 (Wednesday), the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee announced after sighting the Zilhaj moon on Sunday. The announcement was made after moon sighting testimonies were received from Karachi and other cities of Sindh, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and some other areas. Celebrated on the 10th of Zilhaj, Eidul Azha marks the culmination of Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam. Saudi Arabia is also set to mark the first day of Eidul Azha on May 27, Saudi Gazette reported.

The Pakis­tan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday maintained its renewed bullish momentum as the market gained over 1,900 points. The benchmark KSE-100 index gained 1,934.74 points or 1.19 per cent to close at 164,831.42 points from the previous close of 162,896.68. The market dipped to an intraday low of 162,895.74 shortly after opening, eventually reaching an intraday high of 165,081.69 at 3:20pm, gaining 2185 points from yesterday. Topline Securities Limited noted that “investor sentiment rebounded sharply” and that the market experienced significant intraday movement. “Improved market confidence was largely driven by easing tensions between Iran and the United States, alongside a decline in international oil prices,” it pointed out. The positive performance was mainly supported by heavyweight stocks, including Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL), Fauji Fertiliser Company Limited (FFC), United Bank Limited (UBL), Engro Holdings Limited (ENGROH), and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), which “collectively added 836 poin...

ISLAMABAD: After a sessions court on Tuesday sentenced Umar Hayat to death for the murder of 17-year-old social media influencer Sana Yousaf, the detailed order made public on Wednesday observed that the accused deserved “no leniency” as there were “no mitigating circumstances” in the case. Last year, Umar Hayat — son of a retired government official and a TikToker himself — was arrested a day after 17-year-old Yousaf was shot dead in her Islamabad house on June 2, 2025. The 23-year-old convict had confessed before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that he shot Yousaf. In his statement, he admitted developing a one-sided obsession with her after online interactions, and said jealousy and suspicion drove him to commit the crime. On Monday, he retracted the earlier confessional statement, but was found guilty and handed a death sentence on Tuesday. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, who announced the verdict a day earlier on May 19, noted in his 27-p...

China and Russia condemned United States President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence shield plans and Washington’s “irresponsible” nuclear policy at a joint summit on Wednesday, a week after President Xi Jinping hosted Trump in Beijing. A statement from Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin said Trump’s plan for a ground- and space-based missile interceptor system posed a threat to global strategic stability. It also criticised the United States over the expiry of the last remaining treaty restricting the size of the US and Russian nuclear arsenals, which lapsed in February with Trump failing to respond to Moscow’s proposal to extend the limits by a year. Both sides jointly signed a statement on strengthening comprehensive strategic coordination and a declaration advocating multi-polarity in the world order. “The global agenda of peace and development is facing new risks and challenges, with the danger of fragmentation of the international community and a drift back toward the ‘law of the jungle’,”...

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to enhance cooperation across multiple sectors including trade, investment, urban development, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and energy.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has arrived in Iran on what sources describe as a mission linked to efforts aimed at reviving Iran-US talks, according to reports.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Islamabad and Beijing shared a “converging vision” on regional and global matters. “Pakistan and China share a converging vision on regional and global issues,” said Dar while addressing the Senate. A Chinese delegation was present in the visitors’ gallery to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. “We are committed to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in a world facing complex challenges,” the foreign minister said. Dar stressed that cooperation between Pakistan and China at the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and other international forums had been “vital in defending the interests of developing countries and promoting global peace”. During his address, Dar said that he will be accompanying PM Shehbaz Sharif on his state visit to China from May 23 to 26, during which they will also attend celebrations marking the 75th anniversary...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took selfies at the Colosseum and admired the view over Rome ahead of talks focused on trade on Wednesday. In a video posted on X, Meloni also thanked Modi for bringing along a packet of “Melody” toffees on his visit, with the two seen laughing over the present — a play on their names. Wrapping up a tour of Europe, Modi landed in Rome on Tuesday for the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Italy in 26 years. Modi previously visited Italy for a G20 meeting in 2021 and a G7 summit in 2024. In a joint opinion in Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily, the two said they wanted to “reach and exceed the €20 billion ($23bn) target for trade between Italy and India by 2029”. Particular sectors of interest would include defence, aerospace, car parts, clean technologies and textiles, they said. “We aim to forge a powerful synergy between Italian design, manufacturing excellence, and world-class supercomputers… and India’s rapid eco...

The Lahore Sessions Court on Wednesday confirmed the interim bail of YouTuber Rajab Butt in a case related to the alleged illegal promotion of an online gambling application.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) constitutional bench on Wednesday sought replies from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a petition challenging objections raised over a national identity card (NIC) application.

Israeli authorities have begun detaining hundreds of activists seized from a Gaza-bound flotilla at the southern port of Ashdod on Wednesday, a rights group said, after Israeli forces intercepted their vessels at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkiye last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month. Israeli authorities said 430 activists aboard the flotilla were en route to Israel, while rights group Adalah said some had already arrived at Ashdod port and were being held there. “Having set sail toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid and challenge the unlawful blockade, these civilian participants were forcefully abducted from international waters and taken into Israeli territory entirely against their will,” Adalah said. “These acts are a direct extension of Israel’s policies of collective punishment and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.” The Israeli foreign ministry dismissed ...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notices on multiple applications seeking early hearing of sentence suspension pleas filed by human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatha in the social media posts case. During the hearing, the couple’s lawyer, Faisal Siddiqi, requested Justice Muhammad Azam Khan to fix the matter for Monday (May 25). Issuing notices, Justice Khan remarked, “Let us hear the other side as well.” At the same time, the judge observed that Monday would be the last working day before Eidul Azha and said the matter could not be fixed on that day. Siddiqi responded that if the other side sought an adjournment on Monday, his clients would not object. Justice Khan then remarked that the case would instead be fixed for the first working day after Eid, adding, “Now your fate is like this, what should I do?” Former president of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Riasat Ali Azad also requested the court to fix the matter for Monday, saying bo...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that departmental proceedings against employees of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) can only be conducted under the special Efficiency and Discipline Rules framed in 1978, holding that the Civil Servants Efficiency and Discipline Rules 2020 do not automatically apply to FIA employees.

ISLAMABAD - The opposition on private members day blocked the legislative business by disrupting the National Assembly session, taking advantage of lack of required quorum in the House.

ISLAMABAD - A high-level delegation of senior civil servants from Bangladesh visited the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan on Tuesday and held detailed discussions on constitutional governance, judicial reforms, and institutional cooperation with Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and other judges of the court.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Russia yesterday agreed to deepen coordination on international security issues.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday raised objections over the non-submission of certified copies of Supreme Court orders during the hearing of miscellaneous petitions seeking early hearing of appeals filed by convicted human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha in the controversial social media.

Ahead of Eidul Azha, the Punjab government has prohibited several activities “injurious to public health” and that also disturb public peace under Section 144 from May 27 to June 2. A notification issued by the Punjab Home Department, dated May 19, said that during Eidul Azha, people sit by the roadside and roast the heads and feet of sacrificial animals, which caused “unhealthy smoke” and an unpleasant smell. It said that people also throw the entrails of sacrificial animals by the roadside and or in drains, which resulted in unsanitary conditions and the blockage of the sewerage system. It stated that citizens also swim and bathe in canals, ponds, lakes, river banks, and distributaries during Eidul Azha holidays, which may endanger their lives. It further stated that cattle sellers illegally set up points for the sale of sacrificial animals within populated areas, which hindered traffic and contributed to the spread of diseases. The Home Department said that the aforementioned activities “are not only injur...

Spinner Taijul Islam took six wickets to lead Bangladesh to a 78-run win over Pakistan in the second Test and clinch a famous 2-0 series win on Wednesday. Pakistan, who started the fifth day on 316-7 while chasing a record 437, were bowled out for 328 in the first session in Sylhet after Mohammad Rizwan hit a valiant 94. It was Bangladesh’s first Test series win at home against Pakistan and a second successive sweep after their 2-0 triumph on Pakistani soil in 2024. Wicketkeeper Rizwan kept Pakistan in the hunt for an unlikely win with a 166-ball stay after the visitors had slumped to 162-5 on day four. Rizwan put on an eighth-wicket partnership of 54 with overnight partner Sajid Khan, who made 28. Taijul broke through to dismiss Sajid for his 18th Test five-wicket haul and Shoriful Islam had Rizwan caught in the next over to end Pakistan’s resistance. Taijul took the final wicket of Khurram Shahzad to return figures of 6-120 and trigger Bangladesh celebrations. The left-arm spinner also took 3-67 during Paki...

ISLAMABAD - May 19:President Asif Ali Zardari’s official visit to China from April 25 to May 1 marked a major step forward in Pakistan-China relations, with the two countries signing five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and one agreement spanning defence, agriculture, healthcare, industrial cooperation and technology sectors.