Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court has observed that the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) is not entitled to reserved seats, questioning how independents can join a political party that is not part of Parliament.

LAHORE - An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted police another opportunity to conduct photogrammetric and polygraphic tests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in connection with 12 cases related to the May 9 riots.

Says incident it reminds us of painful APS Peshawar tragedy.

LAHORE - President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan is a strong state whose defence is in strong hands.

ISLAMABAD - First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, a prominent public health advocate and polio eradication ambassador, yesterday called on citizens from all walks of life to join the national effort to ensure no child is left behind.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched a pioneering initiative, the “CM Insulin for Diabetes” program, aimed at supporting children diagnosed with Type-I congenital diabetes.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to Raza Ali, an accused in the Jinnah House attack case, against surety bonds worth Rs 200,000.

ISLAMABAD - An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday postponed hearing against PTI workers in a case registered by Ramna Police Station with regard to May 9 riots.

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast windstorm and rain-thunderstorm activity in upper and central parts of the country from May 27 (night) to May 31, with occasional gaps.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal on Monday officially launched the third National Polio Campaign of 2025 at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).

ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior on Monday rejected a government bill proposing to empower police to take action against electricity theft.

ISLAMABAD - The Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan has argued before the Supreme Court that judges can be transferred from one High Court to another, both temporarily and permanently, with the consent of the concerned judges, Chief Justice of the two High Courts and the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi Monday highlighted that the integration of technology into the justice system is not simply a matter of modernization but also essential to making courts more accessible, transparent, and efficient for the people they serve.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Secretary for Housing & Works, Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, yesterday paid a visit to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).

ISLAMABAD: Senior Counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan on Monday informed the Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court that Article 187 of the Con­stitution — the basis for the July 12, 2024 majority judgement which granted relief to the PTI in the res­e­rved seats case — does not em­p­ower the apex co­urt to grant relief to a party that was not before it. “Article 187 is a provision which allows the Sup­r­eme Court to decide a mat­ter in a complete sense, but not to settle a dispute or grant relief to a party which is not before the court,” argued the counsel representing the candidates who were denied res­erved seats after the Ele­ction Commission of Pak­is­tan (ECP) quashed a not­ification that had allocated special seats for women to them. “At times, in a dispute, the court can mould relief for one of the contesting parties, since there can be a situation where a party is entitled to more relief,” the counsel added. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, a member of the 11-judge CB hearing a set of review petitions ag...

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shakeel Ahmed, a member of the five-judge Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court hearing the seniority dispute among judges, on Monday questioned whether the law secretary was competent to clarify in the final summary on transfer that judges would not be required to take a fresh oath upon their posting to the Islamabad High Court. “Were the real facts regarding seniority kept hidden from the chief justices during the process of consultation?” Justice Ahmed asked, expressing concern that such anomalies had led to doubts and raised questions about mala fide intent. The five-judge CB, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, had taken up a joint petition filed by five IHC judges — Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan and Saman Rafat Imtiaz. The petition argues that three transferred judges should not be treated as IHC judges until they take a fresh oath under Article 194, read in conjunction with Schedule III of the Constitution. Senior ...

ISLAMABAD: A National Asse­mbly panel was informed on Monday that internet services in Panjgur will remain suspended for next six months over security concerns. The committee was informed that the security agencies had responded to a letter from the Ministry of Interior stating that, due to the prevailing security and law and order situation, internet services in Panjgur district would remain suspended for the next six months. The NA Standing Committee on Information Technology, held with Aminul Haq in the chair was told that this has been communicated to the interior ministry by security agencies in response to a letter, citing prevailing law and order situation as the reason. Expressing concern over this situation, the committee noted that internet services in Panjgur have remained suspended for the past three years, causing severe difficulties for the local population, particularly the business community and students. Consequently, the committee decided to convene an in-camera meeting wherein the Secretary...

• Govt activates emergency protocols; orders desilting of waterways • PDMA calls for standardised fitting of solar panels to withstand inclement weather • Official says 70pc deaths resulted from falling solar panels LAHORE: Heavy rain and thunderstorms are set to batter Punjab, days after similar weather killed around 20 people across the province. The Provincial Disaster Man­agement Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a province-wide alert of severe weather from today (Tuesday). A westerly wave combined with moist currents is likely to bring intense windstorms, thu­nderstorms, and heavy rainfall across the region from May 27 to 31, said the Met department forecast. Upper and central Punjab districts, including Rawal­pi­ndi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Lahore, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sheikhupura will experience heavy rains with hailstorms and lightning from the evening of May 27 through May...

• Shehbaz, Pezeshkian agree to boost bilateral trade, investment • PM expresses gratitude for Iran’s support amid tension with Delhi • Renews offer for talks with India on Kashmir, other issues • Meets Ayatollah Khamenei ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Monday rene­wed their commitment to permanent peace in South Asia, underlining that frie­ndly relations with neighbouring countries formed a core part of both nations’ foreign policy. The reaffirmation came during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian at a reception hosted at the Sa’dabad Palace in Tehran. The meeting took place during the prime minist­er’s official visit to Tur­k­iye, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, aimed at expre­ssing gratitude to fri­endly Muslim nations for their support during the recent Pakistan-India conflict. Both leaders resolved to enhance cooperation to boost bilateral trade and investment and work together to maintain peace and security in the region. View this post on Instagram Prim...

• Finance minister hints at simplified tax returns for salaried class • Claims every possible support to be made available for armed forces • Privatisation drive to be ‘accelerated’ in next fiscal year; PIA, three Discos to be privatised by year end • Flags population growth, climate change as existential threats ISLAMABAD: Promising simplified tax returns for the salaried class, Finance Minister Muhammad Aura­ng­zeb on Monday pledged that the up­co­ming federal budget would int­ro­duce “bold measures” to steer the national economy in a strategic direction and make available whatever support is required by the armed forces. Talking to journalists after an event organised by the Pakistan Banks Association and Karandaaz Pakistan, the finance minister said that every possible support would be provided to the armed forces, stressing that it was a national need in light of recent cross-border aggression, not just a military requirement. Responding to a question, he said the IMF mission and its regional dir­e­ctor,...