Pakistan

HARIPUR: At least eight people, including children, were killed and 11 others were injured after a Sui Northern Gas supply line located near a factory burst and caught fire in the Hattar Industrial Estate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur district, officials said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Dr Munawwar Afridi from Haripur district headquarters hospital (DHQ), who is also associated with the rural health centre (RHC) in the Kot Najibullah union council, told Dawn that three of the bodies were brought to the DHQ and five others to the RHC. Haripur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Waseem Ahmed told Dawn it appeared that the deaths were mainly caused by suffocation. He separately told the media that three to four nearby houses located within a radius of 200 kilometres of the factory had been affected by the fire. Muhammad Amir, an official of the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), told Dawn that the affected supply line had a diameter of 16 inches and supplied gas to industrial estates up to Ab...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday indicated he could visit Islamabad if a nuclear agreement with Iran is finalised there, describing ongoing negotiations as “very positive.

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan, in his capacity as the Chairman, National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), Thursday chaired a high-level consultative meeting at the Supreme Court of Pakistan to deliberate on measures aimed at enhancing efficiency, strengthening coordination, and ensuring the timely.

LAHORE - A new phase in railway transport has been set in motion in Punjab following the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the provincial government and Pakistan Railways, aimed at upgrading services and expanding connectivity across the province.

Islamabad - In a resolute display of preparedness and precision-strike capability, Pakistan Navy successfully conducted a Live Weapon Firing of an indigenously developed Ship-Launched Anti-Ship Missile, accurately engaging its target with high speed at extended range.

ISLAMABAD - A new UK programme will strengthen Pakistan’s ability to generate credible geological data and unlock growth in the mining and minerals sector across the country.

ISLAMABAD - The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said it has received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia, boosting foreign exchange reserves and providing support to the country’s external position.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Thursday his country was “ready” for a possible US attack on the communist island following months of mounting pressure from President Donald Trump. “We don’t want that (confrontation) but it is our duty to be ready to avoid it, and if it were unavoidable, to win it,” Diaz-Canel told thousands of people attending a rally in Havana to mark the 65th anniversary of the failed US invasion of the island at the Bay of Pigs. Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump that Cuba is “next” after he toppled Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and went to war against Iran. Washington and Havana have held talks on de-escalating tensions, but the discussions between the arch-foes have failed to make significant headway, according to US media reports. Mariela Castro, daughter of late president Raul Castro, said Cubans “want dialogue” with Washington but “without putting our political system up for debate”. She said her 94-year-old father — who o...

SBP receives $2 billion Saudi credit

Trump says has 'a lot of agreement with Iran' Announces 10-day truce between Israel, Lebanon Hegseth warns mil

Gas pipeline blast kills 8 in Haripur

CDF Munir, Iran's president, top brass discuss de-escalation; PM, Qatari Emir stress regional stability

Miner pulled alive after 17 days under debris

LNG disruption and low hydel output widen supply gap

ISLAMABAD: Not a single PTI leader arrived at Adiala jail on Thursday to meet incarcerated ex-premier Imran Khan, despite the names of the party’s heavyweights being sent to the prison administration. 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. Party leaders have been facing severe criticism for the last few months as they usually nominate the second or third-tier leadership for meetings with Imran on Thursdays. Meanwhile, on Tuesdays, Imran’s sisters consistently reach Adiala jail in an effort to meet their brother, regardless of the fact that such a meeting has not been allowed in recent months. For Thursday’s meeting, the party had decided to include PTI heavyweights to curb the criticism being levied against the leadership. The list of names sent to Adiala jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, available with Dawn...

ISLAMABAD: Security arrangements in Islamabad were in overdrive on Thursday as speculation continued about the federal capital possibly hosting a second round of talks between the US and Iran. Speaking to Dawn, senior police officials said a meeting — chaired by the deputy inspector general of logistics — was held last night, during which a shortage of manpower in connection with the security arrangements came to light. Officials have also begun carpeting the Islamabad Expressway to remove bumps and potholes in a bid to ensure a smooth drive from Nur Khan Airbase to the Red Zone, they said. Meanwhile, police in the federal capital have also sought 7,000 personnel from Punjab police, 3,000 of whom reached Islamabad on Thursday, the senior officials said. Accommodation for the additional force has been arranged at different locations, including Liaqat Gymnasium and a school in F-7, they added. The remaining force from Punjab was likely to be sent from different districts, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranw...

Court-mandated meet snub hints at internal rifts

Senate body told most imports come from Gulf

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