Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 200 Pakistani students stranded in Afghanistan for months due to the closure of the border have demanded permission to cross the Torkham border, according to their representatives. Taliban authorities have told them that Pakistani diplomatic missions should officially approach them and verify the list with an official stamp. However, Pakistani officials are reluctant to do so, the affected students told Dawn from Kabul and Jalalabad. The Taliban allowed the first group of 26 students to cross Torkham on Jan 12, and Pakistani authorities also opened the border specifically for them. However, the students who arrived at Torkham on Jan 13 have not yet been allowed to cross, as Taliban authorities insist that the Pakistani embassy or the consulate in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, should officially verify the list. Dr Riazullah Wazir and Amanullah Wazir, representatives of the students in Kabul, said students had met the Nangarhar governor and officials at the Pakistani embassy an...

ABBOTTABAD: Rescue officials remove snow from their vehicle after heavy snowfall blanketed the Galiyat with a coat of white. According to the Met Office, more rain and snowfall is expected in various parts of the country from Sunday.—Dawn • KKH, other major roads blocked • Murree sees 15 inches of snow • Quetta records coldest night at -13°C • More rain, snow expected from Sunday CHITRAL/GILGIT/RAWALPINDI/QUETTA: At least nine members of a family were killed when a snow avalanche buried their house in Chitral on Friday, as heavy snowfall, avalanches and landslides brought life to a standstill across Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, blocking roads, stranding travellers and disrupting electricity and relief operations amid freezing temperatures. The avalanche struck a house in Serigal village of the Damil area in the extreme south of the district on Friday afternoon. Lower Chitral Deputy Comm­issioner Hashim Azim said the bodies were recovered from the debris, while a nine-ye...

KARACHI: Amid a continuous rally in world prices, the local 10-gram and one-tola gold rates (24kt) hit a new peak of Rs441,239 and Rs514,662, respectively, showing a jump of Rs7,802 and Rs9,100. International gold price further swelled by $91 per ounce to $4,923 per ounce, rates issued by All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) based on interbank exchange rates, revealed. Rising global rates are under pressure as investors pile into the yellow metal as a safe-haven amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and expectations of further US interest rate cuts. A steep rise in domestic rates further fades the hopes of genuine gold jewellery buyers during the ongoing wedding season, as many families are unable to afford gold at Rs514,662 per tola. Jewellers complain about the thin presence of buyers in the markets while investors continue to hunt for the precious metal. Investors must be upbeat as 10-gram and one-tola gold rates have surged by Rs206,671 and Rs241,062, respectively, if compared with the...

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan and Somalia agreed on Friday to strengthen collaboration in training, border management, disaster management and the adoption of a joint strategy against terrorism to deepen cooperation in internal security. The agreement was reac­hed as Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met a high-level Somali delegation led by Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yusuf at the Ministry of Interior. During the meeting, Mr Naqvi announced visa facilitation for Somali citizens tra­velling to Pakistan for medical treatment and education. Mr Naqvi assured his cou­nterpart of Pakistan’s full su­­pport to Somalia in policing and counterterrorism. He said Pakistan would extend complete cooperation to So­­m­­alia across multiple sectors. Mr Yusuf said his country was “facing a difficult situation and was actively fighting terrorists”. He expressed hope that the visit would expand bilateral relations between the two countries. Mr Yusuf expressed a str­ong desire to benefit from Pa­­kistan’s experience, noting t...

Five peace committee members martyred; Police claim recovering bomber's severed head; High alert declared in hospitals

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Steering committee, data system approved as OGDC gets Rs7.7b circular debt payment

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DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least five people were killed while 10 others were injured in a suicide attack at the residence of a peace committee member near Qureshi Morr on Friday night, according to officials. According to Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada, the explosion occurred during a wedding celebration at the residence of the peace committee chief, identified as Noor Alam Mehsud. The participants were reportedly dancing to the beat of a drum when the attack was carried out. The blast caused the room’s roof to collapse, hampering rescue operations and making it difficult to reach those trapped under the debris. “The explosion was a suicide blast,” the DPO told Dawn. He said that an emergency had been imposed at the District Headquarter Hospital. In a statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said five bodies and 10 injured had been taken to the hospital. He said that seven ambulances, a fire vehicle and a disaster vehicle reached the site of th...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday approved safety measures for a three-day Basant Festival to be held on February 6, 7 and 8, marking the first fully organised, government-sponsored celebration of the traditional spring festival in the province.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN - At least five people were martyred and 10 others wounded when a suicide blast ripped through a wedding at a peace committee leader’s residence in Dera Ismail Khan, police said late Friday night.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said the Government of Pakistan was paying special attention to the promotion of higher education and skills through various programs to make the education system effective and empower the youth.

ISLAMABAD - The opposition continued criticising the government for a second consecutive day on Friday over its move to join ‘Board of Peace’, while the government defended its position, arguing that the decision was taken only to support peace in Gaza.

Thousands of tourists stranded in Murree as authorities shut expressway, ban entry of more vehicles Snowstorm hits Quetta, Kalat, Chaman, Killa Saifullah, Nushki, Loralai, disrupts daily life Heavy snow hits Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan PMD issues fresh danger warning.

A statement posted by the National Assembly’s official account on the social media platform X said that reports regarding the shutdown of its YouTube channel were “incorrect”. The statement came after the media reports emerged alleging that the YouTube channel had “disappeared”. The reports also said that NA proceedings, which are typically shown live, had not been broadcast on the official YouTube channel or on state television over the past few days. The reports had emerged as a joint sitting of Parliament was held in Islamabad on Friday. In the statement posted on X, the NA’s official account said, “It is hereby clarified that reports published and broadcast in newspapers and television channels regarding the shutdown of the NA YouTube channel are incorrect. “Furthermore, the YouTube channel was not shut down at any point,” the statement said. “Temporary technical issues occurred due to a social media server outage, which affected accessibility for a limited period have been resolved after Friday, followin...

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Says rulers not serious despite an onslaught of crises