Pakistan

The 41-year-old announced that he would not return to the Lakers

ISLAMABAD: The multi-billion-rupee Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6) project, the construction of which is scheduled to begin in the current fiscal year, has been split into five sections. This was revealed during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications on Friday, chaired by its chairman, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani. Reviewing the latest progress on the M-6 project, the committee was informed that the project comprises five sections: Hyderabad–Tando Adam, Tando Adam–Nawabshah, Nawabshah–Naushahro Feroze, Naushahro Feroze–Ranipur, and Ranipur–Sukkur. The project has already been delayed by more than five years due to several factors. The committee was informed that Rs30 billion had been allocated in the current financial year against a total requirement of Rs70 billion. The committee was informed that Sections I and II would be executed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, Sections IV and V through financing from the Islamic Development Bank, and Section III through financ...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with the Acting Governor of the Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, in Jeddah, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

QUETTA: Forty people were killed and eight others injured when a Peshawar-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine just as it left the Dhanasar area of Balochistan’s Sherani district and crossed the provincial border into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, officials said. The number of casualties was first shared in a statement by the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, Shahid Rind, who cited initial reports. It was later also confirmed by the KP Rescue 112. Rind’s statement said rescue efforts were initiated soon after the accident on Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s directives. “The district administrations from both provinces, rescue and other relevant departments are providing assistance to the affected persons,” the statement said on Friday morning. The statement added that the incident would be investigated to bring the facts to light. A statement by KP Rescue 1122 said teams from Zhob emergency services and Rescue 1122 reached the site soon after rec...

ISLAMABAD: A quadcopter flown from an unidentified location crash-landed on the rooftop of a house in the capital’s rural area. Police said that a resident of the house, located in Model Town Humak, informed them about the quadcopter’s crash landing. After receiving the information, police reached the house and cordoned off the area, and confiscated the quadcopter. A police official said that efforts were under way to identify and trace the location from where the quadcopter was flown. He added that attempts were also under way to trace and identify the persons who flew it. Earlier in March, security sources said that two rudimentary drones were intercepted at different locations adjacent to Rawalpindi but were successfully brought down through electronic countermeasures. Security sources had further stated that no damage or casualties were reported and the federal capital’s airspace, which was temporarily closed as a precaution, was later reopened. In February, the government imposed a ban on flying unmanned...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday paid their respects to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on February 28. In a statement, PMO said that PM Shehbaz attended the funeral, where he paid “rich tribute” to the assassinated supreme leader. He also expressed solidarity with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian and the people of Iran in their moment of “national grief”. Following the ceremony, the premier departed for Istanbul for his Turkiye visit. CDF Munir also departed for Pakistan after the ceremony, PTV reported. He was seen off by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and senior Iranian officials. Khamenei’s body arrived at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla on Friday ahead of his funeral. Apart from PM Shehbaz and CDF Munir, other foreign dignitaries, clerics, officials and mourners also paid their respects as the body lay in state in a vast hall. Photos...

LAHORE: Punjab’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday launched its first skimming boat designed to remove plastic waste from canals and rivers, in a major step towards tackling plastic pollution. The boat will begin operations as a pilot project in the Lahore Canal, marking the introduction of a technology-based solution to address water pollution in the province. EPA Punjab officials said the skimming boat, with a waste collection bin installed at its front, would play a vital role in collecting floating plastic waste from waterways, supporting the province’s broader campaign against plastic pollution. They noted that the pilot project would help assess the effectiveness of the technology before its potential expansion to other canals and rivers across Punjab. The announcement was made during a seminar held in Lahore on Friday to mark Plastic Bag Free Day. Parliamentary Secretary for Environment Kanwal Liaqat attended the event as chief guest, while EPA Punjab’s Director General (DG) Dr Imran Hami...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended the operation of a National Highway Authority (NHA) notification that imposed an additional 50 per cent toll on vehicles travelling on motorways without an M-Tag or with insufficient balance in their M-Tag accounts. The interim order was passed by IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir after hearing a petition filed by advocate Muhammad Jalal Haider, who had challenged the legality of the notification issued by the NHA on May 30, 2025. The court issued notices to the respondents, including the federation and the NHA, directing them to file a report and para-wise comments within a fortnight. The case was adjourned until August 3. Pending further proceedings, the court ordered that the impugned notification “shall remain suspended”. According to the petition, the NHA had introduced an additional 50pc toll on vehicles using motorways without an M-Tag or with an inadequate balance in their M-Tag accounts through the May 30 notification. Counsel for the petit...

Thomas Tuchel's men fly south from their Kansas City base later Friday

Pakistan has launched a fully online registration system for Hajj 2027, introducing several new facilities for intending pilgrims, including the option for family members to register together through designated family groups, making the process more convenient and organized.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast hot and humid weather for most parts of the country on Saturday, with isolated rain-wind/thundershowers likely in Kashmir, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northeastern Punjab.

Govt cuts petrol, diesel prices by Rs1.97

• Tehran begins week of funeral processions • Late supreme leader will be buried in Mashhad • PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir

PM orders ban on substandard syringes

Islamabad urges UN to overhaul strategy to counter terrorism

NA panel informed Afghan border closure cost Pakistan $1.1b in trade

Quetta-Peshawar coach veers into ravine in Sherani, leaving several others injured

Senator alleges govt attempting to suppress case involving FM's relative

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