Pakistan

The Ministry of National Health on Monday issued a public advisory cautioning Islamabad residents about heightened health risks posed by smog amid the ongoing dry and cold weather.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto arrives in Pakistan on Monday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening cooperation across a broad range of areas, including trade, investment, defence, health, information technology, climate change, education and culture.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered under terrorism charges after one of the many rallies taken out in Karachi to mark Sindh Culture Day on Sunday turned violent, it emerged on Monday. Police on Sunday resorted to tear gas shelling to prevent participants of the rally from moving towards the Red Zone via Sharea Faisal and detained 45 people, 12 of whom were later released. According to the police, participants of the rally attacked personnel, who then responded with baton-charging and tear gas shelling. According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, a case has now been registered against 12 named individuals arrested at the scene and “300-400” unidentified individuals. The case has been registered under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 144 (joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 324 (attempted murder), 186 (obstructing public servants), 353 (assault or ...

ISLAMABAD - Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday said that there was no military operation underway in Balochi-stan, clarifying that only intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were being conducted in the province.

• Civil administration costs jump 13pc to Rs161.2bn in July-Sept • Pension bill soars 125pc over five years; subsidy payments rise six times to Rs120bn • Surge persists despite ‘aggressive rightsizing’, which cuts over 200,000 jobs ISLAMABAD: The government’s expenditure on civil administration and pension payouts has continually climbed over the last five years, with the first quarter of the current fiscal year seeing a double-digit increase despite a strict official austerity policy and an aggressive downsizing exercise. Fiscal data released by the Ministry of Finance indicates a 13pc increase in ‘Running of the Civil Government’ expenditure in the first quarter, which runs from July to September. The costs rose to Rs161.2bn in the current fiscal year, compared to Rs142.5bn during the same period last year. This rise in expenses comes as the government claims to be tightening its belt through significant staffing and structural reforms. The increase is notable as the government abolished more than 150,000 p...

THE decision by at least nine UK universities to suspend or restrict admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh is a serious setback for many genuine students aspiring to study abroad. These institutions have placed Pakistan and Bangladesh in the ‘high-risk’ category in the wake of tougher Home Office rules and rising concerns over alleged visa abuse. Lower-fee universities in particular are tightening enrolment to protect their licence to sponsor international students, given the sharply reduced tolerance for visa refusals. Visa refusal rates for Pakistani applicants currently stand at 18pc — much above the new 5pc threshold. Reports also show a surge in asylum claims lodged by students after they enter the UK on lawful visas. Pakistani nationals now account for one in 10 of all asylum applications, with over 5,800 switching from student visas alone — more than India and Bangladesh combined. Overall, nearly 10,000 Pakistanis last year entered on study, work or visitor visas before seeking asylum. This trend ref...

Says Islamabad believes in co-existence, dialogue; May conflict demonstrated military's professionalism

Ministers lambast PTI for 'maligning institutions'; endorse ISPR's statements about ex-PM

Warning made in response to threats of governor's rule in province

PM Sheikh Mohammed says inclusive engagement is essential to resolving crises from Afghanistan to Gaza

YouTuber Saadur Rehman, also known as Ducky Bhai, uploaded a nearly hour-long video to his YouTube channel on Sunday, in which he made allegations of physical and verbal abuse while in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Rehman was arrested in August at Lahore Airport by the NCCIA for allegedly promoting online gambling and betting applications through his platform. He was granted bail in the case by the Lahore High Court on November 25, but was not released from official custody. Meanwhile, in September, NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry was removed from his post, reportedly over different controversies, including allegedly beating Rehman. In the video uploaded on Sunday, Rehman outlined the timeline of events from his arrest and being remanded into the NCCIA’s custody. He described meeting Chaudhry, alleging that he was verbally and physically abusive. “He stood up from his chair and verbally abused me,” Rehman alleged. “He asked me, ’Where does your money c...

Just four days before the National Games basketball event was set to tip-off, the Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) was told the venue was gone. With teams arriving and no court to play on, the event itself was in jeopardy. “We arranged everything in almost two days,” PBBF secretary Yaqoob Qadri told Dawn, revealing a significant off-court challenge. “There were some people who don’t want the event to happen.” Yet, on Sunday, the roar of a packed crowd for the Army-Sindh clash at the North Nazimabad Gymkhana in Karachi was the definitive answer. Against a backdrop of administrative hurdles, the players delivered a classic on the hardwood: a tale of Army’s clinical system slowly dismantling Sindh’s passionate home stand, culminating in a 97-62 victory. The roar in the arena was for Sindh. Every steal, every basket by the home team sent waves of noise crashing onto the court. But standing across from that passion was the cold, tall geometry of the Pakistan Army team. What unfolded was a classic clash of hea...

PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has rejected the claims that his province was negligent in security matters, urging the federal government should change its policies instead of blaming provinces for its own alleged failure in promoting law and order situation in the country.

Islamabad - President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto will be arriving in Islamabad today on two-day official visit to Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - Following the military spokesperson’s recent press conference exposing the anti-state posture of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan, lawmakers from across Pakistan’s political spectrum intensified criticism of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday, accusing the party of steering a.

FO condemns Indian minister’s inflammatory remarks Says India attempting to defame Pak state institutions to divert attention from its own state-sponsored terrorism.

ISLAMABAD - Art, student dialogue, and academic ex-change took center stage at Bahria Univer-sity Islamabad on Thursday, where an in-ternational conference titled “Bridging Ho-rizons: Celebrating Pakistan-China Deep-Rooted Friendship” was held to mark 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

LAHORE - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Sun-day that country’s enemy was afraid of the Pakistan Armed Forces and the fear of Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was very much there on the enemy.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Navy seized 1500 kilogramme (KG) narcotics, known as Hashish of worth nearly $3 million in an anti-narcotics operation in Arabian Sea, according to a statement issued on Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase of a US plan to end Tel Aviv’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza was close, but cautioned several key issues still needed to be resolved, including whether a multinational security force would be deployed. Netanyahu, speaking to reporters alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem, said that he would hold important discussions with US President Donald Trump at the end of the month on how to ensure the plan’s second phase was achieved. The prime minister’s office in November said that Trump had invited Netanyahu to the White House “in the near future”, although a date for the visit has not yet been made public. Netanyahu said that he would discuss with Trump how to bring an end to Hamas rule in Gaza. Israel and Hamas entered a ceasefire two months ago, but Israel has continued its bombardment of Gaza, killing Palestinians, as the death toll in the besieged enclave reached over 72,300 as of November 19, 2o25. Gaza’s ...