Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday raised objections over the non-submission of certified copies of Supreme Court orders during the hearing of miscellaneous petitions seeking early hearing of appeals filed by convicted human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha in the controversial social media posts case. Justice Muhammad Azam Khan heard the petitions seeking fixation of the sentence suspension petitions at an early date in light of directions issued earlier by the SC directing the IHC to decide the plea within a fortnight. Senior lawyer Faisal Siddiqi appeared before the court on behalf of the couple on Tuesday. Former president of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Riasat Ali Azad, District Bar President Chaudhry Naeem Gujjar, former federal minister and Imaan’s mother Shireen Mazari and other lawyers were also present in the courtroom during the proceedings. At the outset of the hearing, Siddiqi informed the court that miscellaneous petitions had be...

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Tuesday asserted that “propaganda, fake news or externally-sponsored terrorism” could not derail Pakistan’s progress. The field marshal made the remarks while interacting with officers and troops of formations deployed in Balochistan during his visit to Quetta, according to the military’s media affairs wing. “The field marshal emphasised that Pakistan’s destined rise cannot be obstructed through propaganda, fake news or externally sponsored terrorism,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted him as saying. “He reiterated that hostile forces attempting to derail Pakistan’s progress through proxies and propaganda will ultimately fail due to the resilience of the state and the unity of its people,” the statement added. Highlighting the contours of the prevailing security environment, the military chief reaffirmed that the armed forces, with the “steadfast support of the people, remain fully committed to the eradication of...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Quetta on Tuesday for a one-day visit, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail received the prime minister upon his arrival, his office said on a post on the social media platform X. During the visit, the premier will hold a meeting with the provincial leadership in Quetta and chair a meeting of the provincial apex committee of the National Action Plan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. PM Shehbaz had also visited Quetta on Jan 18, where he addressed political leaders and announced several development projects worth billions of rupees for the province’s education and infrastructure sectors. “Be it the soldiers and officials of the army, Rangers personnel, or those of the Levies, and the common man, their sacrifices will be remembered in history,” PM Shehbaz said during his visit. “Balochistan is a beautiful part of Pakistan, and their demand was valid to an extent,” the premier added, noting that it was “obvious that...

Pakistan and nine other countries on Tuesday issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The joint statement by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain was shared by the Foreign Office on the social media platform X. It said that the ministers “condemn in the strongest terms the renewed Israeli assaults against the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people”. “The ministers recall with grave concern the Israeli interventions against previous flotillas in international waters and condemn the continuation of hostile acts targeting civilian vessels and humanitarian activists,” it said. “Such assaults, including attacks against the vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists, constitute blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian...

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and his “long-time good friend” Xi Jinping, intending to show their ties are unshakeable days after a visit by Donald Trump. The confirmation of Putin’s trip came just hours after Trump wrapped up his visit on Friday, the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade and one aimed at stabilising their turbulent relations. Putin and Xi are set to discuss how to “further strengthen” Russia and China’s strategic partnership and “exchange views on key international and regional issues”, according to a Kremlin statement. Their ties have deepened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Putin visiting Beijing every year since. Setting warm tones for the visit, the two leaders exchanged “congratulatory letters” on Sunday to mark 30 years of their countries’ strategic partnership. Xi said cooperation between Russia and China had “continuously deepened and solidified”, according to Chinese state media. A...

Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan to strengthen investment ties with Gulf States, Iran Orders result-oriented use of public funds in development projects Reaffirms commitment to long-term partnership with AIIB.

US president says he’s postponing today’s scheduled attack at Middle East leaders’ request Iranian media claims US has agreed to freeze oil sanctions, show flexibility on civilian nuclear activity.

NDMA chairman calls for strengthening multi-hazard early warning systems.

ISLAMABAD - A twelve-member delegation of Senior Civil officers from the Government of Bangladesh on Monday visited the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Islamabad, as part of a foreign study tour programme aimed at promoting professional exchange and enhancing cooperation in the fields of public administration and.

ISLAMABAD - The PML-N government faces a conundrum in presenting the controversial 28th constitutional package, as its timing conflicts with both Eid-ul-AZha and the upcoming federal budget.

PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday jointly demanded the immediate removal of unlawful restrictions on wheat transportation, and gas supply to CNG stations in the province, terming the measures as unconstitutional and discriminatory against the province.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates that took place on Sunday, reiterating its full solidarity with the Emirati people and the government.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notice to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and sought its response on an intra court appeal filed by 20 sub lease holders of One Constitution Avenue apartments.

BAKU: Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif addressing World Urban Forum.

ISLAMABAD - Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf on Monday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here.

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday expressed strong displeasure over the failure to register a case despite court orders, warning that rising crime would become uncontrollable if police officials failed to maintain command and control.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar on Monday called out the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for its bloated cabinet expansion, saying the new additions would not bring about any difference to the province’s management.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government asked the provinces on Monday to increase their revenue contribution by at least Rs400 billion, nearly 40 per cent of their existing share, in the coming fiscal year through more effective collection strategies in agriculture, property and services to remain in the good books of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At a consultative meeting with provincial finance ministers, Finance Minister Muh­a­mmad Aurangzeb conveyed the IMF’s deep satisfaction over the robust fiscal performance of both the four provinces and the Centre during the current fiscal year. Speaking to provincial ministers via video link, Mr Aurangzeb said the IMF mission currently visiting Islamabad, as well as the federal government, expected the federating units to remain equally prudent in their fiscal operations for the remainder of the current year and to perform even better next year, a senior Ministry of Finance official who attended the meeting told Dawn. The IMF staff mission, led by mission chief I...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is likely to link its Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPCs) and sovereign bonds to a regulated blockchain via Digitally Native Notes (DNNs) to enable swift settlement for retail investors, particularly overseas Pakistanis. A meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the newly created Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) on Monday, discussed the tokenisation of sovereign debt instruments and NPCs. It examined potential structures, implementation pathways, regulatory considerations, and next steps for exploring tokenised sovereign instruments within Pakistan’s evolving financial ecosystem. A central element of the discussion was the international precedent for sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt tokenisation and how Pakistan can adopt a structure aligned with established global market infrastructure. “It was agreed that PVARA, Ministry of Finance and SBP will continue to coordinate on the design, governance, and phased ...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Shariat Court on Monday declared the decriminalisation of suicide attempts repugnant to the injunctions of Islam and struck down a 2022 legislation through which that act had been omitted its as an offence from the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman, Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar and Justice Amir Khan announced the reserved verdict on two separate petitions challenging the amendments introduced through the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022. One of the petitions was filed by Advocate Hammad Saeed Dar in 2023 and the other by Advocates Muhammad Azam Malik and Muhammad Kashif Sulehri in 2025. Giving its ruling on the pleas, the court declared relevant provisions of the 2022 law repugnant to injunctions of Islam and consequently void. Moreover, it restored Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Prior to the 2022 amendment, Section 325 prescribed simple imprisonment or a fine or both for a person who attempted suicide. The provisio...