Pakistan

Govt to provide wheat directly to flour mills

Bosses spoke also of the need for hard work and humility

The Norwegian side secure their first-ever win in the competition

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik on Tuesday announced his retirement from Pakistan Super League (PSL). In a post on social media platform X, Malik said, “I cherish every single moment and friendship I have made on and off the field throughout my 10 years of the PSL as a player. It’s time to call it a day. “My passion and motivation to serve for the betterment of cricket will always stay. Thank you, PSL,” he said. Last year in May, Malik had announced his resignation from the role of Domestic Cricket Mentor, saying he believed it was “time to move on” to ensure fairness and pay attention to multiple personal and professional responsibilities in his life. During his PSL career, he represented Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, playing a total of 93 matches and scoring a total of 2350 runs, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has issued a flash flood warning for the Kabul River and its tributaries for January 22 and 23, with the possibility of upper parts of the country getting affected In its alert on Tuesday, the FFC said a “strong westerly wave is likely to affect the upper parts of the country from the evening of January 21 to January 24, 2026. Consequently, flows in River Kabul, along with its associated tributaries, may rise from January 22 to January 23, 2026”. The alert said that “on account of expected moderate to isolated heavy rainfall coupled with snowfall over the upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Swat, Chitral, Buner, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Chitral, Mardan, Swabi, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Haripur, Kolai-Palas and Kohistan) and Kashmir, the risk of flash flooding cannot be ruled out”. In view of the situation, all organisations concerned, particularly the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in KP, relevant district administrations and K...

35 students were awarded academic scholarships, more than 500 received various forms of financial assistance

The Pakistan Airports Authority has extended the airspace ban for Indian aircraft until February 24 for another month, according to a Notam (notice to airmen) issued on Tuesday. The extension in the ban has been notified just three days before the restriction, last extended on December 17, was set to expire on January 23. India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions between them escalated in late April in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people. According to the latest Notam, Pakistan’s airspace will remain closed for India-registered aircraft until 5am on February 24, extending the restriction that is already in place. The restriction applies to all India-registered aircraft as well as any aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Indian airlines or operators, including military flights. The airspace closure applies from ground level up to unlimited altitude. Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — K...

ISLAMABAD: PML-N Senator Afnanullah Khan on Tuesday alleged that there had to be some involvement of officials in the theft of Pakistanis’ data, saying that it was available on the dark web. The senator made the remarks during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, where he said: “All of Pakistani nationals’ data is on the dark web. And it is the latest data. “And it is such good data that we might not have such well-processed data. For example, they have consolidated data from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and banks into a dataset,” he said. “And you can get anyone’s data for Rs500, and if you want that of the entire country, you will get it for Rs70-80 billion. Data worth Rs70-80bn is [available] on the dark web,” the senator said. He pointed out that when the data of any individual was stolen, it could be used for any purpose, including obtaining passports and identity cards for others. “Why is Pakistanis’ data stolen time and ...

The body of a rare snow leopard has been recovered from the mountainous Garm Chashma region of Chitral district, raising concern among wildlife authorities.

A diplomatic row has erupted between New Delhi and Warsaw after Indian Foreign Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar took aim at Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s recent visit to Pakistan, Indian media reported. According to The Hindu, the visit by the Polish minister was the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Warsaw in August 2024, from where he travelled to Ukraine as well. The report added that Jaishankar, in televised remarks, said he wanted to discuss Sikorski’s “recent travels to the region”, calling it a direct reference to the Polish minister’s visit to Pakistan in October last year. During Sikorski’s two-day visit to Islamabad, Pakistan and Poland had agreed to deepen their political and economic ties during talks in Islamabad, with both countries pledging to transform their relationship into what they called a “comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership”. The Hindu reported that during the meeting between Jaishankar and Sikorski, the former said, “Poland should disp...

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence on Tuesday that the United States and European countries would find a solution over the US administration’s aim to take over Greenland, brushing off “hysteria” about a possible trade war. US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Saturday on imports from European allies that oppose the United States taking over Greenland, an autonomous part of Denmark. European countries say new tariffs would violate a trade deal reached with Trump last year, and EU leaders are set to discuss possible retaliation at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday. One option is a package of tariffs on 93 billion euros ($108 billion) of US imports that could automatically kick in on February 6 after a six-month suspension. Bessent said the issue had only recently emerged and a solution would be found that ensures national security for the United States and Europe. “It’s been 48 hours. As I said, sit back, relax,” Bessent told reporters on the sidelines of the World Econ...

The National Assembly on Tuesday echoed with calls for empowering local governments (LGs) as lawmakers stressed the need for reforms in the wake of the Gul Plaza fire. Besides members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), PML-N’s Khawaja Asif also favoured strengthening LGs for better city administration. Speaking on the floor of the NA today, MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar called for the “creation of more administrative units” for better governance and strengthening local government systems. “Such a huge burden can not be shouldered by a chief minister alone,” he said. “These powers should instead be handed over to the mayor, town chairman, UC (union council) chairman”. He recalled that MQM-P had also advocated for the inclusion of a clause aimed at strengthening local government bodies in a probable 28th Constitutional Amendment. “Creating an administrative unit is not the division of geography; it is an administrative division, a division of justice and resources,” Sattar maintained. He assailed...

ISLAMABAD: Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas was appointed as the opposition leader in the Senate on Tuesday. Abbas — vice chairman of Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — had been chosen by PTI founder Imran Khan as the opposition’s choice for the seat, which had been vacant since August 2025. “In pursuance of sub-rule (3) of Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, the chairman Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Raja Nasir Abbas as leader of the opposition in the Senate, with immediate effect,” said a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat. Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani also announced Abbas’s appointment as the opposition leader during Tuesday’s session in the House. As the proceedings began, he said: “I want to give a ruling. Before proceeding further, I consider it necessary to place on record the legal and procedural background relating to the declaration of the leader of the opposition in the Senate. “Rule 16 o...

A parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, on an official visit to China, held a meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Zhao Leji, in Beijing.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday claimed that the issue of missing persons in the province had been “resolved on a permanent basis”, saying that the matter had long been used for political point-scoring.

Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday formally notified Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief and PTI-backed Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as the leader of the opposition in the Upper House.

Pakistan and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) today signed three loan agreements worth six hundred three million dollars.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday rejected an appeal filed by a convict sentenced to death for murdering four people, including his wife and daughter, in the name of so-called honour.

An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi has turned down a request by lawyers seeking permission to hold a legal consultation with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the May 9 GHQ attack case.

Chief of Defence Force (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir emphasised that a strong, professional, and people-centric police force is indispensable for ensuring internal security and the rule of law, according to an Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) statement issued on Tuesday. The army chief made these remarks during a visit to the National Police Academy in Islamabad, where he addressed senior police officials, and interacted with officers of the Police Service of Pakistan. CDF Munir also acknowledged the supreme sacrifices rendered by police personnel in the face of terrorism, crime and internal security challenges, it stated. “The field marshal remarked that the duty of the police to enforce law and order is a sacred trust and that the armed forces will always stand fully with the brave and proud police personnel of Pakistan,” said the statement. The senior police leadership, on the occasion, reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening policing standards, enhanci...