Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday rejected circulating reports of an impending severe cold wave in the country.

Dense fog in plain areas of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the night between Sunday and Monday forced the closure of several motorway sections after visibility dropped to dangerously low levels.

US President Donald Trump urged Cuba on Sunday to “make a deal” soon, pledging to cut off all oil and money flowing to the communist-run island after the toppling of Havana’s key ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The threatening social media post drew an angry retort from Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who said “no one” would tell his country what to do. Washington has imposed economy-crippling sanctions on its island neighbour for decades, but Trump has ramped up the pressure in recent days. US special forces seized Maduro and his wife this month in a lightning raid that left dozens of the ousted Venezuelan president’s security personnel dead — many of whom were Cuban. Though Maduro’s allies have become interim leaders, Trump has claimed the United States now actually controls Venezuela through a US naval blockade of its vital oil sector. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” ...

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has convened a meeting of parliamentary leaders today at the Parliament House in Islamabad.

During an ongoing operation against the illegal parking mafia in the Saddar area, authorities arrested 12 more individuals for extorting citizens under the pretext of collecting parking fees.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has accepted for hearing a petition challenging the use of firearms and poisonous substances to eliminate stray dogs across Punjab.

A terrorist attack on a police check post was successfully foiled in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after timely action by police personnel, officials said on Monday.

PESHAWAR: During ongoing operations against militants in Bannu, the Counter-Terrorism Department’s Bannu region, in coordination with local police, carried out a successful intelligence-based operation (IBO), killing two terrorists. According to police, the operation was conducted within the jurisdiction of Mirakhel Police Station on Jhandokhel Road near Shagi Machankhel. Acting on credible intelligence, CTD Bannu’s Special Weapons and Tactics teams, along with Bannu Police, cordoned off the area and launched the operation. During the action, the terrorists opened fire, prompting effective retaliatory fire by the police and CTD personnel. Following an exchange of fire, two terrorists were found dead during a search operation. They were identified as Suhail Khan alias Sangri and Ismail alias Usman. Police stated that both terrorists were involved in attacks on Sheikh Landik and Fateh Khel police check posts, in which eight police constables were injured. They were also involved in attacks on security forces’ c...

Four people, including three Pakistani men, were killed in a tragic road accident in Manchester, the United Kingdom, after a taxi collided with a car, local authorities confirmed.

LAHORE: President of the Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) and Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has urged political parties to show magnanimity and accept the need for smaller provinces to facilitate the people at their doorsteps. Speaking at a party workers’ convention at Kamoke, around 50km from Lahore, he said that the IPP has launched a movement for creation of smaller provinces as an immediate and sustainable solution to problems of people living in far-flung areas. “We will not change the names of provinces; new provinces should be created like in Punjab as North, South, West, and East Punjab. For this purpose, political parties must rise above narrow-mindedness and show magnanimity as it is in everyone’s own interest,” he said. Welcoming support from MQM and other political parties for the proposal of new provinces, he said this would save people’s time and energy and allow their issues to be resolved closer to their doorstep. Parties must show magnanimity to back the proposal: Aleem He sai...

• Punjab forensic report calls videos genuine, profile photos matched • PTI leaders say clips unrelated to case; Azma terms evidence ‘irrefutable’ PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has found himself in the centre of a legal controversy after a forensic report, submitted by the prosecution to the anti-terrorism court in the Radio Pakistan attack case, identified him as one of the suspects seen in the purported video clips of the incident. The report prepared by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) is based on the footage of the ransacking of the Radio Pakistan office in Peshawar after the arrest of ex-prime minister Imran Khan in May 2023. Last month, the court ordered that the clips be sent for examination and a report be submitted. At the time, the defence had not questioned the relevance or the legitimacy of the footage. The authorities had provided the video clips and the pictures of CM Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, and two other P...

ISLAMABAD: Presi­dent Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the National Assembly session on Monday (today), setting the stage to initiate the process of appointing the leader of the opposition. The opposition leader issue is expected to resurface after PTI’s Omar Ayub withdrew his petitions in the Supreme Court and high courts against his removal. Before the petition was withdrawn, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said he couldn’t begin the appointment process as the issue was sub judice. With the summoning of the assembly, Speaker Sadiq is expected to ask the opposition to follow the process for appointing a new leader. The opposition has repe­atedly accused the government of delaying the appo­intment process and nominated Pasht­unkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Achakzai as the opposition leader. Rule 39 of the “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007” confirms it is the sole prerogative of the speaker to ask the opposition at any time to submit a name, after which the opposition may...

• PM-appointed panel calls for measures to improve ease of doing business • Seeks tariff overhaul to lift exports beyond $60bn in three years • Highlights cross-cutting barriers across 20 export products • Notes ‘policy unpredictability’ undermines investor, buyer confidence ISLAMABAD: A body constituted by the prime minister and led by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has called for urgent reforms to improve the ease of doing business and for a serious restructuring and rationalisation of tariffs — both energy prices and trade duties — to more than double exports to over $60 billion within three years. The committee was formed to devise a strategy for avoiding another IMF programme once the current $8.4bn arrangement expires at the end of 2027, amid mounting pressure from persistently weak economic indicators. According to synopses compiled after week-long consultations with public and private sector stakeholders from Jan 5 to 9, the panel concluded that the current state of affairs was not capable of drivi...

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the first one-day international in Vadodara on Sunday, where the in-form Virat Kohli fell agonisingly short of his 54th ODI hundred. The 37-year-old batting maestro, who had scored 376 in his last four ODI innings, anchored India’s chase of 301 with a sublime knock of 93 featuring eight boundaries and a six, but he was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson when a landmark century was within reach. The Vadodara crowd’s disappointment was palpable as their hero departed, but they rose to applaud Kohli, who achieved another milestone by becoming the second-highest run scorer in international cricket across all formats. With his 77th ODI fifty, Kohli moved on to 28,068 runs and surpassed Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) to sit behind only Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar’s 34,357. “If I look back at my whole journey, it’s nothing short of a dream come true for me,” Kohli said on moving one step closer to his mentor Tendulkar. “I’ve always known my abilities, how much ability I...

KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday briefly addressed hundreds gathered near Mazar-i-Quaid for the party’s rally, while the PTI claimed it faced hurdles in reaching the venue and its supporters were met with shelling by the police. The Sindh government had permitted the PTI to hold a rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah. However, the PTI, citing a delay in receiving the permit, announced a change in venue, saying it would stage the gathering at one of the gates of Mazar-i-Quaid. During the day, PTI supporters gathered at Bagh-i-Jinnah, where the police employed shelling. Disturbances were also reported near Numaish Chowrangi as police dispersed crowds, while media vehicles were also vandalised. “I am deeply grateful to all Pakistanis and the people of Sindh for honouring us with enormous respect and esteem,” CM Afridi said while addressing a huge crowd near Mazar-i-Quaid late on Sunday night. “We can never forget the respect we received from the people of Sindh. But you all must not forgive t...

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Workers clash with police; K-P CM accuses Sindh govt of creating hurdles; Tells supporters movement ‘unstoppable’

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Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Sunday tendered an apology to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for any “unpleasant incident” that he may have faced during his ongoing visit to Sindh. His statements came after the PTI claimed its convoy was facing hurdles while on its way to Mazar-i-Quaid for a rally, and CM Afridi said he had to use risky routes on his way to Karachi from Hyderabad. “I personally apologise if something [unpleasant] happened somewhere, as this should not happen,” Shah said during Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’. ’’He is the chief minister of a province and whatever we did, the welcome and all, was in respect of the people of KP as he had their mandate,“ the PPP leader added. Asked about the apparent change in the Sindh government’s attitude, Shah highlighted that the guests were “welcomed and taken care of”. He noted that the PTI sought permission to hold a rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah from the Sindh government “even though it falls under the federal governme...

Deregulation, export orientation, investment mark recalibration of strategy