Pakistan

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has submitted a comprehensive 27-point plan to the Lahore High Court to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply and effective safety measures during the Basant festival.

Pakistan is participating in the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial at the US Department of State on Wednesday, as Islamabad seeks to expand foreign investment and forge strategic partnerships in the minerals and energy sectors. Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik is representing Pakistan at the two-day conference, which is expected to bring together delegations from more than 50 countries to discuss strengthening and diversifying global supply chains for critical minerals—materials essential for advanced technologies, clean energy transitions and defence industries. Hosting the meeting, the US State Department said the ministerial aims to “advance collective efforts to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains” and to create momentum for international collaboration to secure resources “vital to technological innovation, economic strength, and national security”. Opening remarks at the conference are scheduled to be delivered by US Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Ma...

LAHORE: The government of Pakistan’s decision on Sunday not to play its T20 World Cup group match against India, scheduled for Feb 15, has prom­pted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to initiate back-channel efforts to resolve the issue and avoid significant financial losses, Dawn has learnt. The decision was announced around 15 days ahead of the scheduled fixture, giving the ICC sufficient time to explore possible options, including accommodating any reservations Pakistan may have, sources said. According to sources, a couple of other cricket boards have also stepped in to assist the ICC in its efforts to reach an amicable solution with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Pakistan announced its decision without citing a specific reason for boycotting the match against India. In the past, however, Australia and the West Indies forfeited their World Cup matches against Sri Lanka in 1996 on security grounds following instructions from their governments. England and New Zealand similarly forfeited matches ag...

THATTA: The greenery leading to Haleji Lake — tall eucalyptus trees, neem, peepal, coconut and other wild vegetation — point to the high water table level in the area. Yet the lake is not doing so well. It is slowly drying. A recent visit to Haleji Lake organised by Green Media Initiatives in collaboration with Accountability Lab Pakistan and the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) helped highlight several issues with this sanctuary. A man-made lake, Haleji, located some 88 kilometres from Karachi, was constructed during World War II, between 1940 and 1943, by the British rulers in India to provide water to their troops stationed in Karachi. According to In Charge Haleji Wildlife Sanctuary, Sohail Ahmed Khoso this was initially a saltwater lake. But then the British created a small natural depression into a reservoir fed by a feeder canal from the Indus River. “That is how fresh sweet water from the Indus was stored here and supplied to Karachi,” he said. “Soon after, migrant birds from Siberia started frequentin...

PAKISTAN’S boycott of its T20 World Cup match against India raises two fundamental questions: why the PCB took this decision, and what it hopes to achieve by it. The fact that neither answer is particularly clear invites a deeper concern, whether this dramatic gesture was fully thought through at all. To begin with, let’s be clear on a few points. The ICC is controlled by India. It is a governing body that behaves like a wholly owned subsidiary of the BCCI. The ICC does not run international cricket, the BCCI — and therefore the Indian government — does. This is realpolitik. The rule of “might is right”. India is in charge, both as policymaker and paymaster, however you describe it. India’s malign dictatorship of international cricket is to be condemned, just as the previous dominance of England and Australia had been condemned. Today, India is the Pied Piper of cricket, playing a seductive tune that brings the rats of the world’s cricket boards under its control. Something does need to be done, namely ICC’s ...

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar, Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, along with Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF, at General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday acknowledged the World Bank Group’s valuable support which had been instrumental in advancing Pakistan’s economic development and reforms.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday inaugurated the Punjab Transport Company (PTC) headquarters and the Electric Vehicle (EV) Command and Control Centre, reiterating the provincial government’s commitment to providing clean, safe and modern public transport across Punjab.

ISLAMABAD - The Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, on Monday bade farewell to the outgoing Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Syeda Tanzeela Sabahat, on the completion of her one-year deputation period.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to UNESCO’s core values in advancing inclusive and quality education, safeguarding cultural heritage and strengthening resilience in the face of global challenges.

Islamabad - Secretary General of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), Major General Mohammed Bin Saeed Al-Moghedi, called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF, at General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi.

Shehbaz Sharif tells Sohail Afridi to intensify efforts to combat terrorism Assures cooperation to improve infrastructure, education, health in KP Afridi says PM took seriously matters he raised during talks Meeting with PM was not political desire but constitutional requirement.

LAHORE: The federal government has decided to transfer Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar and appoint him as the director general (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), it emerged on Monday. A highly-placed source confirmed to Dawn that the government has given approval to change the Punjab police high command. The source said that a summary has been submitted to the prime minister for final approval. It added that Anwar’s posting as the FIA DG was likely on Tuesday. Meanwhile, reports suggested that the provincial government has prepared a panel of three candidates for the role of the Punjab police chief. Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana, Punjab Counter Terrorism Department Additional Inspector General Wasim Sial and Special Branch Additional Inspector General Rao Abdul Kareem are among those under consideration. As per reports, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed is also in the race. Dr Anwar was appointed Punjab IG during a large reshuffle b...

In his first meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday emphasised the need for cooperation between the Centre and the KP government. The two leaders met at the PM House in Islamabad. During the meeting, which CM Afridi said was held at the premier’s invitation, the two discussed issues related to KP’s finances and counterterrorism. According to a statement reported by state broadcaster PTV News, the prime minister stressed the need for cooperation between the Centre and the provincial government for the progress and prosperity of KP’s people. “Close and effective communication between the Centre and the provinces is indispensable for national progress and public service,” the premier was quoted as saying. PM Shehbaz assured CM Afridi of the Centre’s cooperation as per its jurisdiction for KP’s development projects, infrastructure improvement, education, health and job opportunities. The prime minister termed the KP government’s cooperation in establi...

United States President Donald Trump announced a “trade deal” with India on Monday after speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying New Delhi agreed to stop buying Russian oil and may purchase it instead from Venezuela. In a post on social media platform Truth Social, the US president said that he and the Indian premier spoke about “many things”, including trade and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump added that “out of friendship and respect” for Modi, the US would lower its reciprocal tariff rate from 25 per cent to 18pc, while India would reduce tariffs on US goods to zero. “He (Modi) agreed to stop buying Russian oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,” Trump wrote, adding that this would “end the war” between Russia and Ukraine. The US president, calling Modi “one of my greatest friends, and a powerful and respected leader of his country”, said that he agreed to “buy American” at a much higher level. Trump added that India would buy, “over $500 bi...

Iran and the United States will resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkiye, Iranian and US officials told Reuters on Monday, while a regional diplomat said representatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt would participate. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet in Istanbul in an effort to revive diplomacy over a long-running dispute about Iran’s nuclear programme and dispel fears of a new regional war. Turkiye and other regional allies have sought de-escalation. “Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, as well as some other countries, will attend the Istanbul meeting. There will be bilateral, trilateral and other meetings,” the diplomat said. Earlier today, the Iranian news agency Fars reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the start of nuclear talks with Washington. “President Pezeshkian has ordered the initiation of nuclear negotiations with the United States,” the agency reported, citing an unnamed government source. “The source said Iran and...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that political polarisation and fragmented national narratives were undermining Pakistan’s fight against terrorism, cautioning that internal divisions only served the interests of militant groups and hostile foreign actors.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has instructed relevant departments to complete verification procedures within seven days to ensure swift payment of compensation to families affected in Tirah Valley.

KARACHI: The son of slain Lyari gangster Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Dakait was arrested in Karachi, police said on Monday. “Kalakot police have apprehended Jibran s/o Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Dakait and recovered one illegal pistol from his custody,” a statement by police said. The statement added that the suspect held was a “habitual criminal” who had been arrested and sent to prison in several cases in the past. There were two First Information Reports (FIRs) against him registered at Lyari’s Kalakot police station between the years 2023 and 2024. Rehman Dakait was killed in 2009 by Karachi police, along with three of his accomplices. He was reportedly involved in more than 80 criminal cases and was a central figure in the gang wars of Lyari — one of the most populous and oldest localities of Karachi. In 2024, another one of his sons was shot dead in an alleged encounter in Karachi. According to the police, he was organising a gang of criminals in Lyari. Police also said he was previously involved in drug t...

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday gave approval for the manufacture of permissible kite-flying material in four more districts of the province owing to the increasing demand and soaring prices of these commodities ahead of the much-anticipated Basant festival in Lahore. Basant will be celebrated in Lahore from February 6-8, albeit under tight curbs, following the Punjab government’s move to lift the ban on the festival after a hiatus of 18 years. Celebrations, however, will remain restricted to the provincial capital, which until now was the only district where the manufacture of permissible kite-flying material was allowed. According to a February 1 letter by the Punjab Home Department to deputy commissioners (DC) concerned, the provincial cabinet has given approval for manufacturing the kite-flying material in Faisalabad, Kasur, Multan and Sheikhupura as well. The letter, seen by Dawn, said that the manufacturers should register themselves with the relevant DCs and through the Punjab government’s e-Bi...