Pakistan

Decision follows assurances on leave encashment, increase in house-ceiling benefits

Food minister blames artificial inflation, stockpiling for price hike

Victim's family alleges revenge attack over livestock compensation; police launch manhunt

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Farmers warn of severe irrigation crisis as body alleges unfair distribution under Water Apportionment Accord

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GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission has directed that the results of the June 7 election must not be consolidated until re-polling in five constituencies is complete, it emerged on Tuesday. In a circular to the returning officers concerned, dated June 8 and available with Dawn, the GB Election Commission noted that it had ordered re-polling at certain polling stations in their respective constituencies — Skardu-II (GBA-8), Astore-I (GBA-13), Diamer-I (GBA-15), Diamer-II (GBA-16), and Diamer-III (GBA-17). The Election Commission observed that the “process of consolidation of results under the relevant provisions of the Elections Act, 2017 and Elections Rules, 2017 shall be completed only after inclusion of the results of the re-polled polling stations in the constituency-wise result”. The commission told the ROs not to “open, scrutinise or count the postal ballots and not to finalise, consolidate, announce or issue the final result of your respective constituency until the completion of re-polling...

ISLAMABAD: Sisters of Imran Khan and PTI leaders were again not allowed to meet the former premier in Adiala Jail on Tuesday. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed the incarcerated ex-premier to have twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, Imran has been restricted from meeting visitors for several months. Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — along with lawyers Awais Younis and Faisal Malik, and leaders Zafar Gondal, Seemabia Tahir, Usman Jaura, Nadia Khattak, Sadaf Abbasi and others were present outside the jail. Aleema, speaking to the media, claimed that during the past three years, Pakistan had been in turmoil as Imran remained in jail. Replying to a question regarding elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, Aleema alleged that in GB, the voices of the people were suppressed in mainstream media, but everything was available on social media. “Despite that, the people of GB voted in favour of PTI. As a result, p...

The Punjab government has launched a new healthcare initiative aimed at providing financial assistance and treatment to cancer patients across the province.

Temperatures crossed 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country on Tuesday, amid a heatwave forecast to last till June 12. On Tuesday, the highest temperature recorded in Lahore was 43°C, while the mercury reached 41°C in Islamabad. The highest temperature recorded in Karachi was 36°C. Commuters rush to board an air-conditioned bus on a hot summer day in Rawalpindi on June 9, 2026. —AFP Commuters stand under a bus shelter as they wait to board an air-conditioned bus on a hot summer day in Rawalpindi on June 9, 2026. —AFP A worker pushes a cart along a street on a hot summer day in Lahore on June 9, 2026. —AFP A man pushes a cart loaded with water cans on a hot summer day in Lahore on June 9, 2026. —AFP Commuters drink cold water served along a street during a hot summer day in Karachi on June 9, 2026. —AFP Commuters stand under a bus shelter as they wait to board an air-conditioned bus on a hot summer day in Rawalpindi on June 9, 2026. —AFP Traffic police personnel cover their heads with cloth as they stand a...

RAWALPINDI: The commander of Bahrain’s National Guard, General Shaikh Mohammad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, discussed the strengthening of military collaboration with Pakistan in a meeting with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Tuesday. A press release issued on Tuesday by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the Bahraini commander called on CDF Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi today, where the two discussed “matters of mutual interest, [the] regional security environment, and avenues for enhanced bilateral defence and security cooperation”. “Both dignitaries expressed satisfaction over the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Bahrain and underscored the importance of further strengthening military-to-military collaboration,” the ISPR statement said. Earlier, the commander also separately called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of the Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. ...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday rated Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium as “unsatisfactory”, noting that the pitch made it difficult to score runs in a recent match between Pakistan and Australia. Gaddafi Stadium was the venue for the second and third one-day internationals (ODIs) between the Green Shirts and the Aussies. Pakistan won the low-scoring third ODI by four wickets to clinch the three-match series 2-1. “It was tough to score runs in the low-scoring game and this proved to be the decisive factor in match referee Graeme La Brooy’s report,” the ICC said about the Lahore stadium in a press release. “The pitch was slow and low and made scoring runs very difficult. It did not suit a One Day International game as batters had to spend more time to settle in. It helped spin very early in the match and continued the same way throughout,” La Brooy said. The ICC also rated the Lord’s pitch in London, which hosted the first Test between England and New Zealand, as “unsatisfactory” based on Match Refer...

MUZAFFARABAD: Shops and markets were largely shut and vehicular traffic remained minimal in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Tuesday as the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) observed a strike. Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore urged a return to the negotiating table in a bid to end the tensions that have gripped the region over the past few days. During the day, Muzaffarabad’s streets were deserted, with hardly any vehicles on the roads. Riot police and paramilitary personnel remained deployed in the city. However, no demonstrations were witnessed in the capital. Meanwhile, reports from Mirpur said that hundreds of people had gathered in the town’s Quaid-i-Azam stadium. “Shops are closed here and traffic is off the roads,” local journalist Sajjad Jarral told Dawn by telephone. Witnesses in Kotli said that while the area observed a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike, hundreds of people led by JAAC core member Imtiaz Aslam were heading to...

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established Financial Action Task Force (FATF) desks across all its wings and zones by expanding the existing FATF secretariat at the Anti-Money Laundering Directorate, as part of the country’s upcoming evaluation by the global anti-money laundering watchdog next year. The move is intended to improve the effective implementation of international standards with regard to investigations into money laundering, terrorism financing and predicate offences. “This significant step will also improve the quality of investigations and prosecutions, data maintenance, timely generation of international cooperation requests, prompt inter-agency coordination and effective feedback mechanisms,” a senior FIA official told Dawn on Tuesday. According to the official, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar has instructed all zones and specialised wings to set up FATF desks within seven days, to ensure full compliance with international standards and avoid any deficiencies during th...

The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has announced a reward of Rs10 million for information leading to the arrest of four leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted protective bail to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanghar Abid Ali, who is accused of involvement in the illegal Gutka and Mawa supply trade.

Afghan security officials dispersed a women’s rights protest in the western province of Herat on Tuesday after residents said Taliban morality police detained women accused of violating mandatory dress rules. Witnesses said one person was killed, several others were wounded and dozens of people, including women and girls, were arrested. Taliban authorities have not confirmed casualties or arrests. Sayed Masoud Hosseini, spokesperson for Herat police, told the state-run Bakhtar News Agency that the gathering in the Jebrail area had “created tensions” and disturbed public order under the pretext of opposing the hijab, which he described as a religious obligation. Witnesses said the protests erupted when officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice attempted to arrest women opposing the mandatory dress requirements. Some residents said officials targeted women who were already observing the required dress code, which includes fully covering the face and body. Video from Herat sh...

United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that two US helicopter crew members were “fine” following their rescue by a US Navy drone after their Apache gunship went down in the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz. The US military’s Central Command (Centcom) said the AH-64 Apache went down at around 3am local time on Tuesday (4am PKT) near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters. It gave no reason for the crash. The pair were rescued within about two hours and were in stable condition, Centcom said. Centcom told Reuters the rescue was carried out by a drone but did not specify the model. It was not immediately clear whether the Apache had been shot down by Iranian fire, experienced mechanical failure, or encountered another problem. Asked if he knew what had brought the helicopter down, Trump said a report would be issued later on Tuesday. “The pilots are fine,” Trump said, speaking on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport before returning to Washington, DC. “Nobody injured.” Th...

Six Frontier Constabulary (FCN) personnel were martyred and four were injured while responding to an attempt by terrorists to capture a post in Peshawar’s Hassan Khel area on Monday, sources told Dawn. Eight terrorists have also been killed in retaliatory action, and the attempt to capture the post was foiled, according to sources. The sources said that three FCN personnel had been taken hostage by the terrorists. The sources said that security force personnel also reached the site of the incident, and they have cordoned off the area. Last month, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said in an assessment that after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan’s security situation had deteriorated sharply in May 2026, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The country witnessed six suicide attacks during May, including four vehicle-borne suicide bombings. These attacks alone resulted in the deaths of 34 security personnel and nine...