Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to speed up the privatization process of electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), reiterating that privatizing loss-making state-owned enterprises remains a top government priority.

Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up on Tuesday his first visit to North Korea in seven years, saying it had established a deeper, more comprehensive understanding yielding a clearer path for development of ties, the official Xinhua news agency said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Xi agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of politics, economy and culture at a summit in Pyongyang that opened a new chapter in ties, the North’s official KCNA news agency said. “The mutual understanding between China and North Korea has become deeper and more comprehensive, and the direction of future development has become clearer and more defined,” Xi told his hosts at a luncheon before his departure, Xinhua added. Kim waved both hands as Xi’s plane taxied down the tarmac, in footage from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, after an enthusiastic send-off by Pyongyang residents, who lined the road to the airport, waving flags and shouting friendship slogans. Earlier, the leaders jointly planted a fir tree in the grounds of...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Haji Fazal Elahi has claimed that a group of 35 to 40 dissident lawmakers exists within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, accusing the party leadership of failing to remain committed to the agenda of PTI founder Imran Khan.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the purchase of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation to help stabilize wheat and flour prices across the province.

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s envoy to the United Nations said on Monday that India’s key objectives in Afghanistan were “solely driven by the singular goal of destabilising Pakistan”. He made these remarks during a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan while responding to remarks by Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to UN Nasir Ahmad Faiq. Earlier in the session, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad detailed the use of Afghan soil by terrorists and its impact on Pakistan, calling for the Afghan Taliban to take action against militants. He also spoke about Pakistan’s counter-terrorism measures. Responding to Faiq’s comments on Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations, Ambassador Ahmad said: “Pakistan’s actions, including those conducted in March, were directed solely against the terrorist and military support infrastructure that is operating from Afghanistan. And it is in no way directed against the brotherly people of Afghanistan.” On March 16, the Afghan Taliban had acc...

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the budget for the next fiscal year (FY2026-27) would likely be presented in the parliament on June 12 (Friday). He posted this on X, further stating that summaries to convene budget sessions in the National Assembly and Senate on June 10 (Wednesday) had been sent to the presidency for approval. The sessions for the NA and the Senate have been advised to be summoned at 5pm and 4pm, respectively, Chaudhry added. Before Chaudhry’s statement, uncertainty had surrounded the date for the budget’s presentation as the federal government, its coalition partners and provincial governments struggled to reach a consensus over the Centre’s demand for more than Rs1 trillion for strategic needs. The meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) was postponed for the third time on Monday at the last moment amid continuing negotiations over the freezing of provincial shares in the federal divisible pool under the NFC Award. Muzzammil Aslam, adviser on ...

The federal budget 2026-27 will be presented in the National Assembly on June 12.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast below-normal rainfall across most parts of the country during the 2026 monsoon season, while some northern regions are expected to receive above-normal precipitation.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Lebanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Rodolphe Haykal on Tuesday discussed the evolving regional security situation and avenues for enhanced defence cooperation during a meeting at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi.

The Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment sentence awarded to Abdul Mannan for carrying out an acid attack on Faisalabad resident Iqra Parveen, rejecting his plea for a reduced sentence on the grounds that he was a juvenile at the time of the offence.

Doctors treated patients in tents set up under a scorching Philippine sun on Tuesday — including helping a young mother give birth — as the death toll from a major earthquake that collapsed buildings and sparked tsunami warnings topped 40. Thousands remained displaced and more than 450 injured following the magnitude-7.8 quake that struck off the southern island of Mindanao on Monday, according to national and local disaster agencies, though only four people were now believed missing. In the hardest-hit Sarangani province, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter and fears of aftershocks were slowing rescue efforts, local officials told reporters at a Tuesday briefing. “There are still aftershocks, so the rescuers are very cautious in their approach. That’s a challenge,” said regional civil defence chief Rodrigo Sosmena. A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, while hundreds of tiny quakes followed. Infrastructure damage, meanwhile, means some commun...

The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan (EGB) has ordered re-polling at a women’s polling station in constituency GBA-15 after declaring the earlier vote void due to disturbances that disrupted polling during the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Monday said Islamabad would not allow any attempt to support terrorism or undermine its national security, accusing India of pursuing policies aimed at destabilising Pakistan through militant groups operating from Afghan territory.

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday captain Ben Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson are being investigated for breaking team rules in a nightclub incident after the first Test against New Zealand. It is the latest controversy concerning the England team following a tour of Australia where the side was confronted with allegations of a drinking culture during a 4-1 Ashes series loss concluded in January. “The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand,” the governing body said. “Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place. “We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course. “The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.” Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub...

WASHINGTON: A United States federal judge has blocked a controversial Trump administration rule that would have required a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa application, it emerged on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump had ordered the annual fee be added to H-1B skilled worker visas in September 2025. H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialised skills — such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers — to work in the US, initially for three years, but extendable to six years. Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the charge was effectively a tax, and therefore illegal because only the US Congress has the authority to create new taxes. The decision came after 20 state attorneys general, all Democrats, filed a legal challenge. They argued that the fee would make it harder for public universities, schools, and hospitals to hire qualified international staff. The Trump administration had defended the policy, saying the president had the power to impose the fee as part of immigration en...

Peshawar - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Irrigation, Riaz Khan, formally inaugurated the Rs870 million “Dredging of Critical Waterways” project in District Buner.

Peshawar - Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Agriculture Mian Muhammad Umar has said that provincial government is simultaneously introducing comprehensive reforms in the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) to promote agriculture sector, ensure farmers prosperity, and increase agricultural productivity, while also making.

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi received Sultan Ali Allana, Chairman of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Director of the Agha Khan Fund for Economic Development, for discussions on investment opportunities and economic development initiatives in the province.

The Lebanese army commander held a meeting with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Tuesday, during which the two exchanged views on the evolving regional security environment. The military’s media affairs wing said in a statement that Lebanese armed forces’ Commander-in-Chief General Rodolphe Haykal called on CDF Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. He was presented a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out tri-services contingent upon his arrival at the GHQ, the statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations said. “During the meeting, both dignitaries exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional security environment, defence cooperation and prospects for enhancing bilateral military relations,” it added. The discussions focused on strengthening professional interactions, training cooperation and institutional linkages between the armed forces of the two countries, the statement said. It said Field Marshal Munir reaffirmed during...

ISLAMABAD: A flock of flamingos resting at Rawal Lake was hunted down by poachers with the help of locals, raising concerns among environmentalists. “We also have evidence that poachers also killed other medium-sized water birds such as the magnificent coots and moorhens,” said an official of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). Most of the IWMB staff was engaged with seasonal firefighting efforts in the Margalla Hills National Park, the official said, adding that “poachers took advantage of our absence to hunt the birds. About 12 to 13 flamingos were allegedly killed but we are still ascertaining the correct numbers”. A report of the incident has been submitted with the assistant commissioner Islamabad. Incident being investigated; report submitted with assistant commissioner “The police are cooperating with the board and a first information report (FIR) will be registered after further investigations are complete,” the IWMB said. According to the management board, the incident occurred on June 3,...