Pakistan

Young students gathered in New Delhi on Saturday for the first street protest by the satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) over alleged irregularities in recent major examinations. Carrying paper cockroach masks and pamphlets, the protesters called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who has faced criticism over the irregularities, including question paper leaks and technical glitches. The CJP has garnered millions of followers on social media since its launch last month. Modi’s government has blocked the movement’s X account in the country, a move the CJP has challenged in a Delhi court. Political analysts say the group’s popularity has begun to dent Modi’s image despite his party’s recent victories in key state elections, even as wider frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages brought by the Iran war. Abhijeet Dipke, head of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), holds a copy of “My Autobiography” by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as he gestures towards his supporters upon his arr...

Pakistan and India again traded barbs at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) — this time on occupied Kashmir — with Islamabad slamming the other side for “misleading” the council. Speaking during the presentation of the UNSC’s Annual Report to the General Assembly on Friday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, according to a press release. Pakistan coordinated and drafted the introduction to the annual report. Subsequently, in his statement, India’s UN envoy, Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of misusing the UN platforms for its so-called “divisive political interests”. He also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India”. In turn, Political Coordinator at the Pakistan Mission Gul Qaiser Sarwani, utilising the right of reply, pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir “remains an internationally recognised dispute on the agenda of the Security Council”. “N...

India have called up teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for their upcoming Twenty20 international series against Ireland and England, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) announced on Saturday, while Shreyas Iyer has been named captain. Sooryavanshi, 15, is fresh off a breakout campaign in the Indian Premier League in which he topped the scoring charts with 776 runs in 16 matches, while also breaking Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in a season. His performances for the Rajasthan Royals made him the first player in IPL history to be named both the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Best Emerging Player, with many tipping him for a spot in the senior Twenty20 International side. Selectors also fired Suryakumar Yadav as captain following a poor run of form, just three months after he led the country to World Cup glory at home. Should Sooryavanshi go on to make his debut against either Ireland or England, he would become the youngest player to represent an Indian men’s senior team, bettering great Sachin Tendulkar, ...

New attacks in the Middle East on Friday threatened to unravel an already fragile US-Iran ceasefire. Weeks of complex talks marked by threats and flare-ups of violence have failed to secure a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for global energy flows. A ceasefire in the Middle East war, triggered nearly 100 days ago by US and Israeli strikes that wiped out Iran’s top leadership, has been in place since April 8. But tensions surged again on Friday when the US military said it struck radar sites in Iran after downing drones headed toward the strait. Shortly after, air raid sirens sounded in neighboring Gulf nations Kuwait and Bahrain — both US allies — and AFP correspondents in both countries heard explosions. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said early on Saturday they had targeted “enemy bases in the area” with missiles in response to a US “invasion” of the country’s Sirik and Qeshm islands. US Central Command (Centcom) said Iran launched seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and B...

Hundreds of young students gathered in New Delhi on Saturday for the first street protest by the satirical “Cockroach People’s Party” over alleged irregularities in recent major examinations. Carrying paper cockroach masks and pamphlets, the protesters called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who has faced criticism over the irregularities, including question paper leaks and technical glitches. “We want accountability from the government,” Utkarsh Raj, a medical college aspirant, told AFP at the protest site, which was watched closely by police officers in riot gear. “How is it that exam papers get leaked in this country? How is this right?” added Raj, 16. Protesters were led by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston University graduate who arrived in New Delhi from the United States on Saturday. “The youth of the country will no longer fear anyone, they will fight,” Dipke, a former political communications strategist for the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, told supporters at the rally. “...

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and local partners have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the development of a maritime business district on prime Karachi Port Trust’s (KPT) waterfront land, the maritime affairs ministry said on Saturday. In a statement, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the MoU was signed between KPT, Saudi Business Council–Najd Gateway Holding Company, Arif Habib Dolmen REIT Management Limited (AHDRML), and the Pakistan Corporate Consortium. The proposed project would be built on a 140‑acre KPT site on Karachi’s MT Khan Road and is intended to transform the area into a major commercial and maritime hub, the minister said. The development is envisaged to include modern commercial infrastructure aimed at attracting investment, generating employment, and supporting urban development, he added. “This strategic collaboration is a transformative opportunity to unlock the full potential of KPT’s waterfront assets and position Pakistan as a regional hub for maritime co...

North Korea plans to build a 10,000-ton destroyer and develop secret underwater weapons, state media said on Saturday, ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, reporting on a Thursday naval test supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, said he ordered the navy to deploy the destroyer Kang Kon and another 5,000-ton warship, the Choe Hyon, as soon as possible. The newspaper did not give further details. It is the first time North Korea has mentioned a plan to build a 10,000-ton destroyer, said Hong Min, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Institute for National Unification. Kim may be seeking to showcase the country’s military capabilities ahead of Xi’s visit on Monday and Tuesday, Hong said. The North Korean leader said Pyongyang must enhance its naval capabilities to deter a nuclear war, while calling for powerful military capabilities across land, sea and air, the newspaper said. Xi is making his first visit to North Korea in nearly seven years as Beijing looks to reassert ties w...

Pakistan and Russia have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation against illegal immigration, as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from regional countries on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Kyrgyzstan.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has advised students to carefully verify the status and accreditation of foreign degree programmes before seeking admission, warning that degrees completed entirely through online or blended learning modes may not be recognised in Pakistan after Spring 2026.

Authorities have imposed Section 144 in Diamer district for 60 days as preparations for the 2026 Gilgit-Baltistan General Assembly elections enter the final phase, with thousands of officials deployed to oversee polling across the region.

Peshawar - chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi inaugurated an Anti-Corruption Desk at the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell to facilitate the reporting and registration of corruption-related complaints.

PESHAWAR - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi held meeting with a delegation led by Chairman Aqua Tech Fisheries, Ahmed Hussain, at Governor House here on Friday.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, signed agreements to enhance cooperation in preventing illegal immigration and drug trafficking, the interior ministry said on Saturday. Naqvi is currently attending a special meeting of the Ministers of Interior and Public Security of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. According to the interior ministry, Naqvi and Kolokoltsev signed agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation to curb illegal immigration and facilitate the repatriation of citizens.  The two also signed an agreement to enhance collaboration in combating narcotics and preventing drug trafficking. Meanwhile, Naqvi also held separate meetings with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the ministry said. It added that during his meeting with Tajikistan’s Interior Minister Rahimzoda Ramazon Hamro, the discussions focused on terrorist camps inside Afghanistan. “Both ministers agreed that terrorist ca...

Finance minister claims Pakistan’s economy remained stable despite floods and ongoing Middle East conflict New fixed tax scheme to cover three to four million shop owners Scheme is meant for traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs200 million: Bilal Azhar Kayani Shop owners in fixed tax scheme will be.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Friday strongly rejected India’s criticism of the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, describing New Delhi’s statements as “baseless” and politically motivated.

GILGIT - Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed an election rally at the Aga Khan Polo Ground in Gilgit on Friday.

Islamabad/MUZAFFARABAD - The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday officially declared the Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2014.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on World Environment Day directed authorities to ensure the early completion of the region’s first Environment Observatory Project, as she reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to combating plastic pollution and strengthening environmental protection measures.

A PAKISTANI couple living in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia have been sentenced to two years in prison for forcing their 22-year-old daughter to abort and coercing her into marrying her cousin in Pakistan, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The case echoes the tragic tale of Saman Abbas, a young woman murdered by her family for refusing an arranged marriage in Pakistan. The young woman, who was not identified, reportedly rebelled and reported her parents to the Carabinieri (Italian police) after years of abuse. The victim was said to have been locked in the basement at night, deprived of her cell phone, slapped, forced to kneel, and beaten with her face smashed against the floor. She was subsequently forced to go to Pakistan and threatened if she didn’t agree to an engagement and marriage to a cousin. Finally, when it was discovered that she had become pregnant by a young boyfriend whom her family deemed unsuitable, she was punched in the abdomen and back and forced to have an abortion. Her parents, aged 5...

RECENT photos and videos of the Attabad Lake in Gilgit-Baltistan seem to show that the size of the water body has shrunken considerably. But the phenomenon at play here is not a drying-up of the lake, rather heavy silt and sedimentation encroaching on the lake bed, according to an iVerify fact check published on Friday. Known as GB’s “crown jewel” and a major tourist attraction, the lake was formed after the Attabad village in the Gojal Valley witnessed a major landslide on January 4, 2010. Recent visuals of the lake have had netizens talking, showing large parts of its once-turquoise waters replaced by dry, exposed land. Many raised concerns over a “visible decline in water levels”, linking it to environmental degradation, while other argued that the apparent drying was a usual phenomenon. Jamil Nagri, Dawn’s correspondent in Gilgit, confirmed the authenticity of the visuals circulating on social media. But the size of the lake, which is not a natural water body, rather a landslide-dammed reservoir, is susce...