Pakistan

As of August 2025, Palestine has been recognised as a state by 147 of the United Nations’ 193 member states. Despite nearly three-quarters of the world’s nations accepting it as one of them, Palestine’s status remains contested. Whilst it has the status of a permanent observer state at the UN, which allows for participation but does not grant voting rights, its actual status seems to be in between — it is neither a state nor entirely not a state. Its status is all the more perplexing given that the issue of how an entity becomes a state in international law is itself highly uncertain. Becoming a State States are formally equal sovereigns in international law and all have the same legal personality. In the international system, they are juridically equal, with inequalities of power between them not affecting this inherent equality. The concept of independence and equality of a sovereign state is one of the axiomatic principles of international law. States remain the most fundamental actors in the global legal ...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday condemned the deaths of civilians during “operations against terrorists” in the province’s Tirah area. Earlier, a senior police officer in the area told AFP on condition of anonymity that “jets targeted four houses, which were completely destroyed”. He, however, did not say who carried out the attack. The incident generated criticism from multiple quarters. A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said CM Ali Amin Gandapur met a delegation from the district following the incident with PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi, the KP chief secretary, additional chief secretary (home), Peshawar commissioner and other officials also present in the meeting that reviewed the law and order situation in the “context of the unfortunate incident” that occurred in Tirah. “Martyrdom of civilians in the incident is regrettable and condemnable. Martyrdom of civilians as a result of operations against terrorists is unacceptable,” the statement quoted CM Gandapur as saying. It added tha...

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq led a parliamentary delegation to Bahrain on the special invitation of President of the Council of Representatives Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam to reinforce Pakistan’s parliamentary diplomacy and expand its regional outreach.

Tech giant Oracle is set to provide security for a US version of TikTok’s algorithm, the White House said on Monday, under a deal for the sale of the Chinese-owned app’s American operations. The proposal moves TikTok’s US operations into a new joint venture based in the United States, a senior White House official told reporters, adding that the entity would involve a “majority-American board of directors.” Oracle, in turn, is expected to serve as a security provider. The agreement provides that a copy of TikTok’s content recommendation algorithm be brought into the US joint venture system, the official said. “It’s going to be fully inspected and retrained by the security provider on US user data, and then it’s going to be operated by that US entity,” the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Washington has forcefully sought to take TikTok’s US operations from the hands of the Chinese parent company ByteDance over national security reasons. Under President Donald Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, C...

Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on Monday announced he would challenge the Supreme Court (SC) registrar’s decision to return his petition, which sought the court’s intervention to fix the hearing of pending petitions contesting the 26th Constitutional Amendment before a full bench. “This amounts to undermining and closing the doors of justice. Will file an appeal,” Khokhar said on X. The 26th Constitutional Amendment takes away the SC’s suo motu powers, sets the chief justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) term at three years and empowers a special par­liamentary committee to nominate the next CJP from among the three most senior SC judges. Invoking the inherent jurisdiction of the apex court for the enforcement of fundamental rights under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, Khokhar had pled the apex court on September 4 for the immediate fixation of the pending challenges to the 26th Amendment before the full court, in compliance with the Oct 31, 2024, decision of the judges’ co...

Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan has said his team is confident that it would face “India again in the final” of the men’s Asia Cup next Sunday. India romped home on Sunday with a six-wicket win, chasing down the 172-run target with ease in their second high-intensity encounter against Pakistan in the tournament. Pakistan rode on a brilliant 45-ball 58 from opener Sahibzada Farhan but managed 171-5 after romping to 93-1 in 9.3 overs. Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Monday, before Pakistan clash with Sri Lanka tomorrow, the opener said: “We are confident that we will face India again in the final (of the Asia Cup).” Speaking about his celebration after he scored his half-century against India, he said: “I hardly celebrate after a 50. It was a spontaneous thought to celebrate that way — I don’t care for what people are making of it.” He added that Fakhar’s role from the other end gave him confidence to play his shots. In Pakistan’s last match against India, the bitterness between the two sides — w...

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday took notice of an attack last night on Metro 1 News anchorperson Imtiaz Mir in Karachi’s Malir area that injured him. According to a statement issued by the Saudabad police station late last night, Mir was shot and injured by unknown gunmen in Malir district’s Kala Board area. “It seems to be targeted,” said the statement, adding that further investigation was under way. CM Shah took notice of the “murderous attack on senior journalist Imtiaz Mir”, said a statement issued by the CM’s spokesperson, Abdur Rasheed Channa. Expressing deep regret over the incident, the chief minister sought a report on the incident from Sindh Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon. Saudabad Station House Officer (SHO) Atiqur Rehman told Dawn.com, “The journalist is admitted at the intensive care unit of [a] private hospital.” He added that Mir sustained two bullet wounds, including one on the mouth. “He was travelling in a car, which his brother was driving, when armed pillion riders targ...

A new polio case has been confirmed in Hyderabad district, Sindh, raising Pakistan’s total number of cases in 2025 to 27, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported.

The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Monday ordered the arrest and production of former Sindh governor and PTI leader Imran Ismail in connection with the Azadi March case.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against suspects who allegedly gunned down three transgender persons in Karachi, it emerged on Monday. The bodies of three transgender individuals were recovered from Karachi’s Memon Goth area after midnight on Sunday, according to Edhi Information Centre. It said the bodies were found riddled with bullet holes and that the deceased were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medicolegal formalities. The complaint was filed at Memon Goth police station on Sunday under Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, registered by a transgender person who lived in the same building as the three victims, they told the complainant on Saturday evening that they were headed to Bahria Town on Super Highway. “I tried calling them, but they did not answer. I kept calling them until 1am,” the complainant stated in the FIR. Ït was not until I opened WhatsApp that I...

A new polio case has been confirmed in Sindh’s Hyderabad district, taking the nationwide tally to 27 this year and total cases in Sindh to seven, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Monday. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. According to a statement from the NIH, “With this detection, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 27 – including 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.” NIH added that, “Polio Eradication conducted a Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign in September 2025 across 88 districts of the country including Hyderabad.” The campaign immunised “approximately 21 million children under the age of five,” NIH said. The next polio immunisation campaign will run from October 13 to 19 and aims to tar...

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur chaired a meeting of the Health Department here on Monday to review the performance of the Healthcare Commission over the past six months.

Awami Raj Party leader Jamshed Dasti has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a District and Sessions Court in Multan in a fake degree case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has departed for China to attend the 14th Joint Coordination Committee meeting on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, scheduled in Beijing on Friday.

The Balochistan High Court on Monday granted bail to tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai, a key suspect in the Degari honour killing case involving the brutal murder of a couple allegedly on the orders of a local Jirga.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed from London on Monday for New York, where he will lead Pakistan’s delegation at a high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) session. At the UNGA session, PM Shehbaz “will urge the international community to resolve the situations of prolonged occupation and denial of the right to self-determination,” particularly in India-occupied Kashmir and Palestine, an earlier statement by the Foreign Office (FO) said. “He will also highlight Pakistan’s perspective on the regional security situation, as well as other issues of international concern, including climate change, terrorism, Islamophobia, and sustainable development.” The FO, in its statement, said PM Shehbaz would attend several “high-level events” on the sidelines of the UNGA session, including a moot of “select” Muslim leaders with US President Donald Trump. Further, during his visit, he will meet several world leaders and senior UN officials to exchange views on issues of mutual interest. “He w...

The Supreme Court Registrar’s Office has returned constitutional petitions submitted by five judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), raising objections over their admissibility.

Chairman of the Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins on Monday held detailed discussions on advancing bilateral relations and exploring new avenues of cooperation in diverse fields.

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is all set to host an international conference on biosciences on September 23, aiming to foster collaboration and shape the future direction of biosciences.

Posts from multiple pro-Pakistani accounts on social media platform X since September 18 shared a video, claiming that it allegedly showed the Indian Army chief admitting to the loss of four Rafale Jets during the May standoff between India and Pakistan. However, the video is doctored and does not show the Indian Army chief. Pakistan and India fought in a four-day conflict earlier in May 2025. Indian fighter jets were shot down by the Pakistan Air Force on the night of May 6-7 in response to the Indian Air Force’s late-night missile strikes at six Pakistani sites, including Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East, Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad, Abbas Mosque in Kotli, Umalkura Mosque in Muridke, the village of Kotki Lohara in Sialkot district, and Shakargarh. Pakistan took down six Indian jets, including three advanced French Rafale planes, one Su-30MKI, one Mirage 2000 and one MiG-29, within a 40-minute span. Not one Pakistani jet crossed the border or engaged in close combat. On Sept 18, an X account, tha...