Pakistan

Hanif Noorzai QUETTA: Kidnapped Assistant Commissioner of Tump tehsil Hanif Noorzai was released by his abductors on Wednesday night. Kech Deputy Commissioner Bashir Ahmed Breach confirmed the development. Mr Noorzai had been abducted by armed men on June 4 while he was travelling from Tump to Quetta with his family to celebrate Eid. His official vehicle was intercepted during the journey. The armed men allowed his family, driver and Levies guards to go, but took Mr Noorzai away at gunpoint. The banned Balochistan Liberation Front had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. According to sources, Mr Noorzai was released in Tump and later informed the authorities about his release. The assistant commissioner reached Quetta late at night on a special plane arranged by the Balochistan chief minister. Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2025

Pakistan has warned the UN Security Council (UNSC) that terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains the “gravest threat” to its national security, urging the Taliban authorities to fulfill their counterterrorism commitments.

The Sikh community has urged the Modi government to lift the ban on Sikh Yatrees wishing to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming 556th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast rain, windstorms, and thundershowers in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Pothohar region, northeast Punjab, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s mining sector has the potential to significantly increase its contribution to the national economy, with revenues projected to rise from $2 billion to $6-8bn annually by 2030, provided the country capitalises on its vast untapped mineral reserves. In a keynote address at the Natural Resources and Energy Summit 2025 on Wednesday, Shamsuddin A. Shaikh, CEO of National Resources Ltd (NRL), highlighted the sector’s underutilised potential. He noted that while Pakistan sits on one of the world’s richest mineral belts, it contributes only 0.15pc to global mineral output and 2-3pc to national GDP. Of the 92 known minerals in the country, nearly 90pc remain unexplored. Shaikh stressed the urgency of exploiting these resources, warning that failure to act quickly could result in foreign companies capitalising on the opportunity. “This is the time for Pakistani companies and investors to lead through joint ventures and partnerships, creating wealth and jobs at home,” he said. Key projects already un...

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on Wednesday heard a constitutional petition challenging the sales tax on women’s sanitary napkins, with the petitioner arguing the levy treats a basic health necessity as a luxury item and perpetuates gender inequality. LHC Justice Jawad Hassan took up the petition, filed by Mahnoor Omer, which seeks to exempt sanitary pads and related products from sales tax. With the court’s approval, the petition also added the Revenue Division via its Secretary as a respondent, arguing that the tax system indirectly discriminates against women and violates constitutional rights to equality and dignity as outlined in Articles 3, 9, 14, 25 and 37. Advocate Ahsan Jehangir Khan, the petitioner’s counsel, said that only 12pc of menstruating women in Pakistan can afford commercial sanitary pads, forcing the rest to use unsafe alternatives. Petition argues levy on sanitary napkins violates gender equality rights He noted that locally manufactured sanitary products have ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reaffirmed its focus on integrating the New Gwadar International Airport with the port as part of the five-year Maritime Affairs Action Plan (2025-2029), aiming to transform Gwadar into a regional trade and transit hub. The commitment was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Wednesday. The plan, aligned with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), seeks to enhance maritime cooperation with China while promoting economic connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The framework emphasises infrastructure development, including the expansion of Gwadar Port, completion of Free Zone Stage II, and acceleration of East Bay Expressway Phase II to improve inland accessibility. A key component is the integration of the airport with the port to support multi-modal transit and regional logistics. The plan also supports the adoption of electronic data interchange systems and smart port ...

• 27-nation bloc wants to seal trade deal with the world’s most populous nation • Putin, Modi hail friendly ties amid Trump pressure BRUSSELS: The European Union’s top diplomat warned on Wednesday that its push for closer ties with India could be hampered by New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil and involvement in military drills with Moscow. The 27-nation bloc is pressing to seal a trade deal with the world’s most populous nation and strengthen bonds in areas like defence as US President Donald Trump has rocked the global order. “Ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending the rules-based international order,” EU foreign policy chief Kallas said, as she unveiled a new strategy from Brussels to bolster relations. “Participating in military exercises, purchases of oil — all these are obstacles to our cooperation when it comes to deepening the ties,” Kallas said. But she acknowledged the EU did not believe India would “completely decouple” from Russia and the two sides sought to...

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has warned the UN Security Council that terrorist groups operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan pose the gravest threat to its national security, urging stronger international action against networks using both physical and digital platforms to target the country. Ambassador Asim Ifti­khar Ahmed, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, told a Council meeting on Afghanistan on Tuesday that entities like Al Qaeda, IS-Khorasan, TTP, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Baloch insurgent groups such as the BLA and Majeed Brigade continue to operate with impunity from across the border. “We have credible evidence of collaboration among these groups through joint training, illicit weapons trade, refuge to terrorists and coordinated attacks,” he said. More than 60 terrorist camps function as hubs for infiltration, targeting civilians, security forces and development projects inside Pakistan, he added. The envoy said the threat extended to cyberspace, where nearly 70 propag...

• Starlink, Amazon, Shanghai Spacecom among aspirants awaiting finalisation of licensing regime • PTA policy draft ready, but chief’s legal troubles may delay promulgation • Draft envisions all user data remaining ‘within Pakistan’; ISPs to block any content when asked ISLAMABAD: With at least five companies interested in entering the Paki­stani market, the Pakistan Telecommu­nication Author­ity’s (PTA) spadework for launching satellite internet services in the country is almost complete. However, a final requirement — registration of the service providers with the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) — has yet to be fulfilled, holding up large amounts of potential foreign investment and stalling high-speed connectivity plans. In addition, while the PTA’s draft policy for the registration of satellite-based internet providers is also ready to be rolled out, the legal troubles facing its chairman could delay its formal approval. The policy draft was expected to be approved by the end of this mont...

Pakistan won with ease by 41 runs after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) won the toss and elected to bowl first in their much-delayed men’s Asia Cup encounter. The Pakistan-UAE clash was set to go through on Wednesday after Zimbabwean referee Andy Pycroft apologised to the manager and captain of the Green Shirts after much uncertainty surrounding the fixture in the fallout of the Pakistan-India match last Sunday. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha at the post-match ceremony said his team hasn’t batted at their best yet. “We need to bat better in the middle overs… we’re till finding our way to 150+ scores,” Salman said. Salman called player of the match, Shaheen Afridi a match-winner. The left-arm pacer was adjudicated POTM for his heroics with the bat and his contribution with the ball in what became a comprehensive victory for the Green Shirts. Match analysis by Abyan Amir: Shaheen reminded us of his father-in-law yet again with another terrific Afridi cameo that helped salvage the dithering Pakistani batting in...

After a day which saw cricket take the backseat and politics deliver the drama, Pakistan advanced in a tournament they had been looking to boycott hours earlier. The United Arab Emirates became the casualty as Salman Ali Agha’s men knocked the hosts out of the men’s Asia Cup in the final Group ‘A’ match on Wednesday to book a spot in the Super Four stage. And surprise, surprise; they have been drawn against archrivals India for Sunday’s Super Four opener, which is expected to be a heated affair after the handshake controversy and Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav’s post-match comments left a bad taste after their seven-wicket win in the first-round fixture between the two teams last Sunday. But — despite the off-field noise — can we expect it to be a competitive affair? The simple answer is a big, big NO. In the group match between the neighbours, it was established that Pakistan have tumbled a league below India in terms of quality and skill. But when they go up against weaker opposition, the boys in green ten...

Resistance from major firms stalls legal changes; IMF team due this month

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Experts stress that local-global partnerships are necessary to build expertise, shield country from predatory practice

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Islamabad, Beijing agree to five-year maritime action plan to establish feeder routes, and green port model

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