Pakistan

The Islamabad High Court has fixed June 1 for hearing sentence suspension applications filed by human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha in the social media posts case.

Two cargo ships collided within the operational limits of Karachi Port on Thursday, causing damage to one vessel and resulting in a container falling into the sea.

An uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a Florida launchpad during a test on Thursday, in a major setback for Jeff Bezos space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s IPO-bound SpaceX. Video posted by NASASpaceflight, which livestreams launches from Florida, showed the towering New Glenn rocket igniting on the pad at about 9pm ET (6am PKT on Friday) before erupting into a massive fireball that billowed skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air. Blue Origin was preparing the rocket for its fourth launch, which was due to deliver 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts to build a broadband constellation to rival Musks Starlink network. Amazon Leo satellites were not integrated on the rocket at the time of the incident, a source familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named due to its sensitivity. The explosion marks the latest setback for the long-delayed New Glenn, which is supposed to play a central role in delivering lunar la...

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday met with World Bank Country Director Bolorma Amgaabazar to review progress on Karachi’s water supply, infrastructure development projects, and the K-IV augmentation scheme. According to a press release issued by the Chief Minister House, Murad said the Sindh government, with the World Bank’s support, aims to establish a “modern and sustainable water supply system for Karachi”. He added that the K-IV project is vital for meeting the city’s future water requirements. CM Murad directed the authorities concerned to “remove all technical and administrative hurdles in the K-IV project and ensure its timely completion”. He emphasised that effective water management and transparent governance were essential in view of Karachi’s rapidly growing population. During the meeting, the chief minister and the World Bank country director also discussed water metering, urban improvement works in informal settlements, and ongoing reforms in the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (...

Commemorating the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2026, Pakistan on Friday reaffirmed its support for UN peacekeeping missions and vowed its renewed “investment in peace”. President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement highlighted that Pakistan was host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan. “The continued presence and relevance of this Mission reaffirm the responsibility of the international community to support a just and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he added. President Zardari said that the work of UN peacekeepers “brings stability and hope to communities affected by conflict and displacement”. This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace”, highlights the importance of “sustained political commitment and financial support” for peace worldwide, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his statement. On this day in 1948, the first UN peacekeeping mission commenced operations in Palestine, the premier added. Sin...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed June 1 for hearing the sentence suspension applications filed by human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha in the social media posts case. As per a one-page written order issued by IHC’s Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, following last week’s hearing, a certified copy of the Supreme Court’s May 12 order had been submitted. It should be noted that the SC had directed the IHC on May 12 to decide within two weeks on Imaan and Hadi’s pleas seeking the suspension of their sentence. On May 20, the IHC had issued notices to officials of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on applications requesting an expedited hearing of the sentence suspension petitions. Earlier this month, the judge had raised objections over the non-submission of certified copies of the SC order and directed the defence counsel to submit the certified order through the court office in accordance with the prescribed procedure. Following the submission of the...

Sharmila Farooqi has once again defended her earlier remarks comparing Karachi to Paris, saying the port city remains “Paris” for her because it is home.

The Government of Punjab has officially enforced the Punjab Labour Code 2026, introducing a comprehensive legal framework aimed at strengthening workers’ rights across the province, including contract employees, gig workers and digital platform-based labour.

Measles in the US, a cholera outbreak in the DRC, TB patient registration drops in Cambodia, Kenya, and Mozambique and closer to home, HIV outbreaks in children have all been linked to what doctors have warned are cuts to programmes and disastrous policy changes. Global funding has shrunk for healthcare across countries that need it the most which is why experts in Pakistan are really getting worried. The effects are immediately clear on the ground. In the busy streets of Lyari, Karachi, Amna Sualeh once navigated confidently through her community as a health worker with the Greenstar Social Marketing’s Sitara Baji (star sister) programme. Women trusted her to provide affordable intrauterine devices (IUDs), counselling on how to space out their children, and basic reproductive health services. “Before, with donor support, we could perform IUD insertions for just Rs500,” she says. “Now it costs up to Rs10,000 in private clinics. Many simply can’t afford it anymore.” Her clients, mostly working-class mothers, h...

Spectators at a top beach volleyball competition in Japan this weekend will be banned from taking photos or videos after organisers said fans had been responsible for “malicious” shots of players. The Japan Volleyball Association said recording images on any device, including smart glasses, would be prohibited at the Tonarino round of the country’s beach volleyball tour for men and women, taking place on Saturday and Sunday. The ban carries on from last week’s round in the coastal city of Hekinan, where the JVA said players had complained that they were “unable to concentrate on their performance”. “Despite our repeated guidance and reminders regarding the rules and etiquette for photography, we have observed malicious photography by some spectators at the Hekinan round,” the JVA said upon introducing the ban. “We take a very serious view of the fact that inappropriate photography has not improved despite repeated warnings.” The JVA expanded its ban for this weekend’s event to include binoculars, opera glasse...

Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Friday he had assured Romania’s president of the alliance’s “absolute solidarity” as he slammed Russia for a drone crash in the country bordering Ukraine. Nato member Romania said that a drone injured two people in a southeastern city during an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine, the first time in the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries. The incident in Romania, also a member of the European Union, was likely to increase tensions on Nato’s eastern flank at a time when Ukraine’s allies are worried about Russia’s war on its neighbour spilling over its borders. “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” Rutte wrote on social media after a call with President Nicusor Dan. “I affirmed that Nato stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory.” The drone hit the roof of a 10-storey block of flats in Galati and caused an explosion, the Romanian authorities said. “We condemn Russia’s recklessness, and Nato will continue to str...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on an official visit during which he is scheduled to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral relations and regional developments.

Soldiers of the Pakistan Army deployed at the Siachen Glacier on the occasion of Eidul Azha reaffirmed their commitment to defending the country under extreme weather and operational conditions.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia’s premier defence summit opening on Friday, but China’s top officials are not expected, despite weighty questions like Taiwan and the war in Iran. Beijing’s defence minister is to skip the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore for the second year running, which analysts viewed as a sign of China’s rising power. Yet, the forum that brings together top officials from around 45 nations has historically provided a setting for debate as well as quiet and high-profile diplomacy. Defence Minister Dong Jun’s absence means no meeting there with Hegseth as China warns the US over its involvement with Taiwan and Washington seeks an end to the Middle East war. The Middle East was the source of 57 per cent of China’s direct seaborne crude imports in 2025 — 5.9 million barrels per day (mbd) — maritime tracking firm Kpler said. Hegseth’s second trip to the Shangri-La Dialogue comes after US President Donald Trump’s visit to China in May, and his subsequent sug...

President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned separate sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate on June 5 to announce the federal budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2026-27. According to an official press release issued by the Presidency on Friday, the NA has been summoned at 5pm on June 5, while the Senate session is scheduled for 6pm. Meetings of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) and the National Economic Council (NEC) — forums which review economic and development performance during the outgoing FY and set targets for the following year — are scheduled in the first week of June. The schedule hints that presentation of the federal budget to parliament may slip to the second week of June from the first week, as earlier contemplated by the authorities concerned. The government is set to approve a consolidated national development programme of more than Rs3.5 trillion and a macroeconomic framework envisaging an economic growth rate of 4.1 per cent with an elevated inflation rate of 8.5pc for FY2026-...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday called for concerted efforts to strengthen the federation, affirming that the government wanted Pakistan to make economic progress. He made the remarks at a public gathering in Naushahro Feroze district’s Moro city, where he interacted with local notables and elected members, and visited the residence of Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar. “We will together strengthen the hands of the establishment, strengthen our own hands, and strengthen the country,” the president said. Zardari said the country must ensure food self-sufficiency and strengthen its economy to become more stable and stronger. He reaffirmed the government’s aim to improve agriculture, raise per-acre yield, increase incomes and uplift people’s living standards. The president said the government was aware of public difficulties and was working to address them with a focus on long-term benefits for future generations. He noted that development plans in Gwadar were expected to bring positive economic change to ...

Israeli and Russian security forces have been added to a United Nations blacklist on sexual violence in conflict, according to a report reviewed on Thursday by AFP. Published annually by the UN, the list includes dozens of state and non-state groups credibly suspected of having engaged “systematically” in sexual violence in countries such as Sudan, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria and Mali. Last August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel and Russia of their possible inclusion on the list. Despite the warning, the report says that “incidents and patterns of sexual violence continued to be documented by the United Nations” in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories. UN investigators faced “continued denial of access” from authorities in both countries, according to the report, seen by AFP before its circulation among Security Council members. Regarding Israel, “in 2025, patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occu...

BAHAWALPUR: The sizzling heat, which has been gripping the Cholistan desert for the previous one month, has caused an acute water shortage for the desert areas residents and their livestock, as around one-third of the water ponds in the area have gone dry. Dawn has learnt that around one-third of the 2,000 open ponds, locally called ‘toba’, which are the main source of drinking water, besides very few water supply lines in some of the desert areas, for the locals and their livestock, have dried up, causing an acute water shortage in Cholistan. According to experts, during the hot months in the desert areas, the high water evaporation rate, caused bythe scorching sunlight and high temperatures, turns these open ponds dry. According to local sources, these 2,000 open water ponds cater to water needs of around 0.3 million humans and their 1.5 million cattle heads. CDA head claims efforts on to supply water to desert area residents However, a number of tobas, including those at Chhoriwala, Kaliwala, Balochanwala,...

SUKKUR: A coalition of human rights advocates, legal experts and civil society leaders have demanded an urgent overhaul of the justice system, warning that statutory protections for women are being actively undermined by poor institutional implementation and deep-rooted societal stigma. Speaking at a seminar titled “Violence Against Women: Culture of Silence, Societal Accep­tance and Institutional Response” at the Sukkur Arts Council, speakers cautioned that legislation alone is insufficient to combat gender-based violence without a drastic shift in public mindset and state accountability. The event, co-hosted by the Sindh Women Lawyers Alliance, the National Commission for Rights of Women, and the Community Development Foundation (CDF), highlighted the stark contrast between written law and reality on the ground. Keynote speaker Ms Rubina Brohi categorised violence against women as a severe breach of fundamental human rights rather than a private domestic matter. While acknowledging that protective legislati...

LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has lodged a strong protest with the federal government over the Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) decision to impose a 27 per cent water shortage exclusively on Sindh during the Kharif season. Khuhro criticised the decision for maintaining zero cuts for Punjab, while continuing the release of 25,500 cusecs from the Indus River into the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal and Tunsa-Panjnad Link Canal. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Khuhro condemned Irsa ‘s actions as a direct violation of the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and demanded that the prime minister take immediate notice of what he described as the deliberate “economic destruction” of the lower riparian province. Mr Khuhro pointed out that under the 1991 water accord, Sindh requires over 80,000 cusecs of water at the Guddu Barrage during the Kharif season. However, as of Tuesday, only 65,304 cusecs had been released — a significant shortfall at a critical time for standin...