Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved the halal meat export policy and directed relevant authorities to present a comprehensive, three-year strategy within two weeks, comprising measures to increase exports. Pakistan barely has a 0.25 per cent share in the global halal food trade of more than $3 trillion, which reflects the need for the government and private sector to take proactive initiatives to explore the true potential of ‘Made in Pakistan’ products and establish a niche for itself. The decision was made during a meeting of a committee established to enhance Pakistan’s halal meat export market, focusing on the export policy and sector reforms. PM Shehbaz was presiding over the meeting. “A comprehensive strategy, formulated through coordination among all relevant federal ministries and provincial governments, is essential and significant to make Pakistan’s share in the halal meat market of Muslim countries as well as the global market,” PM Shehbaz said. He asked officials to present proposal...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the removal of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri after ruling that his appointment as a judge was illegal due to the absence of a valid law degree at the time of his induction.

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi has extended warm congratulations to His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, the Royal Family, and the people of Qatar on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, lauding the country’s remarkable progress and visionary leadership.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez ur Rehman on Thursday emphasised the need for greater digital literacy and awareness in an era of rapidly evolving technology, warning that a lack of understanding can expose citizens to serious cyber risks.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued a stern reminder to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other authorities concerned, saying that any person offloaded or restrained from travelling must be provided with written reasons at the time of the action being taken. LHC’s Justice Ali Zia Bajwa made the observations in an order issued after a hearing held at the Multan Bench. On Wednesday, the judge had heard a petition filed by a citizen, Shaheryar Qandeel, against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other authorities following his offloading from a flight despite being in possession of valid travel documents. In the order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Justice Bajwa said, “Let this court take a moment to remind the FIA and all concerned authorities that every exercise of power that infringes upon the fundamental rights of an individual must find its firm and unambiguous foundation in law.” He said that no administrative discretion, however broad, could justify curbing the liberty of cit...

The Election Commission on Thursday announced the postponement of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections due to severe weather conditions prevailing across the region.

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has undertaken an official visit to Libya, where Pakistan and Libya agreed to strengthen defence cooperation at the military leadership level.

A complaint has been filed with police against the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad in relation to an incident involving the former pulling a woman’s face veil (niqab), according to Indian media. Kumar has been facing criticism after he pulled off a woman doctor’s niqab at a graduation ceremony. A clip of the incident was widely shared on social media, showing the 74-year-old politician handing a certificate to a woman doctor during the event on Monday and motioning to her to remove her niqab. Before the woman could react, Kumar reached out and pulled down the niqab, exposing her mouth and chin. While the clip has sparked widespread outrage across India and Pakistan, with social media users, activists and commentators demanding an apology and resignation of the chief minister, Nishad made remarks belittling the gravity of the incident, questioning the outrage over “mere removal of a burqa”. Indian news agency ANI reported on Wednesday that Samajwadi Party...

The Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday announced the schedule for winter vacations in federal government educational institutions.

Pakistan Virtual Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib has said that cryptocurrency mining activities are expected to begin in Pakistan within the next few weeks as part of the government’s efforts to regulate digital assets and generate new sources of revenue.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with Libya, the military’s media wing said on Thursday. In a statement, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the field marshal was currently on an official visit to Libya, where he called on the Libyan Armed Forces’ commander in chief, Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, and deputy commander in chief, Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar. “On arrival, the field marshal was accorded a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out contingent of the Libyan Armed Forces,” the ISPR said. In a meeting with the Libyan Armed Forces’ commander in chief, CDF Field Marshal Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with Libya, “based on shared interests”, it said. It added that during the meeting, the two discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics, and avenues for enhancing bilateral defence and military-to-military ...

A least 16 people were injured on Thursday after a fire broke out in a coal-laden truck and an oil tanker parked along the National Highway in Zhob, officials said.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday forecast rain and snowfall in various parts of the country as a western disturbance is expected to enter Balochistan on December 19 and spread to the upper regions a day later.

The Trump administration intends to increase its efforts to strip some naturalised Americans of their US citizenship, according to internal guidance obtained by The New York Times. The move comes as US President Donald Trump, in a prime-time address, pledged to further intensify his hard-line immigration policies, signalling a broader crackdown on migrants and stricter enforcement measures across the country. Internal instructions issued this week to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices direct them to “supply Office of Immigration Litigation with 100–200 denaturalisation cases per month” in the 2026 fiscal year, the Times reported. That would mark a dramatic increase in denaturalisation cases, which, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Centre, stood at about 11 per year between 1990 and 2017. A USCIS spokesperson told Reuters that the agency’s focus was on individuals who “unlawfully obtained US citizenship”, asserting that the expanded denaturalisation push forms part of effort...

Pakistan on Wednesday termed the sudden changes in the flow of the River Chenab “unacceptable” and called on the international community to take serious notice of what it described as India’s violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday promised a crackdown on hate speech in the wake of an attack on a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, as the youngest of 15 victims was laid to rest. The alleged father-and-son gunmen opened fire as hundreds of people celebrated Hanukkah on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach on Sunday. The attack, which shocked the nation and led to fears over rising anti-Semitism, appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State, authorities say. Criticised by many in the Jewish community for not doing enough to combat a rise in anti-Semitism since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Albanese said the government will seek to introduce legislation that makes it easier to charge people promoting hate speech and violence. Penalties would be increased, cancelling or refusing visas would be made easier, and a regime for targeting organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech would be developed, he said. “Australians are shocked and angry. I am angry. It ...

A pumped-up Australia ripped through England’s fragile batting Thursday to leave the tourists staring down the barrel of a third Test defeat with their Ashes campaign on the brink, barring a miracle. At stumps on a sweltering day two, the visitors had ground to 213-8, trailing by 158 after Australia added 45 to their overnight 326-8 as temperatures soared to 40 Celsius. A gutsy Ben Stokes was not out 45 after facing 151 balls with Jofra Archer on 30 in a Test England must win and on a pitch ideal for batting. View this post on Instagram They were not helped by another suspect decision by the Snicko technology, but at least avoided the follow-on. Australia lead the five-match series 2-0 and will retain the urn if they win or draw after back-to-back eight-wicket thumpings in Perth and Brisbane. Opening pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley saw off the early overs from Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. But it was a mirage with England losing three wickets for five runs in a 15-ball blitz, the latest chapter in a famili...

Over 37 million children have been vaccinated during the first three days of the ongoing national campaign to eradicate polio in Pakistan, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said on Thursday. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. So far, the country has recorded 30 polio cases this year, with the highest number of cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 19. The year’s last vaccination campaign against the crippling disease was launched by Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on December 11. The week-long campaign, which began on December 15, is aimed at vaccinating over 45m children under the age of five. According to NEOC, polio drops have been administered to 20.8m children in Punjab, over 7.4m in Sindh, 6.1m in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2.1m in Balochistan, 417,000 in Islamabad, 256,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 689,000 children in Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the first three days of the campaign. NEOC said in a statement that over 400,000 polio w...

In a rare evening address from the White House, US President Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday of his accomplishments and blamed his Democratic predecessor for soaring consumer prices as his party braces for a tough midterm election next year. “Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said in a speech that lasted less than 20 minutes and was delivered at rapid-fire pace. The Republican president, who regularly complains that he does not get credit for his accomplishments, offered few new policy initiatives to address high costs. Instead, he placed blame at the feet of former president Joe Biden, previous trade deals, immigrants and what he described as a corrupt system. The Republican president, who regularly complains that he does not get credit for his accomplishments, touted his administration’s work this year on a range of issues from reducing border crossings to bringing down prices of some goods. Trump announced his administration would send a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 to 1.45...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday sought substantive additional debt from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to payoff remaining Rs1.7 trillion circular debt and refinance part of recently acquired Rs1.25tr commercial financing in one-go at longer terms for bringing down expensive power tariffs and improving grid stability through demand growth. The request was formally made by Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari to a visiting ADB delegation led by Ms Leah Gutierrez, Director General, Central and West Asia Department though he did not pitch size of the proposed loan to be discussed subsequently. ADB’s total debt stock currently stands at $17bn, the third largest after China and the World Bank. Informed sources told Dawn that the minister proposed that the Manila-based lending agency should come up with financing instruments and arrangements that could directly make power sector debt more affordable through longer payback period and cheaper interest rates than commercial financing from the market. The ADB’s finan...