Pakistan

An Islamabad district and sessions court began recording the statements of prosecution witnesses afresh in the controversial social media posts case against human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on Wednesday. The statements are being recorded again in compliance with directives issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) the previous day while hearing a petition filed by Mazari challenging the trial court’s November 19 order. During the hearing on November 19, Mazari’s lawyer marked her presence while Chattha, too, was not present throughout the entirety of the proceedings. The court, however, had ordered the prosecution to proceed with the witnesses’ testimonies, to which Chatha had objected and questioned how the statements could be recorded in the absence of the accused. Both Mazari and Chattha were present on Wednesday in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka as the process to record the statements of prosecution witnesses w...

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Wednesday extended the airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft till January 23. The extension was notified a week before the previous one was set to expire on December 24. “Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights,” the authority said, “According to the NOTAM, the restriction, which has already been in force, will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings,” it said. Notam issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority. Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs. India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions between them escalated in late April in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s ...

The federal government has announced plans to distribute 700,000 Google Chromebooks to students across the country in a major push towards digitising Pakistan’s education system.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday assented to three bills on the advice of the prime minister, including one for establishing a statutory body to protect and promote the rights of minority communities in the country. According to a statement released by the Presidency, Zardari approved three pieces of legislation on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. These include the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill 2025, the King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences Bill 2025 and the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025. The statement added that the Daanish Schools Authority Bill 2025 was sent back to the premier “in view of the need for provincial consultation”. “In the case of establishment of Daanish schools in the provinces, prior consultation with the respective provincial governments is essential,” the statement quoted the president as saying. The National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025 was passed with a majority vote during a joint session of Parliame...

PTI founder Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has said he and his brother Suleiman have applied for their visas and are planning a trip to Pakistan in January, while also commenting on the conditions in which the ex-premier was kept and saying that he was being held in a “death cell”. The remarks were made during an interview to Yalda Hakim for Sky News, which came as another sit-in held outside Adiala jail by Imran’s sisters over being denied a meeting with him was dispersed using water cannons; the party alleged that authorities used “chemical-laced” water. As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked, Imran’s family and party have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. A United Nations’ special rapporteur has also warned that Imran is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. During their interview with Hakim, released early on Wednesday, Kasim and Suleiman, who live in London, were asked whether they had tried to engage with the Pa...

Pakistan on Tuesday strongly rejected India’s claims over Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating that the disputed region has never been — and will never be — a part of India.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday warned of increased intensity and prolonged spells of fog across Punjab, Upper Sindh and the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa throughout the week, urging commuters to exercise caution due to reduced visibility.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded a list of countries subject to a full travel ban, prohibiting citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, from entering the country. The White House said in a statement that Trump signed a proclamation “expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats”. Tuesday’s move banned citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and those holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. The action also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had previously only been subject to partial restrictions. The White House said the expanded ban goes into effect on January 1. The action comes despite Trump’s vow to do everything he could to make Syria successful after landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sha...

A SCREEN grab from a viral video shows Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pulling down the veil of a doctor, who came to receive a certificate. NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar invited criticism from the opposition on Tuesday after he pulled off a woman doctor’s hijab at a graduation ceremony. Opening himself up to more questions about his mental health a month after taking oath as the Bihar chief minister for the 10th time, Kumar was seen in a widely shared video clip as pulling a hijab down from the woman’s face during a government event in Patna. The video clip shows the 74-year-old politician handing a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctor during the event on Monday and motioning to her to remove her hijab. Before the woman could react, Kumar is seen reaching out and pulling down the hijab, exposing her mouth and chin. Nitish Kumar’s act of pulling down woman’s face covering draws condemnation, raises questions about his mental health The moment appear...

• NA panel told ‘Beep’ application offers end-to-end encryption, certified for official use • Launch will take place in phases, starting with federal ministries, attached departments • Committee rejects PTA’s 99pc satisfaction claim on mobile phone, internet services ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will roll out a locally developed secure messaging app, ‘Beep’, for government employees in the coming months, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom was informed on Tuesday. The committee was told that the app — inspired by the Chinese platform WeChat — is almost ready for launch and is expected to meet its project deadline of June 30, 2026. National Information Technology Board (NITB) Chief Executive Faisal Iqbal Ratyal said Beep had been developed locally and certified by relevant government agencies for official use. Committee Chairman Syed Aminul Haque directed the NITB to ensure the timely rollout of the application. “The purpose of launching Beep is to provide a secure messaging p...

Water cannons were again used early on Wednesday to disperse PTI protesters staging a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, after his family was denied a meeting with the ex-premier. Imran’s sisters, party workers and supporters had staged a sit-in at Factory Naka, demanding their court-mandated meeting with the PTI founder. A court order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 24 this year mandated that meetings with Imran would be permitted twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the PTI maintains that the order is not being honoured. Despite the IHC’s order, Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi — along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, have tried and failed to meet Imran over the past several weeks. Last Tuesday, after being denied a meeting with the PTI chief, his sisters and party supporters staged a sit-in, which was later dispersed with water cannons. Early on Wednesday, water cannons were again used to disperse the protesters, with poli...

IN his additional note in Noor Mukadam’s case, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi wrote that the case is “a direct result of a vice spreading in the upper society which we know as living [sic] relationship … The young generation must note its horrible consequences such as in the present case which is also a topic for the social reformist, to discuss in their circles”. The order implies that if a victim conformed to a certain moral or societal expectation, the crime could have been avoided. The reasoning shifts the focus away from the perpetrator’s culpability and onto the victim’s character and choices. It perpetuates a culture in which women are held responsible for the violence inflicted upon them. Victims are expected to predict, prevent, and bear responsibility for the violence committed against them. According to a report by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation, 32,617 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were reported in 2024 including 2,238 incidents of domestic violence and 547 cases of ‘honour’ kill...

Former Punjab chief minister Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo passed away in Lahore on Tuesday, his secretary Muhammad Asif confirmed to Dawn. He was 86 years old. Asif said the veteran politician died after a prolonged illness and is survived by three sons and four daughters. His grandson, columnist Hassan Kamal Wattoo, also posted about the former CM’s demise on social media platform X. “With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of my beloved grandfather, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo,” he said, adding that funeral prayers would be held at the Wasawewala stadium in Okara at 2pm tomorrow. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over his demise, a post on the Presidency’s X account said. It added that the president paid tribute to Wattoo’s “invaluable public service, role in strengthening democracy, and contributions to national unity”. State-run APP reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condoled his death, saying in a statement that “services of late Manzoor Wattoo for the country’s politics will...

Sajid left Indian city of Hyderabad in 1998; Intelligence agency interrogated Naveed in 2019

Opp leaders meet JUI-F, JI and QWP leaderships; say country charting a disastrous course

Minister demands unconditional apology, backs affected woman

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PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, party workers and supporters are continuing their sit-in past midnight at Factory Naka, near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, to demand their court-mandated meeting with the ex-premier. A court order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 24 this year mandated that meetings with Imran would be permitted twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the PTI maintains that the order is not being honoured. Despite the IHC’s order, Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi — along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, have tried and failed to meet Imran over the past several weeks. Last Tuesday, after being denied a meeting with the PTI chief, his sisters and party supporters staged a sit-in, which was dispersed early morning with water cannons. Late on Tuesday night, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas arrived at the protest site and began one-on-one consultations with PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raj...

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari, Tuesday, strongly condemned the attack on a polio vaccination team in the Tangi area of Bajaur district.

MULTAN - Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday said that under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Agricultural Graduates Internship Programme had become a practical guarantee of dignified employment for educated youth after graduation.