Pakistan

The Punjab Home Department has issued comprehensive security directives to ensure public safety during Eidul Fitr celebrations across the province.

UNITED NATIONS: This year, the International Day to Combat Islamophobia did not pass unnoticed — largely due to mounting tensions in the Middle East and their ripple effects across the globe. Pakistan, which spearheaded the 2022 UN resolution establishing the observance, underscored that anti-Muslim hatred is intensifying worldwide, with political rhetoric, digital platforms, and mainstream discourse amplifying the problem. The observance comes amid heightened global instability, particularly the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which analysts say has contributed to a fresh surge in Islamophobic narratives. Reports indicate a spike in online hate speech and dehumanising rhetoric targeting Muslims, feeding a broader climate of intolerance that the UN and allied nations have increasingly called attention to. Observed annually on March 15, the International Day commemorates the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks, in which 51 worshippers were killed. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembl...

Murad Ali Shah has in principle approved a Rs100 billion master plan to transform Civil Hospital Karachi, marking a significant step towards upgrading healthcare infrastructure in the provincial capital.

Azma Bukhari has said that Maryam Nawaz is serving the people of Punjab with dedication and care, likening her leadership to that of a “caring mother.

Shehbaz Sharif has announced a major relief package for federal government employees ahead of Eid ul-Fitr, directing that their salaries be disbursed before the holidays.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have reportedly resumed direct communication in recent days, Axios reported, citing a US official and a source familiar with the matter. Both officials had previously managed negotiations between Washington and Tehran before Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran. Axios noted that it is unclear how substantive the messages exchanged were, but the contacts mark the first known direct communication between the parties since the conflict began. According to the US official and the source, Araghchi sent text messages to Witkoff focused on ending the war. However, Drop Site News reported on Monday that Witkoff had sent messages to Araghchi, quoting Iranian officials who said the foreign minister was ignoring the White House envoy’s messages. The US official told Axios that it was Araghchi who was attempting to engage, but the US “is not talking” to Iran. Neither source provided details...

Muslims across Pakistan, along with the wider Islamic world, observed Shab-e-Qadr (Lailat-ul-Qadr) with deep religious devotion on the night between Monday and Tuesday.

Islamabad - President Asif Ali Zardari has extended warm congratulations to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the people of Kazakhstan on the successful holding of the constitutional referendum.

LAHORE - The Punjab cabinet on Monday approved a series of development initiatives and welfare measures across the province during a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Monday approved the purchase of 10 vehicles for the superior judiciary, besides making a decision to contribute to the prime minister’s austerity fund. The cabinet committee and the Services and General Administration Department’s transport wing had recommended the procurement of at least 108 new luxury vehicles for cabinet members and bureaucrats for Rs1.14 billion during the current financial year. However, the cabinet approved the purchase of only 10 vehicles for the higher judiciary. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz while ministers and officials joined it remotely as part of the government’s austerity drive. The Punjab government also announced that provincial cabinet members, special assistants, and parliamentary secretaries would donate two months’ salaries to the PM’s austerity fund. “The Punjab Assembly will also participate in the austerity campaign, with members voluntarily donating two months’ salaries and 25 per cent of their allowances to the fu...

• Senate panel told ample petrol, diesel available; import of lower-quality fuel okayed; price hike ‘did not benefit’ OMCs • Officials tell panel no LNG supply from Qatar since March 2, gas will not be available after April 14 • Petrol committee briefed March fuel requirements fully secured, coverage available up to mid-April ISLAMABAD: The federal government has planned a subsidised fuel scheme for motorcyclists and rickshaw drivers to cushion the impact of a massive hike in oil prices, following a similar move by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. “The government is working on a package to provide relief to (owners of) motorcycles and rickshaws,” said newly appointed petr­oleum secretary, Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, while testifying before the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum on Monday. He claimed that the government had taken measures which would “provide relief to the people”. On Sunday, the government increased the price of kerosene oil by Rs40 per litre and approved Rs23 billion for oil marketing compani...

• Premier tasks Intelligence Bureau to monitor compliance with fuel austerity measures • Pakistan Railways ordered to increase number of freight trains to shift cargo traffic away from roads ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered the release of salaries for government employees before Eid, while reiterating that his government was taking all possible measures for immediate economic relief as well as long-term stability. The PM was chairing a meeting to review the enforcement of austerity and relief measures and the conservation and management of petroleum reserves in the wake of the emerging situation in the region due to the Iran war. A statement issued by the PM’s Office said that economic stability and relief remained among the government’s top priorities and it was prepared to face any situation arising from the ongoing global tensions. During the meeting, he said consultations were being held regarding additional measures to provide relief to the public, adding that an adequate quanti...

ISLAMABAD: An investigation by Amnesty International into an airstrike on an Iranian school – which claimed the lives of about 168 people, mostly children – has blamed the US for the deliberate, deadly attack and urged the authorities to ensure a transparent and thorough investigation to ensure accountability. In an in-depth report, the rights watchdog revealed that the US violated international humanitarian law by failing to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm and sought accountability for the perpetrators. It said the school building was directly struck, alongside 12 other structures in an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound, with guided weapons, adding that this showed that US forces did not take precautions to avoid civilian harm. “The fact that the school building was directly targeted and was previously part of the IRGC compound raises concerns that US forces may have relied on outdated intelligence and failed in their obligation to do everything feasible to verif...

BEIJING/PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations on Monday night, security sources said, as Islamabad pressed on with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. The operation was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Security sources said that during the strikes on Monday night, Pakistani forces destroyed the technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage at two locations in Kabul. In the Afghan province of Nangarhar, the sources said, Pakistani forces targeted Afghan Taliban’s military installations at four spots. Logistics, ammunition and technical infrastructure adjacent to these installations were also destroyed, the sources added. They further said a drone assembly workshop, “headquarters from where drones were sent” and weapon stocks were also destroyed in Nangarhar and Kabul. According to the sources, drones were prepared at those workshops using parts made in India and Israel. In updates...

A rebuttal by the Senate Secretariat on reports of the purchase of a luxury vehicle for Senate Chairperson Yousaf Raza Gilani further confused the matter on Monday, essentially confirming the purchase and reiterating the details reported in this connection. The rebuttal was issued after it was reported that a vehicle worth Rs90 million was bought for Gilani from the Senate’s budget. The reports also quoted Gilani as explaining that the car was ordered in May last year, “using savings from the Senate’s budget of the previous year”. These details were also confirmed in the Senate’s rebuttal, which, however, did not mention the cost of the car. The rebuttal said: “The attention of the Senate Secretariat has been drawn to certain media reports regarding the purchase of a vehicle (Land Cruiser) for the honourable Senate chairman.” “These reports are misleading, factually incorrect, and appear to be based on incomplete information and mala fide intentions,” it said, without specifying which information was incorrec...

Several US allies rebuffed Donald Trump’s call on Monday to send warships to escort shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing criticism from the US president, who accused Western partners of ingratitude after decades of support. The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight, largely shutting the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20pc of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, raising energy prices and fears of inflation. Israel said on Monday it had drawn up detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war as it pounded sites across Iran overnight, while Iranian drone attacks temporarily shut Dubai airport and hit a key oil facility in the United Arab Emirates. A number of US partners, including Germany, Spain and Italy, said they had no immediate plans to send ships to help reopen the strategic waterway, which Iran has effectively shut with drones and naval mines. “We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union, or Nato required under the Basic Law,” Germ...

ISLAMABAD - The centre and the provincial government on Monday agreed to deploy newly restructured Federal Constabulary in Balochistan to restore peace in the troubled region.

Islamabad - Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach during the ongoing tensions in the Middle East has drawn appreciation from Iran, highlighting Islamabad’s attempt to maintain a balanced foreign policy in a highly sensitive regional environment.

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD - An accountability court in Lahore on Monday approved the closure of the National Accountability Bureau inquiry into Chaudhry Sugar Mills against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her father, former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said adequate stocks of petroleum products are available in the country due to the government’s timely decisions.