Pakistan

Pakistan is set to host a T20 International (T20I) tri-series for the first time from November 17 to 29, according to a press release issued by the country’s cricket board on Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the “three-nation tournament” would feature Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the press release said. It added that the series was organised to “provide all teams with valuable preparation” ahead of next year’s International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka. Detailing its schedule, it further stated that the hosts would take on Afghanistan on November 17, marking the beginning of the series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It also mentioned that “will be Afghanistan’s first-ever T20I in Pakistan”. “On November 19, Sri Lanka will face Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the remaining five T20Is of the tri-series, including the final on November 29, will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore,” the press release said. Tri-series schedule Nov 17: P...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Workers Welfare Board has suspended 15 principals across the province following poor performance in the matriculation examinations, it emerged on Sunday. According to a September 4 notification seen by Dawn.com, the suspensions were carried out “on account of producing poor results in SSC annual examinations 2024-2025”. The suspended principals include those at schools in Akora Khattak, Aman Garh, Ghoriwala and Haripur-II. Similarly, the principals of schools in Hattar, Karak, Kohat-I, and Kohat-II have also been removed. The action further extends to the principals in Peshawar-II, Mardan, Shehbaz Azmat Khel, Swabi and Swat, along with the principals of an institution in Takht Bhai and a higher secondary school. “The vice principals of the concerned schools shall look after the duties of principal as [a] stopgap arrangement in their own pay scale till further orders,” the notification read. “However, where the vice principals are not available, the seniormost employee (BPS-16/17)/acting...

Picture this: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, India and the World Bank sitting around the same table with a shared mission — creating one of the world’s most successful examples of international cooperation. This isn’t diplomatic wishful thinking; it’s exactly what happened in the 1950s when these nations came together to forge the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). While headlines today focus on border skirmishes and political discord between India and Pakistan, this remarkable partnership of countries quietly built something extraordinary: a regional public good that has fed 300 million people, powered two economies, and survived the Cold War and border skirmishes for over 60 years. THE STAKES — THEN AND NOW When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, potential water wars in the Subcontinent posed a global threat. Rather than leaving it to chance, the international community acted decisively. Each country brought different strengths — financial resources, technical expe...

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow on a two-day official visit to further cement bilateral ties, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. Pakistan and Kazakhstan maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with bilateral trade worth $239 million, according to its envoy Yerzhan Kistafin. Nurtleu will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from September 8 to 9, the FO said in a statement, adding that the trip will serve as a precursor to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit scheduled in November 2025. During his stay, the visiting dignitary will “hold a tête-à-tête” with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, followed by delegation-level talks. Nurtleu is also expected to call on President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz Sharif, according to the FO. “The discussions will provide an opportunity to review preparations for the upcoming presidential visit and to deliberate comprehensively on the entire spectrum of Pak-Kazakh bilateral cooperation, ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in a rescue boat tragedy in Jalalpur Pirwala.

President Asif Ali Zardari has given his approval to the National Institute of Health (Reorganization) Amendment Bill 2025.

Global tech giant Microsoft on Sunday said network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East due to “undersea fibre cuts” in the Red Sea. Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines, but noted its network had been affected since Saturday. “Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted,” the company said in a statement. The internet access monitoring organisation NetBlocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in several countries, including in India and Pakistan. Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen’s Houthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said were in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Israeli war on Gaza. The laying and operati...

A teenager who died of leukaemia in 2006 became the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation on Sunday, in a Vatican ceremony led by Pope Leo and attended by thousands of young worshippers from dozens of countries. Carlo Acutis, a British-born Italian boy who died aged 15, learned computer code to build websites to spread his faith. His story has drawn wide attention from Catholic youth, and he is now at the same level as Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi. Leo, the first US pontiff, canonised Acutis on Sunday along with Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian man who was known for helping those in need and died of polio in the 1920s. In impromptu remarks to crowds in St. Peter’s Square at the opening of the event, Leo said Acutis and Frassati were examples of holiness and of helping those in need. “All of you, all of us together, are called to be saints,” the pontiff told the young crowd, which had spilt out of the square down the main boulevard into the Vatican from Rome. Acutis’ canonisation had b...

Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu on Sunday said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was committed to advancing its capabilities in electronic warfare and cyber technologies. He made the remarks while addressing the central Martyrs’ Day ceremony held at Air Headquarters in Islamabad, as the nation observes the Pakistan Air Force Day to honour PAF martyrs. “He (ACM Sidhu) affirmed that Pakistan Air Force would remain committed to advancing its capabilities in space, electronic warfare, cyber technologies, niche domains and indigenous defence production to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation,” said a press release by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The PAF solemnly observed Martyrs’ Day across all its bases nationwide, ISPR noted. The day commenced with special prayers and recitation of the Holy Quran, “dedicated to the martyrs of the 1965 and 1971 wars, as well as to all those who have rendered the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty since the creation of Pa...

ISLAMABAD - National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm support for the Palestinian cause during a meeting with a delegation led by Dr Mahmoud Siddiqi Al-Habbash, Advisor on Religious Affairs to the President of Palestine, at Parliament House.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expelled Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan along with 11 members of the provincial assembly on charges of serious violation of party discipline.

A blockbuster between India and Pakistan headlines the Asia Cup starting on Tuesday as they face off for the first time in cricket since their military conflict in May. Along with regional bragging rights, the T20 competition will serve as a build-up towards the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka. The eight-team event in the United Arab Emirates begins when Afghanistan play minnows Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan clash in Dubai on September 14, with Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram saying players and fans from both teams should “remain disciplined and not cross the line”. The neighbours have not met on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012 and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral ground as part of a compromise deal. The two Asian cricketing giants have been clubbed together in the same group and could potentially meet three times in the tournament, which concludes on September 28. There have been tensions in the build-up after ...

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shehrbano Naqvi has been selected for the prestigious Asia Society 21 Next Generation Fellowship, becoming the first female police officer from Pakistan to receive this honor.

The Provincial Relief Commissioner has reported that the flood situation in Punjab remains critical, with more than 4.

The Provincial Rain and Flood Emergency Monitoring Cell has reported a significant rise in water inflows and outflows at major barrages across Sindh, warning of heightened flood risks in several areas.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Sunday solemnly observed Martyrs’ Day across all its bases nationwide, paying glowing tributes to the heroes who laid down their lives in defence of the country.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels commemorated Defence Day with a dignified ceremony to pay tribute to the valiant armed forces who defended the motherland against external aggression and continue to safeguard its sovereignty with courage and resolve.

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice SM Attique Shah has dismissed from service nine judicial officers, who were restored early this year, as they were found guilty of ‘misconduct, corruption, and inefficiency’ in a fresh inquiry against them. The dismissed judicial officers include four additional district and sessions judges Malik Amjid Rahim, Manzoor Qadir, Qaiser Rahim and Ms Riffat Aamir; four senior civil judges named Safeer Qaiser Malik, Adil Akbar Khan, Rashid Rauf Swati and Shah Hussain, and a civil judge Tasawar Hussain. The high court had initiated disciplinary proceedings under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2011 on charges of misconduct, corruption, and inefficiency against the said officers, according to a press release issued here on Friday. The inquiry into the charges was conducted by a PHC judge, who found the officers guilty and recommended the imposition of a major penalty. PHC CJ imposes major penalty after inquiry “Upon receipt of the...

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi has established the Overseas Litigants Facilitation Cell (OLFC) to provide overseas Pakistanis with timely and convenient access to justice.

KARACHI: The Sindh government and Pakistan Railways (PR) have agreed to collaborate on finalising the modalities for the revival of the long-delayed Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). During a meeting at the CM House on Friday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah proposed to Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi that technical experts from both Sindh and PR should jointly work out the modalities of the project. According to a statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister stressed the urgent need to revive the KCR and expressed frustration over the project’s continued delays. The statement said that the KCR would serve an estimated 650,000 passengers daily and provide critical east–west and north–south connectivity across Karachi. However, it added, the updated feasibility still awaits approval from Chinese authorities as the project is set to be executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The chief minister proposed to the minister a collaborative approach, suggesting that the Sindh government and...