Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz formally inaugurated the Punjab Agriculture Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA), where both leaders toured different departments and reviewed the authority’s operations.

The Punjab government has declared a five-day holiday in Lahore from February 4 to February 8 in connection with upcoming religious observances and Basant festivities.

ISLAMABAD: Sup­re­­me Court judge Justice Nae­em Akhtar Afghan on Friday emphasised that the district judiciary acts as the backbone of the legal system and plays a pivotal role in the dispensation of justice. Justice Afghan was sp­­eaking at a certificate-aw­arding ceremony for the Leadership and Mana­ge­ment Training Course (Batch-V) for District and Sessions Judges and Sen­ior Civil judges, held at the Federal Judicial Acad­emy (FJA), Islamabad. Jus­­tice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb also attended the ceremony. In his concluding remarks, Justice Afghan said that a heavy responsibility rests on all district judges, adding that they should always strive to write professional judgements based on facts, law and principles. Advising the district judiciary judges, Justice Afghan described continuous learning as the “key for judges” to ensure ef­­fective administration of justice. He urged them to never stop learning, avoid prejudice and personal biases, refraining from liking or disliking the parties involved and en...

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague has directed India to submit detailed operational records of its hydropower projects on rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), in a significant development in the long-running water dispute between the two countries.

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Saturday approved a four-day physical remand of five officials accused in the case of a mother and her minor daughter who fell into a manhole near Bhatti Gate earlier this week and died. The two had fallen into the sewer at the site of the under-construction Data Darbar expansion project near Bhatti Gate on Wednesday. While the woman’s body was found late at night the same day, the 10-month-old child’s body was recovered on Thursday. Earlier, police presented the arrested officials before the magistrate at district courts and sought their 14-day physical remand. The request was heard by Judicial Magistrate Shafqat Abbas. During the hearing, a counsel for the accused opposed the police plea, arguing that a physical remand was unnecessary. The defence counsel informed the court that Rs10 million had been paid to the aggrieved family in the form of a cheque on humanitarian grounds, producing a photocopy of the cheque issued. He admitted that the incident was tragic. The magistrat...

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins was ruled out on Saturday for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup after failing to recover from a nagging back injury, and Ben Dwarshuis will replace him for the global showpiece. Cummins played just one of the five Ashes tests against England, but Australia kept him in the provisional World Cup squad hoping for his availability in the Super Eight stage of the tournament to be played in India and Sri Lanka. Matt Renshaw also replaced fellow batter Matthew Short but veteran Steve Smith could not break into the World Cup squad despite his strong form in the Big Bash League. “With Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury, Ben is a ready replacement who offers a left-arm pace option as well as dynamic fielding and late-order hitting,” selector Tony Dodemaide said. “We believe his ability to swing the ball at good pace along with clever variations will be well suited to the conditions we expect and overall structure of the squad.” The Mitchell Marsh-led side are currently...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to formally introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of the school curriculum from grade six to grade twelve, with the new subject set to be implemented from March 2026, officials said.

The executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander, revealed early on Saturday that the eye procedure of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan was completed “smoothly” and that he remained “stable” during the intervention. The video statement by the hospital’s head comes after the PTI approached the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking its assistance in arranging a meeting between the PTI founder and his personal physicians, with the help of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had earlier confirmed that Imran underwent a “20-minute” medical procedure for an eye ailment on the night of January 24 at Pims in Islamabad. “It (the procedure) was completed smoothly in approximately 20 minutes. During the treatment, the patient remained vitally stable and was discharged with routine post-procedure care instructions and follow-up advice and documents,” said Sikander. The doctor said the former premier, aged 74, complained of...

More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Friday. Rubaya produces around 15pc of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, where locals dig manually for a few dollars per day, has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024. The collapse occurred on Wednesday and the precise toll was still unclear as of Friday evening. “More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” Muyisa said, adding that about 20 injured people were being treated in health facilities. “We are in the rainy season. The ground is fragile. It was the ground ...

Security forces on Wednesday thwarted a series of coordinated militant attacks at multiple locations across Balochistan, killing several assailants and regaining control of the affected areas within hours, officials said.

Six more children receiving treatment at Civil Hospital Mithi have died over the past five days due to malnutrition and related illnesses, pushing the total number of child deaths in Tharparkar to 50 over the last month, hospital sources said on Thursday.

The United States on Friday approved multibillion-dollar weapons sales to both Saudi Arabia and Israel, at a point of high tensions with Iran. The State Department said it green-lighted a $3.8-billion sale of 30 Apache attack helicopters to Israel, which has agreed to a fragile ceasefire in Gaza. “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said in a statement. “This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” it said. Also in the package was a $1.8 billion sale of joint light tactical vehicles. The United States sends billions of dollars worth of military supplies per year to Israel, largely in aid rather than sales. Israel and Hamas reached a US-backed ceasefire in October that largely paused two years of war. Tensions are high elsewhere in the region as the United States deploys a major military contingent in waters near Iran. The State De...

KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has ordered an inquiry after the Karachi Constructors Association (KCA) levelled serious allegations of large-scale corruption against officials of the civic body’s engineering department, claiming that billions of rupees in development funds had been misappropriated through fraudulent practices. The inquiry was announced by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who took notice of the concerns raised by the contractors’ body and directed the municipal administration to conduct a comprehensive and impartial examination of the tendering, bidding and procurement processes within the KMC. A couple of days ago, the KCA, which represents contractors working with civic bodies and government organisations, accused senior engineering officials of manipulating tenders, procuring substandard materials and awarding contracts to favoured contractors without competitive bidding. The association also alleged that contractors were subjected to excessive commission demands and blackm...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rain and snowfall in various parts of the country from today till February 3, warning that the risk of landslides may increase in mountainous regions during this period.

LAHORE: All civil, administrative and police postings and transfers in Punjab are now being made purely on merit, with no room for political influence by the ruling party’s lawmakers or others, Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said. In a conversation with Dawn, Ms Bokhari said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had enforced strict adherence to professional standards, ensuring lawmakers from the ruling party had no influence over transfer and posting decisions. “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has fully ensured that all postings and transfers in Punjab are made purely on merit, thus ending Sifarish [nepotism] culture,” Ms Bokhari said. “She ensured during her two-year tenure that not a single appointment, even that of an SHO, is made on someone’s reference. This thing was hardly witnessed in the past.” The “strict policy” has reportedly caused friction within the party. According to Ms Bokhari, some PML-N lawmakers, frustrated that the bureaucracy no longer obliged their requests, conveyed concerns to party h...

• In letter to chief justice, lawyer requests urgent hearing on £190m, Toshakhana cases • Alleges political victimisation and misuse of criminal law ISLAMABAD: Counsel for PTI founder Imran Khan has written to the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking consolidation of all cases pending against him before the high court and requesting urgent hearings, particularly in the matters relating to the suspension of his sentence in £190 million corruption and Toshakhana cases. In the letter, the counsel submitted that several petitions filed on behalf of Imran Khan are currently pending before different benches of the IHC, arising out of various FIRs and proceedings. He argued that the multiplicity of cases and their fixation before different benches has created serious legal and practical difficulties, not only for the petitioner but also for the court system. The lawyer maintained that most of the cases involve common questions of law and fact, including allegations of political victimisation, mis...

• Holds that Bakhidmat Janaab SHO has no legal status; also Faryaadi and Muddai should be discontinued as they reflect colonial mindset • Explains SHO is servant of the public, not the other way around • Wants use of legally accurate local language alternatives ISLAMABAD: Taking exception to archaic expressions common in Sindh, such as Bakhidmat Janaab SHO, the Supreme Court ordered on Friday that the term be discouraged, noting that it had no legal sanction and that a simple address as Janaab would suffice. The court observed that applications addressed to police officials using Bakhidmat Janaab SHO incorrectly implied that the citizen was at the service of the station house officer. In fact, the court explained, the SHO was at the service of the citizen. The court added that such terminology reflected a colonial mindset, in which subjects of the state approached authorities as a matter of mercy rather than as a right. Authored by Justice Salahuddin Panwhar, a member of the three-judge SC bench, the court ha...

• PHC urged to declare military operation, its order ‘unconstitutional’ • PDMA directed to file report on facilities provided to displaced persons within a week • Representatives of IDPs summoned on Feb 12 PESHAWAR: The federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities on Friday denied that they gave any permission for starting a military operation in the Tirah Valley of Khyber district. The denial from both federal and provincial governments came before a bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprising Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Mohammad Faheem Wali at the hearing of a petition filed by Barrister Saud Javed Dawar, a member of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel and Addi­tional Atto­rney General Sana­ullah apprised the high court that their respective governments had not given a nod to the military for launching any operation across the valley. While directing the Provincial Disaster Manag­ement Authority (PDMA) to provide all possible reliefs to the people displ...

• Erdogan offers to help ease Tehran-Washington tensions • Trump softens threats, suggests openness to dialogue • UK PM Starmer, allies working to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions ISTANBUL: Turkiye intensified a diplomatic push to mediate between Tehran and Washington on Friday as US President Donald Trump appeared to cool his threats of a strike, though Iran warned that its missile capabilities would “never” be on the negotiating table. Turkish President Re­cep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan led regional efforts to de-escalate tensions that have soared since the US moved military assets to the Middle East following a deadly crackdown on protests in Iran. While the Pentagon said the military remained ready, Trump lowered the temperature late on Thursday, stating he hoped to avoid conflict and that talks were possible. Speaking during a visit to Turkiye, Iranian For­eign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed the potential for dialogue but drew a hard line regarding national defence. “I want to state ...

KARACHI: The 10-gram and one-tola gold (24kt) on Friday recorded the highest ever single day drop of Rs30,435 and Rs35,500 to Rs 460,701 and Rs537,362, respectively. The 10-gram and one-tola silver (24kt) also fell to Rs9,489 and Rs11,069, showing a drop of Rs949 and Rs1,106. As per rates announced by All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), world gold rates recorded a massive single day record fall in world price to $5,150 per ounce, down by a record $355 per ounce. APSGJA President Mr Skikarpuri said “this is the biggest ever plunge in my entire career in the gold trade spanning over over five decades. In 1974, the per tola gold rate was Rs240.” He recalled that the world gold rate had fallen slowly to $245 per ounce from $852 in the entire 1980 period but it cannot match the abrupt single day drop of $355 per ounce on Friday. Spot gold and silver record worst single-day drop of 8.9pc and 21.92pc to $4,915.17 and $90.66 an ounce “The gold price is still unaffordable for many jewellery bu...