Pakistan

A citizen has approached the Lahore High Court, urging authorities to ensure strict implementation of the ban on kite flying in Lahore.

Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index slipped 4,687.50 points to close in the red on Monday, marking a turbulent start to the week as selling pressure returned to the market. The index shed 3.05 per cent from its previous close of 153,866.16 points. During the session, the benchmark touched an intraday high of 153,943.69 points and fell to a low of 148,747.72 points, reflecting persistent downward pressure throughout the day. The sharp decline follows the index’s seventh consecutive week of losses, with geopolitical uncertainty and weak investor sentiment continuing to weigh on Pakistani equities. Analysts at Topline Securities noted that the market remained under pressure for most of the trading session, with the index largely trading in negative territory as investors adopted a cautious stance amid ongoing volatility in international oil prices. The recent surge in oil prices was triggered by US-Israel aggression against Iran, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping rou...

Lahore experienced another spell of early morning rain on Monday, the second day in a row of wet weather that brought a noticeable chill to the city and prompted many residents to reach for warmer clothing.

On March 2, just a few days into the ongoing war, the United States and Israel carried out attacks on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. After initially disputing the claims, the IAEA later confirmed damage to the entrance buildings of the underground fuel enrichment plant at Natanz, located on the outskirts of Qom. The attack came several months after the 12-day standoff between Iran and Israel, when a similar attack was carried out on the Natanz uranium enrichment site’s underground structures. These attacks have established a dangerous new precedent in global nuclear politics. The targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities — Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan — operating under the IAEA safeguards renders irrelevant the very system designed to ensure nuclear programmes remain peaceful. “Again, they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday. Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” said Reza Najafi, Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Ener...

At least 90 flights have been cancelled at airports across Pakistan due to the closure of Middle Eastern airspace following escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

War in the Middle East is disrupting the flow of critical medicines to the Gulf, imperilling supply routes for cancer drugs and other treatments that require refrigeration and forcing companies to reroute flights and find overland access into the region, industry executives said. The conflict, sparked by US and Israeli attacks on Iran two weeks ago and broadened by Iranian strikes around the region, has knocked out key air transit hubs and closed shipping routes, snarling the movement of goods for many products from medicines to food and oil. While there are few signs yet of major shortages, that could change if the conflict drags on, some executives said. The Gulf relies heavily on imports and some medicines have short shelf lives and need strict cold-chain storage, making lengthy overland shipping less practical. Executives at Western drugmakers said they were seeking alternative routes into the Gulf and trucking some drugs overland from airports like Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Other options were Is...

At least five women were killed and 55 others injured on Monday when the roof of a centre distributing payments under the Benazir Income Support Programme collapsed in a suburban area of the city.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided to issue 5G licences to telecom companies later this week following the completion of the spectrum auction process.

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Sargodha police on Monday said they arrested two individuals, including a man who allegedly murdered his wife and five children for so-called ‘honour’ before attempting to take his own life. The tragic incident was reported from Chak 25 South area of Punjab’s Sargodha district. Sargodha District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Sohaib Ashraf confirmed to Dawn that the primary suspect, as well as another man nominated in the case, was in their custody. The DPO added that the primary suspect, who was the slain woman’s husband, was in a stable condition. A first information report (FIR) was registered at Bhagtanwala Police Station on the complaint of the woman’s brother in the early hours of Monday. It invoked sections 302 (Punishment of qatl-i-amd), 311 (Ta’zir after waiver or compounding of right of qisas in qatl-i-amd) and 322 (Punishment for qatl-bis-sabab) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The deceased were identified as the suspect’s wife, his daughter aged 15-16 years, three sons aged 5-6 ye...

Pakistan’s armed forces are continuing operations against militant groups operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, security sources said.

The Supreme Court has ruled that employees of the Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) do not fall within the definition of civil servants.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States could soon reach a deal with Cuba or take other action, signaling that developments in the long-strained relationship may come quickly. “Cuba also wants to make a deal, and I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One. “We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba.” The comments come as tensions between Washington and Havana remain elevated following years of sanctions, diplomatic friction and disputes over migration and security, with regional allies and investors watching closely for signs of a policy shift. Cuba’s President Miguel Daz-Canel said on Friday that the country opened talks with the United States as the island faces one of its most severe economic crises in decades. “These talks have been aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences we have between the two nations,” Diaz-Canel said in a video aired on state televisi...

Eid shopping activity has intensified across the country as citizens flock to markets, commercial centres and shopping malls to complete preparations for the upcoming Eidul Fitr celebrations.

A fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed at least 10 critically ill patients who were admitted in the trauma care unit, officials said on Monday. Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations. The fire broke out early on Monday on the first floor of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha state’s Cuttack city, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters. “A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated,” he said, adding that 23 patients were present on the floor at the time of the incident. Ten people died following the blaze, while the remaining patients were moved to other wards, he added. At least 11 staff members suffered burn injuries as they tried to rescue the patients. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply painful” in a post on social media and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He also announced compensation ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan’s agricultural sector, including crops, meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, has significant export potential Orders strict monitoring of demand, supply National Shipping Corporation to facilitate maritime exports.

Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Minister for Railways, called on Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Lahore.

ISLAMABAD: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has initiated a fact-finding inquiry against its officials for allegedly showing leniency to a well-known television anchorperson, Mansoor Ali Khan, after he was intercepted for over-speeding on the motorway. According to official sources, the incident occurred on February 28 when a motorway patrol team was conducting speed-checking near Chakri Interchange 310 at around 5:30pm. During the operation, officials detected a vehicle travelling at 166 kilometres per hour, well above the prescribed speed limit. The patrol team, comprising Inspector Police Waseem Murtaza and Sub-Inspector Saadat Hassan, signalled the vehicle to stop. However, the driver allegedly did not stop at that point and continued driving. Later, the vehicle was intercepted near Islamabad by Inspector Police Faraz Mehdi, who managed to stop the car and identify the driver. According to the preliminary account, the officer initially did not recognise the driver. Sources said Inspector Az...

Three separate traffic accidents in different areas of Karachi within the span of an hour left three people dead, including a woman, and three others injured, rescue officials said.

HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) Hyderabad circuit allowed a constitutional petition by setting aside the order of the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment of Women in a case of harassment against a regional level officer of the National Savings Pakistan. Comprising Justice Arbab Ali Hakro and Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, the bench passed the order on a petition filed by the incharge of the Regional Directorate of National Savings Hyderabad, Syed Farhan Ahmed Shah. He was represented by Jawad Qureshi advocate. The petitioner had challenged the Jan 18, 2024 order of the ombudsman secretariat that demoted him to a lower position and slapped a fine of Rs100,000 on him in the harassment case of a woman, Kiran Mehmood. The SHC had served a notice, which was also published in the print media, but no one appeared before the bench to represent her in the officer’s petition. She had initiated a series of complaints against the petitioner at various forums and finally fi...

KARACHI: After already struggling with higher war risk and freight charges due to deteriorating geopolitical conditions stemming from the Middle East war, exporters are now facing Rs25–50 per kg in “ad hoc charges” on export cargo shipments by air. Gerry’s dnata Pakistan has introduced ad hoc charges of Rs50 per kg — excluding all applicable taxes — due to rising costs. The charges will be collected from the party presenting the cargo before acceptance at the warehouse. Shippers or their authorised representatives are required to furnish NTN or CNIC details at the time of acceptance. Similarly, Menzies Ras Pakistan has introduced ad hoc operating charges of Rs25 per kg — excluding all applicable taxes — on export cargo, effective from March 17. The company said increasing fuel prices have triggered a significant rise in the cost of transportation, ground support services and overall supply chain operations. The charges have been introduced as temporary operational support to address the extraordinary rise in ...