Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Gates Foundation will support the World Health Organization (WHO) in its partnership with Pakistan to strengthen preparedness and the response to ongoing monsoon floods.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Thursday that embankments are being deliberately breached at certain points to protect major installations as floodwaters continue to swell.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Senator Vicente Azpitarte Pérez of the Spanish Senate on Wednesday discussed ways to strengthen parliamentary relations, expand trade and cultural cooperation, and extend mutual support at global level.

LAHORE - The Pakistan Railways has cancelled multiple train services and altered the routes of several others due to the ongoing flood situation, according to a statement issued by the Divisional Superintendent Office, Lahore, on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday strongly condemned the latest Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Syria, terming them blatant violations of international law and urging the international community to hold Israel accountable.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday visited the flood-affected areas of Punjab, where he conducted an aerial survey of the devastated regions alongside Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

ISLAMABAD - Belarus and Pakistan on Wednesday finalised an extradition treaty between the two countries and signed a protocol for its implementation.

Widespread flooding has wreaked havoc across Punjab after India released excess water from the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers due to heavy monsoon rains.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the devastation caused by heavy floods and rains in vast areas across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan.

NANKANA SAHIB - Three persons were killed when a building collapsed near Mohalla Islampura area of Nankana Sahib, Rescue workers said on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced domestic contracts for 65 women cricketers, including 23 U19 and emerging players, for the season 2025-26. The contracts, for the first time, have been categorised into Gold and Silver with 20 and 45 players awarded, respectively, PCB said in a statement. The contracts will run from July 2025 to June 2026, during which a number of domestic and U19 tournaments are scheduled. “The monthly retainers have been awarded to not just the performers of previous domestic events but also those who have showcased promise and potential in their respective skillsets during this time,” PCB said. The Women’s National Selection Committee, comprising former Test Cricketer Asad Shafiq and former Pakistan Women’s International cricketer Batool Fatima, recommended the names of the 65 players. “In addition, players outside of this pool can also stake a claim in the domestic contracts list by proving their potential in the upcoming domestic events and regional academy camps,” P...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan Wednesday remanded a matter to Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue, Islamabad, to decide whether MOL Pakistan Oil & Gas Company B.

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday reviewed audit objections involving the Cabinet Division’s management of the Toshakhana, the state gift repository, highlighting improper amendments to its rules and the disappearance of records dating back before 1997. The committee, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar, was told by audit officials that the original Toshakhana rules from 1973 had been amended in violation of proper procedures. The Auditor General’s office had previously objected to the repeated changes. Cabinet Division Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal explained that a new Toshakhana Act was enacted in 2024, which mandates that all gifts, except those of historical or cultural significance, must be auctioned. “The law does not forbid accepting gifts, but requires their disposal through auction,” he clarified. Probes improper rule amendments, flawed auctions and missing records Mr Afzal added that a proposal for new amendments has been submitted under which dignitaries would not be allowed to acce...

Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the third round of the US Open with a blistering straight-sets victory on Wednesday as Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to advance. Alcaraz, who could meet Djokovic in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows if the draw follows the seedings, blew away Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in just one hour 36 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium main court. The 22-year-old Spanish second seed unfurled a stream of 32 winners in a dominant display against the 65th-ranked Bellucci, whose best performance in a Grand Slam came with a run to the third round at Wimbledon earlier this year. “I played great to be honest, from the beginning until the last ball,” said Alcaraz, who will face another Italian, 32nd seed Luciano Darderi, in the next round. “The less time I spend on court the better for me, to go to bed early,” he added. Elsewhere on Wednesday, Serbian legend Djokovic kept his dream of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title alive after a four-set defeat of American qualifier Zachar...

• Lower riparian takes measures to tackle inflows from swollen Indus tributaries at Guddu Barrage • Irsa director says flood of about 650,000 cusecs likely at Guddu if current situation persists HYDERABAD: As Sindh anticipates a very high flood between Sept 1 and 3 at Guddu Barrage — its first barrage on the Indus River — due to the swollen eastern rivers currently wreaking havoc in Punjab, the downstream province has asked the authorities to reduce outflows from Tarbela Dam to help it manage the deluge. As multiple rivers submerge Punjab, Sindh has reached out to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to reduce outflows from Tarbela and retain water at Chashma Barrage — a request accepted by the authority. The provincial irrigation authorities are keeping an eye on flows generated in the Chenab, Sutlej, and Ravi rivers, as all these rivers converge in the Indus at Mithankot after passing the Panjnad Barrage built over the Jhelum River. At Panjnad, all tributaries of the Indus meet on their way to the sea th...

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday unveiled a drastically simplified income tax return form for salaried individuals — reducing the number of required fields from 800 to just 40 — as part of the government’s push for a predictable tax regime and accelerated privatisation under its broader structural reform agenda. Speaking at a conference on “Building a Resilient Public Financial Management Ecosystem”, jointly organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Mr Aurangzeb emphasised that implementation, rather than policy debate, is now the government’s primary focus. The new tax return form, published on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) website for a 40-day public consultation, is expected to benefit nearly 80pc of salaried taxpayers. “Our goal is to make the tax system more people-friendly,” the minister said, urging stakeholders to provide feedback. Mr Aurangzeb also announced that tax pol...

• Aurangzeb urges innovative instruments, sectoral reforms for long-term resilience • ADB president says ready to assist in launch of inaugural Panda Bond, welcomes market diversification efforts ISLAMABAD: Paki­stan on Wednesday sought deeper collaboration and fresh support for policy-based lending from the Asian Development Bank for vast sectors of the economy, from climate to infrastructure to resource mobilisation, thro­ugh global capital instruments, like green bonds and debt-for-nature swaps, under the new 10-year partnership. The wish-list for future direct financial support and collaborations for market-based financing instruments was shared by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb with ADB President Masato Kanda — a former finance minister of Japan — during his maiden visit to Pakistan after assuming the charge of his office in February this year. Senator Aurangzeb discussed “Pakistan’s priorities for deeper collaboration with ADB across key areas, including energy transition, climate resilience, trans...

ISLAMABAD: The Sup­r­eme Court registrar’s off­i­ce on Wednesday returned a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Mini­ster Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur seeking permission to meet PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan at Adiala Jail for consultation on provincial matters. The office cited legal lacunas, including the abs­e­nce of a duly signed pow­er of attorney, as the reason for rejecting the plea. The petition was moved under Article 184(1) of the Constitution which grants the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to hear disputes between two or more governments through declaratory judgements. In his plea, the KP chief minister sought directives for the federal government to allow him to meet the PTI founder for consultation and guidance on matters relating to the governance of the province. The petition contended that Imran Khan has been “illegally detained” in the Rawalpindi prison since August 2023. The petition named the federal government through the interior ministry, Punjab chief secretary...

• Over 600,000 affected as floodwaters sweep central parts of province • 15 die in Gujranwala divison • More than 150,000 people, 35,000 heads of livestock shifted to safety • Hundreds of villages affected across Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej belts • Kartarpur Sahib complex submerged, 150 pilgrims rescued • 263 relief, 161 medical camps set up • Officials fear river surge may hit S. Punjab next LAHORE: Large swa­thes of Punjab are submerged as catastrophic flooding in the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, causing significant damage to infrastructure and devastates millions of acres of agricultural land. The three trans-boundary rivers have swollen to exceptionally high levels due to a combination of heavy rains and the excess water India is releasing from dams, which then flows across the border. The crisis, which affects central districts, now threatens south Punjab as the combined thrust of four rivers is set to converge on Thursday. The flooding has prompted the govern...