Pakistan

Tremors from a 5.3-magnitude earthquake were felt in Peshawar and Islamabad on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) Seismic Network, but there have been no reports of casualties or damage so far. The PMD stated that the earthquake occurred at 6:27pm with a magnitude of 5.3 and a depth of 110 kilometres. The PMD determined that the epicentre was in the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) tracked an earthquake in northeast Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border, 35km south of Eshkashem. USGS data shows that the quake was registered at 6:27pm, albeit with a magnitude of 5.1 and at a depth of 128km. Last week, a strong, 5.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the northern parts of the country, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and several parts of Khyber Pakht­unkhwa. The PMD said in a statement that the epicentre of the earthquake was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. The d...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Junaid Akbar has resigned from his position as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday visited Nullah Aik and reviewed situation following the recent heavy rains in the city.

Relief and rescue operations by the Pakistan Army are continuing across flood-hit regions on the directives of Field Marshal Asim Munir, Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz met PML-N President Nawaz Sharif in Murree on Wednesday to deliberate on critical political and constitutional issues, as well as the worsening flood situation across the country.

United States President Donald Trump once again claimed credit on Tuesday for ending the conflict between India and Pakistan, saying that his threat of extremely high tariffs was instrumental in reaching a ceasefire agreement. Participating in a cabinet meeting at the White House yesterday, the US president reiterated the claim that his intervention was directly responsible for the end of the conflict. “India and Pakistan were gonna end up in a nuclear war if I didn’t stop them,” he said, adding, “I saw seven jets were shot down … $150 million planes were shot down; seven, maybe more than that, they didn’t even report the real number.” Trump added that he had spoken to both India and Pakistan at the time of the conflict, asking them what was going on between them. “The hatred was tremendous,” he said, saying that the conflict had been going on, “sometimes with different names”, for hundreds of years. Without specifying whether he had been speaking to India or Pakistan, the president said that he had refused t...

India said on Wednesday that the city of Ahmedabad is an “ideal” location for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with its bid viewed as part of a wider push by the cricket-mad nation to host the 2036 Olympics. Ahmedabad is the key city in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, home to a 130,000-seater arena, the world’s biggest cricket stadium and named after the premier. Modi’s cabinet approved India’s bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday. India submitted a formal letter of intent last year to the International Olympic Committee to host the 2036 Games. “Ahmedabad is an ideal host city offering world-class stadiums, cutting-edge training facilities, and a passionate sporting culture,” a cabinet statement read. “Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest stadium in the world, has already demonstrated its capability by successfully hosting the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Final,” it said. Nigeria and at least two other nations have reportedly expressed interest in hosting the Commonwealth Games, whic...

Heavy rain swept across the Himalayas, killing at least 36 people in India over the past 24 hours and forcing authorities to open major dams, in turn triggering flood alerts on three rivers in neighbouring Pakistan. In the deadliest single disaster, a landslide killed 33 people near the Hindu mountain shrine of Vaishno Devi on a pilgrim route in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Three more people died as floodwaters burst the banks of rivers in the district of Doda and swamped low-lying areas, authorities added. A view of a houseboat on the overflowing Jhelum River following heavy rain, in Srinagar, Indian-occupied Kashmir, on August 27. — Reuters About 200 children were stranded on Wednesday after flood water engulfed a school building in the northern state of Punjab, local media said. Vehicles tumbled off the Madhopur barrage over the Tawi river when parts of it collapsed after being lashed by heavy rain overnight into Wednesday morning, video images showed. There were n...

The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that powerful and influential individuals are involved in drug smuggling across the country, as it dismissed the bail plea of an accused in a narcotics case.

US President Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on goods from India to as much as 50 per cent took effect as scheduled on Wednesday, escalating tensions between the world’s two largest democracies and strategic partners. A punitive 25pc tariff imposed due to India’s purchases of Russian oil adds to Trump’s prior 25pc tariff on many products from India. It takes total duties to as high as 50pc for goods such as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals — among the highest imposed by the US and on par with Brazil and China. The new tariffs threaten thousands of small exporters and jobs, including in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. India’s Commerce Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, a Commerce Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said exporters hit by tariffs would receive financial assistance and be encouraged to diversify to markets such as China, Latin America and the Middle East. A US Customs an...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan values its diplomatic and economic cooperation with Japan and is committed to renewing and strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in trade and industry.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to present the complete record in a case concerning a teacher, Sifatullah, accused of possessing a fake degree.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday visited the National Police Academy, where he inspected ongoing construction of an eleven-storey hostel comprising 126 rooms.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja Wednesday, said that artificial intelligence (AI) will not eliminate jobs but will significantly reshape the global employment landscape, stressing the need for youth to acquire skills in modern technologies.

Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Wednesday announced that plans are underway to utilise solar energy to power Balochistan’s Gwadar port in a bid to improve its efficiency, a press release issued by his ministry said. Gwadar Port, built more than a decade ago, still remains a non-starter, prompting the federal government to speed up efforts aimed at the maximum utilisation of the port. Earlier this month, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and a Chinese company agreed to boost investments at the port, in an attempt to develop it as a “regional transhipment centre”. In a meeting aimed at enhancing the port’s operations, Chaudhry announced that “efforts are underway to implement solar-based solutions” to enhance the operational capability of the Gwadar port. In that regard, a sub-committee has been established, which will be responsible for planning and implementing an “efficient solar panel utilisation plan, recommending the installation of solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage solutio...

Indian spin great Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League and plans to play in other global franchise tournaments. The 38-year-old, a master off-spinner who quit international cricket in December during India’s Test tour of Australia, ends as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 187 scalps. He played for five IPL franchises and won the tournament with Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011, where he also played in this year’s edition. “They say every ending will have a new start,” Ashwin wrote on social media. “My time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today.” The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow any current player in Indian international or domestic cricket to feature in overseas leagues. The feisty Ashwin finished his India career with 537 wickets in 106 Tests at an average of 24.00. He also played 116 one-day and 65 T20 internationals.

Floodwaters gushing through mountain villages, cities rendered swamps, mourners gathered at fresh graves — as Pakistan’s monsoon season once again delivers scenes of calamity, it also lays bare woeful preparedness. Without better regulation of construction and sewer maintenance, the annual downpours that have left hundreds dead in recent months will continue to kill, experts say. Even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared to agree as he toured flood-stricken Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last week, where landslides killed more than 450 people. “Natural disasters are acts of God, but we cannot ignore the human blunders,” he said. “If we keep letting influence-peddling and corruption control building permits, neither the people nor the governments will be forgiven.” Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with limited resources for adaptation. In the devastated mountain villages the prime minister visited, and beyond, residential areas are erected near riverbeds, blocking “natural stor...

ISLAMABAD: Google has launched its new ‘AI Mode’ in Pakistan, offering users access to its most advanced AI-powered search experience. First introduced in the United States this year, the feature is now expanding globally, with Pakistan among the latest countries to gain access. The tool, powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5, enables people to ask longer and more complex questions that previously required multiple searches. Available in English, AI Mode can be accessed via the Google app on Android and iOS, as well as on mobile and desktop web. In a statement, Google said that early testers have shown that queries are already two to three times longer than traditional searches, highlighting the tool’s usefulness for exploratory tasks such as comparing products, planning trips, or tackling “how-to” questions. “It dives deep to answer multiple questions at once, with helpful links for further exploration,” the company said. Google explained that Pakistani users can use ‘AI Mode’ for different use cases, in...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Wednesday announced the abolition of physical stamp papers across the province, replacing them with a new e-stamping system effective September 1, 2025.

Flour prices have sharply increased across the city, with a 20-kilogram bag now costing up to Rs300 more, sparking concern among consumers and traders.