Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Karachi, has frozen four more high-value properties of Bahria Town on the instructions of an accountability court. Sources in the NAB said the action was carried out under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010, following investigations that established that these assets were purchased through the laundering of crime proceeds. The bureau has attached the Bahria Icon Tower in Clifton, Karachi, where investigations revealed that Rs8 billion in crime proceeds had been laundered for its construction. The property was being held under a front company, M/s Galaxy Construction Pvt Ltd. Similarly, the Bahria Town Tower on Tariq Road, Karachi, was attached after it was established that the project was held in the name of Muhammad Awais, a “benami” frontman for Malik Riaz Hussain and M/s Bahria Town. Beyond Karachi, the operation extended to significant land holdings. The bureau has attached 817 kanals of prime land in Sheikhupura and 2,029 kanals of land in Peshawar in...

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the provincial government to make the University Road fully functional within two months. The SHC also ordered the Sindh government to complete the much-delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project within the given timeline after it was informed that the project was now scheduled to be completed by October next year. A constitutional bench of the SHC comprising Justice Muhammad Saleem Jessar and Justice Nasir Ahmed Bhanbhro made it clear that the construction of the Red Line must not in any manner affect the smooth flow of traffic on the University Road. The bench issued such directives while disposing of a petition filed by M/s AM Associates and CR 3, and submitted that the petitioner company was executing the project, but the respondents had sealed their project site and served a termination notice on April 21 without any lawful justification and contrary to the terms of the contract. The bench noted that the contract of the petitioner company had...

NEW YORK: A federal judge on Wednesday released a document described as a suicide note purportedly written by the late Jeffrey Epstein and including the line: “It is a treat to be able to choose ones time to say goodbye.” Epstein, the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 in what was ruled a suicide. The handwritten note was said to have been found by his former jail cellmate, convicted murderer and ex-police officer Nicholas Tartaglione. US District Judge Kenneth Karas, who oversaw the Tartaglione case, released the note after a request by The New York Times, which reported its existence last week. Karas ruled that the note qualified as a judicial document subject to the public’s right of access because it was submitted in connection with Tartaglione’s criminal case. Tartaglione is serving four consecutive life sentences for drug-related murders. Karas oversaw that case. Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2026

• Seeks probe into ‘sudden and suspicious’ transfer of ex-PM’s spouse to medical centre from Adiala jail • Rana Sanaullah advises party to pursue matter through legal channels ISLAMABAD: PTI senators walked out of the Senate on Thursday after the party’s parliamentary leader in the House, Syed Ali Zafar, raised alarm over reports that Bushra Bibi was “suddenly and suspiciously” taken to a hospital from Adiala jail during the night and returned without any disclosure, calling it a “serious human rights violation”. Raising a point of order, Mr Zafar said the reports had caused “grave apprehension and concern throughout the country”. He termed the situation “highly strange and secretive” and said it raised several questions. “If Bushra Bibi was unwell, why has the nation not been informed about her medical condition? To which hospital was she taken? What medical tests were conducted? Which doctors examined her? Why was she immediately brought back to jail?” he asked. He said the silence of the government and jai...

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause a US operation to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz reportedly followed pressure from Saudi Arabia, according to an NBC News report citing two US officials. The operation, dubbed Project Freedom, was unexpectedly announced by Trump on social media on Sunday and began on Monday. However, US allies in the Gulf were reportedly surprised by the announcement. According to the officials, Saudi Arabia — one of Washington’s key regional partners— subsequently suspended the US military’s access to its bases and airspace needed to support the mission. “Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing ‘Project Freedom’ on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia,” NBC News reported. “In response, the Kingdom informed the US it would not allow the US military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort.” Riyadh rejects media report on Tr...

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday that Islamabad was hopeful about and would expect an agreement between the US and Iran “sooner rather than later”. He said this during a weekly briefing, where he was asked how soon the agreement could be expected. “You have asked us how soon we can expect an agreement. We remain optimistic. A simple answer would be that we expect an agreement sooner rather than later. We hope that the parties will come to a peaceful, sustainable solution and bring peace, not just to our region but internationally as well,” he said. In this regard, Andrabi also said Pakistan would welcome a settlement between Iran and the US wherever it may be reached. “If an agreement is reached in Pakistan, it would be an honour for us,” he said. The FO spokesperson also said he could not say whether the draft of the agreement would be one page or longer. Asked whether the US government could be under pressure to end the war due to the upcoming mid-term elections, Andrabi said:...

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday showed unanimous optimism over economic growth and achieving fiscal and current account targets despite the regional crisis. The development comes amid anticipated approval of disbursements worth over $1.2bn by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday and the scheduled visit of another mission for next year’s budget formulation on May 15. Testifying before the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed confirmed that the SBP had purchased about $27bn from the market over the past three years, including $4.5bn so far this year, to boost foreign exchange reserves. He said the expected $1.2bn disbursements from the IMF would take foreign exchange reserves beyond $17bn by the end of the current fiscal year — enough for three months of import cover. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Pakistan had received regulatory approval from China for the inaugural laun...

WASHINGTON: After weeks of military escalation, economic pressure and threats of a wider regional conflict, the Trump administration now appears to be searching for a diplomatic exit from its confrontation with Iran, even as officials in Washington insist the United States still holds the upper hand. President Donald Trump’s decision this week to pause a planned naval operation aimed at escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has triggered debate over whether Washington is moving toward a negotiated settlement or simply recalibrating pressure before renewed escalation. The debate has been further intensified by Trump’s assertion that a peace deal with Iran is now likely — a claim that contrasts with the uncertainty still surrounding core disputes over nuclear capability, sanctions and maritime security. Analysts say the latest shift reflects a familiar pattern in US-Iran relations: escalation followed by partial de-escalation, without a clear end state. One of the most prominent voices analy...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected the two lowest evaluated LNG bids from BP Singapore and TotalEnergies, priced at $17.28 and $16.98 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), respectively, for delivery next week and in the last week of the current month. State-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) received a total of seven bids — three cargoes for May 12-14 and four for May 24-26 — against urgent tenders floated a day earlier. For the first cargo, PetroChina bid $17.69 per mmBtu, BP Singapore $17.28 and Vitol Bahrain $17.84. For the second cargo (May 24-26), TotalEnergies bid $16.98 per mmBtu, OQ Trading $18.58, SOCAR Trading $17.21 and PetroChina International $17.49. PLL on Wednesday floated urgent tenders on a 36-hour notice for the import of two LNG cargoes for delivery between May 12-14 and May 24-26 amid rising temperatures and a power shortfall. The tender was floated following expectations among authorities that the Gulf crisis would ease and the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. PLL had rejected two bi...

A controversy has emerged in Tehsil Mailsi after allegations were raised against Tehsildar Rana Haris regarding the alleged misuse of authority and the circulation of what critics describe as misleading information on social media.

The second edition of the Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, organised by DawnMedia, concluded in Islamabad on Thursday after two days of deliberations on climate resilience, adaptation, energy transition, water security, urban planning, agriculture, climate finance and equitable policymaking. According to a press release by Breathe Pakistan, the conference brought together policymakers, parliamentarians, international organisations, climate experts, corporate leaders, academics, development partners and civil society representatives to assess Pakistan’s climate vulnerabilities and the reforms needed to strengthen resilience. It stated that across both days, speakers emphasised that climate change was no longer solely an environmental concern, but a broader economic and development challenge requiring coordinated implementation, regional cooperation and long-term planning. On the first day, federal ministers, government officials, business leaders, and agriculture and water experts were...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday received a telephone call from Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. During their “warm and cordial” conversation, the two leaders held a productive exchange of views on the current regional situation. Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to facilitating ongoing efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region, according to an official press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Recalling his recent visit to Doha on April 16, the prime minister said that his meeting with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the rest of the Qatari leadership was “most helpful” in forging a consensus for the peace efforts. He noted that the people of Pakistan were looking forward to a visit from the emir of Qatar at a convenient date, adding that the visit would help to further strengthen bilateral ties between the countries. Meanwhile, Qatar’s premier expressed deep appreciation for Pakistan’s continued ...

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Thursday that Pakistan was “prepared” as he highlighted the armed forces’ indigenous military capabilities. He made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Islamabad as the nation commemorated the one-year anniversary of Marka-i-Haq. The deputy chief of naval staff (operations), Rear Admiral Shifaat Ali, and the deputy chief of air staff (projects), Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi, were also present alongside him. Last year’s military conflict with India, starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Pakistan’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, with a ceasefire ending a military escalation between the two countries on May 10, has been called “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state. “We welcome you to ISPR on this happy day,” he said at the outset of his presser, congratulating the nation on the one-year anniversary of Marka-i-Haq. He said that the country’s armed forces had risen to the nation’s expe...

ISLAMABAD: PTI said that preparations for the final round of its movement against Imran Khan’s imprisonment had begun, as Adiala jail authorities again denied permission to meet the party founder on Thursday. PTI leaders, including Khurram Virk, Naseem Ali Shah, Zahir Shah, Rajab Abbasi, Zar Aalam and Rubina Shaheen, reached Adiala jail but were not allowed to meet Imran Khan until the end of visiting hours. Zahir, talking to the media, said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had announced preparations for the final round of the movement against the imprisonment of the PTI founder. He said that as soon as directions were received from the party founder, the movement would move forward, adding that the struggle had not yet ended. “Obstacles are deliberately created, resulting in serious damage to the judiciary, and that is why court orders to arrange a meeting with Imran Khan are not being implemented,” Zahir said. “The attacks on state institutions have weakened them significantly,” he added...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who briefed him on his recent visit to China and consultations held there on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Woman, relatives booked, police link probe to family dispute

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Data trends show transmission persisting in urban, remote areas

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