Pakistan

.

Prioritises backward districts, merged areas in ambitious Roshan Qabail package

Verification, linked to NADRA, must now be conducted at key stages of litigation

Deadly mix of road crashes, shootings, snakebite, electrocution claims lives in multiple districts

Aimal Wali Khan alleges PTI historically facilitated terrorists, hid failures behind excuses

.

.

.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday that the company’s Terafab project to make artificial intelligence (AI) chips will launch in seven days. Musk had said last year that Tesla probably will have to build “a gigantic chip fab” to make AI chips. Tesla is designing its fifth-generation AI chip to power its autonomous ambitions, and Musk at the company’s annual meeting last year laid out potential manufacturing plans. Musk had said at the time that the EV maker could work with Intel and said, “You know, maybe we’ll, we’ll do something with Intel.” “We haven’t signed any deal, but it’s probably worth having discussions with Intel,” he had said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking more details about the project. Musk has teased the AI5 chip before and reiterated that Tesla was also partnering with Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung. The AI chips power Tesla’s autonomous driving systems, including the Full Self-Driving software. “Even when we extrapolate the best-case scenario for ch...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Saturday it has officially reprimanded Salman Ali Agha for breaching Level 1 of its code of conduct during a One-Day International against Bangladesh. “Agha was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match’,” the ICC said in a statement. It stated that one demerit point has been added to Agha’s disciplinary record, for “whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period”. “The incident occurred in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when, after being run out, Agha threw his batting gloves and helmet to the ground in an inappropriate manner,” the ICC noted. It added that Agha “admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Neeyamur Rashid Rahul of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing”. On-field umpires Adr...

On the 15th day of the US-Israel war against Iran, strategic signalling between the warring sides intensified after American forces struck Kharg Island, Iran’s principal oil export hub, while Tehran and its regional allies increased pressure across multiple theatres stretching from the Gulf to Iraq and Lebanon. US aircraft conducted strikes on Kharg Island on the night of March 13, targeting what Washington described as military facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. The attacks reportedly hit a short airstrip, air defence positions, docks linked to the Joushan naval base, a control tower and helicopter hangars. Iranian state media acknowledged damage but said air defences were restored shortly afterwards and confirmed that oil export infrastructure was deliberately spared. Reports on Saturday afternoon suggested that oil exports from Kharg Island remained unaffected and at least two ships had docked for loading. US President Donald Trump described the raid as one of the most “...

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Saturday that flight operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain suspended for two hours on March 16. In a statement on X, the authority said, “Due to operational reasons, flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain temporarily suspended on 16 March 2026 from 08:30am to 10:30am PKT.” It advised passengers to check with their airlines for any updates. In a notice to airmen (Notam), the PAA specified segments of air traffic service (ATS) routes within the Lahore flight information region (FIR) that would not be available from ground to flight level 210 due to “operational reasons”. The Notam stated that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain closed, and urged arriving aircraft to “bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay”. Today’s notice comes after a Notam with the same specifications was issued on March 12, restricting flights in the same route segments for three hour...

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday rubbished claims by the Afghan Taliban regarding the capture of a military post, saying it was “designed to mislead internal public opinion” in the neighbouring country. In a post on the social media platform X, the ministry’s fact-checking account posted a photo of a post by the Afghan Ministry of Defence, which claimed that a Pakistani military outpost was captured while 14 soldiers were martyred. In response, the ministry said, “This latest claim of the so-called Ministry of Defence of the Afghan Taliban Regime regarding capturing some post and made-up damages etc, is false as always, fabricated and designed to mislead Afghan internal public opinion, which are unfortunately first-hand experiencing and suffering under these terror sponsors.” It said that damages and losses incurred by the “master proxy Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij” were being regularly updated by the ministry. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terr...

Employees of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and autonomous institutions under government patronage would see their salaries cut by five to 30 per cent under the government’s austerity measures, which would go towards public relief, it was decided on Saturday. The move adds to a host of austerity measures announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday in view of the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran, which has hiked local fuel prices. On Saturday, PM Shehbaz chaired a meeting reviewing the impact of petroleum product prices and the implementation of government austerity measures in view of the ongoing situation in the Middle East, a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. “It was decided in the meeting that, like government employees, there will be a 5-30pc cut in the salaries of employees of state-owned enterprises and autonomous institutions under government patronage,” the statement said. It added that the funds saved as a result of all austerity measures...

The US and Israel’s war against Iran has led to sporting events being postponed in the region, while competitions elsewhere have been hit by travel disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs. Bahrain and Saudi F1 races set to be cancelled Next month’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One Grands Prix are set to be cancelled due to the Middle East conflict. Multiple sources told Reuters an announcement, seen within the sport as just a matter of time, was expected with a March 20 deadline looming for freight that has to be transported to Bahrain for logistical reasons. Trump says inappropriate for Iran to be at World Cup US President Donald Trump said on March 12 that Iran’s soccer team were welcome to take part in this year’s World Cup but that he believed it was not appropriate they be there “for their own life and safety”. Iran have qualified for the 48-team tournament to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 and are scheduled to play two group mat...

India on Saturday ended the preventive detention of prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, freeing him six months after he was arrested over protests in India-held Ladakh. The Buddhist-Muslim enclave was deprived of its autonomy in 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government carved it out of occupied Kashmir, placing the region under New Delhi’s direct control. Wangchuk, 59, an environmental advocate who became a key figure in Ladakh’s movement for greater autonomy, was held in September and later charged under India’s National Security Act (NSA) following protests that left four people dead and dozens wounded. New Delhi had blamed the violence on “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike demanding either full federal statehood for India-held Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment. Authorities in the sparsely populated, high-altitude region bordering China and Pakistan at the time said the order, issued by the district magist...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday commended the officers and personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) for carrying out a successful operation against militants in the Shagai area of Lakki Marwat.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan counterpart Amir ​Khan Muttaqi in a phone call ‌that disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan should be resolved through dialogue and consultation, not ​force, the foreign ministry said in ​a statement published on Friday.

The federal government has decided to allocate savings generated through ongoing austerity measures to provide relief to the public.

The Pakistan Airport Authority has released a fresh NOTAM for flights arriving at and departing from Islamabad International Airport, announcing a temporary shutdown of six sectors within the Lahore Flight Information Region on March 16.