Pakistan

.

.

.

.

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday criticised National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai over his recent remarks about the army, saying that the “irresponsible” statement was an attempt to “belittle the sacrifices” of security personnel. Asif’s rebuke came during a session of the lower house of Parliament, where he recalled Achakzai’s recent remarks and quoted him as saying that the army was a “force of four districts”. Asif did not elaborate on the context of the remarks attributed to Achakzai. Terming it “highly irresponsible” and a “deliberate attempt to malign” the national institution, Asif asserted that the army was a national force. “It is the force of the federation, with representation from all provinces,” he stressed. “It is the force of the entire country.” During his address, the minister also shared data about the representation of different provinces in the army, reading out statistics from a document. According to the document, seen by Dawn, the province-w...

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday accepted the resignation of veteran politician Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of his faction of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M). Mengal, who was elected as an MNA from Khuzdar (NA-256) in the 2024 general elections, had submitted his resignation in September that year, citing the “prevailing situation in Balochistan”. “PML-N has at last accepted my resignation after dragging its feet long enough to expose its own fear,” Mengal said in a social media post, referring to the speaker’s party. “Was it the applause that unsettled you or the fact that I could draw crowds in Punjab’s core?” he asked, apparently referring to his participation in a charged discussion about Balochistan at the Asma Jahangir Conference held recently in Lahore. At the event, Mengal had criticised recent political and electoral developments, alleging that mainstream Baloch political leadership had been sidelined. He also expressed concern over restrictions on political activity, media ac...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has stated that there is a “fair chance” of sighting the new moon of Ramazan on the evening of February 18, it emerged on Wednesday. According to a letter by the department’s Climate Data Processing Centre (CDPC) in Karachi to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, dated January 26, the new moon of Ramazan “will be born on the crossing conjunction point of 5:01pm on February 17”. “According to astronomical parameters, there is a ‘fair chance’ of sighting the new moon of Ramazan 1447 AH on the evening of February 18, 2026,” it said. Furthermore, the weather was expected to be partly cloudy/fair in most parts of the country, it added. In their letter, the PMD also shared the last expected times for moon sighting in various regions on February 18: 6:58pm in Azad Jammu and Kashmir; 7:47pm in Balochistan; 6:53 pm in Gilgit-Baltistan; 7:13pm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 7:08pm in Punjab; and 7:24pm in Sindh.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad expects the economy to grow as much as 4.75 per cent this fiscal year, pushing back against a recent downgrade by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In written responses to Reuters, the SBP chief argued the recovery is broader and more durable than headline export data suggest. The central bank raised its FY26 growth forecast to 3.75–4.75pc at its January meeting, 0.5 percentage points higher than its previous range, despite a contraction in exports in the first half of the year and a widening trade deficit. The governor said differences in projections were not unusual and reflected timing issues, including the IMF’s incorporation of flood-related assessments in its latest outlook. “All these sources and indicators, along with FY26-Q1 data, point to a broad-based recovery in all three sectors of the economy,” he said. He added that the SBP believed that agricultural activity had remained resilient despite floods and “it is even performing better than its ...

KARACHI: Around 4.30pm on Feb 25 last year, an altercation took place between two groups of people on Mai Kolachi Road, near the US consulate. While the details of the brawl itself are unclear, the bone of contention was allegedly a three-acre chunk of prime real estate located just off the thoroughfare. One of its two co-owners, builder and developer Javed Iqbal had employed a local JUI-F leader named Jibrail Khan, 32, to work there as a supervisor. Several sources claim that the huge plot is coveted by extremely powerful individuals at the top of the political food chain. Some days earlier, this party had sent in their supporters to occupy the plot. On Feb 25, Jibrail got into a heated confrontation with them. An FIR was filed against him for rioting armed with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and attempted murder. Several other FIRs (copies of which are in Dawn’s possession) were also filed against him in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, including Shikarpur, Moro, Qazi Ahmed and Nawabshah for various crimes, o...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday took notice of the recent changes made by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) regarding solar consumers and directed the Power Division to file a review appeal against it. The power regulator on Monday changed the terms of contracts for all existing and future net-metered solar consumers — known as prosumers — to contain rising solar energy penetration and protect an expensive and inefficient state-owned power network. The notification effectively terminated the existing net-metering regime and replaced it with net-billing for all. A statement from the PM Office (PMO) issued today said the premier had taken “immediate notice” of the matter. The development follows outcry from senators across the political spectrum, including the ruling ally, the PPP, and the opposition, the PTI, in opposition to the NEPRA move. The PMO quoted the prime minister as directing the Power Division to immediately file a review appeal before Nepra “to ensure ...

Iran’s missile capabilities are its red line and are not a subject to be negotiated, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Wednesday, as Tehran and Washington eye a new round of talks to avert conflict. US and Iranian diplomats held indirect talks last week in Oman, amid a regional naval buildup by the US threatening Iran. “The Islamic republic’s missile capabilities are non-negotiable,” Ali Shamkhani said, according to state media, while appearing in a march commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Washington has long sought to extend talks on Iran’s nuclear capabilities to cover its missile programme as well. Iran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, but has repeatedly ruled out linking the issue to other questions, including missiles. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use a meeting with Trump in Washington on Wednesday to push for any US-Iran deal to include limitations on Tehran’s missil...

In international cricket, principle is often loud, emotional and instantly gratifying. Strategy, on the other hand, is quieter, slower, and frequently misunderstood. Pakistan’s decision to eventually agree to play India on February 15 falls squarely in the latter category, and despite the initial optics, it is the right call. The dramatic boycott call did what it needed to do early on. It created noise, unsettled the International Cricket Council (ICC), and earned Pakistan something it has been desperately short of in recent years: an ally. Bangladesh’s open friction with the ICC and India over security, scheduling and governance issues suddenly aligned its interests with Pakistan’s. A meeting between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials taking place in Lahore on Feb 8, 2026. — Screengrab via PCB video The alignment may be situational for now, but in a cricketing ecosystem where Pakistan often finds itself isolated, even a temporary ally matters. In what seemed li...

South Africa prevailed in a double Super Over thriller as Afghanistan came up agonisingly short of a famous victory after their T20 World Cup clash ended in a tie on Wednesday. Afghanistan were 187 all out after South Africa scored 187-6 in Ahmedabad. The teams were tied again after a breathless first Super Over saw them both score 17, before South Africa won off the final ball of a heart-thumping second sudden-death showdown. After South Africa bludgeoned 23 from their second super over and Afghanistan lost a wicket off the second ball of theirs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was left needing four sixes off four balls for an unlikely victory. Gurbaz sensationally launched Keshav Maharaj into the crowd three times with some huge blows. A wide off the fifth ball meant Afghanistan still needed six to win but now a four would send it, incredibly, to a third Super Over. With nerves jangling and pulses racing, the left-arm spinner held his nerve to bowl a wide yorker that saw Gurbaz smack into the grateful hands of Davis Mil...

In a landmark initiative, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has completed the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 50 schools destroyed by terrorism in Bara and adjoining areas of Khyber district.

The holy month of Ramazan is expected to commence on February 19, with the crescent moon likely to be sighted on the evening of Wednesday, February 18, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Tuesday.

A sessions court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Aroob Jatoi, wife of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, in a case related to the alleged promotion of online gambling activities.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi over the phone once again on Wednesday, the Foreign Office (FO) said. According to a post by the FO on social media, the two leaders “discussed regional developments and underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy”. They agreed to continue close engagement and coordination, the statement added. The two foreign ministers have engaged in multiple phone calls since the start of the new year. On January 29, in a phone call, Dar expressed concern over the evolving regional situation. Alongside that call, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also spoke with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on the same day, with the two leaders exchanging views on the “evolving regional situation”. Dar and Araghchi had also already spoken the weekend prior, when he received a call from the Iranian minister while on a visit to Dubai. Dar had expressed his hope for peace and stability in Iran in another phone call with the Iranian foreign...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate telephone conversations with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts on Tuesday to discuss regional and international developments, the Foreign Office said.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday strongly condemned a statement made by Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai regarding the Pakistan Army, describing it as “irresponsible” and “distressing.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a Rs10 billion allocation for the Frontier Corps (FC) to strengthen the force’s capacity-building and bolster security in Balochistan. Addressing FC headquarters during her visit to Balochistan on Tuesday, she paid tribute to those serving in Balochistan under difficult and dangerous circumstances. In her speech, which was aired on Wednesday, Maryam shared that she found out a few months ago that the FC required Rs10 billion for “capacity building”. “I was asked to contribute whatever Punjab could,” she stated. “I decided it was not a favour … it was a responsibility. I said we will provide them the entire Rs10bn.” The chief minister highlighted that the allocation aimed to enhance operational readiness and strengthen security efforts in Balochistan, particularly in light of recent threats and attacks. CM Maryam’s visit came in the wake of a spate of attacks across Balochistan on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for severa...