Pakistan

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Washington could increase secondary tariffs on India, the BBC reported on Thursday. He said the decision would depend on the outcome of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. “We’ve put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, If things don’t go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,” Bessent said in an interview to Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25 per cent penalty on India in addition to 25pc tariffs for buying oil and weapons from Russia. The US has been trying to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, and on Wednesday, Trump warned of “severe consequences” if Moscow did not agree to a peace deal. Russian oil made up 35-40pc of India’s oil imports in 2024, up from 3pc in 2021 Trump and Putin are set to meet in Anchorage on Friday to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine. “President Trump is meeting with President Put...

PESHAWAR - Terrorists launched a series of attacks on police checkpoints in different parts of the Khy-ber Pakhtunkhwa province and martyred at least five police officers and injured eight oth-ers in the last 24 hours, police said in a statement on Thursday.

The Metro bus service between Saddar Station and Faizabad in Rawalpindi has been suspended today (Friday) in connection with Chehlum processions, the administration announced.

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark reform, the government will launch real-time digital tracking of every litre of petroleum products — from import and production to storage, transport, and final sale — within a month, in a bid to curb rampant smuggling, theft, misappropriation, and adulteration, which are estimated to cause annual revenue losses of Rs300-500 billion. A senior government official told Dawn that the National Assembly passed the Petroleum (Amendment) Act 2025 on Wednesday, empowering authorities to deploy information technology-based systems for continuous monitoring of petroleum products. The law aims to coordinate the efforts of various enforcement agencies to regulate storage, transportation, and sale, both jointly and independently. The new legislation amends the nearly century-old Petroleum Act 1934, introducing provisions for digital tracking and granting enforcement powers to deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, and designated officers under the Customs Act 1969, allowing them to seize s...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday embarked on a five-day official visit to Japan aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and attracting foreign investment to the province.

At least five people were killed after lightning struck Jabrari village in the Salarzai area of Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amid heavy rainfall on Friday, rescue officials said.

• ‘Nine terrorists killed’ during targeted operation • Registration begins for displaced families; each household offered Rs75,000 BAJAUR: As security forces claimed to have eliminated nine terrorists in an ongoing ‘targeted operation’, the district administration on Thursday ordered residents of 26 areas in the restive Lowi and War Mamund tehsils to evacuate their homes by Aug 16 for the ‘planned targeted operation’ against militants in Bajaur. Sources claimed nine militants had been killed during the ongoing operation in Bajaur’s mountainous areas. They claimed that the operation, based on credible intelligence, involves both ground and aerial assets to neutralise the terrorist presence and was conducted in the Damadola area. Official sources said militants tried to hide bodies in caves and hideouts, but security forces have systematically cleared these areas. However, the military’s media wing, ISPR, has not issued any statement in this regard so far. Residents of 26 areas in both Lowi Mamund and War Mamun...

ISLAMABAD - On the occasion of Independence Day, Federal Minister and President Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party Abdul Aleem Khan visited the residence of Shaheed Major Zeeyyad Saleem to pay tributes to him.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday vowed to go to any length to secure the “honourable release” of PTI founder Imran Khan, declaring himself “a rebel against the system” that had “unjustly imprisoned” their leader. Addressing a public meeting at Paharpur Sports Stadium after leading a large rally from Al-Amin House, CM Gandapur said the Constitution and law gave them the right to reclaim their mandate and that they were ready to “take bullets on the chest” in their struggle. The rally, organised as part of PTI’s protest movement on August 14, consisted of hundreds of vehicles and was welcomed at various points along the route to Paharpur. In his fiery speech, the chief minister accused the state of “oppression” since May 9, 2023, adding that PTI supporters had endured arrests and violence but kept the party’s flag flying. “We will not commit suicide, we will fight. Those who shoot at us will face the same,” he declared. He criticised the state for waging “war again...

ISLAMABAD - President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has falicitated the country’s leadership and entire nation on Independence day and wishes for strengthening the bilateral ties between both sides.

LAHORE - Election Commission of Pakistan has announced that polling for the vacant general seat of the Senate from Punjab—left vacant after the disqualification of PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhary—will be held on September 9 in the Punjab Assembly.

PESHAWAR - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Thursday extended heartfelt congratulations to Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on being conferred the country’s highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday said that Pakistan possesses an impregnable defence, fortified by its advanced missile and nuclear technology, and assured that the country’s sovereignty remains unassailable.

LAHORE - An impressive flag-hoisting ceremony was held at historic building of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to mark 78th Independence Day of Pakistan in a befitting manner.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Rules, 2025, published today, represent a landmark reform aimed at enhancing modernization, ensuring procedural clarity, and integrating technology into the justice system of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - Senator Aimal Wali Khan Thursday called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and invited him to attend the All Parties Conference organized by the Awami National Party (ANP).

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi Thursday hoisted national flag in a ceremony held at the Supreme Court to mark the 78th Independence Day of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

• Arrival of used clothing hits a record $511m in FY25 • Flea markets have become vital for low-income groups as new branded goods become unaffordable KARACHI: Pakistan’s imports of second-hand clothing have surged to an all-time high of 1.137 million tonnes worth $511 million in the previous fiscal year, surpassing the previous record of 990,266 tonnes ($434 million) in FY24. This sharp rise reflects both the growing demand for affordable clothing and the country’s deepening poverty crisis. A significant number of people, unable to afford locally made branded goods, have turned to second-hand clothing markets known as landa bazaars or flea markets. These markets, such as those in Shershah and Banaras, have become a lifeline for lower-income groups, where used clothing, shoes, and other items are sold at a fraction of the price of new, branded goods. According to the World Bank’s latest report, nearly 45 per cent of Pakistan’s population now lives below the poverty line, with the new threshold set at $4.20 pe...

Faisal Akram and Saad Masood picked up three wickets each

Australia won both the 2017-18 and 2021-22 series