Pakistan

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking student union elections at the University of Karachi (KU) and imposed a Rs10,000 fine on the petitioners for frivolous litigation. A two-member SHC bench, presided over by Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, heard a petition filed in May 2024. During the hearing, Justice Memon questioned the need for lifting the ban on student unions and remarked, “Education is already in ruins, why do you want to make it worse? “What is the purpose and benefit of a student union?” the judge asked the petitioners’ counsel, Advocate Usman Farooq. At this, the lawyer replied that a student union’s purpose was to provide representation to students in policy-making. “Just as there are labour unions at factories, do students now want to threaten their vice-chancellors?” Justice Memon remarked. Noting that the case file had documents dating back to 2021, he inquired whether the petitioners were still students. The bench then announced ...

KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon on Wednesday expressed hope that the main corridor of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Karachi’s University Road would be completed by March. “Our effort is to complete the main corridor on University Road — where there is heavy public movement and where citizens face difficulties — by March,” said the senior minister while speaking to the media in the metropolis. “The remaining BRT work will continue, including bridges, underpasses, and U-turns,” he added. He further said the condition of the main thoroughfare and its adjoining routes is now “far better than before”. “Wherever the roads appear damaged, it is only because development work is currently under way,” he added. Referring to the lack of construction activity, he maintained that the provincial government was not at fault, as there were “some serious issues at the national level”, adding that with an increase in the exchange rate, the project’s cost ballooned. He added that the Sindh Transport Depa...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with a Gates Foundation delegation led by its President for Global Development, Chris Elias, to review Pakistan’s polio eradication campaign and ongoing cooperation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the resolve to completely eradicate polio from the country, state-run Radio Pakistan said on Wednesday. According to the report, he made the remarks while speaking to Gates Foundation Global Development President Chris Elias in Islamabad. “The government is implementing a comprehensive strategy and taking practical actions with an effective team,” the report quoted him as saying. The premier also expressed deep gratitude for the collaboration of Bill Gates and Saudi Arabia in the fight against polio, it said. It stated that despite significant progress in the fight against polio, PM Shehbaz emphasised that emergency measures were “still necessary”. According to Radio Pakistan, PM Shehbaz said, “The federal government is working in full coordination with the provinces to ensure the accessibility of polio teams throughout the country under an effective strategy.” “He said relevant projects under the Public Sector Development Programme for the polio eradication campai...

A district and sessions court in Islamabad has closed two cases related to the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ against the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

BAJAUR: A man was killed in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in War Mamund tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Wednesday, according to police. Police and local residents said the explosion occurred near Zaga Deri Sewi bazaar, leaving a man seriously injured. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Niaz Muhammad told Dawn that the victim, identified as 47-year-old Najibullah, died while being transported to the Khar District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. He said the IED was planted by unidentified miscreants. The DSP added that a team of police personnel from the War Mamund police station, led by Station House Officer (SHO) Aslam Khan, had rushed to the spot and launched a search operation for the terrorists involved in the incident. He further said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the blast and identify those were responsible for it. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Despite record militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp esca...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has reaffirmed her government’s commitment to accelerating work on development projects and ensuring improved public service delivery across the province.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) is reportedly considering a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16.

The Australian cricket team arrived in Lahore on Wednesday for its T20I tour of Pakistan ahead of the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup in February. This is the third time Australia are touring Pakistan; they played a three-match Test and an ODI series in March-April 2022, followed by a solitary T20I where they bagged a close three-wicket win at Gaddafi Stadium. Australia also played three of their 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. All three matches are scheduled to take place at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on January 29, 31 and February 1, PCB said in a statement. Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh praised Pakistan’s team and said Australia was excited about the challenge of playing them on home soil in preparation for the World Cup. “Pakistan’s got a great history of fast bowlers, so no doubt that we’re looking forward to that challenge,” Marsh said in response to a question. “Especially Shaheen: he’s an amazing bowler and it’s going to be a great challenge ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Wednesday stressed the need to enhance Pakistan’s engagement with UN bodies dealing with information technology and telecommunications through a coordinated approach among all stakeholders.

Fifth seed Elena Rybakina booked her place in the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a dominant second-set display to hand six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek a 7-5 6-1 defeat at Melbourne Park. Looking to lift the trophy for the first time, the 28-year-old will take on American Jessica Pegula for a place in Saturday’s final. Rybakina fired 11 aces and 26 winners as she ended Swiatek’s career Grand Slam bid on Rod Laver Arena, winning eight of the last nine games to underline her authority. Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina celebrates after winning her quarter final match against Poland’s Iga Swiatek. —Reuters ‘Really pleased with the win,’ said Rybakina. ‘We know each other pretty well and I was just trying to stay aggressive. ‘I feel like in the first set for both of us the first serve wasn’t working so we were trying to step in on the second serve to put pressure on each other. ‘I think in the second I just started to play more free, serve better and I’m really happy with the win.’ Swiatek had ma...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to completely eradicate polio with the continued support of trusted partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mari Energies Limited has announced a successful gas discovery at the Tibri-1 exploratory well in the Kalchas South Block, located in Dera Bugti district of Balochistan.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday stressed that the development of the country’s mineral sector “cannot happen without strategic partners”, particularly China. Pakistan’s mineral wealth is estimated at $8 trillion, spread across 600,000 square kilometres and comprising 92 identified minerals, 52 of which are commercially extracted, according to an estimate by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA). He made the remarks while addressing the Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum in Islamabad. Noting the scale of Pakistan’s mineral wealth, the minister highlighted the gap between the sector’s potential and performance, stating that the “gap is a result of structural constraints”. He maintained that the mineral sector’s “transformation” was dependent on “strategic partners”, terming China’s role “central” in the matter. “Chinese enterprises bring advanced expertise to the entire mining value chain, including geological surveying, modern extraction techniques, mineral processing,...

Gold broke through $5,200 for the first time on Wednesday, as the dollar plunged to a near four-year low amid persisting geopolitical concerns, ahead of a US Federal Reserve monetary policy decision. Spot gold jumped 1.4 per cent to $5,262.66 per ounce, as of 05:58 GMT, after scaling a record high of $5,266.37 earlier. It has gained more than 20pc since the start of the year. US gold futures for February delivery surged 3.4pc to $5,255.30 per ounce. “(Gold’s rise) is due to the very strong indirect correlation with the dollar and … Trump’s remark to a casual question about the dollar, which implied that (there is) a broad-based consensus within the White House to have a weaker greenback going forward,” said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst at OANDA. The US dollar was grappling with a “crisis of confidence” as it struggled near four-year lows, exacerbating dollar selling, after President Donald Trump said the currency’s value is “great” when asked whether he thought it had declined too much. US consumer co...

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday sought replies from the federal government and other authorities on a petition seeking a ban on the use of social media by children under the age of 16. LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition filed by Aliya Saleem and others through Advocate Shiza Qureshi on Tuesday. Justice Neelum observed that it was an important matter and a policy issue that should be addressed by the government. The counsel for the petitioner contended that social media was causing serious harm to the mental, moral and educational development of children. The petitioner’s counsel stated that developed countries were also considering restrictions on social media use by underage children. The lawyer informed the court that Australia imposed a ban on children’s use of social media in December 2025, while France, Norway, Malaysia and New Zealand were in the process of legislating on the matter. Qureshi asked the court to order a ban on social media use for children under 16 years of...

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has declared the industrial and commercial development of Gwadar Port a national priority, underscoring its growing strategic importance for Pakistan’s economy.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has dismissed a petition seeking the restoration of student unions and imposed a fine on the petitioner during the hearing.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed the category renewals of 89 local players for the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), promoting five players, including Salman Ali Agha, to the Platinum category. A press release issued by the PCB said that the five players moved to the Platinum category were T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali and Abrar Ahmed. “Going forward, each franchise may retain a maximum of four players, limited to one player per category,” the statement said. It added that, following the completion of retentions, the teams will participate in the first-ever PSL player auction on February 11 to complete their team rosters. The statement also said that the registration date for foreign players had been extended to February 3. According to the PCB, among the newly-designated Platinum players, only Sahibzada was previously in the Gold category, while the others made the jump from the Diamond category. “Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, I...

At least 38 people across 14 states had died as of Tuesday from a powerful winter storm that left much of the central and eastern United States gripped by snow, ice, and below-freezing temperatures, according to local officials and news reports. The storm started to develop on Friday and dumped snow across a large region over the weekend. The snow snarled road traffic and led to widespread flight cancellations and power outages before subsiding Monday, leaving behind bitter cold that is expected to linger. By Tuesday, cities were mobilising emergency responders and resources to ensure that residents, particularly homeless people, were safe, even as more than 550,000 homes and businesses across the country lacked electricity. Ten of the storm’s fatal victims were in New York City, where temperatures were the coldest they had been in eight years, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a news conference on Tuesday, when the low hit -13° Celsius. While the 10 victims were found outside, it was not clear whether they were h...