Pakistan

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Pre-dengue season outbreak alarms district health authorities

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Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar Saturday met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi here and discussed matters of bilateral interest.

PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, clarified on Saturday that his sons have applied for National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicops) as well as visas to visit Pakistan. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. His sons, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, have been protesting his incarceration, but uncertainty remains as to whether they will be visiting Pakistan. A day ago, Aleema said they had applied for visas and were waiting for approval from the interior ministry. That had prompted Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry to ask why they would need visas if they had the Nicop, as she had previously said. Clarifying the matter today while speaking to reporters at Adiala Jail, she said: “The Nicop of one [of the brothers] is missing and the other can’t find his card so they’ve submitted two applications: one to iss...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday ordered the establishment of separate immigration counters at all international airports to facilitate foreign passengers and boost tourism and investment. A press release from the Prime Minister’s Office said the decision was taken to “promote tourism in the country, ensure continuity of business activities and facilitate foreign investment”. It added that the establishment of the counters would reduce the immigration processing time at the airports. The statement also said that Pakistanis returning to the country would be able to complete their immigration process in a shorter time after the establishment of separate and designated counters for foreigners. “The initiative is part of a strategy to make Pakistan more attractive and friendly for global tourists, investors, and business delegations,” the PMO said. In February, Pakistan won the Best Partner Pavilion Award at the New York Travel and Adventure Show 2025. The two-day event is the largest US travel show orga...

Five children were killed and 12 others were injured when a mortar shell they were playing with exploded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat area on Saturday. Aamir Khan, spokesperson for the Bannu region police, told Dawn.com that the children found the mortar shell in the field and took it to their village, Sorband, thinking it was a toy. “The shell exploded, resulting in the deaths of five children and leaving 12 others critically injured,” he said. “The deceased and injured children have been transported to Khalifa Gul Nawaz hospital,” the spokesperson said, adding that the injured children were being provided medical treatment in the emergency ward. A statement issued by Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan said he visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured. “He checked on their condition, encouraged them and met with hospital administration to review the provision of treatment, availability of medicines, and other medical facilities in detail.” It added that the Bomb ...

Bangladesh’s interim government said on Saturday it will release its slate of democratic overhauls on August 5, the one-year anniversary of the overthrow of the previous autocratic administration. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule. Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has said he inherited a “completely broken down” system of public administration. Yunus previously pledged to unveil a “big package” to overhaul democratic institutions. But efforts to reach agreements have made slow progress as political parties jostle for power ahead of elections, slated for early 2026. Yunus’s government has warned that political power struggles risk jeopardising the gains that have been made. On July 29, Yunus said he was working to “build a broad national consens...

A passenger slapping a Muslim fellow traveller on an Indian flight sparked outrage on social media when a video of the incident went viral, Indian news outlet Hindustan Times reported on Friday. Discrimination against Muslims in India has spiked in recent months, amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of their recent military confrontation, sparked by New Delhi’s allegations levelled without evidence against Islamabad over a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. According to the Hindustan Times, the passengers were on board IndiGo flight 6E138 from Mumbai to Kolkata. “The victim appeared to be unwell and was receiving assistance from the cabin crew when another passenger suddenly slapped him without any provocation,” it reported. The Times of India said that the victim, a Muslim man, had a panic attack, “began sobbing and walking the aisle requesting to de-board as the aircraft taxied, when another flyer struck him”. A video clip circulating online showed the victim in visible...

A tragic explosion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district has left five children dead and 12 others injured after an old mortar shell detonated.

Indian officials have said they would keep purchasing oil from Russia despite the threat of penalties that United States President Donald Trump said he would impose, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House, India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1 along with additional penalties, potentially straining relations with the world’s most populous democracy. Trump indicated in a Truth Social post that India would face additional penalties for the purchase of Russian arms and oil. However, he later said that he did not care what India does with Russia. On Friday, Trump told reporters that he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. Two senior Indian officials said there had been no change in policy, according to the NYT report, which added th...

In a symbolic gesture of cultural diplomacy and shared heritage, Pakistan presented a finely crafted replica of the iconic Fasting Buddha sculpture to Thailand during a special ceremony held at the National Museum in Bangkok on July 31, 2025.

On the directive of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, a decision has been made to establish separate immigration counters at all international airports of the country for the convenience of foreign passengers.

Iranian President Dr.

The federal government of Pakistan has decided to resume the deportation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan citizens, following the expiration of their legal residency documents.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and digital finance, state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported on Saturday. The Pakistani government has lately seemed willing to fast-track the adoption of crypto currencies for banks, foreign exchange comp­anies and gold trading. In March, the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) was launched, which was a government-backed initiative to regulate, foster, and integrate blockchain and cryptocurrency innovations into the country’s financial and economic framework. “A high-level video conference was held between Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain Bilal bin Saqib and Director of the National Investment Agency of Kyrgyzstan Farukht Aminov,” acccording to PTV. “Both sides emphasised the development of virtual assets, technology exchange, and cooperation in regulatory frameworks,” it added. The Kyrgyz director highlighted the importance of exchanging information, experiences and best global practices. ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) on Friday declared 23 brands unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination. The government of Pakistan had tasked PCRWR with monitoring bottled/mineral water brands on quarterly basis and publicize the results for awareness of public health. For the second quarter of year 2025 from April to June, 203 samples of mineral/bottled water brands were collected from 21 major cities. Comparison of test results with the bottled water quality standards of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) had revealed that 23 brands were unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination. Eleven brands such as New Mehran, Aqua 111, Nice Pure Max, Pure Drinking Water, Logic, Himalya Cool, Natural Pure Life, Natural, Forever Bottled Drinking Water, Drinkly Pure Drinking Water, Qudrat Water were found to be unsafe due to the presence of higher levels of sodium. Four brands — Atco Drinking Wa...

Several vehicles were recovered from wreckage in flood-affected Gilgit-Baltistan, the government’s spokesperson said on Saturday, adding that rescue teams have so far been unable to locate the people who went missing in the floods. Floods swept across GB last week, causing landslides, leaving many stranded, and damaging more than 500 houses, roads and other infrastructure. So far, 10 people, mostly tourists, have lost their lives, with between 10 and 15 tourists still missing. GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said today that a search operation on Babusar Highway is under way during which many vehicles that were swept away by the floods have been recovered. “The vehicles were found but we found no clue as to the missing persons,” he said in a statement. Faraq continued that rehabilitation work has been accelerated in the flood-affected areas. He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be visiting GB in two or three days. “Hopefully, the prime minister’s visit will provide relief to the injured ...

An international team of four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked on Saturday with the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). “Docking confirmed!”, SpaceX posted on social media, along with a video showing the spacecraft making contact with the ISS at 2:27am Eastern Time (11:27am PKT), far above the southeast Pacific Ocean. American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are joining the ISS on a six-month mission. They lifted off on Friday morning from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, their capsule mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. It is the 11th crew rotation mission to the ISS under Nasa’s Commercial Crew Programme, created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry. “We have cold drinks, hot food, and us waiting — see you soon,” the ISS crew told the new arrivals shortly after contact, according to the posted video. “Hello Space Station — Crew 11 is here and we are super excited to join,” Fincke replied...

The Pakistan Army has inducted Z-10ME attack helicopters to reinforce its “integrated battlefield response”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China had displayed its Z-10 attack helicopter for the first time outside its home country at the Singapore Airshow in February 2024, according to Reuters. It also noted that as of then, the model had Pakistan as the only known export customer, but no sales had been announced at the air show. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir presided over the induction ceremony and later witnessed a firepower demonstration by the “newly inducted Z-10ME helicopters” at the Muzaffargarh Field Firing Ranges, the ISPR said in a press release, without specifying the number of the craft acquired. “The induction of this potent system marks a major leap in the modernisation of Army Aviation, reinforcing its integrated battlefield response and capacity to deliver decisive effects against potential adversaries,” t...