Pakistan

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday told the National Assembly that all four provincial chief ministers have official aircraft, dismissing claims that Punjab’s Chief Minister is being singled out.

China has voiced support for Pakistan and its role in facilitating ceasefire efforts linked to the ongoing Iran-related tensions, reflecting closer diplomatic coordination in the region.

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to provide financial and technical support for the transition of solar power to battery energy storage systems, as well as for integrated planning, digitisation, and data governance in Pakistan’s power sector. This was indicated on Tuesday during a meeting of the ADB delegation with the Power Division, ahead of an upcoming visit by the ADB’s vice president to Pakistan later this month. “ADB is conducting studies on the impact of rooftop solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the power sector,” said Emma Xiaoqin Fan, the country director of the Manila-based lending agency, according to the Power Division, following the meeting between Power Minister Awais Leghari and Fan. The meeting discussed ongoing reforms and future cooperation in the power sector, the Power Division said. The minister said that Pakistan’s power sector had recently shown strong resilience despite global energy challenges, attributing this stability to greater use of indige...

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the ongoing conflict sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran has not adversely impacted Pakistan’s remittances from the Middle East. “Some members spoke of remittances, which is true. [However,] thankfully, there has been no impact on remittances as of yet,” Aurangzeb said while speaking on the National Assembly floor. “However, the reality is, roughly between 40 to 50 per cent of our remittances are coming from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries,” the minister said, pointing out the region’s large contribution. “So we are also reviewing its elasticity, that what difference it can make on the balance of payments and the current account,” he added. Noting that other lawmakers had “rightfully” wondered what impacts the conflict would have on Pakistan’s economy, Aurangzeb said the government was regularly monitoring several aspects. “Not only is the oil and gas bill increasing, but trade and insurance cost has gone up and the vessels availabl...

The Punjab Police has launched a province-wide biometric verification system aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in police procedures.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to a Canadian national, also a Pakistani PhD scholar, in a cybercrime case. In late February, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had registered the case against Hamza Ahmad Khan under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 for allegedly making anti-state posts on social media platforms X and Instagram. After being denied post-arrest bail by a judicial magistrate and a sessions court, Hamza had approached the LHC for the same. Taking up the case today, Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan allowed the bail petition, subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs200,000. Earlier, Advocate Asad Jamal appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner and completed his arguments. The bail petition contended that the sequence of events raised doubts about the legality and transparency of the investigation against the petitioner. The lawyer argued that the case against the petitioner was false and manufactured with the malic...

The judicial commission formed to investigate the deadly fire at Gul Plaza shopping mall has completed its probe and is set to submit its report to the Government of Sindh.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed authorities to facilitate a meeting between jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and his lawyer regarding the £190 million corruption case. The instructions came as the court heard petitions filed by Imran and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, seeking suspension of their sentences in the case. The bench also hinted at an early disposal of the couple’s main appeals against their conviction. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif conducted the hearing. National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Special Prosecutor Javed Ashraf and Senior Prosecutor Rafay Maqsood appeared before the court, while the PTI founder was represented by Barrister Salman Safdar. During the proceedings, the chief justice inquired about a hearing on the main appeals as miscellaneous applications seeking suspension of sentence were also pending. Barrister Safdar informed the court about the need to consult his client, to which the bench direct...

The Islamabad High Court has directed prison authorities to arrange a meeting between Imran Khan and his lawyer Salman Safdar at 2pm on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said the centuries-old brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkiye are rapidly evolving into a comprehensive economic partnership.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday dismissed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s request seeking two months for party chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to appear in a case regarding the holding of intra-party elections. According to a statement issued by the ECP, a three-member commission — headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja — presided over the hearing on Tuesday. Director General Political Finance ECP Masood Sherwani and an MQM-P representative appeared before the commission. Sherwani stated that MQM-P last held intra-party elections on October 16, 2021, and as per MQM-P’s legal framework, the next election should have been held on Oct 16, 2025. He further stated that the ECP directed MQM-P to hold the election by January 16, 2026; however, the party passed a resolution enabling extension of the current tenure by one year. In its resolution, the party had written that the elections would be held before March 16, 2026, Sherwani informed the commission. The MQM-P...

Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Monday announced nationwide protests on Friday against the rising prices of petroleum products.

A fresh spell of rain swept across parts of Pakistan on Tuesday, bringing showers to major cities including Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, and leading to a noticeable drop in temperatures.

World Health Day is being observed across the globe on Tuesday, including in Pakistan, to commemorate the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 and to draw attention to pressing global health challenges.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed authorities to prohibit any increase in school transport fares, aiming to protect parents from additional financial burden amid rising fuel prices.

Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, has said Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to help end the ongoing conflict have reached a “critical and sensitive stage”, reflecting Tehran’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s mediatory role.

A total of 76 international flights from Pakistan to Middle Eastern destinations were cancelled on Tuesday, causing widespread inconvenience for passengers at major airports across the country.

Days after Iran effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the start of US and Israeli attacks in late February, two Pakistani electric motorbike (EV) outlets 1,400 km away found themselves overwhelmed with enquiries. Haseeb Bhatti, who retrofits petrol-fuelled bikes with battery-powered motors in the northern city of Rawalpindi, said his March sales surged 70 per cent. For Ali Gohar Khan, who owns a 7-year-old electric motorbike retail franchise with branches across Pakistan, the recent surge in sales is the steepest ever. “People have this fear that maybe in the near future, they might not get petrol at all,” Khan said. The Middle East crisis has sent global fuel prices soaring, compounding pain for Pakistanis already hit by inflation and a post-pandemic economic downturn. As the nation imports nearly all its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, shortage rumours took hold despite the government’s supply assurances. Workers assemble an electric motorcycle at D.S. Motors Pvt. Ltd, in Hyd...

WASHINGTON: The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a Bahrain-drafted resolution on the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, just hours before US President Donald Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the strategic waterway. The resolution, drafted by Bahrain in coordination with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan, strongly encourages states using commercial routes in the Strait to coordinate defensive measures to ensure safe navigation, including escorting merchant vessels. It demands that Iran immediately cease attacks on commercial ships and civilian infrastructure, including oil, gas, and water installations. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for roughly 20 per cent of global oil consumption and a quarter of maritime-traded oil, has seen rising tensions since US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets on February 28. Iran retaliated against Israel and Gulf states hosting US military bases, including reported attacks on commercial vessels and the deployment of naval mines. While...

The Government of Punjab has decided to launch free transport services in 17 districts across the province as part of efforts to provide relief to the public.