Pakistan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has approached the Lahore High Court, seeking permission to hold a political rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on August 5.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said Hindutva ideology propagated by the Indian leadership poses the greatest threat to peace in South Asia.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has welcomed the recent court verdict against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, calling it a significant step toward discouraging those with harmful intentions against the state.

Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki met with PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional matters.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has said the digital proceeds tax on digitally ordered goods and services supplied from outside Pakistan will no longer apply with retrospective effect from July 1. Last month, the government introduced new taxes on local and foreign e-commerce marketplaces, which made online shopping costlier for Pakistani customers. The government has also introduced new taxes on goods purchased online from outside Pakistan through the Digital Presence Proceeds Tax Act, 2025. A notification issued by the FBR on Wednesday, and seen by Dawn.com, said: “The Digital Presence Proceed Tax shall not apply to digitally ordered goods and services supplied from outside Pakistan, by any person, which are chargeable to tax under the said act.” In a post on X, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said: “We have removed the tax imposed on international companies doing e-commerce in Pakistan! Pakistan is open for business!” Pakistan and the US finalised a trade deal on Wednesday night, ex...

Pakistan and the US finalised a trade deal on Wednesday night, expected to lower tariffs — although no figure was announced — while US President Donald Trump cited a pact aimed at helping develop Pakistan’s oil reserves. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is currently in Washington for negotiations on a tariff deal and also began meetings with senior US officials on Wednesday. “In a landmark development, Pakistan and the United States finalised a trade agreement today aimed at boosting bilateral trade, expanding market access, attracting investment, and fostering cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” the Pakistani embassy in the US posted on X on Thursday morning. Trump announced the deal on his platform Truth Social early Thursday morning. “We have just concluded a deal with the country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive oil reserves,” Trump wrote. “We are in the process of choosing the oil company that will lead this partnership. Who knows...

Mishal Yousafzai has been elected to the Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, securing 86 votes in a by-election held to fill the seat vacated by former PTI Senator Dr Sania Nishtar.

The provincial ombudsman for protection against harassment of women at workplaces on Thursday ordered the removal of K-Electric (KE) Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi after finding him guilty of workplace harassment. Alvi, along with other KE employees, was accused of workplace harassment by the company’s former chief marketing and communication officer, Mahreen Aziz Khan, said the order issued by provincial ombudsman Justice (R) Shahnawaz Tariq. In her application, Khan had accused Alvi, Chief People Officer Rizwan Dallia, Chief of Security Col (R) Wahid Asghar, and Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman Board HR Committee Khalid Rafi, of “causing harassment, intimidation and mental agony”. The ombudsman’s order said that Alvi had “committed harassment, created a hostile environment and caused mental agony at the workplace to [Khan] and her team”. Consequently, Alvi was penalised under Section 4(4)(ii)(c) of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, and ordered removed f...

Pakistan successfully launched a remote sensing satellite from a launch centre in China on Thursday that aims to strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural monitoring and disaster management, among other capabilities, according to a Foreign Office statement. Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy. “In a major milestone for space exploration and technological progress, Pakistan today successfully launched its Remote Sensing Satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC) in China,” a statement by the foreign ministry said. The satellite was launched by Pakistan’s national space agency, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), in collaboration with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and Microsat China, according to the ministry. According to the statement, the satellit...

A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul, to 10 years in prison over their involvement in the May 9, 2023, riots.

United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the sweeping tariffs he has imposed on nations around the world were making the country “great and rich again”, as governments raced to strike deals with Washington less than 24 hours before an August 1 deadline. “Tariffs are making America great and rich again,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. “One year ago, America was a dead country, now it is the ‘hottest’ country anywhere in the world,” he added. A day earlier, the US president imposed new tariffs to punish or favour several major trading partners — the latest round of sweeping measures that have roiled markets around the world. South Korea squeezed in at the last moment, securing agreement on a 15 per cent tariff for exports to the US — significantly below the 25pc that Trump had earlier threatened to introduce. But Trump also announced crippling 50pc tariffs on Brazil and a 25pc levy on Indian exports, while warning Canada it would face trade repercussions for planning to recognise a Pal...

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiyani Thursday praised the strengthening of the bilateral partnership between Pakistan and the United States, describing it as a historic trade deal that will not only boost exports but also mark a diplomatic triumph for the Pakistani government.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has stated that the party will soon decide whether to boycott the assemblies or launch a protest movement in response to recent court verdicts against its leadership.

Experts have welcomed the announcement of a trade deal struck between the US and Pakistan on Wednesday night that includes a partnership in developing oil reserves in the country. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is currently in Washington for negotiations on a tariff deal and also began meetings with senior US officials yesterday. United States President Donald Trump said early on Thursday that his administration has struck a trade deal with Pakistan that includes joint development of the country’s “massive” oil reserves. “We are in the process of choosing the oil company that will lead this partnership. Who knows, maybe they’ll be selling oil to India someday!” Trump said on social media. A post by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social in which he announced that a trade deal between Pakistan and the US had been reached, on July 31, 2025. — realDonaldTrump via Truth Social Additional details of the agreement were not immediately available; however, local experts welcome the development with a positive...

PML-N Senator Irfanul Haque Siddiqui has strongly denied rumours that party chief and ex-PM Nawaz Sharif intends to run for president or is making a political comeback. His statement comes amid speculations earlier that President Asif Ali Zardari would resign from his post. However, the news was rejected across the political spectrum. Speaking on Dawn News programme ‘Doosra Rukh’ on Wednesday night, Siddiqui categorically denied any such developments, saying, “Nawaz Sharif has neither expressed a desire to become president, nor has there been a discussion about it. “There is no truth to speculation that Nawaz Sharif is trying to change the system to become president himself. These are baseless, table stories.” He added that there was a time when it was inconceivable that Zardari would become the president, but the decision was made due to the situation, timing and political climate. Siddiqui had earlier also denied reports of Zardari’s resignation. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’, he said: “Repo...

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, said on Thursday that Pakistan’s first National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy would pave the way for the country’s entry into a new digital era.

Sindh Rangers branch and Malir Police on Thursday carried out a joint operation and arrested six suspects for allegedly stealing goods from cargo trucks and kidnapping truck drivers on the outskirts of Karachi, according to a statement from Sindh Rangers. Per the statement, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and Police, acting on sensitive intelligence information, conducted a joint operation in the Korangi area of Karachi. “During the operation, six suspects involved in international drug trafficking were arrested,” the statement said. “Among them was Irfan alias Irfanullah, an Afghan national and a key member of the network. This year, he had been using intercity buses and trucks to transport drugs to various parts of the country.” It said that for the past several months, the suspects had robbed trucks transporting cargo from Karachi to other parts of Pakistan, kidnapped drivers, and moved them to an undisclosed location. “After stealing the items from the loaded trucks, they would leave the vehicles in an isolated ...

Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have issued a fresh alert amid forecasts of heavy rainfall, warning of potential glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides, and flash floods in the mountainous region.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has issued arrest warrants for former president Dr.

At least three people died and another three were injured in separate roof collapse incidents due to heavy rains across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, rescue officials said on Thursday. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country. Starting in late June, Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country in the past month by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. In Lakki Marwat’s Sarai Naurang tehsil, three people were reported dead, including two women and a 15-year-old boy, when the roof of a room in their house collapsed amid heavy rain, according to a Rescue 1122 statement. The Rescue 1122 team has cleared the debris and recovered the bodies of the deceased from the site of the incident, which were transferred to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Sarai Naurang, said the statement. Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Bannu, at least two others — includin...