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ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Saturday reissued non-bailable arrest warrants against Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, for their repeated absences from trial proceedings. In the case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (Peca), the two have been accused of inciting divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country. Court proceedings on Saturday were conducted over three sittings — 9am, noon and 2pm. At each stage, Imaan and Hadi were absent from the proceedings. In the certified copies of court orders dated January 17, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka — presiding over the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Court (Islamabad-West) — noted that earlier warrants could not be executed despite repeated attempts by law enforcement and the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA). During the proceedings, officials ...

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday accused US President Donald Trump of being responsible for “casualties” during a protest wave in the country that rights groups said was met with a deadly crackdown. “We hold the American president guilty for the casualties, damages and accusations he has levelled against the Iranian nation,” he told a crowd of supporters during an address marking a religious holiday. “This was an American conspiracy,” Khamenei said, adding that “America’s goal is to swallow Iran … the goal is to put Iran back under military, political and economic domination”. “By God’s grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition,” he said. “We do not intend to lead the country to war, but we will not spare domestic criminals,” he added, saying that “international criminals” were “worse” and would also not be spared punishment. Iranian authorities have blamed the United States for fuelling a “terrorist operation” that they...

Pakistan on Saturday condemned the reported profiling of mosques and mosque management committees in India-occupied Kashmir, saying the “blatant intrusion into religious affairs constitutes a grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief”. The FO’s statement comes after police in the occupied valley distributed forms to “collect” financial and personal details of mosques and seminaries, including mosque leaders and members of management committees, according to a report by the Hindustan Times, which quoted local residents and Kashmiri leaders. The action “reflects yet another coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalise the Muslim population of the occupied territory,” the FO said. The forms included sections for seminary teachers and mosque leaders to provide details of their “Aadhaar cards, bank accounts, property ownership, social media handles, passport, ration card, driving licence, SIM cards and mobile phone model along with the IMEI”, the Hindustan Times reported. It adde...

Injured moved to Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment; emergency imposed at Nipa, Safoora hydrants; Rangers deployed

Thousands of people took to the streets of Denmark’s capital on Saturday to protest at US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. The protest followed Trump’s warning on Friday that he “may put a tariff” on countries that oppose his plans to take over mineral-rich Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. They also coincided with a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress that has made clear the opposition of many Americans to the Trump administration’s sabre-rattling. Waving the flags of Denmark and Greenland, the protesters formed a sea of red and white outside Copenhagen city hall, chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat!” — the vast Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic. Protesters wave Greenlandic flags as they take part in a rally under the slogans ‘Hands off Greenland’ and ‘Greenland for Greenlanders’, in front of the City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 17. — AFP Thousands of people had said on social media they would take ...

At least 24 people were killed and over 20 were injured in two separate accidents on Saturday, as a truck fell into a dry canal in Punjab’s Sargodha district and a coach overturned near Balochistan’s Ormara tehsil. In Sargodha, six children were among 14 dead, while nine others were injured in the early hours of Saturday when a truck carrying cargo and passengers fell into a canal from the Galapur Bangla bridge due to fog, said Rescue 1122. According to Punjab Rescue 1122 officials, the truck was travelling from Islamabad to Faisalabad with 23 people on board for a funeral when the unfortunate incident took place. “Due to heavy fog, the motorway was closed, so the vehicle took a local route. In the area of Kot Momin tehsil, the truck fell from the Galapur bridge into the canal,” said a statement from Rescue 1122, adding that the truck “lost control because of poor visibility”. The Rescue 1122 statement added that the canal was dry, but passengers were stuck beneath the truck when it overturned. The injured we...

Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, on Saturday expressed his heartfelt condolences following a deadly accident in Gwadar, directed authorities to offer prompt medical assistance, and ensured the transportation of the victims’ bodies to their hometowns.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States on Saturday agreed to enhance collaboration in bilateral security and border management. The agreement was reached as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a meeting with a high-level US delegation led by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker. The meeting featured in-depth deliberation on boosting relations between the two countries and expanding cooperation in shared areas of interest. It was mutually agreed to further strengthen existing cooperation with the US Anti-terrorism Assistance Programme and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. During the meeting, matters relating to the establishment of a centre for crime and an academy within the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with US support also came under review. The delegation also discussed training programmes for officers of the FIA, Federal Constabulary and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). ‎It was also agreed that border security agencies, coastal guards and other ...

Snowfall continued across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan under the influence of a shallow westerly wave, resulting in extremely cold weather in the region, officials said on Friday.

The question of whether Pakistan should contribute troops to an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza cannot be answered through sentiment, symbolism or geopolitical realignments.

LAHORE: Police on Saturday submitted a report in the Lahore High Court (LHC) detailing the security plan for the upcoming three-day Basant festival. Basant will be celebrated in Lahore from February 6-8, following the passage of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill, 2025, that ended a suspension of the festival after almost two decades. The report identified areas of concern for the 2026 festival, based on data from the last decade, and urged full implementation of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill, 2025. It stated that registration of every kite and spool of string is mandatory through a QR code and there would be zero tolerance for glass, chemical-coated, or metallic wire. According to the report, Lahore has been divided into red, yellow, and green zones, while officials will continuously monitor kite-flying activities through drones, social media, and control rooms. It also warned that strict action will be taken against aerial firing, drinking, and illegal activities on rooftops. The report s...

At least nine people were killed and several others injured on Saturday when a passenger bus overturned on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, police said.

Dense fog once again blanketed large parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the night between Friday and Saturday, bringing routine life to a standstill and severely disrupting road traffic due to extremely low visibility.