Pakistan

The Supreme Court has laid down a key legal principle, ruling that a court cannot convert a woman’s plea for divorce into khula without her clear and explicit consent.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a telephone conversation with Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain, during which both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation.

More than 4,000 flights were cancelled in the US on Saturday ahead of a monster winter storm that had already cut power to more than 230,000 customers as far west as Texas and threatened to paralyse eastern states with heavy snowfall. Forecasters said snow, sleet, freezing rain and dangerously frigid temperatures would sweep the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Sunday and into the week. Calling the storms “historic,” President Donald Trump on Saturday approved federal emergency disaster declarations in South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. “We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. ‘Crippling to locally catastrophic impacts’ Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have declared weather emergencies, the Department of Homeland Security said. “We do have tens of thousands of people in af...

A westerly wave is likely to approach western parts of the country tonight (25th January Sunday), with likely rain/snowfall in parts of the country on 26th January.

LONDON: British counter-terrorism police have charged three men in connection with a series of “highly targeted” attacks against Pakistani dissidents living in the United Kingdom, including a former adviser in the Imran Khan government. The alleged assaults took place in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire between Dec 24 and 31 and were directed at two prominent supporters of the jailed former Pakistani prime minister. Counter-terrorism police took over the investigation from local forces, citing the deliberate and targeted nature of the incidents. One of the victims, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a former accountability adviser in Mr Khan’s cabinet, said he was brutally assaulted at his home after an attacker confirmed his identity. He told British media that he had been punched repeatedly and is now in hiding, fearing for his and his family’s safety. On Friday, police confirmed that three British nationals had been charged. Karl Blackbird, 40, and Clark McAulay, 39, face charges of conspiracy to cause actual bodily h...

The rescue operation at Gul Plaza continued for the ninth consecutive as search teams recovered more human remains from the debris of the collapsed building.

RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Saturday announced the formation of a cricket team named Rawalpindi Tigers, comprising youth from Rawalpindi, with trials scheduled to be held on February 14 and 15. “Players with Rawalpindi domicile will be included in the team purely on the basis of merit, and this team will not only participate in the PSL but will also be developed as a world-class team,” he said while addressing a press conference at his residence. Accompanied by Lahore Qalandars Chief Executive Officer Atif Rana, the railways minister said the trials would be held on February 14 and 15. “Any youngster appearing in the trials will be selected on merit,” he added. He said the Lahore Qalandars CEO would guide the initiative. He further stated that only youth with Rawalpindi domicile would be included in the Rawalpindi Tigers and that the team would participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Thanking the Lahore Qalandars CEO for visiting Rawalpindi, Mr Abbasi said the franchise h...

LAHORE: The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department has seized 59 big cats from different parts of the province and arrested eight suspects for not following the department’s SOPs for housing the animals. As per details, the department seized 20 lions from a breeding farm in the Lahore division and arrested Fayaz alias Faizi and three others for violating the instructions that every lion pair should have at least 22 marlas of space for captivity. While another 23 big cats, including 14 tigers, four lions and five ligers were seized from a facility in CITI housing, Jhelum and one Muhammad Aamir was arrested. In Multan, a private wildlife breeding farm near the Askari Bypass in Cantonment area was also sealed for non-compliance of SOPs. As many as nine lions and a monkey were seized from the facility and an FIR was registered against one Waqas Ayub. Similarly in Gujranwala division, one person was arrested for possessing three lions in violation of the department’s guidelines at the Canal View Housing Society. Two...

Eight months ago, the provincial government and law-enforcement agencies jointly concluded that the growing presence of Khwarij in Tirah held the local population hostage, using civilian cover to carry out nefarious acts of terrorism and coercion of the population.

PAKISTAN’S underprivileged are perennially left out in the cold. As mercury dives to single digits, the government’s refusal to treat the biting cold as a climate emergency is claiming lives. In Chitral, at least nine members of a family were killed when an avalanche consumed their house. Intense snowfall and landslides have crippled routine life in KP, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir. Households grapple with unannounced power and gas cuts; commuters contend with blocked roads and highways. Power outages, suspended water supply, and extremely low gas pressure turned homes into dark freezers in Balochistan where temperatures were as low as minus 13°C. This month, nearly 50 people have reportedly died of the cold in Karachi alone — a city that usually experiences mild winters witnessed temperatures below 7°C. This weather system is expected to bring more rain and snowfall to the country but only Punjab seems prepared for it. Cold snaps often take an unsparing toll on the human body. Medical expe...

WARY of US President Donald Trump’s temperament, narcissism, shifting moods and ever-evolving agenda, the eight Muslim nations that signed the joining document of the so-called Board of Peace framed their decision intelligently, affixing it to the context of peace, rehabilitation of the Israeli-battered Gaza Strip and the question of a pathway to Palestinian statehood in line with UN resolutions. The Pakistani parliamentary opposition makes a valid case that the matter should have been laid before the House for discussion and approval prior to any decision; but its view that joining the Board was not a prudent move is open to question. “It was the least worst [bad] option,” was the crisp comment of former ambassador Imran Ali Chaudhry, who had recently retired when the digital platform Naya Daur sought his opinion. There are a number of reasons why I tend to agree with him. People around the world have been up in arms at the apartheid State of Israel’s genocide in Gaza starting after the Hamas attack of Oct 7...

ALTHOUGH it seemed that US President Donald Trump had reconsidered his plans to stage an attack on Iran last week, an American military build-up in the region points to the fact that the danger of a conflagration has yet to pass. Mr Trump has said that an “armada” of American ships is headed to the Gulf “just in case”, while adding that he did not want to “see anything happen” vis-à-vis Iran. There are also reports that the US has deployed more fighter jets to its bases in some regional states, while the Turkish foreign minister has said that Israel is “looking for an opportunity” to strike Iran. Senior Iranian officials, on the other hand, have indicated they will hit back hard if attacked. The Trumpian threats could well be mere sabre-rattling designed to bring Tehran to the table on America’s terms. However, the problem with such brinkmanship is that it can very quickly spiral out of control, and have devastating real-world consequences. It is also a fact that the US, Israel and many of their Western allie...

KARACHI: A jump of $65 per ounce to $4,988 has pushed domestic 10-gram and one-tola gold (24kt) rates to new all-time highs of Rs446,812 and Rs524,162, respectively, reflecting an increase of Rs5,573 and Rs6,600 from Friday’s rates. Rates issued by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), based on interbank exchange rates, quoted the one-tola silver (24kt) rate at Rs10,801, up Rs526, while the 10-gram rate rose Rs451 to Rs9,260. This follows an increase in the world silver price by $5.26 per ounce to $103.26. Gold and silver continue to attract global investors, including in Pakistan, as safe-haven assets amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and expectations of further US interest rate cuts. Previously, the Ukraine-Russia war, the Gaza-Israel conflict, and US-imposed tariffs under President Donald Trump had driven gold prices to record highs. APSGJA President Qasim Shikarpuri said the recent rise in gold prices was also influenced by Trump’s statements on imposing higher tariffs on Europ...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ruled that the family courts must not, on their own motion, convert a wife’s demand for divorce into ‘khula’ proceedings, as doing so would deprive her of her right to dower. Consequently, the apex court overturned the decisions of the lower forum and dissolved a marriage on the grounds of “talaq” (divorce) instead of khula, since the husband had contracted a second marriage. The Supreme Court also ordered awarding the wife her full unpaid dower of Rs1.2 million through the executing family court. “We have noted that where a wife expresses aversion, the family court dissolves the marriage on the grounds of khula and the wife is deprived of her dower,” observed Justice Musarrat Hilali in a five-page judgment on Friday. Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the two-judge Supreme Court bench had taken up an appeal by Naila Javed against the June 30, 2025 Peshawar High Court (PHC) Abbottabad Bench’s maintaining of the dissolution of her marriage by the family cou...

GILGIT/QUETTA: Four people were killed in Gilgit-Baltistan when a tower collapsed on a house following heavy snowfall in Diamer, while one person died in Balochistan after a roof caved in due to downpour in Zhob. Police said a “clock/observation tower” near a residential home in Tangir Valley in Diamer collapsed on a house, resulting in the death of four members of a family and injuries to two other members. Diamer Deputy Commissioner Ataur Rehman Kakar said heavy snowfall occurred in Tangir on Thursday, which might have caused the incident. According to police sources, the casualties could rise as the relief operation continued. The Karakoram Highway (KKH), Baltistan Road, Ghizer–Shandur Road and other roads were opened to traffic on Saturday, while link roads in various areas of the region, including Astore, Skardu, Ghanche, Ghizer and Shigar, remained blocked. Met office forecasts more rain, snow in parts of country Due to the cold weather, people in Gilgit-Baltistan continued to face difficulties, which w...

• President Zardari meets Somali Interior Minister Ali Yousuf, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to stronger bilateral ties • Both sides discuss cooperation in law enforcement, extradition and criminal justice ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Somalia on Saturday signed an agreement abolishing visa requirements for diplomatic passports holders of both countries. The agreement was signed at the Presidency by Hamza Adan Haadoow, Permanent Secretary of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Dawood Muhammad Baraech, Special Secretary at Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control. President Asif Ali Zardari witnessed the signing ceremony and later met Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yousuf, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral engagement. President Zardari said Africa was an important part of the world’s geopolitical landscape and that Pakistan sought to enhance its ties with African states, including Somalia. He added that Pakistan valued its engagement ...

• Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi facilities up for grabs; Privatisation Commission assures domestic, foreign firms of level-playing field; abandons G2G mode amid investors’ high interest • Seeks proposals to appoint financial adviser for Roosevelt Hotel; plans joint venture for mixed-use development; aims to finalise transaction in a year ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission announced on Saturday that the outsourcing operation for the country’s three major airports — Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi — will move to an open bidding mode following a high level of interest from various investors. The commission said the shift from a government-to-government (G2G) mode to open bidding aims to generate a competitive process wherein all domestic and foreign investors will have a level playing field to participate in the bidding process. According to a commission statement, the envisaged competitive process priorities inclusivity by welcoming participation from all eligible entities, including those from partner nations,...

ISLAMABAD: The maritime sector posted a record Rs100 billion profit in 2025, mainly due to reforms in port efficiency, cost reduction and the clearing of long-delayed policies. In its annual perform­ance report, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs highlighted that these reforms ranged from modernising ports, shipping and fisheries sectors to unlocking the full potential of the blue economy. Karachi Port handled a record 54 million tonnes of cargo, while average vessel dwell time was reduced by 24 to 36 hours through closer coordination among port authorities, customs and other agencies, achieving an average turnaround of five days in line with regional benchmarks. Cost-cutting measures delivered substantial savings. Reduced overtime at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) saved about Rs70 million per month, while the abolition of 2,152 re­­d­undant posts across maritime entities lowered human resource costs by billions of rupees. The first bunkering facilities were also established at Karachi Port and Port Qasim, expect...

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani has said that QR codes have been made mandatory for retail outlets in Islamabad and across the provinces. “The government is promoting a cashless economy, and executive orders have made QR codes mandatory in Islamabad and provincial regions, requiring every retail outlet to provide at least one digital payment option,” the state minister said on Saturday. He was speaking at a policy discussion organised by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR) to present findings from its nationwide study titled Track and Trace Compliance in the Tobacco Industry-Volume II. The minister added that all retailers and merchants have been instructed to adopt digital payment methods. He said federal and provincial authorities were working on legislation to support the initiative, which aims to formalise the economy and strengthen the “Cashless Pakistan” programme. The study revealed significant regulatory gaps in compliance with the Federal Board of Revenue’s Tra...

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan’s trade deficit with nine neighbouring countries widened by 44.42 per cent to $7.683 billion in the first half of FY26 compared to $5.320bn during the same period last year. The soaring deficit was mainly due to a decline in Pakistan’s overall exports to regional countries, led by a drop in shipments to China, followed by Afghanistan and Bangla­desh. Pakistan has suspended all kinds of trade, including exports, with Afghanistan since Oct 10, 2025. In percentage terms, exports to India increased marginally, but in value terms, it is negligible. The shipments to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka registered negative growth during the period under review, according to the latest data compiled by the State Bank. In FY25, the trade deficit with these nine neighbouring countries widened by 29.42pc to $12.297bn, up from $9.502bn in the preceding year. The value of exports to Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives dipped 18.56pc to $1.965bn in July-December F...