Pakistan

Rescue 1122 firefighters on Friday are still working to bring under control a fire at a tobacco warehouse in the Azamabad area of Razaar tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district that has been raging for 38 hours. The fire, which broke out at 4am on Thursday morning, was still out of control today, forcing firefighters to continue their extinguishing efforts. A Rescue 1122 official, Luqman Khan, said that the three-storey warehouse was filled with ‘white patta’ tobacco and its stems that were mainly used in snuff and cigarettes. “The biggest problem for the firefighters was that no ventilator or exhaust were built,” the official said. He said that the rescue team drilled holes in the walls from the outside to start the process of putting out the fire, adding that it was such a difficult task that “four firefighters fainted during the operation”. According to the official, the intensity of the fire had compelled the district administration to contact Rescue 1122, requesting additional fire extinguishing ve...

A high-level military meeting was held on Friday as Major General Saidzoda Bobojon Abdukodir, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence of Tajikistan, met with General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Pakistan.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has announced that the judiciary is actively exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the legal system.

Small business owners used the festive backdrop of Comic-Con on Thursday to discuss a sobering topic: the negative impact that US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs are having on the toy industry. “Not the most sexy topic,” Jonathan Cathey, chief executive of collectibles company The Loyal Subjects, admitted at a panel titled “Toys, Tariffs, and Trade Wars” at the four-day convention in San Diego, California. “But this ultimately affects you guys, it affects the end user,” he said. “Prices will go up, and our rate of sales will go down.” Toy companies have been fretting about the impact of Trump’s global tariff blitz on the industry, particularly when it comes to China. Of over $17 billion worth of toys imported to the United States last year, more than $13bn came from China. But a rollercoaster tariff row between Washington and Beijing has caused havoc for US businesses and their Chinese suppliers. Panel moderator Daniel Pickett argued that the Trump administration is “imposing truly exaggerated, some...

Thailand and Cambodia are engaged in their worst fighting in over a decade, exchanging heavy artillery fire across their disputed border, with at least 16 people killed and tens of thousands displaced. Tensions began rising between the Southeast Asian neighbours in May, following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, and have steadily escalated since, triggering diplomatic spats and now, armed clashes. A Thailand’s mobile artillery unit fires towards Cambodia’s side after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, in Surin, Thailand, July 25. — Reuters What is the current situation? Clashes broke out between the two countries early on Thursday along a disputed area abutting an ancient temple, rapidly spilling over to other areas along the contested frontier and heavy artillery exchanges continuing for a second straight day. Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh on Wednesday and ex...

The government on Friday called on global social media organisations to immediately block the accounts of proscribed terrorist groups disseminating propaganda on their platforms. On Wednesday, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry had highlighted how a terrorist group was using WhatsApp channels to “disseminate hateful content and harmful narratives”, urging the platform and the global community to help Pakistan combat terrorism. Addressing a joint press conference today in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Chaudhry said: “I want to request social media operators and platforms to cooperate with us on the blockage and removal of accounts, taking measures to stop mirror accounts and to share information of account holders who are operating these accounts.” Chaudhry said terrorist groups and individuals, including those banned in the United States, the United Kingdom and sanctioned by the United Nations, were operating accounts on social media platforms such...

Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir undertook an official visit to China.

Four young girls from the same family tragically drowned while playing near a stream in Balochistan’s Dukki district, close to Quetta.

The Chinese leadership has lauded the role of the Pakistan Army and hailed it as a “cornerstone of resilience and a vital contributor” for peace in the region, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors, including trade, energy, infrastructure, and defence collaboration, with initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir is currently on an official visit to China. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement today that he held meetings with senior Chinese political and military leadership in Beijing. “Chinese military leadership reiterated full confidence in the strength of the bilateral defence partnership and acknowledged Pakistan’s pivotal role in promoting regional peace,” it s...

Multiple users on social media platform X have been sharing a purported document since Thursday, titled “catering guidelines” from the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC — where PTI founder Imran Khan’s sons recently dined during their visit to the US capital — claiming the club does not serve halal food. However, the document is fake. Earlier this month, Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 — kicked off a campaign calling for their father’s release from prison. The siblings are currently in the US and holding engagements with lawmakers for this purpose in Washington, DC. On July 25, the X account of PML-N Digital shared a post with an image of the two siblings at Capitol Hill Club, a private clubhouse in Washington, DC, with Republican Congressman Joe Wilson. The post was captioned: “Imran Niazi’s sons’ illicit feasting”, with an additional claim: “Capitol Hill Club, where Kasim and Sulaiman ate, doesn’t even have halal food available.” The post also shared an alleged document claiming to sh...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday lauded S&P Global upgrade to the country’s sovereign credit rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ and vowed to achieve sustainable economic growth. A day earlier, ratings agency S&P Global had raised Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ and placed it on a ‘stable’ outlook, saying the country’s finances and reserves had been stabilised by International Monetary Fund (IMF) support. “S&P’s upgrade of Pakistan’s credit rating from CCC+ to B-, with a stable outlook, is a welcome development,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X. “It reflects growing confidence in our economic reforms and the macroeconomic stability we have been able to achieve,” he added. He continued that his administration remained committed to sustaining the momentum of reform, fostering transparency, and deepening investor confidence, “so that the early signs of recovery translate into lasting prosperity for our people and translate into sustainable economic growth”. In its statement, S&P had said: “Th...

State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry has raised alarm over terrorist organizations using social media platforms to recruit young individuals, urging tighter controls and international cooperation.

The main suspect involved in kidnapping a three-year-old girl in Karachi was arrested while the victim was recovered, police said on Friday. According to a first information report (FIR) filed by the girl’s father, seen by Dawn.com, the incident occurred on July 23. The girl went to a shop near her house and disappeared around 9pm, the FIR read, adding that the family tried to search for her but was unable to find her. A case was registered at the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police station under Section 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of fourteen) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). “The police took prompt and effective action by not only recovering the girl safely, but also arresting the main suspect involved in the kidnapping,” a statement by the Central Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) spokesperson Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said. “The police team, led by Station House Officer Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Sarfaraz, conducted a successful operation within 24 hours,” it added. The statement cited police ...

The Senate on Friday passed a resolution unanimously by strongly condemning the recent decision of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) to approve a resolution asserting so-called Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, in brazen violation of international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the Geneva Conventions.

In a significant breakthrough in the multi-billion-rupee corruption case from Kohistan, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accepted a plea bargain request submitted by the prime accused, Muhammad Ayub.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar has announced his decision to surrender before the court in connection with the cases filed against him related to the May 9 incidents.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed deep appreciation for the World Bank’s (WB) continued partnership in a high-level meeting with a WB delegation on Friday, particularly for its robust support during and after the catastrophic floods of 2022. In January, Pakistan became the first country to launch a longer-term country partnership framework (CPF) with the WB, after the bank’s board of directors approved the 10-year programme and pledged to provide $20 billion to Pakistan. According to a WB statement, the new framework for the country aimed to “support inclusive and sustainable development through a strong focus on building human capital”, in addition to fostering durable private sector growth. In today’s meeting, held at Chief Minister’s House, Shah highlighted the strong collaboration between the Sindh government and the WB across multiple development sectors, with the bank’s total active portfolio in the province now standing at $4.012bn. “The WB has been an essential partner in Sindh’s deve...

France defended its decision to recognise Palestinian statehood amid domestic and international criticism on Friday, including against the charge that the move plays into the hands of Hamas. President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move. Macron’s announcement drew condemnation from Israel, which said it “rewards terror”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “reckless” and said it “only serves Hamas propaganda”. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, quipped that Macron did not say where a future Palestinian state would be located. “I can now exclusively disclose that France will offer the French Riviera & the new nation will be called “Franc-en-Stine”, he said on X. Hamas itself praised the French initiative, saying it was “a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people”. But French Foreign Minister...

Chinese political and military leadership has hailed the Pakistan Armed Forces as a cornerstone of resilience and a key contributor to regional peace during the official visit of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir to China, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday assured Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, that the government remains fully committed to pursuing her case through all diplomatic and legal avenues.