Pakistan

Self-taught artisan empowers girls, defies industry odds

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Arrested man had injured citizen over personal dispute

CM orders comprehensive checklist for surveillance

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President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to working together with each other for the country’s sake. A statement issued by the Presidency said the two held a meeting today at the President House. “The meeting involved discussions on the country’s political, economic, and security situation. The state of law and order in the country and measures against terrorism were also discussed. “The prime minister briefed the president on the government’s measures to improve the economy. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to work together for the country’s stability, development, and prosperity,” the statement said. The meeting was also attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and PM’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah. The meeting comes in the wake of growing speculation about the upcoming 27th constitutional amendment and it being ...

Indonesia’s Defence Minister Lt Gen (retired) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin expressed his country’s desire to boost defence ties and explore possible collaboration in defence production as he met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday. Pakistan and Indonesia maintain strong bilateral relations rooted in shared religion and culture, with both countries cooperating in trade, education, and health. Gen Sjamsoeddin called on PM Shehbaz at the PM Office today, where he reiterated Indonesia’s desire to “further strengthen defence ties with Pakistan and to explore possible areas for cooperation, especially in defence production”, according to a statement from government-run PID. The Indonesian minister conveyed the best wishes of President Prabowo Subianto for the prime minister and people of Pakistan, the press release added. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz “reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to explore and expand collaboration with Indonesia in joint ventures of investment in mutually beneficial projects”, the state...

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday slammed last month’s attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran as “unacceptable” as he attended a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in China’s Tianjin. The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran. The group’s foreign ministers meet as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders, which will be hosted by China this autumn in Tianjin. On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran that targeted military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas, and killed senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. The attacks began days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations. The US, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. Iranian authori...

A new chapter in Pakistan’s politics began in Karachi as journalist and former wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, Reham Khan, announced the launch of her own political party—the Pakistan Republic Party.

A camel that lost its leg to mutilation in Sindh’s Sanghar district last year stood up for the first time on Tuesday with the help of a prosthetic leg. The camel, now named Cammie, had her front leg allegedly chopped off by a landlord in June 2024, as punishment for foraging in his field for fodder, for which six suspects were remanded. She was taken in by the Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) Benji Project for Animal Welfare in Karachi, where she has spent over a year. Today, the shelter provided an update that Cammie had stood up for the first time since her mutilation, along with a video showing her getting used to walking with her new prosthetic leg. “It’s been a year of tears, setbacks, rehab, pain, and quiet perseverance. A year where we were told to give up, to move on, to stop delaying the inevitable. But we chose to stand by her. And today, she stood for us all.” The shelter thanked its team and supporters, as well as PPP MNA Shazia Marri, PPP Senator Quratulain Marri and the Sindh gove...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional stability, multilateral cooperation, and peaceful dispute resolution during his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Tianjin on Tuesday.

Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Lieutenant General (Retd) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, led a delegation to General Headquarters on Tuesday, where he met Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Mashhad as part of his official visit to Iran.

A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday discharged an elderly man named Muhammad Sajid, involved in recently using inappropriate language against the Punjab chief minister in a viral video, in a case dating back to 2024. A few days ago, a video of Sajid riding a motorcycle in the rain went viral on social media, in which he could be heard using abusive language against the chief minister. A sessions court on Monday sought a reply from Johar Town police on a habeas corpus petition seeking his recovery. Sajid’s son Muhammad Umar had filed the petition for the recovery of his father. According to the court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, “No incriminating evidence is present against the accused person to be sent to judicial remand. “Hence, the request of the investigating officer (IO) has been turned down, the accused person is discharged from the instant case … first information report, and the IO is ordered to release the person forthwith”. The Lahore court discharged Sajid after he was nominated...

Posts from users and Indian accounts on social media platform X on Monday were claiming that China has removed Pakistan from its list of countries allowed visa-free entry. However, no such development has occurred since Pakistan was never included in China’s list of countries with visa-free entry. 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 media collaboration, with initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor symbolising a shared vision for development. On July 14, a user, who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his previous posts, claimed in a post on X that China has removed Pakistan from its list of visa-free countries. A social media graphic from a news outlet accompanying the post reads: “China just announced visa-free entry for 74 countries, but Pakistan didn’t make the list.” The post garnered ...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has advised Pakistan to implement a uniform 5 per cent general sales tax (GST) for all digital transactions to encourage nationwide adoption of e-commerce platforms, reduce cash-related inefficiencies and document the economy. In its latest report on Pakistan’s Digital Ecosystem issued yesterday, the ADB cautioned that steep and inconsistent taxes on digital infrastructure in the country pose a serious risk to foreign investment, growth, and the expansion of digital services. “Pakistan’s digital infrastructure faces a major challenge from high taxation. Taxes on this sector, both federal and provincial, are some of the highest globally and regionally, and the tax policies tend not to be very consistent,” the report said. “The cost of service provision exacerbates the digital divide, especially for women and marginalised groups, who face asymmetric cost and cultural barriers to accessing the internet.” The report further added that the telecom sector in Pakistan “experienced a ...

Five people — four from the same family — were killed in two separate road accidents in Karachi on Tuesday, according to police and rescue officials. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. At least four people lost their lives and another six were injured — all from the same family — after their speeding car crashed into a wall next to a nullah on Hawkesbay Road in the city’s Mauripur area, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza. DIG Raza speculated that the family was most likely returning from the Hawke’s Bay beach. The incident took place at 9am on Tuesday, he added. “The accident most likely happened as a result of speeding,” said the DIG, adding that further investigation was underway. The deceased included a man and woman — identified as Yousuf and Khalida — along with two children, six-year-old Zaina...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the federal government to establish a commission within 30 days to investigate blasphemy-related cases, with a mandate to complete its inquiry within four months.