Pakistan

Transport operators raise fares by up to 10% after Rs55/litre increase; commuters shift to public transport

Most accidents involve trailers, water tankers and speeding coaches

Initiative allows over 250 children from Orangi Town to choose clothes, toys ahead of Eid

Family calls for justice as brothers die while buying Eid clothes

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has cancelled around 4.2 million Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) of individuals who have been recorded as deceased in provincial civil registration systems, according to a statement issued by the authority. In many cases, while deaths are formally registered, the next of kin do not apply for the cancellation of CNICs of the deceased, resulting in a discrepancy between civil registration records and Nadra’s database. Under the legal framework, Nadra maintains and updates the national citizen database by incorporating “vital life-event information” — birth, death, marriage, and divorce — received from provincial and local Civil Registration Management Systems (CRMS), the statement said. These records are reported and registered at local civil registration authorities, including union councils, town committees and cantonment boards, typically by blood relatives of the individuals concerned, it detailed. “In pursuance of its statutor...

The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has forecast that Eidul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21 as the chances of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 remain low. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Suparco said that the new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH was expected to be born on March 19 at 6:23am. “At the time of sunset on March 19, 2026, the age of the new moon will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated 28-minute interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan’s coastal belt,” it added. Based on these astronomical parameters, the statement said, the “chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 2026 are low”. “Consequently, 1st Shawwal 1447 AH is anticipated to fall on Saturday, March 21, 2026, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramazan,” it added. However, it continued, “the final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal crescent and the commencement of Eidul Fitr 1447 AH will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal ...

On the 12th day of the US–Israel war against Iran, the maritime domain, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, clearly emerged as the principal flashpoint, shaping both the military trajectory of the war and the strategic calculations of the US as the contest over oil flows and shipping lanes began to define the central logic of the conflict. In the past 24 hours, at least three separate attacks were recorded against commercial vessels operating in or near the Strait of Hormuz, reinforcing the perception that Iran is now enforcing its threat to disrupt maritime traffic through direct kinetic pressure. The incidents occurred in quick succession and involved vessels from three different flag states, which pointed to the widening risks to global shipping. A Thailand-flagged bulk carrier, Mayuree Naree, was struck by an unidentified projectile roughly 11 nautical miles north of Oman inside the strait, triggering a fire that forced most of the crew to evacuate before the blaze was eventually contained. Shortly afterwa...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday emphasised that Pakistan must gradually move toward a “more balanced financial system”, in which capital markets would complement the banking sector in meeting the economy’s financing needs. The finance czar expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the Capital Market Development Council (CMDC), according to a press release issued by the finance ministry. The meeting was convened to review the “progress on reforms aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s capital markets, with particular focus on the development of the corporate debt market and expanding the role of capital markets in financing economic growth”, the press release said. It added that in his opening remarks at the meeting, the finance minister underscored that a “strong and well-functioning capital market was vital for sustainable economic development” as it enabled corporations to access long-term financing while offering diversified investment opportunities to both institutional and retail inve...

Bangladesh pace sensation Nahid Rana claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals to lead his team to a crushing eight-wicket win over Pakistan in their opening match on Wednesday. Rana returned figures of 5-24 to skittle out Pakistan for 114, a total Bangladesh overhauled in 15.1 overs of the 50-over contest in Mirpur to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Opener Tanzid Hasan hammered an unbeaten 67 off 42 balls and put on a second-wicket partnership of 82 with Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made 27, in a statement win. Saif Hassan fell early for four, while Litton Das remained unbeaten on three with Tanzid. Earlier, Nahid laid the platform for victory with his outstanding spell in his seven overs to bowl out Pakistan for their lowest ODI total against Bangladesh, eclipsing the previous 161 during the 1999 World Cup. The 23-year-old Nahid ripped through Pakistan’s top order, becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to dismiss the opposition’s top five batters in an ODI innings. Nahid removed ...

The government has launched a $9.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday congratulated Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party and its leader Balendra Shah on their historic electoral victory.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has successfully completed phase I of the Undergraduate Scholarship Programme for Students of Gilgit-Baltistan in Top Pakistani Universities/Institutions, achieving a phenomenal scholarship utilisation ratio of 99.

At the third session of the weekly Seerat lecture series at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), the important aspect of the Holy Prophet’s PBUH life, “Service to Humanity,” was highlighted.

China warned the United States on Wednesday that the excessive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its military could plunge the world into a Terminator like dystopian future. US President Donald Trump’s administration has sought the unconditional use of AI startups in the military. The Pentagon has confirmed Elon Musk’s Grok system is cleared for use in a classified setting, and blacklisted Anthropic after it refused to allow its Claude AI model to be used for mass surveillance and autonomous lethal warfare. “Such choices as the unrestricted application of AI by the military, using AI as a tool to violate the sovereignty of other nations, allowing AI to excessively affect war decisions, and giving algorithms the power to determine life and death, not only erode ethical restraints and accountability in wars, but also risk technological runaway,” a spokesman for China’s defence ministry, Jiang Bin, said on Wednesday. “A dystopia depicted in the American film The Terminator could one day come true,” he said....

WASHINGTON: United States lawmakers from both parties raised concerns on Tuesday about the strategy and potential consequences of the US-Israeli war against Iran following a classified congressional briefing. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said the Trump administration’s plans for the war appear “incoherent and incomplete” following the two-hour closed-door briefing. “So they are going to spend hundreds of billions of your taxpayer dollars, get a whole bunch of Americans killed, and a hardline regime — probably a MORE anti-American hardline regime — will still be in charge,” Murphy said on X following the briefing. Murphy said he could not disclose classified information but that the plans discussed left him deeply concerned about the administration’s strategy. He said the briefing suggested that destroying Iran’s nuclear weapons program is not among the listed war goals. He also said regime change in Tehran is not part of the strategy, raising questions about what the administration ultimately hopes to achi...

Acting on the directives of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the Secretariat of the National Assembly of Pakistan has introduced a series of strict austerity measures in line with the government’s cost-reduction campaign led by Shehbaz Sharif.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatullah Mojtaba Khamenei is injured but “safe and sound”, the son of the president said on Wednesday, offering the first official explanation for why the 56-year-old has not been seen since his appointment at the weekend. “I heard news that Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections,” Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser, wrote in a post on his Telegram channel. “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound,” added the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Mojtaba, until now a low profile if powerful behind-the-scenes figure, was named Iran’s number one following the assassination of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an air strike at the start of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic. But there had been mounting questions about his whereabouts and physical condition after his appointment by the Assembly of Experts clerical body, with the new supreme leader yet to be seen, let alone speak, in public. State televis...

The Election Commission of Pakistan has initiated key preparations for the upcoming local government elections after receiving a request from the Ministry of Interior.

Prime Minister’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media Mosharraf Zaidi on Wednesday said that Pakistan would be there for Saudi Arabia “before it is needed”, adding “no matter what, no matter when”. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Zaidi was asked about whether Pakistan would come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “militarily or otherwise” amid war triggered in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. “The question is not whether Pakistan might come to Saudi Arabia’s aid. Both countries, even before the strategic mutual defence agreement, have operated on a principle of being there for the other before they need the other. So, there is no question that we might; we will. No matter what, no matter when,” he said. He maintained that the “real question” was what Pakistan was doing to make sure that things did not escalate to a point where “any of its closest partners are further embroiled in a conflict that potentially undermines stability and prosperity, not just for the region at large but especially for the Pakis...

Thunderstorms lashed the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Wednesday, bringing both heavy and light showers that cooled down the atmosphere and created pleasant weather conditions.