Pakistan

Federal Minister Khalid Hussain Magsi has said that the principles of unity, faith and discipline laid down by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah remain a guiding light for the nation even today.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka on Thursday after nearly 17 years in exile, a homecoming the party hopes will energise supporters with Rahman poised to be the top contender for prime minister in the February 12 elections. Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the route from the capital’s airport to the reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners, and flowers, while chanting slogans welcoming Rahman, as senior BNP leaders received him at the Dhaka airport under tight security. Rahman, 60, the son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has lived in London since 2008 and led the BNP as acting chairman since 2018. Dressed in a light grey, finely checkered blazer over a crisp white shirt, Rahman exited the airport, removed his shoes to step barefoot onto Bangladeshi soil, and picked up a handful of earth in a symbolic gesture marking his return to the South Asian nation. He was seen standing beside the driver’s seat in a bus taking him ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has renewed Pakistan’s commitment to pluralism, interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence, saying the country’s diversity is a source of pride and strength.

The Christian community in Pakistan is celebrating Christmas today with religious fervour and festive spirit, in line with celebrations around the world.

THE Quaid categorically declared that no power on earth can undo Pakistan. QUAID-I-AZAM Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a charismatic statesman, laid the foundation for a modern democratic state, Pakistan, to safeguard the fundamental rights of Muslims who were a minority in pre-Partition India. Pakistan was born as a secular democratic state, but its welfare and prosperity will always depend upon the restoration of Jinnah’s democratic legacy. Despite cultural, religious, or ethnic distinctions, Jinnah steadfastly believed that each Pakistani is an equal citizen; justice, honesty, and impartiality are the guiding principles that protect the right to life, property, and religious beliefs. Hence, for Jinnah, democracy ensures justice for all. Pakistan’s great founder wanted neither a theocratic state nor a feudal one. For Jinnah, democracy was a matter of conviction. ‘Democracy’ means people-centred decision-making, which enables individuals not only to elect their representatives but also to devise public policies, enact...

Quaid-i-Azam at his favourite residence on Mount Pleasant Road in Bombay. IN the current phase of our beautiful, beleaguered country’s history, institutional deviation and constitutional deformities have reached abysmal lows. This special report is being published on the birthday of an individual who had unshakable respect for institutional integrity and individual accountability in life, not immunity for life. The invitation to write encouraged one to consider anecdotal aspects to portray the Quaid’s life from inception to conclusion through fleeting glimpses, snatches of scenes, bits and pieces, which juxtaposed together, evoke his unlikely beginnings, unique persona, values and respect for institutions. So much is already widely known about the pivotal role of M.A. Jinnah, especially between 1935 and 1948. One therefore decided to select relatively less known aspects. Herein are segments from the Quaid’s early years and then, with a deliberate leap over the next 40 years or so, random clips from the last 1...

LONDON: A woman has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison after National Crime Agency (NCA) officers found 85 kilograms of heroin worth an estimated £8.5 million in her home in Bradford. Sidrah Nosheen, 34, was part of an organised crime group that smuggled heroin from Pakistan into the United Kingdom and supplied it across the country, the NCA said in a statement. Officers arrested Nosheen at her property on Woodside Road, Wyke, in June 2024. During the operation, they discovered that her back bedroom had been converted into what investigators described as a heroin processing plant. The NCA said heroin concealed inside items of clothing including leather jackets had been delivered to Nosheen’s address. She would remove the drugs and package them into one-kilo deal bags. During the search, officers recovered 85kg of the Class A drug in various bags, along with a wallpaper pasting table, weighing scales, buckets and other tools. Boxes containing plastic-wrapped clothing waiting to be opened were ...

• Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar says TTAP has ‘conditionally resolved’ to take up govt offer • PTI spox puts the ball in Achakzai, Raja Nasir Abbas’ court; says Imran has barred party from entering any talks ISLAMABAD: A day after PM Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the government’s willingness to engage in a political dialogue, the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) exp­ressed its willingness to engage in such a process, albeit conditionally. At a recent national conference, organised by the TTAP alliance, participants had agreed that the door for dialogue must never be closed in a democracy. But if the spokesperson for the country’s main opposition party is to be believed, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is not interested in sitting across the table from the government. A meeting of opposition leaders was held on Wednesday, chaired by PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and attended by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Sajid Tareen, Asad Qaiser, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and Akhunzada Hussain Yousufzai, amon...

• Term legislation ‘unconstitutional and unlawful’ • SCBA, LHCBA accuse provincial govt of ‘appeasing’ land mafia • Court refers matter to LHC CJ for full bench ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The controversy surrounding the recently enacted Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025 intensified on Wednesday as various lawyers’ associations — irrespective of their political affiliation — endorsed the Lahore High Court’s intervention to suspend its implementation. Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warraich strongly condemned the statement made by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, in which she reportedly sought to justify the law empowering deputy commissioner-led committees to decide property disputes. The Punjab chief minister had argued that the law was enacted to provide long-awaited relief to millions of citizens suffering from prolonged land and property disputes. On Dec 22, LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum suspended the operation of the law and announced that a full bench w...

• CCoE approves pilot wheeling auction under Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Model • 800MW to be auctioned for five years; volumes may rise after trial phase • Indicative wheeling charge put at Rs12.55 per unit; industry objects to cost impact • 18-member steering committee formed for integrated energy planning ISLAMABAD: The government has approved a pilot electricity auction that will allow power to be bought and sold through competition, while also end­o­r­sing steps towards integrated energy planning a­cross the country to end fragmented decision-making. In this regard, the Cabinet Committee on Energy on Wednesday approved framework guidelines for a “wheeling” auction of 800-megawatt of electricity under the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Model (CTBCM). Wheeling refers to the use of the national electricity grid to deliver power from a generator to a buyer. Big factories or companies may buy electricity directly from a producer, but they still need the grid wires to get it. The fee they pay...

ISLAMABAD - The federal government on Wednesday has announced that new owners of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will take control of the national flag carrier in April next year.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended heartfelt greetings to the Christian community in Pakistan and around the world on the occasion of Christmas.

MUZAFFARABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s youth were the country’s greatest strength and investment in their education and skills was an investment in the future.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF, presided over the 273rd Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) held at General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD - At the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will undertake an official visit to Pakistan on December 26.

ISLAMABAD - Following the transfer of cases to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), fresh statistics regarding pending cases in the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan were released on Wednesday.

Commander Royal Navy of Oman, Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi, met Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad, where discussions focused on issues of mutual interest, regional maritime security, and bilateral naval collaboration.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that Pakistan’s leadership should earn public support by adhering to Islamic values instead of following Western models.

WASHINGTON: The Pakistani Consulate in Los Angeles issued a stern warning against a message circulating online and on messaging platforms that claims to be an “important notice” regarding Pakistan visas. Officials have confirmed that the message is false and is part of a pattern of phishing scams designed to collect sensitive personal and financial information from unsuspecting applicants. Upon accessing the consulate’s website, the following notice was prominently displayed. A screenshot of a notice from the Pakistani Consulate in Los Angeles warning about unauthorised visa applications. — Screengrab A statement issued by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington stated: “The Consulate General disassociates itself from all such unauthorised individuals, agents, or entities and shall not be responsible for any loss, delay, misrepresentation, or other adverse consequences arising from engagement with them.” The fraudulent message falsely purports to come from the consulate and directs visa applicants to submit inform...

The PTI has said that it will not engage in negotiations with the federal government. Party Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the stance was taken following the instructions of party founder Imran Khan. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his offer for talks with the opposition but also emphasised that dialogue between the two sides could only proceed on “legitimate matters”. Later that day, Akram appeared on ARY News programme ‘The 11th Hour’, where he was asked if the PTI wants to negotiate with the government. He categorically said that the party was “not interested” in talks. “I met Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and he said that Imran instructed the party not to engage with the government in any way,“ Akram explained. “He also ordered that if anyone approaches Achakzai sahib or Allama Raja Nasir sahib for any matter, they have the authority to decide whether or not they want to talk,” he added, referring to Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) leaders Mahmood Khan Ach...