Pakistan

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal expressed confidence on Monday that the changes pertaining local governments sought by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) would be addressed in the next constitutional amendment slated for the “coming months”. Kamal made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Karachi, less than a week after the contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment was enacted into law amid protests by the opposition and other quarters. When the 27th Amendment was tabled in the National Assembly on Nov 11, Kamal had referred to Article 140-A of the Constitution, which relates to local governments, and said his party’s proposed amendments “are not dead yet” and would be discussed as part of the 28th Amendment. Speaking to the media today, he said that changes were initially pitched to be included in the 26th Amendment, which was passed by Parliament during an overnight session in October last year. Kamal then thanked other parties, including the ruling PML-N, and “individual friends from...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Karachi on Monday for a daylong visit to inaugurate the newly upgraded Cantt railway station.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in Moscow on November 17-18, 2025.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a 13-day anti-measles and rubella vaccination campaign has been launched to protect children aged six months to five years.

Pakistan’s first Federal Constitutional Court, established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, commenced its proceedings on Monday under the leadership of Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan.

Politicians and journalists have jumped to the defence of anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada after videos emerged on social media of him being accosted in public by a man accusing him of acting against PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. The video, which has been circulating on social media since Sunday night, shows a man following Khanzada in what appeared to be a clothing store. In the video, the man told the journalist he should be “ashamed” of “what he has done against Imran” and his wife. For his part, Khanzada — who appeared to be present with his family — did not engage with the man and walked away. While the man did not provide an explanation for the allegations he was levelling against the journalist, PTI’s Shahbaz Gill shared an old clip of Khanzada talking about the Iddat case, filed against Bushra Bibi and Imran by her former husband Khawar Maneka, on his show. The case pertains to Imran and Bushra Bibi’s marriage during the latter’s Iddat period. “This is the filth Shahzeb did,” he said. ...

• Move comes amid downward revision in growth forecast to 3.5pc for current fiscal • Calls from IMF, armed forces, others to re-balance transfer of resources to provinces go unheeded • Centre ‘backs off’ from changes to award after deal with PPP ISLAMABAD: The inaugural session of the National Finance Commission (NFC), constituted three months ago, is not in sight, as the proposed date of Nov 18 has also been postponed amid a downward revision in the economic growth forecast by up to 0.7 per cent to 3.5pc for the current fiscal year. Informed sources said told Dawn that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted to set the ball rolling at the political level on key Centre-provincial matters before opening the debate for financial rearrangements at the technically-constitutional forum of NFC. The 11th NFC was constituted on Aug 22 to give a fresh award for the sharing of federal divisible resources among the Centre and the provinces. The first meeting was originally called for Aug 27 and then delayed to Aug 29 for u...

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King Abdullah visits GIDS, Tilla Firing Ranges; Praises army's operational capabilities

Officials say Pakistan wants 'verifiable, irreversible' action by Kabul

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The Saudi government has imposed a restriction on pilgrims with certain health conditions, including chronic and infectious diseases, from performing Haj next year, according to a notice on the Ministry of Religious Affairs website. The notice, citing the Saudi health ministry, lists organ failure such as kidney diseases requiring dialysis, heart diseases in cases where patients are not capable of even slight exertion, chronic lung disease with patients requiring intermittent or continuous oxygen and liver failure or liver cirrhosis as conditions that do not meet the criteria for Haj. The list also includes those suffering from neurological or cognitive disorders that affect memory, dementia and severe physical disability. Moreover, aged individuals with Alzheimer’s or suffering from tremors, as well as pregnant women in their last trimester or with those with complicated pregnancies, would also face restrictions. Furthermore, those with infectious diseases that pose a risk to others in large gatherings, such...

Police have registered a case against multiple suspects, including the owner of an allegedly illegal firecracker factory in Hyderabad, where an explosion occurred yesterday. As a result of the explosion, at least nine people have died so far. The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn, was registered yesterday on the complaint of B-Section Station House Officer (SHO) Niaz Panhwar. It invoked Sections 322 (punishment for intentional murder), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 286 (negligent conduct with respect explosive substance), 336 (punishment for mutilation or dismemberment of a limb), 336-B (punishment for hurt by corrosive substance), 337-H (punishment for hurt by a rash or negligent act) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Factory owner Asad Yousafzai and his alleged accomplices, Rashid Khan, Dilshad Khan, Arshad and Shakeel Punjabi, ...

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said on Sunday that Pakistan welcomed Iran’s offer of mediation between Islamabad and Kabul and would “not shy away from” it. “Iran is a brotherly, friendly country. Pakistan is always in favour of finding peaceful resolutions of issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and we appreciate the offer of mediation of our brotherly country, Iran,” Andrabi told Dawn upon a query about reports that Tehran was working to convene a regional meeting for mediation between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban. “We believe that Iran can play an important role. We would not shy away from any mediatory role by Iran. Mediations are always welcome,” Andrabi said, adding that Pakistan had a “very strong case”. He further stated: “Generally, mediations are resented by a country or a side which is on a weak legal or a political case. Pakistan’s case on this issue, on terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, is very strong. So, obviously we will not shy away from mediation.” Pakistan,...

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Athens signs deal with Kyiv to supply LNG

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