Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology on Thursday was informed that reports about the shutdown of the so-called internet firewall ahead of the 5G spectrum auction were incorrect. At the outset of the meeting, Syed Aminul Haque, the committee chairman, noted that there were reports regarding the firewall. Meanwhile, Sadiq Memon called for a briefing on this system and its utility for the nation. He also enquired about the difference between an internet firewall and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s Web Monitoring System (WMS). Information Technology Secretary Zarar Hashim Khan denied that any such system had been dismantled. “The PTA’s WMS is fully operational,” Khan said, adding that neither a firewall nor the WMS had caused any delay in internet services. After the initial briefing by the IT secretary, the floor was given to PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman, who clarified that the word firewall was a colloqial term for the WMS, adding that it had been in place in ...

Defending champions score 256-4, restrict Zimbabwe to 184-6 in Chennai to win by 72 runs

The military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday that 10 terrorists were killed by security forces during an operation in Balochistan’s Zhob. In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that after an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Zhob on February 24, in which eight Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed, security forces conducted a comprehensive sanitisation operation on Wednesday to hunt down “hiding khwarij” belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij. Fitna al Khwarij is a term that the state has designated for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. “During the conduct of the operation, own forces tracked down Khwarij on multiple routes and effectively engaged their locations. After an ensuing fire exchange, ten Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement said. It added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted ...

Pressure is mounting on Sri Lanka’s captain, coach and the selection panel to step down after the co-hosts’ feeble exit from the T20 World Cup with a match to spare. A second Super Eights defeat, where Sri Lanka never threatened to get near their 169 target against New Zealand, ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals. It also provoked unprecedented booing from the 35,000-strong crowd in Colombo and calls for heads to roll. The group win over Australia had hopes high for a run to at least the semi-finals, but it is now a distant memory after Sri Lanka’s batting was exposed time and again on turning pitches. Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya had already informed the board that he would step down after the World Cup. Now, captain Dasun Shanaka and the selectors seem likely to follow or be axed after an embarrassing campaign. “We have one more game in the competition and we will address what went wrong during the World Cup after that game and take the necessary steps,” a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesperson ...

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ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday again declared PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri the winner of Balochistan’s PB-21 (Hub) constituency. The development comes more than two years after the 2024 general elections and a day after the electoral watchdog ordered a recounting of votes polled in the constituency’s 39 polling stations “as soon as possible but not later than 3 working days positively”. Subsequently, the ECP said in its notification issued on Thursday: “Pursuant to the order dated February 25, 2026 passed by the ECP […] and as a result of recounting at (39) polling stations conducted by the returning officer, PB-21 Hub, the notification dated December 19 2024, is hereby restored, whereby Ali Hassan Zehri was declared the returned candidate from PB-21 Hub.” Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court also took up the matter and directed that the operation of the Feb 25 order shall remain suspended until the next date of hearing. The recounting saga Originally, Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Muha...

Security forces have killed 10 terrorists during a follow-up sanitisation operation in Zhob district of Balochistan, the military’s media wing said on Thursday, as part of an intensified counter-terror campaign in the region.

The United States hopes talks with Iran in Geneva will produce an agreement to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and President Donald Trump has amassed forces in the Middle East to increase pressure on Iran to reach a deal. What is at stake? Iran has, over decades, developed an advanced and large-scale uranium enrichment programme. While enriched uranium can be used as fuel in power plants at various purity levels, at high levels it can be used to make nuclear weapons. Until Israel and the US attacked its nuclear facilities last June, Iran was enriching uranium to up to 60 per cent purity, a short step from the roughly 90pc that is weapons grade. It had enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency yardstick, and more at lower levels. The IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, has not, however, been able to verify how much of that uranium stock remains. Iran has yet to declare what happened to it or allow the agency...

India will soon give final shape to a mutually beneficial free trade agreement with Israel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. The two countries will also pursue joint development, production, and transfer of technology in defence, Modi said at the end of his two-day trip aimed at strengthening ties with Israel. Modi said Tel Aviv and New Delhi agreed there was “no place for terrorism in the world”. “India and Israel are clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world, in any form… We will oppose it shoulder to shoulder. We will always oppose it in the future,” Modi said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. “Humanity must never become a victim of conflict,” he added. Following their meeting, Netanyahu’s office said the “two leaders will sign a series of agreements between Israel and India in economic, security, and diplomatic fields”. Separately, Modi said he and Israeli President Isaac Herzog held “extremely fruitful and wide-ranging” t...

Iran and the United States held talks in Switzerland on Thursday, in a last-ditch bid to avert war under the shadow of the biggest American military build-up in the Middle East in decades. The Oman-mediated discussions follow repeated threats from Donald Trump to strike Iran, with the US president last Thursday giving Tehran 15 days to reach a deal. The US and Iranian delegations arrived at the venue at the Omani ambassador’s residence amid tight security, following a protest by Iranian exiles at their talks last week who threw objects at the Iranian motorcade. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed that discussions had begun, saying the two sides expressed “unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions”. He later said the talks had been paused but would resume later in the day. Iran’s president insisted ahead of the talks that the Islamic republic was not “at all” seeking a nuclear weapon. “Our Supreme Leader has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all,” Preside...

ISLAMABAD: Three European countries — Italy, Spain and Greece — and Pakistan reached a consensus on Thursday to promote legal pathways to “effectively combat illegal migration”, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The consensus was reached at a four-nation conference in Rome, Naqvi said in a post on social media platform X, adding that ministers from Italy, Spain and Greece attended the meeting. “Productive meeting in Rome with my counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece at the four-nation conference on curbing illegal migration. “Pakistan, Italy, Spain and Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy against illegal migration, human smuggling and narcotics, including a joint policy framework and rapid-response mechanism,” he said. The interior minister added that a consensus was also reached at the conference on “promoting legal pathways to effectively counter illegal migration [and] repatriation of criminals to face the law”. “European partners appreciated Pakistan’s strong actions, noting a 47 per cen...

South Africa captain Aiden Markram led from the front with an unbeaten 82 as South Africa all but secured a T20 World Cup semi-final berth with a brutal nine-wicket thrashing of the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday. After the West Indies fought back from deep trouble at 83-7 to post 176-8, Markram and Quinton de Kock put on 95 for the first wicket to set the platform for a thumping victory. South Africa raced to their target with 23 balls to spare, scoring 177-1. Ryan Rickleton was not out on 45 at the end. They are the only unbeaten side in the tournament, having also dismantled pre-tournament favourite India by 76 runs in the Super Eights. An India win against Zimbabwe in Chennai later on Thursday will guarantee South Africa’s progress to the last four. It will also make India’s clash against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday a winner-takes-all decider for the final semi-final berth. Markram reached fifty off 27 balls and hit four sixes and seven fours. De Kock scored 47 off 24 balls, with four sixes...

In view of the prevailing national security situation, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, has directed authorities to further strengthen security arrangements across the province.

Pakistan on Thursday accused India of involvement in terrorism inside its territory and alleged that New Delhi is engaged in anti-Pakistan propaganda, while also warning that recent Israeli actions pose a serious threat to regional peace.

Breathe Pakistan, a flagship climate change awareness initiative by DawnMedia, has partnered with Alertli, a socially intelligent platform powered by voice and location-based artificial intelligence (AI), to strengthen citizen-led climate reporting and resilience efforts across Pakistan. According to a press release issued on Thursday, the collaboration will enable citizens to report climate-related incidents in real time, including urban flooding after heavy rainfall, heat-related emergencies, weather-induced road blockages, and climate-linked property damage. The statement said these reports will contribute to a broader national framework for climate awareness and preparedness “at a time when rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather events are placing unprecedented strain on urban infrastructure, public health systems, and everyday mobility”. It added that under the partnership, Alertli will serve as an “official citizen-reporting tool across Breathe Pakistan’s platforms”. User-submitted reports...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday launched an e-taxi scheme in the province, saying that the initiative was part of the government’s efforts to establish an “e-mobility ecosystem”. At a ceremony held for the scheme’s inauguration, the Punjab chief minister announced that around 1,100 e-taxies will be provided under the scheme at a subsidised rate, with a 30 per cent quota reserved for women. “Punjab has become the first province to launch an e-taxi scheme, the first of its kind, not only for the environment, but it will also open up employment opportunities,” the chief minister said while addressing the ceremony. “I am happy that over 30 pc of the scheme’s beneficiaries are women,” the chief minister added. CM Maryam maintained that the initiative was a part of the government’s efforts to establish an “e-mobility ecosystem”. “We have green buses as well — an example for the rest of the country,” she said, outlining plans to expand the service to “all 148 tehsils of Punjab”. Turning her attention ...

Have you ever come home from work feeling completely drained, even though you didn’t do anything physically exhausting? Surprisingly, this feeling is often less about the amount of work we do and more about the nature of the work and the structure of our jobs. In today’s world, most people spend nearly a third of their lives at work. Yet many jobs are structured in ways that leave people bored, stressed, or disconnected. It is understandable that jobs needn’t be fun, but they also don’t need to be frustrating. Even when people choose careers that they are passionate about, many gradually lose that passion and end up leaving the very jobs they once worked day and night for. This often happens because of how jobs are structured, how tasks are organised, and whether people feel they have control and meaning in their work. All of this affects employee productivity and happiness. Consider a job in which someone performs the same task every day, such as working in a print shop or performing desk work with minimal i...

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has ruled that placing any citizen’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) or any other travel ban list without prior notice or a show-cause notice is illegal and unconstitutional.