Pakistan

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi has marked a significant victory in its mission to protect state assets by successfully retrieving 43.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has launched the “PTA Digital Assistant” to provide ease and facilitation to telecom consumers with general guidance on telecom services and complaint procedures.

The United Kingdom has rolled out a new electronic visa (e-visa) system for Pakistani nationals, removing the requirement for physical visa stickers on passports and shifting the process entirely online.

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted Islamabad and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday. The tremors were felt in Peshawar, Chitral, Swat, Swabi, Bajaur, Mardan, Charsadda and Mansehra, DawnNewsTV reported, adding that they were also felt in Islamabad. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the quake struck at 4:12pm at a depth of 114 kilometres. It said the earthquake’s epicentre was Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region. The department also added that the quake was felt in Islamabad, Swat, Peshawar and Chitral. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. Last week, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of KP, with tremors felt in Shangla, Swat, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera.

GWADAR: Six people, including the attacker, were killed and four others were injured in a shooting and mortar attack at a house in the Minaz locality of Kech district’s Buleda tehsil, a police official said. Initially, police sources said six members of a family, including three children, were killed when assailants opened indiscriminate gunfire and launched a mortar strike. Later, Buleda Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Talal Gichki stated that an attacker was among the six dead in the incident, while four others were injured. “Firing continued for one and a half hours. During the exchange of fire, a rocket fell on a hut,” the DSP said, adding that the entire residence got burned down as a result. Over a dozen cattle were also lost as a result of the attack. Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. Police sources said an investigation was under way and the matter was being probed from multiple angles. On February 16, unidentifi...

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday imposed an “immediate and complete” ban on flying drones outdoors across the province for the next 30 days, citing risk to public safety. In a notification issued by the Punjab home department, available with Dawn, a complete ban on the outside flying of drones was announced under Section 144 (6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, which is to remain in force “for a period of 30 days from the date of issuance or until withdrawn earlier”. However, the notification said that the ban did not apply to “use of small drones for coverage of indoor activities, such as in halls or marquees”. It further added that the ban was also not applicable to “drones used by intelligence and law enforcement agencies”. The home department noted that “credible reports and prevailing circumstances indicate that the increasing and unregulated use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) within the territorial limits of Punjab poses potential risks to public safety, security of public and pr...

Pakistan’s benchmark index, KSE-100, closed in the red on Wednesday, down 1632.25 points from its previous close of 166,258.54. Volatility persisted in the market, with the index touching an intraday high of 168,191.64 and a low of 164,229.36, underscoring continued instability in trading activity. This follows Tuesday’s particularly turbulent session that saw the index swing from an intraday gain of 1,546 points to a steep decline of 3,783 points as selling pressure intensified. Analysts at Topline Securities note that the benchmark was primarily impacted by weak investor sentiment and futures rollover pressure. The top active stocks were led by K-Electric Limited, which rose 1.85 per cent to Rs7.71 at a volume of 99,786,190, followed by Cnergyico PK Limited, which rose 8.31pc to Rs7.17 at a volume of 70,330,560, and First National Equities Limited, which rose 0.68pc to Rs1.48 at a volume of 33,421,278. The top advancers were led by Media Times Ltd., which rose 11.02pc to Rs5.24, followed by Chenab Limited, ...

Sohail Afridi on Wednesday attempted to address the rostrum of Sarfraz Dogar at the Islamabad High Court, but the chief justice left for his chambers without hearing him.

A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday, blaming Israel for two-thirds of the deaths. It was the second consecutive annual record for press deaths and the deadliest year since the CPJ began collecting data more than three decades ago. “Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. “We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news.” Over three-quarters of all the fatalities in 2025 were in conflict settings, the CPJ said in its report. More than 60 per cent of the 86 members of the press killed by Israeli fire in 2025 were Palestinians reporting from Gaza, it added. The Israeli military claims that it never “deliberately targets” journalists. The number of journalists killed in Ukraine and Sudan also increased in 2025 compared to the year before. The CPJ highlighted a rise in drones being used, w...

The Punjab home department submitted a report to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stating that 17 people died during the recent Basant festival in Lahore. The three-day Basant festival was held in Lahore from February 6-8, following the Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event after 18 years, with strict regulations. However, despite the government’s emphasis on safety measures, over 100 accidents were reported in connection with the festival. The petition, heard by Justice Owais Khalid, sought the details of deaths and injuries during Basant. According to the report, three people died of electrocution during the festival, and two died after falling from trees. In addition, 12 people lost their lives falling from roofs, the report added. The LHC also sought details of people injured by kite strings during Basant. According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Advocate Azhar Siddique, the data was not provided. Earlier this month, the court summoned a police report on the deaths and inju...

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking the transfer of jailed Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment, particularly an eye examination by a specialist.

Classes have been suspended in 133 government schools in Lahore after a structural survey found their buildings to be unsafe, officials said.

Maryam Nawaz has decided to introduce province-wide infrastructure and design standardisation to ensure uniform development, improved urban discipline, and a cohesive visual identity across Punjab.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump opened the foreign-policy portion of his State of the Union address tonight with a carefully calibrated message on Iran, stating that his “preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy” while warning he would “never” allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon. The formulation, which projected readiness for talks while keeping the option of military force deliberately ambiguous, reflected his broader doctrine of “peace through strength.” US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US on February 24, 2026. — Reuters Trump argued that a rebuilt US military and higher defence spending by Nato allies had strengthened Washington’s hand. At the same time, he asserted that Iran was developing missiles capable of reaching the United States and complained: “We haven’t heard those secret words (from Iran): ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’” He blamed Tehran for pursuing a “sinister nuclear pro...

Sindh Assembly has completed its second parliamentary year, but questions over legislative oversight and accountability continue to mount, as more than 500 questions submitted by lawmakers remain unanswered by government departments.

Punjab has become the first province in the country to establish the Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre (PIFTAC) to strengthen intelligence coordination and internal security.

Muslim and European countries, including Pakistan, on Wednesday condemned Israeli attempts aimed at the “unacceptable de facto annexation” of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. A joint statement by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Brazil, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Egypt, Pakistan, Luxembourg, Norway, Palestine, Portugal, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said that recent changes made by Israel to reclaim land in the occupied West Bank as “state property” are “wide-ranging” and accelerate illegal settlement activity and further entrench Israeli administration. Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property” for the first time since the Israeli occupation of the territory in 1967, in clear violation of international law, which states that an occupying power cannot confiscate land in occupied territories....

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said he held an excellent meeting with the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that the Shawwal moon is unlikely to be sighted on the 29th of Ramadan, indicating that the holy month is expected to complete 30 days in Pakistan.