Pakistan

Extremists killed one policeman in Iran’s restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Iranian media reported on Sunday, adding that three assailants also died. “A policeman from Saravan was killed while terrorists were trying to enter the police station” in that area of Sistan-Baluchistan, the Tasnim news agency said. The attackers were members of the militant group Jaish al-Adl ( “Army of Justice” in Arabic) active in Iran’s southeast, the agency said. “Three terrorists were killed and two were arrested,” Tasnim said. Sistan-Baluchistan, which shares a long border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been the site of frequent clashes between security forces and insurgents or smugglers, including militants who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. On July 26, gunmen stormed a courthouse in the province’s capital Zahedan, killing at least six people, in an attack that was later claimed by Jaish al-Adl. In one of the deadliest attacks in the province, 10 police officers were killed in Oc...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to review bilateral cooperation and exchange views on key regional and international developments.

Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) has issued an urgent advisory following a surge in ransomware and malware attacks targeting institutions across the country.

United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was nominating State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce as the next US deputy representative to the United Nations. Bruce has been the State Department spokesperson since Trump took office in January. In a post on social media in which Trump announced her nomination, the president said she did a “fantastic job” as State Department spokesperson. Bruce will need to be confirmed for the role by the US Senate, where Trump’s Republican Party holds a majority. During press briefings, she has defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy decisions ranging from an immigration crackdown and visa revocations to US responses to the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza, including a widely condemned armed private aid operation in the Palestinian territory. Bruce was previously a political contributor and commentator on Fox News for over 20 years. She has also authored books like Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda, which ...

Lahore - Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar chaired an important video link meeting at the Central Police Office to review the performance, resources, and operational readiness of the Riot Management Police (RMP) across all regions and districts.

CHENGDU: Noor Zaman’s hopes of a World Games squash medal were quashed after he was on the losing end of a thrilling five-game battle on Saturday, while Nasir Iqbal kept his hopes alive in the plate event. Pitted against Colombian world number 21 Miguel Rodriguez in the last-16 stage, Noor managed to come from 2-1 down to force a deciding game but was ultimately overpowered. “Noor played with heart, but Rodriguez’s experience made the difference in crucial moments,” said Pakistan coach Fahim Gul, with the team making its debut at the Games. “This is a learning curve for him and hell come back stronger.” Noor made a fast start, taking the first game 11-2 in just six minutes but Rodriguez grew into the contest, taking the next two games 11-7 and 11-9. Noor hit back in the fourth game, taking it 13-11 before Rodriguez clinched the decisive fifth game 11-6. He will now have to contend with the special plate event with a quarter-final against Egyptian Mohammad Nasser on Sunday. Nasir advanced to the quarter-finals...

ISLAMABAD - Security forces have killed at least 47 khawarij terrorists in anti-infiltration operation in Sambaza Zhob district of Balochistan during the last 48 hours, officials said on Saturday.

QUETTA - Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday asserted that no group of armed militants can impose its ideology on the 250 million citizens of Pakistan.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif calls IAF chief’s claims baseless, ill-timed Says not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by India in May Warns strategically blind leaders who gamble with South Asia’s peace of swift, surefire and proportionate response for any ensuing escalation.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that development and prosperity of Balochistan and the welfare of its people the top priority of his government.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan welcomed the historic peace agreement signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia at the White House Summit under the auspices of US President Donald J.

• Experts reveal heart attack patients often report no chest pain • If you feel heaviness while walking or climbing stairs, get an ECG done immediately, cardiologists advise KARACHI: Senior cardiologists on Saturday shared the shocking findings of a study according to which nearly 50 per cent of heart attack patients in the country are younger than 49 years, and 12 to 15pc of them are under 40 years of age. The health experts representing the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) were speaking at a symposium held at a local hotel here. The experts warned that this trend — fueled by diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, and unhealthy lifestyles — is making Pakistan one of the world’s worst-hit countries for early-age heart attacks. The trial was designed and conducted independently by NICVD’s cardiology team and ran from June 7, 2021, to December 31, 2023. It enrolled 261 post-heart attack patients for testing effects of two anticoagulants for treating a blood clot that can form in the hear...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the relevant authorities to initiate a comprehensive plan to support wheat farmers and boost wheat production in the province.

LAHORE - In light of the vision of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, the bureau has materialised recoveries worth billions and extended facilitation to thousands of affectees.

At least seven dump trucks were set ablaze by enraged residents on Rashid Minhas Road after a high-speed accident killed a brother and sister in the Federal B Area on Saturday night.

The eighth death anniversary of Dr Ruth Pfau, the German-born physician who devoted her life to eradicating leprosy in Pakistan, is being observed today.

ISLAMABAD: Presi­d­ent Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday appointed Maq­bool Ahmad Gondal, a BS-22 officer of the Pakis­tan Audit and Accounts Group who had been serving as the Controller General of Accounts, as the new Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP). Talking to Dawn, Mr Gondal confirmed his appointment and said he would assume the post next month, upon the completion of the current auditor general’s term. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had moved the summary, which included senior officials of the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Group, and the president appointed Mr Gondal as the new AGP. Mr Gondal is a public fi­­nance executive with over three decades of leadership experience in financial governance, audit and public procurement. As controller general of accounts, he is credited with leading initiatives that included the digitisation of public financial ma­­nage­m­ent and the reco­very of more than Rs460 billion through audit enforcement. His previous roles also include managing director of the Public Procure­ment ...

ISLAMABAD - Parliamentary politics is filled with a lot of unexpected happenings.

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan has a significant opportunity to convert its debt into climate investments through a new “Debt Swap Hub” launching in 2026, provided the country prepares by building institutional capacity and identifying high-impact projects, United Nations Department of Economic Affairs (DESA) senior official said on Saturday. The United Nations and its partners will roll out the dedicated hub for climate investments, creating a pathway for debt-distressed nations to foster sustainable development. “An early engagement by Pakistan will allow the co­­u­ntry to be among the first to get access to this mechanism for converting debt into investment in climate resilience, education or healthcare,” UN Assistant Secretary-Gen­eral for Economic Development Navid Hanif told Dawn. Mr Hanif, who just completed a visit to Pakistan, said the recent Fourth International Conference on Financing for Develo­pment in Seville, Spain, opened a window for the country to mobilise new public and private capital if it takes a ...

KARACHI: The recent reduction in the State Bank of Pakistan’s policy rate to 11 per cent, nearly half of what it was in July 2024, has failed to generate enthusiasm among the country’s traders and industrialists. While the rate cut is seen as a step towards easing the cost of doing business, many in the sector argue that it remains uncompetitive compared to regional rates and does little to address the core challenges hindering economic growth. Industry leaders point to the high cost of production and the rising influx of smuggled goods from countries such as Iran, China, and Bangladesh, which continue to undermine the competitiveness of Pakistani products in both domestic and international markets. “The market is flooded with smuggled goods — everything from high-quality shoes and garments to food products. New shopping centres popping up around Karachi are full of these imports, and shop owners openly advertise their smuggled stock,” said one frustrated currency dealer. He attributed the failure of anti-smu...