Pakistan

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review challenges arising from Pakistan’s rapidly growing population and emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive national strategy to address related socio-economic issues.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Thursday announced that the newly constructed Hub Canal, capable of supplying 100 million gallons of water per day (MGD), will be inaugurated on August 13.

In a groundbreaking development aimed at enhancing transparency and customer satisfaction in electricity consumption, over one million users across Pakistan have embraced the self-meter reading initiative.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was set for the “coming days”, with the two sides already having agreed the venue “in principle”. The summit would be the first between sitting United States and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, and comes as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. Three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire, with the two sides appearing far apart in their demands to end the more than three-year-long conflict. Trump said on Wednesday he was likely to meet Putin face-to-face “very soon”. “At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement has been reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying on Thursday by Russian state news agencies. “We are now starting to work out the details together with our American colleagues,” Ushakov said. The K...

A bomb explosion occurred near a railway track in Balochistan’s Sibi district, narrowly missing the Jaffer Express.

Two people were killed while 20 others were injured in a bomb blast targeting a police vehicle in the Wana tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, predominantly targeting the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel, and security forces. Attacks increased after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022. “The blast was caused by a remote-controlled explosive device planted near a police vehicle [in the Rustam Bazaar],” Deputy Superintendent of Police Imranullah was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan. Data from the incident report from the Wana District Headquarters Hospital showed two dead with 12 people with major injuries and eight with minor injuries. A list of casualties issued by South Waziristan police spokesperson Anayat Khan identified two wounded policemen as Zubair Salaam Khan from the district’s Dabko...

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, has said that the district judiciary remains central to the ongoing priority agenda, as it serves as the primary forum for the public to access Justice.

The Pakistan Navy and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Thursday seized about 1,250 kilogrammes of illicit drugs worth $38 million from smugglers near Balochistan’s Pasni coast, the navy’s media wing said. The navy and ANF have previously worked in several intelligence-based joint operations to counter unlawful activities along the coast. “The value of the seized consignment in the international market is approximately $38 million,” a press release from the navy said. “The consignment was being smuggled via the Arabian Sea to international destinations.” It added that the seized items, comprising 1,100kg of hashish, 50kg of crystal meth, and 100kg of heroin, have been handed over to the ANF for further legal proceedings. “This successful operation by the Pakistan Navy and ANF, resulting in [the] seizure of a large quantity of drugs, is a testament to PN’s resolve to fight against illegal activities as a national obligation,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy will continue to shoulder its responsibility to es...

Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended last Tuesday, after a long-standing dispute over border temples boiled over into violence. A truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc — after cajoling by United States President Donald Trump and a team of Chinese mediators. The deal dictated a ceasefire, followed by a meeting of rival regional commanders, before defence officials held three days of talks in Kuala Lumpur that concluded with a joint statement on Thursday. “Both sides agree to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians and civilian objects and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” it said. “This agreement must not be violated under any circumstances.” In the first days of the truce, both Tha...

The Ministry of Commerce on Thursday shared key details of the recently signed trade agreement with the United States, informing the National Assembly that the deal is expected to significantly boost Pakistan’s exports and positively impact the national economy.

The privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has gained momentum, with one of the shortlisted bidding companies beginning its due diligence visit to the airline’s head office on Thursday.

The Sindh Cabinet has finalized a comprehensive plan to celebrate Independence Day in a befitting manner, embracing the theme “Marka-e-Haq” to commemorate Pakistan’s historic victory against India.

Newly appointed US Consul General Stetson Sanders called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore on Thursday.

In a move to curb public disturbances ahead of Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14, Islamabad authorities have imposed a ban on the sale and use of ‘baajas’ (vuvuzelas) in the federal capital.

Four workers trapped 900 feet underground in a Swat emerald mine were rescued during an operation, Rescue 1122 said on Thursday. On Wednesday evening, a major rescue operation was launched after a section of the emerald mine collapsed, trapping multiple workers underground. According to initial reports by Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine caved in suddenly during extraction activity. “Rescue 1122 medical teams are providing immediate medical assistance to the rescued workers,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn.com. “The operation continued for several hours after the mine collapsed, in which more than 40 personnel participated.” The rescue operation was led by District Emergency Officer Swat Rafiullah Marwat, as per Faizi. “The trained personnel and modern equipment of Rescue 1122 made the operation successful,” Faizi said. Meanwhile, the army was also involved in the rescue operation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. “As soon as the incident was reported, Pakistan Army teams were immediatel...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday refuted rumours circulating on social media that he had stepped down from his position following a controversy. Asif clarified the matter after an X user named Zubair Ali Khan, in a series of posts on the platform late Wednesday night, alleged that the defence minister had handed in his resignation over a controversy but had withdrawn it and was now unreachable. Replying to the post that levelled the allegations against him, Asif wrote: “With apologies, this gentleman has written his wishes in this tweet. Not reality.” He shared a screenshot of the post thread, edited with a red stamp marking it as “FAKE”. The X user, a former journalist, had alleged that the minister resigned due to “intensified controversy regarding the arrest of the additional deputy commissioner revenue (ADCR) of Sialkot a few days ago on charges of alleged financial corruption”. “In the resignation sent to Dr Tauqeer Shah, advisor to the prime minister’s office, Khawaja Asif stated that either th...

A deadly bomb blast near a taxi stand in Lower Wana Bazaar, South Waziristan, claimed two lives and left 14 others injured on Thursday.

The federal government has decided to cancel the tender for the import of 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar due to unacceptably high prices and concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), official sources confirmed on Thursday.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday claimed that PTI lawmakers were offered millions to switch loyalties, but they remained steadfast in their commitment to the party and Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday showed its concern over registration of cases against journalists under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and called for urgent action to address growing concerns of media persons regarding FIRs and arrests of journalists. The Senate committee headed by ruling PTI’s Ali Zafar issued the directives after it was informed by the Ministry of Interior that 689 cases had been registered under the Peca law throughout the country, including nine FIRs [First Information Report] registered against journalists. According to an official handout, the committee received a detailed briefing from officials of the information and interior ministries regarding the number and nature of cases registered under Peca since its passage from the parliament in January, with a special focus on journalists, media professionals, digital content creators, and social media activists. The committee was further informed that only ...