Former Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that Pakistan as a resilient country has great potential to develop its economy. Zhao Lijian made these remarks in a meeting with Foreign Affairs Expert Muhammad Mehdi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Zhao said being a time-tested and iron-clad friend, China is always holding the hand of …

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah told the opposition on Friday that “serious negotiations” can only be held with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In a tweet, the interior minister wrote “if serious negotiations are desired, they can only be with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif”. His tweet comes days after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb …

KARACHI: Prominent human rights activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir was abducted late on Thursday night in the southern city of Karachi, his wife said. No law enforcement agency confirmed that Nasir is in their custody, but his abduction comes as the country is mired in a fresh bout of political turmoil. In a video posted on social media, Mansha Pasha, Nasir’s …

LAHORE: Former Punjab CM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Buzdar became the latest politician to announce their decision to quit politics. In a press conference, he said “I stand with the armed forces,” adding that his politics was peaceful. He requested all stakeholders to work for the betterment of Pakistan regardless of their political affiliations. He condemned the violence that …

LAHORE: At least five people were killed and three injured on Thursday in an explosion in Punjab’s Daira Deen Panah area of Kot Addu. The deceased included two women, two men and a girl and belonged to the same family, it was reported. The family used to deal in selling junk. The injured people have been shifted to District Headquarters …

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered on Thursday the authorities to release all Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers from 11 districts in Punjab who were arrested following Imran Khan’s detainment. Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid ordered the release of party workers and leaders and declared their arrest illegal. ‘‘The government has opened a front, showing no application of mind, driven by …

QUETTA: Two soldiered were martyred on Thursday when terrorist opened fire at a security checkpost in Kech, Balochistan along Pakistan-Iran border. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that “a group of terrorists targeted a security forces’ post through fire in Singwan Area (Dist Kech) of Balochistan along Pakistan-Iran Border”. “Since troops on the post were already alert and …

LAHORE: Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, former chief minister of Punjab and president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was arrested in Lahore on Thursday. His arrest comes days after a district and sessions court in Lahore had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant. According to the court decision last week, the warrant was issued at the request of an investigating officer (IO) since Elahi had …

ISLAMABAD: In an unexpected development, the federal government decided to review the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, which curtailed the top judge’s powers to initiate suo motu proceedings and constitute benches on his own. During a hearing of pleas against the SC Law, Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan told Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial that certain …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on June 3, the Foreign Office said on Thursday. The prime minister will be paying the visit on the invitation of President Erdogan, who was re-elected to his office on May 28. In Sweden, the state minister will attend the …

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and son of former chief minister of Punjab, Moonis Elahi, on Thursday said that they are not going to part ways with Imran Khan despite the arrest of his father. PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was arrested from nearby his residence – Zahoor Palace – in Lahore on Thursday evening. The anti-corruption unit assisted by …

KARACHI: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) Amir Iqbal has said that Thar coal alone can ensure the energy security of Pakistan besides reducing power tariffs significantly. Talking to APP here, he said that unlocking indigenous Thar coal reserves could generate approximately 100,000 megawatts (MW) electricity for the next 250 years. Coal was considered a cheap …

ISLAMABAD: The case later reached the Federal Cabinet of Pakistan on December 3, 2019, where it was presented in a sealed envelope by the then Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM), Mirza Shahzad Akbar. The purpose of the presentation was to discuss the return of the funds, which would be sent to an account under the supervision of the …

ISLAMABAD: Amid the objections raised by the government and Inquiry Commission, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday adjourned hearing on pleas till next week filed against the formation of a judicial inquiry commission led by Justice Qazi Faez probing into the audio leaks allegedly involving current and former members of the superior judiciary and their family members. A five-member …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has submitted a reply to the Supreme Court in the case challenging the practice and procedure law. The PTI had requested to declare the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Law 2023 null and void. The law should be declared unconstitutional, the petition pleads, adding its clauses 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 of the Act …

FAISALABAD: Suspects in case of attack on sensitive organizations, installations handed over to military commanding officer. Nine more suspects accused of attacking military and sensitive installations have been handed over to the military for trial under the Army Act. The Faisalabad Anti-Terrorism Court allowed the trial under the Army Act against four suspects who attacked the office of a sensitive …

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has issued a notice of Rs10 billion penalty to Dr Rizwan Taj. The notice comes as a response to Dr Rizwan Taj’s involvement in a press conference discussing Imran Khan’s medical report. Barrister Mohammad Ahmed Pansuta Advocate sent a letter on behalf of Imran Khan demanding an unconditional apology from Dr Rizwan Taj to …

ISLAMABAD: Court suspends summons issued to Najam Saqib by NA speaker-formed 10-member body. The Islamabad High Court has barred a special parliamentary committee from taking action against the son of former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar over his alleged audio leaks. The court had taken up Najam Saqib’s application against the special committee formed by the National Assembly speaker to …

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court of Lahore declared the search warrant of Imran Khan’s residence ‘ineffective’. Judge Abhar Gul of the Anti-Terrorism Court remarked that one-time warrants are only valid for a specific period. The court announced the verdict on the decision on the application filed for the cancellation of the search warrant for Imran Khan’s residence at Zaman Park. Imran …

ISLAMABAD: Legal team to seek some time; PTI chairman submits surety bonds for interim bail in four cases PTI Chairman Imran Khan has decided against appearing before the joint investigation team formed to probe into the May 9 violent incidents, including the attacks on the Corps Commander House in Lahore. Instead, Imran Khan’s legal team visited the office of the Lahore …

ISLAMABAD: The committee set up to investigate the alleged audio leaks has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court. Former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar’s son, Najam Saqib, has filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court against the formation of the committee and its summons notice to him. IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar will hear the petition tomorrow along …

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formally requested the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide more than five acres of land across airports nationwide to accommodate their staff members. In a letter addressed to the aviation authority, the FIA highlighted several challenges faced by their immigration staff, particularly those working the night shift. One of the major hurdles identified …

ISLAMABAD: Fawad, Zubaida record statements; Sheikh Rashid submits response that he has no proof, docs Members of former prime minister Imran Khan’s cabinet were summoned by the National Accountability Bureau in a case of allegedly illegal settlement of 190 million pounds recovered from the UK. Former ministers Fawad Chaudhry, Pervaiz Khattak, Zubaida Jalal and Sheikh Rashid recorded their statements as …

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Khan Afridi was re-arrested from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail Monday, shortly after his release under 3-MPO. The deputy commissioner has issued a detention order for Afridi. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Additional Secretary General Senator Ejaz Chaudhry was re-arrested from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail Thursday, shortly after his release. He was released on the order of the …

LAHORE: Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar on Tuesday told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that phone numbers which had been traced back to Afghanistan were involved in the case of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, whose whereabouts remain unknown since his arrest on May 11. He made the remarks as the court resumed hearing a plea seeking to find the …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Tuesday raised an objection to three members of the five-member bench hearing a set of petition challenging the constitution of a judicial commission formed to investigate the veracity of recent audio leaks. The government had formed the commission on May 20 under Section 3 of the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 2017. Led by senior …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that “anarchists and arsonists who wear the garb of politicians and attack the symbols of the state do not qualify for a dialogue”. In a tweet, he wrote dialogue is deeply embedded in the political process, which helps democracy mature and evolve. “Many political and constitutional breakthroughs occurred when political leaders sat …

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday submitted surety bonds in three anti-terrorism cases and another case pertaining to Zille Shah’s murder. The former prime minister paid Rs100,000 in each of the three surety bonds in anti-terrorism cases. The cases were registered in connection to violence and protests that followed Imran’s arrest by the National Accountability Bureau on …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan adjourned on Monday hearing of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) plea seeking review of its April 4 order on holding elections to the Punjab Assembly on May 14. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the …

ISLAMABAD: A group of PTI senators have condemned the May 9 vandalism following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan, in which military and private installations were torched down including Jinnah House Lahore. Dr Zarka Taimur said all PTI leaders were talking to media person being senators to condemn ‘what happened’ on May 9. Strongly condemned the protests that took place …

ISLAMABAD: A gazette notification of the Supreme Court Review of Judgments and Orders Bill 2023 has been issued. President Arif Alvi had approved the new law on Friday. Under the new law, an appeal could be filed against the court decisions in cases under Article 184(3). The law now applies to past verdicts as well. Legal experts say that now …

LAHORE: Two-member LHC bench grants time to federal govt to make record public, assist court. The Lahore High Court has granted time to the federal government to make the Toshakhana record public and assist the court. The court was hearing the federal government’s appeal against making the details of Toshakhana public. The two-member LHC bench granted time to the government …

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ordered the release of over 40 PTI workers arrested under Section 3 of the MPO. The Sindh High Court provided a big relief to the PTI workers, as it ordered the release of more than 40 PTI workers arrested under the MPO. The court also ordered the suspects to pay Rs10,000 each as surety …

KARACHI: Four people including a policeman were injured in separate incidents of shootings in the provincial capital on early Monday. Robbers shot and wounded two citizens near Do Darya, Mehran Goth area. A policeman was injured by unknown assailants in Aram Bagh area. In another action, police arrested a robbery suspect during an operation on S.I.T.E Super Highway. Before police …

ISLAMABAD: PM pays tribute to ZAB, Nawaz Sharif and all scientists associated with nuclear test; ISPR says country had achieved minimum defense capability today; Bilawal says nuclear program is for peace and stability in the region A silver jubilee of the nuclear tests was being observed on Sunday to mark in remembrance of nuclear tests conducted on May 28, 1998 …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police spokesperson citing ‘reports’ claimed that a systematic campaign has been launched to defame and target the departments’ officers of every rank. The ICT Police spokesman claimed the campaign to target so that institutions can be defamed. The Islamabad Police said all women are respectable but ‘some’ could be used in this campaign as …

GILGIT: A 70-year-old man was pulled out alive from under the snow in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Astore district on Sunday, nearly 28 hours after an avalanche struck the valley, rescue officials said. Eight people, including four women and a child, were killed in the avalanche on Saturday morning. Officials said the victims were nomads, who were moving towards Astore from Azad Kashmir, …

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital is constantly witnessing a rise in the cases of auto thefts and mobile snatching as carjackers stole and snatched 66 vehicles and armed gangs snatched over 27 mobile phones in various parts of the city during the last week. According to data, over 10 cases of robbery and snatching of cash at gunpoint were reported to …

KARACHI: The Directorate Intelligence and Investigation (DI&I), Inland Revenue (IR), Karachi, has apprehended two suspects believed to be part of a sprawling network responsible for causing a colossal revenue loss to the exchequer through fake and flying sales tax invoices. As part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown on this illegal activity, which has resulted revenue loss in billions, the Directorate …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan claimed on Sunday that the residences of party leaders Shahzad Akbar and Omar Ayub Khan, the newly appointed Secretary General of PTI were raided last night. “Today were are living in dark ages,” Imran tweeted. “Constitution violated, court decisions openly flouted, houses broken in without a warrant and smashed, media muzzled and no …