LAHORE, Nov 25(ABC): The Punjab government is set to introduce a grading system in educational institutions in the province to get rid of a race for marks among students so that the true capabilities of children can be set an the international standard. Speaking at a meeting of Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC), Higher Education Minister Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24(ABC): Pakistan has expressed deep concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Responding to a question at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch we have not seen any improvement in the situation in IoJK as it remains under military siege and Indian …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24(ABC): A shocking number of 519 people have tested positive for HIV in Islamabad during the last 10 months — between January 1 to October 31 — officials said on Wednesday. An official at the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) told The News that the majority of the number comprises young men between the age group of 18 to 25 years …

Nov 22(ABC): Approximately 100 Hindu pilgrims on Tuesday reached Lahore via the famous Wagha land border crossing. They will be performing various religious rituals in various cities of Pakistan after the government issued them visas. The Hindu pilgrims are expected to participate in the 314th birth anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22(ABC): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday fixed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s plea for a hearing seeking permission to enter the federal capital from Rawalpindi. In the petition, it has been requested to allow the passing of the long march from Islamabad, while permission of using the helicopter at the Parade Ground – for landing and takeoff – …

GANDAKHA, Nov 22(ABC): Maryam Jamali should have been preparing for an economics exam. Instead, the teenager from the flood-hit Pakistani province of Baluchistan was helping organize postpartum clinics and shelter for people neglected by relief efforts. Baluchistan is Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, plagued by under-development, bad governance, corruption, and a long-running insurgency. When catastrophic floods submerged vast swaths of …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22(ABC): Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar met Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kairat Omarov on the sidelines of the UN Alliance of Civilization meeting in Fez, Morocco. The Foreign Office Spokesperson on his Twitter handle on Tuesday said that during the meeting, they agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation, enhance Pakistan-Kazakhstan trade and promote regional …

LONDON, Nov 22(ABC):  Syed Tasnim Haider Shah, who claimed that the assassination plot against PTI chief Imran Khan and senior journalist Arshad Sharif was made by the PML-N in London, has accepted he has no evidence of any kind to prove his claims and that Khan’s shooter has reached Kenya and belongings of Sharif have reached London too. In an …

KARACHI, Nov 22(ABC): In a tragic incident, a policeman was shot dead by a car driver, reportedly the son of a former deputy commissioner, following an altercation between the two in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase V late Monday night. The martyred cop, Abdul Rehman, and his colleague chased the suspected shooter, identified as Khurram Nisar and spoke to him …

Nov 20(ABC): It seems winter winds have brought with it smog for Lahore as the air quality index (AQI) in the city rose to an unbreathable 470 parts per million on Saturday, one of the worst anywhere in the world. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), which also tracks air quality in the country, noted that the average AQI of Lahore …

LAHORE, Nov 20(ABC): Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Saturday heaped praise on Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for rendering religious services. Addressing the participants of an event, CM Pervaiz Elahi said COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa has rendered – the biggest – religious services by playing a significant role in lifting the ban on Tableeghi Jamaat in Saudi …

BEIJING, Nov 20(ABC): Around 27 countries set up their national stalls to exhibit their cultural handicrafts, products at the annual International Culture Day of the Pakistan Embassy College (PECB) held here on Saturday. This year’s event was dedicated to the celebrations of the 75-year of independence of Pakistan. A part of the proceeds collected during the event would also be …

HYDERABAD, Nov 20(ABC):The Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon inaugurated here on Saturday the Peoples Bus Service saying that the service was provided for the citizens of Hyderabad by the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Talking to the media after inaugurating the bus service at Haider Chowk, the minister informed that the service would charge a nominal …

RAWALPINDI, Nov 20(ABC): Awami Muslim League Pakistan (AMLP) leader Sheikh Rashid on Saturday said that one appointment has become heavy on everyone. In a message issued on Twitter, former interior minister Rashid said that in the next 10 days, the fate of the nation and the country will be decided, the right decision will take the country in the right …

Nov 20(ABC): An accountability court of Lahore on Saturday granted interim pre-arrest bail to former chief minister Usman Buzdar in an inquiry launched by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against “assets beyond known sources of income”. The PTI leader had submitted a petition for pre-arrest bail in Lahore’s accountability court through Barrister Momin Malik — who appeared alongside him in …

Nov 18(ABC): Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon announced on Friday that the Peoples Bus Service (PBS) will start service in Hyderabad on November 19. He said that with this bus service, the people of Hyderabad would be able to travel at affordable rates in comfortable transport. The first route of the PBS in Hyderabad will cover …

QUETTA, Nov 18(ABC): The Balochistan government has installed Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) in the province to analyze air quality on regular basis. The provincial government had planned to install 10 AQMS in the border areas with an estimated cost of Rs 100 million, an official of the Balochistan government told APP. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already advertised …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (ABC): Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday directed Ministry of religious affairs to furnish record of those who performed hajj on government expense along with the list of “Khuddam” sent to Saudia Abrabia for the assistance of Pakistani pilgrims.  Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan reprimanded staff of PAC secretariat for not providing the reports to the members …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17(ABC): Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik on Thursday lamented PTI’s chief Imran Khan for pursuing a politics of hypocrisy. Addressing a press conference, he said, “Your theft has been exposed, we have no demand, but Imran Khan must show the receipts of the Toshakhana gifts being sold in the market”. He said as per rules, …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17(ABC): The Lower House of the Parliament on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution expressing solidarity with Pakistan Army. The resolution was moved in the National Assembly by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) disgruntled Member National Assembly (MNA) elected from Multan Ahmed Hassan Dehar to express solidarity with the Pakistan Army, which was unanimously approved. Earlier, speaking in the National Assembly, …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17(ABC): Pakistan said it will continue its policy of engagement and consolidation of ties with countries across the globe. This was stated by Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while responding to media queries during a news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. She said Pakistan is revitalizing ties with Europe, America, countries in south East Asia and Africa. …

Nov 17(ABC): Over two years after the project started operations, the Punjab government on Thursday revised fares of the Orange Line Train in Lahore. The new fares will be applicable from Friday, November 18, 2022. The provincial cabinet on Thursday approved the fare for the non-stop train, Orange Line Train General Manager (Operations) Uzair Shah confirmed on Thursday. He said …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17(ABC): The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday decided to revoke the free Hajj facility for VIPs and senior bureaucrats. A meeting was held under the chairmanship of PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan. During which Noor stated that the facility of free Hajj for government officers, bureaucrats, and assistants should be abolished, noting that the country is in …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16(ABC): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)Chairman Imran Khan’s divisional politics was an impediment to unity among the nation. Addressing to media here, the JUI-F chief continued to criticize the PTI chief, saying that the country was being dragged towards a quagmire as the allegations were being levelled after “destroying …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16 (ABC): Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday called for the international monetary commitments and related implementations on loss and damage and adaptation due to climate changes “to move faster than the speed of the glaciers melting in Pakistan”. She was speaking at the High-level Ministerial event on ‘Loss and Damage: From Intention to …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16 (ABC): Foreign Office Spokesperson on Wednesday said the firing of BrahMos nuclear capable missile into Pakistan’s territory on 9 March, had raised several questions about India’s conduct as a nuclear state including, whether it was actually an accident. “India also needs to answer questions about the underlying intentions, technical features and reliability of the missile system, safety, …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16 (ABC): Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu attended the inaugural ceremony of the 11th Edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2022) commenced at the Karachi Expo Centre. The CAS also visited Pakistan Air Force (PAF) stalls and reviewed the most advanced technologies displayed by Pakistan Air Force …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16 (ABC): Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday urged that collective efforts were necessary along with unity among all stakeholders to bring out the country from economic and other crisis. Addressing a press conference, he said that country was facing many challenges and it was the need of …

SUKKUR, Nov 16(ABC): Five bogies of a freight train derailed on Wednesday near Rohri, Sukkur. As per the railways officials, the down-track traffic was blocked due to the accident. The freight train was going to Karachi from Punjab. The railway track was also damaged due to the accident. On information, the rescue teams of Pakistan Railway reached the site of …

LAHORE, Nov 16(ABC): A drone crashed into the Orange Line train station in Lahore on Wednesday. According to the police, the drone crashed into the Ali Town station of the Orange Line train, in which no explosives were found. The police added that it is being determined from which direction the remote control drone came towards the spot of crash. …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 16(ABC): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday wrapped up the case of senior journalist Arshad Sharif s mother after she received her son’s post-mortem report. The mother of slain journalist Arshad Sharif had filed a petition in the court after not receiving the post-mortem report from PIMS, but after the family received the post-mortem report, the Chief …

CHANDAN MORI, Nov 16(ABC):Pakistani three-year-old Afshan’s trip to school is a high-wire balancing act as she teeters across a metal girder spanning a trench of putrid floodwater, eyes fixed ahead. After record monsoon rain flooded her classroom in the southeastern town of Chandan Mori, this is the route Afshan and her siblings now traverse to a tent where her lessons take place. …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 15(ABC):  Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country during the next twelve hours. However, fog is likely to develop over a few places in plain areas of Punjab during early morning hours. Temperatures of some major cities recorded this morning: Islamabad ten degree centigrade, Lahore thirteen, Karachi twenty, Peshawar eleven, Quetta one, …

LAHORE, Nov 15(ABC): Pakistan has reported no death in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,574,712. The nationwide tally of fatalities stands at 30,629 on Tuesday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 32 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the …

JAHANIAN, Nov 15(ABC):  At least 10 persons sustained injuries when a bus overturned in Jahanian, a thesil in Khanewal District in Punjab province, on Monday night, Dunya News reported. According to details, the accident occurred near Pervaizwala area in Jahanian where a bus turned turtle due to over-speeding, injuring 10 persons including the driver of the bus. The ill-fated bus …

QUETTA, Nov 15(ABC): At least 3,263 candidates are contesting on 2,082 reserved seats for women in the second phase of local government elections, scheduled to be held in 32 districts of Balochistan on December 14. Meanwhile, 1,820 candidates submitted their nomination papers on farmers’ quota, said an official source. There are 902 seats allocated for farmers in the local government …

LAHORE, Nov 15(ABC): Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Monday directed the concerned authorities to  slash his security protocol. The Punjab CM chaired a high-power meeting, and during it, in a bid to provide ease to the masses, Elahi directed the relevant authorities not to stop traffic during his visits. CM Elahi went on to say that his top …

KARACHI, Nov 15(ABC): Following the medical staff’s strike across government hospitals in Sindh, patients remain stranded, while OPDs and operation theaters remain shut making access to healthcare difficult for public and adding to their misery. As a result of the strike, the province’s largest government health facility in Karachi the Civil Hospital is deserted and its operation theaters are also …

LAHORE, Nov 14 (ABC): President Dr. Arif Alvi said on Monday that women should remain in the mainstream national development process and economic cycle of the country to double the development pace. He cited that Hazrat Khadija (RA) was a business woman; therefore it was not justified to confine the educated women to their homes to look after the family …

ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (ABC): European Union Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Monday lauded Pakistan’s role in controlling cross-border terrorism, smuggling, and trafficking and expressed the EU’s intent for “deeper cooperation” in the area of border management. At a joint press stakeout with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, the EU official said Pakistan was …