ISLAMABAD: On a crisp spring morning, the sun cast its golden rays, painting the outskirts of Islamabad with a warm glow as it illuminated the scene of children frolicking joyfully on receiving gift bags from Chinese volunteers as a token of friendship and goodwill. The laughter of over 100 little boys and girls at a makeshift school in the slums …

The Supreme Court ordered re-election on Monday for Balochistan’s PB-50 Qilla Abdullah constituency after mutual consent of all political parties and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa heard the case. The court annulled ECP’s earlier order of repolling at six polling stations and ordered the electoral watchdog to conduct fresh …

Afghanistan’s Taliban said on Monday that Pakistan carried out two air strikes in Afghan territory, killing five women and three children, with a spokesman condemning the strikes as a violation of sovereignty. The strikes came as the neighbours have traded blame over responsibility for recent militant attacks in Pakistan, which says they were launched from Afghan soil, although Afghanistan’s ruling …

Eight terrorists were killed when the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As per Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan on the night of March 17 and 18, on the reported presence of terrorists. Following an intense exchange of fire during the operation, eight alleged …

Lahore once again ranked first in the list of the most polluted cities in the world as the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded 256 points. Lahoreiities are facing cough, cold, and throat diseases due to air pollution and there are many areas where AQI has exceeded 280 points. The AQI recorded Bedian Road 287 points, DHA 237 points, …

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) air hostess Sumira managed to reach Canada without a passport. Sumaira was assigned to duty on flight PK 781 from Islamabad to Toronto when the unprecedented incident unfolded. According to sources within the airline, the air hostess traveled from Islamabad to Toronto relying solely on PIA General Declaration documents, circumventing the standard passport requirement. Upon discovery …

Former tehsildar Najaf Hameed has been arrested from the premises of the Anti-Corruption Court. Najaf Hameed, the brother of former ISI chief Faiz Hameed, was arrested on Monday by the anti-corruption department’s Rawalpindi circle after his bail application was dismissed by Judge Ali Nawaz Bhakar in a case of corruption and bribery. According to sources, the officials of the anti-corruption …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has referred a misconduct allegation leveled against Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain to its administrative committee. In its written order granting pre-arrest bail to PTI leader Aamir Masood Mughal, a division bench comprising Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir addressed the allegation. Mughal, booked in March last year for allegedly …

Supreme Court judge Muhammad Ali Mazhar has said a judge should always show a “judicial temperament” and maintain a cool demeanor in the courtroom “A judge’s attitude and courtroom behavior matters a lot. A judge should not lose his patience with the stubborn,” Justice Mazhar said in his address to district courts judges at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) on …

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that the provinces’ share in the next NFC award would be granted as per the constitutional provisions. “It is written in the Constitution about the NFC award that the provinces’ share [in the divisible pool/resources] cannot be reduced [but] it can be increased,” the chief minister said while speaking to the …

Bhutto family’s youngest has now entered in parliamentary politics as Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has submitted her nomination papers as she is contesting an upcoming by-election for the NA-207 Nawabshah seat. The seat fell vacant after Asif Ali Zardari was elevated to become the 14th President of Pakistan. Aseefa submitted her nomination form for the by-election making her debut in electoral …

Military Police (MP) highlighted their role regarding the 23rd March Pakistan Day parade including overseeing the transportation of foreign visitors. Major Muhammed Qasim of the Military Police stated “Military Police are honoured to present the Guard of Honor to the Quaid-e-Azam”. He said that “Military Police is very professional and its men are full of talent”. Military Police also had …

Acclaimed author and activist Fatima Bhutto and her husband Graham (Gibran) have welcomed a baby boy. The couple expressed their delight at the news by sharing it with their fans through social media. In a post accompanying the announcement, Fatima Bhutto revealed the significance behind their choice of name for their son, whom the couple have named Mir Murtaza Byra. …

Seven Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in an attack by a group of terrorists on a security forces’ post and the following clearance operation in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Inter-Services Public Relations, a group of six terrorists attacked the checkpost in the early hours of Saturday. However, when the troops foiled …

PTI leader Asad Qaiser on Friday said his party would “merge” with the Sunni Ittehad Council if the Election Commission of Pakistan accepted its recent intra-party polls and returned its electoral symbol of ‘bat’. In January, after back-and-forth verdicts by the ECP and the Peshawar High Court (PHC), the PTI’s electoral symbol ultimately was revoked by the Supreme Court. On …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 19-member federal cabinet has been allocated official vehicles. According to sources within the government, each member of the cabinet has been provided with an 1,800cc vehicle, consistent with their entitlements, in a move aimed at facilitating the operations of the federal cabinet. The allocation of official vehicles was coordinated by the Cabinet Division, which oversaw the distribution …

The United Nations has designated March 15 as the International Day for Combating Islamophobia, following a resolution spearheaded by Pakistan, especially former prime minister Imran Khan. This global observance aims to address the pervasive fear, prejudice, and hostility faced by Muslims worldwide. Islamophobia, characterized by intolerance, discrimination, and hatred towards Muslims, has sparked division and enmity across communities. The resolution, …

ISLAMABAD: The donation ceremony for emergency aid provided by Chinese government to rain-hit areas in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan on Thursday. On behalf of the Chinese government, Ambassador Jiang Zaidong handed USD 100,000 emergency cash assistance over to the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Mohammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi. China hopes that …

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for extending him warm congratulations on his re-election as the President of Pakistan. While replying to President Xi’s letter, the president expressed his commitment to working closely with the Chinese President to deepen practical cooperation, strengthen the all-weather partnership, and foster a shared community for the benefit of the …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President Pervaiz Elahi has decided and announced to contest upcoming by-elections to be held on April 21. Parvaiz Elahi will contest the by-election from the PP-32 seat of Gujarat. The seat became vacant after Chaudhry Salik Hussain became MNA. The family members met Parvaiz Elahi in jail and signed the nomination papers for the by-election. The Election Commission …

Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that India violated the agreement before the test of a domestically produced multi-warhead missile. “Indian missile test noted on March 11 and had informed earlier. But according to the agreement, India did not inform three days before the experiment,” she said. It is pertinent to note that the Agni-5 missile was tested with …

The Election Commission of Pakistan ECP has issued the schedule of Senate elections to be held on April 2. ECP Provincial Election Commissioner (Punjab) Ijaz Anwar Chauhan has issued a public notice for the Senate election as the returning officer. The Returning Officer has issued a public notice for the election of 12 Senate seats in Punjab province. The Election …

Islamabad Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir has retired after a 12-year tenure that was marked by significant legal precedents. Judge Bashir, who was appointed to the trial court on March 13, 2012, leaves behind a legacy of judgements in high-profile cases. During his tenure, Judge Bashir made headlines for convicting two former prime ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, cementing …

The Peshawar High Court has rejected the applications of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) seeking reserved seats and against their division among other political parties. Earlier, a five-member bench, headed by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, had reserved its verdict after arguments from both sides were completed. The court’s unanimous verdict was read out by bench head Justice Ibrahim. The court stated …

Punjab government on Wednesday decided to ink a cross-border one-on-one agreement with India to fight against smog in a bid to improve the air quality index. Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb directed to scrutinize factories contributing to air pollution. The minister chaired a meeting to digitize the brick kiln industrial system for a better air quality index. Addressing the meeting, …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the election schedule for by-elections on National Assembly and provincial assembly seats across the country. According to the announcement, by-elections on vacant seats of the National and provincial assemblies will be held across the country on April 21. These included six seats of the National Assembly, 12 seats of the Punjab Assembly, …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China will carry shared values and march toward shared development, prosperity and progress together, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Sharif on his election as prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 3. In his response, Sharif thanked Xi for his warm congratulations and continued support for Pakistan. “I …

ISLAMABAD: The holy month of Ramadan kicked off in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday, with Muslims preparing for a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting intended to remind them of the less fortunate and reinforce the need to be thankful. Ramadan starts from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next, during which believers eat and drink nothing after the pre-dawn meal …

Punjab Home Ministry has imposed a two-week ban on incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from holding meetings inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, According to a notification issued by Home Department, all kinds of visits, meetings and interviews have been restricted in Adiala Jail due to security alert. The authorities have been directed to install barbed wires outside the jail …

Nine people were killed and two others injured when a three-storey building collapsed on top of another in Multan following a gas cylinder explosion, officials said. District Emergency Officer Dr Kaleemullah told Internews that the bodies and injured were rescued from the rubble following a five-hour operation in which 70 rescue personnel participated. He added that five individuals of a …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started preparing for the upcoming by-elections scheduled to be held on 24 seats in the National and provincial assemblies. In anticipation of the electoral event, the ECP has taken several measures to ensure a smooth and transparent voting process. One of the key preparations made by the election commission is the arrangement of …

After PPP-P President Asif Ali Zardari assumed office as the 14th president of Pakistan, his youngest daughter, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, is set to assume the title of first lady. This development marks the second instance in the nation’s 76-year history where a daughter or a sister of a head of state will be conferred with the title. Previously, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali …

The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices on Monday to the provincial government and other concerned parties in response to a petition against the annual Aurat March held last week. The petition was filed by a group of women lawyers who claim that movements detrimental to society and Islamic Shariah were being promoted in the Aurat March. They alleged that …

Preparations for the special Pakistan Day parade are in full swing as experts leave no stone unturned to ensure a beautiful celebration of the National Day. The enthusiasm is clear as the armed forces gear up for the special parade scheduled for March 23. The parade ground is receiving special attention, with thorough cleaning underway to ensure a pristine march. …

Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan has been sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The oath was administered by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa at a ceremony held at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Also present were distinguished members of the legal fraternity, including Supreme Court judges, the attorney general for Pakistan, senior lawyers, law officers, …

A number of leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been booked in multiple cases for protesting and taking out rallies in Lahore and Islamabad. In the capital city, a case was filed by Kohsar police against PTI leaders and workers for organizing a rally. The case lists PTI leadership along with 1,000 unnamed individuals, accusing them of interfering with …

Today marks the retirement of 52 members of the Senate as they complete their term, including 11 from the PML-N, further reducing the party’s representation in the Senate to five members. The seat held by PML-N’s Rana Maqbool was already vacant due to his demise. Prominent figures retiring from the PML-N include Ishaq Dar, Hafiz Abdul Kareem, and Asif Kirmani, …

The wife of Awami National Party (ANP) chief, Asfandyar Wali Khan, has passed away. The deceased will be laid to rest in Charsadda. The deceased was also the mother of provincial president of the ANP, Aimal Wali Khan. Her funeral prayers have been scheduled for today at 5:30pm in Wali Bagh, Charsadda. Expressing sorrow over the demise, President Asif Zardari …

ISLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari took oath as the 14th president of Pakistan during a ceremony held at the President’s House on Sunday, according to a statement from the President’s Office. Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath of office to the newly-elected president at the ceremony attended by the outgoing President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, …

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers are carrying out protest rallies and demonstrations against alleged election rigging in the February 8 polls. The development comes as the party had called for “peaceful protests” in cities across the country against manipulation in election results and “stealing of mandate” today. Cities where PTI workers have taken to the streets include Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, …