The Punjab Assembly (PA) is set to convene tomorrow for its inaugural session following the general elections held on February 8. Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman has formally issued a notification calling for the assembly meeting, marking a pivotal moment in the province’s political landscape. Scheduled to commence at 10 am, the assembly session will witness the swearing-in ceremony of …

Credit to China Daily As air quality worsens in many other developing nations, there has been an increasingly high demand for China’s experiences in air pollution control. In January, for example, authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province invited Chu Yangxi, an associate research professor with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, and two other Chinese experts to Lahore, the capital …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ruled that the resignation or retirement of an apex court judge would not dispose of Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) proceedings already under way against them. A five-member bench delivered a four-to-one majority decision during a hearing on the federal government’s intra-court appeal against the apex court’s 2023 verdict in the Afiya Shehrbano Zia case, …

The federal government announced on Wednesday an increase in the prices of 146 critical life-saving medicines. The decision, conveyed through a drug price hike notification, primarily targets essential medications crucial for treating conditions such as cancer, vaccines, and antibiotics. Health Ministry officials have disclosed that the move follows a recommendation from the Drug Regulatory Authority, which proposed an increase in the …

The Sindh High Court has once again ordered the immediate restoration of internet services and social media platforms, adjourning the hearing until March 5. The court also sought a response from the federal government on the issue. The SHC was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Jibran Nasir against the blocking of internet and social media platforms in the country, particularly …

In a move against slanderous campaigns on social media targeting the Election Commission and government officials, the caretaker government has announced the formation of a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for thorough investigations. The decision comes amidst growing concerns over the spread of misinformation and attempts to manipulate public opinion through deceptive tactics. The caretaker government has vowed to uphold …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the case against alleged rigging in the recently held general elections after seeking damages worth Rs500,000 from the petitioner. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, heard the petition. Other members of the bench included Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali. As the …

Despite the suspension of notification regarding the victory of three MNAs by the Islamabad High Court, the final fate of the alleged election-rigging disputes are likely to be decided by the election tribunals, which is a time-consuming process. However, the current week is very significant as either the superior judiciary or the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will look into …

The caretaker government on Monday fulfilled a longstanding demand of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) by granting it the status of a full-fledge division thus allowing it complete financial autonomy. The decision was taken by the Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, following which a notification was issued to elevate the IB as a division. According to the notification, the IB director …

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that he foresees a stalemate in government formation “if someone is not ready to change their stance”. Speaking to reporters at the Supreme Court today, the former foreign minister said the PPP and him are adamant on their stance, highlighting that it will not be changed at any cost. “If someone else wants to …

Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad on Tuesday demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja resign from his post and proceedings under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution be initiated against him. He passed these remarks as the upper house of Parliament convened for the second day. During the session, a number of senators raised concerns regarding allegations of poll …

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa questioned was this case (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto judicial murder case) was not an opportunity for both institutions Armed Forces of Pakistan and the Supreme Court to get rid of the accusations against themselves. “The army does not impose martial law as an institution. Some people act as individuals. Sometimes there has to …

Amidst ongoing disruptions to social media platform X formerly known as Twitter Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced to file a petition in the Islamabad High Court, challenging what he termed as “dictatorial acts” by the government. Speaking out against the prolonged outage, PTI’s stalwart Ali Muhammad Khan, in a message posted on X denounced the government’s actions as undemocratic and vowed …

MUNICH, Germany: The 60th edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) wrapped up its three-day gathering here on Sunday, with participants calling for enhanced international cooperation to address the world’s pressing challenges. Decision-makers and world elites engaged in productive discussions on enhancing the global system, ensuring that all stakeholders benefit more equitably. They agreed that promoting positive-sum cooperation is crucial …

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has said the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would forward a summer to convene the National Assembly after the Election Commission of Pakistan releases the list of elected candidates. According to the Constitution, the president is bound to convene the NA session after the official announcement of election results or issuance of its notification within 21 …

The petitioner in the case submitted in the Supreme Court for declaring the February 8 general elections null and void has requested to withdraw the petition. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, started hearing the petition on Monday morning. Other members of the bench included Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday announced alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council and Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM). The announcement was made by Barrister Gohar flanked by MWM chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Sunni Ittehad Council’s head Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Omar Ayub Khan. Barrister Gohar said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates, who are in centre, Punjab and KP will join the Sunni …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended the notification of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Tariq Fazal Chaudhry from NA-47. The Election Commission of Pakistan declared Tariq Fazal Chaudhry as the winner with 102,502 votes, while PTI-backed candidate Shoaib Shaheen got 86,396 votes. Shaheen challenged his defeat in the IHC. Shaheen, in his respective petition, argued that according to Forms 45 …

Services of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, remained disrupted for the third consecutive day in Pakistan on Monday. According to Down detector, the outage was reported a little after 10:30am and persisted till noon. Services were restored around 12:24pm but were again disrupted after 1pm. Down detector, which tracks outages by collating status reports from several sources …

A session of PTI-nominated independents, elected as members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has been summoned in Peshawar today at the Speaker’s House, citing sources on Sunday. Ali Amin Gandapur will chair the session, who has been nominated as the next chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The session will consult over the issues related to formation of government in the province, …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Sunday issued a detailed written order of summons order for the caretaker prime minister and several key ministers to appear before the court over missing Baloch students case to be heard on February 19th. IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the written summons order, demanding the presence of the PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakkar, along with the …

In Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Ashai, was martyred exactly 31 years ago. On February 18, 1993, Dr. Farooq Ashai fell victim to the bullets fired by Indian forces, marking a tragic end to his valiant life. His martyrdom day was commemorated with solemnity, attended by his wife, Dr. Fareeda, and their daughter, alongside countless admirers. Dr. Ashai was targeted just 100 …

The Pakistan Army has established Mobile Education and Information Schools in North Waziristan to cultivate a passion for learning in remote rural areas. Under the vision of “Education for All,” these schools aim to ignite enthusiasm for education in far-flung communities. During this initiative, the Pakistan Army showed educational animated films and cartoons to all children, which they greatly enjoyed. …

The Central Working Committee of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society strongly condemned the inappropriate and unfounded allegations leveled against the military leadership. Lieutenant General (Retired) Abdul Qayyum Hilal Imtiaz Military presided over the meeting of the Central Working Committee. Vice Admiral Abdul Aleem, Commodore Arshad, Brigadier Zakir, Brigadier Tariq, Brigadier Zulfiqar Shahin, Mr. Habib ur Rehman (former ISI), Major Khizar, Commander …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified the successful candidates for 36 seats of the National Assembly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Among those declared victorious are from NA-4 Upper Dir Sibghatullah, Gohar Ali Khan from NA-10 Buner, and Umar Ayub from NA-18 Haripur. The notification confirmed the success of the Asad Qaiser for NA-19 Swabi and Shandana Gulzar for NA-30 …

Despite its hectic efforts to form a government, the PTI has finally resolved to sit on the opposition benches in national and provincial assemblies, while launching a countrywide protest against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections. A PTI source also told Internews that the party’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan, has tasked former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser with …

Despite passage of over a week, the workers and supporters of various political parties have refused to abandon their protest against alleged rigging in the elections, and called for a wheel jam strike across Balochistan on Sunday. The sit-ins being staged in Quetta, Dera Murad Jamali and other towns ent­ered the 8th day on Friday. Hundreds of workers and supporters …

Rawalpindi commissioner says poll results ‘manipulated’ under his watch; ECP rejects claims. Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha made explosive claims on Saturday, asserting that the results of the February 8 general elections were “manipulated” under his watch. He also resigned from his position. Speaking to reporters outside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Chatha said, “I am taking responsibilty for all this …

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly the Ghizer district, sending tremors through the region earlier on Saturday. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) the epicenter of the quake was along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, with a depth of 102 kilometers, causing tremors across the bordering areas. Fortunately, no major damage or casualties have been reported as …

Seven members of a family died in a road crash at GT Road here, while three persons were seriously injured. Rescue officials said that a car carrying deceased and a truck collided at Ravi-Ryan U-turn owing to over speeding. The passengers of the car were traveling from Multan to Gujranwala. All deceased were family members, identified as Zaheer Ahmed, his wife …

Protests have erupted across Pakistan as supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party take to the streets, alleging widespread electoral fraud in the recently concluded general elections of 2024. In the city of Bannu, PTI activists staged a sit-in on Miran Shah Road, causing traffic disruptions and inconvenience to commuters. They voiced their concerns over irregularities in the electoral process, …

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak stepped down as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) chairman on Saturday after a poor showing in the recently held general elections. The development came after the PTI-P held its Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting. During the meeting, the resignation of Khattak as the party chief was accepted. It was decided that former KP chief …

An important consultation meeting among judges is underway in the chief justice of Pakistan’s chamber, according to sources, in the wake of the allegations of pressure and electoral rigging by the Rawalpindi commissioner. The meeting aims to address the allegations made by Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha. Sources indicate that prominent judges, including Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Ayesha …

Former Supreme Court judge Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi has said that after his resignation, the Supreme Judicial Council has “no jurisdiction to initiate or continue with any proceedings” against him, it emerged on Friday. The former judge is facing an inquiry over allegations of misconduct, a show-cause notice for which was issued in October last year. In a letter penned …

PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said that 2024 would be remembered due to the “biggest voter fraud” in Pakistan’s history against the party and its candidates. “According to our estimates, out of 177 [National Assembly] seats which were supposed to be ours, only 92 have been given to us. And 85 seats have been taken away from us fraudulently,” …

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami have initiated contact once again, signaling a potential rekindling of their political relationship. A meeting between the leadership of both parties is scheduled to take place in Islamabad later on Friday evening. The gathering, which is expected to bring together representatives from both PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami, aims to explore avenues of collaboration and discuss …

Appeals have been lodged against the convictions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan in both the cipher and Toshakhana cases of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The appeals were filed in the Islamabad High Court by Khan’s legal team. The Official Secrets Act special court convicted Khan in the cipher case on January 30, while the Islamabad Accountability Court …

NOWSHERA (Pakistan): The Pakistan-China Friendship Association (PCFA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Pakistan & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development & Management Company (KPEZDMC) celebrates the Chinese Spring Festival 2024 at Rashakhi Special Economic Zone (RSEZ) the flagship Economic Zone under CPEC. Extending Greetings & Best Wishes   to the Chinese Community based in RSEZ which is being leased to China Road & Bridge …

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that the electoral process in Pakistan was an internal sovereign affair and the nation was committed to upholding its constitutional obligations. The remarks were passed by FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in response to media queries regarding the global response to the February 8 election, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Nearly 60.6 million Pakistanis …

An Anti-Terrorism Court of Lahore has declared 11 accused including Mian Aslam Iqbal, Murad Saeed, and Azam Swati as Proclaimed Offenders (POs) on Thursday. Eleven accused including Mian Aslam Iqbal, and Murad Saeed, were declared as POs as ATC judge Muhammad Naveed Iqbal accepted the plea of the Police Other accused including Hamid Raza, Azam Khan Swati, Hafiz Farhat, Imtiaz …