ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Jiang Zaidong called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office on Wednesday. During the meeting matters about the evolving geo-strategic environment and regional developments were discussed. The dignitaries underscored the necessity of revitalizing the framework for operational training across all …

In yet another blow to Imran Khan and his party, the former premier and his wife Bushra Bibi on Wednesday were sentenced to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana reference. Last month, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a fresh reference against the two in an accountability court for retaining a jewellery set received from Saudi crown prince …

Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi has launched “the Punjab arms license management system. As per details, the agreement on issuance of online arms licenses took place between the Interior Ministry of Punjab and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The new portal will enable the issuance and renewal of arms licenses online and the online portal also includes …

Rehan Zeb Khan, a PTI-backed independent candidate, was gunned down in the Siddiqabad area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bajaur district ahead of general elections 2024. According to details, the PTI-backed candidate was contesting elections from NA-8 and PK-22 seats. The police, in a statement, said Rehan Zeb Khan was canvassing in the area when unidentified assailants opened fire on his …

The former prime minister and PTI fonder Imran Khan who has now been sentenced to 14 years in cipher and 10 years in the Toshakhana reference case entered the political arena after winning the 1992 cricket World Cup to bring tabdeeli (change) in the political landscape by launching his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996. The political journey of the ex-premier …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Gohar vehemently on Wednesday criticised the recent decision by the accountability court to sentence PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years in the Toshakhana case. Gohar, expressing his dismay, claims that such a harsh judgment has never been witnessed before in the history of the accountability court. Addressing the media, Barrister Gohar …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Wednesday a reduction in the size of the ballot paper for the upcoming election slated to take place on February 8. During a high-level meeting convened to discuss the reprinting of ballot papers in certain constituencies, the Election Commission disclosed that the move to downsize the ballot paper is a response to …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that the conviction rate under the current criminal justice system is very low, stressing upon the need to introduce reforms in the system to take the criminals and terrorists to the task. In an interview to private TV news channel, PM Kakar said that the conviction rate under the contemporary criminal justice system …

ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and five others injured when a blast went off near a political rally in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday, official sources said. The incident happened around 5:35 p.m. local time (1235 GMT) when explosive materials fixed at a motorbike exploded in Sibi district of the province, the sources told Xinhua. The rally …

Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has improved by seven spots from 140 out of 180 countries in 2022 to 133 in 2023, Transparency International said in a report on Tuesday. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources and …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to challenge cipher case verdict in Islamabad High Court (IHC. We will challenge the punishment awarded to PTI founder and ex-foreign minister after receiving a detailed verdict in the cipher case, Barrister Ali Zafar said while exclusively talking to Internews after the special court announced its verdict. Zafar criticized the verdict and termed the sentence to …

Met Office has forecast rainfall and snowfall on mountains in country from 31st Jan to 04th Feb. Heavy rain may generate flash floods in Balochistan on 02nd/03rd February as a westerly wave is affecting the country and may persist till 04th February. Under the influence of this weather system, rain with isolated heavyfalls (snowfall over the hills) is expected at …

A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document …

In a decisive move to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has wielded its authority by imposing fines totaling Rs966,000 on candidates and officials across various divisions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The strict action comes in response to the violation of the Election Code of Conduct, with District Monitoring Officers spearheading the enforcement efforts. …

Interim Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Tuesday said five militants were neutralised after security forces successfully thwarted three terror attacks in Mach town last night. Security for¬ces deployed in Balochistan had thwarted three coordinated attacks launched by terrorists using rockets and sophisticated weapons in Mach town on Monday night. It is pertinent to note that Mach is located some …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary wrote a letter to the caretaker government to stop them from carrying out fundamental reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The letter said that the purpose of these reforms is to improve the performance of the institutions and the government. The jurisdiction of the caretaker government is limited under Section 230 …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared around 50% polling stations in country as ‘sensitive’ or ‘most sensitive. According to ECP sources, overall 90,675 polling stations have been set up across the country for the upcoming general elections, slated for Feb 8, 2024. Sources said that 46,065 polling stations have been declared as ‘sensitive’ or ‘most sensitive’ across the …

A Think Tank named Republic Policy predicted that turnout would likely increase from 60 percent based on the feedback of the 266 constituencies of the National Assembly. The organization said that out of 128,585m760 votes, eight crore voters will cast their votes utilizing their right to vote in the upcoming general elections to be held on February 8. It is …

Families of the Iran victims staging protests bloated the Alipur road and demanded the government to bring back the dead bodies of their loved ones who were gunned down mercilessly in Savaran city of the southeastern border province Sistan of Iran. Ironically, five of the nine victims belonged from South Punjab’s Alipur including two brothers—one of them Sohaib has been …

Caretaker Foreign Minister of Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdullahian reiterated on Monday the pivotal role of enduring and amicable relations between the two neighboring nations. The ministers emphasised the historical, cultural, and fraternal ties that bind Iran and Pakistan, highlighting the critical need for collaboration in various domains to promote mutual prosperity. During a …

The Supreme Court bench hearing intra-court appeals on the trial of civilians in military courts has been dissolved. A six-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, was hearing the intra-court appeals. As soon as the hearing commenced, the lawyer of former chief justice Jawad S. Khawaja, Khawaja Ahmed Hassan, raised an objection over the bench. He …

The Awami National Party (ANP) demanded an apology on Sunday from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over his remark of referring to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as ‘fools’. “Some of our people are easily fooled. And the easiest to fool are some people from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This disease has originated from there [K-P],” Nawaz said a day earlier while releasing his party’s …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Pakistan to introduce other social support mechanisms along with the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP. The IMF in a statement said that Pakistan should take more steps for extending social protection to the weaker classes. “Pakistan should take consistent efforts to run the social assistance programme,” IMF stated. “The protected electricity and gas …

Iran has offered condolences to Pakistan over the killing of nine of its labourers on its soil. Iranian envoy to Pakistan in his statement condemned the killings of Pakistani labourers in Iran and said Tehran and Islamabad will not tolerate affliction of damage to the countries’ relations. “Iran and Pakistan will not allow enemies to cause damage to the countries’ …

Pakistani-British barrister and arbitrator, Mahnaz Malik, has clinched a prestigious appointment as one of the seven external judges on the World Bank (WB) Sanctions Board. This autonomous tribunal holds the responsibility of making final determinations in cases involving sanctionable misconduct, such as corruption and fraud, within World Bank-funded development projects. Bringing a wealth of expertise amassed over 23 years, Malik …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hamad Azhar claimed in a tweet that the Police have arrested his 82-year-old father Mian Azhar. “My father wanted to lead the rally from Constituency-129,” Hamad Azhar. Also, PTI leader claimed that police reached outside the residence of the senior politician Javed Hashmi. “The police have surrounded the house of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi,” Zahid Bahar Hashmi. “Five police …

The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Saturday has taken notice of the summons issued to journalists by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over the malicious anti-judiciary campaign. Following the formation of joint investigation team (JIT), the FIA issued summons notices to 65 individuals including 47 journalists from mainstream media and social media. Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi …

Nine Pakistani workers on Saturday lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city of Iran. Three others were injured in the incident. The assailants reportedly entered the auto repair workshop where the victims lived and shot each member. Among the victims, five hailed from different areas of Alipur in Punjab province and had been …

After failing to meet the legal deadline and missing the timeline it set for itself, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued the final polling scheme for the Feb 8 general elections. Section 59(6) of the Elections Act 2017 requires the publication of the final list of polling stations of each constituency, at least 30 days before polling …

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari once again challenged former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif for an open debate before the February 8 General Elections 2024. Bilawal, who is the PPP’s prime ministerial candidate, took to X (formerly Twitter) and said Nawaz Sharif is the PML-N’s nominee for the premier slot. He asked …

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir has taken back his application seeking leave till retirement. According to sources, the development came after the Ministry of Law and Justice did not accept the leave application. It is important to mention here that the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir sought leave till his retirement in March 2024. In a letter to the Islamabad …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to make SMS service 8300 free of charge from Monday next. The announcement was made by ECP’s Spokesperson, Syed Nadeem Hyder, Additional Director General Nighat Sadique, and the Project Director of the Project Management Unit. They said the voters can check details of their constituencies and polling stations by sending the number …

As the polling day for general elections draws near, the authorities concerned have issued orders to ensure smooth, uninterrupted power supply across the country on February 8. According to Internews sources, the orders have been issued over fears that the polling process is likely to be affected due to the ongoing electricity loadshedding in the country. Therefore, orders have been …

Pakistan on Friday sent back its envoy Muhammad Mudassir Tipu to Iran to resume his duties in Tehran. Both Islamabad and Tehran witnessed a diplomatic row triggered by an exchange of missile attacks on each other’s territories, earlier this month. Tipu, who reached Islamabad from Tehran on January 17, reached Iran to resume his duties today.  Meanwhile, Iranian envoy to Pakistan, …

The second day of the Pakistan Learning Festival 2024, culminated with the Punjab Governor, Baleegh ul Rehman, closing the session which had unfolded as a continuation of a dynamic tapestry of educational sessions, creative workshops, and empowering discussions. Speaking on the occasion he stated, “Just reading a lot of books at one point in your lives is not enough. Learning …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fined 24 candidates and the local government chairman for violating the code of conduct for elections. From NA-23 Mardan candidate Aqib Ismail was fined Rs 50,000. From PK-99 Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Noorani Khan was fined Rs 10,000. From PK-39 candidate Ikram-ul-lah Ghazi was fined Rs 10,000. The candidates through the returning …

In the ongoing Digital Driving Permit initiative, the e-Khidmat Markaz situated at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP) has announced the beginning of the online driving test service. The Punjab Traffic Police and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) worked together to make driving licences more effective in the whole province. The initiation of the Driving Test Service at the e-Khidmat …

As general elections are scheduled to be held on February 8, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Friday allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi to contest the upcoming elections from the provincial assembly seat PP-32. It is interesting to know that Pervaiz Elahi took back the appeals on two National Assembly seats. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah led the …

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said that while general elections were a “constitutional necessity”, it was incumbent upon the political leadership to make them “meaningful”. The estranged PML-N leader, who had developed differences with the party leadership over the last year, made the remarks while speaking to the media in Rawalpindi. In February last year, he had …

Veteran politician Javed Hashmi has alleged that Punjab police raided his Multan residence early on Wednesday and arrested his son-in-law and grandson. Hashmi, who was once president of the PTI, claimed in a post on social media platform X. He said around 20 police officers entered his residence in Makhdoom Rasheed town in Multan district illegally at 1am and made …