After Canada accused India of involvement in the killing of a separatist Sikh leader on its soil, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday it was time for the international community to accept that India had become a “rogue Hindutva terrorist state”. The separatist leader, 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 …

In a momentous recognition of her unwavering commitment to law enforcement and her tireless efforts to combat violence against women, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Sonia Shamroz Khan, currently serving as the District Police Officer of Battagram in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), was awarded the prestigious ‘Police Officer of the Year’ accolade by the International Association of Women Police. SSP …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) asked the federal government and immigration authorities on Monday about a rule that says married women need their husband’s name on their National ID cards to get passports. Khadija Shah, a lawyer, faced a problem when she tried to renew her passport at the LHC’s passport office. They turned her down because her ID card …

Hours of heavy rain in Lahore and many cities of Punjab has led to many areas being submerged and rainwater accumulating across the provincial capital. Citizens have been facing difficulties commuting near Barkat Market, Gulberg, Kalma Chowk and their adjoining areas due to knee-deep water accumulated in these areas. Around 80 feeders of LESCO have tripped, hampering power supply to …

In the run-up to the upcoming general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the latest statistics of registered voters. In the last five years, there has been an increase of 21,024,713 voters in the country. In 2018, the total number of registered voters in Pakistan was 105,955,409. In 2023, the number of voters has swelled to 126,980,272, …

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) adjourned the hearing on Monday in a case challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 until October 3. The court directed the parties’ lawyers to submit their written arguments by September 25. The Chief Justice made a point in today’s proceedings that the Practice and Procedure Act 2023, which was passed by …

The Oil Tankers Association stopped the supply of petrol in Rawalpindi spreading fears of petrol shortage in Azad Kashmir, airports, Hazara Division, Attock, and Gilgit-Baltistan. According to the Oil Tankers Association, the supply of petroleum products has also been stopped in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The association has demanded a 65% share of transport on the ‘White Oil Pipeline’ in fares …

In a distressing development, Kirthar National Park in Sindh has witnessed the tragic demise of at least 35 wild goats due to the highly contagious animal disease known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). Deputy Conservator Hyderabad, Wajid Shaikh, confirmed the heartbreaking loss of 35 Ibex to this relentless disease. To unravel the cause of this alarming outbreak, samples from …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed its delimitation committee to complete work by September 26, it was learnt on Tuesday. This will enable the election watchdog publish preliminary delimitations on September 27, according to a spokesperson of the ECP. According to details, the commission reviewed the pace of work of the delimitation committees and expressed its satisfaction in …

As Justice Qazi Faez Isa dons the robe of the country’s top judge, over a hundred civilians are in military custody, draconian legislation that never received the President’s assent has been published in the gazette, elections on time seem impossible, and the pendency of cases in the Supreme Court has soared to over 56,000. In April, Justice Isa attended a …

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s first day as the country’s top judge started off with a full court hearing on a set of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023. What sets this hearing apart is that it is being broadcast live on the CJP’s orders a first in Pakistan’s judicial history. The Act …

KARACHI: Calling the current caretaker administration “a continuation of the legacy of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government”, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Sunday announced to stage citywide protests on Tuesday (tomorrow) against the exorbitant rise in prices of petroleum products and growing inflation. Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters Idara Noor-i-Haq, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while …

Farmers run with their cattle during a traditional cattle race on the outskirts of southern Pakistan’s Hyderabad on Sept. 17, 2023. (Str/Xinhua) HYDERABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) — In south Pakistan’s Hyderabad, a traditional cattle race was held here. In the midst of a cloud of dust, the white cattle, each with elaborate necklace and crowned head, ran wildly along …

ISLAMABAD: The Chinese construction and power companies are internationally competitive, and they produce very good quality work, a Pakistani official told Xinhua in a recent interview. “Most of these companies have an experience of working on mega projects in China as well, and some of these companies are also working overseas, so put together, they bring a very large experience …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Sunday departed for New York to represent Pakistan at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which will be held on September 22. PM Kakar will apparently be the first interim prime minister to represent Pakistan at the UN General Assembly. According to a press release issued by the Prime …

Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan on Sunday. His first act as the CJP was to form a full court to hear challenges to the law clipping the top judge’s powers. The hearing is tomorrow. He was administered the oath of office by President Arif Alvi during a ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr in …

The apex court is set to take up the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act case tomorrow. A full court bench headed by the newly minted Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa will chair the hearing of the case of a review petition against the law that aims at curtailing the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan …

Following the Supreme Court’s Friday verdict in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt summoned a consultative meeting to formulate the future course of action. The NAB Prosecution Division on Monday will give a detailed briefing to the meeting participants on the apex court’s decision to strike down some amendments in the NAB …

In a veiled criticism of the PML-N, PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan on Saturday said no one else could be blamed for a party abandoning its slogan of ‘vote ko izzat do’ (respect the vote). The PPP leader’s statement comes against the backdrop of growing differences between the two parties which were part of the erstwhile Shehbaz Sharif-led ruling coalition …

Residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram took to the streets and blocked a stretch of the Karakoram Highway near the Khatm-i-Nabuwat Chowk on Saturday, decrying action against illegal connections (kundas) and electricity connections, as well as defaulters. Last week, the interim government announced plans to launch a crackdown on electricity theft, which federal ministers said led to combined losses of hundreds …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said he sees no possibility of a delay in general elections due to the security situation at Pakistan’s borders. The interim premier expressed these views when asked about the possibility during an interview with Voice of America (VOV) Urdu. “I see no such possibility at present. Although there is an alarming situation on …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the special court’s decision rejecting his bail plea in the cipher case. The plea by the former prime minister who was ousted from office following a no-confidence motion is likely to be fixed for hearing on Monday, September 18 by the IHC. A …

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday ordered to withhold the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results on petitions filed by students regarding the use of covert Bluetooth devices for cheating in the examination hall. The court issued orders to the chief secretary, executive director of the Education Test and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), and the registrar of the …

The ordeal of former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi continued on Saturday after he was arrested again shortly after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Elahi was taken into custody by anti-corruption Punjab while he was on his way to Lahore.  Elahi’s counsel, Sardar Abdul Razzaq, said that the PTI stalwart has now been arrested at least a dozen times. …

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all five high courts in the country to engage with their respective provincial governments to establish their own security agencies in order to strengthen the independence of the judiciary. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who authored the judgment, highlighted the crucial role played by the district judiciary in shielding ordinary citizens from potential abuses of …

The interim Prime Minister (PM), Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to liaise with the UAE government regarding a private firm that has been organizing a beauty contest under the name of “Pakistan.” This event selected candidates to represent Pakistan in the Miss Universe Pageant, even though it hasn’t been sanctioned by the Pakistani government. Previously, …

The Supreme Court (SC) scrapped on Friday amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 last year and admitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s petition challenging it. A three-judge bench, headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, announced the reserved verdict, which included restoring graft cases against public office holders …

Three terrorists were killed while a Pakistan Army soldier was martyred in an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in Quetta,the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), militants had attacked a security forces’ post near Wali Tangi on Thursday evening. “During fire exchange, three terrorists were …

Interim Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar said on Friday there were “some signs” of economic recovery “even if they were just starting”. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside other federal ministers, she said that while the interim set-up had inherited a set of challenges after coming into power, it was not worried and was “dealing” with them. Akhtar said that …

The United States has urged Pakistan to hold “timely, free and fair” elections in line with the country’s laws. Spokesperson of the US State Department Matthew Miller said this while responding to a question regarding President Dr Arif Alvi proposing November 6 as the polls date. ’’We urge Pakistan to hold a free and fair free and fair and timely elections, …

The PPP on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to disgruntled party leader and lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa, asking him to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him for “working against the party policy”. The letter was signed by PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. “You, being a member of the central executive committee, are defending/pleading/representing a head …

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has stated that it has “temporarily” grounded some of its planes, assuring that they would be back in the air once payments were made. Earlier this week, it had emerged that PIA had resorted to grounding several aircraft as it struggled to secure funds to maintain its operations for the next few months. The Ministry of …

Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Thursday ordered authorities to suspend internet services in katcha (riverine) areas of the province as part of law enforcement agencies intensify operations against bandits holding people hostage in such areas. The directives from the provincial chief executive came a day after Sindh’s caretaker Minister for Law and Human Rights, Muhammed Umar Soomro, …

A special court in Islamabad rejected on Thursday the post-arrest bail pleas of ousted premier Imran Khan and former federal minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The court constituted under the Official Secrets Act had earlier reserved its decision on this matter while granting pre-arrest bail to former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) general-secretary Asad Umar. During the hearing, Imran’s counsel maintained that no …

A special court in Islamabad accepted on Thursday the pre-arrest bail plea of former federal minister Asad Umar in the cypher case. Federal Investigation Agency’s lawyer advocate Shah Khawar informed the court that no evidence has been found against Umar yet and he has not been named in the FIR either. The lawyer added that in case evidence is found …

The Punjab government has rolled out a significant initiative aimed at providing accessible and affordable transportation for students, disabled individuals, and senior citizens in Lahore. Under this new initiative, these groups will be able to travel on the Orange Line and Metro system for free, albeit for a limited three-month period. The announcement comes as a welcome relief to many …

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah on Thursday sustained injuries in a blast that took place in Mastung, Balochistan. According to initial reports, the blast took place near a vehicle which injured Hamdullah and several others. Police rushed to the site of the incident and cordoned off the area. Mustang Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Sasoli said several people were …

When the military was called on to help defend Pakistan’s ailing currency, licensed foreign exchange traders cheered while their black market rivals in the bazaars of Peshawar, Karachi and other cities shuttered their shops before they got taken away. The campaign against the informal market has worked. Tens of millions of dollars have poured back into Pakistan’s interbank and openmarkets, …

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and proposed that elections be held by November 6. The letter comes against the backdrop of reports that the president would unilaterally announce a date for the elections. But contrary to the said reports, the missive is a mere suggestion, rather than a …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) adjourned proceedings for a week in the petition demanding the recovery of missing anchorperson Imran Riaz after the Punjab police chief assured the court that the investigation was “going in the right direction”. Imran Riaz a YouTuber and television anchor was arrested two days after violent protests broke out across the country following PTI Chairman …