The Supreme Court’s (SC) Registrar Office refused to entertain on Monday a petition challenging ‘political victimisation’ and denial of ‘right to fair trial’ over rejected pre-arrest bail pleas of ousted prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan. A constitutional petition was filed before the top court on Imran’s behalf seeking relief in cases wherein his pre-arrest bail pleas were …

In a recent harrowing incident, a tourist lost his life after being shot repeatedly by bandits at Babusar Top. The tourist resisted robbery and the burglars opened fire and killed him in his car. According to the police, the tourist was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim has been identified as Professor Haji Rashid, a …

A special court in Islamabad granted Monday a four-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the request of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in relation to a case registered against him under Sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. Judge Abual Hasnat conducted the hearing today for the case registered against Qureshi …

Advocate Haider Majeed, a PTI lawyer, has been handed over to the military for trial over his alleged involvement in May 9 vandalism at Lahore’s Jinnah House, the Lahore High Court (LHC) was told on Monday. The development comes days after Barrister Hassaan Niazi, the nephew of PTI chief Imran Khan, was handed over to the military for trial on …

A day after President Dr Arif Alvi’s allegation that his staff “undermined his will and command” regarding his assent to the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act, the President’s Secretariat said the services of Secretary to President Waqar Ahmed were “no more required” and sought a replacement. “In view of the definite statement of yesterday, President’s Secretariat has …

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sunday demanded President Arif Alvi’s resignation after the head of the state denied signing two crucial bills related to the army and secrets laws. In a startling turn of events, President Alvi said he did not sign the bills amending the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act …

A resident of the ill-fated Christian Colony in Jaranwala became a prime example of coexistence amidst the riots that erupted following blasphemy allegations against the minority community in the tehsil. Malik Khalil Irfan put his life on the line to protect his neighbour and sworn sister, Josephine, when their neighbourhood was being attacked by rioters and arsonists on August 16. …

In the first seven months of 2023, more than 450,000 Pakistanis left the country in search of better job opportunities abroad. According to data obtained from the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, 450,110 Pakistanis were registered for overseas employment in the first seven months of the current calendar year i.e. till July. A breakdown of the statistics shows that …

At least 18 passengers, including women and children, were killed and 14 injured in an accident on a motorway near Pindi Bhattian on Sunday morning. The injured and dead bodies were taken to a nearby public hospital. Only ten passengers were able to escape unhurt, taking advantage of the vehicle’s emergency exit. According to rescue workers, an electric short-circuit started …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) former general secretary Asad Umar was arrested Sunday from his residence in Islamabad. According to sources, Umar was detained in connection with the cipher case. The former finance minister was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the F-8 area of Islamabad. Umar has been taken into custody twice in the past three months, …

13 labourers were killed and two sustained injuries in a late night explosion in the Shawal area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, a police official said on Sunday. North Waziristan District Police Officer Naik Muhammad confirmed the death toll and said the incident took place in Shawal, near the Pak-Afghan border. The van in which the labourers were travelling …

The Islamabad Capital Police on Sunday said that human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested “for investigation” hours after the activist posted on social media platform X that unidentified people were breaking into her home. “Islamabad Capital Police has arrested Ali Wazir and Imaan Mazari,” the police said on X (formerly Twitter). “Both suspects …

In a startling turn of events, President Arif Alvi said on Sunday that he did not sign the bills amending the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act into law as he “disagreed with these laws”. He alleged that his staff “undermined” his will and command. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Alvi said: “As …

The Supreme Court has declared drugs a threat to a peaceful society. In an important decision in a case related to drug peddling, the court described them as a threat to peace, and rejected an appeal against the life imprisonment of a criminal of drug trafficking. The SC also ruled that if evidence is available, technical hurdles should not be …

Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Saturday affirmed that next general elections would be conducted on time immediately after the completion of the delimitation process on the basis of new census. While talking to the media at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Senate chairman said that the PDM coalition government consisted of almost all the political parties …

In response to the turmoil caused by chaos on 10, 11, and 12 May 2023, Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) will be organizing a retake exam in October. The announcement, made by the government on Friday, aims to address the concerns of students and parents regarding unexpected grades in the A and AS-level exams of 2023. A crucial meeting was …

Pakistan’s three main reservoirs Mangla, Tarbela dams, and Chashma Barrage have reached their maximum capacity in a single day, marking a significant milestone. With this development occurring on 17 August, the combined water storage has soared to a remarkable 13.443 million acre-feet (MAF), fueling optimism for robust crop yields during the current Kharif and upcoming Rabi seasons. The Indus River …

The finance department of the Sindh government, on orders of the outgoing Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah, extended an act of goodwill. The chief secretariat employees were granted seven months’ worth of basic salaries. This was made possible through the release of over Rs. 200 million by the finance department of the Sindh government. CM Shah, during …

Imran Khan’s life is still in danger and he can be poisoned in Attock jail, his wife Bushra Bibi has said as she demanded better prison facilities for the incarcerated former Pakistan prime minister. In her letter to the Punjab home secretary on Saturday, the 49-year-old wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman wrote that the court had directed the …

Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that rescue efforts were under way after a flood “unprecedented in 35 years” was reported in the Sutlej river. According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), the river is at an “extremely high flood level” at Ganda Singh Wala and will remain at this critical state. It said River Sutlej at …

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court (SC), visited Faisalabad district’s Jaranwala tehsil on Saturday to inquire about the situation of the local Christian community after Wednesday’s riots over alleged blasphemy. On August 16, a mob targeted the Christian community ransacking and torching their churches and homes there leaving at least 19 churches and 86 homes …

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday said it has arrested 13 alleged terrorists including “three key Daesh commanders” during an intelligence-based operation from different cities of the province. In a statement issued today, the CTD said the arrested suspects from Lahore, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Chinot, Qasor, Multan, and Mandi Bahauddin had intended to carry out terrorist activities. It …

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new 12-member interim cabinet, comprising nine ministers and two advisers and a special assistant, was sworn in on Saturday. Governor Ghulam Ali administered the oath in a ceremony held at the Governor House. It was attended by KP caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan and others. The ministers include Syed Masud Shah, Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, retired …

LAHORE: A Muslim cleric is among a dozen people being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers to order protests against alleged blasphemy which erupted into mob violence in Pakistan earlier this week, a senior police official said. More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalised when hundreds rampaged through a Christian neighbourhood in Jaranwala in Faisalabad, Punjab on Wednesday. …

Three brothers died and their four siblings were hospitalised on Friday after consuming poisonous mushrooms in the Alpuri tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district, according to officials and relatives. Dr Sajjad Khan, the deputy medical superintendent of Alpuri’s district headquarters hospital confirmed the cause of death of the two brothers to Dawn.com. Their father, Bakhshi Rehman, also confirmed the same …

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Friday “strongly condemned” the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to conduct fresh delimitation and “delay elections” beyond the constitutional limit of 90 days. On Thursday, the electoral watchdog released the schedule of delimitation for provincial and national constituencies. According to it, the ECP expects to complete the delimitation exercise by December 14. The …

Newly appointed caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said on Friday that the Election Commission of Pakistan was “solely” responsible for holding elections, not the interim government. “Elections are the responsibility of the ECP. Whether they choose to conduct them in 90 days or in February, we will not prolong our stay even by a single minute,” he said during a …

At least 86 Christian homes and 19 churches in Pakistan were vandalised when a Muslim mob rampaged through the streets over alleged blasphemy this week, the head of Punjab provincial police, Usman Anwar, said Friday. “The events that unfolded were tragic. Violence like this can never be justified,” he said, adding that he will travel to the city of Jaranwala …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Friday that the interim set-up will try to ensure financial discipline. Addressing the maiden meeting of the newly-inducted 24-member interim cabinet, Kakar said he was “proud” to have “one of the best teams”. “I am hopeful that Almighty Allah will enable us to lead and steer this nation in this interim period,” he …

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar raised concerns on Friday over potential foreign involvement in the recent tragic incident in Jaranwala, where a violent mob wreaked havoc by torching five churches. In an exclusive interview, IGP Anwar indicated that the timing and calculated actions of the main suspects in the incident have raised suspicions of a well-coordinated …

Ali Mardan Domki has been selected as Balochistan’s caretaker chief minister by a parliamentary panel on Friday. According to reports, the parliamentary committee of Balochistan appointed the caretaker chief minister to oversee the transition period after days of deliberation and intense negotiations between the ruling party and the opposition. A summary, in this regard, has also been approved by Governor Balochistan …

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Friday fixed the plea for hearing seeking to issue classified part volume 10 of the report compiled by a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted by the Supreme Court (SC) to investigate into the Sharif family’s offshore assets as revealed by Panama Papers. A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial …

In a major setback to the government’s plans to appoint trade officers in foreign countries, more than 60 percent of candidates have failed the written tests for the 40 available positions, according to recent reports. Reports revealed that out of a total of 262 candidates who took the written test for the trade officer posts, only 101 managed to pass. …

In a decision aimed at safeguarding human health and the environment, the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government has officially prohibited the use, sale, manufacture, and transportation of plastic bottles within the region. This landmark move comes after a high-level meeting on Thursday presided over by the  GB Chief Secretary and attended by prominent officials including the Inspector General and Home Secretary. The …

In a significant development that will have far-reaching implications for Pakistan’s political landscape, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the postponement of the upcoming elections. The commission said that holding elections within the constitutional timeframe of 90 days is not feasible. One of the primary reasons behind this decision is the implementation of a new delimitation process following …

Road accidents are becoming perilously common across Punjab. According to a recent report, a total of 1,107 accidents occurred across all 37 districts of Punjab in the last 24 hours, injuring 1,143 and killing 10 people. Out of all injury reports, 565 victims were reported to be seriously injured while 578 were reported to have sustained minor injuries that were …

Khyber Medical University (KMU) in Peshawar has taken stringent action against harassment and corruption within its ranks. A Grade 18 lecturer at KMU has been compelled to resign following allegations and subsequent findings of harassment. This incident follows the recent dismissal of a Grade 21 professor on charges of plagiarism, reinforcing the university’s commitment to academic integrity. The university’s Anti-Harassment Committee …

Pakistan Army Rescues Foreign Climbers Who Were Trapped for Days. The Pakistan Army conducted a successful rescue operation that saved the lives of six foreign climbers trapped for days on the unforgiving peak of Concordia. The rescue mission was initiated in response to a call from the stranded mountaineers, which included four British nationals, one Polish climber, and their local …

In his first cabinet meeting, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar expressed on Friday his resolute commitment to steering Pakistan towards a path of progress and development during his tenure. Addressing the first meeting of the newly elected cabinet, Mr Kakar highlighted the nation’s rich agricultural and natural resources, underscoring his determination to honor both domestic and international commitments. “Pakistan …

President Arif Alvi on Thursday administered oath to members of newly appointed caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran at the President House in Islamabad, which was attended by Kakar, Punjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and others. According to a list of cabinet members issued by the Presidency, …