The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has warned its employees about a ransomware attack that it said was “trying to steal information” through phishing methods, it emerged on Friday. The letter, dated July 6, titled “Cyber Security Alert” and written by ECP Information Security Specialist Naveed Ahmed Kandhir shared a screengrab of an email sent to an ECP official that …

A drone carrying drugs crashed on Friday in the Halloki area of Lahore’s Kahna town on Friday, Aaj News reported.  The drone, carrying 6kgs of heroin, crashed near Balloki Kahna in Rasoolpura. Police said that the drone’s size was larger than usual. It crashed into the fields of a land-owner identified as Rozdar. Police said that it took the drone …

Rallies were organised across the country on Friday to protest of the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden as the nation observed “Youm-i-Taqaddus-i-Quran” (Quran Sanctity Day). Last week, a man had desecrated the Holy Quran in Sweden’s capital Stockholm, resulting in strong condemnation from several Muslim states, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the European Union, Pope Francis and …

At least 50 people, including eight children, have been killed by floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains that have lashed Pakistan since last month, officials said on Friday. The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70-80 per cent of its annual rainfall between June and September every year. It is vital for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food …

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Friday directed PTI Chairman Imran Khan to become part of the investigation into five cases registered in connection with violence in the country on May 9. The cases in question concern the attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower, the Shadman Town police station, vandalism at the PML-N office in Model Town, and the setting …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the recently-announced International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme would pave way for reforms and restructuring of Pakistan’s economy. “Hopefully, this programme will be through and a nine-month insurance will be available to Pakistan,” said Shehbaz as he addressed the launch ceremony of the social protection account under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) …

Justice Musarrat Hilali on Friday took her oath as a Supreme Court judge and formally became the country’s second woman judge to reach the apex court following Justice Ayesha Malik. Chief Umar Ata Bandial administered the oath to Justice Hilali in a ceremony held at the ceremonial hall of the top court. Meanwhile, the legal fraternity, apex court judges and …

The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) has strongly criticized the Federal Government for hastily presenting the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Bill 2023 during a recent Federal Cabinet meeting. FAPUASA, including its provincial chapters, President Dr. Kaleemullah Bareach, and members of the Executive Council, issued a joint statement expressing their concerns. They emphasized that the decision to …

Various videos on social media show the snow-capped Babusar Top. The roads are also covered in snow, causing loss of traction for the vehicles. The snowfall is accompanied by a relentless blizzard, causing poor visibility. Due to terrible driving conditions, travelers have stopped by the roadside, while those making their way to the Babusar Pass have been stopped midway. The …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan wants to improve its bilateral relations with the United States in various fields, noting that relations between the countries have “returned to normal”. Speaking at a function organized to celebrate the 247th Independence Day of the United States, he said, the news that Pakistan and the US made serious efforts to …

Electricity outages of 13 to 14 hours a day expected across country; LESCO records fall in electricity demand from 4,400MW to 3,600MW As the nation continues to grapple with an intense heat wave, citizens will face power outages for several hours a day due to the shortfall in electricity generation, reaching 6,705 megawatts. The power outages will continue for 14 …

Due to heavy rains in various parts of the country, there is a risk of flooding in rivers Chenab, Sutlej and Ravi. The National Disaster Management Authority held a flood management meeting on the current situation arising out of the torrential rains. Issued precautionary measures at the Karachi Airport after forecast of heavy rain and wind with thunderstorm in Karachi …

Four people have been killed in a roof collapse incident of a house in the Chungi Amar Sidhu area of Lahore due to heavy rain. Rescue sources said the roof had been weakened due to torrential rain in the city a day before. They added that the four were trapped under the debris, while one person was pulled out alive. …

A Pakistan Army major was martyred on Wednesday night during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber tribal district’s Shakhas area. As per the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted the operation on reported presence of terrorists. ‘‘While establishment of blocking positions to cut the escape routes of terrorists was underway, a party of terrorists was spotted by Major Abdullah …

Alamgir Khan Tareen, the owner of PSL franchise Multan Sultans and brother of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party chief Jahangir Tareen, passed away at the age of 63. The PSL team made the announcement on Twitter. While the police are yet to make an official statement, some news reports suggested Alamgir may have taken his own life at his residence in Lahore’s Gulberg …

The participants strongly advocated against using such groups for political engineering and called for the immediate disarmament of society to reduce the potential threat of violence during the upcoming elections. Additionally, the seminar shed light on the ‘economy of terrorism’, which has perpetuated the threat of terrorism in the country. Participants recognized the need to investigate and address the financial …

It is uncertain whether the same four directors from part 2 will return or if new directors will be brought on board for Lust Stories 3 Following the success of Lust Stories in 2018, Ronnie Screwvala, Ashi Dua Sara, and Netflix recently introduced its second installment with directors Konkona Sen Sharma, R Balki, Sujoy Ghosh, and Amit Ravindernath Sharma at …

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been granted permission by the Supreme Court (SC) to proceed with the appointment of 205 new professionals, while the recruitment of 45 others has been postponed. A two-member SC bench comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Ayesha A Malik, heard the case filed by PIA, seeking approval for the recruitment of 250 individuals, …

The federal government on Wednesday appointed Afzal Mehmood Butt as Inspector General of the of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) police. Butt replaced Dar Ali Khan who was serving on the post. Sources claimed the committee comprised Ahsan Iqbal, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman. The development came after GB chief court disqualified then-chief minister Khalid Khurshid – who is part of Pakistan …

At least three soldiers embraced martyrdom and 10 citizens were injured in a suicide attack near a checkpoint in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Wednesday. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the suicide bomber detonated himself near the Talha check post. The powerful explosion claimed the lives of three Pakistan Army soldiers while causing injuries …

Inflation in the US rose significantly in 2021 but fell faster than in much of Europe. This is partly because Europe has more significant exposure to the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sharply pushed up food and energy prices. But removing those volatile prices, so-called core inflation looks stubborn in many countries. This underscores the common problem …

Heavy rain hurt Pakistan Wednesday, causing deaths, flooding roads and disrupting life in areas where residents are already struggling to recover from last summer’s floods that affected 33 million people and killed 1,739, officials said. Six people died in weather-related incidents in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, officials said. At least 24 people have died in weather-related incidents …

A Polish mountaineer has died after summiting the world’s ninth-highest peak, officials said Tuesday, becoming the first casualty reported in Pakistan’s climbing season. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said Pawel Tomasz Kopec died Monday from “acute altitude sickness” while descending from the 8,125-metre (26,656-foot) Nanga Parbat, considered one of the world’s most perilous climbs with a reported one-in-five fatality rate. …

In response to Indian Premier Narendra Modi’s address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday that all nations should avoid using terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring and noted that militancy was a key obstacle in the way of regional peace. The prime minister’s statement came during his address to the 23rd meeting of the SCO …

Acting president and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday issued an order increasing the monthly salaries of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and other Supreme Court judges to Rs1.2 million and Rs1.1m, respectively. The order issued by Sanjrani dated July 3, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said that the changes would come into effect at once …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, should be condemned in “clear and unambiguous terms”. He made the remarks while addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) virtual summit hosted by India. Russia and China were also among the other countries attending the meeting. “SCO member states have a shared interest in ensuring …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday overturned the ruling of a sessions court wherein it had rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition to declare the Toshkhana case inadmissible. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq pronounced the verdict reserved on June 23 on a petition filed by the former prime minister, challenging the Toshakhana trial proceedings. The verdict came …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday lifted a stay order on the election of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman. Justice Anwar Hussain withdrew the injunctive order while hearing a petition filed by the PCB through its counsel Advocate Imtiaz Rasheed Siddiqui. Last week, the LHC had stayed the election of the PCB chairman and sought replies from the …

Punjab interim health minister Professor Dr Javed Akram on Sunday refuted the reports that the provincial government was rolling back the Punjab Sehat Card programme initiated by the PTI government, Aaj News reported. Addressing a press conference along with the interim information minister Aamir Mir, Dr Javed Akram highlighted “indiscrepencies” in the health card programmme, saying bogus heart surgeries were …

Three police officials and a Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were martyred while a terrorist was killed on Sunday after police and Levies checkposts in the Dhana Sar area of Balochistan’s Sherani subdistrict came under attack. Sherani Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bilal Shabbir confirmed adding that the exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists continued for almost two hours. …

Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Mohammad Afridi has suggested the formation of nine new provinces, one of which includes Karachi. Afridi made the recommendation in an interview on Dawn News’ programme ‘Doosra Rukh’, which will be aired at 7pm today. Afridi, who is himself from the tribal districts, was elected to the Senate as an independent candidate in 2018. He advocated …

At least five first information reports (FIRs) have been registered across Punjab against the Ahmadi community for sacrificing animals on Eidul Azha, it emerged on Sunday. The complaints have been registered under Section 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Section 298-C of the PPC elaborates on the penalty for a person of the Ahmadi group calling themselves a Muslim …

Pakistan and India exchanged on Saturday the list of prisoners in each other’s custody, consistent with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access. The two countries exchange the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 yearly. In a press release today, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Pakistan handed over a list …

Six terrorists have been killed during successful operations by security forces in Tank and North Waziristan districts. According to ISPR, three of the terrorists were killed in Manzai area of Tank district on the night of June 29 and 30 during in an exchange of fire with army troops. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists. Three …

MAKKAH MUKARMA: Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Senator Talha Mehmood has expressed his strong displeasure and disappointment regarding the challenges encountered by Pakistani hajj pilgrims during their stay in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. The minister contacted the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, and conveyed his displeasure with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah …

NEW YORK: Maryam Khan, a Pakistan-born member of the House of Representatives of the US state of Connecticut, was attacked on Wednesday outside the centre where she and her family attended Eid ul Adha prayer in the state’s capital city of Hartford, officials said. According to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Khan, her three children, …

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has declared that the salaries of Frontier Corps (FC) personnel would be equalized with those of the Pakistan Army. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir made a special visit to Parachinar on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to spend the first day of Eid ul Azha with army soldiers. …

In a tragic incident, Sessions Judge Patooki Raja Mubin, along with his two children and sister-in-law, lost their lives due to drowning in a dam. The unfortunate incident took place in Tehsil Suhawa of Jhelum, turning the joyous occasion of Eid into profound sadness for the family. Reports suggest that Raja Mubin, accompanied by his children and sister-in-law, went for …

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has “strongly” condemned the “hate-filled Islamophobic crime” of burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden. In a tweet posted on Friday morning, Imran Khan called the act “loathsome”, which was “sanctioned” by the Swedish police. Such a hate-filled act serves no purpose beyond causing anger and deep hurt to Muslims across the …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the 23rd Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) hosted by India and being held in video conference format on July 4. ‘‘The invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the SCO-CHS was extended by the Prime Minister of India in his capacity as the current Chair of …