ISLAMABAD, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered Pakistan’s services as a mediator to bring together US and China as it did decades ago. In an interview , the prime minister said: “If China and the US so desire, Pakistan would be happy to play a positive role to bridge their differences, as we had done in the past.” The interview …

RAWALPINDI, August 16(ABC): Punjab Home Minister Col (retd) Muhammad Hashim Tuesday denied rumours that PTI chairperson Imran Khan’s chief of staff Shahbaz Gill was tortured in police custody. Speaking to journalists outside Central Jail Adiala in Rawalpindi, where Gill is imprisoned, the home minister said: “He is perfectly alright in the jail. There is no question of him being beaten up.” …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges summoned PTI chairperson Imran Khan and former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed for the raid that took place in the Parliament Lodges during their tenure. The Islamabad Police, in March, had conducted an operation inside the Parliament Lodges and arrested more than a dozen Ansar-ul-Islam workers — …

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Miftah Ismail defended on Tuesday the federal government’s decision to hike the price of petrol after backlash from his party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif and a strong coalition partner — PPP. The government jacked up Monday night the price of petrol by Rs6.72 per litre for the next fortnight, taking it to 233.91 per litre, while the rate …

TANK, August 16(ABC): Two police personnel — deployed on polio campaign duty — were martyred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank when unidentified men opened fire at them. The incident happened in Kot Azam, Tank district. Scores of polio workers and security officials guarding them have been killed since 2012 by militants. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where the virus …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): Former human rights minister and senior PTI leader Shireen Mazari on Tuesday said that US ambassadors meeting the officials of provincial governments is “not a problem”, as she defended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s meeting with Donald Blome. The PTI recently faced criticism over contradiction in stances towards the United States. Speaking at a press conference, …

KARACHI, August 16(ABC): The Pakistani rupee maintained its upward trend for the eleventh consecutive day, hovering around 212.15 in the early hours of trading in the interbank market on Tuesday. At around 11:00 am, the rupee was trading at 212.69, up Rs1.29 or 0.60% against the US dollar in intraday trading. The rupee gained ground against the dollar on Monday, rising for …

ISLAMABAD, August 16 (ABC): PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has expressed his opposition to the federal government’s decision to ramp up the prices of petroleum products, said PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday. On Monday, the government cranked up the price of petrol by Rs6.72 per litre for the next fortnight. “In the wake of fluctuations in petroleum prices in …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday decided to fix the prohibited funding case before a larger bench. The hearing is set to take place on August 18. In his remarks during today’s hearing, acting IHC chief justice Aamer Farooq said: “Let us constitute a larger bench to hear this case.” “The larger bench will hear the case …

KARACHI, August 16 (ABC): At least 20 people were killed and six others injured after a sleeper bus collided with an oil tanker on the M-5 Motorway, also known as the Multan-Sukkur Motorway near Bahawalpur on Tuesday. The passenger bus was on its way from Lahore to Karachi. Motorway officials said the accident was caused by speeding. The accident took …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): The Government of Pakistan Monday jacked up the price of petrol by Rs6.72 per litre for the next fortnight. “In the wake of fluctuations in petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variations, the government has decided to revise the existing prices or petroleum products to pass on the impact to the consumers,” the statement …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): PTI Chairperson Imran Khan on Monday said that he is “extremely upset” with the treatment meted to his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill while in police custody in the sedition case filed against him. He said that the PTI lawyers have said that Gill was stripped off his clothes and beaten up in jail. “Gill shouldn’t have …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): “In the 1960s, when Pakistan was in its adolescence, the country brimmed with hope and promise. We had a date with destiny. The nation was widely thought ready to become the next Asian tiger. In 2022, however, Pakistan finds itself mired in its latest economic crisis,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in an article in the prominent …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday reacted to the charter of economy proposed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying that his party has rejected this proposal. Addressing the media, the former federal minister said that the entire party condemns the torture of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill. He alleged that efforts …

LAHORE, August 15(ABC): Federal Minister and senior PML-N leader Javed Latif confirmed Monday that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif — after a long hiatus — will return to the country in September to represent “the people”. In a press conference alongside PML-N Punjab spokesperson Azma Bukhari, Latif said that the “doctors” have announced their decision and Nawaz will come back in …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (ABC): President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday underlined the need to adopt international best practices and modern technological tools by the public sector audit and accounts departments for better financial control, ensuring efficient and transparent use of public funds in the best interest of the people of Pakistan. The president made these remarks while talking to the …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (ABC): Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Talal Chaudhry on Monday said former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s running from pillar to post to seek stay orders from the courts against his corruption, has nullified his claim of being a clean person. Talking to media persons, he said “if Imran Khan is so clean why is he …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday decided to put pressure on the coalition government  regarding the demand for early elections. A meeting of party leaders was held under the chairmanship of PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, in which the political situation of the country was discussed, while the public campaign and the program of PTI …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed to ensure the provision of Rs 50,000 relief to each flood affected family in the flood hit areas through a transparent process within the three days. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will provide Rs 50,000 cash relief to every flood affected family under the supervision of National Disaster Management …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): PTI is an imported party, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani snaps at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during a media briefing in Multan on Monday as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) prepares to contest by-elections in Punjab. The former prime minister said it has been proved that PTI has been collecting foreign funds to put forth its agenda. He …

LAHORE, August 15(ABC): Federal minister Javed Latif said Monday that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif — after a long hiatus — will return to the country in September to represent “the people”. In a press conference alongside PML-N Punjab spokesperson Azma Bukhari, Latif said that the “doctors” have announced their decision and Nawaz will come back in line with their call. …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to remove all obstacles in the way of foreign investment in the country. Chairing a high level meeting in Islamabad on Monday, he constituted a committee to address the problems faced by foreign companies especially those investing in Gwadar Free Zone. The committee will present its report and recommendations to the …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted protective bail to Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Attaullah Tarar for 14 days. The former Punjab minister asked the IHC to approve his protective bail and stop Punjab police from arresting him. Earlier on Saturday, police raided Atta’s house early morning but he was not present at home …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): President Dr. Arif Alvi has approved the appointment of Syed Mehdi Shah as Governor Gilgit-Baltistan. The approval was given at the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under section 33 of Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018. Dr. Alvi had accepted the resignation of Raja Jalal Hussain on June 24, 2022.

RAWALPINDI, August 15(ABC): Security Forces killed one terrorist in an Intelligence Based Operation in general area Mir Ali, North Waziristan District. According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), during the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between troops and terrorists. Weapon and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorist. The killed terrorist remained actively involved in …

SRINAGAR, August 15(ABC): Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over are observing the Indian Independence Day, today, as Black Day in protest against New Delhi’s illegal occupation of their homeland. According to Kashmir Media Service, the day is marked by a complete shutdown and civil curfew in IIOJK call for which has been given …

LAHORE, August 15(ABC): Pakistan has reported two deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,563,347. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,529 on Monday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 459 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): Alphabet Inc’s YouTube is planning to launch an online store for streaming video services, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company has renewed talks with entertainment companies about participating in the platform, which it is referring to internally as a “channel store,” the report said, citing people close to the recent discussions. The platform has been …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): In an attempt to improve its search engine’s “featured snippets” service, Google announced that it will not be answering silly questions. In a blog post, Google’s head of search Pandu Nayak said that the current way in which the results are displayed is not “the most helpful”. For example, if a user asks Google “when did …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): Meta-owned WhatsApp has made its “Disappearing Messages” feature easier for its users. According to the statement shared by the messaging company on Twitter, users can now set the default ‘Disappearing Messages’ feature for new and existing chats all at once. The users can now choose their duration timer. They can select and apply to specific chats on …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): Customer satisfaction is very important when it comes to mobile apps and according to a recent study by DotNek, this satisfaction has fallen in recent years. There are some apps that are loved by customers and some that are absolutely hated. Many factors contribute to these feelings like user interface and frequency and number of ads. Experts …

QUETTA, August 15(ABC): The fresh spell of heavy rains has further aggravated the misery of people in Balochistan as 10 more citizens were killed during the last three days, while infrastructure, including houses, roads and bridges were wrecked. The rain-hit infrastructure badly affected the traffic movements at the Kohlu-Quetta National Highway. Besides this, an event related to Independence Day was …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman exchanged views to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries during a telephonic conversation, reported Monday, citing the Saudi press agency. According to a statement, PM Shehbaz made a telephone call to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. …

KARACHI, August 15(ABC): The Pakistani rupee continued to strengthen against the US dollar for the tenth successive working day in the interbank market on Monday. The local unit further gained Rs2.49 after over a week of its uptrend, with the dollar trading at Rs213 after its depreciation during intraday trade in the interbank market as of 10:50am. On Friday, the Pakistani …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): An Islamabad court on Monday sought arguments on the bail plea of senior PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case filed against him. Gill was arrested last Tuesday afternoon from Banigala Chowk in the capital a day after making controversial remarks on a private TV channel. He was subsequently booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of …

ISLAMABAD, August 15(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday said that owing to the conditions set forth for the country by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Government of Pakistan is not in a position to afford any petroleum subsidies. The finance minister was asked whether the government was planning to reduce the prices of petrol in the country from …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): Pakistan’s first electric car prototype, which has been dubbed NUR-E 75, was unveiled on Independence Day (August 14, 2022). The car’s battery capacity will be 35kWh. After being charged, the vehicle will have enough power to run for 210km. According to Dr Khurshid Qureshi, founder and chairperson of the Distinguished Innovation, Collaboration & Entrepreneurship (DICE) Foundation, …

  KARACHI, August 14(ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated the nation on the 75th Independence Day and said that the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was to create a Pakistan that would be a role model for the Muslim world with an egalitarian society. “Every Pakistani has to play a role in making this country an ideal Muslim …

ISLAMABAD, August 14(ABC): PTI Chairperson Imran Khan’s nomination papers have been filed from all nine constituencies of the National Assembly, reported. For the first time in the country’s electoral history, a candidate will contest from nine constituencies simultaneously as Imran Khan has decided to take part in the by-elections on all NA seats. He also set this record back in the …

KARACHI, August 14(ABC): The change of guard ceremony was held at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi on Sunday morning. The cadets of Pakistan Naval Academy assumed the guard duties. The Commandant of Pakistan Naval Academy Air Commodore Muhammad Khalid was the chief guest on the occasion. Later, the chief guest laid a floral wreath at the Mazar and offered Fateha. It merits …