WASHINGTON, July 20(ABC): The US State Department on Wednesday released its 2022 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report that calls for action against domestic trafficking in human beings, in which Pakistan has been upgraded from Tier 2 “watchlist” to Tier 2. Tier 2 are countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA (Trafficking Victims Protection Act”) minimum standards for the …

ISLAMABAD, July 20(ABC): Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday said Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy exemplary fraternal relations based on common faith, culture, values, civilization and historical linkages, mutual trust and support. The Minister paid his regards during a call on paid by Ambassador of the Republic of Turkiye Mehmet Pacaci, a news release said. While speaking to Ambassador …

ISLAMABAD, July 20 (ABC): The Pakistani passport remained the fourth-worst passport in the world, maintaining its position from last year and providing access to only 32 locations without a visa, according to the Henley Passport Index for 2022. The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access …

KARACHI, July 20 (ABC): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday announced a reduction in fares on multiple international routes, following the recent cut in fuel prices. According to a PIA spokesperson, the national flag carrier has announced 8 percent cut in fares for Canada flights while fares for UAE and Gulf routes have been slashed by 15 per cent. Similarly, …

LAHORE, July 20 (ABC): Punjab Home Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Attaullah Tarar has rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) allegations of ‘horse-trading’ ahead of Punjab chief minister (CM) election. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the provincial minister said that the PML-N has not offered any money to Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) ahead of Punjab CM elections. …

ISLAMABAD, Jul 20 (ABC): The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the transcript of the July 18 press conference where it was allegedly warned that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Punjab assembly members could “disappear” before the upcoming chief minister’s election. A two-member SC bench comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam …

RAHIM YAR KHAN, July 20(ABC): The death toll has reached 27 in the tragic boat capsizing incident in the Indus River, district administration said Wednesday. According to the deputy commissioner, four more bodies have been fished out of the Indus River. The search is on for 22 more missing persons with 18 divers of the Pakistan Army participating in the …

ISLAMABAD: The 49.7% voter turnout in the by-election on 20 seats of the Punjab Assembly has been termed “impressive” by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). “The elections on July 17, 2022 augurs well for an otherwise struggling democracy in Pakistan,” FAFEN said in its report, observing that the by-polls culminated with PML-N’s acceptance of defeat, a rare gesture …

ISLAMABAD, July 20 (ABC): Health experts have urged the government to impose health levy on tobacco products to save precious lives as well as generate additional Rs 50 billion annually in revenues. In a joint press statement by Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC), experts recommended the government to take this urgent step, which has been pending …

ISLAMABAD, Jul 20(ABC): The beautification work alongside the tracks of Islamabad Orange Line Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Mor to New Islamabad Airport was in full swing to make it more attractive for the commuters. The environment wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had continued work on the project even during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, a senior official of the …

ISLAMABAD, July 20(ABC): British High Commissioner on Tuesday observed that Pakistan’s population was going to double in the next 30 years putting a huge burden on its resources that demanded proper response to address the pressing issue. The British envoy made these remarks during a ceremony to commemorate the World Population Day, a collaborative event was conducted here in a …

PESHAWAR, July 20(ABC): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Tuesday passed the Environmental Protection (Amendment) Bill 2022, putting a ban on all types of plastic bags. According to the bill, there will be a ban on the manufacture, import, purchase, sale, storage, distribution, transportation, supply, and usage of all types of plastic bags. The bill said that the manufacturers, wholesale dealers, and retailers …

LAHORE, July 19(ABC): Former president and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday met Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and took him in confidence over decisions taken in the meeting of ruling alliance. Asif Zardari met Chaudhary Shujaat at his residence and the meeting continued for over an hour, in which matters pertaining to …

LAHORE, July 19(ABC): Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) on Tuesday decided to shift their Punjab Assembly lawmakers to hotels ahead of Punjab Chief Minister election to be held on July 22. Sources privy to the matter said that a parliamentary party meeting was held under the chairmanship of the …

ISLAMABAD, July 19(ABC): Directorate General of Immigration and Passport (DGIP) has developed an app to receive passport payments online. The DGIP said that the aforementioned development will prove ease to the masses and save their time. In this regard, the Ministry of Interior said that this online payment system will start working by the end of this month, adding that …

LAHORE, July 19(ABC): Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) on Tuesday filed a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah over his recent statement. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier on Monday, the interior minister made a statement claiming that five PTI MPs could “disappear” during the voting for Punjab’s chief minister …

LAHORE, July 19(ABC): A Lahore court on Tuesday sent Karachi teenager Dua Zahra to a shelter home following a court order. Dua had made headlines across the country after she had mysteriously disappeared from Karachi but it was later discovered that she had run away from her home to marry 21-year-old Zaheer. On Tuesday, Dua appeared before a magistrate’s court …

WEB DESK, July 19(ABC): The third wife of popular TV host and anchor Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Dania Malik, has filed an application with the Sindh High Court for her husband’s exhumation and postmortem, reported on Tuesday. A hearing was held in the Sindh High Court on the late TV anchor’s family’s request to stop the postmortem after his burial, during …

KARACHI, July 19(ABC): The Sindh Government Tuesday extended the curbs imposed on market timings in the province as the power crisis persists across the country. The measure, which will remain in effect from July 17 till August 16, is in response to the prevalent outages, and load shedding of the electricity and seeks to reduce the shortfall between the supply …

LAHORE, Jul 19 (ABC): Punjab Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan said on Monday that around 1.68 million people have so far benefited from indoor medical healthcare facility under the Sehat Sahulat Programme. In a press statement issued here, he said that 1.36 million people received medical treatment from private hospitals and around 317,000 people were facilitated by the public sector …

ISLAMABAD, July 19 (ABC): Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the result of the by-polls has no connection with general elections. Talking to media outside the National Accountability Court (NAB), the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) said that the party that wins the vote on 22 July would form the government while the loser would sit in …

ISLAMABAD, July 19 (ABC): Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over are observing the Accession to Pakistan Day, on Tuesday, with a renewed pledge to continue the struggle for Jammu and Kashmir’s liberation from Indian occupation and its complete merger with Pakistan. It was on 19th July in 1947 that the genuine representatives of …

ISLAMABAD, July 19(ABC): The duration of load shedding has reached up to eight hours as the shortfall of electricity across the country continues to increase. The shortfall of electricity has reached 6 thousand 65 MW, while the total demand for electricity has reached 28 thousand 500 MW. According to the sources, at present the total production of electricity is 22 …

ISLAMABAD, July 19(ABC): Mainly hot and humid weather is likely to prevail in most parts of the country during the next twelve hours. However, isolated rain with wind and thundershower is expected in northeast Punjab, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, lower Sindh, central and southern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning: Islamabad and Muzaffarabad twenty-six degree centigrade, …

NAROWAL, July 19(ABC): At least two persons were killed and 18 other were wounded when a speeding bus overturned in Narowal on Monday, Dunya News reported. According to details the accident occurred at the Muridke Road where a bus turned turtle when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to over-speeding due to which two persons died on the …

SADIQABAD, July 18 (ABC): At least 12 women drowned Monday after a boat carrying around 60 passengers on board capsized in Indus River near Machka, Sadiqabad. According to the police, the passengers were the part of a marriage procession that was heading towards Machka from Kharor. “At least 35 people were rescued by the locals,” police said, adding that the …

ISLAMABAD, Jul 18(ABC): The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board on Monday decided to hand over metro bus service (plying between Peshawar Morr to Islamabad International Airport) operations to a private company at comparatively lowest rate of all such services being operated in the country. The board meeting presided over by the CDA Chairman Aamir Ali Ahmed had accorded formal approval …

ISLAMABAD, July 18 (ABC): Senior leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) went into a huddle on Monday to ponder over the reasons for the party’s dismal performance in the by-elections held on 20 Punjab Assembly (PA) seats Sunday. Sources said that senior leaders of the party, including Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and …

ISLAMABAD, Jul 18(ABC): Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood on Monday urged the Afghan government to address the international community’s expectations regarding inclusivity, respect for the rights, including girls’ education; and effective counter-terrorism measures. The foreign secretary, in a meeting with China’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, also stressed the importance of de-freezing of Afghanistan’s foreign reserves. He also called …

KARACHI, July 18(ABC): Former convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Farooq Sattar on Monday decided to contest as an independent candidate in the by-elections from Karachi’s NA-245 constituency. Addressing a media in Karachi, Sattar claimed that he was defeated in the 2018 general elections by planning. “MQM-P brothers did not remember me for four years and puppets cannot do politics,” …

ISLAMABAD, July 18 (ABC): Monsoon-rain Rresponse Teams have been set on high alert in Gwadar, says a report  on Monday. To review the situation resulting from the recent monsoon rain-related incidents and safety measures regarding the expected widespread windstorms with heavy falls, Chairman Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Qambarani along with Commissioner Gwadar Captain Jami Ahmad (retired) on Saturday visited …

KARACHI, July 18(ABC): Sindh Home Department has allowed the police to recover Dua Zehra and arrest her ‘husband’ Zaheer Ahmed in the alleged kidnapping case. Teenage girl Dua Zehra went missing from her house in Karachi on April 16 and later surfaced and announced to marry Zaheer in Lahore. The home department in its letter, has issued orders to the …

RAWALPINDI, Jul 18 (ABC) :The District Health Authority(DHA) had issued 2,299 notices and imposed a fine of Rs 419,500 to various violators for not following anti-dengue SOPs from January 1 to date. District Coordinator Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC) Dr Sajjad Mehmood, while giving details of the punitive actions, informed that the DHA had registered 114 FIRs, sealed 130 premises, …

ISLAMABAD, July 18(ABC): Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced overall voter turnout in by-elections in 20 constituencies of Punjab Assembly, reported. According to Election Commission of Pakistan, voter turnout remained 49.69 percent in Punjab by-elections. The ECP said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 46.08 percent votes in the by-elections to grab first position while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) remained …

KARACHI, July 18(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi on Sunday said that his party will also emerge victorious in the Local Government (LG) polls after victory in by-elections in Lahore, reported. Taking to media personnel in Karachi, Ali zaidi said that PTI will win the Local Government election in Karachi to be held on …

KARACHI, July 18(ABC): Chairman Pakistan People s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has summoned an emergency meeting of the Central Executive Committee(CEC) of his party to meet today (Monday), reported. According to sources, the CEC meeting of the PPP will be held at the Bilawal House in Karachi at 4:00pm under the chairmanship of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The CEC members …

MUZAFFARGARH, July 18(ABC): PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was released Monday morning after being arrested by police a day prior for violating Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct during the by-polls in Punjab, Geo News reported. A day earlier, the Punjab police had arrested PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in Muzaffargarh for allegedly visiting different polling stations during the by-elections in the …

CHAGAI, July 17 (ABC): The freight train service between Pakistan and Iran, which remain suspended for the last 10 days, has been partially restored, railway officials said on Sunday. Two freight trains have been sent to Quetta, while a goods train has left for Iran, railway officials said. A goods train, destined for Iran from Quetta, was derailed near Padag …

NEELUM VALLEY, July 17 (ABC): In an unfortunate incident a bridegroom’s car met a horrific accident when it fell into a river and was swept away by gushing waters of Neelum River in Azad Kashmir on Sunday. The accident led to death of four people including the bride while other people including the groom were injured in the accident. The …

ISLAMABAD 17 July(ABC): Minister for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah has said that timely completion of under-construction water resources is the top most priority of the government. In a statement on Sunday, he said Diamer Bhasha Dam, Dasu Dam, Tha Kot Dam, and Patan Dam are vital to overcome the energy crisis in the country. The Minister said that …