The Supreme Court of Pakistan has sent the Anti-smuggling Act 1977 to the Parliament for review with recommendation of amendment in the law, reported on Saturday. The apex court in its verdict said that the anti-smuggling law has scores of lacunae. “The anti-smuggling law only allows accused the right to appeal,” the decision read. “Denying the right to appeal to …

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday stressed upon making sincere efforts to become a member of G20, reported. Addressing a convocation ceremony of HBS Medical and Dental College, the deputy PM said that “Things are turning around and Pakistan is not more in isolation among the comity of nations as claimed by certain critics,” he added. …

In a concerning development, the wife of the Vietnamese ambassador has been reported missing in Islamabad. The ambassador himself contacted the police helpline 15 to report his wife’s disappearance. Confirming the call from Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Tien Phong, a police spokesperson acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. According to the ambassador, his wife went for a routine walk at 11am, …

Due to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pressure, the government is in a quandary to provide full relief to the people, taking a U-turn late in the night after taking credit for a decrease of Rs15.40 on petrol and Rs7.90 on diesel prices. The IMF’s strict conditions reportedly came in the way of a huge relief reaching the people from …

A 13-member full-court bench of the Supreme Court has been formed to hear the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) reserved seats case on June 3. Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa would head the bench. Justice Musarrat Hilali will not be present to hear the case due to illness. On May 6, Supreme Court (SC) suspended the Election Commission of …

Farmers in Pakistan have been protesting over the last few months after the government slashed its procurement quota for wheat. Sindh province, with its early crop yields, has been central to the protests, but two months after the completion of this year’s wheat harvest there, the stand-off continues. “The government had fixed the wheat purchasing rate and was supposed to …

An explosion in a gas cylinder shop in Hyderabad’s Preetabad area has claimed the lives of seven people and left at least 52 others injured, six of whom are in critical condition. The blast occurred in a densely populated area, with locals and rescue workers rushing to the scene to assist the victims. The seven victims included five children. Six …

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been granted conditional permission to hold a rally in Rawat on GT Road by the deputy commissioner’s office. This decision comes as part of the ongoing contempt of court case related to the PTI’s previous inability to hold a rally in Islamabad due to a lack of permission. The Islamabad High Court, led by Chief …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has constituted a three-member committee for the delimitation of constituencies in Islamabad. A notification has been issued in this regard. The district election commissioner in Islamabad will appoint the convener of the delimitation committee from June 1 to 19, the initial publication will be held on June 20, the objections issued on the schedule …

XINJANG: “The relationship between Pakistan and China has always been strong, but with this satellite project, we are taking it to new heights, literally touching space.” This collaboration not only strengthens our bond but also brings tangible benefits to the people of Pakistan, particularly those in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Minister Ahsan Iqbal shared these views with Vice President, CASC …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that China’s cooperation to launch Pakistani satellite “Paksat MM1” will boost connectivity and economic growth in Pakistan, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. Felicitating “the entire nation on the momentous occasion of the launch of” the satellite, the prime minister said that the achievement marks a significant advancement in …

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to enhance their multifaceted cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, connectivity, energy and defence. The understanding this effect came at delegation level talks between the two countries in Islamabad today. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar led the Pakistani side while the Azeri side by its Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Later addressing …

The Met Department has forecast extremely hot weather for most of the plains across Pakistan, with the heatwave intensifying in several regions. While rain is expected in select northern areas, the overall outlook indicates severe heat across the country. In the northern regions, rain is anticipated in a few locations, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and northeast Punjab. Cities …

As of May 29, 2024, the total number of illegal Afghan nationals who have left Pakistan has reached 590,445, with the repatriation process ongoing. Between May 20 and May 29, a total of 13,206 Afghans departed from Pakistan. This number includes 6,478 men, 2,987 women, and 3,741 children. A total of 387 families, traveling in 503 vehicles, have been repatriated …

Participants of the 35th Senior Management Course (SMC) at the National Institute of Management (NIM) were recently briefed on the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The briefing covered various policy initiatives spearheaded by SIFC and the innovative strategies introduced by GPI. A highlight of the session was the introduction to the Land Information and …

The military leadership has stressed that “politically motivated and vested digital terrorism” against state institutions is meant to sow discord among national institutions and the people of Pakistan by peddling blatant lies, fake news, and propaganda. This was highlighted during the 83rd Formation Commanders Conference held at GHQ in Rawalpindi and presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday declared the ECP’s order of recounting of votes in NA-97 Faisalabad as void. A single bench of the high court comprises of Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza heard petition of Sunni Ittehad Council’s MNA Saadullah against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order for recounting of votes in NA-97. Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza of the …

As preparations for the budget of the new financial year are underway, the Annual Plan Coordination Committee is set to convene on May 31 to deliberate on crucial aspects of the upcoming fiscal plan. The meeting is aimed at approving the annual macroeconomic plan and development program, laying the foundation for the country’s economic agenda in the coming year. The …

A passenger coach traveling from Turbat to Quetta fell into a deep ditch on Wednesday morning, killing 28 people, including women and children. The incident occurred due to high speed, according to rescue officials. The crash left 26 passengers injured, with several of them being women and children. The injured were initially taken to Civil Hospital Basima for medical aid. …

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir police has claimed that Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad was arrested at Kohala checkpost on Wednesday. He was subsequently transferred to the Dhirkot police station, where a case has been registered against him. According to the police complaint, Farhad was apprehended for allegedly misbehaving with the police officials deputed at the checkpost and interfering in government …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed Pakistan’s desire to increase cooperation with China on a priority basis in the areas of agriculture, information technology and energy as well as to boost its exports to China. Chairing a meeting in Islamabad today regarding enhancing cooperation with China in various fields, the Prime Minister assured to extend full facilitation to the …

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday elected unopposed as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president. Sharif lost the PML-N’s presidentship six years due to a Supreme Court decision in the Panama Papers case. The five-member election commission of the party headed by Rana Sanaullah. Iqbal Jhagra, Ishrat Ashraf, Jamal Shah Kakar and Khealdas Kohistani supervised the elections. No candidate submitted nomination …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a directive to end unannounced loadshedding across the country and to reduce power outages on loss-making feeders. This announcement came during a high-level meeting held in Islamabad to address the issues of electricity theft, demand, supply and loadshedding. During the meeting, which Prime Minister Sharif chaired, the Ministry of Energy provided a comprehensive briefing, …

The country is commemorating the 26th anniversary of Youm-e-Takbeer today with great national zeal and fervour in remembrance of the successful nuclear tests carried out on this day in 1998 that rendered the nation’s defence unbeatable. On this day, Pakistan became the first Muslim state and the seventh nuclear-armed country in the world to have a nuclear arsenal for defence …

At least 23 terrorists were killed by the security forces in three separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing said on Monday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the operations were conducted on May 26 and 27. “On 26-27 May 2024, twenty-three terrorists were sent to hell by the security forces in three separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa …

We live in very disturbing times, where rights-based approaches have given way to bloc politics. The current geopolitical climate is heavily influenced by fake news, with anything the West (major NATO members, G-7) does being deemed acceptable, while actions by Beijing or Moscow are painted as evil and motivated. This situation raises several questions: What is geopolitical hypocrisy doing to …

After weeks of sweltering heat, Pakistanis can finally look forward to some relief. The Meteorological Department has predicted rain in various parts of the country, starting from May 27, which is expected to bring down the mercury levels and provide a much-needed respite from the severe heat wave. According to the Met Department, rain is expected in upper areas, including Zhob, …

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said on Monday an effective action plan, devised in collaboration with the federal government, will put an end to the enduring issue of load shedding in the province. During a press conference held alongside Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Minister for Energy Owais Leghari, the Chief Minister acknowledged the severity of load …

Pakistan has made significant progress on the diplomatic front as the Kuwait and Qatar emirs accepted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan. According to details, the ambassadors of Kuwait and Qatar met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately on Sunday, where they presented letters from their respective leaders, accepting the invitation to visit Pakistan. The Kuwaiti ambassador presented …

Security forces killed five terrorists during an intelligence based operation in general area Hassan Khel of Peshawar, the military’s media wing said on Sunday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement stated “During conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, as result of which five terrorists were sent to hell, while three terrorists got injured.” …

The Met Office has forecast temperatures as high as 50 Celsius in Sukkur and Dadu in Sindh amid the heatwave boiling several districts of the country. Most of the districts in Sindh would have extremely hot weather while the coastal region of the province will remain hot and humid. The mercury could soar to 38 to 39 Celsius in Karachi, …

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday rejected two major tax proposals of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for the upcoming financial year’s Budget 2024. According to sources, the FBR had suggested increasing the sales tax on various items from 18% to 19%, as well as imposing up to 18% tax on petroleum products aimed to collect billions of …

Pakistani journalist Mona Khan detained in Greece for waving the Pakistani flag during a hiking trip. Mona Khan, an anchorperson for a state-run TV channel, was on a trip to Greece with her son when she was arrested by police for displaying the Pakistani flag. Speaking to INTERNEWS, Mona Khan’s coach Muhammad Yousuf has confirmed that she was taken into custody …

The once-thriving tourism sector of Azad Kashmir is experiencing a significant downturn due to continuous protests led by the Awami Action Committee. These demonstrations, coupled with shutter-down strikes and wheel jam protests, have created a climate of panic among tourists, leading to deserted guest houses and a sharp decline in visitors. Hotel owners and tour operators have voiced their concerns, …

Pakistan on Saturday welcomed a new ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah. The ICJ amended an earlier order and demanded Israel immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where Tel Aviv sent forces May 6. “Israel must immediately hold its military offensive or …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that his country will learn from China’s experience to eradicate poverty and enhance exports to increase foreign exchange reserves, the Prime Minister’s Office said. In a meeting held in his office, Sharif said that China’s success in lifting more than 700 million people out of poverty serves as a role model …

In a tragic incident, at least five people were killed in the Chamkani area of Peshawar over a property dispute. As per details, the police officials said that the incident occurred in Peshawar where two groups opened fire and killed five over a property dispute between two groups. Police have registered an FIR stating the dispute was ongoing between the …

In a move to strengthen economic ties with Iran, Pakistan has decided to keep two border crossing points open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The decision aims to enhance the flow of goods between the two countries and create new economic opportunities. Pakistani Ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu announced the development on Twitter, calling it a …

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb Thursday presided over a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), where several crucial financial approvals were made. The ECC approved $2.58 million in compensation for the families of the six Chinese nationals killed in a terrorist attack on the Dasu Hydro Project on March 26. The compensation will be disbursed through the Pakistani Embassy in …

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has issued multiple advisories to prevent and control Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), heatstroke, sunstroke, and typhoid fever, following the report of a CCHF case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The advisories aim to sensitize relevant authorities and improve preparedness in managing these health threats. The Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) under NIH highlighted the critical need …