President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said Pakistan highly valued its relations with Saudi Arabia and was committed to enhancing bilateral economic, investment and defence ties, state-run APP reported. Talking to the visiting Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, who led a delegation at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, he said Pakistan was looking for …

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday gave his assent to the appointment of Dr Amjad Saqib as the Chairman of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Radio Pakistan reported. The appointment was made in accordance with Section 5(3) of the Benazir Income Support Programme Act 2010, the President’s Office said. Founder of microfinance programme Akhuwat Dr Amjad Saqib was nominated …

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met the army chief of Saudi Arabia, General Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, on Friday and discussed various areas of mutual interest. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gen Ruwaili and his high-powered military delegation called on Gen Munir. “During the meeting, both sides deliberated upon various …

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday remanded journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days after he was arrested last night. According to the FIA, the journalist was detained on charges of spreading “provocative narrative” against state institutions through social media posts. A photo of Jamil is also doing the …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhary Parvez Elahi during an informal conversation with media person said he has nothing to say on the matter. Former Punjab Chief Minister Parvaiz Elahi was brought to the Anti-Terrorism Court in judicial complex vandalism case To a question that would he come out before the election, Parvez Elahi replied, “Only Allah knows best about this …

Pakistan Muslim league Nawaz PML-N senior party leader revealed that his party had supported the extension of former chief of army staff General (rts) Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2020 as a strategic move to get rid of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s political challenges. Former Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah made this revelation during an appearance on a local TV channel. The …

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) suspended basic party membership of PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) member Latif Khosa. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) last Thursday issued a show-cause notice to advocate Sardar Latif Khosa for defending Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan without the consent of his own party leadership. PPP’s Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari sent a notice that did not contain …

The fungus identified in the fresh chilled beef shipment of a Pakistani company to the United Arab Emirates has been blamed on a faulty refrigeration system of the shipping line, prompting the Gulf state to restrict imports. According to a press release issued by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) on Thursday, the authority is actively addressing the recent …

Every Pakistani citizen has at some point in their lives have encountered red tape in government offices, which makes them bang their heads against the wall. The illogical and redundant rules followed and implemented by Pakistan’s so-called competent bureaucracy are frequently seen as making simple processes more complicated. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) is no different. This …

Authorities sealed the Lal Haveli residence of detained Awami Muslim League Chairman Sheikh Rashid also a PTI ally in Rawalpindi on Thursday, with an official present at the site telling the media that the building’s registry had been cancelled after proceedings. “Chairman sahib decided [to take control of the building] after proceedings over the registry [submitted by Rashid],” Evacuee Trust …

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday urged the interim Afghan government to take “solid practical steps” against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying it was “creating a lot of bad blood between the two countries”. Speaking to TRT World on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Jilani said it was unfortunate that attacks …

The general elections will be held in the last week of January 2024, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In a press release, the commission stated that it has been working on mapping out constituencies. It plans to release an initial list of these divisions on 27 September 2023. The list will be finalized by 30 November after …

In line with the Supreme Court’s order to restore graft cases against public office holders, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted a record of corruption references to an accountability court in Islamabad. Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir directed the registrar of the court to review the cases’ records and present them before him. The judge directed the NAB prosecutors to review …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, in New York on Thursday and briefed her on measures taken to stabilize and revive the economy. Pakistan and the IMF struck a staff-level agreement for the provision of $3 billion in bailout funds under a stand-by arrangement (SBA) in June. The agreement helped Pakistan avoid …

The Foreign Office on Wednesday described India’s alleged involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader as an indication that the country’s “network of extraterritorial killings has gone global,” APP reported. “India’s assassination of a Canadian national on Canadian soil is a clear violation of international law and the UN principle of state sovereignty,” the FO spokesperson said at …

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Wednesday admitted for hearing a plea seeking the nullification of an amendment to the Criminal Laws Act decriminalizing suicide and suicide attempts. In December last year, President Dr Arif Alvi approved the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2022, which repealed Section 325 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860. The bill for …

Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday said Pakistan’s “positive outreach and peace overtures”, including the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for visa-free visits from the Indian Sikh community, have been met with negativity. “Pakistan desires peaceful and cooperative neighbourly ties with India,” he said in a speech at the Asia Society conference in New York. This is one …

Senate Standing Committee on Education met under the chair of Senator Irfan Siddiqui and approved Islamabad Capital Student Union Bill 2023 in ‘principle’, urging committee members to submit suggestions in a week. A briefing on Islamabad Capital Student Union Bill 2023 in the Standing Committee meeting was held Wednesday. Senator Behrmand Tangi commented that lack of student unions in educational …

After the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the NAB law amendments, the trials of public officials in accountability courts have started again. The Accountability Court of Karachi rejected former provincial minister and PPP leader Sharjeel Memon’s request regarding the jurisdiction of the court in the Rs5.75 billion corruption case. The court declared that after the orders of the Supreme Court, the …

The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) announced on Monday results of the written component of its Central Superior Services (CSS) Competitive Examination-2023, declaring 398 candidates as successful out of total 13,008 who appeared in the exam. The passing ratio stood at 3.06% this year. A total of 28,024 had applied for the exam, according to the result announced on the FPSC …

After Canada accused India of involvement in the killing of a separatist Sikh leader on its soil, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday it was time for the international community to accept that India had become a “rogue Hindutva terrorist state”. The separatist leader, 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 …

In a momentous recognition of her unwavering commitment to law enforcement and her tireless efforts to combat violence against women, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Sonia Shamroz Khan, currently serving as the District Police Officer of Battagram in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), was awarded the prestigious ‘Police Officer of the Year’ accolade by the International Association of Women Police. SSP …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) asked the federal government and immigration authorities on Monday about a rule that says married women need their husband’s name on their National ID cards to get passports. Khadija Shah, a lawyer, faced a problem when she tried to renew her passport at the LHC’s passport office. They turned her down because her ID card …

Hours of heavy rain in Lahore and many cities of Punjab has led to many areas being submerged and rainwater accumulating across the provincial capital. Citizens have been facing difficulties commuting near Barkat Market, Gulberg, Kalma Chowk and their adjoining areas due to knee-deep water accumulated in these areas. Around 80 feeders of LESCO have tripped, hampering power supply to …

In the run-up to the upcoming general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the latest statistics of registered voters. In the last five years, there has been an increase of 21,024,713 voters in the country. In 2018, the total number of registered voters in Pakistan was 105,955,409. In 2023, the number of voters has swelled to 126,980,272, …

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) adjourned the hearing on Monday in a case challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 until October 3. The court directed the parties’ lawyers to submit their written arguments by September 25. The Chief Justice made a point in today’s proceedings that the Practice and Procedure Act 2023, which was passed by …

The Oil Tankers Association stopped the supply of petrol in Rawalpindi spreading fears of petrol shortage in Azad Kashmir, airports, Hazara Division, Attock, and Gilgit-Baltistan. According to the Oil Tankers Association, the supply of petroleum products has also been stopped in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The association has demanded a 65% share of transport on the ‘White Oil Pipeline’ in fares …

In a distressing development, Kirthar National Park in Sindh has witnessed the tragic demise of at least 35 wild goats due to the highly contagious animal disease known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). Deputy Conservator Hyderabad, Wajid Shaikh, confirmed the heartbreaking loss of 35 Ibex to this relentless disease. To unravel the cause of this alarming outbreak, samples from …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed its delimitation committee to complete work by September 26, it was learnt on Tuesday. This will enable the election watchdog publish preliminary delimitations on September 27, according to a spokesperson of the ECP. According to details, the commission reviewed the pace of work of the delimitation committees and expressed its satisfaction in …

As Justice Qazi Faez Isa dons the robe of the country’s top judge, over a hundred civilians are in military custody, draconian legislation that never received the President’s assent has been published in the gazette, elections on time seem impossible, and the pendency of cases in the Supreme Court has soared to over 56,000. In April, Justice Isa attended a …

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s first day as the country’s top judge started off with a full court hearing on a set of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023. What sets this hearing apart is that it is being broadcast live on the CJP’s orders a first in Pakistan’s judicial history. The Act …

KARACHI: Calling the current caretaker administration “a continuation of the legacy of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government”, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Sunday announced to stage citywide protests on Tuesday (tomorrow) against the exorbitant rise in prices of petroleum products and growing inflation. Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters Idara Noor-i-Haq, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while …

Farmers run with their cattle during a traditional cattle race on the outskirts of southern Pakistan’s Hyderabad on Sept. 17, 2023. (Str/Xinhua) HYDERABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) — In south Pakistan’s Hyderabad, a traditional cattle race was held here. In the midst of a cloud of dust, the white cattle, each with elaborate necklace and crowned head, ran wildly along …

ISLAMABAD: The Chinese construction and power companies are internationally competitive, and they produce very good quality work, a Pakistani official told Xinhua in a recent interview. “Most of these companies have an experience of working on mega projects in China as well, and some of these companies are also working overseas, so put together, they bring a very large experience …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Sunday departed for New York to represent Pakistan at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which will be held on September 22. PM Kakar will apparently be the first interim prime minister to represent Pakistan at the UN General Assembly. According to a press release issued by the Prime …

Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan on Sunday. His first act as the CJP was to form a full court to hear challenges to the law clipping the top judge’s powers. The hearing is tomorrow. He was administered the oath of office by President Arif Alvi during a ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr in …

The apex court is set to take up the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act case tomorrow. A full court bench headed by the newly minted Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa will chair the hearing of the case of a review petition against the law that aims at curtailing the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan …

Following the Supreme Court’s Friday verdict in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt summoned a consultative meeting to formulate the future course of action. The NAB Prosecution Division on Monday will give a detailed briefing to the meeting participants on the apex court’s decision to strike down some amendments in the NAB …

In a veiled criticism of the PML-N, PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan on Saturday said no one else could be blamed for a party abandoning its slogan of ‘vote ko izzat do’ (respect the vote). The PPP leader’s statement comes against the backdrop of growing differences between the two parties which were part of the erstwhile Shehbaz Sharif-led ruling coalition …

Residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram took to the streets and blocked a stretch of the Karakoram Highway near the Khatm-i-Nabuwat Chowk on Saturday, decrying action against illegal connections (kundas) and electricity connections, as well as defaulters. Last week, the interim government announced plans to launch a crackdown on electricity theft, which federal ministers said led to combined losses of hundreds …