President Dr Arif Alvi seeks an increase in his salary. Official documents show the president has sought two raises, first with effect from 1st July 2021 and second with effect from 1st July 2023. Presently, the president draws a monthly salary of Rs846,550 and wants a two-step raise to Rs1,024,325 and Rs1,229,190 per month with effect from July 2021 and …

The federal government has withdrawn an appeal against a verdict of the Lahore High Court in a case related to the auction of the Toshakhana gifts. The deputy attorney general told the Supreme Court that the government wanted to withdraw the appeal in light of the new Toshakhana rules. A division bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing. The Lahore …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is set to embark on a significant diplomatic mission to Kenya during the first week of September. This visit comes as a response to an official invitation extended by the Kenyan President, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two nations. During an official three-day visit, Caretaker Prime Minister Kakar will be accompanied by a …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case. However, a special court recently established to hear cases under the Official Sec­rets Act has directed the Attock Jail authorities where the former premier is incarcerated to keep Imran in “judicial lockup” and produce him on Aug 30 (tomorrow) in connection with …

A two-day U.N. Peacekeeping Ministerial Preparatory Meeting on Wednesday (August 30) under the theme of “Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers” will take place in Islamabad. Pakistan is hosting this international event, while Japan is a co-host of the meeting. The Preparatory Meeting’s keynote presentations will be given by Pakistan’s foreign and defense ministers. Along with regional and international specialists, …

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Monday said that the energy ministry has chalked out recommendations to tackle the issue of inflated power bills which have resulted in countrywide protests and would present them in the federal cabinet meeting tomorrow. The public has taken to the streets in large numbers since Saturday over exorbitant electricity bills on the back of …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday said it would wrap up the delimitation of national and provincial assembly constituencies “as soon as possible” and ensure that polls were immediately held after the exercise. The assurance was held out to delegations of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), who had consultative meetings with the ECP …

The dengue fever is witnessing a rapid upsurge in Islamabad, with an additional 11 cases having been reported within a span of 24 hours. As per the latest report, the cumulative count of dengue-infected patients in the capital city has now escalated to 61. Throughout this year, statistics reveal that 77% of the dengue-affected individuals are males, while the remaining …

A wave of nationwide protests has swept across Pakistan as disgruntled citizens took to the streets to voice their grievances against exorbitant electricity bills. The escalating bills have driven people from various cities and towns to unite in demanding the elimination of what they view as excessive taxes embedded within their electricity charges. Hafizabad In Hafizabad, Anjuman Tajran led a …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is scheduled to chair another meeting today regarding possible relief to the masses in electricity bills. NEPRA, the Power Division and DISCOs will give a briefing on the possible relief, electricity theft, losses and recoveries. The public response to inflated bills will also be taken into consideration during the meeting. A briefing will also …

The Islamabad High Court has resumed hearing PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s appeal against his sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case. A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri is conducting the hearing. The court has asked the lawyer of the election commission, Amjad Pervaiz, to present arguments. He was unable to attend the previous …

Lawyer Imaan Mazari has been re-arrested from outside Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi as soon as she was released after securing a post arrest bail earlier in the day. A few hours ago, the Anti-Terrorism Court of Islamabad had approved the post-arrest bail petitions of lawyer Imaan Mazari and former MNA Ali Wazir, and ordered that they be released. However, as soon …

The death of 10-year-old Fatima Furiro would have passed sadly but quietly had it not been for the two graphic videos that turned up on social media. The little girl’s body was this week exhumed for a postmortem examination, days after the videos mysteriously appeared online. One appeared to show signs of torture on Fatima’s body, while the other showed …

Employees of electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) consumed free electricity worth Rs. 8.19 billion in 2022, according to Senator Mushtaq Ahmed. In a post on X, the Senator highlighted that according to data provided by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), power sector employees consumed 340 million free electricity units. As many as 189,000 employees benefited from free electricity units, …

Despite the statement made by Shehbaz Sharif, PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah has said that he does not see PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif returning to Pakistan in October. On Friday, after meeting his brother in London, Shehbaz had said that after consultations with the party’s senior leadership, it had been decided that Nawaz “will return to Pakistan in October”. Shehbaz …

ISLAMABAD: Annoushay Zahra, a 19-year-old medical student from the Pakistani capital Islamabad, was thrilled and excited about the beginning of a new phase of her life in China after receiving the Chinese government scholarship for 2023-2024. Zahra is one of the dozens of Pakistani students who have recently been awarded fully-funded scholarships by China to study in various top-ranking universities …

In the wake of protests, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has sought deployment of police force at its different offices to avoid “unpleasant” situations. In a letter to Rawalpindi’s city police officer, IESCO said that consumers are visiting different offices of IESCO in groups and mobs to protest against electricity issues. “The employees of IESCO are feeling un-rest while performing …

People in different parts of the country on Saturday expressed despair and anger at unprecedentedly high electricity bills with some threatening demonstrations and even a civil disobedience campaign if the extra taxes weren’t deducted. The severe reaction led caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to call an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s House tomorrow (Sunday). “In the meeting, a …

In a dramatic turn of events, a fierce dispute between two women over the ownership of an American cat erupted, resulting in extreme physical brawl. The exquisite American cat was discovered roaming the streets, approximately one month ago. Rani Bibi, a resident of Sadhoke, took it upon herself to rescue and provide a loving home for the cat. Little did …

The water level in India’s Pong and Bhakra dams constructed on the Sutlej River has risen to dangerously high levels. A spokesman for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has warned that in case of more rains, a catastrophic increase in the water inflow from India is expected. The districts likely to be affected the most are Kasur, Okara, …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that it is not necessary to agree with the US on every issue, adding that there are constructive and positive ties with Washington. In a conversation with a delegation of Harvard University students, the interim PM said there is agreement and disagreement on various issues between countries. He further said that Pakistan …

Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan took the oath of office as the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court on Friday. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Governor’s House, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administering the oath. The event was graced by the presence of the Chief Minister, judges of the high court, lawyers, caretaker ministers, government officials, …

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday underscored that Pakistan was acting as a “bulwark against terrorism” and called on the international community to realise the immense sacrifices rendered by the country. He passed these remarks during an interactive session with a group of 38 students from Harvard from nine different countries at the General Headquarters in …

The Supreme Court’s Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Friday asked why the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had “unlimited power” to file cases against anyone as the court dismissed the watchdog’s appeal against the bail of Ahad Cheema, now an adviser to the interim prime minister. During the proceedings, the NAB’s prosecutor, who appeared on behalf of the watchdog’s Prosecutor General …

More than 8,400 people and 341 animals were evacuated to safe places in the past 24 hours from different Punjab districts as parts of Sutlej river Islam Headworks remained in high flood, rescue services reported on Friday. According to the Punjab government’s Flood Warning Center, River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala was in high flood and kept rising. “The discharge …

The government on Friday warned government officials of attempts to hack mobile phones to obtain “sensitive information” and asked them to remain vigilant. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “Security agencies have unearthed an attempt to hack the mobile phones of senior government officials in a bid to obtain sensitive information.” It said the elements behind the …

Pakistan has said that it has not made any formal request to join BRICS group of nations. While answering a question about the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan will examine the latest developments and make a determination about its future engagement with the group. The statement comes a day after BRICS – Brazil, …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned on Friday the hearing of a case pertaining to former prime minister’s Imran Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case. The hearing has been adjourned till August 28 (Monday). On Thursday, both the IHC and Supreme Court had adjourned the hearing till Friday (today). During the hearing on Thursday, Sardar Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, …

Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, claimed in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) Friday that the life of her husband is in danger at Attock jail, where he has been serving three-sentence after being convicted in Toshakhana case earlier this month. The former first lady submitted the sworn statement in the apex court …

ISLAMABAD: Japan’s self-centric and irresponsible approach to dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater in the sea will take a serious toll on human health and the global ecosystem, a Pakistani expert said. The release of wastewater into the ocean would be a disaster for maritime security, the blue economy, oceanography, biodiversity, and climate change, and will increase the risk of radiation in the …

Unfortunately, on the 16th of August, 2023, many homes of Christian communities living in different part of Jaranwala were attacked and burnt. Even two Christians were also brutally killed by violent mobs of Muslims. In a mad chase of their own vested interests many Churches were also demolished indicating severe religious intolerance, widespread fanaticism creating serious problems for the State …

The Supreme Court (SC) reiterated its decision on Thursday to halt proceedings on a plea challenging the remand of the Toshakhana case to Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Humayun Dilawar who convicted PTI chief Imran Khan in the case until the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision on another petition seeking the suspension of the former premier’s sentence. On August 5, a …

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday responded to the letter written to him by President Arif Alvi for meeting to “fix an appropriate date” for general elections, saying that participating in such a confab would be of “scant importance” after changes to the election law. The president had written to Raja on Wednesday, inviting him for a …

32 percent of the firms in Pakistan identify corruption as a major business constraint. This is higher than the average for South Asia, which is 28 percent, and higher than the global average of 29 percent Constraints such as corruption which are high in Pakistan compared to other regions in the world, can reduce opportunities for new entrants into the …

The caretaker government has constituted a new Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), according to an official notification of the Cabinet Division. The committee will comprise Ministers of Power and Petroleum; Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs and Privatization; Planning, Development & Special Initiatives; Communications, Railways and Maritime Affairs; and Law & Justice, Climate Change and Water Resources. The terms of reference of …

Eastern Europe is seeing a rise in foreign workers on construction sites, signaling a change in the region’s attitude towards immigration. While this shift is driven by economic needs, it stands in contrast to some political narratives that have been dominant in countries like Poland and Hungary, reported Bloomberg. R ows of white containers house thousands of workers from Pakistan, …

Lahore police officials have been arrested after five government guns got stolen from the Township police station. According to a media report, five government-owned 9mm Beretta guns were stolen from Lahore Township police. The department filed a charge against 13 police officials as per DIG Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi’s direct orders. The department has filed a case against ASI Tariq Aziz, …

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has declared 185 housing societies and residential projects illegal in Islamabad. The CDA has updated the list of illegal housing societies on its website. According to the latest list, CDA has declared 24 residential projects and housing societies illegal in Zone I, 7 housing societies in Zone II, and 15 housing societies in Zone III …

President Dr Arif Alvi has sought a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja today [Wednesday] or tomorrow “to fix an appropriate date” for the general elections. The president assented to a premature dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, shortly after former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded the summary. After that, general elections in the country …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday asserted that under no circumstances would the country consider surrendering to terrorists as he renewed Pakistan’s resolve to continue its fight against extremism. The interim premier’s remarks come in the context of a skirmish with terrorists in the Asman Manza area of South Waziristan district where the military’s media wing had confirmed …