29 Pakistani universities have featured in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2023. While 26 national institutes have been ranked by THE, the remaining have been granted the status of a ‘reporter’ on the list. According to the details, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) leads the chart among Pakistani universities on the list. QAU is followed by the University of …

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Friday texted an alert warning of the season’s first heatwave, advising masses to follow vital tips to cope with scorching heatwaves. As the temperatures are rising above normal in some parts of the country, the NDMA, in its message said, “Be cautious of the potentially lethal scorching summer winds”. The NDMA added, to mitigate …

Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Hameed Iqbal Bhatti had prospered over two decades working in Saudi Arabia, but after returning to Pakistan three years ago, he was getting desperate. The economy had suffered in the pandemic and his restaurant business closed. With work avenues drying up and sky-high inflation blowing a hole in his budget, the 47-year-old cobbled together $7,600 for a trafficker …

The Punjab government submitted on Friday a report in the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the number of people arrested in the province when violent protests broke out in the country following PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9. A seven-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice …

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated on Friday that the bodies of 82 deceased Pakistanis, who were on board the sunk boat near Greece, have been recovered. The number could escalate further. Speaking in the National Assembly, he said the identification process of the Pakistanis was underway with the help of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). “The boat’s capacity was …

In an effort to combat human trafficking, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Wing (AHS) have arrested 16 human traffickers from different parts of Punjab following the Greece boat tragedy. While Azad Kashmir police have apprehended 11 human smugglers across various areas of the region while it has registered cases against 26 suspects. The main accused involved …

LAHORE: A critical patient died in a private ambulance on Ferozepur Road after four hospitals allegedly denied him treatment. Iftikhar Ali (57), a father of seven, breathed his last outside the Ghulab Devi Hospital late on Tuesday. A fruit seller by profession, Iftikhar was brought from Farooqabad (Sheikhupura) with a rod in his leg that was fixed during a surgery …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact being held in Paris amid hope that the lender approves the funds allocated under the bailout. The meeting comes days before the scheduled end of Pakistan’s programme on June 30, with speculation rising …

The Supreme Court (SC) adjourned on Thursday a brief hearing of a set of petitions challenging the trial of civilians in military courts. Earlier, a nine-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed …

The Foreign Office on Thursday stated that Pakistan was not engaged in any talks with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement from Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch comes days after Taliban Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid offered to mediate between the TTP and Pakistan due to escalating tensions, particularly after the former terminated a ceasefire last year. “If Pakistan …

The Election Commission of Pakistan has written letters to the caretaker governments to play their roles in holding impartial and peaceful elections. The commission has also pointed out that there have been complaints of interference in the work of probable candidates, which must be looked into. The ECP letter says the role and duties of the caretaker government is to …

Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch spokesman said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received an invitation from the Indian Prime Minister to participate in the SCO virtual meeting, however, the decision to participate will be made through consultation. Zahra also said the people in Occupied Kashmir are living as refugees and India should stop the serious violations of human …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalised polling scheme for the next general elections. According to the Commission, 93,371 polling stations will be set up across the country. As per the ECP, Punjab will witness the establishment of 59,871 polling stations. Within Punjab, a total of 14,960 polling stations have been designated as highly sensitive, while 9,974 polling stations have …

The domestic use of water for the people of Lahore has become more expensive as the Water And Sanitation Agency has increased the tariff up to 250%. According to the WASA managing director, the caretaker Punjab government has approved the increase in rates. For three to five marla houses, the tariff increased from Rs375 to Rs938 has been approved. The …

A Lahore district court on Wednesday sent PTI President Parvez Elahi to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in a money laundering case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took him into custody from district jail earlier today. Elahi had secured bail from an anti-corruption court in Lahore yesterday but could not be set free as his release orders were …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said he planned to present Pakistan’s stance on the urgent need to restructure international financial institutions to address the challenges facing humanity. He made the remarks as he was departing for France to attend the New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris. In a tweet, the premier emphasised that the summit provided a “unique …

President Arif Alvi appointed on Wednesday Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, as the country’s next top judge. A tweet from president of Pakistan’s official Twitter handle stated “President Dr Arif Alvi has appointed Justice Qazi Faiz Isa as the Chief Justice of Pakistan The appointment will be effective from September 17, 2023 with …

Former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday in Islamabad, Aaj News reported. He was arrested in a joint raid carried out by Pindi and capital police in the capital. Sarwar was taken into custody for involvement in the May 9 incidents, the police said. Following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s arrest on May 9, …

Terrorist terms attacks on army installations by political party equivalent to TTP stance against state institutions. Another commander of banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) killed amid militants’ infighting. Sarbakaf Mohmand was in banned Jamaat ul Ahrar. He died in mysterious circumstances. Earlier, Jamaat ul Ahrar joined TTP. The internal differences have been intensified among militants’ factions and groups. The anti-state …

Plea calls military trials in presence of civilian courts unconstitutional, says should be declared illegal former chief justice of Pakistan Jawwad S Khawaja has also challenged the trial of civilians in military courts. A petition on behalf of the former CJP was filed in the Supreme Court through lawyer Uzair Chughtai. The petition maintains that the trial of civilians by …

The government on Tuesday announced three-day holiday on account of Eid ul Adha, which falls on June 29 (Thursday). A statement issued by the Cabinet Division stated that the offices observing six working days a week will enjoy three days off, starting June 29 to July 1. It is for general information that the Prime Minister is pleased to approve …

Global warming has intensified to a worrying extent across the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) regions’ glaciers, snow, and permafrost, including the range within Pakistan’s territories, making the changes “unprecedented and largely irreversible,” a report released Monday mentioned. According to the report conducted by an eight-nation organisation, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Pakistan’s glaciers are losing mass at an …

The PTI on Tuesday issued a statement disputing Asad Umar’s claims that he left his party positions due to Chairman Imran Khan’s “confrontational” policies. The statement issued by PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan came hours after the former party secretary general told a private news channel that he had quit his party positions over the political strategy adopted by Imran …

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah promised on Tuesday that the investigation into the Greece boat tragedy would be completed within a week as authorities arrested two more traffickers allegedly involved in human smuggling. Last week, an Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people including hundreds of Pakistanis  capsized off Greece. Only 104 people are known to have survived and …

Pakistan and China on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a new unit of the 1,200 MW Chashma-5 (C-5) nuclear power project. Wang Yongge, president of the China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas Ltd (CNOS) and Muhammad Saeedur Rehman from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) signed the agreement for unit 5 of the power plant. Prime Minister …

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart for a two-day official visit to France later this week to participate in a financing summit being held in Paris. The FO said that the premier was undertaking the visit at French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation, adding that the ‘New Global Financing Pact Summit’ would be …

PPP’s Murtaza Wahab took oath as the as controversially elected Karachi mayor at a ceremony held at the city’s Polo Ground on Monday. According to updates on the PPP’s Twitter, party’s Salman Murad was also sworn in as the city’s deputy mayor at the ceremony. Sindh Election Commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan administered the oath to Wahab and Salman while Sindh …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday reserved its verdict on a set of pleas challenging the recently-enacted Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023, which expands the scope of a review petition. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard a set of appeals challenging …

The Zilhaj moon has been sighted and Eidul Azha will fall on June 29, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced on Monday evening. The announcement was made after a meeting of the committee at the main offices of the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi, during which Maulana Azad said the sky remained clear in most parts of …

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast heatwave-like conditions in most parts of the country this week along with a gradual increase in day temperatures. “Due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere, the day temperatures are likely to increase gradually in most parts of the country from June 20 to June 24,” the PMD said in …

Lawmaker Mohsin Dawar has sought a “comprehensive inquiry” into the “abduction” of fellow MNA Ali Wazir, who he said was arrested by authorities in North Waziristan on Monday and taken to an “undisclosed location”. Dawar raised these concerns during a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. “Speaker sahib, early morning today, we received information that our MNA …

Pakistan and Iran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance Maritime cooperation. The MoU was signed between Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) and the Iranian border guards during the visit of Secretary Defence, Lt.Gen (Retd) Hamooduz Zaman to Iran. It will strengthen relations between PMSA and Iranian border guards. Upon arrival in Tehran, the Secretary Defence was welcomed …

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday said that heatwave-like conditions are likely to develop in most parts of the country this week. According to the Meteorological Office, due to the high pressure in the upper atmosphere, the daytime temperature of the country may gradually increase from June 20 to 24. Daytime temperatures are expected to be 4°C to 6°C …

For the past many years, Balochistan has been in the grip of a low-intensity conflict, and has experienced four insurgencies since Independence. While separatist groups continue to carry out attacks on security forces, human rights organisations have expressed concern about a growing number of missing persons cases and human rights violations. In more recent times, the ethnic Shia minority has …

Pakistan authorities arrested 10 alleged human traffickers days after dozens of migrants drowned off the coast of Greece, officials said on Sunday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also ordered an immediate crackdown on agents engaged in people smuggling, saying they would be “severely punished”. Every year, thousands of young Pakistanis embark on perilous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search …

As the crisis-ridden country received its first shipment of Russian crude oil under groundbreaking agreement, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov ruled out any sort of special discount for Islamabad on the purchase of ‘Urals’ crude from Moscow. According to foreign media, the minister told media that “Oil deliveries to Pakistan have begun. There is no special discount; for Pakistan, it …

The security forces claim to have achieved success against terrorism, with the alleged killing of a most wanted terrorist commander among three in Darra Adamkhel. Zafar alias Zafri and his two associates were killed in an alleged encounter with security forces. The forces conducted an operation on a tip-off on the night between June 16 and 17. The gunned down …

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad sessions court on Saturday granted the police a two-day physical remand of PTI leader Shehryar Afridi over a case pertaining to the May 9 riots. Afridi was arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, which enables the government to arrest any person. On May …

Cyclone Biparjoy which hit India’s Gujarat coast near the border with Pakistan on Thursday weakened into a depression by Saturday morning, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said, declaring it safe for fishermen in Balochistan to venture into the sea starting today and for those in Sindh from tomorrow. Biparjoy, which means “calamity” in Bengali, had hit the state of Gujarat …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Saturday that 12 of its citizens have been identified among survivors of a shipwreck that killed at least 78 people off the coast of Greece. In a tweet, the Foreign Office (FO) said that at this stage they were unable to verify number and identity of Pakistanis among the deceased. ‘‘Pakistani Embassy remains in contact with …