ISLAMABAD: In a major relief, an accountability court in Islamabad on Friday ordered to unseize properties, vehicles, and bank accounts owned by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Last month, the same accountability court judge had suspended the arrest warrant of the three-time former prime minister who returned …

ISLAMABAD: As the country gears up for the February 8 national elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is finalising the code of conduct according to which senators and local government representatives may be allowed to campaign for their parties, reported The News on Friday. According to the draft of the ECP guidelines, the lawmakers will have to strictly abide …

KARACHI: The University of Karachi has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Karachi Alumni Association, Houston, Texas (UKAHA) in the United States for the provision of “need-based” scholarships to students. The scholarships will be provided for two semesters and students from eight different departments including international relations, economics, psychology, mass communication, chemistry, statistics, mathematics, and computer …

Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday took notice of the incidents of “forced closure” of shops in Lahore in compliance with the orders of lockdown due to the ongoing smog situation, as the traders lamented the police’s misconduct. The Punjab government on Thursday revised a previously imposed lockdown in multiple districts of the province, including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday urged the nation to follow Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal’s philosophy of khudi self-sufficiency as the country marks Iqbal Day. In his message on Iqbal Day being observed to commemorate the poet’s 146th birthday state-run Radio Pakistan quoted the premier as saying that Iqbal “awakened the consciousness of …

Rawalpindi City Traffic Police (CTP) on Wednesday made good use of Sri Lankan batter Angelo Mathew’s ‘timed out’ dismissal against Bangladesh at the 2023 World Cup and issued a traffic awareness message of its own, warning motorcyclists that wearing a ‘quality helmet’ was mandatory. The awareness message was etched on a picture of Mathews the moment he became the first …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar addressing the 16th ECO summit said that economic activities could usher the region on the path of progress. Pakistan’s Caretaker PM was addressing the summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He said the ECO member countries are rich with mineral resources and it has been key forum for development of the …

Pakistan has decided to extend the stay of registered Afghan refugees in the country for six months, quoting highly-placed sources. On October 3, an apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) meeting chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation. The …

The Supreme Court has sought a report from the Sindh government regarding the total land occupied by Bahria Town in Karachi. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa heard the Bahria Town Karachi implementation case in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Salman Aslam Butt, the lawyer for housing society owner Malik Riaz, appeared in …

The smog situation in Punjab, particularly in Lahore, has deteriorated to a point that the caretaker provincial government has been forced to take drastic measures to save millions of citizens from the detrimental effects of unfriendly environmental conditions. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a smog forecast for all districts of Punjab. The NDMA has used five …

Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar will attend an ‘extraordinary summit’ of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), convened by Saudi Arabia, to discuss the escalating military situation in Gaza. In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch said PM Kakar will pay an official visit to Saudi Arabia this week to attend the OIC’s extraordinary summit …

In what is being termed as the first major political alliance before the February 8 polls, PML-N and MQM-Pakistan, have announced to contest the 2024 general elections jointly. The announcement was made by MQM-P and PML-N leaders in a joint press conference following a delegation-level meeting with former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore. MQM delegation comprising Dr …

Former president and Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians chairman, Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday said the PTI chief was removed from PM House as he ‘failed’ to serve the masses. We did not remove the PTI chief to regain power, but he was impeached as he failed to serve the people, who voted for him, Asif Ali Zardari said while addressing a …

Pakistan’s Ghulam Shabbir, who was once had the honor of being declared the world’s tallest Pakistani, has sadly passed away in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after a long illness. Born in 1980, Shabbir shot to fame when he was named the tallest Pakistani on earth and held the title for 6 years. The seven feet eight inches tall Pakistani also made …

In an effort to make the process of sale and purchase of vehicles more convenient, Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar has ordered to establish a ‘Car City’ in Islamabad. Officials have been directed to develop a comprehensive plan in this regard. The instructions were issued during a meeting concerning matters related to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The …

A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a restraining order against the forceful deportation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan. Former senator Farhatullah Babar and other petitioners, represented by advocate Umar Gilani, urged the apex court’s registrar’s office on Monday to allot a case number and schedule a date for hearing. The plea was moved four days ago …

In a worrisome development, it has been revealed that American-made weapons were used by terrorists in their attack on the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base in Mianwali, sources told Geo News on Monday. On Friday, security forces via their swift response eliminated nine terrorists to thwart a major terror attack on the PAF’s training base, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) …

Pakistan has slammed an Israeli minister for suggesting dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza where Israeli forces have martyred thousands of Palestinians in response to the Hamas’ surprise attack last month. “We are appalled by statement of an Israeli minister threatening nuclear force against Palestinians,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. …

The Sindh government has announced a holiday for the Hindu community on the festive occasion of Holi. The festival of Holi will be a holiday for the Hindu community on November 13, according to a notification issued by the provincial government. On November 13, the Hindu community in Pakistan will celebrate Holi, the festival of colours, with full enthusiasm and festivity. …

Following a major increase in the population of Markhor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government has decided to request the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to enhance its annual trophy hunting quota. At the moment, the provincial government is permitted to issue four licenses for the hunting of the large Himalayan Goat. Now, it plans to submit …

Pakistan is reputed to be the country of youth and could well be said that it is a young country. The presence of youth is what makes Pakistan an exceptionally viable venue for change. Youth actually represents change because the traditions filter through young minds and often their essential attributes are altered. The change of perception enables the sociological matrix …

The Election Commission of Pakistan has summoned the list of private schools for polling in general election, a spokesperson of the electoral body said. The ECP will also setup polling stations in private schools’ buildings for convenience of voters. The election commission collecting details of private schools’ teachers and buildings. District election commissioner has written letter to the EDO Education and …

Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Ahmed Jawad Rabi’i said hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives due to Israel’s brutal attacks including 3,718 children and 1,929 women. The envoy expressed gratitude and extended his appreciation for Pakistan and its media’s unwavering support for Palestine during these challenging times. He emphasized that people’s support not only showcases the strong bond …

The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced the construction of model shelter homes to assist families who were severely affected by monsoon floods across the country.According to reliable sources, the organization has recently completed a comprehensive survey of flood-affected areas to facilitate the construction of these shelters. Sources stated that a total of 5,000 model shelter homes will be constructed …

A crackdown against illegal immigrants has been underway and 55 persons detained, quoting a police official. “District East Police has detained 55 persons including three criminals,” SSP East Irfan Bahadar has said. All arrested persons will be dispatched to the holding points except the detained criminals, SSP added. The first convoy of illegal immigrants left Haji Camp holding point in Karachi for …

A sessions court in Islamabad sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser to jail on judicial remand in an alleged corruption case. Asad Qaiser was produced before Judicial Magistrate Qudratullah where police sought judicial remand for the PTI leader. Station House Officer of the Bani Gala Police Station, Ashfaq Warraich, requested the court to grant judicial remand to allow ACE …

The Lahore Zoo will remain shut for a period of three months due to renovation and upgrade work.Last month, caretaker CM Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, green-lit the upgrade of Lahore Zoo and Safari Park. As part of the upgrade, which will cost around Rs. 5 billion, the Lahore Zoo will introduce new animals such as Panda, Hippopotamus, Rhinoceros, African pigeon, Black …

Nine Islamist militants attacked an air force training base in the central Pakistani area of Mianwali on Saturday damaging three “non-operational” aircraft, the military said, adding that all assailants had been killed by security forces. Three militants were killed before they entered the base while the others had been cornered before the clearance operation began, the military said in a …

Former prime minister and PTI chairman on Friday approached the Supreme Court (SC), seeking bail in missing cipher case. The PTI chairman filed a bail plea through his counsel Salman Safdar. The petition maintained that the cipher case is just another example of the ‘politically motivated cases’ targeting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman. The PTI chairman contended that the bail application has …

The federal government has announced a public holiday on the occasion of Iqbal Day, November 9. In a notification issued earlier today, the Cabinet Division announced that a public holiday will be observed on Allama Iqbal Day throughout the country. The announcement has put all the speculations regarding the holiday on the occasion of Iqbal Day to rest. It should …

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has taken the decision to terminate the employment of a whistleblower who had previously raised concerns about irregularities within the department. This marks the second instance in less than three years where an officer at DRAP has been dismissed following allegations of corruption and irregularities within the organization. According to an official notification …

The Supreme Court on Friday declared February 8, 2024, as the date for holding general elections across the country after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted a notification in the Supreme Court pertaining to the polls date. A three-member bench of the apex court heard multiple pleas seeking elections within the 90-day time period after the dissolution of the …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has told the Supreme Court that general elections in the country will be held on February 11, 2024. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard pleas moved by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the PTI, Munir Ahmad and Ibadur Rehman …

The government of Punjab has made it mandatory for all school students as well as the staff to wear face-masks for a period of at least 30 days. The decision was taken in an hours-long meeting of the Punjab cabinet, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. During the meeting, it was decided to impose a smog emergency in the …

Pakistan’s northwestern border crossing was flooded with thousands of people looking to cross into Afghanistan on Thursday, a day after the government’s deadline expired for undocumented foreigners to leave or face expulsion. Pakistani authorities had begun rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, hours before Wednesday’s deadline. More than a million Afghans could have to leave or face arrest …

More than 165,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan in the month since Islamabad issued an ultimatum to 1.7 million people to leave or face arrest and deportation, officials said Thursday. The majority rushed to the border in the past several days as the November 1 deadline approached and police began to open up dozens of holding centers to detain arrested Afghans. …

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes and a ground assault have taken thousands of Palestinian lives, including those of children and women, with no indication of a halt in hostilities. The resolution, presented by Senator Ishaq Dar, was approved during an emergency session on Gaza, occurring amid an …

Authorities on Wednesday launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants across the country as the deadline for undocumented foreigners expired a day earlier, while thousands of illegal Afghan migrants have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan. Undocumented foreigners in different parts of the country including Karachi, Rawalpindi and others are being detained and moved to holding centres before being repatriated to their respective …

More than 100,000 undocumented Afghan nationals have returned voluntary to Afghanistan through the northwestern Torkham border crossing in the last two weeks, a Pakistani government official said on Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner Abdul Nasir Khan said the Afghan nationals had traveled from across Pakistan to the border crossing. Pakistan’s deadline to expel all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghan …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday appointed Barrister Ali Zafar as its new parliamentary leader in the Senate. A circular was also issued by the Senate secretariat in this connection, nominating Ali Zafar as PTI’s new parliamentary leader in the upper house. The development came after PTI chief had approved Zafar’s appointment as the parliamentary leader in the upper house of …