Pakistan

US right-wing influencers falsely linked New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to the militant Islamic State (IS) group, amplifying a fabricated statement that garnered millions of views on social media, researchers said on Thursday. Mamdani — the first Muslim and South Asian elected to lead America’s largest city — secured a decisive victory this week in the face of fierce attacks on his policy proposals and religious background. A slew of anti-Mamdani accounts on the Elon Musk-owned platform X have circulated a statement purportedly from IS titled “Operation Manhattan Project”, which alluded to an attack in New York City on Election Day against what it called “American aggression”. Among the influencers who linked the fake communique to Mamdani was Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer who has Trump’s ear. “The Muslims can’t think of a better way for the Muslims to celebrate the victory of a Muslim mayoral candidate today than by committing an ISIS (Islamic State) attack in NYC,” Loomer wrote in a post on...

The district administration has sealed major roads and suspended mobile and internet services across Quetta ahead of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aeen Pakistan rally scheduled in the city today.

In a landmark step towards inclusivity, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a series of special initiatives for autistic children, ensuring free therapy, free books, free pick-and-drop, and free meals for all enrolled students.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has opened an inquiry after former women’s captain Jahanara Alam accused former and serving officials of sexual harassment. The 32-year-old pacer, in an interview on a YouTube channel, accused officials including then selector and manager Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment during the 2022 Women’s World Cup in South Africa. Manjurul, who is currently in China, rejected the allegations as “baseless”. Describing an incident during the 2022 World Cup, Jahanara alleged that Manjurul “made inappropriate physical contact”, claiming he “often hugged or pressed female players to his chest” under the pretext of encouragement. “You can ask other girls in the team”, Manjurul said. “This is all false.” Manjurul, 46, a former left-arm seamer, played 12 Tests and 34 ODIs for Bangladesh between 1999 and 2004, before serving in various coaching and managerial roles. Jahanara took 48 wickets in ODIs, and 60 in T20s, across 135 white-ball matches for her country. She also named other BCB officials,...

Pakistan and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening economic cooperation under the recently established Pak–UK Trade Dialogue Mechanism, aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment.

BAJAUR: People from various areas in Khar tehsil here on Thursday took to the streets and said their houses shouldn’t be targeted in the ongoing operation against terrorists. The demonstration held in the Kosar area along Bajaur-Peshawar Highway was attended by residents of Lra Banda, Shagi, Kosar, Delhi, Janat Shah, Galo Kass, Gooro and surrounding areas in large numbers. The gathering was joined by several political and social activists, including a delegation of Bajaur Aman Jirga led by its chief Sahibzada Haroon Rashid. The participants, who blocked the highway to vehicular movement by sitting on the road, claimed that a number of civilian houses and mosques in Kosar and its adjacent areas were targeted with heavy weapons last night. The angered protesters asserted that the targeting of civilian houses had not only created fear and panic among the local communities but had also put the lives of their families, mainly children, women and elderly people, in grave danger, as they were living in their houses ...

The annual international Tablighi Congregation commenced at Raiwind on Thursday, drawing thousands of participants from across Pakistan and abroad.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords to have normalised relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations. The announcement came after Trump said he had held a call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “We will soon announce a signing ceremony to make it official, and there are many more countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Kazakh government said in a statement that the matter was in the final stage of negotiations. “Our anticipated accession to the Abraham Accords represents a natural and logical continuation of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy course grounded in dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability,” it added. Kazakhstan already has full diplomatic relations and economic ties with Israel, meaning the move would be largely symbolic, something Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against on Thursday. “It’s an enhanced relationship beyond ...

Political activities have intensified across the country following the coalition government’s decision to table the 27th Constitutional Amendment in Parliament, with parties holding back-to-back meetings and consultations.

The ten-day annual Lok Mela organized by the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) begins in Islamabad today, celebrating Pakistan’s rich cultural diversity under the theme “Yakjehti k Rang, Lok Virsa k Sang.

• Former law officer says nation must brace itself for long struggle against ‘praetorian judges’ • Ruling elite has inflicted unprecedented harm on independence of judiciary, Akram Sheikh argues ISLAMABAD: As speculations swirl around the controversial 27th Con­stitutional Amend­ment, legal experts have questioned the rationale behind such constitutional tweaks, especially after the previous 26th Amen­dment that had effectively brought the superior judiciary under the executive’s control. The “final draft” of this Amendment has hitherto been kept under wraps, but its contours were recently shared by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari when he said a prime minister-led delegation had sought the PPP’s support for its passage. In a statement, he said the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive magistrates, matters related to the transfer of judges, ending the protection of provincial shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and amending Article 243, which pertains to...

• Islamabad says demands ‘non-negotiable’ as third round opens in Istanbul • Taliban leader asks Afghan team to only make ‘realistic’ commitments • Flare-up at Chaman-Spin Boldak looms over talks; at least two killed ISLAMABAD: The third round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks opened in Istanbul on Thursday, surviving a brief exchange of fire along the border that tested a shaky ceasefire. Mediated by Turkiye and Qatar and held at the Conrad Hotel with restricted media access, the two-day round is focused on finalising a framework for a “monitoring and verification mechanism” agreed in principle last week, and on addressing long-standing disputes linked to militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Pakistan’s delegation is led by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik and includes senior military, intelligence and Foreign Office officials. The Afghan Taliban side is headed by General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) chief Abdul Haq Waseq and includes senior figures such as Suhail Shah...

• Meets allies to secure their support; tweaks top agenda as Cabinet meets today; draft may be tabled following nod • PPP rejects any cut to provinces’ NFC share; backs limited changes to Article 243 • Remains non-committal on constitutional court for now • Tarar sees no ‘major roadblocks’ to new legislation • PTI says current govt lacks mandate to amend Constitution ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday held consultations with ruling allies to secure support for the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, with the government expected to table the bill in the Senate within days. The prime minister has also convened a meeting of the federal cabinet today (Friday), with the 27th Amendment topping the agenda. Sources said the amendment could be introduced in parliament after cabinet approval. The premier is due to depart for Azerbaijan later in the day for a one-day official visit. Some media reports suggested PM Shehbaz has decided to establish a parliamentary committee bringing all parties ...

PAKISTAN is in the midst of a dengue outbreak that has once more exposed the dysfunction within its health system. From Karachi to Peshawar, thousands have been infected and dozens are believed to have died since October, even as official figures remain implausibly low. In Sindh alone, families claim more than two dozen deaths in Hyderabad, but the health department acknowledges only eight. Similar gaps between official and ground-level data have been reported in KP and Punjab, where hospitals continue to receive new patients despite the onset of cooler weather. The scale of underreporting is alarming. By the government’s own admission, figures exclude patients tested or treated at private laboratories and clinics — the primary source of care for many. This omission has rendered the provincial response reactive and confused. Testing kits have been scarce due to procurement disputes, fumigation began only after public outrage, and the Sindh High Court has censured senior health officials for incompetence. Clim...

When Zohran Mamdani inveighed against inequality and corruption during his underdog bid for New York City mayor, Joseph Beyanga at Uganda’s Daily Monitor could hear echoes of conversations almost 20 years earlier with the then-intern on the newspaper’s sports desk. “Mamdani would sit with me in the production room. He would always ask me, so who is affected by this one? Who pays the price?” Beyanga, The Daily Monitor’s media manager, told Reuters. “He was always interested in how the big picture affects the everyday person,” Beyanga said. The 34-year-old Mamdani’s resolutely progressive message, focused on lowering the cost of living and addressing inequalities through direct government interventions, propelled him to victory in an election on Tuesday that drew the highest turnout since 1969 in the most populous US city. Young Mamdani lived ‘in a simple way’ despite privilege The son of a Ugandan academic of Indian origins and an Indian-American filmmaker, Mamdani was born and spent several years as a child i...

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said there are no major roadblocks and impediments with respect to the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with the delegations of multiple parties in what appeared to be efforts by the government to prepare the ground to get the 27th Constitutional Amendment approved by parliament. Tarar was present during these meetings. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the minister said consultations among political parties on the proposed amendment were taking place in a “positive environment” and that a broad consensus appeared to be emerging. “The feeling I got during today’s meetings, in which different political parties were present … I got the feeling that there is no major roadblock or impediment,” he said. “There was no need for any further discussions or debate. Ideas were shared in a positive environment, some of which were agreed upon.” The information minister added that the obje...

Experts say investment pledges are encouraging, but not innovation-driven

SBP boosts bank liquidity with Rs774b injection; rupee inches up

Three-year incremental consumption package aims to revive demand amid 14% industrial, 47% agricultural decline

Experts at TFS urge for pragmatic ties, economic realism in Pakistan's regional policy