Pakistan

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Thousands of trees destroyed, farmers in distress

Suspect conspired with brother to kill victim after bringing her home from parents' house

US President Donald Trump hit the ground running on the first leg of his Asian tour on Sunday, announcing a slew of trade agreements in Malaysia. Within six hours of landing in Kuala Lumpur for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Trump announced trade deals with four countries, met regional leaders and held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who said their teams would immediately start tariff discussions. Trump also said he was confident of hammering out a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of an expected meeting on Thursday, as top trade officials from both sides met for a second day in Kuala Lumpur and agreed on a framework for a trade agreement. Talks to de-escalate trade war On arriving in Malaysia, Trump was greeted by Malaysia’s premier and a troupe of ceremonial dancers, stopping briefly on the red carpet to dance with performers. View this post on Instagram As he mingled with other leaders, US and Chinese negotiators met on the sidelines to avert ...

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has initiated contact with the forward bloc led by AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to discuss a possible in-house change, sources said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday vowed to strengthen the police and provide them with modern equipment to restore peace in the province. The remarks come a week after the newly elected CM blamed the “flawed policy” of the federal government for the resurgence of terrorism being witnessed in the province. Addressing a rally in KP’s Karak district today, he said, “We are investing in efforts to increase our police capacity and provide them with modern equipment,” promising to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in the province. “My purpose is to bring peace to KP in line with the vision of Imran Khan,” he said, announcing plans to invest in establishing a “special branch to enhance intelligence” in the province. He detailed that the KP government had “ordered 70 bulletproof cars for police, out of which they had received 40 so far.” Two days ago, CM Afridi signed the summary for the purchase of the vehicles after a row with the Centre over allegedly faulty vehicles. A statement is...

Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has said that the process of modernizing Pakistan Railways and providing better facilities to passengers is continuing successfully.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday the reopening of new gas connections after a ban of nearly four years, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. His announcement comes less than two months after the federal cabinet decided in September to lift the ban on domestic gas connections and supply regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG). Speaking about the cabinet’s decision in a post-meeting press conference, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, flanked by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, had said PM Shehbaz decided to lift the ban on new gas connections imposed in 2021, addressing a longstanding public demand. Addressing a ceremony related to the resumption of RLNG connections in Islamabad today, the premier reiterated that the government’s decision was in response to the “long-standing public demand”. “In 2022, there was immense public pressure for [new] gas connections but the government was facing challenges,” Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying. But, “with this lan...

Pakistan extended their winning streak to advance to the semi-finals of the boys volleyball event after defeating China in straight sets in the quarter-finals at the Asian Youth Games on Sunday. The Green Shirts clinched their victory in a speedy 53-minute game at the Isa Sports City, winning 25-12, 25-13, 25-17. View this post on Instagram Pakistan had earlier opened their campaign with a straight-sets victory over Mongolia before defeating hosts Bahrain 3-0 in their Group ‘A’ match. Pakistan then downed Uzebikstan in similar fashion on Thursday in their first Group ‘E’ match of the 1-8 Classification Round. The team then defeated Saudi Arabia 3-1 on Friday to move top of the group, winning with scores of 25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 26-24. Khizar Hayat, Mohammad Yahya and Mohammad Anas were among the standout performers of the day. Pakistan will now play the semi finals on October 27 (Monday) at 9pm local time (11pm PKT). Pakistan sent a 53-member contingent for the ongoing games being held from Oct 22 to 31, baggi...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the US sees an opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan and that the recent strengthening of ties between the two countries does not come at the expense of Washington’s relationship with New Delhi. He made these remarks during a press briefing on Saturday, during which he was asked whether India had raised any concerns about the “stronger relationship” between the US and Pakistan. “They really haven’t — I mean, we know they’re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically. But, I think they have to understand, we have to have relations with a lot of different countries,” he said, according to a transcript of the briefing on the State Department’s website. He continued, “We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and I think we’ve made — that’s our job, is to try to figure out how many countries we can find how we can work with on things of common i...

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has announced its candidates for the upcoming by-elections.

The Punjab government has announced new winter timings for all public schools across the province.

Security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa foiled major infiltration attempts by “Fitna Al-Khawarij” terrorists from across the border, killing 25 militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has held separate meetings with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, focusing on bilateral relations, regional developments, and areas of mutual interest, his office said on Sunday. The meetings underlined Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen ties with both the United Kingdom and the United States. Relations with the UK have been revitalised through the resumption of flight operations after a five-year gap and initiatives like the newly inaugurated Centre of Excellence in Islamabad, a joint project enhancing Pakistan’s capacity to tackle transnational crime and streamline mutual legal assistance and extradition processes. At the same time, engagement with the US reflects growing collaboration on security and counterterrorism. According to a post on the Interior Ministry’s X account, during the discussions, both sides emphasised enhancing cooperation in counter-narcotics, human trafficking, and security. “Naqvi expressed gratitude to the Bri...

Riffat Ara Alvi, mother of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, passed away after a brief illness, the late journalist’s wife confirmed on Sunday.

President Asif Ali Zardari contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the formation of a new government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced to open new gas connections for domestic consumers.

The Punjab government has revised school timings starting Monday in response to worsening smog across the province, with daily sessions now beginning at 8:45am. Lahore has ranked as the world’s most polluted city for the past three days, with air quality plummeting to hazardous levels as smog blanketed the city and the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting 412, prompting health warnings and a province-wide crackdown on pollution sources. The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a high alert across the eastern districts of the province, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Khanpur. According to Director General PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia, the intensity of smog is expected to increase from November to mid-December, citing forecasts from the Meteorological Department. The announcement was made by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on his X account, in light of the current smog situation. “Winter school timing — 8...

United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would get the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan “solved very quickly”, calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir “great people”. Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul flared up earlier this month over accusations of terrorism, as border clashes killed 23 Pakistani troops as well as 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists after an attack by Kabul, which it claimed was retaliation for Islamabad conducting air strikes in its territory. A first round of talks in Doha last weekend led to a ceasefire agreement, with both governments seeking to firm up the agreement in more talks yesterday. Trump, who was previously involved in brokering a ceasefire between Pakistan and India in May of this year as well as a peace deal between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas, arrived today in Malaysia to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Kuala Lumpur, while also co-signing a ceasefire agreement between Thaila...

United States President Donald Trump co-signed a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia in Malaysia during the first stop on his Asia tour, which is expected to culminate in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The ceasefire, following a bloody border dispute, was signed by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, as well as Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The agreement will see the release of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war, a statement from Cambodia’s foreign ministry said. Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia erupted in July, killing more than 40 people and forcing around 300,000 to flee their homes. While the neighbours agreed an initial ceasefire in late July, they have since traded accusations of violations. In their joint declaration witnessed by Trump, Anutin and Hun Manet reiterated their “firm commitment to refrain from the threat or use of force”. “We reaffirm the unwavering commitment to peace and security between our two countrie...