Pakistan

Punjab finalises new admissions policy, school calendar and exam schedule

Experts link decline to rapid urbanisation, loss of greenery & rising temperatures

Subsidy project aims to make farmers self-reliant

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In a statement issued on Sunday after its 39th annual general meeting, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the 27th Constitutional Amendment, noting that lifetime immunity for public 0ffice holders had “concentrated unchecked power in the hands of a few”. The contentious tweak was passed by Parliament on November 13 after days of heated debate, opposition protests, and last-minute revisions, and received the president’s assent the same day. The amendment made significant changes to the judicial system and the military’s chain of command, and granted sweeping immunities to government officials. Under the Amendment, lifetime immunity from arrest and all criminal and civil proceedings has been granted to the president and anyone holding the ranks of Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Air Force. Referring to the Amendment, the HRCP drew attention to “escalating threats to constitutional democracy, civic freedoms, and the safety of vulnerable communities across...

The crash of India’s Tejas fighter in front of global arms buyers at the Dubai Airshow is the latest blow to a key national trophy, leaving the jet reliant on Indian military orders to sustain its role as a showcase of home-built defence technology. The cause of Friday’s crash was not immediately known but it capped a week of jockeying for influence at the event, attended by India’s arch-rival Pakistan six months after the neighbouring foes faced off in the world’s largest air battle in decades. Such a public loss will inevitably overshadow India’s efforts to establish the jet abroad after a painstaking development over four decades, experts said, as India paid tribute to Wing Commander Namansh Syal who died in the crash. Crash at showcase event in Dubai “The imagery is brutal,” said Douglas A. Birkey, executive director of the US-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, referring to the history of crashes at air shows where nations and industries seek to tout major national achievements. “A crash send...

The Adab Festival saw a gathering of big names from art, literature, media and politics for a series of talks, music performances and mushairas. The festival, now in its tenth edition, was held at Habbitt City in Karachi from November 22-23. A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui Visitors attend an event at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A visitor looks at fabric being sold at the Adab Festival on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui Ex-FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi delivers a talk at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui An audience attends a panel discussion with Khurram Karaishy at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddi...

Advisor to the Prime Minister and PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah on Sunday reiterated the government’s call for political dialogue, stressing that consensus among parties remains the only way to address Pakistan’s prolonged instability.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said in a statement on Sunday that power outages at water pumping stations had been resolved and that citywide water services were normal. Karachi faced a severe water crisis in November as prolonged power outages across the city disrupted pumping operations. In a statement released today, the KWSC said they maintained close coordination with K-Electric throughout the crisis to restore the water supply, and officials confirmed that “citywide water services have now returned to normal.” “All possible steps are being taken to further strengthen the water supply system in the future,” the KWSC said. Per the KWSC, the city experienced a total shortfall of 884 million gallons of water due to electricity disruptions. “The Dhabeji Pumping Station was hit hardest, with 132 hours and 20 minutes of power outages leading to a shortage of 424 million gallons, while the Dumlottee Wells recorded 146 hours of outages, resulting in 111 million gallons of lost water,” the stat...

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, visited Jamia Tur Rasheed in Karachi, where he held an interactive open session with students and religious scholars, the military’s media wing reported on Sunday.

In a joint statement shared on Sunday, Pakistan and the European Union (EU) called on Afghanistan to deal with terrorist organisations operating from its soil and to ensure the protection of human rights, especially those of women and girls. The development came as the 7th Strategic Dialogue between Pakistan and the EU was convened in Brussels. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. According to a joint statement shared by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar and Kallas discussed relations between Islamabad and Kabul amid cross-border tensions last month, with both top diplomats reaffirming their commitment to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and resolving issues with neighbours through dialogue. “The two sides called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to play a constructive role in achieving the shared objective of rooting out terrorism from Afghan soil,” the statement read. It added that Dar and Kallas expressed concern ov...

PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah on Sunday reiterated the government’s offer to the opposition PTI to hold dialogue and resolve the long-standing political crises marring the country. Speaking to the media in Faisalabad, Sanaullah said, “We are still in favour of politicians sitting together at a table to resolve issues.” He recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “unconditional offer“ he made in August to all political parties to become a part of the ‘Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan’ (Charter for Stability of Pakistan). Sanaullah was speaking to reporters as by-elections were underway today in PP-116, where his son-in-law Ahmed Shaharyar is contesting as the PML-N candidate. On the PTI’s official boycott of most of the by-elections held today, Sanaullah said, “Imran Khan sahib is not even doing politics. He has never done politics. It is this country’s and the public’s misfortune that he was brought [into power].” Sanaullah, also the PM’s political aide, assailed Imran for “always creating a deadlock”, while “democ...

Pakistan has called for rapid, grant-based, and predictable financing for climate-vulnerable developing countries, warning that recurring climate disasters are exacerbating debt distress and undermining development gains in nations that have contributed the least to global emissions. The appeal was made at a high-level side event titled “Operationalising Loss and Damage: Financing Resilience and Recovery in Vulnerable Countries”, organised jointly by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and Unicef at the Pakistan Pavilion during the UN climate summit (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Aisha Humera Moriani, in her keynote address, stated that Pakistan was investing heavily in strengthening national resilience despite contributing less than one per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions. She recalled the catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025 that displaced millions, damaged infrastructure and caused multi-billion-dollar economic losses....

Pakistan and the European Union (EU) on Saturday urged the Taliban administration to take “serious and practical” steps to eliminate terrorism, stressing that peace in Afghanistan is essential for regional stability.

A United Nations wildlife trade body decided on Sunday not to restrict India from importing endangered animals, after many countries supported reversing an earlier, stringent recommendation that had embroiled the private zoo run by Asia’s richest family. Vantara, a 3,500-acre zoo in Gujarat run by the philanthropic arm of the Reliance conglomerate led by Mukesh Ambani and his family, had faced allegations from non-profit and wildlife groups of improper imports of some animals, triggering higher scrutiny by Germany and the European Union. After visiting the facility in September, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) issued a report this month asking India to “not issue any further import permits” as discrepancies had been found between exporter and importer trade data, and there were insufficient checks on the origin of some animals. At the CITES meeting in Uzbekistan, live-streamed on Sunday, the recommendation was reversed after many c...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved the establishment of the Special Branch as a formal specialised unit/separate cadre.

If ‘post-truth’ was Oxford Dictionaries’ 2016 Word of the Year, then ‘post-reality’ reflects the even murkier information climate unfolding today, one where audiences and journalists alike struggle to navigate competing narratives and contested facts. This shifting landscape framed the session ‘Truth, Trust, and Tenacity: The New Media Paradigm,’ held on Saturday, which brought together journalists Fazil Jamili, Azhar Abbas, Amber Rahim Shamsi and Azaz Syed under the moderation of Nadia Naqi. The discussion was part of the Adab Festival, which returned to Karachi for its 10th edition at Habitt City from November 22 to 23. Opening the discussion, Naqi noted the challenges journalists face in working and surviving in the current media environment. “Speaking the truth comes with challenges; often we’ve seen journalists being intimidated, and the controlled environment makes it difficult to speak the truth,” she said. “With truth, of course, comes trust. Is there public trust in the media? That’s the big question...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday strongly condemned the continued Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip as a “blatant violation of international law”. Despite a ceasefire signed by Israel and Hamas on October 9, Israeli forces have continued to regularly bombard Gaza with airstrikes, with the latest attack on Saturday leaving at least 21 dead in the territory. A statement issued by the FO today said, “Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attacks by Israeli occupying forces across Gaza.” It added that the attacks had reportedly resulted in the deaths of several Palestinian civilians and left many more wounded. “Such actions constitute a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the recently concluded peace agreement at Sharm el-Sheikh,” the FO said. It said that the attacks also undermined international efforts aimed at achieving “lasting peace and stability” in the region. “The Government of Pakistan reiterates its call upon the international community to take im...

Pakistan has strongly condemned attacks by Israeli occupying forces across Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of several Palestinian civilians and left many more wounded.

ISLAMABAD: Two premier lawyer bodies on Saturday extended support to the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) through the recently passed 27th Amendment. In a joint statement, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) affirmed that it was their two-decade-old demand that the FCC should be established with equal representation of the provinces for hearing constitutional and political matters, so that general public cases could be decided by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a timely manner. The statement was jointly issued by PBC Vice Chairman Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warriach and SCBA President Haroonur Rashid. According to the statement, the FCC will strengthen the federation. It said the premier bodies were watching carefully the entire process, including the appointment of judges, and would express their concerns and grievances, when needed, through decisions and resolutions of the general houses of both bodies. The statement said that the PBC and the SCB...