Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Autho­rities on Wednesday war­ned that heavy rainfall, ranging between 50 to 100 mill­­imetres or more, would batter Karachi and parts of Sindh over the next 12 to 24 hours, raising concerns of urban floo­ding, waterlogging and disruption to daily life. According to the Zoom Earth weather tracking website, an intense system forming over Sindh would hit urban centres like Hyderabad and Karachi after midnight on Wedn­esday. The system, which is likely to head out to sea by the morning, might precipitate heavily concentrated downpours in lower Sindh. A spokesman for the National Disaster Mana­gement Authority (NDMA) advised residents in vulner­able areas, including Karachi, Hyde­rabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur, to remain alert and closely monitor official updates to mitigate potential hazards. Urban flooding is expe­cted to persist in Kar­achi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas due to continued downpours and poor drainage infrastructure. Simultaneously, districts such as Thatta, Badin, Jams...

KARACHI: Expressing concern over performance of certain local bodies including towns under control of the opposition Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called upon all political stakeholders to refrain from blame games and fulfil their respective responsibilities to aid the city’s recovery. Talking to the media and responding to a question on coordination and accountability among agencies during a visit to the city a day after heavy rain lashed the metropolis, the CM expressed concern over the performance of some local representatives, including JI’s town chairmen, particularly after the formation of town administrations, which he said had led to division and inefficiency in service delivery. He acknowledged certain shortcomings, welcomed constructive criticism, and announced disciplinary action against officials who failed to perform. He underlined the urgent need for modern and efficient drainage systems to mitigate the impact of extreme weather in the future, ensuring urban ...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with China, inviting Chinese companies to invest in diverse sectors of the country’s economy, particularly maritime industries.

Monsoon rains kill 24 more people, including 14 in Karachi NDMA says up to 100mm rain expected in Sindh within 24 hours Another rain spell is to start by the end of the month: NDMA chief.

Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan must act as hard state after deadly floods Illegal encroachments on waterways caused deaths, damages in KP Distributes cheques among flood victims.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan Wednesday once again deferred the hearing of PTI founder Imran Khan’s bail petitions in the May 9 cases until Thursday due to the absence of the prosecutor.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan, China and Afghanistan on Wednesday expressed their commitment to strengthen joint efforts against terrorism.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has decided to equip the provincial police with infrared and ultrasonic technology on the model of the Japanese police system, according to a handout issued by the information department.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met Seishiro Eto, Chairman of the Japan-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship League, during her official visit to Japan and discussed ways to expand cooperation between Punjab and Japan.

ISLAMABAD - The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources, on Wednesday, expressed serious concerns over decades-long pending legal cases, land disputes worth trillions of rupees, and the closure of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.

ISLAMABAD - By-elections on two National and one provincial assembly constituencies which fell vacant following the disqualification of certain PTI backed legislators will be held on October 05, 2025, according to the election schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday.

Frank Caprio, a retired municipal judge in United States’ Rhode Island who found online fame as a caring jurist, passed away on Monday aged 88. Judge Caprio, host of ABC series ‘Caught in Providence’ was known for his kindness, even while serving justice. According to CNN, Caprio billed his courtroom as a place “where people and cases are met with kindness and compassion“. “Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer,” said a post on the social media-famous judge’s Facebook account. “Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” the post recalled. “His warmth, humour and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him […] In his honour, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world — just as he did every day.” Videos of Caprio “treating defendants with empathy and respect gained more...

ISLAMABAD - Former caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi has been appointed as the spokesperson for President Asif Ali Zardari.

The federal government has issued a series of notifications regarding major appointments and transfers in different departments.

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has denied claims made by her former manager that she has retired from the sport, saying she is still training regularly. Algerian Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were in the spotlight at the Paris Games last year over their eligibility after they had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which said sex chromosome tests had ruled them ineligible. However, they competed in the women’s category in Paris after being cleared by the International Olympic Committee, with both winning gold medals in their weight classes. Khelif has not competed since her win in Paris. In an interview with French newspaper Nice-Matin on Wednesday, Khelif’s former manager Nasser Yesfah said she had “left the world of boxing”. In a follow-up interview with the same newspaper hours later, Yesfah clarified he was only referring to Khelif’s boxing commitments in the city of Nice, where she was previously part of the Nice Azur club. Khelif criticised Yesfah’s comments in a post...

ISLAMABAD - Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly besides picking Senator Azam Khan Swati for the same slot in the Senate.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Air Force has launched a large-scale flood relief operation in Gilgit-Baltistan.

ISLAMABAD - Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said that access to clean drinking water is a fundamental right of every citizen.

ISLAMABAD - In a heartfelt message, King of the United Kingdom Charles III expressed his deepest condolences to the people of Pakistan following the devastating monsoon flooding and a tragic helicopter crash during rescue operations.

• In a letter, two senior judges reject CJP’s explanation about not convening full court on 26th Amendment controversy • Letter says CJP’s response, now in public domain, neither provides valid reason nor legal justification for not convening full court ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s decision to make public the minutes of the committee meeting held on Oct 31, 2024 — convened to call a full court session to determine the vires (validity) of the 26th Constitutional Amendment — has caused a considerable stir on the judicial front. Two notes from Chief Jus­tice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi were uploaded on the SC’s official website on August 14, reviving the debate on 26th Amendment controversy. On Wednesday, a letter surfaced from two senior judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar. The letter appeared to be a response to the publication of the minutes of the three-judge committee formed under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023. The two judges had co...