Pakistan

Two policemen were gunned down in a “terrorist” attack on Wednesday in Kulachi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, police said. Speaking to Dawn.com, DI Khan Police Spokesperson, Yaqoob Khan, said, “The two police personnel were on their way to buy food when the terrorists opened fire on them.” The deceased have been identified as head constable Ghulam Muhammad and constable Shahzad, both of whom were ex-servicemen. Following the attack, police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel tracked down the terrorists and killed one of them during an operation, while the other two, though injured, fled. “Weapons and ammunition have been recovered from the slain terrorist, while a search operation is underway for the terrorists at large,” according to the spokesperson. Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, paying tribute to the martyred personnel. He saluted the “sacrifices made by the brave sons” of KP in their fight against terrorism. Expressing sympathy for t...

The US Congress may soon urge President Donald Trump’s administration to consider imposing sanctions on countries that suppress religious freedom and violate human rights, Republican Congressman Christopher H. Smith suggested during a congressional hearing on Pakistan on Tuesday. “One of the biggest disappointments — regardless of who is in the White House or at the State Department — is the absence of sanctions,” said Smith, who co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC). Smith recalled that the only individual ever sanctioned under US religious freedom laws was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the 2002 Gujarat riots. “We are going to call on the Irfa office to consider imposing [sanctions] — especially in light of the terrible acts committed against people of various faiths,” he said. The Irfa office, based at the State Department, enforces the International Religious Freedom Act, which authorises the US government to designate and penalise countries that engage in or tolerate se...

Sweeping foreign aid cuts led by the United States will cause international health funding to plummet to the lowest level in 15 years, a study said on Wednesday, warning the world has entered a new “era of global health austerity”. Money that provides healthcare to some of the poorest and most in-need people across the world has been dramatically slashed this year, led by the administration of US President Donald Trump. The new study published in the prestigious Lancet journal also pointed to recent steep aid cuts announced by the UK, France and Germany. After reaching an all-time high of $80 billion in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the total amount of global health aid will sink to $39bn this year, the US-led team of researchers estimated. That would be the lowest level since 2009. Such a dramatic change will result in the world entering a new “era of global health austerity”, the authors of the study warned. Sub-Saharan African countries such as Somalia, the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo and Ma...

Vehari - Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami South Punjab Syed Zeeshan Akhtar has said that the country is facing its worst-ever crisis due to corrupt and self-serving rulers who have pushed the nation into poverty, unemployment and lawlessness while living in luxury.

Posts from multiple users on social media platforms since July 9 alleged that a newly announced ferry service set to be launched from Gwadar to Gulf countries costs between Rs25,000 to Rs30,000. However, the maritime ministry said the fares have yet to be decided and the matter is still under negotiation. On July 1, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced an ambitious plan to expand Gwadar Port’s operational capacity by introducing additional shipp­ing lines and launching a ferry service connecting Pak­istan with Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The move is expected to provide an affordable, direct maritime link for passengers and cargo, particularly benefiting expatriate communities and cross-border traders. On July 9, an online news portal, focused on developments about Kuwait and the Middle East, said in a post on Facebook that the fares of a ferry service between Gwadar and Gulf countries would be Rs25,000 to Rs35,000. The post was captioned: “Pakistan has announced the imminent launch of a direct l...

Vehari - Director General Agriculture Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides Punjab (APW&QCP) Dr Amir Rasool visited various villages in Burewala and Vehari to inspect cotton crops, terming their condition satisfactory.

Vehari - Deputy Commissioner Vehari Imrana Touqeer has stepped up district administration efforts by inspecting Vehari-Multan Road and PEERA office construction, chairing a meeting on illegal activities, and issuing new official rates for daily essentials.

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to preempt countrywide unrest, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday constituted a high-level committee to hold consultations with traders on budgetary measures aimed at documenting the economy. The multi-stakeholder committee will conduct a 30-day consultation process to develop a consensual and actionable proposal, which will be submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet. According to sources present at the meeting, officials from various ministries clarified that the new tax amendments are primarily intended to curb large-scale sales tax fraud. The committee will only consider trader concerns that are deemed genuine and substantiated, the officials added. Traders were firmly told that the government remains committed to documenting the economy and discouraging cash-based transactions. Several trade associations have already called for strike actions in protest against the new measures. Committee tasked with addressing concerns over tax reforms and docume...

Law enforcement and representatives from online delivery services have agreed to intensify efforts to curb the growing use of online delivery networks for illegal drug distribution, a top Karachi police official said on Wednesday. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South, Syed Asad Raza, told Dawn.com that he held a meeting with the representatives of popular food delivery and ride-hailing services to address the misuse of rider services for drug delivery. “Delivery companies informed the police that certain individuals had been caught using counterfeit uniforms, helmets, and branded delivery bags to pose as legitimate riders while carrying out unlawful activities, such as delivering illicit drugs,” the DIG said. To counter this, he said, the stakeholders agreed to tighten security protocols, including rider screening, background verification, and stricter registration procedures. “Briefings for riders will also be conducted more regularly to ensure compliance with legal and safety standards,” DIG Raza said. The ...

A crucial meeting of the federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is set to take place today to deliberate on a six-point agenda addressing significant national matters.

Rawalpindi - The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench has upheld the conviction of a doctor in a kidney transplant case.

ISLAMABAD - A special ceremony was held at the Embassy of Türkiye in Islamabad to commemorate July 15, 2016 as Democracy and National Unity Day.

Islamabad - Shifa International Hospital, in partnership with the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), hosted a workshop on Tuesday focused on advancing HPV vaccination to eliminate cervical cancer in Pakistan.

In a major development for Pakistan’s aviation sector, the United Kingdom has officially lifted its long-standing ban on Pakistani airlines, a move confirmed by British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and welcomed as a positive step in UK-Pakistan relations.

ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Religious Affairs has invited applications from companies seeking registration as Zaireen Group Organisers under a new centralised policy framework for pilgrimages to Iran and Iraq, with an application deadline of 10 August.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate of Pakistan and Founding Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers Conference (ISC), Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, held a crucial meeting with ISC Secretary General, Mr.

In a fresh development in the mysterious death case of actress and model Humaira Asghar, police have uncovered that she had been using two separate Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs), raising questions about her identity and personal history.

ISLAMABAD - An impressive and well-attended reception was held here on Tuesday to mark the 98th anniver­sary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

ISLAMABAD - The United Kingdom on Tuesday introduced eVisas for most Pakistani nationals travelling to the UK on study or work-related visas, eliminating the need for physical visa stickers in passports.

Unknown individuals blew up a key gas pipeline from the Betni oil field to Punjab on Wednesday, using explosives in the Wanda Amir area, causing a major disruption in the gas supply.