Pakistan

Gaps in national labour data pose employment challenges

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Locals say warnings about weak embankment went unheeded

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United States President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked the foreign terrorist organisation designation for Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, according to a State Department memo filed on Monday, a major step as Washington moves to ease sanctions on Syria. The memo dated June 23 was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and was published in a preview of the Federal Register before official publication on Tuesday. The move comes a week after Trump signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, to help end the country’s isolation from the international financial system and build on Washington’s pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war. “In consultation with the attorney general and the secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation,” Rubio wrote in the memo. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, was previously Al-Qaeda’s Syr...

Preparations are in full swing for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s anticipated visit to China at the end of August 2025, with a strong focus on enhancing economic collaboration.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Monday defended his recent move to seek the disqualification of 26 PTI MPAs for their “unparliamentary conduct”, saying he was fulfilling his responsibility to uphold the Constitution. On June 27, the speaker ordered the suspension of 26 opposition MPAs for 15 sittings of the provincial legislature after their protests disrupted Chief Mi­­nister Maryam Nawaz’s speech and caused chaos in the house. Days later, he filed a disqualification reference with the Election Com­mission of Pakistan against them. Out of those MPAs, 17 were listed as belonging to the Sunni Ittehad Council, which PTI-affiliated candidates joined last year after their party was deprived of its election symbol. At least eight others, however, were stated as PTI MPAs. Addressing a press conference in Lahore today, Malik stressed that his responsibility was to uphold the Constitution and he did not discriminate against any party. “I am someone who brings things into my domain. I will accept ...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is set to embark on an official visit to Japan from August 15 to 22, aiming to promote investment and strengthen economic cooperation between Punjab and Japan.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Monday dismissed Indian claims of Pakistan receiving external support in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos during the recent tensions with India, terming them “irresponsible and factually incorrect”. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came as the former blamed Islamabad for the April 22 Pahalgam attack without evidence. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took a US-brokered ceasefire for both sides to finally drop their guns. Reuters reported that the deputy chief of India’s army alleged last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions during the conflict. India fought two adversaries during the conflict, with Pakistan being the “front face” while China provided “all possible support”, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh had said at a defence industry event in New Delhi. “...

Two men were shot dead while a third one was injured over ‘honour’ in Karachi’s Manghopir area on Monday, police said. ‘Honour’ killings refer to the murder of individuals, predominantly women and girls, by family members who believe the victim has brought “dishonour” upon the family. Data from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) shows that in 2024, ‘honour’ killings continued to be a serious issue across Pakistan, with particularly high figures in Sindh and Punjab. From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to ‘honour’ crimes in the country. Manghopir police SHO Imran Ahmed Khan told Dawn.com, “The victim was in a relationship with a woman from their native town in Balochistan’s Bolan district.” Khan added that the couple had arrived in Karachi about four days ago and were living with the man’s relatives near Gulshan Chowk in Mohammed Khan Colony. He said as per the initial probe, the woman’s brother and other relatives traced the couple and shot the man along with his maternal un...

Three cops were injured in an attack on a highway police vehicle in Balochistan’s Nasirabad District on Monday, an official said. Pakistan is ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025. Terrorists in Balochistan, previously engaged in a low-level insurgency, have recently intensified their attacks. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) emerged as a key perpetrator of terrorist violence in Pakistan in 2024. “Three personnel were injured in a blast targeting a patrolling vehicle of the highway police in Nasirabad’s Rabbi area,” Highway Police’s Senior Superintendent of Police Khadim Husain said. He added that the incident took place when the highway police team was patrolling the area as per routine. Citing preliminary reports, Husain said the blast was conducted through a remote-controlled device. The injured were immediately taken to a hospital in the Dera Murad Jamali town, located 12km from Rabbi, the SSP added. “The police have initiated an investigation,” SSP Husain said. In June, Pakistan wi...

PTI leaders on Monday rejected the proposed revival of the jirga system in the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that making such decisions was the prerogative of the provincial government. Earlier in the month, a meeting of top federal and provincial government officials discussed and stressed the need to revive the jirga system in the merged districts. A jirga is a traditional form of conflict resolution, primarily found in Pashtun societies of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where a council of male elders gathers to settle disputes based on local customs and traditions The meeting discussed ways to promote an effective alternative justice system in tribal districts. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad along with other party leaders, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said: “In none of the committee meetings was reviving the jirga system discussed for the tribal areas, and after the 18th Amendment, that right was with the provincial government. “After the 25th Amendment, when the tribal ar...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday announced that Sweden has resumed visa services in Islamabad and Pakistani nationals will be able to apply for a Schengen visa from today onwards Sweden in April 2023 indefinitely closed its embassy in Islamabad, citing the security situation as the reason. As a result, the Migration Section was unable to handle requests, nor could any documents be sent to consulates, Gerry´s, or applicants’ addresses. “We understand that this will cause inconvenience; however, the safety of our applicants and staff members are of highest priority,” a notice placed on the embassy’s website had read at the time. The embassy reopened in April this year, according to its website. According to the FO, the Swedish and Pakistani foreign ministries held bilateral consultations in Stockholm on July 2, where the decision to resume visa services was announced by the Swedish side. “Effective July 7, 2025, Pakistani nationals can apply for a Schengen visa from within Pakistan for visits to Sweden of up t...

Some 18 lions kept illegally as pets have been confiscated in Punjab, authorities said on Monday as they launched a crackdown after one escaped from a house and attacked a woman and two children in Lahore. The woman suffered scratches and bruises, and the two children, aged five and seven, were hospitalised after the attack last week, but their injuries were not life-threatening, provincial wildlife officials said. The lion, which was kept without a licence in a house in Lahore, was confiscated and sent to a local safari park, said Mubeen Elahi, Director General of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department. The owner was later arrested, police said. Keeping exotic animals as pets has been fueled by social media, with owners often showing off their animals online as status symbols. “According to the new regulations for keeping big cats, no individual is allowed to keep a lion without a licence, without adhering to the required cage size and without following other standard operating procedures,” Elahi said, add...

The Sindh government on Monday suspended Sindh Building and Control Authority (SBCA) Director General Ishaque Khuhro over the recent building collapse in Karachi that claimed 27 lives. The five-storey building on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market collapsed on Friday morning, with the rescue operations concluding yesterday. The building had already been declared uninhabitable by authorities due to its dilapidated structure, with the SBCA saying it had issued multiple prior notices to residents to vacate the structure since 2023. A notification issued by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, stated that the SBCA DG’s services were “placed under suspension with immediate effect for the reason of misconduct and inefficiency”. It added that Khuhro’s headquarters during the suspension period would be at the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department. He would “draw his salaries and allowances during the suspension period as admissible under the rul...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday chaired a meeting to review the domestic situation of essential commodities and food items.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a high alert for potential flooding in major rivers and urban areas of the province, warning of a significant rise in water levels from July 7 to 9.

A person was killed and 15 others were injured in two separate accidents on Monday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district, rescue officials said. According to Rescue 1122 Swat spokesperson Niaz Khan, “Eleven seminary students were injured when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed near the Kedam police checkpoint in Swat’s Bahrain town. “The students, who hailed from Kalam, were on their way home after their holidays in Batkhela Town.” He said the Rescue 1122 medical team swiftly arrived at the site of the incident after receiving a report. “After administering initial medical aid, the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. Three students, who were declared severely injured, were safely transported to the Civil Hospital in Madyan.” In another incident, he said a man was killed while four others sustained injuries when a three-wheeler plunged into a deep ravine after its brakes failed. The driver died on the spot, Khan said. Fatal accidents are common on roads in the mountainous regions of the countr...

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) soared to new highs on Monday as shares crossed the 133,000 barrier, with analysts attributing the optimism to a “favourable” taxation regime for equities following the passage of the federal budget. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,771.48 points (1.34 per cent), to stand at 133,720.54 points at 11:21am, from the previous close of 131,949.06 points. It reached an intraday high of 133,862.01 points, before closing at 133,370.14 points — 1,421.08 points (1.08pc) higher than yesterday. The PSX commenced the new fiscal year on a bullish note last week, as the KSE-100 index posted a robust 6.1pc gain during the outgoing week. Continuing that momentum, the market extended its record-setting rally for the seventh consecutive session today. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, noted: “A favourable taxation regime for equities and the increasing likelihood of equities outperforming other asset classes, amid improving macroeconomic indicators and lower inflation, ...

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar asserted on Monday that the Speaker of the Assembly holds extensive authority and serves as the head of the house, likening their role to that of a household leader.