Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - China on Tuesday announced a major step to foster stronger bilateral relations with Pakistan by opening new employment avenues for Pakistani youth.

Peshawar - Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, on Tuesday praised the political awareness and exemplary conduct of the Peoples Students Federation (PSF) and its youth members during a peaceful protest organized by the party.

• Gusty winds disturb life in twin cities • One killed, 10 injured in Attock; three injured in Rawalpindi, residents forced to take steps to protect their vehicles and other property ISLAMABAD: As windstorms have become rampant in the federal capital, the district administration has decided to remove billboards in the city to avoid the risk of accidents. On Tuesday, a billboard fixed at the National Press Club (NPC) fell down due to a windstorm. Moreover, a number of trees were broken and several fiberglass shades on terraces and rooftops dislodged and fell onto the roads. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon directed that all billboards within the limits of the federal capital be removed. It is worth mentioning that in urban areas, there are only two locations — NPC and Srinagar Highway (near G-13) - where billboards have been displayed. However, there are a number of billboards in the rural areas of the city which are also under the administrative control of the deputy commissioner. Meanwhile, af...

LAHORE: The audit report for 2023-24 of the Punjab Home Department reveals the ‘disappearance’ of arms and ammunition worth millions of rupees from the institutions operating under the department’s oversight. The report presented to the Punjab Assembly details the theft, disappearance and non-recovery of arms from police stores in 12 districts. The total value of the missing equipment is reported to exceed Rs245.5 million, none of which has been recovered to date. As per the report, weapons worth over Rs83.4m went ‘missing’ from the Muzaffargarh DPO office between 2021 and 2023; arms and bullets valued at over Rs47.1m are unaccounted for in the DIG Operations Lahore office; weapons worth more than Rs46.8m missing from the Police Office Lahore have not been recovered. Likewise, rifles and ammunition exceeding Rs7.4m value have disappeared from the CPO Multan’s office; the record of rifles issued to various officers in 2009 is missing from the Central Jail Lahore; weapons and equipment valued at Rs5.614m are mi...

Peshawar - Under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has achieved another significant milestone by launching the Good Governance Roadmap, aimed at enhancing governance mechanisms across the province.

ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the killing of four family members in an alleged drone strike in Hurmuz, Mir Ali, North Waziristan on 19 May, and announced the formation of a sub-committee to investigate the incident.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain on Tuesday held an important meeting with representatives of the Farmers Union to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the agriculture sector, with a special focus on maize exports and wheat reserves.

The Armed Forces of Pakistan, along with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Services Chiefs, extended warm congratulations to the nation on the 27th anniversary of Youm-e-Takbeer — the day Pakistan became a nuclear power.

Youm-e-Takbeer is being observed across the country today (Wednesday) with patriotic fervor to commemorate Pakistan’s successful nuclear tests conducted on May 28, 1998.

KARACHI: Two sisters were subjected to a sexual assault in their home in North Karachi, police and doctors said on Tuesday. Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that both the girls, aged 15 and 8, were brought to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) by their maternal and paternal uncles at 5:30pm. She said that the girls were examined at the health facility and “findings are strongly suggestive of sexual violence”. Evidentiary samples had been collected for serology and DNA profiling and cross matching, she said, adding that both sisters bore marks of “severe physical violence”. The condition of the eight-year-old was serious, she said. Dr Summaiya said the relatives had on May 25 brought the girls to a government hospital in New Karachi with complaint of sexual harassment and torture. Central SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said that their father had died four years ago and their mother had married another man and was living with him with her four children. He said that a few days ago the girls’ mother...

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity as the nation marked the 27th anniversary of its nuclear tests, observed as Youm-e-Takbeer.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday condemned the recent comments made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing his rhetoric as “hate-driven” and “reckless,” and warning of its dangerous implications for regional peace and stability.

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has ordered a halt to new student visa interviews as it considers requiring foreign students to undergo social media vetting as part of their application to study in the United States, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing a diplomatic cable. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign nationals, throwing the future of thousands of students and the lucrative income stream they provide into doubt. She had threatened last month to block international students at the school unless it turned over records on visa holders’ “illegal and violent activities.” But a judge quickly suspended the move after the university sued to “stop the government’s arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional action.” There will be an injunction hearing on Thursday, a court filing showed. Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement that the attempted foreign students ban “imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars acro...

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan, visited General Staff Headquarters, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

QUETTA - A policeman deployed on security duty for a polio vaccination team was martyred when unidentified gunmen opened fire in the Killi Muhammad Hassani area of Nushki, Balochistan on Tuesday.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated the country’s largest and most advanced model cattle market in Shahpur Kanjran, terming it a “major step towards modernising the livestock trade and ensuring better facilities for both traders and animals”.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered sweeping reforms and stricter enforcement of traffic laws across the province, including a tenfold increase in fines for traffic violations, to enhance road safety and discipline on roads.

ISLAMABAD: In a major policy departure, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday approved K-Electric’s request to incorporate unrecovered bills into its consumer tariff — starting with a recovery shortfall of 6.75 per cent in 2023-24, gradually declining to 3.5pc by 2029-30. Nepra set K-Electric’s base tariff at Rs40 per unit for the fiscal year 2023-24, which is almost 40pc higher than even the national average tariff of about Rs28 per unit in 2025-26 for the 10 public sector power distribution companies (Discos). The delta between the Discos’ average and K-Electric’s tariff is transferred to the taxpayers through the federal budget in the form of tariff differential subsidy. In a detailed determination, the regulator changed K-Electric’s tariff mechanism based on 100pc recovery of bills and instead allowed recovery losses in the tariff, starting from 6.75pc in FY24 and gradually declining to 3.5pc by F30. Nepra sets utility’s base rate at Rs40 per unit, 40pc higher than national a...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges’ transfer and seniority case until May 29.

ISLAMABAD - Mrs Anar Akylbekovna, the Chairman of the Board/Rector of Astana Medical University, Kazakhstan, called on Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Tuesday.