Pakistan

Former Speaker of the Sindh Assembly and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Agha Siraj Durrani passed away at a private hospital in Karachi after a prolonged illness.

Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, has challenged the indictment proceedings and the entire case filed against her in connection with the November 26 protest, leading to the postponement of her indictment.

In a historic development, prominent Pakistani human rights defender and policy expert Nayyab Ali has been officially shortlisted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the position of UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have reiterated the government’s strong commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for visually impaired persons in all fields.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast mainly dry weather across most parts of the country during the next 24 hours, with cold conditions expected in northern areas during night and morning hours.

IMF predicts Pakistan’s GDP growth rate at 3.

This screengrab shows Taliban posts destroyed after unprovoked firing in Kurram on Tuesday.

KP CM oath taking.

PESHAWAR - The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to Chief Minister-elect Sohail Afridi at 4:00pm today (Wednesday).

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD - A Levies constable who was guarding a polio vaccination team was killed in a brazen gun attack in the Arkot area in Matta tehsil of Swat on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD - Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman yesterday called for calm and constructive engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, emphasizing the need to end not only armed hostilities but also the war of words that fuels regional tensions.

ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday hosted an important briefing for representatives of foreign diplomatic missions based in Islamabad, focusing on the recent developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure peace, stability, and security in the region.

RAWALPINDI - An Anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants of arrest for Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan – founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in a case related to November 26, 2024 protests.

RAWALPINDI - Rawat and Taxila police have registered two criminal cases against Saad Hussain Rizvi, chief of TLP and numerous other nominated and unidentified activists of the religious party for carrying out unlawful and violent protests in the city on October 13.

ISLAMABAD - Abid Zuberi Advocate citing the Supreme Court judgment in Practice and Procedure Act (PPA), 2023 case on Tuesday said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan has the power to form Full Court.

Islamabad - Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch on Tuesday appointed senior foreign service career officer Dr Tahir Andrabi as new spokesman of the foreign ministry.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday that the Palestinian people’s freedom, dignity and prosperity remain a primary concern for Pakistan.

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) on reviews of the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the Fund said on Wednesday. Last week, an IMF mission led by Iva Petrova concluded talks with Pakistani authorities on the second review of the EFF — agreed in 2024 to shore up the economy after a severe financial crisis — and the first one of the RSF climate loan. “The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second review of the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF),“ Petrova said in a statement issued by the IMF. The SLA is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Petrova added. Once approved, Pakistan will have access to about $1bn (SDR 760 million) under the EFF and about $200m (SDR 154m) under th...

QUETTA - Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Sarfraz Bugti has issued a firm declaration that narcotics cultivation will not be tolerated anywhere in the province.

Fighting flared up again on Tuesday night between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported state media. “Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity,” reported state broadcaster PTV News, quoting security sources on X. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. It added that Taliban regime posts suffered heavy damage and a tank caught fire after being hit, with Taliban fighters fleeing from their posts. In a subsequent post, PTV said: “Another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban destroyed in Kurram sector.’’ PTV added that a fourth tank position at Shamsadar post was destroyed. “There are reports of the killing of an important commander of Fitna al-Khawarij in this important operation of the Pakistan Army.’’ Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch gave...