Pakistan

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday published for the first time directives to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of infertility, which affects millions across the globe. “One in six people worldwide experience infertility during their lifetime,” said Pascale Allotey, the global health body’s head of sexual and reproductive health. “The condition affects individuals and couples across all regions and income levels. “And yet access to safe and affordable care remains highly inequitable.” Allotey told reporters that the issue of infertility had been neglected “for far too long”. The new guide would provide a “unified, evidence-based foundation” to ensure care is safe, effective and accessible for all, she added. According to the WHO, infertility is a condition of the male and female reproductive system, defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual relations. The situation can lead to major distress, stigmatisation and financial diffic...

The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), a statutory body working for women rights, on Friday condemned the “misogynistic and irresponsible remarks” made by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi on the Noor Mukadam case, saying that they reflected a “harmful mindset that shifts responsibility away from the perpetrators of violence and onto women themselves”. Justice Najafi — a member of the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court that had upheld the death penalty awarded to Noor’s murderer — attributed the ghastly 2021 murder to what he described as a vice prevalent in society. In his additional note, which surfaced on Wednesday, Justice Najafi upheld the sentence handed to Zahir and observed that “the present case is a direct result of a vice spreading in the upper society which we know as ‘living relationship’ [sic]”. It appeared the judge was referring to a live-in relationship, where two unmarried individuals in a romantic relationship cohabitate. The jud­ge also observed that societal compulsions in such...

The National Assembly session was adjourned on Friday after opposition lawmaker Mahboob Jan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pointed out the lack of quorum shortly after proceedings began.

PTI MPA Anwar Zeb Khan has said that one person has been injured after his home in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district was targeted in a “drone attack” last night, it emerged on Friday. In a video statement posted on his social media account on Thursday, the provincial lawmaker said, “My house in Raghagan, Khar tehsil, was targeted by a drone (quadcopter) attack by unknown individuals tonight, injuring one of my security guards.” Khan, who said he was in Peshawar at the time of the incident, strongly condemned the incident. He also identified the injured as Zair Muhammad, saying he was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar. Following the incident, police personnel arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. However, local police have not yet released any official statement regarding the nature of the incident and those responsible. Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in a statement, condemned the incident, terming it an act by “anti-peace elements”. As per the statement, CM Af...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday strongly condemned the shooting of two soldiers of the United States’ National Guard in Washington, DC, saying that the incident “heralds a troubling resurgence of terrorism on a global scale”. Two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded on Wednesday after being shot a few blocks from the White House, with US President Donald Trump terming the incident an “act of terror”. Trump has since announced that one of the soldiers had died. In a press release, the FO said, “Pakistan strongly condemns the shooting incident in Washington DC, reportedly involving an Afghan national. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the departed soldier, and (we) wish the injured a swift and complete recovery,” it said. It also extended sympathies to the families affected, as well as to the government and people of the US. The FO said the attack was “undoubtedly an act of terrorism and a heinous assault on US soil”. “For the past two decades, Pakistan has endured countless similar terrorist inci...

The death toll in a fire that ripped through a Hong Kong residential estate this week has risen to 128, the city’s security chief said on Friday. Dozens were still missing, Secretary for Security Chris Tang told a press conference, adding that he sent his condolences to those affected. Flames had moved quickly through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po district on Wednesday afternoon, spreading through the eight high-rises and transforming the densely packed complex into an inferno. After burning for over 40 hours, the blaze was “largely extinguished” by 10:18am local time on Friday, the fire services said, announcing the end of its operations. Authorities are investigating what sparked the fire, including examining the bamboo scaffolding and plastic mesh wrapped around the complex as part of a major renovation. At the charred apartment blocks, workers searched for survivors and pulled out bodies in black bags, with an AFP reporter counting four in one 15-minute period. Vehicles unloaded corpses at a...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday unleashed a series of posts on Truth Social that could dramatically reshape US immigration policy, declaring that he will “permanently pause” migration from “all third world countries” and calling for “reverse migration” to remove certain immigrants. “I will permanently pause migration from all third world countries to allow the US system to fully recover. This is necessary because unchecked migration has weakened American society and strained its resources. Until the system stabilises, no new immigrants from these countries will be allowed entry,” Trump wrote. He did not identify any countries by name or give any specifics about what he meant by “permanently pause”. However, his posts signal a sweeping crackdown that could affect millions of residents from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and which could also alter refugee, Green Card, and other immigration programmes. The development comes a day after the US government abruptly halted the processing of al...

The Interior Ministry has clarified that Pakistani citizens must still satisfy immigration authorities at airports even if they hold a valid visa, as part of stricter measures to curb misuse of travel documents and protect the country’s global image.

Pakistan’s security forces killed 22 Fitna al-Khawarij militants during a targeted intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that all commercial bank branches, including National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) branches handling customs duties, will remain open on Saturday, 29 November 2025, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm to facilitate taxpayers.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has hailed Pakistan’s security forces for successfully neutralising 22 Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Foreign Office (FO) has condemned the attack which claimed the lives of three Chinese workers in Tajikistan, saying that the use of armed drones in the incident underlined the “gravity of the threat emanating from Afghanistan and the brazenness of those behind it”. Tajik authorities said on Thursday that three Chinese workers in Tajikistan were killed in an attack launched from Afghanistan near the border. The foreign ministry said a drone and firearm attack hit workers of a Chinese company in the country’s south. “The attack, carried out with firearms and a drone loaded with grenades, claimed the lives of three employees of Chinese nationality,” it said in a statement. Dushanbe rarely comments officially on such incidents, and it did not say who it suspects carried out the attack. Subsequently, the FO, in a statement issued early on Friday, expressed Pakistan’s condolences and solidarity with China and Tajikistan over the lives lost in a “heinous terrorist attack in Tajikistan near its border with Afghan...

• LHCBA petition wants ICAs ‘restored to their original forum’ • Says 27th Amendment ‘unlawful, undermining judiciary’ • Fears parliament can ‘abolish or replace forum for constitutional adjudication at will’ if permitted ISLAMABAD: The Lah­ore High Court Bar Asso­ciation (LHCBA) on Thur­sday filed an application before the Federal Consti­tution Court (FCC), requ­esting that the pending intra-court appeals (ICAs) against the May 7, 2025 judgement on military trials of civilians be returned to the Supreme Court. The application has been moved under Order 35, Rule 6 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, which the FCC has adopted for the time being until it frames its own rules. On June 13, the LHCBA and the Lahore Bar Asso­ciation filed ICAs before the SC, seeking to revisit and set aside the May 7, 2025 judgement on the military trials of civilians. These appeals were filed through senior counsel Hamid Khan. In addition, former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Jawwad S. Khawaja and senior lawyer Barr­ister Aitzaz A...

Assert province inseparable part of Pakistan; Urge all to avoid making destabilising statements

Cites govt's pro-investor reforms, facilitations

FBI raids homes after two National Guard members shot near White House

Three Chinese workers killed in cross-border attack

K-P CM leads sit-in outside Adiala Jail

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Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and senior PTI leaders on Thursday dismissed reports of former premier Imran Khan’s ill health, with both sides stating that the PTI founder is ‘fine and nothing is wrong with him’. The PTI demanded a meeting with the incarcerated leader earlier today, saying the party was worried about his health as he has been barred from seeing his family and lawyers for over three weeks. Imran has been in jail since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges. His family and party members have protested outside Adiala Jail in recent days, demanding a meeting. A party delegation visited the prison to see Imran today, but authorities again denied access. Amid media reports that the 73-year-old former international cricketer might be moved to a high-security prison to make meeting him more challenging, international media outlets such as Japan’s Nikkei and the BBC also covered the concern over his status. His well-being became a talking point...