Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Asad Qaiser’s public apology from the nation over the decision of his party’s then government to extend the tenure of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa has gained significant political and public attraction.

LAHORE - An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday sentenced senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema to 10 years in prison in two high-profile cases linked to the May 9 violence.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Faisalabad’s Lyallpur division Crime Control Department (CCD) police claimed to have arrested a paedophile serial rapist on Monday, who allegedly raped several minor boys and girls, recorded their videos and blackmailed them. According to CCD sources, the suspect ‘M’, a refrigerator mechanic residing in Kot Khan Muhammad locality on Satiana Road, had allegedly been raping minor boys and girls at gunpoint. The sources say the suspect would also record videos while raping children through secret cameras and later blackmail the victims. More than two dozen pornographic videos of eight to 12-year-old children were recovered from his mobile phones, besides other objectionable and obscene videos. The sources say that around a year ago, the suspect was caught red-handed raping a child, after which he fled to Multan. However, he returned to Faisalabad after six months and again raped an eight-year-old girl and made her pornographic videos. According to sources, the suspect had also allegedly electrocu...

WASHINGTON: The 50 per cent tariff imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods, including basmati rice, has reshaped trade flows in the United States, providing Pakistan an opportunity to expand its share in the American aromatic rice market. Pakistan’s basmati rice exports have witnessed steady growth in recent years. According to the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the country exported approximately 772,725 tonnes of basmati rice in FY24, generating $876.9m — up from 595,120 tonnes worth $650.4m in the previous fiscal year. The average export price per tonne also increased from $1,092.93 to $1,134.86. Data from Volza’s Global Trade platform shows that between November 2023 and October 2024, the United States accounted for 24pc of Pakistan’s total basmati exports through 1,519 shipments. Italy and the United Kingdom followed with shares of 14pc (908 shipments) and 11pc (716 shipments), respectively. Together, these three markets consumed nearly 49pc of Pakistan’s basmati rice exports. ...

LAHORE - The killing of innocent children, women and other civilians in Gaza is a great tragedy of this century.

ISLAMABAD - Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Federal Education Farah Naz Akbar stated that Pakistan is more than just a nation on map; it is an idea, a mission, and a divine blessing, and its sovereignty will always be fiercely protected.

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate was on Monday informed that a dumper driver booked and arrested for killing two siblings in an accident on Rashid Minhas Road a day before did not possess a heavy transport vehicle (HTV) licence. The investigating officer of the case brought the suspect before Judicial Magistrate (Central) Farman Ali Tager and sought his custody for 14 days for interrogation. He informed the court that as per initial inquiry the suspect did not possess a licence to drive a heavy vehicle. He said he only had the licence to drive light transport vehicles (LTV) and that too had expired in 2016. The IO asked for more time to get information regarding the owner of the dumper — involved in the accident — as well as need to verify the documents of the suspect. After hearing the IO, the court remanded him in police custody for two days and directed him to submit a progress report at the next hearing. Body formed to probe arson attacks A high-powered committee was formed to investigate arson attacks, whe...

GADANI: Gadani Jetty pink tide has caused widespread concern among marine scientists, environmentalists, and local communities, following the Balochistan coast, surprisingly turned pink from blue, ARY News reported. Not only did the colour turn pink, but also dead fish sightings and bad odour were observed. An on-site investigation was conducted on the directives of President […]

ISLAMABAD: Obtaining a national ID card in Pakistan is an obligation for every Pakistani to mark themselves as a responsible citizen. Every Pakistani aged 18 or above is eligible to apply for a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), which is essential for availing services such as banking, passport issuance, or voting. CNIC is issued by […]

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday called for the ending of dual citizenship of bureaucrats. Speaking on ARY News’ program Khabar, Khawaja Asif stated that bureaucrats should be required to declare their assets annually, urging that their dual citizenship should be ended, along with halting the allocation of government plots to them. Asif remarked, […]

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has become engaged to model and influencer Georgina Rodriguez, marking a new chapter in their relationship. After an eight-year relationship, the soccer star has finally popped the question to Rodriguez. Georgina Rodriguez confirmed the engagement in an Instagram post on Monday by sharing a picture of the ring. “Yes I […]

AUSTIN: As a result of disastrous floods that flowed through the Texas Hill Country in July, an impressive paleontological discovery has emerged: dinosaur footprints discovered in Travis County, that is estimated to be over 110 million years old. The floods, which claimed at least 135 lives, removed layers of sediment and debris by force of […]

GAZA: The heartbreaking final will of Al Jazeera journalist Anas Jamal Al Sharif went viral on social media Monday, as he entrusted the world with the plight of Palestine, urging: “Do not forget Gaza.” Al Sharif, 28, was among a group of four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant who were killed in an Israeli […]

South Africa pacer Kwena Maphaka scripted history with his exceptional outing in the first AUS vs SA T20I on Sunday. Australia won the game by 17 runs after Tim David starred with the bat in the first innings at Darwin. His 83 off 52 balls helped the hosts post 178 on the scoreboard. In response, […]

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif held a high-level party meeting to complete arrangements for the upcoming Punjab by-elections, ARY News reported. The meeting was held at the central secretariat of the party, with participation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The […]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed pleasure over the latest Gallup Business Confidence Index, which indicates that Pakistan’s business confidence has surged to its highest level in four years, ARY News reported. The report indicates that the country’s business community has growing optimism about the economic direction and governance. According to the findings of […]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday strongly rejected the remarks made by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, calling them “immature” and yet another example of India’s tendency to distort facts and twist statements out of context. In a statement, a Foreign Office Spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan, as a responsible nuclear […]

The US State Department on Monday added the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list, according to a press release. Last year, Pakistan proscribed the Majeed Brigade, which is the BLA’s dedicated suicide squad. The BLA itself was proscribed in 2006, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Authority’s list of proscribed organisations. Pakistan has previously requested that the Majeed Brigade be listed as an international terrorist organisation. In 2019, the State Department labelled the BLA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), making it a crime for anyone in the US to assist the militants, but did not designate the Majeed Brigade at that time. FTO designations are made by the Secretary of State, following section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and “are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business”. SDGT designations, meanwhil...

Pakistan has strongly rejected what it called India’s deliberate distortion of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s remarks during his recent visit to the United States.

Pakistan has welcomed the Court of Arbitration’s award on the general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a validation of its longstanding position.