Pakistan

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CCD says duo involved in dozens of home invasions across Punjab

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Ukraine’s parliament appointed the country’s first new prime minister in five years on Thursday, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management as prospects for peace with Russia grow dim. Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, has been tasked by President Volodymyr Zelensky with boosting domestic weapons production and reviving Ukraine’s loan-dependent economy. In a speech to parliament, Zelensky said he expected his new government to increase the share of domestic weapons on Ukraine’s battlefield to 50 per cent from 40pc within six months. He also singled out deregulation and expanding economic co-operation with allies as other key aims of the biggest government reshuffle since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Svyrydenko, an experienced technocrat who had served as first deputy prime minister since 2021, pledged to move “swiftly and decisively”. “War leaves no room for delay,” she wrote on X. “Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic we...

The Punjab government has formally approved the creation of the Punjab Counter Narcotics Force (PCNF) under the newly enacted Punjab Control of Narcotics Substances Act 2025.

Pakistan and the European Union (EU) on Thursday agreed on bolstering cooperation in security and counter-terrorism among other sectors during a bilateral dialogue, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO). EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka in March had announced that European companies recognised Pakistan as a potential business destination and were exploring new avenues for economic partnership. The EU is Pakistan’s sec­ond-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing the country to enjoy duty-free or minimum duty on European exports. According to the press release, Pakistan and the EU held their 10th Political Dialogue in Brussels and discussed key regional and international issues, including multilateral cooperation. Both sides agreed to deepen dialogue and discussions on security during the event. “The EU and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) signed in 2019,” the FO stated. “Both sides aim to further d...

The British government said on Thursday that it would allow 16-year-olds to vote in general elections, a landmark change giving the United Kingdom one of the lowest voting ages worldwide. The ruling Labour Party pledged to lower the age from 18 ahead of winning power last year. It is among several planned changes to the democratic system. Some argue Britain’s democracy is “in crisis”, in particular due to low turnout. The voting age change is contentious, however, with critics previously arguing it is self-serving as newly-enfranchised teenagers are seen as more likely to support centre-left Labour. “I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so [they] pay in,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go,” Starmer added. The government will have to bring legislation before parl...

Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has said that justice is not the responsibility of any single person or institution, but a collective duty shared by all of humanity.

A high-level meeting chaired by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was held at the Cabinet Division to review and approve civil awards for individuals who demonstrated exceptional bravery in safeguarding the country.

Chairman of the Senate, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Thursday underscored the need for strong institutions and transparent systems to ensure sustainable development and improved public service delivery in Pakistan.

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) contingent has arrived in the United Kingdom to participate in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, one of the world’s leading military airshows, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar met with Thai Ambassador Rongvudhi Virabutr on Thursday and discussed women’s empowerment, tourism, human rights, and cooperation in the legal sector.

PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram has issued a scathing critique of Adiala Jail authorities, accusing them of ignoring court directives and undermining the justice system.

The Punjab government has enforced Section 144 across the province in response to heavy monsoon rains and flood threats, according to a notification issued by the Punjab Home Department on Thursday.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday continued its renewed bullish momentum as it crossed the 138,000-point barrier. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,785.25 points, or 1.31 per cent, to stand at 138,165.21 points at 11:57am, from the previous close of 136,379.96 points. The index closed at 138,665.49 points, up by 2,285.53 points or 1.68pc. Awais Ashraf, research director at AKD Securities, said: “Investor optimism over a potential rate cut in the upcoming monetary policy, expected later this month, has strengthened following a decline in yields during yesterday’s PIBs (Pakistan Investment Bond) auction. “A stable external account and easing inflation further support the case for bringing interest rates down into single digits,” he told Dawn.com. The PSX had staged a modest recovery yesterday as investors resumed buying, encouraged by the formation of a high-level committee to address the business community’s concerns over the recently introduced taxation measures. The development has helped the...

In a significant breakthrough, five of Pakistan’s most-wanted fugitives have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and extradited to Pakistan, according to an official statement.

Three “wanted terrorists” were killed during a joint operation between the regional police and the Counter Terrorism Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Wednesday night, police said. The spokesperson for the Bannu police, Khanzala Quraishi, told Dawn.com, “The three terrorists, belonging to the Zarar group, had been eliminated in an intelligence-based joint operation conducted in the Bannu city outskirts at midnight.” He said that the “terrorists were wanted for attacks on security forces and the target killing of police personnel”. According to the spokesperson, the terrorists were identified and all of them were residents of Bannu. “Three Kalashnikovs, magazines, pistols and handmade improvised explosive devices were recovered from their possession,” he said. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. KP has seen an ...

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr.

A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month indicates the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The newspaper cited people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation into the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, India, that killed 260 people. A preliminary report into the crash released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday said one pilot was then heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel and “the other pilot responded that he did not do so”. Investigators did not identify which remarks were made by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively. Kunder, who was flying the plane, asked Sabharwal why he moved the fuel switches to the “cutoff” position seconds after lifting ...