Pakistan

In a significant move to curb deceptive marketing practices, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) imposed a hefty fine on a housing society for false and misleading advertisements. “The commission imposed a penalty of Rs150 million on Kingdom Valley Pvt Ltd for misleading advertisements concerning its housing project,” read a statement by the CCP. The CCP’s Office of Fair Trade initiated an investigation after taking notice and found that the company “falsely advertised its project as Kingdom Valley Islamabad, despite it being located in Mouza Choora, tehsil and district Rawalpindi”. It added that the company misrepresented affiliations with the Naya Pakistan Housing Program (NPHP) and Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA). Furthermore, it was noted that the company publicised the project as ‘NOC [no-objection certificate] Approved’ without accurate or complete disclosure regarding its approval status. The commission’s bench, comprising Saeed Ahmed Nawaz and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, con...

SpaceX’s Starship rocket roared into space from Texas on Tuesday but spun out of control about halfway through its flight without achieving some of its most important testing goals, bringing fresh engineering hurdles to CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly turbulent Mars rocket programme. The 400-foot tall (122 metre) Starship rocket system, the core of Musk’s goal of sending humans to Mars, lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase, Texas, launch site, flying beyond the point of two previous explosive attempts earlier this year that sent debris streaking over Caribbean islands and forced dozens of airliners to divert course. For the latest launch, the ninth full test mission of Starship since the first attempt in April 2023, the upper-stage cruise vessel was lofted to space atop a previously flown booster — a first such demonstration of the booster’s reusability. People wait to watch SpaceX’s next-generation Starship spacecraft launch on its ninth test, at South Padre Island, Texas, US, May 27, 2025.— Reuters But SpaceX los...

Pakistan on Tuesday strongly denounced recent provocative actions by Israeli forces and illegal settlers aimed at altering the religious, historical, and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rain accompanied by strong winds in various parts of the country today (Wednesday).

• Finance minister vows to shift tax burden away from salaried class, other documented sectors • Meets commercial banks, regulators, industry bodies to gather input for budget • Stakeholders agree incentives must make digital payments more appealing than cash • Ceramic tile manufacturers say import dependence cut from 74pc to 4pc • New digital financing model being developed to support small-scale farmers ISLAMABAD: As part of pre-budget consultations with stakeholders, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday promised to shift the tax burden away from the salaried class and documented sector to others through digitisation, and hinted at major steps towards the compulsory use of digital payments to maximise a cashless economy and increase documented transactions. A Ministry of Finance team, led by the minister, had a series of meetings with commercial banks, development financial institutions, regulators and industrial representatives, including ceramics manufacturers and steel producers, to discuss pol...

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.