Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Arif Habib — chairman of the investment firm that headed the consortium that won the auction for a controlling stake in Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Ltd (PIACL) — has said the privatisaton of the national flag carrier would lead to an increase in employment in the airline as the new owners were looking to expand its business. An Arif Habib group-led consortium had won the auction for the airline with a bid of Rs135 billion last week after a competitive process, marking the country’s first major privatisation in nearly two decades. The investment firm‘s chairman spoke about the development on DawnNewsTV programme ‘Doosra Rukh’ — televised on Monday night — where he was asked about PIA employees’ concerns, reservations and protests regarding their jobs against the backdrop of the airline’s privatisaion. In response, Habib said the “number of staff [in the airline] was reasonable”, adding that the privatisation would in fact increase employment on the whole as an expansion was planned a...

Pakistan has achieved significant progress in trade and educational cooperation with Tajikistan, driven by initiatives of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), marking a new chapter in bilateral relations.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) have agreed to enhance mutual collaboration to strengthen the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in the country.

KARACHI: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against more than a dozen lawyers after YouTuber Rajab Butt was physically assaulted during a court appearance in Karachi on Monday, it emerged on Tuesday. On Monday, Butt was physically assaulted, allegedly by some lawyers, at the Karachi City Court premises during the hearing of his bail plea in a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said on X that “a few lawyers launched a life-threatening attack on him within the court premises”. A video of the incident showed Butt, clad in a shirt torn from places, moving through a crowd surrounding him. The FIR of the incident, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was subsequently registered on the complaint of Butt’s lawyer, Ashfaq. It named Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, Advocate Abdul Fatah and “another 15-20 lawyers”. It should be mentioned that Solangi is also the complainant in the case registered against Butt for allegedly hurting religi...

Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, died after a prolonged illness, her opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Tuesday. Khaleda, aged 80, had advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, chest and heart problems, her doctors said. “The BNP chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6:00am (0000 GMT), just after the Fajr prayer,” the party said in a statement. “We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul,” it added. Interim leader Muhammad Yunus said Bangladesh “has lost a great guardian”. “Through her uncompromising leadership, the nation was repeatedly freed from undemocratic conditions and inspired to regain liberty,” the Nobel Peace Prize winner said in a statement. “I pray for the eternal peace and forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia’s soul,” ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina said, in a statement on social media by her now banned Awami League party. Desp...

Pakistan has strongly condemned the reported targeting of the residence of Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s residence, describing the incident as a grave threat to peace, security and stability, particularly at a time when efforts toward peace are underway.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday assured Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi of complete federal cooperation in addressing the security challenges faced by the province.

The District Police Officer (DPO) Murree has enforced Section 144 to ensure the safety of tourists and maintain law and order ahead of New Year celebrations.

A father and son accused of a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach “acted alone” and were not part of a wider terrorist cell, police said on Tuesday. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed allegedly killed 15 people in an ISIS-inspired attack targeting a Jewish festival on December 14. The pair travelled to the southern Philippines in the weeks before shooting, fuelling suspicions they may be linked to extremists. Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett said so far, this did not appear to be the case. “These individuals are alleged to have acted alone,” she told reporters. “There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out the attack.” Barrett said police would continue to probe why the pair travelled to the city of Davao, where CCTV showed they barely left their budget hotel. “I want to be clear. I am not suggesting they were there for tourism,” she said. Police believe the duo “meticulously planned” the attack for...

Dense fog once again enveloped the plains of Punjab, including Lahore, on the night between Monday and Tuesday, paralysing routine life and severely disrupting road traffic due to extremely low visibility.

An electric bus service comprising fifteen vehicles has been launched in Jhelum under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, marking a significant step towards sustainable urban transport in the district.

TANK/ PESHAWAR ISLAMABAD - At least five Indian sponsored terrorists were killed while a brave son of soil embraced martyrdom in intelligence based operation in Khar area of Bajaur district on Monday.

Several countries, including Pakistan, at the United Nations have questioned whether Israel’s move to recognise Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland is aimed at forcibly relocating Palestinians from Gaza or to establish military bases. Pakistan has stated that Israel’s “unlawful recognition” is “deeply troubling” against the backdrop of previous references to it being a “destination for the deportation of Palestinian people, especially from Gaza”. The remarks were made by Pakistan’s Deputy UN Ambassador Muhammad Usman Iqbal Jadoon during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday. In his remarks, Jadoon said, “Against the backdrop of Israel’s previous references to ‘Somaliland’ of the Federal Republic of Somalia as a destination for the deportation of Palestinian people, especially from Gaza, its unlawful recognition of ‘Somaliland’ region is deeply troublin...

KARACHI: A major terror plot was thwarted by law enforcers in the city on Monday as they rescued a school-going teenage girl who had been radicalised through social media by an outlawed militant group and was being prepared for a suicide attack in Karachi. This was shared by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar during a press conference at the Central Police Office. The minister said that the girl was detained during routine checking by police on the outskirts of Karachi and during the investigation, she revealed the details of the potential terror attack. Mr Lanjar said that the girl belonged to an ordinary family in Balochistan and had been radicalised by anti-state elements through social media before being recruited by a banned group. She was shown fictitious heroic stories of past suicide bombers and was trained through WhatsApp groups to carry out a suicide attack in Karachi. However, law enforcers “foiled the terrorists’ nefarious designs by rescuing her in time,” he added. He also said that the girl...

• Environment ministry okays ‘run-of-the-river’ Dulhasti Stage II, to be built in held Kashmir • Indian govt forging ahead with several hydel projects in Indus basin after unilaterally suspending treaty • Water weaponisation in climate change-prone region ‘neither sane nor acceptable’, warns Sherry Rehman NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD: India’s Ministry of Environment has been pondering clearances for a slew of controversial hydroelectric projects on the Chenab River in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident earlier this year. Yet, it does not seem to share serious apprehensions that leading environmentalists have expressed over their threat to a fragile Himalayan ecology. Last week, a panel under the ministry approved the 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Kishtwar district of India-held Jammu and Kashmir, according to The Hindu. Earlier, in October, it was reported that environmental clearances were revived for the larger Sawalkote hydro-electric project on the same river. The c...

PESHAWAR: After the conclusion of a tour of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi will visit Sindh and Balochistan as part of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s street movement, said his special assistant for information Shafi Jan on Monday. In a media briefing after a cabinet meeting here, Mr Jan said that the PTI delegation comprising provincial ministers and members of the assembly and led by CM Afridi, which just concluded a visit to Punjab province to launch a street movement, achieved its objectives as restrictions prevented people from freely moving with PTI flags on Lahore roads. He said the love of Punjab residents for the PTI was evident from the warm welcome accorded to the delegation on arrival in Lahore. The chief minister’s aide regretted that the chief minister was denied permission to visit the houses of some PTI workers in the cantonment area. CM tells cabinet that funding denial by Centre has badly hit uplift projects in tribal districts He wondered if a chief minister’s entry ...

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has introduced a set of shocks covering climate-related risk measures to protect the financial institutions as the threat has been increasing with climate change. “In pursuance of its goal to further strengthen the risk management capacity of regulated financial institutions (banks, DFIs and MFBs), it has decided to introduce an additional set of shocks covering climate-related risks,” said a circular of the State Bank. Consequently, Guidelines on Climate Stress Testing are being rolled out. Climate change has emerged as a significant challenge for the domestic economy and the financial system, said the SBP. Another related circular issued by the SBP said Pakistan is among the most climate-vulnerable countries. “Consequently, its financial sector faces increasing exposure to physical and transition risks,” said the circular. New guidelines aim to strengthen risk management as climate threats intensify According to the SBP circular, the guidelines provide scenarios for...

• Companies say it must reflect sector’s ‘economic realities’, urge federal cabinet to prioritise long-term benefits over short-term revenue • Call for pragmatic approach aligned with national objectives • Zong, Huawei test high-capacity backhaul ahead of 5G rollout ISLAMABAD: The telecom industry has demanded rational conditions in the spectrum auction policy expected to be announced by the federal cabinet in the coming days, suggesting that the government needs to prioritise long-term economic benefits over short-term revenue generation. Telecom companies say spectrum is an invisible infrastructure but a crucial one as it drives digital connectivity — the foundation of modern life. Financial technology adoption, freelancer platforms, and digital tools used by schools and hospitals all depend on mobile broadband capacity. However, the problem is that while the demand for connectivity has surged in the country, spectrum availability remains scarce. Currently, Pakistan has just 274 MHz of spectrum allocated na...

DERA BUGTI: Baloch­is­tan Chief Minister Mir Sar­fraz Ahmed Bugti on Monday formally assumed responsibilities as the eighth chief of the Bugti tribes. The position is the highest rank within the Bugti tribe after Nawab Aali Bugti, who heads all six Bugti clans and was chosen as the Nawab following the death of his grand­father, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. According to historical records, the title of Chief of Bugti was conferred on Mir Sarfraz Bugti’s grandfather in the early 1800s, reflecting a long-standing tradition of tribal leadership and governance within the Bugti community. The turban-tying (Dastar Bandi) ceremony was held in the Bekar area of Dera Bugti district and was attended by tribal chiefs, elders and pro­minent figures from the Bug­ti tribes. Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti was formally adorned with the turban, marking his official elevation as Chief of the Bugti tribes. Members of the Nawab Bugti family, including Nawab­­zada Zamran Saleem Akbar Bugti, were also present. Addressing the gathering, Mir Sar...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation, highlighting a 20% rise in trade and growing collaboration in investment, aviation, education, and healthcare.