Pakistan

KARACHI: YouTuber Rajab Butt was physically assaulted at a sessions court in Karachi on Monday during the hearing of a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt appeared before the sessions court (Central) upon the expiry of his interim bail, which was granted to him on December 20. The hearing, however, was marred by violence and chaos as Butt was attacked. Butt‘s counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, alleged in a post on social media platform X that his client had been attacked by “some lawyers” at Karachi City Courts’ premises during the hearing of a case. He said the attack was carried out in his presence, in which Butt was injured. “[They] continued to beat him despite being repeatedly asked to stop,” Ashfaq said, terming “such conduct by the lawyers unprofessional”. He added, “Taking the law into their hands is weakening the reputation of lawyers in the country.” Ashfaq further stated that if “lawyers will become a party [in cases] every other day and continue to attack private li...

Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday said that the “weaponisation of water was neither sane nor acceptable” after Indian media reported that New Delhi had approved a hydel power project on the Chenab River. In a post on the social media platform X, the PPP leader said, “In flagrant violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India has just given approval to the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). “As per the IWT, which cannot be unilaterally revoked, as recent UN rapporteurs have confirmed, Pakistan has control over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers fall under India’s control,” she said. “Following the illegal suspension of the treaty, India has decided to fast-track several disputed hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin. These projects include Sawalkot, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai-1 and 2. Dulhasti Stage-II is considered part of this strategy,” she said. ...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the Shaheen Chowk Underpass early Monday and directed authorities to open it for traffic by December 31.

Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed recalled the moment he ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, saying in an interview published Monday with a US outlet he wanted to protect “innocent people”. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. Despite the tragedy, tales of heroism emerged of those who tried to stop the two gunmen during their deadly rampage. Among them was Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit seller, who went viral for ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailants. “My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he told CBS News in an interview that airs on Monday. “I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost.” Ahmed was shot several times in the shoulde...

The year 2025 emerged as a landmark period for Pakistan’s international diplomacy, with the country gaining heightened visibility and engagement on the global stage through extensive foreign visits, high-level meetings, and growing international interest.

China’s military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for its “Justice Mission 2025” drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilised troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack. The Eastern Theatre Command announced the drills will involve live-fire exercises on Tuesday, in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and air space restrictions for 10 hours from 8am (5am PKT). This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, and follows a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijing’s territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. The exercises began 11 days after the United States announced $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever weapons package for the island, drawing a prote...

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has issued a New Year alert, warning the public to remain vigilant against online scams and fraudulent activities.

Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti has been named the new chief of the Bugti tribes under the traditional tribal system.

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday asked the provincial government to support the military operations in the province as the security situation had significantly deteriorated due to militancy. Speaking at the National Press Club, he said the KP government should support security operations, as “without stability, development projects could not move forward”. Insecurity has a negative impact on the social and economic conditions of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, adding that “sustained peace was essential for businesses and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”. Mr Kundi blamed Afghanistan for the rise in terrorism and alleged the involvement of Afghan nationals in the attacks in Pakistan. He said those Afghans who did not have documents to stay in Pakistan were “illegal”. The governor said no foreign national could reside in Pakistan without valid documents and the same policy applied to the undocumented Afghans too. He added that those wishing to study or work must en...

• KP CM says dialogue without ‘resistance’ not effective; Karachi his ‘next destination’ • Believes talks can be meaningful if ‘power-wielding individuals’ participate • Azma claims ‘street movement’ failed to attract public, dubs it ‘social media hype’ LAHORE: After spending three days in the provincial capital galvanising party supporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Min­ister Sohail Afridi said the PTI would not engage in talks with the government without first taking to the streets to demonstrate its opposition to the status quo. His remarks come as party leaders are split into two camps: one led by veterans favouring dialogue, while the other is bent on street agitation as per the directions of the incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. A day earlier, CM Afridi said the decision to initiate talks rested with the opposition alliance, and that he was in charge of the ‘street movement’. CM Afridi, along with other provincial ministers and members of the assembly, had arrived in Lahore to launch a new street movemen...

KARACHI: A war of words erupted between two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Sunday after Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal once again blamed party founder Altaf Hussain for being involved in the 2010 murder of senior party leader Dr Imran Farooq in London. Speaking at a press conference at a park adjacent to the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, Mr Kamal said if Mr Hussain “truly considers himself innocent, he should approach a London court and file a petition for a transparent investigation into the brutal murder of Dr Imran Farooq”. It may be noted that in 2020 an Islamabad anti-terrorism court had sentenced three men — Syed Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim — to life imprisonment and declared Mr Hussain an absconder in the Imran Farooq murder case. The MQM-P leader’s presser came a day after the burial of Dr Imran Farooq’s widow Shumaila, who died a couple of days ago in London. Mr Kamal, as well as leaders of MQM factions, attended the funeral and expressed their condolence with he...

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Both sides step back from public rhetoric to reset ties; Pakistan insists on verifiable counterterror steps

PPP chief urges responsible politics and reconciliation amid affordability crisis

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Leaders say dialogue only if level-playing field is secured

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