Pakistan

India has urged a UN wildlife trade body not to curb its imports of endangered species, saying it has tightened oversight amid growing allegations of irregular animal shipments to a large private zoo run by Asia’s richest family. Vantara, a 3,500-acre zoo in Gujarat state run by the philanthropic arm of a conglomerate led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family, has faced allegations of improper imports of certain animals, triggering higher scrutiny from authorities in Germany and the European Union, Reuters has reported. Indian investigators tasked by the country’s Supreme Court to examine the allegations by non-profit and wildlife groups cleared the sanctuary of any wrongdoing in September, and Vantara has said it complies with all regulations. However, after visiting the facility in September, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) issued a report last week asking India to review its procedures. The report cited discrepancies betwe...

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday commenced the licencing of Virtual Private Network (VPN) service providers under the reinstated Class Value Added Services (CVAS-Data) regime. In December last year, the PTA had devised a new strategy to register VPNs after its previous efforts to ensure compliance, such as warning to ban unregistered VPNs, failed to yield the desired results. It said it had resumed granting Class Licence for Data services to service providers in Pakistan. In a press release issued today, the telecom regulator said licensing under the CVAS-Data regime “aims to streamline the provision of secure and lawful VPN services in Pakistan while ensuring compliance with national regulations and data security standards”. The PTA said it has granted class licences to several companies, including Alpha 3 Cubic Pvt Ltd (Steer Lucid), Zettabyte Pvt Ltd (Crest VPN), Nexilium Tech SMC-Pvt Ltd (Kestrel VPN), UKI Conic Solutions SMC-Pvt Ltd (QuiXure VPN), and Vision Tech 360 Pvt Ltd (Kr...

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has advised citizens to collect their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) without delay after issuance.

South Korea’s Lotte Chemical said on Thursday it has sold about 75 per cent stake in its Pakistani subsidiary to Dubai-based PTA Global Holding for $68.94 million (98 billion won). The South Korean company is trying to restructure its portfolio under a government-led programme aimed at aiding loss-making petrochemicals in the country due to poor demand and abundant supply. Lotte Chemical Pakistan produces 500,000 tons of high-purity terephthalic acid (PTA), used in polyester fibers, industrial yarns, and PET bottles, annually at its plant in Karachi. Adnan Afridi has been appointed the firm’s chief executive officer following the stake sale, Lotte Chemical Pakistan said in a statement late on Wednesday. “The acquisition marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the company’s journey — one defined by innovation, operational excellence, and strategic growth, positioning Lotte Chemical Pakistan as a key industrial growth agent for PET and PSF customers in Pakistan,” the statement said. The statement also...

The issue of the demolition of the Data Darbar pet market has resurfaced in the Lahore High Court (LHC) through a new constitutional petition.

Air pollution in Lahore and several other Punjab cities has reached dangerous levels, with air quality indices (AQI) entering the hazardous zone.

The new text of the 27th Constitutional Amendment will be presented in the Senate today for approval, with the session scheduled to begin at 11 a.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab livestock department to decide an application seeking a declaration that deaths of animals and birds during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation against a bird market at Bhati Chowk was illegal and amounted to cruelty. Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry passed the order disposing of a public interest petition filed by an NGO, registered in the name of renowned Urdu poet Shohrat Bokhari and his wife Farkhanda Bokhari. Barrister Maqsooma Zahra Bokhari appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) carried out an inhumane demolition operation against the alleged illegally established bird market. She pointed out that the bulldozers of the LDA killed a large number of animals and birds. She pointed out that the members of the civil society and animal lovers had been trying to rescue some of the animals roaming and hiding, but the authorities sealed the market area. The counsel argued that the authorities were mora...

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in US history, roughly two hours after the House of Representatives voted to restart disrupted food assistance, pay hundreds of thousands of federal workers and revive a hobbled air-traffic control system. The Republican-controlled chamber passed the package by a vote of 222-209, with Trump’s support largely keeping his party together in the face of vehement opposition from House Democrats, who are angry that a long standoff launched by their Senate colleagues failed to secure a deal to extend federal health insurance subsidies. Trump’s signature on the bill, which cleared the Senate earlier in the week, will bring federal workers idled by the 43-day shutdown back to their jobs starting as early as Thursday, although just how quickly full government services and operations will resume is unclear. View this post on Instagram It would extend funding through January 30, leaving the federal government on a path to kee...

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has emphasized the need to further strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States.

The federal cabinet meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, will now be held today (Thursday) at the Prime Minister’s Office, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast continued dry weather across most parts of the country over the next 24 hours, while northern and hilly regions brace for cold to very cold conditions during the morning and night hours.

No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be initiated or continued against president for life, according to constitutional amendment bill.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has highlighted mines and minerals in Pakistan as an important area of mutual interest between Pakistan and Canada and said that Canadian company Barrick Gold’s role in the Reko Diq project would be the harbinger of development in Pakistan and a success story of Pakistan-Canada economic.

• Warns enemies of ‘befitting response’ to their actions • Reminds Afghan Taliban of responsibility to stop act of terrorism from soil of Afghanistan • Dar affirms Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday accused Afghanistan and India of involvement in recent terrorism, vowing a “befitting response” to the nation’s enemies following a suicide blast in the capital and an attempted attack that he said was reminiscent of the 2014 APS massacre. “It is no more a secret that an external hand is visible [in attacks in Pakistan]”, PM Shehbaz said during his address to the National Assembly following the passage of the controversial 27th Cons­ti­tutional Amendment. He also condemned what he called a “dastardly” attempt by terrorists to carry out an incident in Wana, South Waziristan. “It could have been a worst attack than APS [Army Public School carnage], if it would have not been averted by the armed forces,” PM said, revealing that one of the terrorists killed by secur...

ISLAMABAD: Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that the government cannot appoint judges to courts and tribunals solely by executive authority, declaring that judicial oversight is “constitutionally indispensable” to safeguard the independence of the judiciary. In a 73-page judgement, the judge asserted that a “judicial nod cannot be ruled out” for appointments to judicial bodies within the Islamabad Capital Territory. The federal government, he emphasized, cannot use its administrative powers to appoint officials to judicial posts “without effective and meaningful consultation with the Islamabad High Court”. The ruling came in response to a petition by lawyer Ammar Sehri, who asked the court to enforce a 2010 law ensuring all courts and tribunals in the capital operate under the high court’s supervision, as mandated by the Constitution. Invoking legal theory and history, Justice Sattar warned against unchecked executive power and the rise of “autocratic legalism,” a system where ...

Opposition rips up copies of 27th Bill; 234 MNAs vote in favour, four against; PM hails passage as historic milestone

Opposition pledges to make govt 'miserable'

In rare show of unity, leaders from across political spectrum attend caucus

UNDP report warns of worsening poverty as millions of returnees strain fragile public services