Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reintroduced the state-run health insurance programme — popularly known as the Sehat Card Programme — in the federal capital, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan. Speaking at the launch ceremony of the facility in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz said, “Access to health facilities is the right of every citizen, and such facilities should be delivered to their doorsteps.” The prime minister added that through the launch of the Sehat Card, his government had taken yet another swift step to serve the nation. “This step is the revival of the same scheme that my leader, Nawaz Sharif, had initiated in 2016 for the first time,” he said. The scheme was originally introduced in 2016 when the PML-N government was in power. It was made available to citizens in Punjab, Balochistan, and the then Federally Administered Tribal Areas (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), with expansion plans. In 2019, the PTI-led government relaunched the progr...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of 159 lawmakers of the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies who failed to submit a statement of their assets and liabilities by the due date. The commission directed that “they shall cease to function as members with immediate effect until such statements are submitted by them,” according to a statement issued by the ECP. On Thursday, the ECP reminded lawmakers to submit the details of their assets and liabilities, including those of their spouse and dependent children, for the financial year 2024-25, warning of suspension if they fail to do so by January 15. Syed Ali Musa Gilani, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Muhammad Akhtar Mengal are among 32 members of the National Assembly whose membership has been suspended, while Musadik Malik is among nine Senators also suspended by the election regulator. Out of the suspended MPAs, 50 are members of the Punjab Assembly, 33 of the Sindh Assembly, 28 of the Khyber Pak...

Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday held a meeting with newly elected Senator Abid Sher Ali at the Parliament House and discussed the overall political situation of the country, and matters relating to the functioning of the Upper House were discussed in detail.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed local government elections in Islamabad after withdrawing the previously announced election schedule.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed her commitment to making the province completely peaceful and free from crime, emphasizing the protection of citizens’ lives and property and the elimination of criminal elements.

After a months-long delay, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai was appointed leader of the opposition in the National Assembly on Friday. Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had named Achakzai for the opposition leader’s slot in the NA in August last year. The notification, seen by Dawn, read: “Honourable Speaker has been pleased to declare Mr Mehmood Khan Achakzai, member of the National Assembly, as leader of the opposition in the NA, with effect from January 16, 2026.” “The notification has been issued under Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007,” said a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat. Notification by the NA Secretariat declaring Achakzai as the opposition leader in NA. — Photo via author Prior to the notification being issued, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq summoned PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Whip Amir Dogar to his chambers, stating that he had a “notification to give” them. “Come to my ch...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday emphasized the urgent need for national unity to address challenges such as extremism and terrorism, saying that collective efforts are essential now more than ever.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday withdrew the schedule for local government polls in Islamabad. The development came after the promulgation of an ordinance that changed the structure of local government and the mode of elections in the federal capital. On Monday, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the ordinance, which introduces several amendments to the Local Government Act 2015. Besides replacing the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) with three town corporations, the ordinance gives the government-appointed administrator more powers and an indefinite tenure. The statement issued by the ECP today stated that since “the structure of Local Governments and mode of Local Government Elections in Islamabad Capital Territory have been changed” after the “promulgation” of the local body ordinance, the schedule issued earlier is being withdrawn. Thousands of people from all 125 Union Councils of the federal capital had already submitted nomination papers for the elections. Meanwhile, the or...

More than one million web links and URLs have been blocked in Pakistan for spreading illegal and inappropriate digital content, according to a report by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) submitted to the Lahore High Court.

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has forecast a possibility of sighting the new moon of Shaban 1447 AH on the evening of January 20, 2026.

Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday reaffirmed his longstanding commitment to the development and prosperity of South Punjab and the welfare of its people.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review progress on cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia in the health sector, following the recent visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Pakistan.

Wheat prices have surged sharply over the past ten days across Punjab and Islamabad, triggering concerns over flour availability and rising costs for consumers.

LAHORE: Bushra Bibi’s daughter has moved the Lahore High Court (LHC), requesting to be allowed a meeting with her mother in Adiala Jail, it emerged on Friday. Bushra is serving a seven-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case. She was recently sen­tenced to 17 years’ imprisonment in the Toshakhana 2 case, which revolved around the purchase of an expensive jewelry set gifted to ex-premier Imran Khan by the Saudi crown prince during his May 2021 visit. Bushra’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, filed the petition through LHC Bar President Asif Niswana under Article 199 of the Constitution. The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn, named the Punjab government, via the home department secretary, the provincial inspector general of prisons, and the superintendent of Adiala jail as respondents. It said that Maneka was a “law-abiding citizen of Pakistan” as well as the real biological daughter of Bushra Bibi, and was “aggrieved” by the “unlawful, arbitrary, and unjustified refusal of the jail au...

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday issued directions to law enforcement authorities to arrest lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, “within 24 hours”, warning them of contempt in case of non-compliance. Mazari and Chattha have been facing legal proceedings in a case on accusations of inciting divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country. During today’s hearing, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka issued strict orders to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Islamabad, Jawad Tariq, to arrest Mazari and her husband within 24 hours. “Take them from Pakistan, India or Afghanistan. You have 24 hours. I don’t know whether they are at sea or in the sky. Wherever they are, arrest Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha within 24 hours, otherwise contempt of court proceedings will be initiated,” the judge remarked during the heari...

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was backing the newly appointed “Palestinian Technocratic Government” in Gaza, where Washington has announced the launch of a second phase in a ceasefire that went into effect in October but remains fragile. “I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the Board’s High Representative, to govern Gaza during its transition,” Trump said on social media. Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off in October on Trump’s plan, which says the Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by an international so-called “Board of Peace” that is meant to supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period. In another post, Trump said the “Board of Peace,” of which Trump himself is the chair, was formed, and its members would be announced shortly. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where, since the start of the truce in October, over 440 ...

Pakistan has told the UN Security Council that it hopes for an early normalisation of the situation in Iran, warning that the UN Charter and international law prohibit external interference in the internal affairs of states. “The UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against other states’ territorial integrity or political independence, or interference in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of states,” Ambassador Asim Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the 15-member Council on Thursday evening. The United States convened the Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Iran, with the country’s Ambassador Mike Waltz criticising the actions taken against Iranian protesters and assuring them of President Donald Trump’s support. In his remarks, the Pakistani envoy said, “We have been carefully observing developments in Iran and the region in recent days,” pointing out that new threats to regional peace and stability remain a seriou...

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged United States President Donald Trump to delay any American military strike on Iran, according to a report by The New York Times, a development that highlights growing regional unease over the risk of a wider conflict. Netanyahu spoke to President Trump on Thursday, the same day the US president publicly suggested that Tehran had eased its internal crackdown and halted executions, citing information from “very important sources on the other side”, remarks that were widely read in Washington as a signal of hesitation about imminent military action, the report said. The Israeli leader’s intervention comes as several key Arab partners of the US have also pressed the Trump administration to avoid an attack on Iran, warning that such a move could trigger a broader regional war, according to a senior official from a Gulf Arab country cited by the newspaper. Officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have contacted senior US officials over the pa...

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump on Thursday during a White House meeting, as she tries to gain some influence over how the president shapes the South American country’s political future. A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal. In a social media post on Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!” Machado, who described the meeting as “excellent,” said the gift was in recognition of what she called his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. Machado’s attempt to sway Trump came after he dismissed the idea of installing her as Venezuela’s leader to replace the deposed Nicolas Maduro. Trump openly campaigned for the prize before Machado was awarded it last month and complained bitterly when he was snubbed. Though Machado gave Trump the gold medal that honorees receive with...

• Report claims Hibatullah Akhundzada ‘spooked’ by possibility of schism between his hardline base in the south, more pragmatic ministers in the capital • Zabihullah Mujahid ‘confirms’ existence of audio recording, but terms BBC claim ‘unfounded’ A STARK message from the Taliban supreme leader, warning of internal threats to the Islamic Emirate, has seemingly laid bare the long-speculated divide bet­ween Kandahar and Kabul, BBC News reported. An audio recording of a speech — delivered by Hibat­ullah Akhundzada at a seminary in Kandahar aro­und a year ago — contains what some are interpreting as confirmation of differences among top Taliban leaders. In the leaked clip, obtained by the BBC, Akhundzada can be heard saying that internal disagreements could eventually bring them all down. According to the investigation by BBC Afghan, two distinct groups have eme­rged within the Afghan Tali­ban, each presenting competing visions for how Afgh­anistan should be governed. One is entirely loyal to the Akhundzada-led Ka...