Pakistan

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) – the private sector arm of the World Bank Group – has announced its first local currency investment in Pakistan, which it said was aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector. According to a press release issued by the IFC on Tuesday, its first Pakistani rupee-denominated investment via an unfunded partial credit guarantee of up to Rs33.6 billion would support long-term financing from Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Limited to Engro Fertilisers Limited. “The engagement marks IFC’s first local currency investment in Pakistan, thus expanding access to long-term financing solutions in both local and foreign currency, critical for economic growth, particularly in important sectors such as agriculture and micro, small, and medium enterprises,” the press release said. It added that the financing would enable Engro Fertilisers to strengthen the agri-value chain in Pakistan by mobilising local capital. “The investment — aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s agriculture sect...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed concern over the suspension of the Punjab Immovable Property Ordinance by the Lahore High Court (LHC), warning that the interim order would benefit land grabbers and harm ordinary citizens across the province.

Aleema Khan has filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench against her indictment in cases related to the November 26 protest.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly witnessed a year marked by persistent delays, quorum shortages and prolonged debates in 2025, with sessions rarely starting on time, according to official records.

US President Donald Trump, who has now on several occasions in the past praised Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, has now called him a “highly respected general”. The US president’s latest remarks came as he addressed a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. During the press conference, Trump announced a new class of heavily armed warships that will be named after himself — an honour usually reserved for leaders who have left office. Asked about the progress of talks between Russia and Ukraine, Trump said that his administration had so far “stopped eight wars” — a claim that he has repeated in the past. “We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India,” Trump said. “The head of Pakistan and a highly respected general — he is a field marshal — and also the prime minister of Pakistan said that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more, by getting that war [sic].” “You know, eight planes were shot down, the war was starti...

Muslims across Pakistan are preparing to observe the holy night of Shab-e-Meraj 2026 following the sighting of the Rajab moon on Sunday.

The District and Sessions Court Islamabad has dismissed all eight appeals filed by a private airline in connection with the 2010 plane crash case and ordered it to pay compensation exceeding Rs5.

The Punjab Higher Education Department has announced winter vacations for colleges and universities across the province in view of cold weather conditions.

The Islamabad Traffic Police have issued a traffic advisory announcing the temporary closure of several major roads in the federal capital for six hours today.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said that reforms have been initiated to transform Pakistan Television (PTV) into a merit-based and profitable organization.

Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of video gaming juggernaut “Call of Duty,” has died in a car crash, gaming giant Electronic Arts confirmed on Monday. He was 55. The developer and executive died on Sunday while driving his Ferrari on a scenic road north of Los Angeles, according to local broadcaster NBC4. “For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed,” the California Highway Patrol said in a statement, without identifying the two victims in the crash. The CHP added that both the driver and a passenger who was ejected from the vehicle succumbed to their injuries. Witnesses posted video of the mangled cherry-red Ferarri, engulfed in flames, on the mountain road. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. His studios created some of the world’s best-selling video games, and Zampella was considered an innovator in first-person military shooter style games. This year, when his “Battlefield 6” video game set a new sales record for the...

US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new class of heavily armed warships that will be named after himself — an honor usually reserved for leaders who have left office. Two of the Trump-class ships will be built initially, but that number could grow substantially, according to the president, who said they will be “some of the most lethal surface warfare ships” and “the largest battleship in the history of our country”. Trump made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida alongside Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Navy Secretary John Phelan, with images of the planned high-tech vessels on stands nearby. Asked if the planned warships are a counter to Washington’s rival Beijing, Trump declined to specify, instead saying: “It’s a counter to everybody, it’s not China. We get along great with China.” He said the ships will weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 tons and will be armed with missiles and guns as well as weaponry still in development, such as lasers and h...

• JUI-F chief warns against attempts to make Constitution ‘controversial’, seeks dissolution of all govts • Maulana stresses need to introspect on Afghan policy, expresses concern over plan to join Gaza force • Criticises move to force seminaries to obtain certificates from govt KARACHI: As political parties from the ruling and opposition camps propose talks to end the political confrontation, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday demanded fresh elections across the country to do away with the governments allegedly born out of rigging. Positioning himself as the one political figure courted by both the government and the opposition, Maulana Fazl declared that the 2018 and 2024 polls were “rigged and did not reflect the will of the people”. Standing alongside the government’s key ally, MQM-P’s appointed Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Maulana Fazl questioned the legitimacy of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government while also, without naming it, casting doubt on the past record o...

Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace and defence company that manufactures F-16 fighter aircraft, has been named the principal contractor.—AFP/file • Lockheed Martin picked as main contractor; $686m deal aims to extend fleet service life until 2040 • US Congress was earlier notified of the proposed sale, didn’t raise any objections WASHINGTON: A US military upgrade package for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter fleet, worth $686 million, has been cleared through a statutory congressional notification process. Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace and defence company that manufactures the F-16 fighter aircraft, and has long been responsible for its design, upgrades, and sustainment programmes for international operators, has been named the principal contractor for the proposed sale. The sale was processed under existing authorities provided by the Arms Export Control Act and annual appropriations laws. These provisions allow the executive branch to obligate and disburse funds once Congress has been formally notified and does no...

KARACHI: Pakistan has signed a multi-billion dollar deal to sell conventional military equipment to the Libyan army, entering a select club of countries that export conventional arms and equipment. According to the Reuters news agency, the over $4 billion deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, will see arms sold to the Libyan National Army (LNA). It was finalised after a meeting last week between Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Saddam Khalifa Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the LNA, in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, officials said. Although foreign ministry, defence ministry and military did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment, military officials called it “historic in terms of size and financial impact”. JF-17s, Super Mushak aircraft on LNA’s ‘shopping list’, said to be valued over $4bn A copy of the deal before it was finalised that was seen by Reuters listed the purchase of several JF-17 fighter jets, jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and a numbe...

SAHIWAL: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced two blasphemy convicts to death on Monday, and also sentenced them to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fines of Rs 550,000. The case was filed on the complaint of a local on July 17, 2024, and was registered at Kameer Police Station under FIR No. 710/24 in Sahiwal district. The FIR stated that the “alleged incident of blasphemy occurred on July 17, 2024, but was registered four months later, supported by testimonies from two local witnesses“. The court found the two individuals guilty of violating Sections 295-A and 295-C, Sections 7/9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, and Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 of the Pakistan Penal Code. In his detailed verdict, the judge ruled that the convicts were separately sentenced to death and fined Rs500,000 under Section 295-C, 10 years imprisonment under Section 295-A, seven years under PECA 2016, and five years along with a fine of Rs50,000 under ATA 1997. A senior police ...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday granted bail to Syed Muhammad, nominated in a case pertaining to the dissemination of hate material.

HYDERABAD - The Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday said that Pakistan knows how to protect its sovereignty, while the armed forces remain vigilant day and night to defend the country, stressing the need for national unity.

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Monday that local government elections under the Punjab Local Government Act 2025 would be held on a party basis and that party tickets could also be issued.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF called on Prince Khalid bin Sal-man bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during his official visit to the Kingdom.