Pakistan

BANNU: Security for­ces reportedly killed five militants, including a so-called commander, during an intelligence-based oper­at­ion in the Ping area under the jurisdiction of Ahmadzai police station in Bannu on Saturday. Police officials said the operation was launched after security agencies received information abo­ut militants hiding in the area. Acting on the tip-off, security forces cordoned off the locality and eng­aged the suspects, resulting in the killing of five militants. The officials said the group was involved in sabotage activities and had been using the area as a base to plan attacks. Following the encounter, security forces carried out a search and clearance operation in the surrounding areas to trace any possible accomplices. Law enf­orcement agencies were placed on high alert, while security checkpoints in and around Bannu were strengthened as a precautionary measure. Police sources said security operati­ons had been intensified across the district in view of recent security threats. They s...

ISLAMABAD: In a move billed by its sponsors as reaffirming parliament’s supremacy, a process has been initiated to amend a Senate rule to limit the scope for high courts to intervene in parliamentary affairs. Amid opposition from the Ministry of Parl­ia­mentary Affairs, the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges has approved an amendment to Rule 166(5) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate. Backers say the change will leave no legal room for the judiciary to interfere in parliamentary matters by relying on the rule in its present form. The proposed amendment, spearheaded by former deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla and signed by around three dozen lawmakers, expands the definition of public petitions that can be taken up by Senate committees. It states that a public petition, submitted by a citizen or a group of citizens in the prescribed form under Rule 277, may be presented on “any matter of public importance”, including grievances arising from disputes wher...

In a mystery, the sleuth must be believably involved and emotionally invested in solving the crime. — Diane Mott Davidson On Tuesday, 16 October, 1951, around 4 pm, the first prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, was going to address a public meeting in Company Garden in Rawalpindi. As he walked to the microphone and uttered the words“Baraadaraan-i-Millat” [Brothers of the Nation], a man named Said Akbar, sitting on the ground near the dais, fired two bullets at him in rapid succession with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Chaos and mayhem suddenly erupted in the meeting. Khan Najaf Khan, the Deputy Superintendent of Police who had personally supervised the security arrangements, yelled in Pashto, “Who fired the shots? Shoot [him]!”. Within seconds, a police inspector, Mohammad Shah, came running with his service revolver drawn and shot Said Akbar five times at close range, in such a haphazard manner that he missed one shot altogether. As Said Akbar was lying on the ground dying, he was also stabbed more ...

HYDERABAD: Political conditions and governance in the country was the topic of a session held on Saturday -- the second day of the 11th edition of Ayaz Melo, at the Sindh Museum. Journalist Wusatullah Khan moderated the session titled Saang siyasat ja (Deceptive moves of politics). “Our country is run like a laboratory,” he remarked, observing that powerful elites have captured it. “We will see progress [of the country] only when we are able to rid the country of these people,” he believed. In the past, ‘One Unit’ was introduced by doing away with provinces’ status. It was claimed that this would offer a solution to all ills. Now, once again, there is talk of new provinces, he wondered. Munizae Jahangir pointed out that no dictator could be a ‘progressive’ individual; people have fought a long flight here for democratic values. She said that her mother, Asma Jahangir, led this fight as well. Unfortunately, politicians, as well as the judiciary and other institutions, did not deliver to the masses despite this...

Zunaira with Unicef's Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024 Zunaira Qayyum, who will turn 15 in July next year, is currently reading Crime and Punishment, arguably the most well-known work of Russian master Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A voracious reader, the ninth-grade student races and, at times, slogs through the daunting tome, balancing it with her studies and extracurricular activities. “I should be able to finish the book in the next few days,” she tells Eos in a phone interview. Finishing Dostoyesky’s psychological masterpiece is just a stepping stone for the young woman from Balochistan’s impoverished Hub district. Zunaira aspires to become the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN). “There is yet to be a female secretary-general of the UN and I want to change that,” she says with confidence. PUTTING IN THE HARD HOURS Zunaira has already racked up a string of achievements that belie her age. Her research on the impacts of climate change-induced fl...

Tariq 180 (left) and Saqib Sanki during a race on the Super Highway in 2024 | Screengrab It’s a situation most drivers on Karachi’s major thoroughfares have experienced, especially on weekend nights and public holidays: a ghost motorcycle closing in at breakneck speed. At first, it is little more than a blur in the rear-view mirror. Then, as it bears down, the driver finally registers the young man lying flat along the length of the motorcycle, his eyes peering forward just above the handlebar. The speedometer is missing. The rider’s arms are tucked tight to the side — either holding the handle or, in some cases, clutching the suspension on the sides and using shoulders to steer the handlebar. His legs lie flat or are scissored tightly at the ankle, his body locked in an aerodynamic pose. Most drivers know what to do when faced with such a motorcycle: hold your line without moving in either direction. Do not brake suddenly. Do not swerve. Almost without fail, the rider veers away at the very last second, zigz...

.

Trial court finds ex-PM, wife guilty of misconduct; Says prosecution successfully established charges

Convictions rain down on PTI leaders

Federal govt says no outstanding liabilities exist towards K-P

Denounces verdict against Imran; backs PTI's street resistance

Jahangiri faces uphill legal battle

.

The sons of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, Kasim and Sulaiman, have stated that their father is being kept in isolation in jail, stating that these were “clear torture tactics”. The two made the remarks in an interview with British journalist Mehdi Hasan, a four-minute preview of which is available to the public on Zeteo’s website. The full interview is behind a pay wall. As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked, Imran’s family and party have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. A United Nations’ special rapporteur has also warned that Imran is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. In the interview with Hasan, Kasim and Sulaiman, were asked about the government’s claims of treating Imran like a “prince” during his incarceration. “Couldn’t be less true,” replied Kasim. He said that Imran was being held in a cell that was six by eight, “barely enough to stand”. “The conditions are awful. He is washing himself in bro...

Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mahmood-ur-Rasheed among those convicted in cases related to burning of police vehicles, container.

LAHORE - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday stressed the need for the full utilisation of modern technology to improve Pakistan’s immigration system, while chairing a review meeting on the eradication of human trafficking and measures against illegal travel abroad.

RAWALPINDI - A Special Court on Saturday announced 17 years jail term each to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Muhammad Imran Khan Niazi and his wife Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana-II case.

.

Grammy-winning pop singer Ciara performs a compilation of songs

.