Pakistan

Security forces killed over three hundred and fifty militants during the last month.

Islamabad: Federal ministers Attaullah Tarar, Talal Chaudhry addressing press conference.

A supermarket explosion killed at least 23 people in northern Mexico on Saturday, according to local officials, with investigators saying the blast was an accident possibly caused by a faulty electric transformer. “Sadly, a number of the victims we’ve found were minors,” Alfonso Durazo, governor of Sonora state, said in a video message as he announced the toll of 23 dead and another 11 injured. Durazo said the survivors were being treated at hospitals in the city of Hermosillo, where the explosion took place. “I have ordered an extensive and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and figure out those responsible,” he said. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that “the working assumption is that the incident was accidental, and the investigation is looking into a transformer located inside the store“. “Once the firefighters allow access into the building … it will be possible to precisely determine the cause of the incident,” it added. The explosion happened at a Waldo’s stor...

Babar Azam showed his mastery with the bat after Shaheen Shah Afridi led a sparkling bowling performance from Pakistan as the hosts cruised to a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the series-deciding third T20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Shaheen picked up 3-26, being the standout of Pakistan’s bowling attack, in which Faheem Ashraf and debutant Usman Tariq picked up two wickets each, as South Africa were restricted to 139-9 after being put into bat. Babar then provided an anchor in the chase with a brilliant 68, featuring nine fours, as Pakistan eased to victory with six balls to spare. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the team on X, saying, “Very well-played boys in Green!” He also commended Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his team for their “great efforts”. In a statement, Naqvi hailed Babar’s batting and Shaheen’s bowling skills for playing an “important role” in the win. Conveying his congratulations to Captain Salman Agha, Head Coach Mike Hesson and...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has linked the filing of 892,419 new tax returns for the tax year 2025 to rising public confidence in the government’s reform agenda. The premier’s remarks followed the Federal Board of Revenue’s announcement that the tax department received 5.912 million tax returns for tax year 2025, up from 5.025m returns in tax year 2024, marking a 17.65 per cent increase. The last date for filing the tax returns was Oct 31. An official announcement issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat has commended the FBR for achieving a historic milestone. He expressed deep gratitude to the public for demonstrating civic responsibility and trust in the government’s economic policies. Highlighting the inclusion of new filers into the tax net, Prime Minister Shehbaz said this surge reflects growing public confidence in the government’s reform agenda. “We are sincerely thankful to the people for their support,” he stated. PM Shehbaz links surge in new returns to FBR digitisation drive Mr Sheh...

• Trio visited party vice chairman in hospital to seek his support for ‘release Imran’ campaign • Fawad says leading efforts to pave way for dialogue, get PTI chief released from jail LAHORE: After PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi was hospitalised in the provincial capital, three former PTI leaders arrived in his hospital room, ostensibly to convince the incarcerated party vice chairman to join their ‘release Imran Khan campaign’ — a move rebuffed by Mr Qureshi. According to his lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer, former leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Maulvi Mahmood managed to gain access to Mr Qureshi on Thursday when he was alone in his room. “Shah Mahmood Qureshi was surprised to see them and immediately asked the police on duty to call his lawyer, who had left just a minute ago, and tell him some ‘guests’ had arrived,” Rana Mudassar said, adding by the time he got back, the ex-PTI leaders had already gone. He said the visitors stayed only a little over 10 minutes and left without any political discussion...

ISLAMABAD: The government-backed group has won three out of the five available seats in the Islamabad Bar Council elections, according to unofficial results. Hamid Khan group won one seat and an independent candidate claimed the remaining position. As per the unofficial tally, Abdul Rehman Har Bajwa emerged as the top scorer with 1,369 votes, followed closely by Raja Aleem Abbasi with 1,351 votes, Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqoob 1,295 votes, Mohammad Zafar Khokhar 1,288 votes and Asif Irfan 1,126 votes. The candidates backed by the government — Abdul Rehman Har Bajwa, Raja Aleem Abbasi and Asif Irfan — were declared successful. Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqoob, representing the Hamid Khan group, also secured a seat while Mohammad Zafar Khokhar won as an independent candidate. A total of 21 candidates contested the elections. Under the rules, five candidates securing the highest number of votes are declared members of the bar council. As soon as the results were announced, supporters of the winning candidates celebrate...

Bilal sat in a Lyari police station in Karachi last October, explaining why he’d murdered four women in his family. It wasn’t about honour, going by what he told investigators. His girlfriend wanted her name on a house deed. His mother refused. His sisters mocked him on TikTok. So, he killed them all — his mother Shamshad, sisters Madiha and Ayesha, and his nine-year-old niece — then threw the dagger into the sea. “He tried to frame it as honour,” says Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for Karachi’s District South Arif Aziz, who investigated the case. “But it was about property and control,” he continues. “His family was modern and powerful, unwilling to accept male domination,” the investigator tells Eos. According to Bilal’s charge sheet, he’d watched the Indian crime series Crime Patrol to learn how to avoid leaving evidence. The case is still in court. Police say Bilal’s case reveals a disturbing evolution: honour is now a legal shield for murder driven by property disputes, male insecurity and the ra...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif sidestepped answering a question on whether Pakistan had conducted a test of a hypersonic ballistic missile, saying such matters should not be asked about publicly. “Now don’t ask all these questions. Ask such things in private,” he said while responding in an interview on Samaa TV show ‘Mere Sawal’ on Friday, when asked to confirm whether Pakistan had conducted the missile test or not. The question came in the wake of a “rare lenticular cloud formation” observed over Quetta in the early hours of Tuesday that left the public puzzled over the phenomenon and its origins. Citizens had reported sighting the phenomenon around morning prayers from many parts of Balochistan and speculation was rife about the likely cause. Many social media accounts hinted that the cloud formation was the result of a missile test or a new technology tested by the military. In a post on X later in the day, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the sight was a “lenticular cloud formation” which was o...

Torkham border reopens for repatriation; Thousands return home via Chaman border

'India tried to bribe Pak fisherman into spying'

IHC upholds CCP's 'overarching' authority, rules show-cause notices are lawful

High-level visits proposed to facilitate cross-border trade, improve livelihoods

Junaid Anwar says Rs12b project being launched to revive Gadani shipbreaking industry

FTSE lifts Pakistan's weight to 10%; MSCI review expected to add new stocks

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Minister underlines need to provide govt funding for agricultural research

KARACHI - The Curtain Raiser ceremony of Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference 2025 (PIMEC 25) was held at Karachi Expo Centre here on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD - Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar met with Minister of Education, Learning and Higher Education of the State of Qatar, Lolwa bint Rashid Al-Khater on the sidelines of the 43rd Session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday expressed his condolences on the death of former Sindh Chief Minister Aftab Shaban Mirani.