Pakistan

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Extends greetings to Hindu community, says govt committed to equal rights

'Cultural space reserved for arts, literature misused for private bookings'

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Attaullah Tarar has disclosed updated statistics regarding Operation Ghazab lil Haq, outlining significant militant casualties and infrastructure damage.

The Government of Sindh has officially announced a two-day public holiday for Hindu employees across the province in observance of Holi.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday said Pakistan was making “full diplomatic efforts” to de-escalate the regional situation following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. “This recent escalation … has … significantly heightened tensions in an already volatile and fragile environment. We are making full diplomatic efforts and requesting all parties to de-escalate,” Dar said during a media briefing in Islamabad. He recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria and noted that he held discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying that the “feedback was positive”. He said that “serious developments” had taken place at a time when “diplomatic efforts were underway to reach a peaceful and negotiable … solution”. “But what triggered all of a sudden engulfed … almost all countries,” he said. He then referred to a high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister on Sunday, which reviewed the regional environment and the situation between Pakis...

Ishaq Dar has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to diplomatic engagement to help ease mounting tensions in the Middle East, warning that recent developments have significantly destabilized an already sensitive regional environment.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is dead, the Gulf is on fire, and global markets are in chaos. One weekend, precisely the last of February and the first of March 2026, changed everything. We are now living in the midst of a war that is escalating with every airstrike, missile and bomb. It began on Feb 28, when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in a massive operation to destroy the country’s military and nuclear capabilities. Tehran responded with missile and air strikes across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Israel. Iran has also vowed to hit the US and Israel with a force “never seen before”. Meanwhile, in a video address earlier today, President Donald Trump warned Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to lay down arms or “face certain death”. He added that America was standing with the people of Iran. But how did we get here? Here is a timeline: 2025: The Iran-Israel standoff Even though the roots of the matter go back a lo...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday addressed a joint sitting of Parliament amid a ruckus by members of the opposition, saying that Pakistan would not “allow any entity, domestic or foreign to use neighbouring territory to destabilise our peace”. This was his ninth address to a joint session of Parliament in his capacity as president. His address was punctuated with sloganeering from the opposition, who chanted, “Go, Zardari, go” and “Khan ko reha karo (free Imran Khan)”. At one point, the opposition gathered in front of the speaker’s dias and continued to raise slogans. @dawn.today President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday addressed a joint sitting of Parliament amid a ruckus by members of the opposition, saying that Pakistan would not “allow any entity, domestic or foreign to use neighbouring territory to destabilise our peace”. This was his ninth address to a joint session of Parliament in his capacity as president. His address was punctuated with sloganeering from the opposition, who chanted, “Go, Zardari, go...

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday approved the establishment of the province’s first cybercrime investigation unit and made e-tagging mandatory for all vehicles, including motorcycles. According to an official press release, during a special meeting to crack down on digital terrorism and bring cyber networks under strict surveillance, the Punjab CM said the state’s surveillance across Punjab would be significantly intensified in the coming days. She also directed the establishment of a “micro security iron shield” within seven days. Further, CM Maryam also gave the go-ahead for the establishment of a “Punjab Cybercrime Investigation Unit (CCIU)” and also approved the appointment of its head, the handout said. Further, she also approved a special protection cell for women affected by cybercrime. She also approved district-level cybercrime centres across Punjab, saying that no “safe routes” would be allowed for criminal groups in the province, it added. During the meeting, the Punjab CM said ...

According to the monthly review of price indices released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the National Consumer Price Index for February 2026 increased by 0.27 per cent over January 2026 and was up by 6.98pc from the corresponding month of 2025. Graph courtesy of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Analysts at Topline Securities noted that this increase is in line with their estimate of 6.75-7.25pc. Arif Habib Limited observed that this is the highest increase since October 2024. The report showed that the Urban Consumer Price Index for February 2026 increased by 0.27pc over January 2026 and by 6.79pc from the corresponding month last year The main contributors that increased from the previous month in terms of food were tomatoes (23.05pc), fresh fruits (11.48pc), pulse mash (8.19pc), beverages (1.65pc), meat (1.45pc), pulse moong (1.25pc), mustard oil (1.20pc), dry fruits (0.78pc), wheat products (0.68pc), readymade food (0.44pc) and pulse gram (0.34pc). The main contributors that increased from the pr...

Kuwait’s air defences mistakenly shot down three US F-15 fighter jets during active combat on Monday, US Central Command (Centcom) said on Monday, describing it as an apparent friendly-fire incident during the conflict with Iran. All six crew members ejected from the aircraft safely were recovered and are in stable condition, Centcom said. “During active combat - that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences,” Centcom said. It said that Kuwait had acknowledged the incident and that an investigation was underway. Video images showed a US warplane falling out of the sky over Kuwait early on Monday, while a person could be seen parachuting. The location was verified by Reuters as filmed in the Al Jahra area of Kuwait. In a separate incident, smoke was seen rising from the vicinity of the US Embassy compound in Kuwait City, and fire trucks and ambulances were in the area, a witness told Reuters. There w...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restored the bail of journalist Sohrab Barkat in the last remaining case registered against him by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), setting aside a trial court’s order that had cancelled his post-arrest bail. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition filed by Barkat challenging a decision by the trial court revoking his bail. After hearing arguments, the IHC nullified the impugned order and directed the authorities to release the journalist forthwith, if not required in any other case. Barrister Saad Rasool appeared on Barkat’s behalf and contended that the trial court had erred in cancelling the bail despite compliance with all conditions previously imposed. Allowing the petition, the high court observed that the order of the trial court could not be sustained and restored the bail, effectively clearing the way for Barkat’s release. The case against Barkat has been registered over accusations of spreading misinformation about sta...

More than 300 students completed specialized training under the Prime Minister’s Overseas Employment Programme of the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), with a visa issuance ceremony held in Islamabad on Monday.

The Punjab government has unveiled a series of sweeping security reforms, including compulsory electronic tagging of all vehicles, motorcycles included, to ensure permanent and more effective monitoring across the province.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed authorities to step up security arrangements throughout Punjab in response to ongoing security challenges.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was moved on Monday with a plea seeking the immediate shifting of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for specialised eye treatment, alleging that jail authorities have been conducting medical examinations in complete secrecy. A similar plea was submitted in the Supreme Court on February 25, following Imran undergoing a government-facilitated follow-up treatment for his eye ailment. Monday’s criminal miscellaneous application was filed under Section 561-A CrPC by senior counsel Sardar Latif Khosa. The petition claimed that Imran — now 73 years old and incarcerated since August 2023 — has been left with only approximately 15 per cent vision in his right eye. The application cites a report submitted to the SC by amicus curiae Barrister Salman Safdar, which confirmed that despite the petitioner’s repeated complaints of “blurred and hazardous vision,” no timely or adequate medical intervention was undertaken by jail authorities, ultimately ...