Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday disposed off the contempt petition of former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry after his name was removed from the Passport Control List (PCL).

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially notified Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Hina Arshad Warraich as winner of the PP-52 Sialkot by-election, solidifying her position in the Punjab Assembly.

ISLAMABAD - A high level defence delegation led by Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, Commander of the Air Force & Air Defence of Belarus, visited Air Headquarters Islamabad.

LAHORE: A monthly income of over Rs75,000 is now required to support a family of six with basic necessities such as food, housing, utilities, healthcare and education, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). As the government prepares to announce the federal budget, the HRCP has urged that wages must reflect the principle that “full-time workers should be able to live with security, health and hope.” In its latest report titled ‘From Survival to Dignity: The Case for a Living Wage’, the HRCP argues for the implementation of a living wage rather than a minimum wage. It noted that millions of workers across the country earn far below the living wage threshold, which forces them to make impossible choices between feeding their families and paying for essentials like electricity and medicine. “The implementation of a living wage can be justified on many grou­n­­ds,” the report said. “From a human rights perspective, a living wage becomes a fundamental right to ensure that workers not only mee...

• Bilawal urges world to stand against Indian aggression, says water an existential issue for Pakistan • Ex-US diplomat endorses call for neutral Pahalgam probe, regrets Pak-US ties ‘still stuck in the past’ • VP Vance meets Indian delegation as US officials assure Pakistan of ‘equal representation’ WASHINGTON: As fomer foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari blamed India for pushing South Asia towards the first nuclear war over water, a former US ambassador to Pakistan endorsed Islamabad’s demand for an independent inquiry into the Pahalgam incident, which led to a full-blown conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi. At a policy forum hosted by the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, former US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson stressed that the United States-Pakistan relationship was hindered by mistrust, despite ongoing security cooperation. “The US-Pakistan relationship is so stuck in the past that India was not required to present any forensic or investigative evidence after the Pahal­gam atta...

ISLAMABAD: The national cybersecurity authority has urged citizens to use social media responsibly and remain vigilant against cyber threats. The advisory issued by the National Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) highlighted risks like disinformation, fraud, harassment, invasion of privacy and data breach. The PKCERT flagged the increase in cyber incidents affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online grooming. Women are “frequently targeted” with cyber harassment, identity theft and image-based abuse, risks that are “compounded by broader societal inequities”. The advisory cautioned that many social media posts are “deliberately designed to provoke strong emotions—such as anger, fear, or shock—prompting users to react or share them quickly without giving the content much thought”. It added that social media platforms use algorithms to display content that triggers intense emotional reactions. “This approach keeps users engaged for longer periods, even if the information is not ...

RAWALPINDI: Citizens should brace for sweltering heat during Eidul Azha as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a countrywide heatwave alert. According to the advisory, a high-pressure weather system is likely to develop over the country on June 7 and is expected to grip most parts from June 8. Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, daytime temperatures are likely to remain 5 to 7 degrees Celsius above normal in central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from June 7 to 12. In upper and central Sindh, southern Punjab and parts of Balochistan, daytime temperatures are likely to remain 04 to 06°C above normal from June 7 to 12. Advisory urges citizens to avoid exposure to direct sunlight Dust storms and gusty winds are also expected over the plains due to excessive heat. “Rising temperatures in northern areas may enhance snow-melting rate during the forecast period,” the advisory stated. The PMD has advised citizens, especially ...

ISLAMABAD: As part of a broader vision to enhance regional integration and connectivity, Uzbekistan Airways, the national carrier of the Republic of Uzbekistan, will launch direct flights between Tashkent and Islamabad beginning June 14, 2025. In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Uzbek embassy in Islamabad said that operating every Saturday, the new route underscored the shared commitment of Uzbekistan and Pakistan to strengthen their long-standing partnership and deepen cooperation across multiple sectors. This direct link marked a strategic advancement in bilateral relations and aligned with the broader goals of the Central and South Asia connectivity initiative. In addition to the new Islamabad route, Uzbekistan Airways currently operates biweekly direct flights to Lahore on Wednesdays and Fridays. These connections were helping expand the airline’s regional footprint, linking Pakistan’s major cities not only with Uzbekistan, but also with the wider Central Asian region and beyond. “Together, these ...

RAWALPINDI: A toddler who went missing while playing in the street was found dead in a sewerage line in Ratta Amral on Thursday, allegedly murdered by a boy, a close relative of the little girl. Maryam, one-year-old girl, while playing outside her house in Mohalla Qazian Ratta Amral with other children, went missing. After the disappearance, Maryam’s parents started a search for her, but failing to find clues, her grandmother, Ms Musarat Bibi, sought police help and registered a case under the relevant section of the law. During the search, the missing girl’s body was found in the main sewerage line of Dhoke Ratta on Thursday. The local police reached the spot and shifted the body to the District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem. An investigation launched to ascertain the facts behind the tragic death of the little girl. Later on, police arrested the accused, who was identified as Azan Sultan, 10 and a half years old, and lived in the same house. The accused boy was shifted to the protection bureau by th...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday taking strict notice of a polio case reported in the Diamer district, directed the relevant authorities to improve immunization further.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan strongly condemned the provocative storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalating Israeli atrocities, calling these reprehensible acts, including violations at multiple entrances of the Mosque, a direct assault on the sanctity, historical character, and legal status of the revered Muslim holy site.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani TikTok star Sana Yousaf is not the first victim of crime against women in the country.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday deferred hearing of the PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi’s appeals seeking suspension of their sentence in 190 million pound case.

RAWALPINDI - A large number of Rawalpindi residents are heading to their hometowns and villages to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with their families.

ISLAMABAD - The Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) yesterday organized an in-house event to commemorate World Environment Day 2025.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Health, Mr.

Sabrina Carpenter’s new single ‘Manchild’ is being hailed as the song of the summer by fans and music critics alike.

Elizabeth Weber reflects on marriage to Billy Joel at premiere of his HBO doc after 43 years out of the spotlight.

KARACHI: Karachi’s administration has imposed an eight-day ban on visiting coastal areas under Section 144 due to high tides and rough sea conditions, ARY News reported. According to the announcement, the restriction is effective from June 6 to June 13, 2025, and is applied to KANNUP Beach, Sunerah Beach, Mubarak Village, Turtle Beach, and Dua […]

Three children and an adult died Thursday when a fire broke out in a 13-storey apartment block in Diyarbakir, the main city in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast, local officials said. Diyarbakır Governor Murat Zorluoglu said the fire began around 6:30 pm (1530 GMT) on the eve of Turkey’s Eid al-Adha celebrations. “Seventeen wounded people were transferred […]