Pakistan

.

Six major arteries to get complete signage as MC accelerates development initiatives

.

.

.

Germany will host US and Ukrainian delegations over the weekend for talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine, before a summit with European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Berlin on Monday, a German official said. A US official said President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were travelling to Germany for talks involving Ukrainians and Europeans. The choice to send Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia regarding a US peace proposal, appeared to be a signal that Washington saw a chance of progress after nearly four years of war since Russia’s 2022 invasion. The White House had said on Thursday Trump would send an official to talks only if he felt there was enough progress to be made. Show of support for Ukraine “Talks on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine are taking place in Berlin this weekend between foreign policy advisers from, among others, the US and Ukraine,” a German government source said on Saturday when asked about the meetings. On Monday, Merz is ...

The closing ceremony of the 35th National Games was held in Karachi on Saturday, with Pakistan Army taking home the highest number of medals. Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir was the chief guest at the ceremony, which was also attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. View this post on Instagram Pakistan Army came in first, taking home 353 medals, out of which 200 were gold, 97 were silver and 56 were bronze. Wapda came in second with 232 medals, out of which 85 were gold, 73 were silver and 74 were bronze. Pakistan Navy came in third with 110 medals, 36 of which were gold, 39 were silver and 35 were bronze. Hosts Sindh finished with 96 medals, out of which 11 were gold, 26 were silver and 59 were bronze. View this post on Instagram After the distribution of the medals, CDF Field Marshal Munir, wearing a pair of black sunglasses and Sindhi ajrak around his neck, officially declared the games closed. View this post on Instagram Addressing the ceremony...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday established four-tier Election Monitoring and Control Centres (EMCC) to swiftly address public complaints during the PS-09 Shikarpur by-election scheduled for December 14.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has initiated a comprehensive quality review of graduate programmes, particularly MS/MPhil and PhD degrees, offered by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country.

Angry spectators broke down barricades and stormed the pitch at a stadium in India after football star Lionel Messi, who is on a three-day tour of the country, abruptly left the arena. As a part of a so-called GOAT Tour, the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar touched down in the eastern state of West Bengal early Saturday, greeted by a chorus of exuberant fans chanting his name. Hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys and waving the Argentine flag packed into Salt Lake stadium in the state capital Kolkata, but heavy security around the footballer left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of him. Messi walked around the pitch waving to fans and left the stadium earlier than expected. Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi arrives at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on December 13. —AFP Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track. Many others stormed the pitch and vandalised banners and tents. “F...

On the instructions of the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Punjab Wildlife Department has rolled out the province’s first-ever Wildlife Informer Campaign aimed at cracking down on illegal hunting and poaching.

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan was asked to present a comprehensive mechanism to address complaints regarding non-compliance with the legal requirement to produce a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours. This was stated at the 56th meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, held on Saturday. Earlier, the AGP had informed the forum, at the 55th meeting of the NJPMC, that the issue of enforced disappearances has largely been addressed through the recent amendment to Section 11EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which requires the production of a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours. The AGP had assured the committee that a comprehensive mechanism to redress complaints of non-compliance with this legal requirement is being considered by the government and will be presented to the committee in its next meeting. Today, the NJPMC deliberated on key policy issues while reviewing the...

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Wednesday warned that environmental degradation poses systemic risks to the global financial system and urged the international community to make climate finance more accessible and equitable for vulnerable countries.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Saturday that a legal framework has been put in place to make the assets of public servants accessible to the public through an online platform.

The Inter Boards Coordination Committee (IBCC) has announced that students who pass their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in the Arts Group will be eligible to register in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Pre-Medical and Pre-Engineering groups, effective from the SSC 1st Annual Examination 2026.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday held ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed responsible for the ouster of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017, adding that more charges against him were to come soon. The minister’s remarks come two days after Hameed, in a first, was sentenced to a 14-year jail term after being convicted on four counts related to violating secrecy laws, engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and causing harm to others. Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, the defence minister said, “A former head of ISI has been convicted in a trial that ran for 15 months; there are still other charges on which legal proceedings will be initiated soon.” The defence minister assailed the former spymaster, claiming that Nawaz was ousted through a “conspiracy”. “The removal of Nawaz, the cases lodged against him, the allegations, and Imran’s coming into power, this whole project was enacted under the supervision of Faiz Hameed,” the defence minister said. He said that Hameed, along with his ...

Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said on Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts. The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in its latest toll. The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in Aceh province, which lies at the northern tip of the island. The final toll is expected to rise, with the disaster agency reporting 218 people are still missing. With vast tracts of territory hit, 1.2 million residents have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters. Frustration has grown among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts. President Prabowo Subianto said on Saturday the situation has improved, with several areas which had been cut off now accessible. “Here and there, due to natural and physical condit...

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Saturday that the Pakistan Army remained fully focused on both internal and external challenges, including hostile hybrid campaigns, extremist ideologies, and divisive elements seeking to undermine national stability. According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), he made the remarks while visiting the Gujranwala and Sialkot garrisons, where he was “briefed on the formation’s operational readiness and key initiatives for strengthening combat preparedness”. During the visit, CDF Field Marshal Munir witnessed field training exercises and advanced simulator training facility, “lauding the formation’s high professional standards and overall state of readiness”. “Emphasizing the significance of technological adaptability, he noted that modern warfare demands agility, precision, situational awareness and swift decision-making,” the ISPR handout said. While interacting with officers and soldiers, t...

All arrangements have been finalised for the by-election in Shikarpur’s Sindh Assembly constituency PS-9, which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, officials of the Sindh Election Commission said on Saturday.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s flagship cleanliness initiative, Suthra Punjab, has received international recognition, with the British broadcaster BBC describing it as a practical and replicable model for urban waste management.