Pakistan

United Nations’ special rapporteur warned on Friday that PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. In September, his legal team approached the rapporteur to urge the Pakistani government to cease the alleged mistreatment of the couple. Prime Minister’s Aide Rana Ihsan Afzal, however, dismissed the concerns of the UN rapporteur and said Imran was being kept “according to prison rules and the jail manual”. “His children have access and he should schedule [a call] and put in the appropriate request. There is no issue or obstacle from the government of Pakistan,” said the premier’s aide. He added that the PTI founder is being provided facilities “greater than his rights” as a B-class prisoner. “He has the facilities of exercise available, good food is available and ample space is also available.” The UN official, Alice Jill Edwards, urged Pakistan to take immediate and effective action to address reports of the 73-year-old’s i...

THE crisp December air was festive at the KHA Hockey Complex as blue skies played canvas to clouds clouds imitating no less than an artist’s work. The view above contrasted smoothly with the expanse of the deep blue of the astroturf of the venue, located in the midst of the sprawling Gulshan-e-Iqbal. As buses honked relentlessly at the ever-bustling Nipa after having swished dust off the perpetually under-construction University Road, hockey took centre stage on the other side of the wall. It was the day when the gold medal winners for the national sport at the National Games were to be decided. View this post on Instagram There were no surprises; it were heavyweights Wapda and Army who added to their already stacked medals table to take the honours in the women’s and men’s finals respectively. Each achievement was celebrated with maximum zeal, as the announcer shouted his heart out even for the silver medal winners Punjab and Navy. The screams got louder as Wapda and Army received their gold medals. It was a...

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Asks Afghan regime to address Pak security concerns; Reiterates Pakistan's call for peaceful dispute resolution

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Pakistan’s international stalwarts led the charge as weightlifter Hanzala Dastagir Butt demolished the field to bag gold by a long shot, while badminton star Mahoor Shahzad won the women’s singles for the third time as the competitions drew to a close at the National Games on Friday. Wapda’s Hanzala made each lift look effortless as a delighted crowd mostly comprised of team-mates and enthusiasts of the sport looked on at the YMCA Scouts Auditorium. He lifted 157kg in the snatch and 193kg in the clean and jerk to post a massive 350kg total in the men’s 110kg category. The 23-year-old is already eyeing next year’s Commonwealth Games, where his older brother Nooh Dastigir Butt clinched the +109kg title in record-breaking fashion at the 2022 edition. “I take inspiration from him that one day I’ll also win a medal for Pakistan at that stage, and set a new record,” Hanzala told Dawn. Hanzala’s gold was one of four on the men’s side in addition to one silver and bronze medal each to clinch the trophy. Wapda’s Hanza...

Pakistan’s badminton queen, Mahoor Shahzad, lived up to her star billing with a gritty comeback victory to claim her third National Games gold on Friday, headlining a day of intense finals at the Nazimabad Sports Club, Karachi, that saw Wapda’s dominance challenged and a dramatic men’s singles decided by a contentious call. The sparse crowd inside the complex was treated to high drama, beginning with the marquee women’s singles where the event’s poster girl, Wapda’s Mahoor, faced a stern test from Army’s left-handed dynamo, Alja Tariq. Mahoor, initially off-rhythm, trailed 7-3 in the first game before her veteran composure surfaced. Forcing errors and winning a breathtaking rally to level at 9-9, she edged a tight opener. The second game was a fiercer battle. Alja, pumped and precise with her drops and smashes, surged to a 9-4 lead and held an 11-8 advantage at the mid-game break. Facing a possible decider, the champion shifted gears. She methodically reeled in the deficit, drawing level at 14-14 before racin...

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday warned the finance authorities saying that non-payment of pension to former Auditor General of Pakistan Akhtar Buland Rana despite a clear court order could lead to contempt proceedings and the freezing of government accounts.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has acquitted Amjad Ali, who had been serving a life sentence in a murder case, after converting his jail petition into an appeal.

PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Friday chaired a provincial cabinet meeting where key decisions were taken regarding the province’s financial rights, governance reforms, and development planning.

LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif on Friday proposed funds allocation for Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi, while addressing the provincial cabinet meeting on Friday, strongly condemned what he described as the “unjust imprisonment and continued isolation” of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Peshawar - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi held a meeting with a US-based Pakistani businessman Syed Mujahid at the Governor House Peshawar on Friday.

Media bodies on Friday condemned the curtailing of government advertisements to Dawn Media Group’s television and radio outlets, and called on the government to immediately rescind the ban. In a statement issued on Friday, the Council of Newspaper Editors (CPNE) said that Dawn was among Pakistan’s most respected media outlets, and stopping the release of government ads to the group amounted to financially crippling the organisation. Translation: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has strongly condemned the suspension of advertisements for Dawn TV and Dawn Radio, following the earlier suspension for Dawn Media Group’s newspapers. CPNE stated that Dawn is among Pakistan’s most reputable media outlets, and imposing a ban on government advertisements is tantamount to economically weakening it.In this regard, the CPNE President and Secretary General said in a joint statement that Dawn Media Group has provided impartial reporting in Pakistan since its inception. Initially, its newspapers were subjecte...

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