Pakistan

The 9th Session of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was convened in Dhaka on Monday, after a hiatus of 20 years, marking another important milestone in strengthening bilateral economic and development cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was co-chaired by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and Bangladesh Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed. At the conclusion of the session, both sides signed the Agreed Minutes of the 9th JEC, reflecting “significant progress” in multiple areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment and industries, agriculture, transport and communications, education, information technology, banking, health, tourism, energy, climate change, information and broadcasting, and the textile sector. The two sides emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation between the national shipping corporations, with Pakistan offering the use of Karachi Port Trust as a gateway for Bangladeshs’s trade with regional countries, including China and t...

President Donald Trump on Monday declined to dismiss speculation that he would seek a third term and said he hadn’t considered whether he would go to court to contest the US constitution’s two-term limit for presidents. Here is a look at the legal barriers Trump faces. What does the US constitution say? The 22nd Amendment states in part: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” The amendment was ratified in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with a self-imposed two-term limit set by presidents since George Washington, the nation’s first. Roosevelt, a Democrat who was president during the Great Depression and World War Two, served a third term and then died months into his fourth term in 1945. Wayne Unger, a law professor at Quinnipiac University, said the Constitution was clear that presidents are limited to two terms of four years each. He said that while that had not been tested in court, any challenge by Trump would likely be unsuccessful. “I would predict ...

PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Monday announced that his party and the PML-N had agreed on bringing a no-confidence motion against the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Kaira said: “It has been decided that the current AJK govt, which our parties were part of, has become a basis of creating a crisis instead of solving problems.” He said twice, crises of such a nature had occurred that had compelled the federal government to go and resolve them. “Now there is a consensus that a no-confidence motion will be brought against it and the PPP and PML-N will be together,” Kaira added. The PPP leader further said that the PML-N had previously announced that it would sit in the opposition, and while this may not have been the PPP’s desired wish, it still accepted the decision and agreed to it. Kaira said better governance, political stability, problem resolution and free and fair ...

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has decided to face the impending no-confidence motion rather than resign from office.

PM holds talks with crown prince in Riyadh Saudi Arabia to invest in CPEC-related projects

Efforts afoot to salvage Istanbul round

Kech DC survives IED attack

Timing to be finalised with PM; coalition cites 'complete failure' of AJK govt

K-P urges APC on Afghanistan

United States President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out running for vice president in the 2028 election but declined to definitively say he would not seek a third term, keeping alive speculation about how he might seek to extend his time in office. Trump has repeatedly flirted with the idea of serving beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, joking about it at rallies and teasing supporters with “Trump 2028” hats. Some allies have taken those signals seriously, suggesting that they are exploring legal or political pathways to make it happen — a possibility dismissed by most constitutional scholars. The 22nd amendment to the US constitution bars anyone from being elected to the presidency a third time. Some supporters have suggested that one way around the prohibition would be for Trump to run as vice president, while another candidate stood for election as president and resigned, letting Trump again assume the presidency. “I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said today in an exchange with reporters aboa...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved monthly stipends for 65,000 prayer leaders across the province, recognizing their vital community role and supporting their livelihoods.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Monday said the PPP and PML-N did not have any “actual plan” to form an opposition in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative (AJK) Assembly, calling them the “two sides of the same coin.” His remarks come against the backdrop of political turmoil in AJK after 10 legislators — all elected on PTI tickets in the July 2021 general elections — announced on Sunday that they were joining the PPP, which has been eyeing the premier’s slot in the region. PPP and PML-N announced that the two have agreed to bring a no-confidence motion against the government in AJK. Speaking to Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Raja said, “PPP and PM-LN are the two sides of the same coin; they have an alliance and do not intend on forming an actual opposition”. “They are just each taking their respective turns right now,” he added. In response to a question regarding chatter of a new opposition leader in the National Assembly and whether Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will support PTI, PPP o...

Pakistan’s build-up towards next year’s T20 World Cup will continue on Tuesday when they take on South Africa in the opener of the three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The national side goes into the series after faring decently in their biggest test at the Asia Cup last month — beating all sides they came up against except world number one and archrivals India, who handed them defeats in all three encounters including the final. South Africa, in contrast, arrive as a depleted outfit on paper — the presence of star batter Quinton de Kock, featuring in a Twenty20 International for the first time since June 2024, standing out in a largely second-string squad led by Donovan Ferreira, who has just nine T20Is to his name. Hence, Pakistan can be safely called favourites to take the series trophy, which would help restore their damaged confidence following the triple-drubbing from India. The hosts too haven’t shied away from striking a balance between experimentation and experience. Former skipper B...

The Sindh government and police on Monday announced the arrest of four suspects from a proscribed outfit in the murder case of journalist and anchorperson Imtiaz Mir. Mir, who was associated with Metro News television, was heading home in a car driven by his elder brother last month when six assailants riding two motorcycles fired a volley of bullets on his vehicle on the National Highway. The anchorperson sustained multiple bullet wounds and was taken to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Journalists had strongly condemned the inaction by the police for failing to arrest the attackers and demanded their immediate arrest. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, many members of his cabinet and leaders of political parties had expressed their sorrow, with CM Shah directing the inspector general of police (IG) to immediately arrest the killers. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, IG Ghulam Nabi Memon and Additional IG Javed Alam Odho held a press conference today on updates regarding ...

Businessmen term move anti-growth as inflation rises, exports face headwinds

Bullion retreats below $4,000 on trade deal optimism; rupee posts marginal gain

Commerce minister seeks fair GSP+ treatment, invites European delegation to invest in agriculture, SMEs, and tech sect

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Downplays mass closure fears, says IMF-linked gas levy cannot be changed

Flood-related disruptions also put pressure on prices of essentials, says finance ministry