Pakistan

Two Jewish men were stabbed on Wednesday in north London, an attack police declared a “terrorist incident” and which follows a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites. King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and London mayor Sadiq Khan led the condemnation of the “appalling” assaults in Golders Green, which is home to a large Jewish population. Police said a 45-year-old man had been arrested after having also tried to stab officers. The two victims — aged 76 and 34 — were in a stable condition in hospital. Speaking from the scene and facing heckles from some in the local community, Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley said the suspect has “a history of serious violence and mental health issues”. “Let me be clear: this is an attack on one community (and) an attack on one community is an attack on all London’s communities,” Rowley added. Starmer echoed the sentiment, saying on X that “attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain” while vowing “those responsible will be brought to ...

Six terrorists killed as assault on Mazanga police post is foiled

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Iqbal says water crisis stems also from mismanagement

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Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Wednesday, chaired the 5th meeting of the Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy and Austerity and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the proposed measures in both letter and spirit.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a meeting in Karachi with the Governor of Uzbekistan’s Navoi Region, Nurmat Tursunov, focusing on strengthening regional and economic ties.

Passport-related services for Pakistani citizens have been temporarily suspended at missions in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates due to technical issues.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday notified the transfer of three judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to other high courts under Article 200 of the Constitution. The development comes a day after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved the transfer of three judges from the IHC to other courts in a move that drew sharp criticism from lawyers’ bodies for lacking transparency and uniform criteria. A notification issued by the ministry on Wednesday stated that the president, on the recommendation of the JCP, had approved the transfer of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani to the Lahore High Court; Justice Babar Sattar to the Peshawar High Court; and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to the Sindh High Court. A separate summary moved to the Prime Minister’s Office, dated April 29, also confirmed that the JCP, in its meeting held on April 28, had recommended the transfers by a majority of its total membership. Under clause (1) of Article 200 of the Constitution, the president may transfer a hi...

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Wednesday directed all medical and dental institutions to implement “structured mental health screening protocols” in response to “growing concerns over the increasing incidents of suicide and severe psychological distress among students”. In a statement, the council issued directives to all medical and dental institutions, emphasising the “critical importance of promoting and safeguarding the mental health of students and faculty”. It also highlighted the need for proactive measures to identify and address mental health concerns, recognising that academic environments in medical and dental colleges were intellectually rigorous and often psychologically demanding. “Keeping in view all institutions have been directed to implement structured mental health screening protocols,” the statement said, adding that regular mental health screening, along with easy-to-access and well-organised counselling services, will help improve academic performance, suppo...

The Sri Lankan government took control of the island’s cricket board on Wednesday and appointed a nine-member interim administration to carry out “structural reforms”. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is the country’s wealthiest sporting body, but it has been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement. World governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Sri Lanka for two months in 2023-2024, citing political interference in the running of the national board. “All administrative functions of Sri Lanka Cricket will be temporarily brought under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, effective today,” the ministry said. Shortly afterwards, the ministry appointed former investment banker and opposition politician Eran Wickramaratne to lead the board. Among the other members appointed by the government are former skipper Kumar Sangakkara and former Test players Sidath Wettimuny and Roshan Mahanama. The ministry said the interim committee will “address the current issues in cricket and implement...

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Wednesday called for national consensus to shift gears from water crisis management at present to ensuring water security in view of emerging challenges, particularly the “weaponisation” of water by India. The proposed national consensus should cover building strategic water storage, including large reservoirs, medium dams, small dams, recharge dams, delay-action dams, hill torrent management, floodwater storage and urban rainwater harvesting, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said at a round table session of the newly formed Water Security Task Force in the Planning Commission. He said Pakistan’s water challenge could no longer be addressed in silos. “It is not merely an irrigation issue, an agricultural issue, a provincial issue, an infrastructure issue or a climate issue; it is a national security issue,” he said, adding that India’s attempts to use water as an instrument of pressure had highlighted a serious external dimension to Pakistan’s water security. In April 2025, I...