Pakistan

Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday finalised a new agreement to deepen cooperation in the field of climate change, reaffirming their commitment to jointly address the mounting environmental challenges facing both countries.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday dismissed a request by the Balochistan government seeking postponement of local government elections in Quetta, reaffirming that the polls will be held on December 28 as scheduled.

The Sindh government has decided to initiate the second phase of its pink scooter distribution programme for women, officials announced on Wednesday.

Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of targeting civilians in border attacks on Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop the fighting and salvage a ceasefire he brokered in July. The two Southeast Asian nations have each blamed the other for the clashes that started on Monday, and remain at odds on a diplomatic solution to the border tensions that have been simmering for months. Thailand’s foreign minister said in an interview on Tuesday that he saw no potential for negotiations, adding the situation was not conducive to third-party mediation, while a top adviser to Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet told Reuters his country was “ready to talk at any time”. Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening, Trump listed a number of wars that he claimed he helped stop, including between Pakistan and India, and Israel and Iran, before commenting on the renewed conflict in Southeast Asia. “I hate to say this one, named Cambodia–Thailand and it started up today an...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted 10-day protective bail to YouTuber Rajab Butt and TikToker Nadeem Mubarak, also known as Nani Wala, on Wednesday in multiple cases related to gambling apps, cybercrime and other allegations after they surrendered before the court. Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas approved the bail after the social media influencers appeared before the IHC after reaching Pakistan from the United Kingdom. The development comes a day after the IHC granted protective bail to the two till December 10 (today), in response to a petition filed by Butt and Mubarak’s relatives, to ensure the content creators were not arrested upon their arrival in Pakistan. Their counsel informed the court yesterday that Butt and Mubarak had been abroad for several months and feared arrest upon landing at Islamabad International Airport. He argued that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other departments had registered several cases against them, but under the law the petitioners were entitled to seek relief...

Lahore once again topped the global ranking of the world’s most polluted cities on Tuesday, as toxic smog and dense fog continued to blanket large parts of Punjab, severely reducing visibility and endangering public health.

A dense blanket of fog on Tuesday forced the closure of a portion of the M-5 Motorway from Multan’s Shershah Interchange to Zahir Pir, officials of the Motorway Police said.

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Tuesday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to prepare a report on tax rates for mobile phones, covering policy options, economic impact, international comparisons, and proposed revisions. The directive came from the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by MNA Naveed Qamar, who expressed displeasure over rising taxes on mobile phones, noting that these institutions have wrongly classified mobile phones as luxury items. The chairman urged both the FBR and Tax Policy Office to review current tax rates on mobile phone imports under the personal baggage and registration schemes. Mr Qamar said the report should be prepared by March 2026, enabling the committee to examine the matter comprehensively ahead of the next budget. MNA Qasim Gilani criticised the heavy taxes on mobile phones, noting that consumers are forced to pay taxes again if their phones are lost or stolen. He highlighted that...

Rawalpindi - Aleema Khan and two other sisters of Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on Tuesday evening started a sit-in near Adiala jail along with the party workers after they were denied to meet the ex-prime minister.

BERLIN: More than 250 human rights groups and other NGOs renewed pressure on the German government on Tuesday to take in hundreds of Afg­hans stranded in Pakistan who had been offered sanctuary by Berlin. The organisations, inclu­ding Amnesty Interna­tional, Save the Children, Human Rights Watch and church groups, urged the government to bring the roughly 1,800 Afghans to Germany from Pakistan before the end of the year. Those affected must be evacuated in the coming weeks to protect them from deportation back to Afghanistan, the groups said. The Afghans were accepted under a refugee scheme set up by the previous German government, but have been stuck in Pakistan since conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May and froze the programme. Around 350 people on the scheme have been able to come to Germany after winning legal challenges against the government in German courts. UNHCR survey shows only 1.2m of 2m Afghans in Pakistan are registered According to the open letter sent to the German governm...

ON Human Rights Day, the pitiful state of basic liberties in Pakistan — which is combating militancy, climate shocks and a damaged economy — conveys that the country has little to celebrate. Additionally, an outdated criminal justice system and institutional overreach contribute to civil rights violations. What lies ahead for Pakistan’s children is the more pressing aspect. Not only are millions without essential services — food, education and health — they are also forced into labour and illicit trade. Even their existence is ignored by the state: The Human Rights Review noted that only 42pc of children under five were registered at birth. Pakistan, with some 26m children out of school, has allowed the education emergency to persist. Education statistics show that 40pc of children have only a slim chance of acquiring a primary education. This is worsened by the displacement and destruction wrought by both extreme weather patterns and turmoil in KP and Balochistan. According to a World Bank report, poverty ca...

A sit-in led by Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, continued on Tuesday night near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail after she was once again denied a meeting with the ex-premier. The sit-in continued into the night, with party leaders and supporters present on Adiala road as of midnight. Senior party members, including PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and PTI KP Provincial President Junaid Akbar Khan, also joined the demonstration earlier tonight. The PTI has made multiple attempts to meet the incarcerated party founder, being denied an audience each time by jail authorities despite a court order allowing meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, last week, the authorities allowed Uzma Khan, another one of Imran’s sisters, to meet her incarcerated brother. After the visit, she said he was “perfectly fine”. Speaking in video statements as she made her way to the prison today, Aleema alleged that the state had been breaking the law, while maintaining that the PTI had done nothing ...

A High Court judge in the United Kingdom has ordered YouTuber Adil Raja to publicly apologise to Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer following a defamation case. Raja, who runs a YouTube channel and has positioned himself as a whistleblower, was accused of making multiple defamatory statements on social media, including allegations of corruption, electoral interference, judicial manipulation, and human rights abuse, all of which Brigadier (retd) Naseer strongly denied. Judge Richard Spearman KC directed that the apology must remain on Raja’s social media accounts and website for 28 days. The court also ordered Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and £260,000 in legal costs by December 22. The order was issued after Raja lost a defamation case in October, in which the court ruled that allegations he made against Brigadier (retd) Naseer were unfounded. The judge had earlier directed Raja to publish a summary confirming that the statements were defamatory and that the retired military official had succeeded in his claim. ...

Police, procurement, judiciary rank highest in corruption perceptions

The sun burned with a fierce, summer-like intensity on the winter morning but it couldn’t temper the spirit of the competitors gunning for glory at the National Games on Tuesday. The open field at the athletics venue hummed with simultaneous action — discus flying in one sector, hurdlers pacing in another. On the track, athletes bobbed and stretched, their shadows short under the midday blaze. In the stands, a scattered crowd fanned themselves, eyes darting between events. The pool offered some respite from the blazing sun as swimming began at the Games on a day headlined by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Inam Butt extending his remarkable legacy by clinching his 18th national title — the most by any wrestler — and a national record for discus thrower Faryal Farooq. Faryal’s feat was the culmination of a four-years effort; those long days of lonely training meeting minutes of razor-edged opportunity. Through her first four throws, she was nowhere near the mark. The record, it seemed, would elude her once m...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said that the country’s economy cannot be run with force and suggested that the federal government allow provinces to collect taxes to bolster the economy. Speaking to journalists after meeting with the business community at the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Bilawal also suggested that the provinces could directly collect sales tax, in view of independent reports about a Rs3 trillion leakage. “Wherever you need our help at the level of the president of Pakistan, our governors, we are ready to do so for your district-wise economic uplift plan,” the PPP chief said. “The prime minister also desires to work for this, but the difference between their approach and ours is that they believe in centralisation and we focus on decentralisation,” he added. Bilawal acknowledged the business community’s concerns about high tax rates, but maintained that his party believes in collecting more taxes to strengthen the economy. “Though the goal i...

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday declared a petition challenging degree of Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri as maintainable.

ISLAMABAD - The top election regulatory authority yesterday announced the long-awaited schedule for local government polls in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

ISLAMABAD - Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi chaired an important meeting to review citizen-facilitation measures, traffic management, and the use of modern technology across federal capital.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to review bilateral relations and regional developments.