Pakistan

Bilawal, ministers warn against anti-state rhetoric

Kainat Ibrahim wins bronze in women's 10,000m, stuns senior athletes

Climate change, industrial pollution and illegal hunting have jeopardised the survival of exotic winged creatures in S

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Experts at SAU seminar warn of food insecurity, urge climate adaptation measures

ATC judge admonishes investigator for framing terrorism charges

Sindh Action Committee warns of 'dictatorship,' crackdown on fundamental rights

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PDP leaders demand non-bailable offences, fast-track justice system

In his first address as the chief of defence forces (CDF), Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday hailed the newly instituted CDF Headquarters as “historic”, stating that it would better integrate the three armed services — the army, navy and air force — to keep pace with the dynamics of future threats. Addressing a ceremony at GHQ, the newly-appointed CDF emphasised the need for a formal arrangement for tri-services integration and synergy and highlighted that the armed forces have to remain aligned with new aspects of warfare, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The CDF highlighted emerging spheres in warfare, such as cyberspace, the electromagnetic spectrum, outer space, information operations, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which Pakistan needs to keep up with. Service chiefs and senior military officials attend an address by newly appointed Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on December 8. ...

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Islamabad on Monday on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to state broadcaster PTV News, the Indonesian president was received by PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari upon his arrival at the Nur Khan airbase. In a post on X, the PM wrote that he was honoured to host the Indonesian president and noted that Islamabad and Jakarta “are bound together by a shared history, deep cultural affinity and a friendship rooted in mutual respect and solidarity“. “Looking forward to our meaningful engagements tomorrow as we work to further strengthen this enduring partnership,” he added. According to PTV News, children dressed in traditional attire presented flowers to Subianto upon his arrival. “On this occasion, the Indonesian president exchanged pleasantries with the president … and the prime minister,” the broadcaster reported. “Children holding the flags of both countries extended a warm welcome to the esteemed gues...

Amid mounting criticism over the delay in the opposition leader’s appointment, the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat has sent a letter to PTI Chief Whip Malik Aamir Dogar, seeking details about the status of cases concerning PTI’s Omar Ayub. The letter says that the provision of the details in writing is necessary for the completion of the process for the appointment of an opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament. Ayub, who had been the opposition leader in the Senate until his disqualification in August by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in connection with his conviction in the May 9 cases, had challenged his de-seating by the electoral body in the Supreme Court. The PTI had nominated Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai for the role following Ayub’s disqualification, but his notification remains pending. And while NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has maintained regarding the delay in the appointment of a new opposition leader for the house that the matter is “sub judic...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday filed a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), seeking the postponement of the local government elections in Quetta that were scheduled to be held on December 28. Informed sources told Dawn that in the petition, Bugti cited the precarious law and order situation in the provincial capital and the suspension of internet services as the reasons for postponing the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) elections. He also said people have migrated due to winters, affecting voter participation. Earlier, the Balochistan government had requested the election commission to postpone the polls, citing similar reasons stated in today’s petition. The request was turned down. In other districts of Balochistan, local government elections were held three years ago, and the current bodies’ term would expire in nine months, the sources said. It is worth noting that the ECP completed all preparations for holding local body elections in Quetta, and the printing ...

Transporters called off a Punjab-wide strike on Monday after talks with the provincial government representatives, with one of the participants included in the negotiations confirming to Dawn that authorities had largely agreed to transporters’ demands. The call for the strike today, which was also observed in Islamabad, was given by transporters’ bodies primarily in protest against a new traffic ordinance that significantly increased traffic fines. To discuss the matter, talks were held between representatives from the Punjab government, who were led by the provincial transport minister, Bilal Akbar, and a delegation of the Mutahidda Transporters’ Association’s action committee. After the meeting, action committee member Lala Yasir told Dawn that the transporters called off the strike after the government accepted their demands. He said that apart from the revision of the Punjab Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the transporters also demanded an end to the registration of first information reports a...

Your quarter-life crisis presents itself with you having the daunting task of deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life, whether it’s your personal life or your professional one. The crisis worsens for students who have graduated or are about to graduate soon, as the time for them to enter the workforce draws nearer. As the job market is highly unpredictable and competitive, this turns into a period of anxiety even for those who have their lives planned out and know exactly what they want to do. Those without direction have another battle to fight. Both demographics often face the same dilemma, which is that the entry-level salaries offered in most jobs do not live up to the expectations of young graduates or soon-to-be graduates. Of course, there’s the debacle of insufficient entry-level jobs being available in the first place, with most companies asking for candidates with prior work experience. Entry-level jobs in various fields are also being replaced by the advent of artificial intelligence ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday congratulated Abid Sher Ali on his unopposed election to the Senate, extending best wishes for his future responsibilities.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stressed the need for a fitting celebration of the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations.

Police on Monday recovered the body of a doctor who had been missing since Thursday in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Abbottabad from a nearby forest. Police sources told Dawn that the body of Dr Warda Mushtaq was recovered from the nearby forests of Thandiyani. Her body has now been shifted to the hospital for an autopsy. Police also arrested a friend of the deceased and her husband in relation to the case. Mushtaq — a doctor at the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed hospital — had been missing since Thursday, prompting her colleagues and the leaders of the Provincial Doctors Association and Grand Health Alliance to stage a demonstration and boycott hospital duties. They had announced that if she was not found by Monday, protests would be extended to hospitals across the province. Following the news of the death, the hospital staff staged a protest and blocked the main Karakoram Highway (KKH) road from Fawara Chowk, assailing the police for “delayed action.” FIR As per the first information report (FIR), filed by her father under...

The Punjab government has intensified its province-wide crackdown on traffic violations, particularly targeting illegal number plates and vehicles with tinted windows, according to an official report issued on Monday.

A guard of honour ceremony was held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday to formally honour Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.