Pakistan

Pakistan is ready to play a constructive role in bridging differences between the United States and China, Islamabad’s Ambassador to Washington Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said on Wednesday.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to impose a complete ban on traditional brick kilns as part of its efforts to tackle environmental pollution and reduce smog levels in the province.

United States President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies on Wednesday, complaining that his talks with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war “don’t go anywhere”. The European Union also unveiled a fresh wave of sanctions to pressure Russia to end its relentless, three-and-a-half-year invasion of its neighbor, which is allied with both Washington and Brussels. Trump has held off pulling the trigger on sanctions against Russia for months, but his patience snapped after plans for a fresh summit with Putin in Budapest collapsed. “Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere,” Trump said in response to a question from an AFP journalist in the Oval Office. But Trump added that he hoped the “tremendous sanctions” against Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil would be short-lived. “We hope that the war will be settled,” he said alongside Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday evening tha...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed gratitude after the provincial government successfully met the target of providing 100,000 interest-free housing loans to low-income families under the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar project.

Members of Parliament and political leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, where they discussed the overall political landscape as well as the progress of ongoing development projects in the province.

Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains suspended for nearly two weeks as key border crossings have yet to reopen following recent clashes between security forces on both sides.

Citizens urged to report presence of extremist groups, illegal foreign nationals CM Maryam chairs third consecutive meeting on law and order Warns culture of violence, mafias will no longer be tolerated.

LODHRAN - On the special instructions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a provincial cabinet committee, led by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, visited the central flood rehabilitation camp set up at the Multan Sports Ground to review ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts for flood-affected families.

• Two policemen martyred in Noshki • Security man loses life in landmine blast QUETTA: At least 11 militants were killed in separate operations in Chagai and Sibi districts over the past 24 hours, whereas two police constables were martyred in Noshki, and a security official lost his life to a landmine in Kachhi, officials said on Wednesday. Officials said security forces launched an intelligence-based operation in the mountainous area of Dalbandin in Chagai after reports of militants hiding there. Troops cordoned off the location and came under heavy fire. A fierce gun battle ensued and lasted about an hour, leaving six suspects dead. “The Fitna al-Hindustan terrorists were hiding in the area and were detected through aerial reconnaissance,” officials said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the hideout. They said the operation had reduced threats to security forces and civilians in the vicinity. In a separate action, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted an operation in Sibi afte...

ISLAMABAD: A key government minister on Wednesday offered to shift PTI founder Imran Khan to his Banigala residence if the party submits a written application to this effect. Subsequently, the PTI has responded that the offer can be considered if the government demonstrates its “seriousness” on the issue. In an appearance on Asma Shirazi’s talk-show on Hum News, Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry suggested that Mr Khan could be shifted to Banigala, where PTI leaders and his family members can meet him on a daily basis. Later, talking to Dawn, Mr Chaudhry said that there were 8,000 prisoners in Adiala jail and they were also suffering beca­use of the PTI founder and his political activities. “We are ready to shift him if they submit an appl­i­cation. There [at Bani­gala] PTI leaders can meet him and play Ludo and other games day and night,” the minister added. He said that Mr Khan cannot be released, but he can be shifted to his Banigala residence by declaring it a sub-jail. “The PTI s...

• Emission standards critically outdated, committee told • Official says Pak-EPA lacks financial, technical resources to do its job • Senate panel urges Centre to strengthen initiatives for climate-vulnerable Gilgit-Baltistan • Calls for sharing of early-warning data for disaster prevention in northern areas ISLAMABAD / GILGIT: Critical inadequacies in Pakistan’s environmental oversight were highlighted on Wednesday, after a parliamentary committee heard that emission standards remain frozen at Euro-II levels, a benchmark long-abandoned by most nations. Following the revelation, the National Assembly’s Standing Comm­ittee on Climate Change and Environ­mental Coordination voiced serious concerns and directed the Ministry of Climate Change to present a mechanism for air-quality monitoring, along with a comprehensive action plan. During the sitting, the committee received a joint briefing from the ministry and the Islamabad Capital Terri­tory administration and was informed that country’s vehicle emission limits...

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Wednesday that it had booked PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar under the country’s cybercrime laws for spreading misinformation about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s trip to Egypt to attend the signing of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. PM Shehbaz visited Egypt last week to participate in the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit and attend the signing ceremony of a peace agreement aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. Among his many engagements with world leaders, the premier had also met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, where all three leaders expressed satisfaction over the recent ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Fact-checking platform iVerify Pakistan noted that posts from multiple users on social media platform X, particularly PTI supporters, since October 13, had shared a low quality and blurry image of the meeting with the Armenian premier , claiming it showed PM Shehbaz and Israeli PM Benjamin N...

At least 72 riverine dacoits surrendered to the authorities, as part of the provincial government’s newly implemented ‘Sindh Surrender Policy’, a press release issued by the Sindh Home Ministry said on Wednesday. The policy, approved earlier this month, will allow dacoits to surrender arms in return for assurances of protection for their families, rehabilitation and livelihood support. For decades, dozens of dacoit gangs armed with sophisticated weaponry have operated with impunity in northern Sindh as well as southern Punjab. Kidnappings for ransom, extortion rackets that cripple local businesses, brutal killings and looting people on highways have become a daily reality. According to a press release from the home department, “Around 72 dacoits surrendered under the Sindh Surrender Policy, and laid down more than 200 small-scale and heavy ammunition.” The weapons include: 62 G3 rifles, 97 submachine guns, 48 double-barreled guns, two RPG 7s, an anti-tank recoilless rifle and a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun. The d...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Saudi Arabia yesterday reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region.

ISLAMABAD - Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, during his official visit to Romania called on Lieutenant General Leonard-Gabriel Baraboi, Chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff.

ISLAMABAD - The top election regulatory body yesterday once again gave the Punjab province a four-week deadline to complete new delimitations for the upcoming local government polls in the province.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Dr.

ISLAMABAD - After complaints by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi regarding bul-letproof vehicles provided by the federal government, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday that the vehicles in question would be sent to Balochistan instead.

ISLAMABAD - Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of Supreme Court has said that the apex court and high courts cannot be barred from hearing cases even if their powers are curtailed.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the PML-N-led govern-ment is strong and there is no imminent threat to it and issues with PPP have been sorted out.