Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will be working with the minimal staff at its principal seat in Islamabad on Wednesday, while no judicial work will be conducted at the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in the capital for a second consecutive day. The developments come as extraordinary security measures have been put in place for the anticipated second round of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, expected to be held this week. The measures also include restricted entry to the high-security Red Zone, where both the courts are located. The SC issued a notification on Tuesday, stating that the chief justice of Pakistan “shall function with minimal specified officers/ officials on April 22”. “However, the remaining officers/ officials shall work from home and shall remain in contact with their immediate supervising officers by keeping themselves connected through cell phone,” it added. The notification also said that “no adverse order shall be passed in case of non-appearance of any party or advocate in any case of Is...

ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday that Pakistan had sufficient medicine stocks to meet demand for the next five to six months. “Despite ongoing international challenges, the health ministry and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), in close coordination with the pharmaceutical industry, have taken timely and effective measures to safeguard medicine supplies,” Kamal said, while chairing a meeting to review the availability of medicines and the national supply chain. The health minister said that proactive steps ensured the uninterrupted availability of medicines across Pakistan. “Pakistan currently holds sufficient medicine stocks to meet demand for the next five to six months,” he noted. Kamal reassured the public that, despite the prevailing global situation due to the conflict in the Middle East, there would be no shortage of medicines. “The health ministry and Drap are maintaining strict oversight to ensure continuous supply, while the government remains fully committed t...

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Tuesday released its official Mark-to-Market (M2M) currency rates for April 21, 2026, based on weighted-average interbank closing data and international benchmarks.

Pakistan has extended its airspace closure for all Indian civilian and military aircraft until May 24, 2026, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday halted the by-election for the vacant Senate seat of PTI leader Murad Saeed and issued a stay order after a petition challenged the legality of the de-notification process, adjourning further proceedings. A three-member bench of the ECP heard the petition regarding the matter and issued notices to all concerned parties. During the hearing, the lawyer for petitioner MPA Jalal Khan appeared before the commission and stated that Saeed had been elected senator but did not take the oath of office. He argued, “Since Saeed did not take the oath, questions arise over how he was de-notified as a member,” adding that a person is considered a member of the house only after taking the oath. The petitioner’s counsel further requested the ECP to postpone the by-election and remove the existing ambiguity in the matter. After hearing the arguments, the ECP accepted the request and put the scheduled April 23 by-election on hold, issuing a stay order and adjournin...

KARACHI: A young doctor died of multiple gunshot wounds in a suspected targeted attack near the city’s Mehran Hotel late on Monday night, police said on Tuesday. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that Dr Sarang Memon was travelling in a rickshaw along with his wife, also a doctor at a private hospital, on Stadium Road. According to Raza, they were on their way to an apartment near the Karachi Press Club when suspects travelling in a car intercepted them at Dr Dawood Pota Road near Mehran Hotel. They fired multiple shots and fled. The victim sustained four gunshot wounds and was taken to the nearby Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) at 11:30pm, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment 20 minutes later, said police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed. One bullet to the chest proved fatal, she added. The DIG said the Crime Scene Unit had been called to collect evidence from the spot, and that CCTV footage was being collected. He added that during the initial probe, it was trans...

Former prime minister and president of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Nawaz Sharif, on Tuesday praised the country’s top leadership for strengthening Pakistan’s international standing.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s benchmark index KSE-100 gained over 959.09 points on Tuesday amid mounting geopolitical uncertainty. KSE-100 gained 959.09 points or 0.56 per cent to close at 173,155.79 from the previous close of 172,196.70 points. The KSE-100 rose to an intraday high of 175,298.11 at around 10:27am, then declined to an intraday low of 172,837.79 points at 3:17pm, before settling at 173,155.79. Trading began on a positive note, with the index gaining as many as 3,100 points, before slipping slightly while remaining in the green. According to Topline Securities, the stock market witnessed a “highly volatile session” amid “mounting geopolitical uncertainty”. “Market participants remained fixated on the anticipated second round of negotiations between the US and Iran, expected to commence in Pakistan, while conflicting signals and rising tensions kept sentiment on edge,” Topline Securities said in its daily market review. However, it added that “despite the jittery backdrop, the benchmark ind...

Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR is ready to supply liquefied ​natural gas (LNG) to Pakistan as soon ‌as it receives a request from Islamabad, the company told Reuters on Tuesday, ​as Islamabad seeks spot cargoes to ​ease a growing energy shortfall. SOCAR said a ⁠framework agreement signed in 2025 ​between SOCAR Trading and Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) allows ​the Pakistani buyer to purchase LNG cargoes directly under an accelerated procedure. “SOCAR is ready to ​provide LNG to Pakistan as ​soon as PLL submits a corresponding request,” the ‌company ⁠said in response to Reuters questions. SOCAR did not say whether such a request had already been made, when a ​first delivery ​could ⁠take place, or whose LNG would be supplied under the ​agreement. Pakistan, which relies heavily on ​gas ⁠for its energy needs, remains vulnerable to declining domestic production and swings ⁠in ​global LNG prices amid ​the supply disruptions related to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Facing criticism over loadshedding even before t...

ISLAMABAD:  Around 3.3 million jobs may have been affected by the 2025 floods in Pakistan, according to an assessment conducted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The ILO — a specialised United Nations agency — announced on Tuesday that it had undertaken an employment and livelihoods loss assessment for 14 of the worst-affected districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the ILO, the assessment showed that the majority of employment losses and disruptions were borne by the nine flood-affected districts in Punjab. It further indicated that rural areas accounted for nearly 78 per cent of the total estimated employment losses, with agriculture emerging as the most affected sector, followed by services and industry. According to the statement, the assessment was in support of the review and validation by the Preliminary Assessment of 2025 Flood Damages, a collective exercise supported by the United Nations, Asian Development Bank, European Union, and the World Bank, with the United Natio...

Two exciting fixtures are lined up today (Tuesday) in Pakistan Super League Season 11, with matches taking place in Lahore and Karachi.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has granted in-principle approval to further streamline and integrate the Public-Private Partnership Authority and its system to accelerate development projects through public-private collaboration.

Air travel between Pakistan and Gulf countries has experienced significant disruptions, with 45 flights temporarily rescheduled or cancelled across major airports.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the government was actively pursuing a diversified capital markets strategy, aimed at strengthening external buffers and ensuring sustainable financing. He made the remarks during a meeting with European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis, the finance ministry said in a post on the social media platform X. The minister underscored Pakistan’s steady return to macroeconomic stability and renewed engagement with international capital markets, highlighting “growing investor confidence and the government’s commitment to a structured and forward-looking economic reform agenda”. “He noted that Pakistan has recently re-entered international capital markets after a four-year hiatus through a privately placed Eurobond transaction, which witnessed strong investor interest and was successfully upsized,” the ministry said. It added that Aurangzeb emphasised that “this milestone reflects improving economic fundamentals and signals a positive trajectory f...

China’s ambassador to Pakistan has reaffirmed Beijing’s “full support” for Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate peace talks between the United States and Iran, underscoring the importance of dialogue for regional stability.

A major urban development plan has been approved for the federal capital, including the construction of a new park spanning over 1,000 acres at the foothills of the Margalla Hills.

The Pakistan Navy has successfully conducted a test of its indigenously developed air-to-surface cruise missile, “Taimoor”, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong called on Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Tuesday, with discussions centring on the latest regional developments amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

The Pakistan Navy conducted a successful test of the indigenously developed ‘Taimoor’ air-launched cruise missile, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the “Pakistan Navy has conducted successful live weapon firing of Taimoor air-launched cruise missile — an indigenously developed Anti-Ship Weapon System — in a powerful demonstration of precision strike capability and operational readiness”. ISPR said that the cruise missile “executed its mission with exceptional precision, validating Pakistan Navy’s combat capability to detect, target and decisively neutralise enemy sea-based threats at extended ranges”. @dawn.today The Pakistan Navy conducted a successful test of the indigenously developed ‘Taimoor’ air-launched cruise missile, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the “Pakistan Navy has conducted successful live weapon firing of Taimoor air-launched cruise missile — an indigenously developed...

As springtime temperatures rise in Gaza, a surge in rats, fleas and other pests has compounded the misery of hundreds of thousands of displaced people still living in tents after more than two years of war. With meagre shelter and almost no sanitation, Palestinians told AFP the vermin are invading their makeshift homes, biting children and contaminating food, in what aid agencies warned was a growing public health threat. “My children have been bitten. One of my sons was even bitten on the nose,” said Muhammad al-Raqab, a displaced Palestinian man living in a tent near the southern city of Khan Yunis. “I am unable to sleep through the night because I must constantly watch over the children,” the 32-year-old construction worker, originally from Bani Shueila, told AFP. With shelters erected directly on soft sand by the Mediterranean Sea, rodents can easily burrow under tent walls and wreak havoc inside, where people have established makeshift pantries and kitchens. “The rodents have eaten through my tent,” Raqa...