Pakistan

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Section 144 imposed in Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur to improve security near roads

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The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed on Thursday that Pakistan has received $2 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The central bank said the funds were received “in the value date of April 15, 2026”. The development comes amid Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia to push diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. A day earlier, the kingdom pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. On Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency also reported that Saudi Arabia had extended the $5bn deposit with the central bank and announced an “additional $3bn deposit”. “This assistance aims at supporting Pakistan’s economy and strengthening its resilience amidst evolving global economic challenges, and comes in accordance with the leadership’s directives to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the two countries, affirming the kingdom’s commitment to fostering the economic growth of Pakistan, which is expected to ...

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Justice Soomro orders immediate halt to any further tree felling in the federal capital

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LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday, which called for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts for peace amid the war in the Middle East. The resolution, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was tabled in the assembly by Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman. It commended Pakistan’s political and military leadership for what it described as a “highly effective diplomatic role” in promoting a ceasefire between the US and Iran, and fostering peace amid a tense international situation The resolution paid tribute to key figures, including PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and CDF Munir. It expressed “deep appreciation and pride” over their leadership in navigating complex global challenges. According to the resolution, their “unwavering leadershi...

Crowds gathered for the funerals of eight children and a teacher in southern Turkiye on Thursday, who were killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in a crime that has plunged the country in to shock and the community into grief. As family members and mourners flocked around coffins draped in the Turkish flag in the province of Kahramanmaras, people also placed roses on the steps of the school that was attacked, locals still reeling at what unfolded a day earlier when the teenaged attacker arrived at the building with five guns and opened fire. “We have a tremendous pain,” said Vezir Yucel, whose son played football in the same academy as 10-year-old Bayram Nabi Sisik, one of the students killed at school on Wednesday. “He was such a good kid, respectful and very hardworking,” he told AFP outside the mosque after the funerals. His 11-year-old son Yusuf – standing next to him, was shaking and crying. Authorities said nine people died in Wednesday’s attack — eight children aged 10 and 11 and their teac...

PESHAWAR: A man was “miraculously” found alive on Thursday from the site of a mine collapse 16 days after the incident took place in the Rustam tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan district, the Rescue 1122 said. The rescue service said in a statement that the man was rescued from a tunnel in the Darang area. Eight workers were killed in the marble mine collapse on March 31 while three others were injured. One labourer, identified as Khyber from Mohmand district, was also reported missing. In a video statement, Rescue 1122 media coordinator in Mardan Syed Abbas said that the man found alive on Thursday from underneath the debris had been identified as Abdul Wahab. He pointed out that one of the deceased was also identified as Abdul Wahab, hailing from Mohmand, initially. He said that it was now being feared that Khyber had been killed in the incident. Abbas said the rescued man was being provided medical treatment at Mardan Medical Complex, and the Mardan deputy commissioner and Rescue 1122’s district emerge...

No dates have been decided for the second round of talks between the United States and Iran, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday. “Nuclear issues are among the subjects being discussed by the countries,” he said while responding to a question during his weekly briefing. “We will not comment on the positions of Tehran and the parties involved in the negotiations. This is part of the parties’ trust in us,” Andrabi said, urging the media to refrain from speculations. The FO spokesperson further noted that the talks were ongoing with a high level of trust and “secrecy”. “It is essential for us to keep the negotiations confidential,” he added. When asked about the arrival and composition of the delegations for a second round of dialogue, he said, “Who will come, how large the delegation will be, who will stay, and who will leave — this is for the parties to decide.” “The details and information of the negotiations that we had were entrusted to us by the negotiating parties,” he added. He further stated,...

Power Minister Awais Leghari on Thursday reiterated the government’s apology for excessive loadshedding, explaining that the external factor of the fuel supply crisis due to the Middle East war was one of the main reasons. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Leghari reiterated the apology for higher than promised “load management”, which the government had blamed on lower water availability for power generation. “If the public is facing any inconveniences due to us not providing electricity at night and during peak hours, I am directly answerable,” he said. “We apologise too but […] the circumstances are such that they are not in our control. Even then, we ought to apologise,” the minister noted. He said the country had a total shortfall of 4,000 megawatts (MW) due to two reasons: the shortage of fuel imports due to the ongoing Middle East war and reduced hydropower generation. Leghari said the required liquified natural gas (LNG) “stopped coming from abroad after April 1”. He pointed out that Qatar’s...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Thursday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to finalise regulations for Islamabad’s informal settlements in petitions against the recent demolition drives in the federal capital. The development comes amid an ongoing demolition drive launched by the CDA, which has targeted informal settlements across the federal capital, as well as historic villages like Saidpur, Malpur and Nurpur Shahan. Thursday’s hearing was presided over by FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan. During the hearing, he directed the CDA to formulate rules for regularising informal settlements in Islamabad. Lawyer Faisal Siddiqui appeared on behalf of the petitioner, while lawyer Qasim Chohan represented the CDA. Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman was also present at the hearing. “Why have the regulations not been finalised yet?” Justice Khan asked the AAG during the hearing. At this, the AAG said that “there had been a delay due to the CDA chairman being changed,” assuring ...

Fourteen-year-old Fadel al-Naji used to be a keen footballer but is now largely confined to his home in Gaza City since both legs were severed in an Israeli drone attack in September. He sits sullenly on a couch with one hollow pant leg dangling and the other tucked into his waist beside his 11-year-old brother who lost an eye in the same strike. Fadel Al-Naji, 14, who lost both legs after being injured in an Israeli strike, sits at his home in Gaza City on April 10, 2026. — Reuters “He has become withdrawn and isolated,” said his mother Najwa al-Naji, showing old videos of him doing kick-ups on her phone. “It is as if he is dying slowly, and I wish that they would fit him with prosthetic limbs.” But those are in scarce supply for Gaza’s nearly 5,000 war amputees — a quarter of whom are children like al-Naji — because of Israeli restrictions on materials like plaster of Paris, seven aid and medical sources told Reuters. Israel cites security concerns as the reason for restrictions. Palestinian amputee Omar Ab...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over the cutting of trees in the federal capital despite previous orders, warning the authorities of contempt proceedings in case of further violations. IHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, while hearing multiple petitions against tree cutting in various sectors, observed that the court’s injunction orders issued on January 15 and April 8 had been ignored. Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, advocates Mudassar Latif Abbasi and Umair Asad argued that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were continuing to cut trees without lawful justification. During the proceedings, Advocate Abbasi informed the court that more than 30,000 trees had been cut across Islamabad under the pretext of removing paper mulberry trees, without obtaining mandatory approval from the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA). He further pointed out that the CDA, in its para-wise comments, had failed to clarify whether any expert assessment w...

Pakistan recorded a sizable current account surplus in March, it emerged on Wednesday. In a post on social media platform X, the State Bank of Pakistan said, “Current account balance recorded a surplus of $1,070 million in Mar 2026 compared to a surplus of $231 million in Feb 2026.” Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on X, “Pakistan’s external account continues to strengthen, delivering a third consecutive monthly surplus in 2026.” He said that the figures for March were “among the strongest monthly outcomes on record”. He said that the surplus was the “second-highest ever”, only behind $1.2bn in March 2025. “Pakistan’s external sector is firming up, with sustained surpluses signalling improving balance of payments stability,” he said. The current account deficit — a long-standing issue facing Pakistan’s economy — has been addressed by a significant reduction in imports, resulting in a surplus. Arif Habib Limited noted that for the first nine months of the current fiscal year, the country h...

India’s government was seeking to expand the size of parliament by two-fifths to increase the representation of women lawmakers, but opposition parties have cried foul, saying it would benefit the ruling party. “We’re set to take historic steps to empower women,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, ahead of the special sitting of parliament on Thursday, to debate constitutional amendments to both expand seats for women and the overall size of parliament to over 800. The bill proposes fast-tracking implementation of a 2023 law in the world’s largest democracy of 1.4 billion people, reserving 33 per cent of seats for women. Increasing the number of women in parliament has, in principle, broad cross-party support. “We are all united to give rightful positions to women in India,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday. Women currently account for just 14pc of India’s 543 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. To achieve the expansion, the government said it plans to redraw p...