Pakistan

• Home minister says bandits must deposit all weapons, explosives with police • Says courts likely to consider laying down arms as a mitigating factor in deciding cases KARACHI: Surrendering dacoits in the Katcha region will face trial without pardon, though voluntary surrender may be considered a mitigating factor in sentencing by courts. As per the Surrender Policy for Dacoits in Katcha Area of Sukkur and Larkana Divisions, recently approved by the Sindh cabinet, surrender does not mean pardon or immunity and all surrendering individuals shall face the prevailing law of the land, officials told Dawn. The policy ensures surrendering dacoits would not face harm from law enforcement and their families would be shielded from any sort of harassment or retaliation, providing a safe passage for reintegration. Speaking to Dawn, Home Minister Zia Lanjhar said that the Sindh government proactively worked to resolve tribal feuds, removing a major factor behind dacoit formation in the area. He said that communities in ...

In a significant step toward digital governance and citizen facilitation, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has made the process of birth and death registration faster, more efficient, and transparent through a new automated system developed in collaboration with provincial governments.

KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at promoting collaboration in information technology and sports, marking a step forward in bilateral engagement focused on youth development and technological cooperation. The Letters of Intent (LoIs) were signed at a ceremony held at the Governor House late Friday night in the presence of Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council (SPJBC) Chairman Prince Mansour bin Mohammad bin Saad Al Saud and Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori. Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al-Malki, Consul General Mohammed Abdullah Al-Subaie and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq also attended the event. Under the MoUs, both countries agreed to collaborate on IT education, youth exchange programmes, joint training initiatives and sporting events to promote skills development and people-to-people connections. KCCI urges Saudi investment in petrochemicals and agriculture Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Tessori described Pak-Saudi relat...

Pakistan Army responds with great precision after unprovoked firing from Afghan side at Pak-Afghan border Islamabad rejects highly insensitive India-Afghanistan joint statement.

Thousands reach Muridke as Lahore police fail to contain protesters DIG claims 112 policemen injured, several missing during clashes with TLP workers Authorities shut down mobile, internet services amid roadblocks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi.

RAWALPINDI/DI KHAN - The Law Enforcement Agencies late Friday night foiled cowardly terrorist attack by khwarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij at Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan, resulting in the killing of six terrorist attackers.

LAHORE/RY KHAN - A fugitive wanted by Lahore police was killed by gunfire from his own accomplices during an alleged encounter near Kot Sabzal police station, Rahim Yar Khan.

ISLAMABAD - Though the war of words between two main coalition partners - PML-N and PPP has ended for now with the interventions of bigwigs, this is unlikely to be the full stop in their ongoing political skirmishes.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has expressed strong disapproval of the police inaction in a case about enforced disappearance, ordering departmental accountability as well as seeking a compliance report from the cabinet secretary about the initiation of proceedings against the police high-ups, including the IGP. In an order issued by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, the court sought a compliance report from the secretary about an earlier order wherein the official was directed to place the matter before the prime minister for initiation of departmental proceedings against the responsible police officers. The incumbent IGP was also asked to submit a report on whether any action had been taken against the joint investigation team members and investigating officers involved. The case stemmed from an FIR registered in 2015 for the recovery of Abdullah Umar and the judge was hearing a contempt petition filed by the victim’s wife, Zainab Zaeem. Justice Kayani reminded the government functionaries about a 2019 ord...

PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has confirmed that the handwritten resignation of the Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur was officially received at half past two on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi on Saturday reaffirmed his commitment to extend access to justice across country’s most remote regions.

LAHORE - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the government is giving top priority to the promotion of information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen Pakistan’s digital economy.

ISLAMABAD - As 26 new dengue cases surfaced in Islamabad within 24 hours, the district administration has stepped up its ongoing anti-dengue operations, inspecting more than 21,000 sites across the capital to control the spread of the virus.

In response to unprovoked firing by Afghan forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Pakistan Army launched a decisive retaliatory operation early Sunday, destroying several Afghan posts and capturing 19 key positions, besides inflicting heavy losses on Afghan troops and militants.

Pakistan Army, in a retaliatory response to unprovoked aggression by Afghan forces, has destroyed multiple posts used to facilitate terrorist activities against Pakistan.

LAHORE: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, on Saturday deplored that successive governments in Pakistan had shown little interest in improving the lives of ordinary citizens, saying policymaking remained trapped in “elite capture”. “Everything that is done is elitist to satisfy or protect industry or perhaps pressure groups, but an ordinary person is not in the picture,” he said, speaking at Breathe Pakistan’s session “Judicial Activism and Litigation for Clean Air in Pakistan.” Senior lawyer Faisal Siddiqui conducted the session. The judge said he realised, during his whole career as a lawyer and a judge, “the ordinary person is not relevant.” View this post on Instagram Says environmental watchdog fully captured by govt Justice Shah, who is known for his work on public interest and the environment, said he was not against development, but it should be done in an intelligent way. He lamented that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the regulatory body to control p...

FAISALABAD - Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhary on Saturday emphasized the government’s commitment to providing modern facilities to the public at their doorsteps by upgrading departmental services and addressing grassroots issues.

KARACHI: The business and industrial community has raised concerns over inflated gas bills for the month, which have been calculated using peak-hour charges instead of off-peak rates. This has led to significant financial distress, particularly among industries already grappling with economic challenges. Industrialists have pointed out that, had the gas consumption been assessed using off-peak rates, the cost per unit would be around Rs238. However, the bills reflect charges nearly double or up to two and a half times higher than this amount. The misapplication of peak-hour charges has led to widespread complaints from industrial consumers, who argue that this billing method is both incorrect and unjustified. Karachi chamber raises concerns over peak-hour charges, demands uniform 24-hour tariff In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwalla and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani called the inflated charges unaffordable and w...

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved financing of $235 million for the Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project. This funding aims to ensure a sustainable supply of safe water and alleviate the environmental damage caused by untreated sewage discharge in the city. The loan, approved by the Beijing-based institution on Thursday, will also support the Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency (LWASA) in improving its institutional capacity, enabling it to provide better services to the residents of Lahore while becoming a financially sustainable entity. Lahore faces a dual challenge of inadequate clean water and untreated wastewater overflow, both of which require urgent attention from the provincial government. The AIIB financing will be directed towards addressing these issues in a coordinated manner. The Punjab government had requested the AIIB’s support for the construction of infrastructure to divert water from the nearby Banbawala Ravi Bedian Depalpur (BRBD) Canal, as wel...

• China retaliates with port fees as US tariff dispute escalates • Beijing residents dismiss US pressure, see limited impact on daily life BEIJING: China will begin levying port fees on US-built, owned, operated, or flagged vessels from Tuesday, in a direct response to similar char­ges being introduced by the United States on China-linked ships the same day, the Chinese transport ministry said on Friday, as reported by Reuters. Later that day, US President Donald Trump announced an increase in tariffs on all Chinese exports to the US, raising them to 100 per cent from Nov 1, and unveiled new export controls on strategic software. The move came in response to China’s recent curbs on exports of rare earth minerals. Although few US-flagged or built ships are engaged in international trade, China’s new port fee regime casts a wider net by targeting vessels where US-domiciled funds hold 25pc or more in shares or board seats. Analysts say this will significantly broaden the scope of affected companies, particularly...