Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of illegal organ trafficking and the illicit sale of kidneys, terming it a “highly serious and complex” issue that often implicates doctors, hospitals, and regulatory failures.

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan held an interactive and consultative meeting with representatives of various bar associations at the Supreme Court on Wednesday as part of ongoing stakeholder engagement aimed at strengthening the justice sector.

NEW DELHI: India is likely to order more than $2 billion worth of military drones from domestic firms this year in its biggest such purchase, an industry body working with the government said, as global and regional conflicts boost demand. The plans are in advanced stages with deliveries expected over 18 to 24 months, for a jump in value from recent government orders worth 30 billion rupees ($313 million) for tactical-class drones, said Smit Shah, president of the body. “In the next phase, tactical drone procurements in India may exceed 200 billion rupees, or more than $2 billion,” said Shah, whose Drone Federation India represents more than 550 companies and works closely with the government. Shah said the new orders may follow a fast-track procurement route designed to meet urgent operational needs, with deliveries probably needed within 24 months. The country has 600 firms making drones, with more than 100 focused on defence applications Drones in spotlight India’s push follows clashes with arch-rival Paki...

QUETTA: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai has petitioned the Balochistan High Court against the registration of a case against him in Cha­man over his recent contr­oversial speech, and term­­ed the issues facing the co­­untry ‘political in nature’. “The establishment of a true democratic society is essential for national progress,” said Achakzai, who is chairman of Pash­to­­onkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), while speaking to the media and lawyers at the BHC on Wednesday. He said that interference in the electoral process had weakened democratic institutions in the country, while those advocating for constitutional supremacy and democra­tic principles were often subjected to criticism. Highlighting the need for a system based on genuine public representation, he said Pakistan required a truly elected parliament, where key national decisions, particularly related to internal and foreign policy, were made independently in the broader interest of the state and its people. “We...

• Govt and mining company conducting formal review of procurement plans for project • Minister hints at gas tariff relief for domestic consumers from July 1 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Barrick Mining Corporation are working on upgrading the security requirements of the multi-billion dollar Reko Diq Copper-Gold Project in view of the prevailing situation, resulting in increased security costs. A team of Barrick Gold is currently in Pakistan to discuss security upgrades, confirmed Ahmad Hayat Lak, chief executive officer of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), one of the key Reko Diq partners. He told journalists that the Reko Diq project agreement had provisions for security arrangements and that the partners were discussing possible upgrades. He said both sides were conducting a formal review of security arrangements and procurement plans for the project. Lak added that the review, as required under the agreement, would suggest whether security upgrades and additional funding were needed, while st...

• Criticises practice of frequent strike calls; terms them ‘illegal’ and violative of litigants’ rights • Dismisses Peshawar bar appeal; holds that everyone has right to counsel of choice ISLAMABAD: In a landmark judgement on an appeal filed by the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday ruled that bar associations and bar councils cannot suspend a lawyer’s licence solely for representing a client or appearing in court during a strike. Authored by Justice Aamer Farooq, the 20-page judgement also criticised the practice of frequent strike calls by bar associations and bar councils, observing that such strikes were not only illegal but also violated the constitutional right of access to justice of litigants and their counsel. “When a strike call is made, the lawyer bodies restrict lawyers from appearing before the courts. Consequently, a litigant, on that day, is deprived of his legal practitioner’s representation, and proceedings in his case are adjourned withou...

• Proposals seek integration of crime data at national level, interprovincial intelligence sharing, CTD for GB • Interior ministry seeks input from all provincial police chiefs ahead of key meeting • FIA DG underscores need for uniform mechanism across provinces, notes ‘serious disconnect’ between different agencies LAHORE: The federal government has sought input from all police departments on a new internal security policy for the next five years, which aims to centralise police operations, improve interprovincial intelligence sharing, integrate crime data, and choke terror financing, among other measures. The National Internal Security Policy 2026-30, which will be discussed at an ‘extraordinary meeting’ of the National Police Management Board (NPMB) later this month, will include inputs from all provincial IGPs as well as the police chiefs of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The interior ministry shared a set of proposals, furnished by some retired and serving police officers, with the police c...

KARACHI: Repres­entatives of exporters are confident that a proposal under consideration in Washington to impose 10 per cent additional duties on imports would not hurt Pakistan’s exports. The US Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed to the Trump administration to slap 10pc additional duties on imports from Pakistan, Canada, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico, Argentina, Taiwan, Britain and the European Union. Exporters said the buyers in the US have to pay the duties making the Pakistani products costly after reaching the American market. Javed Bilwani, an exporter who is a former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce, said Pakistan was already facing 16.5pc tax on export of textile products to the US, while an additional 10pc duty was imposed after the US Supreme Court struck down the new tariff regime to change the world trade order. Importers in the United States had approached the Supreme Court against President Trump’s new tariff regime, which jolted the global market since the tariffs on ...

The Republican-led US House of Representatives approved a resolution on Wednesday to block President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran, reflecting growing concern among members of his party about the three-month-old conflict. The House voted 215 to 208, as four Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution, which directs Trump to withdraw US troops from Iran unless Congress declares war or authorises the use of military force. The move marked the first time the Republican-controlled House had approved a measure seeking to force Trump to wind down military operations against Tehran since the war began three months ago. It was the latest setback for Trump in Congress despite his party’s slim majorities in both the House and Senate. For now, the vote is largely symbolic, as legislation must pass the Senate as well as the House to become effective, and there is debate over whether war powers resolutions would be constitutional even if they are approved by Congress. The vot...

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Wednesday that Washington’s military campaign against Iran, codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”, had concluded and that any subsequent American military action would be defensive in nature rather than part of an ongoing offensive operation. Rubio made the remarks during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing when members of Congress questioned the administration’s assessment of the conflict and its aftermath. His comments came amid continuing concerns over regional security, the deployment of US forces across the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route through which a significant share of the world’s oil exports pass. During the hearing, Rubio announced, “We’re no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military, because Epic Fury is over.” Later, he reiterated: “Epic Fury is over … that operation has concluded.” Rubio argued that the operation was a “victory” as Washington achieved i...

ISLAMABAD: With the federal budget for the financial year 2026-27 expected to be tabled on June 10, two major ruling partners, the PML-N and the PPP, continued their consultations on the proposed fiscal measures, with another round of the pre-budget meeting scheduled for later this week. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Wednesday that the budget would be tabled on June 10. Sources said the next meeting between the PPP and PML-N would be attended by party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who will be back from his election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan before the June 7 polls. PPP sources said these were routine pre-budget meetings to discuss taxation and other measures and multiple rounds could take place before the budget session. A PPP leader also said they were trying to reach an agreement with the government on fiscal measures in light of the new IMF demands, adding that they were unhappy with the budget in its current form. Another source said the consultations were also delayed because the IM...

The Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa had a “big head-start”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief acknowledged Wednesday, but insisted efforts to rein in the deadly virus were making progress. The outbreak, which was declared on May 15 in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has so far been confirmed to have infected 359 people, including 61 who have died. But the actual numbers could be far higher, with the virus believed to have been spreading under the radar for some time before it was detected. “The outbreak had a big head-start and we’re still behind,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at the UN health agency’s headquarters in Geneva, but insisted that “we’re catching up”. Tedros, who had just returned from a trip to DRC, where he travelled to the outbreak’s epicentre in Ituri province, said he had been “very encouraged by the level of commitment I saw everywhere I went”. But challenges remain, he said, warning that “the virus is ahead of us… we need to move ...

LHC upholds death penalty in Motorway rape case

• One killed in airport attack as IRGC denies involvement • US strikes near Hormuz in Gulf flare-up • GCC denounces

Violent dust storm kills 11 in central Sindh

Coalition partners agree to recommend June 10 for FY2026–27 budget

Says orders fixing timelines may intrude on judicial independence

.

Trump confirms expletive-laden phone call with Netanyahu

.