Pakistan

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) has rejected the 27th constitutional amendment, calling it unnecessary and harmful to the Constitution.

Security forces killed twenty-two Indian-sponsored Khwarij during an intelligence-based operation in Bannu district.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Ali Lari­ja­­ni, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Secu­ri­­ty Council, on Tuesday, with the two sides reaffirming their commitment to “enhancing cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual interest”, according to the Foreign Office (FO). The two also agreed to “deepening bilateral ties in diverse areas” between Islamabad and Tehran, the FO posted on social media platform X. Lari­ja­­ni reached Pakistan on Monday and is expected to meet Pakistan’s political and military leadership during the visit. His trip follows Speaker of Iranian Parliament Bagher Ghalibaf’s visit to Islamabad last month, marking the second high-level Iranian delegation to Pakistan in weeks. In a post on X before landing in Pakistan, Larijani said: “Iran and Pakistan are two important and influential countries in ensuring lasting security in the region, and we always pay close attention to the brotherly relations between the countries of the region.” He also said that “Iranians wil...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that lasting development and prosperity cannot be achieved without restoring peace in the province.

Pakistan and Iran on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, claimed on Tuesday that Pakistan had carried out overnight strikes in the neighbouring country. In a post on social media platform X, he said that Pakistan had “bombed” Khost province, and carried out air strikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces. No official statement has been issued by Pakistan thus far. The strike was reported the same day a deadly suicide attack on the Federal Constabulary headquarters saw three personnel embrace martyrdom and 12 sustain injuries. Pakistan’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan have come under strain in recent times as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains the main point of contention between the two countries. Pakistan has demanded that the rulers in Kabul take action to stop cross-border terrorism, but the Afghan Taliban deny Islamabad’s allegations of terrorists being allowed to use Afghan soil to carry out attacks in Pakistan. During a process of dialogue, which followed border clashes bet...

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif in Riyadh to discuss the longstanding issue of the legal status of Rohingya Muslims.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has strongly condemned all forms of violence against women, calling it “absolutely intolerable,” while marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In a key development in the petition seeking the suspension of the PTI founder’s X account, the Adiala Jail superintendent has firmly rejected claims that Imran Khan is operating social media from inside the prison.

India’s alleged violations of the Indus Waters Treaty have escalated, with Pakistan reporting that New Delhi has nearly stopped sharing essential river-flow data required under the 1960 agreement.

The counsel appointed by the court for lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case pertaining to controversial social media posts refused to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses on Tuesday, saying that he could not “ask questions dictated” to him. He also alleged that he was not given enough time to prepare for the case, which was registered by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Mazari and Chattha have been accused of attempting to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and of creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country in the case. Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammed Afzal Majoka resumed proceedings in the case in Islamabad today, where court-appointed defence counsel Advocate Shakeel Jatt alleged he was approached at around 4pm yesterday to represent Imaan and Chattha. He said that he had not been provided the case file to prepare in tim...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, led the Pakistani delegation at the Second International Conference on Justice in Riyadh, organized under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has initiated an unprecedented wave of transparency, accountability, and reform across the province, directing every ministry, department, and secretary to deliver measurable performance.

India has issued a demarche to China after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh alleged that she was detained at the Shanghai airport by immigration officials for 18 hours, who “mocked” her and said that the territory was not part of India, according to Indian media. China says Arunachal Pradesh is a part of South Tibet — a claim India has repeatedly dismissed. Beijing has renamed places in the northeastern Himalayan state multiple times, prompting strong reactions from New Delhi. The woman, named Pema Wangjom Thongdok, said in yesterday’s interview to ANI that she was an Indian citizen residing in the United Kingdom for about 14 years. Thongdok said she was travelling from London to Japan’s Osaka via Shanghai on November 21, when Chinese authorities held her back for 18 hours. Detailing her “very long ordeal”, Thongdok alleged that Chinese immigration officials at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport declared her visa as “not acceptable” and her Indian passport as invalid. She further said the officials “mock...

The next chapter in Pakistani tennis began with the close of another as top-ranked player Aisamul Haq Qureshi announced his retirement from professional tennis at the opening ceremony of the ATP Challenger Pakistan in Islamabad on Monday night. Bringing the international event to home soil was a dream come true, Aisam, who is president of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), said at a press conference for the event earlier this month. “I don’t know if my tears are for my career or hosting the challenger cup as president,” the visibly emotional 45-year-old joked as he addressed the audience on a chilly evening. PTF described his retirement as the “conclusion of an era”. “His legacy will continue to inspire upcoming players and contribute to the growth and recognition of tennis across the nation,” the federation said in a post on social media. View this post on Instagram The right-hander turned pro in 1998 and was the only Pakistani tennis player to have played in a Grand Slam final at the 2010 US Open in both...

United States President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday evening, directing agencies to initiate the formal process for designating certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations. The Muslim Brotherhood is already outlawed as a terrorist group in some countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. More recently, Jordan banned it in April of this year. Signed at the White House on November 24, the order specifically mentioned its chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. It stated that it “sets in motion a process by which certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood shall be considered for designation” as both foreign terrorist organisations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs) under US counterterrorism laws. The directive described the Brotherhood as having developed into a “transnational network” since its founding in Egypt in 1928, with chapters across the Middle East that, according to the order, “engage in or facilitate and support...

Rawalpindi police have stated that three suspects have been arrested after a harrowing video of a girl’s hair being forcibly cut went viral on social media. The video, which has been making the rounds on social media since Tuesday, shows a man standing over what appears to be a young girl and cutting her hair with a pair of scissors while others in the background watch. Subsequently, another video also surfaced on social media, purportedly of the victim, in which she alleged that the incident occurred one-and-a-half months ago in Rawalpindi’s Christian Colony. She also alleged that she was beaten and threatened, adding that four men were involved in the incident. In a statement early on Tuesday, Rawalpindi police commented on the incident. The statement referred to the victim as a “girl”. “A video of a girl being beaten and her hair being cut has come forward, after which a video statement also came forward,” the statement said. The incident took place in Rawalpindi and Islamabad a month and a half ago, the s...

Noreen Niazi, the sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, has submitted a formal complaint to Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar against the “brutal assault” of PTI protesters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail last week. Last week, Imran’s sisters had camped outside Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder is currently incarcerated, along with other PTI members after being denied a meeting. According to the PTI, Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen were “sitting peacefully” outside the jail when they were manhandled and “violently detained” by police. Videos shared by the party on social media platform X showed workers, Aleema and Uzma gathered around Noreen, who appeared visibly shaken. “Those women were dragging [her] on the road,” Aleema said as Noreen’s hands trembled. In a post on X on Monday, the PTI said Noreen had filed a formal complaint with the Punjab IG over the “brutal assault and unlawful detention of peaceful citizens”. The party also shared the two-page letter, in which Noreen called the inc...

Germany has launched the Opportunity Card, a new residence permit that allows non-EU citizens including Pakistanis to stay in the country for up to one year while searching for a job, without requiring a pre-arranged employment offer.

Punjab’s Agriculture Department has issued an important advisory for farmers using the Kisan Card, especially those who have misplaced their card or wish to have it reissued.