Pakistan

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Mudassir Tipu, has confirmed that Iran’s National Security Adviser and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, is visiting Pakistan as part of ongoing high-level engagement between the two neighbouring countries.

Among Pakistan’s many challenges — from economic fragility and security pressures to the accelerating impacts of climate change — population growth stands out as one of the most consequential. With more than 241.5 million people today, the country is on course to cross 300 million within the next five years and edge towards 400 million by 2050, a trajectory that demands far more serious national attention than it has so far received. Data compiled by research organisation Population Council, UK Aid and the United Nations Population Fund shows the average annual growth rate — based on data from 2017 to 2023 — is 2.55 per cent, resulting in the population of 241.5 million, making Pakistan the fifth most populous country in the world. The consequences of this growth are visible across every sector, such as malnutrition and a demand for jobs, infrastructure and healthcare that cannot be kept up with. Here are some statistics from across the country. National The total fertility rate, defined as the average number...

Punjab has ushered in a new era of environmental management by shifting from reactive measures to a fully data-driven smog control system powered by a province-wide network of Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS)—the first IT-enabled setup of its kind in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed to accelerate work on the construction of all proposed medical treatment centers of the Jinnah Medical Complex (JMC), hoping that the project will be completed soon through collective efforts.

Lahore Qalandars, one of the most decorated and dynamic franchises in the Pakistan Super League, celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a grand event, marking a decade of remarkable growth, success, and strategic expansion.

The Federal Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed a request seeking permission for a court-sanctioned meeting with PTI founder to obtain legal instructions.

A lifetime ban and month-long legal fiasco that ensued didn’t stop Salman Butt from coaching Arshad Nadeem to yet another global javelin title at the Islamic Solidarity Games last week. With the ban recently being declared “illegal and void” by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Adjudicator, Salman has already gotten back to work. “We feel that justice has been served,” Salman told Dawn in a phone call while attending an overseas conference. “And now, I’ll continue with the work I’m doing,” added Salman, who serves as the Asian Director of Development for World Athletics. The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) imposed a lifetime ban on Salman on October 12, citing “gross violations of the AFP Constitution” due to “illegal and unconstitutional” elections held by the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), of which Salman was president till August 6. The ban barred Salman from participating in any athletics activities nationally or internationally. Salman appealed the ban, and PSB appointed Senator Pervaiz Rashid ...

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday rejected on Monday a set of intra-court appeals, including one filed by five Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges in a judges transfer case, for non-prosecution. The case pertains to the transfer of three judges from other high courts to the federal capital, and the IHC judges had challenged a decision by the now-defunct Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court to uphold the transfers. However, the appeal was fixed before the FCC following its establishment under the 27th Amendment. A six-member FCC bench, headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justices Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Ali Baqar Najafi, Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, Rozi Khan Barrech and Arshad Hussain Shah, took up nine appeals pertaining to the case today. As the proceedings began, the court associate called out the names of each of the lawyers representing different clients, and when they did not appear, the FCC dismissed six of those appeals one at a time, dictating separate orders for...

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated the party’s candidates on their victories in the Punjab and KP by-elections.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed to immediately abolish the Export Development Surcharge imposed on domestic exports.

Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff, General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al Rowaili, visited Pakistan’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Monday, where he held discussions with Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said the recent by-elections were effectively a public referendum that the PML-N won decisively, remarking that “Prisoner No.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated PML-N candidates on Monday for their overwhelming win in yesterday’s by-polls, which were held amid an election boycott by the opposition PTI in all constituencies except for two, low voter turnout and rigging allegations. According to provisional results, the PML-N won all six National Assembly (NA) seats and six of seven Punjab Assembly seats up for grabs. One provincial seat was won by the PPP, which fielded its candidates in only three of the 13 constituencies. Most of these seats were vacated following the disqualification of PTI members due to their convictions in May 9 cases. In separate but similar statements, PM Shehbaz congratulated the PML-N candidates for their victories in NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 and NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan), PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), and Faisalabad’s PP-98, PP-116 and PP-115. The statements issued by the PM’s Office said the premier congratulated the candidates for their “brilliant success”. The statements...

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday approved Rs25 billion for the reconstruction of 315 internal streets and 60 major roads across Karachi while ordering the proper installation of streetlights throughout the metropolis. Karachi’s road networks have been in shambles with thoroughfares riddled with potholes, posing serious dangers to commuters across the city, particularly after the latest spell of rains. According to a statement by CM Sindh’s spokesperson, Abdul Rashid Channa, a meeting on the reconstruction of Karachi’s roads and streets was chaired by CM Murad today. Minister for Local Government Nasir Shah, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, Senior Member Board of Revenue Khalid Haider Shah, among others, also participated. “After heavy rains, Karachi’s roads are in a state of disrepair,” CM Murad was quoted as saying. “Mega projects are underway, causing traffic problems. I want development work to be accelerated in the city so that peo...

The terrorists who attacked the Frontier Constabulary (FC) Headquarters on Monday morning have been identified as Afghan nationals, according to an initial police report.

• Warns of fiduciary risks to Rs40tr in public funds • Questions why auditor general’s office remains attached to federal secretariat • Audit process bogged down by over 6,000 reports a year, minimal PAC follow-up ISLAMABAD: The Inter­national Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed serious concern over the absence of an internal audit mechanism and weak constitutional and parliamentary audit supervision in Pakistan, warning that these gaps pose major fiduciary risks to public funds estimated at about Rs40 trillion at the federal level and even higher in the provinces. It has called for a fully independent Office of the Auditor Gen­eral of Pakistan (AGP) to ensure better value for taxpayers’ money. In a detailed section in its Governance & Corruption Diagnosis Assessment (GCDA), the IMF has identified a series of weaknesses in Pakistan’s internal financial controls, internal and external audit systems and practical subservience of the AGP to the executive despite its constitutional autonomy, besides insufficient ca...

A district and sessions court has issued arrest warrants for former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur over a case involving the recovery of alcohol and firearms.

India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd said on Monday the crash of a Tejas fighter jet in Dubai last week was an “isolated occurrence” caused by “exceptional circumstances”, without providing further details. On Friday, India’s Tejas fighter jet crashed in a ball of fire in front of horrified spectators during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow. The Indian Air Force has said it is setting up a court of inquiry to investigate the cause. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics manufactures the aircraft, which is powered by General Electric engines. Both companies have said they will support the investigation. Tejas, which means brilliance in Sanskrit, is seen as crucial for India’s efforts to modernise its air force fleet of mainly Russian and ex-Soviet fighters. The crash, which killed the pilot, dampens New Delhi’s hopes of exporting the home-built jet and leaves it reliant on Indian military orders to sustain its role as a showcase of domestic defence technology. Such a public loss could overshadow India’s efforts ...

Canada and India have agreed to restart stalled talks for a new trade deal, the Indian government said on Sunday, after discussions between the two countries paused following a diplomatic spat two years ago. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral discussion on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. “The leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aimed at doubling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030,” the statement from India’s Prime Minister’s Office said. “PM Modi and I met at the G20 summit today, and launched negotiations for a trade deal that could more than double our trade to more than C$70 billion,” Carney said in a post on social media platform X. “India is the world’s fifth largest economy, and that means big new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.” Both sides reaffirmed their longstanding civil nuclear cooperation and noted the ongoing discu...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Sunday congratulated candidates of Pakistan Muslim League(N) for resounding win in the by-elections.