Pakistan

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday accused the Punjab government of running a targeted campaign against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and conspiring against the federal government.

The latest accusation in the ongoing rift between the PPP and PML-N came from Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday when he alleged that the Punjab government was taking his party’s cover to “target” the federal government. Memon’s PPP and the PML-N, who are coalition partners in the Centre, have been engaged in a war of words for the past many days over issues from flood compensation to water rights in the context of the Cholistan canals project. The PPP, which is in power in Sindh, has been particularly incensed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, whose party is also leading the federal government. As the row continues between the two sides, Memon alleged while addressing a press conference in Karachi that on the face of it, the Punjab government was “indirectly targeting” the PPP, but their “actual target is the federal government”. “They are taking our cover to settle their own issues with the prime minister or the federal government. Or they are trying to create an environment ...

The eight Muslim countries that worked with US President Donald Trump’s administration on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza have welcomed the “steps taken by Hamas” in this connection, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. On Friday, Hamas said it would agree to some of the terms in Trump’s plan — which was announced on Monday after a meeting between the US president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and seek further negotiations. While the Trump administration worked with eight Muslim countries last month to bring the Israeli invasion of Gaza to an end, reservations have been expressed from that latter’s side that the plan unveiled by the White House was not the one originally agreed upon. Nevertheless, they see Hamas’s partial agreement to the plan as an opportunity for a ceasefire in Gaza after an onslaught of around two years. “The Foreign Ministers of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the R...

A soldier was martyred and another injured when unknown assailants opened fire on them near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Sunday, according to the police. Recently, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of terrorist attacks, particularly targeting police personnel. Spokesperson for Bannu Police Kashif Nawaz told Dawn.com, “A security personnel was killed and another was injured when they were attacked by unknown assailants near the Ayub fuel station on Miranshah road.” He added that the body and the injured were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Bannu, while a police team was dispatched to the site of the incident to collect information. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowed to target security forces, the police, and other law enforceme...

Pakistan is considering options for the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, including demolishing the building, as part of its efforts to meet commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), US outlet Bloomberg reported on Saturday. Named after former US president Theodore Roosevelt, the century-old property in midtown Manhattan is seen as one of Pakistan’s most valuable foreign assets, which it acquired in 2000. Faced with mounting losses, the over 1,000-room hotel was shut in 2020, and has also operated briefly as a migrant shelter. As part of its $7 billion IMF loan agreement, the government approved a “transaction structure for the Roosevelt Hotel” in July, saying it would not conduct an outright sale but decided to adopt a joint venture model to maximise long-term value. Muhammad Ali, the adviser to the prime minister on privatisation, told Bloomberg that one of the options is to raze the storied landmark and build a skyscraper in its place. “The government is keen on a joint venture where Pakistan w...

Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has announced that the first supermoon of the season will be visible across the country on the night of October 7.

Police said on Sunday they were investigating a suspected arson at a mosque in southern England as a “hate crime”, days after a fatal attack on a synagogue. Officers were called to the incident at the mosque in the south coast town of Peacehaven late on Saturday. No one was injured, but the blaze caused damage to the mosque’s front entrance and a vehicle parked outside. According to a statement from Sussex Police, emergency services were called to the fire at the building in Phyllis Avenue at about 9.50pm UK time on Saturday (1:50am PKT, Sunday). “This is a fast-moving investigation, and we are urging anyone with relevant information to report it to us. This includes anyone with CCTV, Ring Doorbell, dashcam, and mobile phone footage in the area at the time,” Sussex Police Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna said in the statement. “We understand the concerns this has caused within the community, and the impact that will be felt by the Muslim community as a result. “There is already an increased police pres...

US President Donald Trump authorised the deployment of troops to Chicago after a federal agent shot an allegedly armed motorist there on Saturday. At the same time, a judge blocked the Republican leader’s attempt to send the military into Portland, another Democratic-run city. The escalating crisis across the country pits Trump’s increasingly militarised anti-crime and migration crackdown against opposition Democrats who accuse him of an authoritarian power grab. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement that “President Trump has authorised 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets” in Chicago. This comes after weeks of Republican threats to send troops to the Midwestern city over the wishes of local leaders. “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.” Illinois Senator Dick Durbin called the move a “shameful chapter in our nation’s history”, adding that the “president is not intent on fighting crime. He is intent on spreading f...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met world record holder Pakistani-origin student Mahnoor Cheema during his recent visit to London.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has waived all charges for telecom companies laying underground cable networks for the next three years.

Pope Leo urged the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Sunday to care for immigrants, pressing ahead with a message of welcome for migrants days after criticising US President Donald Trump’s hard-line anti-immigration policies. Leo, the first US pope, told thousands of pilgrims celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square that immigrants should not be treated with “the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination”. The pope, who did not single out any country for its treatment of migrants, called on Catholics to “open our arms and hearts to them, welcoming them as brothers and sisters, and being for them a presence of consolation and hope.” Pope talks of ‘new missionary age’ Leo had criticised the Trump administration’s immigration policies on September 30, questioning whether they were in line with the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings, in comments that drew heated backlash from some prominent conservative Catholics. On Sunday, the pope said the global Church was experiencing “a new missionary age” in ...

A lion kept at a private home in Thailand got loose and attacked a young boy, leaving him in hospital, the wildlife department said Sunday. The lion attacked the child, who was hospitalised with unspecified injuries, while he was walking on a public road Saturday night in western Kanchanaburi province, about a two-hour drive from the capital Bangkok, the department said in a statement. Local media said the boy was on his way home from playing with other children when the big cat pounced on him. Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, where the captive population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes. But experts have warned the trend endangers animals and humans, and likely fuels illicit trade domestically and abroad. The lion’s owner, who the wildlife department identified only as Parinya, was charged with violating wildlife protection laws and faces up to six months in prison and a 50,000 baht ($1,500) fine if convicted. The lion was seized by...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, chairing a meeting via video link, directed strict implementation of officially fixed bread prices across the province.

A supermoon will be visible in the night sky late Tuesday evening (Oct 7), the first of three supermoons set to occur in 2025, according to the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco). A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, causing it to appear unusually large and bright — up to 14 per cent larger and nearly 30pc brighter than a typical full moon. According to an official statement by a Suparco spokesperson, the first supermoon will occur at 8:47pm PKT on Tuesday, rising in the east just after sunset and setting in the west just before dawn. “This year, the October 7 supermoon will be at a distance of 224,599 miles (about 361,457 kilometres) from Earth, making it 6.6pc larger and 13pc brighter than an average full moon,” the statement said. This supermoon will appear close to the planet Saturn, which can be spotted west of the Moon on Monday and Tuesday evening. It added that the brightest supermoon of the year is expected to occur in Nove...

COLOMBO: It’s the fourth consecutive Sunday of a Pakistan-India cricket encounter; the only difference being that the hot and arid climate of Dubai has been replaced with the humid and rainy weather of Colombo, and of course, the gender of the players on the field. However, the differences are starker once a person starts to peel back the surface of the women’s game in both countries. On one hand, we have players from across the border who have opportunities like the Women’s Premier League available, where compensation reaches upwards of $400,000 for the highest-paid players. On the other hand, barring a few players in the national side and those who make it to final rosters of a handful of cricket leagues worldwide — Pakistani domestic women cricketers’ monthly retainers were even less than the government-mandated minimum wage this year. To say that the gulf in resources available to both teams is large would be an understatement of the century. Furthermore, in yet another familiar scenario at the start of a...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has left for Kuala Lumpur on a three-day official visit to Malaysia.

Bitcoin reached a new record high on Sunday, rising above the $125,000 mark. The cryptocurrency reached $125,689, shooting above its previous August record of around $124,500. Bitcoin has enjoyed a strong upward momentum, with investors cautious about the United States’ government shutdown. Gains in US shares have also supported bitcoin’s rise, while investors have looked to safe haven assets while US lawmakers negotiate over funding the federal government, Bloomberg News said. US President Donald Trump and his family have also been big promoters of cryptocurrencies and are involved in various crypto endeavours that have inflated his wealth. Trump’s embrace of digital assets has reversed years of US government scepticism towards the crypto industry under his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, with the US House of Representatives passing three landmark cryptocurrency bills in July. These regulatory changes have seen the value of bitcoin soar. “With many assets including equities, gold and even collectibles like...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday reacted to statements made by the Indian military and political leadership, terming them a “failed attempt” to restore their “lost reputation”. While he did not specify any particular statement that he was reacting to, his remarks follow recent aggressive comments from the Indian side, mentioning terrorism and warning of action. India has long accused Pakistan of cross-border terrorism, an allegation that Islamabad has repeatedly refuted and termed baseless. “The statements made by the Indian army and its political leadership are a failed attempt to restore its lost reputation,” Asif said on X. He also referred to a four-day escalation between India and Pakistan in May, during which Islamabad says it downed at least six Indian jets. Asif said India faced a “decisive defeat with a score of 6-0” in the escalation, and “if they try again [to go to fight], God willing, the score will be much better than the last time”. “The way the public opinion in India turned against the...

QUETTA: Security forces killed 14 terrorists of the Indian proxy group Fitna al-Hindustan in an operation conducted in the Zehri area of Khuzdar district on Saturday. The state designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. Security officials said the forces launched the operation on the basis of intelligence reports about the presence of the group’s militants in the mountainous area of Zehri tehsil. According to the officials, the area was cordoned off before the action was launched. Heavy firing took place between the security forces and the terrorists, which continued for several hours. “As many as 14 terrorists were killed in the gun battle, while 20 others were injured,” the officials said, adding that a large quantity of arms, ammunition, and other equipment was seized from their possession. The Zehri operation, they added, was carried out days after security forces killed seven India-sponsored terrorists in a...

The Foreign Office said on Sunday that it was actively engaged with international partners to ensure the “safety and prompt repatriation of its citizens” who had been illegally detained after Israeli forces earlier this week intercepted a flotilla heading to break the siege of Gaza and deliver aid. Those detained by Israel also include former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan. “Through the diplomatic channels of a friendly European country, we have confirmed that former senator Mushtaq Ahmad is in the custody of the Israeli occupying forces and is safe and in good health,” the FO statement said. It added, “We have been further advised that, in accordance with local legal procedures, [former] senator Mushtaq will be presented before a court. Upon the issuance of deportation orders, his repatriation will be facilitated on a fast-track basis.” The FO said it had previously, too, coordinated the safe return of individuals who disembarked earlier. “In this context, we express our profound gratitude t...