Pakistan

Over 60 shops, restaurants sealed in Lahore for austerity violations

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Cricket New South Wales (NSW) on Wednesday said that it would support David Warner after he was charged with drink-driving, adding that the former Australian opener was aware of the “seriousness” of the incident. The 39-year-old is due to appear in court on May 7 after allegedly blowing more than twice the legal limit in a random breath test in Sydney over the weekend. Cricket NSW, which has a long-term partnership with government agency Transport for NSW, said it was committed to educating Warner “on the importance of safe driving”. “Cricket NSW is a strong advocate of safe driving, including avoiding drink-driving, and takes incidents of this nature very seriously,” chief executive Lee Germon told cricket.com.au. “David is aware of the seriousness of these allegations. We will support him through the upcoming process”. The Sydney Daily Telegraph said Warner allegedly told police he had three glasses of wine at a friend’s house before attempting to drive back to his home. Warner, who retired from internation...

Bangladesh’s foreign minister met his Indian counterpart in New Delhi on Wednesday, the most senior visit by a Dhaka envoy since the 2024 revolution toppled India’s old ally, Sheikh Hasina. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is taking part in a “goodwill visit”, Bangladesh’s state news agency BSS said, but added that issues of “extradition, trade, water sharing and border security” would be discussed. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Dhaka in December to attend the funeral of former leader Khaleda Zia, the mother of the prime minister elected in February, Tarique Rahman. Jaishankar said he had been “pleased to host” Khalilur Rahman, saying in a statement that they had discussed “strengthening our bilateral relationship”, without giving further details. Relations have improved since Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, won a landslide election victory, taking over from the interim administration that had led the country of 170 million people since Hasina was ousted. ...

Diplomacy does its best work when no one is looking. In calls that stretch for hours, in proposals dismissed publicly but refined privately, in capitals that deny mediation even as they pass messages. Over the past two weeks, as missiles crossed the Gulf and ultimatums replaced rhetoric, Pakistan tactfully slipped into that space: not loud enough to claim the stage, but persistent enough to keep the curtains from closing. After nearly two weeks of sustained, largely unseen engagement, those quiet efforts culminated in a breakthrough Pakistan could no longer keep in the background. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced, early on Wednesday morning, that Pakistan had helped secure an “immediate ceasefire” between Iran and the United States, alongside their respective allies across the region, including in Lebanon, bringing a sudden halt to a conflict that had edged dangerously close to wider war. The agreement, shaped through a series of proposals, relayed positions, and last-minute interventions, reflected Pa...

The government has replaced the acting chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) amid ongoing challenges in oil supply and rising fuel prices, naming a senior bureaucrat to oversee the authority temporarily.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Pakistan is gaining recognition as a reliable mediator on the international stage after contributing to efforts that helped ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark index KSE-100 surged by more than 14,000 points on Wednesday as investors reacted to the positive developments of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The KSE-100 index surged by 12,362.38 points, or 8.15 per cent, to stand at 164,035.83 shortly after opening. Subsequently, trading was temporarily suspended in accordance with PSX regulations. As of 3:08pm, the market had gained 13,925.47 points, or 9.18 per cent, from the previous close of 151,673.45 to stand at 165,598.92. The index closed at 165,811.00, up 14137.55 points or 9.32pc. The gains marked the highest single-day rally in absolute terms in PSX history, surpassing the previous highest-ever gain of 10,123 (9.45pc) on May 12, 2025, after Pakistan shot down seven Indian fighter planes. On Tuesday, the PSX had closed up by 465.64 points after witnessing extreme volatility as investors had remained highly nervous ahead of the expiry of a US deadline for Iran to agree to a deal. Analysts believe tha...

Pakistan on Wednesday announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, had agreed to an immediate ceasefire, including in Lebanon, effective immediately, and invited their delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for talks aimed at reaching a lasting settlement of disputes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire in an early-morning post on X, welcoming the move and extending his “deepest gratitude” to the leadership of both countries. Both sides have displayed “remarkable wisdom and understanding” and remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability, the prime minister said, expressing hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ would succeed in achieving sustainable peace and that more positive developments would follow in the coming days. The prime minister, who helped mediate the ceasefire, also invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 to “hold further negotiations towards a conclusive agreement to se...

Two ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran agreed to reopen the waterway as part of a ceasefire deal, maritime monitor Marine Traffic said on Wednesday. “The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after departing Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC”, MarineTraffic said on X. The United States and Iran agreed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday to a two-week ceasefire, during which passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will be possible via coordination with Iran’s armed forces”, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X. “NJ Earth’s transit may be an early sign of movement, but it is still too soon to tell whether this reflects a broader ceasefire-driven reopening or a previously approved exception,” Ana Subasic, analyst at MarineTraffic owner Kpler told AFP. The Greek-owned ship kept its transponder signal on as it transited the strait via an Iranian-approved route near Larak Island, use...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

ISLAMABAD: In the middle of oil supply challenges and pricing controversies, the government on Wednesday removed acting chairman of the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and appointed an officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), formerly District Management Group (DMG), on an interim basis. In a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Nabeel Ahmed Awan, a BS-22 officer of PAS, presently posted as secretary, Establishment Division, has been given the additional charge of Ogra chairman with immediate effect and for a period of three months or till the appointment of a regular Ogra chairperson. The incumbent, Shahzad Iqbal, who had also been serving as the regulator’s top official on a look-after basis, will continue in his position as Member Gas. He had earlier come under criticism during a meeting of the finance minister–led Cabinet Committee on Oil Products Monitoring for poor progress on the automation and integration of the supply chain and petroleum pricing. Participants noted that he ...

Petroleum prices in Pakistan are expected to be reduced by Rs 30 to 60 per litre following a decline in international oil prices, triggered by the recent ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held separate discussions on Wednesday with Minister of State of Qatar, Dr.

Hanif Abbasi has said that Pakistan has demonstrated its capability to promote global peace as a responsible state following the recent ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in two rounds on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, after reporting an “unidentified projectile” was launched from the Pyongyang area the previous day. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to repair ties with the North since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang. On Monday Seoul expressed regret over civilian drone incursions into the North in January, with President Lee calling it “irresponsible” and noting that government officials had been involved in the operation. The launches — the North’s fourth and fifth known ballistic missile tests this year — are seen as North Korea’s latest rebuff of Seoul’s peace overtures, according to analysts. The South Korean military said early Wednesday it had detected “an unidentified projectile” launched from the area of the North’s capital a day earlier. About an hour later, the military said it also detected “multiple...

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi has lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for what he termed a significant diplomatic achievement in helping ease tensions between Iran and the United States.

World leaders have welcomed the recently announced ceasefire between the United States and Iran, while praising Pakistan and other nations for their role in facilitating the agreement.

Pakistan’s national cyber response body, Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team, has issued a public advisory after a surge in hacking incidents and online fraud targeting users of WhatsApp.

Backchannel diplomatic efforts by Pakistan appear to have finally paid off, as the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire after weeks of escalating hostilities triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that quickly spiralled into a wider regional conflict. During this time, the crisis has unfolded through a mix of military escalations, retaliatory attacks, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, with failed ceasefire proposals and last-minute mediation all shaping the path to this vital breakthrough. Here is a timeline of the key events and statements that defined the conflict: February 28 The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran via air and sea: a series of blasts in Tehran, including near the residence of the supreme leader. A US-Israel airstrike on an elementary school in southern Iran killed more than 170 people, most of them schoolgirls. In retaliation, Iran attacked at least seven Gulf states, striking civilian infrastructure, damaging airports in the UAE and Kuwait, deploying a dron...