Pakistan

PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro on Saturday assailed Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks regarding the contentious canals issue as a violation of the decision made by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The war of words between the two sides, that kicked off over flood compensation, expanded to water rights on the Indus River as CM Maryam told the PPP leadership to keep its advice to itself. In response, the PPP had lawmakers stay away from parliamentary proceedings to protest the diatribe. PPP and PML-N bigwigs met in Islamabad on Wednesday to find a way out of the row, with the former asking CM Maryam to “rethink her tone” while speaking about water rights of the provinces. However, she declared a day ago that she would never apologise to the PPP over her outburst, while the latter said she did not represent the people of Punjab as her government was a byproduct of Form 47. In a statement issued today, the PPP leader said her remarks regarding the controversial canal project were a “violation o...

The Pakistan military warned on Saturday that any future conflict with India could lead to “cataclysmic devastation” and the country will “resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint”. The statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) comes in the wake of provocative remarks by top Indian civil-military leadership and stressed that Pakistan would “not hold back” in such a case. “In the face of highly provocative statements of the Indian defence minister and its army and air chiefs, we caution that a future conflict might lead to cataclysmic devastation. In case a fresh round of hostilities is triggered, Pakistan shall not hold back. We shall resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint.” Indian media outlet NDTV reported a day ago that Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan that it must stop state-sponsored terrorism if it wanted to retain its place on the map. According to the report, Gen Dwivedi said Indian forces would “not show any restraint this time”, potentia...

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The death toll in an Indonesian school collapse rose to 17 on Saturday, officials said, as rescuers deployed heavy machinery to recover dozens more victims believed still buried under the rubble. Part of the multi-storey boarding school collapsed suddenly on Monday as students gathered for afternoon prayers. Rescuers retrieved two bodies and a body part from the rubble today, bringing the death toll to 17, National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) operation director Yudhi Bramantyo said in a statement. “The evacuation process is still ongoing. Debris removal is focused to the north side in an area not integrated with the main structure,” Yudhi said. Local search and rescue agency head Nanang Sigit confirmed the updated toll in a separate statement. Earlier today, authorities said they had recovered nine bodies on Friday. Rescuers were searching for 49 people still missing, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) chief Suharyanto said before prior to the retrieval of the latest bodies. More victims could...

If launched, Gemini’s revamp could rival OpenAI as Sora tops charts and ChatGPT stays minimalist

A special Chinese relief aircraft carrying 700 tents, 16,000 blankets, 1,000 life jackets, and 4,000 sleeping bags—amounting to 90 tons of aid—arrived at Islamabad International Airport on Saturday to support communities affected by recent floods.

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Saturday that it would resume flights to the United Kingdom from October 25, with nonstop flights from Manchester to Islamabad. This comes a day after the Pakistan High Commission in London announced that the national carrier would resume flight operations to the UK this month as PIA received its Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Third Country Operator approval, but no exact date was given. PIA announced its “historic return” to British skies with a post on X today, which read: “The wait is finally over! Pakistan International Airlines proudly reconnects Manchester and Islamabad, bringing loved ones closer once again.” In yesterday’s announcement, the high commission said flight operations to Manchester would be resumed during the first phase, after which Birmingham and London would follow suit. In July, the UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to operate flights in Bri...

A district and sessions court in Islamabad issued bailable arrest warrants for YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan and two officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s anti-corruption body, it emerged on Saturday. The arrest warrants, issued by Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah yesterday and available with Dawn.com, were issued for Khan, head of the Directorate of Anti-Corruption Sadeeq Anjam and Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Anti-Corruption Musaddiq Abbasi, over their alleged involvement in a social media campaign against Islamabad Judge Humayun Dilawar. Dilawar was the judge who convicted PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case in 2023 and sentenced him to three years in prison. All three warrants were issued under Sections 20 (offences against dignity of a natural person), 24 (cyber stalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequ...

The Lahore High Court has scheduled the hearing of former Senator Ejaz Chaudhry’s appeal against his ten-year prison sentence for 7 October.

For the first time in Punjab, a major step has been taken in wildlife development under the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif with the launch of an ostrich breeding programme.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Palestinian group Hamas’s response to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan “creates a window for a ceasefire and ensuring peace that we must not allow to close again”. Late Friday night, Trump told Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, but vexing issues like disarmament appeared unresolved. Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing for an “immediate implementation” of the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas’s response. Meanwhile, the world welcomed Hamas’s positive response, with Pakistan also doing the same. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the premier said: “Alhamdolillah, we are closer to a ceasefire than we have been since this genocide was launched on the Palestinian people. Pakistan has always stood by the Palestinian people and shall always do so.” H...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday lauded the security forces for eliminating more than 14 terrorists in Khuzdar district. Earlier, a statement issued on X by state broadcaster PTV News said security forces “foiled an attempt to harass peaceful people in the Zehri area” of the district and destroyed multiple terrorist hideouts during an operation while killing over 14 Fitna al-Hindustan members and injuring over 20. In May, the government designated all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindu­stan — a new phrase aimed at framing India’s alleged role in terrorism as a deliberate destabilisation strategy, potentially to galvanise domestic support. Congratulating the security forces, Naqvi hailed the operation as a “major success”, saying that the nation was “proud of the professional capabilities and courage of the security forces”. He further said: “Security forces are determined to eliminate Indian-sponsored terrorists in Balochistan. The people of Balochistan stand with the security ...

Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has said that authorities are in contact with X (formerly Twitter) over the use of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s account on its platform and an investigation into who has been operating it is underway. Speaking on Dawn News TV’s programme ‘Doosra Rukh with Nadir Guramani’ on Friday, Barrister Aqeel Malik said: “Investigations are underway [into who is operating PTI founder’s X account].“ “Evidence and further material will come forward, and that will disclose where the account’s links are and who is running it,” the state minister added. “At this moment, all I can say is that there is definitely an [the authorities’] engagement with X. Along with this, I believe that the legal process which is being adopted in this investigation [and] its results will also be before you very soon.” Imran was recently quizzed in prison by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials about his “anti-state” tweets, critical remarks on foreign policy...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Jati Umra on Saturday, where he met his elder brother, former prime minister and PML-N President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.