Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has said that as many as 10 universities have been offering unrecognised postgraduate degrees, directing these institutes to discontinue their programmes. A notification issued by the Council’s registrar, available with Dawn, said, that after a careful review of the record, it was identified that some universities had been offering and awarding postgraduate degrees and diplomas to MBBS and BDS doctors without fulfilling the mandatory requirement of recognition/accreditation under Section 25 of the PMDC Act, 2022. These universities included TIMES University in Multan, NUR International University in Lahore, Gomal University in DI Khan, Sohail University in Karachi, Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology in Rahim Yar Khan, University of Faisalabad, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hazara University in Mansehra and Kohat University of Science and Technology. “Any institution seekin...

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The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel killed two “most-wanted terrorists” affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the CTD. The press release said CTD personnel conducted the operation within the limits of Gomal police station on the basis of “credible intelligence”. It said that the suspects, upon encountering CTD personnel, opened fire on them. The press release added that the exchange of gunfire continued for around 40 minutes, following which a search operation was launched. During the search operation, the press release stated, two “terrorists were found dead”. It further said that two Kalashnikovs, along with six magazines and cartridges and two bandoliers, were found in the possession of the slain suspects. According to the CTD, the suspects were affiliated with the TTP’s Mushtaq group and had been involved in multiple attacks on police. The press releas...

Pakistan delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkiye could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. The comments, by an official speaking on condition of anonymity, were among the few signs that Tehran was willing to consider diplomatic proposals, despite having denied in public that it would negotiate with the administration of US President Donald Trump. However, later in the day, it emerged that Tehran had “responded negatively” to the US proposal and outlined five conditions under which Tehran would agree to end the ongoing conflict. The Iranian source that spoke to Reuters did not disclose details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan, or whether it was the same as a 15-point US proposal that has been reported by news outlets. The source said “either Turkiye or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks”. A source familiar with the matter had confirmed on Tuesday to Reuters t...

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday held a telephone conversation with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, underscoring a shared commitment to diplomacy amid rising regional tensions.

The BBC named former Google executive Matt Brittin as its new director general on Wednesday, replacing Tim Davie, who quit last year after a misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump. The BBC is facing a $10 billion lawsuit from Trump, who accuses the publicly funded broadcaster of defamation over how it spliced together footage of parts of a speech he gave on January 6, 2021, before his supporters stormed the US Capitol. The broadcaster has argued the lawsuit should be dismissed, saying Trump’s subsequent reelection showed the alleged defamation did not harm his reputation. Brittin joined Google in 2007 as head of UK and Ireland before rising through the ranks to become EMEA president in 2014. He stepped down in 2024 and will take on the new role from May 18. “This is a moment of real risk, yet also real opportunity. The BBC needs the pace and energy to be both where stories are, and where audiences are,” he said in a statement. “To build on the reach, trust and creative strengths today, confr...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and discussed the evolving situation in the Gulf amid the US-Israel war on Iran and matters of national importance. During the meeting, the prime minister informed Bilawal about Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting global peace in light of regional tensions.  Both leaders also exchanged views on political developments and internal security challenges facing the country. Bilawal appreciated the federal government’s policies and measures to address potential challenges arising from the ongoing conflict, praising the prime minister’s leadership during a difficult time. The two leaders also reviewed development projects being carried out by the federal government in Sindh. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Naz...

Despite gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset, its price has plunged since the outbreak of the Middle East war, erasing almost all its 2026 gains after reaching record highs. Here’s why the price of gold has fallen as global economic uncertainty rises. Urgent need for cash Uncertainty around the Middle East conflict has prompted investors to rapidly sell off assets to raise cash and offset losses elsewhere. They have turned first to selling gold, “given the size of the rally seen over the course of the past year”, said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. By liquidating gold and sister metal silver, investors gain access to dollars — the currency used to trade oil and other energy products. Oil prices have soared owing to the closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz and strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure. Gold is trading at around $4,550 an ounce, after reaching highs above $5,500 earlier in the year on mounting geopolitical tensions — from US President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught to ...

Millions of Sri Lankans enjoyed a government-ordered extra day off on Wednesday as the island nation battles an energy crisis triggered by the Middle East war. Rail and bus stations were largely deserted as most state institutions, schools and universities shifted to a four-day working week. “I am really enjoying the mid-week break because it is a fully paid holiday,” said housing ministry official Prarthana Perera, 40. Her office, like many government departments in Battaramulla — the capital’s main administrative hub — was closed. Banks operated on shorter hours, while many private firms introduced work-from-home arrangements, industry bodies said, urging members to help curb energy use. Sri Lanka has already raised fuel prices by a third since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks that have disrupted global energy supplies. About half of Sri Lanka’s electricity is generated by coal and diesel. The cabinet has set a target of cutting electricity consumption by 25 pe...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed authorities to accelerate the export of surplus food items to Gulf countries while ensuring an uninterrupted domestic supply, and called for a comprehensive plan to expand flight operations and enhance port efficiency in view of the evolving regional situation. The directives came as the premier chaired a high-level meeting to review the export of food items to the Middle East and Pakistan’s port and maritime operations, according to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). During the meeting, the premier was informed that a special committee had approved 40 food items for exporting to Gulf countries amid the current regional situation. It should be noted that earlier, PM Shehbaz issued directives for the formulation of a strategy for exporting surplus food items to Gulf countries while making sure that Pakistan’s nutritional needs were not affected. The meeting on Wednesday was also briefed on the measures taken regarding the matter. “These ...

Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, on Wednesday, stressed the need for coordinated international efforts to prevent further escalation in the ongoing tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar spoke with the European Union’s High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas on Tuesday night.

An important meeting on regional tensions and national security was held at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on Wednesday, bringing together key political and provincial leadership.

ISLAMABAD: The government has finalised a mobile application-based quota system for fuel for two- and three-wheelers, which may possibly include up to 800cc vehicles, to ensure a targeted subsidy to the low-income strata and to minimise oil consumption through pricing signals. The details of the quota-based fuel supply system have been tested and finalised by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the ministries of finance, petroleum and information technology, a senior government official told Dawn. Based on these workings, the government will now take a final decision on whether the scheme should extend to small cars or remain restricted to two- and three-wheelers. The government plan involves “a quota-based fuel supply system” to be operated through a mobile application and would be end-to-end automated. “A free, pre-installed app for retail operators will be provided,” said a senior official, adding that consumers will use a separate application. Meanwhile, the government will mandate a minimum o...

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) urged authorities to revisit the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment and make necessary changes to safeguard citizens’ rights and uphold democracy. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, alongside Mustafa Kamal and Farooq Sattar, highlighted what they described as the escalation of long-standing political tensions. “Today, to address this properly, the 28th Constitution Amendment needs to be reviewed, and if necessary, amended. This would allow a decisive resolution to be made urgently.” Siddiqui told reporters. “Pakistan seems prepared, and political parties do not appear to oppose the 28th Amendment with the same intensity,” he added. He added that after the amendment is tabled and cleared by the country’s lawmakers, people should know they did it for the sake of the country. Farooq Sattar also weighed in, emphasising local governance and citizen participation. “Now’s the time to transform Pakistan’s feudal democrac...

Pakistan on Wednesday reiterated at the United Nations Human Rights Council that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, stating that no unilateral action can alter its legal status.