Pakistan

A young Utah man suspected of killing influential United States conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in the city of Orem was in custody on Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters. “We got him,” Cox told reporters. The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, had confessed to a family friend or “implied that he had committed the murder” to that friend and that person in turn had contacted the Washington County sheriff’s office on Thursday. A family member interviewed by investigators said Robinson had become more political recently and spoke in a disparaging manner about Kirk, Cox told reporters. Robinson was taken into custody on Thursday night, about 33 hours after Kirk’s murder, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said at the press conference. Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was killed by a single bullet as he spoke onstage at an outdoor amphitheatre at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Previously, US investigators said they had found the bolt-action ...

Security forces killed four terrorists on Friday in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Mastung area, the military’s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the IBO was carried out on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna al Hindustan. The state uses the term Fitna al Khwarij to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. It later designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” said the ISPR. The statement added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the dead terrorists, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities in the area. “[A] sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate a...

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has secured a seven-day physical remand of religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza in a case pertaining to alleged desecration of sacred personalities.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court challenging the blocking of his passport.

Lawyers’ bodies called for the dismissal of Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar from the post of Islamabad High Court chief justice on Friday, condemning the remarks attributed to him during an exchange with rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir yesterday and a clarification by him on the matter earlier today. On Thursday, Justice Dogar had warned Mazari of a contempt of court case and was reported to have gone as far as passing warning remarks along the lines of “getting a hold of her”. Today, he provided a clarification regarding the matter, saying that his words were presented “out of context”. During the hearing of a case on a plea filed by a citizen named Abdul Jabbar — who sought the removal of his name from the Exit Control List — Justice Dogar addressed the matter, saying that Mazari was “just like a daughter” to him, and he was only explaining things to her yesterday. “Being the chief justice and an elder, I was trying to make her understand.” He went on to say that his remarks were ...

Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar Ali on Friday chaired a special meeting to assess damages to government schools caused by recent floods and review restoration plans.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday performed the groundbreaking of T-Chowk Flyover Project at Islamabad Expressway, terming it a milestone initiative for the residents of the twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar, terming it a blatant violation of international law.

President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Chengdu on Friday to kick off his 10-day official visit to China, where he will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership on different issues including regional peace and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A statement issued today from the President’s Secretariat said that he was received by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Sichaun Vice Governor Huang Ruixue on arrival at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong were also present to welcome President Zardari. “During the visit, the president will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership and senior officials to further strengthen Pakistan-China relations, enhance cooperation in diverse fields and advance shared objectives under the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the statement said. The Foreign Office (FO) had earlier said the president would visit Chengdu, Shanghai and Xinjiang to hold meetings with th...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that Pakistan will host the next Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, stating that authorities need to start preparing. This development comes less than a fortnight after the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, where Pakistan raised the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty and a joint declaration was issued condemning the attacks on the Jaffar Express, Khuzdar and Pahalgam. Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, the PM made the announcement and stated that authorities had to start preparing for the incoming dignitaries. He did not give a date for the summit. “We have to start preparing now,” the PM said.“ We need to build accommodation and beautify Islamabad. Tajikistan gave us saplings as a gift. Chairman CDA (Capital Development Authority) and his team are working day and night [to plant them].“ Pakistan last hosted the SCO in 2024 for the Council of Heads of Government Summit, where PM Shehbaz called for investing in the region’s collective capacity for conne...

The Supreme Court has ruled that a wife’s right to maintenance (nafaqah) begins immediately after the solemnization of marriage, regardless of consummation or cohabitation.

Multiple users on X, including PTI supporters, shared on Thursday a photo of children lying on top of wooden sticks surrounded by water, claiming that they were flood victims in Punjab. However, the image is at least five years old. Pakistan was hit by massive floods in August this year, which have claimed over 842 lives, displaced 1.2 million people, affected more than 4m, mainly in Punjab, and threatened economic losses between $6–10 billion thus far. Currently, South Punjab is in the throes of the devastating flood crisis, with districts such as Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan inundated, leaving millions of residents affected and 1,400 villages submerged under 5–10 feet of water. On Thursday, a photo showing two children lying on a pile of sticks and debris surrounded by what looked like floodwater was shared by a verified X account, which seemed to be of a PPP supporter from previous posts. The caption of the post said: “You should have seen us during our prosperous times. We had our own homes and...

An FIR has been registered at Malir Cantt Police Station after three women were brutally murdered and two others injured in a knife attack inside a house in Bhittaiabad, Gulistan-e-Johar.

A high-level delegation from Iraq on Friday reaffirmed commitment to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of border management, according to a press release by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The FIA is a border control agency which plays an important role in preventing illegal immigration and human trafficking. Its crackdown on human smugglers intensified following the capsizing of a boat carrying illegal immigrants near Greece in December last year. During a visit to the FIA Headquarters in Islamabad, the delegation was welcomed by FIA Additional Director General Jan Muhammad and received a “comprehensive” briefing on Pakistan’s border management practices. The head of the Iraqi delegation “reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation between the border management agencies of both countries,” the press release noted. The briefing included an overview of FIA’s mandate and the work of FIA’s specialised units. “At the Risk Analysis Unit (RAU), the director [of] immigration ex...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a detailed report revealing the severe impact of ongoing floods across Punjab, where millions have been displaced and emergency relief operations continue.

The Executive Development Institute (EDI) of the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) conducted the 7th series of its “Public Financial Management (PFM) Training Workshop” in Lahore from September 11 to 12, bringing together 41 participants from federal and provincial governments, private sector executives, and representatives of.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for her leadership in the ongoing flood relief operations across the affected areas, saying she is “leading from the front!” “Commendable efforts by Chief Minister Punjab in flood relief operations, joined by the tireless dedication.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its allies for Karachi’s worsening state, saying responsibility for the current system lies not only with PPP but also with those who brought it to power.

The Balochistan cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, on Thursday approved several key initiatives, including the establishment of an Endowment Fund for the welfare of minorities.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has postponed the upcoming Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) due to the ongoing floods in the country, the Ministry of Health said on Friday. The decision comes as the country is facing catastrophic floods, which have inundated thousands of villages and displaced millions in Punjab, with flood water now expected to move downstream towards Sindh. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health, “After holding discussions with relevant representatives from all four provinces, AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) and Gilgit-Baltistan, on the instructions of Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the PMDC has revised the exam date to October 26 (Sunday).” The PMDC is the national statutory organisation responsible for regulating the standards of medical and dental education throughout the country. The decision was taken in light of the “difficulties faced by students in the affected areas,“ the statement read. The exam was previously scheduled to be held on...