Pakistan

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Friday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, in the October 5 police assault and arson case.

KARACHI: In an explosive revelation, police on Thursday claimed to have apprehended one of the suspected members of a ring of child abusers, who have allegedly perpetrated heinous acts against minor girls and boys for at least a decade. One suspect is currently in custody, while another of his alleged accomplices have been identified and efforts are underway to arrest him, DIG South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn. The suspect, a fruit vendor, was apprehended by Defence police from Qayyumabad with the help of locals, the officer said. Investigations are underway, and police are said to have obtained video evidence of multiple incidents of sexual assault against minor boys and girls. Although it is too early to say just how many victims the suspects have assaulted, investigators think they could number over a hundred. “Police have recovered a mobile phone from his custody containing hundreds of videos filmed in his room that show graphic scenes involving children,” DIG Raza said, adding that he was being interrogated...

The Hub Dam, Karachi’s main water source, has reached near its maximum capacity following intense monsoon rainfall across Sindh and Balochistan, prompting emergency alerts from irrigation and disaster management authorities.

President Asif Ali Zardari will leave for China on Friday for a 10-day official visit, where he will hold high-level meetings with the Chinese leadership on issues ranging from regional peace to economic cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

• Security forces repel assault on police post in Lajbook; Section 144 imposed • 19 militants killed in separate operations across KP • President, PM laud successful operations • Tribal elders vow to expel militants from South Waziristan, announce strict penalties LOWER DIR / PESH­AWAR: At least seven Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were martyred and 13 others injured during a search and strike operation against militants in the Sar Banda area of Maidan in Lower Dir on Thursday. According to official sources, one FC soldier was also reported missing after a fierce gun battle with militants in the mountainous terrain within the jurisdiction of Lal Qila police station. The militants had taken positions and opened fire on a security convoy. The wounded were shifted to Lal Qila Hospital, and later referred to District Headquarters Hospital Timergara. Police officials said a heavy contingent of pol­ice, Elite Force and Dir Scouts remained in the area as the operation continued. Security forces also claimed to have i...

SUKKUR: A fisherman navigates one of the meanders of the Indus, near the Lansdowne Bridge. While Panjnad is recording flows over 0.6m cusecs, Guddu and Sukkur are steady at around 0.4m.—Umair Ali • Panjnad crosses 668,000 cusecs; mass evacuations underway in Alipur • Guddu, Sukkur barrages record over 400,000 cusecs, remain in ‘medium flood’ • Children among the missing after boats capsize in Jalalpur Pirwala • NDMA chairman says Pakistan facing ‘last monsoon spell’ • Preparations in place at Nasirabad as Balochistan braces for floodwaters LAHORE: Punjab is facing a relentless flood emergency as the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers continue to swell, inundating thousands of villages and displacing millions across the province. The situation intensified after Indian authorities issued alerts regarding rising water levels at Ganda Singh Wala and Ferozepur two days ago, prompting renewed evacuations along the Sutlej River. Despite some areas witnessing a slight recession in water levels, the overall flood threat r...

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark judgement with far-reaching implications for women’s rights under Islamic family laws, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a woman’s right to maintenance (Nafaqa) was neither contingent upon consummation or ‘Rukhsati’ (bridal departure) nor is it subject to her husband’s discretion. “It flows unconditionally from the solemnisation of a valid marriage and constitutes a binding legal duty,” observed Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in his decision on an appeal by Ambreen Akram. She had challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict of April 28, 2015, which turned down her plea for maintenance because the marriage was not consummated. “In essence, the only legitimate ground for suspending this obligation (maintenance) arises where the husband discharges a high burden of proof to establish that his wife has wholly and without justification withdrawn from marital relationship, not merely as physical access but encompassing the full spectrum of emotional, residential and relational life...

ISLAMABAD: PTI founder Imran Khan has demanded an immediate end to the ongoing military operations in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, and called on his party’s lawmakers to “resist operations and drone strikes against our own people”. A series of posts shared on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, which were supposedly based on his conversation with his sisters in Adiala Jail, recalled that the former ruling ANP had become unpopular in the province due to its support for such military action. Although Mr Khan does not have access to his X account while in prison, it is not clear who operates it in his stead. “Killing one’s own always leads to an increase in terrorism,” the post on the ex-PM’s official account said. The message instructed all members of provincial and national assemblies and the Senate who are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “to come together and resist these operations and drone strikes against our own people, and to work for peace so that issues can be resolved through dialogue”. Continuing ...

Floodwaters enter Sindh, raise water level in barrages

Shehbaz stands with Qatar after strikes; Lauds Doha's efforts for Gaza peace

ISPR says 19 Khawarij neutralised in K-P

Says entitlement not tied to consummation or Rukhsati

Pakistan’s first-ever all-woman mountaineering expedition has summited Gilgit-Baltistan’s 5,400-metre Bari La peak, it emerged on Thursday. The 10-member expedition comprised Bibi Afzon and Zeeba Batool from GB, Bismah Hasan and Iqra Jillani from Punjab, Madeeha Syed from Sindh, Mona Khan from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Marya Bangash from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shahreen Khan and Amina Shabbir from Islamabad and Laraib Batool from Balochistan. According to a statement issued today by Alpine Club of Pakistan Vice President Karrar Haidri, history was “written in the high mountains of Pakistan”. He said the first-ever all-woman expedition, organised and sponsored by the Alpine Club, successfully summited Bari La Peak on Wednesday. “With equal representation from all four provinces, GB and AJK, these courageous women came together not just to climb, but to break barriers and prove that Pakistan’s daughters can rise to any peak,” Haidri said. He added that before embarking on their journey, the expedition received traini...

Explores Panda bonds, grants, budget diversion to complete medical complex

Sector jumps 62% to 14,050 units in August, recovering from July slump

Central bank deposits stand at $14.3b; gold prices fall Rs4,100/tola

Urges Pakistan to ensure security, political stability, timely project delivery

IEA says world oil supply will rise rapidly this year due to planned output increases

Senators direct ministries to protect traders, comply with international obligations

Index loses 880 points in volatile session; volumes stay strong