Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended China’s grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of World War II Victory Day, standing alongside some of the world’s most powerful leaders in Beijing.

The Pakistan Army, in coordination with the civil administration, is actively conducting rescue and relief operations in flood-affected areas of Punjab, evacuating hundreds of people to safety as rising waters continue to threaten multiple districts.

Punjab Information and Archives Minister Azma Bukhari on Wednesday clarified that the provincial government has not barred any private organization or individual from distributing food among flood-affected people.

United States President Donald Trump said that US forces attacked a boat carrying drugs to the United States on Tuesday, killing 11 “narcoterrorists” from a gang he alleged was controlled by leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump posted a video online of an open-topped speedboat carrying several people travelling on a body of water before it exploded in a ball of flames. The move is a potentially significant escalation in the standoff between Caracas and Washington, after the United States deployed eight warships to Latin America in what it bills as a war on drug trafficking. Trump initially announced at the White House that US forces had “shot out a boat … a drug-carrying boat, lots of drugs in that boat” without giving details. The Republican later posted a statement about the strike on his Truth Social network, along with the black and white video of the exploding boat. “Earlier this morning, on my orders, US Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua n...

At least 750 people have been hospitalised with cholera and gastroenteritis in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Astore district, the district health officer (DHO) told Dawn.com on Wednesday. Astore DHO Dr Nawab Ahmed Khan said that the 750 cases were reported over four days, though 90 per cent of them are now under control. “I applied 60 drips to a single patient from morning until night,” Dr Khan said. “Several drips were also administered even after the patient left the hospital.” On August 30, Astore’s District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) reported a sudden influx of gastroenteritis patients displaying symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, according to a report by the deputy commissioner, available with Dawn.com. The report stated that the patients hailed from the areas of Pattipura, Lous, Chongrah, Eidgah, Government Colony, Gorikot, Parishing and Shounter. No fatalities were reported as of today. “[A] preliminary medical opinion indicated a waterborne source,” the report stated.’ On August 30, 80 cases were reported...

LAHORE: Insisting that sending the teams to India for international events amid heightened political tensions was not possible, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Tariq Hussain Bugti on Tuesday said the country will not compete in the Jr World Cup later this year. The event is scheduled to be held in Indian cities of Chennai and Madurai from Nov 28 to Dec 10. Pakistan, primarily due to ongoing political strains with New Delhi particularly after a short yet intense military clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May, are not competing in the Asia Cup too which is currently in progress in the Indian city of Rajgir. Talking to reporters in Lahore on Tuesday, Bugti while acknowledging that not participating in international events in India was hurting the country’s hockey, said the national cause was bigger than everything. “As there is a war-like situation [currently] prevailing between Pakistan and India, there is no possibility that the PHF will send its team to India for the Junior World Cup. [...

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Babar Sattar on Tuesday presented a charge sheet against Chief Justice Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, highlighting the “judicial ills plaguing the high court” ahead of a full court meeting. The new judicial year began in the IHC on Tuesday with Justice Dogar convening a full court meeting attended by all judges. Officials said the chief justice scheduled another full court session for 2pm today (Wednesday), issuing formal notices directing all IHC judges to attend. Although the detailed agenda was not made public, such meetings are generally convened at the start of the judicial year to review the court’s performance, discuss administrative affairs, and set priorities for the coming months. The full court meeting, to be chaired by Justice Dogar, will bring together all serving judges of the IHC for collective deliberations on judicial and administrative matters. Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq also wrote a letter addressed to the IHC top judge, with copies sent to others, wherein he alle...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday extended heartfelt felicitations to the government and people of the People’s Republic of China on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, commemorating China’s triumph in the World Anti-Fascist War.

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has taken urgent notice of the potential spread of dengue fever following the recent spell of rains in the province and directed all concerned departments to launch emergency anti-dengue measures without delay.

MULTAN - Chairman Senate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday assured that all flood victims would be provided equal relief and facilities without any discrimination, as he visited various flood relief camps established in the region.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Anzhen Hospital in Beijing during his official trip to China, where he reviewed the hospital’s facilities and management systems.

LAHORE - On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif, large-scale relief measures have been launched across the province to support families affected by the unprecedented flooding.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has imposed an immediate ban on chopping of trees in forests and auctioning of timber across the province.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Wednesday clarified that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur’s recent remarks regarding the construction of the Kalabagh Dam may represent his personal opinion and not official party policy.

PESHAWAR - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that the third phase of local government by-elections for vacant seats in various categories of Neighborhood and Village Councils across different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be held on October 19.

At least six people were killed after terrorists attacked a passenger vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, police said on Wednesday. Kohat Regional Police Officer Abbas Majeed Marwat said in a statement, “Six passengers have been killed in a tragic incident of firing on a passenger vehicle in Lower Kurram. “A search operation has been launched after the terrorist incident,” he said, adding that 12 suspects were detained in the operation and a large number of weapons were recovered from them. “Terrorists will not be spared under any circumstances. No one will be allowed to disturb regional peace,” RPO Marwat stated. Earlier today, Kurram District Police Officer Kurram Malik Habib Khan said that the unknown assailants fled the scene after the attack. “The bodies have been taken to the hospital,” he said, adding that an investigation into the incident was underway. Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Hameed Hussain condemned the incident in a statement, calling it “an attempt to disrupt the peace o...

Two judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) — Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan — have written letters to Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, voicing concerns over transparency, case allocation, and judicial independence ahead of a full court meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

The River Chenab entered a high flood situation on Wednesday at Marala Headworks after India released large volumes of water into the Chenab and Sutlej rivers from upstream.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has approved the release of Rs1 billion for flood relief and rehabilitation efforts, according to an official notification issued by the provincial finance department.

At least 10 people were killed during violent protests in Indonesia last week, a rights group said on Wednesday, one of several organisations to report fatalities due to the unrest. The disturbances that rocked Southeast Asia’s biggest economy last week were sparked by discontent over economic inequality and lavish perks for lawmakers. They later widened to include anger against police after footage circulated of the killing of a young driver by a paramilitary unit. The state-affiliated National Commission on Human Rights, or Komnas HAM, told AFP on Wednesday that it had received reports that 10 people had died. “There are indications that some of them were victims of authorities’ excessive force,” Anis Hidayah, the head of the group, said. The deaths were reported in the jurisdictions of Greater Jakarta, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Central Java, and Papua, she said. Komnas HAM also reported that more than 900 people were injured and thousands detained, although most of them have since been released. “Many ot...