Pakistan

Snoring is often dismissed as a harmless habit or blamed on sleeping position, weight, or nasal congestion. But emerging research suggests there may be a less obvious contributor quietly influencing nighttime breathing: low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health, but its influence extends far beyond that. It plays a crucial part in muscle strength, nerve signalling, and inflammation control — all of which are directly connected to how the airway functions during sleep. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired muscle performance. The muscles that keep the upper airway open during sleep rely on proper neuromuscular control. When these muscles relax too much, airflow becomes turbulent, causing the vibration of soft tissues in the throat — what we hear as snoring. Weakened or poorly functioning muscles can increase this collapse, especially during deep sleep. Inflammation adds another layer to the problem. Vitamin D has anti-i...

LAHORE: A Canadian national pursuing doctoral research, who went missing last week, has turned up in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The agency on Monday produced Hamza Ahmad Khan before a magistrate, who sent him to jail for 14 days on judicial remand. On Sunday, police registered a case on kidnapping charges on the complaint of his friend. According to the first information report, Hamza went missing in the early hours of Feb 19 after leaving his residence in DHA Phase 10, according to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Defence-A police station. On Monday, it emerged that Hamza was in NCCIA custody for allegedly making anti-state posts on social media platforms X and Instagram. In the FIR registered against him by the NCCIA, the cybercrime agency said that during routine cyber patrols, accounts associated with Hamza were actively “disseminating misinformation and disinformation targeting the state institutions”. The FIR, a copy of which is available wi...

ISLAMABAD: A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reaffirmed in a detailed judgement on Monday that the chief justice was the sole “master of the roster”, ruling that a July 2025 order by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan in the Aafia Siddiqui case was recalled for being issued by a forum that was not “lawfully constituted”. Last year in July, Justice Khan had issued contempt notices to the prime minister and the entire federal cabinet over non-compliance with the court’s directions in a petition filed by Dr Fowzia Siddiqui seeking the release of her sister, Dr Aafia, from a US prison. However, the registrar’s office did not execute the notices because the judge was not included in the duty roster approved by the chief justice. Later, the court registrar’s report had recommended that a larger bench should address questions concerning the validity of the July 21 hearing. The central issue identified was that Justice Khan’s bench was not authorised to hear cases on July 21. The weekly roster approved by ...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would back plans to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession to the British throne, according to a letter shared by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office. Last week, a UK official said the British government was considering introducing legislation to ensure Mountbatten-Windsor, currently eighth-in-line to the throne, could never be king following his arrest as part of a police investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. King Charles is not only the monarch and head of state in Britain, but also in Australia and 13 other countries. In the letter, Albanese told Starmer that in light of the recent events, his government would agree to any proposal to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession. “I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation,” his letter said. “These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.” Last week, Mountbatte...

ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Monday expressed concern over deaths resulting from operations conducted by Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD), calling for a judicial inquiry. The remarks come after a fact-finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called for an urgent high-level judicial inquiry into deaths during CCD operations. It should be mentioned that the CCD had rejected the HRCP’s report, terming claims of staged encounters and extrajudicial actions as unfounded and contrary to the department’s operational framework. In a statement issued on Monday, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram questioned how so many deaths were possible in alleged encounters. “During the last eight months, as many as 670 encounters and 924 deaths have been reported. What is happening in Punjab? Is it an official state policy?” Akram asked. He asked why the government was silent on the report issued by the HRCP and why its findings were not being taken seriously. “Will the law be enforced thro...

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan on Monday said that democracy is strengthened through dialogue rather than confrontation and deadlock.

Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting line-up to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash in the T20 World Cup Super Eights. Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday. Farhan said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground in Kandy on Tuesday night. Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out. A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka for 95 to win by 51 runs, through to the semi-finals with a game to spare. Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four. “What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said the in-form opener Farhan on Monday. “Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on...

The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark index KSE-100 began another week on a low note, losing more than 5,400 points during intraday trade on Monday. The KSE-100 index declined 5,478.63 points, or 3.16 per cent, to stand at 167,691.08 points from the previous close of 173,169.71 points. The index reached its intraday high of 174,336.85 points at 9:38am — higher than its previous close — but then plunged to an intraday low of 166,886.63 points at around 1:24pm, before regaining some ground to 167,691 points by market close. The top active stocks were led by K-Electric Limited, falling 4.61pc to Rs7.66 with 36,062,769 shares traded; followed by Worldcall Telecom Limited, falling 4.35pc to Rs1.32 with a volume of 33,673,161; and Bank of Punjab, falling 8.63pc to Rs30.19 with a volume of 26,673,106. The top advancing stocks were led by Itanz Technologies Limited, rising 10.01pc to Rs13.96, followed by Kohinoor Industries Limited, rising 10.00pc to Rs50.60, and S.S. Oil Mills Limited, rising 10.00pc to Rs56...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), in its February-April weather outlook for northern areas, on Monday warned of a “high probability” of glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) in Gilgit-Baltistan, owing to “sustained above normal” temperatures. Glof refers to the sudden release of water and debris from a glacial lake, leading to the loss of lives, property, and livelihoods in mountain communities. Over 7.1 million people in GB and KP are vulnerable to the phenomenon, according to the Ministry of Climate Change. The PMD, in its outlook, noted that due to reduced rain and “persistent clear-sky conditions”, temperatures across GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from Feb 1 to 22 recorded an increase. “Daytime (maximum) temperatures were recorded 3–5°C above normal, while nighttime (minimum) temperatures remained 1–3.5°C above the 1981–2010 climatological average,” the PMD said, adding that the highest warming was recorded in the regions of Gilgit and Bunji. “Chilas and Bunji have shown notable increases i...

Iran said on Monday that any attack by the United States, including limited strikes, would be an “act of aggression” that would precipitate a response, after US President Donald Trump said he was considering a limited strike on Iran. “With respect to your first question concerning the limited strike, I think there is no limited strike,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a briefing in Tehran attended by an AFP journalist. “An act of aggression would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period. “And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that’s what we would do.” Trump said on Friday he was considering a limited strike if Tehran did not reach a deal with the US. “I guess I can say I am considering that,” he replied following a question from reporters. The two countries concluded a second round of indirect talks in Switzerland on Tuesday under Omani mediation, against the backdrop of a major US military build-up in the region. Fu...

A meeting between a government delegation and Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai is expected to take place later this week, with electoral reforms and the broader political roadmap set to top the agenda, sources said.

A lady doctor, identified as Dr Mehwish, was shot dead in the Kohat Development Authority (KDA) area of Kohat on Monday, police said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Qatar from February 23 to 24, 2026, at the invitation of the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Consul General of Iran in Peshawar, Ali Banafsha Khah, called on the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, in Peshawar on Monday.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has lost another Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas light combat aircraft after it overshot the runway at a frontline airbase, sustaining major damage to its airframe, Indian media, including The Hindu reported. The incident, believed to have been caused by a brake failure, took place on February 7, and the pilot ejected safely, according to The Times of India. Following the accident, the entire fleet of about 30 single-seat Tejas jets was grounded to undergo comprehensive technical inspections, The Hindu added. The latest mishap comes amid delays in the delivery of the Tejas Mk‑1A variant, according to Indian media outlets. HAL has faced repeated delays in supplying the jets, mainly due to GE Aerospace missing deadlines for engine deliveries. The IAF has not released an official statement regarding the incident. This is reported to be the third Tejas aircraft lost since induction. The first crash occurred near Jaisalmer in March 2024 after a firepower demonstration, with the...

Incarcerated PTI leaders in Lahore on Monday called for an urgent multi-party conference in the wake of the recent Board of Peace meeting to build national consensus on peace and stability in Gaza, according to a statement released to the media. The leaders — Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mahmoodur Rasheed and Ejaz Chaudhry — jailed for involvement in the May 9, 2023 riots issued the statement through their lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. The statement said that a multi-party conference should be held immediately on the “Palestinian issue”, saying that sustainable peace was not possible in the region without a “two-state solution and justice”. It called on all parties to reiterate their support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. “Since the ceasefire was announced through negotiations, more than 600 deaths have been reported in Gaza as a result of continuous ceasefire violations,” the statement pointed out. “Israel...

Children across parts of the northeastern United States will stay home on Monday as a powerful winter storm forced school closures and pushed offices and transit systems onto emergency schedules, with officials across the region warning of heavy snow, strong winds and dangerous travel conditions. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and ordered non-essential vehicles off city roads from Sunday night to noon Monday, saying plows and emergency crews needed the streets clear as snowfall intensified. The city is under its first blizzard warning since 2017. City offices will close for in-person services, and non-essential municipal employees may work remotely. “I’m urging every New Yorker to please stay home,” Mamdani said. New York City, the nation’s largest school district, ordered all public school buildings closed for a traditional snow day, with no remote instruction and all after-school programs cancelled. The storm has already snarled travel along the East Coast from Washington t...

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry on Monday stressed that national security was “non-negotiable” after Pakistan carried out strikes on terrorist targets in Afghanistan, killing over 80 terrorists. “Pakistan has always chosen the path of dialogue and peaceful coexistence. But when Afghan soil continues to be used for proxy attacks, we have no choice but to defend our homeland. National security is non-negotiable,” Chaudhry said in a statement. The PML-N MNA affirmed that the people of Pakistan “stand firmly” with their armed forces in the fight against terrorism. He urged the Afghan government to take “decisive action to prevent its land from being used for cross-border militancy”, warning that lasting peace in the region depended on the “complete dismantling of terrorist sanctuaries”. Noting that the recent operation “successfully neutralised militants involved in attacks on Pakistani soil”, Chaudhry stressed: “This action was aimed solely at those r...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday paid tribute to Pakistan’s security forces for eliminating four Indian-backed terrorists in an operation carried out in Pishin district of Balochistan.

The government has launched the Prime Minister’s Electric Bike and Rickshaw Scheme 2026 under the PAVE programme to promote affordable and environmentally friendly transport across Pakistan.