Pakistan

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has announced an ambitious plan to conclude all pending cases involving death sentences and life imprisonment within the next 45 days.

PTI founder Imran Khan — who is suffering from an eye ailment leading to loss of vision in his right eye — was examined by a team of doctors at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Sunday. The party had rejected the inspection conducted in the absence of his family and personal physicians, terming it “malicious”. On Monday, the law minister allayed concerns Imran’s vision loss, saying that there was “nothing as such to worry about”. Meanwhile, the doctors who examined the former premier in jail released a two-page report on Monday. According to the report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, a medical board comprising the following eye specialists examined Imran on February 15; Dr Prof Nadeem Qureshi, the head of the vitreoretinal department at the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, and Dr Prof Dr M Arif, the head of the opthalmology department at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad. The report stated that unaided, Imran’s right eye had 6/24 partial vision and 6/9 in the left. It...

A global artificial intelligence summit kicked off in New Delhi on Monday with big issues on the agenda, from job disruption to child safety, although some attendees warned the broad focus could make concrete commitments from world leaders less likely. While frenzied demand for generative AI has turbocharged profits for many tech companies, anxiety is growing over the risks that it poses to society and the environment. The five-day AI Impact Summit aims to declare a “shared roadmap for global AI governance and collaboration”. It is the fourth annual gathering addressing the problems and opportunities posed by AI, after previous international meetings in Paris, Seoul and Britain’s wartime code-breaking hub Bletchley. Touted as the biggest edition yet, the Indian government is expecting tens of thousands of visitors from across the sector. That includes 20 national leaders and 45 ministerial-level delegations, who will rub shoulders with tech CEOs, including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Google’s Sundar Pichai. “The...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday said that the people of PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were living in the stone age, critising the province’s government for not taking steps for development in the age of technology. Addressing a laptop distribution scheme at a Gujrat university, CM Maryam highlighted that students in Punjab had access to Honhaar scholarships, laptop schemes, Parwaz Card, green buses and technical training programmes. “So there is Honhaar here, and incitement there, but this is nothing to rejoice about,” she said, adding that she was extremely upset that the “people of KP were still living in the stone age”. Maryam stated: “They do not know what development is. They do not realise that Honhaar scholarships also exist if one does not have the resources for their child’s studies. “They do not know that you must have a gadget or a laptop or an iPad or a computer in your hands if you are to meet global standards in today’s age.” Indirectly noting that the PTI had been in power in KP for t...

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday allayed concerns over PTI founder Imran Khan’s vision loss, saying that there was “nothing as such to worry about”. The statement comes days after the Supreme Court (SC) was informed that Imran had only 15pc vision left in his right eye, prompting the apex court to form a medical team to examine him before February 16 (today). Subsequently, a team of five doctors arrived at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Sunday, where the ex-premier is incarcerated, and carried out a detailed eye examination, took blood samples and checked his blood pressure. However, the PTI rejected the check-up conducted without his family and personal physicians. Addressing Bar Association Ferozewala in Punjab’s Shahdara on Monday, Tarar referred to the “latest report that had to be submitted” regarding Imran’s health. The minister added that he discussed it with Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan and the “relevant” individuals before coming to the bar association. Tarar stated: “T...

My travelogue has had a recent makeover. The itinerary now insists on including clean bathrooms, feeding areas, and a prospective diaper change station. Even though these recent life developments had me apprehensive to venture back out into the world, I slowly started to identify and appreciate how family-friendly most cities in the world had become when I was not paying attention. It was a bit like that car spotting phenomenon. You know the one where, when you notice a particular brand and model of a car, they start to appear everywhere. Similarly, once I braved back out into the world, I started to realise how much the world had to offer to travelling parents with children. It’s still a work-in-progress, but at least it was much better than what my fears had me convinced. As the first international travel location, my personal preference was to start with a place that was already familiar. I could not look past Thailand. On a global scale, when you do the math for budget, accommodation, food and shopping an...

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) benchmark index, the KSE-100, closed in the red, down 5,149.80 points from its previous close. The index lost 2.87 per cent from its previous close of 179,603.73 points to close at 174,453.93 points. Trading volumes stood at 378,714,148 at a value of Rs37,382,003,783. The intraday high was 179,969.22 points, and the intraday low was 173,574.26, representing a heightened amount of volatility. The 1-year change was a positive 55.64pc while the year-to-date change was a rise of 0.23pc. Topline Securities noted that “the steep drop was primarily driven by foreign outflows, as reflected in the previous session’s data”. The brokerage house added that “escalating political noise further dampened investor confidence, intensifying the bearish momentum”. The top active stocks were led by K-Electric Limited, falling 4.91pc to Rs8.13 at a volume of 63,826,098, followed by Worldcall Telecom Limited, falling 6.13pc to Rs1.53 at a volume of 62,243,488, and Bank of Punjab, falling 8.55pc to Rs33...

The National Database and Registration Authority has simplified the biometric verification process for vehicle transfers in Punjab by introducing an online facility through the Pak‑ID Mobile App.

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, in a meeting with the deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, affirmed that the security and stability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are “an integral part of Pakistan’s own security”, the military’s media wing said on Monday. Field Marshal Munir made the remarks during a meeting with the Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which they discussed “ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors, particularly in the fields of economic collaboration, investment and security,” according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The two leaders also “exchanged views on regional developments and emphasised the importance of continued coordination to promote peace and stability in the region,” ISPR added. Field Marshal Munir, during the meeting, “expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the government of the UAE for its longstanding investments and ...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Commander of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday reaffirmed that the security and stability of the United Arab Emirates are intrinsically linked to Pakistan’s own security, citing deep-rooted historical ties and a strong strategic partnership between the two countries.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar revealed that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has regained 70 percent vision in one eye with the aid of corrective glasses, while the other eye maintains normal 6/6 eyesight.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday was accorded a warm reception and a guard of honour at the Austrian Chancellery, where he arrived to meet Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have decided to broaden collaboration between their interior ministries, placing special emphasis on internal security coordination, counter-terrorism initiatives, and anti-narcotics operations.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that the Imran Khan has 70 percent vision in one eye with the help of glasses, while his other eye maintains normal 6/6 vision.

PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed and 17 others injured in a powerful explosion near Miryan Police Station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Monday. According to a statement by the police, the blast occurred when a time bomb planted in a motorcycle detonated. A child was among those killed in the explosion. Police sources said the blast took place near shops located in front of the station. Although police personnel remained unharmed, civilians in the vicinity were caught in the blast. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) spokesperson, Muhammad Noman Khattab, stated that the victims were brought to District Headquarters Hospital and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital. Rescue 1122 officials said emergency teams promptly reached the scene and moved the bodies and injured to nearby hospitals. Following the incident, a heavy contingent of the Bannu police reached the scene, along with the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and the Quick Response Force ...

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has indicated its readiness to pursue reconciliation with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, sources said on Monday.

Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal is set to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who won a landslide victory in last week’s elections, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday. The election was the first since a deadly 2024 uprising ousted the iron-fisted rule of Sheikh Hasina. Rahman is a scion of one of Bangladesh’s most powerful political dynasties. In a statement issued today, the FO said that Iqbal will represent Pakistan at the oath-taking ceremony, which is scheduled to be held on February 17 in Dhaka. FO added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was unable to attend “due to a prior overseas engagement.” “Pakistan’s participation in the ceremony reflects its support for Bangladesh’s democratic process and underscores its commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,” the statement added. Rahman is the son of former Bangladeshi presiden...

A collision between a car and a trailer on Monday claimed six lives on the National Highway in Sindh’s Naushahro Feroze District, officials said. Naushahro Feroze Senior Superintendent of Police Mir Rohal Khoso told Dawn that all six people who died were travelling in the car, while the trailer’s driver was injured. He said the accident took place between 5am and 6am, adding that “ostensibly, speeding and brake failure were probable reasons,” but the matter was being probed further. SSP Khoso elaborated that one side of the National Highway in the district was under construction, which was a “contributory factor behind increasing accidents”. He stated that, in collaboration with the motorway police, it has been decided to set up five points for checking the speed and fitness of vehicles to control the rise in accidents. Sindh Inspector General (IG) Javed Alam Odho, in a statement, ordered the Naushahro Feroze SSP to probe the accident and register a case. Expressing his grief over the loss of lives, IG Odho o...

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s latest move to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property”, calling on the international community to reject its actions, according to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO). Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that the Israeli government had approved the proposal to claim large areas of the occupied territory as property of the state if Palestinians could not prove ownership, a move which prompted outcry from Palestinian group Hamas, the Palestinian presidency, and political analysts. “Pakistan strongly condemns the latest attempt by the Israeli occupying power to convert areas of the Occupied West Bank into so-called state property, and to expand illegal settlement activities,” the statement said. It pointed out that these steps clearly violated international law and relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, stressing that they “must be rejected” by the international community. “The occupying power’s continued d...

Accused Bondi Beach killer Naveed Akram appeared in an Australian court via video link Monday, in his first public hearing since the nation’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Akram and his father, Sajid, allegedly attacked a Hanukkah celebration in December. Sajid was shot and killed by police during the attack. Akram has been charged with terrorism, 15 counts of murder, dozens of counts of causing wounds to a person with intent to kill and planting explosives. He appeared in a Sydney court for about five minutes via video link from prison, according to a statement from the court and local media. The timeline of evidence was also discussed, the court said. The accused wore a green jersey during the hearing, which dealt mostly with technical matters such as suppressing the identification of some victims, local media said. He reportedly spoke only one word — “yeah” — when asked by the judge whether he had heard a discussion about the extension of suppression orders. Akram will next appear in court o...