Pakistan

Pakistan’s armed forces extended Eidul Azha greetings to the nation, giving tribute to martyrs, reaffirming their commitment to protecting the country’s sovereignty and standing alongside the people to ensure lasting peace and stability.

Gaza still faces Israeli strikes after ceasefire; most residents depend on humanitarian aid to live

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif say Eidul Azha prayers with thousands of worshippers and urged the nation to embrace the values of unity, sacrifice, and compassion on the religious occasion.

Trump warned Oman to “behave” or face possible US military action during cabinet remarks

A chemical tank imploded and ruptured at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in the US state of Washington on Tuesday, resulting in one death and nine injuries, while nine others remained unaccounted for as of Tuesday night, authorities said. A joint written statement with Nippon and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Department said a tank containing “white liquor,” a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in making paper pulp, had ruptured around 7:15 am local time (1415 GMT). While the tank was initially believed to hold around 80,000 gallons, officials later said it contained closer to 900,000 gallons of white liquor, with an estimated 90,000 gallons of material still inside the damaged tank. Recovery efforts would resume on Wednesday at the site in the city of Longview in Cowlitz County, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Portland, Oregon, as the tank remained unstable, Longview Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Amos said during a media briefing. A drone view of a chemical tank after it...

From regal sarees to breezy cotton prints, Pakistani celebrities set a stunning new benchmark for Eidul Azha fashion

• From upscale to low-income areas, residents complain of weeks without water as demand peaks during Eidul Azha • Disrupted supply leaves many people dependent on expensive tankers for animal care, sanitation and household needs • KWSC chief claims utility taking all-out measures to ensure ‘uninterrupted supply’ during Eid days KARACHI: With Eidul Azha being celebrated on Wednesday (today), residents of the metropolis are marking the second month of an acute water crisis that has left taps dry, tanker queues long and tempers frayed. For many families, the festival of sacrifice now means sacrificing sleep to chase tankers, and sacrificing savings to buy water for ritual washings, animal care and sanitation. This is not the first time the city has faced Eid amid a severe water shortage. Residents call it a grim tradition of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to fail during the city’s most critical moments — Eids, Ramazan, Eid Miladun Nabi and Muharram — when water is indispensable for both ritual...

Reiterates that armed forces will continue to pursue all facilitators and abettors of terrorism with full force

More than 1.7 million people are taking part in the Hajj this year

Wasim Akram, Bilal Abbas Khan and Durefishan Saleem among several personalities who completed pilgrimage this year

From mass prayers to preparing animals for sacrifice, Muslims mark occasion with community, togetherness

KARACHI: Pakistan plans to boost domestic storage for crude oil and refined products to increase its energy security, according to a government document that was shared with oil producers and some of the world’s leading trading firms. Despite depending on supplies through the Strait of Hormuz for up to 90 per cent of its oil and liquefied natural gas imports, Pakistan has no strategic petroleum reserves. That has left it exposed to supply shocks provoked by the Iran war even as its lending programme with the Inter­national Monetary Fund limits room for costly state-owned emergency stocks. According to the document reviewed by Reuters, the energy ministry is proposing to build strategic petroleum reserves as well as commercial storage through bonded terminals, refineries and oil marketing companies. It is also pushing for more oil and gas exploration and production, upgrades to its refineries and a consolidation of its downstream sector. Govt plans to cut reliance on Hormuz imports “Pakistan’s oil security req...

KARACHI: After paying higher prices for sacrificial animals to fulfil a religious obligation, consumers now face another challenge in finding extra cash to buy high-demand vegetables and flour ahead of Eidul Azha. Retailers have increased the price of onions by Rs20 per kg as demand usually rises for its extensive use in preparing Eid-related meat dishes. Consumers are paying Rs100 per kg for good-quality onions, compared with Rs80 per kg a few days ago. A good-quality tomato is now priced at Rs180-200 per kg, compared with Rs70-100 in the middle of this month and Rs50-80 per kg earlier this month. Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, New Subzi Mandi, President Haji Shahjahan said the Sindh onion crop is nearing its end, while demand is being met by crops from Punjab and Balochistan. Wholesale prices lag retail hikes; traders blame low arrivals and transport priority for sacrificial animals He said retailers are fully cashing in on the high demand for onions, as the wholesale rate is no more than Rs50 p...

QUETTA: In a significant boost to Gwadar’s air connectivity, private airline South Air has launched its first trial flight service from Karachi to Gwadar. The trial flight successfully landed at the New Gwadar International Air­port, marking a key step towards improving air tra­vel facilities in the coastal region. According to the airport flights schedule, South Air flight Z8-905 departed from Karachi at 12 noon on Tuesday and arrived at the New Gwadar Inter­national Airport at 3:40pm. The operationalisation of the Gwadar airport under the China-Pakistan Eco­nomic Corridor (CPEC) project is expected to facilitate smoother movement of passengers, cargo and services. The new air service is also expected to significantly reduce travel time between Gwadar, Karachi, Quetta and other cities, while boosting trade, tourism and development activities across the Makran division. According to the private airline spokesperson, improved connectivity between the Gwadar seaport and international airport could help transfor...

• Washington says strikes targeted Iranian missile sites, mine-laying boats • Rubio says Iran deal may take ‘a few days’; insists Hormuz will reopen ‘one way or the other’ • Iran says US drone downed, F-35 fired at; tanker damaged by external explosion off Oman • Trump to hold Camp David cabinet meeting on Iran crisis TEHRAN: Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire on Tuesday and warned it was ready to retaliate and “will not leave any evil unanswered” after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats threatened a deal to end the war. The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by more than four per cent after US Central Comm­and announced the new wave of bombings, and China urged both sides to respect the truce and to resolve their dispute peacefully. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said negotiating a deal to halt the conflict could “take a few days”. According to Iranian media, Iran’s negotiators had been pushing for the memorandum to include the ...

Fans praise the singer for urging greater focus on charity and support for the needy during Eidul Azha celebrations

Discussions also cover Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, multilateral cooperation, and regional stability efforts

Odeh's relative confirms death, family statement says chief killed with wife, son

• Verdict authored by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar notes solid grounds needed if wedlock policy is to be ignored • Bench sets aside Punjab service tribunal order; authorities directed to reconsider petitioner’s request for transfer within fortnight ISLAMABAD: The Supr­eme Court has ruled that a government employee may not have a vested right to transfer to a particular station, but spouses covered under the wedlock policy have a legitimate expectation to be considered for joint postings unless compelling public interest dictates otherwise. A division bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and also comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali, gave its ruling on an appeal filed by Naheeda Aziz against the Jan 17, 2023 decision of the Punjab Service Tribunal, that had rejected her transfer request. While citing federal and provincial governments’ wedlock policies, Justice Mazhar noted that such policies mitigate and alleviate the socio-economic problems and hardships faced by husbands and wives in government service...

Ministers urge public to include underprivileged segments of society in Eid celebrations, appeal to ensure cleanliness