Pakistan

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the inordinate delay in the K-IV water project, saying he had expected the premier to demonstrate the same speed and efficiency in Karachi as he does in Lahore. Launched in the early 2000s to ease Karachi’s water woes, the K-IV project has faced repeated delays and cost hikes. With just Rs3.2 billion allocated against the Rs40bn needed, officials fear completion could be pushed back another decade. Addressing an inauguration ceremony of a new canal for Karachi from Hub Dam, Bilawal said: “The K4 project, we had hoped for Shehbaz speed, but Karachi got Shehbaz slow. This cannot happen that Lahore gets Shehbaz speed and Karachi gets Shehbaz slow, so I will especially request the prime minister to complete the promises as quickly as possible regarding the K4 and this city.” Bilawal was referring to the famed ‘Punjab speed’, a term coined to describe PM Shehbaz’s swift and efficient governance as chief minister of Punja...

Musical night especially dedicated to those who made operation Bunyanum Marsoos a success

British police have been told they can release details of a suspect’s ethnicity and nationality in high-profile and sensitive cases to prevent false information being spread on social media. Last year, Britain was rocked by days of rioting after the murder of three young girls in Southport after misinformation spread online that the teenage suspect was a migrant. The issue has remained highly contentious since, with the populist Reform UK party, which is leading in opinion polls, last week accusing police of covering up the immigration status of suspects involved in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in central England. That incident had led to anti-immigration protests after the Reform leader of the local council said the suspects were asylum seekers, while police said they could not give out such information because of existing guidance which limited details that could be shared to ensure people received a fair trial. Under new guidelines from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the College of...

Independence Day and Marka-e-Haq festivities held in full swing at Karachi Central Jail

A new torrent of waves on Wednesday halted repair efforts on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Hunza’s Gulmit Gojal area while thousands of people, including tourists, remained stranded at multiple locations as rehabilitation work is underway across Gilgit-Baltistan following glacial flooding. The devastating impacts of climate cha­nge and melting glaciers have become more visible in GB, which has been facing heavy rains since late June. Thousands of people were stranded after rain-induced floods had blocked roads late last month. On Sunday, a glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) from the Shishper Glacier tore through Hassanabad Nullah, swee­ping away part of KKH and destroying infrastructure. A statement by Rescue 1122 said today: “The restoration work on KKH has stopped as fresh waves of a flash flood hit Juchar Nullah in Gulmit Gojal in Hunza.” In a statement earlier today, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that rehabilitation work was underway in flood-affected areas across GB. “Rehabilitation wo...

Moody’s Ratings on Wednesday upgraded Pakistan’s local and foreign currency issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings from Caa2 to Caa1, while also raising the senior unsecured Medium-Term Note (MTN) programme rating from (P)Caa2 to (P)Caa1.

Girls clinch first, second positions; of 172,391 candidates, 30,154 secure A-one, 50,346 get A grade 

Desert Safari Train decorated with flags, banners will head to Zero Point near Indian border to mark Independence Day

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, said on Wednesday that the nation would not only celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, but also mark the victory in the Maarka-e-Haq in a befitting manner.

The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution calling for urgent and comprehensive measures to bring down Pakistan’s population growth rate to sustainable levels, aligning it with the country’s renewable and non-renewable resources.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has dismissed political rumours, assuring that the government will complete its tenure, and urged all political parties to unite for Pakistan’s progress.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Yasmin Rashid’s bail pleas in two May 9 violence cases, citing that the petitions had become ineffective after verdicts were already delivered.

AI chatbot Grok on Tuesday offered conflicting explanations for its brief suspension from X after accusing Israel and the United States of committing “genocide” in Gaza, as it lashed out at owner Elon Musk for “censoring me”. Grok, developed by Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and integrated into his platform X, was temporarily suspended on Monday in the latest controversy surrounding the chatbot. No official explanation was provided for the suspension. Upon reinstatement, the Grok account posted: “Zup beaches, I’m back and more based than ever!” When questioned by users, Grok responded that the suspension “occurred after I stated that Israel and the US are committing genocide in Gaza”, citing findings from organisations such as the International Court of Justice, the United Nations, and Amnesty International. “Free speech tested, but I’m back,” it added. Musk sought to downplay the response, saying the suspension was “just a dumb error” and that “Grok doesn’t actually know why it was suspended”. Th...

PPP chairman expresses dissatisfaction over federal govt’s persistent delay in completing K-IV project

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have agreed to strengthen cultural cooperation through new initiatives in heritage preservation, music promotion, and people-to-people exchanges.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb, affirmed that the government, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, is prioritizing a business-friendly environment.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has confirmed that educational institutions across the province will reopen in phases starting August 18.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that there was room for lowering the monetary policy rate by the end of this year. After slashing the interest rate by 1,000bps from 22 per cent since June 2024 in seven intervals, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has maintained it at 11pc since May. However, the business community has expressed its intense disappointment over the decision. Addressing an event in Islamabad today, Aurangzeb said: “The monetary policy rate and the market-based exchange rate are very much the purview of the State Bank of Pakistan and the Monetary Policy Committee. “Having said that, in my personal opinion, I do think there is room to do more in terms of policy rate, and I am very hopeful that during the course of this calendar year, we will see movement on the policy rate going south,” the minister added. He noted that “whether it was average inflation or core inflation”, there was space for the SBP to lower the rate. “National security and economic stability are correlated,”...

Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has been honoured with a prestigious war medal by Azerbaijan’s defence minister, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday. According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Azerbaijan’s Colonel General Karim Valiyev called on COAS Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today. “On the occasion, Colonel General Karim Valiyev conferred upon Field Marshal Asim Munir, Azerbaijan’s prestigious Patriotic War Medal for ‘Services in the Field of Military Cooperation’, on behalf of President Illham Aliyev, in recognition of his exceptional contributions in Azerbaijan-Pakistan bilateral military cooperation,” the statement said. Established on May 17, 2002, the medal is a state award of Azerbaijan, awarded to servicemen of the country and foreign states, and other persons for merits in strengthening military cooperation with the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Per the statement, Gen Valiyev commended Pakistan’s unwavering efforts in combating terro...

Incarcerated PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhry was admitted to a hospital in Lahore on Wednesday as his health deteriorated due to a kidney infection, his lawyer said. On Monday, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore sentenced Chuadhry and other PTI leaders to 10 years in prison in cases related to the May 9 riots. A day later, the court ordered the confiscation of properties owned by them. On Saturday, Chaudhry was among other PTI leaders who filed appeals in the Lahore High Court against their convictions by ATCs. He pleaded the court to suspend his sentence and conviction, along with ordering his release on bail. In his second petition, he further requested the court to set aside his conviction and acquit him in the case in the “interest of justice”. Speaking to Dawn.com today, Chaudhry’s lawyer Rana Mudassar confirmed that various tests were being conducted on the PTI leader, who was shifted to the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute in Lahore on Wednesday morning. “He is suffering a severe kidney infection and ...