Pakistan

Two siblings were killed and their father injured in a road accident involving a dumper on Karachi’s Rashid Minhas Road near Lucky One Mall early Sunday, sparking mob violence and protests that disrupted traffic on key city routes, officials said. In recent months, Karachi has witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. Central Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said that around 3:15am, a dumper truck hit a motorcycle carrying a family, killing Mahnoor, 22, and her 14-year-old brother Ahmed Raza, and injuring their 48-year-old father, Shakir. Following the incident, transporters staged a protest by blocking Rashid Minhas Road and the Superhighway near Sohrab Goth, causing traffic jams. Both inbound and outbound roads on Rashid Minhas Road from Sohrab Goth towards Gulshan-i-Iqbal were closed, while traffic on Al-Asif Square towards ...

The Sindh Workers Welfare Board (WWB) on Sunday decided to extend its upcoming electric bikes scheme beyond women to industrial workers from minority communities. The move coincides with the National Minorities Day, which is celebrated on August 11 every year. It commemorates the historic speech by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, made on Aug 11, 1947, where he emphasised equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion. According to a statement, Sindh Labour Secretary Rafique Qureshi underscored the symbolic significance of this step, noting that “the white stripe in Pakistan’s flag represented minorities and their equal rights”. Religious freedom remains a challenge in Pakistan, with recurring incidents of mob attacks, forced conversions and blasphemy cases, as noted by the European Union’s Sebastien Lorion. Just last month, State Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Kheal Das acknowledged that religious minorities in the country face administrative and governance...

In a significant move to boost regional connectivity, Iran Air has launched its first-ever flight service linking Quetta, Zahedan, and Mashhad.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday emphasised that the supremacy of Parliament, adherence to the Constitution, rule of law, and continuity of the democratic process are vital to Pakistan’s integrity, development, and prosperity.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met with Ikram Ullah, a student from 2022 flood-hit area of Balochistan and expressed his pleasure at his educational strides owing to his hard work.

Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Sunday dismissed “incorrect and misleading” media reports about an eight-day closure of Islamabad International Airport, clarifying the exact date and time of the planned shutdown. A statement by PAA Spokesperson Saifullah Khan said, “According to the Notams issued, due to air activities ahead of Independence Day on August 14, arrival and departure flights will be suspended for only two hours on specific days and times.” From August 6-9 and August 11-14, the airport will be shut from 11am-1pm PST. On August 9 and 11, the airport will also be shut from 8-10pm. “Apart from these brief interruptions, all flights at the airport will continue as usual,” the statement said, advising passengers to contact their airline for the latest information on their schedule. The government has said that this year’s Independence Day would be celebrated under the banner of “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) — the period of conflict with India in May — to demonstrate the nation’s resilience, prog...

More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as a result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said on Sunday. The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the centre and south of Iraq, respectively. This year, several million Shia Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Husain and his brother Abbas. There, they will mark the Arbaeen — the 40-day period of mourning during which the community commemorate the death of Husain, grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In a brief statement, Iraq’s health ministry said that “621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala”. “All have received the necessary care and left the hospital in good health,” it said. Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims meanwhile said the incident had been caused by “a chlorine leak from a water...

China’s former defence attache in South Asia Cheng Xizhong on Sunday spurned India’s much-delayed claim that it had shot down six Pakistani aircraft during the May conflict, terming it “self-amusement”. Having faced international coverage of its own craft being downed by Pakistan and scathing criticism from the opposition, India’s Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh — three months after the conflict — claimed yesterday that his country had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during those clashes. While Pakistan had already denied that India downed any of its aircraft, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif swiftly rubbished Singh’s “belated assertions” yesterday. Commenting on the matter today, Cheng said India’s allegations lacked strong evidence and have been “widely questioned by the international community, being considered groundless”, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Singh’s remarks were “comical, implausible and unconvincing”. “We may call it self-amusement,” he said i...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Japan in the first week of October on the special invitation of the Japanese government, marking the first trip by a Pakistani premier to Japan in two decades.

The Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), under the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, has announced new job openings in Kuwait following the Gulf nation’s decision to restore its visa policy for Pakistan.

Preparations for Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day on August 14 are in full swing across the country, with streets, markets, and public spaces adorned in the colors of the national flag.

China wants the United States to ease export controls on chips critical for artificial intelligence as part of a trade deal before a possible summit between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Chinese officials have told experts in Washington that Beijing wants the Trump administration to relax export restrictions on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The White House, State Department, and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. HBM chips, which help perform data-intensive AI tasks quickly, are closely watched by investors due to their use alongside AI graphic processors, particularly Nvidia’s NVDA.O. The FT said China is concerned because the US HBM controls hamper the ability of Chinese companies such as Huawei to develop their own AI chips. Successive US administrations have curbed exports of advanced chips to China, looking to stymie Beijin...

Extremists killed one policeman in Iran’s restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Iranian media reported on Sunday, adding that three assailants also died. “A policeman from Saravan was killed while terrorists were trying to enter the police station” in that area of Sistan-Baluchistan, the Tasnim news agency said. The attackers were members of the militant group Jaish al-Adl ( “Army of Justice” in Arabic) active in Iran’s southeast, the agency said. “Three terrorists were killed and two were arrested,” Tasnim said. Sistan-Baluchistan, which shares a long border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been the site of frequent clashes between security forces and insurgents or smugglers, including militants who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. On July 26, gunmen stormed a courthouse in the province’s capital Zahedan, killing at least six people, in an attack that was later claimed by Jaish al-Adl. In one of the deadliest attacks in the province, 10 police officers were killed in Oc...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to review bilateral cooperation and exchange views on key regional and international developments.

Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) has issued an urgent advisory following a surge in ransomware and malware attacks targeting institutions across the country.

United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was nominating State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce as the next US deputy representative to the United Nations. Bruce has been the State Department spokesperson since Trump took office in January. In a post on social media in which Trump announced her nomination, the president said she did a “fantastic job” as State Department spokesperson. Bruce will need to be confirmed for the role by the US Senate, where Trump’s Republican Party holds a majority. During press briefings, she has defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy decisions ranging from an immigration crackdown and visa revocations to US responses to the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza, including a widely condemned armed private aid operation in the Palestinian territory. Bruce was previously a political contributor and commentator on Fox News for over 20 years. She has also authored books like Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda, which ...

Lahore - Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar chaired an important video link meeting at the Central Police Office to review the performance, resources, and operational readiness of the Riot Management Police (RMP) across all regions and districts.

CHENGDU: Noor Zaman’s hopes of a World Games squash medal were quashed after he was on the losing end of a thrilling five-game battle on Saturday, while Nasir Iqbal kept his hopes alive in the plate event. Pitted against Colombian world number 21 Miguel Rodriguez in the last-16 stage, Noor managed to come from 2-1 down to force a deciding game but was ultimately overpowered. “Noor played with heart, but Rodriguez’s experience made the difference in crucial moments,” said Pakistan coach Fahim Gul, with the team making its debut at the Games. “This is a learning curve for him and hell come back stronger.” Noor made a fast start, taking the first game 11-2 in just six minutes but Rodriguez grew into the contest, taking the next two games 11-7 and 11-9. Noor hit back in the fourth game, taking it 13-11 before Rodriguez clinched the decisive fifth game 11-6. He will now have to contend with the special plate event with a quarter-final against Egyptian Mohammad Nasser on Sunday. Nasir advanced to the quarter-finals...

ISLAMABAD - Security forces have killed at least 47 khawarij terrorists in anti-infiltration operation in Sambaza Zhob district of Balochistan during the last 48 hours, officials said on Saturday.

QUETTA - Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday asserted that no group of armed militants can impose its ideology on the 250 million citizens of Pakistan.