Pakistan

Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), an attached department of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD), would export skilled workers to the State of Kuwait after a long time.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Saturday refuted claims of a fee increase of 80 per cent for their colleges admission test, announcing that the test is scheduled for October 5 this year. The PMDC is the national statutory organisation responsible for regulating the standards of medical and dental education throughout the country. In a press release today, PMDC announced that the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) was scheduled to be held on Sunday October 5, while addressing the concerns regarding the fee. “It has come to the notice of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that there has been a misunderstanding regarding the MDCAT examination fee, which claims that it has increased by 80pc,” it said. “PMDC would like to clarify that the fee for the MDCAT has increased modestly and gradually over the past years,” it added, noting that it was Rs8,000 in 2024 and is set at Rs9,000 for 2025 — the Rs1,000 increase marking an increment of only 12.5pc, not 80pc as had been ...

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub’s interim bail applications in three high-profile cases linked to the May 9 riots.

Security forces have killed 14 more Indian-sponsored terrorists during a sanitisation operation in the surrounding areas of Sambaza, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has finalised nominations for various ex-cadre judicial posts across the province, following approval by the Chief Justice.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was discharged from a London hospital in the early hours of Saturday after being admitted for a second time in a month, a party leader said. The MQM founder was last hospitalised in London on July 10 due to “severe illness”. After undergoing multiple tests and blood transfusions, he was discharged on July 23. Hussain was allowed to leave the hospital at 12:30am GMT (5:30am PKT) today after being treated in its emergency ward for nine hours and undergoing various tests, London-based senior MQM leader Mustafa Azizabadi said on X. “After various tests, doctors diagnosed him with severe flu and a chest infection. The doctors prescribed antibiotics and other medications for Mr Altaf Hussain and advised him to take complete rest,” Azizabadi said. Detailing Hussain’s hospital stay, Azizabadi noted the MQM founder “underwent a blood test, [electrocardiography], chest X-ray, and monitoring of oxygen levels”. “Hussain has expressed his gratitude to all the workers an...

DUBAI: The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is confident that the high-voltage Pakistan-India clash at the Asia Cup will go ahead. The neighbours have been at loggerheads since a terrorist attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam sparked a brief war and saw the cricketing relations between the two nations nose-dive. Recently, two World Championship of Legends fixtures between the two countries were called off as the India Champions players decided not to play against their Pakistan counterparts. The Asia Cup was originally scheduled to be staged in India but was shifted to the UAE due to tensions between the two countries. India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same group at the Asia Cup. With a Super Four phase and a final to follow, it is possible they could face each other three times in Dubai between September 14 and 28. And with just over a month remaining before the start of the tournament, ECB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed has suggested that it is highly unlikely that the two teams would avoid playi...

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to visit China for the first time in seven years to participate in the Aug 31-Sept 1 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) would strengthen the gathering’s friendship with the promise of great results, said the hosts on Friday. Several Indian media outlets quoted official sources on Wednesday as saying that Mr Modi would visit China for the summit, which was planned ahead of the rising tensions with the US. In response to Indian media reports, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that China welcomed Indian Prime Minister Modi to the SCO summit at Tianjin. “We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness.” Guo was quoted by the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper seen as close to the Commu...

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Crime Control Department (CCD) raided the farmhouse of PML-N MPA in Chontra and apprehended three of his employees wanted by the police. Following the CCD raid, the MPA, who is also the parliamentary secretary in Punjab, called the police emergency helpline “15” and lodged a report against the CCD in-charge, the SHO and others. According to sources, after the raid, matters took a turn as the MPA openly came out in defence of his employees. The MPA claimed that the CCD raided his farmhouse with 30 officials in police uniform and 15 in plain clothes. He said four office boys were present in the house, while two other persons were at the gate. The MPA alleged that CCD officials tortured Hamza, took cash, and took away three employees from the house. Meanwhile, the SHO Chontra and the duty officer reached the spot after receiving the police emergency call. Official sources said the CCD team conducted the raid to arrest a highly wanted suspect in a kidnapping case involving the making of...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will host a two-day Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in October 2025.

The Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms and rain at isolated locations across the country, while most plains will continue to experience hot and extremely humid weather.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has reported low-level flooding in the Indus River at Chashma Barrage.

ISLAMABAD: A Sup­reme Court judge on Friday questioned the haste shown by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in auctioning six Bahria Town properties when six references against Zain Malik were still pen­­d­ing adjudication before an accountability court, which would decide about confiscation of the properties if the accused was proved guilty. “After instituting applications for the termination of the plea bargain (deal appr­o­­ved in August 2020) betw­een Zain Malik and NAB, the references against the accused have been reverted to the preliminary stage,” observed Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, a member of the three-judge SC bench that had taken up the appeal against the Aug 4 short order of the Islamabad High Court. As the IHC in its short order allowed NAB to go ahead with the auction of the six attached properties, the anti-graft watchdog sold one property and received conditional bids for two other properties, at a combined value of Rs2.27 billion. However, the auction of three remaining properties was sh...

Shehbaz says NITB restructuring, recruitment of best talent will help strengthen IT industry Implementation of e-Office led to paperless governance in govt offices Calls for urgent action plan to boost tourism in Pakistan.

UN chief calls the move dangerous escalation as several countries request urgent UNSC session Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt condemn Israeli cabinet’s approval of plan to take illegal control of Gaza City Germany suspends arms exports to Israel.

ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly (NA) yesterday formally announced disqualification of several members from opposition benches including leader of opposition Omar Ayub.

BAJAUR: Amid talks between the Bajaur Amn Jirga and terrorists for the latter’s peaceful return to Afghanistan, security officials have ruled out any compromise with anti-state elements here. The seventh session of negotiation between Jirga members and TTP leaders was held on Friday. Sources claimed that the terrorists, living among civilian population in Bajaur tribal district, were involved in sabotage and other crimes. They said that the chief minister and security officials asked tribal elders to expel foreign terrorists, mostly Afghans, or vacate the area for one or two days for an operation against terrorists. While promising the continuation of operation against terrorists “at all costs,” the chief minister and security officials called for efforts to minimise collateral damage. Security sources said the government’s direct talks with terrorists or their facilitators was out of the question until the latter surrendered. They said the ongoing tribal jirga was a logical step to ensure the maximum public ...

ISLAMABAD - Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan on Friday said Pakistan and Iran have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations, promoting regional peace, and standing in solidarity with the Palestinian and Kashmiri people.

ISLAMABAD - At least 33 Indian-sponsored Khwarij were sent to hell when they were trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Sambaza area of Zhob District in Balochistan late Thursday night, security officials said on Friday.

WASHINGTON: Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an initial US-brokered peace agreement during a meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday, a deal aimed at boosting economic ties between the two countries after decades of conflict, the White House said. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told reporters that Trump signed separate deals with both Armenia and Azerbaijan on energy, technology, economic cooperation, border security, infrastructure and trade. No further details were provided. The agreement includes exclusive US development rights to a strategic transit corridor through the South Caucasus, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” US officials said the agreement was hammered out during repeated visits to the region and would provide a basis for working toward a full normalisation between the countries. Neither the joint declaration due to be signed nor the separate bilateral agreements with the US were released. It was not immediately clear how the deal being signed on Friday wou...