Pakistan

In Lahore, food is never merely food. It is memory, migration, performance, class, longing and history carried on the tongue. Few places embody this truth more vividly than Gawalmandi, the dense and storied neighbourhood in central Lahore whose narrow streets, smoky grills, old facades and crowded eateries became inseparable from the cultural imagination of the city. To speak of Gawalmandi is to speak of Lahore itself: a city built through displacement, improvisation, coexistence and reinvention. Until recently, Gawalmandi has been celebrated primarily for its famous Food Street, for sizzling kebabs, fragrant hareesa, fried fish, doodh-jalebi and late-night crowds that gather under strings of lights. Yet reducing Gawalmandi to a culinary destination alone would flatten its layered historical significance. The neighbourhood is also a site through which one can understand urban modernity in South Asia, the social consequences of Partition, and the transformation of everyday life in postcolonial cities. Through ...

QUETTA: As many as 13 terrorists were killed, while four Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel were martyred and six others injured during separate operations conducted by the CTD and security forces in the Panjpai and Noshar areas on the outskirts of Quetta, and in Pishin. A spokesperson for CTD said that nine terrorists belonging to a banned outfit were killed, while four Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment personnel were martyred and six others injured during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the CTD and security forces in the Panjpai and Noshar areas near Quetta district on Saturday. He said the operation was carried out on the outskirts of Quetta after authorities received information about the presence of terrorists. “A heavy gun battle continued for more than three hours. Nine terrorists were killed, while four CTD personnel embraced martyrdom and six others were injured in the intense exchange of fire,” the spokesperson said. 13 terrorists killed during IBOs in Pishin, Panjpai and No...

KARACHI: Anmol alias Pinky, an alleged cocaine queenpin arrested by police in Karachi, is ‘clever and street-smart’ as she did not hire anyone on a permanent basis in her narcotics trade, South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said on Saturday. DIG Asad told Dawn that the her associates supplied cocaine to customers through a network of 35 riders across the country. “She started her own network in Lahore after ending a 10-year marriage with her husband, Rana Nasir, who was also an alleged drug dealer, accusing him of domestic violence,” the senior police official said. He elaborated that around nine or ten riders working for the accused had been arrested in Karachi’s Clifton and Defence areas. “The accused hired lawyers and paid them fees to pursue the cases of the arrested riders. In addition, she remained in contact with different police officers,” DIG Asad said. According to details shared by the DIG, Anmol told investigators that she had wanted to become a model since childhood, but her famil...

A major enforcement operation against overcharging and transport violations in Lahore has resulted in the sealing of more than 20 transport terminals, the arrest of six individuals, and the suspension of a terminal administrator, officials confirmed on Saturday.

• Trump says draft deal includes opening of Strait of Hormuz • Fars says Hormuz will remain under Iran's management

COAS diplomacy ushers peace tidings

CTD operation in Quetta also takes down nine terrorists

PPP leader says staggered polls distort outcomes in G-B, Kashmir

PM witnesses signing of two cooperation documents in Zhejiang province

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Muslim Conference, Muttahida Ulema Council join hands

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Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has activated its emergency and crisis operations center for the Hajj 1447 AH season through the award-winning “Emerge” smart platform to monitor field operations and manage emergency situations across the holy sites.

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir conducted intensive negotiations with the Iranian leadership over the past 24 hours that have resulted in “encouraging progress towards a final understanding”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Saturday. The engagements with Iran’s senior leadership were held in a “positive and constructive environment” and contributed meaningfully to the ongoing mediation process, the military’s media wing said following the conclusion of the army chief’s Tehran visit. The visit came at a time when negotiations appeared to have moved beyond political signalling into detailed bargaining over a narrow interim framework dealing with the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and guarantees against renewed military action. “During the visit, the field marshal held high-level engagements with Iranian leadership as part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and constructive enga...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced four Eid holidays from May 26 to May 29 (Tuesday to Friday), according to a notification issued on Saturday. Meanwhile, in a notification issued today, the Punjab government announced three Eid holidays from May 26 to May 28 (Tuesday to Thursday) in line with the federal government’s Eid holiday schedule. A day earlier, the Sindh government announced a four-day holiday, including Friday, the third day of Eidul Azha, in its holiday schedule. Eidul Azha will be celebrated across Pakistan from May 27 to May 29. The federal government on Wednesday announced a three-day public holiday from May 26-28 (Tuesday to Thursday) to mark Eidul Azha. According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared May 26 to 28 as “public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Azha”. The announcement was made after moon sighting testimonies were received from Karachi and other cities of Sindh, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and some other areas. Celeb...

ISLAMABAD: Traders’ coalition on Saturday demanded that the turnover tax be reduced to 0.5 per cent ahead of the upcoming federal budget, citing economic difficulties. Speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran and Traders Action Committee President Ajmal Baloch said the proposed turnover tax scheme was an excellent initiative that would free traders from “corruption and blackmail”. He appreciated the efforts of the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani and his team for introducing reforms in tax collection. “For the first time, serious negotiations were held with representatives of small traders, which largely proved successful after nearly one and a half months of discussions,” Baloch said. He said that if the government implemented the easy tax scheme, it would not only boost tax collection but also protect traders from difficulties created by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). “If the scheme is approved and included in a long-term...

WASHINGTON: A recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says the United States lost or damaged 42 military aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day military campaign against Iran that began on February 28, 2026. The report, released last week and circulated by several US media outlets on Friday, is believed to be the most detailed public accounting so far of US aircraft losses in the conflict. However, the Pentagon has not yet issued its own comprehensive assessment. In the report, CRS researchers said they compiled the figures from news reports, official Pentagon statements, and announcements by US Central Command (Centcom). The report notes that the Department of Defence — now also using the title “Department of War” under an executive order issued in September 2025 — has not publicly provided a full list of losses from the campaign. During a congressional hearing on May 12, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III said that the estimated cost of US military operations against I...

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Visit meant to repair relations

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