Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan held the inaugural session of the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism of Foreign Ministries to discuss key bilateral issues, including trade, transit cooperation, security, and regional connectivity. The inaugural round of the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism was a follow-up to decisions made during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Kabul, Afghanistan, […]

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Monday formally launched “Ehsaas Apna Ghar” scheme aimed at providing interest-free loans to low-income individuals for constructing their own homes. A ceremony was held at the Chief Minister’s House to distribute interest-free loan cheques, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as the chief guest. Members […]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif greeted a top-tier delegation from UAE-based Etisalat Group, led by CEO Hatem Dowidar, to explore scaling investment prospects in Pakistan’s economy, ARY News reported. During the meeting, Shehbaz Shareef presented a formal proposal to the Etisalat Group to raise its investment in Pakistan, promising full easing and a business-friendly […]

The Rs 750 Prize Bond draws for the third quarter of 2025 are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 15, in Rawalpindi, as announced by the National Savings Centre. The balloting will commence at 10:00 AM, and the results will be made public shortly after the draw concludes. This marks Draw No. 103 in […]

United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was slapping 25 per cent tariffs on Japan and South Korea, in his first letters to trading partners ahead of a deadline to reach a deal with Washington. Trump had said on the weekend that starting from today, he would send a first batch of up to 15 letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies that he had postponed in April. In near-identically worded letters to the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariffs would apply from August 1 because their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from reciprocal”. Trump warned the countries, both key US allies in East Asia, of an escalation if they responded to the new US tariffs. But he also said he was ready to modify levies “downwards” if Japan and South Korea changed their trade policies. Later, Trump also announced the US will impose 25pc tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30pc on South Africa and 40pc on Laos and Myanmar in letters posted o...

Pakistan and Afghanistan recognised terrorism as a serious threat as the inaugural round of the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Islamabad on Monday. The talks are the latest in a series of steps between both nations to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and the upgrading of each country’s diplomats from the rank of chargé d’affaires to ambassador. According to a press release from the Foreign Office, the Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary (Afghanistan and West Asia) Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, while the Afghan side was led by the Director General of the First Political Division at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor.   “Discussions covered key areas of bilateral interest, including trade and transit cooperation, security, and connectivity. Both sides recognised terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani side emph...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), under the direction of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, has for the first time in Pakistan’s history introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Custom Clearance and Risk Management System (RMS). During a meeting chaired by the prime minister held here to review the ongoing reforms measures by the […]

At least 12 Turkish soldiers died from methane gas exposure in Iraq during a search operation inside a cave in a mountain, the Turkish defence ministry said. In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Defence said that an operation was launched to locate the mortal remains of Infantry Lieutenant Nuri Melih Bozkurt, who was killed […]

A 19-year-old newlywed was admitted to Civil Hospital Karachi in critical condition after allegedly enduring “brutal sexual violence” at the hands of her husband, who has since been arrested, officials said on Monday. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com, “As per the family and the police record, the 19-year-old girl married in Lyari on June 15. She is now in a coma. Her physical examination findings are consistent with sexual violence.” According to the contents of the first information report (FIR) registered at the Baghdadi Police Station on July 5 under Sections 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd) and 376-B (punishment for gang-rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code, the complainant, the brother of the victim, said that he was a resident of Shah Beg Lane in Baghdadi, Lyari. “On the third day of her marriage, my sister was subjected to brutal sexual violence allegedly by her husband. She remained admitted at a private hospital in the city and was later taken to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Cent...

Armed men hijacked three oil tankers and abducted seven crew members from the Tuchi bridge area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Monday, according to the police. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, leaving both provinces in a state of uncertainty. The provincial security situation has also been plagued by lawlessness. Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Khan Kulachi told Dawn.com: “The incident occurred near Marwat Canal in the Tuchi bridge area and a total of three oil tankers were hijacked and their seven crew members abducted” after the convoy was intercepted while coming from North Waziristan. Kulachi said that a first information report was lodged at the Baka Khel Police Station and a search operation was being conducted in the area. He added that no one had claimed responsibility or contacted anyone of the abductees’ families for ransom. Last week, at least one person was killed and three others were injured after ar...

President Asif Ali Zardari appointed the chief justices to the four high courts on Monday. Letters from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) last week said that Justice Sarfraz Dogar was nominated as the new chief justice of the Islamabad High Court, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech as the chief justice for the Balochistan High Court, Justice Syed Muhammad Attique Shah for the Peshawar High Court and Justice Junaid Ghaffar for the Sindh High Court. The JCP had held four consecutive meetings to make a decision related to the appointments and, by a majority of its total membership in each meeting, opted to allow the acting chief justices to continue serving the top roles. Four identical notifications from the law ministry said that the president appointed the chief justices, with effect from the date they take their oath of office, under clause (1) of Article 193 of the Constitution. Article 193 outlines the process for the appointment of high court judges. The chief justices are likely to take the oath sometime ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), rescue services, and administrative bodies to remain on high alert in response to the risk of flooding triggered by recent rains.

Rejects India's false claims of external support Says Bunyanum Marsoos showed Pak strength

Inaugural session of new Pak-Afghan mechanism held in Islamabad

Ministerial body to pick officers to be posted at WB, ADB

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview released on Monday that his country has “no problem” restarting nuclear talks with the United States, provided that trust can be reestablished between Washington and Tehran, and also accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him. The remarks, made during an interview with US journalist and former Trump confidante Tucker Carlson, came less than a month after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on June 13 against Iran and the US struck the Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities. The attacks took place days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran’s atomic programme. “We see no problem in re-entering the negotiations,” the Iranian president said. “There is a condition … for restarting the talks. How are we going to trust the US again? “We re-entered the negotiations, then how can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks, the Isra...

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