Pakistan

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday established four-tier Election Monitoring and Control Centres (EMCC) to swiftly address public complaints during the PS-09 Shikarpur by-election scheduled for December 14.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has initiated a comprehensive quality review of graduate programmes, particularly MS/MPhil and PhD degrees, offered by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country.

Angry spectators broke down barricades and stormed the pitch at a stadium in India after football star Lionel Messi, who is on a three-day tour of the country, abruptly left the arena. As a part of a so-called GOAT Tour, the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar touched down in the eastern state of West Bengal early Saturday, greeted by a chorus of exuberant fans chanting his name. Hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys and waving the Argentine flag packed into Salt Lake stadium in the state capital Kolkata, but heavy security around the footballer left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of him. Messi walked around the pitch waving to fans and left the stadium earlier than expected. Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi arrives at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on December 13. —AFP Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track. Many others stormed the pitch and vandalised banners and tents. “F...

On the instructions of the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Punjab Wildlife Department has rolled out the province’s first-ever Wildlife Informer Campaign aimed at cracking down on illegal hunting and poaching.

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan was asked to present a comprehensive mechanism to address complaints regarding non-compliance with the legal requirement to produce a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours. This was stated at the 56th meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, held on Saturday. Earlier, the AGP had informed the forum, at the 55th meeting of the NJPMC, that the issue of enforced disappearances has largely been addressed through the recent amendment to Section 11EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which requires the production of a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours. The AGP had assured the committee that a comprehensive mechanism to redress complaints of non-compliance with this legal requirement is being considered by the government and will be presented to the committee in its next meeting. Today, the NJPMC deliberated on key policy issues while reviewing the...

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Wednesday warned that environmental degradation poses systemic risks to the global financial system and urged the international community to make climate finance more accessible and equitable for vulnerable countries.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Saturday that a legal framework has been put in place to make the assets of public servants accessible to the public through an online platform.

The Inter Boards Coordination Committee (IBCC) has announced that students who pass their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in the Arts Group will be eligible to register in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Pre-Medical and Pre-Engineering groups, effective from the SSC 1st Annual Examination 2026.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday held ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed responsible for the ouster of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017, adding that more charges against him were to come soon. The minister’s remarks come two days after Hameed, in a first, was sentenced to a 14-year jail term after being convicted on four counts related to violating secrecy laws, engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and causing harm to others. Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, the defence minister said, “A former head of ISI has been convicted in a trial that ran for 15 months; there are still other charges on which legal proceedings will be initiated soon.” The defence minister assailed the former spymaster, claiming that Nawaz was ousted through a “conspiracy”. “The removal of Nawaz, the cases lodged against him, the allegations, and Imran’s coming into power, this whole project was enacted under the supervision of Faiz Hameed,” the defence minister said. He said that Hameed, along with his ...

Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said on Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts. The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in its latest toll. The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in Aceh province, which lies at the northern tip of the island. The final toll is expected to rise, with the disaster agency reporting 218 people are still missing. With vast tracts of territory hit, 1.2 million residents have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters. Frustration has grown among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts. President Prabowo Subianto said on Saturday the situation has improved, with several areas which had been cut off now accessible. “Here and there, due to natural and physical condit...

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Saturday that the Pakistan Army remained fully focused on both internal and external challenges, including hostile hybrid campaigns, extremist ideologies, and divisive elements seeking to undermine national stability. According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), he made the remarks while visiting the Gujranwala and Sialkot garrisons, where he was “briefed on the formation’s operational readiness and key initiatives for strengthening combat preparedness”. During the visit, CDF Field Marshal Munir witnessed field training exercises and advanced simulator training facility, “lauding the formation’s high professional standards and overall state of readiness”. “Emphasizing the significance of technological adaptability, he noted that modern warfare demands agility, precision, situational awareness and swift decision-making,” the ISPR handout said. While interacting with officers and soldiers, t...

All arrangements have been finalised for the by-election in Shikarpur’s Sindh Assembly constituency PS-9, which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, officials of the Sindh Election Commission said on Saturday.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s flagship cleanliness initiative, Suthra Punjab, has received international recognition, with the British broadcaster BBC describing it as a practical and replicable model for urban waste management.

Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir on Saturday reaffirmed that the Pakistan Army remains fully focused on addressing both internal and external challenges, including hostile hybrid campaigns, extremist ideologies and divisive elements aimed at undermining national stability.

Pakistan has called on parties to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — the Congolese armed forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels — to engage in “serious dialogue” and honour their commitments under existing peace agreements amid escalating violence and mass displacement.

A bus hostess was killed while nine other passengers were injured when a speeding bus collided with a trailer on the Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M4) near Khanewal late on Friday night. According to a statement by motorway police, the Lahore-bound bus, which was headed to Multan, collided with a trailer near Khanewal. Police said that the bus hostess succumbed to her injuries on the spot, while nine passengers were injured. The statement said that the accident occurred due to the driver’s “negligence and sleepiness”. It added that the injured, four of whom were in critical condition, were shifted to the Khanewal District Headquarters Hospital. Meanwhile, dense fog again forced motorways to close temporarily early on Friday, which reopened after 11am once visibility improved. The National Highway and Motorways Authority (NHMP) temporarily closed the entry of traffic at several points; M2 from Lahore to Kot Momin, M3 from Faizpur to Darkhana, M4 from Pindi Bhattiyan to Faisalabad, M11 from Lahore ...

The $686 million defence package offered to Pakistan by US President Donald Trump’s administration this week will transform the country’s ageing fleet of F-16 fighter jets into a modernised force capable of operating securely and efficiently alongside contemporary air forces, according to defence experts and officials. At its core, the upgrade will allow the F-16s to operate safely and effectively for at least another decade and a half by extending their service life, strengthening secure communications, enabling real-time sharing of tactical data, and ensuring sustained maintenance through comprehensive parts, training, and support. Enhanced mission planning and testing tools included in the package will also improve pilot proficiency and overall mission effectiveness. Beyond specific equipment, a substantial portion of the package is devoted to spare parts, maintenance, engineering, and logistics support. This includes replacement components, repair parts, technical documentation, engineering assistance, an...

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reconstituted its political committee, reducing its size to 23 members and including representatives from the Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP).

A United Nations’ (UN) special rapporteur warned on Friday that PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment, calling on Pakistani authorities to comply with international norms and standards. In September, his legal team approached the rapporteur to urge the Pakistani government to cease the alleged mistreatment of the couple. Prime Minister’s Aide Rana Ihsan Afzal, however, dismissed the concerns of the UN rapporteur and said Imran was being kept “according to prison rules and the jail manual”. “His children have access and he should schedule [a call] and put in the appropriate request. There is no issue or obstacle from the government of Pakistan,” said the premier’s aide. He added that the PTI founder is being provided facilities “greater than his rights” as a B-class prisoner. “He has the facilities of exercise available, good food is available and ample space is also available.” The UN official, Alice Jill Edwards, urged...

A coalition of unions, employers and religious groups filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to block US President Donald Trump’s bid to impose, open new tab a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly-skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco is the first to challenge a proclamation Trump issued two weeks ago announcing the fee as the Republican president moves to further restrict immigration to the United States. Plaintiffs include the United Auto Workers union, the American Association of University Professors, a nurse recruitment agency and several religious organisations. They argued that Trump’s power to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals does not allow him to override the law that created the H-1B visa programme. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, in a statement, said Trump’s administration engaged in lawful actions “discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down American wages, while providing certainty to employers who need to bring t...