Pakistan

The Sheikhupura Police arrested a security guard of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) on Wednesday after the Power Division suspended him for dragging an elderly customer out of the distribution company’s premises. Footage of the incident, making the rounds on social media since July 1, showed a Lesco guard dragging an elderly woman along the ground by her arm while removing her from the premises. According to a Power Division statement issued today, the incident of misbehaviour took place on June 30. “The security guard was suspended immediately [and] a first information report was filed. The security guard is now in police custody,” the statement added. “Breaking the law and humiliating the public will not be tolerated,” the Power Division warned, highlighting that it took strict action against the guard’s misconduct. The statement added that action was being taken to dismiss the security guard from his job and that the Power Division ordered an inquiry report to be furnished within three days. Ord...

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a new policy allowing overseas Pakistanis to register their mobile phones without paying tax for a period of 120 days during each visit to Pakistan.

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) in Baku, Azerbaijan from July 3-4. In a statement today, the FO said the prime minister will “share Pakistan’s perspective on key regional and global challenges, reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025, and advocate for enhanced intra-regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, and sustainable development”. He will also hold bilateral meetings with other ECO leaders on the sidelines of the summit to discuss matters of mutual interest, the statement added. The theme of the summit is ‘New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future’. The 16th ECO summit was held from November 9, 2023, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and attended by then-caretaker prime minister Anwarul Haq Kakar. According to a statement by ECO, the summit will convene ECO heads of states/governments, ministers, observers, special guests from non-ECO countries...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday made a surprize visit to inspect a field hospital near Murree.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday applauded the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for achieving a historic 42% increase in federal tax revenues during the fiscal year 2024-25, the highest surge in the past decade.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan to participate in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), scheduled for July 3 and 4.

Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday again extended an olive branch to India, asking the neighbouring country forge a partnership to pursue peace and jointly combat terrorism. “Pakistan is ready to forge a historic, phenomenal partnership with India to jointly combat terror,” he said while addressing an international conference on ‘Pakistan Fighting War for the World against Terrorism’ at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. “Not as adversaries playing a zero sum game but as neighbours who share a moral and civilisational obligation to save a billion souls from the plague of extremism. “All it requires is from India’s leadership is to step down from the high horse heading in the abyss and pursue peace with Pakistan.” Bilawal also called on the Indian leadership to resolve all outstanding dispute including the Kashmir and the water crisis. “Let us resolve Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of the people. Let us end the weaponisation of water. And instead, build peace as might...

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Khan Kundi Wednesday, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and briefed him on the tragic incident of River Swat in which a number of tourists lost their lives.

The National Disaster Management Authority said on Wednesday that flash floods and heavy rain across the country have killed 64 people and injured 117 in a week. The highest toll was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 23 dead, including 10 children, the authority said. Fourteen of the victims were swept away in a flash flood in the Swat Valley last week. Flash floods and homes collapsing in heavy rain killed 21 others in Punjab, including 11 children, the authority said. In Sindh, 15 people were killed, while five people died in Balochistan. Separately, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast a significant intensification of monsoon activity across the country beginning from the evening of July 5, with widespread rain, thunderstorms and the possibility of flash floods and urban flooding in several regions. According to the Met Office, moist monsoon currents were continuously penetrating the country and would likely strengthen over the weekend. A westerly wave was also expected to approach the upper part...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on Wednesday announced that the mandatory registration process for Hajj 2026 is currently in progress and will continue until July 9, 2025.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has notified the names of returned candidates against the reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkwha, Punjab and Sindh assemblies.

In a rare move, police in Haveli, Kahuta (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) on Wednesday arrested Sessions Judge Raja Imtiaz Ahmad for contempt of court after he unlawfully granted bail to a known narcotics trafficker, defying a clear directive from the Supreme Court of AJK.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to enhancing trade through rail, road, and air routes.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will lead the Pakistan delegation at the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which is being held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, on July 3-4.

Iran on Wednesday formally suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, a measure drawn up in the wake of unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on the Islamic republic’s nuclear sites. The war between Iran and Israel, which broke out on June 13 and lasted for 12 days, has intensified tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill to suspend cooperation with the agency. State media said today that the legislation had cleared the final hurdle and was in effect. The text, published by Iranian media, states that the legislation aims to “ensure full support for the inherent rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran” under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and “especially uranium enrichment”. The issue of enrichment was at the core of disagreements between Washington and Tehran in nuclear negotiations that had been derailed by the war. Israel and some Western countries h...

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq strongly condemned the tragic explosion that took place at Saddiqabad near the railway crossing Mela in Bajaur district.

The Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) continued its upward momentum against the Pakistani Rupee (PKR), trading at 929.

Bulls continued their reign over the trading floor at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday as shares scaled the 130,000-point barrier to reach a new high after climbing by 2,100 points. The benchmark KSE-100 index opened on a positive note, rising by 1,430.07 points (1.12 per cent) to reach 129,629.49 points at 10:07am, from the previous close of 128,199.42 points. Shares then rose further to reach 130,344.03 points at close, gaining 2,144.61 points (1.67pc) from yesterday. The PSX extended its record-breaking rally for the fourth consecutive session today, which analysts attributed to easing inflation and signs of macroeconomic stability. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, said the increase in tax rate on income from debt securities, along with a change in the taxation structure for mutual funds to proportionate holdings of equities and fixed income, has resulted in inflows to equities from fixed income. “Significant reduction in inflation rate — fell to a low of nine years — wit...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday has forecast a significant intensification of monsoon activity across the country beginning from the evening of July 05, with widespread rain, thunderstorms and the possibility of flash floods and urban flooding in several regions.

In a major development to modernize traffic enforcement, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has announced the deployment of advanced drone technology to monitor traffic violations and enhance road safety.