Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Funeral prayer of Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah Shaheed who embraced martyrdom in an operation while bravely fighting against Indian sponsored Fitna al Khawarij in Sararogha, South Waziristan District, was offered at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi.

ISLAMABAD - Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Irfan Siddiqui on Wednesday said Pakistan remains committed to fostering peace in the region.

ISLAMABAD - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved $194 million for two projects to enhance educational opportunities for children and boost water security in Balochistan.

Maryam directs all relevant departments to work in close coordination with stakeholders and expedite execution of approved projects LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presided over a high-level meeting to review the progress and planning of the Punjab Development Programme, here on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said that provision of relief to the public and uninterrupted power supply to industries, through reforms in the power sector, were among the top priorities.

EXCLUSIVE ISLAMABAD - Rows of cobalt-lit screens flickered like an electronic horizon as the Pakistan Air Force opened doors that normally stay bolted for outsiders.

KARACHI: Four suspected Indian agents were arrested in a raid carried out in the Quaidabad area, police said on Wednesday. The Special Investigation Unit of the Sindh police and an intelligence agency conducted the raid on a tip-off, SIU SSP Mohammed Shoaib Memon said, adding that they had links with the Indian intelligence agency — the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He identified the suspects as Mohammed Khan alias Gullu, Yameen Malah, Akhter Thaheem and Ghulam Qadir alias Akash, and claimed that they were found involved in espionage activities. With their arrest, a plot to carry out terror attacks in the country was foiled, he said. SSP Memon said that two hand grenades, a Kalashnikov, a rifle, two pistols and mobile phones were seized from them. The mobile phones, believed to be containing sensitive digital material, have been sent for a forensic analysis, he said. “The suspects had made videos and captured pictures of the country’s sensitive installations, which they used to send to RAW using specialis...

ISLAMABAD - British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott yesterday called on Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari at Zardari House here.

THE HAGUE: Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday likened President Donald Trump to a “daddy” intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the US leader repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week including with a profanity. Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a Nato alliance summit, Trump again berated Israel and Iran. “They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can’t stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it’s easy to stop them,” he said. In response, Rutte laughed and said: “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop.” On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting “so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing”. With the 32-member Nato alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on US financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the US pr...

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has termed the ongoing road development and rehabilitation project as the largest in the province’s history, with 18,700 kilometers of roads being constructed, widened, or repaired across 1,471 routes.

The first spell of monsoon rain hit Lahore and its adjoining areas in the early hours of Thursday, offering much-needed respite from the intense heat that had gripped the region.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced the formation of public committees across the country aimed at addressing citizens’ everyday problems at the grassroots level.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik on Wednesday urged American investors and companies to explore Pakistan’s vast mineral wealth through public-private partnerships and joint ventures. Speaking at a webinar titled “Opportunities in Pakistan’s Mining Sector – Unlocking Mineral Potential”, the minister highlighted the country’s rich endowment of mineral resources, including gold, copper, coal, rare earth elements and other critical minerals vital for the global energy transition. The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Energy and the US Embassy in Pakistan to promote investment opportunities in the country’s minerals and mining sector. Mr Malik assured that both the Government of Pakistan and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) are fully committed to facilitating international companies seeking to partner in unlocking Pakistan’s mineral reserves. He emphasised Pakistan’s growing role in the global shift towards clean energy, citing the nation’s abundant reserves o...

KURRAM: At least four people were killed in two landmine explosions in the border area of Pewar Sharamkhel in Kurram district on Wednesday. According to Kurram District Police Officer Habibullah, the blasts also resulted in injuries to four others. Parachinar Hospital’s Medi­cal Superintendent Mir Hassan Jan told Dawn that the dece­a­sed were identified as Nawab Ali, Aamir Hussain, Hidayat Hussain, and Manzar Ali. All four died on the spot. The injured — identified as Muhammad, Qunein, Shafaat Hussain and Hassan Ghulam — were initially taken to Para­chi­nar Hospital for first-aid, and later referred to Peshawar for further treatment. DPO Habib­ul­­lah said police teams had been dispatched to the area and that an investigation is underway. Two of the injured, Qunein and Hassan Ghulam, told Dawn that the landmines exploded as they neared a mountain area. They said they were seriously wounded in the blasts, which also killed four of their companions and two horses on the spot. Tribal elders strongly condemned th...

• NA set to pass federal budget today with amendments • Omar Ayub labels budget ‘dead on arrival’, slams inflation claims • Rs4.8tr in grants approved for four ministries • Finance minister claims macroeconomic stability restored ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) came under fire in the National Assembly on Wednesday over allegations of collusion with smugglers and tax evaders, as the House paved the way for the federal budget’s passage today (Thursday). The budget, presented on June 10, is now set to pass with previously agreed-upon amendments. On Wednesday, the National Asse­m­bly completed the process of approving demands for grants to cover the ex­­­pe­n­ses of various ministries and divisions. It approved 31 demands for grants totalling Rs4.814 trillion for four ministries and divisions —Finance and Revenue, Human Rights, Interior, and National Food Security — while rejecting all 430 cut motions submitted by the opposition. Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan, speaking during the debate on...

A flash flood in the Burundubar stream near Attabad Lake blocks access to the Luxus resort.—Photo by the writer GILGIT: NDMA’s Nat­ional Emergencies Ope­ration Centre (NEOC) on Wednesday issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (Glof) alert for northern areas, including Gilgit-Baltistan, citing a dangerous combination of persistent high temperatures, intensified monsoon currents and a prevailing westerly wave. The alert comes as current heatwaves intensify glacier melting across the region, leading to increased water levels and flash floods creating disasters in downstream areas. A flash flood triggered on Wednesday by a melting glacier occurred in the Burundubar stream, which flows into the famous tourist point Attabad Lake, according to Rescue 1122. The floodwater blocked access to the Luxus hotel, entering its premises where “a large number of national and foreign tourists were present”. 160 evacuated by boat after flash flooding near Attabad Lake More than 160 tourists and hotel staff were evacuated by boat. ...

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again credited Field Marshal Asim Munir for helping prevent a nuclear conflict with India, adding that he persuaded both sides to back down by linking peace to trade. Explaining how he helped defuse tensions across the globe — from Ukr­­aine to Serbia — Trump said “the most impo­r­­tant” of these conflicts was last month’s war scare between India and Pakistan. “And that was not whether or not they may someday have nukes, like we are talking about the Middle East, like we are talking about with Israel and Iran. This is — they have nuclear weapons,” President Trump said at his news conference in The Hague, at the conclusion of a Nato summit. Referring to recent tensions between the two South Asian neighbours, Trump said, “I ended that with a series of phone calls on trade. I said, ‘Look, if you are going to be fighting each other…’ It was getting very bad — you know how bad that last attack was. It was very bad. If you are really going to go fighting with ...

KARACHI: Electricity supply has resumed in Karachi’s North Karachi Sector 5C-1, according to a K-Electric (KE) spokesperson. “The area had experienced a power outage due to a scheduled maintenance shutdown, which has now been successfully completed and restored,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Maintaining the electrical infrastructure is essential for ensuring a reliable power […]

Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, has declared that no fake passports can currently be issued in the country, following a crackdown on networks involved in human smuggling and passport fraud, ARY News reported. According to Talal Chaudhry, authorities have arrested over 285 human traffickers, including more than 200 individuals associated with the […]

KARACHI: The Karachi sugar price hike has once again risen steeply, crossing Rs190 per kilogram in different areas, leaving citizens struggling under the pressure of inflation, ARY News reported. Just a few days ago, sugar was being sold at a rate of Rs 175 per kg. But an unexpected hike in the price of Rs […]