Pakistan

Vawda noted that if Iran-Israel conflict spreads, it could engulf the region and eventually affect the entire world

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed “complete solidarity” with Iran amid heavy exchanges of missiles and airstrikes between Tehran and arch-foe Israel, while former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Pakistan cannot afford the conflict in Iran turning into Iraq 2.0 or World War III. There were reports of new Israeli strikes in Iran earlier today as Tel Aviv warned “Tehran will burn” after the Islamic Republic continued its barrage of overnight missiles in response to Israeli onslaught on its nuclear facilities that killed its top generals. The missile exchange comes a day after nearly 80 people, including top army officers, were killed while civilians were among over 300 wounded in Iran as a result of Israel’s strikes on military sites and private residences, according to the country’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani. According to PTV News, the PM spoke over the phone to Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, informing him that Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the “broth...

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Head of the Pakistani parliamentary delegation, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, stating that complex issues like Kashmir and terrorism cannot be resolved through military force and require sustained diplomatic engagement.

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday ordered that the National Electric Vehicles (NEV) Policy 2025 be finalised in consultation with all stakeholders and immediately presented before the federal cabinet. The NEV policy incl­udes a subsidy of Rs50,000 for electric mot­orcycles and Rs200,000 for rickshaws, with a total subsidy allocation of Rs4 billion. In addition, the policy provides for subsidies and support to establish electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, such as charging stations. The PM issued these orders while chairing a high-level meeting today to review and discuss the policy framework. “[Pakistan needs] swift and priority-based measures to promote electric motorcycles, scooters, three-wheelers, cars, and buses,” PM Shehbaz emphasised. He also underscored the importance of establishing charging infrastructure, including charging stations and battery swapping facilities, to support the expansion of the EV ecosystem. “Relevant industries should be facilitated to enhance the local manufacturing ca...

Nationwide protests against President Donald Trump, tensions in the Middle East amid Israel’s strikes on Iran and expected rainy weather in Washington on Saturday could dampen spirits at a military parade on the US Army’s 250th anniversary, set to feature tanks on the streets and aircraft flying overhead. Trump, whose 79th birthday is also on Saturday, will preside over the parade. Week-long protests in Los Angeles against Trump’s immigration crackdown have spread to multiple cities including Chicago, New York, San Antonio, Texas, and Washington. The Republican president has ordered National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles, a heavily Democratic city — a deployment that California Governor Gavin Newsom has challenged in court. Anti-Trump groups are planning to hold nearly 2,000 demonstrations of varying sizes across the country to coincide with the parade. Many are taking place under the theme “No Kings,” asserting that no individual is above the law. The protests, if they go as planned, would repre...

South Africa won the World Test Championship on Saturday, completing a remarkable turnaround to beat Australia by five wickets as they successfully chased down an imposing 282-run target. But it was an edgy finish as they took 27.4 overs to slowly score the 69 runs needed to secure success on the fourth day at Lord’s after resuming at 213-2 overnight. In so doing, South Africa completed a successful pursuit of the joint second-highest winning fourth-innings total in test history at the London venue. It was a first major cricket triumph for South Africa, who had earned an unwanted reputation for failure when on the cusp of victory over the last decades in limited overs competitions. This was their first appearance in the WTC final, with opener Aiden Markram delivering a heroic innings of 136 to ensure success. Markram, who reached his century late in the third day, added 34 more runs on Saturday, accumulating carefully before falling to a sharp catch by Travis Head with six runs needed to win. Kyle Verreynne h...

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, warmly welcomed former captain of Pakistan’s Women’s Cricket Team, Sana Mir, at Islamabad Airport on Saturday.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, has officially joined the investigation into the November 24 arson and vandalism case registered at New Town Police Station, following orders from the Anti-Terrorism Special Court.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday called for unity among Muslim nations to counter escalating Israeli aggression, stressing the need for a collective response from the Islamic world.

Members of Canada’s Sikh community, who were warned by police that their lives were at risk and allege the Indian government is responsible for the threat, are incensed by Ottawa’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Modi, although India is not a G7 member, to attend the summit, which starts on Sunday, as a guest. It will be Modi’s first visit to Canada in a decade and a diplomatic test for Carney, a political neophyte. Canada’s relationship with India has been tense since former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2023 accused India’s government of involvement in the June 18, 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. Modi’s government has denied involvement in Nijjar’s killing and has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Sikh separatists. “‘Outrage’ is the kind of term that I’ve heard from people,” Sikh activist Moninder Singh, a friend of Nijjar, said of the invitation. He and other S...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, in a heartfelt message on International Blood Donor Day, lauded voluntary blood donors as heroes not just for individuals but for the whole society.

Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities constitute a “grave danger and a serious threat” to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council during an emergency session convened on Friday, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Israel on Friday launched widescale strikes on Iran, claiming that it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and military commanders. Iran’s ambassador told the UN that 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of strikes by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks were the beginning of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions, including at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, Reuters reported. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards corps said its top commander, Hossein Salami, was killed, and state media reported the unit’s headquarters i...

India’s government is urgently inspecting all Boeing 787s after a devastating Air India crash that claimed at least 279 lives this week, the country’s aviation minister said on Saturday, adding that the authorities were investigating all possible causes. The aviation regulator on Friday ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance checks on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines, including assessments of certain take-off parameters, electronic engine control tests and engine fuel-related checks. “We have also given the order to do the extended surveillance of the 787 planes. There are 34 in our Indian fleet,” aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu told a media briefing in New Delhi, without saying if the checks will apply to all Indian airlines. “Eight have already been inspected and with immediate urgency, all of them are going to be done.” Air India operates 33 Boeing 787s, while rival airline IndiGo has one, according to data from Flightradar24. The planes, however, have not been grounded...

The residence of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Tribal Affairs MNA Mubarak Zeb’s residence in Bajaur was targeted with a rocket in the wee hours of Saturday, according to police. Last month, an improvised explosive device (IED) had detonated outside the residence of MNA Zeb, partially damaging the house, police had said. Bajaur District Police Officer Waqas Rafique, told Dawn.com that the rocket was fired at the residence of MNA Mubarak Zeb in Bajaur. “However, it struck the MNA’s neighbour’s house, resulting in damage to the house walls and gate,” he added. The MNA confirmed the attack in a post on X as well, adding that there were no casualties in the attack. DPO Rafique added that there were no human casualties. He said that miscreants had attacked the MNA’s house for the second time in the last two months. He said that a search operation is underway in the area to track down the terrorists who launched the rocket at Zeb’s house. Zeb was one of the PTI-backed independent candidates that the party d...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Friday presented a Rs2,119 billion surplus budget for the fiscal year 2025–26, announcing a 10% increase in salaries and a 7% raise in pensions for government employees, with no new taxes introduced.

ISLAMABAD: The pri­ces of petrol and diesel are estimated to increase by ab­­­­out Re1 and Rs5 per lit­re, respectively, for the next fortnight ending June 30, owing to higher international market prices. Based on existing tax ra­­­­tes, informed sources said the ex-depot price of petrol was estimated to go up by about Re1 per litre depending on final calculation on June 15, followed by Rs5 per litre increase in high-speed diesel (HSD). The ex-depot petrol price currently stands at Rs252.63 per litre. Petrol is mostly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers and has a direct bearing on the budget of middle- and lower-middle class. The ex-depot price of HSD stands at Rs254.64 per litre. Most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary, as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains, and agricultural engines, such as trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells, and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other food items. Tran...