Tue, 21-Oct-2025

COAS assures UK of Pakistan’s commitment for ‘peace and stability in Afghanistan’

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa assured UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab of Pakistan’s commitment in making “all-out efforts to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan”. “Pakistan remains committed to make all-out efforts to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and supports an all-inclusive Afghan government,” Gen Bajwa told Raab in a … Read more

UN chief thanks Pakistan for support to UN humanitarian operations in Afghanistan

Congo

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked Pakistan and seven other countries for their support of continuing UN operations in Afghanistan, which is facing a major humanitarian crisis. “The Secretary-General is indeed very grateful for the generosity of member states – including Pakistan, Denmark, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Poland, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United … Read more

Biden wants Afghan exit to end US global cop role

Tulsa Massacre Joe Biden

“America is back,” goes President Joe Biden’s catchphrase, but his unapologetic exit from Afghanistan shows America won’t be back to business as usual. Beyond the trauma of the Kabul evacuation, Biden is pitching a much broader retreat: a halt to using vast military resources to impose order and US values around the planet. “This decision … Read more

SHC wants legislation to prevent incidents like Mehran Town, Baldia factory fire

SHC

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh remarked on Friday that there is a need for effective legislation and strict implementation rather than emotions to prevent infernos like the one at Baldia Town and Mehran Town. The SHC CJ issued the remarks while hearing a petition seeking a high-power inquiry into the … Read more

Schools in Islamabad to be closed from tomorrow due to Covid-19

In a bid to control the rising number of coronavirus cases in Islamabad, Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat announced on Friday that schools in Islamabad will be closed from tomorrow (Saturday). Taking to Twitter, Shafqaat said that the decision is being taken due to the “increasing pressure on hospitals”. Apart from schools, inter-city transport, indoor gyms … Read more

UK wants to partner with Pakistan to help fleeing Afghans: Dominic Raab

Qureshi-Raab

United Kingdom’s top diplomat Dominic Raab announced on Friday that it wants to partner with Pakistan in developing a solution for the fleeing Afghans. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, UK’s foreign secretary shared that his country will provide £30 million of life saving support to Afghanistan’s neighbours, including … Read more

PM Imran Khan terms food security, improved nutrition ‘challenge’ for developing countries

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday highlighted that food security and improved nutrition were big challenges for the developing countries and backed China’s innovative Juncao technology for helping tackle poverty alleviation. “​Such innovative, affordable and eco-friendly technologies may help catalyse our progress towards achieving the first two Sustainable Development Goals: no poverty and zero … Read more

Asad Umar urges people to follow Covid-19 SOPs, as number of critical care patients hits its highest

Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: Head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar urged the people to follow the coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) as the number of critical care patients was at its highest level since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The NCOC chief, who is also the minister for planning, development and special … Read more

Taliban set to name Haibatullah Akhundzada as Afghanistan’ supreme leader: NYT

The Taliban are close to forming their government, naming Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, as the country’s supreme leader, a Taliban official told The New York Times. The announcement, which will also lay out key appointments to the communications and interior ministries, may come as soon as Thursday, the Times said, citing the official who requested anonymity. … Read more

Qureshi cautions West of serious consequences of abandoning Afghanistan

Foreign Minister Qureshi to undertake official visit to UK

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has cautioned the West of the serious consequences of abandoning Afghanistan which could result in civil war and economic collapse. In an interview with Sky News, the foreign minister stressed upon the West to engage with Taliban because otherwise, Afghanistan could descend into another chaos. He said it “will give … Read more

Ordinance binds legislators to take oath within 60 days of maiden session

President Alvi

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday signed the Election Ordinance (Third Amendment) 2021 under Article 89 of the Constitution of Pakistan, binding the elected members to take oath within 60 days of the commencement of the first sitting of the maiden session of the Parliament. The amendment was made to section 72 of the Election … Read more

Dutch FM Sigrid Kaag to arrive in Islamabad today

The Netherlands Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag will arrive in Islamabad today to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. “The two foreign ministers will exchange views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. The talks will also cover bilateral matters,” said the Foreign Office in a statement on Wednesday. It added … Read more

SHC issues contempt notice to secretary local govt in Gujjar Nullah case

Karachi’s 18 drains

KARACHI: Sindh High Court has issued contempt of court notices to secretary local government Sindh, Commissioner Karachi and director of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s anti-encroachment department for flouting stay order granted by court against the demolition of houses in Qabail Colony in Federal B Area. In a civil proceeding initiated by several residents of Qabail Colony, … Read more

‘Opposition rejects poll reforms, PDMA without reading draft proposal’

fawad

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were opposing the election reforms and Pakistan Media Development Authority without reading a word of the draft proposals. In a tweet on Tuesday, the minister said that the two leaders do not even know what … Read more

Higher education in line with modern sciences key to progress: PM

Pandora Papers: PM Imran orders probe into 'ill-gotten wealth of elites'

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that teaching youth the contemporary modern sciences at higher level of education was key to progress and development. Chairing a review meeting on the promotion of higher education, the premier said the federal government would provide all possible assistance to provinces to promote higher education. The meeting was … Read more

ATC asks for original JIT report in teenager’s encounter case

ATC

KARACHI: An Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) has directed Sindh Home Secretary to submit the original investigation report of a joint investigation team constituted to probe the murder of teenager Intizar Ahmed in a planned encounter in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in 2018. Nineteen-year-old Intizar, who was then studying in Malaysia, had returned to Pakistan on … Read more

War in Afghanistan over as US military completes withdrawal

The United States has pulled all its troops out of Afghanistan, ending its longest war to cries of shame at home and celebratory gunfire from its victorious Taliban enemies in Kabul. The last of the American troops overseeing a desperate evacuation effort flew out of Kabul airport on Monday night, completing a withdrawal that has … Read more

No one taken in as ‘refugee’ from Afghanistan: Sheikh Rashid

Rawalpindi: Rangers Called In After Protestors Surround Sheikh Rashid's Lal Haveli

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid on Monday clarified that so far no ‘refugee status’ had been granted to anyone in the wake of foreigners’ evacuation and takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Addressing a press conference, he said that on daily basis, many people come and return back from the Chaman border as per … Read more

Petition filed in SHC for raise in compensation amount for Mehran Town factory victims

KARACHI: A citizen on Monday approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) to register a case and seek an increase in the compensation amount for families that lost their loved ones in the inferno at a factory in the Mehran Town area of Karachi’s Korangi. Nadeem Sheikh has asked SHC to order the government to sufficiently … Read more

PIA cargo flight with WHO medical supplies reaches Afghanistan

As part of the humanitarian air bridge, the first cargo flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying medical supplies of World Health Organisation (WHO) landed in Mazar-e-Sharif on Monday. The PK-234 (Boeing 777 AP-BHV), flew from Dubai and landed at the Mazar-e-Sharif Airport – the first international flight to the country’s fourth-largest city after the … Read more

Pakistan’s loses another 66 to coronavirus

Coronavirus Pakistan

Pakistan lost another 66 people to the coronavirus, showed the data issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday. The new deaths take the nationwide death toll from Covid-19 to 25,670. In the last 24 hours, there were 56,279 tests conducted across the country out of which 3,800 returned positive. The new … Read more

World cannot abandon Afghan children now: Unicef official

afghan children

A senior official of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after a visit to Afghanistan, said that the world “cannot abandon Afghan children now” when their needs are greater than ever before. UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia George Laryea-Adjei said children have paid the heaviest price in recent weeks of increased conflict and insecurity in … Read more

Raja Basharat assures RCCI of taking up closure of business issue with CM Usman Buzdar

Raja Basharat

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat assured businessmen that he will take up their concern regarding the closure of businesses for two days in a meeting with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday. “The issue of closing markets for two days a week will be taken up in a meeting with … Read more

Punjab govt has prepared development package for every district, says Usman Buzdar

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said on Saturday that the provincial government has prepared a development package for every district of the province in consultation with the lawmakers. “A separate development package for every district has been prepared, elected representatives have been consulted in the preparation of the District Development Package,” said the CM … Read more

Recognition of Afghanistan will only happen after regional consultations: Munir Akram

Ambassador Munir Akram

Pakistan would like an “inclusive, broad-based government” in Afghanistan, but the question of recognition would arise only after the leaders of Taliban and other groups, now in talks, form a government, Ambassador Munir Akram said. “We are consulting with all the regional countries in order to have a coordinated approach on the issue of not … Read more

US senator calls for Pakistan’s inclusion in any ‘sustainable solution’ for Afghanistan

US Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday called on the inclusion of Pakistan for any “sustainable solution in Afghanistan”. Taking to Twitter, Graham said he was briefed by Pakistani envoy Asad Khan about the situation in Afghanistan. “Very much appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani government to assist with the evacuation of US citizens, our allies, … Read more

US military carries out drone strike against ‘planner’ of Kabul airport attack

US

The US military said it had carried out a drone strike against a ‘planner’ of the Islamic State-Khorasan, the group which claimed credit for the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport. “The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. Initial indications are that we killed the target,” said Captain Bill Urban of the … Read more