The US Congress on Wednesday voted to set up a commission to assess the failures of the 20-year war in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s victory. The commission was part of a $768 billion annual defense package passed by the senate 89-10 after similarly overwhelming approval last week by the House of Representatives. President Joe Biden, … Read more
ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser (NSA), Dr Moeed Yusuf said that Pakistan’s relations with China are exceptional. “We want good relations with all countries besides promoting exports,” he said while talking to a private television channel. The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government is paying special attention to expedite exports, he stated. “Pakistan is keen to … Read more
Exactly 50 years ago, on 9 December 1971, Pakistan Navy’s Daphné-Class Submarine Hangor created history when it sank the Indian Navy Type 14 Blackwood-class frigate Khukri off the coast of Diu in Gujarat, India. As many as, 18 officers including Khukri Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla and 176 sailors were lost when the ship sank. The … Read more
QUETTA: “Zikris are a peaceful sect,” said U*, a student at the Balochistan University. “They are simple, loving and honest people and great lovers of the Ahle Bait [the family members of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)],”he said. U, who belongs to the minority group and wished not to be identified for fear of being stigmatized, … Read more
This week Bol News had the privilege of speaking with one of Pakistan’s highly acclaimed and decorated officers, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Ali Kuli Khan, who served on a number of important positions in his distinguished career, including field Commander X Corps, Chief of General Staff and Directorate General Military Intelligence (DGMI). Lt. General Ali Kuli … Read more
Province of Punjab, which was once perceived as a pioneer and a leader in governance, has hit the rock bottom when it comes to transparency and better service delivery. Corruption and bad governance reign supreme across the length and breadth of the province. During the era of Shehbaz Sharif as the provincial chief minister, other … Read more
KARACHI: On November 12, a United Nations official stationed in Afghanistan set the alarm bells ringing. While talking to CNBC, UN Development Programme (UNDP) official Al Dardani said that “Afghanistan is probably facing the worst humanitarian disaster we’ve ever seen.” According to Al Dardani, around 23 million people in Afghanistan are in a desperate need … Read more
ISLAMABAD: There is a general impression that in its three-and-a-half-year rule the PTI government has not measured up to the people’s expectations and fallen well short of delivering on its promises. The country has experienced an almost unprecedented increase in inflation. The rupee has slumped to record lows against the US dollar – severely affecting … Read more
KARACHI: “In Pashto, the word ‘Ziarat’ means the tomb of a saint. This place is called Ziarat because of Baba Kharwari, whose tomb is located in the valley behind the Quaid-e-Azam residency,” said Najeeb, a native of the scenic town, who was also serving as our driver-cum-guide. Soon the car pulled up before an enclosure … Read more
QUETTA: During its 51-year history, no chief minister in Balochistan except Jam Yousaf – the father of former chief minister Jam Kamal – has ever completed his 5-year-term, thanks to the electables who quickly change their loyalties for personal gains or due to pressure from the powers that be. These electables had complaints against Nawab … Read more
KARACHI: When announcing the ‘Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Eco-Tourism (TREK)’ Initiative, the Federal Government stated that eco-tourism is the need of the hour as it promotes economic prosperity, while keeping in mind Pakistan’s climate goals. According to the World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank sponsored ‘Climate Risk Profile’ for Pakistan, the country is one … Read more
PESHAWAR: Like other parts of the country, local bodies elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are always held in a heated environment. However, this time, the contest is more intra-party than inter-party’, as seventeen districts of KP prepare themselves for holding neighbourhood and village council elections in the first phase commencing on December 19. The ruling Pakistan … Read more
LAHORE: Pakistani mountaineer Shehroze Kashif faced many dangers climbing the planet’s tallest peaks, but his toughest moment came when he passed the corpse of his hero on the savage slopes of the K2. Kashif was 19-years and 138 days old in July when he became the youngest person to summit both the world’s highest peak, … Read more
KARACHI: The largest and top-notch eye-care hospital of the country and first degree awarding institute, Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (SIOVS) has made a frantic appeal to Sindh government to at least double its annual grant so that it is able to serve more patients, develop new infrastructure for teaching facilities and strengthen … Read more
KARACHI: Thar Coal is booming but Tharis are being adversely affected, and no one seems to care. According to last month’s findings by the Rural Development Policy Institute, which were released by the civil society group Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy, locals in Thar are facing continued hardship due to the creation of … Read more
KARACHI: The nationalist groups and parties in Sindh, despite their decades-long struggle against feudal system and growing appeal among the oppressive and the down-trodden, have failed to make their mark in the electoral politics. Sindh’s nationalist leaders and their parties, comprising students and middle-class activists, have traditionally been hardliners, but they have failed to make … Read more
LAHORE: The historic and cultural city of Lahore, called the heart of Pakistan, is making headlines worldwide again by ‘surpassing’ capitals of the world’s largest countries but for all the wrong reasons, being the most polluted city. In 2010, Lahore, provincial capital of the largest province —Punjab— was at the 75th position among the most … Read more
LAHORE: The Punjab government’s reluctance to kick start the construction work of Ring Road Southern Loop 3 (SL3) has caused approximately Rs 15 billion loss to National Exchequer, BOL News has learnt. It is pertinent to mention that former Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Qasim Khan had vacated all the stay orders which were acquired … Read more
LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari is a man with solid credentials. His polite demeanor and candid way of expressing his views on key issues has earned him respect, not only in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but also amongst the rival political parties. A close aide of … Read more
ISLAMABAD: The PTI government has achieved a significant milestone by passing the highest number of legislations during its three-year term. Since coming into power in August 2018, the federal government has already passed a total of 113 bills in 38 National Assembly sessions. This is a remarkable achievement as no other government has been able … Read more
KARACHI: Do you expect an ordinary citizen booking a residential unit or a shop in a residential-commercial project to check the intricate details of ownership of the land, asks Amir Ali who owned residential flats in Nasla Tower, a building which is being demolished under the orders of Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan. Ali further … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Justice delayed is justice denied. Which is exactly the situation with the Noor Mukadam case, as despite the order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking to conclude the case within 8 weeks, the is still pending. Meanwhile, the defense lawyers are using all means necessary to protect their client. Noor Mukadam, 27-years-old, … Read more
KARACHI: From Wuhan to Botswana it’s a story of an ever-growing number of recognised types of viruses emerging since the Coronavirus pandemic began in late 2019. Though the evidence suggests the new Covid-19 variant, named Omicron, may be more transmissible than other Covid-19 variants, there are still many unknowns at play. The Omicron variant, which … Read more
KARACHI: India has changed. Gone are the days of Gandhi’s non-violent India, where even legitimate protest was expected to be civil and non-violent. A new order exists, one of mass incarcerations, lynching, abuse and systemic oppression. And who are the victims? The 200 million Indian Muslims, who make up nearly 15 per cent of the … Read more
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has been one of the most prominent faces of the party, a diehard party loyalist as well as a close aide and confidant of party’s Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif. She has never shied away from calling a spade a spade. Her confidence and ability to … Read more
“China is our mighty neighbor and trust-worthy friend” MUSHAHID HUSSAIN SAYED, PML-N LEADER Pakistan has recently declined to participate in a two-day virtual democracy summit organized by the United States (US) without assigning any reason. Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Wednesday announced not to participate in the summit, virtually snubbing the US invite which could have … Read more
Successive governments seem to have failed to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) adopted after the APS attack and the sad incident of Sialkot where a violent mob burnt to death a Sri Lankan national on the suspicion of blasphemy has once again sparked a debate as to what the state should do to curb … Read more
SIALKOT: “In the wake of the gruesome incident, the police had to face three daunting challenges. And the first of them was to stop more people from joining the mob,” said Sialkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Omer Saeed Malik, who led the police team that had arrived at the crime scene after the tragedy. … Read more
