ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Thursday Pakistan’s intention to enhance its trade, economic, energy, connectivity, and security relations with Russia during a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk in Islamabad. The discussions underscored the two countries’ mutual interest in expanding cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture, food security, business, education, and science and technology. PM Shehbaz …

ISLAMABAD: In a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday stated that the Supreme Court’s judgment on reserved seats “cannot be implemented under the Amended Election Act, 2017”. In July, the SC declared Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities, dealing a major …

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram on Wednesday warned the UN Security Council of a “serious threat of terrorism within and from Afghanistan”, emphasising that Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was fast emerging as an “umbrella organisation” with potential of causing regional destabilisation. The banned TTP, a separate group but aligned with the Afghan Taliban, had escalated attacks on Pakistani security …

KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is convinced that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would be the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and would be taking charge of the top office next month. The PPP chairman also believes that they will be able to win over JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the proposed legislation that allows establishment of “constitutional courts”, …

ISLAMABAD: After Maulana Fazlur Rehman ‘completely rejected’ the proposed constitutional package chalked up by the PML-N, the coalition government without losing hope has stepped up consultations with other political parties to evolve a consensus on the controversial amendments to the Constitution. In a media talk following a meeting between the JUI-F chief and the PTI leaders at the residence of …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday restrained the accountability court from pronouncing its verdict in the £190 million corruption reference against PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb issued the restraining order while hearing Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi’s petitions. Through their …

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is still undecided on the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict regarding the eligibility of PTI for reserved seats and has decided to seek opinion of legal experts on the matter. Sources told Dawn the ECP met here to deliberate on the Supreme Court’s judgement on reserved seats and its September 14 order …

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with Kim Tae-nyeon, president of the ROK-China Parliamentarians’ Union, in Beijing. Wang praised the association for its contribution to promoting friendly relations between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK), emphasizing that the two countries, as close neighbors, should maintain regular exchanges. Both countries have achieved mutual success and development, contributing significantly …

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexei Overchuk arrived in Islamabad today on a two-day visit to Pakistan. A high-level delegation is also accompanying the Russian Deputy Prime Minister during the visit signalling a deepening relationship between Russia and Pakistan. The visit is part of ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral ties, particularly in trade, energy, and connectivity. During …

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), has completely rejected the government’s proposed draft on constitutional amendments, calling it unacceptable. Speaking to the media during an informal conversation at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser, Fazlur Rehman revealed that the government’s original draft had been entirely dismissed after review. He questioned the credibility of the …