ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed the government’s resolve to bolster labourers’ welfare and safeguard their rights, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. As the world commemorated International Labour Day, the president and the premier issued separate messages to mark the occasion. President Zardari urged Pakistani employers to adopt fair wage practices, take steps for worker safety and health, …

WASHINGTON: The US State Department stated on Tuesday that it expects India to address the alleged involvement of senior Indian officials in assassination attempts within the United States. “We continue to expect accountability from the government of India based on the results of the Indian inquiry committee’s work, and we are regularly working with them and inquiring for additional updates,” said the …

ISLAMABAD: In a fresh twist in the cipher case, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday observed that the Federal Investigation Age­ncy (FIA) has nothing on record to prove that former prime minister Imran Khan retained the confidential diplomatic cable, and that it went missing from his possession. The observation was made by an IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer …

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Tuesday suspended a notice of Election Commission of Pakistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur for appearance in a case related to his assets. A bench consisting of Justice Syed Mohammad Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmad issued notice to ECP and sought its response to a petition filed by Mr Gandapur, challenging issuance …

ISLAMABAD: After almost a month-long confusion among the party ranks, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday named Sher Afzal Marwat as their candidate for the post of Public Accounts Comm­ittee (PAC) chairman. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan made the announcement outside Adiala Jail after meeting Mr Khan. He said the decision had finally put to rest all speculations and disputes. The …

ISLAMABAD: The US and Pakistan on Tuesday reaffirmed their close ties and pledged to enhance cooperation on regional security, according to the Foreign Office. The FO, in a statement issued after a meeting between a visiting US delegation led by Acting Un­­der Secretary for Political Affairs John Bass, and Acting Foreign Secre­tary Ambassador Rahim Hayat Qureshi, said the “discussions covered …

BEIJING: At the invitation of China, representatives of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) recently visited Beijing for in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation, and the talks progressed to discussing next steps, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday. Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in …

ISLAMABAD: Clearing the air after months of confusion and speculation, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Mon­day finally designated Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and parliamentary opposition leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz to hold talks with the military establishment. Their names were confirmed by PTI founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan while speaking to media persons …

ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday slashed the price of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) for the next fortnight by Rs5.45 and 8.42, respectively. In a notification, the finance ministry said the reduction was due to price variations in the international market because of a decreasing trend in prices of petroleum products during the last fortnight. It said the new petrol …

ISLAMABAD: PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah was appointed as adviser to the prime minister on political and public affairs on Tuesday. A statement from the Presidency said President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice under Article 93(1) of the Constitution. It added that Sanaullah will hold the rank of a federal minister as well. …