ISLAMABAD / SWABI: Claim and counter-claim between the government and the opposition continued on Saturday despite the initiation of dialogue after months of deadlock, with the PML-N-led coalition and the PTI accusing each other of derailing negotiation and lacking seriousness. As the blame game continued, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq claimed that neither the government nor the PTI had …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasised the urgent need for Muslim countries to prioritise girls’ education, calling it one of the most significant challenges of the time. Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day international conference titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Societies: Challenges and Opportunities,” the premier highlighted the necessity of large-scale initiatives to address the issue, Express …
KARACHI: Despite strong reservations from its coalition partner, PPP, the PML-N government appears unwilling to back down from its stance on six new canals on the Indus River in Punjab, insisting that they will not affect Sindh’s share of water. While talking to reporters on Friday, Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal dismissed the concerns raised by the PPP, emphasising stringent …
ISLAMABAD: A Supreme Court judge on Friday questioned the competence of presiding officers in military courts, asking whether they have sufficient legal expertise to impose severe punishments. “I have been in the judiciary for the last 34 years and I’m still learning,” Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the constitutional bench observed during a hearing, where the federal government justified the …
GWADAR: The Gwadar district administration and All Parties Alliance (APA) have agreed to form a committee to discuss demands of protesters who have been protesting and have staged a sit-in for the last three weeks. The protesters’ demands include a halt to fishing by illegal trawlers between Jewani and Gadani, end to power outages in the area, end to inflated …
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday considered a bill seeking bar on civil servants’ dual nationality. Chaired by Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, the committee discussed “The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024” moved by Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan. Mr Khan said that the civil servants take an oath of loyalty to Pakistan and, therefore, it is impossible …
ISLAMABAD: The PTI has agreed to extend the deadline for talks with the government beyond the Jan 31 deadline. The PTI leadership announced the ultimatum last month following a meeting with the imprisoned party founder, Imran Khan. So far, there have been two rounds of talks between the committees formed by the PTI and the government for this purpose. The …
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has stated that his party has no other options left but to take their cases to the international stage. Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, revealed that he had expressed that they had approached both the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Supreme Court (SC), but no …
PESHAWAR: In a disturbing development, militants associated with the extremist group Fitna al-Khawarij abducted 17 civilian workers from the Kabal Khel area in the Lakki Marwat district on Thursday. The workers, who were unarmed and performing routine tasks, were taken hostage for ransom by the assailants. According to sources, the militants not only abducted the workers but also set fire …
ISLAMABAD: Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan on Friday remarked that trials in a military court were “similar” to those in a civilian court, as a Supreme Court constitutional bench heard a case on military trials of civilians over last year’s May 9 riots. The case pertains to the military trials — and recent sentencing — of civilians for their role in …