ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has issued a notification authorising the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept and trace calls within the domain of national security, under Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996. “In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 54 … the federal government in the interest of national security and in the …

RAWALPINDI: A Pakistan Army captain was martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district on Tuesday, according to the military’s media wing. A statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Captain Muhammad Osama bin Arshad, 24, resident of Rawalpindi district, was martyred during a fire exchange between security forces and terrorists …

ISLAMABAD: In a detailed opinion on the presidential reference in the murder trial of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Supreme Court on Monday said the trial and appellate courts that heard the cases were not true courts under the Constitution. “The country was captive to martial law and so too were its courts,” Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa …

ISLAMABAD: Amid public outcry and potential political backlash, the government has decided to step back from about 51pc increase in electricity rates it had approved last week for so-called protected consumers by meeting a ‘prior action’ required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). On the instructions of the prime minister, a revised summary would be urgently run through the federal cabinet that …

QUETTA: Emphasising the need for reforms, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decla­red on Mon­day that if Pakistan did not take “hard decisions”, the country would have to knock on the doors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) once again. “If we do not introduce reforms and take hard decisions, we will have to approach the IMF again after three years when the new …

KARACHI: The ministry of interior has defended the months-long ban on social media platform X on the ground that it is a “threat to peace and national security” as it spreads “misinformation and incites violence”, it emerged on Monday. The ban was imposed on Feb 17 on the basis of reports from intelligence agencies. In its reply placed before the Sindh High …

BEIJING: The Asia-Pacific region needs neither a military bloc nor a “small circle” that provokes confrontation between camps and incites a new Cold War, said a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday. Lin Jian made the comments in response to a defense pact signed earlier Monday between Japan and the Philippines that allows the deployment of one’s military …

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced that if Imran Khan initiates a hunger strike, similar protests will erupt across Pakistan and globally. Addressing the concerns of the PTI founder, he said, “His reservations are completely valid. If he goes on a hunger strike, the protest will spread throughout Pakistan and around the world. We adhere to …

QUETTA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that 28,000 tube wells in Balochistan will be solarised to provide farmers with cheap electricity, on behalf of the federal and provincial governments. The premier arrived at Quetta airport earlier today for a one-day visit, where he was received by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail. …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Julian Moazzam James, a Pakistan Army officer belonging to the Christian community, on his promotion to the rank of major general. The prime minister expressed his good wishes to Major General James for his future, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release on Sunday. “Major General James’s professional capabilities and his …