LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider on Thursday raised the possibility of sending the Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024, back to the assembly for further consultation and review amid uproar over its passing. The Punjab Assembly had passed the defamation bill on Monday, rejecting all amendments proposed by the opposition amid protests by the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and journalists covering parliamentary …

BEIJING: China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Thursday that the drills conducted by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army surrounding the island of Taiwan serve as a resolute punishment for the provocations made by the Taiwan region’s new leader, Lai Ching-te, in his speech on Monday, which was aimed at “independence.” Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the office, made the …

NEW YORK: Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Tuesday that eliminating armed conflict is the best protection for civilians. “While saving lives in armed conflict is a noble goal, it must be noted that as long as conflicts have not ended, the lives of civilians are under constant threat,” Fu noted when speaking at the …

ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Thursday lashed out at the government for allegedly excluding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from an upcoming meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The government formed the SIFC in June 2023 to bring together provincial and federal government representatives, as well as military officials, in a decision-making forum. Its goals include seeking solutions for economic revival …

ABU DHABI: United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Thursday committed to investing $10 billion in multiple sectors of the Pakistani economy. A statement released by state-run Pakistan Television on social media platform X said the development came in an Abu Dhabi meeting of the UAE president with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is on a day-long visit to …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army has said 29 terrorists have been killed in a series of operations along the Pak-Afghan border over the past month, amid a surge in terrorism originating from Afghan soil. “In addition to other areas along Pakistan-Afghanistan border, security forces are conducting operations in general area Sambaza in Zhob district of Balochistan, since April 21, 2024. As a …

ISLAMABAD: Incar­cerated former prime minister Imran Khan has sought personal appearance and live streaming of the Supreme Court proceedings on his petition seeking to set aside the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) introduced by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government. A week earlier, he appeared before the top court via video link as a petitioner in the matter, but did …

PESHAWAR: A total of 461 students arrived from Bishkek in two different flights that landed at Bacha Khan International Airport here on Wednesday, officials said. They said that the first ER-1786 special flight of Serene Air, which was sent by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, landed at the airport around 1:52am on Wednesday with 288 students on board. Officials said that the second …

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday took notice of the low wages of the labourers during her visit to the Holy Family Hospital and directed the authorities to pay the labourers according to the Punjab Minimum Wages Act. She also asked the communication and works department to complete the construction work in Holy Family Hospital as soon as …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday nominated senior counsel Farooq H. Naek to represent the party before the Supreme Court in the case related to seats reserved for women and minorities, which was filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). On May 6, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had suspended the …