QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has directed all provincial departments to complete approved development schemes by January 2026. The chief minister issued the directive at a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to review implementation of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). Mr Bugti commended officials of departments that demonstrated swift progress, but expressed dissatisfaction with officials whose …

LAHORE: Sialkot police registered a first information report (FIR) on Monday against multiple suspects for allegedly vandalising the properties of and attacking the members of the Ahmadi community the previous night. The FIR, was registered at Moutra police station on behalf of Sub-Inspector Amir Ali Sindhu. It invokes Sections 395 (punishment for dacoity), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter …

ISLAMABAD: Members of the Parliamentary Reporters Association of Pakistan (PRA) on Monday staged a mass walkout from a session of the National Assembly, over senior journalist Ijaz Ahmed allegedly being subjected to misbehaviour by PTI founder Imran Khan. According to Ahmed, who spoke to Dawn.com, the walkout was organised by the PRA Pakistan’s Election Committee. “[The] PTI founder hurled abuse …

LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said his government nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize because “he helped save the region from destruction” during a period of Pakistan-India escalation. The Pakistani government in June had decided to formally recommend US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his “decisive diplomatic intervention and …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday suspended an order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) barring Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri from carrying out judicial duties in a case pertaining to his law degree allegedly being fake. According to the court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the bench ruled that the “operation of the impugned …

ISLAMABAD: Afghan political leaders and women activists on Monday opened a two-day dialogue in Islamabad to explore ways for “shaping a collective, regionally supported vision for Afghanistan’s peaceful future”, according to organisers. Pakistan and Afghanistan have witnessed an improvement in bilateral relations after taking steps to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee and upgrading diplomatic …

ISLAMABAD: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi on Monday warned India against “dragging war” into sports, saying that doing so only exposed the neighbouring country’s “desperation” in a response aimed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who politicised India’s Asia Cup final win against Pakistan. In a post on X on Sunday night, Modi had congratulated the Indian cricket …

HYDERABAD/DADU/ LAHO­RE: Kotri Barrage passed the peak of its medium flood on Sat­urday but remained in a medium-flood state through Sunday evening. On Saturday morning, Kotri recorded 421,075 cusecs upstream and 393,560 cusecs downstream, easing to 412,965 and 386,650 cusecs by noon. On Sunday, upstream flows were 387,808 cusecs with 362,253 cusecs downstream; some 25,555 cusecs were drawn for the …

NEW YORK: Pakistan has called India a “regional bully” at the United Nations General Assembly after an Indian diplomat referred to the country as “terroristan,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Sunday. Ties between Pakistan and India have long been fraught, with four wars fought since independence. Earlier this year, a brief but intense military escalation erupted after …

NEW YORK: The controversy surrounding the supposed inclusion of columnist and social media activist Shama Junejo in Pakistan’s delegation to the United Nations this week took a new turn on Sunday when she claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had included her among the delegates as an adviser. The controversy had surfaced when photos from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s address …