ISLAMABAD: Barrister Gohar Khan was declared the PTI chairman again following fresh intra-party polls, according to results shared by the party’s spokesperson and Chief Election Commissioner Raoof Hasan on Sunday. Gohar won the chairman’s election unopposed, Hasan revealed during a press conference. This is the third time PTI has conducted intraparty elections in the past two years, following its Dec …

BEIJING: China on Friday again urged the parties involved, Israel in particular, to bring about an immediate cease-fire and ensure the safety of civilians, after attacks on Thursday against Palestinian aid-seekers killed at least 112 and injured more than 700 in Gaza. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at Friday’s routine press briefing, calling on efforts to …

BEIJING: China deplores the U.S. statement related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and urges it to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. Mao’s remarks came after the U.S. Department of State said on February 28 in a statement that it is closely monitoring the implications of Hong Kong’s national …

LAHORE: The special prosecutor has designated PTI founder Imran Khan as the primary accused in seven cases related to the May 9 riots and other incidents. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) proceeded with the hearing on Friday regarding Imran’s applications for interim bail.Special Prosecutor Rana Shakeel, presenting arguments during the hearing, identified Imran Khan as the main accused in the PM …

ISLAMABAD: The presidential candidate for the incoming coalition government, PPPP President Asif Ali Zardari, will face off against Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai. The nomination papers for both candidates were filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday. Farooq H. Naik and Saleem Mandviwala filed Zardari’s papers while PTI leaders Sardar Latif Khosa and Omar Ayub Khan filed the papers for …

ISLAMABAD: PML-N sup­reme leader Nawaz Sharif visited the residence of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman here on Friday, possibly to seek the latter’s support in the formation of the upcoming coalition government at the Centre, as the JUI-F had abs­tained during the voting for speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly. Nawaz Sharif was accompanied by PML-N stalwarts Ishaq …

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan has dismissed the United States’ suggestion to probe electoral discrepancies, emphasising that it will not succumb to external dictates. In her weekly press bri­efing on Friday, Foreign Office spokes­person Mum­taz Zahra Baloch categorically stated that no country can give directions to Pakistan, which is an independent and sovereign country. “We believe in our own sovereign right to make …

QUETTA: Months after stepping down as the caretaker interior minister, Sarfraz Bugti has been elected unopposed as the new Balochistan chief minister. The leader, who recent­ly joined the PPP and enjoyed the support of PML-N, submitted his nomi­­nation papers with Assembly Secretary Tahir Shah on Friday. He was proposed by PPP leader and former chief minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and …

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Friday confirmed the pre-arrest bail of PTI founder Imran Khan in four cases pertaining to the murder of Zille Shah, attack on police outside Zaman Park, and torching of PML-N offices in Model Town and a container at Kalma Chowk on May 9, 2023. In his arguments against the bail petitions, Special Prosecutor Rana Shakil said the former …

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N and MQM-P on Friday signed a formal agreement to empower local governments, which will be directly established and draw powers from the federation instead of provinces. The memorandum of understanding, signed at Parliament House, relates to the two parties’ resolve to introduce the 26th amendment to the Constitution. The two-point agreement was signed by Ahsan Iqbal of …