QUETTA: At least one policeman was martyred, while two Levies personnel were injured after armed unknown assailants attacked two police stations and a Levies station in Balochistan’s Sherani district on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Wali Kakar said. “The police and Levies personnel retaliated, and an exchange of fire went on for three hours,” DC Sherani said in a statement, adding …
LAHORE: A committee formed by the prime minister to take stock of flood damages on Tuesday said the initial estimates will be finalised in ten days based on “accurate and transparent field reports”, as PM Shehbaz Sharif separately ordered a “comprehensive assessment” of the losses. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, while chairing the meeting, stressed the importance of working in coordination …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the State of Palestine signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aiming to “strengthen bilateral cooperation in the health sector”, as part of an effort to foster both nations’ brotherly ties, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Wednesday. The two countries share strong bilateral ties as Pakistan is one of the few countries that recognises the …
LAHORE: Punjab’s unannounced ban on the interprovincial movement of wheat has ignited a new crisis, causing a severe flour shortage and soaring prices in other provinces. The move has drawn sharp criticism from politicians and flour millers who argue it violates constitutional rights and a recent deregulation agreement. While Punjab officials denied a formal ban, they acknowledged establishing checkpoints to …
GILGIT: The prime minister’s 22-member committee failed on Tuesday to reach consensus on recommendations for resolving grievances of Gilgit-Baltistan’s traders , with the matter deferred to another meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The committee, formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address concerns over taxes and clearance of consignments imported from China via the Khunjerab Pass, met in Islamabad under the …
ISLAMABAD: Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, a member of the five-judge Supreme Court constitutional bench, on Tuesday questioned whether the National Assembly could be granted specific authority under the constitution to enact tax legislation that operates outside the financial year. Headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, the CB was hearing multiple petitions filed by taxpayers challenging the constitutional vires of the amended …
ISLAMABAD: Days after Pakistan asked the Afghan Taliban to choose whether they want to stand with their neighbour, or the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group, a key US official has called on Islamabad to seek a political settlement with Kabul. Zalmay Khalilzad, who was named US special representative to Afghanistan during the previous Trump administration, also called on Afghanistan …
MUZAFFARABAD: A leopard that had played “hide and seek” with residents of the AJK capital for more than 36 hours was finally captured on Tuesday afternoon, bringing much-needed relief to the panicked populace. The drama began late Sunday night, when reports emerged on social media that a leopard had been spotted in the Sathra area. Residents fanned out with torches …
ISLAMABAD: The country’s debt trajectory “is more sustainable today than suggested by headline rupee figures”, the finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, citing its continued focus on debt-to-GDP reduction, early repayments, lower interest costs and a stronger external account. It asserted that it continued to centre its debt management strategy on aligning public debt-to-GDP ratio to the Debt …
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman due to his “illegal” appointment to the position. The decision came in a verdict by IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar in a case pertaining to the appointment of the PTA’s member (administration) filed by digital rights activist Usama Khilji in …