PARIS: During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to France, China Media Group (CMG) hosted a cultural exchange celebration commemorating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations, and signed a cooperation memorandum with Euronews. The event showcased several high-quality Sino-French co-productions in film, television and integrated media products. During the event, Laurent Fabius, president of the Constitutional …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) verdict denying the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — the new home for PTI lawmakers-elect — reserved seats for women and minorities. The development came as a three-member bench — headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah — took up an SIC appeal against …

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday expressed his dissatisfaction with the report submitted by an inquiry commission formed to investigate the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakis­tan’s (TLP) 2017 Faizabad sit-in, remarking that the probe body was not even aware of its responsibility. The top judge’s remarks come as a three-member Supreme Court bench took up a set of review …

ISLAMABAD: A key Saudi delegation comprising dozens of investors has arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit to explore investment opportunities, as Pakistan aims to court foreign investors to boost its exports in collaboration with Saudi companies. The delegation led by Saudi Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Almubarak was welcomed by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal and Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik at …

PESHAWAR: Chairmanship of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has become a bone of contention and triggered a tug of war between senior PTI figures after it emerged that its political committee had voted to replace maverick Sher Afzal Khan Marwat with Sheikh Waqas Akram. A party insider told that PTI’s political committee met in Islamabad on Friday night under its chairman …

PESHAWAR: The newly-elected central president of Awami National Party, Senator Aimal Wali Khan, has said that he will protect 18th Amendment at all costs as it guarantees rights of Pakhtuns. Addressing the members of ANP central council at Bacha Khan Markaz here on Sunday soon after his election as president of the party, he said that 18th Amendment was part …

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf senior leader and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser says Lahore is reeling under martial law. Speaking to the media on Sunday during his visit to Lahore, he said the powers that be had unleashed violence on the party leaders and workers, trampling their basic human rights. “I am going back to Islamabad and I will tell …

GWADAR: Federal Mi­­nister for Maritime Affa­irs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh has said that Gwadar will play a key role in the economic development not only of Balochistan but also Pakistan in the near future, improving the sta­ndard of living of the people of coastal areas of Makran. Mr Sheikh, who arrived in Gwadar on a three-day visit, expressed these views while …

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday extended Pakistan’s support for Palestine’s admission as a full member of the UN, and resumption of the peace process for the realisation of a “viable, contiguous and sovereign” Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders. Dar, who doubles as the deputy prime minister and is also a senator, arrived in The Gambia on Wednesday to …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Sunday expressed the determination to further enhance and upgrade cooperation on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. This was expressed by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Zheng Jianbang, the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. According to the Foreign Office (FO), the two met on the sidelines of the …