ISLAMABAD: A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck near Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Saturday afternoon, while tremors were also felt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from another earlier quake. The earthquake in Pakistan measured 5.5 on the Richter scale and occurred at 12:30pm, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC). It further said the quake struck at a depth of 12 kilometres, with its …
QUETTA: Amid an ongoing political standoff in Balochistan, opposition party JUI-F has offered to mediate between the provincial government and the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) to resolve the two-week-long protest sit-in over the detention of Dr Mahrang Baloch and other female activists of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). On Friday, a JUI-F delegation led by the party’s Secretary General Senator …
LAHORE: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday said that the government would ensure that the benefits of reduced inflation directly reached the common man and “middlemen” would not be allowed to exploit the system. Pakistan’s headline inflation dropped to 0.7 per cent year-on-year in March 2025, marking the lowest reading since December 1965, according to data released by the Pakistan …
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday issued its judgement on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the judicial system, saying it can enhance efficiency but “must be welcomed with careful optimism”. The judgement was issued on a case heard on March 13 by Justices Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Mansoor Ali Shah, with the latter pronouncing his judgement today. “There …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that Belarus had extended a generous offer to invite over 150,000 young, highly skilled Pakistani workers to contribute to the nation-building efforts of Belarus, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had arrived in the Republic of Belarus on Thursday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of …
RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed two terrorists, including a “high-value target”, during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Timergara area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Dir, the military’s media wing said on Friday. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government …
ISLAMABAD: The government will block the passports of Pakistanis deported from other countries over criminal activities, and tighten the process of issuing new travel documents, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Thursday. The move is aimed at deterring Pakistani nationals who travel abroad and commit illegal acts, such as begging. In recent years, hundreds of Pakistanis have been deported, mostly …
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of Afghan refugees who are awaiting resettlement to Western countries will be deported from Pakistan if their host nations do not relocate them by April 30, a key government minister said on Thursday. Amid calls for Pakistan to halt the deportation of Afghan nationals, State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry also ruled out any extension in the deadline …
QUETTA: The provincial leadership of PPP has strongly condemned the remarks of BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal against their party and expressed support for the Balochistan chief minister. The PPP leaders said their party’s government in the province was determined to utilise all available resources to eliminate terrorism and maintain peace. Speaking at a joint press conference along with the …
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on Thursday for a two-day official visit to Belarus at the invitation of President Aleksandr Lukashenko. During the visit, Sharif will hold high-level talks with Lukashenko to review bilateral cooperation and explore new avenues of engagement between the two countries. Officials say the visit is expected to result in the signing of several agreements …