ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Bilal Bin Saqib has said that the no-objection certificates (NOCs) issued to global cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and HTX were not a “blanket approval” but the “first step under a risk-mitigated, phased, supervised entry framework”. Saqib’s video statement, televised on Sunday, comes after Pakistan gave initial clearance for Binance and HTX …

QUETTA: Former chief minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri alleged on Saturday that military-led political engineering in Balochistan had caused the fall of his elected provincial government and damaged democratic norms. Mr Zehri, a senior PPP leader, said in a statement that recent accountability measures against former spymaster Faiz Hameed had revived long-suppressed realities about interference in the province’s politics. Reacting …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan had pulled itself out of severe economic distress through the collective efforts of his government and its economic team, recalling that the country was on the brink of financial default when the government assumed office. Addressing the launch ceremony of the National Regulatory Reforms, the prime minister said runaway inflation, a …

LAHORE: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday held ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed responsible for the ouster of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017, adding that more charges against him were to come soon. The minister’s remarks come two days after Hameed, in a first, was sentenced to a 14-year jail term after being convicted on four counts related to violating …

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday tasked PPP lawmakers and members with commencing preparations for the local body polls in Punjab. The local body polls are likely to be held in Punjab next year after some amendments to the local government law. Under Article 140-A of the Constitution and Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, the Election Commission of …

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Saturday that the Pakistan Army remained fully focused on both internal and external challenges, including hostile hybrid campaigns, extremist ideologies, and divisive elements seeking to undermine national stability. According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), he made the remarks …

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of promoting “character assassination and politics of hatred” in the country. He also blamed the opposition party for “conspiring to mislead the young generation”. “There had been a tradition of decency and respect in Pakistan’s politics before the PTI. PML-N President Nawaz Sharif always promoted a culture of tolerance in the country. …

ISLAMABAD: A week after barring criticism of ‘national heroes’ including political leadership in the House, Deputy Chairman of Senate, Syedaal Khan, on Friday vowed to enforce his surprising ruling. Talking to reporters here, he made it clear that derogatory or disrespectful remarks against national heroes whether from the armed forces, politics, judiciary, or any national institution cannot be tolerated within …

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan was asked to present a comprehensive mechanism to address complaints regarding non-compliance with the legal requirement to produce a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours. This was stated at the 56th meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, …

KARACHI: Indian forces have detained 11 Pakistani fishermen, including two boys, from Pakistani waters near Kajar Creek and confiscated their boat. However, Indian media reported that their Coast Guard had on Dec 10 apprehended the 11 Pakistani fishermen after their boat was allegedly found inside Indian waters near Jakhau. According to Kamal Shah of the Coastal Media Centre, all 11 …