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Joint parliament session approves law for protection of minority rights

A joint session of Parliament passed the National Commission for Minorities Bill 2025 with some changes on Tuesday, which aims to establish a national body dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of minority communities in Pakistan. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the bill amid outcry from some members, particularly those belonging to the PTI and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F), and with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq presiding over the session. The bill was supported by 160 members, with 79 voting against it. While the law minister was presenting the bill, several members vocally opposed the bill. At this, Tarar clarified that “neither the law and the Constitution, nor our conscience allows us to make a proposal that contradicts the Quran and Sunnah”. He said four amendments were suggested to the original draft of the bill, and they had been incorporated into the proposed legislation. Saying that minorities were defined as “non-Muslims” in the Constitution,...
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Pakistan successfully emerged as ‘regional stabiliser’ following ‘Marka-i-Haq’, says PAF chief

Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu on Tuesday noted that Pakistan had emerged as a regional stabiliser after the May conflict with India. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief made the remarks during the passing out parade at PAF Academy Asghar Khan in Risalpur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district. “In the wake of Marka-i-Haq, Pakistan has successfully emerged as a net stabiliser in this part of the world,” ACM Sidhu said. “As a responsible nuclear power, our relations with key global and regional powers have further strengthened, which is a testimony to the untiring effort of our diplomatic strategy and credible military prowess.” The Pakistan Army had named the period of conflict with India, from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the May 10 conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, as Marka-i-Haq in May. “The rising global relevance of Pakistan remains a growing concern for our adversary, and it exploits every opportunity to malign and destabilise Pakistan on ...
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First JCP meeting post-27th Amendment elevates Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb to permanent SC judge

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which is responsible for appointing judges to the superior judiciary, on Tuesday elevated Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb to a permanent judge of the Supreme Court (SC). Presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the JCP held its first meeting following the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). The JCP had appointed Justice Aurangzeb as an ad hoc judge of the apex court in February after elevating him from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), The forum also approved the elevations of Justice Zafara Ahmed Rajput as the chief justice of the Sindh High Court, and Justice Kamran Mullahkhail as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court. During the meeting, held at the conference room of the SC building, the JCP had considered the appointment of the SHC chief justice from among the three senior-most judges of the high court. Those considered for the...
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Pakistan says India blocking humanitarian assistance for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday that India was preventing humanitarian assistance from being sent to Sri Lanka, where severe flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have claimed more than 400 lives. In a post on X, the FO said: “India continues to block humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka continues to face delay for over 60 hours now awaiting flight clearance from India. “The partial flight clearance issued by India last night, after 48 hours, was operationally impractical: time-bound for just a few hours and without validity for the return flight, severely hindering this urgent relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka,” it said. The development comes a day after diplomatic sources told Dawn that Pakistan had received permission from India to use its airspace for humanitarian aid flights to Sri Lanka to provide flood relief. Sri Lanka President Anura...
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‘We have no verifiable information about his condition’: Imran’s son Kasim voices fears for father’s safety

Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, fears that authorities are concealing “something irreversible” about his father’s condition. The remarks come as the PTI and Imran’s sisters have protested and staged sit-ins outside Adiala jail, where he is imprisoned, after being barred from meeting him for over three weeks. As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked and rumours swirl about possible prison transfers, Kasim told Reuters the family has had no direct or verifiable contact with the ex-prime minister, despite a judicial order for weekly meetings. “Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured or even alive is a form of psychological torture,” he said in written remarks, adding that there had been no independently confirmed communication for a couple of months. “Today we have no verifiable information at all about his condition,” he added. “Our greatest fear is that something irreversible is being hidden from us.” The family has repeatedly sought access for Imra...
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‘Dinosaur tartare’ and holograms: Dubai AI chef sparks awe and ire

A Dubai restaurant has opened that prides itself on having the world’s “first AI chef”, the latest ostentatious dive into new technology in a city obsessed with being on the cutting edge of the future. The Emirati city has become increasingly known for its growing culinary scene, with thousands of restaurants on offer from luxurious Michelin-starred eateries to greasy spoons serving up bona fide street food from across the Middle East and Asia. But at Woohoo, the brains behind the menu is not a person but an AI programme — known as chef Aiman — trained on thousands of recipes and decades of culinary research and molecular gastronomy. Chef Aiman can also optimise menus and balance flavours, according to the establishment. The real work of preparing and serving the food, however, remains in human hands, for now. “AI is going to create better dishes than humans maybe in the future,” said the restaurant’s Turkish co-founder Ahmet Oytun Cakir. While Woohoo’s menu mostly comprises int...
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