Pakistan News

KHYBER: A student died after he was tortured by the head of a primary school in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district on Friday, the police said. They added that Waqar Ahmad, head of a private school in Sur Kamar locality, subjected a student of grade 5, Khiyal Mat Khan, to corporal punishment during the morning assembly, leaving him critically injured. The student later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The police said that the school head used a stick to beat the student on head, neck, face and back, which caused his death. They said that they had arrested the accused when the matter was brought to their notice. Residents of Jamrud demanded exemplary punishment for the accused, and also an end to corporal punishment in educational institutions. Meanwhile, Afghan drivers complained of police torture of one of their colleagues in Shah Kas area on Friday. They alleged that traffic police manhandled an Afghan driver right in front of the police training centre in Shah Kas without...

LAHORE: Pakistan’s cotton sector is facing its gravest financial crisis in decades, prompting swift government attention after urgent appeals from the Pakis­tan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) and the All Pakistan Tex­­tile Mills Association (Aptma). Both associations have launched a high-profile lobbying campaign, writing to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and initiating a nationwide media blitz, demanding the immediate abolition of the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) or the removal of sales tax on domestically produced cotton and its byproducts. The premier subsequently sou­­ght policy recommendations from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR). In response, the ministry has formally endorsed the industry’s proposals. In a letter to PCGA President Dr Jassu Mal, Cotton Commis­sioner Dr Khadim Hussain stated that the government has recommended that the 18pc sales tax on domestic cotton, cottonseed, oilcake, and cottonseed oil be lifted immediately, or tha...

In the 1930s, the British Raj summered in Quetta. While day temperatures could reach the blistering highs of the plains, nights in Quetta were far cooler than what the lowlands of the Indian Subcontinent offered. Given the lakes, mountains, and serenity of the area, Quetta’s population swelled in the summer months, adding thousands more people compared to those who generally resided in the city. Over time, Quetta had been established as one of a string of garrison towns along the future Durand Line dividing Afghan territories with the plains and other towns including Razmak, Peshawar, Dir, and Chitral. After the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, which had kept Punjab and Ranjit’s Sikh army as a buffer between the Afghans and the British, the colonists aimed to find a new layer of protection. This was also after the events of the first Anglo-Afghan War in 1839, where, after the British captured Kandahar and Ghazni, they later installed Shah Shuja in Kabul. Shah Shuja’s tyranny and the A...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, rejecting the weaponisation of water, warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, shortly after 26 civilians in India-held Kashmir were killed in what India called an act of terror. Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident, but accord remains “in abeyance” by India despite the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreeing to a ceasefire this month following the worst fighting between them in decades. After the April 22 attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered officials to expedite planning and execution of projects on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers, three bodies of water in the Indus system that are designated primarily for Pakistan’s use, six people told Reuters . Th...

LAHORE: A pumped-up Pakistan side will look to go all out against Bangladesh in the second T20 International in Lahore on Friday to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series . Pakistan during the past year or so have experienced an alarming decline in their T20 International contests, winning only nine while losing nineteen. Currently languishing at eighth in the ICC T20 International team rankings, the Green-shirts under new captain Salman Ali Agha no doubt will seek to make progress against Bangladesh who are ninth. The home side in the series opener on Wednesday comfortably defeated Bangladesh by 37 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium thanks to impressive batting by Salman (56), Shadab Khan (48, 4-26) and Hasan Nawaz (44). Returning fast bowler Hasan Ali (5-30) produced his best-ever show in the game. Pakistan are expected to remain unchanged for the second T20 while Bangladesh are most likely to make a couple of changes as they will look to keep the series alive. Both team...

“I’ve seen this neighbourhood grow — and outgrow itself,” said Arif, a resident of Paposh Nagar in Karachi’s Central district, during a recent group discussion. What was once a vibrant, tightly knit area where neighbours knew each other by name and children played freely in open streets, now feels suffocated. “Water barely reaches our taps, and the streets that once bustled with life are too cramped to even walk properly,” he shared. Over the last two decades, rapid urban densification has quietly chipped away at the liveability of many such neighbourhoods of the port city, forcing families like Arif’s to consider relocating in search of the basics: clean water, reliable electricity, and access to open spaces and parks. As Karachi’s population grows, so does the pressure on those already struggling to find a place within it. With no coherent policy or planning framework in place, the city’s increasing demand for affordable housing — especially among low- and middle-income groups — is...

PAKPATTAN: Near the city of Pakpattan along the railway tracks, lies a quiet little village — Tibba Nanak Sar. The local legend says that this was the place where Baba Guru Nanak met Sheikh Ibrahim, the spiritual heir of the great Baba Fariduddin Ganj Shakar. In the meeting, Farid’s verses reached the ears of Guru Nanak and from this small, silent village, those sacred words reached the Granth Sahib. A modest, orange-colored gurdwara still stands here, quietly commemorating that historic encounter. Crossing through the villages of Pakka Sadhar and Chak Azmat, one reaches Chak Datar Singh, which has a railway station whose building is hidden behind the neem trees. Just a decade back, the name in Urdu script “Datar Singh Railway Station” was written on it in black paint. Then came fresh whitewash, bringing a new name and Datar Singh was replaced with “Murad Chishti”. Gurdwara Tibba Sahib near Chak Datar Singh in Pakpattan District, Punjab, Pakistan. — sikhheritagetours.ca This was...

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The Joint Political Peace Alliance on Wednesday demanded transparent and impartial investigation into the alleged quadcopter strike in Karmazi Stop area of Birmal tehsil that injured several people. It termed the incident “regrettable and a cause of public unrest” and called for legal action against those responsible. In a statement, the JPPA leaders said public cooperation was vital for maintaining peace in the region and such incidents risked eroding the trust of local youth and civilians. They said that ensuring public safety and security was the foremost responsibility of the state and all relevant institutions should play a constructive role in that respect. The alliance leaders insisted that at times, extraordinary measures taken under the pretext of security could inadvertently affect innocent civilians. They urged law-enforcement agencies to adopt strategies that were both effective and community-friendly to restore peace and rebuild public confidence...

PESHAWAR: Khyber Medical University has terminated the services of a senior officer and expelled a student on recommendations of its harassment committee. According to a press release issued on Wednesday, a formal complaint was received by the KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq regarding a harassment incident inside an examination hall on May 18. The harassment committee investigated the matter and listened to the complainant as well as the alleged harassers to ensure due process, it said. Following the committee’s findings, KMU’s administration took disciplinary actions, terminating a grade-18 officer, with nearly 17 years of service, from his position. The student involved in the incident was expelled from the university and barred from any future enrolment at KMU, the release said. In the last two years, the varsity has consistently upheld its zero-tolerance policy against harassment by taking strict action, including major to minor penalties, against perpetrators. The unive...

• Gusty winds disturb life in twin cities • One killed, 10 injured in Attock; three injured in Rawalpindi, residents forced to take steps to protect their vehicles and other property ISLAMABAD: As windstorms have become rampant in the federal capital, the district administration has decided to remove billboards in the city to avoid the risk of accidents. On Tuesday, a billboard fixed at the National Press Club (NPC) fell down due to a windstorm. Moreover, a number of trees were broken and several fiberglass shades on terraces and rooftops dislodged and fell onto the roads. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon directed that all billboards within the limits of the federal capital be removed. It is worth mentioning that in urban areas, there are only two locations — NPC and Srinagar Highway (near G-13) - where billboards have been displayed. However, there are a number of billboards in the rural areas of the city which are also under the administrative control of the depu...

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LAHORE: The audit report for 2023-24 of the Punjab Home Department reveals the ‘disappearance’ of arms and ammunition worth millions of rupees from the institutions operating under the department’s oversight. The report presented to the Punjab Assembly details the theft, disappearance and non-recovery of arms from police stores in 12 districts. The total value of the missing equipment is reported to exceed Rs245.5 million, none of which has been recovered to date. As per the report, weapons worth over Rs83.4m went ‘missing’ from the Muzaffargarh DPO office between 2021 and 2023; arms and bullets valued at over Rs47.1m are unaccounted for in the DIG Operations Lahore office; weapons worth more than Rs46.8m missing from the Police Office Lahore have not been recovered. Likewise, rifles and ammunition exceeding Rs7.4m value have disappeared from the CPO Multan’s office; the record of rifles issued to various officers in 2009 is missing from the Central Jail Lahore; weapons and equipmen...

The government on Tuesday extended the deadline for expressions of interest in purchasing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to June 13, the privatisation ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The government’s failed first attempt to privatise PIA cost the national exchequer $4.3 million, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatisation was informed on February 26. In March, Privatisation and Investment Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said that the government would complete all the steps to privatise PIA by May , while the pri­vatisation commission approved a transaction structure for the second attempt to privatise the national carrier based on a divestment of 51 to 100 per cent of its shares of capital. The earlier deadline was June 3, with the bidding process expected to take place between October and December. According to a statement from the ministry, the deadline for submission on expressions of interest till 4pm on June 19. Last month, a PIA spokesperson sai...

• Jailed leader’s sister says rumours being spread to keep masses away from holding protest • Claims ex-PM has cautioned PTI leaders against ‘playing from both sides’ • FIA court holds hearing in Bvlgari jewellery set case ISLAMABAD: While PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Monday expressed the hope that Imran Khan will be released before Eidul Azha, the ex-PM’s sister said such rumours were being spread to cool down the nation aimed at keeping them from holding protests. Aleema Khan, while quoting her brother, said that soon a countrywide movement will be launched and asked the party leaders to stop playing from both sides. Barrister Gohar said the legal team was hopeful that cases against the incarcerated leader will be fixed soon and he will be released before Eid. He urged the party workers to remain calm and assured them that all possible efforts were being made to get Imran Khan freed. Aleema Khan while speaking to media outside Adiala Jail disagreed with Barrister ...

A health worker administers polio drops to a child on the first day of a poliovirus eradication campaign in Karachi.—AFP DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two polio workers were abducted by armed assailants in Tank district here on Monday as a five-day polio campaign kicked off across the country. The workers were performing their duties in the Dolat Koruna area of Tank as part of the ongoing vaccination drive. The abducted workers identified as a Union Council official, Sifat Khan, and his colleague Hizbullah. According to police sources, both health workers were on duty when unidentified armed men abducted them and took them to an undisclosed location. Minister calls upon nation to stand united against polio as it did against India Soon after the incident, police launched a search operation in the surrounding areas to trace the abductors and recover the kidnapped workers. According to the KP he­­­­a­lth department spo­k­e­sperson, during this five-day campaign, nearly 7.3 million childr...

DHAKA: Bangladesh began the first trial on Sunday at a special court prosecuting former senior figures connected to the ousted government of Sheikh Hasina. The court in the capital Dhaka accepted a formal charge against eight police officials in connection with the killing of six protesters on Aug 5 last year, the day Sheikh Hasina fled the country as the protesters stormed her palace. The eight men are charged with crimes against humanity. Four are in custody and four are being tried in absentia. “The formal trial has begun,” Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of Bangla­desh’s domestic Internatio­nal Crimes Tribunal (ICT), told reporters. “The prosecution believes that this prosecution will be able to prove the crimes done by the accused,” he said. It is the first formal charge in any case related to the killings during last year’s student-led uprising, which ended Hasina’s iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Up to 1,400 people were killed in July and August last year when Hasina’s governm...

JAKARTA: Chinese Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed Beijing’s ties with Jakarta on Sunday during his visit to Indonesia ahead of a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur. Beijing and Jakarta are key economic allies, with Chinese companies pouring capital into extracting Indonesian natural resources in recent years, particularly in the nickel sector. But the two countries’ disputed claims into the strategic waterways of the South China Sea and its nearby territories have weighed on their relationship in recent years. In a meeting with Indonesian Presi­dent Prabowo Subianto on Sunday, Li said Beijing was keen to advance cooperation with Indonesia. “China is willing to work together with Indonesia... to carry forward our tradition of friendship, and to strengthen solidarity and cooperation,” Li said. Prabowo also echoed Indonesia’s “close and good” friendship with China. “Indonesia is ready to create a safe and prosperous region. Indonesia is ready to strengthen cooperation with China for us to cr...

GUJAR KHAN: Scores of teams from across the country participated in the two-day Jhelum Tent-Pegging Championship 2025 — the first in the history of the Jhelum district to be organised by a female tent-pegger. The event was organised by Arooj Azhar Kiyani, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kingsgate Equine and the first female captain of a tent-pegging team in the country, in collaboration with the Punjab government. A large number of people, including families, gathered to watch the cultural sport, while over 70 tent-pegging teams participated in the event. Talking to Dawn during the event, Ms Kiyani said she felt proud to be the first female tent-pegger in Pakistan, adding that it was not easy for her to make her debut in a male-dominated sport. Speaking of the challenges faced by women in becoming horse riders, especially tent-peggers, the KingsGate CEO said that there was a scarcity of good trainers in the field who could coach young girls to pursue their passion. “Luckily, I...