Pakistan News

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s team. In April, after having tested as many as six head coaches without any positive results in key international contests during the past two years for the national team, the PCB again advertised the post. Aaqib Javed, the last interim head coach for both formats who had failed to deliver after performing double duties as selector and coach during the past six months, had left the job following this year’s ICC Champions Trophy held in February-March. “The Pakistan Cricket Board today announces Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s team,” a PCB press release read. According to the press release, the former Pakistan all-rounder will serve in this role until the conclusion of his current contract. “A seasoned cricketing mind, Azhar Mahmood steps into the role with an impressive portfolio of experience. Having...

Bangladesh’s biggest port resumed operations on Monday after customs officials called off a strike that had disrupted the export and import of goods for around 48 hours. Sehela Siddiqa, joint tax commissioner and secretary of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Reform Unity Council — a platform of protesting workers — confirmed the resumption of activities at Chittagong and all other ports. “The ports are now fully functional and operating across the country,” Siddiqa told AFP . “All employees have returned to work.” A section of employees at the NBR, the country’s tax collection authority, has been protesting for over a month against a move by the interim government to reform the agency. The government’s proposal includes abolishing the NBR and establishing two separate bodies to handle tax policy formulation and tax collection. Over the weekend, some NBR staff launched what they called a “complete shutdown”, stopping work in a range of departments, including customs. The worke...

At least 22 people, including women and children, were rescued on Monday after part of a building collapsed in Karachi’s Kharadar, rescue officials said. According to information from Edhi and Rescue 1122, no casualties or injuries have been reported at the building, which is located near M Suleman Mithaiwala. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com that the bridge connecting two buildings at the sixth floor had collapsed, leaving residents on higher floors stranded. He noted that the bridge was an old and dilapidated part of the building whose structure may have been weakened in the recent rains . “The building has been vacated and declared unlivable because it might collapse any time,” Khan said. “There were difficulties during the rescue operation as it was an old area of the city where it is difficult to commission snorkels due to the congested locality. “Besides people living in adjoining residential buildings refused to vacate, claiming their building ...

This past week, the Supreme Court’s ‘Constitutional Bench’ — itself still under constitutional challenge — decided to strip the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the single-largest party in Parliament, of its reserved seats. It also went one further: it thought to hand those seats to the ruling coalition. Thus, for the first time in our history, nearly two dozen seats were gifted to the same parties that had lost at the polls. To break this down further: the public’s votes were doled out to those they had voted against. The result is an unelected ‘unity’ regime being handed a two-thirds majority, the very haul it needs to mangle the Constitution in earnest. We know this to be true because of the disaster that has been the 26th Amendment — around last fall, the coalition parties were smarting from their lack of numbers. It was only after months of cajoling or coercing opposition lawmakers that the amendment could be passed — that too as a watered-down version of an even more atrociou...

SAHIWAL: The Okanwala Bangla police has booked two individuals in separate cases for allegedly spreading sectarian hatred and sharing blasphemous content on social media under the newly-amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016. The FIRs were lodged on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Riaz Ahmed of Okanwala police and the suspects were booked under sections 295-A and 298-C of the PPC and section 11 of Peca. According to reports, a resident of Haseeb Town allegedly posted blasphemous content from his social media account, which subsequently went viral within the local community. The content reportedly contained inflammatory sectarian comments, inciting discord among the residents of surrounding rural areas. In the other incident, a resident of village 105/12-L was accused of sharing a video containing sectarian content and using hate speech against religious sects. Police claimed his mobile phone contained a video attacking revered religious figures. Police started inve...

At least two more people died in a rain-related incident in Punjab on Saturday, taking the province’s death toll for the past four days to 14, according to rescue officials and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Monsoon rains across the region offer respite from the summer heat and are vital for agriculture and food security. Weather-related incidents are common during the season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity . Two people died while four were wounded in a roof collapse incident reported at 3:20am in the Abbas Nagar area of Lahore’s Shahdara Town, Rescue 1122 said in a statement today. It noted that the house was single-storied and the roof was made of mud. The bodies were taken to Shahdara Hospital, where some of the injured were also taken, while others wounded were brought to Mayo Hospital. Separately, eight children were among 12 dead while 39 others were injured in various rain-related incidents across Punjab si...

LAHORE: Ecotourism, the country’s pioneering initiative, led by the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department, and developed in accordance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria, marks the first structured effort that offers a unique blend of nature-based experiences, animal conservation, cultural immersion and education, ensuring sustainable tourism that benefits both biodiversity and local communities. Considering the ecological significance of Changa Manga , Uchali Lake and Chashma for their rich flora and fauna, these sites were strategically selected for ecotourism development, officials at the Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Department told Dawn . Mentioning initiatives taken under the spotlight of ecotourism, the officials said the proposed ecotourism development. Changa Manga Forest Reserve, located 80km south of Lahore, spans over 12,500 acres and is one of the world’s largest man-made forests. It is home to a rich variety of native flora and fauna. With the ...

QUETTA: The body of a 14-year-old student, Muhammad Musawir Kakar, who was kidnapped for ransom on November 15, 2024 has been recovered by the police, Quetta DIG Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said on Friday. He revealed that Afghan nationals were involved in the kidnapping. They abducted the boy with the help of local accomplices and later handed him over to the extremist group Daesh, also known as IS, which demanded a ransom of $12m from the victim’s father. The DIG added that after killing the boy, the kidnappers buried his body in the Maro Isplinji area of Mastung district. The grave was located by the police. The body appeared to be over two months old, he said, adding the postmortem report revealed the boy was shot in the chest and head. His identity was confirmed through DNA testing. “We tracked down the kidnappers, raided multiple locations, and eliminated some of them, but unfortunately, we were unable to ensure the safe recovery of the boy, for which we are deeply sorry,” said D...

Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday stressed the “indispensable” role of the civil bureaucracy within governance to probationary civil officers — as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening understanding between Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, according to the military’s media wing. In the wake of recent Indian aggression, Field Marshal Asim Munir has repeatedly appreciated the strategic foresight of the country’s political leadership, and vice versa. On June 18, Field Marshal Asim Munir met with US President Donald Trump in a high-level meeting — marking the first time a US president has hosted top Pakistani military leadership. Today’s engagement is part of a broader initiative to strengthen “institutional synergy and mutual understanding” between Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, according to a statement by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). Field Marshal Asim Munir, while speaking to probationary officers of the 52nd common trainin...

As the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench resumed hearing review petitions in the reserved seats case , Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself from the bench following an objection from senior counsel Hamid Khan. In its July 12, 2024 short order , eight out of 13 judges ruled that 39 out of a list of 80 MNAs were and are the returned candidates of the PTI, setting it to emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly. However, the ruling had not been implemented by the National Assembly , while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had raised some objections . The review petitions against the SC order had been filed by the PML-N , the PPP and the ECP . An 11-member bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan resumed the hearing today. Justice Panhwar noted that Hamid Khan, counsel for the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), had yesterday raised an objection to the bench. “Hamid Khan raised an objection to the inclusion of judges in the bench who came to the Suprem...

China hosted defence ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday, against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending. Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs and has pushed to strengthen collaboration between its member countries in politics, security, trade and science. The Qingdao meeting of the organisation’s top defence officials comes as a fledgling ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds after 12 days of fighting between the arch-foes. It is also being held the day after a summit of Nato leaders in The Hague, where members agreed to ramp up their defence spending to satisfy United States President Donald Trump. Beijing’s ties with Moscow are also in the spotlight. China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russi...

THE HAGUE: Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday likened President Donald Trump to a “daddy” intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the US leader repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week including with a profanity. Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a Nato alliance summit, Trump again berated Israel and Iran. “They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can’t stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it’s easy to stop them,” he said. In response, Rutte laughed and said: “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop.” On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal , Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting “so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing”. With the 32-member Nato alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on US financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he migh...

KARACHI: Four suspected Indian agents were arrested in a raid carried out in the Quaidabad area, police said on Wednesday. The Special Investigation Unit of the Sindh police and an intelligence agency conducted the raid on a tip-off, SIU SSP Mohammed Shoaib Memon said, adding that they had links with the Indian intelligence agency — the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He identified the suspects as Mohammed Khan alias Gullu, Yameen Malah, Akhter Thaheem and Ghulam Qadir alias Akash, and claimed that they were found involved in espionage activities. With their arrest, a plot to carry out terror attacks in the country was foiled, he said. SSP Memon said that two hand grenades, a Kalashnikov, a rifle, two pistols and mobile phones were seized from them. The mobile phones, believed to be containing sensitive digital material, have been sent for a forensic analysis, he said. “The suspects had made videos and captured pictures of the country’s sensitive installations, which they used t...

BOSTON: A federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing his plan to bar foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard University. US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued an injunction barring Trump’s administration from carrying out its latest bid to curtail Harvard’s ability to host international students amid an escalating fight pitting the Republican president against the prestigious Ivy League school. The preliminary injunction extends a temporary order the judge issued on June 5 that prevented the administration from enforcing a proclamation Trump signed a day earlier that cited national security concerns to justify why Harvard could no longer be trusted to host international students. She ruled after Friday’s announcement that his administration could announce a deal with Harvard “over the next week or so” to resolve the White House’s campaign against the university, which has waged a legal battl...

Indian spin great Dilip Doshi has died aged 77, with former cricketers praising a man they said had been a “gentleman to the core”. Doshi died in London on Monday, Indian media reported. The left-arm spinner was already in his thirties when he made his Test debut in 1979, and finished with 114 wickets in 33 matches. Doshi also played 15 one-day internationals for India between 1980 and 1982. Cricket veteran Sachin Tendulkar said Doshi was a “warm-hearted soul”, adding that he “will miss those cricketing conversations”. Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri said that Doshi was “a gentleman to the core and a fine, fine bowler”. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also paid tribute to the former spinner. A bespectacled Doshi carried forward the Indian spin legacy started by the famous quartet of Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar. Doshi bamboozled world batsmen and played English County cricket, with a long stint with N...

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Tuesday it was proposing to designate Google with “strategic market status” to give it greater control over how the United States tech giant operates search services, according to a report by Reuters . According to a press release by the CMA, Britain’s competition regulator, Google search accounts for more than 90 per cent of all general search queries in the UK — with millions of people relying on it as a key gateway to the internet and more than 200,000 businesses in the UK relying on Google search advertising to reach their customers. The CMA said that steps it could take include making it easier for users to access different search providers and ensuring fair ranking principles for businesses appearing on Google search. It also proposed more transparency and control for publishers whose content appeared in search results if it goes ahead with the designation in October. Google will be the first company designated since ...

The year 1990 marked the beginning of America’s “endless wars” in the Middle East. It commenced with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait — before that, US military operations in the region had been short-term or temporary. In the years that followed, ‘coming back home’ for the superpower has become increasingly difficult. Over two decades on, the US once again stood at one of its “ biggest and riskiest foreign policy gamble ”, as Reuters described it. On June 21, the US military bombed Iran’s nuclear sites on the orders of President Donald Trump, directly joining Israel’s war on its regional arch-nemesis. “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said in a televised address from the White House, adding that they targeted the crucial underground nuclear enrichment plant of Fordow along with facilities at Natanz and Isfahan. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the M...

Posts from multiple users on social media platforms since Sunday were sharing two videos, claiming they showed the United States’ attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. However, the videos do not show the US attacks but different instances from 2024. A US airstrike on Sunday, codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer”, targeted and “totally obliterated” Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, President Donald Trump announced. Iran has condemned the strikes as a “barbaric violation” of international law and warned of “everlasting consequences”, including potential unilateral action such as closing the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, an Indian user on X shared a video claiming it showed a US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The footage featured a massive explosion at night, with towering flames and a large plume of smoke rising into the sky. The caption read: “Video footage of the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities has emerged. The intensity and ...

When wedding season comes in India, the phone of child rights activist Tatwashil Kamble never stops ringing with appeals to stop girls from being married off due to poverty. Kamble said he has helped stop thousands of illegal marriages in India, where nuptials before the age of 18 are banned. “The elders of the village think: ‘How dare we come to stop a marriage in their village!’” said Kamble, who has been campaigning for more than a decade in western Maharashtra state. Many families are motivated by poverty to marry off their daughters, so that the girls can start earning their own living. When activists have sought to stop marriages, “it has led to physical altercations,” according to Kamble. Sometimes they are able to stop the nuptials from taking place, or, if they arrive too late, then the bride is taken to a shelter and supported in deciding on her own future. India accounts for one in three of the world’s child brides , according to the UN children’s agency, with at least...