Eight suspected fighters and two Indian soldiers were killed in a series of counterinsurgency operations in occupied Kashmir, police said on Thursday, as many shops were shut in parts of the region to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of popular Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, whose killing triggered open defiance against Indian rule. The deaths in five separate incidents starting …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday restored the president and the chairman of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to their posts by suspending the order that declared their appointments as void. An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq took up appeals of the finance ministry and NBP challenging the single-member bench’s order. Justice …

ISLAMABAD: Police officials investigating the couple harassment case on Thursday said there was a possibility that the arrested suspects were part of a gang involved in organised crime. So far the police have arrested four persons who were seen in a video viral on social media holding a couple at gunpoint, forcing them to strip and then beating them up. The officials …

ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers on the opening day of the new session of the National Assembly on Thursday raised the issue of ongoing protests by intermediate students in various parts of the country against the government’s decision to take their examinations on a short notice and asked the government to delay the examinations to provide more …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued a code of conduct for judicial officers across the province, directing them to avoid using social media. The directives, which were issued on July 8 by the LHC registrar, are addressed to all district and sessions judges in Punjab as well as judicial officers posted on ex-cadre. The instructions come days after Justice …

JOHANNESBURG: Jacob Zuma on Thursday began a 15-month sentence for contempt of court, becoming South Africa’s first post-apartheid president to be jailed after a drama that campaigners said ended in a victory for rule of law. Zuma, 79, reported to prison early on Thursday after mounting a last-ditch legal bid and stoking defiance among radical supporters who had rallied at …

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has assured the United States that peace in Afghan­istan is still winnable as Washington urges Islama­bad to be a “constructive partner” in bringing stability to the war-ravaged country. Addressing the first post-Covid interaction at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan also urged the US and China to work together to promote …

NEW DELHI: Cairn Energy said on Thursday a Paris court had accepted its petition that Indian state-owned assets in the city worth over 20 million euros ($24 million) be frozen, claiming a significant win in its campaign to force the Indian government to pay Cairn billion-dollar damages in a protracted tax dispute. A French tribunal ordered the freeze on some …

Baloch leaders have expressed their reservations about the government’s plan to engage with insurgents in the province, saying that the decision to do so lies with the military leadership only. Speaking on DawnNewsTV show ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’ on Thursday night, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal said he was confused by the premier’s recent statement where he said he was considering …

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Thursday defended his decision to pull US forces out of Afghanistan, saying the Afghan people must decide their own future, rather than sacrificing another generation of Americans in an unwinnable war. Speaking in the White House, Biden said the Afghan military has the ability to repel the Taliban, whose major advances in recent weeks have …