ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has claimed that economic policies of the government have completely failed and the country faces an unprecedented economic crisis. Addressing a press conference along with Marriyum Aurangzeb and Musaddiq Malik on Thursday, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that everyone should think seriously about the future of the country after government spokesman on …

ISLAMABAD/WASHING­­TON: The Foreign Office on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s remarks on ties with Pakistan and said the government was keenly waiting for the engagement at the highest level. “We look forward to positive engagement with the US at the leadership level,” FO spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said at the weekly media briefing. He was giving his reaction to …

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday reconstituted a new five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the 2014 Model Town incident. The team will be headed by Inspector General of National Highways & Motorways Police (NH&MP) Allah Dino Khwaja. The members of the committee included a representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Mohammad Attiqueuz Zaman, a representative of …

ISLAMABAD: Accusing the government of playing havoc with the economy and pursuing a policy of witch-hunt and rejecting what it described as the government’s plan to introduce a mini-budget, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Thursday asked the government to mend its ways or be ready to face the music. “We do not want confrontation, but want to see political …

LAHORE: Consumers in many urban and rural areas of Punjab faced a terrible situation for a second consecutive day on Thursday after different power plants, transmission lines and grid stations tripped again either due to dense fog or technical fault, forcing major power distribution companies (Discos) to resort to shutdowns and load management for several hours. As the tripped plants …

ISLAMABAD: The Cen­tral Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday cleared a revised $986 million polio eradication programme and deferred a decision on a Rs48 billion small dam project in Sindh due to unresolved issues. The CDWP meeting was presided over by Minister for Planning and Develop­ment Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar and attended by representatives of relevant federal ministries and provincial governments. …

SYDNEY: Test skipper Tim Paine on Wednesday urged Australia’s public to give the disgraced Steve Smith and David Warner a second chance, saying he hoped ‘they’re welcomed back’ into the national team. The pair’s year-long ban for ball-tampering is due to expire at the end of March and they are widely expected to be rushed back into a side that …

LAHORE: While declaring that blunders were committed in running Pakistan hockey during the past 15 years, newly-appointed associate secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Ayaz Mahmood on Wednesday said with improved strategy and planning the country could regain its position in world hockey. Former Olympian Ayaz has been appointed as PHF associate secretary on ad hoc basis to run the …

SYDNEY: India reversed their decision on Wednesday to rule out top spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the fourth Test against Australia, while pace spearhead Ishant Sharma was mysteriously missing from their 13-man squad. Indian officials had earlier told reporters Ashwin had not recovered from an abdominal strain that has kept him out of the last two Tests, and skipper Virat Kohli …

CAPE TOWN: South Africa are to keep up their pace barrage of Pakistan’s frail batting line-up as captain Faf du Plessis said that fast bowler Duanne Olivier will be retained for the second Test at Newlands starting here on Thursday. Pakistan, meanwhile, will have their premier seamer Mohammed Abbas back from injury and playing one batsman short against a touring …