Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda’s brash response to a senior journalist’s question led to the cancellation of a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday. The situation unfolded when Dawn’s senior reporter Khaleeq Kiani questioned the government’s decisionto award the Rs300 billion Mohmand dam project on a “single” financial bid of a consortium comprising three firms — Descon, the company owned by the Prime …

ISLAMABAD: Circular debt, which stood at Rs1.14 trillion during the term of the previous government, has now increased to Rs1.4 trillion. The energy sector’s circular debt has reached Rs1,362 billion mark, of which Rs755bn is of the Power Holding Company Limited and Rs607bn of Standby Term Finance Facility loans. This was said by Power Division Secretary Irfan Ali while briefing the Public …

LAHORE: Pakistan has urged Iran to explain in-writing its interpretation of sanctions that resulted in a massive delay in completion of the mega Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. “The government has taken up the issue in a recent meeting with the Iranian petroleum ministry’s advisers held in Islamabad. During the meeting, we have asked them to give us a detailed clarity …

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Services Tribunal has held the current and former speakers of the provincial assembly, Asad Qaiser and Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani respectively, for promoting cronyism and nepotism during appointments to the assembly secretariat. “By now it has been established beyond any shadow of doubt that the former and the present Speaker etc. have one point agenda to promote …

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has asked the federal government to pay attention to achieving its revenue target, which he said was already facing a 28 per cent shortfall, instead of indulging in an unconstitutional adventure to topple the provincial government. He said this while talking to reporters during his surprise visit to the Sindh Secretariat on …

The National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday challenged the accountability court’s Dec 24 verdicts in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik on Dec 24 handed Sharif seven years in jail and a fine of Rs1.5 billion and US $25 million in the Al-Aziza reference, and acquitted him in the …

ISLAMABAD: The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) report of Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif shows complications in his spinal disks. A medical board formed by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has decided to examine Mr Sharif once again before deciding that should he undergo a surgery or continue with medication. A member of the board, …

Four coal miners burnt to death as result of a methane gas blast inside a coal mine in Balochistan’s Dukki district on Wednesday morning, less than a week after three miners lost their lives in the same area. The incident occurred in coal-rich Chamalang area of Dukki district. Dukki’s district police officer, Sardar Hashim Khan, said one coal miner sustained serious injuries …

Original post: Dallas police are asking for help locating a 27-year-old last seen in South Dallas. Keylon Leatch (Dallas Police Department) Keylon Leatch was last seen on foot in the 3200 block of Junction street, near Elsie Faye Heggins Street and U.S. Highway 352, around 1:10 a.m. Sunday. Leatch was wearing khaki pants, a gray jacket, and purple high top shoes, …

A woman was killed just before midnight on New Year’s Eve when a shooter opened fire at a Fort Worth gathering. CMH Events DFW, a warehouse event venue in south Fort Worth near I-35W and east Berry Street, was hosting a large New Year’s Eve party, police spokesman Buddy Calzada said. A fight broke out inside, and several people were firing …