ISLAMABAD: The government’s polio eradication efforts are apparently failing to achieve the desi­red results as more environmental samples have tested positive for the virus in the first five months of 2024 than in the entire preceding year. A recent stakeholders meeting for polio eradication in Qatar also noted that Pakis­tan’s situation was worse than Afghanistan. The current year’s tally of environmental samples …

KARACHI: With ownership of more than 250 beach huts spread along the city’s coastline, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is earning a mere Rs16,000 per year in rent for each hut. Meanwhile, many of these huts are being used for commercial purposes, with contractors renting out these facilities at rates ranging from Rs300,000 to Rs400,000 per day. This fresh claim …

ISLAMABAD: A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), accompanied by Rawalpindi police, raided the offices of Bahria Town in Rawalpindi, officials privy to the development said on Tuesday. Though there was no official word from NAB or other authorities, some officials in the accountability bureau confirmed the development on the condition of anonymity. NAB spokesperson Birj Lal expressed ignorance …

NORTH WAZIRISTAN/SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Some unidentified terrorists torched a girls’ middle school in the Razmak tehsil of North Waziristan district, while a police officer escaped unhurt in a remote-control bomb attack targeting his vehicle in South Waziristan district on Tuesday. Officials said that there were no casualties in the two incidents. An official told Dawn that on Monday night some unidentified attackers entered …

ISLAMABAD: A day after acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani promulgated the National Accou­nta­bility (Amendment) Ordi­n­­a­nce to extend maximum period of the physical remand of an accused in white-collar crime from 14 to 40 days, not only the leaders in the ruling PML-N but one of its allies also rejected the amendment. PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafiq, who has also faced …

LAHORE: A report rele­a­sed by Human Rights Watch has urged parliament to reform the colonial-era Land Acquisition Act in line with international obligations, as the law, frequently used to forcibly evict low-income gro­ups to enable development, exacerbates economic and social inequalities. The 48-page report, I Escaped with Only My Life: Abusive Forced Evictions in Pakistan, released on Tues­day documents widespread and …

RAWALPINDI: Police claimed to have solved the mystery of the murder of a constable seven days after his body was found lying along the roadside in the limits of Kahuta police station, and his wife and her paramour turned out to be the murderers. A police spokesman said that the deceased police constable, Mohammad Saleh’s body, was found lying along …

At least 28 people died and 22 were injured after a bus fell into a ravine in Washuk, Balochistan on Wednesday, according to officials. Speaking to Dawn.com, Basima Assistant Commissioner (AC) Ismail Mengal said the accident occurred when a tyre of the vehicle got burst, which led to it crashing into a hill and then plunging into a ravine. Three women …

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday did not announce its already reserved verdict in the iddat case against former premier Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi while the complainant was assaulted outside the court. The court had reserved the verdict last week on appeals filed by the PTI founder and his wife against their conviction in the iddat case — which was the …

KARACHI: In yet another overture to the powers that be from the embattled party, PTI leader Arif Alvi said on Tuesday that Imran Khan is willing to talk, but only to quarters “who could offer something”, as dialogue with those who had come into power through ‘Form 47s’ would be a fruitless exercise. In a quick interaction with reporters during …