Karachi is perennially hot and sticky, but this summer has been hotter and stickier than usual. As I set out hoping to ride on the newly-inaugurated Peoples’ Bus Service, the season’s first major monsoons are still a day or two away, which means breathing through sheets of stifling humidity. I’ve only walked 50 yards to the Nursery bus stop, but …

BAJAUR: A jirga of elders of the Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur tribal district on Saturday banned women from visiting tourist/picnic spots, and announced that if the government didn’t implement the decision by Sunday (today) the jirga members would take it upon themselves to impose it. The all-male jirga (tribal council), held at the hilly Danqool area, was organised by the …

WASHINGTON: President Arif Alvi has said that the present government, like its predecessors, is trying to improve relations with the US and Pakistani Americans should support this effort. “Pakistan belongs to all and all parties, when in power, have tried to maintain close relations with the United States,” the president told the annual convention of the Association of Pakistani Physicians …

ISLAMABAD: Over 11,000 proclaimed offenders and court absconders are wanted to the capital police in connection with various criminal activities, including terrorism, murder, rape, kidnapping, robberies and thefts. Officials of the capital police told Dawn on condition of anonymity that out of the total 4,480 were proclaimed offenders (POs) and 7,100 were court absconders. The number of POs rose to 4,480 from …

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ‘s former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry alleges that the Election Commission of Pakistan is working as a ‘PML-N wing’ to ensure rigging and adds that no action is being taken though the party has submitted constituency-wise complaints. Speaking at a press conference flanked by former ministers Shaukat Tarin and Hammad Azhar and Sentaor Ejaz Chaudhry here on …

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday called for creating an enabling environment to ensure participation and inclusion of women in economic, business, trade and industrial sectors on a fast-track basis. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peshawar (WCC&IP) led by its president, Shahida Parveen, at Aiwan-i-Sadr. Welcoming the …

KARACHI: Contrary to their previous claim that the case pertaining to kidnapping of teenage Dua Zehra and her marriage was false, police on Saturday informed a sessions court that 24 persons, including her purported husband Zaheer Ahmed, had been found involved in abducting her from Karachi and shifting her to Punjab, where they solemnised the illegal child marriage. The investigating …

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has expressed reservations over the security detail deployed to protect him. A senior capital police officer told Dawn on condition of anonymity that CEC Raja recently called the inspector general of police (IGP) and deputy inspector general of police (DIG) to his office and expressed displeasure over the security detail provided to him at …

• PTI chief urges generals to take ‘U-turn’ on support for PML-N govt • Says gulf between people, army will only weaken the institution • Claims he never ordered journalists’ abduction, curbs on media ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday deplored the imbalance in civil-military relations, as he blamed previous PPP and PML-N governments for ceding space …

• Late-night resignation means Hamza now needs 11 seats to win CM election • Punjab govt arrests alleged PTI worker for ‘buying votes’ • Army to act as ‘Quick Reaction Force’ in case of law, order situation LAHORE: The Sharifs’ Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) are both bracing for a high-stakes provincial assembly election on …