LAHORE: Beleaguered Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz has refused to step down after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday de-seated 25 dissident lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) who voted for him in the CM’s election, while the opposition PTI-PML-Q alliance sees a run-off election in the coming days claiming Hamza cannot “illegally” hold the office for long. …

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says the United States and Pakistan must move beyond past tensions over Afghanistan and are entering a new engagement after years of strained relations under former prime minister Imran Khan. Bhutto Zardari spoke in an interview with The Associated Press in New York, where he was attending meetings this week on the global food crisis at UN …

The government on Saturday appointed Dr Akbar Nasir Khan as the new inspector general of police (IGP) for the federal capital, replacing Mohammad Ahsan Younas. “Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, a BS-20 officer of Police Service of Pakistan, presently serving in National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), is transferred and posted as Inspector General, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police, under Interior Division, …

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed ministries to raise the violation of Kashmiri leader Mohammed Yasin Malik’s human rights after his conviction by an Indian court in a terror financing case — which she described as unfair. Malik, who leads the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, had been charged with ‘terrorist acts’, …

A special court in Lahore extended on Saturday the interim bail of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz until May 28 in the hearing of a Rs16 billion money laundering case against them. However, presiding judge of the Special Court (Central-I), Ijaz Hassan Awan, issued arrest warrants for Suleman Shahbaz, Tahir Naqvi and Malik Maqsood in …

Former federal minister and PTI secretary general Asad Umar on Saturday warned that if an attempt was made to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan or threaten his life, then neither the party leadership, nor Imran himself would be able to stop party workers from reacting. Talking to the media in Islamabad, he shared that he received a call from …

President Arif Alvi has asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reconsider his advice to the former about the appointment of a new Punjab governor, maintaining that Omar Cheema, who was removed from the post on May 9, still holds the office and “there is no occasion to propose a new appointment”. According to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat on Saturday, …

Former human rights minister and PTI leader Shireen Mazari was “beaten and taken away by male police officers”, her daughter Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir tweeted on Saturday. “All I have been told is that Anti-Corruption Wing Lahore has taken her,” she added. Officials of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) confirmed to Dawn.com that Shireen had been taken into custody. In footage of her …

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard stars align in odd ways, says famous astrologer. Kyle Thomas notes that Depp and Heard have a tremendous attraction towards them, due to their mutual desire for money and intimacy. The couple, however, is equally equipped of hurting one another. He writes for New York Post: “Johnny Depp is not inherently a bad human being. …

Kate Middleton and Tom Cruise connection at the Top Gun Maverick premiere made Prince William take a back seat, says body language expert. Judi James reveals the Duke of Cambridge became the second fiddle to Kate Middleton and Tom Cruise’s party of two. She began: “As William was sweetly climbing into his fan-boy shoes complete with embroidered, Top Gun-style jets …