ISLAMABAD: The National Economic Council (NEC) on Monday formally decided to bar financing to provincial development projects from federal resources from coming fiscal year, except for merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 20 least developed districts (LDDs) of other provinces. A meeting of the NEC, presided over by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, was attended by the chief ministers …

ISLAMABAD: Announcing that the printing of ballot papers for upcoming general elections will be completed by Feb 2, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday said it has started dispatching ballot papers to respective districts by air and by road with the help of security personnel. The ECP’s spokesman, Syed Nadeem Haider, in a statement said that preparations for …

ISLAMABAD: As the Supreme Court emphasised journalists should not be booked over a social media campaign against superior judges, Attor­ney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan assured the apex court that criminal cases will not be registered against reporters since “honest criticism” of a judgement was not a crime. Led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a three-member bench also …

Interim Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Tuesday said that six militants were killed after security for­ces thwarted three terror attacks in the province’s Mach town last night. Security for­ces had thwarted three “coordinated attacks” launched by terrorists using rockets and sophisticated weapons in Mach town on Monday night, some 70km from the provincial capital, officials said. While Achakzai had initially attributed …

DERA GHAZI KHAN: PTI leader Zartaj Gul Wazir made a sudden appearance here at Kalma Chowk and her party supporters enthusiastically welcomed her, showering flower petals on her. Asserting that she held legal guarantees from the Multan High Court, Zartaj Gul said she was getting unfair treatment in Dera Ghazi Khan as her political groups were freely holding rallies but …

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) full bench on Monday allowed an opportunity to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit a reply to a petition of former prime minister Imran Khan challenging his jail trial in a contempt case by the commission. The bench, comprising Justice Aalia Neelum, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural, heard …

Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has improved by seven spots from 140 out of 180 countries in 2022 to 133 in 2023, Transparency International said in a report on Tuesday. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources and uses a …

A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United …

Ashley Park, star of “Emily in Paris,” recently took to her Instagram to express her gratitude for the support of friends and family during her hospitalization due to critical septic shock. The actress faced tonsillitis complications that escalated into septic shock, impacting multiple organs negatively. In a series of images shared on Sunday, January 28, Park showcased Lily Collins and …

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake recounted a humorous incident involving NFL player Travis Kelce that resulted in an unexpected injury. Timberlake shared the story of playing golf with Kelce and his teammate Patrick Mahomes during a tournament in Las Vegas. Fallon, who also participated, humorously reflected on his own golfing skills during …