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ISLAMABAD: The PML-N government on Sunday appointed Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar — a close confidant of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif — as the deputy prime minister, in a move that took many by surprise, but drew hardly any criticism from its allies. According to a notification by the Cabinet Divi­sion, the appointment was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “with immediate …

Four terrorists were killed by security forces in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, the media’s military wing said on Monday. A press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation took place last night on the reported presence of terrorists in the area. “Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location as a result of …

Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Babar Sattar on Monday dismissed pleas filed by the Pa­k­­­istan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) seeking his recusal from a case pertaining to audio leaks. A similar plea was also filed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), on which Justice Sattar summoned its joint director Tariq …

In a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Commerce Minister Majid Al Kasabi on Monday said Pakistan was the kingdom’s “priority” for investment and trade as per the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Radio Pakistan reported. The meeting between the two took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) special meeting in Riyadh. The Saudi minister …

QUETTA: The striking transporters, who had suspended operations on the Quetta-Taftan and other routes for the last one week, demanding the cancellation of new SOPs and the removal of newly established checkpoints following the tragic incident in Noshki, have threatened to block all national highways linking Balochistan with other provinces if their demands are not met within the next 48 …

KARACHI: While the Supreme Court has ordered the authorities to remove within three days encroachments from all roads and footpaths, people feared that civic authorities would again allegedly misuse the apex court’s directives to uproot thousands of people earning their livelihoods in and around hundreds of small and big markets in the city without giving them sufficient time and compensation. Back in …

ISLAMABAD: As Punjab keeps on delaying the local government (LG) elections, an apparently helpless Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has once again taken up the matter with the provincial government. Under Article 140-A of the Constitution and Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, the ECP is bound to hold elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of …

ISLAMABAD: Claiming that the US State Department’s report on human rights in Pakistan substantiated PTI’s submissions and contentions after the regime change, the party on Saturday alleged that “lawlessness and fascism” pervaded in the country during the past two years. Addressing a press conference along with PTI Senator Walid Iqbal and Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi, party’s central information secretary Raoof Hasan …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an increase in the wheat procurement target from 1.4 million tonnes to 1.8 million tonnes after protests by farmers over delays in the grain’s buying process. PM Shehbaz has also dir­­ected the Pakistan Agri­­c­u­ltural Storage and Services Corporation Limited (Passco) — the national grain procurement and storage agency — to ensure swift buying to help …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday emphasised the need for making concerted efforts on part of the police force to shift its investigation techniques by introducing and relying on forensic science and accordingly train specialised officers in this field. “The cornerstone of criminal justice system is the effective functionality of the investigating agency and prosecution since a faulty investigative process …