Pakistan

LAHORE: Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan has ordered that the presiding officers cannot leave the polling stations without preparing and signing Form-45 (result) and handing it to all stakeholders in the upcoming by-election in NA-75, Daska. The CEC issued the direction on Saturday in the wake of the disappearance of 20 presiding officers in NA-75 by-poll held in February last. …

LAHORE: The work for the construction of a convertor station of Central Asia-South Asia power project — commonly known as CASA-1000 — was formally launched at Azakhel Bala, Nowshera. The convertor station is one of the major parts of the 1,270km High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission line originating in Kyrgyzstan and ending in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via Tajikistan and Afghanistan …

ISLAMABAD: A tweet by Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday that the Ramazan moon would be sighted in all major cities on April 13 has once again stirred a controversy as religious circles, including the newly-appointed chairman of Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, expressed their annoyance over his statement. The ministry of religious affairs and the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee had …

• Unlike past when EAC was headed by finance minister, PM will now lead council • Shaukat Tarin among 13 private members ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reconstituted a 25-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) with the induction of prominent businessmen, including former finance minister Shaukat Tarin, to ensure availability of best possible professional advice to the government on its …

• Guidelines issued to stay safe from Covid during Ramazan • 594 more oxygen beds provided to healthcare facilities ISLAMABAD: As over 4,700 more people have been infected with coronavirus, the National Co­mmand and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued guidelines for Ramazan, banning entry of people older than 50 years and ado­lescents in mosques/imambargahs for Namaz and Tara­weeh and advising …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday sought the report of inter-ministerial committee constituted to examine the social media rules. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, while hearing identical petitions filed against the implementation of “Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards), Rules 2020” appreciated the Prime Minister’s initiative to constitute the high level committee and …

ISLAMABAD: Seven more areas in the capital were on Friday sealed due to a sharp increase in the Covid-19 cases. These areas are Bahria Town Phase II and III, Sooan Garden Block B, PWD Blolck C, Korang Town, Pakistan Town Phase I, National Police Foundation Block A and DHA Phase II sector A, B, D and E. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad …

LAHORE: The Punjab government has withdrawn a notification that had “erroneously” taken back the notification issued to establish south Punjab secretariats in September last year. It also withdrew the notification amending rules of business for south Punjab. With regard to issuance of withdrawal notification about the south Punjab secretariats on March 29, Governor Chaudhry Sarwar had immediately denied that his …

LAHORE: Coronavirus has wreaked much more havoc in the first three months of this year in Punjab as compared to the whole of last year that saw two peaks of the infection. The new UK variant of the virus has particularly contributed to the damage in the largest province as it spreads 70 per cent faster than the previous one. …

ISLAMABAD: While educational institutions are still unsure of resuming classes after April 11, the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is firmed to hold the exam of under-training officers of three service cadres from April 12. According to the schedule for final passing-out examination 2021, under-training officers of Information Group, Postal Group and Police Service of Pakistan will commence on April …