Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: In rural districts of the country, 48pc of surveyed fifth graders in public and private schools cannot read a sentence in English and 44pc cannot read a story in Urdu, Sindhi or Pashto. This was revealed at the release of the Annual Status of Education Report (Aser) by a private NGO, Idara-i-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) launched on Tuesday. The formal launch …

The National Assembly is set to take up the finance bill in its session, scheduled to start today at 4pm, with opposition planning to give a tough time to the government on a number of key issues — including placement of the name of Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif on the no-fly list, India-Pakistan relations in the wake of Pulwama attack and the recent visit of the Saudi …

A Supreme Court bench on Wednesday took the Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokher to task after he distanced himself from cases initiated by the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) against the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and city’s mayor. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, was hearing a contempt case against ACE that was filed against the body by Lahore …

The National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution strongly rejecting “baseless Indian allegations” that sought to link Pakistan — without an investigation and “any shred of evidence” — to the Pulwama attack that killed more than 40 paramilitary soldiers in occupied Kashmir (IoK). The resolution regarding the “baseless Indian propaganda against Pakistan” in the aftermath of the attack was presented by …

ISLAMABAD: Some social activists on Wednesday requested the Supreme Court to appoint a broad-based and independent commission to investigate whether hundreds of extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out under the supervision of suspended police officer of Karachi Rao Anwar Ahmed Khan involved genuine encounters or not. Dawn Investigations: Rao Anwar and the killing fields of Karachi Filed by senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi, …

ISLAMABAD: Divisions and rifts within the media team of the government surfaced on Wednesday when federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said some special assistants and advisers to the prime minister were backing the Pakistan Television managing director who was taking a huge salary package despite the financial crisis PTVwas facing. During a visit to PTV Centre, the minister said the bleak financial condition …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday reserved its decision on a petition seeking suspension of the seven-year sentenceawarded to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference. Mr Sharif has sought suspension of the sentence and subsequent release on bail on medical grounds. An IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani reserved …

ISLAMABAD: The embassy of the Republic of Korea on Friday gave the Department of Archaeology and Museums $50,000 worth of equipment for conservation, preservation and treatment of artifacts. These included stereo-microscope, humidity/environment control equipment, racks for storing antiquity and ultrasonic cleaners to clean metal objects and plant to produce distilled water. “The equipment will surely be instrumental in promoting the …

Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of the arrest of Dr Abdus Samad, director of archaeology and museums in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and said that the body’s chairman should take action against those responsible for the “disgraceful act” “The NAB Chairman should take action against those in his institution who are responsible for this disgraceful …

Two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were martyred while a civilian passerby was injured in a firing incident in Loralai city in Balochistan on Saturday, police officer Nasir Shah told . “This was a targeted killing”, Shah said. While speaking to DawnNewsTV over the phone, the police officer said unknown miscreants had opened fire on the two security personnel in the Majeed Market area …