Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Sunday rejected the recently promulgated Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Ordinance by declaring it a step towards dictatorship in the council and urged the government to withdraw it. The association also appealed to lawmakers to reject the ordinance in parliament. Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, PMA Secretary …

ISLAMABAD: Electronic waste —mainly personal computers, monitors, televisions and wiring — imported as scrap is being burned in the open in the outskirts of the capital, polluting the ground and air. According to a source in the Ministry of Climate Change, electronic waste is being imported without following international guidelines. This is particularly alarming, he said, since Pakistan is signatory …

KARACHI: The weather in the city turned pleasant after many areas received light rain on Sunday evening. The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast more rain in the city on Monday (today). A weatherman said that Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, University Road, Bahadurabad, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Burnes Road, Defence, Malir, Federal B Area and other parts of the city received light rain while it …

ISLAMABAD: After three days of deliberations in the light of the Supreme Court’s orders, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal has referred the fake bank accounts and money laundering case to the bureau’s Rawalpindi office. Now Rawalpindi NAB Director General Irfan Mangi, who was a member of the joint investigation team (JIT) in Panama Papers leak case against former …

LARKANA: Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the Sindh president of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday announced that the party would launch province-wide campaign next month against federal government’s attitude towards provincial autonomy and the National Finance Commission. Speaking at a press conference at the local press club, he said PPP would resist tooth and nail the PTI-led government’s moves with regard …

GILGIT: Political parties, students and religious and civil society organisations on Sunday announced starting a joint protest movement for permanent settlement of political status of Gilgit-Baltistan. Protest demonstrations were organised by GB residents in Skardu, Islamabad and Karachi. The protesters rejected the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s judgment regarding the GB status and said if the region cannot be declared a …

LAHORE/QUETTA: A strong westerly wave caused widespread showers across the country along with snowfall over the hills, breaking a long dry spell in Balochistan and bringing the temperature further down on Sunday. The meteorological de­­partment reported snowfall over the hills in northern areas, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan. Except the areas of lower Sindh, most parts of …

PESHAWAR: The organisers of the first-ever women’s cycle rally in Peshawar have resolved to rearrange the event in a month or two after taking the clerics and leaders of various religio-political parties into confidence. The rally, which was to be held on Saturday at Hayatabad sports complex, was cancelled after opposition from some religio-political parties. Speaking at a press conference …

ISLAMABAD: Asserting that rebidding for the Rs309 billion contract of Mohmand dam project should be allowed to ensure transparency in the award of the contract, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif on Friday requested Speaker Asad Qaisar to form a parliamentary committee to investigate the matter. However, Mr Qaisar did not accept the demand for a …

GUJRANWALA: The PML-N central leadership has asked the local party cadres to get united and support Gujranwala Corporation Mayor Sheikh Sarwat Ikram if the opposition brings a no-confidence motion against him. Mr Ikram had been elected as corporation mayor following the last local government elections on PML-N ticket but following the change of governments in centre and province after 2018 …