Pakistan

GILGIT: Snow leopards, commonly known as the ounce, are on the brink of extinction in Pakistan due to human conflict and impact of climate change, with experts confirming a declining population. Pakistan is among just 12 countries hosting these elusive cats, with 80 per cent of their habitat situated in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Haidar Raza, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) …

ISLAMABAD: At a time when caretaker governments are in place in the centre and all four provinces, the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) has raised questions over their utility and purpose. When the Constitution has vested the responsibility of holding transparent elections with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), what was the purpose of interim governments, asked CJP Qazi Faez …

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday summoned the interior secretary to appear in person on Nov 13 to explain why PTI chief Imran Khan could not be produced for a contempt hearing. The development came as a four-member ECP bench, led by Sindh member Nisar Ahmed Durrani, conducted a hearing on the matter of contempt of ECP and the …

KARACHI: While a Karachi University official claimed that the research student, whose body was found in the hostel of the HEJ Research Institute a day ago, died of “natural causes”, the police surgeon said that the exact cause of Mukhtiar Ali’s death is yet to be determined, it emerged on Tuesday. The body of 25-year-old Ali, an MPhil student, was found in …

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: After the Punjab caretaker government suspended the sentence of Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference, two major political parties — the PPP and the PTI — took exception to this decision and termed it a transgression on the part of the provincial administration. In a statement, PTI legal affairs spokesperson Barrister Gohar Khan claimed that the Punjab caretaker government directly attacked …

An Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday issued perpetual arrest warrants for nine PTI leaders in a case relating to violence outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC). Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain issued arrest warrants for Hammad Azhar, Shibli Faraz, Murad Saeed, Omar Ayub Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur. Perpetual arrest warrants were also issued for Ali Nawaz Awan, Hassaan Khan …

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development on Monday, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet greenlighted a substantial hike in natural gas prices, escalating by up to 194 per cent which will be implemented from Nov 1. In addition to this, consumers will also witness an unprecedented surge in fixed monthly charges, up to 3,900pc for protected and non-protected consumers. Caretaker …

A Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court on Tuesday extended PTI President Chaudhry Parvez judicial remand till November 21 in the Judicial Complex attack case. Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Elahi said the PML-N would face the repercussions of the 16 months of the previous government in the elections. He made the remarks when asked to comment on Nawaz’s return. He also …

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday denied physical remand of PTI activist and fashion designer Khadija Shah to the police in a third case related to the May 9 riots, while the Lahore High Court directed the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) to explain her arrest after bail in two cases. Hearing a contempt of court petition, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of …

RAWALPINDI: Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was admitted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) on Monday after complaints of chest pain and breathing problems. According to doctors, the former minister has undergone ECG and other tests. Mr Ahmed would remain under observation for some time, and more tests would be conducted on Tuesday. If the test reports are …