Pakistan

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday deferred its plan to impose a ‘soft curfew’ on Wednesdays after reviewing smog situation in the provincial metropolis. Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a cabinet meeting with regard to Wednesday holiday to review smog eradication measures. Punjab Information and Culture Minister Amir Mir addressed a press conference at the Directorate General Public …

GILGIT: Preparations are in full swing for the long-awaited local bodies elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, marking the first time in 18 years that such elections would take place in the region. According to GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan, elections are scheduled to be held in the last week of November. The delimitation of constituencies is currently in progress, with …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered its office to provide complete information about its staff strength to a private citizen within a week, saying the top court falls within the purview of Article 19A of the Constitution under which the information of public importance can be sought. At the same time, the Supreme Court also made it clear that …

A Lahore anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday dismissed PTI Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid’s bail plea in a case pertaining to vandalism at the Shadman police station during the May 9 riots. Imran’s arrest on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case had resulted in widespread violence and saw important military installations come under attack, on the basis of which the state had …

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) domestic flight operations were badly affected, as 14 flights were cancelled and four others delayed due to a halt in the supply of fuel to the airline, over non-payment of dues on Monday. According to official sources, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has stopped the supply of fuel to the national flag carrier over the issue …

The special court on Tuesday adjourned the indictment of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case till October 23. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from office. The PTI chief was convicted and sentenced to three years in …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday invited China to invest in solar parks to support Pakistan’s fight against climate change and help reduce Pakistan’s energy import bill. The interim premier reached Beijing on Monday to participate in the 3rd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for Inter­national Cooperation. At the airport, he was received by Chinese Min­ister of Science & Techno­logy …

RAWALPINDI: A day-old baby was kidnapped from the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) but was recovered within a few hours by the police on Sunday. According to police, the baby was recovered from a couple who lived in Jhanda Chichi in the Civil Lines area. The suspect worked as a waiter in a hotel in Chaklala Scheme III while his wife …

KARACHI: A power breakdown plunged the entire airport area into darkness a little after midnight intervening on Sunday and Monday. Civil Aviation Authority officials, when contacted some 15 minutes after the breakdown, told Dawn that due to some technical reasons, the generators did not took over automatically after the breakdown that caused delay in the supply of alternative power. They said it …

QUETTA: The Balochis­tan home and tribal affairs department has prohibited public gatherings and rallies and banned the blocking of main avenues and highways in Red Zone across the province under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. As per a home department notification released on Sunday, an immediate ban on gathering of five or more individuals has been implemented on …