Pakistan

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker government has decided to put an end to the entitlement of the entire population of the province to full free treatment on Sehat Card Plus. The government has decided to provide cashless healthcare services to only 65 per cent residents of the province while the remaining will have pay a certain portion of the amount …

NAROWAL: Sialkot police on Thursday foiled a suicide bid and rescued a mother of four who jumped into the canal over poverty. Sialkot District Police Spokesman Khurram Shahzad said helpline 15 received a call that a woman had jumped into the canal from Daska Bridge to commit suicide. A Daska city police team was asked to reach the spot. The …

PESHAWAR: As part of a crackdown on illegal forex trade and smuggling of US dollars, the Federal Investigation Agency on Thursday raided multiple shops in Chowk Yadgar here, the province’s largest currency market. More than 45 shops were closed in the “hub of illegal currency business” in Peshawar, according to FIA deputy director Afzal Khan Niazi. “No one can deal …

CHITRAL: The Jamaat-i-Islami on Thursday held a “peace jirga” here to discuss the situation emanating from the intrusion of the banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban’s militants into border areas of Chitral and their attack on the check posts of security forces in Astoi and Jinjiret Koh areas. The participants included political activists and members of other walks of life. The jirga later issued a …

ISLAMABAD: Dr Arif Alvi is on course to become the country’s fourth democratically elected president to complete a five-year term, with his tenure officially ending today (Friday). The three presidents before Dr Alvi who completed their full terms were Chaudhary Fazal Elahi (fifth president, from 1973 to 1978), Asif Ali Zardari (11th, from 2008 to 2013), and Mamnoon Hussain (12th, …

KHYBER: The Torkham border crossing remained closed for a second day on Thursday after clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan border forces, leading to a build-up of trucks laden with goods. The border crossing — the main transit point for travellers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan — had shut on Wednesday after a gun battle erupted between border forces, with both …

ISLAMABAD: The Senate secretariat, in an unprecedented move, has rejected a requisition of the house to discuss the recent Jaranwala mayhem, even as the Supreme Court is set to take up an application seeking cognisance of the tragic incident on Friday (today). The reason for the rejection, which left many red-faced, has been said to be “unmatched signatures” of some of …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday rejected the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government’s objections to the bench hearing a set of pleas challenging the constitution of a three-judge commission set up to probe the veracity of audio leaks that had implicated politicians as well as judges of the top court and their family members. Justice Ijazul Ahsan announced the …

An Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday sent PTI President Parvez Elahi to jail on 14-day judicial remand in a case pertaining to the March 18 riots outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC). The March 18 events were marred by clashes between the police and PTI workers amid party chairman Imran Khan’s appearance at the FJC in a hearing for the Toshakhana …

GILGIT: Award-winning Russian climber Dmitry Golovchenko died at Gasherbrum IV (7,925 metres) on Wednesday while his partner Sergey Nilov was injured. Nilov was airlifted to Skardu by Pakistan Army helicopters. Gasherbrum IV is the 17th highest mountain on earth and the sixth highest in Pakistan. Dmitry Golovchenko and Sergey Nilov set out from their base camp via the extremely demanding …