Pakistan

In a startling turn of events, President Arif Alvi said on Sunday that he did not sign the bills amending the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act into law as he “disagreed with these laws”. He alleged that his staff “undermined” his will and command. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Alvi said: “As …

ISLAMABAD: In a significant move, caretaker interior minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday placed a ban on the issuance of arms licences. The order was passed by the interior minister soon after formally assuming charge of his office. Weeks before the end of the coalition government term, the lawmakers in the National Assembly on several occasions had strongly protested over the delay in …

TOBA TEK SINGH: An additional district and sessions judge on Friday sent the 128 suspects allegedly involved in the attacks on churches and the Christian localities of Jaranwala on physical remand for two days. The Jaranwala City police produced the suspects before the judge and sought two days physical remand of all of them. Sources said that after the judge …

ISLAMABAD: The capital police booked Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) UK-based supporters and others under separate charges, including Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), for chasing and maligning a judge who had convicted former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case. A case was registered with Ramna police station under ATA against Shayan Ali, Sarah Mir, Imran Khalil and Adil Farooq Raja in response …

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal government on Friday made a massive reshuffle in the top bureaucracy and transferred more than two dozen officials, presently serving in grade 21-22, apparently on a directive of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). A source in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) confirmed to Dawn that the reshuffle was made on the ECP directives. With the latest move, …

PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mohammad Azam Khan on Friday picked his new cabinet comprising nine ministers and two advisers and a special assistant to him. The administration department is yet to notify the caretaker cabinet having four members from the last. The oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place today (Saturday). The ministers-designate include Syed Masud Shah, …

“WE were all still sleeping when the announcements were made in mosque loudspeakers at about 5am, inciting the people against us (Christians). As soon as we heard the announcements, we ran for our lives,” Parveen Bibi tells Dawn in between sobs. Her house was situated behind the Catholic Church — one of the oldest churches in the Christian Colony of Jaranwala — …

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet at its maiden meeting on Friday decided to reduce the caretaker government’s spending in view of the prevailing economic conditions, and acknowledged that it was also its responsibility not to waste the taxpayers’ money. Addressing the meeting, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar noted that while Pakistan’s economic challenges were considerable, the interim government would try …

ISLAMABAD: A day after it effectively stated that elections cannot be held in 2023, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) came under fire from political leaders, lawyers bodies and civil society for using delimitation “as an excuse for delaying the nationwide exercise”. On Thursday, ECP issued the schedule to carry out delimitation as per the Digital Census 2023, notified by the PDM government days …

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: Caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday delivered a forceful rebuke to elements involved in the ransacking and burning of churches in Jaranwala earlier this week, even as senior officials cast doubts on the veracity of the blasphemy allegations that prompted the melee. “The Pakistani state and society does not align and identify with such elements. …