Pakistan

KARACHI: Sindh’s caretaker Home Minister retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz has become the subject of many memes after he advised people of Karachi to keep their cell phones in “places where they can’t get stolen”. On Monday, the minister spoke to the media during a visit to Nishtar Park to review security arrangements for Cheh­lum. Tal­king to the media there, he …

ISLAMABAD: The power division, along with its subsidiary companies, came under sharp criticism from senators on Tuesday for ongoing inefficiencies, rampant theft and significant losses in the sector, at a time when such shortcomings have led to skyrocketing electricity bills, adversely affecting consumers and fuelling protests across the country. In a meeting of the Senate Stan­ding Committee on Power, presi­ded …

The government announced plans on Wednesday to launch a crackdown on electricity theft, which federal ministers said lead to combined losses of hundreds of billions of rupees and higher bills for the common citizen. Power Minister Muhammad Ali and Information Minister Murtaza Solangi made the announcement and outlined the measures they would be taking during a press conference in Islamabad. …

Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar on Wednesday told a court hearing a plea to locate anchorperson Imran Riaz that police would deliver “good news” in the next few days, following which his request for more time to find the journalist was accepted. Riaz’s whereabouts remain unknown since his arrest at the Sialkot airport on May 11 — two days after violent …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said on Wednesday that the entire nation stood united alongside the country’s armed forces to thwart “evil designs” against Pakistan’s prosperity and integrity. The premier made the remarks as the nation marked its 58th Defence Day to commemorate the sacrifices of fallen heroes during the 1965 war. The day dawned with 31-gun salute at …

An Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday granted the capital police two-day physical remand of PTI President Parvez Elahi in a newly emerged terror case dating back to March 18. The development comes a day after Elahi was re-arrested hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and directed his …

KARACHI: An accountability court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to incumbent Sindh Assem­bly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in a case pertaining to accumulating Rs1.61 billion assets allegedly through illegal sources. Mr Durrani, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in an Islamabad hotel on Feb 20, 2019 for investigation into his alleged movable and …

CHITRAL: The chickenpox outbreak has turned to an epidemic in Upper Chitral district as the number of infected persons has increased exponentially over the last two days with the disease also breaking out in the Mulkhow tehsil. Confirming the alarming position of the contagious disease in Upper Chitral, district coordinator of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Wali Khan said …

SHANGLA: The family of a Shangla resident, who was arrested in India over illegal entry, on Monday claimed that Faiz Mohammad hadn’t been in contact with it since Aug 24. It added that it learned about the arrest of the 24-year-old from the media. Indian media reported that Hyderabad police took Faiz Mohammad into custody for illegally entering the country …

TOBA TEK SINGH: A Christian priest was shot at and injured by an unidentified suspect in Fai­sal­abad on Sunday night. Sources said Reverend Father Eleazar Sidhu, who serves at Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil, was discharged from hospital on Monday afternoon with a dressing on his hand. In an FIR lodged under Sections 324 (attempt to murder) and 34 …