Pakistan

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday warned police and the district administration of legal consequences on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against the authorities for blocking Sir Shah Suleman Road near the National Stadium during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in defiance of an earlier court order. Led by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, a two-judge bench …

LAHORE: An antiterrorism court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to 20 PTI activists in the Jinnah House attack case of May 9 riots. Judge Naveed Iqbal allowed the bail petitions of Ramzan Haider and other suspects subject to furnishing surety bonds. Sarwar Road police had registered the case against the leaders and workers of PTI on charges of attacking the …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court closed on Monday the hearing of a presidential reference seeking to revisit the 1979 controversial death sentence awarded to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. A nine-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, said the court would announce a short order on the reference in a couple of days after consultation since one of …

ISLAMABAD: The state-owned electronic media on Monday continued blocking speeches made by members of National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to the opposition. However, the authorities concerned expressed ignorance about the decision to black out the opposition. Leaders of PTI, who are sitting under the banner of Sunni Itehad Council (SIC) in the lower house of parliament, have announced to submit a …

GILGIT: One person was killed after being hit by falling debris during a landslide in Astore Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, on Monday, as heavy rain and snowfall continue to disrupt life in the region, parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, main highways connecting GB with other parts of the country and several inter-district roads remain blocked for the fourth consecutive day on Monday. …

ISLAMABAD: After the Election Commission of Pa­k­istan decided against the allocation of reserved seats to the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for “having non-curable legal defects and violation of mandatory provision of submission of the party list for reserved seats”, the PTI decided to approach the Supreme Court against the 4-1 decision of the election watchdog. The announcement of the decision coincided …

ISLAMABAD: Amidst fiery spee­ches, the National Assembly on Mon­­day witnessed a glimmer of hope as members sitting on the opposition and treasury benches seemed to find common ground over the formation of judicial commissions on a number of tho­r­ny issues, including alleged rigging in the Feb 8 elections, the incidents of May 9 and the cipher controversy. While Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal …

ISLAMABAD / PESHA­WAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was administered oath to the coveted office of the country’s chief executive by President Arif Alvi in a ceremony at the President House, in which KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Ganda­pur was conspicuous by his absence amid allegations of election rigging by his party, the PTI. Soon after assuming charge of his office, PM …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the information ministry on a plea challenging the “ban” on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Access to X has been disrupted in many areas of Pakistan since February 17, when former Rawal­pindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha accused the chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan of …

ISLAMABAD: Amid controversy over the extension of a 20MW hydropower project to 40MW, the Centre is facilitating the Gilgit-Baltistan administration to set up an energy regulatory authority and an energy development organisation for exploitation of hydropower potential in the region. Informed sources told Dawn that a recent meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) deferred the approval of the 40MW Hydropower …