Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to beef up security in six sensitive constituencies of Punjab where by-polls are scheduled to take place on Sunday amidst heightened political tensions. A meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Friday was told that four constituencies in Lahore and one each in Multan and Bhakkar are sensitive. The meeting decided to deploy …

Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday announced a reduction in fares of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Railways (PR), following the recent cut in fuel prices. On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the reduction in an address to the nation. The prime minister had said that as promised, he was passing on to the people …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan by phone on Friday and offered condolences over the death of his nephew. Captain Nauman, Chaudhry Nisar’s nephew, died recently in a road accident in Rawat Chak Bailey Road. According to a statement issued by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Chaudhry Nisar thanked the prime minister for …

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Saturday that she has tested positive for Covid-19 after back-to-back election rallies ahead of the Punjab by-elections tomorrow. “Covid positive,” she shared in a short tweet. The PML-N leader has addressed several rallies in recent days as part of the party’s campaign for the upcoming by-polls in Punjab. This is not the first …

RAWALPINDI: A control room has been established at the district level to monitor the by-elections for the Punjab Assembly seat (PP-7) of Kahuta-Kallar Syedan on July 17. Moreover, special security personnel have been deployed in 76 polling stations that have been categorised as ‘sensitive’. As many as 133 motorcycles and eight vehicles have also been provided at the polling stations …

KARACHI: With violence escalating in the wake of the killing of 35-year-old Bilal Kaka, political leaders continued efforts to allay the tensions and appealed to people to beware of conspiracies that aim to sow the seed of disharmony among Sindhis and Pashtuns. On Friday, the Sindh government announced that another suspect accused of Mr Kaka’s killing was in custody, while 76 people …

QUETTA: Already reeling from the destruction caused during the first spell of monsoon rains earlier this month, the second bout of torrential rains brought further misery for the people of Balochistan, flooding their homes and washing away bridges, roads and other infrastructure. So far, six people have been injured in rain-related accidents, while major bridges have been washed away, leaving …

THE Supreme Court’s July 13 verdict on the then deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling has propounded a ‘new concept’ when it highlighted that any defence or immunity claimed by the government on a policy or decision on the grounds of national security cannot escape judicial review unless substantiated with evidence. “It is clear that the bona fides of the (PTI) government’s defen­­ce …

ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) will commence hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition, challenging the recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) on Tuesday (July 19). A bench will comprise Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah. It will take up the petition …

ISLAMABAD: A plan to evacuate people from low lying areas has been made as a preemptive measure to floods in rivers and streams and heavy rains. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon on Friday briefed the media about the step taken for the evacuation of people and the rescue plans in case of heavy rains, and floods in the rivers …