Pakistan

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday officially de-notified 25 dissident PTI lawmakers who voted for the PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz in the Punjab chief minister election. The votes of the 25 PTI dissidents had been instrumental in helping Hamza get over the line; he received a total of 197 votes while 186 votes are required for a simple majority. …

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said that former prime minister Imran Khan was creating discord between state institutions, government, and the public. Speaking at an event in Lahore, Iqbal excoriated the PTI chairman for allegedly creating distrust between institutions and defaming their leadership. “Creating discord, chaos and internal implosion are all tools used …

LAHORE: In a shocking move for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi managed to survive a no-confidence motion on Sunday afternoon by getting it disposed of even before the mover could enter the house, compelling the ruling party to resubmit another no-trust motion against him in the evening. The nine-minute session, convened at a short notice of less …

At first glance, the Karachi-based office of a non-governmental organisation, MDG (Millennium Development Goal Achieving Organisation, unofficially named after the United Nations MDGs), looks like any other bungalow-turned-office. But as one moves through the premises, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary workplace. A couple of women are standing in the lounge smoking cigarettes. Another woman is busy working …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday asked the authorities concerned to utilise the latest fire fighting techniques and arrangements to overcome raging inferno in the Shirani pine forest area of Balochistan as well as all such blazes in future. While directing the officials concerned to take immediate and emergency steps to cope with the catastrophe, the premier also asked …

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board on Saturday approved a proposal of swapping 327 acres between the civic agency and Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) Area. A board member told Dawn that 327 acres of the national park area fell in alignment of the under-construction Margalla Road and partially in CDA’s C-14 and C-15 sectors. …

ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad has issued an advisory for prevention and control of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), or naegleriasis — an almost invariably fatal infection of the brain caused by a single-celled amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. Deaths related to PAM have been regularly reported from Karachi since 2008. With recently reported case of this year, the …

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a show-cause notice to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday over his failure to conduct intra-party elections in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which he heads. The last date for the PML-N to hold intra-party elections was March 22, however, the date was extended on PML-N’s request till May 14. Under the …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has asked the interior ministry to decide the visa application of US blogger Cynthia D Ritchie expeditiously and in accordance with law. IHC Justice Aamer Farooq disposed of the Ritchie’s petition filed against refusal of the interior ministry to extend his visa. Ritchie filed the petition before the IHC following the interior ministry rejected …

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s core committee will meet today (Sunday) to decide the date for the much-hyped long march on Islamabad. The core committee meeting will be chaired by former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan, who has already arrived in the provincial capital. Members of the core committee have also started reaching Peshawar, a PTI leader told Dawn. Addressing …