Pakistan

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Sunday lifted the week-long lockdown, relaxing the coronavirus restrictions from Monday (today) till Aug 31 in the province. As per the new set of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), all business activities would continue till 8pm. However, the restriction will not apply to pharmacies, petrol pumps, grocery shops and fish, meat, chicken, vegetable and fruit …

Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri on Sunday rejected reports published by Indian media which quoted an Indian official as saying that “terrorists are waiting at launch pads to infiltrate” into occupied Kashmir from Pakistan. “We categorically reject the baseless allegations that Pakistan wanted to infiltrate so-called ‘terrorists’ via the Line of Control (LoC),” Chaudhri said in a statement. In …

RAWALPINDI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 10 billion tree plantation programme would turn the country green and make it pollution free. He was addressing a ceremony held at Saint Mary’s High School where he inaugurated the monsoon tree plantation drive in the cantonment area. Station Commander Brig Ijaz Qamar Kiani, Commissioner Syed Gulzar …

LAHORE: The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) reportedly arrested on Saturday another suspect, Umar Hayat, from a road near the Punjab University New Campus, in the murder case of Mubashar Khokhar, the brother of ruling PTI MPA Malik Asad Khokhar (now a minister). Mubashar was shot dead on Friday night during the wedding ceremony of Asad’s son that was also attended by Punjab …

ISLAMABAD: An Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be presented in the National Assembly before its session begins on Monday (tomorrow). Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz has invited the NA members to share their observations and offer constructive remarks about the EVM. In a statement issued on Saturday, Senator Faraz said after the NA session the EVM would …

PESHAWAR: A soldier was martyred when a security check-post came under fire in North Waziristan district on Saturday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations said that terrorists opened fire on the military check-post in the Ghariom area of North Waziristan district. It said the security forces responded in a befitting manner. However, during the exchange of fire, Sepoy Shahid …

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday launched a project to digitalise the state media organisations, including the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Pakistan Television, Radio Pakistan and Digital Media Wing (DMW) at a ceremony here at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre. The Digital Transformation of State Media (DTSM) project, initiated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also included Directorate of Electronic Media and …

QUETTA: A sessions court on Saturday ordered police to register a case against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and a police officer in connection with an incident that occurred in the Balochistan Assembly on June 18. Members of the opposition had filed an application in the Bijli road police station for registration of an FIR against the chief minister …

RAWALPINDI: As many as 524 people tested positive for Covid-19, the highest since April 23, as the virus claimed three lives in Rawalpindi district and two in Islamabad on Saturday. As the positivity rate in Rawalpindi surged to 13pc, Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) established two new intensive care units (ICUs) at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital …

ISLAMABAD: While the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) at its Tuesday meeting is expected to consider the incumbent chief justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC) Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh for elevation to the position of Supreme Court’s ad hoc judge, the latter has not accorded his consent for the office, it emerged on Saturday. “A disaster is going to …