Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The under-representation of women journalists in newsrooms and lack of gender sensitive policies have forced the Pakistani media industry into a state of gender emergency, according to a gender audit of news organisations conducted by the Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP) and Freedom Network. The study ‘Unequal Newsrooms: A Gender Audit of Pakistani Media Organisations’ was launched in …

LAHORE / PESHAWAR: Newly elected members of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinets were sworn in on Wed­nesday. In Lahore, Punjab Go­­ver­­nor Balighur Rehman administered oath to the 18-member cabinet of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The cabinet has only two female members. The KP cabinet, comprising 15 ministers and five advisers, was administered the oath by Governor Haji Ghulam …

ISLAMABAD: The PTI leadership alleged on Wednesday that the Form-45s published by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on its website were heavily tampered, with the results being changed in favour of PTI’s rivals and voter turnout crossing 100 per cent at several polling stations. Addressing a press conference, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that after the elections, one …

An Islamabad accountability court on Thursday suspended the perpetual arrest warrants issued against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons — Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz — till March 14 in the three corruption references related to the Panama Papers. Hussain and Hassan, through their counsel Qazi Misbahul Hassan, had filed an application in the court, seeking the suspension of the warrants issued against …

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday extended the bar on the oath-taking of the beneficiaries allotted National Assembly reserved seats until March 13. The order was issued on a petition filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — which was joined by PTI-backed independents who won the elections sans their electoral symbol — challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to reject the …

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, has asked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urge the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan to terminate their relationship with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP could “soon pose a global terrorist threat” if left unchecked, Ambassador Akram warned the UNSC on Wednesday while addressing a special Security Council session on Afghanistan. A …

DHARAMSALA: Struggling England batsman Jonny Bairstow looks to be fighting to save his Test career when the fifth and final match against India begins in Dharamsala on Thursday. Bairstow will win his 100th cap as England, who have already lost the series 3-1, try to salvage some pride in the high-altitude and chilly Himalayan hill town. India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin …

KARACHI: With the beginning of new parliamentary term, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) found itself embroiled in a controversy on Tuesday when the Election Commission of Pakistan’s move to suspend the membership of its MNA on reserved seat of minority attracted immediate reaction from the deposed legislator, who claimed that he hadn’t rendered any resignation accusing his party of ‘faking’ …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to formulate proposals for reducing government expenditures and overhauling the country’s economic structure. He also directed the authorities to immediately initiate the process of complete digitisation and automation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which he himself would oversee. Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister …

KARACHI: The Pakis­tan Tele­communication Authority (PTA) has conceded that the Ministry of Interior had issued instru­c­tions to suspend mobile phone services on Feb 8, the polling day. In its reply submitted before a Sindh High Court (SHC) bench on Tuesday, the authority asserted that it was bound to follow the directions on the interior ministry and was merely the implementing agency. Separately, …