A delegation from Taliban’s Qatar-based political office, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday on a three-day visit, reported Radio Pakistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the delegation at the Foreign office, where he held meeting with the members. In a press release later in the day, the FO said before the talks began, Qureshi spoke …

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has declared singer Meesha Shafi and eight others “guilty” of running a vilification campaign on social media against singer-actor Ali Zafar and asked the trial court to start its proceedings against them. The FIA’s cybercrime Lahore wing on Tuesday submitted an interim challan before the court of a special judge central in the FIR …

• Cabinet forms body to fix responsibility in oil scam • Appointment of Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz as NDMA chief okayed • Opposition’s resignations not to affect Senate polls, says minister ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday decided to devise a mechanism under which provinces would be held accountable for how they spent funds given under the National Finance Commission …

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought replies from the federal government, ministry of information and broadcasting and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on a petition challenging the appointment of Mr Saleem Baig as chairman of the authority. Lahore Press Club Secretary Babar Dogar, also bureau chief of a private TV channel, assailed the appointment for being …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the foreign affairs ministry and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman on a petition filed against issuance of permit for the export of 150 falcons from Pakistan to Dubai. The federal government has reportedly issued special permit to Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum for the export …

ISLAMABAD: A senior counsel representing the parents of slain Wall Street Journal’s South Asia bureau chief Daniel Pearl on Tuesday submitted a DNA report in the Supreme Court to establish the fact that a body found in Karachi after the journalist’s murder in 2002 was that of the son of Judea and Ruth Pearl. The DNA report conducted by the Armed Institute …

RAWALPINDI: Security around the public secretariat of Awami Muslim League (AML) of newly appointed interior minister Sheikh Rashid was further tightened in response to terrorist attacks in the garrison city as a police team completed survey of surrounding commercial avenues on Tuesday. A police team, led by SP Rawal Town Rai Mazhar Iqbal, SP Headquarters, DSP Waris Khan and the …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an application of Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd Karachi (BTLK) seeking a three-year delay in the payments of the total Rs460 billion that it had agreed to pay for purchasing prime land in Karachi. In its plea filed on Tuesday, BTLK had sought freezing of the payment plan issued by the SC in view of pandemic-related recession, requesting that …

Two days after an inquiry commission on the June petroleum crisis released its report, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has laid blame on the government for its “incompetence, poor decision-making and corrupt practices”. “The report on the oil crisis confirms what we already knew. It was a direct result of the selected’s incompetence, poor decision making and above all corrupt practices. This …

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday accorded approval to the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020 which will ensure speedy trial of rape cases with women and children as victims and also allow for chemical castration of those convicted of such offences. However, contrary to the draft approved by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases (CCLC), the consent of the convict will …