US and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration. The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday …

PESHAWAR: An accountability court here on Friday acquitted five persons of the charge of embezzling Rs76 million of the forest royalty funds in Chitral. Judge Naveed Ahmad Khan ruled that as per the evidence available the accused, including ex-councillor Prince Khalid Pervez, ex-sub-divisional forest officer Gulzarur Rehman and three private persons namely Noor Shahideen, Rehmat Karim and Malik Shaye, did …

ISLAMABAD: The man who resorted to firing at one of the gates of Diplomatic Enclave was booked under Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other criminal charges, police said on Friday. A senior police officer, when contacted, told Dawn on condition of anonymity that though the man had resorted to firing in the air, a murder attempt section had been added …

PESHAWAR: Higher Education Commission chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Friday declared Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government universities the most expensive in the country and blamed their unnecessary expenditure and overstaffing for it. He was speaking during a high-level meeting held here at the Governor’s House on the administrative and financial issues of the public sector universities. KP Governor Shah Farman, who is …

BAJAUR: The security forces here on Friday foiled a sabotage bid by recovering explosives, improvised explosive devices and weapons during an intelligence-based operation in the Nawagai tehsil near the Pak-Afghan border. Official sources said the explosives and weapons were recovered in Charmang village. They said the explosives had been brought here from across the border for carrying out attacks on …

LAHORE: Punjab Relief Commissioner Babar Hayat Tarar said on Friday that Covid-19 vaccination of the people 50 and above would start after four to five weeks. “At present, the government’s top priority is to vaccinate all those aged 60 and above. Till to date, over 45,000 elderly people have been vaccinated at the Expo Centre in Johar Town which is …

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday took on a premier civilian spy agency for what it said “targeting it at the behest of Prime Minister Imran Khan”, warning its officials against toeing the agenda of the PTI government against the opposition. “We will not let the Intelligence Bureau (IB) become the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The IB is …

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday told the Supreme Court that holding elections in a constituency costs about Rs19 million, but Justice Umar Ata Bandial questioned the assessment and said even a candidate has to spend a bigger amount on canvassing and campaigning. “It transpired during one of the cases the court heard earlier that around Rs240m …

ISLAMABAD: The Shuhada Foundation of Lal Masjid has moved The Islamabad High Court seeking ban on Aurat March and action against its organiser Open Society Foundation for holding such activities. The petition was taken up by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). However, Shuhada Foundation counsel Tariq Asad requested Justice Aurangzeb to refer this matter to …

Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Dr Faisal Sultan, his aide on health, confirmed on Saturday. The news comes two days after the premier received his first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. His diagnosis was also later confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office. At the time he had appealed to the nation to ensure compliance with all standard operating …