UNITED NATIONS: The top UN official in Afghanistan appealed to the Security Council on Friday to act now to avert a catastrophe in the war-torn country. Pakistan, while acknowledging the growing concern over Afghanistan, warned the world body not to allow India to “project a distorted picture” during its presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC). India called Friday’s special …

Pakistan on Saturday welcomed the UN’s reiteration that its position on Indian occupied Kashmir remained unchanged and it continued to see the valley as disputed territory, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO). The statement came days after UN Secretary General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric clarified during a news briefing in New York that the UN’s “position on Kashmir is …

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Police have arrested more than 20 accused involved in storming a Hindu temple in Bhong town, 60km from here. District Police Officer Asad Sarfraz told Dawn on Friday more rioters would be arrested soon and none would be spared. Meanwhile, Additional Inspector General of Police, South Punjab, retired Capt Zafar Iqbal Awan visited the area along with Bahawalpur RPO …

KARACHI: An antiterrorism court has acquitted former provincial home minister Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza along with his 26 aides in a 2015 case pertaining to attempted murder, rioting, ransacking and causing terror in Badin in 2015. The estranged PPP leader along with his 26 aides was exonerated of the charges as the prosecution failed to prove its case in six …

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Friday allowed the four minor girls to go with their families after they recorded their statements in the presence of the suspects who allegedly kidnapped them from Hanjarwal. In their statements recorded under section 164 of CrPC, the girls claimed that they went outside home for enjoyment but the suspects abducted them. Qasim Ali, a …

PESHAWAR: Health minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra has claimed polio is near eradication in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as no case of the acute viral disease has been reported in any of its districts during the current year. Earlier, rumpus rocked the proceedings when Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan, who was presiding over the sitting, called the sergeant-at-arm to expel minority MPA Ranjeet …

KARACHI: After weeks of strained relations between the federal and provincial governments over a complete lockdown in Sindh and then the appointment of the new Karachi administrator, a thaw in relations between the two side was witnessed on Friday when senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came up with the message of harmony …

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Friday expressed solidarity with the people of India-held Kashmir on completion of two years of revocation of the valley’s special status by the Modi government by unanimously adopting resolutions of treasury and opposition members. Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani tagged two identical resolutions, one moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ghanwer Ali Khan …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has described as “false attribution” an allegation that Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar is a relative of Justice Mushir Alam, a judge of the apex court. Justice Mazhar, a judge of the Sindh High Court, was elevated to the Supreme Court by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) last month. Senior members of the Pakistan Bar Council …

GILGIT: Federal aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said international flights will be operated from the Skardu airport to boost tourism and trade activities in Gilgit-Baltistan. He said Skardu airport would have all-weather and nighttime flight operations. Talking to Dawn on Friday, he said measures were being taken to exploit tourism potential in GB under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. …