The Taliban have banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Islamic, law. The order in Helmand province was issued on Monday by the provincial Taliban government’s vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. “Since I have heard (about the ban on trimming beards) I am heartbroken,” said …

Pakistan’s national flag, which was carried to China’s space station onboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, was handed over to the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing at a ceremony at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). The national flags of Pakistan and China were sent by China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to outer space to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of …

Millions of people will begin converging on Dubai this week as the Covid-delayed Expo 2020, the world’s biggest event since the pandemic, finally unveils its gleaming pavilions in the desert. The Expo site in the dusty Dubai suburbs has remained strictly off-limits during its year-long postponement but the wraps will come off on Thursday at an opening ceremony attended by …

A district and sessions court in Islamabad indicted on Tuesday seven persons, including prime accused Usman Mirza, for allegedly harassing a couple in the capital’s E-11 sector. Besides Mirza, charges have been framed against co-accused Hafiz Ataur Rehman, Adaras Qayyum Butt, Rehan, Umar Bilal Marwat, Mohib Bangash and Farhan Shaheen. At the hearing, the charge sheet was read out to …

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Tuesday said that a recent order by a court in the United Kingdom did not mention PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, adding that he had not been acquitted of money laundering charges. A day earlier, it was reported that a UK court had ordered to unfreeze the bank accounts of …

ISLAMABAD: The government has made up its mind to get Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin elected as senator, from Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to ensure continuity and stability in markets and to make an announcement ahead of formal Oct 4 negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for revival of its programme for Pakistan. Highly placed sources said the government would …

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced on Tuesday that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had decided to start inoculating children who are 12 years and older. “A special drive will be run for vaccination at schools to make it easier for children to be vaccinated,” he said. According to NCOC statistics, the country …

LAHORE: Deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif has made it clear that if rule of law was established in the country as a result of the ‘reconciliation’ policy there would not be a need for hostility (towards the establishment). “We do not want to fight unnecessarily. If rule of law and constitution is established through reconciliation there will be no need …

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday assured the nationalist leaders and veteran politicians of Sindh of the Centre’s support in resolving decades-old crisis in rural parts of the province ruled by the rival Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), political leaders and sources said. The assurance from the prime minister came at meetings at Governor House where he after performing groundbreaking ceremony of …

ISLAMABAD: The Sup­reme Court on Monday rejected a set of appeals seeking immediate holding of a nationwide referendum by Prime Minister Imran Khan to pave the way for presidential system against the prevalent parliamentary form of government. A three-judge SC bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial upheld the registrar office’s decision to return the four petitions moved by Advocate …