DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former chief justice was sentenced in absentia to 11 years in jail for corruption on Tuesday, in a case that opposition groups and supporters say is politically motivated. Surendra Kumar Sinha, 70, headed the Supreme Court when it ruled in 2017 that parliament could not sack judges, a move hailed by lawyers as safeguarding judicial independence. Sinha left …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday blamed the federal government, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) for being complacent about the destruction of Margalla Hills National Park and the wildlife sanctuary. Authored by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, a 10-page order regretted that those who were duty bound to protect and preserve the …

LONDON / ISLAMABAD: The Bri­tish government on Tuesday said it had added Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covaxin Covid-19 vaccines to its approved list starting November 22. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner shared the update on Twitter and said it was “good news for Pakistani travellers”. The update means that travellers from Pakistan who have received the full doses of …

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to reveal the contents of the agreement with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in the next 10 days even as fresh details emerge that the military leadership had advised against the use of force against the protesters after Prime Minister Imran Khan had authorised it, Dawn has learnt. After having taken the political leadership on board during the proceedings of …

ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday formally kicked off the much-trumpeted subsidised ration programme for the poor after continuous increase in prices of daily use commodities over the last few years. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar visited a grocery store in a local market and registered it for the programme. She …

WASHINGTON: The new US Special Representative for Afgh­anistan, Thomas West, is arriving in Islamabad later this week to clarify US expectations of the Taliban and of any future government in Afghanistan, the State Department said. This will be his first visit to Pakistan as the top US diplomat for Afghanistan. Mr West replaced Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad who stepped down this week after a …

Zahir Jaffer, the primary accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, was expelled from a sessions court in Islamabad once again after he disrupted proceedings for witness cross-examinations on Wednesday. Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in the capital’s upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20. A first information report was registered the same day against Zahir — who was arrested from …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday urged civil servants to exhibit high moral standards in their work for their own as well as the country’s betterment. Speaking at the passing-out ceremony of the 44th Special Training Prog­ramme of the Pakistan Administrative Service, Mr Khan said that with a good civil service, the country was moving on the path of …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday grilled Prime Minister Imran Khan over the government’s inaction against those responsible for the Army Public School (APS) attack in 2014 and the ongoing talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). A three-judge bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, and comprising Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — …

US reality TV star Scott Disick was spotted with British model Brooklyn Beckham’s former sweetheart Hana Cross following the engagement of his ex partner Kourtney Kardashian last month. Scott, father of three, was photographed with model Hana, 23 in Malibu, California on Monday night. According to media reports, Scott and Hana enjoyed a dinner date at Nobu restaurant. The 38-year-old …