LAHORE: The Pakis­tan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) on Sunday warned of nationwide protests if the demands of wheat growers are not met, condemning the mistreatment of the farming community. PMML leader Khalid Masood Sindhu, while addressing a protest demonstration outside the press club, said that farmers were being economically murdered by not ensuring the sale of wheat at the officially fixed rate …

ISLAMABAD: Emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday gave a call of protest rally in Lahore on May 16 to express solidarity with farmers who are already protesting against the government for not procuring fresh crop of wheat in the country. Speaking at a press conference, the JI chief warned the provincial government of Punjab to refrain from blocking the route …

ISLAMABAD: As unaffordable power supplies affect demand and push consumers out of the nati­onal grid, question marks are being raised over the procurement of imported coal for power plants in the long term despite the government’s and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) overall policy direction for localisation and import substitution. The power plants are getting into long-term coal import — …

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: After a war of words between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for several days, the former on Sunday vowed to extend all possible support to provincial government for resolving issues of people rather than indulging in confrontation. Addressing a press conference at Kundi Model Farm, he said that after taking oath as …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not asked Pakistan to hike up energy prices but does want it to withdraw subsidies granted in various sectors, including energy, according to Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. IMF official Esther Perez Ruiz informed Dawn.com that a delegation from the lender will meet Pakistani authorities next week to discuss the “next phase of engagement”. “A mission team led …

HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ruled out any change in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, saying neither the federal government nor any other official has discussed any such amendment. He made these remarks while talking to reporters at the Hyderabad Press Club on Sunday. When asked about reports of an IMF suggestion to renegotiate the resource distribution formula among provinces, …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday approved the immediate provision of Rs23 billion to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after the region witnessed clashes and protests in the past few days. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has traders at the forefront in most parts of the state, has been seeking the provision of electricity as per …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday suspended the notifications of 75 returned candidates on reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies till further orders. The lawmakers include 27 Punjab Assembly lawmakers — belonging to the ruling coalition — suspended last week by Speaker Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan and barred from joining the house proceedings. In a notification issued today, …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday stepped aside from his position as the PML-N president, saying stated that “the time has come” for his brother Nawaz Sharif to retake his “rightful place as the president of the party”. Nawaz was removed as the president of the party in 2018 after a Supreme Court (SC) bench headed by then-chief justice of …

Jim Parsons is slipping back in the shoes of Sheldon Cooper for the series finale of his iconic sitcom’s spinoff, Young Sheldon. Speaking to People Magazine ahead of the final episode, Parsons, 51, expressed that reprising his role was “really special,” but admitted that he was unsure at first. “I felt a slight hesitancy when they first asked, just as I thought, …