KARACHI: The Taliban government has urged the world to lift the sanctions imposed on Afghanistan, even though the Kabul government fails to address global concerns over the grim situation of human rights and girls’ education in the country. In his inaugural remarks at the Doha talks, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who is leading the delegation attending the Doha talks, said …

GAZA STRIP: Heavy battles and bombardment hit Gaza City’s Shujaiya district for a fourth day on Sunday, months after Israel declared Hamas’s command structure dismantled in the northern area. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled the devastated neighbourhood, where the army said it has fought Palestinian fighters both “above and below ground” in tunnels. Months of on-and-off talks towards a Gaza truce and …

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan International Airlines has announced a reduction in Umrah fares to facilitate pilgrims. A PIA spokesman said on Sunday that the airline’s management has reduced Umrah fares, which will remain effective till July 15 this year. He said the return fare for Umrah from Karachi to Madina will be Rs76,000 plus tax. The spokesman said that the return …

ISLAMABAD: Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid Alam on Sunday claimed that comprehensive measures were being taken to prepare for potential floods ahead of the upcoming monsoon season. In a statement, she said these proactive efforts were aimed at minimising the impact of floods on vulnerable communities. She said the ministry was serving …

ISLAMABAD: A new polio vaccination campaign, aiming to inoculate more than 9.5 million children under the age of five, will begin in 41 districts across the country from today (Monday). The polio outbreak response campaign comes on the back of three cases reported from Balochistan and Sindh last week, taking the total number of cases since the start of the year to …

RAWALPINDI: Almost 100 days on, the Punjab government has failed to form the governing body for the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), which has stalled the budget preparation of the apex civic body for the new fiscal year, which starts today. According to the relevant laws, the governing body, which also includes local lawmakers, is supposed to approve the annual budget. …

SAHIWAL: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has awarded the death sentence to a Christian youth, who is alleged to have circulated a social media post that led to riots in the town of Jaranwala in August last year. Sahiwal ATC Special Judge Ziaullah Khan anno­­unced the verdict, also sentencing the young man to 22 years in prison and imp­osing a fine of Rs1 …

ISLAMABAD: Taking on both the government and opposition parties, the mercurial Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said that the incumbent government was incapable of allaying their concerns about the Feb 8 polls, while the PTI appeared confused about the way forward. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of his party’s Majlis-i-Shura, which spanned two days, the JUI-F chief demanded …

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The PTI has been accused of seeking the imposition of martial law and economic sanctions in the country by its political opponents. In separate statements issued on Sunday, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui and senior PPP leader Shehla Raza assailed the party for backing a resolution, recently passed by the US Congress, accusing it of using their resources and influence to …

MUZAFFARABAD: In a major security breach in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 19 inmates, including six on death row, escaped from the Rawalakot prison while one inmate, who was injured during the escape, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital, said police and official sources. The incident occurred in Rawalakot, the district and divisional headquarters of Poonch, between 2pm and …