Islamabad, Pakistan: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed an underage girl to reside with her husband in a judgment that emerged on Wednesday, while simultaneously issuing a forceful recommendation for the federal government to undertake a comprehensive review to strengthen laws against child marriage and protect minors. The ruling underscores the profound legal and social complexities surrounding early unions in the country. According to UNICEF, Pakistan is home to over 19 million child brides, a figure that highlights a critical gap in the protection of minors. Nearly one in six young women are married before the age of 18,…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Quetta, Pakistan: Security forces in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province have apprehended four individuals described as ‘terrorists’ during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Khuzdar district on Wednesday. The action comes as the country continues to grapple with persistent threats of destabilization, which officials frequently link to external state actors. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, stated the operation was conducted following intelligence regarding the presence of ‘terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan.’ This nomenclature is used by the state to describe Balochistan-based groups, aiming to underscore India’s alleged role in sponsoring terrorism and fomenting instability…
https://youtu.be/TXppGlNvg7I?si=JOMBfCShU0gwSXPv PM Youth Programme to Provide Loans, Laptops and Overseas Job Opportunities: Zeeshan Naqvi By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada Addressing a dinner hosted by the Pakistani-American organisation Stand With Pakistan in Dallas, the focal person of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and former deputy mayor of Islamabad, Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, said that 70 per cent of Pakistan’s population consists of youth. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally monitoring all these initiatives to ensure that young people could play a direct role in the country’s development. The event, organised in Naqvi’s honour, was moderated by Sohail…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have suffered a fresh setback with the confirmation of two new poliovirus cases. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad verified that two children from the Sindh province have been diagnosed with the crippling disease. One affected child is from Badin district, and the other is from Thatta district. These two additions bring the total number of polio cases in Pakistan for 2025 to 29, including 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. Challenge of Vaccination Refusals …
KARACHI: The equity market sustained its robust advance on Tuesday, testing fresh record highs as investor risk appetite remained firm, propelling the benchmark index past the 166,000 mark for the first time in history. The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) KSE-100 Index settled at 165,493.58 points, reflecting a gain of 1,645.90 points, or 1%, from its previous close. During the session, the index climbed to an intraday high of 166,556.29, soaring by 2,708.61 points, or 1.65%. Catalysts Driving Market Confidence The record-breaking rally, which extended Monday’s momentum, is being credited to a convergence of domestic financial solutions and improved…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy sustained its trajectory of stabilisation and growth during the first two months of the current fiscal year, the finance ministry reported on Tuesday, even amid disruptions caused by severe floods. According to the “Monthly Economic Update and Outlook” for September 2025, released by the Finance Division, the economy demonstrated stability, supported by moderating inflation, strong performance in Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM), and improved fiscal discipline. Industrial Momentum and Easing Inflation Industrial momentum strengthened significantly, with the LSM sector posting 9% year-on-year growth in July, driven primarily by textiles, automobiles, and cement. Cement dispatches saw a rise…
KARACHI/LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has moved to suspend all No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) previously issued to national players for participation in overseas leagues. The board is now finalising a drastic new strategy to link any future approvals directly to a player’s performance metrics. According to sources, a notification from PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed confirmed that all NOCs for foreign leagues have been placed on hold with immediate effect. The consequential decision was made just one day after the Pakistan team’s defeat in the Asia Cup final, highlighting the immediate fallout of the tournament. Elite Players…
DUBAI: The underlying tensions between the cricket boards of India and Pakistan flared into a diplomatic spat within the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday after ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi rejected a demand to hand over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy. Sources told Geo News that Naqvi insisted the silverware must be collected by the Indian skipper in person. The contentious issue arose during a routine ACC meeting in Dubai, chaired by Naqvi—who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)—where BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla repeatedly pressed for the trophy handover. An Agenda Item Becomes a Sticking Point Naqvi initially responded…
LONDON: Britain’s Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced on Monday that the government plans to significantly tighten the rules governing how migrants can settle permanently, making applicants prove their value to society, including demonstrating a “high standard” of English proficiency. This policy shift represents the latest effort by the ruling Labour Party to counter the rising influence of the populist Reform UK party, whose anti-immigration agenda has dominated public discourse and pressured Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to adopt a more hardline approach. New Standards for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ Most migrants are currently eligible to apply for “Indefinite Leave to…
LONDON: British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has issued a stark warning regarding the state of ethnic relations in the United Kingdom, asserting that anti-Muslim hatred has reached a scale she has “never known in my lifetime.” Her comments were delivered at a fringe event during the Labour Party’s annual conference, hosted by Lord Michael Gove. Recounting her own history with abuse, Mahmood said: “When I was a child, I think I was seven or eight years old, that’s the first time I heard the word ‘Paki’ [a racial slur]… so it’s not as if I haven’t been racially abused before.”…
