Islamabad: The National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed on Tuesday that a suspected case of mpox has tested negative. This result indicates that Pakistan has reported only one confirmed case since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. The suspected case was identified on Monday by Border Health Services (BHS) at Islamabad Airport. The 47-year-old individual, who had arrived from a Gulf country, was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) isolation ward. His sample was tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at the NIH. Dr. Naseem Akhtar, the PIMS focal…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
Islamabad: The Islamabad police have registered a case against over 6,000 protesters from the Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz-i-Nabuwat group who breached the Red Zone on Sunday. The FIR, lodged at the Secretariat police station following a police official’s complaint, cites violations under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Charges include section 7 (terrorism), section 11-W (incitement to hatred), section 11-X (civil commotion), along with sections 395 (dacoity), 148 (armed rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing a public servant), 188 (disobedience to lawful orders), 353 (assaulting a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement),…
Islamabad: The Supreme Court has expressed regret over the lack of progress in the investigation into audio leaks involving judiciary members, noting that the three-man inquiry commission formed for this purpose has not held hearings since May 27, 2023. A two-judge bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, issued a five-page order on Monday addressing the government’s appeal against the Islamabad High Court’s June 25 order regarding petitions filed by Bushra Bibi and Najamus Saqib, son of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar. The order highlighted that the commission, led by Justice Isa and including Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar…
Gilgit: Two Russian climbers, Mikhail Mironov and Sergei Mironov, were rescued from Gasherbrum IV on Tuesday after being stranded at 6,400 meters for over three days. A five-member rescue team successfully brought the climbers down to the advance base camp at 6,000 meters. Army Aviation helicopters are expected to airlift them to Skardu today (Wednesday). The climbers sustained injuries, including possible fractures, but are reported to be out of danger. They had been part of a five-member team attempting to ascend the mountain when a snow avalanche struck on Saturday. While the injured climbers were stranded, two of their team…
Islamabad: A devastating bus crash in Iran’s Yazd city resulted in the deaths of at least 28 Pakistani pilgrims and left 23 others injured, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran confirmed on Wednesday. The bus, carrying Pakistani pilgrims en route to Iraq for the Arbaeen commemoration, overturned at the Dehshir-Taftan checkpoint late Tuesday night and caught fire. According to Iranian state news, 14 of the injured are in critical condition, with six having been discharged and the rest receiving treatment at various hospitals in Abarkuh, Taft, and Yazd. The deceased included 11 women and 17 men. Iran’s Yazd Governorate, in coordination with…
Islamabad: The soaring electricity tariffs and a Punjab-only power subsidy have sparked a fierce political dispute among ruling coalition parties, with the PPP and opposition parties criticizing the PML-N-led federal and Punjab governments. The controversy erupted after PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, with his daughter and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, announced a Rs14 per unit relief for Punjab electricity consumers using between 200 and 500 units per month. Sharif claimed this relief was funded by a Rs45 billion reduction in Punjab’s development budget. This move faced backlash from the PPP-led Sindh government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, both of…
Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif launched the provincial government’s “Apna Chhat Apna Ghar” (Our Roof, Our House) housing scheme on Wednesday, just days after announcing an electricity subsidy that caused tension with coalition partners. At a ceremony in Lahore, the chief minister announced that landowners with 1-5 marlas in urban areas and 1-10 marlas in rural areas would be eligible for interest-free loans of up to Rs1.5 million to build homes. She emphasized that for the first three months, no payments would be required. “There’s no place like home. Those who own their own roof don’t understand the…
QUETTA: Two additional fatalities were reported on Tuesday as thunderstorms and heavy rains lashed northern and eastern Balochistan, triggering flash floods that disrupted traffic on highways and roads. Areas such as Ziarat, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Dear Bugti, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Noshki, Mastung, and Dera Bugti experienced severe rainfall, leading to flood-like conditions in the Bolan, Nari Gaj, Lehri, and Mola rivers. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that the recent rains have raised the death toll in Balochistan to 21, with 12 people injured. The floods have also partially damaged 432 homes, destroyed 147, and affected 4,053 individuals. The storms…
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a Lahore resident, Farhan Asif, for allegedly disseminating false information that contributed to recent riots in the UK. The arrest comes over a week after widespread unrest in Southport, UK, followed the fatal stabbing of three young girls. Investigations revealed that the disinformation, which falsely claimed that the British-born 17-year-old suspect was a Muslim immigrant arriving by boat, originated from the little-known platform Channel3Now. UK broadcaster ITV News identified a Pakistani individual as the source of this misinformation. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran confirmed that authorities are examining claims made by…
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has attributed the recent nationwide internet slowdown to a “faulty submarine cable” and clarified that no new firewalls are being installed, following criticism from lawmakers and the public. Over the past few weeks, internet speeds have plummeted, causing difficulties for users trying to send or download media on WhatsApp, as well as slow browsing on both mobile and broadband connections. Internet service providers (ISPs) and the business community had suggested that the government’s efforts to monitor internet traffic, including the installation of a firewall, were causing these issues and leading to economic losses. Information Technology…
