KARACHI: A recent UN monitoring report on Afghanistan contains rare acknowledgement — bordering on praise — of the Taliban’s approach to governance issues, such as the relative stability brought on by their consolidation of power, elimination of petty corruption and efforts to eradicate poppy cultivations. In addition, the 15th report of the ISIL (Daesh) and Al Qaeda/Taliban Monitoring Team — submitted to the UN Security Council earlier this month — admits that the security situation in Afghanistan has improved over the past 12 months to become relatively stable. However, the report still terms the so-called Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) the “greatest…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
GAZA CITY: Heavy combat and bombardment hit Gaza City and other parts of the Palestinian territory on Friday as mediators pushed on with efforts to halt the war raging into its tenth month. US President Joe Biden said at a Nato summit in Washington on Thursday that US diplomats, despite problems, were making “progress” with international mediators towards a ceasefire and stressed that “it’s time to end this war”. Media linked to the territory’s rulers Hamas, whose Oct 7 attack sparked the bloodiest ever Gaza conflict, said that Israeli forces had launched more than 70 new air strikes. Gaza’s health…
DERA MURAD JAMALI: Three tribesmen were killed in an armed clash between two groups in Dera Murad Jamali area of Nasirabad district on Friday. According to police, the cause of the armed clash between two groups of the Rad tribe was an honour issue. Police said some armed men of one group opened fire on a their rival group’s member, identified as Dur Muhammad, near Pat Feeder Canal area. He jumped into the canal to save himself, but could not survive and drowned. After receiving information about the attack, armed men of his group attacked the house of their opponents…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday to enhance security coordination with provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, especially for Youm-i-Ashur during Muharram. In a one-to-one meeting with the interior minister, who also holds the portfolio of narcotics control, the prime minister issued these directives while discussing the law and order situation throughout Muharram, said a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. PM Shehbaz also discussed with the minister the wider political landscape, interior ministry affairs, and other pertinent matters.
LAHORE: Availability of authentic data of cancer patients will facilitate better treatment facilities, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said at a meeting with Dr Umar Aftab, chief executive officer and founder of Pink Ribbon Pakistan. She was apprised that in October, the Pink Ribbon campaign will be launched under her leadership. The chief minister reviewed a proposal to build a breast cancer block in Pakistan’s first government-run Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital. She was informed that all staff in the breast cancer block will be female. Ms Nawaz said lady health visitors (LHVs) will be trained to diagnose breast cancer. She was…
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is set to emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly, while the ruling coalition seems set to lose its two-thirds majority, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s judgement declaring the PTI eligible to get reserved seats. The number of lawmakers belonging to PTI — including those who had earlier been called PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidates — collectively comes to 92. After getting 22 reserved seats in the House, which had earlier been distributed by the ECP among three different political parties, its number will surge to 114. The JUI-F has eight and PkMAP,…
ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka on Friday raised questions over Khawar Fareed Maneka’s claim that Imran Khan’s marriage to Bushra Bibi during her iddat period deprived him of the opportunity for reconciliation. The judge observed that Maneka as a follower of the Hanafi sect had lost the right to reconciliation when he pronounced triple divorce to her at once. The observation came in response to arguments by Mr Khan’s counsel, Usman Gill. Mr Maneka had argued that the hasty marriage denied him the chance for reconciliation, which is allowed in Islam and Pakistani law. However, in…
NAROWAL: The district administration of Sialkot has retrieved a pond and land adjacent to the historical Gurdwara Babey Di Beri on the Zafarwal Road after 77 years. The land was occupied by the influential Hijra family since the Partition. A joint operation was conducted against the occupiers by the district administration, municipal committee, revenue department and the police. The influential family had built a cattle pen and shops on the land while a political party had built its office and the local people had also constructed some houses on the land of the Sikh community, according to Additional Deputy Commissioner…
ISLAMABAD: In a unique majority verdict, the Supreme Court has declared the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) eligible to receive reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the national and provincial assemblies, giving it a new lease on life in the legislature by declaring it to be a parliamentary party. On Friday, as the full bench consisting of 13 judges settled into their seats inside Courtroom No.1, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa asked Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah — the senior puisne judge — to announce the majority verdict he authored, which was supported by seven other judges:…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Friday affirmed their commitment to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in energy, trade, connectivity, defence and people-to-people linkages. These topics were discussed during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and visiting Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, at Aiwan-i-Sadr. Welcoming President Ilham Aliyev, President Zardari said that both countries enjoyed excellent relations and had a great scope of further improving ties in various areas of mutual interest. He underlined the need for more regular engagements between the people and businessmen of Pakistan and Azerbaijan to cement bilateral ties. President Zardari meets Ilham Aliyev; delegations from two…
