Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Two attempts to strike deals with Imran Khan failed,’ says Rana Sanaullah

    ‘Two attempts to strike deals with Imran Khan failed,’ says Rana Sanaullah

    Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has saidthat two serious attempts were made to reach a political agreement with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan but both failed. 

    “The first attempt was led by Mohsin Naqvi and Ali Amin Gandapur before November 26, and the second was made by a few people from abroad,” he said during an interview with a private news channel. He added, “In both meetings, the founder agreed to the deal but later backed out.”

    Speaking about Imran Khan’s approach, Rana Sanaullah said, “He is not willing to find a way out. Whether call it stubbornness or rigidity; the point is that he does not want to find a solution.”

    He added that the PTI founder’s conditions for a deal were unacceptable. He quoted Imran Khan as saying, “You people come to jail in my place and I will come to your place.”

    Rana Sanaullah compared the situation with the political approach of other leaders. “Nawaz Sharif is a senior politician. He also found a way forward for himself and his party,” he said. The adviser emphasized that the government and military leadership have no interest in blocking dialogue between political leaders but that meaningful talks require agreement from both sides.

    In a separate interview on another news channel’s program, Rana Sanaullah addressed PTI’s political actions and Imran Khan’s medical treatment. He said the former prime minister received the best available care and claimed PTI is using the issue for political purposes. “PTI’s focus is on creating anarchy and disorder in the country,” he said, adding that the party’s activities were unrelated to Imran Khan’s treatment.

    He also criticized road blockages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), saying, “Where in the constitution is a provincial government allowed to block roads? Any province’s IG and Chief Secretary are bound to follow High Court orders.” Rana Sanaullah said these moves are part of PTI’s political strategy rather than concern for Imran Khan’s health.

    The adviser added that PTI will never be satisfied and questioned some of the legal tactics being used.

  • NA passes 46 Acts, introduces 59 bills in its second year

    NA passes 46 Acts, introduces 59 bills in its second year

    The 16th National Assembly concluded its second parliamentary year, during which livestream access to proceedings remained restricted on several occasions.

    According to a report issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, 59 government bills were introduced during the year, 14 were received from Senate and 46 were passed by the House. In addition, 48 private members’ bills were introduced and 38 were received from the Senate, of which 13 were passed.

    A total of 40 government bills and six private members’ bills were enacted into law, bringing the number of Acts passed during the year to 46. The House also adopted 27 resolutions on national matters.

    The report lists the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, 2025, amendments to the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2025, the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Act, 2025, and the National Forensics Agency Act, 2024 among the legislation passed.

    The Assembly held 11 sessions, including three joint sittings, completing 130 working days and 87 sitting days, with a total duration of 237 hours and 36 minutes.

    Under its oversight mandate, the Assembly admitted 7,625 questions, of which 1,710 were answered by ministries. A total of 329 calling attention notices were received, with 49 taken up for discussion. Fifteen adjournment motions were submitted; 13 were disallowed. Of 33 questions of privilege raised, six were referred to standing committees, 18 remain under process, six were disallowed and two were withdrawn.

    The House received 263 motions under Rule 259, of which four were included in the orders of the day and three were discussed.

    During the budget session for fiscal year 2025-26, the Finance Bill was passed after debate and incorporation of amendments proposed by members. For the first time, the Budget Bill 2025-26 was referred to the standing committee on finance and revenue, comprising members from both the National Assembly and the Senate, for review.

    The report states that special focus was placed on the question hour. In cases where questions remained unanswered, relevant secretaries were summoned to provide responses.

    Parliamentary forums including the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, the Young Parliamentarians Forum and the Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals conducted policy dialogues, workshops and consultations. 

    Provincial caucuses were also established to enhance coordination between federal and provincial stakeholders.


    The Youth Internship Programme, initiated in 2014 received over 20,000 applications for 400 positions during the year.


    According to the Secretariat, official social media platforms were reactivated and proceedings were broadcast through NA TV.

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed’s message for Pakistan team

    Sarfaraz Ahmed’s message for Pakistan team

    Former cricketer and 2017 Champions Trophy winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has penned a message for the national cricket team ahead of their crucial final group stage match against Namibia in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

    “Boys, leave whatever has happened behind. From now on, only look forward. Our strength is our unity. Trust your abilities, back each other, and give 100 percent on the ground. When we play as a team, nobody can stop us. Let’s go out, enjoy the game, and make Pakistan proud. All the best Team Pakistan!” he said amid a wave of criticism that grips social media since Pakistan’s crushing defeat against India on Sunday.

    The team sits third in their group with four points after winning their opening matches against the Netherlands and the United States (US) and suffering a 61-run defeat to India.

    A win against Namibia today will take Pakistan to six points and confirm their place in the Super 8 stage. Even if rain washes out the match, Pakistan will still advance with five points.

    India lead the group having won all three of their matches, while the US sit second on four points having completed all four of their group fixtures.

    The Super 8 stage starts February 21.

  • ‘I hope he recovers and gets right treatment’: Sourav Ganguly speaks out for Imran Khan

    ‘I hope he recovers and gets right treatment’: Sourav Ganguly speaks out for Imran Khan

    Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has added his voice to a growing chorus of cricket legends demanding proper medical care and dignified treatment for jailed former Pakistan prime minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan.

    “I hope his health recovers and I hope he gets the right treatment,” Ganguly told reporters. “He has taken Pakistan to the world map, being the captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team and then the PM of Pakistan. I am sure he must be looked after and respected.”

    Ganguly’s remarks follow a joint appeal by 14 former international captains from five Test-playing nations, who submitted a petition to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanding improved prison conditions and appropriate medical attention for Khan. 

    Former Australia captain Greg Chappell initiated the petition, which The Age reported was delivered to Sharif. Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Mike Brearley, David Gower, Clive Lloyd, and John Wright all put their names to it.

    The former captains expressed “profound concern” over Khan’s deteriorating health, particularly a sharp decline in vision during his time at Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi, where he has spent over two years on corruption charges. 

    They called for specialists of his choosing to provide medical care, regular family visits, and fair legal proceedings without further delay. Gavaskar described the situation as “terrible,” pointing to a long friendship with Khan that predates their on-field rivalry.

    Former Pakistan cricket stars Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Ramiz Raja, Waqar Younis, and Shahid Afridi have also spoken out publicly, pressing authorities to arrange urgent medical attention for Khan. 

    Reports indicate Khan has lost 85 percent of the vision in his right eye and gets severely restricted access to family and personal doctors. He has been behind bars since August 2023.

    However, the federal government’s constituted medical board reported an improvement in former prime minister Imran Khan’s right eye vision.

  • Supreme court orders police to remove caste, derogatory terms from FIRs

    Supreme court orders police to remove caste, derogatory terms from FIRs

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed police authorities across the provinces and Islamabad Capital Territory to ensure that no reference to caste, tribe, biradari, conversion status or any classificatory or derogatory expression is included with the names of complainants, accused persons, victims or witnesses in official criminal records.

    The directions apply to First Information Reports (FIRs), arrest and recovery memos, investigation reports, challans and all other related documents prepared during criminal proceedings.

    The order was issued during the hearing of a criminal case by a three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Hasham Kakar. The bench cautioned that any departure from the directive would be allowed only in limited circumstances where an investigating officer, for bona fide investigative reasons directly connected to the offence, believes such identification to be strictly necessary and records those reasons in writing.

    In a six-page judgment authored by Justice Kakar, the court ordered the registrar to circulate copies of the decision to all Inspectors General of police in the provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory, as well as to the relevant home secretaries and chief commissioner, for immediate compliance and onward circulation to field formations.

    “We are deeply disheartened to witness that society continues to determine whether a human being is deserving of respect based solely on the nature of their profession, rather than on their inherent dignity,” the judgment stated.

    The judgment noted that terms such as “bhangi,” “chura,” “morassi,” “jamadar,” “dam,” and “musalli” are no longer used to describe a caste but are employed as derogatory remarks against members of particular social groups.

    “We are apprehensive about a society that relies on cleanliness for survival, yet dehumanises those who make it possible,” the court said. It added that those who perform sanitation-related work are often labelled as “dirty,” while those who make cities liveable are treated as lives considered less deserving of respect.

    The court held that such treatment reflects a moral failure of the social order, not the nature of the work performed, and stressed that dignity, respect and equality are rights of every person irrespective of occupation, in the eyes of law and society.

    Referring to Pakistan’s international obligations, the court cited Articles 1 and 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Articles 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 3 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantee equality before the law and protection against discrimination based on religion or social origin.

    The judgment also addressed references to religious conversion in police records, stating that the use of qualifying expressions marking a convert as “new” or otherwise distinct has no sanction in Islamic teachings or in law. It observed that terms identifying caste or social origin become objectionable when used to demean, stigmatise or portray a person as belonging to an inferior social status.

    “The term ‘Nau Muslim Sheikh’ (or similar expressions such as ‘Dhobi’, ‘Naahi’, ‘Jamadar’, ‘Bhangi’ or ‘Dam’ which are occasionally used in police records) appears to be a derogatory or coded reference that implies a stigmatised or lower caste status,” the court said.

  • Medical student dies after falling off of hostel building in Lahore

    Medical student dies after falling off of hostel building in Lahore

    A female student has died after falling from the fourth floor of her hostel at the Fatima Jinnah Medical University in Lahore.

    According to initial reports, fellow students found her lying injured and informed the university administration. She was rushed to the emergency department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and later moved to the operation theatre.

    Hospital sources reported that she sustained head and neck injuries along with multiple fractures, and underwent neurosurgery performed by a team of senior doctors but did not survive.

    The student was a resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

    Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Khalid Masood Gondal said the incident took place at the girls’ hostel of the varsity, and described it as an accidental fall.

    He added that a medical board comprising senior doctors had been constituted, along with a separate five-member fact-finding committee headed by Dean Undergraduates Prof Bilquis Shabbir, to investigate the incident. A report will be submitted within 24 hours.

    Meanwhile, eyewitnesses and some sources at the institute claimed the student had jumped from the building but no reason for the incident was immediately known.

    A police probe is also underway.

  • ICC could shift major events to Australia as Pak-India tensions spill into cricket: reports

    ICC could shift major events to Australia as Pak-India tensions spill into cricket: reports

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly holding discussions about shifting major future tournaments from India to Australia, as geopolitical tensions between Pakistan and India continue to cast a shadow over the sport, Australian media has reported.

    According to reports, the administrators have identified backup venues to prevent disruption to upcoming events, with Australia emerging as a potential alternative host for the ICC Champions Trophy 2029 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, both of which India and Bangladesh are currently scheduled to host.

    The report comes as the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, exposed the fragility of cricket’s biggest rivalries. 

    Pakistan initially announced a boycott of its February 15 group-stage match against India in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were removed from the tournament after refusing to travel to India over security concerns. 

    Pakistan ultimately reversed course after high-level deliberations involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ICC representatives and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). A key factor in the decision was avoiding a potential financial loss of $250 million in case Pakistan withdrew.

    Friction between the two countries on the cricketing front predates the May 2025 military conflict, which ended after United States (US) led mediation.

    In December 2024, the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreed to a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, hosted by Pakistan, under which neither team would play ICC events on the other’s soil. Instead, their matches would be held at neutral venues throughout the 2024 to 2027 rights cycle. 

    The last bilateral series between the two sides took place in 2012 to 2013, when Pakistan toured India, and New Delhi has since barred its team from touring Pakistan.

    Tensions have remained visible on the field as well. During the Asia Cup 2025, the first major tournament since the two countries went to war, Indian players and their captain declined the customary post-match handshake with their Pakistani counterparts, a gesture repeated at the recent T20 World Cup fixture.

    Australia has a strong track record of hosting Pakistan-India matches at high-profile events. 

    The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup fixture at Adelaide Oval drew a crowd of 41,587, while the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground attracted 90,293 spectators, one of the largest crowds in the tournament’s history.

  • Aleema Khan rejects govt doctors, demands personal physicians for Imran Khan

    Aleema Khan rejects govt doctors, demands personal physicians for Imran Khan

    Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has said she does not trust government doctors or institutional medical staff for her brother’s treatment, demanding that he be examined by his personal physicians.

    Speaking to media persons, Aleema said the names of doctors submitted by the family had not been permitted to see Khan, and the family had requested medical care be conducted in the presence of their personal doctor but authorities had not agreed to it.

    She further said that for several days the family had been told that Imran Khan would be shifted to a hospital, but no such step had been taken so far. According to her, assurances regarding medical arrangements had repeatedly been given without any visible outcome.

    Referring to a medical report related to Khan’s condition, she said the document failed to address the concerns raised. She added that earlier they were informed a detailed report would be issued, but the report that emerged was a joke and did not meet that expectation.

    Aleema also questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the medical care being provided. She said that if the authorities believed Khan had received proper treatment, there was no reason to withhold details from the public or the family.

    “If they believe the PTI founder has been properly treated, then why are they hiding it?” she asked.

    Calling for public support, Aleema urged people to raise their voices and apply pressure for what she described as proper medical treatment.

    Her statements came after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the delay in Imran Khan’s eye examination was due to political handling of the matter by Aleema Khan. Naqvi added that the doctors who examined Imran Khan had conducted all necessary tests and later met with PTI leaders and the medical team, after which all parties expressed satisfaction. 

    He said he had asked whether any further tests were required and was told that all possible examinations had already been conducted. Naqvi criticized the politicization of the issue, noting that while the family claimed to be close, they had used the matter to make political points. 

    He also said the government did not intend to politicize Imran Khan’s health and described certain requests by the opposition as inappropriate and potentially misleading.

  • PM takes notice after videos show Pakistan hockey players’ living conditions

    PM takes notice after videos show Pakistan hockey players’ living conditions

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of mismanagement and irregularities surrounding the national men’s hockey team’s tour of Australia for the FIH Pro League, after videos circulating on social media showed players living in substandard conditions during the trip.

    The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) confirmed that the federal government has launched a formal inquiry into the matter, directing authorities to identify those responsible and warning that anyone found guilty will face strict action. 

    PM’s Advisor on Inter-provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah also ordered a separate inquiry into the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s conduct, saying the administrative failures had not only hurt the players but damaged Pakistan’s sporting reputation.

    The controversy centers on the team’s stay in Hobart, where the PHF paid for only seven days of lodging and housed players more than an hour and a half outside the city in facilities. 

    With initial hotel bookings cancelled due to non-payment, rooms were later arranged through an online platform with four to five players sharing each room and bookings that did not cover the full duration of the tour. 

    Members of the local community eventually stepped in to help arrange alternative accommodation and meals.

    Later, team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, speaking to media at Lahore airport upon the squad’s return, was also unsparing in his criticism. “The team management told us many lies,” he said. “I cannot work with the current management at all.”

    PSB Director General Noorish Sabah, who received the team at the airport, confirmed that the PSB had booked and paid for hotel accommodation in Australia, which the PHF subsequently cancelled. 

    The tour results compounded the misery, with Pakistan losing all four matches in Australia, falling 3-2 and 3-0 to the hosts and 5-2 and 6-1 to Germany. 

    The team’s next FIH Pro League fixtures are against Belgium on June 13 and Spain on June 14, with return fixtures on June 20. 

    Pakistan then face India on June 23, England on June 24, and return legs against both sides on June 26 and June 27, respectively.

  • Pakistan hockey captain blasts team officials over Australia tour mismanagement

    Pakistan hockey captain blasts team officials over Australia tour mismanagement

    Pakistan hockey team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and team management on Tuesday, accusing them of lying to players, suppressing their voices, and subjecting them to demeaning living conditions during the recent Australia tour.

    Speaking to media at Lahore airport after the team’s return, Butt held nothing back. “The team management told us many lies,” he said. “I cannot work with the current management at all.”

    Butt described conditions in Australia as humiliating. Players had to wake up each morning to clean kitchens, wash dishes, scrub washrooms, and do their own laundry before heading to the field. “If a player wakes up in the morning and cleans the kitchen and washes dishes, what will he play on the field?” he asked.

    He also said players were threatened into silence. “We were told not to speak to the media or face a ban,” he said, adding that he rejects the PHF’s code of conduct entirely. “I am under no pressure.”

    The captain pushed back against claims made by head coach Tahir Zaman and other officials, calling their statements “baseless and a pack of lies.” 

    He said the PHF tried to split the squad by asking each player individually whether they stood with the federation or their captain. “The entire team is standing with me,” Butt said.

    He stressed that finding sponsors is the PHF’s job, not his, and called for an urgent inquiry into how players were treated. He also said Pakistan desperately needs a foreign coach to put the team back on track.

    Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Noorish Sabah, who received the team at the airport, backed the players’ account. 

    She confirmed that the PSB had arranged and paid for hotel bookings in Australia, which the PHF later cancelled. “If food and accommodation are not in order, it directly affects players’ performance,” she said.

    Sabah said that a full inquiry report would be sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has already taken note of the mismanagement.