Category: National

Education boards across Pakistan have announced a rise in admission fees for annual Intermediate examinations for FA (Faculty of Arts) and FSC (Faculty of Science), expected to begin from the next academic year on April 22, 2025.

The rise is expected to affect both regular and private students, requiring online submission of admission fees along with the admission form.

Revised fee structure

As per an official notification, the revised fee structure for students in the science and arts practical groups is as follows: 

Single fee- Rs5,830 
Double fee- Rs7,630
Triple fee: Rs 9,430. 

For students of FA without practical subjects, the fees are:

Single – Rs5,730
Double fee- Rs7,430
Triple fee- Rs9,130.

Revised fee structure for regular students

Regular students in the science and arts practical groups will pay a single fee of Rs4,730, a double fee of Rs6,430, and a triple fee of Rs8,130. 

Regular arts students without practical subjects will pay a single fee of Rs4,630, a double fee of Rs6,230, and a triple fee of Rs7,830. 

Notably, an additional registration fee of Rs1,000 will also be charged.

Meanwhile, the last date to submit online admissions with single fee is January 24, 2025. 

After this date, students are still eligible to apply but will have to pay a double fee from January 25 to February 3 and a triple fee from February 4 to February 12. 

Students can submit their admission with a triple fee and a daily fine of Rs500 up to 10 days before the exams.

However, the sudden hike in fees has raised concerns and disappointment among the masses.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the President of the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA), Abrar Ahmed Khan, opposed the increase in fees and called for a revision.

He criticised the fee hike, stating the deteriorating situation of the economy in the country: “The earlier increase in matriculation fees had already placed a financial burden on students, and this additional hike in the FA fees is excessive.”

He also warned that the fee rise could discourage private students, particularly female students from remote areas, from continuing their education and appearing for the intermediate exams despite restrictions.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has hit back at United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, over his persistent social media posts advocating for the release of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Rafique called out Grenell over his hypocrisy, saying, “His [Richard Grenell] conscience has been sleeping since the 2018 election theft to the dark period of political revenge and long imprisonment of opposition leaders.”

The PML-N leader, who remained imprisoned during Imran Khan’s tenure, reminded Grenell that the elected government of former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan was overthrown by the “collusion of the establishment, the judiciary and Imran Khan’s party.”

Former Railways and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique lambasted the Special Envoy over his stance on the carnage of Palestinians. “His [Grenell] dead conscience on the genocide of the Palestinians is still with the usurper and aggressive Zionists. Their conscious wakes up only to fulfill imperial ambitions. It has nothing to do with humanity, justice, democracy and the rule of law,” he added.

Doubting Grenell’s demand to release former premier Imran Khan, Rafique pointed out that the close confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had some other goals.

“We know very well that you will try to put pressure on Pakistan to break the China bloc and surround Iran. You have done this before, but the Lord of the Universe has kept us safe and strong. May Allah be with us,” he wrote. 

Following the crackdown of Pakistan security forces on PTI demonstrators on November 26 in Islamabad, former US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell initially posted on his account on X in favour of Imran Khan, writing, “Free Imran Khan!”. However, he did not receive much attention at that time.

Grenell was discussed in Pakistan politics on December 15, when Trump appointed him as his Special Envoy for Global Missions in his administration. His social media posts then were amplified by PTI supporters.

Grenell’s posts have veered towards what can be called trolling, social media behaviour not usually displayed by diplomats. He has been retweeting PTI’s Shehbaz Gill, and many of his talking points seem to have much in common with the party. 

However, Khawaja Saad Rafique was not the only political leader who reacted to Grenell’s social media post focusing on Imran Khan’s release.

Advisor to PM Rana Sanaullah, while appearing in the Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, said, “We will not work under pressure of Donald Trump […] if any intervention is made then we would consider it as interference in our sovereignty.”

Grenell talked to US media outlet Newsmax on Wednesday, stating, “There are a lot of the same allegations just like President Trump, where the ruling party put him in prison and created some sort of corruption allegations and false allegations.”

Meanwhile, many of Pakistan’s biggest opposition party leaders, including Zartaj Gul and Aliya Hamza, welcomed the statements from Richard Grenell.

A Grade 21 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) Salman Chaudhry has been removed from the post of Inspector General (IG) of the Motorway Police (MP) after reportedly resisting the transfer of administrative control of the National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) from the Ministry of Communication to the Ministry of Interior, Dawn News reported on Thursday.

During a recent top brass meeting chaired by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in Islamabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi favoured a proposal to shift the administrative control from the Ministry of Communication to the Ministry of Interior. However, Mr Salman Chaudhry had opposed the proposal, officials said.

Following his removal as IG MP, the federal government instructed Mr Chaudhry to report to the Establishment Division until further orders.

Meanwhile, Rifat Mukhtar has been appointed as IG MP. 

According to officials, Mr Chaudhry emphasised that NHMP, under the control of the Ministry of Communication, had attained a distinctive position in the country through effective enforcement by applying the highest standards of professionalism, fearing the transferring process could undermine or compromise its current standing.

It was a surprise for Mohsin Naqvi when Khawaja Asif apparently supported Mr Chaudhry’s stance, maintaining that NHMP’s administrative control should be under the control of the Ministry of Communication.

Reportedly, differences between the two federal ministers also led to the transfer of the Grade 21 officer.

An official privy to the development told Dawn News that Chaudhry had differences with the Minister of Communication Abdul Aleem Khan over recruitment in various ranks.

According to the sources, Mr Chaudhry is one of the few senior policemen who had served in all four provinces at various senior positions and was known among police circles as an upright officer.

“He survived two earlier attempts to transfer him. However, he couldn’t survive a third time,” said sources.

As per sources, Mr Chaudhry was informed that as a gesture of goodwill, he would be transferred in mid-February 2025 after completing one year as IG MP; however, senior police officers were shocked by his early transfer.

 
The federal government appointed Mr Salman Chaudhry as IG MP on 10 January 2024.

There is an unwritten understanding in the bureaucracy that if an officer is transferred after completing a year at his post, it is considered a routine matter.

Ministry of Communications is the central policy-making body and administrative authority in road infrastructure, road transportation, provision of communication links between individuals and businesses, provision of research & training to relevant stakeholders and policing on National Highways & Motorways.

Over 100 children have died due to the lack of medical facilities in the Parachinar area of Kurram Agency.

A sit-in of protesting citizens against the closure of roads- giving rise to a humanitarian crisis in the region- has entered its sixth day. 

Geo News quotes tehsil chairman Upper Kurram Agha Muzammil, who said, “Due to the closure of roads, citizens are deprived of food and treatment, and more than 100 children have died due to lack of medical facilities.”

The same concern was expressed by Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and Jafria Alliance on Tuesday as they highlighted the plight of the region, stating that a humanitarian crisis had been unfolding there, affecting not only Shia population but people of all faiths.

They asked the federal and provincial governments to solve the ongoing crisis in Parachinar.

To express solidarity with the people of the troubled region, the Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen held a protest sit-in at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi and Lahore Press Club.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Advisor to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Barrister Saif, addressed the issue of the closure of roads by saying that the establishment of a special police force has been approved for the Parachinar Road while the government’s measures are aimed at a sustainable and permanent solution to the century-old conflict in the area.

On Monday, the social activist Faisal Edhi stated that more than 50 children had died in the hospitals in Parachinar due to a lack of facilities.

However, at least 45 people in critical condition were moved to different hospitals in the provincial capital from Kurram via air ambulances as resources remained scarce. 

“The government should open the routes by tonight so that normalcy can be brought back to the area,” Saad Edhi said, stressing that around 2,000kg worth of medicines supplies were delivered to the area.

Ali Hadi Irfani, an MPA from Kurram, told Dawn that rather than concerning itself with “unnecessary decisions”, the government should immediately open transportation routes.

Clashes between warring tribes over the past two and a half months has resulted in hundreds of deaths so far. All major and minor roads in the district have been closed, including Sadda Road, the main artery linking Parachinar to other regions of Kurram.

DC Kurram has said that the Grand Jirga has reached Kurram and is starting negotiations today to establish peace in the area.

Pakistan targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) camps late Tuesday night with airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, reportedly killing and wounding multiple suspected terrorists.

Dawn News reported that Pakistani fighter jets targeted TTP camps in the Murgha and Laman areas of the Bernal district in Afghanistan.

Journalist Anas Mallick posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Pakistan in its reported precision strikes deep inside Afghanistan has targeted 4 TTP camps and also the office of Umar Media, the TTPs media arm — Second strikes that Pakistan has done inside Afghanistan this year, had also airstriked deep inside Afghanistan in March this year.”

An X post by the Afghan Defence Ministry also confirmed Pakistan’s targeted attack. However, it claimed that the fatalities from Pakistan’s airstrikes included a number of children and other civilians.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers this a brutal act against all international principles and blatant aggression and strongly condemns it,” the ministry said.

Interestingly, the strikes came on the same day that a Pakistani delegation, led by Special Representative Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, met Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi in Kabul to resume diplomatic dialogue after a year.

The Pakistani cross-border strike also follows the martyrdom of sixteen Pakistan Army soldiers on December 21, when terrorists attacked a checkpost in Makeen, South Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Since 2022, Pakistan has experienced a sharp rise in terrorist attacks across the country, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Journalist Anas Mallick also posted on X: “By going deep inside Afghanistan for the second time this year and targeting terror sanctuaries, Pakistan has made it clear that it will target terrorist camps regardless of their location and proximity. #Pakistan”

According to the Interior Ministry, in the past 10 months, 948 out of 1,566 reported terrorism incidents occurred in KP, resulting in 583 deaths (out of a total of 924 martyrs).

This is the second time in 2024 that Pakistan has targeted TTP camps inside Afghanistan. Previously, it launched two airstrikes into Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces in March, targeting multiple terrorist hideouts.

Analyst Michael Kugelman took to X to post: “Pakistan has reportedly launched air strikes in Afghanistan against TTP targets there. Just 3 days ago, the TTP claimed an attack in South Waziristan that killed 16 Pakistan troops. Islamabad suggested earlier this year that these cross-border CT operations will pick up.”

Another X account affiliated with Afghanistan’s interim government posted graphic pictures of dead children today with the caption: “Three children, among other civilians, have been martyred in Afghanistan’s Paktika province today in a Zionist Pakistani army attack. We will soon take its revenge, InshaAllah.”

In a bid to address longstanding concerns of internet users in Pakistan, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed the laying down of a major undersea cable that is expected to enhance connection speeds in the country.

As per the details, the project falls under the 2Africa Submarine Cable System facilitated by the PTA through the Transworld Associate (TWA) as the landing party for the cable in the country.

The cable system will stretch a whopping 45,000 kilometres, connecting 46 locations across Africa, Europe and the Middle East, with the use of state-of-the-art SDM1 technology having a capacity of 180 terabytes per second. 

The programme is supported by a global consortium that includes Meta and Vodafone, whereas the cable is expected to go live in Pakistan by the fourth quarter of 2025.

The first phase of installation started on December 1, 2024, and the Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation included cable landing at Hawksbay in Karachi. 

The second phase of deep-sea laying of the cable is expected to start on April 1, 2025.

Once operational, the cable will provide Pakistan with 24 terabytes of bandwidth. The country is currently relying on approximately 8 terabytes of bandwidth provided by seven existing cables. With the new system connecting Pakistan to Africa, the move aims to improve connectivity and address long-standing complaints of slow internet speeds.

Additionally, the purpose of installation is to enhance the bandwidth that will improve the performance of platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

Meanwhile, PTA has also revealed plans to devise a new regime to register Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country.

It may be noted that the announcement regarding improvements to quality of internet comes amid severe criticism against the government for allegedly restricting access in a bid to curb dissent.

Opposition parties, as well as the government’s coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have repeatedly called out authorities over connectivity issues in the country.

At a convocation in Jamshoro on Monday, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called for robust legislation to ensure equitable and uninterrupted internet access. Discussing the importance of the internet in today’s era, the PPP chairman said that fiber-optic cables and robust internet infrastructure were the future for both current and upcoming generations.

He asserted that affordable and uninterrupted internet access was a fundamental right in the modern world, and vowed to introduce a Digital Rights Bill in parliament to secure cheap and unrestricted access for everyone.

Hours after reportedly going “missing” from Dubai airport, satirical comedy show host Aftab Iqbal has safely returned home.

“We went through a tough time, but Alhamdulillah, Aftab Iqbal has safely returned home. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us,” read a tweet posted on Aftab Iqbal’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

Aftab Iqbal’s counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, clarified in a post on his X handle on Tuesday that no case had been registered against his client in Pakistan, adding, “Aftab Iqbal’s name has not been included in the no-fly list due to judicial intervention. Despite this, he was stopped at Dubai airport last night and had left for home safely some time ago.”

Ashfaq further stated that Aftab Iqbal himself would narrate the story in a few hours.

Earlier, it was reported that a renowned host was “missing” after his detention at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Airport in Dubai.

According to Aftab’s daughter, Ayesha Noor Iqbal, her father was arrested after landing at Dubai airport.
“He returned from the UK with my mother, and the immigration authorities took him away. Later, they said he has a clean chit from the UAE government, but they gave no further details of where and how he is,” she said.

The host’s brother, Junaid Iqbal, confirmed the development in a post on his X account. 

He stated that Aftab Iqbal was detained from Manchester upon arrival in Dubai without any explanation. “He [Aftab Iqbal] was stopped and detained there without assigning any reason. We have not yet got wind of him ever since,” he added.

He urged authorities to intervene and ensure Iqbal’s safe exit from the airport.

It may be recalled that days after the TV host’s detention at the Dubai airport, he accused the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa of blocking his comedy show from going on air in 2022. 

Iqbal claimed that he had made a parody song with visuals related to the then COAS, which offended him. However, he clarified that had he not made the parody, his show would never have gone off the air. 

“PEMRA is the instrument of a fascist imported govt which can’t tolerate any justifiable criticisms. My Programme, which is recognised as satire, has been forced off the air. Is this democracy worse than Mussolini’s fascist Italy? I intend to contest these illegal actions on every forum [sic],” the journalist had said in a post on his X account in 2022.

Aftab has worked on many prominent news channels, including Geo News, Express News, Dunya News, and Samaa.