The federal government has directed relevant authorities to streamline the import and export of falcons, ensuring that birds that are brought into Pakistan are taken back by their owners and not exchanged.
In a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Management Authority on September 4, a Ministry of Climate Change representative stressed the need to tag falcons with microchips and identification passports, Dawn News reported.
Officials were hopeful that these actions will prevent the exchange or illegal trade of the birds and added, “This is a transit permission, not related to the commercial trade of species.”
The development came after previous incidents where Gulf princes took young falcons along with them and abandoned injured and aged birds, which were later illegally trapped in Pakistan and sold on the country’s black market; this raised concerns about wildlife exploitation, prompting strict rules to protect the birds.
Clashes between rival tribes in Kurram district have been ongoing for eight days now, with 46 people dead and 96 injured so far.
On Friday, fresh clashes left five more people dead and 15 injured, Dawn News reported.
Earlier, clashes started between the Bushehra tribe and the Ahmedzai tribe in the Kurram district following the construction of trenches on disputed land.
Viewing the ongoing clashes at Kurram district, former Senator and tribal leader Sajid Turi had claimed that a grand jirga tried to resolve the dispute but ended in vain.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, in a statement issued from the CM’s secretariat, Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur said that serious efforts were being made to maintain public order in the province.
He added, “After the improvement of the law and order situation in southern districts, more checkposts will be handed over to the police. However, before that happens, there is a need to enhance the capabilities of police.”
If you’ve noticed a sudden obsession with donuts in Pakistan recently, you’re not alone. It seems like everyone suddenly started loving those round, sugary treats, and here is why.
If all the talk around donuts has made you want one, here is where you can get the one you crave.
1-Crusteez Islamabad
If the Chief Justice of Pakistan can try it out, maybe so should we? Crusteez Donuts has suddenly become one of the most famous donut shops. Known for its fresh, delicious donuts in the capital city, give it a shot, maybe after a few days to avoid the super long lines.
2- EASY Karachi
Easy donuts in Karachi quickly rose to fame when it launched in the city a few years ago. With creative flavours and a really nice, comforting texture, it has always been Karachi’s go-to for donuts.
3-OD Donuts
OD Donuts is making waves among donut lovers and they have really cute marketing campaigns too. Known for its soft, airy texture and unique toppings, it’s a must-try for anyone looking to indulge in something delicious.
4-Loafology
Famous for its artisanal bread, it is also known for its incredible donuts! Located in Islamabad and Lahore, this bakery offers a mix of freshly baked goods, and their donuts have become a favourite for many. Known for their quality ingredients and unique flavours, Loafology’s donuts are a must-try for anyone craving something sweet with a gourmet touch.
5-Jalal Sons
Jalal Sons is not just a well-known name for quality food products in Pakistan but also a favourite destination for delicious round treats.
Their donuts are loved for their freshness and variety, making them a popular choice among sweet lovers.
Pakistan has signed a contract with Azerbaijan on Thursday to sell sophisticated JF-17 block three fighter jets, although prices and quantity of jets are unknown as of yet.
According to a Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) press release, the deal was part of Pakistan’s effort to enhance and boost defence cooperation with friendly countries and strengthen the air power capabilities of Azerbaijan.
ISPR added, “JF-17 Thunder Block-III is an AESA Radar and Long Range BVR equipped 4.5 generation Multi-Role fighter aircraft which is capable of undertaking a wide array of combat missions providing contemporary airpower employment options thus strengthening the National Security Paradigm of Azerbaijan.”
The aircraft is co-produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and developed jointly with China.
Pakistan is a key supporter of Turkiye, which supports Azerbaijan in its standoff with Armenia when clashes erupted between the two South Caucasus countries last year, resuming decades-old hostilities.
Balochistan government held a press conference with Adeela Baloch, a would-be suicide bomber who issued an apology for her actions while talking to the media. She also shed light on her experiences in the mountains with other terrorists.
A government official started off by explaining that the Counter Terrorism Department along with local officials conducted an operation in wake of recent events of terrorism in Balochistan.There, they found out that a woman associated with the department of nursing in the District Headquarters Hospital of Turbat is missing and her family is searching for her. She was later identified as Adeela, daughter of Khuda Bakhsh, who has now been recovered from the mountains.
Adeela started off by explaining that she is from Turbat and got qualified as a nurse from Quetta’s Bolan Medical Hospital. She stated that she was also running a project of WHO-World Health Organization. “Even though my work requires to save lives of people but unfortunately, I was in touch with people who were manipulative,” she lamented as she shared how she was made to believe that suiciding bombing is the only way left to register her demands.
“I did not even think that by doing the suicide bombing I would loose my life but it wouldn’t just be me, there will be a lot many people, dying besides me,” she added.
Adeela made it a point to mention that she left for the mountains without letting her family know anything and realized her “mistake” when she reached up there.
Crying, she described how she was told that her life will be changed for good up in the mountains but the conditions were hard. Many others like her, or even younger, were there after having been manipulated into becoming terrorists.
She asserted, “The current perspective that Baloch women are carrying out suicide attacks out of their own free will is not true, as I am a witness myself that they blackmail women into doing this.”
She thanked the Baloch government for saving her and emphasised that her safety might prompt others to come back on the right track. “Don’t listen to these people as they use you for their own sake,” she said on a parting note.
The local administration and grand jirga of Kurram district have not yet succeeded in putting an end to the on-going clashes that erupted between rival tribes of Bushehra and Ahmadzai following the construction of trenches on disputed land.
The Nation reported that according to Kurram police officials, rival tribes exchanged fire on Tuesday at different parts of the tribal district, including Balashkhel, Khaar Kali, Trimanal, Baghki, Maqbal, and Kanj Alizai.
When the matter was resolved, the brief pause was interrupted by a landmine explosion, followed by another phase of gunfire in Bushehra, which was then brought under control. The clashes, however, began in Upper and Lower Kurram.
According to BBC Urdu, 15 individuals have lost their lives so far, from both Shia and Sunni sects, over dispute of land.
Former Senator and tribal leader Sajid Turi claimed that grand jirga tried to resolve the dispute, but it ended in vain.
Lambasting the incumbent government, he stated that in July, many jirga’s took place but none resolved the disputes between tribals because of government’s lack of interest and support.
Previously, rival tribes clashed in the Kurram district on August 2, 2024, which resulted in 46 deaths and nearly 200 injuries. These clashes were also triggered by a land dispute.
Owners of four Independent Power Producers (IPPs) set up under both 1994 policy 2002 policy have been directed to voluntarily discontinue the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and go into ‘pay-and-take mode’, an official privy to the dealings told The News.
Official privy further said, “The government will not pay capacity payments anymore in the range of Rs139-150 billion per annum to the said IPPs for the next 3-5 years; this has been told to the proprietors of the said five IPPs. They have also been categorically told that the government has already made excess payments to the said IPPs in the form of capacity payments and returns on equity and has also paid the loans for the IPPs.”
Meanwhile, the owner of IPP, the official said, responded that if the government pays RS 55 billion to his company, he will not only be ready to terminate the contract but also hand over the plant to the government.
The main member of the task force has told IPP owners that there is no other option for them; if they don’t act, a forensic audit will initiate and recover extra profits they made in the past through wrongdoings.
The 1994 governmental agreement with IPPs states that whether these power producers work at a hundred per cent efficiency or fifty per cent efficiency, they will be paid for their installed capacity.
The agreement was based on a ‘take or pay’ policy (the government was bound to pay to IPPs even if no electricity was produced or supplied), not a “take and pay” policy.
The United States (US) has reiterated its double standards in the international world, emphasizing its stance on Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme, citing the absurd reason of strengthening the international non-proliferating regime.
In a press briefing from Washington, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We have been clear and consistent about our concerns with Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme for many years.”
“Pakistan has been a long-term partner of ours, and I think what this action shows is that there continue to be places where we have disagreement, and when we have disagreements, we won’t hesitate to act on those to protect America’s interests,” Miller added.
Responding to Miller’s statement, Pakistan stated, “Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of global nonproliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries, and endanger international peace and security.”
The US imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies and a Chinese research institute that had assisted Pakistan in developing the Shaheen Three and Ababeel missile systems.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the State Department had cleared that these embargos were imposed under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
Pakistan will join a wave of protests across Asia on September 13, calling for an end to fossil fuels and a rapid transition to renewable energy. These demonstrations will urge world leaders to take immediate action on climate change ahead of the United Nations Summit of the Future and COP29.
Pakistan Maholiati Tahaffuz Movement, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum will organize a protest at the Karachi Press Club, highlighting the impact of fossil fuels on coastal communities and the environment.
The Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED) and partners, including Indus Consortium, Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy, and Alternative Law Collective (ALC), will protest at an ADB-funded coal site in Jamshoro, Sindh, demanding an end to coal expansion and a shift to sustainable energy sources.
In Faisalabad, the Pakistan Labour Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, and the Labour Education Foundation will organize a protest at Aman Ghar, a labour training centre.
These actions will show how important it is for Pakistan to stop coal expansion and rapidly phase out existing coal. They will also highlight the Global North’s continued support of coal projects in Asia despite its promise to move away from fossil fuels.
Punjab Assembly took up the issue of the elite club Lahore Gymkhana paying only Rs 417 per month as a lease for over 1,000 Kanals of state land, with the assembly speaker calling it “exploitation.”
The Punjab Assembly speaker, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, referred the matter to a special committee, which will submit a report within two weeks.
Interestingly, it was also announced that the Gymkhana proceedings will not be in-camera.
Geo Fact Check’s investigations in May this year revealed that the lease agreement, signed in 1996, between the then deputy commissioner of Lahore and the secretary of Lahore Gymkhana Club allowed over a thousand kanals of public land in the centre of Lahore to the club for 50 years at the rate of Rs 5,000 per year.
The lease, effective from 2000, remains valid until 2050, reported Geo Fact Check.
The prestigious club is known for having top post bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, and armed forces personnel as members, and it has over ten years of waiting lists for those who wish to join.
This development comes as the country goes through one of the most difficult economic periods. With high rates of inflation and increasing debts, the government is trying to reduce its bloated expenditures through an apparent austerity drive.
