Current Final

Category: National

  • Lahore General Hospital surgeons save young man’s life after critical heart injury

    Lahore General Hospital surgeons save young man’s life after critical heart injury

    Surgeons at the Surgical Unit-I of Lahore General Hospital have successfully performed a complex heart surgery, saving the life of a young man who had suffered a severe stab wound.

    According to a report published in Dawn, the hospital spokesperson said that 22-year-old Rizwan, a resident of Kasur district, was brought to the hospital in critical condition after a deep knife wound to his back damaged his heart.

    Despite the seriousness of his condition, a team of young surgeons — including Dr Saeed Mahmood, Dr Muhammad Taimoor, Dr Owais,  Dr Amna Tariq,  and Dr Lubna — carried out an emergency operation under the supervision of Professor Farooq Afzal, head of Surgical Unit-I. Their timely intervention successfully repaired the injured heart.

    Rizwan was kept under close observation for two weeks following the surgery and has now fully recovered and returned home. His family expressed deep gratitude to the doctors for their efforts and dedication.

    Professor Farooq Afzal, who also serves as Principal of Ameeruddin Medical College, said that under the Punjab government’s directives, Rizwan received all diagnostic and treatment facilities free of cost.

  • Can Imran Khan be shifted to Bani Gala? Minister says it is possible

    Can Imran Khan be shifted to Bani Gala? Minister says it is possible

    A senior federal government minister on Wednesday offered to move Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to his Bani Gala residence if the party submits a written request, media reports have stated.

    Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that Khan could be shifted to his residence, which could be declared a sub-jail. He added that PTI leaders and family members would be allowed to meet him there regularly.

    “There are about 8,000 inmates in Adiala Jail who have been facing difficulties due to Imran Khan and his political activities,” he said. “If PTI submits a written request, we are ready to transfer him to Bani Gala. Party leaders can meet him there, even play ludo or other games if they want.”

    He clarified that Imran Khan cannot be released but the government is “ready to move him if PTI submits a formal request.”

    PTI’s senior leader and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser responded by saying he was not aware of the offer but will consider it if the government was serious. “If the government shows genuine intent, we will consult with our legal team and Imran Khan before deciding,” he said.

    “My understanding is that the government might backtrack, but if it is sincere, we will move forward. If Imran Khan allows it, we will definitely submit a written request,” he added.

    Qaiser also said that “Imran Khan has been in jail for over two years and is legally entitled to bail.” He urged the government to “remove pressure from the judiciary and let the courts decide freely.”

    He further said the government should, “as a goodwill gesture, allow PTI leaders and family members to meet Imran Khan in jail so that the matter can move forward.”

    It is worth noting that in January 2024, Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was moved to the Bani Gala residence after receiving a 14-year prison sentence in the Toshakhana case. The house was declared a sub-jail at the time. However, she later claimed she was being poisoned there and approached the Islamabad High Court, which ordered her to be transfered back to Adiala Jail in May 2024.

  • Six killed as gunmen attack vehicle in North Waziristan

    Six killed as gunmen attack vehicle in North Waziristan

    Six people lost their lives on Wednesday when unidentified armed men ambushed a vehicle in the Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan.


    According to local sources, the attack occurred near Api village, where a car carrying six individuals came under heavy gunfire. All passengers were killed instantly. After the assault, the attackers reportedly doused the vehicle with petrol and set it ablaze, leaving the bodies severely burned.


    District Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed confirmed the incident, saying the assailants fled the scene before security forces arrived. The victims’ bodies were later shifted to Mirali Hospital for identification, though their identities have not yet been confirmed.


    The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but officials suspect that the deceased may have been members of a local peace committee. Police and security personnel have cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to track down the perpetrators.

  • Novacare clears air on difference between Imperial College Healthcare, Imperial College London amid doubts over govt claims

    Novacare clears air on difference between Imperial College Healthcare, Imperial College London amid doubts over govt claims

    As critics train guns at the Punjab government for “lying to the masses” about the opening of an Imperial College London campus at the Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore, Novacare – one of the entities involved in the actual project – has released a statement clarifying the situation.

    Imperial College London on Tuesday denied claims that it was opening a campus at the IT city being developed as part of CBD – a project aimed at making Lahore a distinguished business hub. The university clarified that all of its campuses were based in the United Kingdom (UK) and that there currently were no plans to expand overseas.


     
    The statement came after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a post on X on October 18, said that a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz had decided to establish a campus of Imperial College London at the Nawaz Sharif IT City. The post also mentioned that the foundation stone would be laid in November and that a 300-bed modern hospital would be built within the campus.

    As trolls took to social media to call out the government for what they said was “misleading the masses, Novacare issued a statement that said that the project was actually being built, however, reports had mischaracterised the entities and relationships involved.

    “We wish to clarify and nuance recent media reports and social media posts mischaracterising the entities and relationships involved in Novacare’s upcoming project at CBD NSIT Lahore,” the statement read, adding that Novacare has been affiliated with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust since March 2024, under the Trust’s International Affiliate network.


     
    “The affiliation supports Novacare’s first state-of-the-art 250-bed tertiary hospital in Islamabad, now over 50% complete and scheduled to open in Q4 2026. Under the Trust’s International Affiliate network, expert multidisciplinary teams from the Trust work with aspirational healthcare organisations like Novacare to help them establish and develop high-quality clinical standards and practices.”


     
    It further said that Novacare was the second entity globally to join the network and seeks to build a nationwide healthcare network across Pakistan.


     
    “As part of its national expansion, Novacare has been allotted land in CBD NSIT Lahore for its second project — an Academic Medical Centre integrating healthcare provision, education, research, and innovation within a world-class setting, benefiting from the cutting-edge technological and academic ecosystem under development by the Government of Punjab.”


     
    The Lahore project, it added, will be similar in scale, quality and structure to Novacare’s Islamabad project, and Novacare intends to build upon its wider collaboration framework with the Trust, under which it is the exclusive affiliate of the Trust across Pakistan.


     
    “It is important to distinguish between Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London. The Trust is a UK National Health Service (NHS) organisation, operating five major hospitals in London and leading one of the UK’s largest teaching hospital groups. Imperial College London is a separate academic institution; while the two work together and collaborate closely in several areas, the university is not involved in the Trust’s International Affiliate network, and hence issued a statement refuting its presence in Pakistan,” the statement concluded.

    Meanwhile, Capital Business District (CBD) Punjab also released a clarification.

    It said that the project was a collaborative initiative between Novacare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK), which is an independent NHS institution.


     
    “The upcoming Healthcare University and Affiliated Medical College at CBD NSIT is a collaborative initiative between Novacare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK) — an independent NHS institution,” it said in a statement on X.


     
    CBD further said that the project remained firmly on track under the Novacare–Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust partnership, advancing their mission to establish a world-class hub for healthcare education, research and innovation at CBD NSIT Lahore.

  • Lahore again becomes number one among the world’s most polluted cities

    Lahore again becomes number one among the world’s most polluted cities

    Lahore once again ranked as the world’s most polluted city on Thursday as its Air Quality Index (AQI) reached dangerous levels.

    According to the latest data, Lahore recorded an AQI of 237, slightly higher than India’s capital New Delhi, which stood at 233. The hazardous air continued to blanket several areas of Lahore, with Barqi Road recording an alarming AQI of 485 earlier in the morning.

    Other major cities also faced severe pollution levels, with Baghdad at 196, Kolkata at 157, and Dhaka at 144. Within Punjab, air quality remained poor across multiple cities. 

    Environmental experts have urged residents to wear protective masks and limit outdoor activities to avoid respiratory illnesses caused by the worsening air pollution.

  • After KP CM’s complaints, Mohsin Naqvi redirects bulletproof vehicles to Balochistan

    After KP CM’s complaints, Mohsin Naqvi redirects bulletproof vehicles to Balochistan

    Two days after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Sohail Afridi’s complaints regarding bulletproof vehicles, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has redirected the same to Balochistan on the request of CM Sarfraz Bugti.

    “It is an appeal to the interior minister that if the KP government is refusing to take the bulletproof vehicles, they should be transferred to the Balochistan government so that terrorism can be countered effectively,” Bugti said in a post on X after his KP counterpart Afridi blamed the “flawed policy” of the federal government for the resurgence of terrorism in the province.

    He had alleged that the federal government was not providing KP the funds allocated for war against terrorism and that the bulletproof cars provided by Naqvi were “defective and old”.

    With CM Afridi going on to say that the vehicles in question “should be recalled”, and CM Bugti requesting the same instead, maintaining that his province was also affected by terrorism, Naqvi on Wednesday responded to the Balochistan chief executive’s post.

    “CM sahib, done. These bulletproof vehicles will be sent to Balochistan immediately to enhance counter-terrorism efforts. Thank you for raising this,” he said on X.

    A day earlier, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry had also reacted to the KP CM’s claims, alleging that the provincial government had returned the vehicles to avoid “fighting terrorism”.

    At a press conference in Islamabad, he had asserted that the vehicles provided to KP were fully equipped with bulletproof and bombproof features, maintaining that the vehicles were previously used by the interior minister himself.

    Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had said that the province should have accepted the vehicles. Speaking to reporters in Peshawar, Governor Kundi said that the KP government should make efforts to acquire “more things from the Centre”.

    “I don’t know why KP CM returned those vehicles,” he had said.

  • CBD Punjab addresses claims of ‘Imperial College campus’ at Nawaz Sharif IT City

    CBD Punjab addresses claims of ‘Imperial College campus’ at Nawaz Sharif IT City

    A day after critics started training guns at the Punjab government for “lying to the masses” about the opening of an Imperial College London campus at the Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore, the Capital Business District (CBD) Punjab has cleared the air on the matter.

    Imperial College London on Tuesday denied claims that it was opening a campus at the IT city being developed as part of CBD – a project aimed at making Lahore a distinguished business hub. The university clarified that all of its campuses were based in the United Kingdom (UK) and that there currently were no plans to expand overseas.

    The statement came after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a post on X on October 18, said that a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz had decided to establish a campus of Imperial College London at the Nawaz Sharif IT City. The post had also mentioned that a foundation stone would be laid in November and that a 300-bed modern hospital would be built within the campus.

    As trolls took to social media to call out the government for what they said was “misleading the masses”, CBD on Wednesday clarified that the project was actually being built, however, it was a collaborative initiative between Novacare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK), which is an independent NHS institution.

    “The upcoming Healthcare University and Affiliated Medical College at CBD NSIT is a collaborative initiative between Novacare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK) — an independent NHS institution,” it said in a statement on X.

    CBD further said that the project remained firmly on track under the Novacare–Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust partnership, advancing their mission to establish a world-class hub for healthcare education, research and innovation at CBD NSIT Lahore.

    Separately, Novacare also issued a statement on the matter.

    “We wish to clarify and nuance recent media reports and social media posts mischaracterising the entities and relationships involved in Novacare’s upcoming project at CBD NSIT Lahore,” the statement read, adding that Novacare has been affiliated with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust since March 2024, under the Trust’s International Affiliate network.

    “The affiliation supports Novacare’s first state-of-the-art 250-bed tertiary hospital in Islamabad, now over 50% complete and scheduled to open in Q4 2026. Under the Trust’s International Affiliate network, expert multidisciplinary teams from the Trust work with aspirational healthcare organisations like Novacare to help them establish and develop high-quality clinical standards and practices.”

    It further said that Novacare was the second entity globally to join this network and seeks to build a nationwide healthcare network across Pakistan.

    “As part of its national expansion, Novacare has been allotted land in CBD NSIT Lahore for its second project — an Academic Medical Centre integrating healthcare provision, education, research, and innovation within a world-class setting, benefiting from the cutting-edge technological and academic ecosystem under development by the Government of Punjab.”

    This Lahore project, it added, will be similar in scale, quality and structure to Novacare’s Islamabad project, and Novacare intends to build upon its wider collaboration framework with the Trust, under which it is the exclusive affiliate of the Trust across Pakistan.

    “It is important to distinguish between Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London. The Trust is a UK National Health Service (NHS) organisation, operating five major hospitals in London and leading one of the UK’s largest teaching hospital groups. Imperial College London is a separate academic institution; while the two work together and collaborate closely in several areas, the university is not involved in the Trust’s International Affiliate network, and hence issued a statement refuting its presence in Pakistan,” the statement concluded.

    While the provincial government is yet to address the blunder itself, it merits a mention that Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), also known as CBD Punjab is a massive project aimed at transforming Lahore’s urban canvas.

    Situated near the city’s economic hub, this initiative covers extensive land, aiming to establish Lahore as a business hub with a preliminary financial estimate ranging from Rs2,700 billion to Rs3,000 billion.

    The project promises to redefine urban development paradigms in the heart of Pakistan.

  • Pakistan Navy confiscates drugs worth nearly $1 billion from vessels in Arabian Sea

    Pakistan Navy confiscates drugs worth nearly $1 billion from vessels in Arabian Sea

    PNS Yarmook of the Pakistan Navy has seized narcotics worth over $972 million from two vessels in the Arabian Sea during the previous week, the naval network managing the operation has announced. 

    This operation was carried out in collaboration with the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), a multinational naval alliance that includes the United States. While assisting the Saudi-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 under the focused operation Al Masmak, the Pakistani ship intercepted two dhows in a span of 48 hours last week, starting from October 16.

    According to the CMF statement, “The crew boarded the first dhow and confiscated more than two tons of crystal methamphetamine, valued at approximately $822,400,000, on October 18. Within less than 48 hours, the crew boarded a second dhow and captured 350 kilograms of crystal meth valued at $140,000,000, along with 50 kg of cocaine worth $10,000,000.”

    The statement continued that the drugs were returned to the ship “for testing to confirm their contents and later disposed of.” The intercepted vessels were described as “having no nationality,” although their origin was not disclosed.

    Commodore Fahad Aljoiad of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, who commands the CMF taskforce involved in the operation, remarked, “The achievement of this focused operation underscores the significance of multinational cooperation.” He referred to the seizures as “one of the most successful narcotics interceptions for CMF.”

    The US Central Command shared a message on X congratulating the CMF. The force comprises navies from 47 nations and monitors over three million square miles, spanning some of the world’s busiest shipping routes, with the goal of disrupting the smuggling of drugs and weapons.

    PNS Yarmook was commissioned in Romania in February 2020 and became part of the Pakistan Navy fleet in December 2020. 

    The ship is outfitted for electronic warfare, anti-ship and anti-air operations, and includes systems for self-protection and terminal defense. It is capable of conducting various maritime operations in conjunction with unmanned aerial vehicle missions.

    In March 2024, PNS Yarmook participated in a rescue mission following a distress signal from a boat carrying eight Iranian fishermen that was on fire. The ship was also deployed in July 2024 in the Indian Ocean with an onboard helicopter to ensure the safety and security of merchant vessels traveling to and from Pakistan’s ports.

  • ‘No war with Pakistan, issues can be resolved through trade,’ Trump tells Modi

    ‘No war with Pakistan, issues can be resolved through trade,’ Trump tells Modi

    United States President Donald Trump has said that he urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to avoid a war with Pakistan. The President was addressing a group of Indian nationals during a Diwali event in the Oval Office in Washington DC. 

    While speaking to reporters, Trump said he had a detailed telephone conversation with Modi earlier in the day, during which they discussed several important issues, including trade. 

    “We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I told him that war with Pakistan should not happen,” he added, emphasizing that he believed “issues can be resolved through trade.”

    “I just spoke to your Prime Minister today,” Trump told attendees at the Oval Office. “We had a great conversation. We talked about trade … Although we did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan. And I think the fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that. And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing.”

    Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to halt all military actions on land, in the air and at sea, in a ceasefire announced by Trump, under which both sides agreed not to escalate hostilities that had spiraled alarmingly in a brief but intense conflict threatening regional peace. 

    The two neighbors had exchanged fire using fighter jets, drones, missiles, and artillery in their worst fighting in decades, leaving around 70 people dead on both sides of the border.

    Trump has since taken credit for ending the conflict, though New Delhi has disputed the involvement of any third party, maintaining that India continues to deal with Pakistan bilaterally.

    The US president also claimed he had prevented eight wars so far through what he described as “deals and trade,” includingthe one between Pakistan and India.

    Last week, Trump said at a White House dinner that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had recently met him and “emotionally” credited him in front of a group of people for stopping multiple wars, saying millions of lives could have been lost in the conflicts.

  • Here is why tomato prices are high across Pakistan

    Here is why tomato prices are high across Pakistan

    The Price Control Department has said that the recent surge in tomato prices across Pakistan has been caused by a disruption in supply.

    According to reports, heavy rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa damaged tomato crops, leading to a temporary shortage in the market.

    A spokesperson for the Price Control and Consumer Management Department (PC&CMD) told the media that delays in tomato imports from Afghanistan and Iran have also added pressure on supply. The rise in prices is mainly due to seasonal changes, rainfall, and transportation challenges.

    The department said the increase in tomato prices is temporary and expected to ease next week once supply returns to normal. 

    The department added that upcoming tomato harvests from Sindh in November and from Punjab in April and May will ensure stable availability in the coming months.