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Category: National

  • Mob attack on Ahmadi worship place foiled by police

    Mob attack on Ahmadi worship place foiled by police

    Lahore police on Friday reportedly foiled a mob attack on a worship place of the Ahmadi community in the city’s Samanabad.

    A strong contingent of force from several police stations reportedly responded to the emergency 15 call from the community when local residents were about to advance towards the Ahmadi worship place.

    “Six SHOs, a DSP, a divisional SP and an SSP rushed to the site along with armed policemen on the direction of Lahore Operations DIG Faisal Kamran to rescue members of the Ahmadi community at any cost,” Dawn News quoted a police officer as saying, adding that women and children were also among the worshippers.

    As the mob reportedly attempted to siege the worship place, the police launched a major operation, rescuing women, children and other worshippers, shifting them to a secured area and increased security of the worship place. Police high-ups also engaged known local figures, including religious leaders, to maintain peace.

    Dawn News quoted an Ahmadi worshipper as reporting that his community had built a worship place on Poonch Road and got it registered with the relevant government department, adding that during prayers, they [Ahmadi] heard some slogans outside, which frightened the community.

    “I also rushed out of the worship place using the back door, left my motorbike unattended and ran to avoid a possible attack,” the Ahmadi worshipper added.

    He further said that he witnessed many charged people gathering on the road, calling people to reach the site hurriedly, adding they seemed to be members of a religious party hurling serious threats and demanding closure of the Ahmadi worship place.

    Moreover, the worshipper said that the protesters had accused the Ahmadi community of violating the time schedule of worship on Friday. However, dismissing the charge, he said that they were following the given schedule.

    Citing DIG operations, Dawn News said the police managed to thwart the possible mob attack on the Ahmadi worship place.

    Kamran confirmed that protestors gathered outside the Ahmadi worship place were members of a religious-cum-political party pressing for a change in Ahmadi worship timing.

  • Govt looks to invite more satellite-based internet firms

    Govt looks to invite more satellite-based internet firms

    The launch of satellite-based internet services in Pakistan has been delayed as authorities seek to attract more players to the sector and introduce stricter regulations for foreign satellite operators, following the Pakistan-India conflict in May.

    Following the expiration of the temporary no-objection certificate (NOC) for Starlink in March, all foreign satellite operators are now required to submit new applications under the newly drafted Satellite Communications Regula­tions.

    The Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) is finalising these regulations based on industry feedback gathered during a recent roundtable discussion.

    Two other Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operators, OneWeb and Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), alongside Starlink, have expressed interest in starting operations in Pakistan.

    Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, is one of the most technologically advanced companies globally among those providing internet via Low Earth Orbit satellites.

    The LEO satellite network operates at an altitude of less than 2,000 kilometres from the Earth’s surface, offering high-speed data connectivity in all weather conditions at a relatively low cost, with a latency delay of only 25 milliseconds.

    Once registered under the new regulations, satellite internet providers will need to obtain operational licences from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

    Dawn News quoted a PTA official as claiming that all companies, including Starlink, can launch their services by the end of this year, and reportedly, Elon Musk is also likely to attend the launch ceremony.

    It merits a mention that Starlink was the first company to submit a formal application for registration. However, the absence of regulations leads to delays in licensing. The company has already been granted approval to provide satellite internet services in India.

    “The new regulations will include important security clauses that may have been overlooked if the recent wars had not occurred,” Dawn News quoted a senior official from the Ministry of IT and Telecom as saying. “Besides, Pakistan needs more than one satellite internet provider, and two more companies have expressed interest.”

    PakSat, Pakistan’s state-owned company and a subsidiary of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research (SUPARCO), currently provides satellite internet through Satellite Multi-Mission-1 (MM-1), the country’s second telecommunication satellite, launched in August 2024.

    PakSat currently serves around 300 clients, with a capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 users. The service is primarily sold to the armed forces, the corporate sector and telecom providers for remote regions.

  • ‘For just one house?’: Senators grill NHA over Lahore-Raiwind motorway plan

    ‘For just one house?’: Senators grill NHA over Lahore-Raiwind motorway plan

    Officials from the National Highway Authority (NHA) have stated that plans are being drafted to build a 16-kilometre motorway from Lahore to Raiwind. 

    During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, headed by Chairperson Quratulain Marri, on Friday, a row erupted after NHA officials briefed the committee that a 16-kilometre long motorway from Lahore to Raiwind is being planned. Raiwind is home to the residence of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. His daughter Maryam Nawaz is the current Chief Minister of Punjab. 

    In response, Marri reportedly said that it apparently seems NHA is building a motorway for just one house. “Will the provincial government fund this motorway or will NHA,” she asked. In response, NHA officials stated that for now, they are only conducting a land survey.

    The Chairperson stressed that no more motorways will be built in Punjab, adding that, primarily, incomplete motorways in other provinces must be finished first. 

    She expressed surprise that such a motorway is not being built in Karachi, which has a port: “Why aren’t you building a motorway there?”

    NHA officials replied that that there are two motorways in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) while Punjab has seven motorways.

    Committee member Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar chimed in, asking, “Out of 14 motorways, doesn’t Balochistan deserve even one? Can’t you allocate even a single motorway for Balochistan?”

    Meanwhile, the committee demanded a detailed briefing on all of Balochistan’s roads in the next meeting. The chairperson recommended that no more motorways be constructed in Punjab, emphasising that other provinces, especially Balochistan, should also have motorways.

  • DHA Phase 8 restaurant refuses man service for wearing shalwar kameez

    DHA Phase 8 restaurant refuses man service for wearing shalwar kameez

    A lawyer filed a case against a restaurant in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase 8 in Karachi after allegedly being denied entry for wearing shalwar kameez.

    Advocate Latif Baloch claimed that he visited the restaurant on May 18 with some acquaintances, but a waiter stopped him at the entrance and turned him away for wearing traditional clothes.

    He claims the management labeled shalwar kameez as “cheap dressing” and stated that food service was “unavailable” for individuals wearing such attire, citing a policy that prohibited traditional clothing.

    In the petition, Baloch mentioned that the shalwar kameez is Pakistan’s national dress and that the restriction is unreasonable and discriminatory.

    The restaurant is located in Karachi’s DHA Phase 8. The complaint demands a Rs 1 million fine on the restaurant and a formal apology from its management. 

    The consumer court has scheduled a hearing for July 14.

  • 55-year-old school worker passes matric exams in Pishin

    55-year-old school worker passes matric exams in Pishin

    A 55-year-old school worker in Balochistan has successfully completed his matriculation exams, achieving a personal goal he had deferred for many years. 

    Faiz-ul-Haq, a peon at the Government Boys High School in Nauabad, Pishin, scored 600 marks and achieved a second division grade. His results were announced this week. 

    Faiz had to abandon his education at an early age owing to financial constraints. He revealed that he needed to find work to support his family, which made it difficult to continue his studies at the time. 

    His motivation to resume his education came from the continuous support of the teachers and staff at his workplace. He acknowledged their role in helping him remain focused and driven while studying for the exams. 

    “I always dreamed of studying, but I had to prioritise providing for my family. Now, with my teachers’ backing, I’ve accomplished this goal,” he expressed during an interview.

    The school staff commemorated his accomplishment with a small gathering, where teachers and colleagues adorned him with flowers.

  • Militants kill nine Punjabi passengers in Balochistan

    Militants kill nine Punjabi passengers in Balochistan

    Nine people travelling from Balochistan to Punjab were kidnapped and murdered on Thursday night after armed assailants stopped two coaches in the Sarha Dakai region, located along the national highway between Loralai and Musakhel in Balochistan. The attackers reportedly checked the passengers’ identification cards and forcibly took them away at gunpoint.

    According to Loralai Division Commissioner Saadat Hussain, the armed men approached the buses and forcibly abducted ten passengers after verifying their identities. One survivor told the Levies Force that gunfire was heard following the abductions. The law enforcement agency later discovered nine bodies in a nearby mountainous region during their search operation.

    The Balochistan government stated that the assault was carried out by terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna-e-Hindustan. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind indicated that the same group had been involved in coordinated attacks in Mastung, Kakat, and Sarha Dakai.

    The deceased belonged to cities in Punjab: Irfan from Dera Ghazi Khan, Sabir Hussain from Kamoke, Asif Sultan from Chok Qureshi, Ghulam Saeed from Khanewal, Junaid from Lahore, Bilal from Attock, Bilawal from Gujrat, and another man from Dunyapur, Lodhran, who was traveling to attend his father’s funeral.

    Their bodies were transferred to Rakhni and subsequently delivered to Punjab officials at the Bawata border. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Usman and Commandant Asad Chandia were present to receive them. Following directives from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the bodies were sent to their hometowns, with district officials designated to facilitate the transfers.

    The Balochistan Liberation Front, a prohibited separatist organisation, subsequently took responsibility for the murders. A spokesperson for the group stated that the roadway connecting Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri had been obstructed for the operation.

  • Passenger travelling from Lahore to Karachi accidentally sent to Jeddah

    Passenger travelling from Lahore to Karachi accidentally sent to Jeddah

    A passenger scheduled to fly from Lahore to Karachi on a domestic AirSial flight mistakenly boarded an international flight to Jeddah on July 7.

    Malik Shahzain had been staying in Lahore for nearly a month to manage factory-related matters.

    “I am Malik Shahzain. I had been staying in Lahore for around one month and was looking after some factory work. I booked a ticket on AirSial [for Karachi]. My flight was on 7th July at 10 AM.”

    He stated that after arriving at the airport, he received his boarding pass and proceeded to his plane. At the same time, an international flight bound for Jeddah, carrying Umrah pilgrims, was also boarding.

    “When I arrived at the airport, I collected my boarding pass. Another flight was boarding, headed to Jeddah carrying Umrah pilgrims. I mistakenly boarded that plane.”

    According to Shahzain, he realised something was wrong two hours into the flight when the plane still had not landed.

    “Two hours later, I began to wonder why the plane wasn’t landing. That’s when I found out I had boarded the wrong flight.”

    He was still inside the plane when a team arrived and informed him that it had landed in Jeddah and would take him back to Lahore.

    According to a media report, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) stated that senior officials had taken notice of the lapse and had written letters to the civil aviation regulator and the station manager.

    “In the letter, the civil aviation regulator has been requested to impose a heavy fine on the airline that is guilty of negligence,” PAA spokesman Saifullah said.

    The PAA statement, however, did not clarify how the passenger cleared immigration at the Lahore airport before boarding the Jeddah-bound flight.

    Shahzain had originally booked AirSial flight PF146 from Lahore to Karachi on July 7 at 9:45 PM, according to his boarding pass. However, after returning from Jeddah, he eventually boarded flight PF144 to Karachi from Lahore on July 8 at 3:45 AM.

  • Mohsin Naqvi rebuffs rumours about President Zardari’s removal from office

    Mohsin Naqvi rebuffs rumours about President Zardari’s removal from office

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has firmly rebuffed rumours that President Asif Ali Zardari is being asked to resign or that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, is allegedly aspiring to assume the presidency.

    Naqvi took to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, writing that “we are fully aware” of who is behind the “malicious campaign” targeting the president, Prime Minister (PM) Shahbaz Sharif, and the army chief.

    “I have categorically stated that there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the President being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency,” he clarified.

    Naqvi underscored that the President enjoys a strong and respectful relationship with the Armed Forces’ leadership. “I know who is spreading these falsehoods, why they are doing so, and who stands to benefit from this propaganda,” he quoted Zardari as saying. 

    The interior minister emphasised that the sole focus of the COAS is the strength and stability of Pakistan, “nothing else”.

    “To those involved in this narrative, do whatever you wish in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies. As for us, we will do whatever is necessary to make Pakistan strong again, InshAllah (sic),” he said.

    While some media reports suggest that it all started with a couple of journalists “revealing” on social media that a plan was underway to remove Zardari for allegedly leaking the specific meeting conversation regarding the plan to build new Canals from the Indus River, others claim the rumours began circulating after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) obtained a simple majority in the National Assembly (NA) after the reinstatement of reserved seats by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following the top court’s Constitutional Bench verdict.

    Meanwhile, speaking to a private media outlet today, PML-N Senator Irfanullah Siddiqui also denied reports of Zardari’s resignation.

    “Reports that Zardari is resigning, Imran’s sons are coming, Nawaz Sharif is going to Adiala… these are not news. They are bogus stories,” he said.

    Siddiqui added, “Zardari has not created any difficulties for the government, and understands his constitutional responsibilities as head of state.”

    The Senator claimed that the PML-N had “no trouble” working with the president and there was no credible reason to remove him from office.

    “We have a coalition with the PPP. Why would we bring down this system,” he questioned.

  • Pakistanis in awe as Bilawal bashes Modi on Indian media

    Pakistanis in awe as Bilawal bashes Modi on Indian media

    Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday gave an exclusive interview to Indian journalist Karan Thapar on The Wire, the first major appearance by a Pakistani politician on Indian media since the two countries engaged in military clashes in May. 

    The PPP chairman said the Indian public was “lied to” by New Delhi about Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, including a Nepalese national.

    Bilawal reminded the Indian journalist that Pakistan has been willing to be part of an impartial international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, however, “your government refused that”. 

    “To this day, the Indian government has not shared with Pakistan, with the international community, with the Indian public… who exactly are these individuals that were involved in this terrorist attack that are from Pakistan?” said the PPP chairman, asking Thapar why did he not know the names of the attackers.

    “It’s very uncomfortable for you that I point out the truth to the Indian public, that they have been lied to… that Pakistan was involved in this attack when we were not,” he stressed, as Karan Thapar turner increasingly aggressive. 

    Bilawal further stated that New Delhi has been unable to provide the evidence that Pakistan allegedly orchestrated the attack in Pahalgam, adding, “That’s why during this war, the Indian media and the Indian government launched a campaign of disinformation to continue to bamboozle the people of India.”


    On being asked about Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) Chief Hafiz Saeed and the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks, which claimed the lives of at least 166 people, Bilawal highlighted that the LeT chief was in prison and that the Mumbai attack case was still ongoing.

    “As far as Hafiz Saeed is concerned, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, he was sentenced to 31 years in prison for terrorist financing in April 2022 by Pakistan,” Bilawal added.

    “As far as the Mumbai attack case is concerned, it’s absolutely true that the case is still sub judice. The frustration that the courts and the Pakistani government and legal system are having with achieving a conviction is that India is refusing to participate in the trial and produce the witnesses necessary to record their statements.”

    Despite repeated interruptions and attempts by the Indian journalist to sensationalise the conversation for local Indian audience, Bilawal answered all questions with clarity, without losing his diplomatic poise, a fact being praised by netizens in Pakistan.

    Taking to X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote that during the interview, Bilawal “chooses dialogue over division”. Another wrote, “Midway through the debate, I greatly admire Mr. Bilawal’s calm demeanour and his impressive restraint in keeping his temper throughout.”

    Another tweep, while highlighting Thapar becoming unreasonably combative, asked, “As for the interview, was that Arnab Goswami (controversial Indian anchor) in disguise as Karan Thapar?”

    “Karan Thapar, usually calm, spoke over @BBhuttoZardari 31 times in 34 mins, interrupted outright 23 times, got visibly frustrated 7 times. Bilawal’s longest free answer? Barely 1 minute. Bilawal didn’t lose composure once. That’s who won the room (sic),” another account pointed out.

    “A powerful and bold move by @BBhuttoZardari, taking Pakistan’s stance right into the heart of Indian media. This is not just diplomacy; it’s defiance with clarity. We need leaders who confront narratives, not hide behind them,” a fifth user said.

  • PML-N leader claims Imran Khan’s sons taking Urdu lessons

    PML-N leader claims Imran Khan’s sons taking Urdu lessons

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yasin had claimed weeks ago that Suleman Khan and Qasim Khan, sons of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, are learning Urdu. 

    “I have information that Qasim and Suleman have hired an Urdu teacher, and they are learning Urdu,” Yasin had said during a press conference held at the Director General Public Relations (DGPR) in Lahore two weeks ago.

    Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari was also present at the press conference.

    Yasin stated that “coming time” will tell why the boys, who have spent most of their lives in the UK, are learning Urdu, adding that Imran Khan’s sons are waiting for the time to “fool the nation”.

    The housing minister went on to claim that Qasim and Suleman are being taught how to deliver speeches to “provoke the nation”.

    Sanaullah warns Imran Khan’s sons may be arrested if they come to protest in Pakistan

    In May, in a rare public appearance, Imran Khan’s sons talked about their father’s incarceration for the first time.

    Qasim uploaded a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, calling for his father’s release, writing that Imran Khan had been imprisoned for 700 days and cut off from his family and even his personal physician.

    Imran Khan, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023, protests. 

    Weeks after Bilal Yasin’s presser, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan told journalists that her brother intends to lead a protest movement from jail against the 26th Constitutional Amendment from August 5, marking two years of his incarceration.

    “Imran Khan’s sons, Qasim and Sulaiman, will first go to the United States to raise awareness about the injustices faced by their father, and then they will take part in the movement being launched in Pakistan. Imran Khan has been informed about this,” she said while speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

    She added, “People must come out for themselves, for democracy, for the rule of law, and against the 26th Amendment. Anyone who cannot bear the weight of this movement should step aside now.”