Current Final

Category: Politics

  • 14 members of Balochistan cabinet takes oath today

    14 members of Balochistan cabinet takes oath today

    Fourteen members of the Balochistan cabinet took oath today in a ceremony held at the Governor’s House in Quetta.

    Those who took the oath include Sadiq Umrani, Ali Madad Jattak, Zahoor Buledi, Noor Muhammad Dumar, Sardar Faisal Jamali, Sarfraz Domki, Abdul Rehman Khetran, Saleem Khosa, Asim Kurd Gello, Bakht Kakar, Tariq Magsi, Shoaib Nosherwani, Raheel Durrani, and Zia Langau.

    On March 2, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sardar Sarfraz Bugti took oath as the Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan.

  • PTI leaders declare president, prime minister ‘illegal’ after first joint parliament session

    PTI leaders declare president, prime minister ‘illegal’ after first joint parliament session

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub Khan has declared the head of state, Asif Ali Zardari, “illegal” after the President’s first speech in parliament on Thursday.

    Zardari stressed the importance of meaningful dialogue between political parties to reduce the political crisis in Pakistan in his speech.

    The PTI leader raised questions on Article 41 of the Constitution, which states that a President is a representative of the federation, pointing out that Asif Ali Zardari hasn’t resigned as co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as of yet.

    “Law is being violated in this House,” the PTI leader said that he tried to raise a point being a leader of the opposition, but he was denied the floor.

    “As per the law, the floor is given to the opposition leader whenever he asks,” he added.

    On the other hand, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also criticized him, saying that “We do not recognize this president [Zardari]. [Not only this president, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the entire cabinet are also illegal.”

  • Motorcyclist killed in collision with Maryam Nawaz’s protocol’s vehicle

    Motorcyclist killed in collision with Maryam Nawaz’s protocol’s vehicle

    A speeding vehicle of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s motorcade reportedly caused the death of a motorcyclist at the Chandowal Stop on Shakargarh Road, Narowal, Dawn reported on Friday.

    The CM was heading to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur to join in the three-day Baisakhi festival celebrations. As her motorcade travelled from Narowal to Kartarpur, an Elite Force vehicle collided with a motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction. The motorcyclist, 23-year-old Abubakar from Jassar Town, lost his life on the scene.

    The CM’s motorcade did not stop to take the injured to the hospital.

    Ali Rizwan, a cousin of the accident victim, told Dawn that Abubakar was on his way to the gas station where he worked. He expressed frustration that no officials stopped their car to help the injured Abubakar, nor did they call Rescue 1122. Instead, he noted with disappointment that police officers arrived at the scene after the incident and washed away the blood from the road to eliminate the evidence.

  • Your mobile SIM will be blocked if registered on invalid CNIC

    Your mobile SIM will be blocked if registered on invalid CNIC

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to block all phone SIMs that are registered on an invalid or expired identity card.

    The security czar visited the NADRA headquarters on Thursday in Islamabad and directed authorities to establish NADRA offices all over Pakistan, just as the model police stations were established in Punjab.

    He also stated that by establishing model NADRA offices, service delivery will be enhanced.

  • Five customs officers killed in firing incident in DI Khan

    Five customs officers killed in firing incident in DI Khan

    Local police have confirmed on Thursday that a firing incident in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) claimed the lives of six people, including five customs officers.

    Police officials stated that unknown attackers targeted the officers at Sago Road in Daraban tehsil of the district.

    Five customs officers and one passer-by were killed in the firing incident, police added.

    Attackers armed with weapons hid in bushes, then attacked the vehicle and quickly escaped on motorcycles without being stopped.

    Due to the attack, the driver of the customs vehicle lost control and collided with another vehicle, resulting in the death of the citizen.

    The bodies of the six individuals were shifted to the district headquarters hospital (DHQ).

    Police officials cordoned off the area of the incident, and investigations have started.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur strongly condemned the incident, expressing regret over the deaths

  • Israel reportedly attacks Iran

    Israel reportedly attacks Iran

    Iranian state media has stated that the country’s air defence systems brought down three drones over the central city of Isfahan.

    According to latest development, the Iranian news agency Tasnim has cited “informed sources” as saying that “there are no reports of an attack from abroad against Isfahan or any other part of Iran”.

    Separately, an Iranian analyst argued on state television that mini-drones were flown by “infiltrators from inside” the country, according to Al Jazeera.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency says it can confirm that there has been no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites.

    Meanwhile, US media, citing senior US officials, also reported that Israeli missiles had hit an Iranian site.

    Iranian air defence systems were activated and flights across several areas including Tehran and Isfahan were suspended.

    Regional tensions rose following Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel after an attack on its diplomatic premises in Syria.

    There are fears of all-out confrontation after Iran had been warning Israel that it would respond strongly to any aggression.

  • Terrorist attack on Japanese citizens in Karachi; all foreign nationals safe

    Terrorist attack on Japanese citizens in Karachi; all foreign nationals safe

    A terrorist attack targeted Japanese citizens after their vehicle was attacked by a suicide bomber in Karachi’s Landhi area. The foreign nationals remained safe while two terrorists involved in the barbaric attack were killed, according to the police.

    Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Azfar Mahesar told Dawn that the incident took place near Murtaza Chorangi in Landhi, adding that the five foreign nations were travelling in a Hiace van.

    “All five Japanese remained safe. However, the private security guard with them was injured,” he said, adding that one terrorist was killed.

    “The Japanese nationals were on the way to Export Processing Zone from their residence in Zamzama, Clifton,” he said.

    There was another suicide bomber who was there for ‘backup’. He was gunned down by the Sharafi Goth police party patrolling the area.

    Some users on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that the Japanese nationals might have been mistaken as Chinese since terrorists in Pakistan have been increasingly targeting Chinese nationals, most recently in Shangla where five Chinese nationals lost their lives.

    “No one has claimed responsibility so far,” the DIG said, adding that the vehicle carrying the Japanese nationals was bullet-proof.

  • Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui has said that former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif wasn’t ready to become prime minister for the fourth time.  

    “It was Nawaz’s own decision to not become the prime minister,” Siddiqui said while speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Wednesday.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif became the country’s prime minister for the second time following the party’s nomination after Nawaz decided against running for the coveted post after returning to the country following a four-year self-imposed exile from London.

    The party eagerly awaited the veteran politician’s return and built its election campaign around him. They portrayed him as a saviour who could tackle the country’s problems and guide it to prosperity.

    After the February 8 polls, where major political parties like PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) didn’t win enough seats for a clear majority in the National Assembly, PML-N chose Shehbaz as their candidate for prime minister.

  • Finance Minister Aurangzeb meets Donald Lu in Washington DC

    Finance Minister Aurangzeb meets Donald Lu in Washington DC

    Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a high-level meeting with the United States State Department Assistant Secretary Donald Lu at World Bank headquarters in Washington to discuss financial reforms that Pakistan is planning to implement.

    The meeting was held in the background of the Finance Minister’s visit to Washington in order to finalize talks about the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

    Aurangzeb and the US official focused on upgrading economic partnerships, with emphasis on alternate energy, agriculture, climate resilience and technology.

    Aurangzeb was positive about the investment opportunities by America in information technology, renewables, agriculture and minerals extraction.

    He also pledged close collaboration with the US International Development Finance Corporation and Exim Bank for mutual development.

    Aurangzeb has been conducting high-level meetings with top officials in the US on the sidelines.

  • US tells Taliban to stop terrorists from using Afghan soil

    US tells Taliban to stop terrorists from using Afghan soil

    The US State Department has supported Pakistan’s initiatives against terrorism and called on Taliban leaders to stop terrorists from using Afghanistan’s land.

    In a conversation with Geo News, a State Department spokesperson said, “We support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights.”

    The spokesperson said that Pakistan suffers a lot due to terrorism, adding that no country should suffer this much due to terrorism.

    “We urge the Taliban to ensure that Afghan soil is not used to support terrorist groups, movement of terrorists, or acts of terrorism.

    “We have been very clear that we will judge the Taliban by what they do, not what they say. The Taliban wantsl international legitimacy. This requires the Taliban to meet their commitments to the international community,” the official said.

    The US state spokesperson also said that the only concern of the US was to make sure that Afghanistan is not a secure and comfortable place for terrorists who want to harm the US, its partners, and allies. 

    The official added, “We are in regular communication with Pakistani leaders as a part of our partnership on counterterrorism issues. We continue to discuss Afghanistan in detail, including through our annual counterterrorism dialogue and other bilateral consultations.”