China mediated as Myanmar’s government held the seventh round of peace talks with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the sides signed a formal ceasefire agreement that began on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday. The talks were held in mid-January, in China’s southwestern city of
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have extended their heartfelt congratulations to Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. In a statement issued by the Presidency, Zardari conveyed his best wishes to President Trump, expressing hope for a prosperous
Three senior judges of the Supreme Court including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Aqeel Abbasi have written a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. All judges in a letter expressed concerns over the non-scheduling of the important “bench powers” case, terming the issue a violation of
Supreme Court’s Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has raised concerns over the implications of withdrawing cases from judicial benches, suggesting it would undermine judicial independence. Referring to recent developments, he questioned whether committees can withdraw cases if it appears that a decision might go against the government. Justice Mansoor made
Mastercard has once again collaborated with foodpanda, a Delivery Hero-owned online food and grocery delivery platform, to boost digital payment in Pakistan and support the nation’s transition toward a cashless economy. This collaboration with one of Pakistan’s leading delivery platforms underscores Mastercard’s commitment to advancing financial inclusion
The World Bank has revised its forecast for Pakistan’s GDP growth for the fiscal year 2024-25 to 2.8% marking a notable improvement of 0.5% from its previous estimate of 2.3% in June 2024. This prediction, however, lags behind the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) growth projection
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Sunday his intention to issue an executive order to delay a TikTok ban. According to details, he emphasised a potential deal that would grant the United States partial ownership of the app. His remarks followed the app’s blackout in the United States under legislation
Donald Trump told thousands of roaring supporters he would impose severe limits on immigration on his first day in office, vowing to swiftly fulfill the central promise of his presidential campaign at a rally on Sunday inside a packed Washington arena a day before he returns to power. “By the
Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East. The truce allowed Palestinians to return to bombed-out neighborhoods to begin rebuilding their lives, while relief
The Ministry of Religious Affairs revealed that Pakistani pilgrims were expected to spend Rs9.94billion on sacrificial rites during Hajj 2025. Officials disclosed that this year’s sacrificial fee was set at Rs55,500 per individual. Sources within the ministry indicated that more than Rs1.94billion had already been deposited
The New Gwadar International Airport, a key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is being inaugurated today (Monday). However, the departure of the first flight from Karachi to Gwadar has been delayed. According to the flight schedule, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-503 was to depart from Karachi at
The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Omer Ayub, staged a protest outside parliament on Friday, condemning the sentencing of party founder Imran Khan in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. Declaring the day a “black day” in Pakistan’s judicial history, the PTI leaders vowed to challenge the decision
Following the sentencing of the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi in the £190 million reference case, party leadership has strongly condemned the court’s verdict, calling it baseless and politically motivated. A senior PTI leader Faisal Ch stated, “There is not a single proof of financial corruption against us. From
The Accountability Court of Islamabad has sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Rs1 million fine after finding him guilty in the £190 million reference case. Imran’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has been sentenced to 7 years in prison and a Rs0.5 million
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif addressing the media raised serious concerns regarding Malik Riaz and the Al-Qadir Trust case demanding accountability and condemning the misuse of public funds. He criticized the PTI leadership stating, “Action should be taken against Malik Riaz. That is why he is not coming back to Pakistan.
A meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi, has started. According to the Supreme Court (SC) sources, the meeting chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi would deliberate on the appointment of additional judges for the Islamabad High Court (IHC)
Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, said during a court hearing on Tuesday that her “faith in the law has been lost”. She made the remarks while appearing at an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad for a hearing related to the Rangers accident
The United States (US) remained the top export destination of Pakistani products during the first five months of the current fiscal year, followed by China and the United Kingdom (UK). ADVERTISEMENT Total exports to the US during the period were recorded at $2512.809 million as compared to last year’
PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry failed to appear in Tuesday’s Senate session despite production orders issued by Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani a day earlier. This was not the first production order issued for the senator, who is imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. In March last year, he was
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the situation in Kurram was “returning to normal” as 25 vehicles of a second convoy carrying essentials reached the district. Clashes stemming from decades-old land disputes have claimed at least 130 lives since November, with food and medicine shortages reported due to
The defence ministry’s lawyer, Khawaja Haris, on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench that the alleged masterminds and conspirators of the May 9 “conspiracy” would be tried in military courts. The bench, including Justices Aminuddin Khan, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Hassan Azhar
ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Tucked away in a corner of central Tokyo, the Extinct Media Museum lives up to its name. From Betacam videotapes to floppy disks and vintage Sony devices, the museum is a showcase for old cameras and telecom equipment, including a 1916 Japanese-made “Lily” still camera, its oldest exhibit.
In another expected jolt for inflation-hit masses, the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government likely to jack up petrol and deisel prices from January 16. The surge in crude oil prices has sparked concerns about further hikes in the prices of petroleum products within the country. According to reports, with a
The world’s largest religious congregation, Maha Kumbh 2025, commenced on Monday in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, marking the return of the event after 144 years. Devotees in massive numbers thronged the ghats of the city for the first Shahi Snan on the auspicious occasion of Pauh Purnima. Visuals from
The National Assembly session will be held today (Monday) at the Parliament House at 4:00pm. Speaker National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, will preside over the session. The National Assembly Secretariat has issued a nine-point agenda for today’s session. Calling attention notice moved by Syed Amin-ul-Haq, Syed Hafeezuddin and two
The exhibition “Timeless Serenity of Calligraphy and Arts,” which showcased the artistic and cultural treasures of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) member states, concluded with a ceremony held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on January 13, 2025. Organized by the ECO Cultural Institute, the Ministry of
A sessions court in federal capital on Monday rejected three petitions filed by Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, seeking interim bail in different cases related to November 26 protest. Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the decision during the hearing which was attended by
After more than three months of road closure, a convoy of 40 trucks carrying essential goods and basic necessities that had been stuck for five days finally arrived in restive Kurram district on Wednesday. “The provincial government has initiated relief operations in the affected areas of Kurram district to provide
Justice Musarrat Hilali, a member of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench, raised concerns on Wednesday about the applicability of military trials to civilians under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA), noting that they were originally intended for perpetrators of tragic incidents like the 2014 Army Public School (APS) massacre and
Despite some headway in talks between the government and the opposition, negotiators from the ruling coalition and the PTI could not see eye to eye on the modalities of the dialogue, with ‘unmonitored’ access to Imran Khan becoming a fresh bone of contention, following an agreement on the submission of
The claim of the government to reduce electricity tariff received a rude shock as the global lender IMF (International Monetary Fund) rejected Islamabad’s proposal to cut sales tax. The Ministry of Energy had suggested the government a cut in sales tax. And the government sent a request to the
Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has directed his party’s negotiation team to continue holding talks with the government, a top leader said on Wednesday. The breakthrough came after the PTI negotiation team finally met the former prime minister at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, following a days-long hiatus. “PTI