ISLAMABAD: The security forces have killed at least 13 militants in two separate attempts to cross the Afghan border this week, the military said, in operations that underscored Islamabad’s deepening frustration with what it described as the Afghan Taliban government’s failure to control its side of the frontier.
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Lahore Bar Association asks Supreme Court to strike down constitutional amendment over judge transfers
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore Bar Association on Thursday petitioned Pakistan’s Supreme Court to declare the 27th Constitutional Amendment unconstitutional, arguing that the measure — which enabled the abrupt transfer of three Islamabad High Court judges and stripped the Supreme Court of key powers — violates the nation’s basic constitutional framework and undermines judicial independence.
Imran Khan’s lawyers urge Islamabad court to grant release on humanitarian grounds, citing solitary confinement and eye ailment
ISLAMABAD: Lawyers for former prime minister Imran Khan told the Islamabad High Court on Thursday that their client should be freed on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, pointing to more than a year of solitary confinement and an untreated eye infection that have worsened his condition in prison.
Eleven nations, including Pakistan, condemn Israeli raid on Gaza-bound flotilla as violation of international law
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and 10 other countries issued a joint statement on Thursday sharply condemning Israel’s military interception of a civilian aid flotilla headed for Gaza, describing the operation in international waters as a “flagrant violation” of international and humanitarian law and demanding the immediate release of the detained activists.
IMF-pushed fuel hike tests Pakistan’s balancing act between fiscal targets and cost-of-living pain
ISLAMABAD: The government raised petrol and diesel prices on Thursday while simultaneously extending fuel subsidies for motorcyclists and the transport sector, aiming to shield vulnerable consumers from the surge in global oil costs triggered by the Middle East crisis.
The Dangerous Stalemate in the Gulf
Two months after American and Israeli forces first struck Iranian targets, the conflict has settled into a tense and unstable pause. A ceasefire reached on April 7 has been held, with no exchanges of fire since. But the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to most shipping, the United States Navy continues its blockade of Iranian oil ports, and global energy markets are on edge. Oil prices have climbed above $120 a barrel at times, gasoline costs in the United States are rising, and the United Nations secretary-general has warned that a prolonged chokehold on this vital waterway will drag down global growth, fuel inflation, and push tens of millions more people into poverty and hunger.
Trump receives briefing on Iran options as new supreme leader wows to safeguard nuclear program amid surging oil prices and Hormuz standoff
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump will receive a classified briefing on Thursday on US military options for the Strait of Hormuz and potential actions inside Iran, as the administration grapples with a punishing naval blockade that has driven energy prices to their highest levels in years and shown no sign of breaking an impasse with Tehran.
Islamabad keeps lines open to Washington and Tehran, urges immediate reopening of vital oil chokepoint
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said Thursday that Islamabad remains deeply engaged with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to broker a resolution to their conflict, even as a second round of direct negotiations failed to materialize and the strategic Strait of Hormuz stayed closed for a second month.
Pakistan unveils Rs3.2 trillion housing program to build 500,000 homes and revive construction-led growth
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally launched a five-year, Rs3.2 trillion housing initiative on Thursday, committing the government to finance the construction of 500,000 homes nationwide as part of a broader effort to stimulate economic activity and address a chronic shortage of affordable shelter.
Cambridge confirms leak of AS-level math paper in Pakistan and other regions
KARACHI: Cambridge International Education said on Thursday that one of its AS-level mathematics examinations had been shared prematurely in violation of its rules, confirming long-circulating reports that had already prompted an official request for information from Pakistani education authorities.