ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition on Wednesday demanded an immediate meeting between jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his family amid conflicting reports about his health, including an eye condition that party officials said could lead to permanent vision loss if untreated.
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KP governor blames PTI political rhetoric for fuelling Tirah Valley exodus
PESHAWAR: The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Wednesday of triggering a mass evacuation from the restive Tirah Valley through inflammatory statements, escalating a bitter dispute with the provincial government over responsibility for the displacement of hundreds of residents.
Pakistan tightens border health checks after India reports Nipah cases
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday ordered stricter health checks at all its airports, seaports and land borders to block the possible spread of the deadly Nipah virus from neighbouring India, where two cases were confirmed last month.
Islamabad court orders arrest of KP chief minister after repeated absences in cybercrime case
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday after he failed to appear in a case accusing him of making misleading statements against state institutions.
Pakistan textile exporters warn of hit from India-EU trade deal
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile exporters face mounting pressure from a newly finalised free trade agreement between India and the European Union, industry leaders and analysts warned on Wednesday, as the government pledged to review cost-of-doing-business challenges to bolster competitiveness.
ECC moves to stabilise flour prices with 800,000-ton wheat release
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top economic policymakers on Wednesday approved the sale of surplus government wheat stocks and a major allocation to the populous Punjab province, aiming to stabilise flour prices amid ongoing pressures from food inflation and fiscal constraints.
Pakistan braces for prolonged cold wave as snow blocks mountain routes
ISLAMABAD: Heavy snowfall blanketed parts of northern Pakistan on Tuesday, paralysing daily life, closing major roads and stranding residents in freezing temperatures, officials and locals said, as authorities scrambled to clear highways and warn travelers of hazards.
Displaced Tirah families caught between weather and political wrangling
PESHAWAR: The provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa officials said the adverse weather had stalled the evacuation of residents from the restive Tirah valley in the northwest, leaving an estimated 15 percent of families still in their homes amid shortages of food and other essentials, as federal and provincial authorities traded blame over the displacement process, Dawn newspaper reported on Wednesday.
PTI weighs return to parliament committees, awaits jailed Khan’s nod – report
ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party is weighing a return to parliamentary standing committees after quitting them last year, but the decision hinges on approval from its jailed founder, Imran Khan, according to a report in the Dawn newspaper.
MQM-P demands Sindh chief minister, Karachi mayor step down after deadly Gul Plaza fire
KARACHI: A senior leader of Pakistan’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday called on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to dismiss three top Sindh officials, including the provincial chief minister, over the handling of a deadly fire that killed at least 73 people in a Karachi shopping mall earlier this month.