KARACHI: Police in Karachi arrested eight suspects accused of running an extortion network during a raid at the residence of Muhammad Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, the chairman of the Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, a religious political party, officials said on Sunday.
People
Media groups condemn government ad ban on Dawn outlets as attack on press freedom
ISLAMABAD: Media organisations across Pakistan have united in condemning a government ban on advertisements to outlets operated by the Dawn Media Group, describing it as a calculated effort to financially cripple one of the country’s most respected news institutions and stifle independent journalism.
Pakistan summons Norwegian ambassador over court attendance of rights activist
ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministry summoned Norway’s ambassador on Thursday and accused him of breaching diplomatic protocol by attending a Supreme Court hearing involving a prominent human rights activist and her husband, who face charges over controversial social media posts.
Drone strikes kill militants in Mohmand as school bombing hits North Waziristan
PESHAWAR: The security forces carried out two drone strikes in a remote border area of Mohmand district, killing at least eight suspected militants and wounding four others, while unidentified attackers blew up a primary school in North Waziristan, officials said on Friday.
Pakistan launches final polio drive of 2025 targeting 45 million children
ISLAMABAD: The health minister on Thursday inaugurated the final nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2025, a push to immunise more than 45 million children under 5 in a country that, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the last holdouts where the virus is endemic.
Top court stays proceedings against right activist Mazari, husband in cybercrime case
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday halted trial proceedings against the human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case involving controversial social media posts, pending the outcome of their appeals in the Islamabad High Court.
Kites back in Lahore skies: Basant festival scheduled from Feb. 6
LAHORE: The Punjab government has lifted an 18-year ban on the historic Basant festival, paving the way for a three-day celebration of kites, colors and spring in Lahore starting Feb. 6, 2026, under strict new regulations aimed at preventing the deadly accidents that led to the prohibition.
Top court to hear urgent plea from rights lawyer facing cybercrime trial
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to hear an urgent plea on Thursday from human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, who is seeking to halt her ongoing trial in a high-profile case involving controversial social media posts that allegedly incited linguistic divisions and portrayed the armed forces as engaged in terrorism.
Imran Khan’s sister leads sit-in outside Adiala Jail as officials block court-ordered visit
RAWALPINDI: A sit-in protest led by Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, stretched into Tuesday evening outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after she was again barred from meeting her brother despite a court order permitting such visits.
HEC backs KU findings on IHC judge’s questioned law degree
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission has endorsed a university’s conclusion that a sitting judge on the Islamabad High Court obtained his law degree through unfair means, according to a detailed report submitted to the court, intensifying scrutiny over the jurist’s eligibility to hold office.