RAWALPINDI: Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s most senior military officer, formally took charge as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces on Monday, a move that consolidates command over the army, navy and air force under a single leader for the first time and signals a major restructuring of the nation’s defence apparatus.
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ADB says over 80pc of Pakistanis lack safe drinking water; per capita supply falls to two-thirds
ISLAMABAD: More than 80% of Pakistan’s population lacks access to safe drinking water, exacerbating waterborne diseases and straining resources amid rapid population growth, climate change and poor management, the Asian Development Bank said in a report released on Monday.
ECP says it cannot recognise Gohar Khan as PTI chairman as intra-party polls remain under court stay
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has refused to recognise Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the chairman of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, citing a pending legal dispute over the group’s internal elections that has left its leadership in limbo.
Stones, tear gas and arrests as Sindh Culture Day rally defies police route in Karachi
KARACHI: Police in Karachi arrested 45 people on Sunday during a rally celebrating Sindh Culture Day after participants allegedly pelted stones at law enforcement personnel, prompting a response that included baton charges and tear gas shelling, a senior police official said.
Judge’s son walks free on family pardon after fatal hit-and-run kills two women
ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate on Saturday ordered the release on bail of the son of an Islamabad High Court justice in a fatal hit-and-run case that killed two young women, after the victims’ families appeared in court to say they had forgiven him.
Security forces kill 14 militants in KP and Balochistan, military says
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 14 militants in three separate operations across the restive provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the military said on Saturday, as the government vowed to press ahead with a broad counterterrorism campaign amid a surge in attacks.
Military restructuring complete as Munir takes dual command
ISLAMABAD, The Ministry of Defence on Friday officially notified the appointment of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first chief of defense forces, consolidating operational, administrative and strategic authority over the armed services in a single office and completing the most sweeping military restructuring since the 1970s.
Pakistan to launch AI-powered immigration overhaul to curb migrant smuggling
ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday announced a sweeping overhaul of its immigration and document verification systems, vowing to deploy artificial intelligence tools and impose stricter penalties in a bid to combat migrant smuggling and the use of fraudulent travel papers, following a series of recent incidents where passengers were barred from flights.
Pakistan asks UK to extradite two pro-Imran Khan critics over alleged anti-state propaganda
ISLAMABAD: The interior minister handed over extradition papers on Thursday to Britain’s top diplomat in Islamabad for two prominent pro opposition critics of the government living in the United Kingdom, escalating a campaign against what officials describe as fake news and anti-state propaganda spread from abroad.
Jail authorities block KP chief minister’s visit to Imran Khan for ninth time
RAWALPINDI: For the ninth time, prison authorities on Thursday barred the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Sohail Afridi, from meeting Imran Khan, the jailed founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, amid growing frustration over restricted access to him.