ISLAMABAD: Environmental advocates and opposition lawmakers are challenging the Pakistani government’s assertion that a sweeping tree-removal campaign in the capital is aimed solely at curbing pollen allergies, pointing instead to evidence that the cuts are tied to major infrastructure projects that have stripped away acres of urban greenery.
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Forensic report links KP chief minister Afridi, PTI leaders to May 9 violence in Peshawar
LAHORE: A forensic report from a top laboratory in Punjab has confirmed the presence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister and several top leaders of opposition Tahreek-e-Insaf party at the scene of violent protests in Peshawar on May 9, 2023, escalating a long-simmering political showdown over accusations of orchestrated arson and vandalism against state property.
Environment minister defends cutting of 29,000 trees in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Facing mounting criticism over the removal of thousands of mature trees across the capital, minister for climate change and environmental coordination on Friday defended the action as a necessary step to combat a public health threat, saying that nearly 29,000 invasive paper mulberry trees had been felled in compliance with a Supreme Court order.
Hyderabad and Sialkot make PSL debut in over Rs3.6 billion auction
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Super League expanded to eight teams on Thursday with the addition of franchises in Hyderabad and Sialkot, as two investor groups submitted record bids totaling more than Rs3.6 billion in a closely watched auction that shows the growing commercial appeal of the country’s premier cricket competition.
Sindh police, Rangers plan massive operation against riverine bandits
SUKKUR: The provincial Sindh government announced on Wednesday a sweeping offensive against the heavily armed criminal gangs that have long terrorized the marshy riverine areas along the Indus River, vowing to deploy all available resources in a bid to dismantle the networks responsible for kidnappings, extortion and violent assaults.
Bangladesh in talks with ICC over moving T20 World Cup games from India
LAHORE: The Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Wednesday that it was engaged in discussions with the International Cricket Council to find a “practical” resolution to its request to relocate the country’s group-stage matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup out of India, citing heightened security concerns amid strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Rights lawyer asks Islamabad court to summon military spokesman in social media case
ISLAMABAD: A prominent human rights lawyer and her husband, facing charges of inciting linguistic divisions and maligning the armed forces through social media posts, asked a court in Islamabad on Wednesday to summon the military’s top public relations official as a witness, citing a recent press conference that they said directly touched on their case.
Explosions in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa kill two, wound dozens
ISLAMABAD: Twin bombings struck remote districts in Pakistan’s volatile border regions on Monday, killing two people and wounding more than two dozen others, including children and women, in attacks that highlighted the relentless surge in militant violence plaguing the country.
Modi’s silence on attacks against Christians this Christmas speaks volumes
The scenes from this Christmas in India were hard to ignore, and they point to a troubling shift under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Uttar Pradesh, the country’s biggest state, crowds of Hindu activists showed up at churches right as Christmas Eve services got underway. They shouted “Death to Christian missionaries” and blasted Hindu chants to throw everything off. This wasn’t just some random flare-up; it fit into a larger wave of trouble for Christians, who make up only a sliver of the population.
After player snub in India, Bangladesh presses for World Cup games in Sri Lanka
LAHORE: Bangladesh’s government said on Sunday that it would seek to have its team’s matches in next month’s T20 World Cup moved from India to Sri Lanka, escalating a diplomatic row over cricket that has deepened amid strained political ties between the two neighbors.