ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged religious scholars on Wednesday to help stamp out militancy and sectarianism, warning that the nation’s progress hinges on fostering unity amid a spike in extremist violence that has plagued the border regions.
National
Jailed Imran Khan to remain in Adiala as transfer rumors swirl
ISLAMABAD: The prison authorities on Wednesday dismissed reports that imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan could be relocated from a jail near the capital to a more isolated facility, possibly in remote Balochistan province, calling the claims “pure speculation” even as a senior government official confirmed deliberations over such a move amid escalating political clashes that have reached a “point of no return.”
PPP cries foul after NA session halted ahead of Benazir airport renaming notice
ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition showed fresh signs of strain on Wednesday as lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party accused their allies in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of conspiring with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to derail a parliamentary push to rename Islamabad’s international airport after slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
ECP rejects bid to delay local polls in Quetta amid security concerns
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday turned down a request from the chief minister of Balochistan province to postpone local government elections in the restive capital of Quetta, dismissing the plea as “devoid of force” and ordering the vote to proceed as scheduled on Dec. 28 despite warnings about deteriorating security and harsh winter weather.
PTI plans national conference amid growing rift with government, military
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced Wednesday that it would convene a “national conference” later this month to unveil a “national agenda” aimed at addressing the country’s deepening political and economic instability, a move that underscores the widening rift between the PTI and the ruling coalition amid accusations of anti-state rhetoric.
Govt weighs shifting Imran Khan to remote prison as political feud hits ‘point of no return’
ISLAMABAD: The authorities are weighing a transfer of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, possibly to an isolated facility in Balochistan, though not confirmed, as politicians traded sharp barbs on Wednesday over the fate of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, with a top government official declaring that confrontations had reached a “point of no return”.
PML-N lawmakers in Punjab pass resolution to ban Imran Khan and PTI, calling them ‘tool of enemy state’
LAHORE: The provincial Punjab Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a ban on former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, labeling them “anti-state” and accusing Khan of acting as a “tool of the enemy state” amid escalating tensions between the opposition and the ruling coalition.
Islamabad High Court allows petition questioning judge’s law degree to proceed
ISLAMABAD The Islamabad High Court ruled Tuesday that a petition challenging the legitimacy of a sitting judge’s law degree is maintainable, ordering the judge to respond within three days and clearing the way for a potentially explosive judicial inquiry into whether he lawfully holds office.
KP police seek Rs4.2bn monthly hazard allowance as militant attacks surge
PESHAWAR: Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northwestern province bordering Afghanistan, have asked the provincial government to approve a special monthly allowance for all officers, a package costing about Rs4.2 billion, saying the force is facing sharply rising militant attacks and growing security demands.
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.