ISLAMABAD: Authorities filed a criminal complaint on Sunday against Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, accusing him of making profane and misleading remarks about state institutions that were disseminated through social media and could undermine national security.
National
Sharif orders removal of proposed immunity for prime ministers in constitutional amendment
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday directed the immediate removal of a proposed clause in a sweeping constitutional amendment that would have granted him immunity from prosecution, declaring that an elected leader must remain “fully accountable” to the law and the public.
Parliament committees endorse revised draft of sweeping 27th constitutional amendment
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary committees have approved a revised draft of a bill proposing sweeping changes to the Constitution on Sunday, setting the stage for a contentious vote in the Senate amid fierce opposition from critics who warned that the amendments could undermine judicial independence and democratic principles.
Pakistan says Afghan Taliban used Istanbul talks to prolong fragile border truce
ISLAMABAD The Foreign Office on Sunday said the Afghan Taliban had used recent negotiations only to extend a fragile border truce without taking verifiable steps against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, days after Turkey- and Qatar-mediated talks collapsed without resolution.
Nine killed in shootings, tribal clash across Balochistan
QUETTA: Nine people were killed in a series of shootings and one tribal clash across Balochistan Province on Saturday, and two others were abducted, as a surge in violence underscored the region’s persistent security challenges, officials said.
Coalition govt tables bill to set up constitutional court, reshape top military command
ISLAMABAD: The coalition government pressed forward Saturday with a controversial overhaul of the nation’s constitution, introducing legislation in the Senate to establish a specialised constitutional court, revamp judicial appointments and bolster military powers — moves that critics decried as an attempt to concentrate authority in the executive and armed forces while eroding provincial autonomy and judicial independence.
Cabinet clears 27th Constitutional Amendment, bill goes to Senate
ISLAMABAD: The government will present a bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate on Saturday, proposing the establishment of a federal constitutional court, new rules for judicial transfers, adjustments to provincial cabinet sizes and changes to military command structures, amid fierce criticism from opposition parties and lawyers who see the measures as a rollback of provincial powers granted in 2010.
KP chief minister Afridi faces backlash after comments on counterterror ops
PESHAWAR: The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has come under intense criticism after questioning the conduct of security forces in counterterrorism operations, drawing swift rebukes from political and religious leaders who accused him of ingratitude, incitement and undermining national morale at a time when the military is bearing heavy losses in the fight against militant groups.
Pakistan, Afghan Taliban talks collapse in Istanbul, though ceasefire still holds
ISLAMABAD: Negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan aimed at curbing cross-border terrorism have broken down without agreement, plunging the fragile dialogue into an indefinite hiatus, Pakistan’s defence minister said on Friday, even as a tenuous ceasefire along their shared border holds for now.
Pakistan urges India to resume compliance with Indus Waters Treaty at UN
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations urged India on Thursday to resume compliance with a longstanding water-sharing treaty between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, warning that New Delhi’s unilateral suspension of the pact earlier this year exemplified the dangerous weaponization of shared natural resources amid armed conflicts.