LAHORE: Punjab is racing against time to evacuate thousands from flood-prone areas as monsoon rains swell the region’s eastern rivers to dangerous levels, while in the rugged north of Gilgit-Baltistan, communities devastated by earlier glacial and flash floods remain cut off, grappling with shortages of food, water, and shelter.
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Auto giants threaten shutdown if used car imports policy proceeds
ISLAMABAD: The auto manufacturers, long accused of operating a cartel that has entrenched a monopoly in the market with powerful backing from politicians and lawmakers, have threatened to halt local production and switch to importing and selling used vehicles if the government proceeds with plans to allow such imports at a 40 percent tariff from July 2026 — a policy they claim could lead to the same fate as major auto giants that shut down operations in Australia and New Zealand.
PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja to resign amid internal party strife
ISLAMABAD: Salman Akram Raja, Secretary General of opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said on Monday he would resign from the party position, pointing to an event he did not specify, as internal rifts deepen within the party founded by jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Opposition PTI leaders convicted in fresh May 9 riot verdict
ISLAMABAD: A Faisalabad anti-terrorism court on Monday sentenced key opposition leaders from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul, along with 56 others, to 10 years in prison over an attack on former interior minister Rana Sanaullah’s residence during violent protests on May 9, 2023.
Pakistan slams India for breaching Indus Waters Treaty with flood warning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday accused India of violating the Indus Waters Treaty by issuing a flood warning through diplomatic channels rather than the treaty’s mandated mechanism, branding the move a “serious violation of international law” as tensions simmer between the nuclear-armed rivals.
Pakistan tables seven-point Gaza peace plan at OIC summit
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday laid out a seven-point plan at an urgent meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), calling on Muslim nations to move beyond “statements of sympathy” and adopt “concrete measures” to end Israel’s war in Gaza and pave the way for lasting peace in Palestine.
Deputy PM Dar in Jeddah for urgent OIC talks on Gaza crisis
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Jeddah on Monday to attend an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM), convened to address Israel’s intensifying military campaign in Gaza and its controversial plan to seize control of Gaza City, the Foreign Office said.
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World Bank approves $47.9 million to revamp primary education in Punjab
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has committed $47.9 million to transform education in Punjab province, targeting improved access and learning outcomes for millions of children in a region grappling with systemic challenges.
Rivals PMLN and PTI find common ground on revamping fiscal formula in NFC award
ISLAMABAD: The federal government, dominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and the opposition-led administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have unexpectedly aligned on a key fiscal reform: scaling back population as the primary factor in divvying up national resources under the National Finance Commission.
India alerts Pakistan to flood risk in rare contact under suspended water treaty since May conflict
ISLAMABAD: India has alerted Pakistan to a potential major flood in the Tawi River near Jammu, a local television channel reported on Monday, marking the first significant communication under the Indus Waters Treaty since New Delhi suspended the long-standing pact in the aftermath of a deadly April attack in occupied Kashmir and a brief but intense war between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.