ISLAMABAD: A court-appointed defence lawyer for a prominent rights activist and her husband, who face charges of inciting linguistic divisions and portraying the armed forces as engaged in terrorism through social media posts, refused on Tuesday to cross-examine prosecution witnesses, asserting that he could not pose questions that had been dictated to him.
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Pakistan says TTP’s Noor Wali Mehsud orchestrated Islamabad suicide bombing from Afghan soil
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday accused the leader of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Noor Wali Mehsud, of orchestrating a deadly suicide bombing outside the capital’s judicial complex earlier this month, presenting what it described as clear evidence of planning and execution directed from Afghan soil.
Military rebuts Taliban allegations of attacks in eastern Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Tuesday denied accusations from the Afghan Taliban that its forces had carried out overnight airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, escalating a bitter dispute over cross-border terrorism that has strained relations between the two neighbors and derailed recent diplomatic efforts.
Police arrest three after viral video shows girl’s hair forcibly cut
RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested three suspects in connection with a disturbing incident in which a young girl’s hair was forcibly cut, an act captured in a video that spread rapidly across social media, prompting outrage and swift law enforcement action.
Govt scraps 0.25 percent export levy to boost competitiveness of shippers
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif scrapped a 0.25% surcharge on exports in a bid to ease burdens on the country’s shippers and sharpen their edge in global markets.
Ogra approves up to 7 percent gas price hike to cover utilities’ Rs886bn revenue gap
ISLAMABAD: The oil and gas regulator has approved increases of as much as 7% in prescribed natural gas prices for the fiscal year ending June 2026, paving the way for higher tariffs that could add to consumer burdens amid efforts to curb a ballooning energy-sector debt.
Army says kills 22 militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa operation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Tuesday its forces had killed 22 militants linked to India-sponsored terrorism during an intelligence-based operation in the restive northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marking one of the major engagements in recent months amid a surge in cross-border attacks.
Taliban claim Pakistan carried out overnight strikes in Afghan provinces
ISLAMABAD: A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan on Tuesday of launching overnight airstrikes across the border, escalating tensions between the two neighbours amid a surge in cross-border terrorism allegations and a recent breakdown in diplomatic talks.
Volcanic eruption in Ethiopia sends ash cloud drifting toward Pakistan
KARACHI: An eruption at the Hayli Gubbi volcano in northeastern Ethiopia, the first in nearly 12,000 years, has propelled a vast ash cloud across the region, with projections showing it drifting over Yemen and Oman before reaching southern Pakistan, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre.
Pakistan issues tender to supply 100,000 tonnes of rice to Bangladesh
KARACHI: Pakistan’s state-owned Trading Corporation is seeking to buy as much as 100,000 metric tons of rice for export to Bangladesh, the latest sign of warming ties between the two South Asian nations amid Dhaka’s push to secure food supplies and cool domestic prices.