PESHAWAR: The northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has appealed to the federal government for urgent intervention after a prolonged closure of trade routes along the Afghan border triggered a 53.02 percent drop in provincial revenues, with collections from a key infrastructure cess plunging amid stalled cross-border commerce.
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Rights groups decry ‘arbitrary’ conviction of lawyer couple, demand release
ISLAMABAD: The International Commission of Jurists and several partner organisations on Thursday condemned the arrest and conviction of two Pakistani lawyers, calling the actions arbitrary and demanding their immediate release.
Pakistan, Bangladesh resume direct flights after 14-year gap, boosting ties
KARACHI: Direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh resumed after a 14-year suspension on Thursday, with Biman Bangladesh Airlines operating its inaugural service from Dhaka to Karachi, a move officials said would bolster connectivity, tourism and people-to-people ties between the two South Asian nations.
Pakistan army chief flags tech-driven shift in future warfare
KHAIRPUR TAMEWALI: Pakistan’s armed forces are pushing through a broad overhaul in several key areas to keep pace with fast-evolving warfare driven by technology, army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Thursday during a visit to a southern garrison where troops demonstrated drone-integrated drills.
KP chief minister, PTI lawmakers camp outside Adiala jail seeking access to Imran Khan
RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Thursday he would stage an overnight sit-in with party lawmakers and supporters outside a police picket near Adiala jail after being denied permission to meet jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
PM Sharif stresses GSP+ trade benefits in EU talks amid India deal concerns
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed his country’s commitment to bolstering trade ties with the European Union through the GSP+ scheme, as Islamabad grapples with potential fallout from India’s new free trade agreement with the bloc.
Pakistan hands control of PIA to private consortium, new owners pledge fleet expansion
ISLAMABAD: The new owners of Pakistan International Airlines vowed on Thursday to expand the carrier’s fleet and revamp its services as they signed a deal to take control of the loss-making airline, marking the conclusion of a long-delayed privatisation process aimed at easing the government’s fiscal burden.
Pakistan rejects Abraham accords, says Gaza peace board role unchanged on Palestine stance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday firmly rejected any involvement in the US-brokered Abraham Accords, insisting that its recent decision to join a Gaza-focused peace initiative did not signal a shift in its longstanding support for Palestinian self-determination or recognition of Israel.
Sindh orders judicial probe into deadly Gul Plaza blaze, suspends officials
KARACHI: Sindh province’s senior minister said on Thursday a judicial inquiry would be conducted into a deadly fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza that killed dozens, as a government sub-committee suspended several officials for negligence and highlighted failures in fire safety enforcement.
Petrol prices seen falling as diesel set for sharp hike from Feb. 1
ISLAMABAD: The government is likely to cut the price of petrol from Feb. 1 but raise rates for high-speed diesel and other fuels, industry sources said on Thursday, as authorities prepare to announce the latest fortnightly adjustment amid fluctuating global oil markets.