Pakistan

November 9, 2024 11:08 AM

Pakistan enforces emergency lockdowns in Punjab as AQI soars above 2000 in Multan

Pakistan’s Punjab province is grappling with a severe pollution crisis as air quality hits unprecedented levels. Multan’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached an alarming 2,135, casting the city in a thick, hazardous smog that disrupted daily life and prompted emergency measures. In response to the worsening smog, the Punjab government has implemented strict measures, including the closure of parks, museums, and other public spaces until at least November 17. According to IQAir, a Swiss-based ai...

November 6, 2024 11:08 PM

Pakistan: Seven killed, two injured in separate shootings in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Seven people lost their lives, and two others, including a woman, sustained injuries in two separate shooting incidents in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. In the first incident, a dispute over a pathway escalated into a deadly clash between two local clans in the Bahadurabad area of Batkhela, leaving five people dead and one critically injured. Both groups reportedly opened fire on each other, resulting in multiple casualties. The deceased were identified as Iftikhar, son of Noor Huss...

November 6, 2024 11:53 AM

Pakistan’s Punjab sets up ‘smog war room’ to combat hazardous air

Pakistan's Punjab set up a "smog war room" to tackle severe pollution, officials said, as poor air quality in Lahore pushed the capital of the eastern province to the top of the rankings as the world's most polluted city. Live rankings by Swiss group IQAir gave the city a pollution index score of 1165, followed by the Indian capital of New Delhi, with 299. "The war room committee will review weather and air quality forecasts... daily and monitor the performance and actions of field officers," ...

November 5, 2024 1:08 PM

Pakistan amends law to extend powerful army chief’s service tenure

Pakistan on Monday passed an amendment to a law that will extend the terms of the heads of the armed forces to five years from three, in a rowdy parliamentary session opposed by jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's party. Extending the term of commanders including Army Chief General Asim Munir would deal another blow to the embattled Khan and his party, which blames the military for his downfall. The measure from the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who leads a coalition of partie...

October 21, 2024 7:02 PM

Pakistan empowers parliament to pick country’s top judge

Pakistan approved changes to the constitution on Monday, which included empowering parliament to pick the Supreme Court's chief justice, drawing criticism from opposition parties who said it was an attempt to subvert the judiciary. Pakistan's top court has become a battleground between the government and jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, ruling on issues ranging from a controversial national election to a potential military court trial for Khan and his supporters. The constitutional cha...

October 16, 2024 1:46 PM

Pakistan calls for expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative at regional meeting

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on Wednesday for the expansion of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to enhance regional cooperation at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad. He was addressing a heads of government meeting of the SCO, a Eurasian security and political group formed in 2001, being attended by officials from 11 countries, including host Pakistan, China, Russia and India. "Flagship projects like the Belt and Road Initiative of ...

October 16, 2024 8:50 AM

SCO Summit: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar meets Mongolian PM in Pakistan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Islamabad. Jaishankar posted on X on Tuesday night, expressing his pleasure in discussing ways to further strengthen India-Mongolia bilateral relations. Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar landed in Islamabad to attend the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where he was w...

October 15, 2024 12:50 PM

Islamabad to host 23rd SCO Meeting on October 16, focusing on trade and economic agenda

Islamabad is set to host the 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) on October 16. Chaired by Pakistan, the meeting will primarily focus on strengthening trade and economic cooperation among member states. "The 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) will be held on 16 October 2024 in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Pakistan. The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focusses on the trade and economic agenda of th...

October 11, 2024 9:30 AM

Pakistan: Islamabad, Rawalpindi implement five-day closure of businesses ahead of SCO summit

Ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Islamabad and Rawalpindi will see the temporary closure of restaurants, wedding halls, cafes, and snooker clubs for five days, from October 12 to 16, as part of heightened security measures, The Express Tribune reported. To ensure compliance, Station House Officers are collecting guarantee bonds from business owners, who are being summoned to police stations to fill out surety bonds. Cash-and-carry marts across the city will also rema...

October 4, 2024 2:30 PM

Pakistan seals off capital, blocks cellphones ahead of protest by Imran Khan’s party

Authorities in Pakistan sealed off the capital, Islamabad, and blocked cellphone services on Friday to prevent an anti-government rally by supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, officials said. It would be the latest in a series of protest rallies since last month to press for Khan's release and agitate against the ruling coalition government, which the party calls illegitimate, saying it was formed after a fraudulent election. Shipping containers have been placed to block Isla...