447 stories · Page 7 of 15
In a new development, two men including a social activist were killed in separate targeted attacks in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to reports emerging early Monday. The attacks represent the latest in a pattern of targeted violence in the tribal district, which has experienced recurring security incidents involving both civilian and community figures.
Peshawar Zalmi clinched the Pakistan Super League title for the second time in the franchise's history, defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the PSL 11 final held in Lahore on Sunday night. The victory capped a dominant campaign by Zalmi, who successfully chased down a modest target to seal the championship in front of a packed stadium audience.
Two men were killed in separate targeted attacks in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, with one of the victims identified as a social activist, according to initial reports. The killings, which occurred in different locations within the district, point to a pattern of violence against civil society figures in the restive tribal region.
Two men, including a social activist, were killed in separate targeted attacks in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, underscoring the persistent security challenges facing civil society workers in Pakistan's tribal belt. The killing of a social activist in the attacks raises particular concern, as civil society workers in Bajaur and the wider former FATA region have faced sustained threats from militant groups opposed to community development and grassroots organising.
An Israeli court has extended the detention of two activists who were aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla, in a ruling that is expected to intensify international criticism of Israel's ongoing naval enforcement operations around the Palestinian territory. The flotilla, part of a broader international effort to break the naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, was intercepted by Israeli forces.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Sunday to discuss the country's prevailing political and economic situation, according to reports. The consultation between the two senior party leaders reflects ongoing coordination within the ruling coalition at a time when Pakistan continues to navigate a challenging economic transition under an IMF-supported programme.
Iranian authorities have executed a man convicted of killing a security officer during the widespread civil unrest that swept the country in 2022, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. The execution continues a pattern of capital punishment applied to individuals tried in connection with the protest movement.
The Federal Investigation Agency's Counter Terrorism Wing has dismantled a criminal network involved in facilitating the illegal movement of Afghan nationals abroad using fraudulently obtained Pakistani Computerised National Identity Cards, uncovering a financial operation valued at Rs32.9 million. The operation exposes a sophisticated document fraud and human smuggling nexus that exploited identity verification gaps to move individuals across international borders.
Australian authorities have charged a man in connection with the death of an Indigenous girl whose killing ignited riots in a remote outback community, bringing a criminal development to a case that had already provoked widespread social unrest and renewed attention on Indigenous welfare in Australia. The incident had sparked violent disorder in the outback, with community members expressing fury at what many described as systemic failures in child protection and law enforcement in remote Indigenous areas.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency and the United Kingdom's Home Office have reached an agreement to strengthen their joint efforts against organised crime, formalising a framework for enhanced operational cooperation, intelligence sharing, and coordinated action against transnational criminal networks. The accord reflects the shared interest of both governments in dismantling criminal enterprises that exploit the two countries' bilateral migration and financial corridors.
Concerns over the state of press freedom in Pakistan are intensifying as journalists, editors, and media advocacy groups report a pattern of escalating restrictions, harassment, and institutional pressure on independent reporting. The situation is drawing renewed scrutiny on World Press Freedom Day, with Pakistan's ranking in global media freedom indices reflecting a deteriorating environment for journalism.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has threatened to launch street protests across Balochistan after security forces conducted raids on religious seminaries in the province, escalating tensions between the religious party and state authorities. Party leadership condemned the raids as an assault on Islamic institutions and vowed organised resistance if the operations continued.
A legal challenge has been filed before the Peshawar High Court contesting the transfer of judges from Islamabad, in a development that underscores growing judicial pushback against executive-driven administrative decisions affecting the superior court structure. The petition brings to the fore a contested area of judicial governance: the conditions under which judges may be transferred across jurisdictions and whether such transfers comply with constitutional protections of judicial independence.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the design of the Gujranwala Mass Transit System, marking a formal milestone in the provincial government's urban transport expansion programme. The approval clears the way for procurement and construction phases to proceed for one of Punjab's most populous industrial cities.
The Saudi Arabian government has lifted its travel ban on pilgrims under the age of 15, permitting younger worshippers to perform Hajj for the first time since the restriction was imposed. The decision, announced ahead of the current Hajj season, is expected to significantly widen access to the pilgrimage for families across the Muslim world.
Punjab has launched what is being described as Pakistan's first virtual women's police station, a digital law enforcement initiative designed to provide female complainants with a safe, accessible, and remote mechanism to register cases and seek police assistance without the need to attend a physical station. The virtual station is intended to address persistent barriers that prevent women from engaging with the formal criminal justice system, including social stigma, mobility restrictions, fear of harassment, and geographic distance from police facilities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to review the One Constitution Avenue case and has simultaneously directed all relevant authorities to suspend any enforcement action pending the committee's findings. The move signals executive intervention in a matter that has drawn significant attention regarding legal, administrative, and property-related considerations at one of Islamabad's prominent commercial addresses.
Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that tribal chiefs do not hold legal authority to attest official documents, a decision that clarifies longstanding ambiguity around customary authority and formal legal process in tribal regions. The ruling draws a firm constitutional boundary between traditional or customary roles held by tribal elders and the legally mandated powers of gazetted officers and notaries authorised under statute.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has announced a Rs23 billion development package targeted at katcha areas of the province, marking one of the largest dedicated allocations for these historically underserved riverine communities. The package is expected to address chronic deficits in infrastructure, connectivity, and basic services in flood-prone rural belts along major rivers.
A petition has been filed before the Islamabad High Court requesting the court to consider the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, adding a new legal dimension to the ongoing judicial proceedings surrounding his incarceration. The petition argues that Imran Khan's continued detention raises humanitarian concerns that merit judicial consideration outside the ordinary bounds of criminal proceedings.
A United States federal jury has convicted an Afghan national for his role in the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 American service members and over 170 Afghan civilians during the chaotic final days of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The conviction marks a significant judicial accountability moment for one of the deadliest attacks on US forces in two decades, carried out by an ISIS-Khorasan affiliate.
The All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation (APNEC) has called for the immediate restoration of government advertisements to Dawn, Pakistan's leading English-language daily, raising alarm over what it characterises as a deliberate withholding of state advertising that threatens press freedom and media workers' livelihoods. The confederation's demand reflects broader concerns about the use of government advertising as a tool of economic coercion against independent media outlets in Pakistan.
The United Nations has issued a stark warning that online attacks targeting women journalists have doubled, highlighting an accelerating trend of digital harassment, coordinated abuse, and targeted threats that is driving female media professionals out of the profession globally. The UN report documents a significant escalation in the scale, sophistication, and coordinated nature of online violence against women in journalism, encompassing death threats, sexual harassment, doxxing, and disinformation campaigns designed to discredit and silence women who report on sensitive subjects including conflict, politics, and governance.
A Senate standing committee has directed an investigation into recurring telecom network outages affecting Pakistan, reflecting legislative concern over the reliability and resilience of the country's critical communications infrastructure. The probe order signals that parliamentarians are no longer prepared to treat service disruptions as routine operational matters.
A Senate committee was told on Thursday that Pakistan Bait ul Mal, the federal social protection agency, is responsible for financial irregularities amounting to Rs335 million, with no recovery plan in place to address the losses. The disclosure was made during a session examining the agency's financial management and accountability framework.
Defence and prosecution teams in the foreign funding case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan clashed in court over matters of procedural scrutiny, signalling continued legal turbulence in one of Pakistan's most politically charged trials. The dispute centred on how evidentiary and procedural standards should be applied to documents and submissions under review.
Pakistani journalists are increasingly resorting to self-censorship to avoid legal action, according to accounts gathered by press freedom advocates and media professionals speaking on the record. The pattern points to a systemic chilling effect on editorial independence, with legal instruments being cited as tools of intimidation rather than accountability.
The federal government has announced a significant overhaul of passport issuance procedures, reducing the standard delivery period to 14 days and ordering all passport offices across the country to adopt cashless payment systems. The directive represents the most substantive administrative reform to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in recent years.
Human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and politician Hadi Ali Chaudhry have approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking an expedited hearing of their appeals against conviction in a case related to social media posts. The two were convicted under provisions that critics argue impinge on freedom of expression.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a comprehensive Rs23 billion development and security uplift package targeted at Punjab's riverine belt, a vast and historically underserved stretch of territory along major rivers that has long suffered from poverty, poor connectivity, and security challenges. The plan encompasses infrastructure development including roads, bridges, and basic utilities, alongside a dedicated security component aimed at addressing criminal networks and militant activity that have historically exploited the difficult terrain of the riverine zone.