ISLAMABAD: Saudi authorities have reversed their earlier decision to impose restrictions on younger Hajj pilgrims, restoring the previous policy that allows children aged 12 years and above to travel for Hajj. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony confirmed this development on Saturday. He said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and…
Envoy says veto powers should either be abolished or their use ‘severely restricted’ Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaking at the UN. PHOTO: X Pakistan on Wednesday called for the abolition or severe restriction of the veto power in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while strongly opposing any expansion…
Officials then set out for the government chromite factory in Muhammad Khel, also in tehsil Boya MIRANSHAH: Unidentified armed men opened fire on the convoy of North Waziristan’s Deputy Commissioner Taimur Khan Afridi and District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Hussain on Sunday, but both senior officers and their accompanying personnel escaped unhurt with no loss…
Incident took place while the children were returning home from school after completing their classes Two school-going children were killed in a drone strike in the Shah Tangi area of Mamund tehsil in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, police said. Deputy Superintendent of Police Niaz Muhammad confirmed the incident and said the injured were…
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has initiated the process of withdrawing the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Amendment Bill 2026 from the Senate and will introduce a fresh bill to expedite the legislative process. According to a press release issued by the ministry on Friday, the bill’s stipulated 90-day period was approaching completion. Once…
Energy-rich districts remain among least developed despite decades of gas production ISLAMABAD: Till 1982, Balochistan was fulfilling 82% of Pakistan’s natural gas needs, and that too from the district of Dera Bugti alone, which is host to the gas fields of Sui, Loti, Pirkoh, Uch and Zin. Even by 1995, this contribution stood at 55%,…
Zara Shah was targeted by a stranger while playing a computer game, drawn into a conversation that would expose her to terrifying online sexual exploitation. Zara, whose name has been changed by AFP for safety reasons, is one of an estimated 1.5 million children in Pakistan who experienced online sexual abuse in one year, according…
ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan’s (CCP) new cement sector study has advocated tax, logistics, energy and mineral reforms to boost competition, cut structural distortions and unlock long-term growth in one of Pakistan’s key industrial sectors. The report titled “Competition Assessment Study of the Cement Sector in Pakistan,” addresses competition-related challenges in the cement sector….
Security sources say four terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Mastung district. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB Security forces killed four terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Mastung district, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Friday. The operation comes a day after a district and sessions judge and his security guard were killed after unidentified…
International Maritime Organization says efforts ongoing to restart evacuation of stranded seafarers The UN’s maritime agency said Friday that since Tuesday, about 115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers have been evacuated from the Strait of Hormuz. “We have been able to evacuate at least 115 vessels, in the last three and a half days, representing around…