BAJAUR: A young man from Bajaur, Subhanullah, has drawn widespread local attention after building an aeroplane through six years of continuous effort, overcoming limited financial resources and numerous technical challenges. Subhanullah, who belongs to a working-class family, pursued his ambitious project largely through self-help and personal resources. According to him, the authorities have promised him…

The accident led to a massive traffic jam for around seven hours as several cars, including heavy vehicles, piled up on both tracks of the Super Highway. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/EXPRESS LAHORE: The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has stepped up preparations for the smog season, placing heavy vehicles at the centre of its enforcement strategy….

KARACHI: The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has begun demolition of buildings declared dangerous by its Technical Committee on Dangerous Buildings, starting with two severely dilapidated structures in Lyari as part of efforts to prevent loss of life and property. According to an SBCA spokesperson, eight dangerous sites have been identified in different areas of…

RAWALPINDI: Floodwaters that inundated the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad following Tuesday’s torrential rain and the frightening surge of water from Rawal Dam’s spillway receded after nine hours, but left behind a terrifying trail of destruction in 210 streets and neighbourhoods and 35 small and large markets across the city. About 85 per cent…

ISLAMABAD: The civil service reforms committee has finalised recommendations to overhaul Pakistan’s ailing bureaucracy but the disagreement still persists on some core issues of specialised recruitment, option to attempt competitive examination in Urdu and a National Executive Service. After two years of work, the Ahsan Iqbal led-committee has developed a consensus on 43 recommendations for…

ISLAMABAD: Only 65 of the 332 members of the National Assembly, or 20 per cent, attended all eight sittings of its 29th session held from August 17 to August 28, while 37 members, or 11 per cent, did not attend a single sitting. According to a report published on the Free and Fair Election Network…

The government raised Rs680 billion through the auction of Market Treasury Bills on Wednesday, falling short of the Rs800 billion target even as banks and investors submitted bids worth Rs2.77 trillion. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) accepted papers across four tenors at a weighted average yield of 11.60%. Demand was heavily skewed towards shorter…

ISLAMABAD: The legal counsel of Roosevelt Hotel has informed Pakistan’s government that chances of success in filing a petition against the arbitration award are 1%, which is forcing Islamabad to look for an amicable settlement. The counsel has delineated three options, which include accepting the arbitration award, which will cost $11 million and entail additional…