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(LEFT) The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, speaks during a press conference about India-linked criminal activities; and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau arrives for a media talk about the police investigation into India’s clandestine activities, in Ottawa.—Reuters • PM Trudeau says Canada will never tolerate foreign govt’s involvement in killing citizens • Urges India to cooperate, end ‘misleading rhetoric’ • Indian home minister Amit Shah ‘authorised intel-gathering missions, attacks on Sikh separatists’ • Bishnoi gang accused of working with Indian govt agents NEW DELHI: The Canadian police have accused Indian diplomats in Canada of using the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang for “involvement in homicides, extortions and other criminal acts of violence” in the country and it is their request that India waive immunity for six diplomats so that they could be questioned about this, The Wire reported on Tuesday. However, India rejected the demand, which trigge

The PPP and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) reached an agreement on a shared draft of the much-touted constitutional amendments . The much-talked-about Consti­tutional Package is legislation proposing a set of constitutional amendments, including the extension of the top judge’s term. Three separate drafts of the constitutional package were being prepared — one by the government, the second by the PPP, and the third by the JUI-F. A committee, led by PPP’s Khursheed Shah, has the representation of all parties, including the PTI. It was formed by the National Assembly speaker for reconciliation among lawmakers, particularly between the PTI and the government, after a raid by plainclothesmen to round up the PTI men from the Parliament House. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had told media persons in Hyderabad a day ago that there was harmony in the drafts of the PML-N, the PPP and the JUI-F. He said proposals rejected by the JUI-F had been removed from the draft by the government.

LAHORE/KARACHI: The business community hop­es the Shanghai Co­­ope­r­ation Organisation (SCO) Summit, starting in the cap­ital on Tuesday, may boost the country’s economy. “The event offers Paki­stan an opportunity to stre­n­gthen its trade and economic ties with key international partners, particularly China. The summit will also send a clear message to global investors about the country’s openness to business and investment opportunities,” said the Lahore Chamber of Com­merce & Industry (LCCI) President Mian Abuzar Shad in a statement on Monday. Meanwhile, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Atif Ikram Sheikh said that the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corri­dor (CPEC) and the SCO summit could be the real game-changers for the nat­ional economy as we have geographical contiguities, economic complementarities, regional trade advantages and ability to look East and diversify our economic partners. On Monday, a high-profile C

The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement’s (PTM) grand jirga in Jamrud concluded on Sunday night, with the rights group presenting a 22-point resolution that demanded the withdrawal of militant groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and cheaper electricity, among other issues. The three-day jirga , which was hosted with government support, concluded with delegates deploring the impact of militancy and subsequent anti-terrorism operations over the last two decades that had displaced millions. The delegates, from different political parties and professional organisations, held discussions at 60 separate enclosures to present their recommendations for the final declaration at a relatively larger forum. The federal government imposed a ban on the PTM on October 6, citing threats to national peace and security. The PTM was declared “unlawful” under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan . At the end of the jirga, PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen presented t

Over the last few years, Pakistan’s banking has reaped massive profits on the back of the sovereign’s ever-growing fiscal needs. In the process, it has drawn the ire of everyone, including the International Monetary Fund in the latest Article IV report, for depending on the government. However, one area where the sector seems to have done well, at least in relative terms, is in digitalisation as far as payments are concerned, as shown by the numbers in the latest Annual Payment Systems Review (PSR) FY24 by the State Bank. In this regard, FY24 was no different as digital transactions continued not only in absolute terms but also as part of the overall piece. Their shares in throughput and volumes reached 13.4 per cent and 52.4pc in the outgoing fiscal year, compared to just 2.6pc and 16.9pc in FY20. There were a few major breakthroughs over the last year, starting with how mobile banking overtook ATMs by number of transactions to become the single largest digital channel during t

KYIV: Russia and Ukraine traded drone attacks overnight, with Russian officials saying on Saturday that Ukrainian strikes had killed one person in the Belgorod border region. While Ukraine reported it neutralised 24 drones fired by Moscow, Russia said it had downed 47 Ukrainian drones overnight. The Ukrainian air force said many missiles were fired from Belgorod, without specifying the number or type. It said Russia had fired 28 drones at Ukraine, of which 24 were destroyed in the Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. In the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, Russian bombardments wounded four people, the head of the regional administration said. Villager killed in Ukrainian attack in Belgorod region The Russian defence ministry said the 47 Ukrainian drones taken down overnight included 17 in the southeastern Russian region of Krasnodar, 16 over the Azov Sea and 12 over the border region of Kursk. A separate Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in the vi

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday linked its support for the government’s constitutional amendment package to the inclusion of provisions that strengthen local governments across the country. The demand was made during a meeting between Sindh Gov­ernor Kamran Tessori, an MQM-P delegation and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. MQM-P representatives asked the government to amend Article 140-A regarding local bodies, sources said. The party also presented a draft proposal to the prime minister and demanded that it should also be made part of the government’s proposed constitutional amendments. The sources said that a PML-N delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, would visit MQM-P headquarters in Karachi to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments. Sindh governor, party leaders meet PM, present draft proposal During Saturday’s meeting, the current political situation in the country was also discussed. The MQM-P delegatio

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a telephone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in which they expressed their “deep commitment and support for the people of Palestine and Lebanon”. A post on X by the Foreign Office said the two diplomats discussed the situation in the two conflict-ridden countries subject to an Israeli military offensive. The Saudi Press Agency said both also reviewed relations between the two countries and discussed regional and international developments Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians since it began a year ago and has laid waste to the enclave. The offensive began after a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, on southern Israeli communities in which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Meanwhile, Israel’s latest fight with Hezbollah started when the group fired missiles at Isra

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Friday ordered the arrest in absentia of a CNN journalist, Nick Paton Walsh, for reporting from Ukrainian-held territory in Russia’s Kursk region. Moscow has launched several criminal proceedings against Western journalists who had produced reports from the Kursk region after Kyiv’s surprise August incursion. It has charged them with illegally crossing the border. The court in the city of Kursk ordered Paton Walsh’s arrest, demanding his extradition to Russia. “The court decided that Nick Paton Walsh be arrested while on Russian territory or upon extradition,” the court said in a statement. Paton Walsh is a British journalist who previously reported for Channel 4 News and The Guardian newspaper in Moscow. Earlier this week, Russia ordered the arrest of two Italian journalists for reporting from inside the Kursk region. Ukrainian forces have controlled swathes of Russia’s Kursk region since their Aug 6 incursion. Russia has banned criticism of its

The PTI on Friday announced a protest for Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 15 even as the government warned that no one would be allowed to disrupt the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government Council (CHG) in the federal capital. The federal government has deployed more than 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel for the security of about 900 delegates who will arrive in Islamabad for the 23rd SCO summit to be held on Oct 15 and 16. The CHG is the second-highest forum in the SCO. The SCO meeting is being participated by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Iranian first vice president Reza Aref, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and leaders from other member states. The security agencies are, therefore, determined to prevent any disruptions. The government has deployed army troops under Article 245 of the Constitution, to bolster security measures in Islamabad from October 5 to 17. The federal government

The dome of Tropicana Field stadium in the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, was torn open after Hurricane Milton hit, on Thursday.—AFP SARASOTA: Hurricane Milton tore a coast-to-coast path of destruction across the US state of Florida, whipping up a spate of deadly tornadoes that left at least four people dead, but avoiding the catastrophic devastation officials had feared. “The storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario,” Florida Governor Ron DeS­antis told a news conference. Milton made landfall on Wednesday night on the Florida Gulf Coast as a major Category 3 storm, with sustained, powerful winds smashing inland through communities still reeling from Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, before roaring off Florida’s east coast into the Atlantic. The four deaths occurred in St. Lucie on Florida’s east coast, with at least two of those in the Spanish Lakes Communities, when multiple twisters touched down on Wednesday afternoon, said county spokesper

ISLAMABAD: Users of the Zong cellular company faced disruptions to mobile and data services in multiple cities on Thursday, reportedly due to the installation of a new web management system (WMS). The network’s customers, including corporate clients, reported connectivity issues around noon and posted on social media about service degradation and even sudden blackout of service. While there was no official response from the company or telecom regulator, Pakistan Telecom­munication Authority on these issues, Zong acknowledged the disruptions while responding to users’ complaints on social media. Incidentally, the most serious disruptions were reported by users in Karachi where no security-related jamming has been reported, as is the case in the federal capital ahead of the SCO moot , nor have any restrictions been imposed there, as has been the case in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTA sources say ‘firewall’ upgrade to be completed by October-end M. Sarfaraz, who works for a priv

KARACHI: The stock market on Wednesday continued its winning streak for the seventh straight session on higher remittances, briefly crossing 86,000 intraday on easing political tensions and specula-tions of robust corporate earnings. However, despite aggre­ssive foreign selling, the index scaled an all-time high with meagre gains. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said stocks hit a new high aided by banking scrips after the State Bank of Pakistan revised per-party exposure limits for small and medium enterprises and 29pc year-on-year increase to $2.8bn in September. He said the market witnessed a midsession selling on falling global crude oil prices and foreign outflows. Topline Securities Ltd said the KSE-100 index experienced significant volatility, peaking at 86,451 and dipping to 85,444, mainly due to profit-taking and the in­­dex’s inability to sustain gains above 86,000. How­ever, institutional buying supported the index for positive closing. As a result, the benchm

The police arrested a suspect for allegedly sexually assaulting and injuring his four-year-old neighbour in the Puran tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district on Wednesday. Aloch Police Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zeb Khan told Dawn.com that the victim’s uncle alleged the boy was molested by his neighbour and badly injured while alone at home in the tehsil’s Sanila area. The SHO said the police took the victim to Pir Mohammad Khan Shaheed Hospital in Aloch for a medical examination and recorded a statement from the victim, who detailed the abuse and said he managed to escape from the alleged assailant. SHO Khan said the victim’s initial medical report confirmed the assault, while a DNA report “would take some time”. He added that the police lodged a first information report, based on the uncle’s complaint and the victim’s statement under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code and 53A (sexual abuse) of the Child Protection Act, and arrested the su

QUETTA: Members of civil society held a protest in Quetta on Tuesday to condemn the attack on a Chinese convoy in Karachi near the airport. Led by Allaudin Khilji and Babar Khajak, the protesters marched along Adalat Road. They chanted slogans in support of Chinese nationals and against the attackers. The rally culminated in front of the Quetta Press Club, where speakers strongly condemned the attack, attributing it to anti-national elements allegedly backed by India. They stressed that the people of Balochistan seek peace and development and reaffirmed their support for Pakistan-China relations, which they described as exemplary. The speakers stressed that no conspiracy could undermine the partnership between Pakistan and China. They expressed confidence that both Pakistan and Balochistan would continue to progress. Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024 from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/7AyJits

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has emerged as the lowest-risk country concerning food safety standards for the fiscal year 2023-24, with rice exports making up 25 per cent of the European rice export market, significantly outpacing India’s 16pc. This information was revealed during a meeting between the newly elected Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Malik Faisal Jahangir and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal. The discussion focused on maintaining rice exports in light of falling international prices and India’s lifting of its rice export ban effective October. Mr Jahangir informed the minister that only 74 rapid alerts for pesticides and other issues were issued against Pakistani rice exporters last year, compared to 264 for India. “This shows that the Pakistani rice sector is more compliant,” the REAP chairman said. He noted that Pakistan remains one of the lowest-risk countries concerning food safety standards, while countries like Turkiye, India, Spain, Italy and the

Despite the tough economic conditions prevailing in the country, realtors and development agencies are busy marketing their schemes. It is believed that real estate still dominates in attracting investments from large-scale investors as well as ordinary individuals with some savings. High risk in other sectors such as trading or manufacturing, absence of advice and information regarding parallel opportunities, aggressive marketing by realtors, and the psychological affinity of people towards property investments are a few reasons. Given that there is an overall interest in land and property enterprises across the country and beyond, the trend of investment is likely to remain stable in this direction. However, efficiency in the real estate market is constrained due to some basic handicaps. An element of doubt always lurks behind the validity and veracity of transactions, both for buyers and sellers. Complicated procedures of documentation, the spread of corrupt practices on the w

At least four people were injured when an explosion occurred near Karachi airport on Sunday night, police confirmed, with sounds of the blast heard in various areas. Television footage showed smoke rising from the area near the airport, with a blazing fire visible on the road. “Four injured persons, including one in critical condition, have been brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College (JPMC),” police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com . “The sound of the explosion has been heard in different areas of the city,” said DawnNews TV reporter Imran Hafeez. “The sound was heard as far as North Nazimabad, II Chundrigar Road, and Karimabad, among other areas.” View this post on Instagram The reporter stated that some cars also caught fire because of the explosion. Crime Investigation Department (CID) Director General Asif Ejaz Shaikh told Dawn.com that nothing is clear about nature of explosion at this moment. Meanwhile,

THE country requires a comprehensive three-year action plan for domestic reforms, in addition to solidifying external accounts, to ensure a smooth exit from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and transition to a self-sustained, non-inflationary growth path. The broad contours of such reforms are quite well known. What is needed is to build a consensus among political parties, federal and provincial governments, and the private sector. Key elements of the plan should be finalised with timelines, responsibilities and milestones, and must be approved by parliament to ensure continuity, consistency and predictability — the missing elements responsible for the poor track record of previous reform efforts. Govt must focus on increasing investment, controlling fiscal deficits, devolving services, addressing energy crisis and reforming civil services The reform agenda should focus on raising the investment-to-GDP ratio to 20 per cent by FY28, containing a fiscal deficit of