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ISLAMABAD: The government has appointed Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, the incumbent dire­ctor general of the country’s premier intelligence agency, as the new National Security Adviser (NSA). The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief becomes the country’s tenth NSA. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday said that Gen Malik would retain his role as DG ISI, a position he has held since September 2024. “Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI(M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated. His appointment marks the first time a serving ISI chief will concurrently serve as the NSA. The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam attack . The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the PTI government was ousted after former Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a vote of confidence. At the time, Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA. The NSA holds the st...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday released its annual State of Human Rights in Pakistan report, which highlighted the country’s deteriorating security situation and democratic backsliding. Amnesty International, in a statement last year, observed that human rights abuses remained “rampant” in Pakistan. Reports of extra-judicial killings, harassment of human rights defenders, mass arrests, military trials of civilians and violation of freedom of the press were some of the concerns listed by the rights group. HRCP’s report was launched at an event held at a hotel in Islamabad, where the Commission’s Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt, Co-chairperson Munizae Jahangir, General Secretary Haris Khalil and members Nasreen Azhar and Hina Jilani addressed the ceremony. The event was attended by journalists, human rights defenders, and transgender rights activists. Butt highlighted the pressing human rights concerns in the country and called for “national reconciliation t...

The federal government on Wednesday slashed the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs2 per litre for the next fortnight. The new prices are Rs252.63 for petrol and Rs256.64 for HSD, according to a press release from the Finance Division. It did not mention any changes in the prices of kerosene oil and light diesel oil. The decision comes after the government last time burnt the midnight oil to block about a Rs10 per litre reduction in major petroleum products — petrol and diesel — by amending the Petroleum Products (Petroleum Levy) Ordinance 1961. Government officials had aid the government was already charging the maximum permissible petroleum levy on petrol, HS) and high-octane blending component (HOBC) at Rs70 per litre, which is why a new law was required to keep the prices unchanged at the existing level. This was done through an amendment to the petroleum levy law and an increase in the levy to Rs80 per litre. The government had decided not to let the petroleum...

The National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) on Wednesday launched its inaugural State of Children in Pakistan Report 2024 , the first report of its kind that highlights the situation children face in Pakistan. In January, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said over 22 million children are out of school in Pakistan, emphasising that out of the total figure, a disproportionate number were girls. The report was launched at a ceremony in Islamabad, attended by Federal Minister for Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar, as well as ambassadors, UN representatives, parliamentarians, civil society representatives and child rights advocates. This first-of-its-kind national report offers a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of the situation of children in Pakistan, covering key areas such as health, education, child protection, participation, and overall welfare. Developed to address the persistent gap in consolidated child-focused data, the report draws from a wide range of cred...

• UN chief calls PM Shehbaz and India’s Jaishankar, underscores need to avoid confrontation • Marco Rubio expected to speak to Indian, Pakistani counterparts today • Airports operating as usual, authorities say NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Nar­endra Modi has given his military “operational freedom” to respond to a deadly attack in India-held Kashmir last week, which New Delhi has tri­ed to pin on Pakistan, wit­hout offering any evide­nce to support the claim. A full week after the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of over two dozen tourists, Modi held a closed-door meeting with the heads of the three armed services, as well as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. During the meeting, he told the armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack”, a senior government source told AFP . No further details have been released from the meeting, which ...

Three people were killed in a shooting in the Swedish city of Uppsala on Tuesday, and a murder investigation has been launched, police said. Police are searching for one suspected perpetrator, the news agency TT reported. Police earlier said they had received calls from members of the public who heard gunshots in the city centre, and that emergency services had rushed to the scene. “Three people are confirmed dead after a shooting […] The police are investigating the incident as a homicide,” investigators said in a statement. Witnesses told broadcaster SVT they had heard five shots and had seen people in the area running to take cover. Ten people were killed in February in the Swedish city of Orebro in the country’s deadliest ever mass shooting, in which a 35-year-old unemployed loner opened fire on students and teachers at an adult education centre. Sweden has suffered from a wave of gang-related violence for more than a decade that has included an epidemic of gun violence . ...

Two suspects allegedly involved in the recent killing of the PPP UC chairman in Karachi’s Orangi Town have been arrested, police said on Tuesday. PPP Union Council Chairman, Amir Bhashani, was killed on April 17 by armed motorcyclists in a suspected targeted attack near Bismillah Chowk in Orangi Town. The case was registered under terror and murder charges by the Pakistan Bazaar police. In response, the city council last week demanded that the provincial police and law enforcement agencies promptly arrest the killers of Bhashani and bring them to justice. According to a statement issued by Karachi District West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tariq Illahi Mastoi, “A police team led by SP Manghopir initiated an investigation on different aspects and conducted technical and human intelligence-based action, apprehending two suspects, namely and recovering two pistols.” During the initial probe, it was transpired that one of the suspects was directly involved in the killing, wh...

• Ali Zafar says such a gesture of political unity will strengthen Pakistan’s case globally • Irfan Siddiqui calls Pahalgam attack ‘false-flag operation’ • Senators warn New Delhi against changes to Indus treaty ISLAMABAD: The main opposition, PTI, has demanded the release of its incarcerated leader Imran Khan so he can participate in national deliberations on escalating tensions with India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack . The party also called for an immediate multi-party conference (MPC), with Mr Khan in attendance. The demands were made in the Senate on Monday, as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle slammed India for suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and fanning war hysteria following the April 22 attack. Senator Ali Zafar, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, said political differences should be set aside for an issue of national importance. He noted that a multi-party conference was the only “correct thing to do in the present circumstances”. If Mr Kha...

US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday touted the early results of his immigration crackdown despite concerns over due process, displaying photos of alleged criminal offenders on the White House lawn and preparing to target cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday directing top officials to identify within a month the cities and states failing to sufficiently comply with federal immigration laws, a White House official said. Trump launched an aggressive enforcement campaign after taking office, surging troops to the southern border and pledging to deport millions of immigrants in the US illegally. The Republican president — who made immigration a major campaign issue in 2024 — said the actions were needed after years of high illegal immigration under his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden. At a press briefing, White House officials touted a steep decline in illegal crossings at the ...

PAKISTAN is in the midst of an intense heatwave , with temperatures soaring 4°C to 7°C above normal across much of the country. This extreme weather is expected to persist till the end of the month , with some regions already experiencing highs of 49°C . What was once considered rare has become alarmingly common, as climate change accelerates the frequency and severity of such events. Yet, despite repeated warnings from scientists and international bodies, Pakistan remains woefully unprepared for the escalating climate crisis. The effects of the heatwave are rippling through every sector. Agriculture, the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, is under severe stress as excess heat kills crops and worsens water scarcity . Reports of early wheat crop failures are already emerging, threatening both food security and rural livelihoods. At the same time, water resources are being strained to the limit. Faster-than-normal snowmelt in the northern mountains, spurred by high temperatures, rai...

Top officials in United States President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday pressed Russia and Ukraine to make headway on a peace deal following a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican a day earlier. “It needs to happen soon,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’. “We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition.” Rubio said the US would consider in the coming week whether to continue mediating talks “or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues”. Trump and Zelensky, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met in a Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. The meeting was the first between the two leaders since an angry encounter in the Oval Office in Washington in February and comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the conflict. In a Truth Soci...

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO) and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services have warned that climate change is worsening the impact of malaria across the country, where more than 2 million cases are reported annually. The warning was issued on World Malaria Day, as both WHO and Pakistan called on all stakeholders to urgently intensify efforts to contain the growing threat to the country and the region. “Malaria is a major global threat, and we are seeing firsthand how climate change is increasing both the risk and the cases in our country,” said Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal. “Despite challenges, Pakistan is fully committed to end this disease. It is not just a health imperative — it is an investment in a healthier, more equitable, safer, and more prosperous future for every nation.” Under the international theme, “Reinvest, reimagine, reignite,” WHO urged all stakeholders to join the big push to end malaria and support Pakistan’s efforts so that ...

QUETTA: Workers and supporters of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) took out a rally in support of Afghan refugees and urged the government of Pakistan to stop their ‘ forced repatriation ’. The participants of the rally, led by PkMAP Secretary General Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Dr Hamid Achakzai, gathered in Quetta Metropolitan Corporation compound before the rally. They chanted slogans against the deportation of Afghan refugees and Peca Act. They marched on various streets of the provincial capital carrying party flags, placards and banners inscribed with their demands. The rally after reaching Manan Chowk converted into a public meeting which was addressed by Mr Ziaratwal, Dr Abdul Hamid Khan Achakzai, Abdul Haq Abdal, and others. The speakers told the protesters that Afghan refugees came to Pakistan through UNHCR and spent over 40 years in the country. They made social relations with local people, established their business along with the people of Pakistan and now the ...

Two soldiers have been martyred and 15 terrorists killed in three separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the intelligence-based operations (IBO) were conducted on Friday and Saturday. The ISPR said eight terrorists were “sent to hell” after troops effectively engaged them at their location during an IBO in Karak district based on the reported militant presence. It said that four more were killed by the security forces in another IBO in North Waziristan district. “However, during the intense fire exchange, two brave sons of soil, Lance Naik Usman Mohmand (age: 28 years, resident of Charsadda district) and Sepoy Imran Khan (age: 26 years, resident of Kurram district) having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom,” the ISPR said. It added that troops “successfully neutralised” three more terrorists in another encounter in South Waziristan dis...

YouTuber Saadur Rehman, known as “Ducky Bhai”, was booked for showing “extreme carelessness and recklessness” in a video where he was seen driving his vehicle using his feet, it emerged on Saturday. According to a first information report (FIR) filed at the Chakri police station in Rawalpindi on April 19, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com , at around 3:20pm, Rehman uploaded a video from his social media account in which he was seen driving a vehicle. View this post on Instagram Rehman, in the video, could be seen “driving his vehicle with the help of his feet, showing extreme carelessness and recklessness”, the FIR read. It added that the actions of the YouTuber not only endangered his own life and property, but also of the other people travelling on the motorway. The FIR said that the suspect had committed vandalism against whom the prosecution has filed the case. According to the FIR, the case against the YouTuber was...

THESE are dangerous times in the subcontinent, and there is a need for both Pakistan and India to show restraint, and handle the post-Pahalgam developments with sense. Sadly, India has upped the ante by blaming Pakistan for the tragedy, without providing credible evidence of this country’s alleged involvement in the brutal slaying of tourists . Moreover, there have been shrill calls — particularly in the Indian media — for ‘ revenge ’ against Pakistan. This, along with New Delhi’s condemnable measures against Pakistan, such as holding the Indus Waters Treaty ‘in abeyance’ and further downgrading ties, has created an incendiary atmosphere. Pakistan understandably announced countermeasures , though perhaps it should have refrained from cancelling the visas of visiting Indians. On Friday, there were reports of gunfire across the LoC — fortunately, the exchange did not develop into a larger confrontation. But in such circumstances, when mutual trust is low and emotions, fuelled by ...

NEW DELHI: With war drums reverberating on India’s corporate TV channels and pulsating in the BJP’s echo-chambers on Friday, calmer voices were also finding space with online portals. A seasoned Indian def­ence analyst gave measu­red reasons on Friday why there could be no hot war between India and Pakis­tan over the Pahalgam tragedy , even though there would be the pretence of one for political gain. The existing ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) could suffer and the firing from both sides could resume to disturb the peace of local farmers along the borders. Among the reasoned and reassuring voices from the perspective of bilateral and regional peace was former Indian army officer and defence analyst Pravin Sawhney . He gave several factors for assessing there could be no war, chief among them being the China factor. Mr Sawhney said the Aug 2019 changes in the status of the disputed state of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir had irked China more than Pakistan. The Galwan ...

Six people were successfully rescued on Friday after the supporting cable of a chairlift broke midway over the Indus River between Shangla and Torghar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Cable cars and rickety rope bridges are commonly used in the mountainous regions of KP, offering the quickest means of travel between neighbouring villages separated by deep ravines and valleys. The chairlift, locally known as zangoo , serves as the only means for residents of Martung tehsil in Shangla and the adjacent Torghar district to cross the river. People from the same tribe reside on both sides, making the lift a vital means of commuting and transporting goods. Torghar Deputy Commissioner Safdar Azam, who personally supervised the rescue, told Dawn.com : “The administrations in Shangla and Torghar coordinated a successful rescue operation, and the stranded passengers were safely brought back to the riverbank.” According to Rasool Khan Sharif, spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Shangla, the six passengers h...

• Army issues fresh evacuation orders for enclave’s northern areas ahead of planned attack • Six members of a family killed as air strike levels their home; nine die in attack on former police station • Aid agencies estimate vast majority displaced at least once since war began GAZA CITY: Gaza rescue teams and medics said Israeli air strikes killed at least 55 people on Thursday, as the military threatened an even larger offensive if prisoners were not freed soon. Israel resumed its military assault in the Gaza Strip on March 18, after the collapse of a two-month ceasefire that had brought a temporary halt to fighting in the blockaded Palestinian territory. Israel’s army chief, visiting troops in Gaza on Thursday, threatened to expand the offensive in Gaza if prisoners were not released by Hamas. “If we do not see progress in the return of the hostages in the near future, we will expand our activities to a larger and more significant operation,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir sa...

A Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) leader was among three people killed on Thursday when their vehicle drove over a landmine in Balochistan’s Kalat district, according to provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have faced increasing attacks by militants and terrorists. In a statement, Rind said that three people were killed and five people were injured in the incident. “A private vehicle hit a landmine in the Chori Bur Kaputo area of ​​​​Kalat,” Rind was quoted as saying. “Levies personnel reached the scene and carried out rescue operations. “JUI leader and ward councillor Abdullah is among the deceased,” the government spokesperson added. According to Rind, the government condemned the “terrorist incident” and added that the injured have been transported to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat. “The incident is being investigated. The law and order situation will be ensured at all costs,” the spokesperson added. Three policemen were ...

• Notes economy showing signs of stability amid constraints • Warns slow growth will make it difficult to create jobs, reduce poverty ISLAMABAD: The World Bank on Wednesday slightly lowered its growth forecast for Pakistan to 2.7 per cent for the current fiscal year, citing continued economic stabilisation but persistent constraints from tight monetary and fiscal policies. The World Bank had earlier predicted Pakistan’s economy to grow by 2.8pc during the current fiscal year in its Pakistan Development Update (PDU) released in October last year. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the World Bank said that growth would remain subject to many downside risks but forecast that the economic growth rate would improve to 3.1pc in the next fiscal year (FY26) and 3.4pc in FY27. In a rare move, the bank did not officially release its usual biannual PDU that was officially scheduled for launch on April 8 and postponed it at the last moment without any explanation. When approached for co...

LAHORE: As the canals controversy continued to rile Sindh , the Punjab government on Wednesday said that though not a single canal had been constructed on the Indus River so far, the project was still under consideration. “Punjab does not need any external dictation regarding the use of river floodwater. Punjab is fully sovereign in utilising its own resources and that Sindh has no right to object to Punjab’s development projects,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told a presser here on Wednesday. Flanked by Punjab Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain Kermani, Azma Bokhari said that the proposed canal project was still under consideration and only excess floodwater would be utilised for the purpose. “This initiative aims to benefit farmers and promote agricultural development,” she claimed. Earlier this week, the Sindh chief minister also claimed that work on the six canals project had been halted since July 2024. According to the minister, canals had not been constructed y...

United States President Donald Trump lashed out at Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, blaming the failure to end the war on the Ukrainian president’s refusal to accept Russian occupation of Crimea. Trump said in a Truth Social post that a deal was “very close” but that Zelensky’s refusal to accept US terms for ending the conflict — which began with Russia’s invasion — “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field’”. The comments came as lower-level envoys from Washington, Kyiv and European nations wrapped up talks in Britain. Ahead of Trump’s broadside, Vice President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a peace deal where Russia would get to keep already occupied swaths of Ukraine, which include Crimea. Zelensky rejected this as a violation of Ukraine’s constitution. That in turn prompted Trump’s outburst, in which he accused Zelensky of “boasting” and taking a position “very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia”. Trump wrote that the “inflammatory” Zelensky has “no ...

Prosecutors opening Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault retrial described on Wednesday how he ignored his victims’ pleas to stop and abused his position to make them “feel small.” The trial, which began with jury selection last week, will force survivors who helped spark the “ MeToo ” movement to testify against Weinstein once more. The former Miramax studio boss is charged with the 2006 sexual assault of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and the 2013 rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann. He also faces a new count for an alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old in 2006. Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey recounted Weinstein’s alleged attacks in graphic detail, saying all three women had begged him to stop, but that he had “all the power … He made all these women feel small.” The prosecutor described how Weinstein pestered Haleyi with multiple requests for massages and sexual favours before she found herself alone with him in an apartment one day...