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PALESTINIANS evacuate a wounded man after an Israeli strike near a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Khan Yunis, on Saturday.—AFP AL ZAHRA: Omar Ashur became a refugee during the Nakba (catastrophe) experienced by Palestinians following Israel’s creation in 1948 and now fears the ongoing bombardment of Gaza will again force him into exile. A retired general from the Palestinian Authority security forces, 83-year-old Ashur lives in Al Zahra, central Gaza, where Israeli missiles flattened an area of more than 20 buildings late on Thursday. Residents had been warned to flee before the strikes, but many of them raced into the street with no idea of where to go. When they returned in the early hours of Friday morning, they found a scene of devastation, with several blocks of buildings reduced to smoking ruins and rubble. The area lies about 10 kilometres south of Gaza City, where Israeli warplanes have focused their fierce bombardments since the Hamas ra...

• Pakistan joins China’s moon programme • Kakar offers Friday prayers in Xinjiang • Khunjerab border crossing to operate throughout the year ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar returned home on Friday evening after a whirlwind five-day China trip that took him to places where only few foreign dignitaries before him visited, and one that saw Islamabad and Beijing ink over 20 agreements, covering areas from currency swapping to building a research station on the moon’s south pole. Although both sides vowed to cement ties in various fields, especially for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), President Xi Jinping sought guarantees from Islamabad regarding security of Chinese personnel working in Pakistan. The agreements signed cover round-the-year functioning of the Khunjerab border crossing, coordination on Afghan issue, close trust and coordination between their armed forces, peace talks between Palestine and Israel, currency swapping, partnership on building ...

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and PTI ally, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, has resurfaced over a month after his arrest from Rawalpindi, and said he was gone on a “pilgrimage”. Rashid made these remarks in an interview with Samaa TV on Friday, marking his first appearance since his detention by plainclothes personnel at his residence on September 17. Widespread violent protests broke out across the country on May 9, following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. During the protest, military installations — including the Lahore corps commander’s residence — and state properties were damaged across Pakistan, eliciting strong condemnation from the military. Since then, several PTI leaders have chosen to part ways with the party. Farrukh Habib and Usman Dar are among the most recent. In line with other PTI leaders who have either departed from the party or resigned from their party roles, Rashid also voiced his disapproval of the events on May 9, deeming them “highly condemnable”. He...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court may take up important constitutional matters in the coming weeks, such as trial of civilians by military courts and the holding of general elections . The intention to fix the cases was revealed when Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa made some hints during the hearing of a different case in which a counsel sought 15 days’ time. The CJP observed the court intends to hear important cases, like the trial of civilians by military courts and election matters, in the coming weeks. Therefore, it was difficult to postpone the present case for a fortnight, though it could be taken up again after two months. The last time a six-judge SC bench had taken up challenges to the trial of civilians in military courts was on Aug 3. During a hearing on May 27, the federal government assured the court that, up to that date, no formal trial had commenced against 102 individuals held by military authorities in connection with the May 9 incidents of violence ...

• IHC, accountability court restrain authorities from arresting PML-N supremo till 24th • PTI terms court decision ‘murder of justice’, PPP sees ‘unique decision’ part of pre-poll rigging ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday provided protective bail to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references till Oct 24 after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not oppose the petitions filed by the PML-N supreme leader ahead of his return from self-imposed exile on Saturday. On the other hand, an Islamabad accountability court seized with the Toshakhana case , also suspended the perpetual arrest warrants issued against the ex-premier in the graft cases involving a vehicle. After his legal team moved the high court on Wednesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb took up the pleas and issued notices to NAB. Deputy Prosecutor General Naeem Tariq Sanghera and special prosecutors Muhamma...

ISLAMABAD: A two-member bench of the Sup­reme Court on Thursday suspended an order of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) that had granted blanket bail to PTI leader Asad Qaiser and others in cases pertaining to violence instigated after the arrest of party chief Imran Khan on May 9. Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mussa­rat Hilali, while hearing an appeal by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) against the PHC order, took exception to the blanket relief granted by the high court and suspended the order, passed on Aug 4, 2023, till next hearing. It may be noted that in addition to granting bail to the PTI leaders, the high court had also barred the police and prosecution department from arresting the respondents — Asad Qaiser, Rangaiz Ahmed, Aqibullah, and Attaullah — not only in the instant case but also in any other criminal case. The court had also issued a circular to all judicial officers of the province in this regard. However, the SC bench on Thursday suspended this circular and issu...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Thursday reiterated their resolve to further cement their partnership for a shared future and benefit of their peoples, with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar saying Islamabad would not allow anything to undermine the strategic partnership with Beijing. Both sides renewed this pledge during a delegation-level meeting between caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of People on the sidelines of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum . View this post on Instagram According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), President Xi said China was ready to carry forward the traditional friendship and deepen the bilateral partnership with Pakistan. He also assured that China was committed to the CPEC and peace in the region. PM Kakar called the bilateral partnership “made in heaven”, saying Pakistan “blindly trusted China” and that the co...