Author: Saifullah

PESHAWAR: Acting President and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday clarified that Pakistan’s decision to support US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan was not unilateral but taken after consultations with key Muslim nations. Speaking to reporters, Gilani emphasized that Pakistan acted as a consensus builder, saying the agreement was the outcome of collective thinking, not the decision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or Field Marshal Asim Munir alone. “All coalition partners — including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Türkiye, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates — jointly prepared the agreed document,” he said, noting that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar…

ISLAMABAD: A five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, resumed hearings on the controversial super tax on Thursday. Farogh Naseem, counsel for multiple taxpayer companies, argued that the tax disproportionately burdened industries, particularly the banking sector, where the overall rate has climbed to 53 per cent with the inclusion of the 10 per cent super tax. He added that several businesses had shifted operations abroad, including to African countries, due to Pakistan’s heavy taxation regime. The bench questioned the status of related cases in other high courts. Naseem confirmed that while the Sindh High Court…

The Palestine Action Coalition of Pakistan announced on Thursday that former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan has been detained by Israeli forces while participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian mission aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Khan, who was leading a five-member Pakistani delegation, had joined international activists, aid workers, and political representatives on the flotilla. The initiative sought to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians trapped under Israel’s 17-year-long blockade. Israeli Interception of Flotilla Organisers confirmed that Israeli forces intercepted 39 out of 45 boats that formed part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Only one vessel remains en…

Karamat Ali, a 61-year-old rice farmer from Punjab, once relied on cows and buffalos to provide his multi-generational family with milk and small earnings. Earlier this year, however, he made a decision that reflects the transformation sweeping rural Pakistan. Ali sold a dozen of his cattle and invested the money in solar panels. Those panels now power his tube well, a water well fitted with a motorized pump, allowing him to irrigate his rice fields without the burden of expensive diesel or the unreliable electricity grid. With pride, he explained that the water supply to his paddy fields is now…

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced on Wednesday that Pakistan is preparing to launch its first-ever Panda Bonds in China to diversify funding sources, following strong interest from Chinese investors. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, the finance minister said the first phase would see an issuance of $250 million bonds. He clarified that the government was not imposing any additional taxes and highlighted that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were progressing positively. Aurangzeb noted that Pakistan had repaid $500 million Eurobonds a day earlier and would make another $1.3 billion repayment in…

Security forces killed at least 18 Indian-sponsored terrorists in separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Quetta and Sherani, officials confirmed on Wednesday. According to security sources, a joint operation was launched in the Ghaza Band area on the outskirts of Quetta. During a fierce exchange of fire, 10 militants were killed, while two security personnel sustained injuries. A large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the site. Police said the slain terrorists were involved in attacks on security forces and other subversive activities. In a separate IBO in Sherani district, security forces engaged militants of the Fitna al-Khawarij group,…

The International Football Federation (FIFA) has approved the restoration of football grounds in Pakistan that were damaged by recent floods. According to details, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Syed Mohsin Gilani and former national footballer Shahid Khan Shinwari held a meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. During the meeting, multiple proposals regarding the promotion of football in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were discussed. The PFF president informed the governor that FIFA had given approval for the rehabilitation of football grounds in Buner, Bajaur, Swat, and Dera Ismail Khan, and work on the project would begin soon. On the occasion, he…

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has expressed reservations over US President Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan for Gaza, demanding amendments to certain clauses. According to Palestinian sources, Hamas is seeking Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza along with international guarantees ensuring that its leaders will not be targeted or assassinated. The group is expected to give a formal response within two to three days. Sources further revealed that Hamas negotiators recently held meetings in Doha with Turkish, Egyptian, and Qatari officials, where the most contentious point of discussion was the clause calling for Hamas to be fully disarmed. It is…

A heart-wrenching domestic tragedy has shaken the Bandikotlan suburb of Havelian, where four members of the same family were brutally murdered in their home, leaving the entire community in deep shock and sorrow. According to police officials, the victims have been identified as Rashid Khan, son of Haider Zaman, his wife Sundas Bibi, and their two young daughters, Sadia Bibi and Wahida Bibi. The horrifying incident unfolded when Haider’s mentally ill brother suddenly went into a violent rage and attacked the family with fatal force. As soon as authorities received reports of the crime, a heavy police contingent rushed to…

The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has released its long-awaited final report on Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, criticising the fairness and transparency of the process while noting restrictions on voters’ fundamental political rights. The 161-page report, issued on Tuesday more than 18 months after the polls, raised serious concerns over practices that undermined confidence in the electoral system. One of the key issues highlighted was the suspension of mobile phone services on election night, which observers said reduced transparency and hampered the efficiency of result delivery. The absence of digitally transmitted result forms was flagged as a major vulnerability, expanding opportunities…