Author: Sajjad Ali

A regional turboprop plane crashed into a residential neighborhood near Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, killing all 61 people on board. The aircraft, operated by regional carrier Voepass, was en route from Cascavel in the state of Paraná to São Paulo’s international airport when it went down in the town of Vinhedo around 1:30 p.m. (1630 GMT), approximately 80 km (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo. Video footage shared on social media shows the ATR-72 aircraft spinning uncontrollably before descending behind a cluster of trees near homes, followed by a massive plume of black smoke. Eyewitness Daniel de Lima, a…

ISLAMABAD: The A-team of Bangladesh reached Pakistan from Dhaka via Doha. Bangladesh A-team will play a series of two four-day and three one-day matches against the Pakistani team in the tour. The red ball and white ball series between Bangladesh-A and Pakistan will be played from August 13 to August 30 at Islamabad Club.

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met with Dr. Salah bin Mohammad Al-Budair, the Imam of Masjid-e-Nabawi, on Friday. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Imam Al-Budair emphasized Pakistan’s important role in the Muslim world, noting its vital contributions to peace and stability in the region. During their meeting, COAS Munir and Imam Al-Budair expressed satisfaction with the strong ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, discussing various matters of mutual interest. The army chief welcomed the esteemed guest, highlighting that the visit of Masjid-e-Nabawi’s imam to Pakistan is a great honor for the…

A senior UN official has sounded the alarm over the growing strength of Daesh’s Khorasan branch, also known as ISIS-K, highlighting it as a major threat capable of launching attacks beyond Afghanistan’s borders. The group, now considered “the greatest external terrorist threat” to Europe, is ramping up efforts to recruit and enhance its capabilities, according to the official. Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, Vladimir Voronkov, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, pointed out two concerning trends that have emerged since his last briefing six months ago. “Regrettably, two of the threats we’ve been closely monitoring have now materialized,”…

ISLAMABAD: Top Pakistani government and military officials celebrated Arshad Nadeem’s historic achievement on Friday after he clinched the gold medal in men’s javelin at the Olympics. Nadeem defeated defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India, becoming the first Pakistani track and field athlete to win gold at the Olympic Games. Nadeem’s winning throw of 92.97 meters, which broke the Olympic record, also placed him sixth on the all-time list. His victory marks Pakistan’s first Olympic medal since 1992, when the men’s hockey team won bronze in Barcelona. The last gold medal for Pakistan was secured by the men’s field hockey team…

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Advisor Barrister Saif criticized the government on Friday, alleging that the amendment to the Election Act amounted to a constitutional abrogation. Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, he condemned the government for allegedly undermining the rights of millions of Pakistanis. Barrister Saif claimed that the legislative process was not followed in accordance with the constitution. He accused the government of rigging the elections and passing a controversial Election Amendment Act through the National Assembly and Senate without considering its long-term impact on Pakistan. He further asserted that the primary aim of the amendment was to…

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging the Pakistan Election Amendment Act 2024, which bars independent lawmakers from switching parties. The petitioner, Mushkoor Hussain, represented by advocate Nadeem Sarwar, has named the federal government, the Election Commission, the President, and the Prime Minister as respondents in the case. The petition argues that the amendments were introduced to overturn a decision made by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, labeling these changes as unconstitutional. The petitioner is seeking a declaration from the LHC to nullify the amendments and has also requested a stay order to halt…

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that local body elections in the federal capital will take place on September 29. The ECP has also issued the schedule for the elections, along with a ban on the announcement of any new development schemes in Islamabad during this period. According to the ECP, candidates can submit their nomination papers from August 16 to 20, with the scrutiny process scheduled from August 22 to 26. It is worth noting that the five-year term of Islamabad’s local government ended in February 2021, and by law, elections were supposed to be held…

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has declared Wednesday, August 14, as a public holiday across Pakistan in celebration of Independence Day. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), all banks and financial institutions will remain closed on August 14. Additionally, there will be a public holiday in all government offices and educational institutions nationwide.

ISLAMABAD: Amir Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman called off the protest after the government reached a consensus on several critical issues. Liaquat Baloch, the Naib Ameer of JI, addressed the sit-in participants, outlining the discussions and agreements reached during the negotiations. Members of the government committee, including Atta Tarr and Punjab’s Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsen Naqvi, were present on stage as Liaquat Baloch shared the outcomes of the talks. Baloch emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing the contentious Independent Power Producers (IPPs) contracts, a major concern for the inflation-stricken people of Pakistan. The government agreed to establish a task force to…