ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman in her message on National Women’s Day paid tribute to the women of the country who were playing a vital role in nation building and development of the country. “Be it Lady Health Worker or Benazir Income Support Programme, PPP has always initiated public and revolutionary projects,” she wrote on the micro-blogging website. “Now, through the Sindh government’s People’s Poverty Reduction Programme, women across the province are setting a new example of development, Sherry mentioned. Women are ensuring economic stability and growth through a revolutionary project. “We don’t just create slogans and narratives of “change” but work on revolutionary projects for the development of society,” she added.

Share:Five matches were contested on the final day of phase one of the National Challenge Cup 2023 played at various venues across the country. The first match of the day took place between Otto Cranes and Klash Mills at Agriculture University Faisalabad, and after a good competition, Otto Cranes won the encounter by 4-1. For Otto Cranes, Haider Ali banged in a beautiful Quartet. In the second match of the day played at POF Wah Football Ground, Army thrashed POF by 3-0. In the fourth match of the day played at PAF Sports Complex Peshawar, Mamsons recorded a stunning 2-1 victory over PAF.

The Pakistani Taliban first came into the limelight towards the end of 2005 when a group in North Waziristan killed militants of another group and hanged their headless bodies and called themselves the Pakistani Taliban. In January 2008, the TTP under Baitullah Mehsud de­clared war on Pakistan, and at the same time in order to get recognition from the Afghan Taliban, thousands of Pak­istani Taliban were sent as reinforce­ments to Afghanistan. Before taking any action inside Afghanistan, the Af­ghan Taliban must be taken on board to avoid any misunderstandings. Pakistan has already paid a huge price during the war on terror as more than 85,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives. The Pukhtoons of Pakistan have sacrificed more than any other ethnic groups in Pakistan as a result of this war.

Share:ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Saturday termed the murder of an accused who desecrated the Holy Qauran in Warburton Nankana Sahib unconstitutional and un-Islamic. He, in a video message, said as per media reports, desecrator of the Holy Quran who was under police custody of Warburton, Nankana Sahib, had been killed after attacking the police station by a group of unruly mob. He said if someone had committed a crime, it was court’s jurisdiction to penalize the accused, it was none of the group, party or individual’s discretion power to announce sentence against anyone. He urged the Punjab government to put culprits involved in this heinous crime behind the bars and proposed that their trials should be conducted in the Anti-Terrorism Court. He said it was a shameful act in the eyes of Ulema and Mashaykh of all schools of thought as it had brought a bad name for the country in the comity of nations.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday set into motion the process to deliberate over and finalise the schedule of the Punjab Assembly elections in light of the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) orders to hold polls immediately. In a statement, the election watchdog said Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has summoned a high-level meeting on February 13 (Monday) at the commission’s secretariat. The meeting will review the decision of the Lahore High Court and will decide its future course of action and the implementation of the verdict for holding the general election to the provincial assembly. On Friday, the LHC ordered the ECP to immediately announce the date of elections to the Punjab Assembly after consultation with the governor, in his capacity as the constitutional head of the province, to ensure that polls were held not later than 90 days as per the mandate of the Constitution. Justice Jawad Hassan passed the order allowing petitions of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and others, seeking directions for the governor and ECP to immediately announce a date for general elections in the province, since the assembly had been dissolved.

Share:The city police on Saturday night foiled a terror attack at law enforcers at Gomal Bazar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Tank city. According to details, some police officials in KP’s Tank came under a gun attack by a group of heavily armed terrorists. In the statement, the law enforcers stated no casualties occurred during the exchange of fire while an operation has been launched in the area to arrest the suspects. KP police foiled a terrorist attack on Jandola police station in Tank district by befittingly responding to the attackers. The inspector general praised the police personnel for their bravery to foil the terrorist attack.

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Despite the LHC pronouncing its much-awaited order to immediately announce the date for elections in Punjab, the fate of the provincial assembly still hangs in the balance as uncertainty buries a definite legislative answer to the issue. While PTI extols the decision, the legal minds of the ruling party tap into the "ambiguities" for a favourable legal answer to potentially defer the polls. According to his interpretation, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have to announce the date of the election within 90 days and not the holding of the election. On the other hand, PTI Lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain has lauded the LHC order to hold the election no later than 90 days. He cautioned extending the period for holding elections would be akin to applying the “General-Zia formula”, which would spell “disaster for the country”.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz on Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's "selectors", who had brought him to power in 2018, were now "regretting" their decision. "Your [Imran] selection committee has been dissolved, and the selectors have left for home,” Maryam said while addressing the PML-N workers' convention in Islamabad. "Whenever the country's economy collapses because of the rulers, people look to Nawaz Sharif for rescue," Maryam said. Speaking to her party workers, the PML-N leader vowed that her party would win the next elections in the country. “The future of youth is linked with the PML-N.”She vowed that her party would steer the country out of the prevailing crisis.

Pakistan’s security dilemma that crystallised after independence in 1947 was caused by active conflicts with neighbours. Pakistan’s deep-rooted ties with China is an important factor for Pakistan’s economic stability and technological advancement. First, Pakistan needs to focus on enhancing productivity, exporting value-added goods, and exploring niche markets for diversified products. Moreover, development of economic diplomacy has become crucial for securing Pakistan’s national interest at the international level. Pakistan’s economic diplomacy team must be oriented with climate financing.

KARACHI: Navies from 50 countries — including Turkey, the US, and China — have begun a five-day multinational naval exercise led by Pakistan in the Arabian Sea. The biannual event, which has taken place since 2007, began with a flag-raising ceremony, state-run Pakistan Television reported. The harbour phase involves seminars, operational discussions, professional demonstrations, international get together, and pre-sail planning of sea evolutions. The sea phase includes tactical manoeuvres, maritime security exercises such as anti-piracy and counter-terrorism, search and rescue, gunnery firings, and air defense exercises. In a related development, Pakistan’s first-ever International Maritime Expo and Conference also kicked off in Karachi on Friday.

ISLAMABAD: The funerals of Major Muhammad Jawad and Captain Sagheer Abbas were held in Rawalpindi and Kot Addu, respectively, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Both officers lost their lives in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion while conducting a sanitization operation in Kohlu, Balochistan. Lieutenant General Muhammad Saeed, the Chief of General Staff, was in attendance along with numerous serving and retired officers, soldiers, and members of the public from various segments of society. The two fallen heroes were given a proper military burial with full honours.

Share:Peshawar - Akhtar Hayat took charge as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP), replacing Moazzam Jah Ansari, here on Friday. Akhtar Hayat belongs to the 22nd Common Training Programme (CTP) of the Police Service of Pakistan. He was serving as additional director general in the Federal Investigation Agency before becoming the IGP. Hayat has previously served as additional inspector general (AIG), counter-terrorism, in Balochistan, AIG Special Branch in KP, FIA zonal director in KP and additional director general at the agency’s headquarters in Islamabad. After assuming charge on Friday, the top cop held a meeting with senior officers at the Central Police Office.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday accused the National Accountability Bureau of maintaining double standards, saying that the anti-graft watchdog did not conduct inquiries into the projects in which billions of rupees of public money was wasted, but kept innocent people in its detention centres. The prime minister added that with such a display of callousness, the country’s billions of rupees went to waste. Referring to Walton Road, the prime minister said it was the place where thousands of migrants from India took refuge and the locals supported them which renewed the precedent of Ansar-e-Madina. He regretted that the project had hit snags in 2008 when its contract was awarded during the rule of late Pervez Musharraf. About Bab-e-Pakistan, the prime minister said it should be a place from where the young generations and visitors could gain knowledge about the history of Pakistan.

Share:Gas and LPG heaters emit carbon monoxide and can cause unconsciousness or death. Eventually, it is the root cause of many fatal incidents. In the winter season, use safe and alternative means to keep yourself warm and be careful with gas and LPG heaters. Necessary precautions can be taken while using gas, and LPG heaters, like getting your heater serviced regularly and providing proper ventilation. Never leave a gas heater burning before going to bed.