The federal government on Wednesday told political and parliamentary leaders that Pakistan will avoid getting directly embroiled in the ongoing Iran and US-Israel conflict, while pursuing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation. The assurance came during a closed-door briefing organised for the heads of political parties and parliamentary leaders at the Prime Minister’s House. Chaired by […]
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination of the American president for the Nobel Peace Prize was widely criticised as a folly, though most experts said Pakistan’s renewed outreach to Washington and its effort to stay out of Donald Trump’s crosshairs were driven by practical and short-term considerations. They described the country’s current foreign policy, including its […]
Electricity prices have been increased by Rs1.63 per unit across the country, including Karachi which is served by K-Electric, a private power utility. According to a notification issued by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Wednesday, the increase was approved due to the monthly fuel adjustment for January. Power consumers will be charged […]
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday formally announced to introduce energy conservation measures to deal with disruption in import of fuels, as the government considers closing higher education institutions and weekly setting fuel prices to deal with the evolving situation. However, the finance minister said that the country has sufficient stocks of fuels for this […]
Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, held a meeting with the Chinese Minister Counsellor to review bilateral trade relations and explore practical measures to enhance economic cooperation between Pakistan and China. The meeting provided an opportunity to assess current trade dynamics and examine factors affecting export growth. Discussions focused on […]
Pakistani film producer Abid Merchant has announced plans for a feature-length commercial adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Shasti (Punishment), describing it as an ambitious international co-production involving Bangladesh, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Hong Kong. Speaking about the project, Merchant said the film will be directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Lisa […]
The Scream franchise has officially entered the billion-dollar club, with its latest installment, Scream 7, pushing the series past $1 billion at the global box office. The seventh entry in the long-running horror saga earned nearly $100 million worldwide in its opening weekend, cementing the series’ status as one of cinema’s most lucrative horror properties. […]
Iran’s first Oscar-nominated documentary will compete in Hollywood at a time of incredible tumult at home, days after US-Israeli strikes killed the country’s long-time supreme leader. As the Islamist regime scrabbles to shore itself up in the wake of the death of the hardline Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “Cutting Through Rocks” offers a different vision of […]
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended its decline on Wednesday, shedding over 1,350 points, as persistent volatility and escalating geopolitical tensions kept investors on the sidelines despite relative resilience compared to a sharp regional sell-off. The benchmark KSE-100 index swung within a wide intra-day band of 157,962 to 154,791 points, reflecting nervous participation and heightened […]
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has instructed police authorities to formally submit a detailed report on efforts to curb child beggary and drug addiction among minors in Nowshera district, following a petition highlighting the exploitation of young children in these activities. A bench headed by Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah heard the case, with Additional […]