Govt decided against becoming party in Dr Aafia case in US court, AAG tells IHC

The federal government has decided not to become a party or provide legal assistance in Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case in a US court, a top law officer told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday. Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan heard a petition related to Dr Aafia’s health and repatriation from a US prison which was attended by the petitioner’s lawyer Imran Shafiq, additional attorney general, and other officials. The Pakistani neuroscientist has been languishing in the US prison for over 14 years. At the outset of the hearing, the…

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Trump pulls Musk ally’s Nasa nomination, will announce replacement

WASHINGTON: The White House withdrew on Saturday its nominee for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) administrator, Jared Isaacman, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency. President Donald Trump said he would announce a new candidate soon. “After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head Nasa,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. “I will soon announce a new nominee who will be mission aligned, and put America First in space.” Isaacman,…

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Govt raises petrol price by Re1 per litre for next fifteen days

The federal government announced on Saturday a Re1 per litre increase in petrol prices for the upcoming fortnight as global oil markets continue to ease. The Finance Division issued a notification stating that the new petrol price will take effect from June 1. — Reporter However, the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) was kept unchanged at Rs254.64 per litre. Two weeks ago, the government kept the petrol price unchanged for the next fortnight at Rs252.63 per litre; however, it slashed the HSD price by Rs2 per litre. US crude futures…

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India sees ₹360bn bank frauds in FY25

Banking frauds in India nearly tripled in FY2024–25, reaching a massive ₹360.14 billion, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s new report. The RBI’s annual report revealed a staggering 194% rise in the total value of reported bank frauds compared to the previous financial year, indicating a sharp deterioration in financial security protocols across sectors. The number of reported fraud cases during the year stood at 23,953. Private banks were responsible for the majority of these, registering 14,233 cases — representing 59.42% of all incidents. However, public sector banks bore…

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PTI founder to guide protest campaign from jail, says Ali Zafar

Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan would spearhead his party’s proposed protest campaign against the PML-N-led federal government, confirmed his counsel and the party leader Ali Zafar on Saturday. The PTI senator made the remarks while quoting Khan as saying. Senator Zafar said that the PTI founder directed his party leadership to make the upcoming protest movement against the federal government “decisive”. “We will hold protests across the country, which I will lead from jail,” the senator quoted him as saying. The PTI founder was very serious, he said, adding that…

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PIA concludes pre-Hajj operation with final flight from Karachi

JEDDAH: With the arrival of the last Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-759 from Karachi, carrying 307 intending pilgrims, the 33-day pre-Hajj flight operation, which started on April 29, successfully concluded on Saturday. “Under the Government Hajj Scheme, as many as 88,260 intending pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia via 342 flights from various cities of Pakistan,” Muhammad Umar Butt, spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs told APP. Similarly, over 27,000 pilgrims arrived in the holy land through the private Hajj scheme, the spokesperson added. In the first phase of the…

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Bilawal-led team reaches US to present Pakistan’s stance in row with India

Former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has reached New York, leading a high-level parliamentary delegation at the start of Pakistan’s renewed diplomatic campaign following recent tensions with India. The delegation includes senior political and diplomatic figures such as Hina Rabbani Khar, Dr Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Bushra Anjum Butt, Tehmina Janjua, and Jalil Abbas Jilani. Their mission is to articulate Pakistan’s stance on the recent military confrontation with India and challenge New Delhi’s narrative on the global stage. During their stay in New York…

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Dar, Muttaqi agree to fast-track Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project

ISLAMABAD: Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Sunday highlighted that the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project is crucial for regional connectivity. The Foreign Office spokesperson said that FM Dar and his Afghan counterpart, during a phone call, agreed to work closely to finalise the framework agreement for the railway project soon. A day ago, Dar held a telephone conversation with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich as well and discussed the modalities for early finalisation of the…

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