Day: March 14, 2026

Funds saved through the government’s austerity measures will be used to provide relief to the public under the current circumstances, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Saturday. The announcement followed a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad to review the impact of the regional situation on petroleum product prices and the implementation of government cost-saving measures. Last week, Prime Minister Sharif unveiled several energy conservation and austerity measures to preempt fuel shortages and declared that he would not further increase the prices of petroleum products after a massive hike…

Read More

ISLAMABAD: The government’s attempt to pass the FC Restructuring Amendment Bill through a supplementary agenda failed in the National Assembly on Thursday after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged a walkout, breaking the quorum. The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, began with the Question Hour when opposition member Iqbal Afridi pointed out the lack of quorum. A count confirmed the quorum was incomplete, prompting the deputy speaker to adjourn the sitting. When the session resumed after a short break, Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry presented the…

Read More

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced that Islamabad will gradually reduce its 109 city entry points to 25 and make the Red Zone fully operational as part of a comprehensive strategy to enhance security and public services in the federal capital. The decisions were taken during a meeting in Islamabad on Friday attended by the chief commissioner of Islamabad, Islamabad inspector general of police, deputy commissioner, DIGs, SSPs, SPs, and all assistant commissioners. The minister directed the development of an effective plan to implement these measures, stressing that security at…

Read More

KARACHI: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has warned that petrol pumps across the country will shut down indefinitely from March 27 if the government fails to increase the dealers’ margin to 8 per cent. The association made the announcement on Friday during an emergency press conference at the Karachi Press Club. PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said petroleum dealers would resist if their demands were not met. “We were promised an eight per cent margin by the government, but due to rising petroleum product prices, our margin has now…

Read More

ISLAMABAD: On Friday, PTI leaders once again expressed serious concern over the health of jailed party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and demanded his immediate treatment at Islamabad Shifa International Hospital. Addressing the media, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the party made every possible constitutional and legal effort to ensure Imran receives treatment in the presence of his family and doctors, but their requests were not accepted. “Imran Khan is not an ordinary individual; he is a former prime minister of Pakistan,” Afridi said. The former…

Read More

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has issued a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) announcing the temporary closure of six sectors of the Lahore Flight Information Region on March 16, during which commercial flights will be unable to land or take off at Islamabad airport. The suspension will be in effect between 8.30am and 10.30am. Aircraft already airborne during this window will be required to hold and wait for clearance to land. Aircraft captains have been instructed to carry additional fuel in anticipation of potential delays. Read: Six Middle East airlines cancel…

Read More

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Azam Khan Swati on Friday urged the country’s decision-makers to end what he described as an atmosphere of hatred and take PTI founder Imran Khan on board in the prevailing circumstances. Talking to media outside the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) after attending proceedings in a case related to the May 9 incidents, Swati said Imran Khan is a significant political leader and called on authorities to understand the sentiments and concerns of the public. He said the gap between the public and decision-makers had widened…

Read More

LAHORE: Punjab has remained peaceful despite heightened regional tensions following the Iran-Israel conflict, with authorities crediting coordinated security arrangements and the role of religious scholars in promoting sectarian harmony during recent religious events. Officials said two consecutive Fridays as well as Ramazn 21 passed across the province without any incidents of terrorism or sectarian violence, describing the situation as a positive sign of stability at a time when tensions in the wider region remain high. The provincial government, under the supervision of Provincial Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee…

Read More

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has emphasised the utility of deterrent punishment in criminal cases, stating that such punishment maintains balance with the gravity of the wrong done by a person and also makes an example for others. “The purpose behind the infliction of a sentence is two-fold. Firstly, it creates an atmosphere that deters people who have an inclination towards crime, and secondly, it serves as a means of reforming the offender,” said a 13-page judgment authored by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. Justice Ibrahim was part of a three-member bench led…

Read More

The Pakistan military carried out strikes on oil storage sites at Kandahar airfield during the night of March 12 and 13, security sources said on Saturday, releasing video footage of the operation. According to the sources, the footage shows scenes from before and after the strikes on the oil dump sites at the airfield. They said the oil storage facilities at Kandahar airfield were effectively targeted and destroyed during the operation. Security sources alleged that the oil storage sites were being used by the Afghan Taliban and terrorist organisations for their…

Read More