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Afridi to form ‘free Imran force’ as TTAP ends sit-in

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The opposition Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) on Wednesday called off its sit-in outside Parliament as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister announced the formation of the ‘Imran Khan Release Force’, a new strategy to secure relief for jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. The PTI and its allies have been protesting to demand eye treatment for Khan at one of the country’s top hospitals, under the supervision of his personal doctors and in the presence of family members. The alliance formally ended its protest outside Parliament while simultaneously unveiling a fresh…

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‘Cases can’t be used for harassment’

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ISLAMABAD: While imposing a hefty Rs1 million cost on a petitioner, the Supreme Court ruled that using judicial proceedings as an instrument of coercion and harassment is wholly impermissible. In a seven-page judgment authored by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, the court noted that the petitioner compelled the respondent, a young woman, to undergo repeated, invasive and demeaning scrutiny through a defence that was concurrently found to be unsubstantiated. “Such use of judicial proceedings as an instrument of coercion and harassment is wholly impermissible. In order to mark the court’s strong…

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Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chattha granted bail by ATC

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ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Wednesday granted bail to rights advocate Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatha, in a case involving a confrontation with the police. Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain ruled in favour of the accused, granting post-arrest bail on sureties of Rs10,000 each. The case, registered at the Secretariat Police Station, involves accusations of a police altercation and public protest. Read: Court cancels bail of Imaan Mazari, husband in social media posts case Representing the accused, state lawyer Ali Azad claimed the charges were unfounded, with…

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PM Shehbaz lands in Washington to attend ‘Board of Peace’ summit

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Washington to participate in the “Board of Peace”, as Pakistan has denied that it will join the International Stabilisation Force to demilitarise Hamas. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the Prime Minister in the Pakistani delegation, alongside delegations from 20 other countries. According to the release, the PM will attend the Board of Peace meeting in Washington today, and high-level meetings between the PM and US officials…

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Petr Macinka will make a working trip to the United States of America from February 18 to 24, 2026

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By Mohammad Sohail Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Petr Macinka will make a working trip to the United States of America from February 18 to 24, 2026, where he will hold meetings in Washington, DC, and New York. In Washington on February 19, he will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, to which the Czech Republic was invited as an observer. The program will also include meetings with representatives of the US administration and meetings with representatives of the think…

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Gold falls Rs3,200 amid global holidays

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KARACHI: Gold prices in Pakistan declined on Monday, tracking losses in the international bullion market where prices slipped more than 1% in thin trading as major markets in the United States and parts of Asia remained closed for holidays, and a firm dollar weighed on sentiment. In the local market, the price of gold per tola dropped by Rs3,200 to settle at Rs523,762. Similarly, the price of 10-gram gold fell by Rs2,743 to Rs449,041, according to rates issued by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association. The latest decline comes…

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Pakistan, Netherlands sign water-sector MoU

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen technical capacity and cooperation in water resources planning, development and management, following a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday. The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources and the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education during a 2–3 day official visit by a delegation from the Netherlands-based institute. The agreement focuses on capacity building of professionals from the ministry and its affiliated organisations in areas such as water resources planning, development and integrated management.…

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Freelancers earn $557min 1HFY26

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KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistani freelancers earned $557 million in foreign exchange during the first half of the current financial year 2025-26, underscoring their growing role in strengthening the country’s services exports and external accounts, according to official data released on Monday. Figures issued by the State Bank of Pakistan show that export receipts from computer and information services provided by freelancers rose sharply during July to December 2026, compared with $352 million earned in the same period of the previous financial year. The increase represents a 58% year-on-year growth. The data reflects…

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Gold surge signals dollar’s wobbly reign

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KARACHI: “The dollar is going to collapse. The dollar is going to be replaced by gold. Central banks are buying gold to back up their currencies. They are getting rid of dollars. They are getting rid of treasuries. We are headed for an economic crisis that will make the 2008 financial crisis look like a Sunday school picnic,” said Peter David Schiff, an American stockbroker and financial commentator, on a recent FoxNews show. Schiff’s assessment may sound stark, but this isn’t exaggeration. It isn’t doom-saying. It’s happening – now, in…

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Aurangzeb blames media over SOE report fallout

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ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday went on the back foot and blamed the media for “selective reading and reporting” of an official report on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which disclosed that net cash returns by these entities dropped 91% and their net losses jumped 301%. Instead of addressing a press conference, the finance minister issued a recorded video in which Aurangzeb claimed there had been “selective interpretation, reporting and selective reading of the report, which is contrary to the facts”. But the finance minister did not quote a single…

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