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RAWALPINDI: In a mega financial scandal involving the alleged transfer of over Rs2 billion through CDRs from the official accounts of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and contractors’ security deposits, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has tightened the noose around 48 individuals, including the current RDA director general, eight former DGs, and other senior officials. According to letters issued by NAB, asset details have been sought from the director generals of multiple development authorities, including CDA Islamabad, Gwadar, Lahore, Karachi, Malir, Peshawar, Quetta, and RDA. Those asked to provide details…

RAWALPINDI: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allowed re-tendering of two out of four lots of its Rs33.95 billion loan-funded Dream Water Supply Project in Rawalpindi by terminating the awarded contracts worth Rs20.40 billion. The bank has issued a No Objection Letter (NOL) to the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the Project Management Unit, permitting them to re-award the contracts. The re-tendering process is expected to result in savings of approximately Rs2 billion. The dispute over the contracts of the two lots had been ongoing for the past year.…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders staged a sit-in outside the Supreme Court on Friday, demanding access to party founder and former premier Imran Khan and highlighting concerns over his medical treatment. The sit-in followed an overnight protest outside Adiala Jail, after the party filed a formal petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking access to the detained leader. Security at the Supreme Court was tightened ahead of the PTI leaders’ arrival, with extra personnel and prisoner vans deployed around the complex. Read: K-P CM Sohail Afridi, PTI end Adiala sit-in, turn…

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court seeking registration of a criminal case against Punjab Information Minister Azam Bukhari, the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, and other officials for allegedly spreading false information regarding the deaths of a mother and daughter who fell into an open manhole near Bhati Gate. The petition noted that more than 10,000 manhole covers are stolen in Lahore annually, yet effective preventive measures remain absent. It argued that the police registration of an FIR under Section 322 is inadequate, as the deaths…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a series of measures aimed at supporting Pakistan’s industrial sector and export-led growth. Electricity tariffs for industries have been cut by Rs4.04 per unit, wheeling charges lowered to Rs9 per unit to allow industries to sell power to neighboring units, and the Export Financing Scheme rate for exporters reduced from 7.5% to 4.5%. Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad honoring the country’s top businessmen and exporters, the Prime Minister said, “If it were up to me, I would have reduced it by another…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has launched an AI-enabled investigative tool aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to detect, prioritise and investigate online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The system, named Katalyst, was developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control and the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement (UPSCALE) Programme, funded by the British High Commission, and was formally launched at an event in Islamabad. Read: Musk wants to put AI data centres in space Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control,…