Further police remand allowed in Wardah case

ABBOTTABAD: The Peshawar High Court (PHC)’s Abbottabad Bench on Tuesday set aside an order of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Hazara Division, which had refused further police remand of the accused in the murder case of Dr Wardah Mushtaq, holding that the trial court failed to apply the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 correctly. The judgment was delivered on January 26, 2026, by Justice Aurangzeb, who allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the State against the ATC’s earlier orders. The case arises from FIR No 1265, dated December 5, 2025, registered at…

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IBA conducts landmark mediators’ training

IBA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (IBA-ADRIC) successfully conducted an International Mediators’ Training Programme from January 19 to 23, 2026, at the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), Islamabad. The five-day intensive programme was organised in collaboration with the Islamabad High Court Bar Association and the Judiciary of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), and conducted in partnership with Essential Mediation Solutions (EMS), United Kingdom. It brought together a diverse cohort of judges, lawyers, business professionals, government officials, and students, marking the largest mediation training cohort in Pakistan to date. The training…

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Film introduces viewers to sci-fi comedy

ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Japan in Pakistan, in collaboration with The Japan Foundation, hosted a successful screening of the 2022 Japanese (sub-titled in English) comedy/science fiction film ‘Mondays: See You ‘This’ Week!’ at the Embassy premises. The film follows employees at a small advertising agency trapped in a repeating work week, delivering clever wit and a relatable take on breaking free from life’s “daily loop.”

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Pakistan’s mineral exports could hit $6-8bn a year with value addition: Ahsan Iqbal

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s mineral exports could reach between $6 billion and $8 billion annually within this decade if the country focuses on value addition rather than raw extraction. Addressing the Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum in Islamabad, Iqbal said Pakistan aims to move “decisively beyond extraction” by developing mineral processing plants, smelters and refining facilities. He said the country also wants to establish mineral-based industrial clusters linked with Special Economic Zones, according to Radio Pakistan. The minister said transforming Pakistan’s mineral economy…

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FCC throws out pleas against super tax

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has given the first big relief to the federal government by upholding Section 4(b) and 4(c) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 which is estimated to add Rs310 billion in public revenue. A three-member FCC bench led by Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan has issued a short order after 17 hearings in the super tax case. Earlier, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench led by Justice Khan had conducted more than 50 hearings. Later the matter was transferred to the FSC after the new court was…

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‘Even PM’s illegal order not binding’

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar has remarked that civil servants are not bound to follow illegal orders even if they come from the prime minister. Justice Kakar made this remark on Tuesday while heading a three-member bench hearing the review petition filed by former minister for petroleum and natural resources Anwar Saifullah Khan in the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) illegal recruitments case. Anwar was convicted by a trial court, an order that the Lahore High Court (LHC) set aside in 2002. However, the SC…

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Pakistan pursuing comprehensive strategy to eliminate polio, says PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government was pursuing a comprehensive strategy, backed by an effective team, to eradicate polio from the country at the earliest. He made the remarks during a meeting with Dr Chris Elias, president for global development at the Gates Foundation, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House along with a delegation. “Pakistan would continue its efforts, with the support of trusted partners such as the Gates Foundation, until the disease is completely eradicated from the country,” the prime minister said.…

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Mystical melodies echo at PNCA

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Saturday evening transformed its auditorium into a sanctuary of sound, spirituality and scholarship as it hosted “Liqa-e-Ishq – Mystical Musical Colours of Karakoram,” an evocative cultural programme celebrating Pakistan’s rich spiritual and musical heritage. Jointly organised by the Burushaski Research Academy (BRA) and Shan-e-Tajalli, with the patronage of PNCA, the event offered an intellectually engaging and aesthetically immersive exploration of indigenous, folk and Sufi musical traditions. Rooted in the mystical and poetic legacy of renowned Sufi scholar, poet and researcher…

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PPP workers ‘reject’ new city set-up

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers have expressed a complete lack of confidence in the newly-formed city organisation and announced strong protests against it. All PPP groups and social media platforms have launched a campaign opposing the new setup. Senior PPP city worker Ayaz Khan Pappu said the newly appointed city president is a “parachuted” leader with no connection to Rawalpindi. He questioned why the party high command could not find even a single jiyala from Rawalpindi’s 46 union councils to appoint as city president. He said the new president…

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President Zardari lands in UAE for 4-day official visit

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari landed in the United Arab Emirates on Monday for a four-day official visit from January 26 to 29. The presidency said in a post on X he was received by UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi in Abu Dhabhi and was accompanied by First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.   They held a meeting later with the UAE minister. During the visit, the president is scheduled to hold meetings with the UAE leadership to review bilateral relations,…

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