ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has directed employees of the Ministry of National Health Services to undergo mandatory screening for hepatitis C, warning that those who fail to get tested could face suspension of their salaries from next month. The directive comes as the government steps up efforts to eliminate hepatitis C in Pakistan....
The ride-hailing driver who took 25-year-old Mir Raza Ali from his home in PECHS to Gulistan-e-Johar shortly before his death has provided details of the young entrepreneur’s final journey, as investigators continue to probe the case. Driver Ehsanullah said he accepted the booking at around 3:57 am and reached Ali’s location shortly after 4 am....
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has pledged to ensure equal access to quality education across Pakistan, saying educational disparities remain a major obstacle to building the welfare state envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Addressing an International Youth Day 2026 event in Islamabad on Wednesday, the prime minister said Pakistan could not become a welfare state...
Security forces killed 18 terrorists during a security operation in Balochistan’s Surab district after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated prematurely, the military’s media wing, ISPR, said on Wednesday. According to the ISPR statement, the explosives-laden vehicle exploded while militants were preparing it on the morning of August 12. The premature blast killed eight...
Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Espen Barth Eide is set to visit Pakistan on August 13-14, marking the first visit by a Norwegian foreign minister to the country in a decade, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday. Eide is visiting Islamabad at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. During his two-day...
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery, just days after Saudi Arabia signed a new defence pact with Pakistan and Türkiye. The Houthis said on Sunday that they targeted the refinery as part of a wider campaign against Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said...
A police constable was martyred and another seriously injured when terrorists opened fire on a police patrol in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Sunday, police said. The attack took place near the Saeedkhel graveyard, within the jurisdiction of the City Police Station. According to District Police Officer spokesperson Qudratullah Khan, the attackers targeted personnel...
Security forces have killed 15 terrorists in multiple intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across several districts of Balochistan, state media reported on Sunday. According to Pakistan Television, the operations were carried out in Mastung, Bolan, Washuk, Awaran, Sibi, Khuzdar, Harnai, and Nushki as part of the ongoing Operation Raddul Fitna 3. Sources cited by state media...
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has welcomed the signing of a landmark joint defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, describing it as an important step toward strengthening regional security and cooperation. OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed strong support for the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, saying the pact reflects the three...
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a new sales tax collection mechanism for Pakistan’s steel industry, linking tax liability directly to electricity consumption in an effort to improve compliance and strengthen documentation across the sector. The new framework will apply to steel melters, re-rollers and composite units, including those generating their own electricity...