News Updates Pk

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday defended the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), saying the government had been left with no other option amid fears of bloodshed during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march and a breakdown of law and order. The remarks came amid continuing political tensions following the federal government's imposition of emergency and governor's rule in K-P on October 11 under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, which suspended the PTI-led provincial administration and transferred executive authority to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. The federal government defended the decision by citing security concerns and a lack of cooperation from the provincial government. “We were left with no other option. We understood that we could not simply remain silent and watch bloodshed unfold,” the prime minister said while explaining the circumstances that led to the decision during a media ta...

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday called for a joint in-camera session of parliament to discuss the security situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as government ministers rejected criticism of the federal government’s administrative arrangements in the province and defended the move as part of efforts to combat terrorism. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Fazl urged the government to convene an in-camera session of parliament to brief lawmakers on the security situation and its counterterrorism strategy, questioning why the nation was not being taken into confidence. He said the government should accept his offer to hold an in-camera session and explain its position. “If the nation is to form a force against terrorism and sit in the trenches, then take the nation into confidence,” he said. He said parliament was the only platform through which the government could take the nation into confidence, questioning where e...

A Karachi court on Saturday extended journalist Iqrarul Hassan's physical remand by two days in a case of harming the state and national integrity by disseminating anti-state content. The judicial magistrate (East) also rejected Hassan's lawyers' application and ordered the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to present a report at the next hearing. Last week, the NCCIA produced Hassan before the judicial magistrate, who handed the journalist over to the NCCIA on a four-day physical remand. On Thursday, the District and Sessions Court East dismissed a petition challenging Hassan's physical remand, with the defence counsel questioning the legality of the proceedings and arguing that the case concerned digital and cyber matters. The case against Hassan, filed under Sections 9, 10, 20, 24, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, stated that the journalist, "through his personal social media accounts on ...

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday announced a revised welfare package for police personnel and their families, increasing compensation for officers martyred in the line of duty to up to Rs35 million and replacing residential plots allotted to bereaved families with cash payments of up to Rs70 million. Speaking at a media briefing, Kundi said the measures had been finalised over the previous two to three days in consultation with the inspector-general of police and the chief secretary. “We have taken measures for the police over the past two to three days, and today we are putting them into practice,” he said, adding that further steps would follow. Under the revised compensation package, the families of martyred constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), sub-inspectors (SIs) and inspectors would receive Rs17 million, up from Rs11 million. For the families of martyred deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and assistant super...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to standing “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, while strongly condemning the recent escalation in Houthi attacks against the kingdom. “The prime minister reaffirmed that Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement following Shehbaz’s meeting with newly appointed Saudi Ambassador Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy. The prime minister “strongly condemned the recent escalation in Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, which had resulted in “the loss of precious lives and injuries to scores of innocent people, including Pakistani nationals”, the statement added. “He underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had always stood ...

Pakistan on Friday rejected and condemned "provocative remarks" by India's defence minister threatening aggression against Pakistan, warning that any military action would be met with a forceful response. “Restraint and commitment to peace must never be mistaken for weakness. Any aggression will be met with a forceful response,” Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said during the weekly press briefing. He said the remarks reflected India's “hegemonistic mindset” and the risks its “belligerent posture” posed to regional peace and stability in South Asia. Khan reminded India of the consequences of its military aggression in May 2025, saying Pakistan had demonstrated its capability and resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and had delivered a befitting response. “Let there be no ambiguity. Pakistan remains fully prepared to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity aga...