En 1933 el escritor británico James Hilton publicó la que sería su novela más exitosa: Lost horizon («Horizontes perdidos»), que Frank Capra popularizaría todavía más cuatro años después al adaptarla al cine. Cuenta la historia de un diplomático que, por una serie de circunstancias, acaba en un recóndito monasterio del Himalaya llamado Shangri-La, cuyos habitantes […]
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the counsel for Noreen Niazi, sister of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, to file a separate miscellaneous application seeking medical treatment and family meetings.
On Wednesday evening, Noreen was shifted to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) following her deteriorating health conditions, on the recommendation of the doctors of the Kot Lakhpat Jail, where she has been detained.
Justice Abher Gul Khan issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by Sakeena Niazi challenging the extension of the preventive detention of PTI founder Imran Khan’s two sisters, Noreen and Dr Uzma Khan.
The judge asked the petitioner’s counsel whether an application had been filed seeking permission for medical treatment and meetings with family members.
Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, counsel for the petitioner, replied that an application to this effect had been submitted to the deputy commissioner.
The judge directed the counsel to also file a separate civil miscellaneous application with the court. The counsel argued that there was no lawful justification for extending the detention of the two women.
He said Noreen, 70, had never suffered from a heart ailment before.
Questioning the circumstances that led to her hospitalisation, Advocate Umar asked what kind of pressure had been exerted on her during detention that she had to be taken to hospital.
He argued that the fresh detention orders were replicas of the previous ones, with only the dates changed. He further argued that suspending the detention notification would pave the way for the women’s release.
PTI Secretary General Advocate Salman Akram Raja, who was also present in court, claimed that Noreen was ill and had been shifted to the hospital’s intensive care unit.
However, neither her family members nor her lawyer had been allowed to meet her, he added. He said he was unaware whether she was still in hospital or had been shifted back to jail.
Asked whether the home secretary, who was abroad, had returned to the country, Additional Advocate General Nasir Chohan said he would check and inform the court.
Another petition, filed by Shahrez Khan challenging the detention of his mother, Aleema Khan, is yet to be fixed for a hearing.
Imran’s sisters were detained by authorities in September, under Section 3 of the MPO, as the PTI geared up for a planned protest march towards Islamabad.
Their detention was ordered for 30 days and would have expired on Oct 19 for Aleema and Oct 20 for Uzma and Noreen. However, they remained in jail, and the government later informed the LHC that their detentions had been extended on Oct 7.
On Sept 24, the LHC had turned down a request to immediately suspend the preventive detention notifications issued against Noreen and Dr Uzma.
Earlier this month, Imran’s cousin, Qasim Zaman, was also taken into custody when he went to Adiala jail to meet the ex-prime minister.
The detention had come amid reports of a crackdown on the PTI ahead of its countrywide protest and march to Islamabad, which the party had called to demand Imran’s release from jail and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution.
BAJAUR: A police officer was martyred after terrorists attacked a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, officials said on Friday.
The attack on the police post in Silai Pati area in the remote Barang tehsil, bordering Malakand district, occurred late on Thursday night.
Mansoor Khan, a spokesperson for the district police, while confirming the attack, told Dawn that a group of Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists targeted the Silai Pati police post, prompting the personnel to retaliate bravely and courageously.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
The official said that the police official embraced martyrdom after putting up a brave resistance.
He added that the attackers fled after an effective response by the personnel deployed at the post.
Later, funeral prayers for the martyred cop were held at the Police Lines in Khar, which were attended by Deputy Commissioner Adnan Farid Afridi, DPO Khan Zeb Mohmand and elders of the area.
A large number of police officials and political and social activists also attended the funeral prayers before the body was dispatched to his native area in Barang tehsil for burial.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
On Thursday, Bajaur district administration banned pillion riding for 10 days by invoking Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), owing to the security situation. The notification said the measure was taken in view of reports from intelligence agencies and the police department.
Earlier, the authorities imposed a 15-day ban on pillion riding in Bajaur on September 5, citing the security situation back then as well.
KP has been witnessing terrorist attacks and security challenges for a long time. According to a recent report from the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan recorded a sharp 83 per cent increase in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026, reversing a declining trend reported in the first and second quarters as terrorism and counter-terrorism deaths surged nationwide.
Balochistan and KP remained the epicentres of violence, jointly accounting for 98pc of all fatalities during the period. Balochistan recorded 829 deaths, nearly 59pc of the national total, while KP reported 556 fatalities, accounting for more than 39pc.
FAISALABAD – Police have registered a case against a driver for allegedly raping an eight-year-old domestic worker in Faisalabad.
According to police, the suspect, who worked as a driver at the same residence as the victims, allegedly assaulted the girl before throwing her onto a neighbour’s rooftop and fleeing the scene.
Police said the victim was shifted to a hospital for medical treatment following the incident.
The accused, who worked as a driver, escaped after the alleged assault, prompting police to launch a search operation to arrest him.
A case has been registered on the complaint of the victim’s mother, and further investigation is underway.
Earlier this month, another disturbing case of sexual assault has been reported as a mosque prayer leader has been accused of sexually abusing students.
The suspect, identified as Ammar Imtiaz, has been taken into custody after Phagwari police received complaint against him. Authorities registered a case and launched an investigation into the allegations, while medical examinations of three children set to help establish evidence.
Police registered FIR No. 145/26 against the suspect at Phagwari Police Station. Seven children have so far been identified as alleged victims, although the allegations remain under investigation.
The suspect allegedly confessed during interrogation to sexually abusing multiple children. However, this claim has not been independently verified, and the allegations have yet to be established through the investigation and legal proceedings.
According to the available information, Imtiaz had been serving as the imam of a local mosque for the past three years. He was also reportedly teaching children to recite the Holy Quran, placing him in a position of trust within the local community.
Police are now investigating the allegations and collecting evidence, including through the planned medical examinations of three children. Further details about the alleged incidents and the children identified in the case are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.
In 1933, the British writer James Hilton published Lost Horizon, the most successful novel of his career. Four years later, Frank Capra turned it into a film that made it even more famous. It tells the story of a diplomat who, after a chain of accidents, ends up in a remote Himalayan monastery called Shangri-La. […]
KARACHI – A Karachi court has sentenced a police official to death after finding him guilty of killing a young man in a staged police encounter in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.
The Model Criminal Court East handed down the death sentence to police official Shehryar in the case.
The court also sentenced two co-accused police personnel, Nasir and Faisal, to life imprisonment.
Additionally, all three convicts were ordered to pay Rs500,000 each as compensation to the victim’s family.
According to the prosecution, personnel of the Shaheen Force signalled Aamir to stop in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. When he failed to comply, the police officers chased him and entered a residential apartment, where they opened fire on him.
The police officials had initially portrayed the incident as an encounter. However, a case was subsequently registered against the accused at Shahrah-e-Faisal Police Station in 2022.
The court announced its verdict after finding the accused guilty in the case.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday held talks with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is visiting Islamabad, and discussed ways enhance cooperation in trade and investment, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
Balakrishnan arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day. He called on DPM Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the two dignitaries were to hold delegation-level talks.
Later, the FO said in a statement that the two leaders reviewed the “longstanding and friendly relations” between Pakistan and Singapore as the two countries marked 60 years of diplomatic relations.
They underscored the importance of sustained high-level exchanges and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity and skills development, while promoting business-to-business exchanges and people-to-people contacts, the statement added.
Dar and Balakrishnan also discussed cooperation at multilateral fora and Pakistan’s enhanced engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, particularly in the context of Singapore’s forthcoming chairmanship of the body in 2027.
Moreover, exchanging views on regional and global developments, Dar emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving disputes and advancing lasting peace and stability, the statement said.
Prior to Balakrishnan’s visit, the FO had said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Singapore’s Civil Defence Force (SCDF) would also be exchanged during trip.
“Pakistan and Singapore maintain cordial bilateral relations based on mutual respect and longstanding friendship. The visit underscores the shared commitment of the two countries to deepening and diversifying their bilateral partnership,” the statement had added.
ISLAMABAD – Electricity consumers across Pakistan could face a fresh financial burden during the coming winter months, as power tariff is expected to rise significantly between December and February, according to reports.
Reports said fuel price adjustments (FPA) could increase by two to three times during these three months, potentially resulting in higher electricity bills for consumers.
The expected increase has been linked to rising prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal and other fuels, which are pushing up the cost of electricity generation.
Officials said local gas availability for power plants could also become a major challenge during winter, as domestic gas supplies are often insufficient to meet household demand during the colder months.
Meanwhile, lower hydropower generation in winter could force power producers to rely more heavily on expensive fuels to maintain electricity production.
Higher international fuel prices are also expected to contribute to increased fuel price adjustments, adding further pressure on electricity consumers.
Reports added that authorities had previously made efforts to limit the impact of fuel costs through measures that included two-hour load management and other steps to control the financial burden.
However, rising international fuel prices, particularly LNG, have made the outlook for electricity costs more challenging.
QUETTA – Security forces have foiled an attempted drone attack on a security checkpost in Balochistan’s Kharan district, destroying five drones during the operation.
Reports said terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan attempted to target a checkpost in an area of Kharan using low-altitude drones.
However, security personnel responded swiftly and effectively, intercepting and destroying all five drones before they could strike the installation.
No casualties or damage to property were reported in the incident.
Security forces reiterated their determination to eliminate terrorism from Balochistan and maintain peace and security across the province.
Earlier this week, security forces have killed nine Indian-sponsored terrorists during two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan.
According to ISPR, security forces conducted two intelligence based operations in Kachhi and Wadh districts of Balochistan, on reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al-Hindustan.
The first intelligence based operation was conducted in Kachhi district. During the conduct of operation, terrorists hideout was busted by security forces and after an intense fire exchange, seven Indian sponsored terrorists were killed. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered.
In another intelligence based operation in district Wadh, security forces tracked and intercepted terrorist movement and after an intense fire exchange, two Indian-sponsored killed. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered.
Relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm e Istehkam”, as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, by security sources and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has announced that an internship programme for fresh graduates is being launched from next month through the iwork4Sindh platform.
He said that the programme would provide young people with better opportunities to gain practical experience.
He said the Sindh government is taking practical measures to provide employment opportunities to young people and enhance their professional capabilities. “The government wants young people to have an appropriate platform to utilise their abilities and access better opportunities,” he added.
Mr Memon added that the next phase of physical short courses for skilled individuals is also being launched on the iwork4Sindh platform in collaboration with companies.
These courses will focus on developing young people’s skills in accordance with market requirements, he said, adding that in the present era, traditional education alone is not sufficient, as practical skills and professional training are also of great importance to secure employment.
Regarding the performance of the iwork4Sindh platform, the minister said that more than 5.3 million visits had been recorded on the platform so far, while the number of registered candidates had increased to 137,770 and the number of registered companies had reached 726.
The senior minister said that 26,677 active job opportunities were currently available on the platform, while the number of applications submitted had reached 480,000.
He mentioned that during the past three months, 4,800 candidates had completed various courses, while around 6,000 candidates were currently undergoing training in different courses.
He said career counselling was also continuing to guide young people and help them choose better career paths for the future, with 18 to 20 sessions being conducted every week.
• Ex-health officials slam country’s ‘too little, too late’ disaster response; demand climate-proof hospitals, early warnings, heat action plans • Study calls for climate change to be declared global health emergency • Heat-related deaths rise 36pc since Paris accord; economic losses estimated at over $1tr
ISLAMABAD: Health and environmental experts in Pakistan have called for urgent measures to address growing climate-related health risks after a Lancet report warned that rising heat-related deaths, floods, droughts and economic losses are outpacing global efforts to combat climate change.
The 2026 Lancet Countdown report, launched at the British Library in London, called for climate change to be recognised as a “global health emergency”, warning that climate-related health risks continue to worsen a decade after the Paris Agreement.
The report found that average annual heat-related deaths worldwide have risen 36 per cent since the Paris Agreement. In 2023, heat was linked to a record 710,000 deaths, with more than 70pc attributed to human-caused climate change. Meanwhile, heat-related economic losses reached an estimated $1.07 trillion in 2025.
Former Punjab health minister Professor Dr Javed Akram told Dawn that the warning was particularly urgent for Pakistan, where the devastating 2022 floods displaced communities, damaged health care infrastructure, disrupted access to essential medicines and increased the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition.
“Extreme heat further threatens vulnerable populations, particularly children, older adults, outdoor workers and people living with chronic illnesses,” he said.
Mr Akram criticised Pakistan’s disaster management approach, saying policies had historically been reactive rather than proactive, with preparations beginning only after disasters strike.
“Pakistan must strengthen heat-health action plans, establish effective early-warning systems, climate-proof hospitals, improve disease surveillance, and expand access to safe water and sanitation,” he said.
He urged federal and provincial governments to allocate dedicated funding for climate-resilient health care and called on international partners to provide predictable, grant-based climate finance.
Former special assistant to the prime minister on health Dr Zafar Mirza also warned that climate change had become a growing public health emergency in Pakistan.
“Extreme heat, flash floods, cloud bursts and worsening air quality cause illness and death, while disrupting healthcare, contaminating water, undermining nutrition and deepening poverty and psychological distress,” he told Dawn.
Dr Mirza said Pakistan needed climate-resilient health facilities, stronger disease surveillance, early-warning systems and coordinated action across health, climate, water, energy and finance.
Dr Muhammad Irfan Khan, professor of environmental science and former dean at International Islamic University, expressed concern that Lancet Countdown’s launch statement did not mention Pakistan despite its exposure to climate-related disasters. “Pakistan’s experience should inform global priorities, research and investment,” he said, citing Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index 2025, which ranked Pakistan as the country most affected by extreme weather in 2022.
He urged international institutions to give greater visibility to vulnerable countries and ensure affected communities help shape climate responses.
Login
