Author: Our Correspondent

By our correspondent KARACHI: A father told the Sindh High Court that he was borrowing money at interest to pay for the treatment of his child living with HIV, saying his family had even sold household belongings to cover medical expenses. The statement was made during a hearing of a case concerning the transmission of HIV among children being treated at Karachi’s Welfare Hospital, also referred to in court proceedings as the Wilika Hospital. Read More: https://metro-morning.com/karachis-waliqa-hospital-hiv-case-show-cause-notices-issued-to-three-officials/ During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer told the court that 1,200 children in Sindh had been diagnosed with HIV. He said nine children…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to take action against doctors who fail to renew their professional licences, saying an active licence is mandatory for anyone engaged in clinical practice. The council has given doctors six months to renew their licences, according to a PMDC statement. Licences that are not renewed within the given period will be cancelled, it said. The PMDC has urged doctors to complete the renewal process within the stipulated timeframe and warned that those who fail to renew their licences will not be allowed to continue clinical practice. The…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Further shortcomings in the police investigation into the death of young Karachi businessman Mir Raza have emerged, with officials acknowledging that key forensic and digital evidence had not been collected several days after the incident. Investigating officials said geofencing of the crime scene had not been carried out despite several days having passed. Police had also not obtained Mir Raza’s mobile data record, which could potentially help investigators establish his movements and contacts before his death. Read More: https://metro-morning.com/sindh-police-chief-calls-for-thorough-investigation-into-mir-raza-case/ Officials said the forensic examination of Mir Raza’s smartwatch had also not been conducted. The new investigation…

The government said the first four waves of rightsizing had largely moved forward after cabinet approval, while implementation continued on recommendations already cleared By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired a meeting of the Sub-Committee on Rightsizing of the Federal Government to review progress on the ongoing rightsizing exercise and discuss measures to accelerate the implementation of approved recommendations. The meeting was held in the presence of Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Dr Musadik Malik, convener of the reconstituted Sub-Committee on Rightsizing. The meeting reviewed progress across the eight waves of the…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air has announced the launch of direct flights between Karachi and Tashkent, expanding its presence in Pakistan and strengthening air links between the two countries. The announcement was made at a launch ceremony hosted by Gerry’s Group at a local hotel and attended by Luqman Rasheed, deputy director general of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, along with senior executives from Gerry’s Group and Centrum Air. Adil Mirza Khalmirzaev, head of sales at Centrum Air, said the Uzbek carrier was among the country’s fastest-growing airlines and was focused on providing safe, reliable and customer-oriented air…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Labor, Human Resources and Social Protection Saeed Ghani has said that the perception that votes in Karachi are cast along ethnic lines is gradually disappearing, with people increasingly supporting political parties on the basis of performance, ideology and vision. Saeed Ghani urged all stakeholders to work together to eliminate those who exploit ethnic divisions for what he described as “cheap politics”. The gathering was also addressed by PPP Sindh General Secretary Syed Waqar Mehdi, Member of the National Assembly Asad Alam Niazi, Korangi District President Jani Memon, Korangi Town Chairman Naeem Sheikh, Korangi…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Security experts have claimed that drone technology allegedly supplied by India to the Afghan Taliban had failed to overcome Pakistan’s air defence systems, with an intercepted attack highlighting the limits of the equipment used by militants. According to a report, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army had received what it described as support from the Afghan Taliban, along with financial assistance from India. The claims could not be independently verified. The report said the Afghan Taliban had claimed in June 2026 that it carried out a drone attack inside Pakistan. Pakistan’s air defence system,…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has announced that medical colleges will be fined if they increase tuition fees without government approval. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health Services, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani. Kamal said medical institutions could not increase fees at their own discretion. He said 61 medical colleges had applied for permission to raise their fees, but only 35 had qualified for an increase. “Any medical college that has increased fees without permission will be fined,” he said. The minister said Rs1.8 million was…

By our correspondent SIALKOT: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal called for the modernization of Sialkot’s industrial sector through greater use of technology and an expansion of exports. Addressing the German-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sialkot, the minister said Pakistani industries needed to adopt modern technologies to remain competitive in international markets. Iqbal said Pakistan and Germany enjoyed longstanding diplomatic relations and were set to celebrate 75 years of bilateral ties. He said the relationship had developed over the decades and offered opportunities for stronger economic and commercial cooperation. The minister stressed that technological modernization was becoming…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected a claim by the Afghan Taliban authorities that weapons were being smuggled from Pakistan into Afghanistan for what they described as “subversive activities”. The ministry termed the allegation frivolous and baseless, saying it was contrary to established facts. It said Afghanistan already had large quantities of sophisticated weapons and military equipment. According to the ministry, military equipment worth an estimated $7.2bn had been left behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US and coalition forces. It added that the country also possessed substantial stocks of Soviet-era weapons accumulated over…