Author: Our Correspondent
By our correspondent MINA: The annual Hajj pilgrimage has officially begun as thousands of pilgrims started arriving in Mina, the city of tents, marking the start of key religious rites. The movement of pilgrims to Mina is expected to continue until midday. Pilgrims will spend the night in Mina before proceeding on Tuesday, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, to Arafat for the most important pillar of Hajj, known as the Day of Arafah or Waqoof-e-Arafat. Authorities have warned of intense heat in Mina and Arafat, with meteorological forecasts suggesting temperatures may reach around 45 degrees Celsius on the Day of…
By our correspondent PESHAWAR: A legal petition has been filed in Islamabad seeking the reinstatement of Ali Amin Gandapur as Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marking another escalation in the political and constitutional dispute over the province’s leadership. The application has been submitted to the newly established Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad by Member of National Assembly Sher Afzal Marwat, a senior figure in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. In his petition, Marwat has argued that the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur was unconstitutional and should be declared null and void. He contends that the de-notification of Gandapur as chief minister was…
By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: The parliament has been informed that the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Project has incurred financial losses exceeding Rs 42.93 billion, following a series of technical failures, design deficiencies and prolonged operational shutdowns, according to audit officials who briefed lawmakers during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. Officials told the committee that the engineering consultancy firm National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) had been engaged at multiple stages of the project, including design oversight and construction supervision. However, auditors observed that despite its extensive involvement, the firm had failed to adequately prevent or mitigate critical technical flaws that later…
By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s regulator has increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices by up to 28%, in a move that will feed into broader energy costs across the country, according to an official notification issued for May. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority confirmed the revision in pricing, setting out separate rates for the two main distribution systems that handle imported LNG. Under the new structure, the LNG price for the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited system has been increased by 3.43 US dollars per million British thermal units (MMBtu), taking the new rate to 16.98 dollars per MMBtu.…
By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) led by Federal Minister for Education and party convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, in a meeting focused on budget-related proposals and governance priorities ahead of fiscal planning. According to official briefings, the delegation presented a set of recommendations concerning the forthcoming budget, with particular emphasis on urban development needs, municipal governance challenges and resource allocation for Karachi and other urban centres where MQM maintains a strong political presence. During the meeting, the Prime Minister directed relevant federal authorities to examine the…
By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has underscored Pakistan’s commitment to deepening engagement with Iran, describing the relationship as one rooted in long-standing cultural affinity, historical ties and what he termed “brotherly relations” between the two neighbors. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Dar made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistan’s designated ambassador to Iran, where broader bilateral cooperation and diplomatic priorities were reviewed. The foreign minister said Pakistan remained committed to expanding cooperation in key areas including trade, people-to-people exchanges and regional connectivity. He stressed that sustained dialogue and…
By our correspondent KARACHI: Passengers using railway booking services in Karachi will benefit from extended counter hours after Pakistan Railways announced an expansion of evening shift timings by three hours, in a move aimed at easing ticketing access for travelers. According to officials, the revised schedule applies across the Karachi Division of Pakistan Railways reservation offices, where working hours have now been formally updated through an official notification. Under the new arrangement, the morning shift will run from 8:00am to 4:00pm as usual. The evening shift, however, has been significantly extended, now operating from 4:00pm until midnight. A night shift…
By our correspondent KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said there was no “ill intent” behind delays in the Red Line bus rapid transit project, insisting that financial pressures and contractual complications were the main reasons behind repeated setbacks. Speaking in the Sindh Assembly, Memon said sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate, particularly the rising value of the US dollar, had significantly increased the cost of large-scale infrastructure schemes in Karachi. He argued that such volatility had placed added strain on project planning and execution, forcing repeated reassessments of budgets and timelines. He said contractors had sought revised…
By our correspondent KARACHI: On International Museum Day, a cultural ceremony was held at the historic Quaid-e-Azam House Museum in Karachi, where officials and stakeholders gathered to underline the role of museums in safeguarding Sindh’s cultural memory and promoting heritage tourism. The event took place under the auspices of the Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives Department, Government of Sindh and brought together senior representatives from the province’s cultural and tourism institutions. Among those present were Provincial Minister for Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, along with senior bureaucrats and officials including the Director General of Antiquities and…
By our correspondent KARACHI: National Accountability Bureau (National Accountability Bureau) has launched a major enforcement action against Bahria Town, freezing thousands of acres of land in Karachi and surrounding areas amid allegations of illegal land acquisition and misuse of state property. According to official documents, implementation teams acting on directives from NAB Karachi’s Director General carried out coordinated operations in Jamshoro and Malir districts, with support from local administration and police. The move included the physical takeover of disputed land and the sealing of key properties linked to the housing developer. In one of the most high-profile actions, authorities moved…