Author: Our Correspondent

By our correspondent LAKKI MARWAT: Several militants were killed after security forces conducted a series of intelligence-based operations in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security officials said. The operations were carried out on the basis of information about militant activity in the area. Officials said security personnel successfully targeted several hideouts used by militants and destroyed their facilities during the action. Weapons, ammunition and other equipment were recovered from the militants killed in the operation. Security sources said several other militants were also believed to have sustained injuries, although an official figure regarding casualties was not immediately released. The…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Chehlum processions commemorating the martyrs of Karbala and Husayn ibn Ali are being held across Pakistan, with authorities deploying extensive security measures in major cities. In Karachi, the main procession began from Nishtar Park after a religious gathering addressed by Allama Shehenshah Naqvi. Participants later offered Zuhr and Asr prayers on M.A. Jinnah Road near Imambargah Ali Raza before continuing along the designated route. Authorities have deployed around 5,000 police officers to secure the procession, while roads leading to the route have been sealed with containers. Residents have been advised to follow traffic diversions and security…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) says it recovered assets and funds worth Rs2.452 trillion during the second quarter of 2026, taking its total recoveries for the first half of the year to Rs5.414 trillion. The figures were released in the bureau’s latest performance report issued in Islamabad. According to the report, NAB secured the recovery of 1,078,283 acres of state-owned land across Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad. It also said more than 24,365 people affected by housing and financial fraud cases had received Rs42.303 billion and other recovered assets. The report said NAB Sukkur recovered 853,678 acres…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nihal Hashmi and Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Dr Musadik Malik agreed to launch a province-wide urban forest initiative and a special tree plantation campaign to tackle environmental challenges and promote greener cities. The decision was taken during a meeting between the two leaders, where they discussed ways to expand green spaces, improve the urban environment and strengthen climate action across Sindh. Both sides agreed on introducing the Sindh-wide Urban Forest Green Initiative, aimed at increasing tree cover and creating healthier surroundings for citizens. The meeting also discussed a proposal to…

By our correspondent QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said Pakistan needs a national policy to address its challenges, while any proposal to create additional provinces must take into account the country’s existing structure and capacity. Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Fazlur Rehman said creating new provinces was not inherently wrong, but it was not an easy process and the country’s ability to sustain such changes had to be considered. Read More: https://metro-morning.com/nawaz-told-us-not-to-respond-to-naqvi-says-rana-sanaullah/ Commenting on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s remarks on changes to the system, the JUI-F chief said Naqvi could not make such statements without…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Petrol and diesel prices are expected to decline further from August 5, with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) estimating another reduction in fuel rates, sources said. According to OGRA sources, petrol is likely to become cheaper by Rs3.39 per litre, while the price of high-speed diesel is expected to fall by Rs4.07 per litre. Sources said working for the new petrol price has been completed at an estimated Rs328.56 per litre after the proposed reduction. Similarly, diesel is estimated to be priced at Rs385.86 per litre following the expected cut. The proposed reduction comes…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s installed solar power capacity has reached 38,000 megawatts, while clean energy now accounts for 55% of the country’s electricity generation, Energy Minister Awais Leghari has said. Speaking at the Battery Storage Flexibility 2026 Conference, the minister said the government aims to increase the share of clean energy in the national power mix to 90% by 2035. He said Pakistan was seeking to reduce its fuel import bill by expanding the use of battery energy storage through local production. Leghari said the government was encouraging the development of a domestic battery storage industry, including local engineering,…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting in Islamabad on Monday to review measures aimed at promoting private investment and ensuring sustainable economic growth, directing officials to prepare an early action plan for establishing a private equity fund to support investment and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises. The prime minister instructed the relevant authorities to submit a comprehensive roadmap for developing both the public equity market and a private equity fund. He said the proposed framework should expand investment opportunities within the country, improve access to financing for businesses and create conditions that would attract greater…

By our correspondet ISLAMABAD: Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon has questioned whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif themselves won their seats fairly, while accusing the ruling party of rigging the recent Azad Kashmir elections. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Memon said the “countdown” for the federal government had begun and alleged that the PML-N had trampled on the mandate of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the people of Azad Kashmir. He claimed that PPP leader Nayyar Hussain Bukhari had shown ballot papers bearing PML-N stamps and questioned how such…

By our correspondet LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has responded sarcastically to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks about the recent Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections. In a statement, Bukhari appeared to mock the PPP chairman, saying, “Oh, we are scared. What will happen now?” The Punjab information minister also shared smiling stickers in response to Bilawal Bhutto’s statement. Bilawal had described the AJK elections as “bloody” and “murderous” polls, alleging that the elections were neither free nor transparent and accusing authorities of rigging. The PPP chairman said that despite what he described as irregularities, voters…