تازہ ترین

  • | |

    Naqvi warns against disrupting peace, backs lawful…

    ByJustpaste.in

    ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has made it clear that the government will not allow anyone to undermine peace and public order, while reaffirming that citizens have the right to hold peaceful protests within the limits of the law. Speaking during a visit to the Frontier Corps (FC) Training Center in Shabqadar, Naqvi said peaceful demonstrations were a legitimate democratic right and would not be opposed as long as they remained lawful. However, he stressed that protests could not be used as a pretext for violence, vandalism or activities that threaten public safety and disrupt law and order. During the visit, the minister reviewed the training standards and operational preparedness of FC personnel stationed at the facility. He also received briefings on the security situation and challenges facing the region, along with measures being taken to protect citizens and maintain stability. Naqvi praised the Frontier Corps for its contribution to maintaining peace and security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and acknowledged the role of its personnel in dealing with security challenges. The Interior Minister reiterated that maintaining peace and protecting public safety remained a priority, adding that lawful political and public activity would be respected while any attempt to disturb the peace would be dealt with according to the law.

  • | |

    Sindh faces prolonged nursing shortage, says healt…

    ByJustpaste.in

    Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has said the province has been facing a shortage of nurses for a long time, while many other countries are also struggling to meet the growing demand for nursing professionals. Speaking at a press briefing on the overall health situation in Sindh, Pechuho said the provincial government was taking steps to increase the number of nurses and improve nursing education and training. She said work on health policies and legislation was carried out last year, while several initiatives were continuing this year to strengthen different areas of the healthcare system. According to the minister, discussions are also under way with the Asian Development Bank to support efforts aimed at increasing the nursing workforce. Pechuho said a unified admission policy was being introduced for nursing colleges across Sindh. The policy is intended to improve the standard of nursing education and training and ensure greater consistency among institutions. She said around 5,000 nurses currently complete their education and enter the profession every year. The government aims to increase the number of nursing graduates to around 46,000 in the coming years. The health minister said many nurses come from financially disadvantaged families, which is one of the reasons a significant number seek employment opportunities abroad. She said two nursing centres were also being established under a pilot project to expand training and educational opportunities for aspiring nurses. Pechuho further announced that recruitment had been approved for staff at Jinnah Hospital and the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). She also highlighted several developments in Sindh’s healthcare infrastructure. According to the minister, the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) has been expanded to provide additional healthcare services. A new block has also been established at NICVD, while vascular surgery services have started at the Trauma Centre. The minister said the government was continuing efforts to improve healthcare facilities and expand specialised medical services across the province. Pechuho also said that the rate of maternal deaths had increased in connection with surgical deliveries, highlighting the need for greater attention to maternal healthcare and safer childbirth practices.

  • | | |

    Govt plans single gas tariff after scrapping 12 sl…

    ByJustpaste.in

    ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to abolish the existing 12-slab gas tariff structure and introduce a uniform gas tariff for consumers. Under the proposed system, protected consumers will be shifted to an income-based subsidy mechanism. The government plans to protect low-income households through targeted subsidies rather than maintaining separate protected tariff slabs. The proposed reform is aimed at replacing the existing cross-subsidy mechanism with a simpler and more targeted system. The government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are expected to discuss and finalise a timeline for eliminating cross-subsidies and introducing a single gas tariff during the Fund’s fourth review of Pakistan’s economic programme, expected to take place in September or October 2026. Under the planned arrangement, subsidies would be directed specifically towards eligible low-income consumers, while the broader consumer base would be brought under a common gas pricing structure. The move is expected to form part of wider reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and transparency of the gas pricing system and reducing the financial burden created by the existing cross-subsidy structure.

  • | |

    PM’s fire probe reviews brigade response

    ByJustpaste.in

    ISLAMABAD: A high-level investigation committee constituted by the Prime Minister visited the Fire Brigade Headquarters on Thursday as part of its inquiry into the response to a recent fire incident. During the visit, the committee recorded statements from officers and staff of Capital Emergency Services who participated in the rescue operation. Officials provided details about the sequence of events and the measures taken after the fire was reported. Sources said the investigators examined the timeline of the incident, including the period between the outbreak of the fire and the arrival of emergency response teams. The committee also assessed the fire brigade’s response and reviewed the actions taken by personnel during the operation. The investigators sought information about difficulties and operational challenges encountered by the emergency teams while carrying out rescue and firefighting efforts. The committee is headed by retired Federal Secretary Shahid Khan and includes Major General (retd) Dr Khursheed Uttra, Dr Barrister Naeem Ahmed Awan and the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad. According to sources, the committee is scheduled to submit an interim report to the Prime Minister today. A comprehensive investigation report, along with recommendations based on its findings, is expected to be submitted within five days. The inquiry is aimed at determining the sequence of events, assessing the emergency response and identifying areas requiring improvement in the city’s firefighting and rescue arrangements.

  • | |

    Hafiz Naeem announces nationwide strike on Septemb…

    ByJustpaste.in

    Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced a nationwide strike on September 3, saying he will visit different cities to persuade traders to join the party’s ongoing protest movement. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the party would hold a major public gathering in Faisalabad on Friday, followed by another gathering in Lahore and then Peshawar. He said he would also meet industrialists and traders in Faisalabad to discuss their concerns and encourage them to participate in the movement. He announced that sit-ins would also begin in Quetta from the following day. Hafiz Naeem said the protests and sit-ins would continue until the government accepted the party’s demands. He added that consultations were under way over a possible call for a march towards Islamabad. The Jamaat chief said the party was not yet formally announcing a wheel-jam strike, but expressed the view that the September 3 strike could eventually turn into a complete shutdown. He strongly criticised prolonged power outages across the country and questioned who would be held responsible for the situation. He said ending load-shedding was among the key demands of the protest movement. He also demanded the withdrawal of fixed charges imposed on electricity bills and called for the immediate termination of agreements with independent power producers. Hafiz Naeem accused the government of burdening citizens with rising fuel and electricity costs. He said gas shortages had also reached alarming levels, despite consumers paying high prices for the commodity. Criticising the government’s taxation policies, he alleged that authorities were focused on collecting taxes while businesses were being pushed towards closure. He accused government officials of enjoying expensive facilities at the expense of ordinary citizens. The Jamaat chief warned that if the levy and so-called “bhatta tax” were not withdrawn, no one would be able to stop a mass public movement. He further alleged that the government had been formed through what he described as a “Form 47” mandate and claimed that the party’s protests had exposed irregularities involving diesel pricing. According to Hafiz Naeem, additional refinery charges were being imposed on locally produced diesel, further increasing the burden on consumers and businesses. He also raised questions over the deaths of 14 children in the fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), demanding accountability over the incident and criticising the hospital’s administration. The Jamaat chief also accused the country’s three major political parties of engaging in what he described as a political “noora kushti”, alleging that they were creating the appearance of confrontation while avoiding substantive action. Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its campaign until its demands were addressed and urged traders, industrialists and citizens to join the protest movement.

  • | |

    Karachi-Rohri rail track construction to begin nex…

    ByJustpaste.in

    Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has said construction of a 480-kilometre railway track from Karachi to Rohri will begin next year. He made the remarks during a meeting with Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi, where Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State Kheial Das Kohistani, Fahad Haroon and other officials were also present. During the meeting, Abbasi said Pakistan Railways would soon begin transporting fuel, automobiles, minerals and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) through its network. He said around 11,000 tonnes of coal was currently being transported from Thar to the national grid every day. Abbasi also remarked that only two or three countries could be considered Pakistan’s enemies. The Sindh governor praised the government for ensuring uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products despite the ongoing challenges. Hashmi particularly appreciated the measures taken by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to maintain the supply of fuel across the country. Ali Pervaiz Malik said stakeholders had extended full cooperation to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products. The meeting also discussed measures to strengthen transportation and logistics infrastructure and improve coordination between relevant federal and provincial authorities.

  • | |

    Shein turns to China as Hong Kong IPO nears

    ByJustpaste.in

    Fast-fashion giant Shein is preparing to make its stock market debut in Hong Kong after years of efforts to list in the United States and Britain, marking a significant shift in how the company presents its relationship with China. The company is expected to raise around $1.7 billion through its Hong Kong initial public offering, with a valuation of about $26.5 billion. That figure is considerably below the company’s valuation in 2022. Shein had previously sought to establish itself as a global company. It moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2021 and promoted plans to expand manufacturing and operations in countries including Brazil, Türkiye and parts of Europe. However, its attempts to secure a Western listing faced regulatory and political obstacles. Chinese authorities were also reportedly involved in blocking earlier efforts to list in New York and London. After shifting its focus to Hong Kong in 2025, Shein founder Sky Xu increased his engagement with Chinese officials and became more involved in regulatory and capital-market discussions inside the country, according to people familiar with the matter. Xu also made a rare public appearance at a business forum in Guangdong earlier this year, where he announced plans for Shein to invest $1.5 billion in the province. He said the company would deepen its presence in Guangdong and develop its smart supply-chain system while contributing to the region’s fashion industry. Shein also opened a research and development centre in Nanjing, the eastern Chinese city where the company was founded in 2012. These moves helped reinforce the company’s economic links with China at a time when Beijing has been paying close attention to companies with major overseas operations. Officials in Guangdong also reportedly highlighted Shein’s contribution to employment and domestic economic activity when engaging with central authorities. The company has sought to emphasise that its main business is overseas rather than in China. Shein does not market its extremely low-priced products to Chinese consumers, allowing it to distance itself from the intense competition among domestic e-commerce platforms. Shein has instead argued that its international operations benefit China by generating foreign currency and supporting Chinese manufacturing and supply chains. The company’s Hong Kong prospectus describes China as the foundation of its global logistics and fulfilment network. Nearly 80 per cent of Shein’s workforce is based in mainland China. The shift comes after growing difficulties in Western markets. In the United States, lawmakers raised concerns over Shein’s supply chains and called for stronger assurances that its products were not linked to forced labour. The company has also faced scrutiny in Europe over competition, product safety and items offered through its online marketplace. At the same time, changes to low-value import rules in the US and Europe have created additional challenges for Shein’s business model, which relies heavily on inexpensive shipments directly to consumers. Analysts say the company’s experience demonstrates how geopolitical tensions are increasingly influencing corporate decisions and stock-market listings.

  • |

    Priyanka Chopra’s mother reacts to Kriti Sanon’s outfit controversy

    ByJustpaste.in

    Indian actress Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement became the centre of an online debate over clothing, cultural traditions and expectations surrounding women’s appearance during festivals. The discussion gained further attention after Madhu Chopra, mother of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, shared her views on personal choice, dignity and dressing appropriately for different occasions. Speaking at the Women Building Cinema Together event in Mumbai, Madhu acknowledged that individuals should have the freedom to make their own choices. However, she stressed that personal freedom should also be balanced with awareness of the occasion and respect for other people’s values. “My body, my choice is right, but woh daayra zaruri hai,” Madhu said while discussing the issue. She explained that although people have the right to decide what they want to wear, there is also a need to consider the setting and maintain a certain level of dignity. According to her, clothing choices can be personal while still taking into account the cultural or social environment in which a person appears. Madhu also referred to the way her children dress for professional commitments. She said that her children, including Priyanka, wear different kinds of outfits depending on their work and personal preferences. However, she added that clothing should also be aesthetically suitable for the occasion. “My kids also wear such clothes, for work and because they like wearing but I also feel, they need to look good aesthetically as per the occasion,” she said. Her comments came amid criticism surrounding a Raksha Bandhan campaign by jewellery brand GIVA featuring Kriti Sanon. The advertisement showed Kriti in an Indo-Western outfit while celebrating the festival by tying a rakhi to her onscreen brother as well as her pet dog. The campaign quickly attracted criticism on social media, with some viewers questioning whether the actress’s outfit was appropriate for a festival associated with family traditions and cultural values. The debate soon expanded beyond the advertisement itself, with people discussing whether women should be expected to follow particular dress codes during traditional celebrations. Following the backlash, GIVA removed the advertisement from its social media platforms. The jewellery brand later clarified that it respected Indian culture, traditions and festivals and said that there had been no intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments through the campaign. Kriti subsequently addressed the controversy through her Instagram Stories. Rather than focusing on the clothes featured in the advertisement, the actress highlighted the emotional meaning behind Raksha Bandhan. She argued that the festival should primarily be understood through the relationships, affection and emotions shared between loved ones. “The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear; it is in the emotions and meaning you attach to the traditions,” Kriti wrote. The actress also spoke about her own relationship with her sister and the role her pets play in her life. She described Raksha Bandhan as a celebration of care, protection, love and prayers for the wellbeing of family members. Kriti further questioned the tendency to judge women primarily through their clothing during traditional occasions. She suggested that culture and traditions should not be reduced to the clothes a woman chooses to wear, particularly when the deeper meaning of a festival lies in relationships and emotions. The contrasting perspectives from Kriti and Madhu kept the conversation going online. While Kriti focused on personal choice and the emotional significance of festivals, Madhu emphasised the importance of balancing individual freedom with the nature of the occasion and respect for cultural values. The controversy ultimately became part of a wider discussion about how women are viewed during traditional celebrations and whether their clothing should determine how respectfully they are perceived. It also highlighted the continuing debate between personal expression and cultural expectations, particularly when celebrities and brands use traditional festivals in advertising campaigns.

  • |

    South Korea backs Trump’s push to revive North Korea talks

    ByJustpaste.in

    SEOUL: South Korea has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s efforts to restart dialogue with North Korea but wants any renewed negotiations to produce meaningful progress on Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said on Friday that Seoul supports Washington’s diplomatic outreach to North Korea, provided that it does not weaken the country’s security preparedness or leave South Korea out of the process. Wi said any renewed US-North Korea dialogue should focus on achieving tangible progress towards addressing North Korea’s nuclear weapons capabilities while also supporting efforts to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. He stressed that close coordination between Seoul and Washington would be essential if negotiations with Pyongyang resume. “We need to coordinate with the United States to ensure that any resumption of US-North Korea dialogue leads to substantive progress on the North Korean nuclear issue,” Wi said. The national security adviser also referred to Trump’s recent decision to significantly reduce major joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. He said the move appeared to indicate Washington’s willingness to create conditions for renewed engagement with North Korea. However, Seoul remains concerned about maintaining a credible defence posture. Wi said South Korea must ensure that diplomatic efforts do not undermine military readiness. He also warned that Seoul should not be sidelined if Washington succeeds in reopening talks with Pyongyang. Trump has been seeking another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two leaders held three summits during 2018 and 2019, but their negotiations failed to produce a lasting agreement on denuclearisation. Trump has previously criticised the scale of joint US-South Korean military exercises, arguing that some drills could send the wrong message to North Korea. His administration has continued to explore ways to bring Pyongyang back to negotiations. Meanwhile, South Korea, the United States and Japan are scheduled to hold joint military exercises from September 9 to 11. The drills are intended to test the three countries’ readiness to respond to potential missile and nuclear threats from North Korea. Wi also said Seoul was seeking closer cooperation with Washington on several issues that have occasionally created friction between the two allies. These areas include South Korean investment in the United States under a bilateral trade agreement, security cooperation, intelligence sharing and the planned transfer of wartime operational control. The treatment of US-listed South Korean e-commerce company Coupang was also mentioned among the issues requiring greater coordination.

  • |

    Norway’s ‘People’s King’ dies: What comes next?

    ByJustpaste.in

    Norway is mourning the death of King Harald V, who passed away on Friday at the age of 89 after more than three decades on the throne. The Norwegian royal palace said Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35am local time. He had been receiving treatment after being hospitalised earlier this month with a serious illness and a bacterial infection in his blood. Harald’s death brings an end to a 35-year reign during which he became one of Norway’s most respected and popular public figures. He was widely regarded as a modernising monarch who helped make the royal institution more open, accessible and closely connected with ordinary citizens. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, immediately became king following his father’s death. Haakon, 53, is expected to formally address the government and parliament as Norway begins the transition to a new reign. Born on February 21, 1937, Harald was the first Norwegian-born heir to the throne in almost six centuries. His childhood was shaped by the Second World War. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, the young prince left the country with his mother and sisters. The family spent time in Sweden before travelling to the United States, where they lived during the war. Harald returned to Norway after the war and later completed his education and military service. He studied social sciences, history and economics at Oxford University before becoming increasingly involved in royal duties. One of the defining moments of his personal life came in 1968, when he married Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a businessman. The marriage broke with royal tradition because Sonja was a commoner. Harald had reportedly waited years for permission to marry her and eventually made clear that he would rather remain unmarried than give her up. Queen Sonja remained his partner throughout his nearly six decades of marriage and his entire reign. Harald became king in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. Over time, he developed a reputation for showing emotion and speaking openly on issues affecting Norwegian society. His role as a national unifier became particularly important after the 2011 terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya, in which 77 people were killed. Harald’s public response focused on solidarity, compassion and rejecting fear. He also became known for advocating tolerance and diversity. In a widely remembered speech in 2016, he emphasised that Norway was home to people of different nationalities, religions and sexual orientations. Outside his official duties, Harald was a passionate sailor and represented Norway at three Olympic Games. He was also interested in environmental conservation and supported efforts to protect nature. His later years were marked by repeated health problems. In 2024, he was hospitalised while visiting Malaysia and later received a pacemaker. He subsequently reduced his public engagements but rejected calls for abdication, maintaining that his commitment to the throne was lifelong. Harald’s death also comes at a difficult time for Norway’s royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has faced scrutiny over her past contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while her son Marius Borg Høiby was convicted this year of rape and domestic violence. Mette-Marit has also undergone a lung transplant after suffering from a serious pulmonary condition. Despite the controversies surrounding members of his family, Harald himself retained strong personal popularity among Norwegians. Tributes have poured in from European leaders and fellow monarchs. Britain’s King Charles III described Harald as a much-loved relative and friend, while Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf remembered him as a close friend of his family and Sweden.