Former Gulistan-i-Jauhar station house officer (SHO), Kamran Qureshi, was dismissed from service on Saturday over charges of misconduct in the Mir Raza Ali murder case. Last month, a joint investigation team (JIT) constituted by the Sindh government recommended an inquiry against Qureshi, who was suspended from duty, over the possible facilitation of the destruction of evidence. According to the dismissal order seen by Dawn, Qureshi failed to secure the crime scene where Ali’s body was found and did not call in the Crime Scene Unit (CSU) as per regulations. “As a result, the crime scene could not be processed promptly, which caused [a] delay in forensic examination and possible loss of important circumstantial…
The 30th meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Council of Ministers will be held in Islamabad on Nov 15 and 16, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday. The meeting will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and attended by foreign ministers and heads of delegations from ECO member states, along with representatives of the organisation’s secretariat and subsidiary bodies, the FO said in a statement. The ministerial meeting will be preceded by a meeting of senior officials of ECO member states, which will review the organisation’s activities and programmes, assess the work of its subsidiary bodies and finalise the agenda and draft outcome documents for consideration…
Four troops, including a major, were martyred while 24 terrorists were killed in multiple intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that since Nov 13, armed forces have been conducting multiple IBOs “around Kolpur, Kardagap and Nushki, including area domination and patrolling of the Quetta-Taftan National Highway (N-40) to keep it secure for local traffic and sustain operations”. On the night of Nov 13/14 in Kolpur, security forces “successfully neutralised eight Indian-sponsored terrorists of Fitna al Hindustan (FAH), including a suicide bomber, and…
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Saturday warned that loopholes in the existing system are being exploited by illegal call centres, online betting operators and international fraud networks to launder money and trap victims. Addressing a press conference, NCCIA (Islamabad/Rawalpindi) Additional Director Muhammad Shoaib Khan said fake companies were being registered with weak verification, after which bank accounts opened in their names were integrated with loan apps, betting and gaming portals to receive and transfer illicit funds. Therefore, he called for stricter rules on company registration and bank account verification. The press conference was primarily called to warn…
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday discussed the country’s political, economic and security situation in detail, the premier’s office said. PM Shehbaz warmly welcomed the president upon his arrival at the former’s residence in Lahore’s Model Town, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. The premier briefed the president on his recent visit to Turkiye, where he participated in the 31st Conference of Parties to highlight Pakistan’s efforts in climate action. Both leaders exchanged views on “cooperation among allied parties, continuation of consultation and progress on public welfare projects”, PMO said. It added that the two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to working…
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday that Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik had been nominated to represent Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi from Nov 20-22. In a statement, the FO said the gathering would bring representatives from SCO member states to discuss issues related to civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding. “The government of Pakistan remains committed to promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect,” the statement said. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X: “Pakistan who is chairing the SCO Council of Heads…
ISLAMABAD: The leaders of the opposition in both Houses of Parliament on Saturday approached the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), seeking the immediate release of Sohail Afridi, the non-functional Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, along with eight other elected members of the provincial assembly and six members of the National Assembly. Afridi has not been seen since the Centre imposed governor’s rule and emergency in KP on Oct 11. The very next day, a federal minister confirmed that he and some of his cabinet members were in preventive custody. While the government has transferred powers to KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, the PTI has asserted that Afridi “remains and shall continue” to serve as the KP…
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Saturday announced a ban on gold mining across the province and the revocation of all mining leases as part of measures to curb illegal mining. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Governor Kundi condemned the attack in Kohat that claimed the lives of 10 police personnel returning from an operation against illegal mining in the region. He said an exemplary operation would be launched against those responsible for the attack, as well as their facilitators, as part of the government’s future strategy. “There will be zero tolerance for those involved in this,” he said. The governor also directed mining leaseholders to remove heavy machinery from the relevant…
BANNU: Police foiled a terrorist attack on Kingar Pul Police Checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Friday night, eliminating four terrorists in retaliation, a police spokesperson said. According to the police spokesperson, heavily armed terrorists launched a sudden attack on the checkpost last night. “However, police personnel deployed at the checkpost responded promptly and successfully repelled the assault,” he stated. Following the incident, the Rapid Response Force (RRF) and additional police personnel were rushed from Police Lines to the scene. They cordoned off the area and launched a clearance and search operation, the spokesperson added. “During the operation, the bodies of four terrorists…
PESHAWAR: A labourer died while another was rescued after a mass of earth collapsed during the construction of an underpass at Jamil Chowk on the outskirts of the provincial capital on Friday, Rescue 1122 said. The rescue authorities received a call that two labourers were trapped under the soil, according to a statement issued by the rescue service. It said two ambulances were dispatched to the site soon after receiving the call, adding that the teams immediately began relief operations and safely recovered one trapped labourer alive. However, the search continued, and the rescue personnel later recovered the body of a 28-year-old labourer, Naveed. Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2026
LAKKI MARWAT: Police arrested two suspects during a raid on Friday in connection with the murder of a two-year-old boy. Speaking at a press conference here, District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Ahmad Sahibzada said that on Oct 28, Sifatullah, 27, reported to police that his son Sohail, 2, had gone missing while playing outside his house in the Wanda Shahabkhel area. He said that the police used available resources and also made announcements in the area to find the missing boy. “The boy had gone outside the home, along with his sister, and the next day, his body with his throat slit was found in a sack from a garbage dump in a remote locality.” The DPO said the area where the crime had occurred was located in…
ISLAMABAD: A convicted woman prisoner allegedly escaped from police custody with the help of a police official at the district courts’ parking in Islamabad, police said. Following the incident, a policeman was booked for allegedly assisting the prisoner in her escape. The police said Mujahid Squad Islamabad police picked up some beggars, including the woman. All the beggars were later shifted to Women Police Station for legal action. Later the beggars were booked under sections 9 and 10 of Prevention of Beggary Act and put behind bars on November 10. The next day a three-members’ police team – a lady ASI, a lady constable and a constable/police driver - took the beggars, including the woman, to the court of…
KARACHI: Rescue workers on Friday recovered the body of a minor boy from the Lyari river, where they resumed their search operation for a third consecutive day. Three-year-old Shahid Razzaq drowned in the Lyari river near Sohrab Goth on Wednesday evening while watching animals passing along its bank, the family said. An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said in a statement that the strong water current had apparently carried the body away from the spot where the boy drowned. Edhi volunteers launched a search operation and later found his body floating in the river near Gulbahar. Two die in hit-and-run accident Two people were killed when an unidentified vehicle hit their motorcycle on the Superhighway. The victims…
KARACHI: A water sensitive sponge park, which was recently inaugurated in Gulberg Town, will help manage rainwater as it has the capacity to hold up to 100,000 gallons during the monsoon events, experts associated with World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) said on Friday. The WWF-P in collaboration with the Gulberg Town Municipal Corporation and GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) has introduced a unique urban green space design at Jamali Park in Federal B Area, Block 8, to manage rainwater, enhance infiltration and reduce surface run-off. The experts described it as a practical example of how local governments can turn climate commitments into actual demonstrable experience. Spread over one acre, the redesigned park…
KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court has sentenced a terrorist belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) to a total of 48 years in prison for carrying out an attack on a car carrying two Chinese engineers near Gulbai Bridge in 2021. The two Chinese engineers along with the local driver were on their way from Defence to the SITE area in a car on July 28, 2021. When they reached near Gulbai Bridge, an armed pillion rider opened fire on the vehicle and fled. One of the foreigners had suffered bullets wounds on different parts of his body while others remained safe during the attack. After the incident, the banned BLF claimed responsibility for the gun attack. Iqbal Meo Rajput, Deputy Prosecutor…
KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Friday claimed to have recovered Rs2.5 million from a woman posing as a faith healer, who allegedly defrauded women online by offering spiritual treatment for their problems. The NCCIA said a woman fell victim to financial fraud through a Facebook page titled “Qurani Wazaif,” operated by a woman posing as a peerni. It said the complainant had paid Rs2.5m through different bank accounts since November 2025. She later realised that she had been defrauded and approached the agency.= Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2026
LAHORE: The police on Friday arrested PTI leader Mian Usman Akram in the May 9 case of Askari Tower attack after his release from preventive detention. Subsequently, the police produced Akram before an anti-terrorism court with his face covered. The investigating officer asked the court to allow shifting of Akram to jail to conduct an identification parade. Judge Manzer Ali Gill allowed the police request and sent Akram to jail on a 10-day judicial remand for the identification parade. Earlier, the Lahore High Court disposed of a petition challenging Akram’s detention after the Punjab government withdrew his detention order. Justice Ali Zia Bajwa heard the petition filed by Akram’s wife, Kulsoom Akram,…
LAHORE: Endorsing a proposal to hold a referendum on the creation of new provinces in the country, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan says the will of the masses holds supremacy over the opinion of elected representatives on matters of public importance. Speaking to the media after inaugurating the Educational Arena Expo here on Friday, he referred to the 1973 Constitution, noting that it clearly vests ultimate power and authority in the people. Referring to a recent suggestion by the federal interior minister regarding a referendum on new federating units, the speaker remarked that such an exercise should be conducted to gauge public sentiment directly. “If the people say new provinces should be…
GILGIT: Heavy snowfall and rain continued to cause hardships for residents of Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday, leaving a large number of passengers, tourists, vehicles and cargo containers stranded at Khunjerab Pass on the Pakistan-China border. Three containers reportedly skidded off the Karakoram Highway (KKH) after the road became slippery. Their drivers were rescued. Gilgit-Baltistan Minister for Tourism Naiknaam Karim was also among the stranded passengers and expressed concern over the lack of facilities and machinery to clear snow on the Pakistani side. A GB police official told Dawn that snowfall was continuing at Khunjerab Top, leaving several vehicles and dozens of containers carrying imported goods from…
ISLAMABAD: Asad Mehmood, son of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Friday skipped the second notice issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and did not appear before its investigation team in a case involving alleged irregularities in appointments during his tenure as a federal minister in 2022-23. A source in the bureau told Dawn that as Asad Mehmood had not complied with the first notice issued on Nov 10, the NAB Rawalpindi/Islamabad Regional Office had served him a second notice, asking him to appear before its team on Friday. “However, Asad Mehmood defied the second summons and did not visit the NAB office,” the source added. According to sources, the anti-graft watchdog will soon…