Daily News Pakistan

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Saeed Ghani said on Sunday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should have the right to contest the forthcoming general election. All the political parties are uniting against the PPP.” Addressing the corner meeting in Karachi, Ghani said: “The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should not take any pressure while taking any decision. We do not want the deployment of the election commissioner and returning officer at will.” “The purpose of holding elections is not to uphold personal grudges. The politics revolving around hooliganism should not happen,” said Ghani. The PPP leader said: “Even if all the political parties join hands together, we will still bludgeon them. All the political parties are uniting against the PPP.” – Efforts underway to bring Nawaz Sharif into power like PTI founder – Few days back, PPP senior Manzoor Wassan claimed efforts were underway to bring former premier Nawaz Sharif into the power, the way Pakistan...

Israelis and Palestinians end a dark year on Sunday, with no end in sight to the deadliest military offensive on Gaza, triggered by Hamas’ bloodiest attack on Israel. There has been no respite from Israel’s air raids, artillery fire or ground fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, to the despair of Palestinians surviving the onslaught. “We were hoping that 2024 would arrive under better auspices and that we would be able to celebrate the new year at home with our families,” said Mahmoud Abou Shahma in a camp for displaced people in Rafah, on the Egyptian border. “We hope that the war will end and that we will be able to return to our homes and live in peace,” said the 33-year-old from Khan Younis, an epicenter of the conflict in the south of Gaza. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says the Israeli military campaign has killed at least 21,672 people, mostly women and children -- by far the heaviest death toll of any Israeli operation.On Sunday the ministry reported numerous deaths ...

Former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday claimed that he was disqualified as his success in the upcoming polls was all but assured. A day earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected Rashid's nomination papers from NA-56 Rawalpindi-V and NA-57 Rawalpindi-VI. In a video statement released following the rejection of his nomination papers, Rashid said that he has tried to obtain a copy of the ECP's decision but has been unable to. "A copy should be given to me so I can move the Supreme Court and get my due right." "I will not let go of my right [to contest election] and I will fight till my last breath for my legal and constitutional right," said the AML chief. "Yesterday, it was alleged that 12 years ago, I resided in a rest house and did not pay Rs942, resulting in my disqualification. This accusation is a false and baseless jest and I can not condemn it enough. If anyone can prove, e...

Five terrorists were gunned down during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the general Mashkai area of Balochistan’s Awaran district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Sunday. According to the military’s media affairs wing, security forces conducted the IBO on the night of Dec 30 and Dec 31 over the reported presence of terrorists. It further added that during the conduct of the operation, after an intense fire exchange between their troops and the terrorists, five terrorists were sent to hell. “The terrorists’ hideout was also busted and a cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives was recovered", the ISPR said. The ISPR also said a sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate other terrorists in the area. It concluded that “The security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts of sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.” 5 terrorists killed in North Waziristan operation On December 31...

The repatriation of illegal Afghan residents from Pakistan is still underway. Even before the announcement by the government of Pakistan to arrest and forcefully repatriate the Afghans living in Pakistan, a large number of illegal residents crossed the border into Afghanistan out of fear of arrest. In this connection, on December 29, 1,207 allegedly illegal Afghan citizens left Pakistan, out of which 374 were men, 319 women and 514 children. As of Friday, the total number of allegedly illegal Afghans who left Pakistan reached 453,480 and the process is still underway. During the repatriation operation, 131 families in 112 vehicles have travelled to Afghanistan.

The repatriation of illegal Afghan residents from Pakistan is still underway. Even before the announcement by the government of Pakistan to arrest and forcefully repatriate the Afghans living in Pakistan, a large number of illegal residents crossed the border into Afghanistan out of fear of arrest. In this connection, on December 29, 1,207 allegedly illegal Afghan citizens left Pakistan, out of which 374 were men, 319 women and 514 children. As of Friday, the total number of allegedly illegal Afghans who left Pakistan reached 453,480 and the process is still underway. During the repatriation operation, 131 families in 112 vehicles have travelled to Afghanistan.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Rana Jamil Hassan Khan was taken into custody from outside the returning officer's (RO) office in Nankana Sahib in connection with the May 9 incidents. Hassan, who is also known as Good Khan, was arrested on Thursday after he was summoned to verify his signatures to RO's NA-112 office ahead of the upcoming general elections, slated to take place on February 8 next year. The police confirmed the PTI leader's arrest, saying he was arrested in connection with the May 9 incidents, the day when former PTI chairman Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case which led to the eruption of violent protests across the country. Advocate Sher Afzal, who is the PTI leader's nephew, while speaking to the media persons outside the RO's office, claimed that RO Rai Zulfikar had called his uncle for the verification of his signatures when he was arrested. He alleged that the RO was involved in Hassan's arrest, requesting the Elec...

Fierce Israeli tank fire and aerial bombing struck Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Friday night, residents said, after nearly 200 people were reported killed in 24 hours in Israel’s campaign against Hamas militants. The sound of shooting indicated fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in Khan Younis, some residents said. Planes also carried out a series of air strikes on the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to medics and Palestinian journalists. Israeli forces have been pounding Khan Younis in preparation for an anticipated further advance into the main southern city, swathes of which they captured in early December. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said troops were reaching Hamas command centres and arms depots. The Israeli military also said it had destroyed a tunnel complex in the basement of one of the houses of the Hamas leader for Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza City. Twelve weeks after Hamas militants stormed Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and...

A Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has summoned former lieutenant general (rtd) Faiz Hameed next week to record his statement in Faizabad Dharna Inquiry Commission, via the Ministry of Defence. Sources further claimed that Faiz Hameed has been asked to record his statement before the commission next week. ‘Faiz Hameed has been summoned by the Faizabad Dharna Commission for the second time,” sources said. Earlier, a Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) five-member judge Friday issued notice to the former chief of the country’s top spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Lt Gen (rtd) Faiz Hameed, in a case of dismissal of ex-IHC judge Shaukat Siddique. Supreme Court Chief Justice of Pakistan (SCP) Qazi Faez Isa issued notice to former spymaster Lt Gen (rtd) Faiz Hameed and others allowing responding to serious allegations leveled by the Shaukat Siddique. The SC five-member bench heard the case and also issued notices to former IHC chief justice Anwar Kasi, Supreme Cour...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday granted PTI leaders and lawyers permission to visit the founding chairman of the party Imran Khan, who is on judicial remand at Adiala Jail, and hold election meetings for upcoming elections to be held on February 8, 2024. IHC Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the petition filed by Imran seeking permission to hold meetings with party members Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar Khan, senators Aurangzeb Khan and Dost Mohammad Khan, and Ishtiaq Meherban, among others, to strategize ahead of the general polls. Imran Khan requested the court to instruct the Adiala Jail superintendent to ensure privacy for Imran during his meetings with his legal team. Islamabad High Court Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb remarked during the hearing on PTI's request regarding consultation on election tickets that there was a terrible system running in the country and questioned whether the caretaker government wanted to derail the elections. On Friday, the Islamabad ...

Israeli forces attacked areas of the central and southern Gaza Strip where residents have been expecting a renewed ground offensive in areas crammed with tens of thousands of Palestinians already displaced by the Israeli-Hamas war. With nightfall on Thursday, an Israeli airstrike on a house in the southern city of Khan Younis killed eight Palestinians, health officials said. Three Palestinians were killed and six injured in an Israeli missile strike on a house in Maghazi camp in central Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent said. "The task here is to dismantle Hamas - so that it no longer has military and governing capabilities," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said at a press briefing on operations in Khan Younis. "We will be required to show a lot of perseverance and determination." A Palestinian journalist posted pictures of Israeli tanks near a mosque in a built-up area of Bureij in central Gaza. The Islamist group Hamas released video it said showed its ...

Pakistan were on top in the second Test against Australia in Melbourne after claiming four quick wickets in the second innings but Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith helped the home side get back in the game with a crucial partnership. After the initial setbacks, Australia recovered to reach 187-6 at stumps with a lead of 241 runs. Marsh and Smith's 153-run partnership brought Australia back in the game, after they were reduced to 16-4, on a pitch that was assisting the bowlers. Marsh, who was dropped on 20 by Abdullah Shafique, scored 96 runs in 130 balls with the help of 13 fours. Salman Ali Agha took a sensational catch at first slip as Marsh was dismissed by Mir Hamza. He dived low to his right and completed a one-handed catch to end Marsh’s game-changing knock. Meanwhile, Smith was dismissed on the final ball of the day by Shaheen Afridi after scoring 50 runs. Resuming at 6-2 after lunch, Mir Hamza took two wickets in as many balls to rattle the home side. David Warner (6)...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday rejected the PTI’s request seeking an immediate stay order on ex-premier Imran Khan’s in-camera trial in the cipher case as it issued a notice to the federation. The Special Court (Official Secrets Act) had begun the cipher trial afresh last week at the Adiala district jail after Imran and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were indicted for a second time in the case on Dec 13. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister. The former premier and his aide Qureshi, who is also behind bars, were first indicted in the case on Oct 23. Both had pleaded not guilty. Four witnesses had alre­a­dy recorded their statements when the IHC termed the government’s notification for a jail trial “erroneous” and scrap­ped the entire proceedin...

Thousands of Palestinian families fled Wednesday from the brunt of Israel’s expanding ground offensive into Gaza’s few remaining, overcrowded refuges, as the military launched heavy strikes across the center and south of the territory, killing dozens, Palestinian health officials said. The latest people to be displaced fled from several built-up refugee camps in central Gaza that have been targeted in the latest phase of Israel’s ground assault. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for Bureij and neighboring parts of central Gaza on Tuesday. The area was home to nearly 90,000 people before the war and now shelters more than 61,000 displaced people, mostly from the north, according to the UN humanitarian office. Bureij camp, like others in Gaza, houses refugees from the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation and their descendants and now resembles other densely populated neighborhoods. On foot or riding donkey carts loaded with belongings, a stream of people flowed into ...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has been rearrested from outside Adiala jail. As per details, Punjab police rearrested Shah Mahmood Qureshi after his release from Adiala Jail on bail in cipher case.The release came after police pleaded to end the 15-day detention orders of the former foreign minister under 3-MPO. The former foreign minister was arrested by RA Bazaar police in a General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case. Yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi was detained in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for 15 days under 3-MPO. The cipher case pertains to a piece of paper that Imran Khan had waved at a public rally on March 27, 2022, ahead of a vote of confidence that he lost. The former prime minister, later naming the US, had claimed that the cipher was ‘evidence’ of an “international conspiracy” to topple his government. Shah Mahmood Qureshi was serving as the foreign minister at that time and was indicted in ...

Apple on Tuesday appealed a decision to ban imports of its watches based on a complaint from medical monitoring technology company Masimo (MASI.O), after US President Joe Biden’s administration declined to veto a government tribunal. According to international media reports, the tech giant also filed an emergency request on Tuesday for the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban. It asked the Federal Circuit to pause the ban at least until US Customs and Border Protection decides whether redesigned versions of its watches infringe Masimo’s patents, and to put the ban on hold while the court considers Apple’s request. The customs office is due to make its decision on Jan. 12, Apple said. Masimo has accused Apple of hiring away its employees, stealing its pulse oximetry technology and incorporating it into the popular Apple Watch. The US International Trade Commission’s (ITC) order bars imports and sales of Apple Watches that use technology for reading blood-oxy...

US President Joe Biden spoke by phone Tuesday with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the latest situation in the Gaza Strip, said the White House. "The two leaders discussed the urgent effort to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, including American citizens," it said in a statement. They also exchanged views on “the ongoing efforts to facilitate increased and sustained flows of life-saving access to humanitarian aid into Gaza,” it added. Israel has launched a massive military campaign on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 20,915 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 54,918 others, according to local health authorities. The onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicines. Around 1,200 Israelis are believed t...

Orange is a highly nutritious citrus fruit that contains a variety of phytochemicals. But most often we consume it without knowing its nutritional value and benefits. There are many health benefits of oranges. They are packed with nutrients and vitamins and contain beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, and dietary fiber. Furthermore, they are alkalizing and detoxifying, making them good for your health. Blood pressure Oranges contain no sodium, which helps keep a person below their daily limit. On the other hand, a cup of orange juice can boost daily potassium intake by 14%. Maintaining a low sodium intake is essential to lowering blood pressure. However, increasing potassium intake may be just as important for reducing a person’s risk of high blood pressure, as it can help support the relaxation and opening of blood vessels. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), increasing potassium intake can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Heart health Oran...

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) started the day on a negative note as the benchmark index witnessed a sharp decline of over 1,200 points on Tuesday. The KSE-100 index dipped to a low of 60,464.34 points during the intraday trading, down by 1,240.75 points or 2.01%, according to the PSX website. Head of Equities at Intermarket Securities Raza Jafri media that leveraged positions may possibly still be unwinding, however, volumes are on the thinner side. "It is possible the corrective phase runs its course out this week, and that January opens on a more positive note," he added. Mohammed Sohail, chief executive of Topline Securities, in a post on X wrote that the index was undergoing a “much needed” corrective phase as the index had made rapid gains previously. He further attributed the downward spiral to a “high leveraged position” and a change in market trends as the year came to an end.

At least 250 Palestinians were killed and 500 others injured from Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry in Gaza said Monday. In a statement, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said medical teams are unable to treat all of the injured arriving at the hospitals while noting they are dealing with types of injuries they have not seen in previous wars. He added that the bed occupancy rate at operational hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip stands at 350%. Al-Qudra also noted that the humanitarian and medical aid arriving in Gaza does not meet the needs of the hospitals. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surged to 20,674, the Health Ministry said Monday. Al-Qudra said that 54,536 people had been injured in the months-long offensive. Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the...

Pakistan announced 12 players for the second Test Against Australia, which will take place in Melbourne from December 26. Pakistan, who are 1-0 down in the three-Test series, will announce their final XI tomorrow. Sarfaraz Ahmed, who could only score seven runs in the first Test, has been replaced by Mohammad Rizwan. Prior to the Melbourne Test, Sarfaraz played innings of 35 and 10 runs in a two-day match. In contrast, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan demonstrated his batting skills by scoring an impressive 50 runs in the first innings of the two-day match. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf has also been dropped, meanwhile pacers Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali have been included in the squad. Pakistan squad for second Test Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi (vc), Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal, Sajid Khan Remember, Pakistan were facing a selection dilemma in the bowling department. Spinner Noman Ali ...

The scrutiny of the nomination papers for forthcoming elections starts today and it will continue till 30th of this month. According to the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers can be filed by 3rd of next month, which will be decided by 10th of January. The Election Commission will publish the revised list of candidates on 11th January, while candidates can withdraw their papers by 12th of January. Electoral symbols will be allotted on 13th January, and polling for general elections will take place on 8th February. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan has given more time to foreign observers who want to monitor the general elections. Now, they can submit their applications from December 31 to January 20.

We all hate getting stains on our clothes, and one of the most annoying is rust. It seems impossible to get out, and throwing it in the washing machine never works. If you have rust stains on your clothes, don't freak out! You can to get those stains out with a few tricks. Remember to clean any stain as soon as you notice it. The longer stains have to set in, the harder they are to get out. Here's how to remove rust stains from clothes: Lemon juice and steam   Spread the stained area over a pot of just-boiled water. Make sure the flame is off so you don't start a fire. Sprinkle lemon juice on the stain and let sit. After a few minutes, rinse the stain. Repeat as necessary. Lemon juice and salt Lay the stained area over a pile of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Rub lemon juice into the stain. Let the saturated area sit in the sun, moistening the stain with lemon juice until it goes away. Cream of tartar Boil a pot of two pints (about two liters) of water with six...

In a welcome development for Pakistani citizens grappling with inflation, the government is poised to introduce further relief for petroleum consumers. There is an anticipated reduction of Rs1.72 per litre in Pakistan’s petrol price in the upcoming fortnightly pricing update. Conversely, High-Speed Diesel (HSD) in Pakistan is expected to see a modest increase of approximately Rs1 per litre, attributed to a slight uptick in international diesel rates. If these adjustments are implemented, the new petrol price in Pakistan is projected to be Rs265.62 per litre, while diesel is expected to be priced at Rs277.21 per litre after the anticipated increase. The expected decline in petrol price is a result of a slight downturn observed in international petroleum product prices since the last fortnight’s review. Despite the potential reduction in Pakistan’s petrol price to below Rs2 per litre, opinions may vary. While some may view it positively, others may not consider it a significant re...

After prolonged deliberations and persistent negotiations, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) eventually greenlit a notably diluted resolution on Friday. The resolution calls for an immediate intensification of aid deliveries to Gaza but falls short of the originally proposed “urgent suspension of hostilities” outlined in the UAE draft. A majority of 13 out of the 15 council members threw their support behind the resolution, with no member state casting a dissenting vote. The United States, spearheading the weeklong consensus talks, opted for abstention, citing the absence of condemnation for Hamas. Russia also abstained, dismissing the resolution as ‘ineffective’ and asserting that it allows Israel to continue its military operations against the Palestinians. Despite the abstentions, the resolution successfully passed, as a negative vote from any of the five permanent UNSC members would have blocked it. This vote followed a US veto of a Russian amendment aimed at reinstat...

The Islamabad High Court on Saturday in an order in audio leaks case summoned DGs of IB and the FIA in personal capacity on February 19. Justice Babar Sattar was hearing petitions of Bushra Bibi and former CJP’s son Najam us Saqib pertaining to audio leaks. “How Bushra Bibi and Latif Khosa’s audio was recorded,” Justice Babar Sattar questioned. “Who leaked the audio, who is account holder,” the bench questioned. “The intelligence bureau (IB) should investigate and submit a detailed report,” Justice Babar Sattar said in written order. “A secret agency submitted its report on audio leaks via the ministry of defence,” court said. “The court was told that the secret agency not having capacity to determine the source that released the information on social media,” according to the order. “The IB shall determine the social media accounts that illegally leaked the audio”. “IB should submit its report within three weeks after inquiry. DG IB shall inform in next hearing, who could condu...

Pakistan spinner Noman Ali was recovering Saturday after being rushed to hospital with acute appendicitis, with the veteran ruled out of the rest of their series against Australia. The 37-year-old, who did not feature during a heavy defeat in the opening Test in Perth, suffered severe abdominal pain on Friday. “Noman Ali complained of sudden and severe abdominal pain yesterday, leading to examinations and scans in emergency that confirmed a diagnosis of acute appendicitis,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said. “On surgeon’s advice, he underwent Laparoscopic Appendectomy today.” Ali, who has played 15 Tests, the last of which was against Sri Lanka in July, was “stable and doing fine,” but will take no further part in the three-Test series which resumes in Melbourne next week. It is another blow for the visitors after pace bowler Khurram Shahzad was ruled out of the series on Thursday. The 24-year-old impressed on his debut in Perth, finishing with match figures of 5-128 in the 360-r...

The Counter Terrorism Department killed 2 suspects including wanted terrorists in intelligence-based operation in Chiniot. According to CTD officials, the terrorists resisted during the operation, there was an exchange of fire, efforts are on to identify the terrorist who was killed along with Ghazanfar Nadeem, the price of the terrorist's head was fixed at five million rupees. According to the authorities, Ghazanfar Nadeem had been on the run since 2011, and various agencies were continuing to search, during the operation, ammunition and modern weapons were seized from the hideout of the terrorists. According to CTD, Ghazanfar Nadeem alias Khalid Habib was known by various aliases, the terrorist was involved in 11 major operations including the ISI in Faisalabad, a suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan and also a sectarian target killing.  

390 Palestinians have been killed and another 734 people have been injured in the past 48 hours while communications were suspended and UNSC was unable to find a way to pause the war on Gaza, The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced the casualties. Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, with more casualties reported in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Nuseirat refugee camps. A total of 20,057 Palestinians have been killed and 53,320 injured by Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, the Health Ministry in the Palestinian territory has said.

The Pakistani rupee registered marginal improvement against the US dollar, appreciating 0.21% during the opening hours of trading in the inter-bank market on Friday. At 10am, the rupee was hovering at 282.20, an increase of Re0.59, in the inter-bank market. On Thursday, the rupee had registered a marginal gain to settle at 282.79 against the US dollar. In a related development, foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reserves fall below $7 billion. The reserves decreased by $136 million to $6.904 billion due to debt repayments during the week ended December 15, 2023. Internationally, the US dollar languished near a more than four-month low on Friday ahead of a reading on a key US inflation gauge due later in the day, which will provide further clarity on how much room the Federal Reserve has to cut interest rates next year. The greenback hit a five-month trough against the New Zealand dollar and a three-week low against the euro in early Asia trade, res...

Justice Minallah remarked asking why a political party was being dealt with differently. Equal treatment for all is a level playing field. The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hear the PTI’s complaints against level playing field at 3pm, and redress their grievances. The court asked the commission to listen to all the complaints and resolve them, as ECP officials appeared in court on being summoned. The court asked what the commission did about the complaints it received. The election commission and the attorney general for Pakistan assured the court of cooperation. The acting CJP also remarked that all inspectors general of police should be told not to harass the PTI candidates. PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen complained that lawyers were also being arrested from the office of the returning officer. The Supreme Court then disposed of the PTI’s petition. The court ordered the ECP officials to review and resolve the PTI’s complaints. The commissi...

Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas. The figure, amounting to nearly one percent of the territory’s prewar population, is a new reflection of the staggering cost of the war, which in just over 10 weeks has displaced more than 80 percent of Gaza’s people and devastated wide swaths of the tiny coastal enclave. Gaza’s health ministry said Friday that it has documented 20,057 deaths in the fighting. It does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths. It has previously said that roughly two-thirds of the dead were women or minors.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has approved the bail of former PTI chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case. The apex court accepted the PTI leaders' petition against the high court verdict in the case. They have been granted bail in exchange for bail bonds of Rs1 million each.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide the matter of PTI’s intra-party polls and electoral symbol by tomorrow (Dec 22) in “accordance with the law”. The verdict, which was reserved earlier in the day, was passed by a two-member bench comprising Justice Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed on a set of PTI petitions. The party had urged the PHC to direct the ECP to publish the results of its intra-party polls on the commission’s website, an exercise required to contest the upcoming general elections. PTI’s intraparty elections, which resulted in Barrister Gohar Khan replacing Imran Khan as PTI chairman, were held on Dec 2 on directives issued by the electoral body. Gohar was elected as the new party chief after being nominated by Imran, who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail. However, the party was on the receiving end of sharp criticism over the polls as estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar announced that he woul...

In a meeting with the Pakistani-American business community in the United States last week, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir assured them that elections “will be held on February 8”. The army chief’s remark came hours before the Supreme Court verdict on the conduct of polls on February 8 was issued on Friday evening. The issue was raised during General Asim Munir’s interaction with overseas Pakistanis at a dinner reception hosted by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington when a businessman posed the question to the army chief. Speaking with private news channel, Tanveer Ahmed, a Texas-based Pakistani businessman who was among the participants, quoted the army chief as saying, “As far as I know general elections will be held on the 8th of February.” While referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) petition, which at the time was heard in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the ECP, the army chief said, “If elections get delayed due to that it won’t be beyond the lim...

Why does it seem like no matter how much moisturizer you slather on your feet, they still look and feel as if you’ve been living in a desert? The skin on the feet has fewer oil glands to keep them hydrated, so it’s no wonder that trying to keep them soft and smooth can be rough going. That goes double if you suffer from hard, dry, cracked heels. Dry, cold weather, standing for long periods, walking a lot, wearing shoes that are too tight and using harsh soaps can contribute to dry, cracked feet and heels. But so can skin conditions such as athlete’s foot, eczema and psoriasis. Diabetes can also cause changes in the feet that lead to dry, cracked foot skin. For many people, the following six home remedies can help turn the skin on the feet from rough, dry and uncomfortable to smooth, hydrated and soft. 1. A pumice stone or foot scrub Exfoliation gets rid of dry, dead skin, revealing the softer, smoother skin underneath. You can exfoliate using a pumice stone or an over-the-counte...

PTI Senator Ali Zafar has claimed that former party chairman Imran Khan will contest elections from three constituencies. Speaking to the media, the senior lawyer said Imran Khan had filed a petition against the suspension of his sentence. He added that the workers who rendered sacrifices for the party will be given tickets to contest the elections 100%, adding that the remaining tickets will also be announced soon. Ali Zafar further said that stopping someone from submitting nomination papers is not a democratic act, hoping that the Toshakhana case will be resolved soon. Moreover, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said elections have been announced, and the party wanted the process to be held on February 8 at any cost. He said the decision on party tickets for the elections will be taken very soon. The PTI is the largest political party in the country, and the former chairman will contest elections from Lahore, Mianwali and Islamabad, Barrister Gohar added. He further said he would...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has said that Pakistan eschews bloc politics and seeks to maintain balanced ties with all friendly countries. According to the Pakistan Army’s public relations wing, COAS General Asim Munir’s remarks came during a discussion with US think tanks and media members in Washington. During the interaction, COAS General Asim Munir put across perspective of Pakistan on regional security, transnational terrorism and the importance of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia. The army chief highlighted that Pakistan desires to broaden bilateral engagement with the US through long-term multi-domain partnership. He said Pakistan made unparalleled contributions and sacrifices in its enduring fight against terrorism “and will continue to fight till the logical end, in line with the aspirations of people of Pakistan”. COAS General Asim Munir stressed upon the need for resolution of the Kashmir Issue as per the aspirations of the people of Kash...