Blaze News - Pakistan

Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had made more efforts than anyone to secure the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. Imran, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after convictions he and the PTI call politically motivated. Since his 2022 ouster in a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including over state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing. Naqvi has been a frequent subject of criticism from Imran and his party amid their tribulations and challenges.  However, during an interview on Nadeem Malik Live on a private broadcaster, Gandapur said: "No one else made the same level of effort. I have said this before, within the party, and now I am saying it on air: Mohsin Naqvi made vigorous efforts to resolve the issue. He made more efforts than anyone ...

Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka scored the first century of the 2026 T20 World Cup on Monday to put his side into the Super Eights and leave Australia on the brink of elimination. Nissanka scored 100 not out off 52 balls with five sixes and 10 fours as Sri Lanka, chasing Australia's 181, reached 184-2 with two overs to spare in Kandy to win by eight wickets. A victory by Zimbabwe over Ireland in Group B on Tuesday, or against Sri Lanka on Thursday, will eliminate the 2021 champions. If Zimbabwe lose both, Australia will need to beat Oman in their final match on Friday by a big margin to get through on net run rate. "We're in the lap of the Gods now I think," said Australia captain Mitchell Marsh. "Lot of emotions in the room right now. Haven't been at our best. Disappointed bunch at the moment. "We shouldn't have lost to Zimbabwe with all due respect to them and then we were under pressure. "We will be watching the Ireland-Zimbabwe game. However...

Iran said on Monday that the United States's position on Iran's nuclear programme "has moved towards a more realistic one", a day ahead of a second round of US-Iranian talks in Geneva. Tehran's foreign minister arrived in Geneva for the new round of indirect negotiations with the US, as the Revolutionary Guards began military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and gas. The two sides recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month. Read More: Iran says potential energy, mining and aircraft deals on table in talks with US Speaking during a visit to Hungary, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reaching a deal with Tehran would be hard. "I think that there's an opportunity here to diplomatically reach an agreement that addresses the things we're concerned about. We'll be very open and welc...

Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved further measures to tighten Israel's control over the occupied West Bank and make it easier for settlers to buy land, a move Palestinians called a "de-facto annexation". The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, deems the establishment of any Palestinian state a security threat. His ruling coalition, which has a large voter base in the settlements, includes many members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties. Read More: Israel moves to tighten West Bank control Ministers voted in favour of beginning a process of land registration for the first time since 1967, a w...

The federal government has increased the price of petrol by Rs5 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs7.32 per litre for the next fortnight, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division late on Sunday night. Petrol has been raised by Rs5 per litre, taking the price from Rs253.17 to Rs258.17 per litre. High-speed diesel (HSD) has been increased by Rs7.32 per litre and now costs Rs275.70 per litre, up from the previous Rs268.38. The notification further stated that the revised prices take effect immediately from February 16 and will remain in force for the next fortnight. Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed fortnightly and are influenced by changes in international oil prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and domestic tax adjustments. Diesel prices are of particular concern as HSD is widely used in transport, agriculture, and power generation, meaning increases often have a direct impact on inflation and the cost of essential goods. On February 1, in its fortnightly review...

Pride in heritage and hometown turned into multimillion-rupee bids Saturday when the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department held its second auction of exclusive personalised vehicle number plates. In a single electrifying day at Arena Hall, Qayyum Sports Complex, bidders drove the total proceeds to Rs470.3 million across just 30 selected plates, many featuring the names of prominent tribes and districts in transliterated English. The undisputed star of the auction was DAWAR 1, which fetched an astonishing Rs175 million, purchased by Inzamam-ul-Haq. The figure is believed to be the highest ever paid for a personalised plate in the province. Runner-up honours went to ORAKZAI 1, snapped up by former Senator and MPA Aurangzeb Khan for Rs41 million. *محکمہ ایکسائز کے تحت پشاور میں چوائس نمبر پلیٹس کی نیلامی کے تفصیلات* ✓• ایک ہی روز میں 47 کروڑ اور 3 لاکھ روپے کی مجموعی نیلامی ہوئی جس میں کل 30 نمبرات شامل تھے۔ ✓• نیلامی میں سب سے زیادہ بولی "داوڑ 1...