Blaze News - Pakistan

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar visited Kuwait on Monday to offer condolences on the passing of Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah. The premier had also declared Monday, December 18 as a day of mourning in Pakistan as an expression of fraternal solidarity with the royal family, the government, and people of Kuwait.. During his meeting with the new Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the prime minister offered sincerest and heartfelt condolences on behalf of himself, the leadership, the government and the people of Pakistan. He said the Pakistani nation stood united with Kuwaiti brothers in this time of sorrow and grief. Read also: PM to visit Kuwait to condole death of Amir Sheikh Nawaf Acknowledging the loss of a visionary leader, Prime Minister Kakar praised Sheikh Nawaf for his transformative leadership, turning Kuwait into a prosperous state. The late Amir's role as a well-wisher and friend to Pakistan was highlighted, noting his significant contribution...

Karachi experienced a drop in temperature on Monday as brisk winds from Balochistan swept through the city at a speed of 38 km/h, Express News reported. As per details, the minimum mercury level dipped to 15.5°C, marking the onset of colder weather in the city. The cold air, originating from the western system that entered the country through Balochistan, is currently influencing the regions of Sindh and Balochistan. Monday morning also witnessed reduced visibility due to fog in the city's atmosphere, with a recorded visibility of two kilometres. As the western system continues to influence the weather patterns, meteorological experts anticipate stronger-than-normal winds persisting in Karachi on the following day. Read more: City expects another cold wave by Dec 18 Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had earlier forecasted the arrival of cold weather on December 18. PMD Karachi Chief, Sardar Sarfraz, had assured that while temperatures are expected to drop further on Wednesda...

In the span of slightly over nine months, the rupee ventured into uncharted territory, breaching Rs280/$ in the interbank market on March 3, 2023. Since then, the economic landscape has been a roller coaster, marked by the familiar refrains of “IMF (International Monetary Fund) is coming,” “fair value of rupee is 250,” “elections will be delayed,” and “Pakistan will default.” Notably, the rupee also touched Rs307 and Rs325/$ on August 30, ushering in real fears about the normalisation of various financial variables. Despite this financial turbulence, the broader population is yet to feel the relief. With a depreciation exceeding 50% in a year, it would take 2-3 years of the current “stability” for the masses to regain their purchasing power. The salaried class, often receiving single-digit or early teen post-tax increments, lags behind in the race to enhance real incomes. The economic contraction, fuelled by a tight fiscal policy, high energy prices, abnormal interest rates, and low in...

The Pakistan Army, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), and services chiefs paid tribute to Lance Naik Muhammad Mehfooz Shaheed, recipient of Nishan-e-Haider, on his 52nd martyrdom anniversary, the military said in a statement. During the Indo-Pak war of 1971, Lance Naik Muhammad Mehfooz exhibited extraordinary bravery, silencing enemy guns without fear. Despite injuries, he leapt forward and successfully subdued an Indian machine gunner, ultimately eliminating the threat. Read also: Army pays tribute to Sowar Muhammad Hussain on 52nd martyrdom anniversary “The courageous actions of Lance Naik Muhammad Mehfooz Shaheed on the battlefield is an example to be emulated by all defenders of the motherland,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. It said that these shining stars of Pakistan who laid down their lives for the security of the country undoubtedly deserve honour and respect. "Let us remember these heroes who have laid down their lives in defe...

Israel opened a direct crossing for aid into Gaza for the first time on Sunday in its more than two-month-old war on Hamas while also stepping up attacks on the Palestinian enclave, saying military pressure was the only way its hostages would be freed. The Israeli attacks took place amid fierce fighting the length of the coastal strip, according to residents and fighters, with communications down for a fourth day, making it hard to reach the wounded. "The communication blackout in #Gaza is the longest since the start of the Israeli escalation," the Palestinian Red Crescent said on X, adding that its teams were also hampered by shelling. Telecommunications were gradually being restored in central and southern areas, telecoms companies said later. Hopes for peace had been raised on Saturday when a source said Israel's spy chief had spoken on Friday with the prime minister of Qatar, which mediated hostage releases in return for a week-long ceasefire and the freeing of Palest...

Internet monitoring service Netblocks has reported a widespread disruption in social media platforms across Pakistan, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The disruption, affecting the nation at large, occurred just before a virtual rally organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as reported by Netblocks. The scheduled commencement of the rally was at 9pm. Read more: Twitter fixes links outage that hit thousands of users Users in major cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad began experiencing difficulties accessing social media platforms shortly after 8 pm. Additionally, complaints regarding sluggish internet services surfaced among the affected users. Downdetector reports that the apps, particularly their web versions, have experienced disruptions since approximately 7pm. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is yet to provide an official statement on the cause of the disruption. from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express Tribun...

A day after the Supreme Court suspended the Dec 13 Lahore High Court (LHC) order staying the appointment of district returning officers (DROs), returning officers (ROs), and assistant returning officers (AROs) from the executive, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday took emergency measures in an effort to ensure the upcoming elections are controversy-free. In this regard, the commission decided to approach the judiciary to set up appellate tribunals for the general polls. The ECP, in an urgent letter written to the four provincial election commissioners, instructed them to contact the chief justices of all the high courts in the country for the purpose. The commission told them to seek the suggestions of the high court chief justices for the appellate tribunals. It added that the tribunals would comprise high court judges. The decisions of the ROs can be challenged before the appellate tribunals. Earlier, the ECP notified that the paused process of training of DROs and...