Over 100 stalls gutted as fire engulfs Islamabad’s Sasta Bazaar

Fire in chappal factory

ISLAMABAD: Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire which engulfed Sasta Bazaar in Sector H-9 in the federal capital on Wednesday. Over 100 stalls have been gutted in the raging fire till now. It is feared that the fire will not be doused easily as the market contains garments and other goods that easily catch fire. Over 20 fire tenders are dousing the flames. Capital Development Authority (CDA), Bahria Town and Rescue 1122 are also engaged in rescue efforts. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that Pakistan Navy’s tankers and…

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Norwegian Journalist Kadafi released after four days in Pakistan

Kadafi Zaman Released from Jail

Oslo (Bureau Report) The Norwegian Journalist of Pakistani origin Kadafi Zaman who had arrested on 13 July in Pakistan was released on Monday afternoon after four days of his detention at civil-line police station in Gujrat in Pakistan. According to his father Chaudhary Mohammad Zaman, “My son was released from the police custody on bail due to alleged charges against him. Kadafi was arrested on Friday during media coverage of a crowd of supporters of Nawaz Sharif, the leader of former ruling party (PML-N) at Chinab bridge in Gujrat city.…

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PM, Balochistan CM visit Raisani’s family, offer condolences for Mastung attack victims

Nasir ul Mulk Visits Balochistan

Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk on Sunday visited slain Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Nawab Siraj Raisani’s family to condole his death in a suicide attack targeting an election gathering in Mastung on Friday. The prime minister, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Balochistan interim Chief Minister Alauddin Marri all gathered at Sarwan House to offer fateha for Raisani and the others who lost their lives in the Mastung attack. On Saturday, the federal government declared Sunday a day of national mourning over the recent terrorist attacks…

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Bilawal denied permission to hold rallies in Peshawar, Malakand due to security concerns

Bilawal Bhutto Zardar Jalsa in Hub

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leg of PPP’s election campaign suffered a major blow on Saturday when the party was forced to scrap its planned rallies in Peshawar and Malakand due to the mounting security threats in the aftermath of the recent wave of terrorist attacks, DawnNewsTV reported. With its chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in KP on a two-day visit, the PPP had planned to stage public gatherings in Peshawar but especially Malakand — a district it has historically done well in and whose NA-9 constituency he will be contesting the July 25 polls too. Bilawal was scheduled…

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128 perish as savage attack on Mastung rally stuns nation

QUETTA/BANNU: Around 132 people were killed and 180 injured in two separate terrorist attacks during election-related activities in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday. Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) candidate for a Provincial Assembly seat, was among 128 people killed in a shocking suicide attack on an election gathering in the Mastung area, some 60km south-west of Quetta. As many as 150 people were injured in the tragic incident. The suicide bombing came hours after Akram Khan Durrani, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal candidate from NA-35, survived an attack when a…

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BREAKING LIVE ANP leader Haroon Bilour killed in Peshawar blast

Haroon Bilour died in a blast

At least four persons including Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haroon Bilour were killed in a suspected suicide blast which targeted an election gathering of ANP in Yakatoot area of Peshawar on Tuesday night, DawnNewsTV reported. Initial reports reveal that more than a dozen people have been injured in the explosion, who have been shifted to nearby Lady Reading Hospital. The blast took place when Haroon Bilour, who was contesting elections from PK-78 constituency, arrived at the site where the ANP workers had gathered for a party meeting. Bilour suffered serious injuries…

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No heavyweights against Bilawal for battle of Lyari

bilawal bhutto

KARACHI: Despite the incident of stone-pelting on the opening day of Pakistan Peoples Party’s election campaign, people of Lyari are seemingly little moved to go for another political choice in the coming vote as the congested neighbourhood is getting adorned with the flags of the PPP along with the ongoing World Cup’s South American favourites Brazil. Though almost all parties and individuals have their share in expressing themselves through banners and flags, the banners carrying pictures of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and South American football heroes are generally seen together…

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ECP asks media not to air poll results before 7pm

Elections in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the media not to announce election results before 7pm on July 25. The polling time is from 8am to 6pm and the ECP has also asked the media to observe its code of conduct. Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Salim Beg called on Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Mohammad Raza on Thursday. The meeting, also attended by ECP secretary Babar Yaqub Fateh Mohammad, was informed that to facilitate media, mainly electronic media, the ECP has for the first time established…

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CJP, NAB chief move to put doubts over polls at rest

ISLAMABAD: In their separate remarks, both the chief justice of Pakis­tan and the chairman of the anti-corruption watchdog said on Sunday that they didn’t have anything to do with the July 25 elections. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said he was not facilitating anyone in the elections while National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal rejected allegations of pre-poll rigging levelled by some political parties. “I am not running the campaign of any political party,” CJP Nisar said during a visit to the under-construction 400-bed Rawalpindi Child and…

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TLP chief launches poll drive from Karachi

Operation against Tehreeke e Labaik | Faizabad Protest Operation

KARACHI: Tehreek Lab­baik Pakistan chief Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi has said that the TLP has no competition in the general elections-2018 with any party. Talking to reporters, he said: “We are quite confident that that all those who believe in Khatm-i-Nabuwat would side with us and the TLP would give surprising results on July 25.” Allama Rizvi, who arrived here on Sunday to launch the electioneering campaign of his party, answering questions said: “We have launched our election campaign and fielded our candidates on all seats in Karachi as we…

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6 suspected terrorists killed in South Waziristan military operation

Army in Islamabad | Government in Pakistan calls military for protection of Islamabad

Six suspected terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation carried out by security forces in the Ladha region of South Waziristan, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press statement said on Saturday. The operation, carried out under the broader Operation Raddul Fassad, was initiated on intelligence reports that militants had entered the area along with returning TDPs (temporarily displaced persons). Among those killed by the forces was a “high-value target” identified as Nanakar, who is said to be involved in the killing of locals. Two hawaldars, Razzaq Khan and Mumtaz Hussain,…

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Independent candidate in Muzaffargarh declares over Rs400 billion in assets

An independent candidate contesting from NA-182 and PP-270 in Muzaffargarh has declared around Rs403 billion in assets, it emerged on Saturday. The candidate, Mohammad Hussain Shaikh, claims that he owns land comprising almost 40 per cent of Muzaffargarh city as well as the Lang Malana, Taliri, Chak Taliri and Latkaran areas. He claims that the land had previously been disputed, but a Supreme Court bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Umar Atta Bandial recently decided in his favour in a case that had went on for…

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Nawaz, Maryam postpone return due to Kulsoom’s health condition, sources say

Kulsoom Nawaz

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly decided to postpone his return to Pakistan for the time being following the worsening condition of his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in London, DawnNewsTV quoted sources as saying. The former first lady has been in critical condition after she suffered a cardiac arrest late on Thursday and was admitted to the ICU in London’s Harley Street Clinic and placed on ventilator. Nawaz Sharif, along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz, travelled to London on the same day. Nawaz and…

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PTI rules out possibility of seat adjustment with Chaudhry Nisar

Ch Nisar Ali Khan Press Conference in Taxilla

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has ruled out the possibility of leaving the field open for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz dissident and former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Talking to Dawn, PTI Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry said that they have already fielded party’s vice-president Ghulam Sarwar Khan against Chaudhry Nisar in three out of the four constituencies he is contesting. Fawad Chaudhry further ruled out the possibility of a seat adjustment with Nisar. He said Nisar had never been a part of the PTI and he had already announced that he would contest…

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Shawwal moon not sighted, Pakistan to celebrate Eidul Fitr on Saturday

Chairman Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman announced that the moon for the month of Shawwal was not sighted on Thursday, and that Eidul Fitr will be celebrated across Pakistan on Saturday. Since the crescent moon which marks the new lunar month was not sighted today, Friday will be the 30th and final day of Ramazan. The announcement was made by Mufti Muneeb after chairing a meeting of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. He said evidences of moon-sighting were not received from anywhere in the country. The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee had convened the…

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