ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s billionaire prime minister has triggered outrage in his homeland after billing $2.2 million per year in travel expenses and spending one-fifth of his term abroad. Nawaz Sharif has embarked on 65 foreign trips since taking office in June 2013. The cost of Sharif and his officials spending on the 185 days overseas has reached more than ...

KARACHI: Just about a week or so ago, I met Shafqat Hussain, who is known as Babu Bhai among the traders and buyers at Empress Market. His thoughts, though interesting, are not something that one would remember for long. Having been selling fish at the colonial-era market for the past several years, he referred to a growing number of Chinese ...

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif arrived in Doha on Monday and held separate meetings with Qatari leadership. The military’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) says Gen. Sharif met Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the state of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Naseer Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Minister of ...

MINGORA: Residents of Imam Dherai in Kabal tehsil here have criticised the education department for not starting classes in the government-run girls primary school constructed in 2014. Talking to reporters, they said although the area remained the most affected and needed greater attention of the government in developmental activities, nothing practical could be done after peace was restored in 2009. ...

PESHAWAR: At least nine personnel of the Khasadar Force were killed in two separate attacks in Mohmand district of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas on Thursday, officials said. Seven Khasadar personnel were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire at a security checkpost in Karapa area of Pandyali tehsil in Mohmand Agency. Assistant political agent Mohmand Agency Naveed Akbar said the ...

CHARSADDA: Bacha Khan University (BKU) in Charsadda, which was closed in the aftermath of a militant attack on Jan 20 which killed at least 21 students, reopened on Monday after it was given security clearance. Vice-chancellor Fazal Rahim Marwat received students as they entered the campus amid tight security. “We are satisfied with the security arrangements at the campus,” he ...

QUETTA: A teenage girl from Balochistan’s Killa Saifullah district, who led a protest against suspension of classes at her college owing to a shortage of female teachers, committed suicide on Friday after the college principal refused to send her examination form to the intermediate education board, family members claim. 17-year-old Saqiba Kakar, who was a second year intermediate student, and ...

WASHINGTON: The United States expressed concern on Friday over the security of Pakistan’s tactical nuclear weapons. The statement followed the US announcement about its intention to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. At a State Department news briefing, Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said that tensions between India and Pakistan were equally worrying and urged the two nations to continue their ...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Election Commission has taken an exception to irregularities in the party membership campaign, including fake membership by workers and leaders by using a number of mobile SIMs. An election commission meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Tasneem Noorani, at chairman’s secretariat on Saturday, said any irregularity or “rigging” would not be tolerated in the intra-party elections. ...

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday urged people of the country not to observe Valentine’s Day, saying that it was not a part of Muslim tradition, but of the West. Addressing a function held here to pay homage to Pakistan Movement leader Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar on his death anniversary, the president said: “Valentine’s Day has no connection with our ...