ISLAMABAD: PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Wednesday maintained that the formation of the Punjab Coordination and Monitoring Committee would not be discussed, as the party leadership planned to raise the issue in the upcoming party meeting.

The composition of the aforementioned committee has been a subject of internal rift within the party, with leaders opposing the nomination of Amjad Khan Niazi as the convenor of the body, as he had parted ways with the party in the wake of May 9, 2023, protests.

A senior PTI leader, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that a number of party leaders believe that the newly formed body was nothing but an attempt to “occupy” the party in Punjab.

His claim referred to the committee’s terms of reference, which include the task of coordinating organisational matters between Punjab’s four regions through engagement with their presidents and general secretaries. PTI’s Punjab chapter comprises four regions — Central, West, North and South — each led by its respective president and secretary.

“However, it has been decided that the matter will be discussed in PTI’s upcoming political committee meeting. Participants will express their views on whether the committee should be abolished,” he added.

Meanwhile, talking to Dawn, Raja said the matter was going nowhere and would not be discussed in the political committee meeting.

Earlier this week, Raja constituted a five-member body under the convenership of Niazi to “coordinate organisational matters between the four regions of Punjab through engagement with the presidents and general secretaries of those regions”.

PTI leaders Naeem Haider Panjotha, Shaukat Mahmood Basra, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Mehr Abdul Sattar were also named as members.

Raja had also affirmed that his decision regarding the composition of the committee, saying that no existing member would be excluded and no new name would be added to the body.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump raised the possibility...

The FBI has opened a criminal leak investigation focusing on a journalist who wrote a critical article about Kash Patel, the head of the US law enforcement agency, the cable news channel MS Now reported on Wednesday. Patel filed a US$250 million suit last month against The Atlantic magazine and the author of the article, Sarah Fitzpatrick, calling it a “sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece”. The Atlantic story accused Patel of frequently drinking to excess and said he was in danger of...

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Wednesday held protest rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the killing of prominent cleric and former MPA Maulana Muhammad Idrees, said a statement issued by the party’s media cell.

On Tuesday, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that the party would hold protests all over the country on Wednesday and Friday against the “martyrdom” of the cleric.

“At the call of JUI-F, protest rallies were held in all districts across the province against the killing of Maulana Idrees. Participants demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible,” the statement said.

“The participants said the frequent killings of religious scholars and government actions against seminaries indicate the implementation of an international agenda, and that JUI is being punished for standing with the Constitution, law, and the state,” it added.

The statement also quoted JUI-F provincial spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan as saying, “Protests were held today across district and tehsil headquarters in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Shangla, Swat, Buner, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Chitral, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Hangu, Kohat and the tribal districts against the killing of Maulana Idrees.”

During the rallies, the speakers condemned the worsening law and order situation, the killing of religious scholars, and government measures against madrasas, warning that those targeting religious scholars should take note that JUI-F would continue to fight for the defence of Islam and Pakistan, it added.

Meanwhile, the statement added that a large protest demonstration was led from Namak Mandi Mosque in Peshawar by Jalil Jan, Peshawar district emir Syed Miskeen Shah, General Secretary Maulana Ahmad Ali Darvesh, former mayor Haji Zubair Ali, Inamullah Advocate, former Tehsil Nazim Kaleemullah, and other leaders. Slogans were also raised against the government.

Addressing the demonstration, the speakers added that despite government oppression and injustice, JUI-F would continue its mission, the statement said.

Maulana Idrees was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on his vehicle in the Tari­qabad area of Utmanzai.

According to the police, the initial investigations suggested that the attack was a targeted killing

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had also issued statements, expressing grief over his killing and condemning the incident.

ISLAMABAD: The Sixth International Paigham-i-Islam Conference, held on Wednesday, awarded the titles of “Leader of Peace” and “Greatest Victorious General of the Century” to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in recognition of his role in promoting peace and strengthening stability across the Muslim Ummah.

The conference, organised by the International Tazeem-i-Haramain Sharifain Council and Pakistan Ulema Council, strongly condemned the attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

The conference also expressed concern over the strikes targeting Arab countries, terming them detrimental to regional stability.

It called for national security, unity of the Muslim world, and enhanced interfaith harmony.

The conference was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Palestinian ambassador Dr. Zuhair Mohammad Hamdallah Zaid, Grand Mufti of Palestine Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, and Chief Justice of Palestine Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, alongside senior Saudi and Palestinian representatives, religious scholars, and international delegates.

In addition to the CDF, prominent national and international figures were conferred global honours at the conference in recognition of their contributions to peace, stability and unity in the Muslim world.

PM Shehbaz was presented a shield of appreciation for his firm and unequivocal stance on key international issues, particularly Palestine.

Additionally, Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman — who has been named “Global Personality of 2025” — was honoured with a special award for contributions to defence cooperation with Pakistan, fostering unity in the Muslim world, and promoting peace at the regional and global levels.

The prime minister’s coordinator for the National Paigham-i-Aman Committee and chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, reaffirmed full support for the government, the armed forces, and national security institutions, acknowledging their efforts in safeguarding the country.

On behalf of the clerics, he congratulated the nation on recent achievements — particularly its triumphant victory in Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the first anniversary of which is being celebrated across the nation and Pakistan’s diaspora abroad.

He emphasised the need for unity and cohesion within the Muslim Ummah, endorsing Pakistan’s stance on regional issues, including its position regarding Iran and relations with Arab and Islamic countries.

Highlighting defence cooperation, Ashrafi described the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia strategic partnership as a significant development for the Muslim world, noting that such collaboration could contribute to strengthening collective security among Islamic nations.

The conference also condemned the killing of a prominent religious scholar, Maulana Muhammad Idrees Tarangzai. It stated that acts of violence, extortion, and lawlessness have no connection with Islam or Shariah, and expressed solidarity with state institutions in maintaining law and order.

The conference also noted that efforts should be made to strengthen coordination among religious scholars across Pakistan and other Muslim countries.

It was announced that the Seventh International Paigham-i-Islam Conference will be held next year in March 2027, with invitations to be extended to global religious leaders, including the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Grand Mufti of Palestine, the sheikh of Al-Azhar, and the Pope, in a bid to promote inter-sect and interfaith harmony.

It was also announced that similar conferences will be held under the aegis of the International Tazeem-i-Haramain Sharifain Council in different parts of the world.

The final session of the conference is scheduled to be held at Aiwan-i-Sadr under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari, after which the international delegates will begin departing for their respective countries.

Ted Turner, the flamboyant US entrepreneur who transformed television news with the creation of CNN in 1980, died at the age of 87, the network said on Wednesday.

The moustached southerner, yachting enthusiast and philanthropist, whose empire also included sports clubs, had been suffering from the degenerative disease Lewy Body Dementia.

Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91.

The 24-hour network was the first in the United States to run non-stop news and quickly built a worldwide footprint.

Correspondents brought live coverage from major events ranging from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the Chinese crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests.

CNN’s decision to keep reporters in Baghdad amid US bombing on the Iraqi capital cemented the network’s reputation as an indispensable source of breaking news.

“Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognise him and his impact on our lives and the world,” Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement.

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.”

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 1938, Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III went to a military boarding school in Tennessee and then attended Brown University but was expelled before graduating.

Turner took over a faltering family advertising business after his father, despondent over financial problems, died by suicide.

After buying several radio stations, Turner’s purchase of a struggling Atlanta station in 1970 was his first move into television.

Ten years later, that became the flagship of his nationwide Turner Broadcasting System, the profits from which he parlayed into the launch of CNN.

CNN’s success inspired the creation of other 24-hour news channels, including Fox News by longtime Turner rival Rupert Murdoch, MSNBC and countless networks worldwide.

Turner’s television empire expanded beyond CNN and included TBS and TNT channels for sports and entertainment, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, among others.

ISLAMABAD: Electricity consumers across the country are expected to receive an unusual relief of Rs1.75 per unit over the next three months (June to August), due to Rs64 billion in savings mainly on account of lower capacity charges paid to power producers during the first quarter (January–March 2026) of the current year, it emerged on Wednesday.

Under the annual tariff rebasing mechanism, the government revised tariff-setting to a calendar-year basis, with effect from January 1, 2026, from the historic practice of fiscal-year adjustments.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has called a public hearing on May 19 at the request of former Wapda distribution companies (Discos), which have sought a Rs63.94 billion refund to consumers under the quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) mechanism. The refund is estimated to result in a negative QTA of about Rs1.75 per unit for three billing months.

Consumers are currently paying about 42 paisa per unit in positive QTA on account of higher costs of Rs10.8 billion for the fourth quarter (October–December 2025), which expires by the end of next month. This will be replaced by a negative QTA for the following three months, resulting in a net reduction of about Rs2.15 per unit. This impact may be partially diluted by higher monthly fuel cost adjustments due to expensive fuel imports.

It may be noted that consumers are currently paying about 42 paisa per unit positive QTA on account of higher costs (Rs10.8bn) for the fourth quarter (Oct-Dec 2025) that expires by the end of next month. That would be replaced by a negative QTA for the following three months, resulting in a net reduction of about Rs2.15 per unit. This may be diluted partially in the case of higher monthly fuel cost adjustments because of expensive fuel imports.

The Discos sought adjustments on account of capacity charges, transmission charges and market operator fee; the impact of the incremental consumption package announced by the government for industrial and agricultural consumers for three years; and the impact of transmission and distribution losses on monthly fuel costs, as well as variable operations and maintenance charges for the first quarter of the calendar year, i.e., January–March 2026.

The total negative impact of capacity charges comes to about Rs37bn for the said quarter. However, this is partly offset by Rs4.876bn in higher operations and maintenance costs and Rs2.8bn on account of system losses’ impact on monthly fuel cost adjustments (FCAs). Savings have also accrued from the service charge and market operator fee (Rs11.24bn) and the Rs23.5bn impact of the incremental package, bringing net savings for consumers to Rs63.94bn.

All 11 Discos have sought a negative QTA charge for the first quarter. The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company leads in savings with Rs10.45bn, followed by Hyderabad Electric Supply Company with Rs10.14bn, Peshawar Electric Supply Company with Rs8.63bn, and the Lahore Electric Supply Company with Rs7.9bn.

Islamabad and Multan Electric Supply Companies have sought refunds of Rs6.37bn and Rs6.33bn, respectively, followed by Gujranwala Electric Supply Company with Rs5.1bn and Tribal Electric Supply Company with Rs3bn. Sukkur and Quetta Electric Supply Companies have proposed refunds of Rs2.9bn and Rs2.6bn, while Hazara Electric Supply Company has called for a refund of Rs495m to consumers.

Once approved, the QTA will also apply to all Discos and K-Electric. However, QTAs, the Debt Service Surcharge (DSS) and negative FCAs do not apply to eligible consumers under the special tariff package announced by the government on incremental consumption.

Under the tariff mechanism, changes in fuel cost are passed on to consumers monthly through an automatic mechanism, while quarterly tariff adjustments—on account of variations in power purchase price, capacity charges, variable operation and maintenance costs, and use of system charges, as well as the impact of transmission and distribution losses—are built into the base tariff by the federal government.

Ted Turner created CNN in 1980, revolutionising the way America, and the world, got their news, and then went on to become one of the most prominent business leaders and philanthropists of his era. A brash risk taker, Turner – whose death aged 87 was announced on Wednesday – helped reshape the television industry in the late 20th century. He also made a name for himself with spectacular business deals, his ownership of professional sports clubs, a marriage to actress Jane Fonda, his leadership...

China saw a record high number of inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday.

China calls for an immediate and full ceasefire, opposes renewed conflict, and stresses the priority of talks on the Iran situation, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday.

China has always opposed unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or authorization of the United Nations Security Council, and the country has made solemn representations to the UK side, expressing strong dissatisfaction, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

South Koreans' favorability toward China rose to 30.2 points, the highest level since April 2020, according to a survey released by Hankook Research.