ATTOCK: A shepherd laid down his life while averting a suicide attack on the Mankor security post in Attock’s Jand area on Monday, potentially saving dozens of lives, District Police Officer Sardar Marwan Khan confirmed.

Talking to the media, DPO Marwan said the incident occurred near a key security post on the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border, located in tehsil Jand, some 70km from Attock city.

The local shepherd was identified as Liaqat and a former employee of Pakistan Railways.

According to witnesses, Liaqat noticed a suspicious individual in the area while grazing his goats nearby. He confronted the suspect after sensing something unusual about the man’s behaviour.

As he approached, the witnesses said that the suspect detonated the suicide vest, causing a powerful explosion and claiming Liaqat’s life.

Shortly after the blast, officials rushed to the scene, and authorities cordoned off the area. The forensic teams also began collecting evidence from the blast site.

Meanwhile, DPO Marwan and Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza were also present on the scene, while authorities started probing the incident from all angles to determine the identity of the attacker and his facilitators.

According to officials, the post in question is part of a broader nationwide network of inter-provincial joint check posts established by the government to combat smuggling, hoarding, drug trafficking, and the movement of militants.

It is usually manned by personnel from the civil armed forces, Federal Board of Revenue, Anti-Narcotics Force, and other provincial agencies.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark this week on a multi-nation tour to the United Arab Emirates and four European countries, officials said on Monday.

Modi will start his whirlwind tour from the UAE — where a 4.5 million-strong Indian community lives — on Friday, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Modi will meet with the UAE’s leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with energy cooperation high on the agenda amid global supply disruptions caused by the Middle East war.

“The visit will serve to promote the significant trade and investment linkages between the two countries,” the statement said.

The premier will then travel to the Netherlands between May 15 and 17 on his second visit there since 2017, with defence, semiconductors and “a strategic partnership on water” between the two countries on the agenda.

Modi’s visit “early in the tenure of the new government will provide an opportunity to further deepen and expand” India’s partnership with the Dutch, the ministry said.

Bilateral trade with the Netherlands — India’s 4th largest investor from Europe — stood at $27.8 billion last year.

Modi then heads to Sweden on May 17 for a two-day visit to hold talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The pair will address the European Round Table for Industry, a major business leaders’ forum, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the statement said.

On May 18, Modi will arrive in Norway for the third India-Nordic Summit.

It will be his first visit to the country and first by an Indian prime minister in 43 years. The final leg of the week-long tour will be Italy, on May 19-20.

“The visit takes place in the backdrop of a strong momentum in bilateral ties with both sides proactively implementing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029,” India’s foreign ministry said.

The plan seeks to boost bilateral trade and cooperation in defence and security, besides clean energy and technology.

The conflict in the Middle East has piled pressure on India’s economy, and Modi on Sunday urged the Indian population of 1.4 billion to reduce petrol and diesel consumption amid supply disruptions.

President Donald Trump on Monday said the ceasefire in the Middle East war was on “life support,” rejecting Iran’s latest counteroffer, which it said had included demands for the release of frozen assets and the end of a US blockade.

The president’s reaction to Iran’s position — itself a response to a US proposal — sent oil prices soaring and dashed hopes that a deal could be quickly negotiated to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

After slamming the response as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”, Trump insisted the US would see a “complete victory” over Iran, adding that the truce, which has largely halted fighting in the Gulf for over a month, was on its last legs.

“The ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one per cent chance of living,’” he told reporters on Monday.

The developments unnerved global energy markets already thrown into chaos by the war and the overlapping blockades imposed by Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz — a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments.

“The energy supply shock that began in the first quarter is the largest the world has ever experienced,” the CEO and president of Saudi oil giant Aramco, Amin Nasser, told investors.

“If the Strait of Hormuz opens today, it will still take months for the market to rebalance, and if its opening is delayed by a few more weeks, then normalisation will last into 2027,” he said.

Hunger and starvation

Aside from energy, the world also faces a shortage of fertiliser, much of which comes from Gulf ports, and hence food for tens of millions of people.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), told AFP there were just a few weeks left to avert a potentially “massive humanitarian crisis”.

“We may witness a crisis that will force 45 million more people into hunger and starvation.” Trump did not say what had offended him in Iran’s response, but Tehran’s foreign ministry said it had called for an end to the US naval blockade of its ports and to the war “across the region” — implying a halt to Israel’s strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Crucially, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, Iran demanded the “release of assets belonging to the Iranian people, which have for years been unjustly trapped in foreign banks”.

This would not be just a return to the status quo before the United States and Israel launched the war on February 28, but a victory in the Islamic republic’s long-standing campaign against its economic isolation.

“We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Baqaei said.

An end to international sanctions would diminish Washington’s leverage over Tehran as it tries to secure a lasting end to Iran’s nuclear enrichment. The US, Israel and their allies have long accused Iran of seeking atomic weapons, an accusation Tehran has repeatedly denied.

‘It’s not over’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the conflict would not end until Iran’s nuclear facilities were destroyed.

“It’s not over, because there’s still nuclear material — enriched uranium — that has to be taken out of Iran,” he told US broadcaster CBS’s 60 Minutes.

“There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled.”

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said Iran’s counter-proposal had included the possibility of diluting some of its highly enriched uranium, with the rest transferred to a third country.

Iran had sought guarantees that the transferred uranium would be returned if negotiations failed or Washington abandoned the agreement, sources told the Journal.

‘Restraint over’

US officials have stressed it would be “unacceptable” for Tehran to control the international waterway.

Trump told Fox News that he was considering reviving a short-lived US operation to escort oil and other commercial shipping through the Hormuz, but that he had not yet taken a final decision.

Saudi sources previously told AFP that Saudi Arabia had prohibited the US from using its airspace and bases for the operation the first time around over fears “it would just escalate the situation and would not work”.

The US Navy is also blockading Iran’s ports, at times firing on ships to disable them or boarding and diverting them.

In a social media post on Sunday, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission warned Washington: “Our restraint is over as of today.”

“Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against American ships and bases,” Ebrahim Rezaei said.

ISLAMABAD: Senators on Monday decried the latest hike in petroleum prices and costly energy, accusing the government of “economic oppression” and calling for an exit from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, termed the fresh hike in petroleum prices a “petrol bomb” and “economic oppression” against the public, regretting the Rs117.5 per litre levy.

Speaking on the floor of the Upper House, Zafar rejected the government’s claim that international oil prices forced the increase, arguing that global crude prices had instead declined. “Instead of reducing prices, the government has sharply increased petroleum levies on the public,” he said.

He said the government was collecting “more than Rs117.5 per litre in petroleum levy, far exceeding the IMF-agreed limit of Rs80,” terming the policy “daylight robbery” aimed at covering up “economic incompetence”.

Referring to the French Revolution, Zafar said when the poor had no bread, Queen Marie Antoinette was attributed as saying, “Then let them eat cake,” a remark symbolising a ruling elite disconnected from the common man’s suffering.

Drawing a parallel, he criticised the Punjab government for purchasing a luxury aircraft amid inflation, unemployment and rising fuel prices.

“The move reflected the same mindset of rulers living in comfort while the people drowned in hardship,” he lamented.

Zafar said crude oil in Dubai had fallen from $170 per barrel to around $95. Despite this, he noted, petrol was about Rs278 per litre in Delhi and Rs310 in Dhaka, meaning “Pakistanis were paying Rs100 to Rs140 more per litre”.

He warned that the hike would trigger another wave of inflation in agriculture, transport and food. He said electricity tariffs had risen 53 per cent and flour prices 51pc, leaving citizens unable to cope.

Zafar said the government was celebrating IMF instalments, but this meant “the country would soon be burdened with an additional Rs1.5 trillion in debt”.

He claimed Rs37tr had been borrowed in four years “without any meaningful industrial or economic development”.

He said the SBP governor had “admitted” the government purchased $27bn from the open market since 2023 to “artificially support the rupee” rather than strengthen the real economy. He accused the government of misleading Parliament after previously denying such purchases.

He also cited the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) finding that “powerful oil marketing companies had been illegally obtaining subsidies,” saying the government was protecting vested interests while burdening citizens.

Zafar also demanded immediate withdrawal of the fuel hike, an end to “cruel taxation,” and transparency in the pricing mechanism.

He said Pakistan’s debt rose from Rs44tr to Rs81tr in four years, with Rs7.5tr spent on buying dollars to support the rupee.

“The people of Pakistan could no longer bear weekly mini-budgets, endless inflation, mounting debt, and economic deception,” he said.

Muttahuda Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) Senator Aamir Waliuddin Chishti warned that Pakistan had the “most expensive energy” and “lowest exports” in the region, saying the country would not escape “the IMF’s clutches” without urgent tax cuts to spur trade.

“Today, the most expensive energy in the region is in Pakistan. Pakistan has the lowest exports in the region,” he said.

“If the situation remains the same, we will not be able to get out of the IMF’s clutches,” he added.

The senator argued that trade growth was tied directly to tax policy.

“Increase in trade is only possible through reduction in taxes,” he said. “Reduction in taxes will increase economic activity.”

“We all have to find a solution to inflation together,” Chishti stated.

Meanwhile, JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza raised concern over Senator Abdul Shakoor being placed on the Fourth Schedule, saying the lawmaker had to report to a police station for attendance even as party members faced targeted killings.

“Senator Abdul Shakoor has been placed on Schedule IV. Senator Abdul Shakoor has to go to the police station to mark attendance,” he said.

Schedule IV of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, lists individuals suspected of terrorism or sectarianism. Those listed face restrictions on movement, arms licenses, and bank accounts, and must report to police regularly.

“Our people are targeted and killed, they are martyred,” he added, referring to recent attacks on JUI-F members. The Senate chairperson summoned a report on the matter.

Blue passports for senators’ children

Meanwhile, a bill seeking to extend eligibility for blue (official) passports to the children of senators until the age of 28 triggered debate over existing passport regulations and privileges for public office holders.

Senator Abdul Qadir tabled an amendment to the Passport Act 1974, arguing that senior bureaucrats, including Grade-22 officers, are already entitled to official (blue) passports for their dependents under certain conditions. The proposed legislation aims to extend similar facilitation to lawmakers’ families.

However, the bill faced immediate resistance from the Ministry of Interior.

State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry opposed the proposal, saying that existing passport rules are clear and do not allow the issuance of blue passports to children of parliamentarians.

“The passport regulations are well-defined, and children are not eligible for official passports under current law,” said Chaudhry.

Following the discussion, the Senate Chairman referred the bill to the relevant committee for further deliberation and detailed review.

The blue passport is typically issued to government officials travelling on official duty, along with eligible dependents, under strict regulations.

ISLAMABAD: More than two years after the General Elections of February 2024, election tribunals across Pakistan have yet to dispose of nearly a third of election petitions. As a result, dozens of lawmakers continue to hold office under a legal cloud with 128 cases still awaiting adjudication, according to the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen).

By the end of April 2026, election tribunals had decided 246, or 66 per cent, of the 374 petitions filed against GE-2024 outcomes in 113 National Assembly and 236 Provincial Assembly constituencies. Of these, 73 out of 124 petitions pertaining to National Assembly constituencies and 173 out of 250 petitions about Provincial Assemblies have been disposed of.

Under Section 142 of the Elections Act, candidates may contest election results within 45 days of the gazette notification of a returned candidate, while Section 148(5) requires tribunals to decide each petition within 180 days of filing. The legally prescribed timeline for disposing of petitions expired in October 2024.

Tribunal proceedings beyond this window are subject to special conditions, including mandatory cost payments for adjournments, recorded reasons where tribunals adjourn cases on their own motion, and the potential suspension of assembly membership where delay is attributable to a returned candidate. According to Fafen, no such suspensions have been recorded to date.

Pace slowing after Punjab delay

According to the Fafen report, the pace of disposal has slowed in recent months. Compared with 171 petitions decided by July 31,2025 — when Fafen issued its eighth update – only 75 petitions have been decided over the subsequent nine months, averaging eight per month. This is below the monthly average of 10 petitions decided between February 2024 and July 2025.

Tribunal appointments faced significant delays in Punjab, where only two tribunals functioned until October 2024 amid a legal tussle between the Lahore High Court and ECP over appointments. The Supreme Court upheld ECP’s appeal on Sept 30, 2024, and ECP reconstituted eight tribunals for Punjab on Oct 3, 2024.

Meanwhile, disposal rates vary sharply by province. Balochistan leads with 49 out of 52 petitions decided, or 94pc, followed by Punjab with 147 out of 192, or 77pc, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 26 out of 43, or 60pc, and Sindh with 24 out of 84, or 29pc. None of the petitions from Islamabad constituencies have been disposed of amidst pending litigation in the Islamabad High Court over the ECP’s transfer of election petitions from one tribunal to another.

One result overturned so far

Of the 246 decided petitions, tribunals dismissed 242 and accepted only four — all from Balochistan — where repolling was ordered at selected polling stations.

So far, only one GE-2024 result has been overturned: NA-251 Sherani/ Zhob/ Killa Saifullah. In this case, the Supreme Court set aside the tribunal’s repolling order and declared the PkNAP candidate returned, holding that the Returning Officer had “deliberately and unlawfully altered the results of Form 45”.

As many as 123 of the 246 decided tribunal decisions have been challenged before the Supreme Court, which has so far decided 18 appeals, fully or partially accepting three and rejecting 15. The remaining 105 appeals are pending. By affiliation, 64 appeals were filed by PTI-backed independents, 11 by PML-N, nine by unaffiliated independents, seven by JUIP, and three by PPPP.

Party-wise trends

Among the political parties that contested the elections, PTI-backed independents filed the most petitions: 206, or 55pc of all cases. Their disposal rate is 60pc. PML-N candidates filed 48 petitions with 75pc decided, PPPP 28 with 61pc decided, JUIP 25 with 64pc decided.

Fafen also noted uneven public access to tribunal proceedings and records. Petition memos, hearing details, and judgments remain largely accessible in tribunals comprising sitting judges of the Sindh, Balochistan, and Peshawar High Courts. By contrast, Punjab tribunals — which account for over half of all cases — have provided access only to case-status information, withholding petition memos, judgments, and related documents. According to Fafen, this meant reasons for dismissal in 63 cases remained unknown.

The National Assembly on Monday unanimously approved a resolution hailing the armed forces’ “befitting response” to India’s unprovoked military aggression during last year’s May conflict.

The conflict with India — starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos with a ceasefire between the two countries on May 10 — has been dubbed “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state.

Today, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the resolution, which stated that the NA paid “rich tributes to the gallant armed forces of Pakistan”.

It noted that the armed forces, under the leadership and command of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, “launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos on May 10, 2025, delivering a befitting response to this aggression”.

The NA deplored that in the “aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist incident on April 22, 2025 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a malicious campaign was immediately orchestrated by the Indian government, and amplified by its state-sponsored media, to baselessly implicate Pakistan without any evidence or investigation, despite the fact that the incident was categorically condemned by the Government of Pakistan”.

The resolution condemned that despite PM Shehbaz’s “sincere and generous offer” to participate in any neutral, transparent, and credible investigation “into what clearly appeared to be an overt false-flag operation, India proceeded to launch an unprovoked airstrike on Pakistan on May 6, 2025, targeting innocent civilians”.

The NA commended the “bravery and operational excellence of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which swiftly established air superiority and shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including the much-hyped and pride of the Indian Air Force ‘Rafale’ jets”.

It also extended heartfelt gratitude to every officer, soldier, airman and sailor of the armed forces on the battlefield for “making Operation Bunyanum Marsoos successful through their courage, professionalism and sacrifice”.

The resolution highlighted that the armed forces destroyed an Indian brigade headquarters, as well as Brahmos facilities that had “fired missiles in Pakistan”. It added that PAF’s JF-17 Thunder jets “destroyed India’s $1.5 billion most sophisticated S-400 air defence asset”.

The NA also praised the navy for its “strategic preparedness in giving a robust response with remarkable agility to the enemy and also successfully thwarted intrusion attempts to attack Pakistan”. “Consequently, the enemy was forced to retreat,” it added.

The resolution honoured the martyrs of the armed forces for laying down their lives in the line of duty and inflicting a “humiliating defeat upon a numerically superior enemy across all domains of warfare, including land, air, sea and cyber”.

It further acknowledged the “valuable contribution and technical expertise of Pakistan’s cyber warfare experts in effectively countering numerous cyber-attacks by the notorious Indian hackers”.

“In response to these attacks, a large number of India’s strategic infrastructure was rendered dysfunctional and paralysed,” it added.

The NA also acknowledged the “valuable support of the entire nation, including elected representatives from the government and opposition benches”.

The NA warned India “in unequivocal terms that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness”.

“Any misadventure against Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will not be tolerated and Pakistan’s defence forces will hit back with all their might and main,” it affirmed, echoing remarks made by CDF Munir on Sunday during a ceremony held to mark Marka-i-Haq’s anniversary.

The NA reaffirmed an “unwavering resolve and determination of the nation to stand with the armed forces of Pakistan in defending the geographical and ideological frontiers of the motherland, come what may”.

India has lost credibility on global stage, NA Speaker says

NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that after Marka-i-Haq, India had lost global credibility and that its false narratives against Pakistan had been exposed on an international stage.

He noted that Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor forced India to withdraw, turning the operation “into a symbol of failure and humiliation”.

He paid rich tribute to every officer and airman of the Pakistan Air Force, especially to Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, for their “exemplary professionalism, courage, and outstanding performance”. He also extended heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Admiral Naveed Ashraf and all officers and sailors of the Pakistan Navy.

Sadiq emphasised that India’s “false propaganda and fabricated narrative” had been completely exposed before the international community, and that Indian media had lost credibility on the global stage, as the world now “clearly recognised” that the Pahalgam incident was a false flag operation.

He stressed that Pakistan remained a peace-loving country, highlighting that its recent mediation efforts in the Gulf demonstrated its commitment to global peace and stability. He further stated that Pakistan would continue to raise its voice in support of the oppressed people of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Sadiq said that durable peace in South Asia was directly linked to the just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations and right to self-determination of the people of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He added that India “must ultimately come to the negotiating table and grant the Kashmiri people their legitimate rights”.

He also strongly condemned India’s continued water aggression and its attempts to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, calling them “unilateral and illegal”. He asserted that Pakistan reserved the right to “respond appropriately at every level”.

The Speaker urged the international parliamentary community to take serious notice of India’s expansionist mindset, which he said continued to pose a threat to regional and international peace.

Paying tribute to the martyrs of the conflict, Sadiq said that the nation would “remember with deep respect and gratitude the brave sons and daughters of the soil, who sacrificed their lives while defending the homeland and safeguarding its sovereignty”. He prayed for the elevation of their ranks.

Media walks out in protest of forced terminations, non-payments

The session also witnessed a walkout by journalists from the press gallery in protest of mass forced terminations by Suno TV and the non-payment of salaries by another TV channel.

A delegation of MNAs and senators, including PPP MNA Shazia Marri, MNA Sehar Kamran, Senator Palwasha Khan, MNA Nasir Butt and Senator Abid Sher Ali of the PML-N, subsequently visited the press room to discuss the issue, alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Marri, Kamran and MQM-P senior leader Syed Aminul Haq, alongside others, spoke about the plight faced by media personnel, particularly the non-payment of salaries, while PTI members raised party slogans.

Responding to the journalists’ concerns, Tarar announced that ads for Dawn were being resumed. He said that they have been released for Dawn TV and a settlement will soon be reached with the newspaper as well.

The minister also said that the federal government as well as the governments of Punjab and Sindh were giving ads to the mainstream media, but the KP government was only feeding ads to social media to malign the federal government.

“Today the issue will be resolved,” he added. “However you do it — sit down with your journalists … all the burden falls on junior employees, this is not at all acceptable.”

He added that the federal government could arbitrate if so desired by the negotiating parties, noting, “Representatives of both houses are here and in good numbers.”

“Our biggest responsibility is dues,” Tarar further said, adding that he was satisfied that the government had paid all dues in a timely manner and correctly, with employees as their first priority.

The walkout ended after the discussion and the minister’s assurances that he would take up the matter with relevant parties.

Addressing the NA later, Tarar said that all government advertisements had been halted to Suno TV — which recently fired 170 employees — until it provided an explanation for the action and what could be done to arbitrate the issue. In addition, he said that the management of another TV channel that had not paid its employees for three months had been summoned to Islamabad for discussions in order to solve the issue.

He stated that the protesting journalists were satisfied with the assurances and had decided to end the protest.

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto hit an unbeaten half-century as Bangladesh extended their lead by 179 runs on the rainy fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan on Monday.

The hosts were 152-3 in their second innings, with Shanto on 58 not out alongside Mushfiqur Rahim on 16, when stumps were drawn for the day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

Bangladesh lost their openers early after resuming on their overnight score of 7-0, with Mahmudul Hasan Joy trapped leg before off Mohammad Abbas for five.

Shadman Islam was then caught at gully by Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel off Hasan Ali for 10, leaving the hosts reeling at 23-2.

Shanto came to the rescue, joining hands with Mominul Haque (56) to steady the innings.

The left-handed pair, who had tormented Pakistan with a record 170-run third wicket stand in the first innings, added 70 runs off 122 balls to take Bangladesh to lunch at 92-2.

Pakistan had chances to make further inroads but Mohammad Rizwan failed to hold on to Mominul’s catch.

The afternoon session was washed out as heavy rain continued for nearly three hours.

When play resumed, Shanto and Mominul extended their stand to 105 off 193 balls — Bangladesh’s third century partnership between the pair in Tests and only the third time any Bangladesh pair posted century stands in both innings of the same match.

Mominul reached his half-century off 102 balls, the milestone also taking him past 5,000 Test runs.

He was dismissed for 56, caught behind off Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, one ball after Shanto had brought up his own fifty.

Bangladesh scored 413 in their first innings, thanks to Shanto (101), Mominul (91) and Mushfiqur (71).

Abbas was the most successful Pakistan bowler, taking 5-92.

Pakistan, who had elected to field, replied with 386 after Azan hit a century on debut.

Bangladesh batting coach Mohammad Ashraful was upbeat about his side’s prospects on the final day.

“We are playing to win. I think if we can bowl 70-75 overs tomorrow, and if there is no rain, there will be the opportunity to play 98 overs. I think we will have a chance to win,” Ashraful said.

Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha said he was confident of his side chasing any target.

“Definitely we’ll go for the win,” he said after the day’s play.

“If they are brave enough to give us 70 overs and 260, we will definitely go for the chase,” Salman said.

“Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day of Test cricket and we just want to get them out as quickly as we can.”

The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) on Monday announced the launch of a “fully online and paperless” degree attestation system to facilitate students.

In December last year, the HEC said that it had initiated a project to revamp its degree attestation system by integrating cutting-edge blockchain technology, saying the project would be completed within six months. Meanwhile, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances had also asked the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to reduce the turnaround time in degree attestation.

In a social media post on X, HEC Chairman Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar said, “HEC has revamped the Degree Attestation System (DAS) by introducing a fully online and paperless attestation mechanism to facilitate students and graduates across Pakistan.”

Under the new system, he explained, applicants will no longer be required to physically visit HEC offices or submit original documents.

“Applications for online attestation can now be submitted 24/7 through the HEC e-Services Portal,” he added.

He said that the new e-attestation certificate system was designed to provide a “secure, efficient, and user-friendly process,” with online verification available for attested documents and certificates.

According to information available on HEC’s official website, “This modern system is fast, convenient, and hassle-free, removing the need for applicants to visit HEC offices or submit original documents in hard copy. Applications can be submitted anytime (24/7) through the online portal at www.eservices.hec.gov.pk.”

Candidates can apply for the online degree attestation by creating an account and providing personal and academic details. The candidates will then upload the transcripts online for scrutiny by the HEC and verification of credentials by the respective universities.

The payment can be made online through 1-link.

After a final review, an e-attestation certificate will be issued against the documents applied for attestation. Applicants will be notified via SMS and email.

The applicants can also download the verifiable certificate from their online account at the HEC Portal.

Before this initiative, candidates had to send their documents via post to HEC or visit its offices to get their documents attested. The new project will now issue a verifiable e-certificate instead of a stamp, minimising the time and cost required by the manual process.

European Union (EU) foreign ministers reached an agreement on Monday on new sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, as well as leading Hamas figures, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

The sanctions package, which targets three settlers and four settler organisations whose identities have yet to be publicly disclosed, had been blocked for months by the previous Hungarian government, which lost an election last month.

European governments have raised concerns about a rise in reports of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

“It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery,” Kallas said in a post on X. “Extremisms and violence carry consequences,” she added.

Reacting to the development, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X that the EU had “chosen, in an arbitrary and political manner, to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without any basis.”

“Equally outrageous is the unacceptable comparison the European Union has chosen to make between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists. This is a completely distorted moral equivalence,” he added.

There was no immediate response from Hamas.

The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, involving Israeli troops and settlers.

There has been a surge in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, Palestinian officials and the United Nations have said.

ISLAMABAD: Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, have submitted additional documents to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, bringing these on record before the hearing on Tuesday, May 12, on their plea, which seeks to set aside the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order denying interim relief in the controversial social media posts case.

In December 2025, Imaan Mazari and her husband moved the Supreme Court to set aside the IHC’s decision that denied the interim relief in the controversial social media post case against the couple. The petition argued that the high court had “erroneously and illegally refused” to exercise the discretion to grant ad-interim relief to the petitioners to stay the criminal trial, as recording of evidence before the trial court in their absence was not only a violation of Section 353 CrPC, but also their due process and fair trial rights under Article 10A of the Constitution.

The additional documents, submitted by their counsel, Faisal Siddiqi, on Monday, consist of the charge sheets of different dates against the petitioners, their statements before the trial court and the orders issued by the court.

The petitioners pleaded before the Supreme Court to allow bringing these documents on record in the interest of justice since they were “essential and relevant for adjudication of the present case”.

They explained in the application that the said documents were not available at the time of filing of the appeals, since the paper books were not prepared by the office of the IHC; the trial record was obtained after filing the appeals.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, and headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, will commence hearing on the appeals on Tuesday (May 12).

Earlier on April 30, Imaan Mazari and her husband had also moved appeals in the Supreme Court under Article 185(3) of the Constitution against the IHC’s February 19, 2026, order, through which the high court had admitted the appeal against the trial court’s January 24 decision of handing down a 17-year sentence.

While admitting the appeals against the trial court’s order, the IHC had issued notices to the respondents on the application for the suspension of sentence; however, it had not suspended the sentence.

The petition contended that the appeals be accepted and the sentence awarded to the petitioners through the impugned trial court’s judgement be suspended till the disposal of the criminal appeal pending before the IHC.

On January 24, a trial court had sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in prison on multiple charges in the case.

The lawyer duo were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 10 (cyber terrorism), five years’ imprisonment under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years’ imprisonment under Section 26-A (false and fake information) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday dismissed a set of appeals instituted by Greentree Holdings Limited (GTH) against a June order by the Sindh High Court (SHC), which had held that GTH shares were the property of private equity firm The Resource Group Pakistan (TRGP).

The dispute revolves around a challenge to a June 20, 2025 SHC judgement, in which the SHC had allowed an application of former TRG CEO Muhammad Ziaullah Khan Chishti to be filed under company laws.

In its order on June 20, 2025, the SHC had ruled that shares held by GTH in TRGP (the respondent) were the property of TRGP, and would be deemed to have been purchased by the latter from its shareholders.

The court had also ordered TGRP’s Board of Directors to issue notice for an extraordinary general meeting of the company immediately to elect directors, adding that the new board of directors would decide whether to retain or cancel these treasury shares after the elections.

A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan alongside Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected three appeals against the SHC’s order on Monday, and directed that the appellants would jointly bear the legal costs of respondent No. 1 (Chishti).

“We intend to pursue a defamation case against the group, which was moved against the social media campaign against the respondent,” Advocate Muhammad Shehzad Shaukat told Dawn while appearing on behalf of Chishti, adding that in this case, the cost ran into the millions.

The SC, in its short order, granted leave to appeal in “C.P.L.A. No.2543/2025 titled ‘Greentree Holdings Limited, Hamilton HM11, Bermuda v. Muhammad Ziaullah Khan Chishti, etc.’; C.P.L.A. No.871-K/2025 titled ‘The Resource Group International Limited (TRGI) v. Muhammad Ziaullah Khan Chishti, etc.’; and C.P.L.A. No.872-K/2025 titled ‘The Resource Group Pakistan Limited (TRGP) v. Muhammad Ziaullah Khan Chishti, etc.’”.

“The petitions are converted into appeals, which are all dismissed. The appellants shall jointly and severally bear the respondent No.1’s costs in the said appeals,” said the short order, authored by Justice Aurangzeb and announced in the open court on Monday.

In the same case, case files had been reported stolen in 2025. GTH, which had filed the petition before the SC last June, was informed by the court office on July 14 to immediately file its petition again, along with three paper books in each case, to avoid any inconvenience to the court after the case files were stolen.

The reason cited by the court office suggested that while transferring the case to the Principal Seat of the SC in Islamabad through a courier service, the vehicle carrying the case files had been robbed and the subject petitions stolen.

This incident was also mentioned by Justice Afghan during a hearing on August 26, where the court was told that the files of the case were not stolen, but rather a robbery was committed.

On June 25, 2025, a two-judge SC bench consisting of Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan and Justice Aamer Farooq, while granting status quo, had ordered the issuance of notices, with a direction to the parties to file concise statements.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday extended the countrywide austerity drive till June 13.

The Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, has given rise to a global oil crisis. In order to deal with the situation, the government had announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9.

A notification of the Cabinet Division, available with Dawn, said: “The prime minister, on consideration of the recommendations of the committee for monitoring and implementation of fuel conservation and additional austerity measures, has been pleased to extend the applicability of the following additional austerity measures up till 13th June, 2026 with immediate effect.”

The measures extended included 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowance for official vehicles, with the exemption of operational vehicles such as ambulances and public buses.

Other steps included grounding 60pc of official vehicles and a complete ban on foreign visits by ministers and government officials, excluding those deemed essential for the country’s interests, as specified the last time.

“Other additional austerity and fuel conservation measures, as notified from time to time vide this Division’s notifications of even number, shall continue to remain in force over the periods specified in the respective notifications,” the notification read.

“Measures in the case of which no period or end date has been specified, shall remain applicable till further orders,” it added.

Among previously announced austerity measures, the working week for all government offices was reduced to four days — Monday to Thursday.

However, the additional holiday was not availed by banks. It did not apply to the agriculture and industrial sectors, or essential services such as hospitals and ambulance services.

Under the measures, the salary of parliamentarians was to be cut by 25pc, while employees of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government-supervised institutions were to see their salaries cut by 5pc-30pc.

Expenses of government departments were reduced by 20pc, along with a ban on purchasing vehicles, furniture, air conditioners and other items for government departments.

PM Shehbaz had tasked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to carry out a third-party audit of the implementation of the austerity measures.

On April 30, the premier had also decided to extend fuel subsidies for motorcyclists, and public and goods transport by one month.

The subsidies were part of the targeted relief measures announced for bikers, farmers and transporters to cushion the impact of global oil price shocks amid the US-Israel war on Iran.