KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a mixed trend throughout the trading week, ultimately closing with notable gains.
Despite fluctuations, the 100-Index recorded an overall increase of 408 points, rising from 166,677 to close at 167,085 points by the week’s end.
During the week, the index regained one psychological barrier, while trading remained positive on three sessions and negative on two sessions. The benchmark index touched a weekly high of 169,289 points, whereas the lowest level stood at 165,886 points.
Market capitalization expanded by Rs172 billion, reaching Rs19,038 billion over the five-day trading period. According to market data, 44.05% of shares witnessed price appreciation, with 1,053 companies closing higher, while 1,109 scripts ended in decline.
Experts attribute investor confidence to improved financial sentiment and the extension of Saudi fund deposits for one year, keeping market activity vibrant throughout the week.
MIANWALI: In a shocking incident in Mianwali’s Canalawala area, parents allegedly drowned their two-month-old daughter in a water tank due to their wish for a male child.
According to the FIR, the couple was reportedly unhappy with the birth of a girl and wanted a son instead.
The FIR states that the incident occurred two days ago, when the parents allegedly threw the infant into a water tank, resulting in her death. Police have arrested the father, while the mother is currently on the run.
Authorities confirm that samples taken from the victim’s body have been sent to Lahore for forensic examination to determine the exact cause of death. Further investigation is underway.
ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has decided to tighten measures against individuals traveling abroad on fake documents.
A high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain resulted in several key decisions.
Authorities resolved to make the issuance of Protector documents foolproof and implement reforms in the immigration system to facilitate travelers. Federal ministers have been asked to submit final recommendations within seven days.
The meeting also directed a crackdown on individuals and agent networks involved in the fake visa trade.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced the launch of a pilot AI-based app to prevent illegal immigration, stating that the system will identify who is eligible to travel and who is not.
He emphasized a zero-tolerance policy against fake visas and agent mafias, ensuring that deported individuals cannot obtain new visas once their passports are canceled. Additionally, a standardized international driving license will be issued through the National Police Bureau.
Mohsin Naqvi highlighted that illegal travel harms Pakistan’s global reputation, and the immigration reforms aim to facilitate citizens while improving the country’s international standing.
Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain stressed that labor visa holders must possess authentic documents and assured full support from the ministry to strengthen the Protector and immigration systems.
Quetta: The Balochistan government has decided to initiate Interpol red notices and pursue legal action in international courts to arrest leaders, key commanders, and over 300 terrorist operatives of banned organizations based abroad.
The decision was taken during a high-level, extraordinary meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti.
Officials briefed the meeting on documented evidence, including communication records, call recordings, financial support trails, and other proof linking overseas terrorist leaders with local facilitators.
It was decided that cases will be prosecuted in global courts, ensuring robust and decisive action from local facilitators to foreign-based leaders.
The prosecution of cases against banned groups including BLA, BRA, BLF, UBA, BRG, and Lashkar-e-Balochistan will be expedited, with all evidence compiled according to international standards.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Defence has issued the notification for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of Defence Forces following approval from President Asif Ali Zardari.
The notification has been released under Article 243 of the Constitution of Pakistan and Clause 8A of the Army Act.
According to the notification, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has been appointed for a tenure of five years.
A day earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as the Army Chief and Chief of Defence Forces. The Prime Minister had endorsed the appointment and sent the summary to the President.
Under the approved decision, Field Marshal Asim Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of Army Staff as well as Chief of Defence Forces. He becomes the first officer in the country to hold the newly created position of Chief of Defence Forces.
Meanwhile, the service tenure of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu has also been extended for two years. The extension will take effect after the completion of his current five-year term in March 2026.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on his appointment as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces.
He expressed best wishes for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
He said, “The appointment of the Chief of Defence Forces is in line with contemporary and modern warfare requirements. The country’s defence will improve further.”
“Under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, our brave forces delivered a crushing defeat to the enemy,” he added.
He said, “Under the leadership of Field Marshal, the brilliant success in Marka e Haq made Pakistan’s name shine all over the world and the country gained respect.”
The Prime Minister also congratulated and expressed good wishes to Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu on his two-year extension in service.
He said, “Under the leadership of Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, the Pakistan Air Force destroyed enemy warplanes with its excellent professional skills during Marka e Haq and frightened the enemy.”
“All institutions of the country will work together for the defence, development and prosperity of Pakistan,” he remarked.
He said, “Together, we will make the country’s defence impregnable.”
LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to impose fines on individuals and businesses responsible for littering as part of its ongoing Clean Punjab campaign.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister, focused on the Clean Punjab program and the Waste-to-Value project. The Chief Minister directed officials to submit a comprehensive plan for the project by mid-January.
Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the Clean Punjab initiative has received positive public feedback across the province. Measures such as vehicle tracking management systems, live container monitoring, and a digitized salary and payment system have been implemented to ensure transparency.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz remarked, “Establishing such a large-scale sanitation system is no less than a miracle. Starting from zero, we have steadily improved the Clean Punjab project. A comprehensive system for cleaning cities and villages should have been established years ago.”
The meeting also resolved that commercial areas and streets in Punjab will be strictly regulated under the law, and anyone found littering will face fines.
Furthermore, sanitation vehicles in the province will now be environmentally friendly electric vehicles, and the government plans to generate energy from waste in the near future.
ISLAMABAD: The 11th meeting of the National Finance Commission (NFC), tasked with distributing resources between the federal government and provinces, has commenced.
The session is being chaired by Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, with the IMF also on board for discussions regarding the new NFC award.
According to sources from the Ministry of Finance, all four provincial finance ministers, technocrats, and commission members are participating. The provincial representatives include Nasser Mahmood Khosa from Punjab, Asad Saeed from Sindh, Mahfooz Khan from Balochistan, and Musharraf Rasool from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All NFC members have been invited to the meeting, while the Federal Secretary of Finance is serving as the official expert for the commission.
The agenda includes reviewing recommendations for the new award, considering the formation of sub-groups, and setting the roadmap for future meetings. Finance Minister Aurangzeb stated, “We will approach the meeting with a ‘Pakistan First’ mindset, listen to the provinces, and present the federal financial position transparently.”
The current seventh NFC award has been in effect since July 2010. The Constitution mandates a review every five years, but the scheduled 2015 meeting did not take place until now.
A day prior, a key consultative meeting was held under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, to prepare for the NFC session.
During the briefing, the CM was informed about the province’s financial and constitutional rights in NFC discussions. He emphasized that despite the administrative merger of former FATA, financial integration has not yet occurred.
Under the NFC, the merged districts are entitled to PKR 1,375 billion, which has not been provided. At the time of merger, an annual allocation of PKR 100 billion was promised, which now totals PKR 700 billion. Of this, only PKR 168 billion has been disbursed by the federal government, leaving a balance of PKR 531.9 billion.
CM Sohail Afridi stressed that withholding the merged districts’ share violates the Constitution, and the province’s financial and constitutional rights will be fully protected.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has granted permission to United Nations aid agencies to deliver food supplies to Afghanistan.
According to international media reports, the Ministry of Commerce has issued a letter to the Director General of Afghan Transit Trade and the Member Customs Operations at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), stating that the decision was made based on recommendations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNFPA containers have been instructed to receive phased clearance.
The letter specified that food cargo will be prioritized in the first phase, followed by medicines and medical equipment in the second. In the third phase, containers carrying kits for students and teachers will also be cleared.
The move comes after a 50-day suspension of trade routes with Afghanistan, which has led to severe shortages of food supplies and medicines in the neighboring country.
It is noteworthy that all trade crossings with Afghanistan have remained closed since October 12, 2025, due to heightened border tensions.
Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been partially opened on humanitarian grounds for UN aid. The spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan has no issues with the Afghan people, but trade and other border crossings remain closed.
KARACHI: Disturbing CCTV footage has emerged showing a child falling into an open manhole near NIPA Chowrangi in Karachi.
The video captures the child leaving a shopping center with his mother and running toward his father when he suddenly falls into the uncovered manhole. Witnesses report that the child’s parents screamed for help, prompting bystanders to rush to the scene and attempt a rescue.
Tragically, the three-year-old’s body was recovered 14 hours later, about one kilometer away in a nearby drain.
This incident highlights a growing public safety concern in Karachi, where 24 citizens, including five children, have died this year after falling into open drains and manholes.
The case has once again sparked calls for stricter oversight of city infrastructure and accountability for municipal authorities to prevent such avoidable tragedies.
LAHORE: The colorful tradition of kite flying returns to Punjab after 25 years, with the government issuing a structured legal framework for safe Basant festivities.
Governor Punjab Sardar Salim Haider signed the ordinance allowing the celebration of Basant with certain restrictions, violations of which may result in fines and imprisonment.
Key provisions of the ordinance include:
Kite flying had been banned in Punjab since 2001. After 25 years, it is now permitted under strict regulations.
Children under 18 years old are prohibited from flying kites; parents or guardians will be held responsible for any violations.
Only cotton thread (“dhor”) is allowed; the use of metallic or sharp-edged threads will incur strict penalties.
Violations can result in 3 to 5 years imprisonment and fines up to PKR 2 million.
Motorcycles used in kite flying must comply with safety measures, and authorities may search suspicious locations or houses; offenses are non-bailable.
First-time violations by minors incur a PKR 50,000 fine, with a second violation attracting PKR 100,000; failure to pay will lead to action against the parent or guardian.
Kite associations must register with the relevant district deputy commissioner. Whistleblowers reporting violations will receive legal protection and encouragement.
Kites must be purchased only from registered sellers, each linked to a QR code; the same applies to kite strings and makers for traceability.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif stated that this move marks the revival of Punjab’s traditional cultural and festive heritage after three decades, restoring the spirit of Basant while ensuring safety and regulation.
