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Pakistan News

Lahore emerges as the world’s most polluted city

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Lahore emerges

LAHORE: The Air quality in Lahore remains critically poor, placing the city at the top of global pollution rankings.

According to environmental monitoring websites, Lahore recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 484, surpassing New Delhi, which recorded an AQI of 289.

Within Lahore, Wahga emerged as the most polluted area, registering an alarming AQI of 814. Other areas also recorded hazardous levels, including DHA at 768, Civil Secretariat at 695, and FC College at 686.

Additional areas affected include Allama Iqbal Town with an AQI of 678, Ravi Road at 667, and DHA Phase 8 at 615, highlighting the widespread air pollution across the city.

Other major cities in Punjab, including Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, and Multan, have also been listed among the most polluted urban centers in the country, reflecting a growing environmental and public health concern.

Authorities and environmental experts urge residents to limit outdoor activities, wear protective masks, and take necessary precautions to mitigate the health risks associated with hazardous air pollution.

Punjab extends Section 144 for 7 more days across province

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Punjab extends

Lahore: The Punjab government has extended the implementation of Section 144 across the province for an additional seven days.

The Punjab Home Department issued a notification announcing that the restrictions will remain in place until Saturday, November 22.

Under the notification, all public gatherings—including protests, rallies, processions, sit-ins, and meetings—are prohibited. Section 144 also restricts the assembly of four or more people at public places.

A spokesperson clarified that the display of any type of weapons, use of loudspeakers, and dissemination of provocative, hateful, or sectarian material is completely banned. Loudspeakers may only be used for the call to prayer (Azaan) and Friday sermons.

According to the Home Department, this decision was taken for the establishment of law and order, protection of human lives and property.

The spokesman said that the ban will not apply to wedding ceremonies, funerals and burials, while officers and officials on official duties and courts are exempted from the ban.

According to the spokesman, in view of the security threats, processions and sit-ins can be a soft target for terrorists, miscreants can take advantage of the public protest to carry out anti-state activities.

Saudi Arabia imposes ban on severely ill pilgrims for Hajj 2026

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Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: Saudi authorities have announced a strict ban on severely ill individuals from performing Hajj 2026, introducing new medical compliance measures for incoming pilgrims.

Under the updated policy, severely ill pilgrims will be deported, and the cost of their return will be borne by the pilgrims themselves.

According to sources in Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, action will also be taken against doctors who issue fitness certificates to unfit pilgrims.

The Ministry further clarified that, in line with guidelines issued by the Saudi Ministry of Health, individuals with kidney diseases, including patients undergoing dialysis, will not be allowed to perform Hajj in 2026.

The Saudi Ministry of Health has also restricted Hajj for patients suffering from advanced-stage heart, lung, and liver diseases, particularly those unable to endure physical exertion.

Missing Sikh pilgrim converts to Islam, marries Pakistani citizen

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Missing Sikh

LAHORE: During the annual Baba Guru Nanak Yatra in Pakistan, an Indian Sikh woman, Sarbjeet Kaur, converted to Islam and married a Pakistani citizen.

Renamed Noor after embracing Islam, the 48-year-old Sarbjeet Kaur married Nasser Hussain, a resident of Farooqabad in Sheikhupura district, on 5 November. The marriage contract included a mahr of PKR 10,000, which has been fully paid.

Sarbjeet Kaur had arrived in Pakistan on 4 November with a group of Indian pilgrims.

However, she did not return with the group on 13 November, when her visa also expired, leading authorities to initially declare her missing.

Subsequent investigations revealed that she had converted to Islam and entered into marriage with a Pakistani national.

Pakistani Software Engineer develops AI solution to revolutionize telecommunications

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Pakistani Software

LAHORE: A software engineer from Lahore, Muhammad Usman Bashir, has developed an innovative artificial intelligence-based software aimed at saving both time and capital in the telecommunications sector.

The software provides a low-cost conversational agent for telecom services, which can be integrated with WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) capabilities for real-time interaction. This integration allows efficient, cost-effective communication solutions for businesses and service providers.

Muhammad Usman Bashir was recently honored with the WebRTC Excellence Award of Asia at the TechNext Summit in Dubai, competing against 80 applications from countries including India, China, and other parts of Asia.

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In addition to the AI conversational agent, Bashir has also developed a conference architecture that enhances synchronization in multi-room audio calls, further improving the efficiency and quality of real-time communications.

Weekly Report: Pakistan Stock Exchange shows strong gains

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Weekly Report

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a bullish trend throughout the week, with investors showing renewed confidence amid positive economic indicators and encouraging sectoral news.

During the five-day trading week, the benchmark KSE-100 Index rose by 2,342 points, closing at 161,935 points from 159,592 points at the start of the week. The index reached a weekly high of 162,118 points and a low of 157,203 points, recovering two key psychological levels during the period.

Market activity included four days of gains and one day of decline, reflecting steady investor optimism. The market capitalization increased by Rs 146 billion, bringing the total to Rs 18,433 billion.

Approximately 46.7% of listed shares recorded price increases over the week. Out of 2,152 listed companies, 1,120 saw share prices rise, while 1,032 experienced declines.

Analysts attributed the positive momentum to strong economic indicators and favorable news from multiple sectors, which encouraged investors to actively participate in the market.

Babar Azam joins Saeed Anwar at top with 20 ODI centuries

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Babar Azam

Babar Azam joins Saeed Anwar at top with 20 ODI centuries

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has written his name into the history books by equaling the national record for most ODI centuries by a Pakistani player.

In the second ODI against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Azam struck a superb 102 off 119 balls, matching Saeed Anwar’s long-standing record of 20 ODI hundreds.

Babar reached this milestone in just 136 innings, placing him among the fastest to reach 20 ODI centuries.

 South Africa’s Hashim Amla tops the list with 108 innings, followed by India’s Virat Kohli, who achieved it in 133 innings. In contrast, Saeed Anwar had needed 244 innings to complete his 20 hundreds.

Azam’s latest century serves as a major morale boost for Pakistan cricket and further strengthens his status as one of the premier batsmen in world cricket today.

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has chosen not to engage with critics who questioned his form over the past two years, stating that his job is to play cricket and deliver on the field. He emphasised that his complete focus remains on performance rather than responding to criticism.

Speaking at a press conference after Pakistan’s impressive victory in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, Babar said that although the last two years were challenging, he worked hard on his fitness, batting, and fielding. “Whenever difficult times come, you must trust yourself,” he added.

Babar acknowledged the support he received from fans during tough phases, saying their encouragement gave him great confidence. He said he batted according to the team’s plan, and scoring a century helped restore his self-belief. “I trusted myself to score a hundred,” he noted.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the second match of the three-match ODI series.

Babar is now the third-fastest player in the world to score 20 ODI centuries in the fewest innings.

Senate approves amendments to armed forces and Supreme Court acts

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Senate approves

ISLAMABAD: The Senate has passed key amendment bills for the Pakistan Army, Air Force, Navy, and the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act.

The session, presided over by Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, saw Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry presenting the bills.

The Upper House passed the Pakistan Army Act, Pakistan Air Force Act, Pakistan Navy Act, and the Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill with a majority vote.

During the proceedings, members of PTI and JUI opposed the bills. Senators Humayun Mehmood and Kamran Murtaza demanded that the bills be referred to a committee, but the Chairman sought a vote from the house, and the bills were subsequently approved by a clear majority.

Speaking on the occasion, Ishaq Dar said the approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment necessitated amendments in the Army, Navy, and Air Force Acts, which were now duly incorporated.

Federal Cabinet approves Gwadar-Oman ferry service

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Federal Cabinet

KARACHI: The federal cabinet has approved the Gwadar-Oman ferry service, according to a statement by Federal Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry.

Following the cabinet’s approval, the ferry service between Gwadar and Oman is expected to be launched soon. Pakistan and Oman will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the ferry link, while an Omani delegation will visit Pakistan to finalize arrangements.

Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the new ferry route is expected to boost trade volume and investment between the two countries.

This initiative follows Pakistan’s earlier approval of a ferry service license to Iran, marking a continued effort to enhance regional maritime connectivity and trade through Gwadar Port.

Army Act Amendment Bill moves to Senate for approval today

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Army Act Amendment

ISLAMABAD: According to the agenda released for today’s sitting, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif will move the Army Act Amendment Bill in the Senate for its formal approval.

As per the agenda, the minister will also table the Pakistan Air Force Act Amendment Bill for approval, while the Pakistan Navy Ordinance Amendment Bill is similarly scheduled to be presented in the Upper House.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar will lay before the Senate the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill for final approval. All these bills have already been passed by the National Assembly and will now be taken up by the Senate.

The National Assembly, following the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, has already approved the Army Act 2025. Under this act, a fresh notification will be issued appointing the Army Chief as the Chief of Defence Forces, after which the Army Chief’s tenure will restart.

According to the amended Army Act, the Army Chief, in the capacity of Chief of Defence Forces, will oversee the restructuring and integration of all branches of the Pakistan Army. The Prime Minister, on the Army Chief’s recommendation, will appoint the Commander of the National Strategic Command.

The Commander of the National Strategic Command will have a three-year term, extendable for another three years. The act also states that the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will stand abolished from November 27.