Ashura procession during the month of Muharram in Karachi on August 30, 2020. — AFP
Sindh Home Department writes letter to interior ministry.
Wants suspension of cellular services along routes of processions.
Asks to take decision as per protocols and inform accordingly.
KARACHI: The Sindh government has sought suspension of mobile phone services across the province on the occasion of Youm-e-Ashura falling on the 10th of Muharram (Sunday) to ensure security.
In this regard, the Sindh Home Department has formally written to the Ministry of Interior, urging that mobile internet services be suspended along the routes of Ashura processions to prevent any untoward incidents.
The department further asked the Ministry of Interior to take a decision as per existing protocols and inform the provincial authorities accordingly.
After receiving multiple testimonies of moon-sighting from across the country, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Thursday announced that the moon of Moharram 1447 Hijri was sighted in the country, and Ashura would fall on July 6 (Sunday).
Muharram is regarded as one of the four sacred Islamic months. Ashura falls on its 10th day when the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his family members were martyred in the battle of Karbala.
Faithful hold processions and majalis across the country in Muharram, while religious scholars address huge gatherings amid tight security, with thousands of law enforcers deployed to ensure security.
Last week, the Ministry of Interior greenlighted the nationwide deployment of the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces (CAFs) to bolster security during Muharram.
According to the notification, the federal government’s decision follows formal requests from all provincial administrations, as well as the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Troops will be deployed under Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The scale and duration of deployments will be determined by local authorities based on on-ground security assessments, in consultation with federal and provincial stakeholders.
ISLAMABAD, Jun 30 (APP):Umair Shahid is the Arts and Media Manager at the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant, a flagship project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and part of the China Huaneng Group.
According to official sources, the plant’s Ambassador for Arts and Media, Umair plays a vital role in promoting cultural exchange and strengthening Pakistan-China relations through the power of art.
He is the composer and performer of the acclaimed Chinese song “Wo Men Bu Yi Yang” (“We Are Different”), a musical tribute to the enduring “Iron Brotherhood” between Pakistan and China.
The song has been performed at major cultural events across Pakistan and gained national attention when endorsed by Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong in 2019. Featured on major Pakistani media platforms, Umair continues to use his artistic talent to foster unity and deepen the cultural ties between the two nations.
He is currently developing another impactful musical project aimed at further enhancing bilateral friendship and understanding.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that Pakistan’s stance was recognised and upheld during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where India was unable to assert its position.
Speaking to a private news channel, the minister said that Pakistan’s position was based on facts and justice, which is why it was acknowledged at the SCO platform, despite Indian efforts.
He strongly criticised India for what he called “water terrorism”, accusing New Delhi of attempting to hold 240 million Pakistanis hostage by manipulating shared water resources.
“No party has the right to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, which remains binding under international law,” he emphasised.
Answering a question, he said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political future is in decline, especially after India’s failure on the military and diplomatic fronts. He further said that Modi was trying to salvage political respect through fabricated narratives.
“After repeated setbacks, Modi’s era of misleading the public is coming to an end,” he stated.
ISLAMABAD – Wait for shining students is over as Higher Education Commission (HEC) officially unveiled provincial merit list for PM Youth Laptop Scheme 2025.
With stakes high and competition fierce, students are now flocking to the university’s online portal to find out if they’ve made the cut. The list confirms whether students have been selected, waitlisted, or marked ineligible due to academic or administrative issues.
Several universities posted the merit list on campus notice boards, the official university website, and social media platforms. Specially appointed Student Focal Persons (SFPs) are on standby to assist students in checking their status and submitting any objections.
PM Laptop Scheme Merit List 2025
The above list is of Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam
For those who think they’ve been wrongly rejected, July 4, 2025, is the final date to raise objections or submit corrections with proper documentation.
University officials are urging students not to delay. “This is a golden opportunity,” officials said. “If you believe you’re eligible, don’t wait. Check your status, and if there’s an issue, act fast.”
Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme is a flagship initiative aimed at empowering bright minds with digital tools for learning, innovation, and research. With thousands of laptops up for grabs, the competition is intense — and for many students, this could be a life-changing moment.
Criteria
Category
Details
Eligibility
University Type
Public sector universities/HEC-recognized degree-awarding institutes
ISLAMABAD, Jun 30 (APP): Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, said on Monday that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed the transformation of Islamabad into a pilot smart city under an integrated strategy using emerging technologies. In a statement, the minister outlined several key initiatives of the Ministry of IT aimed at expanding digital connectivity and improving access to education and healthcare through technology. She revealed that the Ministry has already funded fiber optic connectivity to all public schools, Basic Health Units (BHUs), and healthcare centers in Islamabad. “Within the next six to eight months, all hospitals, schools, and police stations in the capital will be fully fiberized,” she stated. Free public Wi-Fi will also be made available at specific locations, including metro bus stations and other public spaces, through public-private partnerships, she added. The minister said that the Ministry of Education was fully cooperating in the digital transformation drive. Remote regions will benefit from EdTech (Education Technology) solutions to ensure learning continuity, she added. In line with the Prime Minister’s vision of universal access to education, she said Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies would be introduced from kindergarten through grade six. “The Prime Minister wants every child in Islamabad to receive education,” she stressed. This smart education model, she said, would eventually be extended to Gilgit-Baltistan and other remote areas to provide quality digital learning even in the most isolated schools. On the health front, the Ministry of IT is working with the Ministry of Health on a “One Patient, One ID” initiative to streamline healthcare records and services nationwide. Internet access is being ensured at BHUs to enable telemedicine, allowing patients to consult medical experts online. To promote digital literacy, she said the Prime Minister has formed a special committee to integrate IT education into the national curriculum. Highlighting efforts in IT capacity-building, the minister said the government aims to train 500,000 youth in advanced digital skills. She noted that Google will train 200,000 students, Huawei 300,000, and Microsoft 200,000, preparing them to meet international job market standards. “Boys and girls will start learning AI from the primary level so that they can excel in the digital economy,” she added. “We are taking coordinated steps to build a globally competitive national IT workforce.”
Indian PM Narendra Modi (left) pictured with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during an official ceremony at Ben-Gurion International airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. — AFP/File
A 12-day war between Israel and Iran is over but this war exposed the plans of a new war by Israel and India against Pakistan. This threat of a new war is not just a flight of imagination. Today I can share some evidence with you about the secret plans of Israel and India against Pakistan.
It is no longer a secret that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are brothers in arms. Famous American magazine Foreign Policy published many articles in the recent past about the growing military alliance between Israel and India. A South African journalist Azad Essa, author of Hostile Homelands believes that India’s closeness to Israel is deeply connected with anti-Muslim sentiments entrenched in Midi’s politics.
Essa has the experience of watching the Indian Army very closely in Kashmir and the Israeli Army in occupied Palestinian territories. He believes that the Modi-Netanyahu alliance is not only a collaboration of two individuals. This is a collaboration of two ideologies. One is Zionism and the other is Hindutva.
In 2017, Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. His Hindutva ideology draws inspiration from Zionism. Many Hindu nationalists have openly called for an Israel-like solution to resolve the Kashmir conflict. This includes advocating for demographic changes that favour the Hindu population in Muslim-majority Kashmir. India is quietly purchasing a lot of weapons not only from Israel but also from many Western countries after its defeat by Pakistan in May 2025.
Now the Indian establishment is desperate to take revenge on Pakistan with the help of Israel. Many Israelis are angry about why Pakistan openly supported Iran during the recent 12-day war.
Many Pakistanis noticed a post on X by Israeli Professor Meir Masri, who is the director of geopolitics at Hebrew University Jerusalem and a former deputy minister of defence. In the middle of the war this Israeli professor wrote on June 18th in Arabic that “after Iran’s campaign, we may seek to dismantle Pakistan’s nuclear programme”. There were many Indian accounts on X who were claiming the same.
I have seen many Indian posts saying…. Denuclearising Pakistan is the final phase of Operation Sindoor.
These views were not limited to social media. A European website “Modern Diplomacy” published an article by Dr Julian Spencer-Churchill on 24th June 2025 titled Once Israel Defeats Iran, Pakistan is Next. Dr Julian is a professor of international politics at Concordia University, Canada.
He started his article with the threat made by Israeli professor Meir Masri and further wrote that after neutralising Iran like Iraq, Pakistan will become the primary target of Israeli counter-proliferation efforts. He said that an air attack, cruise missile or drone attack using India as a base would inflict severe damage on Pakistan’s nuclear facilities. He also mentioned the possibility of coinciding the air attack with a conventional Indian military attack to Balkanize Pakistan into Sindh and Punjab and takeover of Azad Kashmir by India, cutting off Chinese access to the Indian Ocean. It means that India and Israel want to disconnect China from Gwadar port.
Now look at the recent arms trade between India and Israel. Many Israeli arms companies have established factories in India and produce not only missiles but also Israeli drones. Adani Group entered into a joint venture with Israel’s Elbit Systems in 2018 to manufacture military drones such as Hermes 900 UAV. Adani built a factory in Hyderabad, India, and made 85% of the drones only for the Israeli Defence Forces. Israel used these drones from Lebanon to Gaza. Israel successfully tested these Hermes 900 drones in the recent war against Iran. India used the same drones against Pakistan in May 2025 but these drones were neutralised by Pakistan. Adani holds a 70% stake in Haifa port which was destroyed by Iran in the recent missile attacks.
India and Israel can make big plans against Pakistan but they must realise that Pakistan is not Lebanon or Gaza or even Iran. This love affair between New Delhi and Tel Aviv may cause another humiliation for Narendra Modi who is now famous as Surrender Modi. The Pakistan Air Force humiliated the Indian Air Force in May 2025 by shooting down its seven planes including four Rafael jets. The Air Defence System of Pakistan is much better than the Iranians.
Pakistani ballistic missiles are more dangerous and effective than Iranian ballistic missiles. In the recent Israel-Iran war, Pakistan stood by Iran and India stood by Israel. India never endorsed an SCO statement against the Israeli attack on Iran. India is supporting genocide in Gaza because supporting Israel is the national interest of India. Modi is planning to attack Pakistan with the help of Israel because India wants to turn Kashmir into another Gaza. Now some pro-Indian Kashmiri leaders like Farooq Abdullah are also saying that if India does not resolve the Kashmir dispute through talks, then Kashmir may become another Gaza.
Modi is actually living in a fool’s paradise. He needs a victory against Pakistan before the election in Bihar around October 2025. War against Pakistan or a genocide in Kashmir is becoming his political requirement. He is forgetting one thing. This is not 1971. This is 2025. Pakistan will not allow India and Israel to turn Kashmir into another Gaza. Modi and Netanyahu should stop dreaming of denuclearising Pakistan. They must understand that Pakistan’s Shaheen-III missiles with a range of 2,750km are enough to denuclearise not only India but also Israel.
India can win a war against Pakistan in a Bollywood movie but no more can win a war in reality.
The writer is a senior journalist, anchor, and columnist, associated with Geo News. He posts on X@HamidMirPAK
ISLAMABAD, Jun 30 (APP): Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday said that Pakistan’s stance was recognized and upheld during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, where India was unable to assert its position. Speaking to a private news channel, the minister said that Pakistan’s position was based on facts and justice, which is why it was acknowledged at the SCO platform, despite Indian efforts. He strongly criticized India for what he called “water terrorism”, accusing New Delhi of attempting to hold 240 million Pakistanis hostage by manipulating shared water resources. “No party has the right to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, which remains binding under international law,” he emphasized. Answering a question, he said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political future is in decline, especially after India’s failure on military and diplomatic fronts. He further said that Modi was trying to salvage political respect through fabricated narratives. “After repeated setbacks, Modi’s era of misleading the public is coming to an end,” he stated.
