Category: 1. Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (APP): Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday informed the Senate that the European Union (EU) had lifted its ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), paving the way for resumption of flights to Paris and other European destinations.

Responding to questions during the session, the minister said the ban imposed after “irresponsible remarks” by a former minister about pilots’ licences had caused unprecedented financial losses to PIA and damaged Pakistan’s international reputation.

He said ten PIA routes had remained suspended for periods ranging from seven months to four years. While some were affected by EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) restrictions, others were halted due to traffic trends and commercial considerations.

Clarifying the fleet position, the minister said PIA had not acquired new aircraft during this period. However, like other global airlines, it diverted planes from low-demand routes to high-demand ones. The suspended routes included Islamabad–Paris, Lahore–Baku, Turbat–Sharjah, Turbat–Al Ain, Gwadar–Muscat, Quetta–Jeddah, Faisalabad–Jeddah, Faisalabad–Madinah, Lahore–Kuwait and Karachi–Peshawar.

During supplementary questions, Senator Dinesh Kumar pointed to the 55-hour delay of PIA flight PK-734 in Paris on August 8, warning that such incidents could affect the airline’s recovery. The minister responded that technical faults were part of routine operations worldwide and the Paris issue was a mechanical fault that had been resolved before resuming service.

Senator Dr. Mayoon Memon noted that several suspended routes — including Sharjah, Al Ain, Muscat, Jeddah and Madinah — were unrelated to the EU ban and urged that flights from smaller cities such as Quetta and Faisalabad not be compromised.

Dr.Fazal Chaudhry reiterated that route decisions were based on profitability, demand and operational viability. He assured the House that PIA was committed to service improvement and the government was considering long-term restructuring options for the airline.

ISLAMABAD:

Earthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) early Tuesday morning, after a 5.2 earthquake struck the region, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a statement.

Tremors were also experienced in Peshawar, Swat, and Abbottabad, PMD confirmed.

 

According to PMD’s alert, the earthquake occurred at 10.20pm PST at a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was located in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges of Afghanistan at a depth of 190 kilometers.

The Provincial Disaster Managemnet of Punjab confirmed there were no casualties or damage reported from anywhere in the province.

”District administrations across Punjab are inspecting buildings as a precautionary measure,” said PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia, adding that the provincial control room and all district emergency operation centers are on alert 24/7.

Read More : Earthquake tremors jolt Islamabad and several regions of Pakistan

The previous incident of this kind occurred in May, when a 5.5-magnitude tremor jolted northern Pakistan, shaking Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several districts across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

Seismologists point out that the Hindu Kush region is prone to deep-focus earthquakes, typically occurring 150 to 250 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.

The Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore has ruled that the May 9 Incident cannot be classified as a peaceful protest under any global standard. Judge Manzer Ali Gill, in his detailed judgment on the Rahat Bakery case, observed that coordinated assaults were carried out in multiple cities at the same time. He said the targets included government offices, military sites, and monuments connected with the armed forces.

The court found evidence that senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had played a role in plotting the violent episodes that followed the arrest of party founder Imran Khan. The verdict noted that the attacks were not spontaneous but planned. As a result, PTI leaders including Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, and Dr Yasmin Rashid were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Judge Gill remarked that protesting itself was never a crime. But once aggression and destruction became part of the action, the very nature of protest changed. He highlighted that across the world, demonstrators march peacefully with placards without damaging public or state property. In Pakistan, however, police stations, army compounds, and state buildings were stormed during the May 9 Incident.

The court also pointed to the abundance of digital evidence still accessible online. Judge Gill said videos, photos, and other content remain available on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, X, and TikTok. He stressed that “just by clicking the link, anyone can still view the tragic scenes in detail.”

During the trial, defence lawyers for the convicted PTI leaders raised over 100 objections to the prosecution’s case. They argued that the evidence was weak and could not hold under scrutiny. They pointed out that none of the accused were named in the first FIR. The document carried no description of their roles, no claim of provocation, and no explanation for the delay in its filing. Lawyers also highlighted contradictions in witness accounts and case timelines.

Defence counsel further stated that no proof was presented of vehicles or property being set ablaze. CCTV footage and call data records were withheld. They argued that CDs and USBs shown in court lacked authentication and were never played back as required by the Supreme Court. According to them, such digital material was legally inadmissible. They also said the punishment amounted to double jeopardy since the same testimonies and evidence were used in other cases.

Two policemen, who testified as “conspiracy witnesses,” also faced tough cross-examination. Head Constable Muhammad Khalid admitted his assignment to monitor PTI leaders at Zaman Park was given orally. He confirmed that no FIR was filed about the alleged meetings. He kept no log of his duty timings, had no recordings, and never returned to the site with investigators.

Sub-Inspector Hassam Afzal gave similar admissions. He said his duty was also assigned verbally. His mobile phone was never seized or checked. He did not carry a phone during visits to Zaman Park. He was unfamiliar with residents around Imran Khan’s residence. He conceded that he neither made any video recordings nor invited others to confirm the gatherings.

The May 9 Incident judgment now stands as a key ruling on how violent protests are handled in Pakistan. The case has underlined the court’s view that political demonstrations turn unlawful the moment violence, conspiracy, and destruction become part of the strategy.

• Wang Yi to co-chair Islamabad dialogue.
• CPEC, trade, peace top agenda in talks.
• First Pakistan visit since India’s May aggression.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Islamabad to co-chair the 6th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue on August 21, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the visit forms part of regular high-level exchanges aimed at further strengthening the “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” between Pakistan and China.

The dialogue will reaffirm mutual support on each other’s core interests, enhance economic and trade cooperation, and underline both countries’ commitment to regional peace, development, and stability.

According to The News, Wang Yi’s engagements will include meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with a focus on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) progress, economic collaboration, regional security, and defence ties. 

The Chinese foreign minister is also expected to meet Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.

This will be Wang Yi’s first visit to Pakistan since India’s cross-border aggression in May last year and comes weeks after his meeting with Field Marshal Munir in Beijing, a development seen as reinforcing the “ironclad” relationship between Islamabad and Beijing.

Diplomatic sources have further indicated that the much-anticipated trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan is expected to take place in Kabul immediately after Wang Yi’s visit.

DPM Dar is likely to accompany him for the talks with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, though officials have not ruled out the possibility of the Afghan foreign minister travelling to Islamabad instead. The discussions are expected to cover regional stability and Pakistan’s security concerns regarding Afghanistan.

Sources noted that some global capitals had attempted to obstruct the trilateral dialogue, but after weeks of negotiations, the three sides agreed to proceed. The meeting is seen as an important step in advancing trilateral cooperation.

Wang Yi’s trip carries significant regional weight as it follows his stop in New Delhi and precedes Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit the country this week for the sixth Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday.

Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership with
ties ranging across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure. The fifth round of Strategic Dialogue in May 2024 was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang in Beijing.

According to the FO’s statement today, “On the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar … Mr Wang Yi is visiting Islamabad for co-chairing the sixth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue on August 21, 2025.”

“The visit is part of the regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China to further deepen their ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’, reaffirm support on the issues of respective core interests, enhance economic and trade cooperation, and reaffirm their joint commitment to regional peace, development and stability,” the statement added.

The development comes during Wang’s ongoing visit to India. During talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday, Wang said that China and India should “view each other as partners and opportunities, rather than adversaries or threats”.

He pointed to the resumption of “dialogue at all levels” and “maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas” as evidence that bilateral ties were on a “positive trend of returning to the main path of cooperation”.

Last month, Dar met with Wang on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation event, where the pair discussed and reaffirmed mutual support in core sectors, including agriculture, mining, industry and security.

“China is ready to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and push forward the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future,” Wang had said.

In February, President Asif Ali Zardari held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, with the two sides vowing to strengthen the Pakistan-China strategic cooperative partnership.

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has released its forecast for the sighting of the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon for the Islamic year 1447 AH.

According to the report, the new moon is expected to be born on August 23, 2025, at 11:06 a.m. By the evening of August 24, it will be over 32 hours old, making it visible under favorable conditions.

Based on this calculation, the first day of Rabi-ul-Awwal is likely to fall on August 25, with 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal expected on Friday, September 5.

The following day, September 6, marks Defence Day, which is commemorated nationwide to honor the sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces. While it is not officially listed as a public holiday, the government may declare one this year in light of Pakistan’s recent victory against India in the May conflict.

With Sunday, September 7, already a weekly holiday, citizens could have three consecutive days off at the start of September — combining religious observance, national commemoration, and the regular weekend break.