Category: 1. Pakistan

A German court ruled on Tuesday that the government must issue visas to an Afghan family previously accepted under a programme for those at risk after the Taliban seized power in 2021.

The new government under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has frozen the programme, but Berlin’s administrative court said the family had been given a “legally binding” commitment and must be allowed to travel to Germany.

About 2,500 Afghans with similar approvals are estimated to be in Pakistan waiting to be able to travel to Germany.

The programme was set up for those who worked with Germany’s army or other institutions in Afghanistan, as well as journalists and activists judged to be threatened by the Taliban.

However, the new government under Merz — who made a crackdown on immigration one of his key election pledges — has said in its coalition agreement it wants to end the programme “as far as possible”.

The family concerned by Tuesday’s decision is currently in Pakistan and had lodged an urgent appeal, telling the court they were about to be deported to Afghanistan where they would be in fear of their lives.

The family was given approval to come to Germany in 2023 under the programme.

They then applied to the German embassy in Islamabad for visas but these have not been issued.

The court said the government had the right “to decide whether and under what conditions the admission programme for Afghan nationals will be continued” and could “abstain from new approvals during this decision process”.

But “it cannot release itself” from approvals which have already been given, it said.

According to the last update given about the scheme given in April 2024, more than 33,000 Afghans have travelled to Germany under the programme.

ISLAMABAD:

A local court in Islamabad has ordered to block 27 channels accused of “disseminating fake and misleading information against state institutions”, it stated in an order on Tuesday.

Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah issued a two-page written order on a petition filed by the the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The court found the agency’s evidence to be satisfactory and ruled that the matter merited legal action under existing laws.

The NCCIA launched an inquiry into the matter on June 2 with the approval of the competent authority.

Sub-Inspector Waseem Khan of the Cyber Crime Reporting Centre of NCCIA’s informed the court on June 24 that the agency was investigating several YouTube channels involved in spreading “false, defamatory, and fake” content against state institutions and their officials.

He told the court that the content being circulated was “likely to cause fear, panic, disorder or unrest in society” and included “highly intimidating, provocative and derogatory” remarks. He further alleged that the channels aimed to provoke the public and armed forces personnel and create “ill-will among pillars of the state.”

The investigation revealed that 27 channels were involved in the public dissemination of such material.

The agency subsequently sought permission to block these YouTube channels under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, requesting that a legal order be issued to Google LLC, the parent company of YouTube, for their removal and blocking.

After reviewing the request and accompanying evidence, the court concluded that it was convinced the facts presented and the evidence submitted by the inquiry officer constituted “offences punishable” under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and the Penal Laws of Pakistan.

The written order also directed the Officer-in-Charge at YouTube to block/remove the identified channels.

The channels blocked by the court are affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as well as those run by journalists Moeed Pirzada, Asad Ali Toor, Ahmed Noorani, Matiullah Jan, Imran Riaz Khan, Sabir Shakir, and Aftab Iqbal.

The federal government on Tuesday approved the import of half a million tonnes of sugar in a bid to maintain affordable prices of the commodity.

A day earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had emphasised the need for a coordinated policy approach to ensure market stability for essential commodities and food items.

He chaired a committee meeting today to assess the sugar situation in the country and evaluate import requirements.

“The committee approved the import of up to 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar to ensure a stable supply and maintain affordable prices nationwide,” said a statement posted on X.

Dar stressed the government’s commitment towards “price stability and safeguarding consumer interests”, the statement said.

The meeting was attended by the food minister, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, the secretary of the food ministry, senior officials from the Ministry of Industries and Production, and industry representatives.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research said in a press release that the government would import sugar and all arrangements were complete, with immediate implementation being initiated.

“This step was taken to maintain balance in sugar prices. The approach to importing sugar represents a different and clearly better strategy than that of past governments. In the past, subsidies were often relied on to create an artificial shortage of sugar, burdening the national treasury. The current government decided to export sugar at a time when sugar was available in abundance,” the ministry said.

It added that sugar was now being imported to stabilise prices.

Last month, the Sugar Advisory Board approved the import of 500,000 tonnes of the commodity, amid concerns over supply chain disruptions and alleged non-compliance by millers.

In March, Dar said that retail sugar prices should not exceed Rs164 after the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) warned sugar mills against price manipulation. Dar said that according to news reports, there was a spike in sugar prices to Rs178 -179, which was “obviously not tolerable” to the prime minister.

The same month, the federal government had decided to import raw sugar to “stabilise prices” in the country.

Acting Chief Justice says fundamental rights are at risk due to unchecked climate change.

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Updated On: Tue, 08 Jul 2025

21:10:04 PKT

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, has emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive national climate change policy, warning that fundamental rights are currently at risk due to environmental degradation.

Speaking at a seminar on climate change, he highlighted the devastating impacts of the 2022 floods, extreme temperatures, and weather anomalies, all of which he linked to the escalating climate crisis.

Justice Shah criticised the isolation in which institutions like the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) are forced to operate, despite their critical role.

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He also pointed out that Pakistan lags behind in climate science and stressed the importance of advancing knowledge and action in this field. “We must take responsibility for our future,” he said, urging immediate attention to climate resilience and adaptation.