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2022 order on controversial Peca section ‘in legal limbo’

• Then IHC-CJ Minallah struck down Section 20 via short order, didn’t issue detailed judgement in three years • Files have now been sent back to IHC; legal experts believe he can’t give reasons now as SC judge ISLAMABAD: More than three years after then Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice Athar Minallah struck down Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (Peca), the decision has found itself in a legal limbo as the judge has yet to issue detailed reasoning for his verdict. In his order dated April 8, 2022, Justice Minallah declared illegal the provision — introduced by the PTI government — which expanded the definition of defamation to include criticism against institutions and state authorities and proposed an imprisonment of five years. “The criminalisation of defamation, protection of individual reputations through arrest and imprisonment and the resultant chilling effect violates the letter of the Constitution…,” Justice Minallah had noted in his short...
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Pakistan gets highest coverage of tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis: UN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has achieved its highest-ever coverage of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) at 87 per cent in 2024, and the UN specialised agencies hope Pakistan to launch its human papillomavirus (HPV) in 2025, according to data for 2024 released by Unicef and WHO on Tuesday. The data shows South Asia has reached its highest-ever immunisation coverage for children, according to new data released by WHO and Unicef for 2024. This marks a milestone in the region’s drive to protect every child from vaccine-preventable diseases, the UN agencies say. The new data shows strong government commitments, investments, and partnerships have propelled South Asia to achieve its highest-ever immunisation coverage. In 2024, 92pc of the infants in the region received their third dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, a crucial global indicator of vaccination progress. Pakistan may become the only country in the world having poliovirus, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal...
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3 children killed, 5 people injured as two roofs collapse in KP’s Malakand after heavy rains

Three children were killed and five people were injured as roofs collapsed in two separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand division after heavy rains in the region. Last week, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) alerted the district administrations across KP to the possibility of floods due to a new spell of torrential rains from July 11 to 17. Heavy rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the province in June and are set to continue. Pakistan experiences monsoon rainfall from June to September every year. The heavy rains also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. Lower Dir Rescue 1122 spokesperson Abdur Rehman told Dawn.com today, “An under-construction mud house roof collapsed, burying four children underneath debris.” He said the incident occurred at the Shahi Moro Barawal area along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Lower Dir. According to the Rescue 1122...
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Fazl not willing to join ‘regime change’ efforts

• JUI-F chief says that despite their differences, he won’t stoop to PTI’s level of discourse • Asks why state institutions have failed to ensure peace in KP CHARSADDA: Expressing his reluctance to join any attempt to bring about a regime change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Monday that a no-trust vote may not be possible, given how the fragmented nature of the opposition in the provincial assembly. “The opposition is busy trying to disqualify one another in courts. Even the PML-N has taken us to court,” the JUI-F chief mused during a visit to Charsadda. He was talking to reporters during a visit to the area where he inquired after the health of party’s district emir and former legislator Maulana Gohar Shah. “They should reflect on who is benefitting from their actions. One must think a hundred times before aligning with such an opposition,” he said. The JUI-F chief also downplayed the possibility of bringing a no-confidence motion against the incumbent PT...
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US defence department awards contracts to Google, Musk’s xAI

OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google, Anthropic and Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI have won contracts of up to $200 million each, aimed at scaling up adoption of advanced AI capabilities in the United States Department of Defence (DoD), the government agency said on Monday. The contracts will enable the DoD to develop agentic AI workflows and use them to address critical national security challenges, the department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office said. “The adoption of AI is transforming the [DoD’s] ability to support our warfighters and maintain strategic advantage over our adversaries,” Chief Digital and AI Officer Doug Matty said. US government agencies have been expanding their use of AI, driven by a White House order in April promoting adoption. President Donald Trump has also moved to soften regulations on technology by revoking a 2023 Biden-era executive order, which sought to reduce AI risks through mandatory data disclosures. Separately on Monday, xAI announced a suite ...
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Faisal Kundi, Amir Muqam confer on KP situation

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) KP President Amir Muqam at Governor House and discussed upcoming meeting of opposition leaders in the province. Amid reports of a possible change of PTI-led government in KP, a PML-N source told Dawn that Mr Kundi has planned a meeting of opposition leaders at Governor House soon. The Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) has opposed any change of provincial government through a presidential order, Governor’s Rule, but did not rule out a constitutional and parliamentary way like a ‘no-confidence motion’, JUI-F leader Maulana Ghafoor Haideri said on Sunday. The source said Gover­nor Kundi and Amir Muqam discussed the possible change in KP as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to seek the support of oppo­sition leaders in the province to achieve the goal. Meanwhile, Mr Kundi visited the residence of former PTI leader and incumbent adviser to the PM Pervez ...
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Sinner downs Alcaraz to win first Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner downed defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon title, gaining sweet revenge for his painful defeat in the French Open final. The world number one is the first Italian to win at the All England Club and now has four Grand Slams to his name at the age of 23. The tennis world has been captivated by the emergence of the new rivalry to follow the storied “Big Three” era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz have now shared the past seven Grand Slam titles between them, with the Italian winning four of those. Defeat in Paris last month was a bitter blow for Sinner, who led by two sets and squandered three match points in the final. Prior to Sunday’s victory, he had lost five consecutive times against Alcaraz, including the final of the Italian Open in the first tournament he played after returning from a three-month doping ban . But this time, he turn...
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