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• Senators ask why LLM development initiative was not open to other stakeholders from industry, academia • Committee discusses bill to establish legal, ethical framework for AI regulation ISLAMABAD: A Senate standing committee on on Thursday questioned the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication over its apparent collaboration with a mobile service provider and a public sector university in a project that aims to develop an indigenous Large Language Model (LLM). LLMs are trained on immense amount of data to make them capable of generating responses based on the input prompt. They are at the back of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek. The IT ministry has collaborated with Jazz and the National University of Sciences and Technology to produce Pakistan’s first LLM. Chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication expressed concern that the ministry had apparently excluded other capable ...

A girl was rescued by locals while two were still missing after falling into the Indus River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district on Thursday, according to the police. Puran Circle Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Usman Munir told Dawn.com : “The young girls had gone to the river to fetch water for domestic use, but suddenly, due to the fast flow of the river, the sand and mud collapsed and swept them away,” adding that the incident occurred in the Kamach area. He said one of the girls was rescued by some residents present at the river’s bank in the area. The SDPO said a search operation was launched in the area by Rescue 1122, but the flow of water in the river was too high. Ibadullah Khan, a local activist, said that there was no Rescue 1122 outpost in the area. “Locals had no alternative source of potable water but to fetch it from the river and such accidents were common in the area”, he said. On Wednesday, at least four people drowned , and one child went missing afte...

• 70pc quota for govt, 30pc for private operators allocated in new Haj policy • AI policy aims to train 1m professionals by 2030 • New building codes for all new structures with more than 4 floors; rainwater systems mandatory for residential, commercial & industrial structures • Ex-mill sugar rate fixed at Rs165/kg, retail price at Rs173/kg ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Wednesday took several key decisions, including the approval of Haj Policy for 2026, National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy and the Green Building Code of Pakistan. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif fixed ex-mill rate and retail price of sugar at Rs165 and Rs173 per kilogram, respectively, amid the nationwide shortage of the commodity. Presided over by PM Shehbaz, the cabinet approved the Haj Policy for the next year, allocating a 70 per cent quota to the government and 30pc to private operators. Notably, private companies that failed to fulfill their responsibilities in the previous year wil...

A formidable new radar satellite jointly developed by the United States and India launched on Wednesday, designed to track subtle changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces and help predict both natural and human-caused hazards. Dubbed NISAR (Nasa-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), the pickup truck-sized spacecraft blasted off around 5:40pm (5:10pm PKT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India’s southeastern coast, riding an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket. A livestream of the event showed excited schoolchildren brought to watch the launch and mission teams erupting in cheers and hugging. Highly anticipated by scientists, the mission has also been hailed by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a milestone in growing cooperation between the two countries. “Congratulations India!” Dr Jitendra Singh, India’s science and technology minister, wrote on X, calling the mission a “game changer”. “Our planet’s surface undergoes constan...

• Seat falls vacant after order • Chitral MNA decries conviction based on ‘political vendetta’ • Gohar warns commission to stick to Constitution • ECP official says appeals process remains open ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified Abdul Latif, a PTI MNA from the NA-1 constituency (Upper and Lower Chitral), raising questions over the haste with which a flurry of similar decisions have been taken in recent days. The move comes just a day after three other PTI lawmakers were disqualified, including a senator and the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly. In a notification, the ECP said that under its July 29 order, Mr Latif was disqualified in accordance with Article 63(1h) of the Constitution. His seat in the National Assembly has become vacant following the disqualification. In May, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad sentenced Mr Latif and four others to 27 years in prison for their involvement in the May 9, 2023, attack...

KARACHI: The government seems willing to fast-track the adoption of crypto currencies for banks, foreign exchange comp­anies and gold trading, sources told Dawn after a high-level meeting on Tuesday. A day earlier, representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan, finance min­istry, commercial banks and exchange companies met with senior security officials to discuss steps to bring down the dollar price, stabilise the exch­ange rate and stop the smuggling of US currency to Afghanistan and Iran. Another meeting, held on Tuesday, was dominated by the crypto agenda and saw Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) CEO Bilal Bin Saqib gave a presentation on the usage of virtual currencies in Pakistan. In May, Mr Saqib was appointed the PM’s special assistant on blockchain and cryptocurrency, with the status of a minister of state. “We were told that the cryptos are the future currency for the changed economic world,” said a banker, on condition of anonymity. He said the presentation and subs...

QUETTA: Dozens of students enrolled in different religious schools in Iran have been stranded at the Gabd border for two days, waiting to cross over. Some of them returned to the country during Muha­­rram, others had fled the Iran-Israel war a month ago; and nearly all of them possess valid travel documents issued by the Iranian government. But the border crossing, located almost 70km from the port city of Gwadar, has remained closed since the Iran-Israel conflict broke out. The stranded individuals have been staying in hotels and other lodgings, while immigration officials await ‘fresh orders’ to process their exit. The recent bar on travelling to Iraq and Iran by road has only complicated matters. An official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), posted at the Gabd border, said the students had valid travel documents, but they could not be allowed to cross, as the border was still closed. “No fresh order has been issued by the Pakistani authorities concerned for opening th...

The Bajaur administration imposed a three-day curfew at 16 places of the district on Tuesday and initiated an operation against militants in the areas. Bajaur District Police Officer Waqas Rafiq confirmed the development to Dawn.com . A notification in this regard issued by Bajaur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shahid Ali Khan said there was a need to impose restrictions on all kinds of movement on the main roads and outside houses at Badi Siah, Tarkho, Irab, Gat, Agra, Khurchai, Dawagai, Kalan, Legharai, Kitkot, Gillai, Nakhtar, Zarai, Dambarai, Amanata and Zagai area of Tehsil Loe Mamund to prevent any untoward incidents as recommended by the Bajaur District Intelligence Coordination Committee to ensure public safety during targeted actions against militants. The DC imposed a ban on all kinds of movement of individuals outside houses, on roads, vehicles and all forms of traffic on all roads at the above villages with effect from 5am today till 5pm on July 31 (Thursday) under Section 144...

THIS screengrab shows Khalid Nisar Dogar (centre) striking Ehsaan Riaz during Monday’s proceedings. • PTI’s Khalid Dogar suspended for slapping treasury MPA; Sheikh Imtiaz punished for ‘pointing out quorum’ • Opposition lawmakers ‘accosted’ by two unidentified men on assembly premises after addressing presser • ECP disqualifies three PTI lawmakers following their conviction in May 9 cases LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday desc­e­nded into chaos, mar­ked by physical altercations, walkouts by the opposition, and heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition lawmakers over alleged political victimisation as well as the arrest of PTI opposition leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar following his conviction in a May 9 case. The session was abruptly disrupted when oppo­sition member Kha­l­id Nisar Dogar slapped treasury MPA Ehsaan Riaz during a discussion bet­ween Deputy Opp­osition Leader Moin Qur­eshi and Acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar. At this, Law Minister Sohaib Bherth, As...

KHYBER/KARACHI: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has claimed that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was “in contact” with the “relevant administration” over the shooting of protesters in Tirah. Seven people were fired at after a demonstration outside the Brigade Headquarters in Bagh-Maidan Markaz on Sunday against the death of a minor girl in a mortar strike. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had condemned the “firing on peaceful citizens by khawarij” — the state’s terminology for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Paki­stan (TTP). However, sources and eyewitnesses said security personnel guarding the installation had reportedly opened fire to control the crowd after the demonstration took a violent turn. Bar Qambarkhel tribesmen march against militant presence in restive valley A number of those who lost their lives on Sunday were laid to rest in the Bagh Markaz and Peer Mela localities of Tirah. Besides the seven deaths, at least 16 people sustained gunshot wounds. There has been no ...

The Punjab Assembly session on Monday was thrown into chaos when two brawls erupted between lawmakers, leading to the suspension of a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), according to a Dawn.com correspondent present at the scene. Earlier today, opposition member Khalid Nisar Dogar struck ruling PML-N’s Hasan Riaz during the session, before the two were separated by other lawmakers. Footage of the incident has since gone viral. View this post on Instagram Acting speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar called the altercation “highly inappropriate”. According to the correspondent, the session was adjourned until 2pm on Tuesday by Channar, who summoned government and opposition MPAs to his chambers. He suspended Dogar for 15 sessions under Rule 210 (power to order withdrawal of members or suspend sitting) of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1997. Speaking to reporters following the fracas, Riaz called it “a dark ...

BUNIA: More than 35 people were killed on Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, sources said. The ADF, originally formed from former Ugandan rebels and which pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, complained residents of Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. “Last night around 9pm, we heard gunfire near the parish church... so far we have seen 35 bodies,” Dieudonne Katanabo, an Umoja neighbourhood elder, said. “We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured... some young people were kidnapped, we have no news of them,” Father Aime Lokana Dhego, parish priest of the Blessed Anuarite parish of Komanda, said. The priest added that seven other bodies had been discovered in the town. Likewise attributing the attack to “ADF rebels”, Christophe Munyanderu,...

• Rs115m disbursed under LJCP’s initiative among over 7,000 deserving litigants since 2012 • SCBA president hopes move will reduce gaps between case hearings A RECENT move by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) to expand free legal aid initiatives to all levels of the judiciary is expected to come as a blessing for scores of litigants, whose inability to engage experienced counsel could’ve otherwise delayed their cases indefinitely. The initiative, recently anno­unced by the commission led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, expands the legal aid facility, which was earlier only available in the lower judiciary. Now, litigants can avail this facility from the magistrate courts right up to the superior judiciary. Since 2012, around Rs115 million have been provided to underprivileged people to help cover the cost of pursuing cases in courts. The funds were provided by the District Legal Empowerment Committees (DLECs), an initiative aimed at ensuring univ...

• New York meeting to be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia next week • Israel and US to skip conference; 11 more Palestinians killed • UK plans to airdrop aid, evacuate injured children from Gaza UNITED NATIONS: Fired by France’s imminent recognition of Palestinian statehood, UN members meet next week to breathe life into the push for a two-state solution as Israel, expected to be absent, presses its war in Gaza. Days before the July 28-30 conference on fostering Israeli and Palestinian states living peacefully side-by-side to be co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognise the State of Palestine in September. His declaration “will breathe new life into a conference that seemed destined to irrelevance,” said Richard Gowan, an analyst at International Crisis Group. “Macron’s announcement changes the game. Other participants will be scrabbling to decide if they should also declare an intent to recognise Palesti...

SWAT/KO­HAT/LAKKI MAR­WAT: Three key militants were killed on Friday evening during an intelligence-based joint operation by Swat police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), while one militant each was killed in separate encounters in Kohat and Karak, officials said on Saturday. According to Swat police, the operation was launched following credible intelligence regarding the presence of high-profile militants in the area. When law enforcement personnel moved in, the suspects opened fire, prompting a retaliatory response. All three militants were killed in the ensuing exchange. Among the deceased was Ajmal alias Waqas, a resident of Malook Abad, wanted in at least nine terrorism-related cases. The second was identified as Matiullah alias Ishaq and Junaid, son of Ibrat Shah from Dabb Sar Martung in Shangla district, wanted in two cases. The third, Rahimullah Rehmani alias Rohullah, son of Amanullah and a resident of Sheray, Nuristan, in Afghanistan, was also wanted in two sepa...

• Describes lower courts as ‘most valuable component’ of Pakistan’s judicial system • Emphasises institutional support for judges while expecting district judiciary to uphold diligence, humility, empathy, and discipline • Terms ethical integration of AI in court systems top priority ISLAMABAD: Describing the district judiciary as the most precious jewel in the crown of Pakistan’s judicial system, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Friday unveiled a road map for safeguarding the judges from external influences by empowering, protecting and providing institutional support to ensure independent discharge of their duties. “It is my dream to see an aggrieved citizen walk confidently into the court of magistrate or a civil court in his own local town instead of being burdened to appr­oach the high court or the Supreme Court for seeking redressal of his grievances,” CJP observed while speaking at a symposium marking the International Day for Judicial Wellbeing under the theme...

• Fifth monsoon spell to hit Punjab; urban flooding feared • Landslides may block roads in Murree, Galiyat, GB, AJK • Karakoram Highway blocked again; tourists evacuated via C-130 flights RAWALPINDI / LAHORE / GILGIT: The Pakistan Meteo­rological Department (PMD) has forecast another spell of monsoon rains across the country from July 29 to 31, urging provincial and district administrations to take precautionary measures. According to the Met Office, weak monsoon currents are continuously penetrating the upper and central parts of the country and are likely to intensify next week. A westerly wave is expected to approach on July 29. Rain accompanied by wind and isolated heavy showers is expected in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur) and Gilgit-Baltistan (Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar) from July 27 to 31 with occasional gaps. In Khyber Pakhtunkhw...

ISLAMABAD: The fin­ancial advisor for the privatisation of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York has resigned, forcing the Pri­vatisation Commission to look for a new firm. A leading global real estate services firm, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), acting as financial adviser for the hotel’s privatisation, has cited a “potential conflict of interest” for its decision. JLL, which had recommended the joint venture model for the Roosevelt, a 1,015-room historic hotel in Midtown Manhattan, has conveyed its decision to the Privatisation Commission. Announcing the resignation, the Privatisation Commission said on Thursday it was initiating the process to hire a new financial adviser on a fast-track basis to ensure that the privatisation of Roosevelt Hotel proceeds “in a transparent and competitive manner”. JLL has cited “hei­ghtened interest” in the hotel from many of its own clients and cancellation of its lease agreement with New York City as reasons for the decision to withdr­­aw from the assi...

• Achakzai says MPC ‘not symbolic’, aims to find durable solution to country’s problems • Salman Akram Raja asks people to express discontent on Aug 5 as per law, says Imran being denied legal help • MWM chief warns govt against obstructing protest, says will not stay silent in face of injustice ISLAMABAD: Almost a week after finalising its formal structure, a six-party opposition alliance — including the PTI —said it will organise a multi-party conference in Islamabad on July 31 and Aug 1 to discuss the “deepening constitutional and political crises” and restore “true democratic representation”. In a press conference held in the federal capital on Thursday, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, flanked by other alliance leaders, said it was time for a “serious” national dialogue to steer the country out of the troubled waters. Mr Achakzai emphasised the conference would not be “symbolic”, saying it would bring together political parties, civil socie...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday formed a high-level committee headed by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal to draft recommendations for improving the civil service structure and aligning it with modern-day requirements. Chairing a meeting on civil service reforms, the PM directed the committee to submit comprehensive, reform-oriented proposals within one month after detailed consultations. He directed the committee to develop recommendations regarding the merit-based recruitment of top talent, the development of key performance indicator or KPI-based performance targets for promotions, and the improvement of the Annual Confidential Report system, as well as suggestions for effective alternatives. The recommendations should also include a plan to enhance officers’ capacity through modern technology and systems, he said, stressing that the recommendations must aim to lay the foundation for a sustainable system, ensure improved governance and establish a continuo...