Developing marginal lands – Business
Out of 80 million hectares (mha) of land in Pakistan, around 41 mha is marginal or arid. Marginal land has little or no agricultural or industrial value with minimal potential for profit because of its poor soil or other undesirable characteristics. This type of land is often located at the edge of deserts or other […]
South Korea, Saudi Arabia sign agreement on defence cooperation
SEOUL: South Korea and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding to expand defence cooperation, Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said, as Seoul looks to ink further arms sales in the region. The agreement will see the two establish a joint committee to form a working group for weapons systems research and […]
Slippages in entrenched status quo – Business
The manifestos of major political parties announced just days before the Feb 8 polls display their leadership’s approach to making promises to voters and obtaining their necessary approval without giving enough time for any meaningful public scrutiny. Thus, there is also a missing link of accountability of elected representatives by the voters. An impression has […]
I don’t really think about marriage now: Mikaal Zulfiqar
In a recent interview, celebrated actor Mikaal Zulfiqar opened up about his divorce and his decision to remain single in the foreseeable future. Mikaal, known for his acting performances in Jaise Aapki Marzi and Chauraha, talked about his personal life during a conversation with host Wasi Shah on a talk show. The actor, who finalised […]
PPP, PML-N lock horns over vote-buying allegations – Pakistan
LAHORE: The PML-N and PPP have locked horns over allegations of vote buying against each other while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) awaits the Punjab government’s report on the alleged incident that took place in Lahore on Saturday. Tensions between both the mainstream parties intensified when the PML-N candidate for NA-127 Attaullah Tarar, who […]
10 cops martyred, 6 injured in attack on police station in DI Khan – Pakistan
Ten cops were martyred while six were injured in a late-night attack on the Chodwan police station in Dera Ismail Khan on Monday, police said. The attack comes three days before the general elections are scheduled to take place on February 8 (Thursday). Regional Police Officer (RPO) Nasir Mehmood confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com. “More […]
Estimating the election economy – Business
How much political parties spend on campaigning during elections cannot be estimated with a fair degree of certainty, but it is possible to triangulate approximately how much spending is generated in the run-up to general elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has mandated a spending ceiling of Rs10 million for candidates campaigning for the […]
What to watch for on Feb 8 – Pakistan
PAKISTAN goes to the polls this week in an exceedingly fraught atmosphere marked by uncertainty about the future. In the country’s 12th general election a record number of 128.5 million voters will decide who forms the next government. Punjab, of course, has more voters — 73.2m — than those in the other three provinces put […]
10 cops martyred, 6 injured in attack on DI Khan police station – Pakistan
Ten cops were martyred while six were injured in a late-night attack on the Chodwan police station in Dera Ismail Khan on Monday, police said. The attack comes three days before the general elections are scheduled to take place on February 8 (Thursday). Regional Police Officer (RPO) Nasir Mehmood confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com. “More […]
Two returning officers point out faults in Election Management System – Pakistan
ISLAMABAD / LARKANA: Two election officials have pointed out faults in the Election Management System (EMS), which will be deployed to collect and tabulate the results of February 8 general polls. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to use the system after claiming that the countrywide test run of EMS has been “a […]