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Top stories from Mardan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Mardan Medical Complex opens new children’s ward
The 40-bed ward adds a neonatal unit and a separate emergency for children.
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Sugarcane growers demand early crushing season
Growers say delays push them to sell to middlemen at lower rates.
Landmine drifting from Indian side kills four youths near LoC in AJK
Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol next to a stream near the Line of Control at Sabjiyan sector of the occupied Poonch district, August 8, 2013. — Reuters
Educational institutions in Peshawar to remain open on Tuesday, BRT services to be restored
All educational institutions in Peshawar will remain open on Tuesday, a statement by the city’s deputy commissioner (DC) has announced. The statement, posted on Facebook, urged the public not to pay heed to any “fake notification or rumours” in this regard. Educational institutions in Khyber…
Omani FM to visit Pakistan from Oct 13-14, will attend Joint Ministerial Commission session
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi will undertake an official two-day visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday. According to a statement issued by the FO, Albusaidi’s visit, taking place at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar,…
Pakistan eye clean sweep as Sri Lanka seek consolation in final T20I
Pakistan will look to complete a commanding series whitewash when they face Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, with captain Sahibzada Farhan keen to see his side continue its aggressive approach after two emphatic victories. Having…
Russian interior minister arrives in Pakistan on four-day visit
Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokolstev arrived in Pakistan on Monday and would hold “important meetings” with the leadership here, according to a statement by the interior ministry. The statement said Kolokolstev was undertaking the four-day visit at the invitation of Interior Minister…
KP's policies will come from Islamabad now, not Kabul, says Kundi
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Monday that gone were the days when there would be no coordination between the Centre and the province, adding that “our policies will now come from Islamabad, not Kabul”. “Gone are the days when there was no coordination between the Centre and…
Achakzai draws Balochistan parallel as he flays Centre over governor's rule in KP
National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday drew a comparison between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, criticising the government’s move to impose emergency and governor’s rule in the former. The federal government on Sunday imposed emergency in 12 districts of KP, and…
Sohail Afridi, KP assembly speaker in preventative custody: police
Non-functional Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Sohail Afridi, and some of his cabinet members are in preventative custody, officials confirmed on Monday. The PTI had reported their detention on Sunday, shortly after the Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule in the province under Articles…
One killed, 19 injured in Israel as explosion hits school trip near Lebanon border
A boy was killed in an explosion that injured around 19 others during a school trip in northern Israel near the Lebanese border on Monday, according to Defence Minister Israel Katz. The explosion occurred as a group of Israeli high school students hiked near the Lebanese border, with unexploded…
US authorities raid Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's home following probe into immigration documents
US authorities conducted a predawn Monday raid on the Washington-area home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar as part of an ongoing investigation, the Justice Department said. The raid followed a criminal fraud investigation into the Somali-born lawmaker’s immigration paperwork, which was…
KP apex committee vows decisive anti-terror steps
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi address a joint press conference following a provincial apex committee meeting on October 12, 2026. — YouTube/Geo News/screengrab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Apex Committee on Monday directed all...
2 Pakistan Army pilots martyred as training aircraft crashes in Quetta: ISPR
Two Pakistan Army pilots were martyred on Monday after a training aircraft crashed in Quetta due to a technical fault, the military’s media wing affairs said. In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “[At] midday, a Mushshak training aircraft of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed…
High-level Brazil delegation meets CDF Munir; both sides agree to bolster military collaboration
Pakistan and Brazil on Monday agreed to bolster their military-to-military cooperation as a high-level delegation from the Latin American country called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. According to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations…
Islamabad ATC directs authorities to allow Imaan, Hadi to meet their legal team in jail
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday directed jail authorities to allow lawyers representing human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to meet them in prison as the couple raised concerns over their access to their legal counsel and the fairness of…
Closure of Riyadh airport extended after deadly Houthi strikes
Saudi authorities said on Monday they were extending the suspension of operations at the international airport in the capital, Riyadh, after deadly weekend attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. Operations at King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia’s second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended…
Islamabad court grants police 5-day remand of suspect in case of suicide over visa fraud
ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate on Monday handed over the main suspect to police on a five-day physical remand in a case related to the suicide of a young woman who was allegedly defrauded. The 20-year-old student, identified as Laiba Aijaz, allegedly died by suicide last week after a person…
Thousands march in India's capital to demand resignation of election chief over alleged misconduct
Thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of India’s election chief over alleged misconduct during a voter roll revision, in the latest showdown with authorities in the heavily fortified capital. The revision of voter rolls has resulted in more than 133…
Two Pakistan Army pilots martyred as training aircraft crashes in Quetta: ISPR
This collage shows martyred Pakistan Army Aviation pilots Capt Abdul Samad and Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun. — ISPRTwo Pakistan Army Aviation pilots were martyred when a Mushshak training aircraft crashed near Nawan Killi in Quetta district on Monday, according to the Inter-Services Public...
How startups are betting on AI to predict the future
Several startups are betting that they can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to make better forecasts than even the most specialised experts when it comes to topics as varied as stock market movements, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, or how a Shakira song will perform on music charts. By…
'Wake-up call for the world' as UN global poverty index rises for first time since 2010
A United Nations global poverty index has risen for the first time since its creation in 2010, bringing the number of people affected to 1.2 billion, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported Monday. In the 2026 edition of their annual report, the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and…
LHC directs jail authorities to provide heart medication to Imran's sister Uzma
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed jail authorities to provide heart medication to Dr Uzma Khan, sister of PTI founder and former premier Imran Khan. Imran’s three sisters, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma, have been in detention for nearly three weeks under the Maintenance of…
DPM Dar defends emergency and governor's rule in KP, says measures not politically motivated
A day after the government imposed governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar defended the move, saying it was not politically motivated but instead taken to curb terrorism. DPM Dar made the comments while addressing a seminar in…
DPM Dar cautions Taliban regime of consequences for inaction against terror outfits
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar addresses a seminar in Islamabad, October 12, 2026. — Screengrab via YouTube/Geo NewsDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday cautioned the Afghan Taliban regime that continued inaction against terrorists operating...
Pakistan looking to raise more than $1bn under govt push for privatisation, says finance minister
The government is looking to push for the privatisation of five to six entities that could raise upwards of $1 billion, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Reuters on Monday, stating that he expected the economy to grow by more than 4 per cent this fiscal year despite elevated oil prices.…
Another slain seaman’s family seeks return of his remains
KARACHI: Just days after kidnapped sailors from MT Honour 25 were reunited with their families, another Pakistani seafarer’s family is seeking the return of his mortal remains, following his demise after his ship came under attack near the Strait of Hormuz last month. Muhammad Hammad Obaida, a…
Unease among Punjab police personnel on reports of deployment in KP
LAHORE: The concerns of the Punjab Police personnel, already facing issues of bad food and missing facilities during deployment in Rawalpindi division to counter the PTI march, further deepened on Sunday on the ‘rumours’ that 25,000 of the total 40,000 would be moved from Attock (Punjab) to Khyber…
Pakistani national killed, 11 wounded as Riyadh airport hit by Houthi strike
A fresh Houthi strike hit Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday, killing one person — a Pakistani resident — and wounding 11 others, a day after another deadly attack claimed by the Yemeni group forced authorities to suspend operations there. Saturday’s attack, the deadliest on Saudi soil in…
Textile makers warn of steep decline in exports from Oct to Dec
• Pakistan Textile Exporters Association cites weak Western demand, higher freight, rising production costs • Exporters seek 6-8pc Duty Drawback of Local Taxes and Levies support, clearance of outstanding refunds • Industry says announced 4.5pc Export Finance Scheme rate yet to be implemented…
Takht Bhai monastery to open after dark for tourists
Lighting installed along the main stairway and courtyards.
Punjab authorities reject fake notices of province-wide shcool, colleges shutdown
LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department clarified that no decision had been made to suspend classes across the province, describing the circulating notification as fake and urging the public not to be misled.The Punjab Higher Education Department also dismissed a separate fake notification...
Board announces intermediate exam dates
Annual exams to start in the last week of April.
AWKUM announces spring semester schedule
Classes begin on 2 February; fee deadline is 20 January.
Ten things to do in Mardan this weekend
Book fair, heritage walk, a cricket final and the best chapli kabab in town.
Load-shedding cut to 4 hours on city feeders: PESCO
Rural feeders to follow once the new grid station is energised.
Govt imposes emergency, governor's rule in KP amid security concerns
President Asif Ali Zardari signs a bill in this undated picture. — APP/FilePresident Asif Ali Zardari approved the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, following a recommendation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in response to the...
Mardan Board supplementary results on 20 Oct
Results will be available online and by SMS.
PTI condemns emergency, governor's rule in KP, urges Centre to reverse decision
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan addresses a press conference at the party's office in Islamabad, on February 10, 2024. — ReutersPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Sunday criticised the federal government's move to impose emergency and governor's rule in Khyber...
Security forces kill 12 terrorists, Afghan Taliban personnel in foiled Kurram infiltration bid
Pakistani soldiers patrol at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman, Balochistan province on March 19, 2026. — AFPSecurity forces killed 12 khwarij and Afghan Taliban personnel while thwarting an attempted cross-border infiltration in Kurram district, and a Pakistan Army soldier embraced...
Six Pakistanis injured in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport
Security guards stand outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad in this undated image. — AFP/FileISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday strongly condemned the Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which left six Pakistani nationals...
Mardan’s best chapli kabab — readers vote
More than 3,000 readers voted; the winner may surprise you.
Federal government decides to impose emergency in KP amid PTI march, say sources
President Asif Ali Zardari , Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and others present during a meeting in Islamabad on October 10, 2026. — PIDThe federal government has decided to impose an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march towards Islamabad, said...