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340 Alawite civilians killed by Syrian security forces, allies: monitor

A Syria war monitor reported on Saturday that more than 300 civilians from the Alawite minority have been killed in recent days by security forces and their allies, as authorities clash with militants loyal to the former government of Bashar al-Assad. Restoring security has been one of the most complex tasks for Syria’s new authorities, installed after forces ousted Assad — himself an Alawite — in a lightning offensive in December. They are now facing their fiercest attacks yet by members of the Assad clan’s Alawite minority and have launched a major counter-operation in the ethnic group’s Mediterranean heartland. Deadly clashes on Thursday triggered the security operation, after previous tensions in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday that “340 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal regions of Syria and the Latakia mountains by security forces and allied groups” since then. The Observatory indicated they were killed in “executions” car...
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WhatsApp group admin shot dead in Peshawar for allegedly removing member

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting the administrator of a community WhatsApp group who removed him from the chat, police said on Saturday. Mushtaq Ahmed was shot dead on Thursday evening in Peshawar, a province that borders Afghanistan, having a history of bloody violence . A man named only as Ashfaq has been charged with his murder, according to police documents seen by AFP and a local police official. Mushtaq allegedly kicked Ashfaq out of the WhatsApp group following an argument, according to a statement by Mushtaq’s brother seen by AFP . He said that both parties had arranged to meet and reconcile but alleges that Ashfaq turned up with a gun and opened fire, killing his brother. Ashfaq was angry “in reaction to removal from WhatsApp group,” according to his statement. The availability of firearms , the influence of tribal customs, and sometimes weak law enforcement contribute to the frequency of such incidents . from The Dawn News - Home https://i...
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CM Maryam catches flak for ‘humiliating’ Lahore’s Mayo Hospital medical superintendent

LAHORE: A video clip showing Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz snubbing the medical superintendent of the Mayo Hospital went viral on Friday, drawing criticism for her “public humiliation” of a senior doctor, with some suggesting she should empower and task the health ministers to improve the service delivery at public hospitals in the province instead of indulging in “political stunts”. During her visit to the hospital on Thursday, the CM had ordered removal of its chief executive officer (CEO) Dr Asghar Nauman and medical superintendent Prof Dr Faisal Masood on complaints of some patients regarding the non-availability of medicines , besides poor treatment and sanitation conditions at the major healthcare facility. PML-N lawmaker Hina Pervez Butt uploaded the video on her X account in which CM Maryam was seen snubbing the senior medic in front of a team of her party fellows and bureaucrats. X users suggest funds used for CM’s publicity could be diverted to hospitals “Are you M...
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India football great Chhetri comes out of retirement aged 40

Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri will return to the national team at age 40 in an unexpected reversal of his decision to hang up his boots last year . The former captain, the fourth-highest men’s international goalscorer of all time, played his last match for India in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier. Chhetri said last year that “instinct” told him the match against Kuwait should be his last, and he bowed out in front of nearly 59,000 fans in Kolkata. But on Thursday, India head coach Manolo Marquez announced the return of India’s most-capped player for the March international window. India are out of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and are now targeting the Asian Cup in 2027. “The qualification for the Asian Cup is very crucial for us. Given the importance of the tournament and the matches ahead, I discussed with Sunil Chhetri about making a comeback to strengthen the national team,” Marquez said in a statement from the All India Football Federation. “He agreed, and so w...
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Punjab home department releases list of proscribed organisations

The Punjab home department on Friday released a list of proscribed organisations and urged citizens not to give charity to these unregistered and banned charities. The process of maintaining a list of proscribed organisations started on Aug 14, 2001, when the state banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Mohammad Pakistan. On Jan 14, 2002, the government banned Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehreek-i-Islami, and Tehreek-i-Nifaz Shariat-i-Mohammadi. “Providing any kind of assistance to banned organisations is a crime under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997,” the Punjab government statement said. It added that those assisting banned organisations involved in terrorism and anti-state activities would be punished by the law. “Registration with the Punjab Charity Commission is mandatory for charitable organisations in Punjab,” the statement continued. Citizens should give their zakat, charity and donations only to organisations registered with the Punjab Charity...
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LHC issues notices on PTI’s plea against Punjab govt’s promotional supplement

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday issued notices on a petition filed by the PTI against the Punjab government for alleged “wastage of public funds” through a recent extensive promotional supplement. A 60-page newspaper supplement was published in most national dailies on Feb 26, 2025, highlighting the Punjab government’s performance in its first year under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. While the supplement generated debate and questions on social media, including from a PPP leader, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari defended it and dismissed the criticism from the PTI as “propaganda”. Today, Justice Farooq Haider took up the petition filed by Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar on March 3 through Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi. Subsequently, the judge issued notices to the respondents in the case — namely the Punjab government, its information department, and the Public Relations Directorate General. In his petition, Bhachar had requested that th...
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Country to review 18pc tax on packaged milk, says food security minister

National Food Security & Research Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges in the dairy sector, referring to reviewing the impact of the 18 per cent general sales tax on packaged milk. According to a Press Information Department (PID) press release , Hussain met a delegation from the Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA) to “discuss key challenges faced by the dairy sector”. According to the statement, the meeting focused on the need to boost investment in dairy farms and review the 18pc GST on packaged milk. The previously tax-exempt packaged milk is now taxed at 18pc, making it more costly than in France, Australia, and Amsterdam. A Bloomberg article compares that in dollar terms, a litre of packaged milk costs $1.33 compared with $1.29 in Amsterdam, $1.23 in Paris, and $1.08 in Melbourne. The hike in packaged milk prices in Pakistan has raised serious concerns about the nation’s already prevalent malnutrition issues. Acco...
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