Govt announces 45 paisas increase in petrol, Rs1.16 in HSD price for August 14

The federal government on Thursday increased the price of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by 45 paisas and Rs1.16 per litre, respectively, for August 14. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Petroleum, the price of petrol was fixed at Rs325.43 per litre, while HSD would now cost Rs383.95 per litre. The latest revision comes a day after the government decreased the price of petrol by 94 paisas while hiking the price of HSD by 54 paisas per litre for August 13. Read: Govt decreases petrol price by 94 paisas, hikes HSD by 54 paisas for August 13 On July 17, the government introduced a daily fuel price review mechanism amid volatility in global oil prices following renewed hostilities in the Middle East. The daily fuel prices are based on a seven-day average of international market rates to align with international standards. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25, petroleum products constitute one of the country's largest import categories, making the economy highly vulnerable to changes in global crude oil prices. Domestic refineries satisfy only part of national demand, while the remainder is met through imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Consequently, every increase in international oil prices raises Pakistan's import bill, pressures foreign exchange reserves, and contributes to inflation. Pakistan previously exercised significant government control over petroleum pricing through subsidies and administrative interventions. While these measures temporarily protected consumers, they imposed substantial fiscal costs. During periods of elevated global oil prices, successive governments delayed passing price increases to consumers, creating financial pressures for oil marketing companies, refineries, and the national budget. Large fuel subsidies widened fiscal deficits, increased public borrowing, and weakened macroeconomic stability. Global geopolitical developments continue to pose significant risks. International oil prices are influenced by decisions taken by OPEC+, conflicts in the Middle East, sanctions on oil-producing nations, and disruptions in critical shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Any interruption in these supply chains can immediately increase crude oil prices and freight costs. Since Pakistan imports the majority of its petroleum requirements, these developments quickly translate into higher domestic fuel prices. Oil prices pared losses to less than 1% after dropping more than 3% earlier on Thursday, as reports that Yemen's Houthis ‌had targeted a Saudi Aramco refinery with drones renewed concerns over supply disruptions in an already tight global market. The Houthis attacked an Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia's Jazan with two drones on Thursday, the Iran-aligned movement's Saba News Agency reported. Brent futures were down 74 cents, or 0.8%, at $88.24 a barrel at 11:58 am EDT (1558 GMT), while ​US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 77 cents, or 0.8%, at $82.56.

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President Zardari, PM Shehbaz inaugurate Yadgar-e-Fatah in Islamabad ahead of Independence Day

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated the Yadgar-e-Fatah monument in Islamabad, built to honour the country’s martyrs and commemorate the victory in Marka-e-Haq, on the eve of Pakistan’s 80th Independence Day. President Zardari attended the ceremony as the chief guest. PM Shehbaz, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi were also present. Other notable attendees included foreign dignitaries, military officers, ministers and families of martyrs who laid down their lives for the motherland. The armed forces, civil armed forces and contingents from all four provinces participated in the ceremony. They presented a guard of honour to the president, the premier and CDF Munir upon their arrival. The monument commemorates Pakistan’s victory over India in the brief military conflict in May last year, during which the country shot down more than six Indian fighter jets and demonstrated its professional expertise across various domains. The term “Marka-e-Haq” refers to the 2025 conflict with India, which began with the April 22 Pahalgam attack and concluded with a ceasefire on May 10 following Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. More to follow....

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Eid Milad-un-Nabi to fall on Aug 26 as Rabi-ul-Awwal moon not sighted

The moon for Rabi-ul-Awwal was not sighted across the country, and Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) will be celebrated on Wednesday, Aug 26, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad announced on Thursday. He made the announcement after chairing a meeting of the committee in Islamabad. Representatives from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other concerned institutions also provided technical support in the matter. Read: Sindh CM orders foolproof security for Rabiul Awwal Zonal meetings were simultaneously held in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and other major cities, where the committee did not receive any testimony of moon sighting from anywhere in the country. The Ministry of Religious Affairs also issued a notification confirming that the moon had not been sighted and that the first day of Rabi-ul-Awwal would fall on Aug 15. According to the ministry’s notification, the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal will be observed on Wednesday, Aug 26, 2026. Earlier, the Committee, was barred from going to the rooftop of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to sight the moon. According to Express News, the committee, which was in Islamabad to sight the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon, was not allowed to go to the rooftop of the Kohsar Complex. The committee and astronomers subsequently set up a telescope in the parking area of the Kohsar Complex to observe the moon. It had already been anticipated that the moon would be difficult to sight due to clouds in the western sky.

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California Senate hails Pak-US ties

The California State Senate unanimously passed a "historic resolution" celebrating the "enduring relationship" between Pakistan and the US , while recognising the "significant contributions" of the Pakistani-American diaspora to California's economy, culture, and social fabric, the embassy of Pakistan in Washington said in a statement. Presented by Senator Melissa Hurtado, the resolution highlighted the pivotal role played by Pakistani-Americans in California and commended their achievements across diverse fields. The resolution urged all Californians to join in celebrating the friendly relations between the two nations, the statement read. Council of Pakistan led by Dr Imran Sharief made key efforts for passage of the resolution, it added. Expressing his gratitude, Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh praised Senator Hurtado for her leadership. The envoy reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to deepening people-to-people ties and building on the current positive trajectory of Pakistan-US bilateral relations. California State Assembly also resolved to promote relations between Pakistan and the State of California. The Assembly resolved to promote the contributions of Pakistani-American businesses and investors in advancing economic cooperation between Pakistan and California. The Assembly recognised and acknowledged the achievements of Ambassador Sheikh in promoting bilateral ties between the two nations. These pronouncements were made by Assembly member Matt Haney. The resolution's passage coincided with an official visit by Ambassador Sheikh to California, during which he interacted with state lawmakers to strengthen economic and political engagement.

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Seven workers abducted as armed men raid private mining site in BalocChagai

Eight unidentified armed motorcyclists stormed a private mining site in Balochistan's Chagai district on Wednesday, abducting seven workers and taking away equipment and supplies worth millions of rupees, according to sources. The incident took place at around 1pm at the private mines located approximately 15 to 18 kilometres west of Chagai tehsil in Mahian Kor. The attackers held the workers hostage and later took seven of them with them. The abducted workers included four labourers from Gilgit identified as Wajahat, Wajid, Shahid and Sabir, and three local workers identified as Ziauddin of Dalbandin, Shah Saleem of Mahian, Chagai, and Saeed Muhammad, also a resident of Mahian, Chagai. Read: 18 terrorists killed in VBIED blast, security operation in Balochistan: ISPR According to sources, the armed men remained at the mining site until around 7pm and took away a Zambad vehicle, a four-wheel-drive pickup, more than 20 solar panels, a Zarinj motorcycle, bedding, kitchen utensils, gas cylinders, 2,500 litres of diesel, 1,500 litres of petrol and other equipment and supplies. Sources at the private mining company said the attackers stayed at the site for several hours and carried out the operation without haste before fleeing with the abducted workers and stolen property. The incident was promptly reported to the relevant administration, but the seven abducted workers and the equipment taken by the attackers had not been recovered at the time of this report. The administration has launched further efforts to trace the abductees and recover the stolen property.

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Lahore police defend handling of case over two women’s custodial deaths at Township station

The Lahore police on Tuesday defended their handling of a case of the death of two women at Township Police Station, saying a judicial inquiry and an interim post-mortem examination had so far found no apparent marks of torture on the bodies, while the DNA and other forensic reports were still awaited. Addressing a press conference, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran, and DIG Investigations Zeeshan Raza stated that no aspect of the case would be left uninvestigated. According to the police account of the day, a call was received on the emergency helpline 15 at around 2:55pm regarding an alleged swindling incident in the Township area. The police reached the location at 3:11pm, while the complainant arrived at about 4pm. The first information report (FIR) against the two women was registered at 4:50pm, after which custody was transferred from the operations to the investigation wing at around 5:20pm. ٹاون شپ تھانے میں زیرحراست ہ ل ا ک دوخواتین کا کیس !پوسٹمارٹم رپورٹ !! پولیس اہلکاروں کو کلین چٹ؟CCPO لاہور کی گفتگو سنیں#TownshipPoliceStation #LahorePolice #CCPOLahore #PoliceCustody #PoliceInvestigation #LahoreNews #PakistanNews #BreakingNews #Justice #LawAndOrder… pic.twitter.com/klt7sXCdpn — Express News (@ExpressNewsPK) August 11, 2026 The women were handed over to the investigation wing clerk at approximately 5:30pm. The police said their condition began deteriorating around 15 minutes later, prompting officials to call Rescue 1122. The women were moved from the police station to Jinnah Hospital at around 7pm, where they were declared dead. READ: Post-mortems find no signs of torture in deaths of two women in Lahore police custody The police said the identification process was initially delayed because the women did not have their CNICs. Investigators traced them through their photographs and names using the Criminal Record Office (CRO). The officials said two previous cases were found registered against the women at Dinga Police Station in Gujrat in 2023 and Lahore Factory Area in 2024. Investigators then got a lead regarding another woman in Rawalpindi, which helped them trace the deceased women's families in Pakpattan. The police said the post-mortem examination had been delayed because the deceased did not have identification documents and their legal heirs had not initially been located. The examination was conducted after the families were available. Since the deaths had occurred after the women had been brought into custody, the police requested a magistrate to conduct an inquiry under Section 176 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The judicial magistrate's interim report clarified that the final findings would depend on the post-mortem report. The officials also addressed questions surrounding an incident at Ghaziabad Police Station, where an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on August 2. غازی آباد واقعہ: ڈی آئی جی آپریشنز کا بڑا ایکشن، ایس ایچ او سمیت تھانے کی تمام نفری معطل غازی آباد واقعے پر سخت نوٹس لیتے ہوئے ڈی آئی جی آپریشنز نے ناقص سپرویژن اور غفلت برتنے پر ایس ایچ او، 2 سب انسپکٹرز، 8 اے ایس آئیز اور فرنٹ ڈیسک عملے سمیت تھانے کے تمام 78 اہلکاروں کو معطل… — Lahore Police Official (@Lahorepoliceops) August 4, 2026 The policeman was accused of taking the woman to the police station and assaulting her there. The police said sections of the law carrying the possibility of capital punishment had been added to the FIR and strict departmental action had also been taken. READ MORE: 78 Lahore cops suspended after ASI's alleged sexual assault of mentally challenged woman in police station The officers said no leniency would be shown if anyone was found guilty, adding that stern action had already been taken against those found responsible for negligence. They also announced a new policy to ensure the round-the-clock presence of women officers at all police stations in the city. Three officers will be assigned to each police station during the morning shift and two in the evening. The decision follows an earlier directive restricting women from remaining at police stations in the city after sunset, except in emergency circumstances with approval from a senior officer.

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Lahore police defend handling of case over two women’s custodial deaths at Township station

The Lahore police on Tuesday defended their handling of a case of the death of two women at Township Police Station, saying a judicial inquiry and an interim post-mortem examination had so far found no apparent marks of torture on the bodies, while the DNA and other forensic reports were still awaited. Addressing a press conference, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran, and DIG Investigations Zeeshan Raza stated that no aspect of the case would be left uninvestigated. According to the police account of the day, a call was received on the emergency helpline 15 at around 2:55pm regarding an alleged swindling incident in the Township area. The police reached the location at 3:11pm, while the complainant arrived at about 4pm. The first information report (FIR) against the two women was registered at 4:50pm, after which custody was transferred from the operations to the investigation wing at around 5:20pm. ٹاون شپ تھانے میں زیرحراست ہ ل ا ک دوخواتین کا کیس !پوسٹمارٹم رپورٹ !! پولیس اہلکاروں کو کلین چٹ؟CCPO لاہور کی گفتگو سنیں#TownshipPoliceStation #LahorePolice #CCPOLahore #PoliceCustody #PoliceInvestigation #LahoreNews #PakistanNews #BreakingNews #Justice #LawAndOrder… pic.twitter.com/klt7sXCdpn — Express News (@ExpressNewsPK) August 11, 2026 The women were handed over to the investigation wing clerk at approximately 5:30pm. The police said their condition began deteriorating around 15 minutes later, prompting officials to call Rescue 1122. The women were moved from the police station to Jinnah Hospital at around 7pm, where they were declared dead. READ: Post-mortems find no signs of torture in deaths of two women in Lahore police custody The police said the identification process was initially delayed because the women did not have their CNICs. Investigators traced them through their photographs and names using the Criminal Record Office (CRO). The officials said two previous cases were found registered against the women at Dinga Police Station in Gujrat in 2023 and Lahore Factory Area in 2024. Investigators then got a lead regarding another woman in Rawalpindi, which helped them trace the deceased women's families in Pakpattan. The police said the post-mortem examination had been delayed because the deceased did not have identification documents and their legal heirs had not initially been located. The examination was conducted after the families were available. Since the deaths had occurred after the women had been brought into custody, the police requested a magistrate to conduct an inquiry under Section 176 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The judicial magistrate's interim report clarified that the final findings would depend on the post-mortem report. The officials also addressed questions surrounding an incident at Ghaziabad Police Station, where an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on August 2. غازی آباد واقعہ: ڈی آئی جی آپریشنز کا بڑا ایکشن، ایس ایچ او سمیت تھانے کی تمام نفری معطل غازی آباد واقعے پر سخت نوٹس لیتے ہوئے ڈی آئی جی آپریشنز نے ناقص سپرویژن اور غفلت برتنے پر ایس ایچ او، 2 سب انسپکٹرز، 8 اے ایس آئیز اور فرنٹ ڈیسک عملے سمیت تھانے کے تمام 78 اہلکاروں کو معطل… — Lahore Police Official (@Lahorepoliceops) August 4, 2026 The policeman was accused of taking the woman to the police station and assaulting her there. The police said sections of the law carrying the possibility of capital punishment had been added to the FIR and strict departmental action had also been taken. READ MORE: 78 Lahore cops suspended after ASI's alleged sexual assault of mentally challenged woman in police station The officers said no leniency would be shown if anyone was found guilty, adding that stern action had already been taken against those found responsible for negligence. They also announced a new policy to ensure the round-the-clock presence of women officers at all police stations in the city. Three officers will be assigned to each police station during the morning shift and two in the evening. The decision follows an earlier directive restricting women from remaining at police stations in the city after sunset, except in emergency circumstances with approval from a senior officer.

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