Author: Web Desk

By: Mubashir Maeed Introduction: Basant is one of the most colorful and joyful cultural festivals of Punjab, Pakistan. It marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes happiness, renewal, and hope. Traditionally celebrated with kite flying, music, food, and social gatherings, Basant holds deep cultural roots in Punjabi society. Although public celebrations have faced restrictions in recent years, the spirit of Basant still lives on in memories, homes, and cultural discussions. What Is Basant? Basant is a spring festival celebrated mainly in Punjab, especially in Lahore and surrounding areas. The word “Basant” comes from Sanskrit and means spring. The festival is…

NUUK (Faizan Mansha) – Greenland’s capital restored power early on Sunday after a storm damaged a transmission cable and left thousands without electricity and heating through the cold winter night. Electricity suddenly cut off across Nuuk late on Saturday, witnesses said. The Nukissiorfiit utility – which supplies Nuuk from the Buksefjord hydropower plant southeast of the capital – said power came back online around 4:30 a.m. (0630 GMT). Greenlanders are used to outages, often caused by harsh weather damaging the cable which runs through rugged terrain and spans two fjords. Three days before the power cut, the government updated recommendations…

SWAT (Web Desk) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has warned that if the notification ordering the evacuation of Tirah Valley is not withdrawn, he will convene a grand jirga of the entire Pashtun nation. He said there are only three options to remove him from office: the imposition of governor’s rule, his disqualification, or killing him. Addressing a public rally in Swat, the chief minister said that a notification issued by the federal government claimed that the people affected in Tirah were relocating voluntarily. He warned that if the notification is not withdrawn and an apology is not issued,…

Lahore: Lahore administration has launched safety camps across the city as part of preparations for a safe celebration of Basant.Lahore Commissioner Maryam Khan formally inaugurated the first safety camp at Azadi Chowk alongside Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddiq Kamyana and Chief Traffic Officer Athar Waheed.As part of the initiative, free safety rods were distributed among motorcyclists to prevent accidents linked to kite flying. Authorities said advanced thermal drones will also be used for aerial surveillance to curb violations of safety standard operating procedures.Speaking on the occasion, the Lahore commissioner said all possible measures were being ensured to promote a…

Preparations for Basant are moving ahead in Lahore, as the District Education Authority (DEA) has decided to auction the rooftops of several government schools for Basant-related events. The district administration and the Walled City authorities have been included in the planning process. Officials say the auction will begin after approval from the Secretary of Education. Under the proposed plan, rooftops of the following government schools will be auctioned for Basant programs: Government Victoria Girls High School, Government High School Delhi Gate, Government Boys and Girls High School Sheranwala Gate, Government School Mochi Gate, Government School Kabli Mahal, Government Girls High…

Civil society organizations have welcomed the government’s progress on the National Commission for Minorities Rights (NCMR) Act, 2025, but warned that the proposed structure could undermine the body’s independence and effectiveness. In a joint statement, Peter Jacob, Chairperson of the Peoples’ Commission for Minorities Rights, Wajahat Masood, Chairperson of the Centre for Social Justice, and Michelle Chaudhry, Director of the Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation, said the envisaged size of the commission, thirty members, risked weakening its operational viability. They urged the government to align the composition with other national commissions and to ensure balanced representation from the federating units…

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday rejected the requests from the Balochistan chief minister and governor seeking a postponement of the upcoming local government elections in the province. In a decision released on Wednesday, the Commission ruled that the reasons cited for delaying the polls were “not legally acceptable” and affirmed that polling will take place on December 28 as scheduled. The ECP stated that, despite prevailing circumstances, fulfilling the constitutional obligation to hold elections was essential. It noted that the delimitation process in Quetta had already been completed twice, objections had been settled, and the Balochistan High…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the country could not achieve sustainable economic development without the complete elimination of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism from the country. Addressing the National Ulema Convention in Islamabad, the prime minister urged religious scholars to play a proactive role in discouraging sectarianism and promoting unity, harmony and brotherhood among all schools of thought. He said creating an atmosphere of national cohesion was essential for ensuring the country’s prosperity and future progress. The convention was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Chief of Defence Forces Syed Asim Munir,…

Mubashir Majeed: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday assailed incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan for creating and spreading an “anti-army” rhetoric, stating that such narratives were now out of the realm of politics and had become a “national security threat”. At the beginning of his press conference in Rawalpindi, he talked about a “creeping national security threat” that had become necessary for the military to address. “That threat emanates from a delusional mindset of a delusional person who has become captive to his own ego, thinking that his wishes are bigger than those…

Government have reduced Petrol and diesel prices for the next fortnight, offering some relief to inflation-hit consumers, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division late on Sunday. The government cut the price of petrol by Rs2 per litre, setting the new rate at Rs263.45. The price of high-speed diesel has been reduced by Rs4.79 per litre, bringing it down to Rs279.65. The revised prices will take effect from 12am tonight and remain in force for the next 15 days, the notification said.