The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Pakistan has guided pilgrims travelling to Iran and Iraq to book their journeys only through government-registered pilgrimage operators under the country’s new Ziyarat Management Policy.

The directive was issued following a review meeting on the implementation of the policy, attended by representatives from the ministries of interior, foreign affairs, and communications, as well as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other relevant departments.

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Officials reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating pilgrims travelling to Iran and Iraq, while the CAA and airlines were instructed to provide maximum assistance for their air travel.

It was told in the meeting that 262 Ziyarat Group Organizers have been registered under the new policy. Pilgrims have been urged to make bookings only through these registered groups.

A spokesperson for the ministry advised travelers to check the list of authorized operators on the ministry’s official website and cautioned that it would not be responsible for bookings made through unlicensed individuals or companies.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday stated that a total of 75 terrorists had been killed since July 5 in various intelligence-based operations in the province.

In a post on social media platform X, CM Bugti said: “Operation Shaban is progressing successfully following the terrorist attack on Mangi Dam Police Station.”

He elaborated that 39 terrorists had been killed in Operation Shaban as a result of joint ground and air operations by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police in rugged mountainous areas, while a total of 75 terrorists had been killed in various intelligence-based operations since July 5.

Bugti further said that a terrorist attack on Zehri Police Station in the Kachhar area of Balochistan had also been foiled today.

“The writ of the state will be maintained in Balochistan at any cost; terrorists cannot escape their fate,” he declared.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular decision” to end terrorism after multiple major terrorist incidents in Balochistan in recent days.

He made the remarks at a meeting in Quetta of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also present.

Chairing the meeting, PM Shehbaz declared, “One thing is decided: it is a mutual and singular decision of the civil and military leadership that we must end terrorism collectively.”

PM Shehbaz’s visit came a day after the military revealed that at least 42 people — the majority of whom were security and law enforcement personnel — have lost their lives in terrorist attacks and subsequent operations in Balochistan since July 5.

Addressing a press briefing in Rawalpindi, the military’s spokesperson said that there were “three major terrorist incidents” in recent days — an armed attack on the outskirts of Quetta on July 5, an assault on a police post in Ziarat on July 6, and an ambush of an army convoy in Bela on Wednesday.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned terrorists and their facilitators to expect no “rationality and proportionality” as security forces continue to hunt down the perpetrators of the attacks.

He also pointed the finger squarely at India and Afghanistan for being behind the attacks, saying that it was the handiwork of India and “those forces with India who cannot tolerate Pakistan’s respect, prosperity and stability”.

SHARJAH: The Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) has launched a package of incentives and facilities for tourism establishments, aiming to support the sector’s sustainability, enhance its competitiveness and strengthen the emirate’s investment environment.

SEWA said it has formed a dedicated team to oversee the implementation of the initiatives through field visits to eligible tourism businesses.

The team will explain the available benefits, guide businesses on how to access them, gather feedback from investors and assess operational challenges to help refine the programme and maximise its economic impact.

Periodic reports and recommendations will also be prepared to improve implementation.

Dr. Hussein Al Askar, Director of SEWA’s Customer Service Department, said the initiatives will run from June until the end of August 2026 and are aligned with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to enhance the business environment and support the sustainable development of the tourism sector.

He added that the programme is being closely followed by Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Executive Council.

The package includes extending bill payment deadlines by one additional month, allowing utility bills to be paid in instalments, waiving disconnection penalties for three months, and permitting security deposits for new accounts to be paid over four instalments.

Other measures include a three-month exemption from engineering plan approval fees for tourism establishments, extending utility connection periods for projects without additional charges, freezing service fees for inactive utility meters at hotels and tourism facilities, and allowing serviced apartment investors to disconnect utilities for unused units.

SEWA will also allow maintenance permit fees for electrical works to be paid in instalments and will cover bank charges incurred on utility bill payments made through bank transfers for three months.

Askar said the authority would continue coordinating with relevant entities to monitor the implementation of the initiatives and assess any additional incentives approved in the future, with the aim of supporting tourism sector growth and reinforcing Sharjah’s position as a leading regional and international tourism and investment destination while contributing to sustainable economic development.

ISLAMABAD: A viral video showing a foreign woman accusing female police officers of assault at Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station has surfaced on social media, ARY News reported.

In the viral video, the woman can be heard alleging that female police personnel assaulted her inside the police station instead of providing assistance.

According to sources, the foreign woman had initially called police to Sector F-6 over a financial dispute. However, she later alleged that she was subjected to physical abuse after being taken to Kohsar Police Station.

The viral footage also appears to show female Islamabad police officers arguing with and allegedly mistreating the woman during the incident.

Following the circulation of the video, SSP Operations Islamabad took notice and directed the SDPO Kohsar to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

A police spokesperson said initial information suggests the dispute appears to be of a civil nature. The spokesperson added that efforts would be made to resolve the matter through dialogue while the inquiry determines the facts surrounding the incident.

Police have not yet issued any findings regarding the woman’s allegations, and the investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, two foreign women who were allegedly abducted and raped in Lahore may have left Pakistan.

Speaking during the ARY News program, The Reporters, journalist Abid Khan, reported that the foreign victims might have already left the country. He added that while the police likely conducted the necessary medical examinations, law enforcement authorities are keeping all details regarding the women strictly confidential.

According to Khan, the current whereabouts of the women remain unknown following the recording of their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure yesterday.

The reporter noted that if the victims have indeed left Pakistan, the outcome of this criminal case can easily be predicted, as their physical absence may weaken the prosecution.

Furthermore, initial reports indicated that five individuals were involved in the abduction and assault; the police produced four suspects in court today.

China on Friday successfully tested an experimental rocket retrieval system using a net attached to a sea platform, state media reported, in the hope of breaking US dominance in reusable rockets.

The Long March 10B rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site in southern China at 12:15pm (9:15am PKT) and, about six minutes after separation of its booster and upper stage, the booster returned vertically and was recovered on an offshore platform, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The test marks China’s first successful retrieval of an orbital-class rocket, putting the country closer to developing reusable rockets.

The rocket had sent a satellite into preset orbit on Friday, state media said.

Shares in Chinese aerospace firms jumped on the news, with China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications hitting daily limits.

The Long March 10B has been compared to the Falcon 9, SpaceX’s widely used medium-lift rocket. It was developed for commercial aerospace by the country’s main state rocket developer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), and is capable of carrying a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit.

But unlike the Falcon 9, the Long March 10B does not autonomously land on deployable legs on a ground pad or drone ship, using instead four “landing hooks” to catch the net attached to a sea platform.

“Net-based recovery helps simplify the rocket’s onboard structure, reduces vehicle mass and increases payload capacity. It is also highly adaptable to landing-point deviations, as coordinated net systems can effectively expand the capture window,” CALT’s expert Chen Muye told state agency Xinhua.

SpaceX landed a Falcon 9 rocket from an orbital flight for the first time in December 2015, followed by Blue Origin’s New Glenn in November 2025.

By now, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launches around 150 times a year, or roughly three times a week, with its booster reused dozens of times as needed. The engine-packed booster is generally viewed as the most valuable part of a rocket.

China has spent nearly a decade developing reusable rocket technologies, from early low-altitude hover tests to orbital-class booster recovery attempts in recent years. A system of reusable rockets will lower launch costs for China’s rapidly expanding commercial satellite constellations.

Private Chinese firms are also stepping up efforts to test their reusable rockets amid intense global competition to acquire the technology, and China has eased IPO rules for firms developing reusable rockets to help them raise funding.

Two attempts by private Chinese firm LandSpace and state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation last year failed to complete the crucial final step of landing and booster recovery.

As part of the Long March 10 family being developed for China’s crewed lunar missions before 2030, the Long March 10B could also provide data and validate technologies relevant to the broader lunar programme.

China plans to use the Long March 10B’s booster stage again for another launch by the end of this year, CCTV said.

GUJRAT  –  A high-level business delegation from the Overseas League of Asian Entrepreneurs (OLAE), Portugal, visited Liberty Gujrat the other dayy to explore investment opportunities and discuss prospects for expanding economic cooperation between Pakistan and Europe.

The delegation held detailed discussions with Liberty Gujrat Chief Executive Officer Kaleem Ullah Gilani, focusing on potential investment in upcoming development projects and the promotion of long-term commercial partnerships. Welcoming the delegation, Gilani outlined Liberty Gujrat’s vision of developing the project as a centre for business, tourism and investment. He said Gujrat’s industrial base, entrepreneurial culture and large overseas Pakistani community offered considerable potential for attracting foreign investment.

He said international collaboration could contribute to sustainable development by facilitating technology transfer, creating employment opportunities and strengthening the local economy. Members of the Portuguese delegation expressed interest in Liberty Gujrat’s proposed development initiatives and said they saw Pakistan as a market with significant investment potential. They noted that the country’s strategic location, expanding consumer market and growing business opportunities made it an attractive destination for European investors. The delegation said the Overseas League of Asian Entrepreneurs (OLAE) was prepared to facilitate contacts between European investors and Pakistani businesses to encourage investment in sectors including infrastructure, tourism, real estate, hospitality and manufacturing.

The participants also discussed ways to enhance institutional cooperation, promote business-to-business engagement and encourage the exchange of trade delegations between Pakistan and European countries. They emphasised that sustained dialogue between the private sectors of both regions could help identify viable investment opportunities and strengthen commercial ties. The meeting also highlighted the importance of creating an investor-friendly environment through transparency, effective facilitation and closer collaboration between public and private stakeholders.

Speaking on the occasion, members of the delegation said overseas business organisations could play an important role in projecting Pakistan as an attractive destination for international investment and in strengthening economic linkages with European markets. Special recognition was given to Dr Sohail Jarral for his efforts in promoting international business engagement and facilitating interaction between overseas investors and Pakistani institutions. Participants acknowledged his role in strengthening business relations and encouraging foreign investment initiatives.

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing their commitment to maintaining contacts and exploring future opportunities for cooperation. They agreed to continue discussions on prospective investment projects aimed at promoting economic development and strengthening commercial relations between Pakistan and Europe.

The visit was viewed by participants as a step towards enhancing business connectivity and encouraging greater European investment in Pakistan through long-term partnerships and private-sector collaboration.