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  • Lahore CCD inspector, constable arrested over alleged kidnapping for ransom

    Lahore CCD inspector, constable arrested over alleged kidnapping for ransom

    LAHORE (Daily Hayat) — Crime Control Department (CCD) Inspector Javed Iqbal and Constable Tauseef have been arrested on charges of allegedly kidnapping a youth for ransom.

    According to officials, the suspects were arrested while attempting to collect the ransom amount. Weapons were seized from the accused during the operation.

    A case has been registered against the arrested officials and their associates. Officials said interrogation is underway and further recoveries are expected as the investigation progresses.

    The alleged involvement of serving officers in such a serious offence has raised serious concerns about the misuse of police authority and internal accountability mechanisms. Officials said strict departmental action will follow once the inquiry is complete.

    Police maintain that no one involved in breaking the law will be spared, regardless of their position or department.

  • Pakistan Strongly Condemns Houthi Attack on Madinah Power Station, Affirms Solidarity with Saudi Arabia

    Pakistan Strongly Condemns Houthi Attack on Madinah Power Station, Affirms Solidarity with Saudi Arabia

    Pakistan has strongly condemned the attack by the Houthi militia on the Taibah power distribution station in Madinah on 29 September 2026. In a statement issued on Friday, the Foreign Office said the attack on civilian infrastructure supplying electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque was “a grave provocation and a matter of deep concern and anguish for millions of Muslims worldwide”.

    Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of worshippers and pilgrims must be respected under all circumstances.

    Pakistan called for “an immediate and unconditional end” of such reckless actions, warning they constitute a grave threat to regional peace and security. Islamabad reaffirmed its unwavering solidarity with Saudi Arabia, expressing full support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.

    According to coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki, the drone attack targeted the Taibah station at 5:11 am on September 29. The coalition said evidence, including the wreckage of the drone used, confirmed Houthi involvement — a claim the Houthi side has denied through its media.

    Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Turkiye and Kuwait also condemned the attack, expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and called for an immediate end to hostilities.

  • AJK government orders transfer, posting of seven officers

    AJK government orders transfer, posting of seven officers

    Asim Khalid Awan has been transferred from Deputy Commissioner Bagh and appointed Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad. Syed Mumtaz Hussain Kazmi moves from Deputy Commissioner Poonch to Deputy Commissioner Bagh, while Faisal Mughal has been shifted from Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley to Deputy Commissioner Bhimber.

    Munir Ahmed Qureshi has been removed as Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad and appointed Deputy Secretary Higher Education. Iffat Azam has been posted from Additional Deputy Commissioner Kotli to Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley, and Chaudhry Muhammad Tariq moves from Deputy Commissioner Bhimber to Director Industries and Commerce.

    Muhammad Razaullah Khan has been removed from the post of Director Industries and Commerce and has not been assigned a new posting. Government sources said the transfers are part of ongoing administrative reforms.

    The reshuffle comes as Prime Minister Barrister Iftikhar Gilani’s government pushes ahead with administrative and financial reforms, including the removal of discretionary appointments.

  • FBR to expand AI checks on tax returns to catch evasion

    FBR to expand AI checks on tax returns to catch evasion

    Pakistan’s tax authority is preparing to expand artificial intelligence checks on tax returns to identify undeclared income and assets, a senior official said this week, part of a push to increase revenues under an IMF-backed economic reform programme.

    Pakistan has struggled to bring more economic activity into its tax system, leaving a narrow base of taxpayers and limiting the government’s ability to finance public services without borrowing. Stronger collection is a central objective of its reform commitments to the International Monetary Fund.

    The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) plans to cross-check declarations against property, banking, vehicle and other records. Following a pilot involving a limited number of income tax and sales tax returns, it intends to apply the models to income tax filings for the year ended June 2026 and subsequent sales tax returns, the official said.

    “This time the system will leave nowhere to hide,” he told Arab News, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly. “It does not get tired and it does not miss a line. Our campaign this year says ‘FBR Sab Janta Hai’ (FBR knows everything). With this system, that is no longer just a slogan.”

    According to the official, the models will check returns against tax-law requirements, compare declarations with those of similar taxpayers and identify inconsistencies with information obtained from other sources. A flagged discrepancy would require examination but would not, by itself, establish fraud.

    “Returns flagged by the AI could be selected for audit, face assessment proceedings, or trigger compliance nudges asking taxpayers to correct their filings,” the official said.

  • NCCIA busts alleged investment-scam call centre in Lahore, 110 held

    NCCIA busts alleged investment-scam call centre in Lahore, 110 held

    LAHORE (Daily Hayat) — The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Lahore Circle has raided an alleged illegal call centre operating under the name “SK Trading”, arresting 110 suspects, officials said.

    According to the agency, 99 of those held are Pakistani nationals while 11 are foreign nationals — nine men and two women. During the raid, officials seized 109 computer CPUs, 212 mobile phones, vehicles and funds suspected to be proceeds of the alleged fraud.

    The NCCIA alleges the group targeted domestic and international victims with fraudulent investment schemes run through Telegram and WhatsApp. Officials said the alleged head of the operation tried to flee but was later arrested at a separate location.

    The bust comes amid a wider crackdown on scam compounds in Cambodia, raising questions among observers about whether transnational fraud networks are relocating their operations. The NCCIA has said it will not allow Pakistan to be used as a safe haven for such setups.

    A case has been registered and investigations are underway. The agency said further disclosures are expected as the inquiry proceeds.

  • Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Makes Emergency Landing in Tabuk After Cockpit Attack; Netanyahu Hails Indian Pilot a ‘True Hero’

    Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Makes Emergency Landing in Tabuk After Cockpit Attack; Netanyahu Hails Indian Pilot a ‘True Hero’

    Flydubai flight FZ1073, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a confrontation inside the cockpit. All 174 people on board survived; Captain Smit Machchhar was hospitalised with stab wounds.

    According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls in an apparent bid to crash it. Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed the aircraft dropping nearly 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the attacker. Calling him a “true hero”, Netanyahu said the pilot’s bravery saved the lives of 174 people, most of them Israeli nationals.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu also praised Machchhar’s courage, and US President Donald Trump commended him as well. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said the pilot is being treated at a hospital in Tabuk and is in stable condition.

    Israeli officials said the attacker, an Omani national serving as co-pilot, was taken into custody by Saudi authorities and an investigation is under way. Flydubai, however, said the cause of the incident remained unclear and cautioned against “premature speculation”.

    Following the incident, Israel announced tighter checks on pilots operating flights into the country. The passengers reached Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on a replacement flydubai aircraft more than ten hours later.