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GILGIT: Over 650 candidates have filed their nomination papers for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections scheduled for June 7 in 24 constituencies.

A total of 666 candidates have submitted their nomination papers; however, no woman candidate has filed nomination papers for the assembly elections.

According to a press release issued by the GB Election Commission Secretariat, polling for the general election will be held on June 7, while the election process is underway in all 24 constituencies.

The secretariat has convened a multi-party conference on Thursday (tomorrow) at the Election Commission Secretariat in Gilgit. The aim of the conference is to consult political parties to advance the election process in a fair, transparent and coordinated manner.

Nawaz says if elected, PML-N will focus on region’s development

The conference will discuss in detail the election process, code of conduct, mutual consultation, coordination in election matters and other related issues so that the conduct of elections can be made more effective and transparent in light of the opinions and suggestions of all political parties.

The GB Election Commission has requested all political parties to ensure their participation in the conference and provide their valuable opinions, suggestions and guidance regarding the conduct of the elections.

The commission has reiterated its commitment that all necessary measures will be taken to make the elections free, fair and transparent.

Nawaz vows GB development

Meanwhile, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed that, if elected, the party would focus on development in Gilgit-Baltistan.

He made the comments in a televised address to the PML-N’s parliamentary board for GB, where he highlighted past projects launched by the party in the region.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his younger brother, had the “same passion” for developing GB as he had, noting that the region had massive potential.

The former premier highlighted road projects “worth $60-$65 billion”, adding that “24-hour journeys were reduced to 10 hours”. He recalled facing criticism for having a tunnel constructed in Chitral as it was sparsely populated.

Referring to the initiatives undertaken by PM Shehbaz during his time as the Punjab chief minister, and now by his daughter Maryam, Nawaz Sharif told the party members: “You should copy it, and all these things should be launched in GB as well.”

The PML-N supremo said: “He [Shehbaz] launched numerous projects during his time. Look at him, find out about them. […] And now Maryam has taken the responsibility to take his work forward, so see what is happening there. You should copy it.”

In a message to all the PML-N candidates, Nawaz Sharif said: “When your candidates are elected, God-willing, they must have this in mind that they have been elected for service, not for fun.”

He said that if the party formed a government in GB, he would invite the regional leadership. He asserted that GB “is as dear to me as the rest of Pakistan is, and as Azad Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and KP are”. Noting that both the Centre and Punjab were active in development, he called on the rest of the provinces to do the same.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2026

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The Israeli military on Tuesday said two soldiers would receive 30 days of military detention and be removed from combat duty over the destruction of a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon.

The decision comes after widespread condemnation of a photo shared online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of the crucifix.

The sculpture was located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel.

Publishing the conclusions of an inquiry into the incident, the military said: “The soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention”.

It said six additional soldiers who “were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it” had been summoned for “clarification discussions”.

Israel has conducted airstrikes across Lebanon and invaded the country’s south after Hezbollah entered the Middle East war on March 2.

The fighting has killed more than 2,400 people and displaced more than a million, with the death toll continuing to rise even after a ceasefire came into effect last week, as more bodies are found under the rubble.

“The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” the military statement said. It added that “its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.”

In a post on X, the Israeli military said the damaged sculpture in Debl was replaced by troops “in full coordination with the local community”, sharing a photo of a new crucifix statue.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on Monday he was “stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon”, vowing “harsh disciplinary action against the offender”.

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Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema refuted on Tuesday a notification that claimed a local holiday had been announced in the garrison city for April 22 (Wednesday).

“This notification circulating on social media is fake,” the DC said on X, sharing a photo of the order, which stated that he had declared a “local holiday in the territorial jurisdiction of Rawalpindi on April 22”.

Dismissing it, the DC urged the public “to rely only on official sources for authentic information”.

On Sunday, Islamabad DC Irfan Nawaz Memon also dismissed as fake a notification announcing that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 until further notice.

The developments take place as authorities take several measures in anticipation of hosting US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

In Rawalpindi, some roads have been closed, and many universities and schools have also been shut while others remain open.

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BEIRUT: Israel says it has established a “Yellow Line” in south Lebanon near the border, where its forces are operating despite a 10-day ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

What is the so-called “Yellow Line”, how does it resemble an Israeli military demarcation in the Gaza Strip and where does it leave Lebanon?

What has Israel announced? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to the truce, which took effect on Friday, but would maintain a 10-kilometre (six-mile) deep “security zone” along the border in southern Lebanon.

On Saturday, Israel’s military announced a “Yellow Line” in the country’s south.

Hezbollah vows to bring down ‘arbitrary boundary’ through its resistance

The following day, it published a map identifying a “forward defence line”, stretching from the Mediterranean in the west up to Lebanon’s border with Syria in the east.

It said “five divisions, alongside Israeli navy forces” were operating in the area to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and “prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel”.

The area includes frontier villages that were destroyed or heavily damaged after a previous round of hostilities erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023.

Most locals have fled the area, though residents of some Christian villages have been defying Israeli army evacuation orders.

Similar to Gaza?

In Gaza, the “Yellow Line” refers to an Israeli military demarcation established during an October 2025 ceasefire with Palestinian militant group Hamas, creating a de facto boundary inside the Palestinian territory.

It effectively splits Gaza between an area under direct Israeli military control where Palestinians are not permitted, and a Hamas-governed area where residents remain vulnerable to Israeli strikes.

The line has reshaped daily life for Gazans and prevented tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians from returning home.

Israel’s military regularly says it has targeted individuals it describes as militants approaching the line in Gaza, and has begun doing the same in Lebanon.

Lebanese military expert Hassan Jouni said that “the Yellow Line in Lebanon is a copy of the idea and philosophy of the Yellow Line in Gaza”, even bearing the same name.

In Gaza, however, the line was “the result of an agreement with Hamas. In Lebanon, there is no agreement… it was decided unilaterally” by Israel, he said, calling it “an aggressive decision”.

What options does Lebanon have?

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that planned direct talks with Israel aimed to end hostilities and Israel’s occupation in the south.

Under the truce terms, which do not mention an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, Israel reserves the right to continue targeting Hezbollah to prevent “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks”.

Israeli forces never fully withdrew after the last war, despite being required to under a November 2024 ceasefire.

Hezbollah strongly opposes the planned negotiations and has also called on Israeli troops to withdraw, decrying what it sees as Israeli expansionism. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said on Monday that “we will bring down this Yellow Line through the resistance (Hezbollah), with our insistence on our legitimate right to defend ourselves and our country”.

He vowed that Israel would be unable to set up any buffer zone in south Lebanon, and that Hezbollah would drive out Israeli troops if they stay “on any inch of our territory”.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026

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Apple on Monday announced that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook will step down in September, handing the job to company veteran John Ternus.

The announcement answers long-simmering questions about who would succeed Cook, 65, and comes as Apple strives to show it is not being left behind in the age of artificial intelligence.

Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001, has recently overseen the company’s hardware engineering efforts and has played a key role in reigniting sales of products such as Apple’s Mac computers, which have gained market share in recent years.

Cook, who has led Apple since 2011, will become the company’s executive chairman, Apple said in a statement.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in a release.

In naming Ternus chief executive, Apple is shifting from Cook, a supply chain guru who helped turn Apple into a global brand that churns out hundreds of millions of units per year, to a leader who has long focused on design and products.

Ben Bajarin, CEO of technology consulting firm Creative Strategies, said Ternus is well-liked within Apple “and will bring fresh energy.”

Separately, Apple said that Johny Srouji, who has overseen Apple’s custom chip and sensor designs, has been named chief hardware officer.

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BANNU: Two personnel of the Federal Consta­bulary (FC) were martyred in a firing incident carried out by militants in Kuram Garhi on Sunday, in the jurisdiction of the Cantt police station.

According to police, the slain officials were shopping at a local market when the attackers, who arrived on a bike, targeted them and managed to flee the scene.

FC sources said the deceased were identified as Havaldar Rokhniyaz and sepoy Rehmanullah. Both were posted in the FC Daryoba MI platoon.

Soon after the incident, the security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. Additional police personnel were also deployed for the task. Security officials stated all available resources were being utilised to apprehend the suspects at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the Sham­uzai police post in the remit of the Township police station was dest­royed by the militants on Saturday night after they rigged it with explosives. Sources said the intense explosion destroyed the building, which had been lying vacant since 2022.

After the blast, the pol­ice and other law enforcement agencies reached the scene, cordoned off the area, and began collecting evidence to hunt the suspects. Police confirmed that no casualties occu­rred in the incident. Sep­arately, a ‘Qau­mi Jirga’ announced a shutter-down and wheel-jam str­ike on April 20.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2026

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The Israeli military published for the first time a map of its new deployment line inside Lebanon on Sunday, bringing dozens of mostly abandoned Lebanese villages under its control, ​days after a ceasefire with Lebanon took effect.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanese officials or ‌from Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a US-backed ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deal, which followed the first direct talks in decades between Israel and Lebanon on April 14, is meant to enable broader US-Iran negotiations, ​but with Israeli forces maintaining positions deep inside southern Lebanon.

Stretching east to west, the deployment line ​on the map runs 5-10 kilometres deep from the border into Lebanese territory, ⁠where Israel has said that it plans to create a so-called buffer zone.

Israeli forces have destroyed Lebanese ​villages in the area, claiming their aim is to protect northern Israeli towns from Hezbollah attacks. It has ​created buffer zones in Syria and in Gaza, where it controls more than half the enclave.

“Five divisions, alongside Israeli navy forces, are operating simultaneously south of the forward defence line in southern Lebanon in order to dismantle Hezbollah … infrastructure sites ​and to prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel,” the military said in a statement accompanying ​the map.

Asked whether people who fled the Israeli strikes would be allowed to return to their homes, the Israeli military ‌declined ⁠to comment.

Lebanese civilians have been able to access some of the villages that fall on or beyond the Israeli-set line, but Israeli forces still prevent people from accessing most of those south of the line, a Lebanese security source said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that homes on the border exploited ​by Hezbollah would be demolished ​and that “any structure threatening ⁠our soldiers and any road suspected of (being planted with) explosives must be immediately destroyed”.

Lebanon was dragged into the war on March 2, when Hezbollah opened fire ​in support of Tehran, prompting an Israeli offensive that has killed more than ​2,100 people, ⁠including 177 children, and forced more than 1.2 million to flee, Lebanese authorities say.

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