Pakistan is setting up a new religious body as part of efforts to push for an "Islamic welfare state." But activists warn that the new authority could jeopardize the lives of women and religious minorities.

The hard-line TLP party has agreed to suspend a three-day-long march after the government agreed to drop charges against its leader and consider expelling the French ambassador over caricatures of Prophet Muhammad.

The anti-terror law was amended in 2019 so that a person can be held for six months without any evidence. Some students are being investigated for celebrating Pakistan's victory over India at the T20 World Cup.

Cricket in Pakistan has become about politics and religion, with narratives like "avenging" the "mistreatment" of Muslims by defeating the Indian team, or "teaching a lesson" to New Zealand for walking away from a match.

The far-right Tehreek-e-Labbaik party has called off a march on the capital, and the government has said allowing the party back into the political mainstream is in the "national interest."

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Pakistan is witnessing an unprecedented economic turmoil, with the inflation rate rising exponentially. DW spoke to some locals who say it has become impossible for them to make ends meet.

At least one person was killed and six people including children injured in an explosion in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, according to an official statement. Local media says the gas cylinder blast happened in a multi-story building in Lyari area the city. The police said the building was partially damaged.

The Pakistani parliament has approved the law against sexual assault to allow courts to order chemical castrations — a punishment rights groups and lawyers called cruel.

Religious parties argue the gender change law is promoting homosexuality, dubbing it "un-Islamic." A bill in the Muslim-majority country's Senate seeks to make the sex change procedure more difficult for citizens.

Pakistan hosted a conference of Muslim countries pledging financial assistance to stave off "chaos" in Afghanistan. They vowed to unlock frozen aid funds and set up a humanitarian trust.

Pakistan is the world's fourth largest producer of milk. Domestic demand is strong and some 90 percent of the population consumes untreated raw milk. This provides an opportunity for corrupt retailers but also for farmers who are trying to survive inflation and falling profits. Some use illegal methods to increase the volume of the precious liquid – diluting milk with tap water is one of the most widespread techniques. Others even create fake milk from chemicals. Faced with this serious threat to public health, the authorities in Punjab province have stepped into action, as our correspondents report.