Coalition will now be able to hire and fire judges but faces accusations it bribed and abducted lawmakers to get its way

Pakistan’s government has passed a controversial amendment to the constitution that has been accused of weakening the power and independence of the judiciary, throwing the country’s democracy into further crisis.

The 26th constitutional amendment was passed in a clandestine, late-night parliamentary session that was clouded in secrecy and marred by allegations of abductions and intimidation of parliamentarians to force them to vote in favour of the bill.

Shooting incident in Kurram district between rival tribes follows attack on coalmine in south-west Pakistan

At least 11 people have been killed in tribal clashes in the north-west of Pakistan, a local official has said.

Tensions rose in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, after two people were critically injured in a shooting incident between rival tribes. It was not immediately clear what caused the shooting.

Killing comes a week after an officer fatally wounded another suspect held on accusations of blasphemy

Police in southern Pakistan have shot dead a blasphemy suspect during an alleged shootout with armed men, in the second such killing in a week.

Police identified the man as Shah Nawaz, a doctor in the Umerkot district in the southern Sindh province, who had gone into hiding two days ago after being accused of insulting Islam’s prophet Muhammad and sharing blasphemous content on social media.