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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday offered talks to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to ease political tension in the country, days after the party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each in a corruption case. Shehbaz made the offer while presiding over a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad after recent overtures by the opposition leaders. These days, PTI and its allies are talking about dialogue. I have repeatedly stated in the National Assembly that if the PTI is serious about negotiations, the government is equally prepared, the prime minister said. Shehbaz also said that talks could only move forward if they focused on legitimate issues and were free of blackmailing". He stressed that political harmony among all parties was essential for Pakistan's development and prosperity. His offer comes days after the opposition alliance - Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) - of which PTI is a part, said that its door to dialog
When Pakistan attacked Indian defence installations during Operation Sindoor, which was "getting a little out of hand", the Indian Air Force retaliated hard, striking their military targets and hitting where it "hurt the most", a former IAF chief said on Tuesday. This prompted Islamabad to waive the "white flag" after the four-day-long conflict in May, said Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd). Chaudhari emphasised the Indian government took a very bold decision to strike deep inside Pakistan to destroy terror camps in retaliation of the Pahalgam massacre in April in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by attackers backed by the neighbouring country. Operation Sindoor was result of a very bold planning by joint teams of all the three services - the Army, Navy and Air Force, he noted. Chaudhari was speaking at an event in IIT Bombay where former Navy chief R Hari Kumar and ex- Army chief Manoj Pande were also present. On May 7, India struck nine terror camps deep inside
Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has directed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of his party to prepare for a street movement against "Asim Law", in an apparent reference to Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir. Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. "My message for Sohail Afridi is to prepare for a street movement. The entire nation must rise for its rights. To strive for justice is a sacred duty, and I am ready to lay down my life for Haqeeqi Azadi (true freedom) of my nation," Khan said in a post on X on Monday.
Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has been awarded Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellence. Munir is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom. Under a Royal Decree issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's highest national honour was also conferred upon the Field Marshal, the army said on Monday. The Saudi leadership conveyed its appreciation for Field Marshal Asim Munir's professionalism and strategic outlook, noting his commitment to strengthening the longstanding, brotherly ties between the two countries. Field Marshal Munir expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Saudi leadership for the honour, describing it as a reflection of the enduring bonds between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the security, stability, and prosperity
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his supporters to gear up for countrywide protests following a 17-year jail term handed to him and wife Bushra Bibi in a corruption case. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. The Toshakhana 2 case involves alleged fraud in state gifts that the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. In a conversation with his lawyers in Adiala Jail after the military-style trial decision Khan urged his supporters to stand up in protest after the decision, according to a midnight statement posted on Khan's X account. It was not known who posted his conversation on his personal account as Khan has no access to his social media handles in jail. I have sent a message to (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister)
Pakistan government said on Saturday that there is "no embargo" on former prime minister Imran Khan's sons meeting their incarcerated father if they travel to the country. Pakistani authorities have reportedly imposed unannounced restrictions on meetings with Khan on the grounds that the visitors use such meetings for political ends. Following the move, his family and party members have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. "There has been no embargo on Suleman Khan and Kasim Khan to meet their father, Imran Khan, at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi," Interior State Minister Talal Chaudhry told reporters here. Suleman and Kasim, who currently live in London, are Khan's sons from his first marriage with British TV personality Jemima Goldsmith. Chaudhry's statement comes days after the brother-duo in an interview with Sky News earlier this week said they fear they might never see their jailed father ever again.
The World Bank has approved USD 700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery, media reports said on Saturday. According to the lender, funds will be released under the bank's Public Resources for Inclusive Development Multiphase Programmatic Approach (PRID-MPA), which could provide up to USD 1.35 billion in total financing, the Dawn newspaper reported. Of this amount, USD 600 million will go for federal programmes and USD 100 million will support a provincial programme in Sindh. The approval follows a USD 47.9 million World Bank grant in August to improve primary education in Punjab. A separate statement issued by the lender quoted Bolormaa Amgaabazar, the World Bank's country director for Pakistan, as saying, Pakistan's path to inclusive, sustainable growth requires mobilising more domestic resources and ensuring they are used efficiently and transparently to deliver results for
Suspected insurgents detonated bombs in an attempt to attack two trains including the frequently targeted Jaffar Express in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, damaging railway tracks and disrupting services, officials said on Saturday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Quetta, Shahid Nawaz, said that on Friday one bomb blast damaged about three feet of railway track in Mushkaf, while another blast in the Dasht area caused further damage. In both cases, the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail passenger trains were the target, he said. Railway services were disrupted after tracks were damaged on the main line due to the explosions. Nawaz said that from Saturday security approval will be granted before confirming passenger train schedules from Quetta to other provinces of Pakistan. The safety and security of the passengers is paramount to us, and special security measures are being taken for all Quetta outbound passenger trains, he said. Amid security concerns, a special service
A Pakistan accountability court on Saturday sentenced jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years imprisonment each in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. The case is about alleged fraud in state gifts, which the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. Special court judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the judgment in the case in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Khan and Bushra were awarded 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code and seven years under different Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 million on each of them.
Pakistani authorities this year arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, a spokesperson for Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), according to a recent report submitted to the UN Security Council. The UN 16th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team noted that IS-K's ability to operate in the region had been degraded as a result of high-profile arrests by Pakistan, such as that of Azzam this May. IS-K is an abbreviation for the Islamic StateKhorasan Province, a terrorist organisation active primarily in Afghanistan, Central Asia and South Asia. The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan and PTV News stated that intelligence agencies arrested Azzam during an operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The UN report claimed that following his arrest, IS-K propaganda arms, such as the Al-Azaim Foundation, had suffered a major blow. Overall, the capability of [IS-K] has been degraded as a result of counter-terrorism operations, the UN report read. Key [IS-K] commanders and ...
Eighteen people were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province while they were en route to Quetta in a bus. The incident took place near the Ghotki area on Monday night when the attackers opened fire on the bus at the Highway Link Road close to the Sindh and Punjab border, and took hostage 18 male passengers. The driver and a few passengers were injured in the firing. A total of 18 to 20 attackers were present at the scene, all armed and their faces covered, according to a female passenger travelling in the bus, Geo News reported. The attackers asked 25 passengers to deboard the bus but didn't harm the women passengers, she said. Zia ul Hasan Lanjhar, spokesperson for the Sindh Home Minister, said there were around 30 passengers on the bus, besides the driver and cleaner. Security forces managed to rescue 10 passengers on Tuesday in an overnight operation under the DIG's command. Police and Rangers personnel rescued 10 of the abducted passengers after an exch
Eighteen people were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province while they were en route to Quetta in a bus. The incident took place near the Ghotki area on Monday night when the attackers opened fire on the bus at the Highway Link Road close to the Sindh and Punjab border, and took hostage 18 male passengers. The driver and a few passengers were injured in the firing. A total of 18 to 20 attackers were present at the scene, all armed and their faces covered, according to a female passenger travelling in the bus, Geo News reported. The attackers asked 25 passengers to deboard the bus but didn't harm the women passengers, she said. Zia ul Hasan Lanjhar, spokesperson for the Sindh Home Minister, said there were around 30 passengers on the bus, besides the driver and cleaner.