Page 8 - Pakistan Army

China is past in terms of investments in Pakistan, US is future: Official

Days of China investing in Pakistan is now a thing of the past, a senior administration official has told the lawmakers noting that the United States is the future. China is the past in terms of investments in Pakistan, we are the future, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on Tuesday. Lu was responding to questions from the Congressmen, who expressed concerns over the Chinese investment in Pakistan and other countries in South and Central Asia, including Sri Lanka and Maldives. I would argue the Chinese plan is to have a military base in every country and every infrastructure project is made with high interest Chinese loans and low paid Chinese workers. We just see this model all throughout the region, he said. The Chinese bring in their own workers. They don't actually train local workers to do their enterprises. They extract minerals, literally take gold and copper from the ground and just ship it back f

Political mafia' spreading lies about counter-terrorism operation: Pak Army

The Pakistan Army on Monday said that an organised political mafia was spreading misinformation about a planned new counter-terrorism operation, Azm-e-Istehkam', aimed to flush out militants and foster economic growth and stability. Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi talked about various pressing issues, including the launch of the operation. A massive illegal, political mafia rose to sabotage the operation and the first move of that mafia was to make the operations controversial through false and fake arguments, he said. Referring to Pakistan's earlier major military operations, Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, which resulted in large-scale displacements, a reporter inquired if similar displacements would occur during the current operation, Azm-e-Istehkam. This is not a military operation but a comprehensive counter-terrorism initiative aimed at fostering economic growth and stability," he said. He referred to the .

Court grants police custody of Imran Khan for 10 days in May 9 riot cases

The unrest erupted nationwide last year after Imran Khan was detained by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court during a corruption case proceeding.

Pakistan secures new $7 billion loan from IMF offering breather for govt

The new 37-month deal, which will be Pakistan's 25th since independence, comes as the country faces loan repayments of about $24 billion this fiscal year, which started July 1

Security agencies seize Pak-bound banned chemicals from China at TN port

Security agencies have seized yet another Pakistan-bound consignment, consisting of internationally banned chemicals used for tear gas and riot control agents, from China at a port in Tamil Nadu, officials said here on Thursday. According to officials, Pakistan is allegedly working on an offensive chemical and biological warfare program with the help of its 'all-weather friend' China. The officials said that the Chinese firm, Chengdu Shichen Trading Co. Ltd, had shipped a consignment of "Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile" to Rohail Enterprises, a Rawalpindi-based Defence supplier. The consignment, weighing about 2560 kgs, was stored in 103 drums of 25 kgs each and loaded into a carrier vessel Hyundai Shanghai (sailing under Cyprus flag), on April 18, 2024, at Shanghai Port, China, they said. The Karachi-bound vessel reached Kattupalli Port (Tamil Nadu) on May 08, 2024. The Customs authorities on routine checking detained the consignment as the chemical's name figured under ..

Pak allows ISI to spy on citizens' calls, messages for 'national security'

Before Pakistan formally authorised ISI to intercept calls, the country's intelligence agencies reportedly had access to a surveillance system that kept tabs on millions without any legal backing

Baloch leader Marri condemns Pak's operation, alleges Chinese influence

Marri, known for his advocacy of Baloch independence, alleged that the operation was being conducted on the orders of China to protect its economic interests in Pakistan

Pakistan may be arming its JF-17 jets with nuclear-capable cruise missiles

Pakistan's Ra'ad family of air-launched cruise missiles is believed to be capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads

Pakistan seeks small, modern arms from US for 'Operation Azm-i-Istehkam'

Pakistan's ambassador to the US has urged the US to provide small arms and modern equipment to his country to ensure the success of Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, Islamabad's newly approved counter-terrorism initiative. The decision to launch the 'Azm-e-Istehkam' operation was taken on June 22 at the apex committee meeting of the National Action Plan, a strategy approved in 2014 to eliminate militancy from the country. The federal government recently approved the reinvigorated national counter-terrorism drive. Pakistan has launched Azm-i-Istehkam () to oppose and dismantle terrorist networks. For that, we need sophisticated small arms and communication equipment, Ambassador Masood Khan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. He made these remarks while addressing US policymakers, scholars, intelligentsia, and corporate leaders at a Washington think tank, the Wilson Centre, earlier this week. Khan elaborated that 'Azm-i-Istehkam' comprises three components: doctrinal, societal, and

Pak Parliament passes tax-laden budget ahead of talks on fresh IMF loan

Pakistan is in talks with the IMF for a loan of $6 billion to $8 billion

40 terrorists in Poonch-Rajouri sectors: Intel, security grids tightened

The most recent attacks have been in Reasi and Kathua, where they attacked Hindu pilgrims and security forces

Pak govt announces Rs 10.20 reduction in petrol price ahead of Eid ul Adha

In a major relief for inflation-hit masses in cash-strapped Pakistan, the government has slashed the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs 10.20 and Rs 2.33 per litre respectively ahead of the Eid ul Adha festival. The price cut, effective from Saturday, will bring the price of petrol to Rs 258.16 per litre while the price of HSD will be Rs 267.89 per litre, The Express Tribune newspaper quoted a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Friday. The Finance Division, which usually reviews the fuel prices every 15 days, issued an official notification for the latest price cuts and said the new prices would be applicable for the next fortnight. The notification said that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had worked out the consumer prices, based on the price variations in the international market. The move to slash the prices of petroleum would benefit the Pakistani people who have been hit by double-digit inflation. Pakistan has been hit by inflation of ab

Pakistan budget sets big tax target of $46.66 bn ahead of IMF talks

Pakistan has projected a sharp drop in its fiscal deficit for the new financial year to 5.9% of GDP, from an upwardly revised estimate of 7.4% for the current year

Pakistan likely to hike taxes in budget to bolster chances of IMF loan

"Everyone will have to contribute in this economy because schools or universities or hospitals can run with philanthropy but countries can only run through taxes," Pak Finance Minister Aurangzeb said

Pakistani army raids militant hideout, kills 11 in overnight operation

Pakistani security forces raided a militant hideout, killing 11 in an overnight operation in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the restive northwest, authorities said on Tuesday. The intelligence-based raid was in retaliation to Sunday's roadside bombing that killed seven soldiers in the same Lakki Marwat district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan, the military said in a statement. It added the operation is still ongoing "to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area and that security forces were determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism" in Pakistan. No one has claimed Sunday's attack, however, blame is likely to fall on Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, an ally of the Afghan Taliban but is a separate group. It has stepped up its assaults in the region since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistani officials often accuse Afghanistan's Taliban rulers of giving shelter to TTP fighters, a charge that

Pakistan Army can't afford China's expensive security demand. What is it?

China is reportedly unsatisfied by how Pakistan has handled Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan's Dasu terrorist attack in March that killed five Chinese nationals working on the CPEC project

What is the 1999 Lahore Declaration that Nawaz Sharif says Pak violated?

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitted that Islamabad had violated an agreement with India, co-signed by him and ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999

IMF, Pakistan make considerable progress on extended loan facility

The IMF has opened discussions with Pakistan on a new loan programme after Islamabad last month completed a short-term $3 bn programme

Pak, US discuss regional security threat posed by IS group, local Taliban

Pakistani and US officials have held their latest talks in Washington on how to expand cooperation in tackling the threat posed to regional security by an affiliate of the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban, Pakistan's foreign ministry said Monday. A joint statement said Pakistani diplomat Haider Shah and the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, chaired the weekend talks. The talks occurred amid a surge in militants attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and an Afghan branch of the Islamic State group. The TTP is an ally of the Afghan Taliban that seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan's military recently said a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in March was planned in Afghanistan and that the bomber was an Afghan citizen. Kabul has denied the charge.

'Black day' in Pakistan: How events of May 9 last year shook the Pak army

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has refused to apologise for the events of May 9