Page 10 - Pakistan Government

India landing on moon, while children die in Karachi gutters: Pak leader

National Assembly member Syed Mustafa Kamal brought attention to the lack of educational facilities for children in the country, comparing it to India's achievements

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.

Pakistan's newly appointed Dy Prime Minister Dar to visit China next week

Pakistan's newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will embark on a three-day official visit to China on May 13, during which he will meet top Chinese leaders and comprehensively review bilateral relations, including the upgradation of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Dar, who is also the foreign minister, will co-chair the 5th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. "The two sides will comprehensively review Pakistan-China bilateral relations including economic and trade cooperation; high-level exchanges and visits; upgradation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and future connectivity initiatives," the statement said. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Dar and Wang will

Cong Pak 'disciple'; neighbour eager to make 'shehzada' next India PM: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dubbed the Congress party a "disciple" of Pakistan, and said the neighbouring country was eager to make the 'shehzada' of the grand old party the next prime minister of India. His comments came amid reports that Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet in Pakistan, shared a video featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him. "Pakistan is crying because Congress is dying here. Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that Congress is Pakistan's 'mureed' (disciple). The partnership between Pakistan and Congress has been exposed. It shows the country's enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one," Modi said. Addressing a poll rally in Anand town of central Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Anand and Kheda Lok Sabha seats, PM .

IMF approves immediate disbursal of $1.1 billion loan tranche to Pakistan

The International Monetary Fund has approved an immediate disbursal of USD 1.1 billion to Pakistan as part of a bailout package and said the country needs to take tough measures to bring its economy back on track. A decision in this regard was taken by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board as it completed the second and final review of Pakistan's economic reform programme supported by the IMF's Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). With this development, the disbursements under the SBA reached around USD 3 billion. IMF's Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Sayeh said, "Given the significant challenges ahead, Pakistan should capitalize on this hard-won stability, persevering -- beyond the current arrangement -- with sound macroeconomic policies and structural reforms to create stronger, inclusive, and sustainable growth." Continued external support will also be critical, she said. Achieving strong, long-term inclusive growth and creating jobs require accelerating structural .

Ex-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif set to lead PML-N amidst internal strife

Pakistan's three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is all set to retake the helm of the ruling PML-N next month to guide the party amid internal strife, seven years after he relinquished the post after being disqualified by the apex court. Nawaz, 74, will be elected president of the ruling party on May 11 in a meeting of the party leadership, a senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader told PTI. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Nawaz as premier and party president for his alleged corruption in cases related to the Panama Papers revelations about his illegal wealth stashed abroad. He relinquished his position within the party following his disqualification, which also led to his departure from the prime minister's office. PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah told a press conference that a decision to make Nawaz the president of the party again was taken at a party meeting on Friday. A resolution was passed at the party meeting today to make the el

Pak faces internet disruption as sea-cables damaged at several points

Less than 10 per cent of internet traffic originates from the east, and Pakistani users have complained about difficulty accessing the internet, especially at night

Business leaders urge Pak PM Shehbaz to initiate trade talks with India

Pakistan business leaders in an interactive session with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged him to initiate trade talks with India to promote business and commerce which would greatly benefit the economy of the cash-strapped country. Posing tough questions during an hour-long meeting at the Sindh CM House here in Pakistan's commercial capital on Wednesday, Karachi's business community appreciated the prime minister's determination to tackle economic issues but advised him to focus on bringing about political stability to turn around the economy. The Prime Minister sat down with the business community to find ways to uplift the economy through exports but his resolve was met with apprehensions from industry leaders who said it was almost impossible to do business under the current circumstances, particularly with high energy costs and inconsistent government policies, the Dawn newspaper reported. After the prime minister's brief speech, the house was opened for a question and answer

Imran Khan's party denies secret talks with Pak's powerful establishment

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said on Tuesday that the party has no interest in engaging in discussions with anyone, firmly denying any rumours of secret negotiations with the powerful establishment. Today, I asked the party's founding chairman Imran Khan if some institutions had contacted him for the talks. Imran Khan clearly said that no one had contacted him, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan told reporters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. He said no one had even contacted him for dialogue, nor had he received any message for talks from anyone, Gohar Khan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. Gohar Khan's clarification came days after it was reported in a section of the media that Imran Khan had revealed that some PTI leaders were still in contact with the establishment (the military). The same is the case with the other party leadership. Even if we receive any message from anyone for dialogues, we will inform the media, he said. G

Pakistan's benchmark share index trades at record high, breaches 72,000

The index has surged 75.5% over the past year and is up 11.5% year-to-date

US warns Pakistan of potential risk of sanctions for doing trade with Iran

Iran and Pakistan have inked eight memoranda of understanding for collaboration in a range of areas. PM Shehbaz and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi witnessed the MoU signing ceremony

Iran Prez Raisi, Pak army chief Munir discuss stability, border security

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir discussed regional peace, stability and border security, months after the two neighbours carried out tit-for-tat air strikes against alleged terrorist hideouts on rival lands. Gen Munir called on Raisi, the first head of state of any country to visit Pakistan after the February 8 general elections, and emphasised the need for improved coordination against the terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army said. General Munir described the Pakistan-Iran border as the border of peace and friendship, emphasising the need for improved coordination along the border to prevent terrorists from jeopardising the longstanding brotherly relations between the two neighbouring countries, it said. The statement said that the discussion between the two dignitaries focussed on matters of mutual interest, notably regional peace, stability, and border security. "Both sides concurre

Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif set to visit Saudi to advance investment talks

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon, his second trip this month to the friendly Gulf kingdom, to advance investment talks as his cash-strapped government has presented lucrative returns on Saudi investment. According to The Express Tribune, in addition to the enticing prospects of harvesting rich dividends on investment, Pakistan has assured priority in profits to Saudi investors without any hindrances. Sharif's government has presented returns ranging from an appealing 14 per cent to an astounding 50 per cent on Saudi investment, the report said. According to government sources involved in these discussions, the indicated returns on Saudi investment are expected to allow the Kingdom to recoup its invested capital within three to nine years, depending on the nature of the project. Pakistan aims to advance the Saudi Arabia investment initiative during the April 27-28 visit of Sharif, who will be accompanied by a team from the Special ...

Cash-strapped Pak makes formal request to IMF for another bailout

Pakistan has made a formal request to IMF for seeking the next bailout package in the range of USD 6 to USD 8 billion with the possibility of augmentation through climate financing, a media report said on Saturday. Cash-strapped Pakistan also requested to dispatch the International Monetary Fund (IMF) review mission next month to firm up details of the next bailout package for three years under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). However, the exact size and timeframe of the new package will only be determined after evolving consensus on the major contours of the next programme in May 2024, Geo News reported from Washington. A high-level Pakistani delegation led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is currently visiting Washington to attend the annual spring meetings of the IMF/World Bank. Although Pakistani authorities are pitching a rosy picture of the economy, the IMF in its latest Regional Economic Outlook (REO) released by Middle East and Central Asia (ME and CA) said the ...

Even Pak politicians want PM Modi as their country's leader: MP CM Yadav

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that even politicians in Pakistan say they wish their country had a leader like him. He also alleged that India got divided due to the seeds sown by the Congress. Yadav was addressing gatherings on Friday evening during the campaigning in Hoshangabad Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh. He claimed that the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) also want to become part of India as there is a crisis of survival in the neighbouring country. "Pakistan's leaders, including (former PM) Nawaz Sharif, are continuously saying that they wish Narendra Modi was there (in Pakistan). If you are a leader, then you should be such that even your enemy praises you. This leader (Modi) is making us proud," Yadav said in one of his addresses. He slammed the Congress, saying that there was a "stigma on the forehead" of the party of dividing the country into Bharat and Pakistan. "There was no BJP or Jan

5 Japanese escape unhurt in suicide bombing attempt in Pakistan's Karachi

Five Japanese nationals had a lucky escape when their vehicle was targeted by militants in a suicide attack here in Pakistan's Sindh province on Friday, police said. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Azfar Mahesar said the terrorists on a motorbike attempted to hit the van of the Japanese nationals near Murtaza Chorangi in Landhi. All five Japanese remained safe. However, the private security guard with them was injured, he said. The Japanese nationals were on the way to the Export Processing Zone from their residence in Zamzama, Clifton, he said. Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) DIG Asif Aijaz Shaikh told Dawn News that the Japanese nationals were travelling in a van along with two security guards when two terrorists tried to hit the van. The security guards killed one terrorist while another blew himself up in an attempt to get close to the van, the official said. All five Japanese nationals are safe, DIG Shaikh said. No one has claimed responsibility so far, the DIG said,

Ready to support cash-strapped Pak to improve its economic situation: IMF

The International Monetary Fund is ready to support cash-strapped Pakistan in key reform to help the country improve and stabilise its economic situation. Currently, Pakistan has expressed interest in a new programme in order to help the country address some of the key challenges, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the IMF told reporters here on the sidelines of the annual Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. The current programme that was initiated ten months ago allowed Pakistan to achieve a certain number of important milestones in terms of economic stability, he said. The last review was successful and will be put forward to the board, which will end a programme that helped Pakistan address acute economic imbalances and maintain its economic stabilities, the IMF official hoped. Those measures also allowed Pakistan to increase its buffers. Currently, the authorities have expressed interest in a new programme in order to help Pakista

Make tax reforms, remove exemptions on duties, sales tax: World Bank to Pak

The report reads, "Government should implement austerity measures and promote public-private partnership in government-owned companies"

Lightning, rains kill 49 in Pak, state of emergency declared in southwest

Lightning and heavy rains have killed at least 49 people across Pakistan in the past three days, officials said Monday, as authorities in the country's southwest declared a state of emergency. Some deaths occurred when lightning struck farmers harvesting wheat. Rains caused dozens of houses to collapse in the northwest and in eastern Punjab province. Arfan Kathia, a spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority, said 21 people had died in Punjab, where more rains were expected this week. Khursheed Anwar, a spokesman for the disaster management authority in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, said 21 people died there. Rain also lashed the capital, Islamabad, and killed seven people in southwestern Baluchistan province. Streets flooded in the northwestern city of Peshawar and in Quetta, the Baluchistan capital. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in televised remarks that he had ordered authorities to provide relief aid. Pakistan's water ...

Militants kill 11 in Pak's Balochistan province in latest terror attacks

At least 11 people, nine of them from Punjab province, were shot dead by militants in Pakistan's restive Balochistan in two separate incidents, authorities said on Saturday, as the region witnessed a surge in terror attacks in recent days. Nine of the deceased were travelling in a bus on the National Highway from Quetta to Taftan when they were stopped by unknown militants, who pulled them out of the bus and killed them later, an official said. The bodies of these nine men were later found with bullet wounds in the nearby mountainous areas near a bridge, he said. The bus was going from Quetta to Taftan when armed men stopped it and after identifying passengers took the nine men to the mountainous areas, he added. The victims were from Wazirabad, Mandi Bahauddin, and Gujranwala in Punjab province. In a separate incident, a car was fired upon on the same highway in which two passengers were killed and two others injured. Condemning the attacks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought