Page 8 - Pakistan Government

Imran Khan being given substandard food in jail, allege party leaders

On Sunday, Khan refused to apologise for May 9 riots that erupted after his arrest last year, claiming that it was Army that owed him an apology since he was abducted by paramilitary rangers

British journalist deported from Pak after seeking meeting with Imran Khan

A 73-year-old British-American author and journalist, who sought an interview with Pakistan's jailed former premier Imran Khan, has been deported after his tourist visa was revoked, a media report said on Thursday. Charles Glass, an author, journalist, broadcaster, and publisher who specialises in the Middle East, was told by law enforcement agencies on Wednesday that his visa had been cancelled and he had five hours to leave the country, the Dawn newspaper reported. Glass has served prominent media organisations such as Newsweek, ABC TV, and The Telegraph, among others, and currently works as a freelance journalist. He had been trying to secure a meeting with Khan. Sources told the paper that Glass, who was recently spotted outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi alongside Khan's sister Aleema, was at the residence of Islamabad-based senior journalist Zahid Hussain when they were visited by a large police contingent. Around noon on Wednesday, a team led by an assistant superintendent of

Pakistan's 'Beep' messaging app launch raises citizen concerns: Here's why

Previously referred to as a "WhatsApp killer," the Beep Pakistan app is being touted by the critics as part of a broader government strategy to control online discourse and limit access to informatio

Baloch nation raises voice: Thousands join Quetta rally against Pakistan

The protestors allege that Pakistani defence forces are trying to stop them from participating in nationwide gatherings

Human Rights Watch urges restraint as Pak forces crackdown on Balochs

Pakistani security forces have reportedly detained several peaceful protesters from Hub Chowki and Karachi who were demonstrating against "brutality" by the administration

Pak's Karachi ranked 2nd-riskiest city for tourists, only behind Caracas

Karachi has been ranked as the second-riskiest city for tourists, with a rating of 93.12 out of 100, according to a July 11 Forbes Adviser list, reported Dawn.The July 11 Forbes Adviser list of three of the riskiest cities highlighted that Karachi was second just behind Venezuela's Caracas, which had a score of 100, while Myanmar's Yangon ranked third with a score of 91.67 out of 100.According to the ranking, the city had the highest personal security risk, reflecting risk from crime, violence, terrorist threats, natural disasters, and economic vulnerabilities.It added that Karachi had the second-worst (level 3, reconsider travel) travel safety rating from the US State Department, as reported by Dawn.Moreover, Karachi has the fourth-highest infrastructure security risk, reflecting the availability and quality of city infrastructure, according to the report.To uncover the most and least risky cities for tourists, Forbes Adviser said that it compared 60 international cities across seven

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 .

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

Imran Khan's PTI wins 20 extra reserved seats in Pakistan's parliament

Under Pakistan's election rules, parties are allocated 70 reserved seats - 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims - in proportion to the number of seats they win

Why Pakistan has suspended the passports of 2,000 beggars for 7 years

The Pakistan govt said that begging abroad not only damages Pakistan's reputation but also diminishes the honour of its citizens

Pakistan PM Sharif to decide fate of social media platforms during Muharram

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would decide the fate of social media platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok during the Muharram festival as the Punjab government sought a ban on them, citing the need to control hate material. Shiite Muslims hold large gatherings during the festival to observe the martyrdom of the grandson of the prophet of Islam. The Muslims generally observe his martyrdom as a symbol of resistance to tyranny, and the Shiite Muslims take out rallies during the first ten days of Muharram which culminate into huge processions on the 9th and 10th of the month. The Sunni Muslims have a historic theological rivalry with the Shiites, and extremist Sunni groups brand them as heretics and target them through bombings, with Pakistan witnessing numerous such attacks in the past. To disrupt communication among the militants, governments in Pakistan traditionally undertake elaborate security measures during Muharram, including suspension of

Pak PM raises terrorism concern, urges global engagement with Taliban

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday raised the issue of terrorism as a major concern for member states at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and called for meaningful engagement with the Afghan Taliban government. Shahbaz, who arrived in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, represented Pakistan at the SCO meeting where leaders and diplomats from countries including China, India, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan have gathered to discuss economic and security cooperation. The prime minister, during his address, emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the region as a precondition for economic development, Dawn News reported. Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan is a lynchpin to this common objective, he said, adding that the international community "meaningfully engage with the Afghan government to meet their genuine economic and development needs. Sharif also said the Afghan Taliban must also take concrete measures to

Pakistan holds 'good' meeting with Afghan Taliban amid strained ties

Pakistani diplomats held a "good" meeting with the representatives of Afghanistan's Taliban-led interim government in Qatar this week during which they discussed bilateral and regional issues, in what was seen as an effort to ease tension and mend strained ties between the two neighbours. The Afghan Taliban delegation, which was in Qatar's capital of Doha to attend a UN-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan this week, was hosted over a dinner by the Pakistani mission in Qatar on the sidelines of the conference, the Dawn newspaper reported Tuesday. Zabihullah Mujahid, chief Taliban government spokesman who headed the delegation to Doha, described his meeting with Pakistani diplomats as "good" and expressed the hope for developing "positive relations with Pakistan, the paper said. "We had a good meeting with the special representative of Pakistan, Asif Durrani, and the ambassador and consuls of the country in Qatar, Mujahid wrote on X on Tuesday. I am grateful for their hospitality and hop

Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan should be released immediately: UN human rights group

A United Nations human rights working group on Monday called for the immediate release of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying he had been detained arbitrarily in violation of international laws. The Geneva-based United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention made this demand after examining Khan's case in which he was sentenced last year on charges of corruption. Khan has been facing multiple prison sentences since 2022 when he was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in the parliament. There was no immediate comment from the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster. Khan has been held in prison since August 2023 when a court awarded him a three-year prison sentence after finding him guilty of hiding assets after selling state gifts. It led to a ban on Khan from taking part in politics and contesting the Feb 8 elections, which his party says were rigged. The Election Commission of Pakistan, which oversaw the .

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

Pakistan doesn't believe in perpetual hostility to India: Dy PM Dar

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sending a positive message to India on Tuesday said his country does not believe in perpetual hostility and urged the new government in New Delhi to do a sober reflection on its future ties with Islamabad. Addressing a seminar at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), the 74-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said Pakistan always sought good neighbourly relations. To our east, the relationship with India has historically remained troubled. Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. We seek good neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Dar said. The foreign minister said while Pakistan had always been receptive to constructive engagement through dialogue that includes all outstanding issues, Pakistan would never agree to unilateral approaches or attempts to

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