Page 142 - Pakistan

State Bank of Pakistan says its forex reserves have fallen by $327 mn

The State Bank of Pakistan announced that its foreign exchange reserves have decreased by $327 million

Pak ruling party to table no-trust motions against PTI govts in KP, Punjab

Imran's PTI is in power in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. However, the PTI has yet to announce a date for the dissolution of assemblies in Punjab and KP

Pakistan asks Russia for 30-40% discount on crude oil; Moscow denies

A Pakistani delegation holding talks with their Russian counterparts has asked for a 30-40 per cent discount on crude oil, a demand turned down by Moscow which said it could not offer anything right now as all volumes were committed, according to a media report on Thursday. The delegation comprising State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, Secretary Petroleum Capt (retd) Muhammad Mahmood, joint secretary and officials of the Pakistan Embassy in Moscow asked for a discount during talks in Moscow on Wednesday, The News reported. The talks ended with no cogent conclusion but the Russian side promised to consider Pakistan's demand and to share its decision later on through diplomatic channels, the paper said, citing its sources. The paper said that Russia can offer crude at the rates it is providing to its large client countries, which are reliable and sound economies, at a suitable time. Right now all volumes are committed with big buyers, sources said. The Russian side asked ...

East Pakistan 1971 debacle a military failure, says Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has termed the East Pakistan debacle in 1971 a "colossal military failure," in a veiled jibe at the former Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who termed it a "political failure." Bilawal made these comments at the Nishtar Park rally, which was organised to mark the 55th Foundation Day of his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). On the occasion, the PPP chairman revisited the history of his party and recounted the achievements of its founder, his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over the government, the people were broken and had lost all hope, he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. But he rebuilt the nation, restored the confidence of the people, and finally brought our 90,000 troops back home who had been made prisoners of war due to military failure'. Those 90,000 soldiers were reunited with their families. And that all was made possible due to politics of hope... of unity... and inclusion," he ...

General Asim Munir takes charge as Pakistan's new Army chief

General Asim Munir, Pakistan's former spymaster, on Tuesday assumed charge as the country's new Army chief, replacing Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa who retired after two consecutive three-year terms. Munir assumed charge during an impressive ceremony at the General Headquarters (GHQ), becoming the 17th Chief of the Army Staff. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on November 24 nominated Munir to the most powerful position in the coup-prone country, where the military wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. He is the first Army chief who has headed both powerful intelligence agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI). His stint as the spy chief at the ISI was the shortest ever as he was replaced by Lt Gen Faiz Hamid within eight months on the insistence of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019. The powerful Army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable po

Former ISI chief Lt General Faiz Hamid decides to retire early: Reports

Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, the former ISI chief and one of the top military officers of Pakistan, has opted to seek an early retirement, days after he was shortlisted but not appointed as the Army chief, according to media reports on Tuesday. Gen Hamid was one of the six senior-most generals shortlisted by the General Headquarters (GHQ) for the post of the Chief of Army Staff. The list was sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for approval last week. Bahawalpur Corps Commander Lieutenant-General Hamid has decided to seek an early retirement days after he was not selected as the Army chief of the country, the Dawn newspaper reported quoting its sister media outlet DawnNews TV. Gen Asim Munir, a former ISI chief was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff by the Pakistan government on Thursday, ending intense speculation on the high-profile and sensitive post. The report said that Gen Hamid has sent his resignation to the high command. The authorities have already accepted his ...

Pakistani Taliban ends months-long cease-fire with govt, vows new attacks

The Pakistani Taliban on Monday ended a months-long ceasefire with the government in Islamabad, ordering its fighters to resume attacks across the country, where scores of deadly attacks have been blamed on the insurgent group. In a statement, the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan said it decided to end the five-month-old cease-fire after Pakistan's army stepped up operations against them in former northwestern tribal areas and elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Pakistan and the TTP had agreed to an indefinite cease-fire in May after talks in Afghanistan's capital. There was no immediate comment from the government or the military. The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but are allies of the Afghanistan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan more than a year ago as the US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan emboldened TTP, whose top leaders and fighters are hiding in ...

Pakistan launches nationwide anti-polio drive amid spike in cases

Pakistani authorities launched a new nationwide anti-polio drive on Monday amid a spike in new cases among children, health officials said. It is the sixth such campaign this year and will last for five days, aiming to inoculate children under the age of 5 in high-risk areas. The newest drive was aimed at Islamabad and in the high-risk districts in eastern Punjab and southwestern Baluchistan province. A similar campaign will be launched in the northwest in the first week of December. Pakistan regularly launches polio campaigns despite attacks on workers and police assigned to inoculation drives. Militants falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilise children. Since April, Pakistan has registered 20 new polio cases and the outbreak has been seen as a blow to the efforts to eradicate the disease, which can cause severe paralysis in children. Pakistan came close to eradicating polio last year, when only one case was reported. Since then, new cases

Pak stocks crash after sudden interest rate hike to highest since 1999

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crashed at the opening bell today in reaction to the State Bank of Pakistan's (SBP) unforeseen hike on November 25

Punjab Police seize Chinese pistols, bullets, heroin smuggled from Pakistan

Punjab Police on Sunday said it has arrested a person and seized from him eight Chinese pistols, 60 bullets and two kg heroin smuggled into India by a drone from Pakistan, an official said. A Punjab Police official said the accused has been identified as Paramjit Singh, a resident of Havlian village in Tarn Taran district. The official said the police had specific information that a consignment of arms, ammunition and drugs would be smuggled from Pakistan through a drone. The drone dropped the consignment inside the Indian territory on Friday and Singh tretrieved it on Saturday, police said. Singh was nabbed after his car was intercepted by a police team at Ajnala road on Sunday morning.

Pakistan halts overseas payments for online gaming and other apps

Army rejects claims about Gen Bajwa, family's assets; PTI Senator arrested for tweets against military officials

Blatant lies: Pakistan Army rejects claims on Gen Bajwa, family's assets

Pakistan Army on Sunday rejected media reports that the outgoing chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa's family members and relatives became billionaires during his six-year tenure, terming them as misleading and based on "blatant lies and malice. Gen Bajwa, 61, is scheduled to retire on November 29 after getting a three-year extension. According to the report published by the FactFocus website, the alleged tax records of Gen Bajwa's family, the current market value of the known assets and business of the army chief, both within and outside Pakistan, amounted to Rs 12.7 billion. Pakistan Army finally broke its silence on Sunday, days after the Shehbaz Sharif-led government launched a probe and suspended two officers from service for their involvement in leaking the tax records of Gen Bajwa and his family members. Pakistan Army's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said misleading data regarding the assets of Army chief Gen Bajwa and his family were shared on social media, and the sa

Case registered over video of pro-Pak slogans during Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Madhya Pradesh Police have registered a case in connection with a purported video pertaining to pro-Pakistani slogans raised during the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, an official said on Sunday. While the Congress alleged it was a doctored video with which the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to defame the foot march led by Rahul Gandhi, the ruling BJP claimed the opposition party deleted the clip after a pro-Pakistani slogan was heard in it. Khargone's Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh Yadav said the case was registered at Sanawad police station against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Sections 153 (B) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) in connection with the video related to pro-Pakistani slogans. Yadav did not share any other detail and said further investigation into the case was underway. MP Congress Committee's media department chairperson KK Mishra in a statem

Pakistani security forces kill 9 terrorists in Balochistan: Military

Pakistani security forces have killed nine terrorists and arrested three others during an operation in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, the Military said

PTI to resign from all Pakistan Assemblies, announces Imran Khan

Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership

Pak's ex-PM Imran Khan alleges '3 criminals' waiting to target him again

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday alleged that "three criminals", who were behind the failed assassination attempt on him early this month, are waiting to target him again. Addressing a mega rally of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party here in this garrison city, which houses the headquarters of the powerful army, Khan said he had a close encounter with death and had seen bullets flying overhead during the attack on him. In his first in-person address to the party workers after the failed assassination bid on his life, Khan alleged that three criminals who he claimed were behind the attack on him are waiting to take a shot at him again. The 70-year-old leader has repeatedly alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and ISI Counter Intelligence Wing head Maj-Gen Faisal Naseer were behind the attack on him. Khan called on his supporters to free themselves from the fear of death if they wanted to live freely. "Fear makes an en

India waging a lonely battle to lay its hands on 26/11 attack masterminds

The United State does not remind Pakistan of its obligation to punish the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks any more

Pak President Alvi okays appointment of Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had sent a summary earlier in the day to President Alvi that Munir as COAS and Mirza as CJCSC, reported Geo News

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif names Lt Gen Asim Munir the next army chief

Under Imran Khan, Munir was removed from the post of the ISI chief within eight months of his appointment and replaced with Lt Gen Faiz Hameed in 2019

Sri Lanka asks ICC to probe match-fixing allegations during Pak Test series

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Wednesday said it has asked the ICC to probe match-fixing allegations concerning the home Test series against Pakistan held in July. Opposition member of parliament Nalin Bandara had alleged match fixing during the drawn series (1-1) played in Galle. The executive committee of SLC decided today to invite Mr Alex Marshall, the General Manager of the ICC anti corruption unit to Sri Lanka to investigate recent allegations of match fixing made by a parliamentarian regarding the recently concluded Pakistan tour," a statement from SLC said. The SLC accused Bandara of tarnishing its reputation by making the allegation.