Page 15 - Pakistan

Indian Army shares 1971 news clip highlighting US role in arming Pakistan

In the backdrop of mounting US criticism of India's purchase of crude oil from Russia, the Indian Army on Tuesday posted a news clip of August 1971 which highlighted the role played by the US in arming Pakistan "since 1954". The news clip was shared in a post by the Eastern Command on X. "#IndianArmy #EasternCommand #VijayVarsh #LiberationOfBangladesh #MediaHighlights 'This Day That Year" Build Up of War - 05 Aug 1971 #KnowFacts. US Arms Worth $2 Billion Shipped to Pakistan Since '54," it said. The news, published few months before the Indo-Pak War of 1971 that led to creation of Bangladesh, talks about the role US had played in arming Pakistan the preceding nearly two decades. "US Arms Worth $2 Billion Shipped to Pakistan Since '54," the headline says. The report quotes V C Shukla, then minister for defence production, who had told the Rajya Sabha about the estimated valuation of the arms supplied for that period. The social media post comes amid mounting criticism by Washingto

DRDO guest house manager held on suspicion of spying for Pakistan

Manager of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) guest house was detained in Jaisalmer district on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, police said Tuesday. Mahendra Prasad, a resident of Uttarakhand's Almora, was posted as the manager of DRDO guest house in Chandan area of Jaisalmer. "He was detained on Monday. A joint interrogation will be conducted today," Superintendent of Police, Jaisalmer, Abhishek Shivhare said. "He is suspected to have provided sensitive information related to strategic operations and activities in the region," the police said. DRDO conducts tests and trials of missiles and weapons in Pokaran firing range in Jaisalmer, and experts and officials involved in the process stay in the guest house.

The world nearly beat polio, but missteps and fake records revived it

For the past decade, Sughra Ayaz has travelled door to door in southeastern Pakistan, pleading with parents to allow children to be vaccinated against polio to wipe out the paralytic disease. She hears their demands and fears. Some are practical families need basics like food and water more than vaccines. Amid rampant misinformation and immense pressure for the campaign to succeed, Ayaz said, some managers have instructed workers to falsely mark children as immunised. And the vaccines, which must be kept cold, aren't always stored correctly, she added. The World Health Organisation and partners embarked on their polio campaign in 1988 with the bold goal of eradication a feat seen only once for human diseases, with smallpox in 1980. They came close several times, including in 2021, when just five cases of the natural virus were reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But since then, cases rebounded, hitting 99 last year, and officials missed at least six self-imposed eradication ...

Security agencies confirm Pakistani nationality of Pahalgam attackers

Security agencies have gathered evidence, including documents issued by the government of Pakistan and biometric data, confirming that the three slain foreign terrorists involved in the deadly Pahalgam attack were Pakistani nationals, officials said on Monday. The terrorists, identified as senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Dachigam forest on the outskirts of Srinagar on July 28 during an operation code-named 'Mahadev'. They had been hiding in the Dachigam-Harwan forest belt since the April 22 attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow, which claimed 26 lives. The evidence collected shows that no local was among these terrorists, the officials said. Biometric records of Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), voter identity slips and digital satellite phone data, including logs and GPS waypoints, are among the clinching evidence gathered by the security agencies confirming the Pakistani nationality of the .

Trump repeats claim he ended India-Pakistan conflict through trade

US President Donald Trump on Sunday yet again took credit for stopping conflicts around the world, including the recent one between India and Pakistan. Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim on several occasions. Trump's latest claim comes days after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending several conflicts around the world including the one between India and Pakistan. On Sunday, in a post on Truth Social, Trump slammed radio host and author Charlamagne Tha God, and said he (God) knows nothing about him or what he has done, like just ending 5 Wars, including a 31 year bloodbath between Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, where Seven Million people have died, and there was no end in sight. He didn't know that, or India and Pakistan or, wiping out Iran's nuclear .

Pak, Iran agree to increase bilateral trade volume to $10 billion annually

Pakistan and Iran on Sunday agreed to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion from the current USD 3 billion annually as they signed 12 agreements and MoUs after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Prime Minister Sharif announced the new bilateral trade target while addressing a joint press meeting with President Pezeshkian after their talks during which they also agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat militancy along their shared border, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). The agreement to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion was reached earlier in the morning during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian Minister for Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak. Sharif also said that Iran has the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which had been at the heart of the current conflict with Israel. Pakistan stands with Iran for the acquisition of peacefu

Midnight quake of 4.8 strikes Pakistan, follows earlier 5.4 tremor

Earlier on Saturday, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad

Pakistan renews deportation drive, forces thousands of Afghans to border

Millions of Afghans have fled into Pakistan over the past several decades due to conflict and instability, including hundreds of thousands who arrived after the Taliban returned to power in 2021

NIA attaches properties of Pak-based Dawood gang's operative in Gujarat

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached two immovable properties belonging to an aide of Pakistan-based fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim in connection with 2015 double murder case in Gujarat's Bharuch, officials on Friday said. The properties of the arrested accused, Mohammad Yunus alias Manjro, have been attached under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on the orders of NIA special court, Ahmedabad, in the case, they said. "The attached properties include his residential house in ward no 3, city survey no 3614, Bharuch City (Total area: 143.96 sq. mt.) and ward no 3, city survey no 3615, Bharuch City (Total area: 29.59 sq. mt.)," said a statement issued by the probe agency. Manjro was arrested for his role in the criminal conspiracy and murder of the BJP workers -- Shirish Bengali and Pragnesh Mistry -- in November 2015, it said. "These attachments by the NIA are a very important step towards dismantling the terror ecosystem of D-company gang operating from ...

Pakistan to import US crude for first time after Trump trade deal

Pakistan's top refiner will receive its first-ever US crude shipment in October, following a new Trump-brokered energy pact aimed at deepening trade and geopolitical ties

Trump strikes oil deal with Pakistan, says 'maybe they'll sell to India'

Trump announced a new oil partnership with Pakistan via Truth Social, saying both the nations would jointly develop reserves and hinting that Islamabad may one day supply oil to India

Pak launches remote sensing satellite from China to tackle climate woes

Pakistan on Thursday launched a new remote sensing satellite from China aimed at enhancing its capacity to monitor and respond to climate change-related threats. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China with technical support from Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), which played a key role in the launch. The Satellite is expected to play a critical role in addressing pressing challenges including floods, landslides, glacier melt and deforestation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal hailed the development in a social media post: Today marks another proud moment for our nation as Pakistan successfully launches its fourth Earth Observation Satellite under the URAAN (flight) Pakistan Space Program from the XiChang Space Centre, China. Iqbal praised SUPARCO's contribution and said the achievement reflects the growing strength of PakistanChina space cooperation. This ...

Massive oil reserves in Pakistan, says Trump: Here's what US said in 2015

Pakistan's untapped shale reserves have long intrigued energy analysts. A 2015 US report had already mapped billions of barrels underground

India ready to help Pakistan act against terrorism, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said if Pakistan cannot take action against terrorism on its soil, India is ready to help the neighbouring country as Indian forces are capable of fighting terror on the other side of the border as well. Initiating a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack have been eliminated by Indian forces. He further said that Operation Sindoor India's response to the Pahalgam attack -- has been suspended, and can be resumed anytime if Pakistan indulges in terror activities in India again. "India wants terrorism to end in the whole world, including Pakistan. I would advise Pakistan, if you are not able to take action against terrorism, take help from India, we are ready to help. Our forces are capable of fighting terror on this side of the border, as well as on the other side, this has been proved by Operation Sindoor," he said. "If Pakistan commits any terror incidents in

No Modi-Trump call took place, Jaishankar clarifies on Operation Sindoor

EAM S Jaishankar defends Operation Sindoor and highlights India's diplomatic wins against Pakistan-backed terror groups and China's influence in Parliament

Pakistan urges social media platforms to block banned militant accounts

Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the news conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation .

S&P raises Pakistan's sovereign rating to 'B-' as fiscal outlook improves

S&P Global Ratings upgrades Pakistan's sovereign credit rating, citing improved fiscal conditions, contained external liquidity risks, and reduced near-term default risk

Pak govt secured $26.7 bn in loans in last financial year: Report

Pakistan secured a record USD 26.7 billion in foreign loans during the last fiscal year, according to a media report that said it indicates the country's deepening dependence on multilateral and bilateral creditors. Nearly half of these loans were in the form of rollovers of previously obtained loans, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The USD 26.7 billion disbursed during the fiscal year 2024-25 was slightly higher than the preceding fiscal year, the report said citing data compiled by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Ministry of Finance. Of the USD 26.7 billion in foreign loans, only USD 3.4 billion or nearly 13 per cent was received for project financing, details released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Tuesday revealed. Such low receipts for project financing underscore the difficulties in repaying the loans, as most foreign borrowings are used for budgetary support and to build foreign exchange reserves, neither of which ..

Iran president to visit Pakistan on July 26 to strengthen bilateral ties

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will visit Pakistan on Saturday to deepen the bilateral ties in the backdrop of recent regional conflicts, according to a media report. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discussed the upcoming visit with his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni during a telephone conversation on Monday. Momeni had called Naqvi to express sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by the floods in Pakistan, according to Radio Pakistan. The Iranian Interior Minister also discussed the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan on July 26, Radio Pakistan reported. Pezeshkian will be the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in as many years, after his predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, paid a three-day official visit to Pakistan in April 2024. The exact agenda of the visit is not known as yet, but the two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral and regional matters, especially the security issues in the wake of the recent conflicts, it h

Pakistan extends ban on Indian flights in its airspace till August 24

Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for flights operated by Indian airlines by another month till August 24, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said. No aircraft operated by Indian airlines, or military and civilian flights that are Indian-owned or leased, will be allowed to use Pakistani airspace, according to a NOTAM (notice to airmen) that came into effect at 3:50 pm India time on Friday. The ban will remain in place till August 24 at 5:19 am (India time), the PAA said. The Indian airspace is also closed to all Pakistani aircraft till July 24 after a ban was imposed first on April 30 as part of measures taken by the Indian government against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22. Pakistan shut its airspace for Indian aircraft on April 24 and the tit-for-tat restrictions by the two nations have been extended multiple times.