Page 153 - Pakistan

Ex Pak PM Imran Khan apologises before Judge Zeba Chaudhry's court

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Friday appeared before a sessions court here to personally apologise to Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, the female judge he had allegedly threatened at a public rally. During a rally in Islamabad on August 20, Khan had threatened to file cases against top police officials, election commission and political opponents over the treatment meted out to his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested on charges of sedition. He had also taken exception to Judge Chaudhry, who had approved Gill's two-day physical remand at the request of the Capital Territory Police, and said she should "prepare herself as action would be taken against her''. Hours after the speech, Khan, 69, was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening police, judiciary and other state institutions at his rally. Khan and his lawyers appeared in Judge Chaudhry's court.

After inciting Sikh radicals in Canada, top Pakistani envoy now backs PFI

Pakistan's brazen support to anti-India extremists has been exposed again with the country's top diplomat openly coming out in support of the leaders of the banned Popular Front of India

Pakistan's Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi continues his hate-mongering rhetoric

Pakistan's Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi continued his hate-mongering rhetoric against the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan, saying that his party (PML-Q) plans to build a mosque

Pak NSC approves constitution of high-level committee to probe audio leaks

A high-level security meeting in Pakistan on Wednesday approved the formation of a high-powered committee to probe the embarrassing audio leaks from the Prime Minister's Office that have triggered a controversy and demands for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's resignation. A slew of audio recordings featuring confidential conversations of the prime minister with high-government officials surfaced on social media last week, raising questions about the security of the highest office of the country. Prime Minister Sharif on Wednesday chaired the meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on the issue. Ministers for defence, energy, information, interior, finance, human rights and planning along with services chiefs, the national security adviser and senior officers attended the meeting. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the heads of the intelligence institutions gave a detailed briefing to the meeting on the security of the PM's house and other

New Pakistan finance minister vows to tame inflation and cut interest rates

Ishaq Dar says no one will be 'allowed to play' with currency market, sees Pakistan's rupee currency is undervalued

UN voices concern over chronic disease outbreaks in flood-hit Pakistan

The UN has voiced concern over the outbreak of vector-borne and water-borne diseases in flood-hit Pakistan

India, Pakistan both partners with different points of emphasis, says US

India and Pakistan are both partners of the US with different points of emphasis, the Biden administration said Monday, a day after visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar questioned the rationale behind the latest American F-16 security assistance to Islamabad. Referring to the argument made by the US that F-16 sustenance package is to fight terrorism, Jaishankar had said everybody knows where and against whom F-16 fighter jets are used. "You're not fooling anybody by saying these things," he said in response to a question during an interaction with Indian-Americans. "We don't view our relationship with Pakistan, and on the other hand, we don't view our relationship with India as in relation to one another. These are both partners of ours with different points of emphasis in each," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference. "We look to both as partners, because we do have in many cases shared values. We do have in many cases shared

US defends move to approve F-16 jet fleet sustainment programme to Pak

The US on Tuesday defended its decision to approve a USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan, saying it is "our obligation" to provide military equipment to ensure that the planes are maintained and sustained to bolster Islamabad's capability to deal with "clear" terrorist threats. Early this month, the Biden administration reversed the decision of the previous Trump administration to suspend military aid to Islamabad for providing safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, and approved the F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a visit to the US, has questioned the rationale behind Washington's USD 450 million F-16 security assistance to Pakistan. "This is a sustained program for F-16s that Pakistan has long had. These are not new, this is sustaining what they have. We've a responsibility and obligation to whomever we provide military equipment to, that it's ...

China snaps at Blinken for asking Pak to seek debt relief from Beijing

China on Tuesday angrily retorted at the US call to Pakistan to seek debt relief from its all-weather ally Beijing to deal with the grim flood situation, saying that instead of passing "unwarranted criticism" against Sino-Pak cooperation, Washington should do something beneficial to Pakistani people. "We send a simple message. We are here for Pakistan, just as we were during past natural disasters, looking ahead to rebuild," US Secretary Antony Blinken was quoted as saying after talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Washington. "I also urged our colleagues to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructuring so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods, Blinken said. As per the official data, more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 33 million affected due to the massive floods since mid-June, leaving the government at the mercy of international support. Reacting to Blinken's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministr

Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif to form high-level panel to probe audio leaks

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced that a high-level committee would be constituted to probe the embarrassing audio leaks from the Prime Minister's Office that have triggered a controversy, with the Opposition demanding his resignation. A slew of audio recordings featuring confidential conversations of the prime minister with high-government officials surfaced on social media last week, raising questions about the security of the highest office of the country. I am taking notice of this and a committee will be formed to reach the depth of this matter, Sharif said. Terming the leaks as a very serious lapse which left a big question mark on security, he said that now people would think before visiting the PM House. Who will come to meet the prime minister at the PM House now? Be it a sympathiser or a friend, they will think 100 times before talking. This is about the respect of the 220 million people of the country, he said. A string of videos showed that se

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif summons NSC meet to discuss audio leaks from PMO

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday to deliberate on the audio leaks from the Prime Minister's Office that has trigged a controversy with the Opposition demanding his resignation. A slew of audio recordings featuring confidential conversations of the prime minister with high-government officials surfaced on social media last week, raising questions about the security of the highest office of the country. More audio clips were leaked on Monday where top PML-N leaders were purportedly heard making strategies about the by-elections that were recently postponed due to the devastating floods. A joint investigation team (JIT) with a representative from Army-run intelligence agencies was ordered to probe the issue. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is also investigating the leaks. Officials said an initial report by the top intelligence agencies has been prepared which will be placed before the NSC -- the highest ...

Ties with India, Pakistan independent of each other: US Spokesman Ned Price

A day after EAM S Jaishankar raised questions over the "merits" of the US-Pakistan ties, the US State Department said it does not view ties with Islamabad and New Delhi in relation to one another

US, Pakistan discuss importance of managing 'responsible' ties with India

The importance of managing a "responsible relationship" with India and addressing the debt issue with China so that Pakistan can recover more quickly from the impact of the devastating floods were the key focus of the talks between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. During the meeting at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department on Monday, Blinken also said US and Pakistan will continue to work closely on counterterrorism issues. In our discussion today, we talked about the importance of managing a responsible relationship with India, and I also urged our colleagues to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructure so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods, Blinken said at an event here to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of US-Pakistan relations. Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from ...

Sought action against Pak woman's forced religious conversion: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has informed the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) that it had raised with Pakistan the forced religious conversion of a Sikh woman and conveyed that it is expected that strict action would be taken against those responsible. In a statement, the NCM said it had taken cognizance of media reports regarding abduction and forcible conversion of a Sikh girl in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area. NCM chief Iqbal Singh Lalpura through a letter dated August 22 had requested the Minister of External Affairs to take up the matter with his counterpart in Pakistan so that this type of incident is not repeated and appropriate steps are taken to prevent and combat hate, and secure the safety of Sikhs in Pakistan. Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar, in a letter dated September 17, informed NCM chief that the government has taken note of the incident and as soon as the report of the incident was received, it raised the matter with the Pakistan ...

Miftah resigns as Pakistan FM, Ishaq Dar to return after 5-year exile

Ishaq Dar, who is set to take charge as Pakistan's finance minister after the resignation of Miftah Ismail, is scheduled to return to the country along with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from London on Monday, according to media reports. The formal decision to put 72-year-old Dar in the driving seat of the cash-strapped country's financial affairs was taken in during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif in London on Saturday. Both the finance minister Miftah Ismail and his successor Ishaq Dar were present in the meeting, besides other leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The Prime Minister in a statement on Sunday announced the appointment of Dar, who has been on self-exile since 2017 after being accused in a corruption case. Ismail handed over his resignation to the elder Sharif, who is out of politics due to a conviction in corruption cases but his decisions are considered binding on the party. I worked to the best of my

Imran Khan demands Shehbaz Sharif's resignation over Pak PMO audio leaks

Pakistan's ousted premier Imran Khan on Monday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after a slew of audio clips related to informal conversations between the premier and Cabinet officials surfaced. Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau has been ordered to investigate the security breach resulting from it. "PM Shehbaz Sharif should resign after the audio leaks involving him, some Cabinet members and government officials have surfaced," Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman, said. "In the audio leaks, Shehbaz is talking about bringing machinery from India for his niece Maryam Nawaz's son-in-law (Raheel Munir). If Shehbaz has any shame left in him, he should resign forthwith otherwise we will make him go home, Khan said while addressing the Government College University (GCU) here. Khan further said another audio related to Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former premier Nawaz Sharif, will soon be leaked in which she could be heard telling her father (Nawaz Sharif)

Pakistani rupee continues to recover against US dollar for second day

The Pakistani rupee (PKR) continued to recover against the US dollar for the second consecutive session

Pakistan floods: Damaged crops raise fears of hunger amongst citizens

Like every year, Arz Mohammed had planted his little patch of land in southern Pakistan with cotton. The crop would earn him enough so that, as he puts it, his family of five wouldn't be reduced to begging. Then came the deluge. Pakistan's massive floods this summer collapsed Mohammed's home and destroyed his four acres of cotton, wiping out most of his income. On top of that, his land and that of his neighbours remain underwater, three months after the heaviest rains stopped. Like many farmers across southern Pakistan, he may not be able to plant his next crop wheat in time. That could spell trouble for the country's food supply. These rains have destroyed everything for us, said Mohammed, who lives in a tent with his wife and children near his wrecked house in Khairpur, one of the country's hardest-hit districts. We don't even have anything to eat. This summer's flooding, caused by monsoon rains nearly triple the usual ferocity, wiped out huge swaths of crops, leaving already

Pakistani military helicopter crashes in Balochistan; 6 soldiers dead

A Pakistani military helicopter crashed in Balochistan province late on Sunday killing all six soldiers on board, the country's media affairs wing said on Monday."All six personnel on board, including two pilots, have embraced shahadat," Dawn newspaper quoted the Pakistan military's public relations wing saying in a statement.No reason was given for the helicopter crash in the southwest area of the country.Former federal minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry said helicopter flying is getting dangerous and needs engineering evaluation."Heli flying is getting dangerous this needs engineering evaluation, too many crashes ...RIP Braveheart's all were too young to die," Chaudhry tweeted.The latest incident comes weeks after a similar chopper crash took place in August which claimed six lives including Quetta Corps commander Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali, Dawn reported.The chopper had lost contact with the air traffic control in Balochistan's Lasbela district.The remains of the military chopper's wreckage, .

US-Pakistan relationship has not served either of two: EAM S Jaishankar

America's relationship with Pakistan has "not served" either of the two countries, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Sunday raising questions on the Biden administration's approval of a USD 450-million sustenance package for F-16 fleet. "Very honestly, it's a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well, nor serving the American interests. So, it is really for the United States today to reflect on what are the merits of this relationship and what do they get by it, Jaishankar said in response to a question during an interaction with the Indian-Americans. Referring to the argument made by the US that F-16 sustenance package is to fight terrorism, he said everybody knows where and against whom F-16 are used. "You're not fooling anybody by saying these things," he said in response to a question. Early this month, the Biden administration approved a USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan, reversing the decision of the previous