Page 16 - Pakistan

Jailed Imran Khan calls for street movement against 'Asim Law' in Pakistan

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has directed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of his party to prepare for a street movement against "Asim Law", in an apparent reference to Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir. Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. "My message for Sohail Afridi is to prepare for a street movement. The entire nation must rise for its rights. To strive for justice is a sacred duty, and I am ready to lay down my life for Haqeeqi Azadi (true freedom) of my nation," Khan said in a post on X on Monday.

Pakistan sells national carrier PIA for PKR 13,500 crore in open auction

Pakistan sold 75% of its national carrier, PIA, for PKR 13,500 crore in a televised auction, with Arif Habib Corp emerging as the highest bidder

Pakistan's national airline PIA is up for sale: Who are the 3 bidders?

To attract more investors, the government reduced PIA's debt, removed sales tax on new aircraft, and offered protection from select taxes and legal issues to revive interest in the sale

Pak's Asim Munir conferred with Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour

Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has been awarded Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellence. Munir is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom. Under a Royal Decree issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's highest national honour was also conferred upon the Field Marshal, the army said on Monday. The Saudi leadership conveyed its appreciation for Field Marshal Asim Munir's professionalism and strategic outlook, noting his commitment to strengthening the longstanding, brotherly ties between the two countries. Field Marshal Munir expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Saudi leadership for the honour, describing it as a reflection of the enduring bonds between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the security, stability, and prosperity

Pak's ex-PM Imran Khan calls for protests after 17-year jail sentence

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his supporters to gear up for countrywide protests following a 17-year jail term handed to him and wife Bushra Bibi in a corruption case. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. The Toshakhana 2 case involves alleged fraud in state gifts that the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. In a conversation with his lawyers in Adiala Jail after the military-style trial decision Khan urged his supporters to stand up in protest after the decision, according to a midnight statement posted on Khan's X account. It was not known who posted his conversation on his personal account as Khan has no access to his social media handles in jail. I have sent a message to (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister)

Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan sentenced to 17 years in graft case

Judge Shahrukh Arjumand of an anti-graft court handed Khan the maximum prison sentence for illegally undervaluing and then obtaining expensive gifts from the national treasury when he was premier

'No embargo' on Imran Khan's sons meeting him in jail: Pakistan govt

Pakistan government said on Saturday that there is "no embargo" on former prime minister Imran Khan's sons meeting their incarcerated father if they travel to the country. Pakistani authorities have reportedly imposed unannounced restrictions on meetings with Khan on the grounds that the visitors use such meetings for political ends. Following the move, his family and party members have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. "There has been no embargo on Suleman Khan and Kasim Khan to meet their father, Imran Khan, at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi," Interior State Minister Talal Chaudhry told reporters here. Suleman and Kasim, who currently live in London, are Khan's sons from his first marriage with British TV personality Jemima Goldsmith. Chaudhry's statement comes days after the brother-duo in an interview with Sky News earlier this week said they fear they might never see their jailed father ever again.

World Bank approves $700 mn to bolster Pakistan's macroeconomic stability

The World Bank has approved USD 700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery, media reports said on Saturday. According to the lender, funds will be released under the bank's Public Resources for Inclusive Development Multiphase Programmatic Approach (PRID-MPA), which could provide up to USD 1.35 billion in total financing, the Dawn newspaper reported. Of this amount, USD 600 million will go for federal programmes and USD 100 million will support a provincial programme in Sindh. The approval follows a USD 47.9 million World Bank grant in August to improve primary education in Punjab. A separate statement issued by the lender quoted Bolormaa Amgaabazar, the World Bank's country director for Pakistan, as saying, Pakistan's path to inclusive, sustainable growth requires mobilising more domestic resources and ensuring they are used efficiently and transparently to deliver results for

Blasts hit Jaffar Express, other train, disrupt rail traffic in Balochistan

Suspected insurgents detonated bombs in an attempt to attack two trains including the frequently targeted Jaffar Express in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, damaging railway tracks and disrupting services, officials said on Saturday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Quetta, Shahid Nawaz, said that on Friday one bomb blast damaged about three feet of railway track in Mushkaf, while another blast in the Dasht area caused further damage. In both cases, the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail passenger trains were the target, he said. Railway services were disrupted after tracks were damaged on the main line due to the explosions. Nawaz said that from Saturday security approval will be granted before confirming passenger train schedules from Quetta to other provinces of Pakistan. The safety and security of the passengers is paramount to us, and special security measures are being taken for all Quetta outbound passenger trains, he said. Amid security concerns, a special service

Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 17 yrs in corruption case

A Pakistan accountability court on Saturday sentenced jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years imprisonment each in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. The case is about alleged fraud in state gifts, which the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. Special court judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the judgment in the case in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Khan and Bushra were awarded 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code and seven years under different Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 million on each of them.

Best of BS Opinion: Dhurandhar marks India's newfound soft power ambitions

Today's Best of BS Opinion examines Labour's growth dilemma, the rise of Nitin Nabin, Dhurandhar's political messaging, and how AI-driven content excess is reshaping culture and power

Islamic State-Khorasan spokesperson arrested by Pak authorities: UN report

Pakistani authorities this year arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, a spokesperson for Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), according to a recent report submitted to the UN Security Council. The UN 16th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team noted that IS-K's ability to operate in the region had been degraded as a result of high-profile arrests by Pakistan, such as that of Azzam this May. IS-K is an abbreviation for the Islamic StateKhorasan Province, a terrorist organisation active primarily in Afghanistan, Central Asia and South Asia. The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan and PTV News stated that intelligence agencies arrested Azzam during an operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The UN report claimed that following his arrest, IS-K propaganda arms, such as the Al-Azaim Foundation, had suffered a major blow. Overall, the capability of [IS-K] has been degraded as a result of counter-terrorism operations, the UN report read. Key [IS-K] commanders and ...

Op Sindoor fallout: Pak extends airspace ban on Indian aircraft till Jan 23

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued in this regard stated that the restriction would remain effective until January 23, 2026, during the specified operational timings

Why Asim Munir's third US trip may cost him support of Pakistanis

Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir is expected to travel to Washington for a third time in six months, amid discussions on a proposed US-backed force to stabilise Gaza

Gunmen abduct 18 bus passengers in Pakistan; 10 rescued

Eighteen people were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province while they were en route to Quetta in a bus. The incident took place near the Ghotki area on Monday night when the attackers opened fire on the bus at the Highway Link Road close to the Sindh and Punjab border, and took hostage 18 male passengers. The driver and a few passengers were injured in the firing. A total of 18 to 20 attackers were present at the scene, all armed and their faces covered, according to a female passenger travelling in the bus, Geo News reported. The attackers asked 25 passengers to deboard the bus but didn't harm the women passengers, she said. Zia ul Hasan Lanjhar, spokesperson for the Sindh Home Minister, said there were around 30 passengers on the bus, besides the driver and cleaner. Security forces managed to rescue 10 passengers on Tuesday in an overnight operation under the DIG's command. Police and Rangers personnel rescued 10 of the abducted passengers after an exch

Gunmen abduct 18 male passengers from bus enroute to Pakistan's Quetta

Eighteen people were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province while they were en route to Quetta in a bus. The incident took place near the Ghotki area on Monday night when the attackers opened fire on the bus at the Highway Link Road close to the Sindh and Punjab border, and took hostage 18 male passengers. The driver and a few passengers were injured in the firing. A total of 18 to 20 attackers were present at the scene, all armed and their faces covered, according to a female passenger travelling in the bus, Geo News reported. The attackers asked 25 passengers to deboard the bus but didn't harm the women passengers, she said. Zia ul Hasan Lanjhar, spokesperson for the Sindh Home Minister, said there were around 30 passengers on the bus, besides the driver and cleaner.

Pak's 'unique way' of respecting people's will is jailing PM: India at UNSC

In a sharp retort, India ripped through Pakistan's "divisive agenda" at the UN Security Council, calling out Islamabad's unique way of respecting the will of its people by jailing a prime minister and giving lifetime immunity to its army chief. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, delivered a strong response in the Security Council on Monday after Pakistan's Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad raised the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty during an open debate on 'Leadership for Peace'. "Pakistan's unwarranted reference to Jammu and Kashmir in today's open debate attests to its obsessive focus on harming India and its people. A serving non-permanent Security Council Member that chooses to further this obsession in all meetings and platforms of the UN in pursuit of its divisive agenda cannot be expected to fulfil its designated responsibilities and obligations. Let me be clear -- India will counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in

India slams Pakistan, calls it 'global epicentre of terror' at UNSC

India on Monday (local time) delivered a stinging rebuttal to Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on "Leadership for Peace", firmly rejecting Islamabad's claims over Jammu and Kashmir's "unresolved disputes" as "unwarranted", reiterating that the Union Territory along with Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India, and emphasising that they "were, are, and will always remain so."Referring to Pakistan's comments during the debate, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, labelled Pakistan as the "global epicentre of terror" while calling it out for using the UN platform to further its "obsessive focus on harming India and its people."He added that Pakistan, pursuing a divisive agenda, undermines its international responsibilities as a non-permanent UNSC member."I refer to the statement made by the representative of Pakistan today. India would like to reiterate that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and ..

NIA to file charge sheet in April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case today

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will file a charge sheet on Monday in the Pahalgam terror attack case, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-based terrorists, officials said. NIA investigations had found direct involvement of three terrorists in the April 22 terror attack. The anti-terror probe agency will present a charge sheet before a NIA special court in Jammu on Monday, officials added. In June, the NIA had arrested two men for harbouring the three Pakistan-based terrorists, who were killed by the armed forces in July. The arrested duo -- Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Pahalgam -- disclosed the identities of the three assailants as Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The two men provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, NIA officials had said. The three LeT terrorists, who were killed in the July 28 encounter code-named 'Operation Mahadev' on the .

Two Pak universities launch Sanskrit courses citing shared heritage

First time after partition, two universities of Pakistan's Punjab have launched short courses in Sanskrit citing shared heritage and plan to teach Gita and Mahabharat in future. The University of Punjab Lahore (public) and The Lahore University of Management Sciences (private) have launched a three-month course in this classical language. The instructors are also banking on a significant archieval collection of Sanskrit manuscripts in the Punjab University for later research. While the preparations started for the short duration courses last year, the year 2025 saw admissions to the first course. The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) was the first to start the basic levels I and II followed by the Punjab University Lahore, Prof Dr Ashok Kumar of Hindi Department Punjab University told PTI exclusively on Saturday. The course offers basic know-how of the classical language. To have a grip of Sanskrit, a student needs to complete seven levels that would require at least