Page 20 - Pakistan

Pakistan hikes assembly speaker, Senate chairman salaries to Rs 1.3 million

The Pakistani government has formally raised the monthly salaries of the National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman to Rs 1.3 million, according to a media report on Saturday. The new salary marks a significant rise from their previous salary of Rs 205,000. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs issued the notification on May 29, but details surfaced on Friday, Samaa TV reported. The monthly salary for both officials has been fixed at Rs 1.3 million and they will also receive an additional 50 per cent as a temporary allowance on top of it, according to the notification. The revised salary structure will be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2025. Earlier on March 21, it was reported that the salaries and allowances of federal cabinet members had been significantly increased, with federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers receiving hikes of up to 188 per cent. Sources had said that the federal ministers approved a summary of the salary increments for themselv

Stopped war between India and Pakistan, it could have gone nuclear: Trump

Trump pointed out that a war between India and Pakistan could have gone nuclear if the US had not intervened between the two countries

Two fronts & The King's Gambit: China uses Pakistan to triangulate India

It is safer to presume that the Chinese now see Pakistan as an extension of their Western Theatre Command

Mediation between two unequals not possible: Tharoor on Trump's claims

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that to suggest one can mediate between two unequals is not possible because there is no equivalence between terrorists and their victims, amid repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that he "helped settle" the tensions between India and Pakistan. Tharoor, currently in the US leading a multi-party delegation on Operation Sindoor, made the comments in response to a question during a conversation at the Council on Foreign Relations here Thursday. "Mediation is not a term that we are particularly willing to entertain. I'll tell you why not. The fact is that this implies, even when you say things like broker or whatever, you're implying an equivalence which simply doesn't exist," Tharoor said. He said there is no equivalence between terrorists and their victims. "There is no equivalence between a country that provides safe haven to terrorism, and a country that's a flourishing multi-party democracy that's trying to get on with its business," he

Pakistan attacked 'insaniyat', Kashmiriyat in Pahalgam: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused Pakistan of attacking 'insaniyat' and Kashmiriyat by targeting tourists in Pahalgam, saying the intent was to trigger communal clashes in India and rob Kashmiri people dependent on tourism of their livelihoods. The prime minister was speaking after flagging off the first train service to the Kashmir Valley, and inaugurating several development projects, including the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river and India's first cable-stayed Anji bridge. He said tourism provided employment and acts as a connecting link between people, but unfortunately, the neighbouring country is an enemy of humanity, harmony and tourism. "Not only that, Pakistan is also the enemy of the poor's bread and butter. What happened on April 22 in Pahalgam is an example of that. Pakistan attacked 'insaniyat' and Kashmiriyat in Pahalgam. "The intent of Pakistan was to trigger communal riots in India. It wanted to strip people of Kashmir of their ...

Mutual understanding among political class should continue: RSS chief

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the mutual understanding shown by the political class following the Pahalgam terror attack and action taken by India later should continue and become a permanent feature. The society also gave a message of unity, Bhagwat said, addressing the concluding event of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg for RSS volunteers. After the heinous terror attack, people were sad and angry and wanted the culprits to be punished. Action was taken and punishment was meted out, Bhagwat said. Everyone saw the grit of our country's decision makers in the action taken after the Pahalgam terror attack, he said. Action was taken after the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam. The valour of our army shone once again in it. The firmness of the administration was also seen. The political class also showed mutual understanding. The society also gave the message of its unity. This should remain continue and be a permanent feature, he said. India should be self-dependent in matters

Gujarat HC declines Celebi's plea in Ahmedabad airport ground handling case

The court refused to restrain Adani Group from appointing a new ground handler after Celebi lost security clearance due to geopolitical tensions

Pakistan is a front for China, US needs to be conscious: Ex-envoy Sandhu

Taranjit Singh Sandhu further stressed that the Pakistan Army remained in complete control of the country, making it necessary to take a firm stance against terrorism

India opposes ADB's $800 million aid to Pakistan, flags misuse concerns

India has raised strong objections to ADB's financial aid to Pakistan, citing concerns over cross-border terrorism, high defence spend, weak reforms, and governance risks

Who was TikTok star Sana Yousaf and why was she killed in Pakistan?

17-year-old Pakistani TikTok and Instagram influencer Sana Yousaf was shot dead inside her home in Islamabad on June 2. Watch the video for details.

1 million subscribers, Pakistan links: Another YouTuber held for 'spying'

Punjab YouTuber Jasbir Singh arrested for alleged espionage and terror links, amid growing scrutiny of online creators with connections to Pakistani operatives

Who was Sana Yousaf, 17-year-old Pakistani influencer shot dead at home?

Sana Yousaf, 17, was shot dead in her Islamabad home by a visiting relative. Police are probing rejected advances and honour killing as possible motives

Pakistani TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf, 17, shot dead at home in Islamabad

The police later announced they had arrested a suspect and recovered the murder weapon, as well as Yousaf's iPhone, reported Express Tribune

Asian Development Bank approves $800 million package for Pakistan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved USD 800 million for Pakistan to strengthen fiscal sustainability and improve public financial management, an official said on Tuesday. Khurram Schehzad, advisor to the finance minister confirmed the development in a brief statement on social media, saying that the package includes a USD 300 million policy-based loan (PBL) and a USD 500 million programme-based guarantee (PBG). He said, ADB approves USD 800 million financing package for Pakistan under the Resource Mobilisation Reform Programme. Separately, the Philippines-based lender also confirmed the development in a statement, saying that subprogramme 2 of the Improved Resource Mobilisation and Utilisation Reform Programme includes a policy-based loan of USD 300 million, and ADB's first-ever policy-based guarantee of up to USD 500 million, which is expected to mobilise financing of up to USD 1 billion from commercial banks. Pakistan has made significant progress in improving macroeconomic

Over 200 inmates escape Karachi prison after quake panic, 78 recaptured

Over 200 inmates escaped from the District Prison Malir in Pakistan's Karachi in Sindh province when they were brought out from their cells for counting following a low-intensity earthquake, according

Rajasthan govt employee arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan

A Rajasthan government employee who was earlier detained on suspicion of espionage for Pakistan has now been arrested, the police said on Tuesday. Shakur Khan, an Assistant Administrative Officer (AAO) posted at the Jaisalmer employment office had allegedly been passing sensitive, strategic information to Pakistan, they said. The government employee had been under surveillance for suspicious activities over an extended period. During monitoring, agencies discovered that he was in regular contact with individuals linked to the Pakistan High Commission, particularly Ahsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish and Sohail Qamar, Inspector General (CID-Security) Vishnu Kant Gupta said. "Khan was taken into custody for questioning a few days ago and was interrogated extensively at the central interrogation facility in Jaipur by multiple intelligence agencies," Gupta said in a statement. He further shared that Khan had obtained Pakistani visas on several occasions and travelled to Pakistan, allegedly wi

If IMF funds help Pak support terror, it's unfortunate: Shashi Tharoor

Tharoor expressed his displeasure at the International Monetary Fund for enabling Pakistan thus as they divert those funds to arm themselves to attack India

India to get remaining S-400 missile systems by 2026, says Russia

Russia is committed to delivering the remaining units of the S-400 air defence system to India by 2025-2026, the country's Deputy Chief of Mission in India, Roman Babushkin, said on Monday, highlighting that the system performed "very efficiently" during the recent India-Pakistan tensions. Babushkin also hinted at expanding bilateral cooperation with India in air defence and anti-drone systems. "We heard that the S-400 performed very efficiently during the recent clashes between India and Pakistan. We have a long history of collaboration. The air defence systems, according to what we are experiencing, the situation in Europe and here, this is one of the promising topics of our partnership in defence preparation in general," Babushkin told PTI Videos. Babushkin confirmed that the contract for the remaining two S-400 units is on track, with deliveries expected to be completed by 2025-26, in line with publicly announced timelines. India signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 20

Pakistan still withholding $83 million in airline funds, says IATA

Despite a sharp decline from last year, Pakistan continues to withhold airline revenues as IATA urges governments to honour repatriation agreements and support global connectivity

Pak passes law to curb child marriages, sets minimum marriage age to 18

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law a bill fixing the minimum age for marriage at 18 years to curb child marriages despite opposition from right-wing clerics. The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, seeking to protect the rights of children and eventually eradicate marriages of children under the age of 18, was sent to the president's approval on May 27 after sailing through both houses of Parliament. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman shared on X a presidential notification related to the approval of the legislation. The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament, the notification read. Pakistan has reached a milestone in the enactment of important legislation against child marriages, she said. Zardari accented to the bill despite strong opposition from religious groups and even the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional body tasked to off