Page 36 - Pakistan

Tahawwur Rana's extradition could expose Pak's role in 26/11 attacks

The extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana from the US would help probe agencies expose the role of Pakistani state actors behind the dastardly attack that left 166 people dead, sources said on Friday. In a major move, US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "one of the plotters and very evil people of the world" Rana to face justice in India. Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. India is working on the logistics of Rana's surrender and extradition from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said. The sources said that Rana's early extradition would help probe agencies expose the role of Pakistani state actors behind the 26/11 terror attack and may shed new light on the ...

Neighbourhood watch: What does hosting Champions Trophy mean for Pakistan?

Battling economic and political crises, Pakistan hopes the Champions Trophy will be the balm the country desperately needs

Turkish Prez Erdogan urges India, Pak to resolve Kashmir issue by dialogue

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue between India and Pakistan, with due consideration for the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. President Erdogan, who is in Pakistan on a two-day visit, made the comments after holding one-on-one and delegation talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The leaders also witnessed the signing ceremony of 24 agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides. Following this, they read statements to the media, expressing resolve to strengthen their bilateral ties, during which Erdogan also talked about the Kashmir issue. The Kashmir issue should be addressed according to the UN resolution through dialogue and keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of Kashmir, Erdogan said. Our state and our nation, as in the past, stands in solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers today, he added. India has repeatedly emphasised that the Union Territories of Jammu and

Indian Army refutes ceasefire violation reports, says LoC situation stable

The Army also acknowledged recent incidents, including stray cross-LoC firing and a suspected IED blast

Who Is Paul Kapur, Trump's pick for Assistant Secy of State for South Asia?

Indian-origin Paul Kapur is a widely respected scholar, having authored several influential books and academic papers on South Asian security

Pak troops violate J-K ceasefire, suffer losses as Indian Army retaliates

Pakistani troops on Wednesday violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing on Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting a befitting response by the Indian Army, security officials said. The extent of damage on the Pakistan side was not known immediately but the officials said the enemy forces suffered heavy casualties. The Indian Army neither confirmed nor denied the information. The ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Krishna Ghati sector came a day after two Indian Army personnel including a captain were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion triggered by suspected terrorists near the LoC in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. The ceasefire violation along the LoC is very rare ever since India and Pakistan renewed the ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021. The officials said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on a forward post in the Tarkundi area along the LoC, prompting a strong

IMF praises Pakistan PM's actions to strengthen economy through reforms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday expressed support for decisive actions by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government for the betterment of Pakistan's economy. Pakistan and the IMF last year signed a USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan programme to help the cash-strapped country tackle its balance of payment issue while implementing tough conditions. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, who met Sharif during the prime minister's visit to the United Arab Emirates, in a post on X said: I am encouraged by their strong commitment to Pakistan's IMF-supported reforms and support their decisive actions to pave the way to higher growth and more jobs for Pakistan's youthful population. The comments come amid the IMF team's visit to Pakistan to scrutinise the judicial and regulatory system as part of the ongoing USD 7 billion programme to address governance and corruption vulnerabilities. According to a statement from the PM Office, the premier held a ...

I was nearly sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan: Mark Zuckerberg

On the Joe Rogan Podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke on stricter content controls and the growing regulatory pressures on technology firms worldwide

Pakistan sees economy on long-term recovery path under new IMF programme

The comments came from Pak PM Sharif in his meeting with Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Government Summit (WGS) 2025 in Dubai

IS-K rising? UN warns of global chaos as Pakistan fires back at US

The UN has warned of global chaos as Pakistan fires back at the US amid growing concerns over the Afghanistan-based terror group's expanding threat

IMF mission to inspect regulatory, judicial system in country: Pak govt

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scrutinising the judicial and regulatory system of Pakistan as part of the ongoing USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to address governance and corruption vulnerabilities, the government has said. The Ministry of Finance said on Sunday that an IMF technical mission is in town for a week-long examination of six key governance-related sectors and institutions. Dawn News reported that Pakistan committed to strengthening institutional capacities with the IMF in October to fight corruption, support inclusive growth, and provide a level playing field for businesses and investments. As a result, the ministry said a structural benchmark had been set to publish a report on the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) by July 2025, which will analyse critical governance and corruption vulnerabilities and identify priority structural reforms moving forward. Sources said the mission would also engage with leading members of the ...

Leaders of Imran Khan's PTI arrested as party marks 'Black Day' across Pak

The PTI has planned its main rally in Swabi, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the party is in power. It has also asked its workers and supporters to protest across the country

Pakistan requests China to reschedule $3.4 billion debt for two years

Pakistan has requested China to reschedule USD 3.4 billion debt for two years to bridge a foreign funding gap identified by the International Monetary Fund, according to a media report on Saturday. This is the second time in the past five months that Islamabad has requested Beijing to reschedule loans provided by its Exim bank. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar made the formal request during this week's visit to Beijing, The Express Tribune newspaper reported, quoting government sources. Pakistan requested the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China to consider rearrangement of its loans due from October 2024 to September 2027, said the government officials. A two-year extension was sought to repay the official and guaranteed debt obtained from the Exim Bank. Pakistan would keep making interest payments. Sources said that Pakistan was required to identify financing sources to fill the external financing gap of USD 5 billion for the three-year programme period. They added the Chinese ...

Four SC judges in Pakistan urge Chief Justice to delay new appointments

Four Supreme Court judges of Pakistan wrote a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, urging a delay in the appointment of new judges until a decision on the controversial 26th Constitution Amendment. The controversial amendment was passed last year to give the government more say in the appointment of the Chief Justice and judges of higher courts. However, the appointment following the tweaks led to the allegation of packing' of the high courts and the Supreme Court. The amendment was challenged in the apex court but no decision on its fate has been made so far. The judges who signed the letter include Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Athar Minallah. According to The Express Tribune, it was addressed to the chairman of the Judicial Commission, a body of senior judges under the chief justice, stressing the importance of forming a full court to address the issue of judicial appointments and the ongoing constitutional amendment case.

Pakistan faces big external financing risks despite economic growth: Fitch

Pakistan needs to repay over $22 billion in external debt in the fiscal year 2025, including nearly $13 billion in bilateral deposits, Fitch said

Hamas member attends 'anti-India' POK meet with Jaish, Lashkar terrorists

Hamas' spokesperson and representative in Iran, Khalid al-Qadoumi, met hardline Islamist leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter's home in Pakistan, reportedly for a narrative-building exercise

Pakistani exports become uncompetitive after govt doubles gas prices

Pakistani exports have become uncompetitive after the government doubled gas prices for in-house power generation by factories, endangering the target of a three-year goal of increasing exports to USD 60 billion, according to a business body. The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday about the development through a letter, the Export Tribune reported. In a paradoxical situation, the miseries of industries are apparently an achievement for the government that has met an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan condition to either make gas unaffordable for in-house power generation or completely cut it off, the paper reported. The government has chosen the first option, which became the reason for the PBC a representative body of manufacturers to write a letter to the prime minister, reporter the paper. "Your USD 60 billion export target by 2027 is unlikely to be achieved. The competitiveness of manufacturing for the domestic market, which

Pakistan to send registered Afghan refugees back to their country

The Pakistan government has devised a plan to move registered Afghan refugees out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and gradually repatriate them back to their country. Authorities have also been directed to implement the plan without making any public announcement, Dawn newspaper reported quoting sources. It reported that the plan was finalised in a series of meetings presided by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week. One of the meetings was also attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir, a source in the prime minister's office confirmed. Under phase I of the relocation plan, Afghan nationals having the Afghan Citizens Card (ACC) will be immediately moved out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. They will then be sent back to Afghanistan alongside illegal and undocumented refugees. ACC is an identification document issued to registered Afghan nationals by Nadra. According to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM), ACC gives temporary legal status to Afghans durin

Pakistan signs agreement to defer $1.2 billion payment for Saudi oil

Pakistan government signed an agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to defer by one year a USD 1.2 billion payment on oil imports. Radio Pakistan reported that Pakistan and SDF on Monday signed two financing agreements worth over one billion dollar. These agreements include "Deferred Payment for Oil Import from Saudi Arabia" worth USD 1.2 billion for one year and "Construction of Gravity Flow Water Supply Scheme" at Mansehra amounting to USD 41 million. Secretary Economic Affairs Dr Kazim Niaz and Chief Executive Officer Saudi Fund for Development Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad signed the agreements. Among others, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki witnessed the signing ceremony. Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed the signing of the oil import financing facility, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement, adding that Pakistan will receive the oil on deferred payment for one year, it said. This project will strengthen .

Imran Khan writes to Army chief, urges review of establishment's approach

Jailed former premier Imran Khan wrote a letter to Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir, criticizing the establishment's policies and urging him to review its approach towards national security and governance as his party prepares for protests on the first anniversary of the general elections later this week. Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi for over a year, sent the letter from the prison, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Gohar Ali Khan told the media on Monday. The contents of the letter would be shared with the public, Gohar added. He said that Khan in his letter pointed out that the distance between the people and the establishment was widening. This [mistrust] should not take place at all, but there are certain reasons because of which this gulf is wideningOwing to those reasons, the army is being blamed, so the policy reasons must be reevaluated, Khan wrote in the letter. His lawyer, Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, told the media that Khan argued in his letter t