Page 49 - Pakistan

Bidding for Pakistan's national airline delayed to Oct 31: Officials

Pakistan's government has previously said it would sell between 51-100 per cent of the loss-making airline as part of reforms urged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Pakistan cuts 150K jobs, dissolves six ministries as part of IMF deal

In an effort to minimise administrative expenditures, cash-strapped Pakistan on Sunday announced to abolish about 150,000 government posts, close six ministries, and merge two others, as part of reforms agreed upon with the IMF under USD 7 billion loan deal. The International Monetary Fund on September 26 finally gave a nod to the assistance package and also released over USD 1 billion as the first tranche after Pakistan committed to cut expenditures, increase tax-to GDP ratio, tax non-traditional sectors like agriculture and real estate, limit subsidies and transfer some fiscal responsibilities to provinces. Addressing the media on his return from the US, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb said that a programme had been finalised with the IMF, which would be the last programme for Pakistan. We need to implement our policies to prove that it will be the last programme, he said, and emphasised that in order to join the G20, the economy must be formalised. The minister said ...

J&K activist slams Pakistan PM Sharif for his remarks on Kashmir at UNGA

Activist Beigh stressed that despite the lies peddled by Pakistan, the PoGB and PoJK areas rightfully belong to India

Pakistan government plans to privatise several institutions or shut them

Earlier on August 22, the federal cabinet approved the privatization of two departments under the Petroleum Division, ARY News reported

Seven labourers killed in terrorist attack in Balochistan's Panjgur

As per Dawn's report, the labourers were attacked while sleeping in the same room of the house where they were working

Kashmiri activist raises concern over persecution of minorities in Pak

His address comes as international scrutiny over Pakistan's human rights record, particularly regarding its treatment of minority communities, continues to grow

This is only 'karma': EAM S Jaishankar slams Pakistan in UNGA address

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said Pakistan's cross-border terrorism will never succeed and its actions will "certainly have consequences", stressing that it is "karma" that the country's ills are now consuming its own society. In his address to the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar also said that the issue to be resolved between India and Pakistan is now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan, and the abandonment of its long standing attachment to terrorism. Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control, but some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan, he said. Today we see the ills it (Pakistan) sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can't blame the world. This is only karma, he said. Jaishankar said Pakistan's cross border terrorism policy will never succeed, and it can have no expectation

Pakistan PM Sharif raises Article 370, Kashmir issue in UNGA address

Pakistan on Friday raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the UN General Assembly, saying India should reverse the abrogation of Article 370 and enter into a dialogue with it for a peaceful resolution of the issue. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address at the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, raked the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, as expected, making references to Article 370. In an over 20 minute speech, Sharif spoke at length about Kashmir saying that similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self determination. Referring to India's decision to abrogate Article 370, Sharif said to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures of August 2019 and "enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution" of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and "the wishes of the Kashmiri ...

UNGA meet: UK PM Starmer meets Pakistan PM, agrees to deepen relations

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where they agreed to deepen bilateral ties across trade, climate and security. According to a Downing Street readout of the discussions on Thursday, Starmer also congratulated Pakistan's election as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 term earlier this year. They discussed the deep relationship between the UK and Pakistan, including strong people to people links, and on trade and investment, Downing Street said of the Starmer-Sharif meeting. They agreed to work together to deepen these relations further, particularly on trade, climate, and security. The Prime Minister also congratulated Prime Minister Sharif on Pakistan's election to the UN Security Council and agreed on the importance of working to strengthen the multilateral system, the statement added. The meeting came just ahead of Starmer's

Azerbaijan buys fighter jets from Pakistan under $1.6 billion deal

Azerbaijan has purchased multi-role JF-17 Block III fighter jets from Pakistan reportedly under a USD 1.6 billion deal, a media report said on Friday. A contract for the sale of JF-17 Block-III fighter aircraft to Azerbaijan was signed recently, the Pakistan Army said in a statement. It is believed the agreement was inked in February this year, the Dawn newspaper reported. Reports in Azerbaijan media have claimed the aircraft were acquired under a USD 1.6 billion deal for an unspecified number of jets, armament, and training. The jets have already been integrated into the arsenal of Azerbaijan's Air Force, Azerbaijan's presidency said in a statement after President Ilham Aliyev was formally presented with the aircraft at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport on Wednesday. At the ceremony, which took place on the margins of Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition 2024 in Baku, President Aliyev was briefed about the jet's cutting-edge tactical and technical specifications, ...

Abuse, fear, and silence: Female health workers at risk in Pakistan

A report by the US National Institutes of Health in 2022 revealed that up to 95 per cent of nurses in Pakistan had faced workplace violence at least once during their careers

Baloch human rights council demands UN intervention in Balochistan

They demanded that those responsible for crimes against humanity be brought to justice at an international court

At least 25 killed in days of clashes between Shiites, Sunni Muslims in Pak

At least 25 people have been killed in days of clashes between armed Shiites and Sunni Muslims over a lingering land dispute in northwest Pakistan, officials said. The clashes which started over the weekend in Kurram, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan continued on Wednesday. Officials said dozens of people from both sides have been wounded since Saturday. Kurram has been a scene of sectarian violence in recent years. Authorities said they were trying to prevent the land dispute from turning into sectarian violence in the restive northwest, where extremist groups from the two sides have a strong presence. Barrister Saif Ali, a spokesman for the provincial government, said authorities with the help of tribal elders were trying to defuse tension and both sides had agreed to a cease-fire following peace talks in Kurram. Shiite Muslims make up about 15 per cent of the 240 million population of Sunni-majority Pakistan, which has a history of

IMF approves $7bn bailout for Pak, tranche of $1.1bn expected this month

The International Monetary Fund's board (IMF) on Wednesday approved a USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for cash-strapped Pakistan, providing a critical boost to the country's struggling economy. The development was announced by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) while a statement is expected from the IMF. The PMO said the premier expressed his satisfaction with the programme's approval. "The implementation of economic reforms is going on rapidly, he said, adding that the government would continue to work hard to achieve goals related to economic development after achieving economic stability. The prime minister said the increase in business activities and investment in the country was welcome and a testament to the hard work of the economic team, Dawn newspaper reported. Along with the successes on the diplomatic front, the increase in remittances from Pakistanis living abroad is a reflection of their confidence in the government's policies, he said, adding that the ...

'Can't call any part of India as Pakistan': CJI pulls up Karnataka HC judge

'No one can call any part of India as Pakistan. This is fundamentally against the territorial integrity of the nation', said CJI DY Chandrachud

No illegality in magistrate's order: Court denies relief to Uddhav, Raut

A special court here has held there was no illegality in a magistrate's order that refused to discharge Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut in a defamation case filed by former Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale. The special judge for cases against MPs and MLAs, A U Kadam, made the observations while dismissing a joint appeal of Thackeray and Raut against the lower court's order. "The magistrate gave cogent reasons for recording a finding that offences are prima facie made out," the special court said in the order on Monday. The copy of the order became available on Tuesday. "...an inference is inevitable that there is no illegality or mistake found to be committed by the trial court," the judge said. Denying the duo's revision application, the special judge directed that the case be sent to the trial (magistrate) court for further proceedings. Shewale, part of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has sought action against Thackeray and Raut under Indian ..

Prevent beggars from entering our country under Umrah visas: Saudi to Pak

Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about the growing number of Pakistani beggars arriving in the Kingdom under the guise of religious pilgrimage and asked Islamabad to take action to prevent them from entering the Gulf country, a media report said on Tuesday. Citing sources from Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Express Tribune newspaper reported that the Saudi authorities have also warned that if the situation is not controlled, it could negatively affect Pakistani Umrah and Hajj pilgrims. "The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has issued a warning to Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to prevent Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom under Umrah visas," the paper said. In response, Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to introduce an "Umrah Act," which aims to regulate travel agencies facilitating Umrah trips, bringing them under legal oversight, it said. Additionally, the ministry has asked the Pakistani government to find ways to prevent

Pakistani HC disposes of petition regarding Imran Khan's military trial

The 71-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician had petitioned the Islamabad High Court against his trial being handed over to the military authorities

Election Commission failed to perform its duties in Feb 8 elections: Pak SC

Order also expressed 'some doubts about whether the commission has the power to reject the certificate of intra-party elections' which resulted in all kinds of legal and political implications for PTI

Pakistani Taliban deny attacking convoy of foreign ambassadors in northwest

The Pakistani Taliban on Monday denied involvement in a bombing attack on a police convoy that was escorting foreign ambassadors in the country's restive northwest, as authorities said they were still trying to determine who was behind the attack, which killed a police officer. The ambassadors and senior envoys were traveling on Sunday to the Swat Valley, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, when the attack occurred in Malam Jabba, one of Pakistan's two ski resorts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, denied detonating the improvised explosive device that hit a police vehicle accompanying the convoy. One police officer was killed and four others were wounded in the attack, which drew strong condemnation from Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials. The envoys were