Page 52 - Pakistan

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

Borders peaceful as Pakistan fears PM Modi: Amit Shah at rally in J-K

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said there is peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan fears Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would dare to open fire. Shah was addressing an election rally in this border area in the Union territory's Poonch district in support of BJP candidate Murtaza Khan. He lauded the BJP-led Centre for wiping out terrorism by replacing guns and stones in the hands of youngsters with laptops and said his government would not allow guns to resonate in the hills of Jammu region. "We will construct more bunkers along the borders for the safety of the people. I want to remind you of cross-border firings in the 1990s Is cross-border firing happening today? "It is because the earlier rulers here were frightened of Pakistan, but now, Pakistan fears Modi. They would not dare to fire but if they did, they would be given a befitting reply," Shah said. The BJP leader is on a three-day tour and is scheduled to address four more election rallies in

6 personnel killed, 11 injured in terror attack in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Six security forces personnel were killed and 11 others injured in a terror attack on a security check post in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, officials said. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to officials, a group of militants attacked the security check post in Mishta village at Ladha tehsil in South Waziristan district resulting in the death of six security forces personnel and injury to 11 others. An official source said a clearance operation is underway to neutralise the threat. The attack comes amidst rising tensions in the region. The TTP has been active in the area, with several similar attacks targeting security forces. The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a claim denied by the Afghan Taliban. There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Tal

Supreme Court criticises judge's Pak remark on Bengaluru area, seeks report

The judge, while addressing a landlord-tenant dispute, referred to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as 'Pakistan'

India seeks changes to Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan: What’s the story behind the Treaty?

India has sent a formal notice to Pakistan to amend a 60-year old agreement called the Indus Water Treaty. What is the treaty about and why is it in the news again?

Four security personnel killed in gunbattle with militants in Pakistan

At least four security personnel were killed in targeted attacks and gunbattle with armed militants in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday, police said. In the first incident, unidentified assailants on a motorbike gunned down an official of the paramilitary Levies Force in Karak, a southern district of the province. The unidentified gunmen shot dead the Levies Force official after he left his home for duty. In another incident, three security personnel lost their lives in exchange of fire with militants in North Waziristan's Boya village. The KPK province, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed numerous attacks on police, security personnel and anti-polio vaccination teams in recent months, along with kidnappings of civil and military officials. A bank manager was killed and two others injured as gunmen ambushed their vehicle in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday. Last week, two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire and killed a policeman ...

Pak and Cong aligned; party works with anti-national forces: Shah

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Thursday said the Pakistan defence minister's statement on the Congress and National Conference lending support to Article 370 and 35A has once "again exposed" the opposition party. Shah also claimed that the tune of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's party and Pakistan has always been the same and the Congress has always been "hand in glove with the anti-national forces". He said the statement of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif proved that the neighbouring country and the Congress have the "same intentions and agenda". "Pakistan defence minister's statement about the Congress and the JKNC's support on Article 370 and 35A has once again exposed the Congress. This statement has once again made it clear that the Congress and Pakistan have the same intentions and agenda. For the last few years, Rahul Gandhi has been standing with every anti-India force, hurting the sentiments of the countrymen," Shah wrote on X in Hindi. The

BJP cites Pakistan minister's remarks to slam Congress-NC alliance

The BJP on Thursday seized on the reported comments of Pakistani minister Khwaja Asif on Article 370 to slam the "treacherous" Congress-National Conference alliance for allegedly running the neighbouring country's agenda in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. Several BJP leaders posted Asif's remarks to a Pakistani channel that his country shared the view of the Congress-NC alliance that Article 370, which gave the union territory special powers and was scrapped in August 2019, should be restored. BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh, who is in charge of the party's affairs in J and K, claimed the opposition alliance is running Pakistani agenda in the ongoing polls. Ram Madhav, one of the two BJP election in-charges for the polls, said on X while sharing Asif's reported comments, "A clear challenge to people of J&K. NC-Congress alliance is 'on same page' with Pakistan, declares Pak Defence Minister Khwaja Asif. People will teach a big lesson to this treasonous alliance in the ...

India issues formal notice to Pakistan for changes in Indus Water Treaty

The treaty grants India unrestricted access to 33 MAF from the eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) annually, while Pakistan receives about 135 MAF from the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab)