Page 54 - Pakistan

Pak seeks $4 bn loan from West Asian banks to meet financial obligations

Cash-strapped Pakistan is in talks with banks in the Middle East to borrow approximately USD 4 billion to meet its external financial commitments for the current fiscal year, as part of the USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) currently pending for IMF's approval. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team had a virtual meeting with Dr Adnan Chilwan, Group CEO of Dubai Islamic Bank, on Thursday, the Dawn newspaper reported on Friday. On Wednesday, a similar interaction was held with Mashreq Bank President and Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal. Both meetings had been arranged to discuss the economic outlook and explore investment opportunities in Pakistan. For the current fiscal year, Pakistan has pitched about USD 20 billion in foreign borrowing in the budget, besides another USD 3 billion rollover from the UAE that was reported separately for the balance of payments. With this much borrowing, Pakistan's reserves are estimated to grow to about USD 19-20 billion by the end of the

Decoded: Buna-Raast connectivity project between Pakistan-Arab world

Raast is Pakistan's first instant payment system, which operates similarly to India's flagship project: Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Making good progress with IMF to get board approval: Pak finance minister

Pakistan is in talks with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China to meet gross financing needs under the IMF programme

Mpox reaches Thailand; deadly Clade 1b variant found in 6 nations: Updates

Mpox infection updates: There are two viral strains of mpox: Clade 1b and Clade 2. The Clade 1b variant of the mpox infection is more deadly and is responsible for more than 500 deaths in Congo

19 dead, 11 injured in Balochistan as heavy monsoon rainfall causes havoc

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), from July 1 to August 17, rain-related incidents have resulted in 195 deaths and 362 injuries across the country

Pak HC temporarily bars trial court from issuing verdict against Imran Khan

A high court in Pakistan Monday temporarily barred a trial court from issuing its verdict in an alleged case of corruption against jailed former premier Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. An anti-corruption court has been hearing the Al-Qadir Trust case against the former first couple which is based on the charges that Khan caused a loss of over Rs 50 billion to the national exchequer. A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justices Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Babar Sattar, heard Khan's petition requesting the submission of records from the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) previous decision to close the case. Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Khan, highlighted that the case originally included eight accused, of which six were currently at large. "A total of 35 witnesses have testified so far, with the cross-examination of the final witness in progress," Safdar informed the court. After arguments, the bench restrained the trial court from ...

2 rescued, 1 missing after mass of ice hits climbing team on Pak peak

A Pakistani army helicopter rescued two Russians while one is missing after their team was hit by a pile of ice on a treacherous peak in the country's north, an official said Monday. Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said a rescue mission was underway to safely bring down two more climbers who were part of the five-member Russian team stranded on Gasherbrum peak in the Karakoram range after the ice formation hit their team. Unfortunately, the expedition encountered a devastating disaster. As the team ascended the mountain, an ice formation, possibly a serac, collapsed, unleashing a catastrophic event, Haidri said. He said the rescue mission was launched on Saturday after the ice hit the climbers, who were on a mission to retrieve the body of a climber lost on the same mountain in 2023. He said there was no government advisory about bad weather and the climbers faced the disaster suddenly after the mass of ice fell on them. Hundreds of climbers try to sca

We badly need facilities for our women athletes: Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem

Arshad Nadeem, the javelin throw gold medallist in the recently-concluded Paris Games, said Pakistani women athletes should be given modern facilities so that they can perform at the highest level. Since returning home with Pakistan's first gold in the Olympics since 1984, Nadeem has been showered with cash prizes worth around 280 million, cars and other gifts. In the latest instance, the Governor Punjab on Saturday gave him a cash prize of two million rupees and a car. But beyond such personal gifts, Nadeem wanted the government to fulfil his request for a modernised track and field stadium and a university for women in his hometown Mian Channu. We badly need facilities for our women and even men to acquire higher education in our area and nowadays young athletes need to be given the best facilities, Nadeem said on the ARY news channel. Nadeem, who appeared on the show with his wife Rashida, was also asked about the buffalo gifted to him by his father-in-law for winning the Olym

More arrests expected in retired ISI chief's court-martial case: Pak min

More arrests will be made in connection with the court martial of former ISI chief General (Retd) Faiz Hameed in a housing scam, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday, a day after three more retired military officers were arrested in the case. Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority. Investigations are underway in the Faiz case. More arrests are likely in the army and elsewhere, Dawn News quoted the minister as saying here. It seems the ambit will not just remain limited to the military but whoever is involved and whoever has compromised the country's security all those will come in its grasp, Tarar said. The minister's remarks came hours after the ISPR, the military's public affairs division, in a statement on Thursday said: In connection with the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) proceedi

After Sweden, Pakistan logs suspected case of deadly mpox virus: 10 updates

Mpox cases latest: Before Pakistan, the first international case of this virus in 2024 was detected in Sweden a day ago, triggering fears of its potential spread outside the continent of Africa

After former ISI chief's arrest, 3 ex-army men taken into custody in Pak

Three former Pakistan Army officers have been arrested by the military for their alleged connection with the court martial proceedings against former spymaster Lt Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed, the army said on Thursday. Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority. According to a fresh statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the army, three retired army officers were under military custody for actions prejudicial to military discipline. In connection with the FGCM (Field General Court Martial) proceedings of Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, three retired officers are also in military custody for their actions prejudicial to military discipline, the statement said. Further investigations of certain retired officers and their accomplices for fomenting instability at the behest of and in

1 killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack outside hotel in southwest Pakistan

Insurgents in an overnight attack threw a grenade at people sitting in front of a hotel in the restive southwest Pakistan and killed at least one person while wounding 10 more, police and hospital officials said Thursday. The attack was the third in as many days in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, as people celebrated the country's independence day. The separatist Baluch Liberation Army (BLA) group claimed responsibility for all the attacks, including the latest one, which came days after the group warned people not to celebrate the holiday on Wednesday, marking the August 14, 1947, date of Pakistan's independence from British colonial rule. Arbab Kamran, a spokesperson at a hospital, said the facility received 10 wounded and one dead following the attack. BLA and other small separatist groups have been behind a long-running insurgency for Baluchistan's independence from the central government in Islamabad. Pakistan says it has quelled the insurgency, yet violence has

Death of Pakistan's digital economy? Here's why its businessmen are afraid

The situation has become so dire that many businesses situated in Pakistan are considering relocating their operations to other countries

Baloch leaders meet French senators to urge intervention in ongoing crisis

The meeting, aimed to raise international awareness about the challenges facing the region

Why is Pakistan’s ex-ISI chief facing court martial?

Former Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Faiz Hameed was taken into military custody by Pakistani authorities on Monday, August 12.

Pak Prime Minister slashes petrol prices by Rs 8.47, diesel by Rs 6.7

The price of petrol is now Rs 260.96 per litre, while HSD stands at Rs 266.07 per litre. The reduction came ahead of Pakistan's Independence Day celebrations

Weakening the military is weakening the nation: Pak Army chief Gen Munir

Pakistan's Army chief General Asim Munir has said that any attempt to undermine the nation's powerful military is equivalent to weakening the country. Addressing the Azadi Parade at the Pakistan Military Academy on the eve of the country's 78th Independence Day, he also underscored the importance of maintaining national unity amidst efforts by foreign powers using digital terrorism' to create a gulf between state institutions and the people of Pakistan. "We emerge as a strong nation after trial and tribulations. To weaken Pakistan's armed forces is tantamount to weakening the country itself," Geo News quoted him as saying. Asserting that the nation's unwavering trust in the Pakistan Army is the military's most valuable asset, he said, Neither any negative force has ever been able to weaken this relationship of trust and love nor can it do so in future. Historically, we as a nation have always emerged stronger after every hardship," he said, adding that mutual trust between the coun

3 dead in grenade attacks on store selling flags ahead of Pak's I-Day

Suspected militants hurled hand grenades at a house and a store selling Pakistani national flags in the restive southwestern Baluchistan province, killing three people and wounding six others ahead of Pakistan's 77th independence day. The separatist Baluch Liberation Army group claimed responsibility for the attacks that took place on Tuesday in the provincial capital of Quetta, days after the group asked shop owners not to sell the flags. It also warned people not to celebrate the holiday on Wednesday, marking the Aug 14, 1947 date of Pakistan's independence from British colonial rule. Wasim Baig, a spokesman at a government hospital, said the facility had received six injured people and three bodies following the attacks. Pakistan's army chief Gen Asim Munir vowed to defeat militancy in a televised speech at an event that took place at a military academy in the country's northeast on the eve of Independence Day. Munir sought cooperation from neighbouring Afghanistan against the .

Pak's anti-terrorism court rejects bail plea of Bushra Bibi in 12 cases

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has rejected the bail application of Bushra Bibi, the wife of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, in 12 cases related to the May 9 violence of last year which erupted when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder was arrested in an alleged corruption case. Anti-terrorism court (ATC) Rawalpindi Judge Malik Ejaz Asif on Monday after hearing the plea of Bushra Bibi, 49, said that a thorough investigation was required in her case and subsequently dismissed the bail application. The judge also ordered that the investigation in her case should be completed in seven days. Bibi was seeking bail in FIRs registered in various police stations in Rawalpindi. Khan and Bushra were present in the court along with dozens of other accused who have been named as suspects in the May 9 violence that left more than 100 people dead. The violence started after the Pakistan Rangers arrested Khan inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. The

Spiraling electricity bills overtake rent costs for some people in Pakistan

The South Asian nation - where nearly half the population survives on less than $4 a day - has seen electricity prices surge 155 per cent since 2021