Page 55 - Pakistan

'We need to introspect, holding Pak responsible for terror not enough'

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said holding only Pakistan responsible for the recent spike in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir is not sufficient as he called for self-introspection to end illegal activities, which benefit terrorism in the Union Territory. He said the government is implementing a new strategy, which includes deployment of army in the higher reaches to ensure that peace is restored within one week in Kathua, where five army personnel were killed and an equal number injured in an ambush by the terrorists on July 8. The recent terror incidents (in Jammu region) carried out by infiltrators from Pakistan is condemnable. But repeatedly saying that Pakistan has done this is not sufficient. We have to ask ourselves and inner-souls what we have done to end social evils which are benefitting terrorism, the minister of state in the prime minister's office told reporters in Kathua. The minister was in Kathua, part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency, for

After a year in jail, ex-Pak PM Imran acquitted in illegal marriage case

A Pakistani court on Saturday acquitted jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the un-Islamic marriage case, the only case keeping the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party founder behind bars. On February 3 -- days before the general elections on February 8 -- an Islamabad court convicted the couple based on a complaint filed by Bushra Bibi's ex-husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka, who alleged that they contracted marriage during the former first lady's Iddat period. In Islam, a woman can't remarry before completing four months after divorce or the death of her husband. The two had challenged the sentence in a district and session court of the capital Islamabad where Additional District and Sessions judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka heard the case. The judge announced the judgment in the afternoon after reserving the verdict earlier in the day, acquitting Khan, 71 and Bushra, 49. If they are not wanted in any other case, then PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi should

Imran's party to become largest in Pak Parliament after SC ruling: Report

The opposition alliance in the National Assembly will also surge to a strength of 120, the report said. Currently, the combined opposition, including the PTI, has 97 members

Imran Khan's PTI wins 20 extra reserved seats in Pakistan's parliament

Under Pakistan's election rules, parties are allocated 70 reserved seats - 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims - in proportion to the number of seats they win

In historic first, Lahore High Court swears in woman Chief Justice

Justice Aalia Neelum on Thursday took oath as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) of Pakistan, making her the first woman to be elevated as the court's top judge. Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan administered the oath of office to her. Punjab province's first woman Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present in the oath-taking ceremony. Justice Neelum, 57, stood third in the seniority list of judges of the LHC but the Judicial Commission of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa had decided to consider her nomination for the office of the LHC chief justice. Soon after her elevation to the office of the CJ LHC, Neelum's pictures with the members of the ruling Sharif family went viral on social media suggesting that she has an association with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N). Born on November 12, 1966, Justice Neelum earned her LLB degree from the University of Punjab in 1995 and was enrolled as an advocate in 1996. She w

BSF intercepts 125 drones from Pakistan in 2024, seizes drugs and weapons

The Border Security Force has intercepted 125 drones this year along Punjab's border with Pakistan, marking a notable rise from 22 drones intercepted in 2022 and 107 in 2023

UNHCR chief meets Pakistan PM on Afghan refugee situation after clampdown

The head of the UN refugee agency and Pakistan's prime minister held talks on Tuesday about Afghan refugees living in uncertainty in Pakistan following the government's anti-migrant crackdown that started last year as militants stepped up attacks on security forces. That crackdown on undocumented Afghans in Pakistan was apparently recently put on hold, without authorities offering any explanation for this. Pakistan has long hosted an estimated 1.7 million (17 lakh) Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country. More than half-a-million others escaped Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with thousands waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere. Since Pakistan's widely-criticised clampdown started last November, an estimated six lakh Afghans have returned home. The undocumented Afghans are separate from refugees who have registered with the authorities and the UNHCR, though the crackdown has raised concerns

Pakistan authorises ISI to intercept, trace calls for national security

The Pakistan government on Tuesday formally authorised the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country's premier spy agency, to intercept and trace calls for national security. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication issued a notification under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996 to this effect. In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 54 the federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise the officers not below the rank of grade 18 to be nominated from time to time by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecommunication system as envisaged under Section 54 of the Act, the notification read. It also states that the government will prioritise and have precedence in the telecommunications system over any licensee to safeguard national defence or security against foreign threats. "The federal ..

'Kirsten, Gillespie given free hand by PCB to turn fortunes of Pak cricket'

In the wake of Pakistan's dismal showing in the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday gave head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie a free hand to turn the fortunes of the team, according to sources. Pakistan lost to newcomers USA and arch-rivals India in the Group stages of the World Cup to be eliminated from the competition held in the USA and the Caribbean. Naqvi met the white-ball and red-ball coaches, where Kirsten and Gillespie shared their plans for the national team. According to the PCB, Naqvi told both the coaches that he had full confidence in them and they would get full backing from the cricket board. "Kirsten was blunt in laying down his concerns about the white-ball team based on the World Cup," said a PCB source. Both the head coaches told the PCB chairman that they wanted to set clear guidelines about the fitness levels required to be considered for Pakistan team selection. "Naqvi told them they should do whatever is ...

Trading activities suspended after fire at Pakistan Stock Exchange

Hassan Khan informed that the fire initially broke out on the fourth floor of the Ali Habib Trading Company building on I I Chundrigar Road

Why Pakistan has suspended the passports of 2,000 beggars for 7 years

The Pakistan govt said that begging abroad not only damages Pakistan's reputation but also diminishes the honour of its citizens

Vulnerable Pakistan withers under deadly heat and fears the coming rains

Karachi endured days of temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius, made worse by power cuts and high humidity

Pakistan gears up for Champions Trophy, allocates 17 bn PKR for stadiums

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has allocated approximately 17 billion rupees for the upgradation of its stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. The funds were approved by PCB's Board of Governors on Saturday in Lahore in at a meeting, where another 240 million rupees were allocated for spending on women's cricket. It was a massive jump for women's cricket from 70 million rupees approved in the last budget. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also told the BOG members that the Champions Trophy would be held entirely in Pakistan and it would be further discussed at the ICC's annual board meeting in Colombo later this month. The meeting was held primarily to approve the PCB budget for 2024-25 with Pakistan scheduled to host Bangladesh, England and West Indies in the season besides a tri-series before the CT and also touring Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Naqvi informed the BOG members that upgradation work on the stadiums had begun as the Board .

New era of Pakistan-China cooperation has dawned: PM Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said a new era of Pakistan-China cooperation in the information technology (IT), communication, mining, and energy sectors has dawned and will lead to economic development and deepening of the time-tested bilateral relationship. Sharif's remarks came as he chaired a review meeting in Islamabad on Saturday on the implementation of agreements and MOUs reached during his recent visit to China, Radio Pakistan reported. The prime minister said that the promotion of Pakistan-China cooperation in these fields will lead to economic development, strengthening of regional ties, and deepening of the relations between the two countries. Referring to the time-tested Pak-China friendship, he said that China had always supported Pakistan in difficult times. China has emerged as the strongest economic power and Pakistan can emulate its development, he added. The 72-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that no disruption will be tolerated in th

Pakistan to get $5 bn over 3 years for petroleum, gas exploration: Sharif

Pakistan is expected to get an investment of USD 5 billion over the next three years from local and international firms for the exploration and development of petroleum and gas reserves that will save the cash-strapped country's valuable foreign exchange and provide relief to the common man bearing the brunt of high fuel prices. The announcement was made in a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday during a meeting with a delegation of oil and gas exploration and production sector companies. According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, the meeting was informed that during three years, around 240 places would be excavated with an investment of USD 5 billion to explore petroleum and gas in Pakistan. The meeting was informed that currently, Pakistan's domestic production stood at 70,998 barrels and 3,131 MMSCFD (million standard cubic feet) gas per day. The prime minister invited petroleum and gas exploration and production companies to also find

Ex-Pakistan PM Abbasi launches new political party 'to change system'

Pakistan's former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday formally launched a new political party with the mission to change the system and restore respect for the Constitution of the country. The main slogan of the Awaam Pakistan Party is: Badlien gaen nizam' (we will change the system) and its membership is open to anyone and everyone who can contribute for the development of the country. Abbasi, 65, served as a prime minister from August 2017 to May 2018 when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court. Abbasi, who belongs to the Murree area of Rawalpindi, which is a famous hill resort, distanced himself from the PML-N due to policy disagreements after 2018 and refused to be part of the government in 2022. He is a businessman, whose family owned the country's AirBlue airline. He entered politics in 1988 when elected as a member of the National Assembly for the first time. He was elected at least six times from the ...

Imran plans hunger strike over lack of confidence in Pak SC chief justice

He was present in the court in connection with the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case in the Adiala Jail, where he has been lodged

Pak to ban social media platforms for 6 days to control hate during Ramadan

After successfully blocking X, formerly Twitter, for over four months, the Pakistan government is now set to ban all social media platforms -- YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok -- for six days from July 13 to 18, citing the need to control "hate material" during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's cabinet committee on law and order has recommended banning of all social media platforms -- YouTube, X, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, among others --during 6 to 11 Muharram (July 13-18) in Punjab, a province of over 120 million people, to "control hate material, misinformation to avoid sectarian violence", according to a Punjab government notification issued here late Thursday night. The Punjab government of Maryam Nawaz has requested her uncle Shehbaz Sharif's government at the Centre to notify the suspension of all social media platforms on internet for six days (July 13-18). Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir has already declared soci

Lessons from Kargil: 25 years on

The war demonstrated India's ability to effectively conduct tri-service operations, even in the absence of a formal tri-service doctrine

Pak PM raises terrorism concern, urges global engagement with Taliban

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday raised the issue of terrorism as a major concern for member states at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and called for meaningful engagement with the Afghan Taliban government. Shahbaz, who arrived in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, represented Pakistan at the SCO meeting where leaders and diplomats from countries including China, India, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan have gathered to discuss economic and security cooperation. The prime minister, during his address, emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the region as a precondition for economic development, Dawn News reported. Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan is a lynchpin to this common objective, he said, adding that the international community "meaningfully engage with the Afghan government to meet their genuine economic and development needs. Sharif also said the Afghan Taliban must also take concrete measures to