Page 63 - Pakistan

Pakistan police claim Tamba who killed Sarabjit Singh is 'still alive'

A day after Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh inside a jail here in 2013, was killed by unidentified gunmen, a senior Punjab Police officer gave a spin to the incident claiming that he is "still alive. Tamba, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Saeed, was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants at his residence in Sanant Nagar here. He was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. But Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Lahore Syed Ali Raza told the Dawn newspaper that Tamba is still alive but critically injured. However, when PTI confronted Lahore police spokesperson Farhan Shah about the SSP's statement on Monday, he declined to comment on the matter, terming it sensitive. Interestingly, SSP Raza did not reveal where Tamba was shifted for medical treatment if he is alive. Meanwhile, Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday did not r

Iran President Raisi to visit Pakistan on April 22 amidst West Asia confict

Amidst spiralling tensions in the Middle East, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is set to visit Pakistan on April 22 and hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and the military leadership, according to a media report on Monday. The 63-year-old leader's expected visit will take place days after Tehran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation to an alleged Israeli airstrike on its Damascus consulate in Syria that killed several people, including two senior commanders of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Geo News reported. The visit also assumes significance as it comes amidst ongoing efforts by Pakistan and Iran to deepen their cooperation which received a temporary setback earlier this year. In January, Pakistan, in retaliation to Iran's cross-border strikes, carried out precision strikes using killer drones and rockets to target terrorists inside Iranian territory, the report said. Two bases of the Sunni

Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh's killer shot dead by unknown gunmen in Pak

Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh and a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Sayeed, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Sunday, official sources said. Tamba was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants in the Islampura area of Lahore in Pakistan and was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the sources said. Singh, 49, died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the wee hours of May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates including Tamba, inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. Tamba, whose father's name is Sarfaraz Javed, was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the LeT founder. A group of Pakistani prisoners had attacked Singh with bricks and iron rods. Singh had been allegedly found guilty of taking part in several bombings in Pakistan's Punjab province in 19

40 years since Operation Meghdoot, here is why Siachen Glacier matters

Within the Pakistani army Siachen is a military setback with the Indians dominating the glacier from the Saltoro. Pakistan insists on terming it 'the Siachen dispute'

State Bank of Pakistan repays $1 bn in Eurobonds ahead of IMF bailout

The State Bank of Pakistan has repaid USD 1 billion in Eurobonds as the cash-strapped country prepares for a new long-term bailout from the IMF to help manage its external financing needs and economic recovery, a media report said here on Sunday. Pakistan's central bank announced that it met the dollar bond payment on Friday for the 10-year bond launched in 2014 maturing this month. Ahead of the April 15-20 meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington DC, Pakistan government has decided to formally approach the IMF for a medium-term Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the possibility of augmenting through climate finance. The Eurobonds repayment comes amid Asian Development Bank's (ADB) apprehension that Pakistan's economic outlook remains uncertain. The SBP has successfully executed the repayment of USD 1 billion Pakistan's International Bond on April 12, 2024 (principal plus interest). The payment was made to the agent bank for onward distribut

3 kids killed in landmine blast in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

At least three children were killed on the spot and one injured in a landmine explosion in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police said. The tragic incident occurred in Wanna town of the tribal South Waziristan district on the third day of Eid. The children were on their way to watch a volleyball match between two local teams in the Mandokai area when one of them stepped on a landmine triggering a huge blast, a district police officer said. Three children died on the spot and one was critically injured. The injured child was provided immediate treatment at a local hospital before being shifted to a district hospital in Dera Ismail Khan. It was not immediately clear who planted the landmines in the area. However, South Waziristan is a hotbed for militants.

Britain adds Pakistan to list of countries 'too dangerous to travel'

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom has recently added Pakistan to its list of countries that it states are "too dangerous" for UK citizens to travel, reported Geo News.In their latest report, the FCDO alerted that the organisation has updated the list and added eight more countries.According to the latest FCDO alert, the total number of banned destinations is 24, Geo News reported.The FCDO's alert covers a range of concerns that pose a threat to visitor safety, including crime, war, terrorism, disease, weather conditions and natural disasters, Geo News reported, citing the Manchester Evening News.Moreover, the newly added countries are those involved in conflicts, including Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Belarus, and the Palestinian territories.Meanwhile, the blacklisted countries include, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Haiti, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, North Korea, Somalia, .

Pak issues 2,843 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for Baisakhi celebrations

The announcement was made by the Pakistan High Commission in India through a post on social media platform X

US urges India and Pak to avoid escalation of tensions: Matthew Miller

The US will encourage India and Pakistan to avoid escalation and resolve their outstanding issues through dialogue and will "not get in the middle of the situation," a top State Department official has said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh last week said that if terrorists try to disturb peace in India or carry out terror activities, a befitting response will be given and if they run away to Pakistan, India will enter the neighbouring country to kill them, referring to New Delhi's assertive approach to deal with cross-border terrorism. "We have been following the media reports about this issue. We don't have any comment on the underlined allegations, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday when asked about media reports that Indian government agents allegedly carried out assassinations inside Pakistan. Miller said that while the US was not going to get in the middle of this situation, it would encourage both sides to avoid escalation and find a resolution through

3 killed, 20 injured in two bomb blasts in Pak's restive Balochistan area

At least three people, including a policeman, were killed and 20 others injured in two separate bomb blasts in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, police said on Tuesday. In the first incident, a policeman was killed and 15 others were injured when a blast occurred at a mosque in the Kuchlak area of the province's Quetta district on Monday. "People were offering Maghrib prayers when the explosion took place at the mosque," a police official said. In another incident, two people were killed and five others were injured in a bomb blast in a marketplace near Umar Farooq Chowk in Khuzdar town on Monday. A senior police official said the blast took place when there was a crowd, including women and children in the market for Eid shopping. Two people have been killed and five others injured in the explosion, the senior officer said, adding that police and other law enforcement forces rushed to the explosion site and shifted the bodies and injured to Khuzdar Teaching Hospital. Bomb

Pak's Finance Minister Aurangzeb leaves banker life behind to fix economy

Aurangzeb was one of the highest paid corporate leaders in Pakistan before joining the government. Now, in line with other cabinet members, he's not drawing a salary

Woman engineer among Chinese nationals killed in suicide attack in Pak

A woman was among the five Chinese engineers who were killed last month in northwest Pakistan when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle that was neither bullet nor bomb-proof, according to a police report. A vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted the convoy of Chinese engineers in the remote Besham area of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when they were being driven to a construction site of the Dasu Hydroelectric power station in Kohistan district of the same province on March 26. Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. A female engineer was among the five Chinese nationals killed in the attack, the Express Tribune newspaper reported on Sunday, citing the police report. The police report, which has been sent to the federal government, said that the bus targeted in the attack was travelling at a distance of 15 feet from the other bus and fell into a 300-feet-deep ditch after the suicide bomber crashed his explosives-laden vehicle into t

6 security personnel, 12 militants killed in separate incidents in Pakistan

Six security personnel, including a senior police officer, died while 12 militants were killed in separate terror incidents and security operations in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces in the past two days, officials said on Sunday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan armed forces, said in the Balochistan province, four militants were killed in two separate incidents. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), eight militants were killed in the Kot Sultan area of Kulachi tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan district when security forces carried out an operation against them, the ISPR said. The security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives from the slain militants, it added. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lakki Marwat, a DSP and two cops were killed and a constable was injured by armed miscreants in two separate incidents on Friday night, officials said. The officials said DSP Gul Muhammad, along with other policemen, had set up a

Pakistan set to repay $1 bn against Eurobond to reduce stock of debt

Pakistan is set to repay a foreign debt worth USD 1 billion against a 10-year Eurobond maturing in the middle of this month which will reduce the stock of the debt acquired through the selling of bonds in international markets to below USD 7 billion. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) told The Express Tribune that it was ready to repay the bond anytime and was waiting to receive instructions to do so from the finance ministry. The move will reduce the stock of the debt acquired through selling Eurobonds and Sukuks (bond-like instruments used in Islamic finance) in international markets to below USD 7 billion. This has enhanced the country's capacity to repay all the upcoming maturing foreign debt on time. Following the repayment of USD 1 billion in April, Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves will experience a decline. However, the anticipated International Monetary Fund (IMF) tranche of USD 1.1 billion, likely to be received by the end of April, is expected to restore the reserves ba

Did not denotify Gen Bajwa during his role as Army chief, says Imran Khan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan on Saturday said that he did not de-notify former Army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa despite his actions during the removal of PTI government in 2022 felt like a betrayal', according to a media report. Khan, 71, who was ousted from power in April 2022 via the opposition's no-confidence motion, had blamed Gen Bajwa for playing a vital role against his government. Speaking to journalists in an informal conversation during the hearing of the Toshakhana reference in Adiala Jail, Khan said: "Although General Bajwa's actions felt like a betrayal, we [the then PTI government] refrained from convening a committee to confront him. During the conversation, Khan once again called for negotiations for the betterment of the country. It's for the betterment of Pakistan, so convince me for negotiations. If I could meet Gen Qamar Bajwa twice following the removal of our government, then I could meet anyone. Right now, it is not about me, but is abou

UN calls for $620 mn to support Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan

According to the UNHCR report, 4.8 million Afghan migrants and 2.5 million members of their host communities will be assisted in 2024

156 kmph and counting: How India created assembly line of fast bowlers

The emergence of Mayank Yadav this IPL shows how India overcame the odds, tradition, and history to create an assembly line of fast bowlers, outdoing Pakistan

We will enter Pakistan to kill terrorists who flee there: Rajnath Singh

If terrorists try to disturb peace in India or carry out terror activities, a befitting response will be given and if they run away to Pakistan, India will enter the neighbouring country to kill them, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, referring to New Delhi's assertive approach to deal with cross-border terrorism. The defence minister was responding to a question on a report by British newspaper "The Guardian" that claimed Indian intelligence agencies carried out assassinations of terrorists in Pakistan as part of an emboldened approach to national security after 2019. "If terrorists from the neighbouring country try to disturb the peace in Bharat or try to carry out terror activities in Bharat, we will give them a befitting reply. (Koi bhi terrorist hamare parosi desh se yadi hamare Bharat ko disturb karneki koshish karega, yahan par yadi atankbadi harkate karega, toh uska muh tod jabab denge)," Singh told "CNN News 18". "If they run away to Pakistan, we will enter ...

Highlights of the day: Zee to layoff 15% of workforce in a bid to cut costs

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

No evidence of Bushra Bibi being poisoned, says personal physician

Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi has not been given any poisonous substance, her personal physician has said following a medical checkup after allegations by the ex-prime minister that the former first lady was poisoned while incarcerated at his private residence which was turned into a sub-jail. On April 2, Khan during the hearing of the 190 million pound Toshakhana corruption case in Adiala jail informed Judge Nasir Javed Rana that there had been an attempt to poison the former first lady and added that she had marks on her skin and tongue as a side effect of the "poisoning". "I know who is behind it," the 71-year-old former prime minister said, without naming anyone. He said that if any harm came to 49-year-old Bushra, the Pakistan Army chief (Gen Asim Munir) should be held responsible as members of an intelligence agency were controlling everything at his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad and Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. At this time, there is no evidence of Bushra Bibi being poisone