Page 80 - Pakistan

Pak's ex-PM Imran Khan sent to 14-day judicial remand in corruption case

A Pakistani accountability court on Monday sent Imran Khan on a 14-day judicial remand in a corruption case, rejecting the request of the country's anti-graft body for extending the jailed former prime minister's physical remand. Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad Accountability Court presided over the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case held at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is currently jailed, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Petition filed in Pakistan SC seeking removal of President Arif Alvi

The petitioner said, "He has violated the Constitution and committed gross misconduct, therefore, he is not eligible to continue his duties as the president"

NIA conducts raids in Pakistan-backed Ghazwa-e-Hind terror module case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday conducted raids in several states in the Pakistan-backed Ghazwa-e-Hind terror module case, an official said. The raids were conducted at the premises of suspects in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh and Kozhikode district of Kerala, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices, a spokesperson of the federal agency said. The official said the raids also revealed links of the suspects with Pakistan-based handlers. "These suspects were in contact with the handlers and were involved in propagating the radical, anti-India idea of Ghazwa-e-Hind," the spokesperson said. The NIA raids were conducted as part of its ongoing investigation into a case, commonly referred to as the Ghazwa-e-Hind case, Patna (Bihar). The case was initially registered on July 14 last year by the Phulwarisharif police in Bihar, following the arrest of Marghoob Ahmad Danish

Pakistan Supreme Court moved seeking removal of President Alvi: Reports

A petition has been filed in Pakistan's Supreme Court seeking President Arif Alvi's removal as the head of the state over "misconduct" and failure to maintain impartiality in performing his duties, according to media reports on Sunday. The petition, filed by one Ghulam Murtaza Khan on Saturday, alleges that the president has been evasive in performing his constitutional obligations, the Dawn newspaper reported. He has violated the Constitution and committed gross misconduct; therefore, he is not eligible to continue his duties as the president and needs to be declared that he should not continue as president of Pakistan, the petition said. Being the head of the State, he is under constitutional obligation to work in accordance with the law, but he was misusing the powers and violating the Constitution continuously by his words and conducts, it said.

India has will, resoluteness to defeat terror from across LoC: J-K DGP

His remarks come close on the heels of the Rajouri encounter during which the forces gunned down two Pakistani terrorists, holed up inside a cave in a thickly forested terrain in the district

Massive fire in shopping mall in Pakistan kills 11, many feared trapped

A massive fire tore through a shopping mall in Pakistan's Karachi city on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and injuring six, officials said. The fire that broke out at around 7 am on the second floor engulfed the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the shopping mall, but it was not clear what caused it. Twelve fire tenders, a snorkel and around 50 firefighters were called to control the fire and rescue around 42 people in the building. Chief Fire Officer Mubin Ahmed said that 11 people were killed and six injured in the blaze mostly due to smoke inhalation and panic as the electricity to the building had to be cut off to control the blaze. Our teams are still searching for anyone still in the building but we rescued 42 people, all males who were present when the fire broke out around 7 am this morning, he told PTI. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that nine persons were killed in the fire but Police official Summaya Syed said that so far 11 bodies have been brought to two .

Imran Khan moves Pakistan SC for bail in Al-Qadir Trust corruption case

Imran Khan has moved the Supreme Court for bail in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case in which the jailed former prime minister and his wife are accused of receiving land worth billions of rupees as a bribe from a real estate tycoon, according to a media report. Khan, 71, who has been incarcerated in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since September 26 in various cases, Friday moved the apex court following rejection of his plea by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on November 14. According to The Express Tribune newspaper, Khan in the bail application alleged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), while acting as a tool of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, used the case to harass him on political grounds. In the appeal, the Supreme Court was requested to annul the IHC decision of November 14 and the decision of the accountability court on August 10 on his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The Ali-Qadir Trust case is about the settlement of 190 million .

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim retires from international cricket

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim on Friday announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing curtains to his eight-year international career. Wasim took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his decision, having played 121 international matches across ODIs and T20Is for Pakistan. Imad's final outing for his country was in April this year in a T20I against New Zealand at Rawalpindi. The Welsh-born Wasim made his international debut with the Men in Green in May 2015 in a T20I against Zimbabwe at Lahore. "In recent days, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my international career, and I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to announce my retirement from international cricket," the 34-year-old Wasim wrote in his retirement note. "I would like to thank the PCB for all their support over the years - it has truly been an honour to represent Pakistan. Each of my 121 appearances across the ODI and T20I formats was a dream come true." Wasim, a left-ha

Instability disrupted economic growth; structural reforms needed: Pak FM

Pakistan's caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar has said that political instability over the period of time has greatly disrupted the cash-strapped country's economic growth, which has to be backed by structural reforms. Addressing the Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) here on Thursday, the minister said macroeconomic stability has become more difficult in the last decade because of delays in structural reforms, protracted actions and exogenous shocks. The vulnerability of the economy has increased due to global economic shocks such as the increase in international commodity prices and tighter liquidity conditions, with Pakistan effectively priced out of the international credit markets, the Business Recorder newspaper quoted Akhtar as saying. "Vulnerability has increased due to the unsustainable debt position... Large fiscal and trade deficits over two decades have weakened the debt position, with the cost of servicing debt rising to 74 per cent of the FBR revenue in .

Pakistan President Alvi's volte-face on a solution to the Palestine problem

After courting controversy by proposing a one-state solution to the Palestine problem, Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi has now said that Islamabad supports a just and peaceful resolution of the vexed issue, based on the two-state solution. Alvi's comments walking back on the earlier stance came during a meeting with Dr Saleh bin Abdullah Humaid, Imam Khatib at Masjid Al-Haram, and adviser at Saudi Royal Courts of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to a report in the newspaper Dawn. President Dr Arif Alvi has reiterated that Pakistan firmly supports a just and peaceful resolution of the Palestine issue, based on the two-state solution. He said that the world must realise the pain of the Palestinian people and play its role in ending the Israeli atrocities in Gaza that had killed thousands of innocent people, including women and children, an official press release issued by the Presidency said on Friday. At the meeting on Thursday, which discussed the situation in Gaza, Islamophobia,

Pakistan making attempts to push foreign terrorists into J-K: Army

Pakistan is making attempts to push foreign terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said on Friday, and highlighted that there is a presence of retired soldiers of that country in militant ranks. He made the remarks after paying his last respects to the five army personnel, including two captains, killed in gunfights with terrorists during an encounter in the Bajimaal area of Rajouri district's Dharmsal belt on Wednesday and Thursday. Two terrorists, including a Pakistan-based top LeT commander Quari trained in Afghanistan, were killed by security forces during the encounter. Talking to reporters, the Lt General said operations have been intensified in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to clear the region of more than two dozen foreign terrorists within a year. The killing of the two dreaded foreign terrorists is a major setback for Pakistan's plans to destabilise the region, said the army commander. Asked about the ...

Pakistan's ministry confirms it formally applied for Brics membership

The spokesperson said the decision was taken after having noted the BRICS-related developments at the groupings summit in Johannesburg

Pakistan's top court accepts jailed former premier Imran Khan's bail plea

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted for hearing the bail plea of jailed former premier Imran Khan in the cipher case and issued notices to the Federation and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), seeking their responses in the matter. In March 2022, Khan and his foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were alleged to have violated the secret laws of the country while handling a communication (cipher) sent by Pakistan's embassy in Washington. The diplomatic cable reportedly went missing from Khan's possession. A three-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ayesha A.

Pakistan applies for Brics membership; seeks Russia's support: Envoy

Pakistan has applied for membership in the BRICS grouping and sought Russia's support, the country's envoy to Moscow Muhammad Khalid Jamali has said. Pakistan has filed an application to join the BRICS group of nations in 2024 and is counting on Russia's assistance during the membership process, Russia's official TASS news agency reported on Wednesday quoted Jamali as saying. Jamali said Pakistan has already applied for membership in the BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa and is set to expand next year with the admission of six new members under the Russian Presidency. Pakistan's application to join the BRICS came as the grouping of emerging economies was set for its biggest expansion with six new members under Russia's rotating Presidency in 2024. This year's BRICS summit held in South Africa formally admitted Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as new members. They will formally join during the 2024 summit in ...

'Targeted killing plan averted': 3 linked to Pak-based terror module held

Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have averted planned targeted killings in the state with the arrest of three members linked to an ISI-controlled Pakistan-based terror module. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said three .30 bore pistols and five .32 bore pistols were recovered along with nine magazines and 30 live cartridges from their possession. Those arrested have been identified as Rajbhupinder Singh alias Bhinda of village Dikh in Bathinda, Raman Kumar of village Guru Harsahai in Fazilka and Jagjit Singh of Dhilwa Kalan in Kotkapura. Yadav said following reliable inputs, police teams from the Counter Intelligence, Bathinda put up a checkpost near the bridge at village Gobindpura in Bathinda and arrested the trio. Preliminary investigations have found that the arrested trio were in contact with some persons currently lodged in Sangrur Jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he added. Assistant Inspector General, Counter Intelligence, Avneet Kaur Sidhu

Pak prez sparks controversy, proposes one-state solution to Palestine issue

Pakistan President Arif Alvi has stirred a controversy by proposing a one-state solution to the Palestine problem in a significant departure from established policy, prompting the caretaker government to distance itself from the remarks and calls for his resignation. The presidential office made waves on Friday by advocating for a "one-state solution" to the Palestine issue. However, Alvi's office retracted the statement within a few hours, marking an abrupt about-face in the official position. The presidency initially released a statement attributing to President Alvi the suggestion of a "one-state solution" during a telephonic conversation with Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas. If the two-state solution was not acceptable to Israel, then the one-state solution was the only way where Jews, Muslims and [a] good percentage of Christians could live to exercise equal political rights, the original press release quoted Alvi as telling the Palestinian president. Almost all news TV

Islamabad applies for Brics membership: Pakistan's ambassador to Russia

Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to become members of BRICS. Their membership will take effect January 1, 2024

Pak court strikes down notification to keep Imran Khan in judicial lockup

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday declared illegal the August 29 notification which had directed jail authorities to keep former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan in judicial lockup in the cipher case, according to media reports. The court issued the directives while hearing an intra-court appeal filed by Khan against a single-member bench's decision that had approved the ex-premier's jail trial in the cipher case, according to the Dawn newspaper. Earlier in the morning, the two-member panel of Islamabad High Court reserved the judgement till evening.

Over 4 ,00,000 Afghans return home from Pak following crackdown on migrants

More than 400,000 Afghans returned to their home country following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners in the country, Pakistani authorities said Monday. Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, confirmed the number and told The Associated Press that the majority have been using the border crossings of Torkham and Spin Boldak to return home. An estimated 1.7 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan when authorities announced its nationwide crackdown, saying that anyone without proper documents had to leave the country by October 31 or else get arrested. However, Pakistani officials said the other 1.4 million Afghans registered as refugees need not worry as only people without proper documentation were sought after. In the 1980s, millions of Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of their country. The numbers witnessed a spike after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan also introduced

Those involved in attacks on military must not go unpunished: Pakistan PM

Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that those involved in the unprecedented attacks on security installations on May 9 this year must not go unpunished and should be tried by military courts. In an interview with Geo News on Sunday, Kakar referred to the May 9 incidents in Pakistan following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in an alleged corruption case. Kakar said that if the people attack an institution, which is responsible for saving the country from anarchy, they should be tried in military courts as per the law. On the government's appeal against the Supreme Court's decision to strike down military trials of civilians allegedly involved in the May 9 violence, Kakar said: "It is quite justified that if anybody attacked any military installation, he or she must be tried in military courts." The prime minister also dispelled the impression that his government is biased against some political parties, underlining that holding general ...