Page 88 - Pakistan

Border situation won't affect elections in Pakistan: Caretaker PM Kakar

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said the situation on Pakistan's borders is "alarming", but it would not hinder the holding of general elections in the country, as he sought to allay concerns over the delay in polls. Kakar's remarks come amid growing demand from various quarters for immediate announcement of the poll date by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which has already said elections will be pushed beyond the constitutionally mandated period of 90 days following the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9. The ECP decided to conduct a fresh delimitation of Constituencies based on the new census, delaying the general elections. President Arif Alvi has proposed to the ECP to hold general elections by November 6, citing a constitutionally mandated time frame for the polls. Kakar affirmed that measures would be taken to ensure that the election process proceeds smoothly without disruptions and emphasised upon the commitment to upholding the ...

3 terrorists killed in J&K, Pak gave cover fire to infiltrators: Officials

The Pakistan Army gave cover fire to infiltrating terrorists and targeted quadcopters of the Indian Army during a bid to cross the Line of Control in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday that was foiled with the killing of three militants, officials said. Addressing a press conference in north Kashmir's Uri, Brigadier P M S Dhillon said the operation at Hathlanga in the Uri sector along the LoC was launched early Saturday following specific inputs about infiltration attempts by Pakistan-based outfits. "We had been receiving intelligence inputs that Pakistani outfits were trying to infiltrate into Uri to destabilise peace in Jammu and Kashmir. So, we strengthened our counter-infiltration and surveillance grid," he said. "At 6.40 am this morning, despite bad weather, an ambush noticed three to four terrorists trying to cross the LoC in the Hathlanga area. Immediately contact was established and the firefight continued for two hours," he added. The officer said the army

Yet another hike smashes fuel prices record in Pakistan, prompts furore

Amid double-digit inflation, Pakistan's caretaker government has effected yet another hike in the prices of petrol and diesel taking them to a historic high over Rs 330 per litre prompting immediate protests and a legal challenge too. As on Saturday, USD 1 was equivalent to 296.41 Pakistani Rupee. The Ministry of Finance on Friday night announced the price hike of petrol by Rs 26.02 and diesel by Rs 17.34 per litre. After the hike, petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are costing over Rs 330 at the filling stations, a psychological barrier that has been crossed for the first time in the country's history, the Dawn newspaper wrote. The fuel price hike comes on the heels of over 27.4 per cent increase in the rate of inflation in August, putting an unbearable burden on the masses, as petrol and HSD are used by all private and public service vehicles. The caretaker government on September 1 jacking up the petrol and diesel prices by over Rs 14. The rise is on top of Rs 32.41 and Rs 3

Pakistan EC decides to frame charges against Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry

On the same day, Pakistan's electoral watchdog will resume hearing in a case pertaining to the confiscation of PTI's 'prohibited funding'

Announcing date for elections beyond mandate for interim govt: Pakistan PM

He further said, "We have no intention to prolong the tenure of the caretaker government"

Pakistan caretaker government increases price of petrol, high-speed diesel

Pakistan's Ministry of Finance said that the decision was taken due to the increasing trend of petrol prices in the international market

Key trade crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan reopens after 9 days

A key north-western border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened Friday after a nine-day closure due to clashes between border forces, officials from both sides said. Pakistan shut the Torkham border with its neighbour on September 6 after guards from both countries exchanged fire. It accused Taliban authorities of building unlawful structures in the vicinity. Pakistani government official Nasir Khan said the crossing reopened Friday morning. Afghanistan's commissioner in Torkham, Ismatullah Yaqoob, said stranded trucks and pedestrians have started passing through the border. A representative from the Pakistan and Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce welcomed the move. The reopening has ended the nine-day-long trouble faced by traders on both sides of the border, said Ziaul Haq Sarhadi. Traders have faced heavy losses in perishable items, he said. Pakistan's envoy to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani met the Taliban administration's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutt

Pak court extends judicial remand of Imran Khan in cipher case till Sep 26

A special court in Pakistan on Wednesday extended judicial remand of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in the cipher case till September 26. The special court newly formed to hear cases related to the Official Secrets Act, 1923 Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain conducted the hearing of the cipher case inside the Attock Jail where the former prime minister is currently lodged. Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also produced in court on Wednesday following the completion of his 14-day judicial remand.

Hockey Olympic qualifiers: FIH withdraws hosting rights from Pakistan

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Tuesday withdrew hosting rights of the Olympic Qualifiers from Pakistan, slated to be held next January. The FIH decision came as a result of the infighting between the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the state-owned Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). The FIH, while taking away our hosting rights, made it clear it was convinced that the sports board and government were not willing to cooperate with the PHF in the successful hosting of the event, said an inside in the PHF. The decision has come as a big blow to Pakistan hockey, which had got the rights to host an international event after more than a decade. The PHF had picked Lahore as the venue to host the event. However, recent attempts by the PSB to interfere in affairs of the PHF and bring in its preferred officials into the federation have led to chaos. Several former Olympians, encouraged by the government's ministry of inter provincial coordination and PSB, have been trying to st

Pakistan's debt servicing heads towards record PKR 8 trn as rate hike looms

Pakistan's entire debt servicing is on track to reach a historic high of Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 8 trillion, with the prospect of a minor increase in the policy rate

Arif Alvi meets caretaker Pak law minister; discusses elections: Report

Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday met the country's caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam to discuss the elections amid speculation that he may announce the date unilaterally, according to a media report. The meeting was held in continuation of the ongoing consultation process on elections between the president and the interim government, a week after their first meeting on the subject, Geo News reported. The continuation of the consultation process with good intent will be positive for democracy in the country, the president was quoted as saying in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). General elections are scheduled to be held in Pakistan within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly, which was prematurely dissolved on August 9. Alvi was expected to give the election date at anytime despite controversy as to who was empowered to set such a date, Geo News reported. Alvi has insisted that elections should be held within 90 days o

Pakistan security personnel killed, several injured in Peshawar bomb blast

A Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was was killed and eight others, including two civilians, were injured in a blast in Pakistan's Peshawar, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.The blast took place near Prime Hospital Complex on Warsak Road, Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan confirmed that a vehicle of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC's Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted in the attack at around 10:30 am (local time). The vehicle was heading from Machni to Peshawar when the blast took place, he said. Mohammad Arshad Khan said that one Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was killed and six FC officials and two people were also injured, Dawn reported. Khan said that the blast was conducted using an improvised explosion device (IED). He further said that an investigation was being carried out and that a report by the Bomb Disposal Unit would further clarify the nature of the blast.Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Syed Ashfar Anwar visited the incident site, where

Pakistan unveils new visa policy to attract foreign investors amid crisis

Pakistan, in a bid to revive its ailing economy, has introduced a new visa policy to attract business communities from across the world to invest in the cash-strapped country. The decision was taken in the two-day consultation meeting held under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military hybrid body set up by the previous Shehbaz Sharif government to tackle the country's economic woes. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who chaired the fifth apex committee meeting of SIFC, announced in a recorded message that a new easy visa regime has been approved for foreign businessmen desiring to visit Pakistan. He said foreign businessmen who want to visit Pakistan would be issued easy visas on the basis of a single document from their country or international business organisations. If Pakistan's chambers of business or business organisations issue a document to a foreign businessman, easy visas will also be issued to them, the statement quoted caretaker

Terror bid foiled in Pakistan's Punjab province, 2 ISIS terrorists arrested

Pakistani law enforcement agencies foiled a major terror plot to target key installations in the Punjab province and arrested two terrorists of the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group during intelligence-based operations, police said on Saturday. According to the spokesperson of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police, the terrorists were arrested from Gujranwala and Rawalpindi cities. "The CTD has foiled a major terror plot in Punjab province and arrested two suspected terrorists of Daesh (ISIS) with weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials. The terrorists had planned sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations," the spokesperson said. The terrorists have been identified as Zakirulla and Muhammad Eisha. Around 1.5 kgs of explosives, eight detonators, 13 feet of safety fuse wire and banned literature were recovered from them. The spokesperson said the police registered two cases against the terrorists in Gujranwala and Rawalp

Former PM Nawaz Sharif likely to return to Pakistan in October: Report

Ending his over four years of self-imposed exile in the UK, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to return to Pakistan next month, according to a media report on Saturday. Quoting sources present at a meeting in London where Sharif, the supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was speaking to his party workers, the Dawn newspaper reported that he spoke about his return, but a clear date for travel has not been disclosed. Sharif, 73, has been living in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019. He was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. He was serving a seven-year imprisonment at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to proceed to London in 2019 on medical grounds. PML-N workers at the meeting were eager to prepare for their leader's return and were discussing the logistical details of his comeback. Sharif confirmed his return to Pakistan in October, the Dawn report said. The

Pakistan election can take place even before 2024: Caretaker PM Kakar

He maintained that they were waiting for the date so that they could complete their preparations for the conduct of free and fair elections in the country

Suicide attack near airport in northwest Pakistan; no casualties reported

A suicide bomber blew himself up near a vehicle of Pakistan's security forces close to a nonfunctional airport in the country's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday but did not cause any casualties, an official said. The explosives wrapped up around the bomber's body exploded with a big bang near the Bannu Airport, bordering north Waziristan. The airport has been nonfunctional for the last couple of years. No casualty to life occurred in the attack, the official said. The police and security force personnel rushed to the blast site and cordoned off the entire area. A search operation was also launched to arrest the perpetrators of the blast. Meanwhile, five Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists were killed on Thursday after the Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out an operation in the Aghberg area of Quetta, the capital city of the troubled Balochistan province. In a statement, the CTD said it also killed eight TTP and IS members in two ...

Faced with forex crunch, Pakistan looks up to Iran for life-saving drugs

Banking on what Pakistan described as longstanding and time-tested close fraternal relations with Iran, cash-strapped Pakistan is looking forward to Tehran's help to tide over the unprecedented medicine shortage, including that of life-saving drugs. For more than six months now, Pakistan has faced a severe shortage of life-saving drugs amid a crippled healthcare system due to a lack of Forex reserves, which in turn, has hampered the country's capacity to import both the medicines and the raw material used for local drug manufacturing. It was decided at a meeting between Pakistan's Minister for National Health Services (NHS) Dr Nadeem Jan and Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri-Moghaddam here on Tuesday that Pakistan's drug regulatory authority will work out a comprehensive strategy on a fast-track basis with its Iranian counterpart to ensure uninterrupted supply of life-saving drugs. Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported that the Iranian Ambassador had called on the Pakistani

Blocking listing proposals for terrorists smacks of doublespeak: India

India has told the UN Security Council that blocking evidence-based proposals for blacklisting globally sanctioned terrorists without giving justifications is uncalled for and "smacks of doublespeak", a thinly-veiled reference to China and Pakistan. The working methods of the UNSC Sanctions Committees continue to dent the credibility of the UN Security Council, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said here on Tuesday. Speaking in the Security Council's open debate on Working Methods, Kamboj said "genuine, evidence-based listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists to be blocked without giving any due justification is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak when it comes to Council's commitment in tackling the challenge of terrorism. She stressed that the working methods of Sanctions Committees must emphasise transparency, and objectivity in listing and delisting and should not be based on political considerations. Kamboj's remarks were a veil

Imran Khan's party decries 'tactics' to delay bail hearing in cypher case

Although Khan's three-year jail term in the Toshakhana case has been suspended, he remains incarcerated in connection with the cypher case