Page 89 - Pakistan

US military equipment left in Afghanistan now in militant hands: Pak PM

Pakistan's caretaker prime minister claimed on Monday that US military equipment left behind during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan has fallen into militant hands and ultimately made its way to the Pakistani Taliban. The equipment which includes a wide variety of items, from night vision goggles to firearms is now emerging as a new challenge for Islamabad as it has enhanced the fighting capabilities of the Pakistani Taliban, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, have over the past months intensified attacks on Pakistan's security forces. They are a separate militant group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban. The Taliban overran Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the last weeks of their chaotic pullout from the country after 20 years of war. In the face of the Taliban sweep, the US-backed and trained Afghan military crumbled. There is no definite information on how much US equipme

Mob attacks on churches and homes in Pak set off by false implication: Cops

Last month's mob attacks on churches and homes of Christians in eastern Pakistan erupted after three Christians threw the pages of Islam's holy book outside the house of two others to falsely implicate them in a blasphemy case due to a personal dispute, police said Monday. The three detained suspects confessed to conspiring and throwing Quran pages outside Raja Amir's house, three police officials said. Amir and his brother had been arrested after they were accused by Muslims of desecrating the Quran. The suspected mastermind was Pervez Kodu, who thought Amir had an affair with his wife and knew Muslims would target Amir if Kodu had thrown the pages outside his house to give the impression Amir had desecrated the holy book, three police officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media on the record. They said the three men now face charges of causing violence and falsely implicating Amir and his brother in a blasphemy .

Poor performance of public entities a risk to fiscal outlook: Pak FinMin

In recent years, the inflation rate in Pakistan has been volatile, influenced by various factors like currency devaluation, energy, and food prices in the global market

Pakistan business community on strike over inflated electricity bills

Pakistan's business community on Saturday observed a shutter-down strike across the country to protest against the inflated electricity bills and rising inflation. Rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and traders' groups gave the call for protest and they got support from lawyers. Commercial activities were halted in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, as well as in other cities, while public transport was largely off the main roads. In Karachi, the Tajir Action Committee (TAC) on Friday gave the government 72 hours to reduce high electricity bills and withdraw the recent hike in petrol prices. It warned that if the government failed to fulfil its demands, there would be a prolonged strike of 10 days. TAC Convener Muhammad Rizwan said there was no compulsion on anyone to join the strike. The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) supported the strike call. However, its President Mohammad Tariq Yousuf said large-scale industries were not part of the strike. Federation of Pakistan Ch

Pak caretaker PM Anwarul-Haq calls inflated electricity bills 'non-issue'

Kakar also said it was raised by some political parties and was a "tool" in their election campaigns

As IMF reforms kick in, inflation in Pakistan stays high at 27.4%: Report

The inflation rate for food remained high at 38.5 per cent in August, according to figures from Pakistan's statistics department, despite a minor decline from July's 28.3 per cent rate

Pak expecting $60-70 bn foreign investment in the next 3-5 yrs: Interim PM

Claiming that there was a huge appetite for investment in Pakistan, Interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday said an estimated USD 60-70 billion foreign investment was expected in the country over the next three to five years. The investment was expected under the government's new initiative of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military joint initiative launched by the previous government, Kakar told journalists. There are also pledges and promises of additional investments the country can receive totalling nearly the same amount we have to design and submit the diversified projects, he said, adding, There was a huge appetite for investment in Pakistan. According to some estimates, he said, Pakistan has mines and minerals worth USD 5-6 trillion. The reserves at Reko Diq in Balochistan alone have a worth of USD 700 billion, he said, adding, We are moving towards realizing this potential. The caretaker prime minister said there was a plan to ..

Petrol, diesel prices continue to surge amid social unrest in Pakistan

The Finance Division said the hike was due to the "increasing trend of petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variations"

Pak caretaker FM rules out relief in power bills, says no space for subsidy

"Please manage your expectations," she said apparently after engagements with International Monetary Fund over government's desire for some programme relaxations to provide relief in power bills

Suicide attack by TTP militant in northwest Pakistan kills 9 soldiers: ISPR

A suicide attack by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on a security forces convoy killed nine soldiers and injured 20 others in Pakistan's restive northwest on Thursday, the military said. A bike-ridden bomber hit the convoy in the Bannu district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Inter-Services Public Relations, the military's media wing, said. The bomber rammed his bike into a vehicle of forces in the convoy, killing nine soldiers and injuring 20 others, the statement said. The banned TTP has accepted responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, law enforcers rushed to the blast site and cordoned off the entire area. A massive search operation was launched to arrest the perpetrators of the blast, it said. Taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar condemned the attack. He called such acts utterly reprehensible and said his thoughts were with the families of those killed and injured. Recently, Pakistan

Pakistan's poll body pledges to hold general elections by mid-February

Pakistan's election commission has assured the political parties that the general elections would be held by January end or mid-February, allaying fears about the fate of the polls in the cash-strapped nation. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) gave assurance to the Awami National Party (ANP) when the party leaders met the election body, the Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday. The meeting held on Wednesday was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and also attended by senior ECP officials. The ANP delegation was led by its secretary general Iftikhar Hussain, central spokesman Zahid Khan, and party leaders Khushdil Khan and Abdul Rahim Wazir. Pakistan's National Assembly was dissolved on August 9. The elections in the country should be held within the stipulated time of 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly. Pakistan President Arif Alvi appointed Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as caretaker prime minister in mid-August to run the country unt

Pak caretaker PM rules out immediate relief from inflated electricity bills

Pakistan's Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday refused to offer any immediate relief to the protesting masses against inflated electricity bills by saying that the country would fulfil obligations made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). People across major cities have been staging demonstrations to get a respite, but the interim government showed its inability to do anything except knock at the door of the IMF, which in June provided a USD 3 billion loan to the cash-strapped country under strict conditions. However, the Washington-based global lender refused Pakistan's request to recover August's electricity bills over a period of six months amid raging protests, forcing Kakar to address the media and say that the consumers would have to pay the electricity bills. We will not make false promises, nor will we deviate from our responsibilities. We will let everyone know the measures we cannot take and why, he said. Kakar also tried to downplay the protest

IAF to carry out mega exercise from Sept 4-14 along China, Pak borders

The Indian Air Force will conduct an 11-day mega exercise beginning September 4 along the borders with China and Pakistan and it will involve all the key frontline combat jets, attack choppers, mid-air refuellers and other critical air assets, sources in the defence and military establishment said on Thursday. The exercise 'Trishul' is taking place amid the over three-year confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops as well as New Delhi's continuing frosty ties with Pakistan. The aim of the exercise, being organised by the IAF's Western Command from September 4-14, is to test the combat capabilities of the force and assess various operational dimensions, they said. It will one of the largest air exercises to be carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in recent times, said one of the sources, adding that all key platforms of the Western Air Command as well as assets from other commands will be deployed for the drills. The fighter jets to be part of the drills include Rafales,

'Adjusted' to jail life, former Pak PM Imran Khan tells his legal team

Pakistan's former premier Imran Khan has told his legal team that he had "adjusted" himself in the environment of the high-security Attock District Jail, a media report said on Thursday. Khan, 70, in his interaction with his legal team, led by Salman Safdar, shared some interesting revelations, the Express Tribune newspaper reported. The former premier is happy over the changing of his status after the suspension of his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case and now he has been given some additional facilities. He was also happy to get a pencil and paper for writing for the first time, the paper reported. For the first time, Khan saw himself in the mirror during his imprisonment. He also shaved for the first time since his incarceration, it added. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief has completed reading his Islamic books and now he has asked his legal team to send him writings on political history. It has been learnt that he had been provided a TV set on which only the state-

Pakistan court grants permission to Imran Khan to speak to his sons

A special court on Thursday granted permission to Pakistan's embattled former prime minister Imran Khan - currently held at Attock Jail - to speak to his sons. Khan, 70, had filed a petition before Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, seeking permission to speak to his sons - Suleman Khan and Qasim Khan - on the phone. Judge Zulqarnain approved the plea and instructed the prison authorities to facilitate the telephonic conversation between the applicant and his sons in accordance with the law, the Dawn newspaper reported. "Instant application is allowed. Superintendent District Jail Attock is directed to make necessary arrangements for phone calls between the accused and his sons in accordance with jail rules and manual, the judge said in his brief order. The development comes a day after Judge Zulqarnain on Wednesday extended Khan's judicial remand till September 13 in a case related to the alleged disclosure of state secrets, dashing the former prime minister's hopes of quick release f

Pak rupee ends at record low of 305.5/$ on eased import restrictions

Pakistan imposed import restrictions from 2022 to stem outflows from its shrinking foreign reserves

Delimitation process to be completed by Dec 14: Pakistan's electoral body

The chief election commissioner reassured the ANP representatives that the watchdog would try to further reduce the time required for the delimitation process

Economic situation worse than anticipated, no space for subsidies: Pak FM

As protests continue across Pakistan against surging electricity bills, interim Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar on Wednesday said the country's economic situation is "worse than anticipated" and was no "fiscal space" for subsidies to ease the burden of the people due to non-negotiable commitments with the IMF. Pakistan secured a crucial USD 3 billion loan from the Washington-based global lender in June under strict conditions that included raising power tariffs and phasing out all subsidies. During a meeting of the Senate's Standing Committee on Finance, Akhtar asserted that the interim set-up has inherited the IMF programme, hence, it was non-negotiable. Pakistan's economic situation, she said, was worse than anticipated and the government did not have fiscal space to provide subsidies, the Dawn newspaper reported. The minister said government institutions are suffering unbearable losses and underscored the need to accelerate privatisation, adding that 70 per cent of Pakistan's t

Pakistan EC likely to announce election schedule before delimitation ends

The sources informed that the election date will be declared in a few days

Pakistan stares at another crisis as sugar prices rise to Rs 185 per kg

The rising wholesale rates have been providing an opportunity for various online mart and retail shop operators to make a windfall on the already piled-up stocks