Page 99 - Pakistan

Pakistan PM forms high-level committee to decide on participation in ODI WC

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has formed a high-level committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, to decide on the national cricket team's participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The committee will explore and discuss all aspects of Pakistan and India relations, the government's policy of keeping sports and policy apart, and the situation in India for the players, officials, fans, and media before submitting its recommendations to Sharif. The Prime Minister is also the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Both the International Cricket Council and host BCCI have already announced the World Cup schedule and expect Pakistan to travel to India for the 50-over showpiece beginning October 5. The PCB, however, has conveyed to them that the national team's participation in the premier event is subject to government clearance due to the tense relations between the two countries. Other committee members include Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari, Maryam ...

DRDO scientist Kurulkar talked about Indian missile systems: Charge sheet

DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar was attracted to the Pakistani Intelligence Operative who used the alias 'Zara Dasgupta' and chatted with her about Indian missile systems among other classified defence projects, as per the charge sheet. The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police filed the charge sheet against Kurulkar, who was the director of one of the labs of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune, in a court here last week. He was arrested on May 3 under the Official Secrets Act and is now in judicial custody. Kurulkar and 'Zara Dasgupta' were in contact through WhatsApp as well as voice and video calls, the charge sheet said. 'Dasgupta' claimed to be a software engineer based in the UK and befriended him by sending obscene messages and videos. During investigation, her IP address was traced to Pakistan, the ATS said in the charge sheet. The Pakistani agent tried to get classified and sensitive information regarding the Brahmos Launcher, ...

Imran Khan approaches Pak SC against Islamabad HC order in Toshakhana case

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party chief and former prime minister Imran Khan has petitioned in Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court's directive to the trial court that had asked for a re-examination of the maintainability of the Toshakhana corruption case within a week. Khan, 70, was indicted in the Toshakhana corruption case on May 10 by Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who rejected objections about the admissibility of the case. Khan had challenged the admissibility of the case before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) which set aside the verdict of the trial court. The IHC bench had stated that the trial court had dismissed the petition of Khan on weak grounds. The bench asked the lower court to consider the petition of Khan as pending. The trial court's decision was challenged before the IHC, which remanded the case back to the former on July 4 to re-examine the matter in seven days in the light of eight legal questions to decide the maintainability o

Hague court rejects India's objections over water treaty arbitration

India called the arbitration proceeding illegal as a neutral expert was also looking at the issue and the World Bank-brokered treaty prohibits parallel proceedings

India rejects ruling by Permanent Court of Arbitration in dispute with Pak

India on Thursday said it cannot be compelled to participate in "illegal" proceedings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects in Kashmir after the Hague-based tribunal ruled that it has the "competence" to consider the dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad on the matter. India has been maintaining that it will not join the Pakistan-initiated proceedings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration as the dispute is being already examined by a neutral expert under the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty. "India cannot be compelled to recognise or participate in illegal and parallel proceedings not envisaged by the treaty," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. In January, India issued a notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the Indus Waters Treaty in view of Islamabad's "intransigence" to comply with the dispute redressal mechanism of the pact. The pact, brokered by the World Bank, was inked in 1960

India slams Pakistan for politically-motivated, venomous remarks in UNSC

India has slammed Pakistan for its "politically-motivated" and "venomous" remarks that referred to Jammu and Kashmir during a Security Council debate on children and armed conflict, saying those who are soaked in bigotry will find it hard to understand a pluralistic society. Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Ashish Sharma's sharp response came at the UN Security Council open debate on Wednesday on Children and Armed Conflict, held under UK's presidency for the month, after Pakistan's UN envoy Munir Akram referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his statement. Akram said that it was an anomaly that the latest report of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Children and Armed Conflict does not include India. "Let me also respond to the politically-motivated and frivolous remarks made by one delegation against my country. I will not dignify their venomous comments on India by responding to those, since those who are soaked in bigotry will find it hard to understand a ...

Pakistan court gives 1 day exemption to Imran Khan from appearance

A Pakistani court here on Thursday accepted former prime minister Imran Khan's plea for personal exemption from the Toshakhana corruption case hearing, ordering his appearance before the court on Friday. Khan, 70, was to appear in person before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Thursday. The Toshakhana issue over the sale of state gifts received by the cricketer-turned-politician became a major issue in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Khan for making false statements and incorrect declaration. Khan has been accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs 140 million (USD 635,000). The Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign ...

Pakistan's 'Slap Kabaddi' video goes viral, leaves netizens in splits

Pakistan invents a new version of Kabaddi, known as 'Thappad Kabaddi' or Slap Kabaddi. A video went viral on Twitter where two players could be seen slapping each other

Quran burnings have Sweden torn between free speech, respecting minorities

A Quran burning and a string of requests to approve the destruction of more holy books have left Sweden torn between its commitment to free speech and its respect for religious minorities. The clash of fundamental principles has complicated Sweden's desire to join NATO, an expansion that gained urgency after Russia's invasion of Ukraine but needs the approval of all current members. Turkiye has blocked Swedish accession since last year, citing reasons including anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic protests in Stockholm. Then, last week, an Iraqi Christian immigrant burned Islam's holy book outside a Stockholm mosque during the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, an act that the man said displayed his feelings about the Quran. The burning triggered widespread condemnation in the Islamic world. And along with similar recent protests by a far-right activist, it sparked a debate in Sweden about the limits of freedom of speech. Now, Swedish police say they have received new requests for ...

Petition seeking Pak PM Sharif's disqualification filed in Lahore HC

A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for making a "false promise" to the court regarding the return of his elder brother Nawaz Sharif from the UK after his treatment. The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period, observing that this petition should have moved when Shehbaz Sharif failed to fulfil his promise during the tenure of the previous government. Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the elder brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom since November 2019. Petitioner Azhar Abbas contended that Shehbaz Sharif had filed a "false affidavit" before a two-judge bench of the LHC in November 2019 that he would ensure the return of his elder brother within four weeks if he (Nawaz Sharif) was allowed to go abroad for his treatment. The petitioner said the LHC accepted Shehba

IMF board to meet on July 12 to review Pakistan's loan agreement

The IMF's executive board is set to meet on July 12 to review the USD 3 billion Standby Arrangement with cash-strapped Pakistan and will also possibly release the first tranche of USD 1.1 billion as part of the loan programme, a media report said on Wednesday. The Pakistan government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a long-awaited staff-level agreement on June 29 to inject USD 3 billion into the ailing economy after months-long negotiations that pushed the country to the brink of default. The nine-month Stand-by Arrangement (SBA), if approved, will bring USD 3 billion, or 111 per cent of Pakistan's IMF quota which will ease the country's financial crisis, the Dawn newspaper reported from Washington. The initial disbursement is contingent upon the board's approval as the country continues to grapple with a severe balance of payments crisis and declining foreign exchange reserves. Pakistan was absent from an earlier schedule released in June, igniting speculation tha

Debt-trapped Pakistan slashes trade deficit by 43 per cent in FY23

Cash-strapped Pakistan has slashed its trade deficit by a staggering 43 per cent to USD 27.55 billion in the fiscal year 2023, according to a media report on Wednesday. The government's stringent control over imports played a vital role in this significant reduction, as it aimed to stabilise the country's critically low foreign exchange reserves and mitigate the risk of default. In the previous fiscal year 2022, the trade deficit had widened to a daunting USD 48.35 billion, causing concern about the country's economic stability, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. However, the government's strict administrative measures on imports and the impact of floods in 2022 negatively affected the domestic economy, resulting in a provisional growth rate of only 0.3 per cent in FY23, compared to 6.1 per cent in FY22. Recent data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said that imports decreased by 31 per cent to USD 55.29 billion in FY2023. This is a significant drop from the record

Imran Khan blames military for abduction of journalists during his rule

He added that the only journalist to be picked up was Matiullah Jan, and he too was recovered the next day when he learnt about the case, according to Dawn

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Monster of terrorism must be fought with full vigour, conviction: Pak PM

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the "hydra-headed monster" of terrorism and extremism whether committed by individuals, groups or at state level must be fought with full vigour and conviction, as he warned against using it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring. Addressing the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) hosted by India in a virtual format, he also talked about religious minorities. The hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism whether committed by individuals, societies or states must be fought with full vigour and conviction. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided under all circumstances, he said. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext. He noted that while the

India to virtually host SCO summit today, Pak PM Shehbaz, Xi to take part

The meeting of the SCO Heads of State will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The major issues that are expected to be on the agenda include terrorism, regional security and prosperity

Pakistan registers 79% spike in terror attacks in 2023 so far: Think-tank

Pakistan registered a whopping 79 per cent spike in terror attacks in the first six months of 2023 compared to the corresponding period last year, a prominent think-tank said here on Monday. A statistical report released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said that the country's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been the most highly impacted state due to the militant attacks while Sindh saw a dip in such attacks compared to last year. According to the report, 271 militant attacks occurred during the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals. "The report reveals that 271 militant attacks occurred in the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals. Comparatively, the same timeframe in 2022 witnessed 151 attacks, causing 293 deaths and 487 injuries. These figures represent a staggering 79 per cent increase in militant attacks during the first half of this year compared t

Debt-trapped Pakistan set to become fourth biggest IMF borrower: Report

Debt-trapped Pakistan will become the fourth largest IMF borrower in the world after receiving a fresh loan of USD 3 billion in the next nine months under the standby arrangement reached with the global lender. Pakistan, which is facing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1947, was on March 31, 2023, ranked fifth in the list of countries with the highest borrowing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), The Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing the global lender's data. However, Pakistan will move to the fourth place in this list when it receives another USD 3 billion in the next nine months under the Stand-By Arrangement made with the Washington-based global lender on Thursday. The deal, which still needs to be approved by the IMF'S board, comes after an eight-month delay. Earlier, in terms of loans from the IMF, Argentina ranked first with USD 46 billion, Egypt stood in second place with USD 18 billion, Ukraine came in third with USD 12.2 billion

Cash-strapped Pakistan explores external financing options after IMF deal

With the IMF now on board, the cash-strapped Pakistan government is now considering meeting most of its external financing needs in the medium term through 10-15 years of international bonds and concessional multilateral loans, according to a media report on Monday. It also plans to diversify local debt instruments to inflation-based bonds, list government papers on the stock exchange, and issue short-term Islamic and conventional floating rate products, the Dawn newspaper reported. The Pakistan government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week reached a long-awaited staff-level agreement to inject USD 3 billion into the ailing economy after months-long negotiations that pushed the country to the brink of default. This is part of the new Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy, released by the Ministry of Finance on the weekend, for the fiscal years 2023 -2026, the report said. Availing maximum concessional external financing from bilateral and multilateral development ..

PCB seeks clearance to travel to India for WC, writes to Pak PM: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking official clearance to travel to India for the ODI World Cup in October-November, according to a report. In the letter, also addressed to the interior and the foreign ministry, the PCB has asked for advice on whether the national team is allowed to travel to India, and if so, if there are any reservations about any of the five venues for the Pakistan games, according to 'Espncricinfo.com'. "Soon after the World Cup schedule was announced last Tuesday, we wrote to our Patron, Honourable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, through the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, copying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, requesting clearance to participate in the World Cup," the PCB told the website. "The decision to visit India and approve venues at which we can play our matches is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan. We have absolute trust in the judgment of ou