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IMF mission to inspect regulatory, judicial system in country: Pak govt

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scrutinising the judicial and regulatory system of Pakistan as part of the ongoing USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to address governance and corruption vulnerabilities, the government has said. The Ministry of Finance said on Sunday that an IMF technical mission is in town for a week-long examination of six key governance-related sectors and institutions. Dawn News reported that Pakistan committed to strengthening institutional capacities with the IMF in October to fight corruption, support inclusive growth, and provide a level playing field for businesses and investments. As a result, the ministry said a structural benchmark had been set to publish a report on the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) by July 2025, which will analyse critical governance and corruption vulnerabilities and identify priority structural reforms moving forward. Sources said the mission would also engage with leading members of the ...

IMF mission to inspect regulatory, judicial system in country: Pak govt
Updated On : 10 Feb 2025 | 1:40 PM IST

Pakistan's economic growth stalls despite interest rate cuts: Report

Pakistan failed to kick-start economic growth in the first seven months of the current fiscal year despite a massive 10 per cent reduction in the interest rate by the central bank during this period, according to a media report. The State Bank of Bank in the latest cut on January 27 further reduced the interest rate by 1 per cent to set it at 12 per cent, a whopping 10 per cent down from 22 per cent in June last year. It was expected the decision would help to increase money supply and growth. The Dawn newspaper reported that despite a steep fall in the interest rate, the monetary expansion remained negative during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, noting that the frequent declines in interest rates resulted in a massive outflow of liquidity from banks to the private sector and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs). Still, it has failed to stimulate economic growth, it said. Bank advances to the private sector and NBFIs increased sharply in the second quarter of

Pakistan's economic growth stalls despite interest rate cuts: Report
Updated On : 02 Feb 2025 | 2:22 PM IST

Grooming gangs: Eight men jailed in UK for sexually abusing teenagers

The survivors, aged 13 and 16 at the time, endured years of abuse that came to light after one came forward as an adult

Grooming gangs: Eight men jailed in UK for sexually abusing teenagers
Updated On : 19 Jan 2025 | 11:17 AM IST

Pakistani Hindu refugees in Delhi ready to cast vote for the first time

In the crowded, narrow lanes lined with makeshift homes near Delhi's resettlement colony -- Majnu-ka-tilla, a sense of pride and "indebtedness" pervades as a group of Pakistani Hindu refugees prepare to cast their votes for the first time in the country they now call home. These men and women, who fled persecution in Pakistan, are beaming with excitement at the prospect of participating in the India democratic process -- a right they have long yearned for. Having endured years of hardships and discrimination in Pakistan, they now feel a profound sense of relief and belonging in India. For them, this election is not just about voting -- it is a symbolic assertion of their identity as Indian citizens. Many of these families settled in Delhi since 2013 are now witnessing their dreams of a dignified life and political participation coming true. Satram (22), who runs a small shop selling mobile covers outside the settlement, expressing his excitement said, " I have been living here sinc

Pakistani Hindu refugees in Delhi ready to cast vote for the first time
Updated On : 15 Jan 2025 | 12:47 PM IST

Pakistan's Peshawar HC suspends deportation of 100 Afghan musicians

A high court in Peshawar has stopped the forcible deportation of over 100 Afghan musicians seeking political asylum in Pakistan and directed the federal government to decide their cases in two months. A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) disposed of the case after hearing arguments on Friday and instructed security agencies not to take any action against them during the two months. The bench headed by Justice Waqar Ahmad gave the judgement during the hearing of the petition filed by Hashmatullah who argued they belonged to Afghanistan but migrated to Pakistan after the establishment of the Taliban government as their lives were under threat. The petitioner argued they had already lost their livelihoods and in Pakistan, they faced further harassment and threats of forced deportation, which they asserted is a violation of human rights. They argued that under international laws, the Pakistani government cannot forcibly deport them. The petitioner's lawyer Mumtaz Ahmad

Pakistan's Peshawar HC suspends deportation of 100 Afghan musicians
Updated On : 11 Jan 2025 | 3:07 PM IST

Pakistan coal mine explosion leaves at least four dead, eight missing

A methane gas explosion caused a coal mine to collapse in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, killing at least four miners, authorities said, as officials launched a search operation to rescue eight other missing workers. The coal mine collapsed on January 9 in the Sanjdi area located around 40 kilometers from Quetta in the Balochistan province. The mine collapsed due to a methane gas accumulation and explosion leaving 12 workers trapped inside the collapsed structure. The incident occurred due to a buildup of gas, which caused an explosion and the mine to cave in, Balochistan government spokesperson, Shahid Rind said on Saturday. He said full-scale rescue operations were ongoing for more than 24 hours, but due to the presence of toxic gas and debris, progress was slow. Rind confirmed that on Friday evening the rescue workers succeeded in recovering four bodies from the mine. Abdullah Shawani, the head of the province's mining department conceded that chances of recovering t

Pakistan coal mine explosion leaves at least four dead, eight missing
Updated On : 11 Jan 2025 | 2:58 PM IST

4 civilians injured in IED blast targeting paramilitary forces in Pakistan

Militants targeted a truck carrying paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) personnel with an improvised explosive device in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, injuring four civilians, police said on Saturday. The attack happened in the Chaman city of the province on Friday. Police officials said the militants used an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting the truck but no FC personnel were injured. The IED was planted on a motorcycle on the roadside and when the truck passed from there, it was triggered remotely, one police official said. Rabia Tariq, public relations officer for the Balochistan inspector general of police's office, also confirmed the incident. A statement from Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind condemned the blast as a cowardly act, adding that the government was committed to protecting the people and would thwart the plans of all elements against peace. The last three days have seen a sharp spike in attacks from the banned separatist group the

4 civilians injured in IED blast targeting paramilitary forces in Pakistan
Updated On : 11 Jan 2025 | 1:25 PM IST

258 Pak citizens deported from 7 countries, 16 arrested in Karachi

As many as 258 Pakistanis were deported from seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, the (UAE), and China in the last 24 hours, officials said. A spokesperson of the Immigration department at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport said, among them, 14 had Pakistani passports, while 244 were deported on emergency travel documents. We arrested 16 deportees at the Karachi airport, including one with a suspicious identity, while the rest were released after questioning, he said. He said nine of the persons deported from Saudi Arabia were professional beggars. Two of them were caught performing Hajj without permits and were sent back after completing their sentences, he added. He said that many of those deported from Saudi Arabia, and the UAE were working without sponsorship while four were deported on drug charges. One individual each was deported from China, Qatar, Indonesia, Cyprus, and Nigeria. The trend of deportations has been rising significantly, he said. In the past 24 hou

258 Pak citizens deported from 7 countries, 16 arrested in Karachi
Updated On : 10 Jan 2025 | 6:20 PM IST

UK lawmakers vote against new inquiry into 'grooming gangs' scandal

Grooming gangs scandal: The ruling Labour Party criticised the Conservatives for attempting to derail the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

UK lawmakers vote against new inquiry into 'grooming gangs' scandal
Updated On : 09 Jan 2025 | 10:40 PM IST

Malala Yousafzai to visit Pakistan for conference on girls' education

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai will be visiting Pakistan over the weekend to attend the international conference on girls' education in Muslim communities. Malala will be one of the keynote speakers at the two-day conference scheduled for January 11-12 here, The Express Tribune reported. This will be Malala's only third visit to Pakistan since she was flown to Britain for life-saving treatment in October 2012. She visited Pakistan in October 2022 to travel to her hometown for the first time since she was attacked. Malala was just 15 years old when the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shot her in the head over her campaign for girls' education. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the event and deliver the keynote address. One of the organisers of the conference told The Express Tribune that Malala confirmed her participation in the conference and would deliver a keynote address, highlighting the importance of girls' education in Muslim communities. The Ministry o

Malala Yousafzai to visit Pakistan for conference on girls' education
Updated On : 09 Jan 2025 | 6:46 PM IST

4 killed, 32 injured as Baloch militants bomb passenger bus in Pakistan

Four people were killed and 32 injured when the banned separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) outfit bombed a passenger bus in the restive Balochistan province of Pakistan on Saturday. The blast in the New Bahman area of Turbat city took place when an improvised explosive device detonated near the bus from Karachi to Turbat. A senior police official said 4 bodies and 32 injured have been moved to the nearest hospital. Exact details of the blast are being investigated but a police official said high-ranking police officer SSP Zohaib Mohsin was in the bus along with his family and could have been the target, he said. The senior police official and his family were part of a wedding party on the bus. Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister for Balochistan province, condemned the attack. Those who target innocent people do not deserve to be called human beings, he said. A separatist group called the Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the blast but gave higher casualty

4 killed, 32 injured as Baloch militants bomb passenger bus in Pakistan
Updated On : 05 Jan 2025 | 7:07 AM IST

Warring tribes in Pakistan's Kurram reach peace deal after weeks of clashes

A peace agreement was reached between two warring parties in northwest Pakistan's restive Kurram district after more than three weeks of efforts to broker a ceasefire amid sectarian violence, officials said on Wednesday. Representatives from the Alizai and Bagan tribes signed the 14-point agreement, agreeing to demolish all private bunkers and surrender heavy arms to the administration, said Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Sectarian clashes between the two tribes resulted in the killing of 133 people between November 21 and December 2. Tribal council member Malik Sawab Khan confirmed that 45 representatives from both sides signed the agreement, which included a ceasefire, commitments to dismantle fortifications and surrender their weapons. One party signed the peace pact few days ago while the other party signed it on Wednesday, Saif said. "We congratulate the people of Kurram on the signing of the peace agreement," he said, noting

Warring tribes in Pakistan's Kurram reach peace deal after weeks of clashes
Updated On : 01 Jan 2025 | 10:52 PM IST

Pakistan 2024: Troubled ties with neighbours, economic woes and Imran Khan

Pakistan was haunted by political uncertainty, economic instability, a deteriorating security situation and troubled relations with neighbours in 2024. But what defined the year were not just these perennial ills but the country's inability to tackle incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan. Amid political turbulence, Pakistan hosted a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave, which was also attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar -- the first high-ranking Indian minister in nearly a decade to visit Islamabad amid frosty ties between the two neighbours. The last Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan in December 2015. In his address at the SCO event, Jaishankar said, "If friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address." He also said if activities across borders are

Pakistan 2024: Troubled ties with neighbours, economic woes and Imran Khan
Updated On : 29 Dec 2024 | 1:22 PM IST

Pakistan airstrikes seven villages in Afghanistan, kills 15 - Here's why

These airstrikes have reportedly destroyed one of the training camps of Pakistani Taliban and have caused hundreds of casualties including women and children

Pakistan airstrikes seven villages in Afghanistan, kills 15 - Here's why
Updated On : 25 Dec 2024 | 11:48 AM IST

Unfortunate, biased: Pak on US sanction on its missile programme entities

Pakistan on Thursday termed as unfortunate and biased the US decision to sanction its commercial entities for alleged involvement in ballistic missile programme. After the US designated its four entities for sanctions, a statement from the Foreign Office (FO) statement said the sanction defies the objective of peace and security by aiming to accentuate military asymmetries and claimed that double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of non-proliferation regimes. In light of the alleged continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan's long-range missile development, the United States on Wednesday designated four entities for sanctions which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, the State Department said. These include the state-owned Islamabad-based flagship aerospace and defence agency National Development Complex (NDC), and three Karachi-based entities, Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International and

Unfortunate, biased: Pak on US sanction on its missile programme entities
Updated On : 19 Dec 2024 | 2:55 PM IST

Pak security forces kill 11 terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

Pakistani security forces gunned down 11 terrorists in three separate operations in the restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities have said. The operations took place in various regions of the province on December 17 and 18, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The first operation was conducted in the Tank district after receiving information about the presence of militants in the area. Seven terrorists were killed during the operation. The second operation took place in Datta Khel in the North Waziristan district where two terrorists were killed. Two more terrorists were killed in the Mohmand district. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed militants. The third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns in Pakistan, with a 90 per cent surge in violence, according to a report issued by the Centre f

Pak security forces kill 11 terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Updated On : 19 Dec 2024 | 11:44 AM IST

Faiz Hameed case: Why this former Pakistan ISI head is facing court martial

Retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed is the first former intelligence chief in Pakistan's history facing a court martial

Faiz Hameed case: Why this former Pakistan ISI head is facing court martial
Updated On : 10 Dec 2024 | 6:40 PM IST

After days of clashes, ceasefire reached in Pakistan's Kurram region

A ceasefire agreement has been reached between two warring tribes in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following days of clashes between them that killed 130 people in the volatile Kurram district. Deputy Commissioner Kurram Javedullah Mehsud confirmed on Sunday that peace has been established across the conflict zones in the restive Kurram district. The clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in the district started on November 22, after an attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed a day earlier. Several passengers who had sustained grave injuries succumbed later, raising the toll in the convoy killing to 57. The death toll from the violence surged to 130, with at least six people killed and eight injured on Sunday, as clashes in the volatile Kurram district continued for the eleventh consecutive day. The district administration finally succeeded in arranging a lasting ceasefire on Sunday between two warring tribes engaged in

After days of clashes, ceasefire reached in Pakistan's Kurram region
Updated On : 02 Dec 2024 | 11:34 AM IST

Death toll in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rises to 124 as gunbattle continues

Death toll in Khurram tribal sectarian violence rose to 124 with two more deaths on Saturday as a gunbattle continued between Shia and Sunni groups despite a ceasefire in Pakistan's northwestern Province Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. More than 170 people have been injured in the sectarian violence raging for the last last ten days, authorities said. Province's governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday extended an offer to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to personally visit the disturbed area. Clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in the district started on November 22, after an attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed a day earlier. Several passengers who had sustained grave injuries succumbed later, taking the death toll to 57. At least 37 people have been killed and scores injured over the last two days alone in the violence that began in Bagan Bazaar area and spread to other parts such as Balishkhel, Khar, Kali, Junj Alizai, and Maqbal. The ...

Death toll in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rises to 124 as gunbattle continues
Updated On : 01 Dec 2024 | 7:30 AM IST

Pak violence: 10 killed, 21 injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite ceasefire

At least 10 more people have been killed and 21 others injured as sporadic clashes continued between Sunni and Shia tribes despite a cease-fire brokered between the two warring communities in Pakistan's restive northwest, police said on Wednesday. The latest violence took place on Tuesday in Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At least 10 people died and 21 others injured in the sporadic tribal sectarian violence, police said. "An agreement has been reached for an extension of the cease-fire for another 10 days," Deputy Commissioner of Kurram Javedullah Mehsud said. The deputy commissioner stated that during the past week, 100 people have lost their lives, and 180 others have been injured in the clashes. He further mentioned that all parties will vacate their positions starting tomorrow, adding that both police and army personnel will remain deployed in Kurram. The clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in Kurram district started on Friday la

Pak violence: 10 killed, 21 injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite ceasefire
Updated On : 28 Nov 2024 | 7:56 AM IST