Page 2 - Pakistan

BS In-Depth: Why is Pakistan always in an economic crisis?

Good ties with Pakistan possible, but terror must stop first: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Lok Sabha that India seeks good ties with Pakistan but stressed they must be free of terrorism, adding the ball is in Pakistan's court

China look forward to $1 billion investment in Pakistan's healthcare sector

President Zardari met with a delegation led by the Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong at Bilawal House in Karachi, where he called for greater Chinese investment in Pakistan's various sectors

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

Pakistan indicts former ISI chief Faiz Hameed on multiple charges

In an unprecedented move, Pakistan's former spymaster Lt Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed has been indicted on multiple charges, including engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, and misusing authority and government resources, the army said on Tuesday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, the process of Field General Court Martial (FGCM) was initiated against Hameed on August 12, 2024. The former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was charged under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act and "in first place Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been formally arraigned on charges of engaging in political activities, violations of Official Secret Act detrimental to safety and interest of the state, misuse of authority & government resources and causing wrongful loss to a person(s)." "During the process, involvement of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), in events related to creating agitation and unrest, ...

Extreme heat, high temperature puts garment factory workers at risk: Study

Report identified only three retailers - Nike, Levi's, and VF Corp - which specifically include protocols to protect workers from heat exhaustion in their supplier codes of conduct

Grand jirga brokers 'indefinite ceasefire' in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Key decisions were also made during the talks to ensure sustainable peace in Kurram

India lodges protest with Pak on objectionable remarks against Bhagat Singh

India has noted the recent reports regarding objectionable remarks made against Bhagat Singh in Pakistan and lodged a strong protest with Islamabad on the issue, the government said in Lok Sabha on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said New Delhi has also been raising with Islamabad issues "concerning attacks on cultural heritage, growing intolerance and lack of respect for minority communities in Pakistan." "The government of India has noted the recent reports regarding objectionable remarks made against Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Pakistan and has lodged a strong protest with the government of Pakistan on the incident through diplomatic channels," he said. Singh was responding to a question. The minister said the government and the entire nation recognise the invaluable contribution of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in India's freedom struggle. The advocate general of Pakistan's Punjab government, Asghar Leghari last month reportedly made some objectionable ..

Saudi Arabia extends $3 billion loan to Pakistan for another year

Saudi Arabia has extended the USD 3 billion debt repayment period with Pakistan for another year after the cash-strapped nation could not pay the debt, the country's central bank has said. The term of the deposit was maturing on Thursday. The State Bank of Pakistan stated that Saudi Arabia had placed the USD 3 billion deposit initially for one year in 2021 and subsequently rolled over it in 2022 and 2023, after the issuance of the royal directives that reflect the continuation of the close relationship between the two brotherly countries, the Express Tribune reported. It was the first extension in a series of debt extensions, which Pakistan would need from now till the end of June next year to avoid at least USD 13 billion more repayments to Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates. Another USD 2 billion Saudi cash deposit will be maturing by mid-June next year, which Pakistan will again not pay back and get a rollover, said the Finance Ministry sources. "The Saudi Fund for

China remains Pak's top bilateral creditor, share drops to 22%: World Bank

With almost USD 29 billion in loans, China continued to be Pakistan's largest bilateral creditor while Saudi Arabia emerged as the second largest bilateral lender with about USD 9.16 billion, a World Bank report has said. However, China's share in Pakistan's total external debt went down to 22 per cent compared to 25 per cent in 2023 with Saudi Arabia increasing its share from 2 per cent in 2023 to 7 per cent in 2024. The World Bank's International Debt Report 2024 released on Tuesday ranks Pakistan among the top three loan recipients from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year and also notes that Pakistan's high debt-to-export and debt-to-revenue ratios indicate a weakening fiscal position. The International Debt Report 2024 put Pakistan's total external debt (including that from IMF) at USD 130.85 billion in 2023, accounting for 352 per cent of its total exports and 39 per cent of gross national income (GNI) while Pakistan's total external debt servicing amounted to 43 p

Pakistan govt to implement steps to stop terrorists from using social media

Pakistan government on Tuesday said it will take comprehensive steps to curb the activities of banned terrorist organisations from operating on social media platforms. During a meeting of the National Action Plan (NAP) Coordination Committee, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the government will work to block the accounts of terrorist groups. Provinces are also expected to implement a cohesive strategy to prevent the usage of illegal SIM cards. Naqvi strongly condemned the recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, calling them "deeply regrettable and condemnable". He said to counter terrorism, the professional capabilities of Counter Terrorism Forces (CTFs) in these regions will be enhanced through full cooperation. The minister said efforts to strengthen law enforcement agencies such as the police and the Frontier Constabulary would be prioritised to improve security. "To imp

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

BSF deploys 2 more battalions in Jammu to check Pakistani infiltration

The Border Security Force (BSF) has completed the deployment of two fresh battalions, comprising more than 2,000 personnel, in the Jammu region to better plug infiltration from across the Pakistan front and check the recent spurt of terrorist activities in the area. Officials in the security establishment told PTI that the new troops of these units have been deployed "in depth areas" as the "second line of defence" just behind the BSF border deployment along the international border (IB) with Pakistan. These two BSF battalions were recently withdrawn from the anti-Naxal operations theatre of Odisha and have now been deployed fully in the Jammu region. This was a task to be accomplished before the onset of winters when securing the IB against infiltration from Pakistan becomes challenging, the sources said. The personnel of the new units have been deployed around the Samba area, some other vulnerable patches in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir and along the Punjab boundary that

NYC pays $220 mn to rent Pak govt-owned hotel, Ramaswamy calls deal 'nuts'

In 2023, Pakistan government leased out Roosevelt Hotel, a property of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to the New York City Administration for three years against $ 220 million

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 ...

PPP opposes resolution in Punjab Assembly seeking ban on Imran Khan's party

The PPP, which is an ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), expressed its opposition to the idea of proscribing PTI

Karachi attack: Sindh govt forms interrogation team to probe 2 suspects

Authorities in Pakistan's Sindh province have set up a joint interrogation team (JIT) to probe two suspects who allegedly facilitated last month's suicide attack on a Chinese convoy near Karachi Airport in October. The suicide attack on October 6 claimed the lives of two Chinese engineers and one Pakistani national, straining ties between Pakistan and China. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack and police registered a first information report (FIR) against leaders of the BLA and others three days after the incident. The Dawn newspaper reported on Saturday that the JIT was formed by the Sindh Home Department to probe the two suspects arrested during an intelligence-based operation earlier this month. One of the masterminds of the suicide bombing, Muhammad Javed alias Sameer, and his accomplice Gul Nisa were arrested at CD Highway near Umar Goth Chowk in Karachi while riding a bike. According to a notification issued by Home Department Additional Ch

Pakistan forces raid Balochistan, over 50 individuals forcibly disappeared

The repeated abductions have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of individuals in Balochistan, particularly those who have been targeted by Pakistani forces in the past, as per The Baloch

Pak govt registers cases against Bushra Bibi, KP CM Gandapur over PTI march

The government has labelled the PTI as a party of anarchists and saboteurs and plans to register cases against PTI leaders

PTI supporters in Washington hold funeral prayers for Islamabad victims

Members of the Pakistani diaspora have taken to the streets globally to show support for the incarcerated former Prime Minister Khan