Page 5 - Pakistan

IMF holds key talks with Pakistan on $7bn bailout amid fiscal concerns

Sources in the finance ministry said the Nov 11-15 visit will discuss recent developments and program performance to date, adding the mission was not part of the first review

As the air gets hazardous, Lahore imposes a ban on outdoor activities

Authorities in Lahore and Islamabad have stepped up measures to combat hazardous smog, imposing bans on outdoor activities and shutting down polluting industries

Pak police arrests mastermind of Karachi airport attack that killed 4

The alleged mastermind of the Karachi airport suicide attack and four suspected accomplices, including a female bomber, have been arrested, police said on Monday. The five militants were arrested last week from different parts of the restive Balochistan province, Umar Khatab, a senior official of the Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), said. The blast on 6th October killed four people including the two Chinese engineers and wounded 17 others. Two Chinese nationals were killed and 17 people injured in the suicide attack by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) that targeted a convoy of Chinese workers near the Jinnah International Airport on October 6. We were able to identify those responsible for the attack through face verification and one of them is a trained female militant and bomber, Khatab said. He said the female militant had accompanied the attack's mastermind in an SUV, witnessing the suicide bomber targeting the vehicle, carrying the Chinese nationals returning

Pakistan suspends train services in southwest after train station bombing

Pakistan's railways suspended all train services on Monday to and from a restive southwestern province where a suicide bombing at a train station over the weekend killed 26 people, including soldiers and railway staff. The train services would be suspended for four days for security reasons, according to a statement from Pakistan Railways. The attack, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army struck the station in the city of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, on Saturday. At least 62 people were also wounded in the bombing, officials said. The provincial government also declared a three-day mourning period in solidarity with the families of the victims and said that security has been stepped up and vowed to hit back with full force against the separatists, according to Sarfraz Bugti, the province's chief minister. Bugti spoke after meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who traveled to Quetta on Sunday to be briefed about the situation. Naqvi's office said i

Militant attack on Pakistani border leaves 5 Iranian security forces dead

A militant attack near the Pakistani border with Iran left five Iranian forces dead, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Sunday. The report said the dead were ethnic Baluch members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's volunteer Basij force and were killed in Saravan city in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Saravan is some 1,400 km (870 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier in the day, state TV reported that Revolutionary Guard forces killed three terrorists and arrested nine others in a military operation. The report did not specify which group the suspects belonged to. Last month, unknown gunmen killed four people, including the chief of the Revolutionary Guard in the province. In September, gunmen killed four border guards in Sistan and Baluchistan province in two separate attacks. The militant group Jaish al-Adl, which seeks greater rights for the ethnic Baluch minority, claimed responsibility for

IMF to assess Pak's external financing needs during review discussions

The IMF's unscheduled performance review discussions in Pakistan next week will primarily focus on the materialisation of new foreign loans to the country to fill nearly USD 2.5 billion in external financing gap for this fiscal year, according to a media report. The International Monetary Fund will assess Pakistan's external financing needs during these discussions, as some planned loans have not yet been secured, according to government sources. According to The Express Tribune newspaper, led by Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief, the talks will formally begin on Tuesday, with an opening session also planned with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The mission's arrival in Pakistan is unscheduled, as the first formal review for the release of the second USD 1.1 billion tranche is slated for March 2025. Pakistan faces delays in obtaining loans from bilateral creditors, complicating efforts to bridge its external financing gap. The Washington-based global lender previously estima

Pakistan's Punjab turns into gas chamber: AQI in Multan dips to 2,500

In Multan, the largest city in Pakistan's Punjab, toxic particulate matter 2.5 concentrations stood at 947 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly 189.4 times above the normal level guidelines

Pakistan aims at IT exports worth $25 billion in next three years

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed his government's determination to achieve the target of USD 25 billion in IT exports during the next three years. The prime minister said the government is working to develop and promote the telecommunication sector and said steps are being taken to introduce 5G internet services for faster and reliable internet services in the country. Radio Pakistan quoted Sharif as talking with a five-member delegation of the Holland-based VEON group, led by chairman Augie K Fabela, that the 5G services would also help the government realise its vision of Digital Pakistan. Describing the role of the telecom sector as very important in promoting cashless and digital economy, the Prime Minister expressed Pakistan's willingness to work with VEON group for promotion of Information Technology, digitisation and artificial intelligence. Pakistan has been trying to maximize its potential in the IT sector and its Information Technology (IT) exports soared

Pakistan, US 'old friends'; Trump's win won't affect China ties: Pak FO

Pakistan and the US are "old friends and partners", the Foreign Office spokesperson said on Thursday, but added that Donald Trump's election as the new American President will not affect Islamabad's ties with China. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated President-elect Trump on his election as the 47th President of the US. Our relations with the United States are decades old, and we look forward to further strengthening and broadening Pakistan-US relationship in all fields," Baloch said at the weekly briefing. Responding to a question if Trump's election will affect Pakistan-China ties, she said Islamabad's relations with Beijing are "all-weather, strategic, and a source of stability" in the country's foreign policy. "This relationship has remained unaffected by developments around the world. So we do not need to even consider the possibility that this relationship will be affected by any domestic development in another

IMF team to visit Pak ahead of schedule to review $7 bn bailout package

The International Monetary Fund will dispatch a review mission to Pakistan earlier than scheduled to assess its progress under the USD 7 billion bailout package agreed upon last month as the cash-strapped nation strives to meet its budget targets and address economic challenges. The IMF team is expected to arrive next week, four months ahead of its planned visit, apparently due to concerns over the implementation of the agreed-upon reforms between the two sides and assess Pakistan's eligibility for the next tranche of the bailout package. According to a report published in The Express Tribune newspaper on Wednesday, the IMF mission's early arrival underscores the importance of the programme for the IMF management and board members, while providing an opportunity to reassess targets that, according to Pakistani authorities, may have already become irrelevant one month after the loan's approval. Quoting diplomatic and government sources, the paper reported that IMF Pakistan Mission ..

How is Lahore, the world's most polluted city, battling toxic air?

The capital of Pakistan's most populated province of Punjab, Lahore is just 25 km (16 miles) from the border with India, and is considered the cultural capital of the country

Record-high pollution sickens thousands in Pak's cultural capital of Lahore

Record-high air pollution in Pakistan's cultural capital of Lahore is sending more people to hospitals and private clinics, doctors said Wednesday as authorities warned a complete lockdown could be imminent if residents fail to don face masks and follow other guidance related to smog. The warning came after residents out on the streets in Lahore, which has a population of 14 million, were seen overwhelmingly without masks. Doctors say most people are complaining of either having a cough or that they feel their eyes are burning. Tens of thousands of patients suffering from respiratory diseases were treated at hospitals and clinics in a week, said Salman Kazmi, vice president of the Pakistan Medical Association. You can see people coughing whenever you go, but they still hardly wear face masks, he said. Lahore remained the world's most polluted city Wednesday morning, with air-quality index hitting a record high of over 1,100. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health. A t

Pakistan: Punjab sets up 'smog war room' to tackle hazardous air pollution

But Wednesday's index score for Lahore fell short of last week's unprecedented score of 1900, which had exceeded recommended levels by more than 120 times, prompting closure of primary schools

Justice Amin-ud-Din appointed Pak SC's 1st-ever constitutional bench head

A Pakistani constitutional panel on Tuesday appointed Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan as head of the first-ever constitutional bench in the Supreme Court as mandated by a recent amendment that gave legislators more power in appointing the top judge. The amendment passed last month created a body called the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) with powers to form a constitutional bench within the Supreme Court to deal with constitutional and political disputes. The 12-member JCP met in Islamabad and appointed Justice Khan as head of the constitutional bench in the Supreme Court by a split decision of 7-5. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who led the JCP, found himself with the minority, along with two more senior judges of the apex court and two representatives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who were members of the panel. Constitutional benches have been created at the Supreme Court through an amendment to Article 191-A. "There shall be a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, which may ...

Pak Influencer celebrates Diwali for the first time in Karachi in video

A Pakistani influencer, Bilal Hassan is showcasing the Diwali celebrations in Karachi in her viral video. The video has got millions of views on Instagram

Pakistani guard shoots, wound 2 Chinese working in Karachi textile mill

A Pakistani guard shot and wounded two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi on Tuesday, but authorities said the attack was not related to militant violence. China has frequently demanded better security for its nationals working in Pakistan. Last month, two Chinese were killed in a suicide car bombing outside the Karachi airport. Thousands of Chinese are in Pakistan to work for Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects. An unknown number of Chinese are also working at factories in the country. Suhail Jokhoio, the spokesperson for the provincial home department, said the guard involved in the textile mill attack was arrested and police are still investigating to determine why the man to opened fire. He said the wounded Chinese were taken to a hospital. Pakistan has said it is committed to providing full security to Chinese working in the country.

Iran's foreign minister visits Pakistan to discuss Middle East tensions

Iran's foreign minister arrived in Pakistan's capital Tuesday for a two-day official visit to discuss a range of issues, including tensions in the Middle East and further improving bilateral ties, officials said Tuesday. Abbas Araghchi was received by Pakistani officials just after midnight when his plane landed at an airport near Islamabad. He will meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other officials at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The visit comes as Iran is in an escalating standoff with Israel. Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel after its Oct. 26 attack on the Islamic Republic that targeted military bases and other locations and killed at least five people. Pakistan denounced Israel's strikes at the time. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the visit also provides an important opportunity to advance cooperation and dialogue between Pakistan and Iran on a wide rang

Pakistan cuts key policy rate by 250 bps to 15%; 4th straight reduction

Average consumer price index inflation in the South Asian country is 8.7% in the current financial year, which started in July, the statistics bureau says

Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi breaks down during court proceedings

A court in Pakistan on Monday witnessed emotional scenes when jailed former premier Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi burst into tears, expressing her utter helplessness against the inefficient justice system and her husband's "unjust sentencing". The former first lady appeared before Islamabad District Magistrate Afzal Majoka's court to acquire bail for her husband in six cases and herself in another case, registered at Tarnol, Karachi Company, Ramna, Secretariat and Kohsar police stations. During the hearing held at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Khan was not produced in the court. He was also not allowed to appear through a video link. When Bushra took to the rostrum to speak, she became emotional. "I have been facing injustice by those responsible for serving justice for the past nine months. I and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder were unjustly sentenced," she said. "There is no justice. I haven't come to seek justice," she sobbed, and even blamed lawyers, saying all lawyers,

Lahore's air apocalypse: Schools close, Pak officials call out India

On Sunday, Lahore topped the global list of cities with the most hazardous air, marking the second consecutive day of deteriorating air quality