Page 6 - Pakistan

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

This is Pakistan's attempt to destabilise India: Ex J&K DGP on encounters

Earlier on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed two different encounters between terrorists and security forces, one in Srinagar's Khanyar area while other in Halkan Gali area of Anantnag district

16 Pakistani soldiers injured in two attacks on security forces' convoys

At least 16 soldiers, including an Army officer, were injured after unidentified gunmen ambushed security forces' convoys in two separate incidents in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, officials said. Eleven security personnel were injured when gunmen attacked their convoy in the Sarvekai area of South Waziristan district, officials said, adding that the injured included an officer of captain rank. In another attack near Darra Tung check post in the volatile Lakki Marwat district, gunmen targeted a security forces convoy travelling from Karak district to an atomic energy project in Kabul Khel. Five soldiers were injured in the attack, officials said. Security forces, including police, Frontier Corps (FC), and the Pakistan Army, have increasingly come under terror attack in recent weeks across Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Waziristan, and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan reports 2 new polio cases, total tally rises to 45 this year

The number of polio cases in Pakistan this year has risen to 45 after two fresh cases were detected in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities said on Saturday. The latest cases surfaced in the Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan provinces, Geo News reported, quoting the National Emergency Operations Centre. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the cases as those of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). This marks the second polio case this year from both districts, where environmental samples tested positive for WPV1, highlighting a high risk of virus transmission in the region. According to The Express Tribune newspaper, WPV1 has been detected in 76 districts from all four provinces of the county, indicating the virus' widespread circulation. The detection of new cases has jolted Pakistan's efforts to curb the spread of the crippling disease, for which a nationwide eradication programme is ongoing. The week-

Baloch Human rights dept condemns violence following Mastung bomb blast

Paank called on the Pakistani government to halt its support for religious extremist groups in the region, Dawn reported.

Sikhs pilgrims of UK, US, Canada to get free online visas in Pak: Minister

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that Sikh pilgrims from the US, UK and Canada will receive free online visas within 30 minutes upon arrival in the country to pay respect to their religious sites. Naqvi's remarks came as he met with a 44-member foreign delegation of Sikh pilgrims in Lahore on Thursday. The minister warmly welcomed the Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan. He acknowledged that the Sikh pilgrims faced difficulties while visiting Pakistan in the past, according to a statement by the Ministry of Interior. Naqvi announced that the government has made the visa process easier for Sikhs by making it online. He added that holders of American, Canadian, and UK passports can apply online and receive their visas within 30 minutes without any fees. He noted that this facility extends also to Sikhs of Indian origin residing in these countries. He stated that providing more facilities to the Sikh community is his government's priority. He encouraged Sikhs pilgrims to visi

Qatar pledged to invest $3 bn in Pakistan during Shehbaz Sharif's visit

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Friday announced that Qatar pledged to invest USD 3 billion in Pakistan during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The prime minister returned home on Friday after completing a two-day visit to Doha during which he had important meetings with the top leaders of Qatar and its business community. Before Qatar, he also paid a two-day trip to Saudi Arabia to attend a conference. Tarar addressing a press conference presented an overview of the visit of the prime minister to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Qatar and Pakistan have agreed to enhance cooperation in diverse sectors, including trade, investment, culture and economy, he said, adding that the pledged investment of USD 3 billion will further strengthen Pakistan's economy. Tarar said an exhibition about Pakistani art and architecture was held during the prime minister's visit to Doha, which is a significant development in the Pakistan-Qatar relationship. He said the prime minis

Pakistan's national carrier stake sale now uncertain after low offer

Pakistan's government has failed to privatize the airline in previous attempts because of protests by labor unions and political parties

Pakistan: Five dead including three children in Mastung police van blast

Initial investigations revealed that the explosives were planted in a motorcycle and detonated remotely as the police van passed. "The blast occurred near a police van at the Civil Hospital Chowk

IMF's $7 billion bailout at risk as Pakistan's economy continues to weaken

The fundamental assumptions used to finalise the USD 7 billion deal with the IMF have gone awry within a month of its approval, leaving the authorities concerned with an option either to renegotiate the package or keep suffocating the economy through more taxes, according to a media report on Thursday. Official statistics show that out of four key underlying assumptions for achieving the nearly Rs 13 trillion tax target - the economic growth rate, inflation, large-scale manufacturing and imports three assumptions have already been proven wrong by the end of the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The federal government has also overly committed on behalf of the four provincial governments that, too, are struggling to meet their conditions soon after the deal became effective. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the official statistics for the first quarter (July-September) revealed that from the Federal Board of Revenue's tax collection target to provincial cash ...

Yet another polio case in Pakistan pushes tally well over 43 in 2024

Pakistan's fight against poliovirus remained a tough case as yet another case of the crippling disease surfaced on Wednesday, taking the national tally of the year to 43. The new victim was reported from Chagai district of Balochistan, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of the 43rd Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) case in Pakistan, the statement said. It was the first polio case from Chagai, a remote district bordering Afghanistan, which is only the second country apart from Pakistan where polio remains endemic. The new case was found just days after Pakistan on Monday launched a week-long vaccination campaign with an aim of immunising more than 45 million children under the age of five. So far, 22 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Only one PIA bidder left: Why are buyers running away from Pak Airlines?

Initially, the government aimed to complete PIA's privatisation by June, but this timeline has since been pushed to October due to various delays

This Pakistani journalist finds his car bugged, mocks spy agency's old tech

Pakistani journalist Azaz Syed revealed that when he went to a mechanic for car repairs, he discovered a bugging device of outdated technology from the 1990s

Pakistan govt committed to security of Chinese citizens: Ishaq Dar

The Pakistan government will leave no stone unturned to protect the lives and properties of Chinese nationals living in the country, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said, as he highlighted how authorities arrested most of the attackers involved in recent attacks on workers from China. Dar's remarks came on Tuesday at a conference by the Pakistan-China Institute, titled China at 75: A Journey of Progress, Transformation and Global Leadership. Without disclosing specifics, Dar, who is also the Foreign Minister, confirmed that authorities had apprehended multiple suspects believed to be involved in recent incidents, the Dawn newspaper said. Most of the attackers have been hauled up, he disclosed. We will leave no stone unturned to protect the lives and properties of Chinese in Pakistan. These suspects will face justice after due process, and further details will be shared directly with President Xi Jinping during President Zardari's visit to China next month," Dar said. Earlier t

Polio vaccinators attacked, held hostage in 2 separate incidents in Pak

Three terrorists were killed in a gunbattle when they attacked a polio vaccinators' team in Pakistan's restive northwestern province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday. In another incident, unknown militants took hostage the entire team of polio vaccinators at a dispensary in the same province, sources said here. The attack on polio vaccinators came a day after Pakistan on Monday started its third nationwide polio campaign to vaccinate 45 million children. In the first incident in Aurakzai tribal district, bordering Afghanistan, a policeman also killed in the shootout while frustrating the attack on the polio vaccinators. At least three terrorists were mowed down by the police in the fierce gunbattle and a fresh team has been rushed to the site, sources added. No group claimed responsibility for the brutal attack. In the second incident in North Waziristan's tehsil Shewa, unidentified militants took hostage the entire team of polio vaccinators at the Mamet Kot dispensary in the restiv

Seven Indian fishermen died in Pakistani jails since May last year

Seven Indian fishermen have died in Pakistani jails since May last year with the latest case of death being reported three days back, authoritative sources said on Monday. The total number of Indian fishermen in Pakistan's custody is 209, they said. Out of these, 181 fishermen have already completed their six-month sentence period and their nationality has been confirmed by India, the sources said. Their repatriation to India is still awaited. Some of them have been in Pakistan's custody since 2021, they said. The consular access for 28 fishermen are still awaited from Pakistan, the sources said. The latest case of death of an Indian fisherman was reported on October 25. He has been identified as Hari, they said. No further details about him are immediately available. In September too, another Indian named Serash died of cardiac arrest at a Pakistani jail, the sources said. While Serash's mortal remains were sent to India on October 11, the body of Hari is yet to be dispatched,

Delhi's AQI woes: Why's Pakistan blamed for Delhi-NCR's pollution crisis?

Delhi's air quality remains dire, with an Air Quality Index of 328, despite ongoing pollution mitigation efforts like banning firecrackers and road watering

Pak starts new polio vaccination drive as virus detected in 16 districts

Pakistan on Monday started its third nationwide polio campaign to vaccinate 45 million children against the crippling disease as the virus was detected in the environmental samples from 16 districts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the campaign during a ceremony at the Prime Minister's House on World Polio Day last week, the Dawn newspaper reported. He also administered polio drops to children there. The week-long vaccination campaign, which will run till November 3, aims to tackle the alarming spread of polio in the country, which has reported 41 cases this year. During the drive, special teams of health departments will go door to door to inoculate more than 45 million children. Children will also be given Vitamin-A supplements during the campaign for additional immunity, according to the report. The launch coincided with the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirming the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)

Pakistan launches vaccination drive amid rising polio cases nationwide

Pakistan began a nationwide vaccination campaign on Monday to protect 45 million children from polio after a surge in new cases that has hampered years of efforts to stop the disease in one of the two countries where it has never been eradicated. Pakistan regularly launches such campaigns, but violence targeting the health workers and police assigned to escort them is common. Militants falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilise children. The campaign is the third this year and will continue until Sunday in response to the alarming increase in polio cases, said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister's adviser for the polio eradication programme. We are re-energised in our efforts to combat polio, she said in a statement. During the door-to-door campaign, children younger than 5 will be vaccinated and given drops of Vitamin A supplements to enhance their immunity. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently met with front-line health workers, urging the