Blaze News - Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Thursday spent the day of Eidul Azha with army soldiers in Parachinar along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The prime minister was accompanied by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb. The prime minister and the army chief offered Eid prayers along with army officers and soldiers and later exchanged Eid greetings. The prime minister praised the Pakistan Army for its high resolve, operational preparedness and professional standards. During the meeting with the officers and soldiers, Shehbaz said that he along with the army chief was spending the Eid with them so that he could pay tribute to their efforts and passion for defending the borders of the motherland with bravery and courage. Read more: Eid symbolises spirit of sacrifice: PM He said that the officers and soldiers of Pakistan’s armed forces...

A special parliamentary committee has reinstated and regularized services of thousands of government employees, according to a report submitted to the National Assembly. The National Assembly Special Committee for Affected Employees chaired by MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhail was formed on October 12, 2022 to sort out issues of employees in various government departments and corporations. According to its report, the committee held 57 sittings and ordered various departments and corporations to regularize or reinstate various employees. On the instruction of the committee, the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) reinstated 37 of its sacked employees. The Pakistan Tobacco Board regularized services of six of its contractual employees; the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) regularized 18 such employees while the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) regularized the services of 558 employees. The Pakistan Broadcasting Service reinstated 1,020 employees with all perks. The Minist...

Javed Latif, federal minister and senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has demanded that those responsible for launching "project Imran" be held accountable and face punishment. Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday, Latif expressed concerns over the consequences of not addressing the issue, warning that similar incidents to the May 9 riots could occur again. Latif stressed the importance of self-accountability within institutions, stating, "If one institution initiates self-accountability, it sends a good message. All institutions should go through the process of self-accountability. The institution that provides justice should also go through self-accountability." He further added that the individuals responsible for launching the "project" should be arrested and punished to avoid any recurrence of chaos and economic turmoil in Pakistan. The PML-N leader went on to express his desire for severe punishment for t...

Vast crowds of robed pilgrims hurled pebbles in the "stoning of the devil" ritual on Wednesday as the biggest Hajj pilgrimage since the start of the pandemic draws to a close in intense Saudi Arabian heat. From dawn in Mina, hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims began pelting three concrete monoliths representing Satan, and heading to Makkah for a final tawaf. More than 1.8 million people are taking part in the first unrestricted Hajj since Covid struck in 2020. About 2.5 million, the most on record, joined the pilgrimage in pre-pandemic 2019. As well as crowds at every turn, the visitors have had to contend with ferocious temperatures at the Hajj, which currently coincides with the Saudi summer. Temperatures peaked at 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, when the pilgrims prayed for hours at Mount Arafat, and were expected to hit 47 degrees on Wednesday in Mina. As helicopters buzzed overhead, pilgrims flooded the streets around Mina. In Makkah, the Grand Mosqu...

With nearly constant surveillance, gruelling isolation and limited family access, the treatment of the last 30 Guantanamo detainees is "cruel, inhuman and degrading," UN rights experts said Monday as they reported on their first visit to the US military prison. UN Special Rapporteur Fionnuala Ni Aolain said mistreatment at the prison on an American naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amounted to violations of detainees' fundamental rights and freedoms. The detainees, held close to two decades after being seized as suspects following the 2001 Al-Qaeda attack on the United States, have endured a litany of abuse, including forced cell extractions, poor medical and mental health care, said Ni Aolain. The detainees also have had inadequate access to family either by in-person visits or calls, she said in a press briefing. "The totality of all of these practices and omissions ... amounts in my assessment to ongoing cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international...

The United States said Monday it would stop funding scientific research with Israeli academic institutions in the West Bank, taking a new step away from validating the occupation of Palestinian territories. The decision by President Joe Biden's administration reverses a move made under Donald Trump that rejected the wide international consensus that Israel illegally occupies the West Bank, which it seized in the 1967 Six-Day War. New guidance to US government agencies advises that "engaging in bilateral scientific and technological cooperation with Israel in geographic areas which came under the administration of Israel after 1967 and which remain subject to final-status negotiations is inconsistent with US foreign policy," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. He stressed that the United States "strongly values scientific and technological cooperation with Israel" and said the restriction on West Bank funding "is reflective of the long-standing U...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request to stay the military trial of civilians arrested for May 9 vandalism, after Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan provided assurances to the court. The six-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial was hearing petitions against military courts trying civilians in connection with their involvement in the May 9 violence. In addition to the CJP, the bench comprises Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik. AGP Awan had last Friday informed the Supreme Court that 102 people were in the army’s custody and none of them were juvenile or women. The AGP reiterated his earlier stance while speaking to journalists informally today ahead of the hearing, saying "No civilians are currently on trial [in military courts]. The civilian trials have begun," he explained. Notably, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) ...

Rain-wind thundershower is expected in Punjab, Islamabad, Potohar region, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, northeast and east Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during the next 24 hours, Isolated heavy falls (with isolated hailstorms) are also expected in Kashmir, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and south Punjab. According to the synoptic situation, a seasonal low was lying over northeast Balochistan. A westerly wave was also affecting the upper and western parts of the country. During the last 24 hours, rain wind-thunderstorm occurred in Punjab, Islamabad, Potohar region, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, north/east Balochistan and Kashmir. Read more: Rain breaks heat spell in Lahore During the last 24 hours rainfall recorded in Punjab: Lahore (Airport 255mm, Lakshmi Chowk 241, Pani Wala Talab 236, Qurtaba Chowk 230, Gulshan-e-Ravi 213, Nister Town 202, Iqbal Town 178, City 172, Tajpura 165, Jail Road 163, Johar Town 155, Gulberg 130, Mughalpura 126, Chowk Nakhuda 125, Samanabad 120, Farrukhabad 115, Upper Mall...

Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the events of May 9 were "undoubtedly" a conspiracy against Pakistan and one which was being planned for months.  Live: Director General Inter Services Public Relations Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry addressing a press conference in #Rawalpindi@OfficialDGISPRhttps://t.co/CQ6wWwA5d8 — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) June 26, 2023 The military spokesperson said the purpose of addressing the media today was to provide "facts" regarding the events of May 9. Riots broke out after the arrest of the PTI chief, with rioters targetting military facilities and monuments dedicated to the martyrs.  During the press conference, Maj Gen Sharif also played a video montage with testimonies from family members of the martyrs.  "The incident of May 9 is extremely disappointing, condemnable and a black chapter in the history of our country," said the spokesperson and added th...

The National Assembly reduced the term of any lawmaker's lifetime disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) to five years through a new law, the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2023. Through the new bill, the NA has approved key amendments in the Election Act 2017 whereby the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been empowered to unilaterally announce election dates without the need to consult the president. The bill was passed during the NA session today where earlier, the lower house approved the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal 2023-24 as Pakistan tries to secure the crucial International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a final effort to clinch a much-delayed rescue package. Earlier, parliament and the judiciary came face to face after a three-judge bench—led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and consisting of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar—on April 4 ordered the ECP to hold elections for the Punjab Assembly on May 14. Rejecting the decisio...

Emphasising strong ties between the United States and Pakistan, Ambassador Donald Blome called for further strengthening of the robust bilateral relations via the US-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework. The US ambassador to Pakistan stressed this point as he visited Karachi between June 22 and 24. During the visit, the envoy engaged with government officials, the American Business Council, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations, and the Pakistan Naval Academy. Ambassador Blome and Consul General Theriot were joined by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other political, business, and civil society leaders in Karachi to celebrate the 247th US Independence Day. In his remarks at the reception, Ambassador Blome said, “I am honoured and grateful for the opportunity to live and serve in this remarkable country. Americans and Pakistanis have so much in common and have many shared achievements to be proud of. Together, we can adv...

In an unfortunate incident on Saturday, unidentified motorcyclists shot dead a Sikh trader, identified as Manmohan Singh, in Peshawar’s Kakshal neighbourhood. According to SP City Abdul Salam Khalid, the incident occurred at around 8pm when Singh, who was heading home in Guldara Chowk at the time, was targeted by the motorcyclists, leaving him severely wounded. He stated that the culprits managed to escape the scene before authorities could arrive, and further details regarding the motive and identities of the attackers are yet to be determined. “Investigation is underway to determine whether the incident was a case of targeted killing or something else. The final conclusion will only be revealed once the investigation is completed,” he further said. In another distressing incident on Friday in the same area, a Sikh shopkeeper was targeted by unidentified armed men. Read more: Sikh shopkeeper gunned down in Peshawar According to Muhammad Alam, the spokesperson for the Peshawar Police, ...

Federal Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar has disclosed that a special Hajj flight has been organised exclusively for the parliamentarians. "Our colleagues want to embark on the sacred pilgrimage, and we have arranged a special flight in collaboration with the Saudi authorities as they were not permitting Hajj flights [now],” Dar said during an address in the National Assembly on Saturday. He further emphasised that this dedicated flight would enable parliamentarians to partake in the Day of Arafah, a significant day in the Islamic calendar, with ease. Read more: No VIP Hajj facilities for MPs: minister Dar encouraged his colleagues boarding the flight, saying, "Tomorrow morning, our colleagues will embark on this Hajj journey. I urge them to offer prayers on our behalf, seeking the blessings of Allah Almighty to safeguard Pakistan from its current challenges and put the country on the path towards progress and prosperity.” It is worth mentioning that Religious Affairs Minister S...

Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday informed the National Assembly that Pakistan had agreed to raise a further Rs215 billion in new taxes after three-day parleys with the officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to complete the 9th review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), pending due to the country’s external financing gap. "Pakistan and IMF had detailed negotiations for the last three days as a last effort to complete the pending review," he told parliament. For the fiscal year starting next month, Pakistan will raise a further 215 billion rupees ($752 million) in new tax and cut 85 billion rupees in spending, as well as a number of other measures to shrink the fiscal deficit, he said. That will revise Pakistan's revenue collection target to 9.415 trillion rupees ($33 billion) and put total spending at 14.480 trillion rupees ($51 billion), Dar said. "These changes will make our fiscal deficit much better," he ...

A civilian embraced martyrdom while two others were critically injured after the Indian Army opened fire on a group of shepherds in Sattwal sector along the Line of Control (LoC), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. “[The] Indian Army in a display of its usual inhumane approach towards innocent Kashmiris, opened indiscriminate fire onto a group of shepherds in Sattwal Sector,” the ISPR said in a statement. The military’s media wing added that “driven by a newfound geo-political patronage, Indian forces have embarked on a plan to take innocent lives to satiate their false narratives and concocted allegations”. “While a strong protest is being launched with the Indian side, Pakistan reserves the right to respond back in manner of its choosing to protect Kashmiri lives in the LOC belt,” the statement added. Read Ceasefire violations indicate India’s frustration: DG ISPR ISPR further said that the Indian side is reminded to respect the basic human rights of Kashmir...

As the nation continues to grapple with an intense heat wave, citizens will face load-shedding for several hours a day due to a shortfall in electricity generation. According to Express News, the shortfall of electricity rose to 6,516 megawatts, due to which load-shedding will continue for eight to ten hours a day all over Pakistan. Sources from the Power Division said that the total production of electricity was 21,484 MW, whereas the demand reached 28,000 MW. Currently, 7,073 MW are being generated by hydropower, 956 MW by government thermal power plants, 8,900 MW by private sector plants and 1,119 MW from solar power plants. Similarly, 152 MW are being generated from bagasse and 3,164 MW are being produced from nuclear power plants. The news comes shortly after the government approved an Rs328 billion power sector subsidy package, mainly to pick the cost of electricity of the K-Electric (KE) consumers and to partially clear much-delayed dues of the China-Pakistan Economic Corrid...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday rebuked the United States and India for issuing a joint statement calling on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch extremist attacks. Asif took strong exception to the statement as he pointed out "the irony of this statement coming during the visit of someone who was banned entry to the US for overseeing a pogrom of Muslims when he was CM Gujarat". The irony of this statement coming during the visit of someone who was banned entry to the U.S. for overseeing a pogrom of Muslims when he was CM Gujarat. He leads yet another campaign of state sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, which includes routinely maiming and blinding the… — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 23, 2023 Lamenting the actions of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet, the minister said that "he leads yet another campaign of state-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, which includes routinely maiming and blinding the local population". ...

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif met the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) President Dr Muhammad Al Jasser on Friday on the sidelines of the summit for a New Global Financial Pact being held in Paris. The two were seen holding hands as the IDB president escorted PM Shehbaz out after the meeting. They also exchanged a candid conversation where Al Jasser confessed his love for Pakistani mangoes that the PM promised to send to him as a gift. Read In last-ditch effort, PM meets IMF MD in Paris The premier also renewed the invitation to president IDB to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. According to a statement released by the PM's Office, during the meeting, the two discussed the long-standing cooperation and engagement between Pakistan and IDB during the meeting. They also took stock of the progress of various ongoing projects and exchanged views on new avenues of collaboration. PM Shehbaz also thanked Dr Al Jasser on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan for IDB's p...

Enormous crowds of pilgrims thronged Mecca, Islam's holiest city, on Friday for the biggest Hajj pilgrimage in years, with more than two million expected to brave the scorching Saudi Arabian heat. Pilgrims in white robes and sandals packed the ancient city, now dotted with luxury hotels and air-conditioned shopping malls, after flooding in on planes, buses and trains for the annual rites. This year's Hajj -- one of the world's biggest annual religious gatherings could break attendance records, officials said. "As the Hajj draws near, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prepares... for the largest Islamic gathering in history," Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said in a video published by the ministry this week. The faithful will circle the Holy Kaaba, pray on Mount Arafat and stone the devil by throwing pebbles at three giant concrete walls representing Satan. More than two million people from more than 160 countries will attend, Rabiah said -- a dramatic incre...

A report by a European organisation investigating fake narratives of Indian media went viral on Chinese social media platforms recently, drawing wide attention to India’s supposedly vast smear campaign against China and Pakistan. Following reports in 2019 and 2020, the latest investigation report by independent non-profit organisation EU DisinfoLab, published in February 2023, exposes more details and evidence to prove that Asian News International (ANI), an Indian news agency, has been quoting a number of non-existent organisations, journalists and bloggers to spread disinformation that attacks and smears China and Pakistan. The report further uncovered that India has long been building a huge anti-China and anti-Pakistan disinformation network and that Indian media outlets have built a sophisticated assembly line of fake anti-China and anti-Pakistan news. On the one hand, the Indian media produces and spreads false narratives about China, whereas, the Indian government restricts Chin...

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar found himself at the center of controversy on Thursday when he engaged in a heated exchange with a journalist at the Parliament House. The incident occurred after Dar addressed a National Assembly session and was leaving the premises with his security guards when he was approached by a journalist, identified as Shahid Qureshi. In a video that has gone viral on social media, the reporter can be seen asking Dar if he would be willing to talk. The minister responded by stating that he had just finished speaking in the National Assembly. Qureshi then inquired about the progress of the stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent meeting with the IMF chief. However, Dar remained silent in response to these questions. The journalist persisted and questioned the government's failure to secure the IMF deal, to which Dar retorted, "Because people like you are in the system." The journalist...

Two of the Supreme Court's senior-most judges, Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on Thursday expressed serious reservations over the nine-member bench hearing petitions filed by former CJP Jawad S Khawaja and others against the trial of alleged May 9 rioters in military courts. However, both judges categorically stated that they were not recusing themselves from the proceedings, but refused to sit in the larger bench until the verdict on the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 was announced. Subsequently, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who was heading the proceedings trimmed the bench down to seven members, who are scheduled to preside over the hearing at 1:30 pm. Notably, the apex court has adjourned for an indefinite time the hearing of petitions filed against the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023—a piece of legislation that seeks to curtail the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). The court had put off the hearing after A...

A blast ripped through a street near Paris' historic Latin Quarter on Wednesday and rescuers were searching for two missing people feared buried under the rubble of a building that partially collapsed in the explosion. The explosion tore through Rue Saint-Jacques, which runs from the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to the Sorbonne University, in the late afternoon, injuring at least 37 people, four of whom were fighting for their lives in hospital. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that sniffer dogs had picked up a scent under the mound of masonry left strewn across Rue Saint-Jacques. "It is possible tonight that we will find bodies or perhaps survivors," Darmanin told reporters at the scene of the blast. The blast destroyed the facade of a building housing the Paris American Academy design school popular with foreign students. Witnesses described a deafening explosion and a giant fireball that rose several stories high. Soldiers helped secure a safety cordon around th...

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday admitted that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was "displeased" with the government's rehabilitative efforts after the devastating floods of 2022. Speaking on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, the CM said that "Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh government are still dissatisfied," as he urged the federal government to extend further support to the flood-affected areas. The statement has renewed speculation of “political differences” between the coalition partners, the PPP and the PML-N -- something Bilawal had himself denied a day earlier. It may be noted that the differences between the two parties emerged after the scion of the Bhutto dynasty in a public gathering in Swat on Saturday accused the ruling coalition government of ignoring the provinces that bore the brunt of last year’s devastating floods in the proposed budget. Reiterating the same stance today, Shah said, "we want the gove...

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed all the universities to keep a ‘distance’ from celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi on campuses. In a letter dated June 20, which is available with The Express Tribune, addressed to all the higher education institutions, the HEC said: “The higher education institutions may prudently distance themselves from all such activities obviously incompatible with the country’s identity and societal values, while ensuring that they rigorously engage their students and faculty in academic pursuits, intellectual debates and cognitive learning besides identifying, creating and fostering avenues for extra-curricular activities and rational discourse.” It is pertinent to mention here that the students of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) celebrated Holi on June 13 at around 4 pm. The festival was organised by the Mehran Students Council (MSC) while five other students councils, including Punjab Students Council, Pashtoon Students Council, Siraiki S...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting regarding human smuggling and the recent capsizing of a boat in the Mediterranean near Greece, in Islamabad. The premier was briefed in detail regarding the Greece shipwreck and the PM directed authorities to bring those responsible for the boat incident to justice as soon as possible. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, DG FIA, chief secretary Azad Jammu and Kashmir and relevant senior officials. Participants of the meeting were told that the Greek Coast Guard identified the boat on June 12, which was estimated to have around 700 people on board. The boat was owned by an Egyptian man with most of the people on board belonging to Syria, Libya and Pakistan. Read Nation observes day of mourning Hundred-and-four people from the boat have been rescued alive out of which 15 belong to Pakistan, the participants were fur...

Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar said on Tuesday that a new scheme replaced the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) to help drive business between Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK), reducing the country’s need for aid. According to a press release, the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) had now entered into effect, providing simpler terms of trade to Pakistan, removing tariffs on over 156 additional products, and simplifying some seasonal tariffs. Some of the specific goods which benefited the most from the DCTS in Pakistan, include over £ 250 million ($320 million) of average annual exports to the UK of bed linen and almost £100 million of jeans which would each receive a 12% reduction in import duty. The DCTS covers 37 countries in Africa and 26 in Asia, Oceania and Middle East, and two in the Americas. The scheme was announced last year, and legislation has since been finalised to bring it into force. Syed Naveed Qamar's visit to the UK this month was vita...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar fled court premises on Tuesday in a desperate attempt to avoid being arrested after a local court denied them bail in a case connected to May 9 violence. After the PTI chief was arrested on May 9 over corruption charges, several protestors attacked sensitive state and military installations in retaliation. Subsequently, several party leaders and workers were arrested and slapped with cases of inciting violence and spreading unrest. Qureshi and Umar had emerged as two key leaders who had opted not to part ways with the party after their release from custody, unlike a major chunk of their former colleagues that have denounced their party memberships. Nonetheless, following his release from jail last month, Umar stepped down from his role as PTI Secretary General. Read PTI refutes Asad Umar's claim of ideological differences The two leaders appeared before Additional Sessions Judge, Tahir Abbas Supra, today...

A Pakistan father and son are among the five people on board a submarine that went missing more than a day earlier off the coast of southeastern Canada while taking tourists to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, the family said. According to a statement released by the family, the CNN reported, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Sulaiman Dawood were on a "journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean". "As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available," the Dawood family said. "A rescue effort that is being jointly led by multiple government agencies and deep-sea companies is underway to reestablish contact with the submersible and bring them back safely. We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time. The family is well looked after and are praying to ...