Blaze News - Pakistan

Armed militants shot dead a senior police officer and wounded two others in separate attacks in India's Manipur on Tuesday, officials said, the latest episodes of violence in the restive state where ethnic clashes have killed at least 180 people this year. A police spokesperson said militants opened fire at a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) while the officer was overseeing the construction of a helipad in Moreh, a trading town on the border with Myanmar. Ethnic clashes erupted in the northeastern state on May 3 as members of the majority Meitei ethnic group and minority Kuki tribals fought over sharing government benefits and quotas in jobs and education. Sporadic violence has continued since the peak of the clashes, despite tens of thousands of extra security personnel being deployed, marking a rare security failure for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in a state ruled by his Bharatiya Janata Party. Read also: Video showing man's body ablaze prompts call for ...

Israel said its forces fought Hamas gunmen inside the group's vast tunnel network beneath Gaza as a hospital director said more than 50 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a refugee camp in the besieged enclave. As the battle inside the tiny Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory intensified, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed international calls for a halt to the fighting. But UN and other aid officials warned that a public health catastrophe was engulfing civilians in Gaza, with hospitals struggling to cope with mounting casualties and food, medicine, drinking water and fuel running short. The director of Gaza's Indonesian Hospital told Al Jazeera that more than 50 Palestinians were killed and 150 wounded in Israeli air strikes on a densely populated area of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Massive IDF strike targeted Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip where local...

Canada's foreign minister on Monday reiterated a call for a humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza, and said there is little time left to get Canadians and hostages out while delivering badly needed aid. "Four hundred Canadians are trapped in Gaza, they are living in fear and despair... And that is why we need humanitarian pauses, a humanitarian truce, in Gaza," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in the text of a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto. "Time is running out. We need an agreement from all parties to get foreign nationals out, including Canadians. To release all hostages. And to allow food, fuel and water into Gaza," she said. Israel's widening ground attacks on Gaza have spurred international calls for a "humanitarian pause" to allow aid in. People stormed aid stores in Gaza on Sunday in search of food. There are also more than 200 hostages in the hands of Hamas since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel that killed 1,400 peopl...

The two remaining kidnapped footballers on Sunday returned to their homes in Dera Bugti district of Balochistan after successful negotiations between the abductees’ family members and the abductors. Caretaker Provincial Minister for Information Jan Achakzai confirmed that Babar Ali and Sheraz Khan had safely returned home, and that all the missing football players had been recovered. On Sept 9, six footballers were kidnapped by unidentified armed men in the Kachhi canal area of Sui tehsil of Dera Bugti while they were on their way to Sibi to participate in the All Pakistan Chief Minister Gold Cup Football tournament. Read More: Balochistan: why a black hole? Subsequently, an operation was launched for the recovery of the athletes. Last month, four of the six footballers were recovered and handed over to their families. However, the kidnappers had at that time refused to release the remaining two footballers. Family members and the Levies sources confirmed the release of the remaining t...

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Sunday said Iran does not want war to "spread out" following the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian fighters of Hamas on Israel that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Israel has since bombarded the Gaza Strip with air strikes and begun ground operations with the aim of destroying the Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas and returning more than 200 people abducted to Gaza from Israel. "We don't want this war to spread out," Amirabdollahian said during an appearance on CNN. Iran likely knew that Hamas was planning "operations against Israel", the US has said, but initial US intelligence reports showed that some Iranian leaders were surprised by the attack, the deadliest day of Israel's 75-year history. Amirabdollahian on Sunday dismissed claims directly connecting Iran to the attacks, calling them "baseless." "We always had political media and international support for Palestine. ...

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the former chief minister of Punjab and PTI leader, continues to face legal challenges as a magisterial court extended his two-day physical remand on Saturday. The extension comes as part of ongoing investigations by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), which claims to have recovered Rs4.1 million from Elahi's residence. The recovery is linked to a case against him, alleging that he amassed money through illegal appointments within the Punjab Assembly. Elahi vehemently denied the ACE's version, expressing his bewilderment regarding the alleged recovery and its connection to corruption. Magistrate Imran Abid has requested a report on the progress of the investigation for the next hearing. During the proceedings, the lawyer representing the Anti-Corruption Establishment argued that they intended to retrieve more essential documents from Elahi's possession after finding the said amount. They requested an extension of Elahi's physical remand for f...

Nashmia Amir Butt, a courageous woman who confronted breast cancer with unwavering determination, recently shared her remarkable journey as a survivor in a podcast moderated by Aisha Abrar for The Express Tribune. Her story is a testament to resilience, the importance of early detection, and the need for a robust support system during the challenging journey of battling breast cancer. Nashmia Amir Butt's life took an unexpected turn when, at the age of 31, she was diagnosed with breast cancer just one week before her scheduled marriage ceremony. In her conversation with Aisha Abrar, she emphasised the significance of a strong support system during the treatment and recovery process. "I did not disclose it to anyone when I was diagnosed," Nashmia shared, describing the initial shock and apprehension she felt. Many around her advised against sharing the diagnosis, associating breast cancer with shame and misunderstanding. Determined not to be silenced by this misconception,...

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in cities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday to show support for the Palestinians as Israel's military widened its air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip. In one of the biggest marches, in London, aerial footage showed large crowds marching through the centre of the capital to demand the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak call for a ceasefire. "The superpowers at play are not doing enough at the moment. This is why we're here: we're calling for a ceasefire, calling for Palestinian rights, the right to exist, to live, human rights, all our rights," said protester Camille Revuelta. "This is not about Hamas. This is about protecting Palestinian lives," she added. Echoing Washington's stance, Sunak's government has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, and instead advocated humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach people in Gaza. Britain has supported Israel's right to def...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that it will begin hearing objections on the delimitation of constituencies starting November 1. The commission has appointed two benches to handle the proceedings. The first bench, set to operate on November 1, will hear objections to the delimitation of several districts, including Islamabad, Shikarpur, Khuzdar, Sialkot, and Rajanpur. Meanwhile, the second bench will handle objections related to constituencies in Kurram, Attock, Jhelum, Nankana Sahib, Kohat, and Korangi districts. On November 2, the ECP will continue to hear objections on the delimitations of various districts, including Malir, Sanghar, Swat, Haripur, Chakwal, and Pashin. In addition, objections will also be addressed regarding the delimitation of districts such as Mardan, Karachi East, Musa Khel, Lodhran, and Hub. Read More: ECP scolds govt for political inductions It is pertinent to note that a total of 680 objections have been submitted to the ECP. A day ...

The protest of railway employees gained momentum on Friday as the financial troubles of the state institution continue to plague the workers, resulting in perpetually delayed salaries. Several intercity trains from Lahore to Karachi - including the Karakoram Express, Pak Business Express, and Karachi Express - could not depart on their scheduled routes as the employees staged protests on the tracks. Despite two rounds of negotiations with railway management, the protest of railway employees showed no signs of abating as frustration mounted. The situation escalated when passengers joined in the protest after the workers refused to leave the trains. "What are we being punished for?" a passenger complained, who was left stranded on the platform for over two hours. Read More: Rail traffic restored on Sibi-Harnai track According to the employees, while some have not been paid for a month, others have experienced significant delays. Moreover, some employees claim to have not receiv...

Iran's Foreign Minster Hossein Amirabdollahian warned at the United Nations on Thursday that if Israel's retaliation against Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip doesn't end then the United States will "not be spared from this fire." "I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome (an)expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire," he told a meeting of the 193-member General Assembly on the Middle East. Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which rules Gaza, in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,400 people and saw hundreds taken hostage. Israel has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and is preparing a ground invasion. Palestinian authorities say more than 7,000 have been killed. Hamas has told Iran that it was ready to release civilian hostages, adding that the world should push for the release of ...

India will resume some visa services in Canada with effect from Oct. 26, its High Commission said on Wednesday, in a move that could reduce tensions caused by the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. India last month suspended new visas for Canadians and asked Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited what he said was credible evidence of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in a Vancouver suburb in June. Canada subsequently withdrew 41 diplomats. Read also: India says relations with Canada passing through difficult phase India denies any connection to the shooting. On Wednesday, the Indian High Commission said it had decided to resume issuing some categories of visas after reviewing the security situation and taking into account recent Canadian measures, which it did not enumerate. It said it would resume issuing standard entry visas as well as business, medical and conf...

The wife and two children of Al Jazeera reporter in the Gaza Strip, Wael al-Dahdouh, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday, the Doha-based television said. The correspondent’s wife, son, and daughter were killed in the strike that targeted a house in the southern Gaza Strip, the Qatari broadcaster said. The family had already been displaced from their home to the Nuseirat refugee camp in southern Gaza amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the strip. Read also: 11 journalists killed, over 20 injured in Gaza since Oct. 7: Palestinian journalists group According to Al Jazeera, al-Dahdouh, a correspondent of the television’s Arabic service, was covering the Israeli airstrikes when he received the news of his family’s death. It aired a video of the correspondent while giving a farewell look at his son laying on the ground of the hospital. Another clip showed him carrying the dead body of his daughter in his arms. from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Exp...

The caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet would meet here on Thursday (today) to approve a mini budget for the next four months, not only to keep the government running but to also save the province from bankruptcy, source said on Wednesday. In June, the interim government announced Rs462 billion budget for four months – July-October – using its powers under Article 126 of the Constitution. However, since the elections could not take place in that period, the government required approval of the budget for next four months. The provincial government would take the advice from a similar measures adopted by the caretaker Punjab government. For the November 2023-February 2024 period, according to sources, the budget outlay would be around Rs500 billion. Chief Minister Azam Khan would chair the cabinet meeting, which would review and approve the revenue and development estimates, including the Annual Development Programme for the next four months, worth around Rs71 billion. Official sources ...

Israel has agreed to delay an expected invasion of Gaza for now so that the United States can rush missile defences to the region to protect US troops there, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US and Israeli officials. US officials have so far persuaded Israel to hold off until US air-defence systems can be placed in the region, as early as later this week, the WSJ said. Israel is also taking into account in its planning the effort to supply humanitarian aid inside Gaza, as well as diplomatic efforts to free hostages held by Hamas militants, the news report said. Threats to the US troops were of paramount concern, it said. Read also: Israeli minister says troops will soon see Gaza 'from inside' Washington was scrambling to deploy nearly a dozen air defence systems, including for its troops serving in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, the Journal said. The US military and other officials believe their forces will b...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday vowed to resist the individuals propagating against the polio vaccination, resolving to achieve the dream of a polio-free Pakistan by carrying forward the journey with unshakeable commitment. “I can assure that we are going to have it. We will realise this dream. We will never step back, may be an inch, may be a foot or may be a mile. This will always be a forth-going journey,” the prime minister said while addressing a ceremony to mark the World Polio Day. The event was organised by the Pakistan Polio Programme to pay homage to the resilience and dedication of frontline workers on the World Polio Day, which is commemorated on Oct 24 every year. Federal Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan, Federal Health Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, representatives of polio partners Rotary, World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and frontline workers and their families were in attendance. The prime minister said by op...

The Supreme Court has called into question the utility of having caretaker governments. It has noted that the task to hold free and fair elections has been assigned in the Constitution to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and that the idea of caretaker setups was introduced later. “One objective of a caretaker government is to ensure transparent elections. However, the responsibility for transparent elections lies with another institution [ECP] as per the Constitution. “When this responsibility is vested in the ECP, what is the need for a caretaker government?” Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa said on Tuesday while hearing a case with regard to holding timely elections in the country. Justice Isa, who was leading a three-member bench, noted that the person—military dictator General Ziaul Haq— who introduced the idea of caretaker government in the Constitution did not implement it himself. “Zia induced the idea through the Eight Constitutional Amendment but when the...

In a cooperative effort with Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority, British authorities have announced plans to transport a specific number of Afghan refugees to London via special flights under their 'resettlement scheme.' The decision was reached during a meeting between a delegation from the British High Commission and top officials of the Civil Aviation Authority in Karachi to assess the feasibility of transferring Afghan nationals to the UK, Express News reported. The civil aviation delegation, led by Air Commodore (retd) Shahid Qadir, and the British High Commission's delegation, led by its political counselor, discussed the issue of settling Afghan refugees in the UK and the operation of special flights for their transfer. They agreed to operate 12 flights starting from the next week until the end of December to transport a certain number of Afghan refugees to the UK. A special message from Director General Civil Aviation Khaqan Murtaza to the British High Commissi...

More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday, the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas fighters who stunned the country with a deadly Oct. 7 attack. Israel said it had killed dozens of Hamas fighters in the overnight strikes on the besieged enclave but said its war to destroy the Islamist group would take time. As aid agencies warned that a humanitarian catastrophe was unfolding in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron flew to Israel to offer it support. Gaza in ruins. pic.twitter.com/cV2inhUXNz — Clash Report (@clashreport) October 24, 2023 He told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Israel in its war with Hamas while also saying it must not fight "without rules". The United Nations urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, saying the aid let in so far met a tiny fraction of the needs of the beleaguered popul...

Political leaders, experts and civil society activists have urged the government to revolutionise the country’s energy mix for a sustainable, green future and affordable energy for consumers. During recent years, the prices of electricity have gone up, making it unaffordable for the consumers. At the “State of Energy Security and Just Energy Transition” dialogue, the political leaders, experts and civil society activists issued a unanimous call for the implementation of sustainable policies aimed at facilitating a just transition towards green energy, which would address the current economic, environmental and energy crises. They sounded a warning, saying that Pakistan had become one of the world’s most vulnerable countries and that only sustainable policies could effectively address the pressing challenge. Participants of the dialogue, organised by the Indus Consortium, which brought together representatives from various political parties, underscored the urgency of reducing reliance ...

Almost 20,000 people have been internally displaced in south Lebanon and elsewhere since early October, a UN agency said on Monday, as violence escalates on the Lebanese-Israeli border following the eruption of the Gaza war. The International Organization for Migration said 19,646 people had been displaced inside Lebanon since it began tracking movements on Oct. 8, the day after an assault on Israel by Hamas fighters and an Israeli counteroffensive on Gaza. It said the movements were mostly by those fleeing the south of Lebanon, while some people have also moved from other areas. Israeli authorities have also been evacuating dozens of towns and communities from the north of Israel. Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group and Israel have been exchanging fire on an increasingly frequent basis along the border in the worst escalation since the two sides fought a war in 2006. Many who have fled south Lebanon have moved north to the coastal city of Tyre, which is 18 km (11 miles) from t...

President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday stressed the need for disseminating the awareness message regarding breast cancer to every house across the country in order to ensure early detection of the disease and reduce the mortality rate. Addressing the Breast Cancer Awareness Programme here, the president said Pakistan had successfully handled the polio disease and this experience also helped the government to successfully handle Covid-19 later on. Now, he said the country was also driving the breast cancer awareness campaign very effectively. “Awareness about other key health issues, including mental health, stunting, and women health, should also be raised along with the breast cancer awareness campaign as it is very important to keep women healthy for a healthy nation.” Highlighting the family system in the country, the president said woman was the key member of a family that must be kept healthy, financially empowered, and also be kept safe from any kind of harassment in the society. He sa...

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab raided the house of a brother of former first lady Bushra Bibi overnight, however, no arrest was made, an ACE spokesperson said on Sunday. According to the spokesperson, the ACE was conducting raids to arrest fugitives wanted in various cases of corruption, including several former lawmakers. He added that the crackdown on fugitives would continue till their arrest. The overnight raids were conducted in Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan districts to arrest former members of the National Assembly, Rai Hasan Nawaz and Rai Murtaza Iqbal, former Punjab Assembly member Naeem Ibrahim, and a political leader Saleem Sadiq. Read also: ACE gets transit remand of Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband A raid was also conducted to arrest Ahmed Mujtaba, brother of former first lady Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister Imran Khan. “However, all the accused escaped from the spot and no arrest could take place,” the spokesperson added. “Anti-corruption crackdown is on...

Pakistan has allayed concerns of the Western nations over its plan to evict all foreigners living illegally in the country after some states feared that deportees might face reprisals from the Afghan Taliban government. Official sources told The Express Tribune that after Pakistan's crackdown against illegal immigrants, Western countries approached the government seeking clarity with certain nations seeking review of the decision. Pakistan has given all foreigners residing illegally in the country until Oct 31 to leave voluntarily or face eviction. There are about 1.7 million such foreigners, as per the government estimates. Majority of them, however, are Afghan nationals. Some families have already packed their bags and left to avoid any action. However, certain European countries and the United States are worried that the plan may affect thousands of Afghans, who are waiting for their immigration in Pakistan. Last week, a group of former US diplomats and representatives of resett...

The national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), remained grounded on Sunday after it cancelled 43 international and 29 domestic flights because of unavailability of fuel for the aircraft, PIA sources said. The PIA takes fuel from the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). However, during the past few weeks both these public sector utilities remained at odds over the supplies. According to the sources, the situation become serious as the PIA’s air operations came to a standstill. The flights cancellation had been a problem for the PIA for past few days, but the number rise abnormally high on Sunday. Also for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, it was witnessed that flight crew reported for duty but the planes remained grounded. “A total of 72 domestic and foreign flights were affected. In just one day, the national airline sustained a loss of Rs700 million due to inoperability of its flights,” a source told The Express Tribune. He added that the lack of contacts between the...

Dr Farooq Sattar, a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), has extended an invitation to former finance minister Miftah Ismail to join the ranks of MQM-P, Express News reported on Sunday. Miftah had previously stepped down from his role as the General Secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh and relinquished all subsidiary party positions in June this year. Miftah was openly critical of PML-N's economic policies, particularly after Ishaq Dar, a close confidante of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, assumed control of the finance ministry, with the backing of the party's top leadership, including Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz. Read More: Miftah Ismail resigns from all PML-N positions Reportedly, this replacement was prompted by dissatisfaction with Miftah Ismail's performance as finance minister in the coalition government led by PML-N. Miftah Ismail expressed his grievances on various current affairs programmes and penned co...

In compliance with a court directive, Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was granted the opportunity to have a heartfelt telephonic conversation with his sons while being incarcerated in Adiala Jail on Saturday. The emotional exchange left both of Khan's sons, Qasim and Sulaiman, deeply moved, Express News reported. During the call, the former prime minister was observed smiling and offering words of consolation to his sons in an effort to uplift their spirits. According to sources within the jail, this special telephonic interaction took place via WhatsApp, commencing at 4:30 pm and lasting until 5:00 pm. The arrangement was made in accordance with the orders of Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain. It's worth noting that the same judge had issued the order on Wednesday, permitting Imran Khan to engage in telephonic conversations with his sons, who reside in the United Kingdom with the former PM's ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith. Also read: Imran a...

Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday held a telephonic conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the grave situation unfolding in the occupied territory as the Palestinian death toll reaches 4,137. Islamabad has called Israel's "deliberate" attacks on civilian targets "war crimes and crimes against humanity," and has been demanding an immediate ceasefire, an end to the siege of Gaza, and the facilitation of humanitarian corridors for unrestricted relief supplies. The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers. The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. ...

Pakistan has joined China’s expanding club of partners in an ambitious project to build a research station on the moon’s south pole. Jointly with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar witnessed the signing of an initial cooperation agreement in Beijing on Wednesday. The China National Space Administration said on Friday cooperation would cover areas including the engineering and operational aspects of the Chinese lunar base programme. Read More: Pakistan’s space programme: Achievable goal or impossible dream? China, which aims to become a major space power by 2030, has already secured cooperation from Russia, Venezuela and South Africa. It has fixed a target to land its astronauts on the moon by the end of this decade. The timeline to build an outpost on the south pole coincides with NASA's more ambitious Artemis programme, which aims to put US astronauts back on the lunar surface in December 2025, barring delays.  from Latest News, Breaking N...

Taking advantage of the state-run Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) fuel crisis, private air carriers have increased their fares. According to travel agents, private airlines have started charging an additional fare of up to 30% on domestic flights. During the PIA’s crisis, private airlines have started charging passengers up to Rs77,000 for a return ticket to Karachi. They are charging the one-way fare from Karachi to Lahore between Rs35,000 and Rs49,000. Similarly, the private airlines have jacked up their one-way fare from Karachi to Islamabad to between Rs55,000 and Rs61,000. The private airlines could not hike the fares of international flights because of the decrease in the number of overseas passengers. Besides, foreign airlines have also reduced their fares on international routes. The PIA’s domestic flight schedule had been adversely affected for the last one week. The travel agents said that the number of passengers travelling domestically had increased because of the di...

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to the Adiala Jail superintendent for not appearing despite the summons to provide facilities to the PTI chairman and allowed his lawyers to meet him in jail without any hindrance. A division bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case. Deputy Attorney General Arshad Mahmood Kayani and Assistant Attorney General Azmat Bashir Tarar appeared in the court, while the Adiala Jail authorities did not despite the court summons. Read More: Former PTI leader blames Imran for May 9 riots The court again issued a show-cause notice to the jail superintendent, saying that why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against the superintendent. Justice Aurangzeb expressed anger at the late arrival of the law officers, saying: “Who will come to assist this court? Everyone is celebrating the happiness of Nawaz Sharif and distributing sweets.” Justice Aurangzeb told the law officers...

A former lawyer for Donald Trump on Thursday pleaded guilty to aiding the former US president's efforts to overturn his election defeat in the state of Georgia, agreeing to testify against him if called. The lawyer, Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties, a misdemeanour charge. She agreed to testify against Trump and the other 16 co-defendants in the case if prosecutors ask her too. The Georgia case is one of four concurrent criminal cases that Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is facing, and one of two specifically focused on his attempts to overturn his election defeat. Trump continues to falsely claim his loss was the result of fraud. Powell's plea came just days before she was set to go to trial beginning on Monday on charges including racketeering and conspiracy to commit election fraud. A lawyer for Powell did not immediately return a request for...

Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir on Thursday paid a visit to an operational air base of Pakistan Air Force to witness the ongoing aerial exercise "Indus Shield" 2023, the military said in a statement. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the air chiefs of Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Hungary were also among the distinguished guests who witnessed PAF's 14-nation mega air exercise. On his arrival, the COAS was received by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. Later, he was introduced to foreign dignitaries and principal staff officers of the Pakistan Air Force. The COAS, along with esteemed foreign dignitaries, received a comprehensive briefing on the training facility of the Air Power Centre of Excellence and the extensive scope of the exercise which is aimed at consolidating modern concepts of aerial warfare, fostering mutual cooperation and enhancing interoperability among the participating air forces. #ISPR General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M) Chi...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday said that Pakistan had completed more than 50 projects worth $25 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Kakar was speaking at the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing. The CPEC is a flagship project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with more than $65 billion pledged for road, rail, and other infrastructure development projects in Pakistan. "We have completed over 50 projects worth $25 billion under the CPEC," Kakar said, adding that a very significant airport at the southwestern Gwadar port, which was being built with Chinese money as part of the CPEC, would soon be inaugurated. Gwadar is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route in the Arabian Sea. Beijing has invested heavily in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan, including developing the deepwater port. Chinese President Xi Jinping began the Belt and Road Initiative about a decade ago, aiming to b...