Blaze News - Pakistan

Iran will respond to any threat from the United States, Tehran's Revolutionary Guards' chief Hossein Salami said on Wednesday, as Washington prepares its response to the killing of American servicemen by presumed Tehran-aligned militants. US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he had already decided how to respond to a drone attack that killed three US service members in Jordan on Saturday, but gave no further details about his plan. Washington has blamed the attack, the first to kill US troops in the Middle East since an escalation in regional violence accompanying the war between Israel and Hamas, on Ketaib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militia based in Iraq. The group said on Tuesday it was suspending military actions against the United States to avoid embarrassing the Baghdad government. "We hear threats coming from American officials, we tell them that they have already tested us and we now know one another, no threat will be left unanswered," Iran's Salami said, ...

Israeli soldiers disguised themselves as doctors, nurses, and civilians raided early Tuesday a hospital in Jenin City, north of the occupied West Bank, killing three Palestinians, including two brothers, with gun silencers. Ten personnel of Israeli special forces dressed in doctor and nurse uniforms, as well as ordinary civilians brandishing automatic guns, raided the Ibn Sina Hospital and used silencers to kill three youths, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, citing sources in the hospital. The three slain Palestinians are identified as Mohammad and Basil Al-Ghazzawi, and Mohammad Jalamna, with 25-year-old Basil receiving medical treatment in the hospital when Israeli soldiers attacked, the news agency said. In a viral video posted on the social media platform X, Israeli soldiers are seen brandishing guns and terrorizing staff and patients inside the hospital. One of the soldiers, dressed entirely in black, can be seen forcing a Palestinian to drop to his knees wi...

The opening ceremony of Pakistan-Bahrain “Joint Exercise Al-BADAR-VIII” was held at National Counter Terrorism Centre in Pabbi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, the military said. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), contingents from Pakistan Army and Bahrain National Guards are participating in the two-week-long exercise. “The exercise is aimed at nurturing of joint employment and interoperability besides, harnessing the historic military to military relations among the brotherly countries,” the military’s media wing added. The ISPR said that the Director General Military Training was the chief guest at the opening ceremony. Read also: COAS conferred military medal during Bahrain visit It further said that both countries have displayed zeal and enthusiasm for benefiting from each other’s expertise. Al-BADAR is an annual bilateral joint exercise in counter terrorism domain between Pakistan and Bahrain. Earlier this month the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, confe...

UN officials urged countries to reconsider a pause in funding for the UN agency for Palestinians on Sunday, vowing that any staff found to be involved in Hamas' attack on Israel would be punished and warning that aid for some two million people in Gaza was at stake. At least nine countries, including top donors the US and Germany, have paused funding for the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) after allegations by Israel that a dozen of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 rampage. "While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations - I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's operations," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday, vowing to hold to account "any UN employee involved in acts of terror". He said this could include criminal prosecution - a rare move within the global body since most staff enjoy funct...

Foreign Ministers of Iran and Pakistan will hold crucial talks on Monday as part of efforts to repair their ties damaged by tit-for-tat missile strikes a fortnight ago. Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian arrived in Islamabad late Sunday evening. As the two countries were reeling from the missile exchanges, the killing of nine Pakistani labourers in the Sistan-Blaochistan province of Iran on Saturday highlighted the fault lines in the bilateral ties. Before leaving for Islamabad, the Iranian FM sought to assure Pakistan that Tehran would not allow "enemies" to target "friendship, peace and security in the region," according to IRNA Pakistan asked Iran to investigate the Saravan incident and bring the perpetrators of heinous crime to justice. Read more: Iran, Pakistan envoys set to resume duties Tehran was quick to condemn the killing of Pakistani workers, who were from South Punjab. Observers feel Baloch terrorist outfits, who were targeted in the Pakistani mis...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has asserted that his party, despite facing security threats, stands undeterred refusing to use them as a pretext for delaying elections. He said that, unlike other political parties, the PPP cannot be scared or intimidated. Addressing a rally in Peshawar on Saturday, Bilawal expressed gratitude to the jiyalas for turning out in large numbers, saying their overwhelming presence served as a powerful response to those attempting to use terrorism and weather as pretexts for delaying elections. "The jiyalas have compelled us to participate in the elections. We are the followers of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, ready to face any challenge for the sake of our country and its people," the Bhutto scion declared. لائیو: پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کا پشاور حیات آباد میں اتوار بازار کے مقام پر انتخابی جلسہ عام https://t.co/zeI861v07C — Pakistan Peoples Party - PPP (@PPP_Org) January 27, 2024 Highlighting the challenges confronting the nation, Bila...

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party Chairman Jahangir Tareen has announced joining hands with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif and President Shehbaz Sharif to improve the country’s economy. The businessman-cum-politician accused the former rulers of neglecting NA-149 Multan, which made it a hotbed of problems, vowing to solve all the problems like that of sewage, roads, and slums. “If the economy is managed well, employment opportunities will increase,” Tareen said while addressing the workers of Union Council VIII on Friday. The IPP chairman said if the “economy shines”, income would increase. Terming improvement in the country's economy “the most important”, Tareen vowed to provide employment opportunities to people, saying that they would do things that would make the masses happy. On the IPP manifesto, the IPP chairman said that it would solve all the problems. “I will solve the problems whether big or small of the constituency. I will fulfil the expectations of the people...

President Dr Arif Alvi has promulgated the Apostille Ordinance 2024, waiving the attestation of foreign public documents. The ordinance had been issued to facilitate the citizens in Pakistan and the diaspora abroad and to fulfil Pakistan’s obligations under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) of 1961. The Apostille Convention facilitates the use of public documents abroad by waiving the traditional requirement of multiple legalisations/attestations. Read: Ordinance promulgated third time Earlier, the federal cabinet had approved the accession of Pakistan to the Apostille Convention in March 2022 and the convention had entered into force for Pakistan in March 2023. The president promulgated the ordinance, on the advice of the prime minister, in terms of Article 89 (1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. app from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express Tribun...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday highlighted concerns about social media, indicating plans for regulations to curb its alleged misuse. In an interview with a private TV channel, the premier said that the previous governments worked to control negative aspects of social media and in future, a “national firewall” through the use of technology would be created to subdue the negative tendencies of social media. Reflecting on the May 9 events, Kakar criticised the elements involved, clarifying that his government did not target any specific political party. He stressed the importance of maintaining social order as a foundation for political stability. “May 9 [incident] was an attack on the concept of the state of Pakistan and from the very start I was very critical of the elements involved in the incidents,” he said. However, he added that the entire Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could not be kept away from Pakistani politics, adding that only specific members of PTI w...

Former prime minister Shahid Abbasi has said that the upcoming general elections will be the most “controversial” ones in the country’s history, urging the political leadership to make them “non-controversial”. The estranged PML-N leader made the remarks while speaking to the media in Rawalpindi. Abbasi had developed differences with the party leadership over the last year. In February last year, he had resigned as the party’s senior vice president in an effort to give Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz an “open field”. During the media talk, Abbasi also said he had decided against contesting the Feb 8 polls but had not quit politics, terming the elections “useless”. The former prime minister highlighted that it was the responsibility of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and caretaker premier Anwaarul Haq Kakar to ensure that the upcoming elections were “non-controversial”. “I become more satisfied with each passing day that I made the ...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued a code of conduct for the troops to be deployed outside polling stations on the election day, informing them that they must remain neutral throughout the process and not interfere in the counting of votes. On Wednesday, the federal cabinet gave the nod to the deployment of troops outside sensitive polling stations. The code of conduct read that the security personnel belonging to the armed forces shall perform their duties in accordance with their role defined in Article 245 of the Constitution, law and within the confines of the mandate assigned to them to assist the ECP in conducting the general elections by providing a secure environment for easy and secure access of voters to polling stations. It added that the police would be the first-tier responders while civil armed forces and armed as second- and third-tier ones, respectively. It read that the armed forces would be deployed outside the selected “most sensitive pollin...

China and Nauru signed a joint communique in Beijing Wednesday on the resumption of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, held talks with Nauru's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea and signed the joint communique, effective as of this day. This communique made Nauru the 183rd country which has diplomatic ties with China. According to the joint communique, the Government of the Republic of Nauru recognizes that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal Government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The joint communique said that the Government of the Republic of Nauru shall sever "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of this day and undertakes that it shall no longer develop any official relations or ...

The ambassadors of Pakistan and Iran would return to their respective capitals on Thursday, days after the two neighbours were on the brink of a major conflict in the wake of tit-for-tat missile strikes. Official sources told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Mudassir Tipu would return to Tehran on January 25. Similarly, the Iranian envoy Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam will resume his duties this week. Pakistan withdrew its envoy and asked the Iranian Ambassador to stay back in protest over Iran’s missile strikes in Panjgur, Balochistan on January 16. Iran claimed the strikes hit the alleged hideouts of the Jaish-al Adl group, a militant outfit operating from Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan province. Pakistan, shocked by the Iranian violation of its air space, condemned the transgression and contested its claims that strikes killed terrorists. Islamabad said those strikes only killed two innocent children and injured three girls. Read more: Pakistan-Iran border ...

Tank shells hit a UN training centre sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people in Khan Younis on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and wounding 75, a senior UN relief official said, as Israeli forces advanced through the southern Gaza city. Israeli forces cut off southern Gaza's main hospitals in their assault, Palestinian officials said, and closed the main escape route for hundreds of thousands of residents and people who have sought refuge in the city. Footage circulating among Palestinians showed black smoke pouring into the sky above the training centre, run by UNRWA, the UN relief organisation for the Palestinians. An UNRWA team trying to reach the centre was blocked, the organisation's director of Gaza affairs, Thomas White, said. In response to questions about the shelling, the Israeli military said the wider area was a significant base of Hamas fighters. "Dismantling Hamas' military framework in western Khan Younis is the heart of the logic behind...

The federal government has filed an intra-court appeal against the Supreme Court’s verdict barring any misconduct proceedings against retired and former judges. In its petition, the government has named the Supreme Court registrar and the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) secretary as respondents and requested the court to set aside the Afiya Shehrbano Zia case verdict. A civil society activist, Afiya Shehrbano Zia, had filed a complaint against former chief justice of Pakistan (CJ) Mian Saqib Nisar under Article 209 of the Constitution—that deals with misconduct by superior court judges—over alleged breach of the judges’ code of conduct. However, a division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, on June 27, 2023 set aside the complaint, declaring that judges who retire or resign do not fall within the ambit of Article 209. Read more: SC reserves verdict in ex-IHC judge Shaukat Siddiqui removal case The development took place against the ...

US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and interim Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan Khan Domki launched the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation’s (AFCP) first-ever project in Balochistan. This landmark initiative allocates over $320,000 for the preservation of Neolithic and other archaeological artifacts of the Mehrgarh civilisation, as well as the enhancement of curation at the Mehrgarh Museum of Balochistan in Quetta. Read also: Lyalpur Museum board comes back to life In his remarks, Ambassador Blome said: “This endeavour underscores the importance the United States places on the cultural legacy of Balochistan and our commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation of its history.” The United States has awarded more than $8 million for 33 cultural heritage projects across Pakistan, including in Sindh province the restoration of Varun Dev Temple, Frere Hall, the Nusserwanjee Building, and the tombs of Sultan Ibrahim and Amir Sultan Muhammad at the UNESCO World Heritage S...

Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan was reopened for trade after a 10-day closure, as announced by authorities on Tuesday. Officials reported that Afghanistan’s consular general in Peshawar engaged in discussions with Pakistani authorities and the issue of opening the Torkham Border for unlicensed drivers was conditionally resolved. The first truck carrying goods from Afghanistan has already crossed into Pakistan, the border authorities said. As part of the new agreement, Afghan drivers now have a deadline of 1st March to ensure that their documents are in complete order as after 1st April drivers without the necessary documentation will be denied entry from Afghanistan into Pakistan. The border sources said the federal government had mandated cargo vehicles to have complete documentation before entering Pakistan. Read also: Pak-Afghan border at Torkham set to reopen However, when this decision was set to be enforced on January 13, the Afghan side closed the border...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday reiterated his rallying cry of “burying the old politics” and ushering in a new era to address the challenges faced by the people, asserting that only his party was able to do that. Speaking at an election rally in Sahiwal, Bilawal, who is cruising through Punjab on a campaign trail, lashed out at other parties for engaging in divisive politics, accusing them of promoting hatred and animosity. He warned that if these parties were to come into power, they would likely victimise their political opponents. “I am contesting to bury the politics of hate and division,” he asserted. “Other parties want to divide us, whereas we are contesting elections on our manifesto … we will not use foul language against our political opponents,” the PPP chief added. Read more: Bilawal says Imran should not be in jail if innocent Bilawal further reiterated that his party aimed to introduce a new era of politics centered around serving the people, asserting ...

Pakistan on Monday condemned the construction and consecration of the ‘Ram Temple’ on the site of the demolished Babri Mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya and urged the international community to take cognisance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in India. “The United Nations and other relevant international organisations should play their part in saving the Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of the religious and cultural rights of the minorities in India,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press statement. 🔊: PR NO. 2️⃣4️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ Pakistan Condemns Consecration of the ‘Ram Temple’ on the Site of Demolished Babri Mosque 🔗⬇️https://t.co/s3zJmZMhzN pic.twitter.com/X5rYshPxDu — Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 22, 2024 Pakistan also urged the Indian government to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities, including Muslims and their holy places. The centuries-old mosque w...

Representatives of CPNE, AEMEND, various press clubs, unions and associations of journalists and media workers on Saturday established an alliance — Coalition for Free Media — to jointly resist media curbs through pressure tactics and trolling on social media and to ensure freedom of expression, a CPNE press release said.  Almost all groups and factions affiliated with media professionals, including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE), All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC), press clubs of four provincial capitals and the National Press Club, attended a meeting where the initiative by the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) to form the “Coalition for Free Media” was endorsed by the participants.  The joint meeting also decided to establish a "steering committee" of the coalition to resist the continuous degradation of the freedom of information in the country. It decid...

In a significant political development ahead of general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Mehr Muhammad Waseem on Sunday declared his withdrawal in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz in Lahore's NA-119, Express News reported.  Waseem along with numerous PTI members also defected to PML-N, pledging their allegiance to Maryam Nawaz. The development came following a meeting between Waseem and his associates and PML-N leadership.  Maryam Nawaz, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Maryam Aurangzeb, Ali Pervez Malik, Khawaja Imran Nazir, and other prominent PML-N leaders were present during the meeting.   Read more: Maryam terms PTI’s predicament self-inflicted Waseem will officially announce his inclusion in PML-N during a rally on January 25. Maryam Nawaz will also address the gathering.   چیف آرگنائزر مسلم لیگ ن مریم نوازشریف کے حلقہ NA-119 میں مسلم لیگ ن خواتین ونگ کی جانب سے بھی بھرپور طریقے سے انتخابی مہم...

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Saturday demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa should schedule at the earliest the petition of the late Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth pending before the Supreme Court, wherein the elevation of judges to the superior judiciary against the principle of seniority had been challenged. According to a news statement, PBC Vice-Chairman Haroon-ur-Rashid and its Executive Committee Chairman Hassan Raza Pasha said the bar had consistently “stood with the seniority principle” for the elevation of judges to the superior courts. It further read that the PBC office-bearers had shown their “full respect” to the judiciary and Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). They pointed out that in the past, elevations to the superior courts were made on the basis of pick and choose in violation of the judgment of the SC passed in the Al-Jehad Trust case and against the spirit of the Constitution, adding that the bar had always raised its voice against this practice ...

An accountability court on Saturday recorded the statements of two more witnesses, including an employee of a Dubai-based Indian company, in the Toshakhana reference against PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. Judge Muhammad Basheer conducted the hearing at Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder was brought before the court. The statement of Imran Bashir, an employee of Rainbow Enterprises, the Indian company that estimated the value of the Graff jewellery set and bracelet watch, was recorded. Witness Bashir apprised the court that the company was approached for an estimate by the council general of Pakistan. “The company entrusted me with the estimation of the Graff jewellery set and bracelet watch. The company asked me to research the market value of these items. “I estimated the value of the gifts after taking input from diamond dealers and jewellery outlets.” Bashir apprised the court that the value of the “jewellery set was estimated at $19.492 million”. The report was su...

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) Chairman Jahangir Tareen has said that his part has come into existence with the sole purpose of serving the people, vowing that after coming to power, they will work for the prosperity of the country and the people. “We will improve the quality of Lodhran, Multan, South Punjab as well as the whole country,” Tareen said while addressing a workers’ convention organised by IPP leader Mahar Muhammad Ashraf Sial, who is a candidate from PP-227 constituency for the upcoming general elections on Feb 8. The IPP chairman said, “If the country runs strong, then everything will be fine. With the rise of honest and sensible people, the economy will be fine. If the economy is strong, then Pakistan will develop.” He mentioned that a developed country had a strong economy, vowing to create a prosperous country where the youth would get honourable employment and the women their rights. “Our manifesto is people friendly,” he said. “I will free people from politics of co...

Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, who is currently on a visit to Islamabad, inaugurated the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Corner at the library of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Saturday. In his address, Chinese VFM Weidong highlighted the special importance China attaches to Pakistan in its foreign policy, emphasising the deep-rooted ties between the two nations as "iron brothers" and trusted friends, according to a MoFA statement. He expressed China's commitment to strengthening strategic ties with Pakistan and acknowledged Pakistan's unwavering support on core issues for China. Weidong expressed China's continuous support for Pakistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and commitment to deepening cooperation to facilitate Pakistan's economic development, progress, and prosperity. Read also: CPEC development strengthens building of China-Pakistan community with shared futur...

Despite the sheer absurdity of constantly looking over their shoulders to watch out for traffic, motorcyclists in the port city are okay with risking their lives whilst navigating Karachi's congested roads rather than getting rear view mirrors on their bikes' handlebars, which is also patently illegal. A significant majority of the metropolis's mammoth motorcyclist population, in true throwing caution to the wind fashion, drives around their motorcycles without rear view mirrors and the city's traffic police seems helpless in this regard. However, Karachi's motorcyclists maintain that there is no point to installing the mirrors, which are mandatory as per traffic rules, as they get stolen on a daily basis or break easily. A majority of motorcyclist in Karachi drive around their motorcycles without rear view mirrors. PHOTO: EXPRESS One such motorcyclist is Saleem, a resident of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. "I installed side mirrors for my motorcycle twice and unfor...

The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israel of firing on Friday at a hospital in Khan Younis, as a major advance in the main city in the southern Gaza Strip threatened the few healthcare facilities still open. The Red Crescent said displaced people were injured "due to intense gunfire from the Israeli drones targeting citizens at Al-Amal Hospital" as well as the rescue agency's base. Nearby in the same city, Israeli tanks were also approaching Gaza's biggest remaining functioning hospital, Nasser, where people reported hearing shellfire from the west. Residents also reported fierce gun battles to the south. Israel has launched a major new advance in Khan Younis this week to capture the city, which it says is now the primary base of the Hamas fighters who attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7, precipitating a war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. The Gaza health ministry said 142 Palestinians had been killed and 278 injured in the previous 24 hours, taking the Palestinian...

The participants of a seminar highlighted flaws in the electoral process, calling for genuine change emphasising intra-party elections and increasing women's participation in the electoral process. Speaking at a seminar titled ‘Changing Landscape of Pakistani Electorate and Role of Political Parties in Fair Representation’, organised by the Press Information Department (PID), they said the Constitution entrusts the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with the responsibility of conducting free and fair elections in the country. Senator Syed Ali Zafar from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed the view the Elections Act 2017 enhanced the authority of the ECP. “The Constitution empowers political parties to participate in elections and establish a government.” Muhammad Asghar, the deputy secretary general of the Jamat-e-Islami (JI), stated that a significant majority of people refrained from voting, and many governments failed to truly represent the majority. He highlighted t...

Altaf Ahmad Bhat, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM), on Thursday strongly condemned the recent actions taken by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against senior Kashmiri leader Muhammad Akbar Bhat in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The provisional attachment of properties worth Rs50 million under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was perceived as an attempt by the Modi-led BJP government to suppress the legitimate freedom struggle of Kashmiris. In response, Bhat dismissed all allegations as baseless, stating that the actions of the ED were an attempt to tarnish the image and undermine the noble cause of the ongoing Kashmiri freedom movement. He asserted that both he and his elder brother, Muhammad Akbar Bhat, have been active participants in the right of self-determination movement since childhood. Bhat explained that he had been forced to leave Srinagar due to targeting by the Indian military establishment, establishing ...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday called for ensuring equitable opportunities for all nations and regions to benefit from modern technology. Speaking at a forum titled "Trade Tech's Trillion-Dollar Promise" on the sideline of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), he highlighted the crucial role of state-of-the-art technology in achieving rapid development targets PM Kakar acknowledged the growing significance of the digital economy in the future and stressed that every region of the world should have the opportunity to benefit from technological advancements. Read also: PM arrives in Zurich to participate in WEF meeting He called for a focus on the development of the technology sector to ensure that its benefits are distributed globally. Stressing the need to ensure equitable opportunities for all to secure the technology, he said it was key to ensure sustainable global development. Addressing trade and business challenges, Kaka...

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian that Pakistan reserved the right to respond to Iran’s “provocative act” of attacking inside its territory. Jilani, who is currently leading the Pakistan delegation to the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Kampala, Uganda, made these remarks as he received a telephone call from the Iranian foreign minister, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO). The foreign minister firmly underscored that the attack conducted by Iran inside Pakistani territory, on January 16, 2024, was not only a serious breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty but was also an egregious violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran. Expressing Pakistan’s unreserved condemnation of the attack, the foreign minister said that the incident has caused serious damage to bilateral ties between Pakistan and Iran. Read more: Pakistan...