Blaze News - Pakistan

Departmental tussles are not an alien concept in the country, often they impact multi-billion rupee projects; and the same seems to be happening to the Peoples Marine Beach Walk project. The entertainment project, which was launched last year, between the Hyperstar Store, Clifton, and Dua Chowrangi on the Sea View Beach road, at a cost of about Rs 3 billion, has become the source of a dispute between the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and Karachi Port Trust (KPT). The KPT claims that the land which is being used by the KDA for the project, which will be a 100 ft-wide 1.5 kilometre long road featuring a walking track, play land, restaurants, and water sports, belongs to them and that the KDA is encroaching onto their domain. In this regard, an officer of the KPT privy to the development, told the Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity that while in the past KPT had been giving land to KDA for development works but this time around KDA had unilaterally claimed ownership of...

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif claimed on Wednesday that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed wielded influence over legislative processes in the previous government of PTI. Talking to the media after the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting, Asif stressed the necessity of involving not only politicians but also other stakeholders for political stability. “All elements must collaborate for stability,” he insisted. The PML-N leader disclosed that Qamar Bajwa and Faiz Hameed played instrumental roles in shaping legislation related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Read more: PTI says not an obstacle to IMF programme Asif admitted, “During that period, we used to consult them at their ‘messes’ for legislation.” He said that the legislations were steered into law due to military interference and lamented that the nation continues to suffer the ongoing repercussions as a result. “We are still grappling with the damages incurred dur...

A video showcasing college students engaging in reckless aerial firing surfaced on social media, prompting swift action from the authorities. Karachi Police South Zone DIG, Asad Raza, took immediate cognizance of the incident and directed the Sahil police station to initiate legal proceedings. Following intensive investigation, the Sahil police managed to apprehend two suspects, identified as Bilal Akhund and Jabbar Khan, while continuing efforts to capture others involved. The detainees are currently under interrogation, with further raids underway to locate and detain additional culprits. Aerial firing suspect Bilal Akhund. PHOTO: EXPRESS The uproar stemmed from a “batch bunk” gathering organised by college students in DHA Phase VIII, where attendees brazenly brandished firearms and indulged in irresponsible behaviour. DIG South, Syed Asad Raza, reiterated the stringent prohibition against such flagrant displays of weaponry, emphasising the necessity for swift law enforcement action....

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) combined all petitions related to minority and women reserved seats of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) on Tuesday and postponed the hearing until Wednesday. A four-member panel, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana, and Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan, heard the petition. Barrister Farogh Naseem represented Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Barrister Ali Zafar represented the SIC, stating they were there to secure their allocated seat. Azam Nazir Tarar from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Farooq H. Naik from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) represented their respective political parties. They emphasised that it is up to the commission to determine whether the SIC can secure reserved seat or not. Barrister Zafar emphasised that his party’s reserved seats cannot be claimed by anyone else, highl...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has served notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding appeals challenging the trial court verdicts, seeking suspension of sentences in the cypher and Toshakhana cases of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan. The court has demanded responses from both by February 29 (Thursday). In addition, notices were issued for Thursday's hearing on the appeals of co-accused individuals, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Bushra Bibi, the wife of a former prime minister. A two-member special division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, presided over the appeals challenging the special court's 10-year prison verdict for Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case. Read also: IHC set to review Imran's gifts, cipher appeals The court directed a notice to the FIA and overruled objections raised by the office regarding the ap...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) disposed of a hiring case on Monday after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the court that it had already issued offer letters to the aggrieved individuals. A petitioner had approached the capital’s high court after NAB declined to hire him and 12 other successful candidates as grade-17 assistant directors despite completing all formalities. NAB had also submitted a summary to the country's president, requesting the annulment of the new appointments. However, the president later declined to endorse the summary. During the hearing of the case presided over by Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC, NAB's Additional Prosecutor General Jehanzeb Bharwana submitted a response to the court. Read also: NAB refuses offer letters to FPSC candidates He stated that the court order had been implemented, and NAB had issued offer letters for the position of assistant directors. He further mentioned that a total of 13 offer letters had been issued, alon...

Arab states urged international judges on Monday to rule the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and Turkey described the occupation as "the real obstacle to peace" on the final day of hearings in a case examining its legal status. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been hearing arguments from more than 50 states following a request by the UN General Assembly in 2022 to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation. On the sixth and last day of hearings, Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz told judges the occupation was the root cause of conflict in the region. Yildiz also addressed the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and Israel's military response that has since killed more than 29,000 Palestinians. "The unfolding situation after October 7 proves once again that, without addressing the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there can be no peace in the ...

The final investigation report of the Pakistan International Airline's (PIA) flight nearly four years ago, blamed “human error” and a lack of communication and harmony between the two pilots of the aircraft and air-traffic controllers, a media report said on Sunday. A PIA Airbus A320 coming from Lahore crashed in Karachi on May 22, 2020. The catastrophic aviation disaster took lives of 99 passengers including the crew and two people on the ground. Only two passengers survived the crash. The final investigation released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board said that the accident was caused by human error. It added that the pilot had been warned four times by the air traffic controller before landing that the plane was at extraordinary altitude. Read more: Three years since PIA plane crash in Karachi However, the fifth time the traffic controller allowed the plane’s landing, the findings said, adding that that there was a lack of communication and harmony between the two pilo...

The unexpected victory of PTI-backed independent candidates in the February 8 general elections has left political parties, the establishment as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a quandary. The ECP was supposed to issue complete poll results within 14 days after the general elections. Yet it has not yet been able to decide if it should allot reserved seats to the independent candidates entering the National Assembly under the banner of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). The polls oversight authority has already allotted reserved seats to all other parties. According to a notification, the ECP has given the PML-N 19 women’s seats and four minority seats. The PPPP has got 12 women’s seats and two minority seats and the MQM-P has been allocated four women’s seats and one minority seat. Other parties—the JUI-F, the PML-Q and the IPP—have received one seat each. The ECP has so far notified allocation of a total of 38 reserved seats for women and seven for minorities. It ha...

An arrest warrant has been issued for the newly elected member of the National Assembly (MNA) Raja Khurram Shehzad Nawaz in the Azadi March case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and others. Judicial Magistrate Shaista Khan Kundi heard the case. On May 25, 2022, the PTI kicked off its long march after Imran was ousted as the prime minister through a no-confidence motion against him and workers from different cities of the country reached the federal capital. Imran called off the long march on May 26 for fear that the situation was getting violent, as several cases were registered against him and his party for turning violent and clashing with the law enforcement agencies. The government had attempted to prevent the convoy led by Imran from reaching the capital by shutting down all entry and exit points around the city, but was forced to allow in the protesters by an emergency Supreme Court order. On May 26, the PTI founder ended the rally, warning the government...

Oil prices fell more than 2% on Friday and were on track for a weekly decline after the US central bank indicated that interest rate cuts could be delayed by at least two more months. Brent crude futures were down $1.89, or 2.3%, at $81.78 a barrel at 1700 GMT, and US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down $1.88, or 2.4%, to $76.73. For the week, Brent is set to decline about 2% and the US benchmark is on track to fall about 3%. However, indications of healthy fuel demand and supply concerns could revive prices in the coming days. US Federal Reserve policymakers should delay interest rate cuts by at least another couple of months, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday, which could slow economic growth and curb oil demand. “The entire energy complex is reacting, because if inflation begins to come back it will slow demand for energy products,” said Tim Snyder, economist at Matador Economics. “That is not something the market wants to digest right now, especially as i...

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued its recovery on Thursday as the KSE-100 index extended its rally and closed near the 62,000-mark, buoyed by optimism about the settlement of political parties for a coalition power-sharing deal. As trading commenced, the index maintained its momentum from the previous day, experiencing fluctuations but steadily rising throughout the session. The decision on power-sharing arrangements to form a new government instilled hope and bolstered investor confidence, resulting in a positive sentiment for the day. The strong performance of dollar bonds, coupled with rupee stability, contributed to the index’s advancement. Although the KSE-100 index briefly dipped before the final hours, growing investor confidence propelled it to climb rapidly, reaching an intra-day high at 61,952.09 points just before the close. The market closed in the green, nearing the 62,000-point mark. “Stocks closed higher after the government slashed NSC rates and a coalition po...

Peshawar serves as the gateway to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, facilitating the import and export of various products. The Torkham border acts as a pathway, enabling the expansion of trade between the two countries on a global scale. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a border spanning over 2,600 kilometres. Following the implementation of border fencing, illegal movements of goods across the border have been curtailed to some extent. There are 18 trading points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with key crossing points being Torkham and Chaman. Torkham, situated in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Chaman, located in Balochistan, are connected to Afghanistan’s Jalalabad and Kandahar provinces respectively. According to a survey conducted by the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, trade between the two countries amounted to $2.5 billion in 2010. However, this figure dropped to $1.6 billion before experiencing a slight increase to over $1.8 billion in 2022-23. Pakistan’s exports ...

Pakistan will present its position at the ongoing advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case on Israel on Friday. In a statement, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “Tomorrow evening, Pakistan will present its position at the ongoing advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice in the case on legal consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” More than 50 states are due to present their stances in the week-long hearings, which have further emphasised the isolation of Israel’s few supporters, following a UN security council hearing on Tuesday in which the US was the lone vote against a draft ceasefire resolution, with the UK abstaining. The US and UK are expected to be virtually alone again at the ICJ hearings in urging restraint in its ruling on Israel’s occupation. Read also: Pakistan urges ICJ Gaza ruling’s full compliance The ...

Pakistan plans to seek a new loan of at least $6 billion from the International Monetary Fund to help the incoming government repay billions in debt due this year, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing a Pakistani official. The country will seek to negotiate an Extended Fund Facility with the IMF, the report said, adding that the talks with the global lender were expected to start in March or April. Pakistan averted default last summer thanks to a short term International Monetary Fund bailout, but the programme expires next month and a new government will have to negotiate a long-term arrangement to keep the $350-billion economy stable. Ahead of the bailout, the South Asian nation had to undertake a slew of measures demanded by the IMF, including revising its budget, a hike in its benchmark interest rate, and increases in electricity and natural gas prices. The IMF did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment on the Bloomberg report. Pakistan's finance m...

Edible oil including soyabean and palm imports into the country during the first seven months of the current financial year decreased by 49.85% and 34.14% respectively as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-January, 2023-24 about 91,950 metric tonnes of soyabean oil valued at $99.990 million were imported as compared to the imports of 136,870 metric tonnes costing $199.386 million of the same period of last year, according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). During the period under review, over 1.735 million tonnes of palm oil worth $1.611 billion were imported as compared to the imports of 1.927 metric tonnes valued at $2.446 billion in the same period of the last year, it added. Meanwhile, sugar imports also decreased by 42.75% as about 2,260 metric tonnes of sugar valued at $2.10 million were imported as compared to the imports of 4,332 metric tonnes worth $3.67 million in the same period of last year. During ...

The federal government has decided to hire a new head of Pakistan’s Export-Import (Exim) bank amid a disclosure of discrepancy in the age of the incumbent president, which should have made him ineligible for the appointment four years ago. Sources in the Ministry of Finance told The Express Tribune that a decision has been made to expedite the process for the appointment of the chief executive officer and the president of the Exim Bank of Pakistan. This decision was taken after it surfaced that the incumbent chief executive did not meet the eligibility criteria at the time of his appointment in December 2019, according to officials. In July last year, the federal cabinet had extended the tenure of the chief executive of the Exim Bank for a period of six months or until a new appointment, whichever is later. But the Ministry of Finance was now considering stopping the president from attending the office, said the sources. The advertisement for the appointment of the CEO of EXIM Bank had...

Former federal minister Faisal Vawda took aim at PML-N Chief Organiser and nominated chief minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, calling her “Buzdar 2,” referring to the former Punjab chief minister from PTI. Taking to X, Vawda criticised Maryam's recent speech, saying it was heavily edited. He also lambasted Maryam's announcement of a door-to-door delivery service. گھنٹوں کی ایڈیٹنگ کے بعدپہلی ریکارڈڈ تقریر۔ نامزد وزیراعلی پنجاب بزدار 2 مریم صاحبہ کا پاکستان کو مسائل سے نکالنے کیلئے پہلا اعلان پنجاب پینڈا سروس (ڈیلیوری سروس) جس سے مُردوں کے سرٹیفکیٹ طلاق کے سرٹیفکیٹ اور پیدائش کے سرٹیفکیٹ گھر گھر پہنچائے جائیں گے۔ میاں صاحب گھبرانا نہیں۔… — Faisal Vawda (@FaisalVawdaPTI) February 21, 2024 Maryam had outlined plans for a PML-N government initiative to provide ten services, including home delivery of marriage, death, property, and birth certificates. In a scathing remark, Vawda added, "Mian sahib, don't panic. Step forward, no one is with you." from Latest News, Brea...

The federal government has decided to constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to identify individuals involved in running a "misleading" social media campaign against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and government officials during the election process. The JIT will identify the individuals responsible for the “deplorable” campaign so that criminal cases may be registered against them. Additionally, it will make recommendations to tackle such campaigns in the future. The JIT will also seek assistance from IT experts, according to sources. According to a news report, the JIT will consist of five members. Led by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) additional director general, it will include officers from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA). Read also: PTI, GDA and JI join forces to protest against ‘election fraud’ Citing sour...

The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday announced that it had halted food distribution in northern Gaza until safety conditions there improve. “The decision to pause deliveries to the north of the Gaza Strip has not been taken lightly, as we know it means the situation there will deteriorate further and more people risk dying of hunger,” it said in a statement, adding that it remains committed to reaching people across the entire Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli attacks for months. However, it said, the safety and security to deliver critical food aid and for the people receiving it must be ensured. Stressing that the latest reports confirm Gaza’s slide into hunger and disease as food and safe water have become incredibly scarce and diseases are rife, it added: “WFP will seek ways to resume deliveries in a responsible manner as soon as possible. A large-scale expansion of the flow of assistance to northern Gaza is urgently needed to avoid disaster.” Read also: UN likel...

The United States has proposed an alternative draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposing a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the text seen by Reuters on Monday. Washington has been averse to the word ceasefire in any UN action on the Israel-Hamas war, but the US draft text echoes language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in conversations with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US draft text "determines that under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighbouring countries." Israel plans to storm Rafah, where more than 1 million of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza have sought shelter, prompting international concern that such a move would sharply worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Read also: UN likely to v...

The impasse in the political landscape persisted on Monday as the fifth round of discussions between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) coordination committees concluded inconclusively, Express News reported. The meeting, held at the residence of PML-N senior leader Senator Ishaq Dar in parliament lodges in Islamabad, saw the participation of prominent figures from both parties. The PPP delegation comprised Murad Ali Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Chan, and others. Despite a three-hour deliberation, the negotiation hit a snag prompting a temporary halt, with both parties resolving to reconvene at 10 pm. During this interval, successful discussions between PML-N and MQM-P resulted in MQM-P pledging its support for the PML-N. Read more: PML-N, PPP fail to reach consensus on govt formation Following the PML-N-MQM-P meeting, Sindh governor and MQM-P leader Kamran Tessori engaged in an informal dialogue with journalists, reiterating the part...

The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution advising the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to align the MPhil and PhD synopsis with the teachings of Islam based on logic, reason, and science. Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir from Balochistan tabled the resolution in the 335th session of the Senate. Reading out the motion loud before the house, he clarified that the word syllabus in the motion referred to synopsis and topics for research. Read also: HEC issues stringent affiliation policy Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi did not oppose the motion. The resolution stated: “The Senate recommends the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to develop guidelines for all the universities of Pakistan to update the syllabus of their MPhil and PhD programmes and align it with modern scientific requirements.” from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/XjUueFB

A UN conference held in Doha on Monday delivered a clear message to the Afghan Taliban that any international recognition would require the de facto authorities in Kabul to fulfil key conditions that include not allowing the Afghan soil to be the “hotbed” of terrorist activities, inclusive government and respecting the human rights particularly the rights of women and girls. However, the two-day conference concluded in the Qatari capital without an agreement on the proposal regarding the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan. The conference was convened by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and attended by special envoys from 25 countries including Pakistan. A group of civil society activists including women representatives of Afghanistan were also in attendance. Read more: Pakistan to back UN special envoy on Afghanistan as Doha conference begins The Afghan Taliban skipped the crucial meeting, voicing concerns over the invitation to its opponents and the agenda ...

All eyes are on the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which last week ordered Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, as well as the ministers for interior and defence, to appear in person today (Monday) in connection with a case related to enforced disappearances. An IHC bench comprising Puisne Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on February 13 summoned the country’s interim chief executive and his two cabinet members due to failure of the government authorities to recover some missing Baloch students despite repeated assurances. Earlier, on November 22, 2023, the court had instructed the government to recover the missing students within seven days. It had noted that in case the authorities failed to comply with the order, PM Kakar accompanied by his ministers and secretaries for interior and defence would appear in the court. On November 29, the interim PM did not appear in court due to a foreign visit. The government, however, made repeated assurances to the court that the students would retu...

The security forces on Friday and Saturday in two separate targeted intelligence-based operations killed nine terrorists, including a 'High-Value Target' in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the military said in a statement. In an intelligence-based operation conducted by the security forces in Tank District, two terrorists, HVT Rehmat Ullah also known as Badar Mansur and Ts Amjad also known as Babr were killed, said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). In another operation conducted in South Waziristan district, after intense fire exchange, seven terrorists were killed. In additions, these terrorists were found in possession of weapons, ammunition, and explosives, and involved in numerous terrorist activities. They were involved in numerous terrorist activities in the region, including attacks on security forces and extortion and target killing of innocent civilians, said the statement. Read also: Two terrorists killed in Mardan IBO However, during the ope...

A recent statement made by Secretary Information PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb has sparked outrage and condemnation, highlighting the divisive and inflammatory rhetoric that continues to permeate the country's political landscape. Marriyum, during a press conference, said that PTI founder Imran Khan and his party members should have been beheaded in 2014. "When the Chinese president was arriving in Pakistan, this fitna should have been addressed at that time. His head should have been beheaded,” PML-N leader can be seen in video clips shared by netizens. 🚨🇵🇰PAKISTANI POLITICIAN WISHED IMRAN KHAN WAS DEAD As tensions in Pakistan reach a fever pitch, Maryam Aurangzeb from the PNLM party said that Imran Khan and members of his PTI party should have been beheaded in 2014. Source: @PTIofficial https://t.co/KIY5ejayoC pic.twitter.com/aTLSzDjbS3 — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 17, 2024 Kamran Yousaf, a senior journalist, took to X to express his dismay over Marriyum's statem...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday said that the caretaker government had resolved major long-standing problems in a short span of time to move the country towards economic stability. The caretaker setup also provided all possible facilities on priority to the international investors and business community to attract maximum foreign direct investment in the country, he said. He emphasised that the caretaker government was committed to continuing its efforts to resolve the problems facing the country’s economy till its last day of working. Chairing a meeting to review various issues of K-Electric (KE), the prime minister said that the government was trying to solve all the remaining problems as soon as possible to remove all obstacles in the way of uninterrupted supply of electricity to the residents of Karachi. The prime minister directed to find solutions on a priority basis to the issues faced by KE. The prime minister also hailed the signing of the interconnection...

Pakistan’s export of sesame seeds to China registered a growth, surging 126.29% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis surpassing $290 million from January to December last year, said Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor of the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing. According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), China imported 166,682.987 tonnes of sesame seeds from Pakistan in 2023. This represents an increase of 96.13% by volume, amounting to $290.66 million, compared to 84,985.321 tonnes worth $128.44 million in 2022. Read Copper exports to China cross $1b Qadir explained that during 2023, Pakistan’s exports to China exceeded $3.459 billion, an increase of 1.4% on a YoY basis. He also mentioned that as per GACC data, in 2023, China imported 912,814.577 tonnes of sesame seeds worth approximately $1.52 billion from around the world. The African country, Niger, with 192,529.528 tonnes worth $309.51 million, remained the top sesame seed exporter to China fo...

Former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan declared on Friday that his party will adopt a "Fatah-e-Makkah" approach upon returning to power, vowing not to seek political vengeance. "We will not take any political revenge, but we will take the country and the nation forward for the sake of the development of the country and the nation," he stated, as conveyed by PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan following a 30-minute long meeting with Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Accompanying Ali Muhammad Khan were PTI leaders Latif Khosa and Amir Dogar during the discussion. ابھی اڈیالہ @ImranKhanPTI صاحب سے ملاقات ہوئی ہے۔ ملاقات میں سردار لطیف کھوسہ صاحب اور محمد عامر ڈوگر صاحب بھی موجود تھے۔ ماشاءاللٰہ صحت اچھی تھی اور ہشاش بشاش لگ رہے تھے۔ تقریبًا آدھا گھنٹہ ملاقات رہی۔ اپنے لیڈر سے اتنے عرصہ بعد ملا بہت اچھا لگا۔ مردان کی تاریخی جیت کا سن کر… — Ali Muhammad Khan (@Ali_MuhammadPTI) February 16, 2024 Ali Muhammad Khan highlighted Imran Khan's reference to former S...

The leaders of Canada, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, according to a joint statement released in response to reports about Israel's planned military operation in Rafah. "We are gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah. A military operation into Rafah would be catastrophic," the statement by the prime ministers of the three countries said. "An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed." Israel will press ahead with an offensive against Hamas in Rafah, the last refuge for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, after allowing civilians to vacate the area, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Read also: OIC condemns Israeli aggression in Gaza, calls for int’l intervention The statement urged Israel not to conduct the offensive, however it said any ceasefire could not be "one sided," and would require Hamas to disarm and i...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a grand Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, capping off a two-day visit to the Muslim nation that is home to around 3.5 million Indians. A day earlier, tens of thousands of Indians filled a soccer stadium in the capital Abu Dhabi, cheering on Modi who is seeking a rare third term in India's upcoming general election. Modi's visit to one of India's largest trading partners showed how the Hindu nationalist has deepened New Delhi's relations with the Middle East. At home, critics say that since Modi took the prime minister's office in 2014, religious polarisation has risen and that Indian Muslims, who make up 14% of the 1.42 billion population, are being marginalised. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacts, as he attends the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 14, 2024. PHOTO: AREUTERS The opening of the temple in a Muslim country has garnered widesprea...

The keel laying ceremony of the second Hangor-class submarine was conducted at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) on Wednesday, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement. The event was graced by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf as the chief guest, marking a significant step forward in Pakistan's naval capabilities. Keel Laying Ceremony of 2nd #HANGOR Class Submarine held at KS&EW.CNS Naveed Ashraf graced occasion as CG & lauded joint efforts & performance of MoD,#PakNavy,KS&EW &M/s CSOC. Ceremony was attended by reps of Embassy of China, M/s CSOC, M/s WSIG & high-ranking Pak govt officials. pic.twitter.com/bOru5f65Tx — DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) February 14, 2024 According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), under the defence agreement between Pakistan and China, aimed at developing a fleet of 8 Hangor-class submarines, construction efforts are divided between the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry in China and KS&EW i...

An Indian news magazine said Tuesday that the government had ordered it to delete an online report that implicated soldiers in the torture and killing of civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Rights groups say that restrictions on the press are increasingly common in India and particularly onerous in IIOJK, a region where India has more than half a million troops permanently stationed. The Caravan, a news and current affairs monthly, last week published a lengthy report on the deaths of three civilians detained by the army in December after a deadly attack on troops. The magazine said Tuesday that the information ministry had sent it an official order demanding the story be taken down within 24 hours. "The order's content is confidential," the magazine said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "We will be challenging this order." This URL has been taken down because of an order from the ministry of information and broadcasting under Sect...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar reaffirmed on Monday that the interim government had provided a level playing field for all political parties in the recently concluded elections, which were deemed 'free and fair'. He highlighted that a significant number of independent candidates supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the largest single group in both the national and provincial assemblies Addressing a press conference at the PM House, the prime minister said that there might be shortcomings or other minor issues, but by and large, the elections were held in a manner in which the entire nation and the law enforcement agencies deserved kudos despite various security challenges. He acknowledged that there may have been some shortcomings or minor issues, but overall, the elections were conducted in a manner deserving of praise for the entire nation and law enforcement agencies, despite facing various security challenges. The premier stressed that all...