Blaze News - Pakistan

The ambassadors of the OIC member states in Brussels called upon the European Union on Monday to exert all necessary efforts to achieve an immediate and complete ceasefire, putting an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza. In a joint press conference, the ambassadors emphasised the EU’s role in ending impunity and holding Israel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the barbaric aggression during its more than 16-year illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip. The presser was held in response to Israel’s continuing aggression against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Reiterating the call made by the OIC Extraordinary Executive Committee Meeting of Foreign Ministers on October 18, 2023, for an immediate cessation of this illegal and inhumane Israeli aggression, the envoys also requested international protection for the Palestinian people. They stressed the need for the EU’s efforts to open humanitarian corridors, allowing the rapid, safe, and unint...

A toxic haze began to circulate in New Delhi on Sunday as people in the city of 20 million, which has struggled with heavy pollution recently, defied a ban on firecrackers on the night of Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of light. Smoke plumes were visible across the sky as revellers let off firecrackers in the evening to mark the country's biggest festival. Every year government authorities or India's Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers - but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. The Air Quality Index (AQI) across all 40 monitoring stations in the capital averaged 219 on a scale of 500, according to the federal pollution control board data, indicating "poor" conditions that can affect most people on prolonged exposure. The AQI data also showed that the concentration of "PM2.5" poisonous particulate matter in a cubic metre of air was around 100 micrograms per cubic meter - 20 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recom...

Emphasising the United Nations General Assembly's status as the only UN forum with universal representation, Pakistan has urged the 193-member body to enhance the credibility of its decisions by setting up a mechanism to monitor the implementation of its own resolutions. "This authority is explicit whenever the Security Council is unable to act or is prevented from acting," Ambassador Munir Akram said in a debate on revitalising the work of the General Assembly. In this regard, the Pakistani envoy cited the Oct 27 Assembly resolution calling for a "humanitarian truce" in Israel's war on Gaza after the Security Council was stymied by the major powers' use of votes. In such circumstances, he added, the voice of the entire membership had not only moral but also considerable legal force, noting that the assembly's recommendations created obligations for the entire international community and the UN system. "We hope that the members of the Security C...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar met with the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), convened to address the urgent situation in occupied Palestine resulting from Israeli aggression in both Gaza and the West Bank. The extraordinary summit, scheduled for Sunday, will see leaders of Islamic countries deliberating on the escalating military situation in Gaza, where more than 10,000 people have lost their lives due to the actions of the Israeli occupational forces. During today’s meeting, PM Kakar and President Abbas expressed their concerns over the dire situation in Gaza, emphasising the need for Israel to agree to a ceasefire and cease bombardments that have led innocent Palestinians to flee their homes. Many have described the Israeli actions as war crimes against civilians. Caretaker Prime Minister meets Palestinian President in Riyadh, Saudi Ara...

Amidst the deportation drive initiated by the Government of Pakistan against illegal immigrants, including Afghan nationals, Amnesty International on Friday urged Islamabad to "halt the continued detentions, deportations, and [alleged] widespread harassment of Afghan refugees". In a statement, Livia Saccardi, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns for South Asia, accused Pakistan of using Afghan refugees as "political pawns", emphasising the risk they face upon return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan amidst a crackdown on human rights. The human rights group cited reports of alleged harassment in holding centers and instances where legal migrants possessing Proof of Registration (POR) identity documents were allegedly targeted. The organisation claimed that a 17-year-old boy detained in a Karachi raid on November 3, despite being born in Pakistan and holding a UNHCR-issued POR card. The Amnesty claimed that the family was denied access to the det...

Rain of light to moderate intensity lashed the federal capital, like other parts of the country, on Thursday afternoon, turning the weather cold and compelling most of the citizens to stay indoors. The rain-wind/thunderstorm of low to moderate intensity started around 4pm in the capital city, with hailstorms at a few places, and continued with gaps. The day temperatures have dropped from two to three degrees Celsius after the rain. The rain occurred due to a westerly wave affecting the upper parts of the country which is persisting as per the synoptic situation revealed by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) earlier. The PMD, in its advisory, warned travellers visiting northern areas to remain cautious. The farmers of barani areas were also advised to manage the crop activities accordingly. During the next 24 hours, rain-wind/thunderstorm with snow over mountains is likely in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and northeast Punjab. Isolated hailstorms may also...

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday held a meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev wherein they discussed the bilateral cooperation and regional issues including humanitarian situation in Gaza and Indian atrocities in IIOJK. The meeting took place on the sidelines of 16th Summit of Economic Cooperation Organization being held in here. The two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations especially in the domains of trade, defence and energy. Prime Minister Kakar welcomed the announcement of direct flight operations of Azerbaijan Airline (AZAL) to Pakistan terming it a positive development in people to-people exchanges and to advance two-way business and tourism. Read more: Hold Israel to account for atrocities in Gaza: Interim PM Kakar Prime Minister Kakar and President Aliyev discussed common challenges including Islamophobia and climate change and the critical role of ECO to promote regional cooperation and collective prosperity. The global a...