Pakistan News

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday refuted claims that he invited Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, to France. Durov was detained upon arrival in Paris and later released on probation. While Macron was in Belgrade for official talks, he denied allegations from the French newspaper Le Canard Enchaine that he had invited Durov to France. The newspaper had reported that Durov was detained immediately after landing at the airport as part of a purported invitation to the Elysee Palace. Macron stated that he had “absolutely no idea” about Durov’s visit to France and emphasised that it would be “wrong” to suggest he had invited Durov for dinner at the presidential residence. The French president defended his decision to grant Durov French citizenship in 2021. Macron described the move as part of a broader strategy to confer citizenship on influential international figures who “learn the French language” and contribute positively to France. He ...

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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday erupted into a chaos due to a verbal clash between the opposition and treasury members over the treatment of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former prime minister Imran Khan, with former alleging that Mr Khan was being denied basic facilities and the latter claiming that he was getting a preferential treatment inside the prison and enjoying luxurious conditions “akin to a five-star hotel”. The opposition members lodged a strong protest and started raising vociferous slogans when first Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal and then PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi in their hard-hitting speeches narrated the ordeal of their sufferings under the Imran-led PTI government, alleging that Mr Khan was making a hue and cry only to secure a deal. The house witnessed a rumpus when during the speech of Mr Abbasi, members from both sides of the aisle started sloganeering against each other, compelling Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to immediately adj...

ON July 22, 2024, in response to the government’s announcement that a military operation would be launched in KP, a 45-member jirga of Bannu elders presented a list of 16 demands for the maintenance of peace in Bannu specifically, and KP in general. Reportedly, the KP Apex Committee, which has members from the provincial government as well as the local military command, accepted these demands. On Aug 4, a jirga committee met to evaluate the implementation of these demands. It stated that only three demands had been implemented till then. The committee pointed out that the government’s delaying tactics would likely aggravate the security situation not only in Bannu, but also in the adjoining districts of North and South Waziristan, as evident in the surge in terrorist attacks in the first half of August. The jirga’s 16 demands can be divided into four categories — military, the Pakistani Taliban, police, and socioeconomic factors. With regard to the military, the demands comprise...

Shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued to trade in the green on Friday as the index climbed more than 400 points in intraday trade. The KSE-100 benchmark index climbed 446.50, or 0.57 per cent, to stand at 78,796.16 points from the previous close of 78,349.66 at 11:44am. Mohammed Sohail, the chief executive of Topline Securities, said that the market was rising due to expectations of Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) — a provider of global indices for passive investments —“rebalancing inflows”. Additionally, he said that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data — which measures household inflation and includes statistics about price change for categories of household expenditure — will be released on Monday with the “market expecting August CPI near 10pc”. Previously, Pakistan’s CPI in July rose 11.1 per cent year-on-year. Meanwhile, Awais Ashraf, director research at AKD Securities, said that the bullish momentum was “strengthened following Moody’s rating upg...

Heavy rain delayed the toss and threatened a washout of the opening day of the second cricket Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Friday. Both teams were still in their hotel and umpires were to inspect the ground only after the rain stopped, with the met office forecasting intermittent monsoon rain. It was a bad omen for a Pakistan team desperate to square the two-match series after Bangladesh won the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, on Sunday. Bangladesh’s 10-wicket victory was their first in 14 Tests against Pakistan. Pakistan have left out pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi from their 12-member squad, allowing him time to spend with his newly born son. A Shan Masood-led team with an all-pace bowling attack suffered a stunning loss to Bangladesh on the final day of the first Test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium last Sunday and now face a must-win task in the second Test. Bangladesh on the other hand are looking to record a historic first Test series victory ove...

RAWALPINDI: The superintendent of Central Jail Adiala has issued a notice to former deputy superintendent Mohammad Akram to vacate his official residence in jail colony within two days otherwise its electricity and water supplies will be cut off. A letter to Mr Akram said he would be held responsible for any liquidity damage, no excuse would be accepted and action would be taken in accordance with the law. Referring to a notification issued by S&GAD regarding the allotment of government residences, the letter from the jail superintendent said government employees after transfer or retirement can only keep their residences for two months. Therefore, it said: “Since you have been transferred to Inspectorate General Prison Lahore on June 20 2024 by the Punjab Home Department, more than two months have passed. Still you have occupied the government’s official residence which is against the law.” It may be noted that Mr Akram, after his transfer, was residing in the official house...

KARACHI: A sessions court on Wednesday sentenced a street criminal to a collective of 23 years in prison for committing offences including robbery, possession of illegal arms and an encounter with police. Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon found Javed Jokhio guilty and sentenced him on four counts: seven years each under Sections 397 (robbery) and 324 (attempt to murder), and two years under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The accused was also sentenced to an additional seven years for possession of an illegal weapon under the provision of the Sindh Arms Act 2013, while the court also imposed a fine of Rs20,000. On default, he would serve additional imprisonment. However, the court ruled that all sentences would run concurrently, with the highest sentence being seven years. Judge rules such offenders do not deserve any leniency “The current situation of Kara...

ISLAMABAD: While a set of five private bills is expected to be laid before the National Assembly on Tuesday next including legislation to increase the number of judges in the top judiciary, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has convened a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Sept 13 to deliberate upon the proposed JCP Rules 2024. The JPC will consider elevation of judges in the superior judiciary and discussion on the matter may continue until next day if the agenda was not exhausted on Sept 13. The meeting will also be attended by SC’s senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, former SC judge Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) representative Akhtar Hussain. The last JCP meeting was held on May 3, but it remained inconclusive as the law minister informed the comm...

Traders across major cities of Pakistan observed a shutter-down strike on Wednesday against the government’s much-touted tax reforms, including the Tajir Dost Scheme. In March, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) introduced the ‘ Tajir Dost Scheme ’ to bring traders and wholesalers into the formal tax structure as required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The move had led to concerns and reservations among the traders. Earlier this month, the traders’ community, including Markazi Tanzeem-i-Tajran Pakistan and All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajran, announced a nationwide strike against the Tajir Dost Scheme as well as heavy taxation and inflated electricity bills. Trader’s bodies have decried the tax challans — to the tune of Rs60,000 — issued to small businesses and retailers, saying those registered under the scheme were promised they would not have to pay more than Rs1,200 in taxes. The expansion of the country’s tax base will now pose a significant challenge for the PML-N and...

ISLAMABAD: Over 41 per cent of women in Pakistan suffer from anaemia, with 14.4pc being underweight and 24pc overweight, according to a new report. The state of maternal nutrition is so bleak that 186 women die per 100,000 live births; suboptimal breastfeeding leads to 2,000 dea­ths in mothers due to breast and ovarian cancer and 1,100 deaths due to type-II diabetes annually. Moreover, there are 1.4 million cases of low birth weight in Pakistan each year. This has been revealed in the ‘ Cost of Inaction Tool ’ developed by Nutrition International. The re­­port was presented at the ‘Nat­ional Policy Dialogue on Economic Case for Maternal Nutrition’, org­anised by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) in Bhurban. Report says country loses $17bn every year due to under-nutrition There are 918,154 new cases of anaemia among pregnant women and adolescent girls (15 to 49) every year. Pakistan has the fourth highest prevalence of anaemia in adolescent girls and women in eigh...

A truck driver, who rescuers initially thought was dead, was recovering on Tuesday after hospital staff receiving bodies realised he was alive despite being shot five times in one of the most widespread attacks in Balochistan in years. On Monday, Munir Ahmed was driving with three colleagues in a convoy of four trucks through the southern province of Balochistan. The drivers did not notice anything amiss and had not heard of any violence until they were about an hour outside of the provincial capital, Quetta. Suddenly, armed men crowded the dusty stretch of highway, waving at them to stop, ordering the drivers out of their trucks and lining them up on the roadside. Ahmed, 50, began to recite Quranic verses in fear. “We were all horrified,” he said. The gunmen opened fire and threw the men’s bodies into a stream, leaving them for dead. Meanwhile, attackers along other roads were stopping buses, pulling off passengers, and killing men in front of their families, Balochistan’s ...

Bangladesh’s new authorities on Wednesday opened an investigation into hundreds of enforced disappearances by security forces during the rule of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, the government said. It includes the notorious Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) paramilitary force, accused of numerous rights abuses, and which was sanctioned by the United States for its role in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Human Rights Watch last year said security forces had committed “over 600 enforced disappearances” since Hasina came to power in 2009, and nearly 100 remain unaccounted for. Many of those detained were from Hasina’s rivals, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party. Hasina’s government consistently denied the allegations, claiming some of those reported missing had drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe. Hasina fled to India by helicopter on August 5 after weeks of student-led protests forced her to...

Police in India fired teargas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of protesters marching in the eastern city of Kolkata on Tuesday to demand the resignation of a top state minister in the wake of a gruesome rape and murder of a trainee doctor. Protesters led by university students broke through the iron barricades set up on the route of their march to the West Bengal state secretariat, television footage showed, resulting in a baton charge by the police, who had earlier declared the protest illegal. The August 9 attack on the 31-year-old doctor has caused nationwide outrage, similar to the widespread protests witnessed after a 2012 gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi, with campaigners saying women continue to suffer from high levels of sexual violence despite tougher laws. A police volunteer has been arrested for the crime and the federal police have taken over the investigation. Junior doctors have refused to see non-emergency patients in many parts...

Bangladesh players have rallied round teammate Shakib Al Hasan, the ousted lawmaker who faces a case of alleged murder connected to unrest that toppled the government earlier this month. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team’s maiden Test win against Pakistan on Sunday, in which all-rounder Shakib took three second-innings wickets, was a tribute to the hundreds killed during protests that forced former premier Sheikh Hasina from power. Bangladesh endured weeks of student-led protests that resulted in Hasina fleeing to India by helicopter on August 5, ending 15 years of autocratic rule. Shakib, 37, who lost his job as a lawmaker for Hasina’s Awami League party when parliament was dissolved, is “a big asset of our country,” said Shanto in a post on Facebook late Monday. “He’s been raising the name of Bangladesh in the world for 17 long years,” Shanto said. Rafiqul Islam, the father of one of the hundreds killed during the civil unrest, filed a murder case against Shaki...

Scientists studying the new mpox strain that has spread out of the Democratic Republic of Congo say the virus is changing faster than expected and often in areas where experts lack the funding and equipment to properly track it. That means there are multiple unknowns about the virus itself, its severity, and how it is transmitting, complicating the response, half a dozen scientists in Africa, Europe, and the United States told Reuters . Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been a public health problem in parts of Africa since 1970 but received little global attention until it surged internationally in 2022, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. That declaration ended 10 months later. A new strain of the virus, known as clade Ib, has the world’s attention again after the WHO declared a new health emergency . The strain is a mutated version of clade I, a form of mpox spread by contact with infected animals that has been endemic in Congo for ...

ISLAMABAD: Best by internal differences, the PTI has found itself in a new predicament as former president Arif Alvi has expressed reluctance to head the committee formed to bridge gaps among different groups. Sources have told Dawn the former president has not given his consent to play the role of a mediator. “We have been trying to convince him to play his role. In case [he] declines, we may look for some other figure who has to be acceptable and well respected for all sections of the party,” a senior leader said while wishing not to be quoted. The PTI leader said Mr Alvi’s name was proposed as the committee’s head, and after taking all the groups on board, he was supposed to give recommendations in a week. The PTI has been severely affected by internal divisions with several party leaders having formed their own groups, according to reports. Each group tries to get close to the PTI founding chairman Imran Khan. These groupings exist at both federal and provincial levels, and t...

At least three people have been killed and 48 others wounded when a bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims crashed into a truck in southern Iran, state media reported on Monday. The Pakistani pilgrims were headed through Iran to Iraq to attend the Arbaeen commemoration, which marks the 40th day of mourning for Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Iran’s official news agency IRNA said a bus collided with a truck late on Sunday on the main road between Neyriz city in Fars province and Sirjan in Kerman province, leaving “48 wounded and three dead”. It did not specify how many people were on board the bus. Colonel Abdol Hashem Dehghani, a Fars traffic police official quoted by IRNA , said the accident was caused by “a technical failure” in the brakes and the driver’s “inability to control the vehicle”. Meanwhile, Iran’s Mehr News Urdu quoted Neyriz Governor Yaqub Khosrawani as saying that 4 Pakistani pilgrims lost their lives while 30 others were injured in the in...

Twelve terrorists have so far been neutralised and many others were injured as security forces responded to attacks carried out at several places across Balochistan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday. “In Balochistan, terrorists have carried out cowardly attacks at several places,” the report said, without specifying the locations of the attacks. “Security forces and law enforcement agencies responded effectively to these attacks,” Radio Pakistan said, adding that the operation would continue until the terrorists were eliminated. The development comes after armed men attacked Lev­ies and police stations in Mastung, Kalat, Pasni and Suntsar late on Sunday night. Reports of blasts and grenade attacks were also received from Sibi Pan­jgur, Mastung, Turbat, Bela and Quetta. Officials said armed men blew up a railway track linking Pakistan with Iran at the bypass area of Mastung. Later, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks. Accord...

The state of Odisha in eastern India has culled more than a thousand chickens after a positive test for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, a state government official told Reuters on Sunday. The epicentre of the outbreak was in the Puri district, about 19 miles from the state capital Bhubaneswar, and follows the recent death of 1,800 birds at a local poultry farm. “The work is ongoing. We are going to cull about 20,000 birds,” Additional Director of Disease Control Dr Jagannath Nanda told Reuters . The H5N1 strain is considered highly pathogenic and can also be transmitted to animals such as pigs, horses, large cats, dogs, and occasionally humans. The spread of the virus is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, the possibility of trade restrictions and the risk of human transmission. from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/Kwpf609

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, said on Saturday that the government planned to close or privatise state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and ministries classified as “non-strategic” as part of its austerity measures. Speaking on Dawn News TV’s programme ‘Doosra Rukh with Nadir Guramani,’ the federal minister emphasised that this move will not only relieve the government of a significant burden but also ensure a focus on “good governance.” Sheikh said that the government was looking at multiple SOEs and considering whether to privatise them or close them entirely. “These institutions, for the most part, generate losses and perform poorly ,” he said. “They bring no benefit and people aren’t satisfied with their service.” He added that the government was holding discussions related to all federal institutions, aiming to privatise most of them. “There are few that serve a strategic purpose… we need to downsize to ensure better governance.” Asked about which ...

At least 20 passengers were killed and 1 injured on Sunday when a coaster traveling from Kahuta to Rawalpindi fell into a ditch, a rescue official said. “The accident was caused due to the coaster’s failed brakes ,” Rescue 1122 Punjab official Usman Gujjar said. The bodies are currently being shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Kahuta, he said, adding that 35 passengers were on board, most of which were men. “The tragic accident occurred on the Girari Bridge of Kahuta’s Azad Pattan Road,” the official further said. Condolences pour in President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “deep grief over the loss of precious lives” in the accident. “My sympathies are with the bereaved families in this hour of sorrow,” he said, according to a post shared by his party, PPP, on the X platform. He also emphasised on the need to “speed up relief activities”. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that she felt “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives“. “May Allah exalt the ranks of those...

At least 11 people were killed and 35 injured when a bus overturned on the Makran coastal highway and fell into a ditch, according to officials. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lasbela Naveed Alam, the bus was carrying pilgrims from Iran to Punjab when it overturned near Buzzi Top when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding. According to District Commissioner (DC) Lasbela Humaira Baloch, a rescue operation is being conducted by the Basic Health Unit (BHU) Rasmalan, MERC 1122 Rasmalan & the Coast Guard. Seven of the injured have been shifted to DHQ Uthal, Lasbela, DC Baloch said, adding that 11 bodies have been recovered so far. She noted the possibility of some injuries or casualties underneath the bus, for which arrangements of a crane have been made. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the accident, according to a post on X by his party PPP. He directed that timely medical aid be provided to the injured. The president...

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott jointly launch the ‘District Education Performance Index’ in Islamabad on Friday. — INP ISLAMABAD: An official report released on Friday placed the country’s education system in the ‘low’ performance category and highlighted critical areas requiring attention to improve the education outcomes. The District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) Report 2020-23 released by the Planning Commission stated, “Pakistan’s national average score in the DEPIx is 53.46, placing the country in the “low” performance category. Among the five domains, infrastructure and access scored the highest at 58.95, indicating some progress in expanding educational opportunities. Inclusion (equity and technology) follows as the second-highest domain.“ It said public financing recorded the lowest score, highlighting the need for increased and better-targeted spending in the education sector. The learning domain also scores poorly, ref...

Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr abandoned his campaign on Friday and endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump, ending a run that he began as a Democrat trading on one of the most famous names in American politics. Hours after announcing the endorsement in a press conference, Kennedy joined Trump at a campaign event in Arizona, where the crowd cheered the independent loudly. “His candidacy has inspired millions and millions of Americans, raised critical issues that have been too long ignored in this country,” Trump said of Kennedy. Strategists said it was unclear whether Kennedy’s endorsement would help Trump, who is in a tight contest with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the November 5 election. Kennedy, 70, told a news conference earlier that he met with Trump and his aides several times and learned they agreed on issues like border security, free speech and ending wars. “There are still many issues and approaches on which we continue ...

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from cricket on Saturday, dropping curtains on a career in which he established himself as a prolific top-order batter. The Delhi player made his India debut against Australia in 2010 and his last international match was against Bangladesh in December 2022, both 50-over matches, a format considered his strong suit. “It’s important to turn the page to move forward in life and that’s why I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket,” the 38-year-old said in a video posted on his social media accounts. “I’ve told myself ‘don’t feel sad that you won’t play for India anymore, but feel happy that you played for the country’.” The left-hander smashed 24 international hundreds and particularly excelled in multi-team tournaments such as the Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and the 2015 World Cup. His 85-ball hundred against Australia in a 2013 test was the fastest by a debutant. Dhawan also captained Ind...

At least 14 people died, 16 were injured and more feared missing after a bus carrying 40 Indians plunged into a river in Nepal, a spokesperson for the Himalayan nation’s armed police said on Friday. Roads in the mountainous region can challenge drivers as they are often narrow and treacherous, making it tough to manoeuvre large vehicles around hairpin curves. The bus, registered in India, was headed for the Nepali capital of Kathmandu from the tourist city of Pokhara with about 40 Indian passengers, said Shailendra Thapa, the spokesperson. Rescuers pulled 16 people from the rain-swollen waters of the Marsyangdi river in the Tanahun district, about 118 kilometres from the capital, Thapa said. Police and army teams climbed down long metal ladders to reach the river, using ropes to pull out the injured and dead. Exhausted women and children lay amid debris scattered on the banks of the fast-flowing river as rescuers hauled a nearly swooning child out of danger, video images showed. ...