Pakistan News World

A day after a deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar claimed over 100 lives, a police station in Mianwali came under a gun attack by a group of heavily armed militants be­longing to banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakis­tan (TTP) on Tuesday night. However, police clai­med late at night the attack had been repulsed. The attack is significant in that terrorists — who had so far targeted police stations and check posts in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and areas bordering Afghanistan — have set their sights on a police station in Punjab for the first time since the resurgence of terrorism in the country. According to social media reports, the attack started at around 9pm as militants unleashed heavy fire at Makkarwal police station using automatic weapons. This resulted in a heavy exchange of fire as police retaliated leading to a gun battle that lasted two hours. However, there were no reports of any injuries to police personnel during the attack, the Punjab IG confirmed, as a senior Mianwali police offi

The review Mission of International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by its Chief, Nathan Porter, called on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Tuesday. The meeting discussed and reviewed the economic and fiscal policies and reforms agenda to accomplish the 9th review under the Extended Fund Facility. The Finance Minister briefed the Mission on fiscal and economic reforms and measures being taken by the government in different sectors including bridging the fiscal gap, exchange rate stability and in energy sector for the betterment of the economy. He said reforms are being introduced in power sector and a high level committee has been formed for devising modalities to offset the menace of circular debt in gas sector. Expressing the government's resolve to complete the current IMF program, Ishaq Dar said Pakistan is committed to work with IMF for reaching an agreement to complete the 9th review under Extended Fund Facility. On the occasion, the IMF Mission Chief expressed the c

Did you know cricketer Shaheen Shah Afridi had an artistic side to him? The pace bowler is exercising his creative powers to design Lahore Qalandars’ new kit. CEO of Lahore Qalandars Atif Rana shared the news and said, “Shaheen Shah Afridi is our leader and our captain. He is designing Lahore Qalandar’s new kit and it is the best. The way he takes out wickets, his kit design will also blow everyone’s minds. We hope all the fans will really like the new design.” The PSL team also teased the design donned by Shaheen himself. They have been dropping Easter eggs all this time. It looks like 2023 is a big year for Shaheen, not only is he unleashing the designer within for the PSL tournament next month, he is also reportedly tying the knot with Shahid Afridi’s daughter Ansha in a couple of days. A source close to the Afridi family confirmed that their nikah ceremony will be held in Karachi on Feb 3. Maybe the bowler is taking notes from his father-in-law to be who explored new horizon

Following the petrol bomb, people can get some relief from electricity bills as National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday reduced the cost of electricity per unit by Rs10.80 for K-Electric’s consumers and Rs2.31 for other consumers. The NEPRA has approved a reduction in electricity price by Rs10.80 per unit for the month of December, in the form of a monthly fuel adjustment. The decision was taken following an open hearing which was presided over by Chairman of Nepra, Tauseef Hasan Farooqi where the complainants were also present. During the hearing, Nepra member Rafiq Shaikh expressed his disappointment with the failure to produce cheap electricity. Additionally, consumers complained about ongoing load shedding in Karachi, which Nepra officials expressed indignation about. The reduction in electricity price was approved after reviewing the data on power generation and transmission. Nepra has also approved the reduction in the cost of electricity per unit

The Election Commission of Pakistan ruled on Tuesday that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will remain president of the PML-Q. The commission had reserved its decision regarding a decision by the party’s central working committee to remove Shujaat from the party leadership on August 18 of last year. The decision said that the CWC’s ruling carried no legal basis and also declared the recently-held intra party election illegal. The PML-Q had decided to replace Shujaat with his brother Wajahat as the party’s president at a meeting in Lahore. The party had also removed Tariq Bashir Cheema as the general secretary and appointed Kamil Ali Agha in his place. Chaudhry Shujaat had challenged the party’s decisions in the election commission. The move against Shujaat had come after a dispute over their alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the Punjab Assembly. Pervaiz Elahi, who was then hoping to get elected as the province’s chief minister, and Shujaat had issued contradtictory direction

Death toll of Peshawar blast has risen to ninety as rescue operation is still underway and debris of mosque is being removed. According to Police Control Room Peshawar, more than two-hundred injured were brought to the Lady Reading hospital, out of which about one-hundred injured are under treatment in the hospital and the rest have been discharged. The dead bodies of the martyred people have been handed over to the heirs of martyrs after identification for burial. The attack happened on Monday during Zohr prayers inside a mosque in Peshawar's Police Lines area. According to reports, 90 people embraced martyrdom, with the death toll rising as more bodies arrived from the scene. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan has announced one-day mourning in the province after the sorrowful mosque blast in Peshawar. Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers. The police said that the

An Islamabad sessions court stated on Tuesday that charges against PTI chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference will be framed on February 7. The reference was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last year, asking the court to proceed against Imran under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister. It claimed that Imran had “deliberately concealed his assets relating to Toshakhana gifts retained by him particularly in the year 2018 and 2019 […] in the statements of assets and liabilities filed for the year 2017-2018 and 2018-19”. The Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division that stores gifts given to rulers and government officials by heads of other governments and foreign dignitaries The ECP had requested that the PTI chief be convicted for the offences mentioned under Sections 167 (corrupt practice) and 173 (making or publishing a false statement or

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Monday sent a Rs10 billion legal notice to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. In the notice, sent by Naek and Associates acting on behalf of their client Asif Ali Zardari, it was stated that Imran in a public address – which was widely reported across the world – had accused Zardari of “false, fabricated and scandalous remarks/statements as well as leveled baseless allegations of serious nature” that he had paid his corruption money to a terrorist organization being supported by powerful state agency facilitators to launch another fatal attack on him. The notice read that the baseless accusations were of “malicious and defamatory nature” that tried to defame Zardari nationally as well as internationally. “Through your defamatory, libelous, scandalous remarks and allegations of serious nature you have tried to create a link between our client and terrorist org

A powerful suicide blast inside a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines area on Monday martyred two policemen while more than 70 others were injured. The explosion took place when worshippers had gathered in the mosque for the afternoon prayers. A heavy contingent of police has rushed to the spot to cordon it off. The explosion was powerful enough to shatter window panes of nearby buildings and the blast was heard for areas relatively far away as well. Rescue workers and ambulances have rushed to the spot. They said they have shifted at least 70 people thus far to the nearby the Lady Reading Hospital and the Khyber Teaching Hospital. The area is located in a highly secure area of Peshawar with Police Secretariat and PTCL Colony all located nearby. To access the area, people have to cross several police check posts. With no commercial area located within the police lines, only people with authorized access can enter the area. via Original Source

The Pakistani rupee continued to lose its value on Monday, trading at an all-time low of 270 against the dollar in the interbank market. The local currency, which had closed at a record low of Rs262.6 on Friday, fell Rs6.5 to a dollar or 2.32% today, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP). The current spell of depreciation came after the coalition government ended its control on its price in order to woo the International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials to revive the $7 billion loan programme. With the latest drop, the domestic currency has cumulatively slumped by nearly 14% or Rs36 in the three days, compared to Wednesday’s close of Rs230.89 to a dollar, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data. In over two hours of today's trading session, the currency hit an intra-day low of Rs270 during the day, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP). Meanwhile, the association reported that the currency was changing hand wi

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is in Moscow to hold talks with Russian leaders on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. The foreign minister is on a two day visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. On his arrival at Moscow airport, the Foreign Minister was received by senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan and officials of the embassy. The two foreign ministers are scheduled to meet today for official talks. According to the Foreign Office, the foreign minister is visiting the Russian Federation at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The two foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on Monday for official talks. Foreign Minister @BBhuttoZardari has arrived in Moscow on an official visit. The FM was received by senior officials of Russian Foreing Ministry, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Mr. Shafqat Ali Khan @shafqatAmbPak and officia

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan are often hailed as a panacea for improving livelihoods, the environment, and health of masses at large – thanks to a better framework for programming and monitoring of development activities. The debate to ensure meaningful sustainable development, however, constitutes a paradox as many of its goals don’t fit with our existing governing structures and the SDGs themselves can serve as self-defeating. For example, the population of a province carries more than 80pc weightage in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award formula, which means that there are no incentives for provinces to promote population control by design as reducing population rates will be synonymous to foregoing future revenue shares from the federal tax pool. This also means that fiscal inequities between Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan will increase with time due to the disparity in growth rates. Fertility control schemes (SDG no 11 and 1), to bring the masses

The President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will arrive in Islamabad on Monday on a one-day visit. He will be escorted by JF-17 aircrafts to PAF Noor Khan Air Base where the distinguished guest will be given a 21 gun salute. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and members of the federal cabinet will welcome the distinguished guest at the air base. Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be presented a guard of honor by the armed forces of Pakistan at the Prime Minister's House, after which he will have a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The UAE President arrived in Pakistan on 25th of this month. via Original Source

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will contest for all 33 seats in the upcoming National Assembly by-elections set to take place on March 16, the party has announced — becoming the first person in the country's history to run for a sizeable number of seats. In a press conference after the party's core committee meeting in Lahore on Sunday, PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: "Imran Khan will be PTI's candidate for all constituencies that [are up for grabs] and our [ex-]MNAs, who were earlier elected for those seats will be covering candidates." The move will likely pile up pressure on the ruling coalition as if the PTI chief successfully wins a majority of the seats, it might dent the government's popularity and give the Khan-led party an edge in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections — expected to take place in the next three months. The embattled government is under severe criticism from the masses as inflation is at a rec

At least 10 children died after a boat carrying 25 madrasa students capsized in Tanda Dam of Kohat district. All of the dead so far recovered from Tanda Dam lake, near Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were between seven and 14 years old. According to Rescue 1122, 18 students have been rescued while eight are under treatment in a hospital. Madrasah students of the village Mir Badshah Khel reportedly came to the Dam for a picnic. Mass drownings are common in Pakistan, when aged and overloaded vessels lose their stability and pitch passengers into the water. In July, 18 women drowned when an overcrowded boat carrying a wedding party across the Indus river in Punjab province capsized. via Original Source

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned highly offensive desecration of the Holy Quran by a Danish politician. In a tweet on Sunday, he said that this is the third such incident in a row that should be strongly condemned by the civilised world. The Prime Minister said the need for global unity to fight Islamophobia couldn't be more urgent than it is now. He said we are deeply hurt. The Prime Minister urged the international community to come together and fight the rampant Islamophobia, saying "the need for global unity to fight Islamophobia couldn't be more urgent than it is now. We are deeply hurt." The highly offensive desecration of the Holy Quran by a Danish politician is the third such incident in a row that should be strongly condemned by the civilised world. The need for global unity to fight Islamophobia couldn't be more urgent than it is now. We are deeply hurt. — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 29, 2023 A day earlier, the Foreign Office

The political canvas is ripe with somersaults, and not many are sure as to what it entails. An Islamabad court’s decision, after a brief hiatus, to once again remand PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry in police custody over his alleged threatening remarks against the Election Commission has rolled out a formal forum for agitation in the country. The PTI as well as many more, from other sides of the divide, believe that the contention to try Fawad under criminal procedure is unwarranted, and the government is unnecessarily exhibiting its bias. Secondly, the return of Maryam Nawaz from London after a self-proclaimed 100 day respite from proactive politics is fomenting the puzzle of electioneering. Last but not least, the claim from former Prime Minister Imran Khan that there is a plot to exterminate him, and the subsequent surprising withdrawal of security from him, has made it too unnerving. The question now being asked is whether the country is heading towards elections, or not? Punjab and Khyb

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday morning announced an Rs35 increase in the prices of petrol and diesel, which will be applicable from 11am today. The new price of petrol will be Rs249.80. The new price of diesel will be Rs262.80. The prices of kerosene and light diesel will increase by Rs18. The increase comes after reports of petrol shortage in many parts of the country on Sunday morning. Prices normall go into effect at midnight after a few hours notice but the latest increase came into effect on midday with the minister’s announcement. The increase is being related to IMF conditions, which have been imposed to resume a stalled bailout programme. An IMF team is expected to arrive in Islamabad for negotiations on January 31. In a televised address, Dar said that speculation was rife on social media regarding an Rs50 increase in the prices of petrol and diesel. “Because of this, we have received reports of artificial shortages in the market.” “As you saw, the Pakistani rupe

At least 22 people were killed while scores sustained injuries after a passenger coach lost control and plunged into a ravine near Lasbeela. According to rescue sources, the passenger coach lost control due to overspeeding, overturned near Lasbela, and immediately caught fire. As a result, at least three people died on the spot and scores sustained injuries. Bela Assistant Commissioner Hamza Anjum Nadeem said there were 48 passengers on board the ill-fated bus and the said number of bodies and injured passengers have been taken out, so far. He said that the rescue operation is underway and the deceased and injured had been shifted to Civil Hospital, Lasbela. The official, however, shared that the rescue workers faced obstacles as it was still dark in the morning due to the cold weather. Meanwhile, the police said that the accident happened due to speeding as the bus went out of the driver's control and was careened into the ravine. They said that teams of the fire brigade, r

Following allegations from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari of hatching an assassination plot, the PPP on Saturday strongly refuted the allegations and announced to take legal action. In a joint press conference on Saturday comprising senior PPP leaders, including Nayyar Bukhari and Zardari’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, the party condmened what it called were false allegations. They added that they will take legal action against Imran Khan. During the press conference, PPP senior leader and Advisor to Prime Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira wondered whether Imran had lost his sanity. Live: PPP Leaders addressing a press conference in Islamabad https://t.co/HctIGVS8WC — PPP (@MediaCellPPP) January 28, 2023 He added that whenever Imran gets in trouble politically he makes such strange allegations to keep himself relevant. However, he said that

Intelligence agency busted a network of suicide bombers in multiple intelligence-based operations in North Waziristan and Jamrud, averting the risk of a major attack. A major TTP organiser has also been killed. The operations began after a suicide attacker targeted a police check post in Takhta Baig in Jamrud on January 19. The attacker injured three security officials with gunfire before blowing up his suicide vest. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. A forensic analysis of the site and geofencing led the security to believe that the attacker was TTP member named Umar. The first IBO conducted on January 23 resulted in the death of Satana Jan, the Jamrud resident who had aided Umar. The TTP also confirmed Jan’s death. Two people related to the attacker, Farman Ullah and Abdul Qayyum were taken into custody. Another operation was conducted on January 27 after receiving reports that some suspects were active in the area. Four mo

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz will return to Pakistan today at 3 pm, ending a three and a half month hiatus. Maryam Nawaz is expected to land Lahore airport at 3pm. She had traveled to London in September to meet her father Nawaz Sharif and to seek treatment for her throat. She ultimately underwent throat surgery in Geneva. Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, while speaking to the media in London on Friday, said PMLN party leader Nawaz Sharif had directed Maryam and other senior party leadership on how to run the campaign f or the upcoming by-elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Upon her return to Pakistan, Maryam is expected to start reorganizing the party and run the election campaign. via Original Source

Pakistan on Saturday joined other Islamic nations to strongly condemn the recent attack on Islam’s holy book Quran in Denmark. The strong response comes as an anti-Islam group burned copies of the Quran near a Copenhagen mosque and outside the Turkish embassy in the Scandinavian country. In the message, Foreign Office condemned in the strongest terms the senseless and deeply offensive act of desecration of the Holy Quran by the same Islamophobe who committed a similar act in Sweden a few days ago. “The repetition of the vile act leaves little doubt in the minds of Muslims around the world that freedom of expression is being blatantly abused to spread religious hatred and incitement to violence,” Foreign Office said. Pakistan also called into question the legal framework behind which the Islamophobes hide and spread hatred with impunity. At a time when there is an increasing need for inter-faith harmony and mutual respect for peaceful coexistence, the international community canno

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the confidence that Pakistan will conclude a deal with the International Monetary Fund in a bid to overcome the financial challenges. Speaking at inaugural ceremony of Greenline train service between Islamabad and Karachi in Islamabad on Friday, the Prime Minister said headway in talks with IMF would help the country address the current economic situation. The IMF delegation will be visiting Islamabad from 31st of this month to 9th of next month to continue discussions regarding the ninth review of the 7 billion dollars Extended Fund Facility. The Prime Minister emphasized the adoption of austerity at a massive scale to tackle difficult economic problems. He said the government has set its priority keeping in view its foreign exchange reserves, thus allowing the import of medicine and food as essential items. Shehbaz Sharif expressed confidence that with dedication and commitment, the country would soon regain its glory. He r

PTI chief Imran Khan — in what can be termed an explosive claim — alleged on Friday that former president Asif Ali Zardari was behind a new plot to assassinate him for which the PPP co-chairman had “given money to a terrorist outfit”. “Earlier, in a public rally, I had told my supporters that there were four people who had planned to kill me […] but they backed off when I made these revelations.” Then a “plan B” was made to “eliminate” me in the name of religion, Imran continued, referring to the attack on his life in Wazirabad. “But I got to know about that too and I revealed their plan in two public rallies.” Referring to Wazirabad attack, he said that the people behind these “conspiracies” had almost succeeded but “God saved him”. “Now they have made a plan C and Zardari is behind it. He has unlimited corrupt money […] the money he loots from the Sindh government is used in elections, to buy MPAs […] whether it is the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Gilgit-Baltistan, he rec

Asserting the government was firing on all cylinders to salvage the country's economy, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Friday said Pakistan is the only country founded in the name of Islam and Allah Almighty is responsible for its development and prosperity. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Green Line Express Train service in Islamabad, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that he had full faith that Pakistan would progress because it was created in the name of Islam. If Allah can create Pakistan then He can also protect, develop, and make it prosper, Dar added. The finance minister said, "they are trying their best to improve Pakistan's condition under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's leadership". Dar reiterated the incumbent government inherited several problems from the previous government, adding, the government was working day and night. "The team is trying to improve the situation ahead of the elections." He said the co

Hours after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) interim cabinet was sworn in, an 11-member Punjab interim cabinet — set to serve till general elections take place in the province — also took oath on Thursday. Governor Baligh Ur Rehman administered the oath to the newly-appointed cabinet members held at the Governor's House. Out of the 11 cabinet members, eight ministers — Bilal Afzal, SM Tanveer, Dr Javed Akram, Ibrahim Murad, Dr Jamal Nasir, Mansoor Qadir, Syed Azfar Ali Nasir and Amir Mir — took the oath, while three others — Wahab Riaz, Tamkinat Karim and Naseem Sadiq — couldn't attend the ceremony. Although the reason for the other two is unknown, Pakistan's veteran fast bowler Riaz will take over as the largest province's sports minister in due time. Besides other noted personalities, Punjab’s caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi was among the attendees of the oathtaking ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Naqvi extended felicitation to the newly-appointed ca

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail Thursday slammed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and said that the finmin doubted his ability to keep the economy afloat. The former finance minister said the attempt to run the country without the help of the Fund resulted in harming Pakistan, however, the government soon realised that it has no option other than embracing the tough conditions of the global lender. He further stated that a "strange system" has been established in Pakistan under which a small section of elites makes all the decisions. "Every country is ahead of us and the reason behind it is the fault in governance," Ismail said. He said that the governance system could never be fixed without the devolution of authority. The politician further stated that the authorities needed to create employment opportunities for the lower class. "We have seen the democratic system of government, presidential system, and dictatorship as well,"

The Senate was informed in categorical terms on Thursday that no back-channel diplomacy was presently taking place between Pakistan and India. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar told the House during the question hour that hostility coming from the neighbouring country was of unique nature. She maintained that relations between the two nations were marred by a number of provocative steps by India. Khar added that the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi being banned by India vindicated Pakistan’s viewpoint on the Gujarat massacre. The minister said Islamabad was keen that its eastern and western borders remain peaceful and wanted to continue to be on a journey of peace. She stated that despite New Delhi's negative attitude, Islamabad would continue on the path of peace, and the tension between the two on the Line of Control had decreased. She continued that minorities in Pakistan enjoyed full religious protection but in India, they were being

After the emergence of apparent differences within the party ranks, the Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q) general council on Thursday removed Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the party chief. The decision was made during a consultative meeting of the party held at the Pakistan Muslim League House situated at Davis Road in Lahore. Brother of Shujaat, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, has been given the command of the PML-Q. The meeting also removed Shujaat's close aide, Tariq Bashir Cheema, and selected Kamil Ali Agha as the central secretary-general of the party. The development comes days after Shujaat had suspended the basic membership of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi — for his statement about a possible merger with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A show-cause notice served to Elahi mentioned that a meeting of the PML-Q — chaired by Shujaat — noted that the provincial president — Elahi — did not have the authority to merge the party with PTI. "Your [Elahi] party membership is suspe

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has once again been named the ICC's ODI Player of the Year after he won the International Cricket Council's award for the year 2022 with his spectacular performance in the calendar year 2021. The batting maestro achieved the feat a day after being named the captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022. "There were match-winning knocks, spell-binding stroke-play and memorable moments from a personal perspective and his team in 2022 as Pakistan skipper Babar Azam claimed ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award for a second consecutive year," a statement released by the international cricket governing body said. The ICC reminisced some of Babar's memorable performances and outstanding achievements in the year. What Babar produced during 2022 was even better than 2021, a year for him to remember in ODI cricket, as the "ultra-consistent right-hander maintained his lead" as the No 1 ranked batter on the ICC Men's ODI

Pakistan has reiterated to raise its voice on the continuing grave human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan will also continue to extend unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolution. She said we pay rich tribute to the sacrifices of martyrs of three massacres committed by the Indian occupation forces in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir during the month of January in the 1990s. With regard to situation in Afghanistan, the Spokesperson said Pakistan stresses the importance of peace and stability in our neighbourhood. She said we underscore our desire to work closely with regional countries to pursue continuous and practical engagement with the Interim Afghan Government on counteri

Adviser on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira has said it is shameful for India to call itself a republic despite the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement on Thursday, he said on the one hand India is celebrating the Republic Day today and on the other hand it has usurped the fundamental rights of Kashmiris. The Adviser said India is committing worst atrocities in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India today stands exposed as a Hindu fascist country. Qamar Zaman Kaira said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has truly exposed extremist face of Modi's government before the world. Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and world over are observing India’s Republic Day today (Thursday) as Black Day to impress upon the world to take notice of New Delhi’s continued denial of right to self-determination to the Kashmiri people. According to Kashmir Media Service, call for the observance of the Black Day has been given by t

Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has been named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2022. Yadav claimed the prestigious award as he overpowered Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, England’s Sam Curran and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza – the other three nominees in the category. “The winner of the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year had one of the best years any player has had in the format’s history,” said ICC in a media release on Wednesday. The No.1-ranked T20I batter had a stellar year with the bat during which he broke numerous records in the formal. He became only the second batter after Rizwan to score more than 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year. The right-handed batter, known for his unorthodox shots and exceptional ability to hit every part of the ground, amassed 1164 runs during last year at an astonishing strike rate of 187.43. “Yadav was at his stupendous best during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, recording three fifties in six innings and averaging nearly 60 d

Four children were killed and two women injured in an explosion caused by gas leakage in a house in Quetta. The incident happened when one member of the family tried to light a heater, without realizing the accumulation of the leaking gas in the room, the reports said. The house partially collapsed in the incident, and a big fire erupted due to which the kids and the women got serious burn injuries, and were shifted to a nearby hospital by rescue teams, the reports added. The children succumbed to injuries whereas the critically injured women are being treated at the hospital, said the reports. Quetta is currently under an extreme cold wave and the mercury drops to minus three degrees Celsius at night and early hours of the morning, therefore gas heaters are widely used to keep homes warm. via Original Source

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says Pakistan desires to see peace in Afghanistan which had suffered for decades due to war and instability. Addressing the 26th ECO Council of Ministers held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he said at this critical juncture, pushing the Interim Afghan Government into isolation would further aggravate the suffering of the ordinary Afghans. He said the international community needs to respond positively and urgently to the UN Secretary General's appeal for 4.2 billion dollars in humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister emphasized on collective and coordinated efforts to realize the true potential of Economic Cooperation Organization. He said Pakistan as a founding member had been and would remain in the forefront of shaping the ECO's agenda. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan wishes to see the ECO region transform into a prosperous trading bloc that stimulated and promoted industrial growth, and reduced a

Internation football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly gave an ultimatum to his previous agent, Jorge Mendes, to bring him either to Chelsea or Bayern Munich. The Portuguese international made the demand last summer, according to a shocking claim from El Mundo. "Either you get me Chelsea or Bayern, or we break up," Ronaldo allegedly told Mendes. Two days before Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign got underway, United mutually agreed to end Ronaldo's contract after the player gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan on Talk TV during which he criticised the team and Ten Hag. Ronaldo claimed he felt "betrayed" by club members for attempting to force him out and claimed Ten Hag doesn't show him respect. Mendes — who has been named Best Agent of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards ten times, from 2010 to 2020 — did get in touch with Bayern and Chelsea to check on interest in recruiting his client in response to Ronaldo's demand. Howeve

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday denotified 43 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers despite their request for the withdrawal of their resignations, as per ECP sources. An important meeting of the commission held a day earlier to decide upon de-notifying the 43 MNAs had remained inconclusive. The meeting had been called after it came to light that Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted the resignations of 43 more PTI Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) bringing the total number of accepted resignations up to 124. On Monday, the PTI leaders sent a request to the speaker through an email saying that they were withdrawing their resignations. They also informed the ECP that the speaker and the NA Secretariat had been apprised of their decision. “If the speaker accepts the resignations, we should not be de-notified,” their request to the electoral body stated. However, on Tuesday, the NA speaker said that 43 more resignations had been accepted, while tha

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday reached out to authorities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, proposing to them dates for the elections — days after caretaker governments were installed in the two provinces. It suggested elections be held between April 9 and 13 in Punjab, and in KP between April 15 and 17. Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi was sworn in as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab on Jan 22, while Mohammad Azam Khan had taken oath as the KP chief executive on Jan 21, respectively, after the dissolution of the two assemblies. The KP Assembly was dissolved on Jan 18 just four days after the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly on Jan 14. On December 17, PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced that his governments in Punjab and KP would dissolve their assemblies to pave the way for fresh elections. In separate letters to principal secretaries to the governor of the two provinces today, the copies of which are available with Dawn.com, the ECP cited Article 224 of the Const