ISLAMABAD: PPP leader Khursheed Shah has said that banker Muhammad Aurangzeb was appointed finance minister instead of PML-N’s Ishaq Dar to “settle down” the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In a surprise allocation of portfolios, Aurangzeb was sworn in as the finance minister earlier this month while Dar was handed the foreign ministry. In an interview on DawnNewsTV programme Doosra Rukh on Sunday night, Shah said that …

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon rejected on Sunday PTI’s request to hold a public gathering in the federal capital on March 30. The party’s request was turned down in view of the “law and order situation”. DC Memon stated that the party had already violated NOCs (no objection certificates) issued on earlier occasions. Two days ago, the Islamabad High Court …

ISLAMABAD: PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a close aide to party supremo Nawaz Sharif, has in his “personal capacity” opposed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent remarks where he said he would move a resolution to summon former army chief Gen (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster Lt Gen (retired) Faiz Hameed in the National Assembly. Asif made his plan known earlier …

ISLAMABAD: Paki­stan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan on the occasion of Pakistan Day has vowed his party is committed to make Pakistan a truly sovereign Islamic welfare state, as the nation will not accept slavery. In his message issued by the PTI’s media wing on Saturday, Mr Khan vowed to continue struggle for the rule of law and ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ of …

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday conferred Pakistan’s highest civil awards on a number of Pakistani citizens as well as foreign nationals in recognition of their distinction, excellence, contributions, and show of valour in different fields, including Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Fawad Hasan Fawad, Qaim Ali Shah, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The awards were announced on Aug 14, 2023. …

ISLAMABAD: Only a day after announcing formation of seven committees of the cabinet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to hand over the chairmanship of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, sources in the government told Dawn. The prime minister, however, will continue to head the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), they said, adding the prime minister took the …

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan and Saudi Arabia have reiterated their resolve to work together and further enhance bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries. This was discussed at a meeting between Presi­dent Asif Ali Zardari and the visiting Saudi defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, who called on Mr Zardari at Aiwan-i-Sadr on Saturday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, …

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that the relevant stakeholders would “seriously examine” the trade situation with India as he highlighted the concerns of the business community. Pakistan, under the government of then-prime minister Imran Khan, had downgraded diplomatic relations with New Delhi and suspended all bilateral trade in August 2019, when India revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status by repealing Article 370 of …

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani commerce ministry delegation is scheduled to arrive in the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday to explore ways to remove obstacles in transit and bilateral trade, said an Afghan official. Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesman for the Afghan Commerce Ministry, confirmed to today that Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi will lead the Afghan delegation. Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz …

BEIJING: China on Saturday condemned the Philippines’ trespassing into the adjacent waters of Ren’ai Jiao of China’s Nansha Qundao and urged it not to undermine the peace and stability of the South China Sea. China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement that the Philippines on Saturday once again sent two coast guard ships and one supply ship …