ISLAMABAD: As the security situation in Balochistan continues to deteriorate, experts gathered at a roundtable discussion on the province’s escalating crisis warned that the government’s failure to engage in meaningful dialogue with Baloch dissidents is exacerbating the conflict, with one analyst cautioning that the prolonged “deadlock” is driving insurgents towards increasingly extreme forms of violence, underscoring the urgent need for …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision to reduce the policy rate by 2%, calling it a positive step for the country’s economy. He expressed optimism that the interest rate cut will boost investor confidence and increase investments in Pakistan. “The reduction in the policy rate is a welcome move for our economy. It …

RAWALPINDI: Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has urged his party to prepare for a nationwide street movement, declaring that the fight is necessary to safeguard the country’s freedom. Speaking to journalists at Adiala Jail on Thursday, Khan said, “Our movement is a jihad for democracy. I call on the entire nation to take to the streets to …

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly condemned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s announcement to hold direct talks with Afghanistan, labelling it as an attack on the federation. Addressing the National Assembly, Asif stated that no province has the authority to conduct foreign negotiations independently, calling the move a “direct assault on the federation.” “This is …

ISLAMABAD: Ten PTI MNAs arrested from the Parliament House’s premises in a late-night raid earlier this week were presented in the National Assembly on Thursday after their production orders were issued. Just after 3am on Tuesday, plainclothesmen had stormed the Parliament House — disconne­c­ting the power supply and barging into the building’s Ser­vices Branch — to whisk away at least …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought clarity from the federal government regarding the possibility of a military trial for incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan in the May 9 cases. Imran had previously claimed that there was a plan to try him in a military court over countrywide protests that erupted last year after his arrest in …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the assistance of legal experts on whether it should continue supervising the accounts opened under its 2018 order with great fanfare to generate funds for the development of the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. A four-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, decided after the hearing to issue …

AZAD KASHMIR: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) leadership on Wednesday sharply criticised recent remarks by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who extended an invitation to AJK’s residents to join India. AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq advised Indian leaders to abandon their “ridiculous rhetoric” and instead allow the residents of the disputed region to determine their future on their own …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have constituted a five-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe a terrorism case registered against the PTI leaders and supporters at the Sangjani police station in light of the Sept 8 public gathering, which was used to ratchet up the crackdown on the former ruling party. Following the public gathering, the police rounded up several PTI …

ISLAMABAD: In a surprising turn of events, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan threw his weight behind Ali Amin Gandapur and derided all those who distanced themselves from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s hard-hitting speech at Sunday’s public rally. Speaking to reporters at Adiala jail after proceedings of the £190 million corruption case, Mr Khan also anno­unced that he was closing …