ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday declared Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition. The verdict was announced by a 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. A day ago, the court had reserved its …
ISLAMABAD: The PTI has suspended the membership of Sher Afzal Marwat, a firebrand party leader who was elected to the National Assembly in the Feb 8 polls, after a meeting between incarcerated party founder Imran Khan and the top leadership in Adiala Jail. Sources said the PTI leaders met Imran Khan on Thursday where the decision regarding Mr Marwat was …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has once again ruled out the possibility of any talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and once again urged Kabul to act against terrorists operating on its soil. “… Pakistan has no designs of entering into any talks with a terror group that has been involved in killings of Pakistani citizens…,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch …
ISLAMABAD: Claiming completion of almost all prior action before time and reaching an agreement, in principle, with all provinces over agricultural income tax, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb sounded hopeful on Thursday that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would yield a deal on a $6bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF) this month. The government will subsequently request the lender to augment the …
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued bailable arrest warrants against former information minister Fawad Chaudhry in a contempt of the ECP case. A four-member bench of the Election Commission, headed by the member from Sindh, Nisar Ahmad Durrani, issued the warrants for Mr Chaudhry due to his constant failure to turn up in the court. As …
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Thursday admitted that the release of jailed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants back in 2021 was a mistake. During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior held here with Senator Faisal Rehman in the chair, Mr Naqvi said the release of the banned outfit’s prisoners had been made with hopes for an …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Thursday agreed to enhance the bilateral investment level of up to $2 billion in areas of mutual beneficial projects. In a joint press stakeout along with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev after witnessing the signing of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in diverse areas between the two countries, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said“ “We have …
BEIJING; China firmly opposes the continued spread of ungrounded false information by the United States about Russia’s “defense industrial base fueled by China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday. Lin’s remarks came after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s accusation at the 2024 NATO Public Forum. “We express strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the erroneous …
ISLAMABAD: The coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is exploring a multi-billion dollar agreement with Russia for the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline, according to media reports. This strategic move follows a recent offer by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his meeting with PM Shehbaz on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. …
LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari has criticised the PML-N-led government over its handling of International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal and its reliance on loans. “The IMF loans are a test for the public,” Zardari said, accusing the PML-N of failing to manage the government effectively. “We know how to form and dismantle governments,” he declared, promising that the PPP would …