Daily News Pakistan

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday congratulated the newly appointed military leadership, expressing the hope that it would work to “end the prevailing trust deficit” between the nation and the state. Last week, Gen Asim Munir, a soldier with considerable operational experience and a career steeped in intelligence, was designated as the country’s 17th army chief while Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, another infantry officer with an enviable career, was appointed as the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee. The appointments ended weeks of intense speculation about who will lead the powerful military following Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s retirement. Gen Mirza took charge on Nov 27 while Gen Munir assumed charge on Nov 29. In a tweet today, Imran felicitated the new military command. “We hope the new military leadership will work to end the prevailing trust deficit that has built up in the last 8 months between the nation and the state. Congratulations to Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirz...

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Wednesday said the country can become interest-free in five years as stipulated by the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) in its judgement earlier this year. "The banking system has become a necessity of life and transparent transactions can be ensured through it," Dar said speaking at a seminar held in Karachi. The seminar was organised under the auspices of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Centre for Islamic Economics in Karachi where religious leaders from all schools of thought, businessmen, bankers, and politicians spoke at length about the “benefits” of an interest-free economy. The FSC judgement issued in April 2022 gave the government five years to implement an Islamic and interest-free banking system in the country, as the economic system of an Islamic country like Pakistan should be free of interest. In his verdict, Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwar stated that the abolition of riba was fundamental f...

Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed — an ally of the PTI that has resolved to dissolve assemblies in the provinces where it is in power— said on Wednesday that the fate of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies would be decided in a week. The former interior minister’s statement came in a tweet, in which he also criticised the government over the country’s economic situation. “Today is the first day of the rescue operation. Institutions staying away from politics is praiseworthy, but institutions also cannot remain distant from their people,” Ahmed added, in an apparent reference to the army whose command was taken over by new Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir yesterday. “A decision on two provincial assemblies will be made within a week,” he added. Ahmed’s statement has come a day after former prime minister Imran Khan-led PTI, which has been demanding immediate elections since the party chief’s ouster as the prime minister in April through a no-confiden...

People in the Chinese manufacturing hub of Guangzhou clashed with white hazmat-suited riot police on Tuesday night, online videos showed, the latest in a string of protests that escalated over the weekend over stringent Covid-19 lockdowns. The clashes, which follow protests in Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere, erupted as China posts record numbers of Covid cases daily and health officials, including in the southern region around Guangzhou, announced a slight loosening of the curbs. Mainland China’s biggest wave of civil disobedience since the 1989 Tiananmen protests comes as its economy sputters after growing at breakneck rates for decades. That era of prosperity was fundamental for the social contract between the Communist Party and a population whose freedoms have been dramatically curtailed since President Xi Jinping took power 10 years ago. In one video posted on Twitter, dozens of riot police in all-white pandemic gear, holding shields over their heads, advanced in formation ...

Former Chinese president Jiang Zemin died at the age of 96. According to Chinese media, the announcement was made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the State Council of the PRC, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commissions of the CPC and the PRC. It was announced in a letter addressing the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. The letter says they proclaim with profound grief to the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups that our beloved Jiang Zemin died of leukemia and multiple organ failure after all medical treatments had failed. The letter says that Jiang Zemin was an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of al...

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar has been reinstated as the federal minister for law and justice on Wednesday after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rejected his resignation. According to a notification from the federal government, Tarar was allocated the law and justice portfolio while Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Political Affairs Ayaz Sadiq ceased to "hold the portfolio of law and justice". The Cabinet Division has issued a notification to the effect. Mr Tarar resigned as the law minister in October over "personal reasons" after which Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was appointed in his place. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday asked Tarar to continue serving as the law minister and that he would not accept his resignation. A delegation of federal ministers Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq and Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique led by financial czar Ishaq Dar, visited...

When England pace bowler James Anderson made his entry into Test cricket in 2003, Pakistan’s Naseem Shah was barely three months old. On Thursday they will be spearheading their respective team’s pace attacks in Rawalpindi with England playing their first Test on Pakistan soil for 17 years. The precocious Shah, 19, showered praise Tuesday on Anderson, saying he hopes to learn from the 40-year-old veteran. “He is a legend,” said Shah after training at Rawalpindi Stadium. “I have learned from him and will [continue to] learn from him.” Shah has made rapid progress since his Test debut in Australia in 2019. That year he also became the youngest fast bowler to take five wickets in a Test — against Sri Lanka in Karachi at the age of just 16 years and 307 days. Two months later he became the youngest to a Test hat trick, against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Despite his own record, Shah is full of admiration for Anderson, whose 667 Test wickets are eclipsed only by Sri Lankan Muttiah M...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the government is providing all possible facilitation to investors to promote foreign investment in Pakistan. He was talking to a delegation of international investment banking and capital markets firm Jefferies in Islamabad today (Tuesday). Welcoming the delegation, the Prime Minister invited the firm to open its office in Pakistan. He said the government is taking every possible measure to strengthen economy. He said the country is no more facing any threat of default due to tough decisions taken by the coalition government. He said attempts are being made to create uncertainty in the country by spreading false information about economic situation of Pakistan. The Prime Minister said regardless of the political cost, the coalition government saved the country from suffering the consequences of the incompetence of the last four years. He said the government is taking measures on priority basis to bring down inflation and provide relief to t...

Chinese authorities have begun inquiries into some of the people who gathered at weekend protests against Covid-19 curbs, three people who were at the Beijing demonstrations told Reuters, as police remained out in numbers on the city’s streets. In one case, a caller identifying as a police officer in the Chinese capital asked the protester to show up at a police station on Tuesday to deliver a written record of their activities on Sunday night. In another, a student was contacted by their college and asked if they had been in the area where events took place and to provide a written account. “We are all desperately deleting our chat history,” one Beijing protester who declined to be identified, told Reuters. “There are just too many police. Police came to check the ID of one of my friends and then took her away. We don’t know why. A few hours later they released her.” Beijing’s Public Security Bureau did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for China’s foreign min...

The PML-N Tuesday hinted at imposing governor’s rule in Punjab in order to stop the PTI from dissolving the assembly. After holding another round of talks with the coalition partner PPP, PML-N's Attaullah Tarrar Tuesday said that the opposition parties in Punjab will reveal their strategy in a day or two to counter PTI's bid to dissolve the provincial assembly. “When the resolution comes from the National Assembly and the Senate and goes to the President, the governor’s rule can be imposed,” the PML-N leader said. The PML-N and PPP are making hectic efforts to save the Punjab Assembly after the senior PTI leadership greenlighted former prime minister Imran Khan's decision to quit all assemblies to force an early election. The PTI chief, in a surprise move last week, announced that the party doesn't want to be part of this "corrupt" system and will opt out of the assemblies. Soon after the announcement, the PDM parties started consultation to foil PTI...

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, here on Monday expressed satisfaction over the availability and production of sugar in the country. Chairing a meeting to review the demand and supply situation of sugar in the country, the minister stressed on maintaining the strategic reserves of the commodity and maintaining its price for providing maximum relief to masses. Among others, the meeting was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (NFS&R), Tariq Bashir Cheema; Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance, Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue, Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Secretary NFS&R, Special Secretary Finance and other senior officers from Finance and NFS&R. Earlier, the meeting reviewed the available stock position and future demand of sugar in the country and was apprised that sufficient stocks of sugar are available in the country, according to press statement issued by finance ministry. It was informed th...

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned of an unprecedented joint response with allies if North Korea goes ahead with a nuclear test, and urged China to help dissuade the North from pursuing banned development of nuclear weapons and missiles. According to internnational media reports, Yoon called on China, North Korea’s closest ally, to fulfil its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. He said not doing so would lead to an influx of military assets to the region. "What is sure is that China has the capability to influence North Korea, and China has the responsibility to engage in the process," Yoon said in his office. It was up to Beijing to decide whether it would exert that influence for peace and stability, he added. North Korea's actions were leading to increased defence spending in countries around the region, including Japan, and more deployment of US warplanes and ships, Yoon noted. It is in China's interest to make its ...

China posted another record high Covid-19 infections on Monday, after an extraordinary weekend of protests across the country over restrictive coronavirus curbs, in scenes unprecedented since President Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago. In Shanghai, demonstrators and police clashed on Sunday, with police taking away a busload of protesters, with the BBC saying that police assaulted and detained one of its journalists covering the events before releasing him after several hours. Stocks and oil slid sharply on Monday as the rare protests raised worries about the management of China’s zero-Covid policy and its impact on the world’s second-largest economy, while Chinese censors scrambled to remove related images and posts. During the weekend, protesters in cities including Wuhan and Lanzhou overturned Covid-19 testing facilities, while students gathered on campuses across China in actions that were sparked by anger over an apartment fire late last week in the far western city of U...

Meta-owned WhatsApp is on a roll as it continues to keep its iOS, Android, and Windows users waiting for exciting features every other day. The social messaging company is set to roll out its latest update for Windows users who will now be able to share contact cards in Windows. After adding the feature to create polls within the chat, WhatsApp — in its latest feature — will let users share contact cards in the same chat share sheet where they can already look for the option to share files and create polls. To check if the update is already functioning, users should look for "Contacts" in their WhatsApp accounts. "When you use this feature, you will be able to share a contact card so the recipient can easily add it to their address book," WaBetaInfo reported. To use this feature, users should install WhatsApp's Windows 2.2247.2.0 update from the Microsoft Store.

Police used water cannon and teargas after coming under attack from football supporters who brought havoc to the centre of Brussels on Sunday following Morocco’s shock 2-0 World Cup win over Belgium in Qatar. Dozens of fans smashed shop windows, threw fireworks and torched vehicles. Police said that 11 people had been arrested with one remaining in custody. Even before the end of the match, “dozens of people, including some wearing hoodies, sought confrontation with the police, which compromised public safety,” Brussels police said in a statement. A spokeswoman said some fans were armed with sticks and a journalist “was injured in the face by fireworks”. Around a hundred police officers were mobilised while residents were warned to avoid certain areas of the city centre. Metro stations were closed and streets sealed off to limit the spread of the violence. A surveillance helicopter flew over the city before calm was restored at around 7:00pm (1800GMT). An AFP journalist saw prot...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday praised outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa for efficiently dealing with the 'crises' in the country during his six-year-long tenure. COAS Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 (tomorrow) and will hand over the "baton of command" to Gen Asim Munir, who was appointed to succeed him last week. As he gets ready to bid farewell to arms after serving as COAS from 2016-2022, General Bajwa met PM Shehbaz and President Arif Alvi today. During the meeting, PM Shehbaz lauded the outgoing chief's services for the Pakistan Army, national defence, and national interests, a statement from the PM's Office read. "The army, under the leadership of Gen Bajwa, has rendered exemplary services during various crises — including the removal of Pakistan from the FATF's (Financial Action Task Force) grey list, coronavirus pandemic, and floods," the prime minister said. The armed forces crushed the mena...

Outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday held separate farewell meetings with President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. General Bajwa called on President Arif Alvi at the President's House in the federal capital Islamabad. President commended his services and expressed his best wishes for the retiring general. The outgoing chief also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at PM House where the premier paid tribute to the outgoing general for his services. The premier expressed best wishes for Gen Bajwa. General Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 after completing his six-year stint as Pakistan Army chief. The four-star general of the Pakistan Army, is the tenth and current Chief of Army Staff (COAS) since November 29, 2016. He was appointed to the highest military office by Nawaz Sharif, the then prime minister of Pakistan, on completion of three-year tenure of his predecessor, General Raheel Sharif. He is a recipient of Nishan-...

A small plane crashed into high-voltage power lines about 30 miles north of Washington, D.C., on Sunday, causing mass outages, with rescue services working into the night to rescue two people on board the aircraft still entangled in the cables. According to international media, the aircraft crashed about 5.30 p.m. (2230 GMT) in misty and wet conditions in Montgomery Village, Maryland, according to the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service. It became caught up in live power lines about 100 feet from the ground. The impact caused power outages to over 120,000 customers. Roads were also closed and many traffic lights in the area were out. Fire officials said two people were alive but trapped inside the plane. Scott Goldstein, Montgomery County Fire Chief, said rescue officials were in contact with the occupants, by calling their cell phones at regular intervals. He declined to describe the condition of the plane’s occupants, except to say “we have been in contact with them.” ...

Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi visited Pak-Afghan border at the Kharlachi and Borki area of Kurram district. He led a jirga between the tribal elders of both sides and agreed to resolve all disputes and differences through bilateral talks. In a bilateral negotiation, the reopening of Pak-Afghan border was decided for trade and movement. Before visiting the Pak-Afghan border, the minister held jirga with the elders of Turi, Bangash and other tribes of Kurram, where all issues related to recent clashes on the border were discussed in detail. The Minister appreciated the tireless efforts of the security forces, district administration, and the members of the bilateral Jirga.  

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Sunday ruled out the possibility of general elections in Pakistan before August 2023 after PTI Chairman Imran Khan decided his party and allies would quit assemblies. The former prime minister has called off his long march to Islamabad and instead announced that his party would soon be resigning from the country's assemblies — including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, where the party rules. Flooding across Pakistan left one-third of the country under water, destroyed around two million homes and business premises, washed away 7,000 kilometres (4,500 miles) of roads, and collapsed 500 bridges — while water is still stagnant in several parts of the country. "Also, in March or April, the results of the new census will be released. The Sindh government and the [people of the] province have a clear stance: next elections will be held on the basis of the new census." In case the new census is o...

 Shazia Marri, minister for poverty alleviation and social safety and chairperson of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), Sunday urged the world to take some serious steps for resolving climate change issues. Addressing the 26th Socialist International Congress in Spain's Madrid, the minister said that 33 million people in Pakistan have been impacted by the devastating floods this year, leaving 650,000 pregnant women and four million children severely affected by the worst rains and floods in the country's history due to climate change. Marri, who was elected as vice-president of Socialist International Women from the Asia Pacific region, said that climate change poses the biggest threat to the planet and its residents. She added that the recent monsoon-induced flooding in Pakistan is the latest example of the ravages climate change has caused to the country's population, economy, and infrastructure. On the occasion, the minister expressed hope that some measures wi...

The military’s media wing on Sunday rubbished the claims being made on social media related to the assets of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family, saying that the reports were “totally untrue and based on blatant lies”. “Misleading data regarding the assets of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family have been shared on social media. These misleading figures are exaggerated and based on assumption,” said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement. The military’s media wing said that a specific group has very “cleverly and dishonestly” associated the assets of General Bajwa's daughter-in-law's father and family with the army chief and his family. “An incorrect impression is being created that these assets were created by army chief General Bajwa's family during his six-year tenure. It is totally untrue, based on blatant lies and malice,” said the ISPR. The military’s media wing assured that all the assets of the army...

As China grapples with a surge in Covid-19 cases despite its strict ‘zero-Covid’ policy, the anger at the country’s hardline approach to containing the virus has intensified, prompting protests in at least two cities, including Urumqi and Beijing. China, which remains the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid strategy, recorded 34,909 new domestic infections on Saturday, AFP reported while quoting the National Health Commission. As the infections spread to numerous cities, authorities enforced lockdowns on movement and business. Protests broke out in the northwest Xinjiang region after ten people were killed and nine injured when a fire ripped through a building in the regional capital Urumqi on Thursday night, according to state news agency Xinhua. Over 34,000 cases recorded; lockdown being blamed for deaths in building fire; Pakistan sees 27 new cases The residents couldn’t escape as doors were clamped shut with iron wiring, AFP has reported. However, the officials have de...

 Robert Lewandowski scored his first-ever World Cup goal as Poland brought Saudi Arabia back down to earth with a bump on Saturday with a 2-0 Group C victory that rejuvenated their tournament campaign. Lewandowski, who missed a penalty in Poland's opening draw with Mexico, was visibly emotional after finally finding the net. He pounced on a mistake in the 82nd minute to double Poland's advantage after Piotr Zielinski had given them a first-half lead. After completing one of the tournament's greatest ever shocks when they cut Argentina down to size in their opener, the Saudis, found Poland a tougher nut to crack at the Education City Stadium. The Green Falcons failed to convert a first-half penalty. The win moved Poland to four points, one more than the Saudis, and left them needing a draw in their final game against Argentina next Wednesday to guarantee their spot in the knockouts. Saudi Arabia, the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament, will head into their fin...

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that it was not possible for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to dissolve legislative assemblies including ones in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying no-trust motion can be moved at any time. His statement came in response to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement to quit all legislative assemblies instead of marching on Islamabad to force the government into early polls. “Today I am deciding against marching on Islamabad because we don’t want to spread anarchy in the country. We have decided to quit all legislative assemblies,” the PTI chairman said while addressing the party’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march in Rawalpindi. Minutes after his announcement, Sanaullah tweeted, “Not possible! A vote-of no-confidence can be moved in the provincial assemblies at any time without wasting time.” The interior minister claimed that the opposition parties have required numbers in the Punjab Assembly to form the government in the province. In another tweet,...

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said that his party will resign from all assemblies. It is worth noting that the party is in power in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Saturday at a public meeting in Rawalpindi that his party has decided to resign from all Assemblies, as per the local media reports. “We will not be part of this system. We have decided to quit all the assemblies and get out of this corrupt system. It is worth noting that Imran's PTI is currently in power in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Imran stated that the PTI has chosen not to travel to Islamabad in order to avoid any devastation or mayhem. He added that he would soon meet with his top ministers and the parliamentary party to discuss the issue and that he would shortly declare when the party will depart the assembly.  Imran has stated that his party did not travel to Rawalpindi for electio...

 A fact-finding committee formed to investigate the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif believes that former minister of communications and PTI leader Murad Saeed is in possession of the journalist's laptop. Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Director Dr Athar Waheed and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Deputy Director-General Omar Shahid Hamid are investigating the case and they have asked Saeed to hand over the laptop of the slain journalist to the fact-finding committee, formed by the Pakistan government, on November 28 and ensure to bring the laptop along to assist in the investigation. The fact-finding committee has written to Saeed that “during the proceedings of the finding team it has come on record that you are in possession of Apple MacBook of deceased senior journalist Arshad Sharif. Therefore you are requested to provide the device of the deceased enabling the fact-finding team to ascertain the facts regarding the assassination of senior journalist in Kenya”. Signed ...

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday arrested nine terrorists during intelligence-based operations (IBO) across Punjab. A CTD spokesperson said that 25 IBO’s were conducted across Punjab during which some 21,111 people were interrogated and nine were arrested. Moreover, some 372 combing operations were conducted within a week, 36 arrests and 33 FIRs were lodged. The official added that the terrorists wanted to attack important personalities and government buildings. At least two improvised Explosive Devices (IED), explosive materials, 13 detonators, fuses, weapons, cash, ammunition and other items were recovered from the terrorists, CTD said. A CTD spokesperson said that the suspects apprehended were identified as Azam Khan, Mansoor, Farooq, Shami Parvez, Muhammad Siddique, Abdul Manan, Ismail, and Muhammad Bilal. Separately, terrorist Abdul Razzaq had been arrested from Lahore. CTD spokesperson said that maintaining the atmosphere of peace and harmony thr...

Google Play Store services will no longer be available to Pakistani users from the start of December 2022 as the State Bank of Pakistan suspended the direct carrier billing (DCB) mechanism. The News quoting sources claimed that the country’s central bank revoked the direct carrier billing (DCB) mechanism which will force customers to download Google and other international Apps for making payments through bank cards. It further suggests that a large number of mobile users will not be able to download Apps from Google Play Store due to limited credit card facilities for a certain customers. The report said the Telecom Ministry, PTA and cellular service operators approached the State Bank of Pakistan seeking revocation of the move which will create hurdles for users. In the letter, officials maintained that the outage of such digital services due to non-payments would create problems in Pakistan in the digital age social and should be avoided at any cost. Top tech giants including...

Donald Trump was sued for defamation a second time on Thursday by a writer who accused the former US president of lying by denying that he raped her 27 years ago. In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll also accused Trump of battery in an alleged encounter at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan. Carroll, 78, brought the battery claim under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, a new law giving sexual assault victims a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers, even if the abuse occurred long ago and statutes of limitations have expired. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, was the first day that accusers could sue. Trump, 76, has denied raping Carroll or knowing her at the time, and said she was “not my type”. His first denial in June 2019 prompted her to sue for defamation five months later. He repeated the denial in an October 12 post on his Truth Social account, calling Carroll’s claim a “hoax” and “lie”, prompti...

Iran claimed a famous 2-0 victory over 10-man Wales on Friday as Carlos Queiroz’s men scored two goals deep into added time to keep their Fifa World Cup campaign alive. It had been building up to that first goal and when it came, there was delirium, pandemonium and an eruption of emotion. Iran had finally broken through against 10-man Wales and when the goal came, their players’ joy on the pitch translated to the stands where hordes of their frenzied fans cheered in delight, their roars reverberating across Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium and into the desert beyond. Eight minutes into time added on, Wales — having lost goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to a red card in the 84th — had half-cleared a ball into the box and it fell to Rouzbeh Cheshmi and the Iranian substitute planted a superb curling shot from 25 yards that stayed low and crashed into the back of the net. It was devastation for Wales and more was to come three minutes later as they looked to equalise only to get caught on the counte...

Accompanied by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday launched the third of the four MILGEM Corvette Ships for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Khyber, at the Istanbul Shipyard. Addressing the launching ceremony, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the launch of the ship manifested deep bilateral engagement between the two countries in defence cooperation. The prime minister said it was high time the two countries transformed their ties into a strategic partnership as the world was “envious” of the relationship between two brotherly countries. While citing huge potential in the field of alternate energy in both countries, he called for Turkey and Pakistan to join hands for the production of solar, wind and hydel energy to cut the carbon emission and open up new avenues of investment cooperation. On his arrival at the venue, the Turkish president welcomed the prime minister who was accompanied by a high-level delegation. The prime minister was given a guard...

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) jacked up the key policy rate by 100 basis points to 16%, it was announced on Friday. The central bank, in a statement, issued after the meeting said that this decision reflects the MPC’s view that inflationary pressures have proven to be stronger and more persistent than expected. 1/3 At today’s meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to raise the policy rate by 100 basis points to 16%. https://t.co/E4scWh3Eeo — SBP (@StateBank_Pak) November 25, 2022 "This decision is aimed at ensuring that elevated inflation does not become entrenched and that risks to financial stability are contained, thus paving the way for higher growth on a more sustainable basis," the MPC said.

Interior Minister Rana Sanullah has advised PTI Chairman Imran Khan to postpone his party’s long march in Rawalpindi on November 26 (Friday). “Imran Khan should have delayed this march but he is stubborn and still wants to come to Rawalpindi. “I reviewed a meeting and all intelligence agencies have alerted me that any terrorist outfit can take advantage of this march. There is a threat to Imran himself,” he stated in a press conference in Islamabad. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, in a press conference, said that he has instructed the Islamabad chief secretary and inspector general of police to provide foolproof security to PTI marchers in Rawalpindi. "The stage should be kept bulletproof at every cost [...] and entry to the stage should not only be made safe but the people on the stage should be kept an eye on as well," he said. The minister also discouraged people from attending the march, saying it was not a movement for "Haqeeqi Azadi but to create instabili...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan before the end of 2022. While addressing the National Assembly, the defence minister said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests had violated people’s rights, adding that everyone had the right to protest but the limits of the Constitution and law should not be crossed. He said that no development work was done during the past four years under the PTI government, and the incumbent government had explained these circumstances to the people. Asif also said that the government withdrew money from other sectors and gave it to the flood victims who were undergoing great difficulties due to cold winter nights. The minister maintained that the federal and provincial governments should provide assistance to disaster victims without discrimination and that the government was not acting on political priorities. Earlier this week, Asif said former premier Imran Khan should not “targ...