Pakistan

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Lawmakers from across the political spectrum closed ranks behind Pakistan’s armed forces on Sunday, criticising the PTI for what they described as an orchestrated attempt to malign state institutions and an alleged conspiracy against Pakistan. A day earlier, the PTI had lashed out at a press briefing by the military’s media wing, calling it “inappropriate and unfortunate” after the spokesperson accused incarcerated Imran Khan of being a “narcissist” and a “mentally ill person” who was edging into “security threat” territory through his persistent anti-army rhetoric. Taking to the X platform, PML-N leader and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called Imran’s political rhetoric “a deeply irresponsible and dangerous trend that seeks to undermine Pakistan’s state institutions, weaken national cohesion, and erode public trust in the armed forces who defend our borders with courage and sacrifice.” “Political differences are part of any democracy—but when politics crosses the line into anti-state narrative building, deli...

Security forces have killed 12 terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Kalat district of Balochistan, the military’s media affairs wing said on Sunday. According to the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the IBO was conducted on Saturday on the reported presence of “terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna-al-Hindustan”. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. The ISPR statement detailed that during the operation yesterday, “own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, 12 Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell”. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were found in the terrorists’ possession, it said, adding that they had been “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrori...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has refused to recognise Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as chairperson of the PTI, it emerged on Sunday. According to a letter dated November 26 and addressed to Barrister Gohar, which is seen by Dawn, the PTI leader had written an application to the commission on November 13 regarding the inclusion of senators into the PTI. While the letter did not elaborate on the matter raised by Barrister Gohar, he seemed to have sought the inclusion of those senators into his party who were elected to the upper house of Parliament from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in July after much delay. The ECP said in its letter that “after due deliberation, it was observed that the issue of intra-party election of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is pending before the commission due to the stay order obtained by the party from the Lahore High Court (LHC)”. “Hence, in the above circumstances, the commission is not in a position to accept you as chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. Therefore, you do not...

The Foreign Office (FO) rejected and condemned on Sunday the “highly inflammatory, baseless and irresponsible” remarks by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar about Pakistan’s armed forces, terming them “misleading”. The FO’s condemnation came a day after Jaishankar alleged that India’s core challenges with its neighbouring country stemmed directly from Pakistan’s military establishment. In its reaction to his remarks, the FO underscored that Pakistan was a responsible state, and all its institutions, including armed forces, were a pillar of national security, dedicated to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The FO’s statement also referred to a brief four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May, saying that it “vividly demonstrated Pakistan armed forces’ professionalism as well as their resolve to defend the motherland and the people of Pakistan against any Indian aggression in a befitting, effective yet responsible manner”. “No amount of propaganda can b...

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) on Sunday issued a new gas load-shedding schedule for consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the winter months of December to February, advising households to plan meals during the designated supply hours.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Sunday that Pakistan would begin selling excess liquefied natural gas (LNG) in international markets from January 1. Malik’s statement during a press conference in Lahore came months after it was reported that Pakistan was exploring ways to sell excess LNG cargoes amid a gas supply glut that could cost domestic producers millions in annual losses. He noted that Pakistan had been importing gas from “our friend” Qatar and Italian energy company Eni. But, he continued, there was an excess of this imported gas as the use of this fuel for power generation had reduced in the country during the past few months. Resultantly, “we were compelled to divert it to domestic consumers, due to which circular debt was increasing in the gas sector”, he said, adding that it also caused a loss of around Rs1,000 billion to Pakistan from 2018-19 till now. “From January 1, we will sell this excess fuel in international markets and reduce our burden while limiting the loss caused by it,” ...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declined to recognise Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and rejected his request to induct independent senators into the party.

Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 618. A chain of tropical storms and monsoonal rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, setting off landslides, flooding vast tracts and cutting off communities from Sumatra island’s rainforests to the highland plantations of Sri Lanka. At least 1,812 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam over the past two weeks. Indonesia’s president on Sunday vowed to step up aid, with demonstrators rallying after the country’s death toll surpassed 900. More than two million people in Sri Lanka — nearly 10 per cent of the population — have been affected by last week’s floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including in the central ...

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from December 8 to 9, the Foreign Office (FO) announced on Sunday, with both sides set to discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at deepening bilateral ties.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to convene on Monday, where Pakistan is expected to secure around $1.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Sunday reaffirmed that militants would not be allowed to impose their agenda on the country, stressing that the people of Balochistan stand firmly with Pakistan’s security forces.

Pakistani security forces on Sunday killed 12 suspected militants linked to the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) during an intelligence-based operation in the Kalat district of Balochistan, according to the military’s media wing.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will undertake an official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from December 8-9, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday, adding that he will discuss with Pakistani leaders a “wide-ranging agenda” aimed at further strengthening ties between the two countries. According to the FO statement, President Subianto will arrive in Islamabad and will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising key ministers and senior officials. “This will be President Prabowo’s first visit to Pakistan. The last presidential visit from Indonesia was undertaken by President Joko Widodo in 2018,” the statement said, adding that the upcoming visit carries added significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Indonesia. During his stay, the statement said, President Prabowo will hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz and meet President Asif Ali Zardari. Chief of Army Staff and Chief ...