Pakistan

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday that it had made “significant progress” toward reaching a staff-level agreement (SLA) in its talks with Pakistani authorities. An IMF mission led by Iva Petrova met with Pakistan’s economic team in Karachi and Islamabad from September 24 to October 8 to review the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The programme’s performance as of the end of June this year — the period under review — has been mixed. Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had urged the lender to take into account the recent flood damage in its review for the country. In a statement released early on Thursday, the Fund quoted Petrova as saying, “The IMF mission and the Pakistani authorities made significant progress toward reaching a staff-level agreement on the second review under the 37-month extended arrangement under the EFF and on the first review of 28-month arrangement under the RSF”. “Programme i...

Warns India any imaginary new normal will be met with a new normal of swift retributive response Unwarranted warmongering likely to lead to heightened tensions Army top brass welcomes Pak-Saudi strategic mutual defence agreement Notes existing nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage.

PTI announces Sohail Afridi to replace Ali Amin Gandapur as KP CM Salman Akram Raja says sad and angry PTI founder was left with no other choice except to remove Gandapur.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has fulfilled another major condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as assets of government officers from Grade 17 to Grade 22 will not only be declared but also made publicly available, allowing citizens to view their holdings from the date of joining service till the pre-sent.

ISLAMABAD - Nineteen Indian sponsored Khwarij terrorists were killed by security forces while eleven security personnel including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major martyred in an intelligence based operation in Orakzai district on Wednesday.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday dismissed speculation about divisions within the Sharif family and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), asserting that the party remained united “like a wall of steel” despite repeated attempts by rivals to sow discord.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate e Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados, to participate in the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) being held under the theme “The Commonwealth: A Global Partner.

RAWALPINDI - Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Barrister Danyal Chaudhry said that whenever the Muslim League (N) received the country in a dilapidated condition, the party made every effort to improve it further.

LAHORE - An agreement has been finalized between the Punjab government and a private sector to purchase wheat crop from farmers at the rate of Rs.

Court asks counsel to point out the provision that allows it to constitute a full court.

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) yesterday decided to hold long pending local government (LG) polls in Punjab by the last week of December.

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday reserved its verdict on bail petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry in three cases linked to the May 9 riots.

LAHORE: Violence broke out in the city late on Wednesday night, after police launched a crackdown on the headquarters of Tehreek-i- Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in a bid to arrest its chief, Saad Rizvi. At least three police constables were reportedly injured in clashes with enraged TLP supporters, who attacked law enforcers with stones and iron rods. Police responded with tear-gas shelling, turning Multan Road into a battleground. Videos shared on social media, which could not be immediately verified by Dawn, showed TLP activists running as police fired tear gas. Other clips showed TLP activists holding up spent bullet casings and tear gas shells. The crackdown on TLP’s central office came after the group annou­nced plans for a massive anti-Israel demonstration outside the US emb­as­sy in the federal capital on Friday. In anticipation of the protest, the Islamabad administration has also begun placing shipping containers at Faizabad Interchange — the historic site of several TLP sit-ins. A statement issued by TLP ...

PTI founder picks Sohail Afridi as K-P CM; Incumbent sends resignation to governor

Corps commanders warn geography won't save India

19 terrorists also eliminated in Orakzai IBO, says ISPR

SC weighs plea for full court in 26th Amend case

Dar, Ayaz assure president of ending political mudslinging

President Asif Ali Zardari discussed the country’s political situation with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday night amid the continuing spat between federal coalition partners PPP and PML-N. The PPP and the PML-N’s Punjab leadership have been engaged in a war of words for the past many days over issues ranging from flood compensation to water rights in the context of the Cholistan canals project. The PPP, which is in power in Sindh, has been particularly incensed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, whose party is also leading the federal government. Concerted efforts have been made by leading figures, such as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari, who have stepped in to defuse tensions, with the latter also calling on Naqvi to play his role for a possible rapprochement. A statement issued from the President’s Secretariat late at night said Zardari discussed national and global issues with Foreign Minister Dar, National Assembly Speaker A...

Lender sets Rs3.1tr surplus target with Rs500b flood relief; losses hit Rs744b