Page 18 - Pakistan

Pak PM holds talks with IMF chief to break deadlock over next aid tranche

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a telephonic call to International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva to break the deadlock over the release of the next tranche of assistance for cash-strapped Pakistan, according to a media report on Friday. The contact was made four days before an expected face-to-face meeting between the prime minister and the IMF head on the sidelines of the Geneva Conference for flood victims. There was no official word about the contact but sources told The Express Tribune that the prime minister urged the IMF managing director to review the condition for the imposition of new taxes. He also sought relaxation in the demand to increase electricity prices to compensate for the deviation of around Rs 500 billion from the annual circular debt management plan. These remain the major stumbling blocks in reaching an initial understanding of a staff-level visit by the IMF to Pakistan. "However, the government stood ready to impose flood levy and windfall

US provided nearly $60 mn to Pakistan for humanitarian assistance in 2022

The United States provided about USD 60 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Pakistani host communities during 2022, the US ambassador said on Thursday. "In Fiscal Year 2022 alone, the US provided nearly USD 60 million (more than PakRs 13 billion) in assistance to the refugees and their host communities, the US embassy here said in a statement, quoting ambassador Donald Blome. He also said that the United States has provided more than USD 273 million (nearly PakRs 62 billion) since 2002 for the Afghan refugees and thanked Pakistan for "generously hosting Afghan refugees for more than four decades." This US assistance is increasing school enrolment for Afghan and Pakistani children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan; improving Pakistani healthcare services and boosting nutrition programs in areas hosting Afghans; promoting livelihood activities for refugees and host communities; improving water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure; and supporti

Pakistan to seek over $16 bn for flood rehabilitation at UN conference

Pakistan is likely to seek over USD 16 billion at a UN conference next week for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas devastated by last year's catastrophic floods which caused the country a loss of about USD 30 billion, officials said on Thursday. The flood triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains killed at least 1,739 people while affecting over 33 million. At one time, one third of Pakistan territory was under water. The "International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan" is being held in Geneva on January 9 and co-hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations to seek funding for the flood victims, according to Foreign Office spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. She said that the Conference will be co-chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. "The programme will feature a high-level opening segment, where leaders will make supportive statements," she said at her weekly media briefing here. Officials of the ..

Pakistan orders shopping malls to close early amid economic crisis

Authorities on Wednesday ordered shopping malls and markets to close by 8.30 pm as part of a new energy conservation plan aimed at easing Pakistan's economic crisis, officials said. The move comes amid talks with the International Monetary Fund. On Tuesday, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif and Minister for Power Ghultam Dastghir said the government decided to shut establishments early as part of the new energy conservation plan approved by the Cabinet. Authorities also ordered wedding halls and restaurants to shut at 10 pm. The government expects these measures to save energy and curtail the costs of imported oil, for which Pakistan spends USD 3 billion annually. In Pakistan, most of the electricity is generated by using imported oil. So far, there has been a mixed reaction from representatives of shopping malls, restaurants and shop owners who want the government to reverse the decision. Many Pakistanis do their shopping and dine at restaurants as late as ...

Firing on Imran Khan by four shooters from four sites, finds probe

Shots were fired by three unknown shooters, from unknown weapons from a considerable height other than the gun attack carried out by the suspect, Naveed Meher, arrested from the spot

Pakistan plans to shut malls, markets early in a bid to save power

Khawaja Asif told journalists the Cabinet-approved measures to shut markets, including restaurants, aimed to save the cash-strapped country about 62 billion Pakistani rupees ($273 million)

General Bajwa called me playboy during our last meeting: Imran Khan

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has said that retired Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called him a playboy during their last meeting before his ouster from the Constitutional position last year through a no-confidence motion. In his interaction with media persons on Monday at his Lahore's residence, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman talked about dirty audios' purportedly connected with him. What message we are giving to our youth through dirty audios and videos, he said and indirectly blamed the powerful establishment for recording such audios. Recently three purported audio clips believed to be of Khan got leaked. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that these audio clips are genuine and similarly video clips of Khan might be out in coming days. In a meeting with Gen Bajwa in August 2022, he told me that he had audios and videos of my party men. He also reminded me that I was a playboy'. I told himyes, I was (a playboy) in the past and I never claimed th

Effects of cross-border terrorism can't be contained within a region: EAM

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asserted that the effects of cross-border terrorism cannot be contained within a region, especially so when they are deeply connected to narcotics and illegal weapons trade and other forms of international crimes. Addressing a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg here, Jaishankar said they had an open and productive discussion on a range of regional and global situations and by and large, the approaches of both the nations are similar, "though obviously we are located in different regions and we have our particular compulsions". He said they spoke at some length on the threats to international peace and security that are posed by terrorism, including its cross-border practices, by violent extremism, radicalisation and fundamentalism. The effects of terrorism, Jaishankar said, cannot be contained within a region, especially so when they are "deeply connected t

Pakistan witnesses 28% increase in terror attacks in 2022: Report

The attacks during the year 2022 are also the highest number of militant attacks during the last five years, said the report

US budget includes $15 mn for improving security along Pak-Afghan border

The US budget for 2023 includes $15 million for improving security along the Pakistan-Afghan border and an unspecified amount of funds to promote gender equality in Pakistan

Afghanistan's Taliban regime warns Pakistan of consequences if attacked

The Taliban government in Kabul said that it would not allow anyone to attack the Islamic Emirate and give a befitting response if any such misadventure is considered by Islamabad

Pakistan will default if it doesn't enter IMF programme, warns Imran Khan

Khan, before coming into power in 2018, had been a severe critic of approaching the IMF and other countries for loans

BSF fires at Pakistani drone, forces it back across border in Gurdaspur

Yet another incident of infringement of Indian airspace by a suspected Pakistani drone has come to light in Punjab's border area

Problem with China an 'intense challenge' for India, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the problem with China as an intense challenge and took a dig at Pakistan on the problem of cross-border terrorism from Islamabad

Number of injured rises to 37 in Karachi's aerial firing incident

The toll of injured has increased to 37 in the Karachi celebratory gunfire incident. The injured now includes two infants and four women, Dawn reported on Sunday

Terrorist attacks surge Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan in 2022: Report

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces remained under the grip of criminal activities as Pakistan suffered close to 376 terror attacks the previous year, Dailytimes reported

Pak going through critical stage; join hands to tackle economy: Army chief

Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir on Saturday said that Pakistan was passing through a critical stage and urged all stakeholders to join hands to tackle the twin problems of terrorism and economy. Addressing the commissioning parade of 118th Midshipmen and 26th Short Service Commission held at Pakistan Naval Academy, Karachi, he said that there is a need for development of national consensus towards country's problems. (The) COAS stated that Pakistan is passing through one of her most critical junctures and this requires development of national consensus by all stakeholders to sail through the confronted challenges of economy and terrorism, the Army said in a statement. He said that the maritime domain is continuously shifting, mainly due to technological advancement and only those navies would prevail and prove effective that would align with professionalism and modern trends of warfare. The COAS appreciated Pakistan Naval Academy for imparting quality education not only

Pakistan braces for economic meltdown exposure without IMF umbrella

At the moment, Pakistan's shrinking foreign exchange reserves and inflation remain as the two most challenging and key factors for the government

Inflation to remain high, between 21-23%: Pakistan's Finance Ministry

Pakistan's Ministry of Finance has forecast that country's inflation will remain high, between 21 to 23% as the south Asian nation's fiscal deficit widened by more than 115% between July and October

Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif to convene NSC meeting to discuss growing militancy

Top civil and military leaders of Pakistan are set to meet in a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday to discuss the strategy to counter the rising threat of militancy in the country. The NSC meeting would also be attended by all service chiefs, key cabinet ministers, and other high officials. The decision to convene the meeting was taken after Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir called on Prime Minister Sharif on Thursday to brief him about professional as well as national security matters, according to government officials. Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum will brief the meeting on the recent terror wave in Pakistan and the Pakistan-Afghan border situation, while an integrated strategy against terrorism would be formulated, The News International newspaper reported. Official sources said that the meeting would discuss the modalities to counter the latest threat by the outlawed ...