Page 4 - Pakistan

Months after Pak floods, millions lack access to safe water, warns Unicef

The United Nations children's agency on Tuesday warned that after last summer's devastating floods, 10 million people in Pakistan, including children, still live in flood-affected areas without access to safe drinking water. The statement from UNICEF underscored the dire situation in impoverished Pakistan, a country with a population of 220 million that months later is still struggling with the consequences of the flooding, as well as a spiraling economic crisis. The floods, which experts attribute in part to climate change, killed 1,739 people, including 647 children and 353 women. So far, less than half of UNICEF's funding appeal for Pakistan 45 per cent of USD 173.5 million has been met. According to the agency, before the floods struck last June, water from only 36 per cent of Pakistan's water system was considered safe for human consumption. The floods damaged most of the water pipelines systems in affected areas, forcing more than 5.4 million people, including 2.5 million ..

Imran asks chief justice to allow him to appear virtually for proceedings

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan has requested the country's chief justice to allow him to join court proceedings through a video link in cases lodged against him, claiming he could be killed if he deposes physically. In a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial on Monday, the embattled PTI chief also urged him to club the cases registered against him. "A death trap was laid out at the Federal Judicial Complex, Islamabad on Saturday last where I had to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana gifts case. Some 20 namaloom afraad (unknown people) -- a reference to intelligence agencies men -- were present in the complex to kill me," Khan said during an address to the nation on Monday. He also played a video which showed the purported suspects in plainclothes present in the judicial complex carrying plastic handcuffs.

ISI instigating pro-Khalistanis elements in support of Amritpal: Officials

Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, which has been the brain behind growth of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, has now instigated overseas Khalistan supporters to organise protests and demonstrations abroad including London, San Francisco and Canberra in his support, officials said on Monday. They said the overseas protests were the desperate attempt by the ISI to build followership of Amritpal who has been hiding from the Punjab Police for the last three days. While pro-Khalistan supporters vandalised the Indian High Commission in London and the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, there were sporadic protests in Australia. All theses acts by the pro-Khalistan elements were orchestrated by ISI agents operating in different countries, the officials said. Citing recent incidents in different parts of the world, they said there has been a design by ISI agents to organise protests, vandalism of places of Indian interests through Khalistani elements exploiting their religious ...

IMF denies tying to compromise on Pak's nuke capability in bailout: Report

The IMF on Monday rubbished claims that it has attached nuclear-programme-related strings for the revival of Pakistan's much-anticipated bailout programme that has been stalled for months, a media report said. Cash-strapped Pakistan is awaiting a much-needed USD 1.1 billion tranche of funding from the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was originally due to be disbursed in November last year. The funds are part of a USD 6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations. Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves enough to shore up for barely one month's imports. Esther Perez Ruiz, IMF's resident representative in Islamabad, has denied attaching any strings to the External Fund Facility (EFF), according to Geo TV. Regarding recent speculation th

IMF denies claims of linking loan with Pakistan's nuclear weapons

IMF resident representative in Islamabad Esther Perez Ruiz denied attaching any strings to the External Fund Facility (EFF), Geo News reported

Pak's effort to curb trade deficit leads to rising unemployment: Report

Curbing imports of raw materials to improve the trade balance is tantamount to cutting one's nose to spite one's face," according to the Dawn

Pakistan government mulling legal options to ban Imran Khan's PTI

The interior minister said that 65 people have been arrested from the outer part of the building, most of them do not belong to Punjab and their role is suspicious

Pak police register terrorism case against PTI leaders for vandalism

Pakistani police on Sunday registered a terrorism case against Imran Khan and over a dozen PTI leaders for indulging in vandalism, attacking security personnel and creating unrest outside the judicial complex here ahead of a court hearing in a graft case involving the ousted premier. Clashes erupted outside the Islamabad Judicial Complex on Saturday when Khan arrived in Islamabad from Lahore to attend a much-awaited hearing in the Toshakhana case.

Pak government exploring legal options to declare PTI a banned outfit

Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has hinted that legal proceedings could be initiated to declare Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a banned outfit, state media reported

Pak court allows Imran to go back without indictment in Toshakhana case

Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan was allowed by a local court here to go back without his indictment in a corruption case after he marked his attendance outside the court complex

Live coverage banned in Islamabad as Imran Khan appears for hearing

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) restricted live coverage of events outside the Islamabad Judicial Complex, where PTI chairman Imran Khan will be arriving for a court hearing

Imran Khan's supporters clash with police ahead of court case in Pakistan

Clashes erupted between security forces and supporters of Imran Khan outside the judicial complex here on Saturday ahead of the ousted premier's appearance before the court in connection with a corruption case. Islamabad police chief Akbar Nasir Khan told the media that Khan's supporters resorted to violence, pelted stones at the police and also set on fire a police picket. "Our force is tackling the situation with patience," he said, adding that Khan was just five minutes away from driving to the court Khan arrived in Islamabad from Lahore to appear before the court. He is accompanied by his supporters. At least three vehicles in his convoy also met an accident near Kalar Kahar area on M-2 motorway but no casualties were reported. Khan, 70, appeared before Lahore High Court on Friday and assured that he was ready to present himself on Saturday before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal handling the corruption case against him.

Police break into Imran Khan's home hours after he leaves for court

Hours after PTI Chairman Imran Khan made his way to attend the Toshakhana case hearing in Islamabad, Punjab Police finally made their way into his residence and arrested party workers, media reported

Beijing asks bankrupt Pakistan to release dues for CPEC power firms

The Chinese embassy has asked Pakistan to release overdue payments to the tune of $1.5 bn to Chinese Independent Power Plants working under the mega $64 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Former Pak PM Imran leaves for Islamabad for Toshkhana case hearing

A local court in Islamabad is set to resume on Saturday the hearing of Toshakhana case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Cash-strapped Pakistan struggling to pay $290 mn to international airlines

The ongoing crisis has also hit the aviation industry where airlines sell tickets in local currency but repatriate dollars to pay for expenses such as fuel costs

Pakistan Army hands 45,000 acres for 'corporate agriculture farming'

According to informed sources, the JV has been signed between the military, the Punjab government, and private firms dealing with corporate farming

Pak court grants Imran Khan bail in 8 terrorism cases, one civil case

Pakistani court here granted protective bail to the former prime minister on Friday in eight terrorism cases and a civil case after he appeared before the court

Foreign airlines' $290 million stuck in cash-strapped Pakistan: Report

The global airline industry body has warned that debt-ridden Pakistan has become very challenging for foreign air carriers as USD 290 million of funds were stuck in the country as of January, a media report has said. Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Analysts believe the country is at risk of default. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said USD 290 million of funds were stuck in the country as of January this year, up nearly a third since December last year, according to the Financial Times newspaper report on Thursday. Pakistan is holding the second-largest amount of foreign currency from airlines globally, after only Nigeria. Airlines are facing long delays before they are able to repatriate their funds, Philip Goh, the IATA's Asia-Pacific head was quoted as saying in the report. Some airlines still have funds stuck in Pakistan from sa

Imran Khan ready to talk to anyone for country's sake as PM calls again

Imran Khan, the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, struck a conciliatory tone on Thursday, declaring that he was willing to talk to anyone