ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated on Monday his government was willing to allow India to transport wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan after finalizing procedural details.
Khan recently assured a ministerial delegation from Afghanistan to consider the transit of Indian wheat on humanitarian grounds.
The delegation, which was led by Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi took up the issue with the Pakistani authorities earlier this month.
“[The prime minister] announced Pakistan’s decision to allow the 50,000 [metric tons] of wheat India has offered to provide Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance to go through Pakistan as soon as modalities are finalized with the Indian side,” said an official statement in Islamabad.
He also agreed that “Pakistan will facilitate the return of Afghan patients who had gone to India for medical treatment and are stuck there.”
The prime minister made the statement while visiting the newly established Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell where he was welcomed by the national security adviser (NSA) Dr. Moeed Yusuf who is also the convener of the body.
The NSA briefed the country’s civil and military leadership on the current economic situation in Afghanistan and the progress made by the cell in coordinating national efforts for humanitarian assistance and border facilitation for Afghans.
The prime minister appreciated the coordination effort and expressed satisfaction at the improved border management protocols.
“He ordered that capacity of border staff be enhanced further and instructed that no arbitrary closures of borders for trade should be allowed,” the statement added. “The Prime Minister also ordered that bus service between Peshawar and Jalalabad be revived to facilitate travelers on both sides. To further facilitate Afghans, the visa duration will be relaxed such that visas are granted within three weeks at the most.”
The statement continued that a senior delegation of Afghan health officials was expected to visit Islamabad later this week to determine the modalities of Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan’s health sector.
The prime minister also instructed the NSA to visit Afghanistan to hold negotiations and agree on areas where Pakistan can provide capacity building support to Afghans.
Pakistan decides in principle to allow transport of Indian wheat to Afghanistan
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Pakistan decides in principle to allow transport of Indian wheat to Afghanistan
- PM Khan says Pakistan will facilitate the return of Afghan patients who went to India for treatment and got stuck over there
- The prime minister communicated his government’s policy on these issues while visiting the newly established Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell
Pakistan minister promises release of funds to election regulator amid reports of polls delay
- The government allocated Rs42 billion for the upcoming national elections, but has only issued Rs10 billion to the election regulator
- Media reports suggested the election regulator had summoned the finance secretary over delay in disbursement of remaining funds
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi promised on Monday the release of required funds to the country's election regulator, amid reports of a delay in the disbursement ahead of national election that are scheduled for February 8.
The government allocated Rs42 billion for the upcoming general elections in this year's budget, but it has only issued Rs10 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan so far.
Pakistani media widely reported on Monday there had been a delay in the disbursement of the remaining amount, at which the election regulator had summoned the finance secretary.
Solangi said the election regulator had approached the government for the release of Rs17.4 billion and there was no "crisis on meeting the financial needs of the ECP."
"Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs accordingly," the minister said on X. "We firmly stand behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections."
Pakistan, following more than a year of political turmoil since the ouster of ex-prime minister Imran Khan in Aprill 2022, is finally headed to general elections in February next year, with many analysts expecting the polls to lead to some stability in the South Asian country.
The ECP last week put to rest rumors of a delay in election and its top official said the regulator would release a schedule in December for the upcoming general election.
“Count 54 days backwards from February 8,” Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said in an informal chat with journalists, which means the announcement could be expected in the third week of December.
The outgoing Pakistani government had amended the Elections Act to empower the ECP to fix and announce the election date and specifying the timeline for the announcement of election schedule, which needs to be done about 54 days before the polling day.
The election commissioner reassured the journalists that the ECP had been “proactively handling election-related responsibilities” to ensure fair and transparent electoral contest in the country.
Sarfaraz Ahmed banks on Pakistani batters ahead of Australia Test series
- Pakistan will play first Test against Australia in Perth on Dec. 14, before traditional Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Ex-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed says Pakistan are ‘well-equipped’ for the challenge with Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam and other batters
ISLAMABAD: Seasoned Pakistani cricketer Sarfaraz Ahmed has pinned his hopes on Pakistani batters for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia.
Pakistan will play the first Test against Australia in Perth on December 14, before the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The third Test will be played in Sydney and begin on January 3.
Sarfaraz said on Monday he was ready to face the challenges, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“Australia boasts good batters, but we are no less,” the former Pakistan captain said. “With Abdullah, Babar, Imam, Saud, and Agha in our ranks, we are well-equipped for the challenge.”
Sarfaraz also praised the quality bowling lineup.
“Shaheen and Hasan are exceptional, and we have the likes of Mir Hamza, Khurram Shehzad, and Fahim, who have proven their mettle in domestic competitions,” the wicketkeeper-batsman said.
Ahead of the Test series, Pakistan will play Prime Minister’s XI on December 6 at Manuka Oval.
Sarfaraz said he was inspired by West Indian Chris Gayle 200-run innings at Manuka Oval and the Pakistan side was bracing for the warm-up match.
“I remember watching Chris Gayle’s incredible innings of 200 runs against Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval. Now, as we brace ourselves for a four-day clash in Canberra against Australia, the weather seems to be good,” he said.
“This match holds an immense significance as it kickstarts the three-match Test series against the formidable Australian team.”
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pakistan arrests 17 suspects in connection to weekend bus shooting that killed 10
- Security forces arrested the men from several areas in northern Gilgit Baltistan where the attack took place
- Security forces arrested the men from several areas in northern Gilgit Baltistan where the attack took place
PESHAWAR: Police in Pakistan arrested at least 17 suspects in the weekend bus shooting that left 10 people dead and 25 others wounded, authorities said Monday.
Security forces raided several areas in the northern Gilgit Baltistan region — where the attack took place — and arrested the men who were currently being questioned, local police chief Shah Wali said.
He added that the death toll from the attack rose to 10 on Monday when one critically injured man died in hospital.
The bus was carrying passengers from Gilgit to the city of Rawalpindi when it was shot at, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a truck, which in turn caught fire. Both drivers were killed on site.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, however, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, have denied involvement in the shooting in a statement on Sunday.
The TTP is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country. The group has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 15 years.
IT minister champions Pakistan as ‘emerging digital hub,’ eyes Qatar’s growing market
- Dr. Umar Saif asks Pakistani tech firms to leverage the country’s diaspora to take foothold in the Qatari market
- He says his country has potential to provide technological solutions and collaborate with companies in Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Information Technology Minister Dr. Umar Saif described Pakistan as the region’s emerging digital hub while addressing a conference in Doha on Monday, urging tech companies in his country to benefit from Qatar’s burgeoning market.
The Pakistani minister is leading his country’s first IT delegation to the Arab state with stated aim to attract investment and explore opportunities for local software houses and freelance developers.
In line with broader trends in the Gulf region, Qatar is actively diversifying its economy and focusing on the technology sector, taking smart city initiatives, launching tech start-ups and hosting technologically advanced events like the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The minister arrived in Doha on a five-day visit over the weekend and inaugurated an IT conference earlier in the day.
“Dr. Umar Saif has said that Pakistan is the emerging digital hub of the region where 30 thousand IT companies and more than 75 thousand IT graduates every year are the way to make this country the future information and communication technology (ICT) hub,” his ministry in Islamabad said in a press statement.
He also pointed out that Qatar was home to abundant Pakistani knowledge workers, asking Pakistani tech companies to leverage the country’s “resourceful diaspora to establish a foothold in the market.”
The Pakistani minister said his country had tremendous potential to provide technological solutions and collaborate with tech firms in Qatar, particularly in emerging fields like AI and cybersecurity.
He commended the Arab state for taking a big leap in establishing data centers and bringing Microsoft Azure Cloud, adding that Pakistan had a lot of capability in cloud management, data center operations and cloud applications.
He mentioned an upcoming gathering of investors and start-ups scheduled to be held in Qatar, hoping that Pakistan would benefit from it and expressing confidence that his country was poised to produce the next billion-dollar unicorn.
Ex-PM Khan wants US envoy summoned in state secrets case as court sets indictment date
- Khan expresses refusal to strike a deal with state authorities for his release from high-security prison
- The ex-premier’s party criticizes the prison authorities for restricting media presence during the trial
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday asked a special court hearing a case against him on charges of leaking state secrets to summon the American envoy and a retired army general during his trial at a high-security prison in Rawalpindi, his lawyer said.
The court was established in August to hear what has popularly come to be called the cipher case, which was filed against Khan under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
According to its details, the former PM divulged the contents of an alleged diplomatic correspondence between Washington and Islamabad which he says proved that his ouster from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022 was part of a US conspiracy to remove him. US authorities have repeatedly denied the accusation.
Khan initially faced an in-camera prison trial in the case. However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled this month that such hearings were illegal and ordered an open trial with media access.
“Imran Khan has requested the summoning of the US embassy representative and also named a former general,” Babar Awan, a senior lawyer representing the ex-premier, told the media outside the jail.
His statement was widely believed to be a reference to former army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has been accused by the former prime minister of bringing down his administration at the behest of the US.
Earlier, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party issued a brief statement, saying the prison authorities had once again tried to restrict media presence despite similar concerns raised by its legal team during the last hearing.
“Unfortunately, media wasn't given access to today's hearing, too,” the PTI said. “Only 2-3 handpicked journalists were allowed in, in the name of [an] open court hearing. Of course, no public was allowed.”
According to local media, Khan stated his refusal to strike a deal with the government and state authorities for his release from prison.
He reiterated that his party would win the next general elections in the country, adding that his political rivals were still attempting to avoid the electoral process.
The court decided to indict Khan in the cipher case on December 12.
