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She is one of thousands believed by rights activists to be in hiding in Pakistan to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to leave the country. That includes over one million Afghans, many of whom the Pakistan government says have been involved in militant attacks and crime. 'WORSE THAN PRISON'Reuters spoke to a dozen undocumented migrants trying to stay under the radar of the nationwide sweep. "This is worse than prison," said a 22-year-old Afghan man who said he ensured the lights remained off at night. Some locals who are helping the Afghans arrange for food and water to be secretly smuggled into the shelter under the cover of night.

Persons: Saleh Zada, Akhtar Soomro, Sijal Shafiq, Shafiq, Wafa, I'm, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Authorities, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Badakhshan province, Kabul, Karachi, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Afghanistan, United States, Hazara, Islamabad, France, Canada

Pakistan is home to over 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented, according to Islamabad. Cash-strapped Pakistan, navigating record inflation and a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program, also said undocumented migrants have drained its resources for decades. The information minister for Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan, told Reuters it is opening three more border crossings. Pakistani citizens who help undocumented migrants obtain false identities or employment will face legal action, Bugti warned. There are more than 2.2 million Afghan migrants in Pakistan with some form of documentation recognized by the government that conveys temporary residence rights.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Muhammad Rahim, Abdul Mutaleb Haqqani, Azizullah, Sohrab Goth, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Cash, Samar Abbas, Sarfaraz Bugti, Bugti, Abbas, Uzair Ahmed, Majida, we've, Muhammad, Ariba Shahid, Charlotte, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Saleem Shahid, Katerina Ang Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Pakistani Interior Ministry, Foreign, Monetary Fund, Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network, Islamabad, Federal, UNHCR, International Organization for Migration, Karachi East Police, Afghan Ministry, Refugees, World Bank, U.N, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Karachi, Rights KARACHI, Pakistani, Afghanistan, Islamabad, Sindh, Balochistan, AFGHANISTAN, Charlotte Greenfield, Kabul, Quetta

KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani ecommerce logistics startup Rider, backed by YCombinator, is looking into acquiring BlueEx (UNIV.PSX) the only listed Express Courier Logistics Company in Pakistan, it told Reuters on Thursday. "We are carving out and acquiring the e-commerce logistics business which currently operates under the brand name BlueEx. This is not an acquisition of Universal Network System Limited as a whole," said Salman Allana, founder and CEO of Rider. If the transaction goes through, this will be the first acquisition of a listed company by a startup, and the first major acquisition of a company listed on Pakistan's Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) board at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PAKS.PSX). While Rider has not disclosed the transaction value, it claims the acquisition will make Rider the third largest player in the ecommerce logistics space.

Persons: Salman Allana, Rider, Allana, Ariba Shahid, Michael Perry Organizations: Express Courier Logistics Company, Reuters, Venture, Universal Network System, Pakistan Stock Exchange, GEM, YCombinator, Global Founders Capital, Flexport, i2i Ventures, Fatima, Ventures, Soma, Rebel Fund, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi

"It demonstrates the company's capabilities and readiness to refine different types and complexities of crude oil." Cnergyico conducted due diligence and consulted with external sanctions counsel to ensure the import of Russian oil did not violate sanctions, he said. Last year, Pakistan's total crude imports registered at 154,000 bpd. The government paid in Chinese yuan for its first import of discounted Russian crude, which went to state-owned Pakistan Refinery Ltd (PKRF.PSX). Cnergyico said it expects to make the Russian imports viable through the export of furnace oil to generate foreign exchange.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Cnergyico, Ariba Shahid, William Mallard, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Pakistan Refinery Ltd, Bank, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Rights KARACHI, Pakistan, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Karachi

KARACHI, Pakistan, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Pakistan's rupee has gained 6.1% against the dollar so far in September, following an official clampdown on illegal foreign exchange trade in grey and black markets by security agencies. September's gains have almost made up for all of the rupee's losses in August and technically make it the best-perfoming currency in the world this month. The Pakistani rupee closed 0.3% up in the interbank market at 287.8 per dollar on Thursday. The crackdown on black market operators against the informal market resulted in tens of millions of dollars pouring back into Pakistan's interbank and open markets, dealers said. "The rupee has indeed performed well but this data does not reflect the sharp depreciation preceding this performance.

Persons: Fahad Rauf, Ismail Iqbal, Rauf, Ariba Shahid, Jane Merriman, Sharon Singleton, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Finance Ministry, Research, Ismail, Ismail Iqbal Securities, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi

Tens of millions of dollars have poured back into Pakistan's interbank and openmarkets, dealers say, since raids on black market operators began on Sept. 6. Ninety percent were going to black market dealers, cutting our supply of foreign exchange," Bostan explained. While a crackdown on the black market was needed to stabilise the rupee, it "is a temporary fix," said Fahad Rauf, Head of Research at Ismail Iqbal Securities. High inflation and chronic external deficits lie at the heart of the currency's problem, and closing off people's access to black market dollars risks storing up pent-up demand. "There is an unprecedented demand for the dollar," Hanifullah Mohmand, a trader in the Peshawar market, said.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Asim Munir, Malik Bostan, Bostan, General Munir, Haji Luqman Khan, Sheikh Allauddin, ECAP, Fahad Rauf, Ismail Iqbal, Ariba Shahid, Mushtaq Ali, Gibran Peshimam, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Pakistan, Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan, Reuters, Federal Investigation Agency, FIA, Inter, Services Intelligence, ISI, Locals, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Research, Ismail, Ismail Iqbal Securities, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, KARACHI, PESHAWAR, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Afghanistan

A Reuters poll of 17 analysts show that 15 are forecasting a rate hike. An easing of import restrictions and the removal of subsidies - both conditions of the bailout - have fueled spikes in energy prices. Although overall inflation fell slightly to 27.4% in August, food inflation remain elevated at 38.5%. Pakistan's central bank said in July that it expects inflation to be on a downward path over the next 12 months. Analysts also noted that rises in cut-off yields in treasury bill auctions - the highest yield at which a bid is accepted - indicate that market participants expect a rate hike.

Persons: Shivaan Tandon, Ariba Shahid, Swati Bhat, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: State Bank of Pakistan, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Karachi

A currency trader counts Pakistani Rupee notes as he prepares an exchange of U.S dollars in Islamabad, Pakistan December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Caren Firouz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKARACHI, Pakistan, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's rupee closed at a record low of 299 rupees against the dollar in the interbank market on Tuesday following an easing in import restrictions that has lifted demand for the dollar, central bank data showed. Pakistan imposed import restrictions from 2022 to stem outflows from its shrinking foreign reserves. Traders said the rupee fell 0.6% to an intraday low of 299 against the dollar. "The declining trend is mainly attributable to the ease off in the import restrictions coupled with clearance of backlog for goods and services," he said.

Persons: Caren, Imran Khan, Tahir Abbas, Arif Habib, Ariba Shahid, Edwina Gibbs, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, Traders, Thomson Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Karachi

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) office in Islamabad, Pakistan June 25, 2020. REUTERS/Salahuddin/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKARACHI, Pakistan, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani opposition leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was detained on Saturday, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said, just hours after he said it would challenge any delay to the country's election in the courts. Party spokesman Zulfi Bukhari told Reuters the specific reason for the detention of Qureshi, twice Pakistan's foreign minister, was not immediately clear. The outgoing government approved a new census in its final days, meaning new electoral boundaries must be drawn up by the Election Commission. IMF BAILOUTThe election commission said on Thursday that new constituencies would be finalised by Dec. 14, state television reported.

Persons: Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Salahuddin, Zulfi Bukhari, Qureshi, Bukhari, Imran Khan, Khan, Haq Kakar, Ariba Shahid, Toby Chopra, Alison Williams Organizations: Pakistan's, Reuters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, REUTERS, Rights, PTI, IMF, Supreme, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Karachi

Pakistan paid for its first Russian crude cargo in Chinese yuan. "How will it pay other lenders and how will it finance trade with China if it uses the low yuan reserves to pay for Russian oil?" However, Urals quality is a deterrent, as Pakistan's refineries cannot get as much gasoline and diesel out of Urals crude as they produce from Saudi and UAE crudes. Kpler's Katona expects Pakistan's liquidity issues and technical challenges to weigh on its appetite for Russian crude. "Russian imports into Pakistan will not grow into anything bigger than one cargo per month," he said.

Persons: Shahbaz Ashraf, Aadil Nakhoda, Nakhoda, Viktor Katona, Zahid Mir, Mir, PRL, Kpler's Katona, Ariba Shahid, Charlotte Greenfield, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Pakistan, United, FRIM Ventures, Karachi's Institute of Business Administration, Saudi, Pakistan Refinery Ltd, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Islamabad, Moscow, China, PORT, Oman, Saudi Arab, Saudi, UAE, Karachi, Sudarshan, Singapore

KARACHI, Pakistan, July 20 (Reuters) - Fuel pump operators across Pakistan are to hold a nationwide strike on July 22 in a bid to secure larger margins amid an inflation crisis, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association said on Thursday. "We will shut down all petrol pumps across Pakistan on July 22, 6 p.m.," said the association, which says it has more than 10,000 members. In a statement it said interest rates and inflation have hit operators' businesses and called for the dealership margin to be increased. "Around 8,000-9,000 (operators) ... represented by us, will be shut on July 22," Abdul Sami Khan, chairman of the association, told Reuters. Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdul Sami Khan, Ariba Shahid, Conor Humphries Organizations: Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi

[1/3] Stock brokers monitor new on television screen at a booth, during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange, in Karachi, Pakistan July 3, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroKARACHI, July 3 (Reuters) - Pakistan's benchmark share index scored its biggest single-day jump in 15 years on Monday, gaining 5.9% on the first trading session after the country secured a last-gasp funding deal from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The KSE 100 index (.KSE) closed up 2,442.06 points at 43,894.7, marking its biggest percentage gain since June 24, 2008, when it rose 8.6%, as per Refinitiv data. "Today's gain in the benchmark KSE 100 Index will likely to be highest in the history of Pakistan Stock exchange," it said. Several automakers including Pakistan Suzuki Motor Co (PKSU.PSX) had announced prolonged plant closures in 2023, citing import restrictions.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Shehbaz Sharif, Muhammad Iqbal Jawaid, Arif Habib, HCAR, Asif Shahzad, Swati Bhat, Lincoln, David Holmes Organizations: Pakistan Stock Exchange, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Topline Securities, Pakistan Stock, Pakistan, U.S ., Pakistan Suzuki Motor, Honda, Pakistan Suzuki, Indus, Toyota, Auto, Arif, Arif Habib Ltd, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Akhtar Soomro KARACHI

It is not the end of our relationship with the IMF though, as the SBA is a short-term bridging operation. GARETH LEATHER, SENIOR ASIA ECONOMIST AT CAPITAL ECONOMICS, LONDON"The agreement of a loan deal between Pakistan and the IMF should put the economy back on a more secure footing and limit the biggest downside risks. There is a strong risk that Pakistan reneges on the deal once the immediate crisis has passed. Our target shall be that the next IMF programme should be the last one and it would be a great opportunity to correct our fiscal account once and for all." "Things would have been much better if successive governments would have invested in completing the IMF programme.

Persons: MURTAZA SYED, GARETH, Shehbaz Sharif, ABDUL ALEEM, SHERANI, SHAHBAZ ASHRAF, MAHA RAHMAN, ZAFAR MASUD, MUSTAFA PASHA, SHAHID HABIB, ARIF HABIB, ZULQARNAIN, MOHAMMED SOHAIL, AHFAZ MUSTAFA, ISMAIL IQBAL, SAJID AMIN JAVED, Ariba Shahid, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Monetary Fund, South, IMF, BANK OF PAKISTAN, SBA, State Bank, EFF, Capital, UL HAQ, OF PUNJAB, Pakistan, ARIF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, ASIA, KARACHI, ISLAMABAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Islamabad was racing against time to unlock $1.1 billion under the IMF's ninth review of a $6.5-billion Extended Fund Facility agreed upon in 2019. The Pakistan government was expecting around $2.5 billion from the IMF, Reuters has reported. PROCESSESPakistan earlier cleared eight of the 11 listed programme reviews, with the ninth review pending since November last year. HOLE IN FINANCESThe government has earmarked $2.5 billion in external receipts from the IMF in its federal budget for FY24. Pakistan needs upwards of $22 billion to service external debt, make interest payments, and finance its current account for FY24.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, IMF’s, Reuters, Pakistan, CCC, United, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Islamabad, PAKISTAN, Caa3, Fitch, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China, Karachi

Islamabad is racing against time to unlock $1.1 billion under the lender's ninth review of a $6.5-billion Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019. -The ninth review is to release a tranche of $1.1 billion, leaving about $1.4 billion on the table in unlocked funds. It is unclear if an IMF agreement would release the entire amount. -National elections are due by November this year and the government has said the decision to enter a new IMF programme will be a decision for the incoming administration. -Hopes of a last-minute bailout rose following meetings between Sharif and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Paris this month, followed by marathon meetings between IMF staff and finance ministry officials.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Kristalina Georgieva, Ariba Shahid, Conor Humphries Organizations: Pakistani, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Pakistan, CCC, United, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Islamabad, Caa3, Fitch, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China, Sharif, Paris, Karachi

KARACHI, June 14 (Reuters) - Shell Pakistan (SHEL.PSX) said on Wednesday that its parent company, Shell (SHEL.L) unit Shell Petroleum Company, would be exiting Pakistan with the sale of its 77% shareholding in the in the local business. The move came after Shell Pakistan (SPL) suffered losses in 2022 due to exchange rates, the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee, and overdue receivables, and as the country faces a financial crisis and economic slowdown. "To support its intention to high-grade and simplify its portfolio, Shell Petroleum Company Ltd... has initiated a sales process to sell its 77.42% shareholding in Shell Pakistan Ltd," a spokesperson for Shell Pakistan said in an email to Reuters. That includes "all of SPL’s Downstream businesses and SPL’s 26% ownership of Pak-Arab Pipeline Company Ltd (PAPCO)," the spokesperson added. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/File PhotoIt said in the notice that Shell Petroleum Company had notified its board of directors of its intention to sell the holding in a meeting on June 14.

Persons: Morteza, Shell, Wael Sawan, Ariba Shahid, Sakshi Dayal, Gibran Peshimam, David Evans, Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Shell Pakistan, Shell, Shell Petroleum Company, Shell Petroleum Company Ltd, Shell Pakistan Ltd, Reuters, Arab Pipeline Company, Pakistan Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Nowshera, Pakistan's, Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa Province, Bukom, Jurong, Singapore

June 15 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s recently presented budget, a blow for the cash-strapped country which has only two weeks left until its bailout programme expires. However, the draft FY24 Budget misses an opportunity to broaden the tax base in a more progressive way," Esther Perez Ruiz, the IMF's resident representative for Pakistan, said in a text message to Reuters. "The new tax amnesty runs against program’s conditionality and governance agenda and creates a damaging precedent," added Perez Ruiz. She said that measures to address the energy sector’s liquidity pressures could be included alongside the broader budget strategy. Added Perez Ruiz: "The IMF team stands ready to work with the government in refining this Budget ahead of its passage," implying the country still has a chance to unlock its ninth IMF board review prior to the end of the EFF programme.

Persons: Pakistan’s, Esther Perez Ruiz, program’s, Perez Ruiz, Bharat Govind Gautam, Jonathan Oatis, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, FX, Staff, Reuters, EFF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Bengaluru, Shahid, Karachi

Discounted crude offers respite as Pakistan faces an acute balance of payments crisis, risking a default on its debt obligations. The first cargo of discounted Russian crude oil arranged under a new deal struck between Islamabad and Moscow earlier this year arrived in Karachi on Sunday. Pakistan's Refinery Limited (PRL) will initially refine the Russian crude, the minister said. Malik on Monday played down concerns around the financial viability and concerns about the ability of local refineries to process Russian crude given the South Asian country's historical importation of Middle Eastern petroleum products. "No adjustments (were) needed at the refinery to refine the Russian crude," the minister told Reuters.

Persons: Florence Lo, Malik Says, Musadik Malik, Pakistan's, Malik, Ariba Shahid, Asif Shahzad, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Gibran, Philippa Fletcher, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, ., Karachi . Petroleum, Pakistan, Moscow, Pakistan's Refinery, Monday, Reuters, Energy, United, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Islamabad, ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Karachi, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, United Arab

ISLAMABAD, June 10 (Reuters) - Pakistan is working on the possibility of restructuring its bilateral debt regardless of whether it successfully completes its IMF review, the country's finance minister said on Saturday, but reiterated it would not approach Paris club nation creditors or seek haircuts. The country is grappling with record inflation, fiscal imbalances and critical levels of reserves that cover barely a month worth of imports. The fiscal deficit for the following fiscal year was projected at 6.54% of GDP, according to the budget. Dar said on Saturday there was no more room in the budget to reduce the fiscal deficit target by any further. The government has received commitments of only $4 billion, mainly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Persons: Ishaq Dar, Dar, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Shahid, Charlotte Greenfield, Michael Perry, William Mallard, Frances Kerry Organizations: IMF, Pakistan's IMF, United, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Paris, Pakistan's, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab

Experts have mixed reactions on whether the budget will meet IMF requirements and the impact on the economy. The ‘No new Taxes on Industry’ claim is belied by increase in super tax and that too in not a fully progressive way. Will retailers and the agri sectors that together contribute 40% contribute more than 2% as a result of the budget? SHAHBAZ ASHRAF, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER AT FRIM VENTURES“It is surely not a budget that the IMF would approve of. "The regional energy price budget, which has built in cross subsidies, general collection and distribution losses is something the export industry cannot sustain."

Persons: GHIAS KHAN, EHSAN MALIK, SHAHID HABIB, ARIF HABIB, ZULQARNAIN, ABDUL ALEEM, IRFAN IQBAL SHEIKH, MUSTAFA PASHA, SHAHBAZ ASHRAF, they've, There's, ” FAHAD RAUF, ISMAIL IQBAL, GOHAR EJAZ, Ariba Shahid, Jonathan Oatis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Pakistan, Reuters, FX, ENGRO CORP, OF, PAKISTAN BUSINESS, Industry, PAKISTAN, Company, FEDERATION OF PAKISTAN, OF COMMERCE, PKR, IN, MILLS ASSOCIATION, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, PAKISTAN, Karachi

KARACHI, Pakistan, June 2 (Reuters) - Pakistan has passed a special order to allow barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran and Russia for certain goods, including petroleum and natural gas, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday. The government order, called the Business-to-business (B2B) Barter Trade Mechanism 2023 and dated June 1, lists goods that can be bartered. Sajid Amin, deputy director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, said Pakistan could gain particularly from oil and energy imports from Russia and Iran without adding to dollar demand. "While it may not solve currency smuggling, particularly at the Afghanistan border, it can discourage smuggling of goods from Iran, such as diesel, and Afghanistan which is hurting the economy," Amin added. In May, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association complained that up to 35% of the diesel sold in Pakistan had been smuggled from Iran.

Persons: Sajid Amin, Amin, Pakistan's, Musadik Malik, Malik, Ariba Shahid, Asif Shahzad, Simon Cameron, Moore, David Holmes Organizations: Ministry of Commerce, State, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Reuters, Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia

Here are some key facts about Pakistan's military courts, according to lawyers Reuters spoke to:- Pakistan's Army Act of 1952 established military courts primarily to try members of the military or enemies of the state. - Civilians accused of offences such as waging war against the armed forces or law enforcement agencies, or attacking military installations or inciting mutiny, can be tried at military courts. - Military courts operate under a separate system from the civilian legal system and are run by military officers. The judges are also military personnel and cases are tried at military installations. - Military courts were most recently used to try Islamist militants waging an insurgency in Pakistan.

KARACHI, Pakistan, May 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday gave authorities 72 hours to identify and arrest all those involved in violent acts after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest this week sparked deadly unrest. Khan departed court premises late Friday night and headed towards his hometown Lahore amid high security, after a court granted him bail. Following Sharif's announcement, Punjab's government released pictures of unidentified protesters involved in an attack on a military official's residence on Wednesday. Khan, 70, is a cricket star-turned-politician who was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote and Pakistan's most popular leader according to opinion polls. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were inaccessible in Pakistan on Saturday, Reuters journalists said, after access was briefly restored late on Friday.

Violent clashes between supporters of Imran Khan and police broke out across the country after Pakistan's anti-corruption agency arrested the former prime minister on Tuesday. Pakistan's rupee has lost nearly 50% over the past 12 months. JPMorgan analyst Milo Gunasinghe said little relief from political uncertainty was in sight while the IMF programme remained stalled. "It is usually up to the country to present a credible plan of policies and financing that, in the face of political uncertainty, will credibly address the members’ balance of payment problems." The armed forces remain Pakistan's most powerful institution, having ruled directly for close to half the country's 75-year history through three coups.

KARACHI, Pakistan, May 9 (Reuters) - Petroleum dealers have flagged a surge in the smuggling of Iranian fuel to Pakistan, saying that up to 35% of diesel sold in the South Asian country has arrived illegally from Iran, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) told Reuters on Tuesday. “Private dealers have been able to make decent profits by selling Iranian diesel rupees 35 ($0.1235)/litre cheaper than local dealers,” it added. The PPDA said that Iranian fuel smuggled into Pakistan was further hurting the industry, already reeling from low sales. “In the past smuggled fuel was restricted to just Balochistan, but it has now spread all over,” Khan said. Due to Iranian fuel being significantly cheaper than domestic fuel, refineries are having trouble with stock uptake.

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