DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —Unseasonal rainfall has lashed Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past few days, killing more than 100 people across the neighboring countries, authorities said. In Afghanistan, heavy rain and floods in 23 provinces killed 66 people and wounded 36 others, according to preliminary reports from Mullah Janan Sayeq, a spokesman for the Ministry of Disaster Management. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan said Tuesday that the heavy rains and floods have affected more than 1,200 families and damaged almost 1,000 houses, according to a statement on X. Houses submerged after heavy rains flood Nowshera district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on April 16, 2024. The heavy downpours are unusual for the region at this time of the year, as Pakistan typically experiences the monsoon season from June through September.

Persons: Mullah Janan Sayeq, Sayeq, Muhammad Sajjad, Abdul Majeed, – Organizations: CNN, Ministry of Disaster Management, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, UN, Getty, Pakistan Locations: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Peshawar, Herat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AFP, Balochistan

☆ Dasu dam: Chinese workers killed in suicide bomb blast as Pakistan grapples with attacks on Beijing’s interests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences for the death of the Chinese nationals during a visit Tuesday to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, where he met with Beijing’s ambassador. The blast Tuesday follows two militant attacks in recent days in southwest Pakistan, where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Half a year later, a separatist group attacked a luxury hotel in Gwadar, often used by Chinese nationals working at the port. In August last year, BLA militants opened fire on a Pakistani military convoy in Gwadar as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project. Two militants were killed and no harm was caused to any military personnel or civilians, according to the Pakistani military.

Persons: Muhammad Ali Gandapur, Xi, Tuesday’s, Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, ”, “ Organizations: Islamabad CNN —, Beijing . Senior, Taliban, Foreign Ministry, Embassy, Beijing’s, Baloch Liberation, Pakistan Economic, Pakistan Stock Exchange Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, China, Afghanistan, restive, Balochistan, Gwadar, Beijing, Xinjiang, Karachi

☆ UN Chief Concerned by Violence, Communication Restriction on Pakistan Election Day
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Michelle Nichols and Kanishka SinghUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed concern about violence in Pakistan and the suspension of mobile communications services on election day in the South Asian nation, his spokesperson said in an emailed statement. CONTEXTThousands of troops were deployed on the streets in Pakistan and at polling stations across the country. Despite the heightened security, nine people, including two children, were killed on Thursday in bomb blasts, grenade attacks and shootings. At least another 26 were killed on Wednesday in two explosions near electoral candidates' offices in the southwestern province of Balochistan. Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. State Department also said it was concerned about steps taken to "restrict freedom of expression" in Pakistan, especially related to phone and internet access.

Persons: Michelle Nichols, Kanishka Singh, Antonio Guterres, Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Stephane Dujarric, Sandra Maler Organizations: NATIONS, Reuters, United Nations, Mobile, Interior Ministry, Amnesty, Pakistan Muslim League, Islamic State, U.S . State Department Locations: Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Balochistan, Islamic

☆ Pakistan election 2024: Millions will head to the polls in an election mired in controversy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Millions in Pakistan will head to the polls on Thursday for a general election in which old dynasties are vying for power while the country’s widely popular former leader languishes behind bars unable to stand and militants ramp up deadly attacks. Mobile internet has been suspended in various districts of the province, leading to concerns of a nationwide blackout. A street is festooned with posters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on February 4, 2024. Sharif remains widely popular in Pakistan’s Punjab province – the country’s most populous and a key electoral battleground – where his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party has been lauded for advancing mega infrastructural projects. Standing against him is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, seeking to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Persons: languishes, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Nawaz Sharif, ARIF, Volker Türk, ”, Liz Throssell, Imran Khan’s, Khan, Sharif, Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Islamic State, Mobile, Foreign, ARIF ALI, AFP, Getty, United Nations, Human Rights, “, Cricket, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, country’s, Balochistan, Islamic State Pakistan Province, Iran, Afghanistan, Lahore, Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Punjab

☆ Many Pakistanis Make a Perilous Journey to Vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

With tens of thousands displaced from the tribal regions, most candidates vying to represent constituencies there have campaigned in other cities such as Dera Ismail Khan. "Due to the war, people's houses were destroyed," Moulana Jamal Uddin, a candidate from South Waziristan, told Reuters by phone. "I appeal to the people of South Waziristan to vote," he said. Khan Ullah, a 42-year-old shop owner, said he has avoided political gatherings in Dera Ismail Khan because he feared an attack on them was a real possibility. (Reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; writing by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Persons: Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL, Ullah Mehsud, Mehsud, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan's, Amjad Khan, Khan, hometowns, Maulana Raheem Ullah, Moulana Jamal Uddin, Khan Ullah, Saud Mehsud, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Pakhtunkhwa, Pak Institute, Peace Studies, Force Locations: Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, South Waziristan, Qaeda, U.S, Afghanistan, Waziristan, Khyber, Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan, KP, Karachi

CNN —At least 30 people were killed and another 40 injured in two different explosions in Balochistan province on Wednesday, a day before Pakistan’s general elections. The blasts took place in the Killa Saifullah district outside an election office belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and in the Pishin district near the office of an independent candidate. According to police, a large number of workers were in the office at the time of the explosion. Those injured in the Pishin blast have been taken to hospital, Medical Superintendent Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Dr. Habib Ur Rehman said. The blasts come amid rising tensions in Pakistan ahead of Thursday’s election.

Persons: Pakistan’s, Saifullah, Yasir Bazai, Maulana Samiul Haq, Maulana Abdul Wasay, Asfand Yar Kakar, Pishin, Dad Mandokhail, Habib Ur Rehman, Liz Throssell, Amaq Organizations: CNN, Jamiat Ulema, UN, Human Rights, Islamic, ISIS Locations: Balochistan, Saifullah, Jamiat, Pishin, Quetta, Pakistan, Islamic State Pakistan Province

☆ Analysis: At this general election in Pakistan, old dynasties vie for power and populist Imran Khan languishes in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That sets the stage for a difficult road to recovery for whoever wins in a nation where no democratically elected prime minister has ever completed a full term in office. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a lawyers' convention in Lahore on September 21, 2022. Veteran Sharif will face a strong challenge, however, from first-time candidate for Prime Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 35, son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto. Manahil Ahmed, 23, called Pakistan’s political environment “particularly hostile” right now. For Pakistan’s military and police forces, the last year was the bloodiest in a decade.

Persons: Imran Khan, –, Arif Ali, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan –, Khan, Fareed Khan, ”, Rabiya Arooj, Khan’s, Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's, Asad Zaidi, Pakistan’s, Farzana Shaikh, “, ’, Murtaza Solang, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Raza, he’s, Raja Ikram, Ameer Hamza, Manahil Ahmed, Shaikh, Hussain Nadim, Maurice R, Greenberg, ‘, Aamir Qureshi, Shoaib Tanveer, Baou Nadeem, ” Shaikh, Farooq Naeem, “ Sharif, He’s, Tim Willasey Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Getty, PTI, World Bank, Pakistan, Bloomberg, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, CNN, for Research, Security Studies, Pakistan’s People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Baloch Liberation Army, Yale University, Pakistan Army –, Workers, King’s College London Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Lahore, AFP, Karachi, “, Rawalpindi, Asia, Hafizabad, Khan’s, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, India, Afghanistan, Iran, State Khorasan, restive Balochistan, Balochistan, Punjab, Sharif, States, China, British

☆ Rehan Zeb Khan: Pakistan election candidate killed ahead of general election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —A Pakistan election candidate was shot dead while campaigning on Wednesday, as violence escalates a week before polls open. Rehan Zeb Khan, an independent candidate affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was shot in a “targeted killing” when gunmen opened fire on his car in a market in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to district police. In response to the violence, Pakistan’s Election Commission (ECP) summoned an emergency meeting of security officials on Thursday to discuss the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the two provinces, according to a statement from the commission. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s military also met for an annual conference where they discussed the possible deployment of the country’s army to assist the election commission during the general election next week, according to a government statement. The election commission has declared February 8, the day of the election, a public holiday for the country’s 240 million people.

Persons: Rehan Zeb Khan, Imran Khan’s, ”, Malik Kaleem Ullah, Home and Tribal Affairs Balochistan Zubair Jamali, “, Khan Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly, Reuters, Pakistan’s People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Home and Tribal Affairs Balochistan, Baloch Liberation Army, PTI Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, State Khorasan, Balochistan, Home and Tribal Affairs Balochistan Zubair, Sibi

CNN —Unidentified gunmen killed nine Pakistani workers in the restive southeastern border region of Iran, Pakistani officials say, just over a week after Iran and Pakistan carried out military strikes on each other’s territory. No group or individuals have taken responsibility for the attack, in the city of Saravan, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency. “Embassy will extend full support to bereaved families.”“We called upon [Iran] to extend full cooperation in the matter,” he added. Last week, Pakistan and Iran carried out tit-for-tat strikes on militants on each other’s soil in a major escalation of tension between the two sides. Both nations have long fought militants in the restive Baloch region along the border.

Persons: “, ”, Muhammad Mudassir Tipi, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “, Nasser Kanani, Kanani, Pakistan “ Organizations: CNN, Mehr News Agency, Pakistan’s, “, Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Iran, Pakistan, Saravan, Balochistan, Sistan, Baluchestan, restive Baloch

☆ Pakistan launches strikes inside Iran against militant targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pakistan said on January 18 it had carried out strikes against militant targets in Iran, after Tehran launched attacks on Pakistani territory earlier this week. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP) (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, targeting separatist militants, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, two days after Tehran said it attacked Israel-linked militant bases inside Pakistani territory. "Our forces have conducted strikes to target Baloch militants inside Iran," the intelligence official in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, said. Iran said on Tuesday it had targeted Israel-linked militant bases inside Pakistan. Pakistan and Iran have in the past had rocky relations, but the strikes are the highest-profile cross-border intrusion in recent years.

Persons: Aamir QURESHI, AAMIR QURESHI, hideouts Organizations: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AFP, Getty Images, Reuters, Pakistan's, Wednesday Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Iran, Tehran, Israel, Sistan, Baluchistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Balochistan, Pakistan's Balochistan

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan has carried out a series of military strikes on what it said were separatist militant hideouts inside Iran, its foreign ministry said Thursday, in the latest incident across their shared border that has sent tensions between the two neighbors soaring. “At 4:30 a.m. explosions were heard in a border village, several missiles were fired at the village,” Marhamati said. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said. But the deadly attack inside Pakistani territory seriously damaged relations between the two countries, Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani told his Iranian counterpart. And Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria have launched dozens of attacks aimed at US military positions in those countries.

Persons: Alireza Marhamati, ” Marhamati, IRNA, ”, Iran ”, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Qasem Soleimani, Houthi, Amir Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, “, Pakistan Pakistan’s, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Iranian, Pakistani, Adl, Justice, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, ISIS, CNN, Economic, Davos Wednesday Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Iran, Iran’s, Sistan, Baluchistan, Saravan, restive Baloch, Gaza . Pakistan, ”, Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan’s, Balochistan, Iranian, “ Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tehran, Jaish, Erbil, Iraq, Syria, Kerman, Red, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Davos

☆ Factbox-Who Are the Separatists Targeted by Pakistan's Strikes in Iran?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Here are some facts on the group Pakistan targeted and the restive province at the heart of the tension. WHICH GROUP DID PAKISTAN TARGET IN IRAN? The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), which an intelligence official called the target of Pakistan's strikes in Iran, seeks independence for Pakistan's western province of Balochistan. They also attack Chinese projects, and occasionally kill Chinese workers despite Pakistan's assurances that it is doing all it can to protect the Chinese projects. It borders Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province where Pakistan carried out its strikes.

Persons: Xi, Charlotte Greenfield, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Ethnic Baloch, China Pakistan Economic, Barrick Gold, Barrick Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Iran, Balochistan, restive, PAKISTAN, IRAN, Baloch, Balochistan province, Afghanistan, Iran's Sistan, Baluchestan, Islamabad, China Pakistan, China, Gwadar, province's, Chagai

☆ Tensions With Iran Add to Pakistan's Economic Challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran, targeting separatist Baloch militants two days after Tehran said it had attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory. It is undergoing a tough $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme that pulled it from the brink of default last summer. Pakistan's international bonds fell after its foreign ministry said it conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, two days after Tehran attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory. Earlier in the day, Pakistan's benchmark share index fell 1.6% after Pakistan said it conducted strikes inside Iran, before recovering some ground. Pakistan's economic ties with Iran, while not huge, are important for Islamabad as it struggles to supply its western- most regions in Balochistan with critical commodities, including fuel and electricity.

Persons: Aneel Salman, Salman, Pakistan's, Hasnain Malik, Ariba Shahid, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Baloch, Monetary Fund, Liquified Petroleum Gas, Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Pipeline Locations: KARACHI, LONDON, Pakistan, Iran, Tehran, Tradeweb, Islamabad, Balochistan, Afghanistan, Russia, India, Karachi, London

☆ Israel-Hamas War Fighting Eases in Northern Gaza, Giving Residents Some Relief
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the country’s forces had conducted “precision military strikes” against what it called terrorist hide-outs in southeastern Iran. Iranian officials said that nine people had been killed, including four children, and Pakistani officials said the death toll of the Iranian strikes included at least two children. The official said that air force fighter jets and drones had been used in the Pakistani retaliatory strikes. In a statement, the Pakistani military called the two neighbors “brotherly countries” and said that “dialogue and cooperation is deemed prudent in resolving bilateral issues” between them. Pakistani military analysts were hopeful that this could pave the way for diplomatic dialogue between the two nations.

Persons: Islamic Republic “, ”, Ahmad Vahidi, Sohail Shahzad, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Syed Muhammad Ali, Waqar Hasan, Arash Khamooshi, Baluch, al, Vivian Nereim Organizations: Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry, Iran Exchange, Foreign Ministry, Islamic, Islamabad ”, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian, Credit, Pakistan, The New York Times Pakistan, Guards Locations: Pakistan, Iran, Baluch, Iraq, Islamic Republic, Saravan, Tehran, Islamabad, Rask, Israel, Gaza, Balochistan Province, Yemen, Suez, United States, Pakistani, “ Pakistan, Baluchistan Province, Sistan, Persian, Oman, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan and Iran have both conducted strikes on each other’s territories in an unprecedented escalation of hostilities between the neighbors, at a time when tensions have risen sharply across the Middle East and beyond. Iran claimed it had “only targeted Iranian terrorists on the soil of Pakistan” and that no Pakistani nationals were targeted. In 2015, the group claimed responsibility for an attack that killed eight Iranian border guards, with militants reportedly crossing into Iran from Pakistan. Iran’s strikes on Tuesday sparked a diplomatic spat, with Pakistan recalling its ambassador from Iran and suspending all high-level visits from its neighbor. And after Pakistan’s strikes, Iran on Thursday demanded “an immediate explanation” from its neighbor, Tasmin reported.

Persons: Islam –, hideouts, Jaish al, ”, Karim Sadjadpour, Wesley Clark, “, Jaish, CNN What’s, Tasmin, Matt Miller, Washington, “ We’ve, –, Miller, ” Pakistan’s Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Adl, Justice, Iran’s, Carnegie Endowment, International, US Army, CNN, Hamas, US, National Counterterrorism Center, US State Department, US State, Pakistan – Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Iran, Balochistan, Sistan, Baluchestan, restive Baloch, Gaza, Here’s, Pakistan’s Balochistan, Iran’s, Iran’s Sistan, Baluchestan province, Islam, ”, United States, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Red, NATO, Afghanistan, Tehran, Pakistan’s, Iranian, India, ” China

☆ Iran Strikes Jihadist Group in Pakistan as Middle East Conflicts Spread
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Saeed Shah | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gen. Hossein Salami, commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Tehran last month. Photo: abedin taherkenareh/ShutterstockISLAMABAD—Iran hit a jihadist group in Pakistan with a missile and drone strike Tuesday, according to Iranian state media, as a series of conflicts continue to spread across the Middle East in the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza. The target of the unusual attack inside Pakistan was a militant group, Jaish al-Adl, in Pakistan’s remote western province of Balochistan, which has a long border with Iran. Islamabad condemned the attack, which it said had killed two children and injured three more.

Persons: Hossein, abedin, al Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Adl Locations: Tehran, Shutterstock ISLAMABAD, Iran, Pakistan, Gaza, Balochistan, Islamabad

☆ 'Unprovoked violation': Iran strikes Syria, Iraq and Pakistan as Middle East tensions spike
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday night, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian defended his country's actions. watch nowTehran also hit what it said were Islamic State targets in northern Syria in tandem with its strikes on Iraq. In response to the Red Sea attacks, the U.S. and U.K. governments last week began launching missile strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. While the U.S. has hit Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq since the Gaza war began, the missile strikes marked the first U.S. attack on the Yemeni group. Iran's foreign minister told CNBC on Tuesday that the Houthis "are not receiving any orders or instructions from us."

Persons: Pakistan —, Masrour Barzani, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel —, Umar Karim, Iran — Organizations: United Arab Emirates, . Security, CNBC, Economic, Iranian, Islamic, Sepah, Anadolu Agency, Getty, King Faisal Center for Research, Islamic Studies, Middle, Iran Yemen's Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Israel, Gaza, Baghdad, Kurdistan, Tehran, Israeli, U.S, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdish, Davos, Islamic State, Balochistan, Israel — Tehran, Lebanon, Hamas, Yemen, Red

☆ Pakistan condemns deadly Iranian missile strike on its territory as an ‘unprovoked violation’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jonny Hallam | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned an Iranian airstrike inside its borders that killed two children, calling it an “unprovoked violation of its airspace” and warning of retaliation. In a statement on Telegram, the militants said two small children were killed in the attack, while two women and a teenage girl were seriously injured. Last month, Iran accused Jaish al-Adl militants of storming a police station in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Iranian police officers, according to Tasnim. Jaish al-Adl, or Army of Justice, is a separatist militant group that operates on both sides of the border and has previously claimed responsibility for attacks against Iranian targets. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said there are no Mossad-affiliated centers operating in Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Persons: “, Iran’s, Jaish al, Jaish, Fuad Hussein Organizations: CNN, Adl, Ministry, Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Guards, Justice, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, United Nations, UN Security Council, UN, Iraqi Locations: Pakistan, Iran, Pakistan’s, Balochistan, Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Tehran, Iranian, Sistan, Baluchistan, Erbil, United States, Kurdistan

☆ Pakistan's top court begins hearing challenge to expulsion of Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

More than 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1, after Pakistan vowed to expel more than a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Children born to Afghan families in Pakistan could not be sent back due to their birthright, Gilani said. Pakistan is home to more than 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented. Islamabad has not heeded calls from international bodies and refugee agencies to reconsider its deportation plans. Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: I've, Umar Ijaz Gilani, Gilani, Asif Shahzad, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Western, South, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, ISLAMABAD, Kabul, Taliban, U.S, Karachi, Islamabad

☆ Taliban minister raises issue of refugee assets during Pakistan visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister met Pakistan's foreign minister in Islamabad this week, an Afghan embassy statement said on Tuesday, discussing trade and how the thousands of Afghan citizens Pakistan is expelling could take cash and other assets back to their homeland. Taliban officials say militancy is an internal matter for Pakistan and have called on Islamabad to halt its deportation of Afghan citizens. Afghan citizens returning to Afghanistan have said there are restrictions on the transfer of cash and property to Afghanistan from Pakistan, where many had built businesses and homes for decades. Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Pakistan's foreign office said the Taliban acting commerce minister would also undertake a trilateral meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Haji Nooruddin Azizi's, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Afghan, Karachi, Western, Uzbekistan, South, Central Asia

☆ Pakistan Opens New Border Crossings to Expedite Afghans' Repatriation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Saleem AhmedQUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been ordered to leave the country or face expulsion, officials said. Many Afghans have opted to go home voluntarily to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to be expelled. The new crossings were set up at the Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan province in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district, said Jan Achakzai, information minister for the provincial caretaker government. More than 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the new policy was announced in early October, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR). Kabul has also asked Islamabad to give Afghan nationals ample time to leave.

Persons: Saleem Ahmed, Pakistan's, Jan Achakzai, Asif Shahzad, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters, Monday, United Nations, Refugees Locations: Saleem Ahmed QUETTA, Pakistan, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghan, Balochistan, Chaman, UNHCR

☆ Pakistan opens new border crossings to expedite Afghans' repatriation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Saleem Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Afghan nationals with belongings sit atop a truck as they head back with their families to Afghanistan from Pakistan, at the Chaman Border Crossing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border in Balochistan Province, in Chaman, Pakistan November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsQUETTA, Pakistan, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been ordered to leave the country or face expulsion, officials said. The new crossings were set up at the Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan province in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district, said Jan Achakzai, information minister for the provincial caretaker government. More than 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the new policy was announced in early October, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR). Kabul has also asked Islamabad to give Afghan nationals ample time to leave.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Pakistan's, Jan Achakzai, Asif Shahzad, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monday, United Nations, Refugees, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights QUETTA, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghan, Balochistan, UNHCR

☆ Pakistan PM says expulsion of Afghans a response to Taliban non-cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Kakar said 15 suicide bombings in recent months had been carried out by Afghans, and dozens of Afghans had been killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces. A spokesman for the Taliban administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There has been a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants in Pakistan since talks between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani state broke down in 2022. Kakar said that Pakistan had communicated to the Taliban administration that it had to "choose between Pakistan and the TTP".

Persons: Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Kakar, Gibran Peshimam, Alex Richardson Organizations: United Nations, Caretaker, Taliban, Thomson Locations: Afghan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, ISLAMABAD, Western, Islamabad, U.S, Tehreek, Taliban Pakistan, Pakistani

☆ Militants attack air force base in central Pakistan, says military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Nine Islamist militants attacked an air force training base in the central Pakistani area of Mianwali on Saturday damaging three "non-operational" aircraft, the military said, adding that all assailants had been killed by security forces. Three militants were killed before they entered the base while the others had been cornered before the clearance operation began, the military said in a statement. The military said nine militants had been killed in the attack on the Pakistan Air Force Training Airbase Mianwali. "No damage has been done to any of the Pakistan Air Force's functional operational assets, while only some damage was done to three already phased out non-operational aircraft during the attack," the military statement said. Islamist militant group Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to journalists by its spokesperson.

Persons: Zeeshan Niazi, TJP, Gibran Peshimam, Saud Mehsud, Dera Ismail Khan, Mubasher Bukhari, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Nine, Reuters, Pakistan Air Force Training, Pakistan Air, Jihad, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Mianwali, Jihad Pakistan, Balochistan, Lahore

☆ ‘There is no school for girls’: Afghans who fled to Pakistan sent back to a homeland that is foreign to many
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“I was born in Pakistan, I’ve lived here for 42 years, I went to school in Pakistan,” said Nasim, who had traveled to the Torkham border crossing from the northern city Peshawar. Nasim, who was born and raised in Pakistan, and is now preparing to return to Afghanistan. International bodies and human rights groups have warned of a looming humanitarian disaster as they return. He hoped the Taliban would greet those forced out of Pakistan and help them find new jobs. The steady deterioration of human rights under the Taliban since its return to power have only confirmed the worst fears of many Afghans.

Persons: I’ve, ”, Nasim, “ I’ve, –, “, ” Nasim, Abdul Basit, Sarfraz Bugti, Ravina Shamdasani, Wakil Kohsar, Ghulam Sakhi, we’ve, Raza Muhammad, ” Muhammad, Akhtar Muhammad, Zahid Bahand, can’t, I’m Organizations: Pakistan CNN, CNN, ”, Getty, Security, Authorities, United Nations, Human Rights, Rights Watch, ” CNN, Interior Ministry, “ Police, UN, International Organization for Migration, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taliban Locations: Chaman, Pakistan, Pakistan’s, Peshawar, Afghanistan, ”, Quetta, “, Soviet, States, AFP, Afghan, Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Balochistan’s, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Kabul

Search resuls for: "Balochistan"

25 mentions found