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☆ Coalition government deal in Pakistan leaves Imran Khan’s party out of power
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Two of Pakistan’s major political parties - the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) - say they will form a coalition government after last week’s inconclusive elections. The move means the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan will not be in power, despite independent candidates affiliated with it gaining the most votes. The PMLN also released a statement that Shahbaz Sharif would be the party’s candidate for prime minister. Earlier on Tuesday, the PPP’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said his party would support the PLMN candidate for prime minister. The party would also field its candidates for the National Assembly speaker, chairman of the Senate, and president, he said.

Persons: Imran Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Imran Khan’s, Nawaz Sharif, Khan, ” Zardari, Sharif, “, ” Bhutto Zardari Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, PPP, PTI, National Assembly, Senate Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore, Wahdat

☆ Greece boat disaster: A Pakistani father's anguish over his missing son
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Now, the father fears his son was among those lost in a disastrous boat capsize off Greece on Wednesday in which hundreds of people are thought to have died, among them Pakistanis. Mehmood, 60, said a local travel agent had charged 2.2 million Pakistani rupees ($7,653) for his son's trip, with the promise he would earn well in Europe. He said he last heard from his son when Sultan got on a boat, which he believes was the doomed vessel. "He sent a (text) message saying that he was sitting in a boat with around 400- 500 people. Most of the people on board the capsized boat were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, Greek government officials have said.

Persons: Shahid Mehmood, Sultan, Mehmood, Adnan Iftikhar, Shahbaz Sharif, Ariba Shahid, Frances Kerry Organizations: country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Pakistani, Europe, Greece, Faisalabad, Dubai, Egypt, Libya, Tripoli, Pylos, Syria, Karachi

The 70-year-old former cricket hero who become prime minister in 2018 has been embroiled in a confrontation with the powerful military since he was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year. Khan was freed days later but new charges against him have been piling up. The military, which denies involvement in civilian politics, initially saw Khan with his conservative, nationalist agenda as a leader who shared their interests. But as prime minister, Khan took steps that angered the generals, in particular in connection with security sector appointments. The prime minister who replaced Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, has rejected his call for an election before one is due by late this year.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan's, Khan, Gohar Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Robert Birsel Organizations: Pakistani, Court, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Islamabad

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.

☆ An economic crisis in Pakistan means many are going hungry during Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Javed IqbalIn Karachi, Pakistan’s financial center, 13 women and children died in March when hundreds of people caused a stampede in the rush for free food. Nine were killed in late March at separate government run flour distribution sites in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at what it called “mismanagement” that caused stampedes at wheat flour distribution centers set up by the government. Khan said a shortage of basic imports such as animal feed and other raw materials essential for food production contributed further to the food crisis and widespread hunger. Ramadan is a period of thanksgiving and shared meals, but the festivities have been overshadowed by the economic crisis.

☆ Pakistan, IMF agree on more talks, delaying bailout
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to continue talks on a deal, delaying the disbursement of $1.1 billion in funding critical to keeping the South Asian economy afloat. "Virtual discussions will continue in the coming days," IMF Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter said in a statement, adding that considerable progress had been made. To release the funds, the IMF needs to reach a staff-level agreement with Pakistan, which then needs to be approved by the IMF's head office in Washington. The money is necessary to prevent Pakistan from defaulting on external payment obligations, and an IMF deal paves the way for other organisations and governments to provide funds, analysts say. In addition to the stalled tranche, $1.4 billion remain of the $6.5 billion bailout programme, which is due to end in June.

☆ Pakistani PM approves IMF agreement, says Geo citing sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and all mattters over the bailout program are settled, local broadcaster Geo said on Thursday, citing sources. Cash-strapped Pakistan had been due to wrap up talks on Thursday with the IMF in a bid to unlock stalled funds from a $6.5 billion bailout to ward off economic meltdown. Reporting by Sudipto GanugulyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistani PM approves IMF deal, Geo reports, without giving details
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Faisal MahmoodKARACHI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and all matters related to the bailout programme are settled, broadcaster Geo said on Thursday, citing sources. To release the funds, the IMF needed to reach a staff level agreement with Pakistan. Analysts say the money is necessary to prevent Pakistan from defaulting on external payment obligations, and an IMF deal also paves the way for other organisations and governments to provide funds. The IMF mission arrived in Pakistan late last week for talks aimed at releasing an overdue tranche of $1.1 billion from the bailout programme, leaving $1.4 billion remaining. The fiscal adjustments demanded by any deal, however, are likely to fuel record high inflation, which hit 27.5% year-on-year in January, analysts say.

☆ Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan martial ruler in 9/11 wars, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has died in Dubai aged 79 after a long illness, the army said on February 5, 2023. By Sept. 12, then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told Musharraf that Pakistan would either be "with us or against us." They regrouped and the offshoot Pakistani Taliban emerged, beginning a yearslong insurgency in the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Though Pakistan under Musharraf launched these operations, the militants still thrived as billions of American dollars flowed into the nation. Born Aug. 11, 1943, in New Delhi, India, Musharraf was the middle son of a diplomat.

☆ Suicide bomber kills 59 at Pakistan mosque used by police officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber struck a crowded mosque inside a police compound in Pakistan on Monday, causing the roof to collapse and killing at least 59 people and wounding more than 150 others, officials said. He expressed his condolences to families of the victims, saying their pain “cannot be described in words.”Police said between 300 to 350 worshippers were inside the mosque when the bomber detonated his explosives. Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. Pakistan, which is mostly Sunni Muslim, has seen a surge in militant attacks since November, when the Pakistani Taliban ended their cease-fire with government forces. Monday’s assault on a Sunni mosque was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent years.

☆ Suicide bomber kills 28, wounds 150 at mosque in NW Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Security personnel cordon off the site of a mosque blast inside the police headquarters in Peshawar on January 30, 2023. Police between 300 to 350 worshipers were inside the mosque when the bomber detonated his explosives. A survivor, 38-year-old police officer Meena Gul, said he was inside the mosque when the bomb went off. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned the bombing, calling it a "terrorist suicide attack" in a Twitter posting. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since November when the Pakistani Taliban ended their cease-fire with government forces.

☆ U.N. gathering seeks billions in aid for Pakistan after devastating floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“We need to be honest about the brutal injustice of loss and damage suffered by developing countries because of climate change,” Guterres told the gathering. “If there is any doubt about loss and damage — go to Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left, speaks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a conference in Geneva on Monday. Many countries already doled out cash, supplies and other support for Pakistan in the immediate follow-up to the flooding. Climate scientists found that the floods in Pakistan were worsened by global heating although economic, societal and construction-oriented factors also played a role.

☆ Suicide bombing in Pakistan's capital kills 2 suspects and a policeman
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

At least three police officers and seven passersby were wounded in the bombing in Islamabad. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the explosion. Friday’s bombing happened about 9 miles from the garrison city of Rawalpindi, home of the military and government spy agencies. Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks on security forces since November, when they unilaterally ended a monthslong cease-fire with the country’s government. The Pakistani Taliban are separate but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan last year as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew after 20 years of war.

☆ Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan stable after shooting; party to hold protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan is in a stable condition after being shot and wounded during a protest march, a senior leader from his party said Friday. One of Khan’s supporters was killed and 13 others, including two lawmakers, were wounded in the attack. He provided no further details, but Khan’s party in a brief statement urged supporters to hold nationwide rallies to condemn the shooting. Asad Umar, a senior figure from Khan’s party, blamed the shooting on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the country’s interior minister, and an army general without offering any evidence. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said some political elements from Khan’s party were trying to create chaos in the country following the attack.

☆ Pakistan’s ex-leader Imran Khan wounded in gun attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Party official Asad Umar says Khan was wounded in the foot and was not seriously hurt. Khan with later seen with a bandage on his right leg, just above the foot, according to reports and a blurry image. An unspecified number of supporters from his Tehreek-e-Insaf party who were part of the march were also wounded, according to the announcement from the party. The attack happened less than a week after Khan began his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, along with thousands of supporters. Earlier, Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader in Khan’s party, had said they plan to enter Islamabad on Friday.

☆ Former Pakistan leader Imran Khan disqualified from holding office
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s elections commission on Friday disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding public office for five years, accusing him of unlawfully selling state gifts and concealing assets, his spokesman and officials said. Chaudhry condemned the move and urged Khan’s supporters to protest publicly. Balkh Ser Khosa, a prominent lawyer, said the commission disqualified Khan from holding public office because he unlawfully sold state gifts given to him by other countries when he was in power. Banaras Khan / AFP via Getty ImagesLaw Minister Azam Nazir Tarar confirmed that the commission found Khan guilty of the charges. Tarar said Khan has been disqualified from holding public office for five years.

☆ Deadly floodwaters begin to recede in Pakistan’s south worst hit by the disaster
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Floodwaters are receding in Pakistan’s worst-hit southern Sindh province, officials said Friday, a potentially bright sign in an ongoing crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless in the impoverished South Asian country. Volunteers from the Saylani Welfare Trust distribute food among flood-affected families, in Pakistan's Sindh province on Tuesday. Authorities say it will take months to completely drain the water in Sindh. Nationwide, floods have damaged 1.8 million homes, washed away roads and destroyed nearly 400 bridges, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. The deluge has killed 1,508 people since mid-June, inundated millions of acres of land and affected 33 million people.

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