DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Pakistan's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif declares victory in fraught election as opponents claim vote rigging
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Campaign posters for Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's former prime minister, along a street ahead of Pakistan's national election in Lahore, Pakistan, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared victory on Friday in the country's 2024 General Election, one that many Pakistanis and human rights groups are decrying as neither free nor fair. Sharif, 74, cited the Election Commission of Pakistan in saying that his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had won the largest share of the national vote. "Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will almost certainly win," Chaudhuri said as the polls opened. A lifetime ban from partaking in politics and multiple corruption convictions for Sharif were overturned by Pakistani courts last year.

Persons: Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Chaudhuri, Sharif, mending Organizations: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Eurasia Group, CNBC Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, Sharif, South Asia, U.K

☆ 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

☆ Pakistani minister defends decision to expel Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"So, accordingly，this is in line with the international practice that we have taken this decision." Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday some 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan had no legal documents and the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan totalled 4.4 million. In defending the decision to expel Afghans, Pakistani authorities said 14 of 24 suicide bombings this year had been carried out by Afghan nationals. "Whenever there was any problem, people would immigrate to Pakistan, take refuge in Pakistan," Jilani said. "But now I think it has been more than 40 years, so the government of Pakistan has taken a decision," Jilani said, noting that the situation in Afghanistan had stabilised.

Persons: Fayaz Aziz, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Hong, Jilani, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Phoenix TV, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Torkham, Rights BEIJING, Europe, Asia, Tibet, U.S

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

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — It's almost the end of the U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting that brings world leaders together at U.N. headquarters in New York. Here are the highlights of what happened Saturday at the United Nations and what to keep an eye on Tuesday, the last day (Monday's off for Yom Kippur). — As Venezuela's foreign minister spoke at the United Nations, The Associated Press visited the hotel just blocks away that's become a center for asylum-seekers from the country. At the United Nations, African leaders have been clear that they want a seat at the global table, especially considering the continent's ascendance. ___For more coverage of this year's U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly

Persons: — It's, Sergey Lavrov, QUOTABLE, don’t, ”, Grace Agbu Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, General Assembly, United Nations, UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, United, United Arab Emirates, Associated Press, UN GENERAL, Morocco —, General, Hall, —, AP Locations: U.N, New York, Yom Kippur, Ukraine, United States, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Iran, United Arab, India, Syria, North Korea, Canada, Morocco, Morocco — Canada, Canadian, — Morocco, Pakistan, Kashmir, Nigerian

☆ Hardeep Singh Nijjar: Who was the Sikh leader murdered in Canada?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sakshi Dayal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple is seen after the killing on its grounds in June 2023 of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada September 18, 2023. Here is what is known about Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the man at the centre of the row. - He was initially associated with the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) Sikh separatist group, according to India's counter-terrorist, National Investigation Agency. - For supporters demanding a so-called independent Sikh state of Khalistan, Nijjar was a prominent leader and a strong voice for the cause. - He was elected head of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara, a Sikh place of worship, in Surrey, the Vancouver suburb where he lived.

Persons: Nanak, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Chris Helgren, India's, Nijjar, Sakshi Dayal, YP Rajesh, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Khalistan Extremism Monitor, for Conflict Management, Babbar Khalsa International, National Investigation Agency, Pakistan's Inter, Services Intelligence, Khalistan Tiger Force, YP, Thomson Locations: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, DELHI, Ottawa, New Delhi, India, Jalandhar district, India's, Punjab, Islamabad, Indian, Vancouver

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

☆ Pakistan's interim PM says Saudi Arabia to invest $25 bln over next five years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There was no immediate response to a Reuters request to the Saudi Arabian government for comment on Kakar's remarks. If confirmed, a series of investments worth $25 billion would be the biggest ever by the kingdom in Pakistan. Pakistan's state owned enterprises have long been an area of concern with bleeding financials adding to financial stress. Recently Pakistan added struggling state-run Pakistan International Airlines to the privatisation list again. Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Additional reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh; Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, Kakar, Gibran Peshimam, Aziz El Yaakoubi, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, International Monetary Fund, Barrick Gold Corp, Pakistan's, Barrick, Pakistan International Airlines, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Rights ISLAMABAD, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Saudi Arabian, Riyadh, Balochistan

☆ New arrest warrant issued for ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan - Geo News
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISLAMABAD, July 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan's election commission has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Geo news reported on Monday, the latest in a series of legal hurdles facing the cricketer-turned-politician. Khan was arrested in May by Pakistani authorities in connection with a corruption case, which sparked deadly unrest across the country. It was not immediately clear which charge the Election Commission's order related to and whether police would act on the warrant. Khan has faced a multitude of charges in different institutions and courts since his ouster, including graft, murder and sedition. Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan, Geo, Charlotte Greenfield, Jon Boyle Organizations: Geo, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Washington, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD, June 23 (Reuters) - At least 350 Pakistanis were on an overloaded boat that capsized and sank in open seas off Greece last week, Pakistan's Interior Minister said on Friday, promising to arrest and prosecute the human smugglers responsible. Another 193 Pakistani families have taken DNA tests to try to identify those who died in one of Europe's deadliest shipping disasters in recent years, he said. Pakistan said it has arrested several human traffickers and their agents who told authorities that their ring leader was based in Libya. These human smugglers had charged around $8,000 a person to take them to Europe illegally through the sea route after flying legally to Dubai, Egypt and Libya, authorities said. Reporting by Asif Shahzad, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Shivam Patel, Christina Fincher and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rana Sanaullah, Sanaullah, Asif Shahzad, Tanvi Mehta, Shivam Patel, Christina Fincher, Conor Humphries Organizations: Pakistan's, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Greece, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Pylos, Libya, Europe, Dubai

☆ Saudi Arabia commits financial support to help Pakistan secure IMF deal - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has told the International Monetary Fund it will provide financing to Pakistan, Pakistani junior finance minister Aisha Ghaus Pasha said on Thursday, a critical step needed to secure IMF funding. Saudi Arabia's $2 billion pledged in external financing support to Pakistan is one of the final conditions for an IMF deal that Islamabad needs to avert a default. "Apparently Saudi Arabia has committed to IMF, and IMF has indicated to us that there has been a correspondence from them," Pasha told reporters in Islamabad. ,The IMF has asked Pakistan to secure assurances on external financing from friendly countries and multilateral partners to fund its balance of payment gap for this fiscal year, which ends in June. Pasha said Islamabad was also in talks with UAE to secure an assurance for a foreign reserves deposits in central bank.

☆ Pakistani parliament's ruling sought over ex-PM Khan's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, March 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday sought a parliament ruling to empower authorities to tackle former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party's alleged involvement in violence. The ruling was asked for in a joint session of parliament convened over the instability caused by the crisis over Khan. The minister requested the house give "guidance" to the government about the violence stoked by Khan's supporters, who he said included "miscreants, armed groups, and terrorists". "It is required that the security forces should be given authority and other measures to deal with this issue," he said, adding that Khan's agenda is "chaos and anarchy." The government has alleged that Khan's supporters had militants among them and ministers have called for proscribing Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had said last week that the external financing assurance was not one of the IMF's conditions for clearance of the funding. Pakistan has completed almost all other measures needed except for the external financing requirement, officials say. Dar said last week that Pakistan will need $5 billion external financing to close its financing gap this fiscal year ending June 30, adding the IMF believed it should be $7 billion. Dar said hoped more external financing will be coming as Pakistan signs the IMF deal this week. Ruiz noted that the difference in foreign exchange rates between the open and informal markets has been very damaging for Pakistan, resulting in shortages of foreign exchange and consequently imported goods.

"I can't imagine Pakistan not going on a back-to-back IMF programme." Pakistan's debt problemsPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s main election challenger is former cricket star Imran Khan, who was removed from the job last April but retains popularity. "There is just a long-term indebtedness problem," said Jeff Grills, the head of emerging markets debt at Aegon Asset Management, who held Pakistan bonds until the floods hit. Most of Pakistan's bonds are still trading at less than half their face value. Reuters GraphicsDIFFICULT TIMESSuch a restructuring of Pakistan's bonds would represent its first international default since 1999, according to the Bank of Canada-Bank of England Sovereign Default Database.

☆ Pakistani journalist's killing in Kenya a pre-meditated murder -report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TV journalist Arshad Sharif, who had fled Pakistan citing threats to his life, was shot dead in Nairobi in October. The fact-finding team highlighted one wound in particular on Sharif's back, saying it appeared to have been inflicted from relatively close range. The fact-finding team's report also pointed out apparent contradictions in the autopsy reports in Kenya and Pakistan. The post-mortem report in Pakistan identified 12 injuries on Sharif's body whereas the Kenyan report identified just two injuries pertaining to gunshot wounds. The fact-finding team report said doctors believed the injures may be the result of torture or a struggle, but it could not be established until verified by the doctor who conducted the post mortem in Kenya.

☆ Pakistan minister: Evidence suggests shot reporter was targeted in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaISLAMABAD, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday evidence suggested a prominent Pakistani journalist was the victim of a targeted killing in Kenya, not an accidental shooting, though he still needed more information on the incident. Kenyan police spokesman Bruno Shioso declined to respond to the minister's comments on the death of TV journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead on the evening of Oct. 23 on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. "We still need to obtain more (evidence) to confirm all this ... and we have asked the Kenyan government for more data," he added. Sanaullah said the team had returned from Kenya, but Kenyan police had not yet given Pakistani investigators all of Sharif's recovered belongings. "We will now ask the foreign office to contact the Kenyan government, and the prime minister will also speak to the Kenyan president," the minister said.

☆ Pakistan's powerful spy agency comes out of the shadows to deny role in the killing of a high-profile journalist in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Kenya in what police said was a case of "mistaken identity." In an unprecedented move, Pakistan's spy agency held its first-ever press conference to deny the claims. The chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, spoke to the media on Thursday alongside a military spokesperson to address Sharif's killing. Arshad Sharif, an investigative journalist known for being critical of Pakistan's powerful military, was shot dead by Kenyan police on Sunday night. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded an inquiry into Sharif's death.

Search resuls for: "Pakistan's Inter"

17 mentions found