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"The meeting agreed to launch an all-out comprehensive operation with the entire nation and the government, which will rid the country of the menace of terrorism with renewed vigor and determination," the security committee said in a statement. Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country of 220 million people, has seen a rise in attacks by Islamist militants in the last few months, particularly since negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group broke down last year. The court has already rejected the government's argument, but Friday's security committee statement brings with it the key endorsement of Pakistan's powerful military. It (the government) gets the military's backing without the military giving any sort of political statement," Hussain added. Pakistan's military has ruled the country for over 30 years out of its 75-year history and continues to wield enormous power.

[1/2] A supporter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, walks with a riot shield used by the police, during a clash outside the federal judicial complex in Islamabad, Pakistan March 18, 2023. "Around 285 PTI supporters have been arrested in Lahore and Islamabad. Khan, a former cricket star, was prime minister from 2018 until 2022, when he was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote. His successor as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has rejected his demand and said an election would be held as scheduled later this year. Clashes between Khan's supporters and the security forces have brought a new round of political chaos to Pakistan, which is in the midst of a crippling economic crisis.

☆ Exclusive: Pakistan's Imran Khan: committee to lead party if I'm arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, gestures as he speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has denied being behind the cases. Khan said there is no reason he should be arrested now, because he had bail on all his cases. The police attempt to arrest Khan led to clashes in which dozens of people were injured. The former prime minister has generated popular support among Pakistanis amid decades-high inflation and a crippling economic slowdown as the country implements painful fiscal reforms to avert default.

[1/6] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan carry bamboo sticks and slingshots, as they gather and chant slogans, at the entrance of Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Even though there was no police presence on Friday, witnesses said Khan's supporters, armed with batons and iron rods, remained stationed outside his home. The Election Commission of Pakistan had found him guilty and barred Khan from holding public office for one parliamentary term. Khan has said he was willing to submit a written undertaking that he would voluntarily appear before the court on Saturday, but the court said such an undertaking was insufficient. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying an election would be held as scheduled later this year.

"High spot LNG prices and dwindling domestic production will mean that Pakistan will continue facing issues with ramping up gas-fired power generation," said Poorna Rajendran, LNG consultant at FGE. Despite LNG prices having fallen from last year's record highs, the superchilled fuel is still expensive for South Asian buyers as their currencies have weakened sharply, making it hard for them to boost LNG imports this year. Ship tracking data from Kpler shows Pakistan's LNG imports in 2022 fell 17% from the previous year to a five-year low. Bangladesh's LNG imports in 2022 fell 14% from the previous year, according to Kpler, which drove down power output while demand was rising. LNG prices are unlikely to ease enough to help Bangladesh and Pakistan, with analysts expecting a rebound in Chinese purchases to push prices up in 2023.

☆ Former Pakistan PM Khan gets court protection against arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, along with his supporters walks as he leaves the district High Court in Lahore, Pakistan February 20, 2023. Khan has had a number of cases registered against him since a parliamentary vote ousted him from power last year. Khan appeared before the Lahore High Court late on Monday along with hundreds of supporters, witnesses said. The case pertained to alleged violence by his supporters during protests last year, which Khan is charged with inciting. The government denies cracking down on Khan and his party, and says it is not interfering in various cases against him.

[1/5] Police officers stand in the aftermath of an attack on a police station in Karachi, Pakistan February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroKARACHI, Pakistan, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Islamists stormed a police station in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Friday, killing two people in a hail of gunfire and a series of loud explosions before they themselves were killed, officials said. Security forces retook the building after several hours and killed three militants, a government spokesman said. A huge explosion was heard inside the station after a series of blasts when it was first attacked. The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), took responsibility for the attack in a message sent by their spokesman to journalists.

☆ Factbox: Who are the Pakistan Taliban?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility. * Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was formed in 2007 as an umbrella organisation of various hardline Sunni Islamist groups operating individually in Pakistan. * There was an attempt by Pakistan to hold peace talks with the TTP, resulting in a months-long ceasefire and negotiations brokered by the Afghan Taliban. * Pakistan says the TTP leadership has safe havens in Afghanistan, but the Afghan Taliban administration denies this. * TTP attacks are mostly directed at Pakistan, unlike the other big militant threat in the region, Islamic State.

☆ U.S. concerned about debt Pakistan owes China, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The United States is concerned about debt owed to China by Pakistan and other countries, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad as the country dealt with an economic crisis. Pakistan, historically a close ally of Washington, has become increasingly close to China, which has provided billions in loans and is Islamabad's largest single creditor. Pakistan faces a crippling economic crisis, with decades-high inflation and critically low foreign exchange reserves depleted by continued debt repayment obligations. Cholett said Washington was talking to Islamabad about the "perils" of a closer relationship with Beijing, but would not ask Pakistan to choose between the United States and China. Officials from China and the United States will be part of a multi-country meeting of a new sovereign debt roundtable on Friday.

☆ Coffee trumps economic crisis as Tim Hortons opens in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Pakistan Feb 14 (Reuters) - Pakistanis are queuing for hours to grab coffee and pastries from Canadian chain Tim Hortons, which opened its first outlet in the South Asian country this week just as its economic crisis took a turn for the worse. Tim Hortons is owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc (RBI) (QSR.TO), , a Toronto-based company that also owns other fast food brands including Burger King and Popeyes. McDonald's (MCD.N), Retail Food Group (RFG.AX)-owned Gloria Jean's Coffee and Yum Brands Inc (YUM.N)-owned Pizza Hut are among the international brands with outlets in Pakistan. Tim Hortons is set to open another two outlets in Lahore, RBI said in a statement. For students such as Pareeshay Khan, the brand's social media traction trumps the cost of the coffee.

☆ IMF, Pakistan to resume talks on unlocking bailout funds, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The two could not reach a deal last week and a visiting IMF delegation departed Islamabad after 10 days of talks, but said negotiations would continue. Pakistan is in dire need of funds as it battles a wrenching economic crisis. Talks centre around reaching an agreement on a reforms agenda under the country's $6.5 billion bailout programme, which it entered in 2019. A resumption of the IMF programme would also unlock other avenues of funding for Pakistan. An agreement, if reached, would still need to be cleared by the IMF board.

☆ Mob storms Pakistani police station, lynches man accused of blasphemy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A mob in eastern Pakistan stormed a police station on Saturday and lynched a man under custody and accused of blasphemy, police said, in the latest incident of religion-linked violence in the Islamic republic. However, the mob stormed the station, located in the city of Nankana Sahib, took Waris out of the premises, beat him to death and attempted to set his body on fire, Waqas added. Blasphemy is also a crime under Pakistani law, which can carry the death sentence. A number of police officials have been suspended because of their inability to stop the mob, a statement from the police said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry, the government said.

☆ Pakistan's former President Musharraf buried in Karachi
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Army vehicles escort ambulances, carrying the body of Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf during his funeral in Karachi, Pakistan February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroKARACHI, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the campaign against al Qaeda following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was buried in his hometown of Karachi on Tuesday. He was buried at the Army Graveyard in Karachi. This decision contradicted Pakistan's long-standing support for the Taliban, who still controlled Afghanistan until their ouster in late 2001, and made Musharraf a target for domestic militant groups. Prime Minister Sharif, the president and the army chief did not attend.

☆ Reactions to Pakistan ex-President Musharraf's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday following a prolonged illness at a hospital in Dubai, after years in self-imposed exile. SHASHI THAROOR, INDIAN POLITICIAN, SAID ON TWITTER"Once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007. I met him annually in those days at the UN & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP"MOSHARRAF ZAIDI, CEO OF TABADLAD, AN ISLAMABAD-BASED THINK TANK"The most important legacy Gen. Musharraf leaves behind predates his time as president. The 1999 Kargil War permanently altered ...

☆ Pakistan ex-President Pervez Musharraf dies in Dubai after years in exile
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf salutes during the playing of Pakistan's national anthem at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi November 27, 2007. REUTERS/Mian KhursheedISLAMABAD, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday following a prolonged illness at a hospital in Dubai, after years in self-imposed exile. Musharraf joined what Washington called its "war on terror" after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. This made Musharraf a target for militants in Pakistan as well as causing him to lose support among conservative elements in Pakistan. Allowed abroad for medical treatment even as he faced a treason case in Pakistan, Musharraf last flew to Dubai in 2016.

☆ Pakistan's forex reserves with central bank drop to $3.09 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank decreased by 16.1% to $3.09 billion in the week ending Jan. 27, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday, which analysts said covers less than three weeks of imports. The country is locked in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release much-needed money under a stalled bailout programme. The central bank said in a statement that the drop in reserves was due to external debt repayments. Reserves held by commercial banks stood at $5.65 billion, taking total liquid reserves in the country to $8.74 billion, SBP added. The central bank recently removed a cap on exchange rates and the government raised fuel prices by 16%.

☆ Pakistan govt lifts petrol, diesel prices by 35 rupees a litre
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Pakistan's ministry of finance announced on Sunday petrol and diesel prices would rise by 35 rupees ($0.1400) a litre after the country's currency value plummeted this week when price caps were removed. "We will have to take the rise in international oil prices and the devaluation of the rupee into account," he said. The day before, Reuters witnesses reported some petrol stations had long lines outside as residents filled their tanks due to speculation that prices would soon rise. Pakistan is in the midst of a balance of payments crisis and the plummeting value of the Pakistani rupee will push up the price of imported goods. ($1 = 250.0000 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The currency's official value closed at 255.4 rupees against the dollar versus 230.9 on Wednesday, the central bank said. Facing an increasingly acute balance of payments crisis, Pakistan is desperate to secure external financing, with less than three weeks worth of import cover in its foreign exchange reserves. Aside from wanting the government to reduce its budget deficit, the IMF is pushing for it to move to a market-determined exchange rate regime. The foreign exchange companies said on Wednesday that they had removed the cap for the sake of the country, because it was causing "artificial" distortions for the economy. Aside from moving towards a market-determined exchange rate, Islamabad has also announced it will take fiscal measures recommended by the IMF.

☆ Thousands of mobile phone towers go offline in Pakistan after power outage - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, Pakistan, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Thousands of mobile phone towers have gone offline across Pakistan due to a nationwide power cut on Monday, an industry source told Reuters, raising the spectre of a telecommunications blackout in parts of the country of 220 million people. The disruption has begun hitting the country's approximately 40,000 telecommunication towers. Separately, the country's telecommunication regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), warned of outages. "Due to country wide power outage, users may face service disruptions," PTA said in a statement. A spokesperson for PTA did not respond to a question on how many of Pakistan's telecommunication towers were offline.

☆ Pakistan to start importing Russian oil after March
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Pakistan has been battling a balance of payment crisis with foreign exchange reserves falling to $4.6 billion, barely enough to cover three weeks of imports - mostly for oil. It said in October it was considering buying discounted Russian crude, citing neighbouring India which has been purchasing from Moscow. Pakistan officials and Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov, who is in Islamabad for an annual inter-governmental commission on trade and economy, did not specify the size of the planned purchases. Pakistan junior oil minister Musadik Malik told local Geo News TV separately that Islamabad wanted to import 35% of its total crude oil requirement. Shulginov said Russian gas companies might not be in a position at present to extend any supplies to Pakistan.

☆ Pakistan seeks $8 bln in three years for flood recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres attend a summit on climate resilience in Pakistan, months after deadly floods in the country, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseJan 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan needs $8 billion from its international partners over the next three years to rebuild the country that is reeling from last year's devastating floods, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in Geneva on Monday. The floods, blamed on climate change, dealt a severe blow to Pakistan's strained economy while displacing some 8 million people and killing at least 1,700. Rebuilding efforts are now estimated to cost more than $16 billion. Reporting by Gibran Peshimam and Asif Shahzad, writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Krishna N. DasOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistan's finance minister to meet IMF in Geneva, with bailout stalled
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISLAMABAD, Jan 8 (Reuters) - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation will meet Pakistan's finance minister on the sidelines of a conference in Geneva beginning on Jan. 9, a spokesperson of the lender said on Sunday, as Pakistan struggles to restart its bailout programme. "The IMF delegation is expected to meet with Finance Minister (Ishaq) Dar on the sidelines of the Geneva conference to discuss outstanding issues and the path forward," a spokesperson of the IMF said in a message to Reuters. The conference in Geneva, co-hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, will look to gather international support for the country in the aftermath of devastating floods last year. Dar has been critical of the IMF lately, publicly saying that the lender was acting "abnormally" in its dealings with Pakistan, which entered the $7 billion bailout programme in 2019. The IMF spokesperson also said its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva had a "constructive call" with Sharif regarding the Geneva conference and supported Pakistan's efforts to rebuild.

☆ Pakistan to shut malls, markets early in energy saving plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ISLAMABAD, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Pakistan's government has ordered all malls and markets to close by 8:30 p.m. among other measures in a new energy conservation plan, the defence minister said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with an economic crisis. Khawaja Asif told journalists the cabinet-approved measures to shut markets, including restaurants, aimed to save the cash-strapped country about 62 billion Pakistani rupees ($273 million). Pakistan's total liquid foreign exchange reserves stood at $11.7 billion - $5.8 billion with the central bank - as of late last month, having fallen 50% in 2022. Asif said the energy conservation plan also included banning the production of energy inefficient bulbs and fans from February and July respectively. ($1 = 226.7500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistan says it has provided list of nuclear facilities to India under annual practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Pakistan said it had handed a list of its nuclear installations and facilities to the Indian mission in Islamabad on Sunday under a decades-old agreement between the two nuclear-armed rivals. It said lists are exchanged annually on Jan 1 and that India had simultaneously handed over a list to the Pakistani mission in New Delhi. Pakistan first officially tested nuclear weapons in 1998 and has since developed a significant stockpile of nuclear capable missiles, as has India. The list included 705 Indian prisoners detained in Pakistan, including 51 civilians and 654 fishermen, the statement said. It added that the Indian government also shared with the Pakistani mission in New Delhi a list of 434 Pakistani prisoners in India, including 339 civilians and 95 fishermen.

☆ Blast outside Kabul's military airport, multiple casualties -interior ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Mohammad Yunus Yawar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, Jan 1 (Reuters) - An explosion outside the military airport in Kabul on Sunday has caused multiple casualties, a spokesman for the Taliban-run interior ministry said. "Today morning an explosion took place outside Kabul military airport, due to which a number of our citizens were martyred and injured," spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor told Reuters, adding that investigations are under way. Local residents said a loud explosion was heard before 8 am in the vicinity of the military side of the heavily fortified airport. They said the area had been sealed off by security forces, and all roads had been closed. Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Neil Fullick and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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