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One month since Arshad Sharif was killed, Kenyan and Pakistani authorities have not concluded their reports nor have there been any arrests in the case. “I have no faith in the Pakistani government,” his mother, Riffat Ara Alvi told CNN in a video interview. But I request all the international journalistic organizations and United Nations to investigate this killing,” his widow, Javeria Siddique told CNN. Arshad Sharif Sharif was a critic of the Pakistani military and an ally of former prime minister Imran Khan. Sharif and Khurram Ahmed left Ammodump around 8:30 p.m. local time, a detective involved in the case told CNN.

☆ Pakistan Taliban Attacks Police After Calling Off Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Saeed Shah | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—An attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban killed at least four people Wednesday, just two days after the group announced the end of a shaky cease-fire. An explosion hit a truck carrying policemen on their way to be deployed as security for polio vaccinators, outside the western city of Quetta. The Civil Hospital in Quetta said that it received four dead and 29 injured.

☆ Pakistan suicide blast targeting police kills 3, wounds 28
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Gul Yousafzai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

QUETTA, Pakistan, Nov 30 (Reuters) - A suicide bomb blast in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta targeted a police patrol on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding 28, police said. "A bomb blast that targeted a police patrol wounded more than 30 people, including 15 police," a police official, Abdul Haq, told Reuters. The patrol had been guarding a polio vaccination team at the time of the suicide blast, he added. Islamist militants in Pakistan often target polio vaccination teams, in the belief that the immunisation effort is a Western tool to spy on them. Quetta is the capital of Pakistan's province of Balochistan bordering Afghanistan and Iran, where both Islamist and separatist insurgents operate.

☆ Pakistan, IMF begin talks on $7 bln loan review
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The IMF understands that the floods have changed the macroeconomic assumptions on which the programme was designed," the ministry told Reuters. Pakistan reserves stood at $7.8 billion as of Nov. 18, barely enough to cover imports for a month. ARY News reported on Monday that the IMF had asked Pakistan to reduce expenses before talks on the ninth review. The ninth review has been pending since September. The IMF told Reuters last week that finalisation of a recovery plan from the floods was essential to support discussions, along with continued financial support from multilateral and bilateral partners.

☆ Former Pakistan PM Khan calls off protest march to avoid creating 'havoc'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Khan has been holding country-wide protests to push the government for early elections since being ousted from power in April. He named Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a senior military official of plotting his assassination, but both the government and military have denied involvement. On Saturday, Khan arrived on stage using a walking frame and addressed the crowd from behind bulletproof glass. He said he had been told by various security sources there was still a threat to his life. PTI has already resigned from the federal parliament, but remains in power in two provinces and two administrative units.

☆ Explainer: Why Pakistan's army chief matters far beyond its borders
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Even when a civilian government holds power, Pakistan's generals retain a dominant influence over security matters and foreign affairs. He later headed Pakistan's two most influential intelligence agencies - Military Intelligence (MI) in 2017 and then the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in 2018. WHY IT MATTERS GLOBALLYPakistan's army chief will play a key role in managing risks of conflict with nuclear-armed rival India on its eastern border, while dealing with potential instability and friction with Afghanistan on its western frontier. The incoming army chief could potentially play a key role in lowering the political temperature as Pakistan attempts to survive an economic crisis and recover from historic floods. He even summoned Pakistan's top industrialists to a meeting at army headquarters to encourage them to pay more tax.

☆ Pakistan Chooses New Army Chief Amid Confrontation With Imran Khan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Saeed Shah | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lt. Gen. Asim Munir will be Pakistan’s next chief of army staff, a position widely considered to be the country’s most powerful office. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—A general who was removed from leadership of Pakistan’s spy agency by former Prime Minister Imran Khan will take over as the country’s next army chief. Lt. Gen. Asim Munir will succeed Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa , who will retire next week, the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Thursday. The chief of army staff position is widely thought to be the most powerful office in a country that has seen multiple coups, and where the military exerts massive influence over the government and policy even when not formally in power.

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Thursday named Lieutenant-General Asim Munir as chief of the army, an organisation that plays an extraordinarily influential role in the governance of the nuclear-armed nation. Munir, who was also Pakistan's chief spy, will take over from outgoing General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retires later this month after a six-year term, the defence ministry said. "It is based on merit, law and as per constitution," Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters after announcing the Munir as the new chief. On Wednesday, outgoing army chief Bajwa said the military would have no role in national politics in the future, rejecting as "fake and false" Khan's claims that a U.S.-backed conspiracy topped his government. Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Neil Fullick and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistan army chief takes on ousted PM Khan over alleged US conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Pakistan's outgoing army chief rejected on Wednesday as "fake and false" claims by ousted prime minister Imran Khan that a U.S.-backed conspiracy had toppled his government, and also said the military would play no role in national politics in future. The former premier has also alleged that the military played a role in his ousting, a charge the army has denied. "A state of hysteria was created in the country on the pretext of a fake and false narrative," the army chief said about Khan's main accusation that Washington supported his removal with the help of a local handler. Over the weekend, Khan said that even if the military had not been involved it could still have saved his government. Khan's party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry told Reuters he had no comment on the army chief's remarks.

☆ Around 300 militants active in Indian Kashmir, Indian military official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Fayaz Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SRINAGAR, Nov 22 (Reuters) - An estimated 300 militants are operating in Indian Kashmir, an Indian military commander in the disputed region said on Tuesday, as New Delhi seeks to stabilise the restive Himalayan territory that it reorganised three years ago. New Delhi has long accused Pakistan of backing armed militants, along with separatist groups in India's portion of the region. "All such allegations by Indian military officials are completely absurd, unfounded, frivolous and baseless," a Pakistan security official said, asking not to be named. An Indian security official, who declined to be named since he is not authorised to speak to media, said this is the highest number of militants operating in Indian Kashmir in a decade. Dwivedi said that the security situation in Indian Kashmir had improved since the reorganisation but weapons and ammunition were still coming through from across the border.

☆ Explainer: Who Pakistan picks as army chief matters far beyond its borders
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Even when a civilian government holds power, Pakistan's generals retain a dominant influence over security matters and foreign affairs. BAJWA'S LEGACYAppointed chief in 2016, Bajwa sought to balance ties with China and the United States. He even summoned Pakistan's top industrialists to a meeting at army headquarters to encourage them to pay more tax. WHY IT MATTERS GLOBALLYPakistan's army chief will play a key role in managing risks of conflict with nuclear-armed rival India on its eastern border, while dealing with potential instability and friction with Afghanistan on its western frontier. The incoming army chief could potentially play a key role in lowering the political temperature as Pakistan attempts to survive an economic crisis and recover from historic floods.

☆ Pakistan's Imran Khan relaunches political march after surviving gun attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Our march wouldn't stop," Khan said, adding the protest will instead gather strength as it closes on the capital Islamabad. His successor Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected the demand, saying the election will be held as scheduled later next year. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the shooter was a "self motivated and committed person" who carried out the attack on religious basis. The former premier instead alleges that Sanaullah, the prime minister and a Pakistan military general from the country's spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), were involved in the assassination attempt. The police have the suspected shooter in custody after he was intercepted by a Khan supporter who threw off his aim.

☆ Pakistan police name lone shooter in gun attack on Imran Khan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani police on Tuesday opened a criminal investigation into a failed assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Imran Khan and said just one shooter was involved. Police said the suspected shooter was arrested after Khan supporter Ibtesam Hasan overpowered him and threw off his aim. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday the suspect was self-motivated. Police confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday this was the same man as the suspect Mohammad Naveed named in the case. Khan said on Twitter on Tuesday that the police case was “farcical.”He has accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and intelligence official Major-General Faisal Nasser of planning to assassinate him.

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —A Pakistani journalist shot dead by police in Kenya last month was the victim of a “targeted killing,” a senior member of Pakistan’s government said on Tuesday, without offering any evidence to support his claim. Television journalist Arshad Sharif – a vocal critic of the Pakistani military – died in a police shooting near Kenya’s capital Nairobi on October 23. Kenyan police told CNN they were unaware Pakistani officials had made any allegations about non-cooperation. Sharif fled Pakistan in August after sedition charges were leveled against him for allegedly criticizing state institutions and “abetting mutiny” within the military. The associate said Sharif then went to Kenya and had only been in the East African country for a few weeks before his death.

Police said the suspected shooter was arrested after Khan supporter Ibtesam Hasan overpowered him and threw off his aim, possibly saving the ex-premier from more serious gunshot wounds. Khan has accused three people of devising a plan to assassinate him, naming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and intelligence official Major-General Faisal Nasser. Khan launched what is known as a long-march protest rally from Lahore to the capital on Oct. 28. He was waving to the crowd from a container mounted on a truck in Wazirabad when a man fired several shots at him. Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore, Pakistan; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Supporters of Pakistan's Imran Khan block roads in new protest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] People react as police use tear gas to disperse them during a protest to condemn the shooting incident on a long march held by Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Wazirabad, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan November 4, 2022. The former cricket star, who has been pressing for a general election since he was ousted as prime minister after losing a confidence vote in parliament in April, was shot at the rally last Thursday. Khan's successor as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has rejected his demand for new polls and the deadlock has stoked instability in the nuclear-armed country of 220 million people. Television footage showed Khan's supporters burning tyres as they set up protest camps across roads. Khan, 70, launched what is known as a long-march protest rally from Lahore to the capital on Oct. 28.

☆ Imran Khan welcomes probe into shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday he welcomed the government's offer to launch a judicial commission to investigate the attack in which he was shot in the leg on Thursday. Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will lead the rally in coming weeks in the eastern province of Punjab, Khan said. Khan has accused three people of devising a plan to assassinate him, naming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and intelligence official Major-General Faisal Nasser. Sharif on Saturday said that Khan was making "baseless allegations" but that the government had requested the country's chief justice to form a judicial commission to investigate the claims. Reporting by Gibran Peshimam and Mubasher Bukhari; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Imran Khan Shooting Heightens Political Tensions in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Saeed Shah | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Pakistan’s government said that a lone religious extremist shot former Prime Minister Imran Khan, rebutting the claim he made from his hospital bed that the administration and the military were behind the attack on Thursday. Clashes broke out Friday between Mr. Khan’s supporters and police and paramilitary forces in several towns, with tear gas fired and baton charges. Protesters set tires on fire.

☆ 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.

☆ Imran Khan Accuses Pakistan Leaders Over Shooting as Political Tensions Rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Saeed Shah | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—A day after being shot, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged the country’s leader and a senior military official were behind the attack on him, without offering any evidence for the claim, which the government and the army have denied. Mr. Khan was shot in the leg on Thursday as he stood atop a makeshift stage mounted on a truck, leading a protest convoy to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The government has said a lone religious fanatic, who was caught at the scene, has confessed to being Mr. Khan’s assailant.

[1/2] A truck is seen at a crime scene after a shooting incident on a long march by Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Wazirabad, Pakistan November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroWAZIRABAD, Pakistan, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The party of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was shot and injured in an apparent assassination attempt, said country-wide protests would be held on Friday as tensions remained high in the South Asian nation. "Today, after Friday prayers, there will be protests across the country, which will continue until Imran Khan's demand is met," Asad Umar, a close Khan aide, said on Twitter. Khan's supporters began gathering again early on Friday at the spot of the apparent assassination attempt and called on the former prime minister to restart his march on Islamabad. Sharif has also called for a transparent inquiry into the shooting, which occurred in an area where Khan's party is in government.

Thursday's activities began at around 8 a.m. when supporters of Khan's PTI party gathered in the streets, with crowds swelling into the thousands throughout the day. "Imran Khan arrived and we welcomed him, we never thought about any attack; people were chanting, workers were dancing,” said PTI supporter and witness Qadir Khan. "I heard a burst of shots after which I saw Imran Khan and his aides fall down on the truck," witness Qazzafi Butt said. In the chaos and confusion touched off by the gunfire, supporters clamoured to know what had happened to Khan. "People chanted that they would lay down their lives for Imran Khan," he added.

☆ 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 Prime Minister Imran Khan Shot in Leg at Protest Rally
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Saeed Shah | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ISLAMABAD—Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot and injured at a protest rally Thursday, officials from his party said. A burst of automatic gunfire was audible in footage aired on local news channels, which also showed Mr. Khan being carried away and put into a car, a bandage visible on his leg.

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