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☆ Pakistan court grants bail to former PM Imran Khan's wife in graft case - lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, May 15 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court in the eastern city of Lahore on Monday granted bail until May 23 to former Prime Minister Imran Khan's wife in a graft case, a lawyer in their legal team said. He was later released and received bail from a court in Islamabad for two weeks. Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, was co-accused along with Khan in the case, which pertained to the alleged receiving of financial help from a land developer in the setting-up of Al Qadir University of which the former premier and his spouse are trustees. "We had requested for a protective bail for Bushra Bibi in Al Qadir Trust Case and a two-judge bench of LHC has granted the bail till May 23," Bibi's lawyer, Intizar Hussain Panjutha, told Reuters. The government denies being behind the case and says the anti-graft agency, the National Accountability Bureau, is working independently.

☆ I left Miami for a remote village in Pakistan. I have no running hot water and limited electricity — but my quality of life here is infinitely better.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Samantha Shea | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

She moved to Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan in 2021, where she's lived ever since. I live in Hunza Valley, 8,500 feet above sea level on the border with Western China, where I work as a digital nomad. A drone shot of Hunza Valley in early May. A Hunza Valley local drying apricots. Though my solo journey to Pakistan started as a trip, Hunza Valley is now my home.

☆ The IRA isn’t good for just U.S. stocks. Here are some emerging markets names that will benefit too
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Inflation Reduction Act does more than buoy U.S. clean energy stocks – it's also an opportunity for emerging markets firms. But the IRA also represents an opportunity for emerging markets firms. "This is a win, win, win," said Paul Desoisa, co-portfolio manager of the Global Emerging Markets strategy at Martin Currie, a specialist investment manager at Franklin Templeton. Here are some places where emerging markets firms stand to benefit. Some possible contenders include Korea's Hanwha Solutions, a multinational with a solar energy business Hanwha Qcells, abrdn's Khwaja said.

[1/5] People look at handbags on display outside shops in a market, ahead of Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Karachi, Pakistan April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroKARACHI, Pakistan, April 20 (Reuters) - Retail sales in Pakistan have witnessed a sharp drop compared to previous years in the run up to the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, retailers say, as shoppers feel the pinch of decades-high inflation. The lead up to Eid al-Fitr, expected to fall on Saturday in Pakistan to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, traditionally sees the highest sales of the year. Asfandyar Farrukh, co-founder of CAP and managing director of Hub, a leather goods store, said that Eid shopping appears to have started sooner and peaked earlier, coinciding with salary pay days, and customers anticipating price increases. The sales drop adds to the slowing of Pakistan's $350 billion economy, which has struggled in recent months amidst tough stabilisation polices, including the central bank raising interest rates to a historic high of 21%.

☆ Kashmir's traditional Ramadan drummers wake neighbours up for pre-dawn meals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Fayaz Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, and usually eat a meal before the sun comes up. Jinded says his family has been playing the role of "Sahar Khans", named for the pre-dawn Ramadan meal called Sahri, for generations. Kashmir's Ramadan drummers are not paid, but as the month nears its end, people tend to become generous. "Ramadan drummers are an important part of our tradition," said Sheikh Ghulam Nabi, a tailor in Srinagar's old town. "They add to the festive atmosphere of the holy month."

[1/3] People gather to receive sacks of free flour, at a distribution point in Peshawar, Pakistan March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Fayaz AzizLAHORE/PESHAWAR, Pakistan, March 30 (Reuters) - At least five people have been killed in recent weeks and more injured in Pakistan in stampedes at sites distributing free flour under a government-backed scheme to help families struggling with soaring costs of basic staples. The Pakistani government has launched the flour distribution programme to reach millions of families in need during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan that began last week. Another person was killed in a stampede at a distribution centre last week in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province according to records shared by the provincial food authority. "There were some unfortunate incidents of stampedes and looting," Khan Ghalib, an official at the provincial food department said.

☆ India's Jammu and Kashmir gets first foreign investment from Dubai's Emaar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Fayaz Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SRINAGAR, March 20 (Reuters) - Indian Kashmir is to get its first foreign investment, with Dubai’s Emaar Group due to build a $60 million shopping and office complex, as the government looks to stabilise a region where Muslim separatists have for years battled the government. The 5 billion rupee ($60.50 million) development will include a shopping mall and multi-purpose commercial tower in Srinagar, the capital of the Muslim-majority Himalayan region, Emaar announced at an investment summit in the city. The announcement on Sunday of what the region's government said was its first foreign investment comes after the central government said last week that Jammu and Kashmir had received record investment of 15 billion rupees ($181 million) in the first 10 months of the 2022-23 (April-March) fiscal year. Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU) CEO Amit Jain told reporters that the investment would have a ripple effect. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full but rule in part, and have fought two of their three wars over it.

[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.

[1/2] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, waves from the vehicle as he leaves from Lahore to appear before Islamabad High Court, in Lahore, Pakistan March 18, 2023. 'GOVT INTENDS TO ARREST ME'The court has previously issued arrest warrants for Khan in the case as he had failed to appear on previous hearings despite summons. On his assurance that he would appear on Saturday, the court granted Khan protection against arrest, but he said he feared the police and government planned to take him into custody. There were reports of fresh clashes between police and supporters of Khan and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Lahore. (This story has been corrected to show Khan is to appear in court, not appearing in court, in the headline.

☆ Pakistan police enter Lahore property of ex-PM Imran Khan - party officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gather, as they guard the entrance of Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/ File PhotoLAHORE, March 18 (Reuters) - Pakistani police on Saturday entered the property in Lahore of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, officials from his political party said, as he was arriving in the capital Islamabad for a court appearance. The move followed days of standoff and intense clashes between police and his supporters around the property, where police had attempted to arrest Khan on Tuesday. Khan said in a Tweet that his wife was at the property. (This story has been corrected to say police entered Imran Khan’s Lahore property as he was arriving in Islamabad for a court appearance in paragraph 1)Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[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.

☆ Pakistan court postpones police operation to arrest Imran Khan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, carry sticks as they walk towards Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroLAHORE, Pakistan, March 16 (Reuters) - A Pakistani high court ordered police on Thursday to postpone an operation to arrest Imran Khan for another day, defusing a surge in violence that saw supporters of the former prime minister fighting pitch battles with security forces. Khan's aide Fawad Chaudhry said the Lahore high court had extended an order to halt the police operation until Friday. The state information minister, Amir Mir, confirmed the court order. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying the election would be held as scheduled later this year.

Summary Arrest warrant issued after ex-PM failed to attend courtCourt rejects Khan's offer to appear voluntarilyFormer cricket star denies wrongdoingSupporters battled police for two days to prevent arrestLAHORE, Pakistan, March 16 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court on Thursday rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan's plea to suspend an arrest warrant issued against him, stoking fears of a renewed confrontation between his supporters and security forces. [1/5] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, carry sticks as they walk towards Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 16, 2023. Provincial information minister Amir Mir said there were militants among Khan's supporters outside his house. The police were unarmed, he said, adding they had to use water-cannons and teargas shells when Khan's supporters turned violent. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying an election would be held as scheduled later this year.

☆ Imran Khan says to attend court hearing in bid to end Pakistan clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Former Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses a news conference after he was wounded following a shooting incident during a long march in Wazirabad, at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in Lahore, Pakistan November 4, 2022. "We have asked the police to wait until the court decision on the matter," added Chaudhry, a former information minister. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying the election would be held as scheduled later this year. "If anything happens to me, or I go to prison, or they kill me, you have to prove that this nation will continue to struggle even without Imran Khan," he said. "Instead of cooperating with law enforcement officials, Imran Khan is breaking the law, defying court orders and using his party workers... as human shields to evade arrest and stoke unrest," she added.

☆ Clashes between Pakistan police, former PM Khan's supporters injure several
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A few hundred Khan supporters gathered outside his house after a police team arrived from Islamabad to arrest him on a court order, government spokesman Amir Mir told Reuters. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers started the violence, which injured several police officials, Mir said, adding, "If Imran Khan ensures his presence in the court, it will be good, otherwise the law will take its course." "If something happens to me, or sent to jail, or they kill me, you've to prove that this nation will continue to struggle even without Imran Khan." Several of Khan's supporters were injured when the police resorted to teargas shelling, witnesses said. The workers started pelting the police with stones and bricks, and in response police directed a water cannon at them and in some cases baton charged them, he said.

☆ Pakistan police and ex-PM Khan's supporters clash, injuring several
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The clashes erupted in the eastern city of Lahore ahead of a Khan's planned rally to kick-start his election campaign, but which the government then banned. The former premier has been demanding snap polls since he was ousted in a parliament vote of confidence last year. Twelve workers of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were arrested, he added. Khan's aide Shafqat Mahmood said several of the workers were injured in the clashes, which, he termed, "fascist tactics." Live TV footage showed the police using extensive teargas shelling on several spots around Khan's Lahore home, with a couple of the workers seen bleeding.

☆ Pakistani police serve arrest warrants to former PM Imran Khan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, March 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani police on Sunday served arrest warrants to former prime minister Imran Khan to ensure his appearance in court on charges of misusing his office to sell state gifts, authorities said, after Khan's supporters tried to prevent police entry into his home. The Federal Investigation Agency then filed charges against him in an anti-graft court, which last week issued the arrest warrants after Khan failed to appear in court despite repeated summons. He led countrywide protest campaigns to press for an early vote last year and was shot at and wounded at one of the rallies. Chaudhry said the government wanted to sow political chaos and avoid an early election by arresting the former premier, who was still popular among the country's youth and urban voters. Islamabad police said in a statement that when Khan wasn't found at his residence in Lahore, they served the arrest warrants.

The government said the BBC had failed to respond to repeated requests to clarify its tax affairs related to the profits and remittances from its Indian operations. The documentary, which was only broadcast in Britain, accused Modi of fostering a climate of impunity that fuelled the violence. Reuters spoke to eight Indian journalists, industry executives and media analysts who said that some media which reported critically on the government have been targeted with inspections by government agencies, the suspension of state advertising, and the arrest of reporters. Modi's government has vigorously denied the BBC tax inspection - the first against an international news organisation in decades - was a response to the film. Gupta said there had been complaints after the government reduced its advertising spending but that was not an assault on media freedom.

☆ 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.

"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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Pakistani minister says fuel supplies adequate, warns against hoarding
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, Pakistan, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Pakistan's government said on Wednesday it was not planning to hike fuel prices and warned oil companies against stockpiling petrol after some consumers complained they had been unable to purchase fuel at pumps. A member of Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) in Pakistan told Reuters that only a few of the licensed companies are selling fuel while the others are not either due to financial issues or due to hoarding. Some consumers in Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab reported petrol stations were closed and others were limiting the amount people could buy. "I went to Sialkot where I found the majority of petrol stations closed. "Consumers think we're not giving them fuel and they blame us - but we aren't being supplied enough," he said.

☆ Two foreign skiers killed in avalanche in Indian Kashmir, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Fayaz Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Security force personnel carry the body of a foreign skier, who was killed after an avalanche hit in the Affarwat area, in the ski resort of Gulmarg, in Kashmir region, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/StringerSRINAGAR, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Two foreign skiers were killed and nearly 20 others rescued in Indian Kashmir on Wednesday after an avalanche swept through the popular ski resort of Gulmarg, police said. The skiers are all foreign nationals but the police has yet to make their nationalities public. Another 19 foreign nationals have been rescued by authorities, local police said on Twitter, adding that the bodies of the two deceased skiers have been shifted to a hospital. A video of the avalanche shared on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed a wall of snow roaring down a mountainside, sending skiers and other onlookers scurrying for safety.

☆ India's Gandhi ends 135-day march to revive Congress party in snowy Kashmir
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Fayaz Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"All secular parties must come together to liberate the country from BJP," D. Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, said at the rally. Several other opposition leaders failed to make it to the rally because flights into Srinagar's airport were cancelled due to the heavy snow. The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has controlled the Congress party for decades but has also overseen its recent decline. Rahul Gandhi resigned as Congress president after the last election. "I am not from the Congress party but want to support the cause Gandhi stands for," Ahmad said.

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