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☆ 'The fear is not going away': Christians in Pakistan afraid to return home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Today was the first day of school after summer vacations but I did not send them because of fear," said their mother, Kiran. But community members and advocates say the trauma and fear will be tough to heal and their safety is not assured. Many are afraid to return home but, still in shock, do not know where to rebuild their lives. A few streets away about 240 people live in the makeshift shelter in the school along with Kanwal's family. The fear that has got embedded in my heart and my children's minds is just not going away."

Persons: Samuel, Kanwal, cradling Samuel, Kiran, Haq Kakar, Naseem Anthony, Anthony, Akmal Bhatti, Charlotte Greenfield, Mubasher Bukhari, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Pakistan's, Police, Thomson Locations: Kanwal, Jaranwala, Faisalabad, Pakistan, Punjab, Provincial

☆ Bus crash in eastern Pakistan kills 18 people
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAHORE, Aug 20 (Reuters) - At least 18 people were killed after a bus crashed and caught on fire in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Sunday, authorities said. The bus collided with another vehicle in the early hours of the morning while carrying 33 passengers from the southern port city of Karachi to the capital, Islamabad. "The unfortunate bus ... collided with a mini-truck loaded with three small tanks of petrol at around 4.30 am," said Fahad Ahmad, the police chief of Punjab's Hafizabad district. "The bus and the truck caught fire immediately, the result of which 18 people including the mini-truck driver died on the spot." More than 40 people were killed in January after a bus fell into a ravine and caught fire in the southern Pakistani province of Balochistan on Sunday.

Persons: Fahad Ahmad, Mubasher Bukhari, Charlotte Greenfield, Kim Coghill Organizations: Thomson Locations: LAHORE, Pakistan's, Punjab, Karachi, Islamabad, Punjab's Hafizabad, Pakistan, Pakistani, Balochistan

☆ Militant attack kills 11 labourers in Pakistan - caretaker PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Jibran Ahmad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PESHAWAR, Pakistan Aug 20 (Reuters) - Eleven labourers were killed in a militant attack in Northwestern Pakistan, caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Sunday in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "They were working at an army post that is under construction ... an IED exploded under a vehicle carrying the labourers," deputy commissioner of North Waziristan, Rehan Khattak said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government broke down. Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina and Jibran Ahmad; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Haq Kakar, Rehan Khattak, Nilutpal Timsina, Jibran Ahmad, Charlotte Greenfield, Kim Coghill Organizations: Taliban, Thomson Locations: PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Northwestern Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Waziristan, North Waziristan, Taliban Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

[1/4] Taliban soldiers stand guard at the second-anniversary ceremony of the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2023. Taliban parades were expected through the day and several departments, including the education ministry, held gatherings to celebrate. For many women, who enjoyed extensive rights and freedoms during the two decades of rule by Western-backed governments, their plight has become dire since the return of the Taliban. OBSTACLE TO RECOGNITIONGirls over the age of 12 have been mostly excluded from classes since the Taliban returned to power. For many Western governments, the ban is a major obstacle to any hope of formal recognition of the Taliban administration.

Persons: Ali Khara, Ashraf Ghani, Zabihullah Mujahid, Mujahid, It's, Amina Mohammed, Matiullah, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Taliban, Islamic, U.S . Federal Reserve Bank of New, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Ali Khara KABUL, U.S, Western, U.S . Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Charlotte Greenfield, Islamabad

☆ Art therapy offers relief to Afghan women struggling with mental health
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But she sank into depression since the Taliban closed tertiary institutions to women in December, requiring psychiatric treatment where she was recommended art therapy classes. But many women, particularly in urban areas, who gained opportunities in education and work during the 20-year presence of foreign troops and a Western-backed government are now struggling with a deep sense of despair and mental health challenges, Afghan women and mental health experts say. There are few reliable figures on mental health trends but anecdotally doctors and aid workers say more women are struggling with mental health in the wake of the orders restricting women's work and education. Not only did I make good friends here, I also receive art therapy," said a former university student at the class. Khushi said the art therapy gave her a respite from home and a little hope for the future.

Persons: Khushi, I'm, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Health, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MAZAR, SHARIF, Afghanistan, Balkh province's, Islamic Emirate, Balkh's, Mazar

☆ Pakistan passenger train derails, killing at least 30 people, Geo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (Reuters) - A passenger train derailed in southern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 80, local broadcaster Geo reported citing a district official. Around 10 cars of a passenger train derailed in Nawabshah district in the southern province of Sindh, roughly 275 km (170 miles) from the country's largest city Karachi. [1/4]Pakistani army soldiers and rescue workers gather to search for survivors after a train derailed in Sarhari town in district Sanghar, Pakistan August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Yasir RajputGeo reported some people were still trapped inside a train car and others had been transferred to hospitals. A major train crash in Sindh in 2021 killed 56 people and injured more than 100.

Persons: Geo, Yasir Rajput Geo, Charlotte Greenfield, Tom Hogue, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Initiative, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nawabshah district, Sindh, Karachi, Sarhari, Sanghar

☆ Pakistan to send its cricket team to participate in World Cup in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cricket - Asia Cup - Final - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - September 11, 2022 Pakistan players stand during the national anthems as the Asia Cup trophy is displayed before the match REUTERS/Christopher Pike/File PhotoISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan has decided to send its cricket team to India to participate in this year's 50-over World Cup, the foreign office said on Sunday. The neighbouring countries, who share fraught relations, have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade. India has ruled out travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on Aug. 31. Pakistan's foreign office said it had concerns about its cricket team's security during the tournament and would convey them to the International Cricket Council and Indian government. Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Pike, Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari, Charlotte Greenfield, Alex Richardson, Ed Osmond Organizations: Asia, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, International Cricket Council, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Dubai, United Arab, ISLAMABAD, India, ., Goa, Kashmir

☆ Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan's lawyers cannot reach him in jail, spokesperson says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lawyers gather to protest following the arrest of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, outside his residence in Lahore, Pakistan August 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza/File PhotoISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan's lawyers could not reach him on Sunday after he spent the night in a jail near the capital following his arrest the previous day on a corruption conviction, a spokesperson said. Pakistan's information minister referred a request for comment on Khan's access to his lawyers to provincial authorities in Punjab, where the jail is located. Thousands of Khan's aides and supporters have been arrested since May, according to the interior minister. Pakistan's government denies Khan's arrest was related to the election.

Persons: Imran Khan, Mohsin Raza, Imran Khan's, Khan, Naeem Haider Panjotha, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Charlotte Greenfield, Mubasher Bukhari, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, PTI, Thomson Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Attock, Punjab

☆ Imran Khan arrested after Pakistan court sentences ex-prime minister to three years in jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam Charlotte Greenfield | Mubasher Bukhari | Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Khan's political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said in a statement it had already filed another appeal to the Supreme Court earlier on Saturday. Khan, 70, is a former cricket star who went on to forge a political career and who was prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a broadcast statement that Khan's arrest followed a full investigation and proper legal proceedings in a trial court. Khan was convicted by the court in a case that was first investigated by the election commission, which found him guilty of unlawfully selling state gifts while prime minister.

Persons: Imran Khan, Akhtar Soomro, Shehbaz Sharif's, Intezar Panjotha, Bilal Siddique Kamiana, Khan, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sharif, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khan's, Qamar Javed Bajwa, Asim Munir, Mubasher Bukhari, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Charlotte, William Mallard, Simon Cameron, Moore, Frances Kerry, Giles Elgood Organizations: Pakistani, Reuters, REUTERS, Police, " Police, Central Adiala, wilfully, PTI, Thomson Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, LAHORE, Islamabad, Central, Rawalpindi, Toshakhana, Khan's, Karachi, Charlotte Greenfield

Pakistan paid for its first Russian crude cargo in Chinese yuan. "How will it pay other lenders and how will it finance trade with China if it uses the low yuan reserves to pay for Russian oil?" However, Urals quality is a deterrent, as Pakistan's refineries cannot get as much gasoline and diesel out of Urals crude as they produce from Saudi and UAE crudes. Kpler's Katona expects Pakistan's liquidity issues and technical challenges to weigh on its appetite for Russian crude. "Russian imports into Pakistan will not grow into anything bigger than one cargo per month," he said.

Persons: Shahbaz Ashraf, Aadil Nakhoda, Nakhoda, Viktor Katona, Zahid Mir, Mir, PRL, Kpler's Katona, Ariba Shahid, Charlotte Greenfield, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Pakistan, United, FRIM Ventures, Karachi's Institute of Business Administration, Saudi, Pakistan Refinery Ltd, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Islamabad, Moscow, China, PORT, Oman, Saudi Arab, Saudi, UAE, Karachi, Sudarshan, Singapore

☆ 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

The audit has not changed the U.S. Treasury's view that the bank must make reforms before the department will support disbursements from the Afghan Fund to Da Afghanistan Bank, or DAB, as the central bank is known, said a U.S. Treasury official on condition of anonymity. It also must prove that it has "adequate" controls against money-laundering and terrorism financing and install a "reputable" independent monitor, said the Treasury official. A Taliban administration spokesman and a spokesperson for the Afghan central bank did not respond to request for comment. Afghanistan remains mired in grave humanitarian and economic crises that some experts say has been worsened by U.S. restrictions hampering DAB's ability to perform key central bank functions, such as ensuring stable exchange rates and prices. Calling the audit a "preliminary assessment," the Treasury official said its "limitations" suggested that "more comprehensive third-party assessment efforts may be needed."

Persons: ”, disbursements, Shah Mehrabi, Mehrabi, Anwar ul, Haq Ahady, Jonathan Landay, Charlotte Greenfield, Don Durfee Organizations: U.S ., Afghan, Da, Da Afghanistan Bank, Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of New, DAB, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, U.S, Afghan Fund, State Department, The State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, ISLAMABAD, U.S, Da Afghanistan, Swiss, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Afghan, Washington, United States, Afghanistan, American

☆ Taliban halt Swedish activities in Afghanistan after Koran burning
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, July 11 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration said on Tuesday all activities by Sweden in Afghanistan must stop after the burning of the Koran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital last month. The order was likely to affect the Swedish non-governmental organisation, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, which has thousands of aid workers at work throughout the country in health, education and rural development. An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Koran outside a Stockholm mosque last month, causing outrage in the Muslim world. The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Taliban order. The Taliban administration did not provide details on which organisations would be affected.

Persons: Zabiullah Mujahid, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Swedish Committee, United, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Sweden, Afghanistan, Swedish, Emirate, Iraqi, Stockholm

☆ Taliban administration orders beauty salons in Afghanistan to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, July 4 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has ordered beauty salons to close within a month, the morality ministry said, in the latest shrinking of access to public places for Afghan women. Foreign governments and U.N. officials have condemned growing restrictions on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after defeating a U.S.-backed government as foreign forces withdrew. Many public places including bathhouses, gyms and parks have been closed to women. Western government and international organisations have signalled that restrictions on women are hampering any possible progress to international recognition for the Taliban administration. The administration says it respects women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs.

Persons: Mohammad Sadiq Akif, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte Greenfield, Robert Birsel Organizations: Ministry, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan, U.S, Kabul, United States

[1/2] Hsiao-Wei Lee, Afghanistan country director for World Food Programme (WFP), speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 20, 2023. "It's five million people we are able to serve for another couple of months but then beyond that we don't have the resources," WFP Afghanistan Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters. Around 15 million Afghans in danger from lack of food are in need of assistance, according to WFP. WFP needs $1 billion in funding to provide food aid and carry out planned projects between now until March, Lee said. WFP would stay in Afghanistan and carry out its other work such as nutrition projects, Lee said, even if the projected cuts took place.

Persons: Hsiao, Wei Lee, Sayed, Lee, it's, Charlotte Greenfield, Andrew Mills, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Food Programme, Reuters, REUTERS, United Nations, WFP, Afghanistan, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Kabul, Islamabad, Doha

LAHORE, June 29 (Reuters) - Pakistan's finance minister said a staff level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund was "very close" and expected in the next 24 hours. "We are very close to signing a staff level agreement with the IMF," minister Ishaq Dar told Reuters late on Thursday. A source familiar with talks told Reuters that Pakistan and the IMF were also in discussions for the release of the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme. A representative for the IMF in Pakistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was unclear what portion of the funds would be released in the announcement he expected in the next 24 hours.

Persons: Ishaq Dar, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Charlotte Greenfield, Andrew Heavens, Alison Williams Organizations: International Monetary, IMF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAHORE, Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore

☆ Pakistan hopes for bailout decision in day or two as IMF seeks deal 'quickly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends a summit on climate resilience in Pakistan, months after deadly floods in the country, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, January 9, 2023. "The IMF team continues discussions with Pakistani authorities with the aim of quickly reaching an agreement on financial support from the IMF," mission chief Nathan Porter said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier in the day that he hoped consensus over the IMF programme's points "will lead to a decision in a day or two". The statement from the prime minister's office added that Sharif spoke to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva about the country's bailout funds, stalled since November. The IMF funds subject to approval by its board promise respite for Pakistan, which is battling its worst economic meltdown, with an acute balance of payments crisis and falling reserves of foreign exchange.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Denis Balibouse, Ishaq Dar, Nathan Porter, Sharif, Kristalina Georgieva, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Ariba Shahid, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Shivam Patel, Charlotte Greenfield, Krishna N, Das, William Maclean, Mark Potter Organizations: Pakistan's, United Nations, REUTERS, Pakistan, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Geneva, Switzerland, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Paris

☆ Over 1,000 Afghan civilians killed in blasts, violence since August 2021 - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 27 (Reuters) - Over a thousand Afghan civilians were killed in bombings and other violence since foreign forces left and the Taliban took over in 2021, according to a report by the U.N.'s mission to Afghanistan released on Tuesday. Between Aug. 15 2021 and May this year 1,095 civilians were killed and 2,679 wounded, according to the U.N. Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA), underscoring the security challenges even after the end of decades of war. Though armed fighting has fallen dramatically since the Taliban took over in August 2021 as the NATO-backed military collapsed, security challenges remain, particularly from the Islamic State. The militant group was responsible for the majority of attacks, according to the UNAMA, which also noted that the deadliness of attacks had escalated despite fewer violent incidents. Just over 1,700 casualties, including injuries, were attributed to explosive attacks claimed by Islamic State, according to UNAMA.

Persons: Charlotte Greenfield, Stephen Coates Organizations: Taliban, NATO, Islamic, Security, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Mission, Islamic State, Emirate

☆ Pakistan summons US deputy mission chief over US-India statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LeT is the Islamist group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which more than 160 people were killed, while Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for a 2019 bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops. Relations between India and Pakistan have been fraught for years. India says Pakistan has helped Islamist militants who have battled Indian security forces in its part of Kashmir since the late 1980s. Pakistan denies the accusation and says it only provides diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris seeking self-determination. Additional reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Matt Miller, Washington, Mohammad, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Charlotte Greenfield, Alex Richardson Organizations: U.S, Indian, White, . State, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, U.S, Pakistan, United States, India, Mumbai, Kashmir, Britain, Washington

☆ Taliban official letter reinforces bar of female aid staff in southern Kandahar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KABUL, June 23 (Reuters) - Taliban authorities in Afghanistan's Kandahar province ordered female aid workers this week to stop work on a refugee project, according to an official letter, reinforcing rules against women working despite exemptions sought by some organisations. The letter underscored the uncertainty of the operating environment in Afghanistan for aid agencies who say they intend to stay and deliver aid during a humanitarian crisis but seek exemptions to let female staff work, to reach female beneficiaries and avoid breaching UN charter principles. The Taliban administration signalled in January it would work on a set of written guidelines that could allow aid groups to operate with female staff in some cases, but it has not yet done so. The Norwegian Refugee Council, an international NGO, in May said it had received exemptions for many of its operations in Kandahar and was resuming work with female staff. The Taliban's restrictions on women aid workers and access to education have been widely criticized by the international community.

Persons: Haibatullah Akhundzada, Charlotte Greenfield, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, Department of Refugees, United Nations, Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan's Kandahar, Kandahar, Spin, Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States

☆ Taliban's central-bank governor meets Chinese envoy to discuss banking ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ali Khara/File photoJune 16 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting governor of the Afghan central bank met China's ambassador this week to discuss banking relations and business, the bank's spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. Afghanistan's banking system has been severely hampered by U.S.-led sanctions, a drop in liquidity from frozen central bank assets and a cut in development spending. Regulatory risk concerns of international banks have also largely cut off the country's formal banking sector from the global financial system. "China has always supported the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan, provides sincere help to Afghanistan, and welcomes Afghanistan to join the Belt and Road Initiative," it said. Badri is a senior Taliban figure who became acting head of the central bank in March after stepping down as acting finance minister.

Persons: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Wang Yu, Ali Khara, Hassibullah Noori, Mullah Hidayatullah Badri, Badri, Charlotte Greenfield, Laurie Chen, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Afghan, REUTERS, U.S, Reuters, Initiative, Thomson Locations: China, Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghan, Beijing, Taliban, Islamabad

☆ UN in talks about possibly handing over Afghan teaching projects to Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aid officials say that the Taliban had signalled international organisations could no longer be involved in education projects, in a move criticised by the U.N. but not yet confirmed by Afghan authorities. A spokesperson for the Taliban did not respond to request for comment. International organisations have been heavily involved in education projects, and UNICEF made an agreement with the Taliban to run community classes before they took over the country. Two humanitarian sources told Reuters this month that aid agencies had been told provincial authorities had been directed to stop the involvement of international organisations in education projects, possibly within weeks. The Taliban took over Afghanistan after a 20-year insurgency against U.S.-led forces with a speed and ease that took the world by surprise.

Persons: Afghanistan's, Samantha Mort, Charlotte Greenfield, Nick Macfie Organizations: UNICEF, REUTERS, Afghan, de, Ministry of Education, Reuters, Education, United Nations, Taliban, U.S, Thomson Locations: Jalalabad, Afghanistan, New York

ISLAMABAD, June 10 (Reuters) - Pakistan is working on the possibility of restructuring its bilateral debt regardless of whether it successfully completes its IMF review, the country's finance minister said on Saturday, but reiterated it would not approach Paris club nation creditors or seek haircuts. The country is grappling with record inflation, fiscal imbalances and critical levels of reserves that cover barely a month worth of imports. The fiscal deficit for the following fiscal year was projected at 6.54% of GDP, according to the budget. Dar said on Saturday there was no more room in the budget to reduce the fiscal deficit target by any further. The government has received commitments of only $4 billion, mainly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Persons: Ishaq Dar, Dar, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Shahid, Charlotte Greenfield, Michael Perry, William Mallard, Frances Kerry Organizations: IMF, Pakistan's IMF, United, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Paris, Pakistan's, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced the target during his budget speech to the national legislature. The deficit target for the fiscal year ending this month had been revised higher, from a previous projection of 4.9%. The government had prepared "a responsible budget, not an election budget", Dar said. The total spending target would be 14.46 trillion rupees ($50.45 billion), Dar said, with 1.8 trillion rupees going to defence. It would target net external financing of 2,527 billion rupees for the fiscal year ending in June 2024 of which 1,601 billion rupees would come via commercial and Eurobond borrowing.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, Ishaq Dar, Dar, Shehbaz Sharif, Shahbaz Ashraf, Mustafa Pasha, Asif Shahzad, Gibran Peshimam, Shahid, Charlotte Greenfield, Louise Heavens, Mark Heinrich, Mark Potter, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, IMF, Finance, Pakistan, FRIM Ventures, Lakson Investments, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, IMF ISLAMABAD

☆ Sixty Afghan girls hospitalised after school poisoning - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KABUL, June 5 (Reuters) - Around 60 Afghan girls were hospitalisd after being poisoned at their school in nothern Afghanistan, police said on Monday. The poisoning, which targeted a girls' school in the Afghan province of Sar-e Pol, comes after intense scrutiny of girls' education in the war-torn nation since the Taliban took over and barred most teenage female students and after a wave of poison attacks on girls' schools in neighbouring Iran. "Some unknown people entered a girls' ... school in Sancharak District .. and poisoned the classes, when the girls come to classes they got poisoned," said Den Mohammad Nazari, Sar-e-Pol's police spokesperson, without elaborating on which substance was used or who was thought to be behind the incident. In neighbouring Iran, poiosoning incidents at girls' schools sickened an estimated 13,000 mostly female students since November. During Afghanistan's previous foreign-backed government, several poisoning attacks, including suspected gas attacks, on girls' schools had taken place.

Persons: Den Mohammad Nazari, Nazari, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte Greenfield, Stephen Coates Organizations: Thomson Locations: KABUL, nothern Afghanistan, Afghan, Sar, Iran, Sancharak District

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