ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army called on India on Monday to heed its message of peace in order to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue, warning that it was ready to use its capabilities to defend its territory against any form of aggression.
The statement follows months of border tensions between the arch-rival neighbors which peaked in February this year when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian fighter jets for violating its airspace and arrested Wing Commander Abhinandan, who was released a few days later as a goodwill gesture on part of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Don’t test our resolve. The army with the support of 207 million Pakistanis will respond to any aggression with full force,” Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) – media wing of the armed forces – said in a wide-ranging press conference.
Commenting on the recent threat of use of nuclear weapons as suggested by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: “Nuclear weapons are not a threat, they are a weapon of deterrence that should not be mentioned lightly.”
Ghafoor also took a jibe at India for its “repeated lies” against Pakistan following the February 14 attack in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir which resulted in the deaths of nearly 40 Indian paramilitary troops.
The Indian Air Force, on February 26, conducted an airstrike inside Pakistani territory, claiming that it had targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammad – a proscribed outfit that claimed responsibility for the Pulwama incident – facility and killed militants in the process.
“Two months have passed since and India has told countless lies on the matter. We have not responded to the lies, not because we can’t, but because we don’t want to retaliate,” he said.
The PAF, on February 27, shot down two Indian fighter jets and “the whole world saw their debris,” the DG ISPR said, “we have not talked much about it because we want to find the appropriate time to honor our pilots whose skills had been used to down the Indian planes.”
Talking about Pakistan’s education system, he regretted the fact that more than 25 million children were out of schools in the country. “These children then go to madrassas, 30,000 of which exist in Pakistan at the moment. Out of these, less than 100 were found to be the kind that were pushing children toward extremism,” he said.
He said that children studying in the Islamic seminaries should have the same job opportunities as those enrolled in mainstream schools. “That’s why we have decided to mainstream all these madrassas where children will be taught contemporary subjects,” he said.
Ghafoor said that both PM Khan and army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa have taken on board the views of clerics from all schools of thoughts and that the process would be completed in three different phases.
“Initially two billion rupees will be required to run this program and then one billion rupees will be required each year for the program’s upkeep,” he said, adding that new teachers will be employed in these madrassas to provide equal opportunities of education and careers to all children.
About the growing protests by Pashtun ethnic protest movement, Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), he warned leaders of the group not to cross the red line. “Their time is up. You have taken the liberty that you wanted,” he said while hinting at initiating legal proceedings against the PTM leaders for their inflammatory speeches against the state and the armed forces.
He also questioned their sources of funding for holding public gatherings in different cities of the country. “Nobody can fight the state. It is not a difficult job to deal with you,” he said, adding that the state has made significant progress on all three demands of the PTM which included clearance of mines from tribal districts, abolition of check posts, and recovery of missing persons.
“The three demands put forward by PTM are not theirs. This is not their pain. The people don’t even live in areas where the war occurred,” he said.
The DG ISPR said that the overall security situation has improved in the country due to 1,237 kinetic operations carried out by the armed forces to flush out militants. “We can say with confidence that no organized structure of any terrorist network, including the Daesh, exists in Pakistan today,” he added.
“Don’t test our resolve” Pakistan army warns India
“Don’t test our resolve” Pakistan army warns India
- Slams New Delhi for nuclear saber-rattling
- Says no organized structure of any terrorist network, including Daesh, exists in Pakistan
Imran Khan to appeal land graft conviction in Pakistan high court this week— lawyer
- Khan was sentenced to 14 years, his wife to seven years in prison by an accountability court last week
- Case involves charitable entity Al-Qadir Trust, set up by ex-premier and his wife Bushra Khan in 2018
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan will appeal against his conviction in a land graft case in a high court this week, his lawyer Salman Akram Raja confirmed days after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder was handed a 14-year jail sentence in the case.
An accountability court in Pakistan’s capital on Friday handed Khan a 14-year jail sentence and slapped his third wife with a seven-year imprisonment term after finding them both guilty of receiving land as a bribe from a real estate tycoon.
The couple say that the Al-Qadir Trust, set up by Khan and Bushra Khan in 2018 when he was still in office, was established to impart religious education. Pakistani authorities, however, say the trust was a front for the couple to receive valuable land as a bribe from real estate developer Malik Riaz Hussain, who is one of Pakistan’s richest and most powerful businessmen.
Hussain, like Khan and his wife, both deny any wrongdoing in the case. Khan’s party responded to the verdict last week by saying it lacked “any solid foundation and is bound to collapse.”
“If [the appeal] is not filed tomorrow [Monday] then it will be filed the day after [Tuesday],” Raja told ARY News, a private news channel, on Sunday night. “And obviously, we will file a request with the appeal to dismiss this verdict and that the punishment should also be dismissed,” he added.
Raja hoped the high court would listen to the appeal “soon” and issue its verdict within the next few weeks. He said after the high court’s verdict, whichever party disagrees with the decision will then appeal against its decision at the Supreme Court.
He did not specify which high court the party intends to file Khan’s appeal in.
Authorities say the Al-Qadir Trust scheme originated with 190 million pounds repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 by Britain after Hussain forfeited cash and assets to settle a British probe into whether they were proceeds of crime.
Instead of putting it in Pakistan’s treasury, Khan’s government is accused of using the money to pay fines levied by a court against Hussain for illegal acquisition of government lands at below-market value for development in Karachi.
Raja reiterated that Khan and his wife had not personally benefitted from the amount repatriated to Pakistan, saying that it had been used to pay Hussain’s fines as a result of a mutual understanding between the real estate tycoon and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
“Our stance is clear: that this decision is against the law and logic,” he said. “And cannot under any circumstances stand after an appeal.”
Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 and faces a slew of legal cases, says all charges against him are politically motivated and being backed by his political rivals led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s all-powerful military. Both deny the allegations.
The announcement of the controversial verdict was delayed three times, most recently last Monday, as the government holds reconciliation talks with Khan’s PTI party.
Pakistan PM warns authorities against negligence in Hajj 2025 preparations
- Shehbaz Sharif orders authorities to pay special attention to pilgrims’ accommodation and travel
- This year 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform annual Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned authorities on Monday against neglecting their duties related to this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, instructing them to provide the best possible facilities to pilgrims.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Hajj agreement 2025 this month, according to which 179,210 pilgrims from the South Asian country would perform the annual pilgrimage in 2025. The quota for pilgrims is divided equally between government and private schemes.
Sharif chaired a review meeting on Hajj preparations in Islamabad on Monday during which he was briefed on measures taken by the government related to the pilgrimage so far. Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and other senior officials also participated in the meeting.
“No negligence will be tolerated in preparations for Hajj 2025,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “All necessary assistance and facilities will be ensured for Hajj pilgrims in Hajj 2025.”
The Pakistani premier directed authorities to ensure transparency and merit in selecting Hajj assistants or moavineen, the statement said. He demanded a detailed briefing on Hajj assistants’ responsibilities and the process through which they are appointed.
“Pilgrims should be provided with the best training facilities for Hajj 2025,” Sharif said, adding that special attention should be given to their accommodation, travel and other facilities.
Pakistan’s Hajj Policy 2025 allows pilgrims to make payments in installments for the first time. Under this scheme, the first installment of Rs 200,000 ($717) is to be submitted with the application, the second installment of Rs 400,000 ($1,435) within 10 days of the balloting and the remaining amount is due by Feb.10 this year.
On Jan. 17, the Pakistani Religious Affairs Ministry began mandatory training sessions for Pakistani nationals selected to perform this year’s Hajj pilgrimage under the government scheme. It also launched the Pak Hajj 2025 mobile application, available for both Android and iPhone users, to assist pilgrims.
Additionally, the government reduced airfare for pilgrims, lowering ticket prices to Rs 220,000 ($785.41) from last year’s Rs 234,000 ($835.39). Pakistan International Airlines, Saudi Airlines and private carriers will be responsible for transporting pilgrims this year.
Pakistan’s finance minister leaves for Davos to attend World Economic Forum 2025 summit
- Business, trade and political leaders will attend this year’s WEF meeting from Jan. 20-24 in Davos
- Muhammad Aurangzeb to meet ministerial delegations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt during summit
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has left for Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit where he will meet political, trade and business leaders from various countries and officials of international organizations, state-run media reported on Monday.
The WEF is an international organization for public-private cooperation that arranges an annual summit where leaders meet to address key global and regional challenges. Discussions at the summit involve responding to geopolitical shocks and stimulating growth to improve living standards. This year’s annual meeting has been kept on the theme: ‘Collaboration for the Intelligent Age’ and will be held from Jan. 20-24 in the Swiss city of Davos.
Pakistan’s participation in the summit will take place as it navigates a tricky path to economic recovery following a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. The South Asian country hopes to escape this crisis through sustained growth brought about by enhancing its export potential, attracting investments from friendly nations and bringing about fiscal reforms.
“Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has left for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum 2025 Annual Meeting,” Pakistan’s finance ministry said in a statement.
“Aurangzeb will meet political, trade and business leaders from different countries and international organizations while attending the World Economic Forum, which will be held from Jan. 20-24,” it added.
The ministry said Aurangzeb will address various sessions and take part in discussions during the summit to clarify Pakistan’s economic scenario. He will also participate as a panelist in a high-level discussion on the increasing burden of global debt on developing economies, the statement said.
The ministry said Aurangzeb will take part in panel discussions on the rising global debt burden on developing economies, and on the revolutionary impact of new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence and automation, in promoting trade and investment.
The statement said Aurangzeb will hold meetings with ministerial delegations from Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia during his visit to the forum.
“During his participation in the forum, the finance minister will also meet officials of global financial and business institutions, global organizations involved in sustainable development, and those of investment and commercial banks, especially investment banks from the Middle East,” the ministry said.
Aurangzeb will also give interviews to selected international media representatives during the summit, in which several heads of state and representatives of governments, the private sector and civil society leaders are taking part, the ministry said.
Imran Khan announces ‘Black Day,’ protests on Feb. 8 anniversary of Pakistan general elections
- Khan calls on KP Chief Minister Gandapur to lead supporters in Peshawar for protest gathering on Feb. 8
- Khan’s Pakistan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party says last year’s vote was rigged, which election commission denies
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday called on his supporters nationwide to mark Feb. 8 as a “Black Day” and hold protests on the one-year anniversary of last year’s general election that the jailed leader’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party says were rigged.
The national polls on Feb. 8, 2024, were marred by a countrywide shutdown of cellphone networks and delayed results, leading to widespread allegations of election manipulation by the PTI and other opposition parties. The caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) deny the charges. The US House of Representatives, as well as European countries, have called on Islamabad to open a probe into the allegations — a move that Pakistan has thus far rejected.
Khan’s PTI candidates contested the Feb. 8 elections as independents after the party was barred from the polls. They won the most seats but fell short of the majority needed to form a government, which was made by a smattering of rival political parties led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“We will observe February 8th as a Black Day nationwide,” Khan wrote on social media platform X. “On this day, the mandate of the Pakistani people was blatantly stolen.”
The former prime minister directed Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the PTI is in power, to lead caravans from across the province for a public gathering in Peshawar, the provincial capital, on Feb. 8.
“I also instruct the legal community, including the Insaf Lawyers Forum and other (PTI) wings, to observe this day with vigorous protests,” he added. “Legislators, party officials and people from all walks of life must commemorate this attack on democracy as a Black Day.”
Khan was ousted from power in 2022 after what is widely believed to be a falling out with the country’s powerful top generals. The army denies it interferes in politics.
He has been in prison since August 2023 and faces a slew of legal challenges that ruled him out of the Feb. 8 general elections and which he says are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from power. Khan has either been acquitted or his sentences have been suspended in most cases. However, in the latest blow, Khan was handed a 14-year jail sentence in a land corruption case last week.
Another pending case against Khan relates to charges of inciting supporters to attack military facilities to protest against his arrest on May 9, 2023.
His party is accused of leading several other violent protest rallies since the May 9 riots.
All cases against Khan have been tried inside prison, away from the public or media eye, on security grounds.
The sentence in the land bribery case is a setback to nascent talks between the PTI and the government aimed at cooling political instability in the South Asian nation.
Pakistan’s exports to Europe surge to $3.8 billion in first five months of current fiscal year
- Growth in exports driven by textile, leather, garments, sports goods and surgical instruments sectors, says state media
- European Union (EU) is Pakistan’s second most important trading partner, accounting for over 14 percent of Pakistan’s total trade
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports to Europe have surged to $3.8 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year, state-run media reported on Monday, marking an increase of 8.62 percent compared to the same period last year.
The European Union (EU) is Pakistan’s second most important trading partner, accounting for over 14 percent of Pakistan’s total trade and absorbing 28 percent of Pakistan’s total exports. Pakistani exports to the EU are dominated mostly by textiles and clothing.
Pakistan avails the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP)+ status, a special trade arrangement offered by the EU to developing economies in return for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection and governance.
The current GSP framework came to an end in December 2023 but Members of EU Parliament (MEPs) voted in October to extend the current rules on the scheme for another four years for developing countries, including Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s exports to Europe surged to 3.8 billion dollars, reflecting an 8.62 percent increase in the first five months of current fiscal year,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
It said the growth in exports was driven by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a Pakistani hybrid civil-military body, in the sectors of textiles, leather, garments, sports goods and surgical instruments.
Pakistan’s government formed the SIFC in June 2023 to promote business opportunities in various sectors such as agriculture, mining, information technology and defense, and attract foreign investment.
The SIFC has targeted mainly Gulf countries in its attempt to revitalize Pakistan’s economy and ensure it heads toward sustainable growth in the years to come. The council was set up in 2023 as Pakistan faced tough economic challenges amid dwindling forex reserves and a rapidly depreciating national currency.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has repeatedly stressed the importance of shifting Pakistan’s economy from an import-dependent one toward an export-led one, saying that without it sustainable economic growth is difficult to achieve.
In recent months, Pakistan has vigorously pursued economic and investment deals with Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and bilateral trade cooperation with Central Asian states, Russia and others.
