Pakistan

Pakistan armed forces have successfully shot down an Indian spy quadcopter on Line of Control (LOC). According to security sources, the Indian spy quadcopter was shot down along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Bhimber sector’s Manaawar area. The quadcopter was attempting espionage by violating Pakistani airspace. Security sources described the incident as evidence of the Pakistan Army’s vigilance, professionalism, and robust defensive preparedness. They emphasized that the military remains ready to respond swiftly to any aggression from the enemy. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan after Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, offering his support for initiatives aimed at promoting de-escalation and dialogue between the two countries. He reiterated his readiness to support any initiativ...

Lights flickered back to life in Spain and Portugal on Tuesday after a massive blackout hit the Iberian peninsula stranding passengers in trains and hundreds of elevators while millions saw phone and internet coverage die. Electricity had been restored to more than 90 per cent of mainland Spain early on Tuesday, the REE power operator said. Lights came on again in Madrid and in Portugal’s capital. Barely a corner of the peninsula, which has a joint population of almost 60 million people, escaped the blackout. But no firm cause for the shutdown has yet emerged, though wild rumours spread on messaging networks about cyber attacks. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the source of the outage was “probably in Spain”. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “all the potential causes” were being analysed and warned the public “not to speculate” because of the risk of “misinformation”. Sanchez said about 15,000 megawatts of electricity, more than half of the power being consumed at the time, “suddenly d...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board will meet on May 9 to discuss the country’s staff-level agreement for a new $1.3 billion arrangement under a climate resilience loan programme, along with the first review of Pakistan’s ongoing $7bn bailout programme, the global lender said. According to the Fund’s website, this will be the first “review under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility”, along with request for an arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). Previously, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb during his visit to Washington had said he also expected the IMF Executive Board to approve in early May. Approval from the board would trigger the disbursement of a $1bn tranche under the programme, which Pakistan secured in 2024. The IMF programme has played a critical role in stabilising Pakistan’s fragile economy, providing much-needed external financing and boosting market confidence. Pakis­tan and the IMF had reached a three-year, $7bn aid packag...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation on climate action, nature conservation, and green economic growth under the Pakistan-UK Green Compact.

ISLAMABAD - Justice Ayesha Malik gets honorary Degree from the prestigious University of London by the Chancellor University of London, Princess Royal, Princess Ann at the prestigious Barbican Centre.

Says water rights of all provinces protected by Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and Water Policy of 2018 Pakistan reserves right to protect its water interests if India blocks due water.

LAHORE: The police and employees of the government hospitals clashed on The Mall on Monday when the former tried to stop the latter from entering the high security zone where the international cricket players and other VIP guests were staying. The clash left some protesters as well as the policemen injured. The protesters, including the young doctors, had announced on Sunday to take out the rally under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) and stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House. The young doctors alleged that the police used force, tortured the protesters, including women, and arrested some of them. The police high-ups claimed that the protesters used syringes and knives they had brought from the hospitals, and injured some law enforcers. They said the employees were asked to avoid using the road leading to the high security zone, which led to the physical clash. YDA stops entry of policemen to all public hospitals The eyewitnesses said a part of The Mall from Charing Cross to the Alhamra...

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN - A powerful explosion, suspected to be either a suicide attack or a planted bomb, ripped through the Peace Committee office in Wana Bazaar on Monday, resulting in the deaths of nine persons and injuring 29 others, as several individuals were reported trapped under the rubble.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that the scope of digital wallets would be expanded across the country and the provinces would be integrated into the digital payment system through a coordinated framework.

ISLAMABAD - China yesterday supported Pakistan’s efforts for fair and just investigations into the at-tack in Pahalgam, occupied Kashmir.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday condemned the Indian move to ban YouTube channels of Pakistani media, journalists and anchorpersons in India following the Pahalgam incident.

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board meeting is scheduled for May 9, with Pakistan listed on the official agenda. During the meeting, the IMF board is expected to approve a disbursement of $1.1 billion for Pakistan under the ongoing financial program. According to IMF statement, first Review under the Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility, the request for modification of performance criteria, and the request for an arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility are scheduled to take place on May 9. Meanwhile, Pakistan has also secured $1.3 billion in climate financing from the International Monetary Fund. This was stated by IMF Director of Communications Julie Kozack while responding to a query of ARY News during a press conference. Last month, Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund reached a staff-level agreement on the first review under Pakistan’s 37-month $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and on a new 28-month $1.3bn arrangement under the Resilience a...

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that applications for postal ballots for the by-election in PP-52, Sialkot-IX, can be submitted until May 16, 2025.

ISLAMABAD - The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Monday told the Supreme Court that he would make submission on three issues related to May 9 incidents.

THIS screengrab of a YouTube notice states that the ‘The Pakistan Experience’ channel has been blocked in India.—X/Shehzad89 • New Delhi objects to BBC’s coverage of Pahalgam attack • Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Resp­onse Team warns media, content creators against sharing sensitive info KARACHI: The Indian government on Monday banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels belonging to media organisations, freelance journalists, content creators and sportspersons. The channels were blocked by the Government of India on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, The Hindu reported, while quoting a government official. The channels blocked in India are: Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Bol News, SUNO News HD, Raftar, GNN, Irshad Bhatti, The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq and Raazi Nama. The account of former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar’s channel was also banned. Comedian and content creator Shehzad Ghias said his podcast...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday chaired a meeting to review the pace of construction and rehabilitation work on 460 roads across the province.

• Ali Zafar says such a gesture of political unity will strengthen Pakistan’s case globally • Irfan Siddiqui calls Pahalgam attack ‘false-flag operation’ • Senators warn New Delhi against changes to Indus treaty ISLAMABAD: The main opposition, PTI, has demanded the release of its incarcerated leader Imran Khan so he can participate in national deliberations on escalating tensions with India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. The party also called for an immediate multi-party conference (MPC), with Mr Khan in attendance. The demands were made in the Senate on Monday, as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle slammed India for suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and fanning war hysteria following the April 22 attack. Senator Ali Zafar, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, said political differences should be set aside for an issue of national importance. He noted that a multi-party conference was the only “correct thing to do in the present circumstances”. If Mr Khan is allowed to attend such a meeti...

SRINAGAR: India should not do anything to alienate Kashmiris in its hunt for people who killed 26 people in Pahalgam last week, especially as residents of the India-held state have staged protests against that attack, chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday. The Indian authorities have demolished nine homes belonging to the families of suspected assailants as part of a crackdown after the April 22 killings of tourists. “We should not do anything to alienate the people after their spontaneous reaction (against the attack),” Omar Abdullah said at a session of the legislative assembly in Srinagar. “Guns can only control militancy, not finish it. It will only end when the people are with us. It seems people are now reaching that stage.” Some Kashmir residents have spoken out against the move by the authorities to destroy homes, like that of Rifat Sheikh. On Monday, she stood next to her razed kitchen, assessing the damage caused by explosives used by police to demolish the house. Police say her brother Asif i...

Islamabad - Following successful engagements by the security forces in North Waziristan District (NWD) from April 25 to 27, during which 54 Khwarij were sent to hell; on night between April 27 and 28, a deliberate sanitisation operation was conducted in surrounding areas of Hassan Khel, NWD, along Pakistan-Afghanistan Border.

ISLAMABAD: Despite regional tensions following the Pahalgam attack, delegates from around 45 countries have arrived in Islamabad to participate in the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) conference, which is set to begin on Tuesday (today). Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja expressed confidence that despite threats from India, the event would be a success. “The participants include delegations from China, Russia, the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, and even from South America,” she said. Over 75 foreign investors and CEOs of more than 50 global companies are expected to attend the landmark event, the minister added. Shaza Fatima also revealed that websites of some ministries had come under cyberattacks from India, but all attempts were thwarted. “The cybersecurity systems in Pakistan are among the best in the world, comparable to even those in Britain and the United States,” she said. Over 100 Pakistani IT firms to showcase products Highlighting the country’s expanding digital ...