Rift between ruling allies deepens as PPP lawmakers stage walkout over flood aid remarks

ISLAMABAD: Tensions within the fragile governing coalition boiled over on Tuesday when lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) walked out of the National Assembly to protest comments by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, a leader of the dominant Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), escalating a dispute over flood relief and water rights that has exposed deepening provincial divides.

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Pakistan weighs sending troops to Gaza under Trump peace plan, deputy PM says

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that the country’s leaders would decide whether to dispatch troops to a special peacekeeping force in Gaza as part of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which has gained backing from eight Muslim nations and calls for Palestinian law enforcement to handle internal security.

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Pakistan, IMF open talks on $7 bln bailout review amid revenue shortfalls, flood impact

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund began talks on Monday for the second review of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility programme and the first review of a $1.1 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility, with discussions focusing on mixed fiscal performance, revenue shortfalls and the impact of recent floods.

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Punjab CM revives row with PPP over shelved Cholistan canals project

FAISALABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday revived a simmering dispute over a halted irrigation project in the Cholistan desert, accusing her party’s coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party, of meddling in provincial affairs while insisting that the water in question rightfully belongs to Punjab.

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Supreme Court restores sidelined Islamabad judge in law degree row

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended an order from the Islamabad High Court that had barred one of its judges from performing judicial duties, a decision that swiftly restored the jurist to the bench and laid bare deepening tensions within the country’s judiciary over administrative authority and allegations of political interference.

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