LAHORE: An election tribunal in the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge by Yasmin Rashid, a jailed opposition leader from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, against the victory of Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and head of the rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a closely watched constituency from last year’s general elections.
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Pakistan balances ties with Saudi Arabia and UAE as Yemen rift deepens Gulf tensions
ISLAMABAD: As rivalries between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intensified over Yemen, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, held a telephone conversation on Tuesday with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, to address the “current regional situation and recent developments,” the Foreign Office said.
KP chief minister Afridi lodges protest over ‘hostile’ Punjab visit
ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province lodged a formal protest on Monday against what he described as hostile treatment during a recent visit to Punjab province, accusing officials there of intimidation, protocol violations and a coordinated smear campaign that he said threatened the fragile bonds of the country’s federation.
Pakistan voices alarm over rising persecution of minorities in India
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Monday voiced deep concern over what it described as the persecution of minorities in India, citing recent vandalism against Christmas celebrations and a pattern of violence targeting Muslims, and called on the international community to intervene to protect vulnerable groups.
Imran Khan and wife appeal 17-year Toshakhana convictions in Islamabad High Court
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan, the imprisoned founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the country’s former prime minister, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, filed separate appeals on Monday in the Islamabad High Court challenging their convictions in a high-profile corruption case involving state gifts, known as Toshakhana 2.
Convicted ex–spy chief Faiz Hameed appeals 14-year court-martial sentence
ISLAMABAD: The former head of the country’s powerful intelligence agency has appealed his conviction and 14-year prison sentence handed down by a military court this month, his lawyer said, marking the latest turn in a case that has exposed rare fissures within the country’s military establishment.
PTI says dialogue will follow only after ‘level playing field’ is won on streets
LAHORE: Leaders of Pakistan’s main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party insisted on Sunday that they would only enter into negotiations with the government on equal terms, pledging to continue street protests until authorities recognise their demands for fairness in politics.
Bhutto-Zardari calls on Imran Khan’s party to abandon ‘extremism’ and rejoin democratic politics
LARKANA: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party and a key ally in the governing coalition, called on Sunday for a return to the politics of reconciliation in the country, urging the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to abandon what he described as extremism and warning that attacks on state institutions would invite legal consequences.
Security forces kill four militants in intelligence-based operation in southwest Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed four militants linked to a group accused of receiving Indian support during an intelligence-based operation in the restive Balochistan Province, the military said on Sunday, as the country grapples with a surge in terrorist attacks.
Pakistan joins 20 Muslim nations in opposing Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
ISLAMABAD: A coalition of 21 predominantly Muslim nations, including Pakistan, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, describing the move as a blatant violation of international law that could destabilize the Horn of Africa and beyond.