ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party formally moved on Thursday to disqualify one of its own senators, Saifullah Abro, accusing him of defection after he broke ranks to support a controversial constitutional amendment that has deepened divisions in the country’s fractured political landscape.
Politics
Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia, urges negotiations to avert Yemen fallout
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan voiced strong support for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday amid a sharp escalation in Yemen’s civil war, where a Saudi-led coalition has clashed with Emirati-backed separatists, threatening to unravel fragile regional alliances and revive the specter of a divided Yemen.
Army chief warns of ‘firm and decisive’ response to any breach of sovereignty
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander warned on Wednesday that any breach of the country’s territorial integrity, whether direct or indirect, would provoke a firm and decisive response, as he accused Indian-sponsored proxies of fomenting violence and disrupting development in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan.
At a funeral in Dhaka, a brief handshake signals a pause in India-Pakistan silence
ISLAMABAD: In a brief but symbolic encounter, the speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, shook hands with India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on Wednesday during a funeral in the Bangladeshi capital, marking the first high-level contact between officials from the two nuclear-armed neighbors since a military clash in May that brought relations to a new low.
Yasmin Rashid’s election petition rejected, Nawaz Sharif victory upheld in Lahore
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.
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.
Pakistan-Bangladesh air link to resume in January amid rising trade, investment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday, expressing hope that direct flights between Karachi and Dhaka will commence in January as the two nations seek to deepen economic and people-to-people links.
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.