KARACHI: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, warned on Sunday that any attempt to roll back the constitutional protections for provincial rights enshrined in the 18th Amendment would be akin to “playing with fire,” as he defended his party’s role in safeguarding the country’s federal structure amid ongoing political tensions.
Politics
Defence minister seeks to quell rumors over holdup in top military appointment
ISLAMABAD: Defence minister on Sunday sought to quell mounting speculation over the delayed appointment of the country’s new chief of defence forces, saying that the formal notification would be issued “in due course of time” once Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returns from a medical trip abroad.
Finland to shut embassies in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar as part of diplomatic overhaul
ISLAMABAD: Finland announced that it would close its embassies in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar next year, citing operational and strategic reasons tied to shifting political landscapes and limited economic ties with those nations.
Egypt urges focused role for Gaza peace force, seeks bigger Pakistani role in rebuilding
ISLAMABAD: Egypt’s foreign minister on Saturday outlined a narrowly defined mandate for a proposed international force to stabilise Gaza, emphasising its role in monitoring a ceasefire and securing borders, while calling for an expanded Pakistani contribution to the territory’s reconstruction amid ongoing devastation from the conflict.
Pakistan ready to join Gaza stabilisation force but rules out role in disarming Hamas
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is prepared to deploy troops as part of an international stabilisation force in Gaza under a United States-brokered peace plan, but it will not participate in any effort to disarm the Palestinian group Hamas, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday.
Military says Afghan Taliban aiding terrorist infiltration across border
ISLAMABAD: The military said Afghan forces opened fire on Pakistani border posts last Friday to create diversions that allow terrorists to infiltrate the country, escalating tensions between the two neighbours amid a surge in cross-border violence and stalled diplomatic talks.
By-elections marred by ‘gaps in transparency’; watchdog flags violations, weak turnout
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz swept the by-elections held on Nov. 23, capturing all six vacant seats in the National Assembly and six of seven in the Punjab Assembly, amid what an independent election monitor described as “recurring violations” of campaigning rules and “gaps” in the transparency of results.
UN rights chief warns Pakistan’s rushed constitutional changes undermine judicial independence
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations’ top human rights official warned on Friday that Pakistan’s latest constitutional amendments, adopted in haste and without wide consultation, seriously erode the independence of the judiciary and threaten accountability for the military, raising profound concerns about the rule of law in a nation already grappling with political turbulence.
Pakistan blames Afghan soil for deadly attacks, says ceasefire largely collapsed
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on that a fragile ceasefire with Afghanistan was faltering, accusing its neighbour of failing to curb terrorist attacks launched from its territory, as tensions between the two countries reached their lowest ebb since the Taliban seized power in Kabul four years ago.
Foreign Office calls attack on US soldiers ‘act of terrorism’
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday strongly condemned the shooting of two United States National Guard soldiers a few blocks from the White House, describing the attack as an act of terrorism that signals a troubling resurgence of the threat on a global scale.