ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday held talks with officials from the International Finance Corporation and the Islamic Development Bank aimed at boosting private sector investment and speeding up infrastructure projects, while inviting US firms to invest in key sectors during meetings in Washington.
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Pakistan-Afghan border closures enter second day after deadly clashes
ISLAMABAD: Key border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained shut for a second day on Monday, stranding hundreds of travellers and suspending bilateral trade after deadly clashes over the weekend escalated tensions between the two neighbors, officials said.
Sharif, Abbas welcome fragile Gaza lull during talks in Sharm el-Sheikh
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority met met in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday on the sidelines of a global summit convened to end the war in Gaza, where the two leaders voiced satisfaction with the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has held for a fourth day.
PTI moves court after governor questions Gandapur exit, holding up Afridi’s oath
PESHAWAR: A political crisis deepened in the volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday as the newly elected chief minister, Sohail Afridi, awaited his swearing-in amid a boycott by opposition parties and a governor’s rejection of his predecessor’s resignation over disputed signatures.
Clashes erupt as authorities disperse TLP protesters marching toward capital
MURIDKE: Police clashed with protesters from the hardline Islamist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan on Monday, dispersing a camp outside Lahore and leaving at least four people dead, including a police officer, in a confrontation that reignited tensions and prompted fresh road closures across the region.
PTI installs new KP chief minister amid dispute over predecessor’s resignation
PESHAWAR: Lawmakers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province elected Sohail Afridi, a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, as the new chief minister on Monday, handing him 90 votes in a 145-seat assembly session disrupted by an opposition walkout and clouded by questions over the resignation of his predecessor, Ali Amin Gandapur.
Pakistan athletics body bans Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem’s coach for life
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s athletics federation on Sunday slapped a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, the coach of Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem, for “gross violations” of its constitution, amid a probe into the athlete’s recent poor performance.
Pakistan launches new polio drive to vaccinate 45 million children
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan launched a nationwide polio vaccination drive on Monday aimed at reaching 45 million children under the age of 5, as health officials warned that recent flooding and persistent environmental detections of the virus have heightened the risk of outbreaks in vulnerable regions.
Security forces surround TLP protest camp near Lahore to prevent march
MURIDKE: The security forces, including elite Rangers and police contingents from five districts, converged on this industrial town near Lahore early Monday, encircling a protest camp set up by the hardline Islamist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan and blocking its supporters from advancing toward Islamabad in what officials described as preparations for a potential large-scale crackdown.
PTI pushes ahead with KP chief minister vote despite unresolved resignation issue
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was set to elect a new chief minister on Monday amid a deepening legal and political dispute over the resignation of the outgoing leader, Ali Amin Gandapur, after the provincial governor rejected his submission, citing inconsistencies in the signatures and returned the documents for clarification.