Trump’s warm embrace of Pakistan’s army chief reshapes US strategy in South Asia

ISLAMABAD: Barely a year ago, American diplomats spoke of India as the indispensable counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific, while Pakistan was often felt like a reluctant, troublesome partner kept at arm’s length. That calculus has been dramatically upended under President Donald Trump, who has showered praise on Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Air Marshal Asim Munir, calling him a “great guy” and crediting himself with averting nuclear catastrophe between the two rivals, even as he has slapped some of the world’s highest tariffs on India.

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Pakistan targets debut panda bond before Chinese new year , finance minister says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to issue its first Panda bond before the Chinese New Year in late January, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said, in a clear signal that Islamabad is accelerating its push to diversify funding sources and re-enter international capital markets after years of isolation.

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PPL denies building offshore island, says project prepares marshy drilling site

KARACHI: Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) on Thursday rejected as misleading a report that it was reclaiming land from the sea to build an artificial island for oil and gas exploration, saying its project in a marshy area near Sujawal involved only preparations for safe drilling in difficult tidal terrain.

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PTI accuses govt of rigging ahead of NA-129 by-poll

LAHORE: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Thursday accused the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government of systematically rigging the coming by-election in the National Assembly constituency NA-129, alleging a pattern of administrative interference that includes the removal of campaign materials, the appointment of polling officials linked to the PML-N candidate and the relocation of dozens of polling stations to remote areas.

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Pakistan inks MoU to sell JF-17 Block III fighter at Dubai Airshow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan secured a memorandum of understanding with an undisclosed friendly nation for the sale of its advanced JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jet at the Dubai Airshow, in a deal the military described as a milestone that underscored growing international confidence in the country’s aviation industry.

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Judicial Commission to convene on Dec. 2 for first session under amended framework

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, the body responsible for appointments to the superior judiciary, will convene on Dec. 2 for its first meeting since the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the creation of the new Federal Constitutional Court, with a heavy agenda that includes filling a Supreme Court vacancy and naming new chief justices for two provincial high courts.

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Supreme Court refuses to entertain Islamabad High Court judges’ petition against 27th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court registry has declined to accept a constitutional petition drafted by four Islamabad High Court judges challenging the validity of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, informing them that the matter now falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the newly created Federal Constitutional Court, officials said on Thursday.

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