Thursday, August 4th, 2016
Hostages taken as Punjab government helicopter crash-lands in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: A Punjab government Mi-17 helicopter crash landed on Thursday in Afghanistan’s Logar province where Taliban insurgents took the crew hostage before setting the helicopter on fire. The helicopter had seven people onboard at the time of the incident, and was on its way for maintenance to Uzbekistan. Afghanistan’s media, however, reported the helicopter belonged to Pakistan military. Quoting spokesman for Logar province’s governor, it said that the helicopter crashed in the Mati area of Azra district. So far media reports Punjab government’s Mi-17 helicopter crash lands in Afghanistan’s Logar provinceRead More
Tension simmers between Pakistan, India interior ministers at SAARC meet
ISLAMABAD: The interior ministers of both Pakistan and India made critical remarks apparently aimed at each other’s governments on the second day of a Saarc conference here on Thursday, as tensions between the two neighbouring countries run high in the aftermath of weeks-long violence in India-held Kashmir. In his address to the Saarc interior ministers’ conference, India’s home minister made a direct jibe aimed at the Pakistani government for its strong condemnation of the killing of Kashmiri separatist leader Burhan Wani by Indian forces. “There are no good terrorists or bad terrorists,”Read More
US blocks $300 mln Pakistan aid
WASHINGTON, 04 AUG (DNA) – Pentagon has blocked US $300 million military aid to Pakistan after Defence Secretary Ashton Carter declined to give a certification to the Congress that Pakistan is taking sufficient action against Haqqani network. In the absence of Congressional certification, the Pentagon has blocked disbursement of US $300 million to Pakistan under Coalition Support Fund, which is essentially reimbursement money for the expenses made by Pak Army in support of US operations in Afghanistan. “The funds (USD 300 million) could not be released to the Government ofRead More
PM meets COAS, discusses overall security situation
ISLAMABAD, 04 AUG (DNA) – Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Thursday met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and discussed overall national security. General Raheel also met Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif and exchanged views over ongoing combing operation in Punjab, reported Dunya News. COAS also briefed PM about the achievements and progress regarding Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He also apprised PM Nawaz of ongoing operations based on intelligence network against terrorists and their facilitators. PM, in exchange of views, expressed commitment and satisfaction over success obtained inRead More
China was waiting for PML-N rule to make CPEC investment, says Nawaz
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, while addressing a meeting of PML-N ‘s parliamentary committee on Thursday, said Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Islamabad last year said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a ‘gift’ to Pakistan. “He [Xi Jinping] said this is a gift to you from China. They were also waiting for the time when our government would be in power so that they could make this investment,” Nawaz said, referring to the $46 billion investment made by the Chinese government for various projects under theRead More
Nawaz says, it’s time to say good bye to IMF as final payment cleared
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cleared payment to Pakistan of a final $102 million tranche in a $6.4 billion three-year programme on Thursday, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif echoed the sentiment, saying Pakistan was able to stand on its own feet economically. “It is now my desire… that we say goodbye to the IMF,” he said, addressing a group of his party’s lawmakers in Islamabad shortly after the announcement of the programme’s conclusion. IMF officials and Pakistani officials concluded their twelfth and final review in Dubai, with mission chiefRead More