Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Jun 14 (APP): The 19th Meeting of the Council of the Heads of State (CHS) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Friday started in Bishkek with leadership from all member and observer states in attendance.

President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov is chairing the session who earlier received all the participating leaders including Prime Minister Imran Khan as they arrived at the venue.

Prior to proceeding for the meeting, the leaders had a group photo with the banner of the SCO Summit in the backdrop.

Islamabad, Jun 10; PTI/GANASHAKTI: Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari was arrested on Monday from his residence here in the fake bank accounts case by the country's top anti-corruption body, even as his party appealed for calm.

A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accompanied by police, including female officials, entered the Pakistan People's Party co-chairman's house hours after the Islamabad High Court rejected his bail plea.

However, his sister Faryal Talpur was so far not arrested.

ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday asked the tax evaders to declare their financial assets, within the country and abroad, before June 30 or be ready for an indiscriminate action.

The Prime Minister in a televised address to the nation said this government had an unprecedented in-depth information about the assets of the citizens including their bank accounts, real estate and benami (in the name of another person) transactions and thus would not spare anyone who does not declare them before June 30.

Islamabad, June 8; IANS/GANASHAKTI Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday wrote a letter to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi offering dialogue to reconcilable problems.

In a letter to Modi congratulating him on his second term as the Prime Minister, Khan wrote that Pakistan desires the resolution of all problems, including that of the disputed Kashmir region, the Geo TV reported.

ISLAMABAD, Jun 07 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday strongly condemned a terrorist incident in North Waziristan that resulted in martyrdom of three officers and a soldier of Pakistan Army.

The President, in a statement, said miscreants were against the restoration of peace in the area, however, the nation was united against them.

He prayed for the departed souls to rest in peace and for the grant of courage to the bereaved families.

Islamabad, Jun 5; PTI/GANASHAKTI: In an unprecedented voluntary move, Pakistan's military has decided to cut the defence budget for the next fiscal year amid an austerity drive launched by the government to solve the cash-strapped nation's economic woes.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) -- the media wing of the military, in his Twitter message on Tuesday said that voluntary cuts in the defence budget for next fiscal year would not be at the cost of defence and security.

ISLAMABAD, Jun 5 (APP): Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor Wednesday said Indian fake media was busy spinning on the internal defence budgeting choice of Pakistan.

In a tweet on his social media account, he said, “Don’t forget, we were the same forces with same budget on Feb 27, 2019. We have the capability and capacity to respond. Remember, it’s not budgeting, it’s resolve of force and the nation was firmly standing behind its forces.”

MULTAN, June 2 (APP): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said relations between Pakistan and India were heading towards improvement.

Following Pulwama incident, both the countries had banned their airspace for each other for international flights.

However, India had expressed her wish to lift the said ban as the fare of Indian planes went up thus creating trouble for their passengers.

Islamabad, Jun 3 (PTI) US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad held discussions with the Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, on the Afghan peace process and the positive steps that Pakistan can take to advance it.

Afghan-born chief American negotiator Khalilzad has held six rounds of direct talks with Taliban envoys in the Qatari capital of Doha since the process began last fall to bring an end to what has now become the longest US overseas military intervention.

ISLAMABAD, Jun 3 (APP): Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Monday said arrival of British airways was an expression of trust in “Naya Pakistan” and its government.

In a tweet on her social media account, she said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accomplished what could not be done by previous governments.