Islamabad

20 June 2023; MEMO: Pakistan observed a day of mourning for more than 300 Pakistanis presumed dead after an overcrowded fishing vessel carrying refugees sank off the coast of Greece.

At least 78 bodies have been recovered and hundreds more are feared drowned after the boat capsized in what was the worst and deadliest disaster of the year.

Islamabad, Jun 18 (PTI) Pakistan's Senate has passed a bill to ensure no parliamentarian is disqualified for a lifetime, a move termed by the Opposition as an attempt to clear the way for former premier Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country and his participation in the upcoming elections.

Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in 2017 by a five-member bench of the Supreme Court. In 2018, he became ineligible to hold public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict.

Islamabad, Jun 11 (PTI) The first shipment of discounted Russian crude oil has arrived at the port city of Karachi, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday, a development that is expected to provide relief to the people hit by skyrocketing inflation.

Pakistan, which is currently grappling with high external debt and a weak local currency, is hoping that snapping crude at discounted rates from Russia will stabilise oil prices in the country.

Islamabad, Jun 12 (PTI) Pakistan's efforts to unlock access to the already agreed USD 6.5 billion loan package with IMF a quagmire after the cash-strapped country unveiled a subsidy and development-packed budget of Rs 14.46 trillion which experts say will do little to allay the concerns of the global lender.

Islamabad, Jun 9 (PTI) Cash-strapped Pakistan on Friday hiked defence spending by 15.5 per cent and allocated over Rs 1.8 trillion, as the government unveiled a Rs 14.4 trillion budget for 2023-24 as it battled to fend off a looming default due to shrinking foreign reserves.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who presented the budget in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, said the government will target a growth rate of 3.5 per cent in the coming fiscal year.

Islamabad, May 13 (PTI) Pakistan Army chief General Syed Asim Munir on Saturday warned that the armed forces would not tolerate any further attacks on the country's key installations and vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the recent acts of vandalism.

13 May 2023; MEMO: Islamabad High Court, on Friday, granted bail to former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in a corruption case, local media reported, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Khan filed a bail petition after the anti-corruption watchdog – National Accountability Bureau (NAB) – had filed a corruption case against the popular opposition leader.

The Court granted bail for two weeks, according to local broadcasters.

11 May 2023; MEMO: Pakistan's top court, on Thursday, ordered the authorities to produce the country's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, before the Court within an hour, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The order comes after Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court premises on Tuesday, triggering nationwide protests.

9 May 2023; MEMO: At least one person was killed and several others injured after protests broke out across Pakistan against the arrest of former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on Tuesday.

Khan, 70, was taken into custody by paramilitary troops from the Islamabad High Court for his alleged involvement in a case filed by the anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau.

Islamabad, May 9 (PTI) Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to forge closer economic ties by extending the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan to fully harness the country's potential as a hub for regional connectivity.