OM Founder George Verwer’s visit to Pakistan for the first time in 14 years brings encouragement to Pakistani Christians, especially local OM workers.

In December, OM Pakistan hosted a Christmas event for many affected by the bombings in September.

Three young people passionate about serving God in their local communities benefit from OM Pakistan’s year-long study and practical outreach programme.

As the OM Pakistan men's travelling teams visit communities, they encourage, bring truth, and help individuals understand their need to commit to God's Son.

The road that moves the church where it's never been is usually not the easiest path. This is the story of OM’s work among the unreached people in Sindh province.

OM Hong Kong hosts a Christmas party on 23 December 2011 for Pakistani women and children.

While the PCB wants to organise all ICC Champions Trophy matches at home, the BCCI has refused to send the Indian team across the border.

1. Pakistan Government's Firm Stance On Champions Trophy, Report Says PCB Told To...  NDTV Sports
2. ICC in a catch-22 situation amid PCB's steadfast stance on hosting Champions Trophy  Cricbuzz
3. Champions Trophy: PCB wants an explanation in writing from India for refusal to travel  ESPNcricinfo
4. 'Duniya bewakoof hai': Basit Ali gives unique solution to India-Pakistan Champions Trophy stand-off  The Times of India
5. Champions Trophy : Rizwan's welcome message for KL Rahul and Suryakumar  India Today

Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Pakistan’s UK high commissioner, talks about his country’s potential for foreign investors.

Having experienced issues with security and bureaucracy for decades, Pakistan is making a comeback as a tourism destination. However, foreign investors have yet to make their presence felt in the sector.

Pakistani and Indian Journalists at Media Conference: Why Fight Each Other, When We’re All Fighting the Same Issues? Pakistani and Indian Journalists at Media Conference: Why Fight Each Other, When We’re All Fighting the Same Issues?

Tehran, Iran — A militant attack near the Pakistani border with Iran left five Iranian forces dead, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday. The report said the dead were ethnic Baluch members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's volunteer Basij force and were killed in Saravan city in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Saravan is some 1,400 km (870 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier in the day, state TV reported that Revolutionary Guard forces killed three terrorists and arrested nine others in a military operation. The report did not specify which group the suspects belonged to. Last month, unknown gunmen killed four people, including the chief of the Revolutionary Guard in the province. In September, gunmen killed four border guards in Sistan and Baluchistan province in two separate attacks. The militant group Jaish al-Adl, which seeks greater rights for the ethnic Baluch minority, claimed responsibility for one attack in which one officer and two soldiers were killed. The province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been the site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers and Iranian security forces. It is one of the least developed parts of Iran. Relations between the predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the region and Iran's Shiite theocracy have long been strained.

Responding to the World Cup disappointment in India, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named former all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez as the team director on Wednesday. In an official statement on X, the PCB disclosed the restructuring of the coaching staff’s portfolio, emphasizing that “all coaches will continue to work in the National Cricket Academy while PCB ... Read more

The post Pakistan Cricket Board Appoints Mohammad Hafeez as Team Director appeared first on Pakistan Tribune.

The Apex Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) met to evaluate advancements in fostering investments in Pakistan. Chaired by the caretaker prime minister, discussions encompassed strategies such as the privatization of financially struggling government institutions. In a separate interaction, the Army Chief reiterated the armed forces’ dedication to supporting the nation’s economic stability. ... Read more

The post Special Investment Facilitation Council Reviews Progress and Strategies for Economic Stability in Pakistan appeared first on Pakistan Tribune.

North Paw Grain Free cat food emerges as a noteworthy contender in the premium pet food market, particularly for those seeking high-quality, nutritious options for their feline friends. This review delves into the distinctive features and benefits of North Paw cat food, based on detailed analysis and user experiences, offering Pakistani pet owners a guide ... Read more

The post North Paw Cat Food Review: A Comprehensive Look for Pakistani Pet Owners appeared first on Pakistan Tribune.

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said Saturday that four of its soldiers were killed when a "group of terrorists" from across the Iranian side of the border attacked a routine military patrol operating between the two countries.    The deadly cross-border raid took place in the remote Kech district in southwestern Baluchistan province abutting Iran, the Pakistani military said in a statement.  "Necessary contact with the Iranian side is being made for effective action against terrorists on the Iranian side and to prevent such incidents in the future," the statement said, without providing further details.      The Iranian Embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack and expressed sympathy to the families of the slain soldiers.     "Terrorism is the common pain of the two countries and the two Muslim nations have sacrificed precious lives in the fight against this plague," the Iranian Embassy said on Twitter.     "Undoubtedly, strengthening the joint cooperation between the two countries will prevent terrorist groups from achieving their sinister goals," wrote the Iranian diplomatic mission.    Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “grief and sorrow over the martyrdom” of the security personnel in the terrorist attack, his office said in a statement.  No group immediately took responsibility for Saturday's attack, the second incident this year in Baluchistan, where ethnic Baluch separatists routinely target Pakistani security forces.    In mid-January, four Pakistani troops were killed when a military convoy patrolling along the more than 900-kilometer border came under an insurgent attack from across the Iranian side.     The outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army, or BLA, routinely takes credit for attacks on Pakistani security forces. Officials in Islamabad say the group has set up sanctuaries in border areas of Iran, charges Tehran rejects.   The Global Terrorism Index, released in March by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, said that BLA was responsible for 36% of nearly 650 terror-related deaths in Pakistan in 2022, making it "the fastest-growing terrorist group in the world."    Pakistan, the United States, and Britain have designated the BLA as a terrorist organization.    Baluch insurgents claim to be fighting for the independence of Baluchistan, alleging extortion by the central government of the region's natural resources and discrimination against its ethnic Baluch population. Pakistani authorities reject the charges.     The sparsely populated province, which also shares a significant chunk of the country's nearly 2,600-kilometer border with Afghanistan, is at the center of a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure development project being funded by China in Pakistan under Beijing's global Belt and Road Initiative.   

Extremist violence has been escalating in Pakistan, with minorities of all stripes being targeted. Even Islamic sects are not spared.

Beijing is pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan during talks, after a car bombing near Karachi’s airport that was seen as a major security breach, sources said.

Last month’s airport bombing that killed two Chinese engineers returning to work on a project after a holiday in Thailand was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing’s interests in Pakistan.

The attacks have angered China, which has pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system.

Reuters spoke to five Pakistani security and government sources with direct knowledge of the previously unreported negotiations and demands on condition of anonymity, as the talks are sensitive, and reviewed a written proposal sent by Beijing to Islamabad.

“They (Chinese) want to bring in their own security,” said one official, who sat in on a recent meeting, adding that Pakistan had not so far agreed to such a step.

According to the official, a written proposal sent to Islamabad by Beijing, and forwarded to Pakistani agencies for review, mentioned a clause allowing the dispatching of security agencies and military forces into each others’ territory to assist in counter-terrorism missions and conduct joint strikes.

The dispatching would be done after discussions, but Pakistan was averse to the proposal, one official said.

Neither Beijing nor Islamabad confirmed the talks officially.

Dawn.com has also reached out to the Foreign Office for a comment.

The source, and two other officials, said there was a consensus on setting up a joint security management system, and that Pakistan was amenable to Chinese officials sitting in on security meetings and co-ordination.

But there was no agreement on their participating in security arrangements on the ground.

The first official said Pakistan had asked China for help in improving its intelligence and surveillance capabilities instead of direct involvement.

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry told Reuters it was not familiar with talks on a joint security scheme, but added, “China will continue to strengthen co-operation with Pakistan and make joint efforts to do its utmost to maintain the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions.”

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, declined to comment to Reuters while the interior and planning ministries did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

In a statement last week, Pakistan’s interior ministry said both sides agreed to develop a joint strategy to prevent similar incidents in the future.

‘Grave security breach’

The nature of the Karachi bombing has angered Beijing, which is now pushing harder to achieve a long-standing demand to control security arrangements for its citizens.

A pick-up truck rigged with nearly 100 kilogrammes of explosives waited unchecked for about 40 minutes near the outermost security cordon of the heavily guarded airport before its driver rammed it into a vehicle carrying Chinese engineers, officials said.

“It was a grave security breach,” admitted one of the officials investigating the bombing, which came just a week before Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Islamabad, the first such trip in a decade.

The official said investigators believe the attackers had “inside help” in securing details of the itinerary and route of the engineers, who had returned from a month off in Thailand.

They were to be escorted back to a power plant set up as part of plans for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Longtime Pakistan ally China has thousands of nationals working on projects grouped under the CPEC, a $65-billion investment in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to expand China’s global reach by road, rail and sea.

‘Chinese frustrations’

Publicly, China has mostly backed Pakistan’s arrangements, even as it calls for enhanced security.

Privately, Beijing has expressed frustration. At one recent meeting, the Chinese side provided evidence that Pakistan had failed to follow security protocols agreed on twice in recent months, three officials said. Such protocols usually feature high standards for the deployment and movement of Chinese officials.

However, earlier this month, China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, while speaking at an event, had expressed frustration over the attacks, stating it was “unacceptable” and urging Islamabad to strengthen security measures for Chinese nationals and crack down on anti-China elements.

In response, Foreign Office Spokes­person Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had called the statement “perplexing” and a stark departure from the longstanding diplomatic norms between the two nations.

Chinese nationals have been in the crosshairs of banned outfits who accuse Beijing and Pakistan of exploiting minerals in Balochistan, where China has a strategic port and mining interests.

Thousands of Pakistani security officers from the army, police and a dedicated force called the Special Protection Unit are posted to guard Chinese nationals.

Only China’s embassy in Islamabad and its consulates are allowed Chinese official security personnel, the Pakistani officials said.

Lahore, Pakistan (AFP) Nov 13, 2024
On the streets of Pakistan's second biggest city, smog stings eyes and burns throats. Inside homes, few people can afford air purifiers to limit the damage of toxic particles that seep through doors and windows. Lahore - a city of 14 million people stuffed with factories on the border with India - regularly ranks among the world's most polluted cities, but it has hit record levels this mon

LAHORE — Pakistan's Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday (Nov 11) to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution. The province has closed educational institutions and public spaces like parks and zoos until Nov. 17 in places including Lahore, the world's most polluted city in terms of air quality, according to Swiss group IQAir's live ratings. The districts of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala have seen an unprecedented rise in patients with respiratory diseases, eye and throat irritation, and pink eye disease, the Punjab government said in an order issued late on Sunday. The new restrictions will also remain in force until Nov. 17. "The spread of conjunctivitis/ pink eye disease due to bacterial or viral infection, smoke, dust or chemical exposure is posing a serious and imminent threat to public health," the Punjab government said.

ISLAMABAD — The International Monetary Fund's Pakistan mission chief Nathan Porter on Tuesday (Nov 12) opened unusual talks with Pakistan over a US$7 billion (S$9.4 billion) bailout approved by its board in September, the finance ministry and sources said. The unscheduled visit of the IMF mission and talks beginning with meeting the country's finance team are too early for first review of the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which is due in the first quarter of 2025. The chiefs of Pakistan's central bank and federal board of revenue also attended the meeting besides other officials from both the sides, the statement said. The ministry and the IMF have not officially released details of the visit. Sources in the finance ministry said the Nov 11-15 visit will discuss recent developments and programme performance to date, adding the mission was not part of the first review. The sources declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak with the media. Pakistan has been struggling with boom-and-bust economic cycles for decades, leading to 23 IMF bailouts since 1958.

ISLAMABAD — A bus carrying 27 passengers fell into the Indus river in northern Pakistan on Nov 12, killing 14 people, according to a statement from the Gilgit Baltistan authorities. Twelve of the remaining passengers are missing, and one passenger has survived the accident with injuries, the statement from the authorities said. The accident occurred due to speeding, and the driver losing control of the vehicle, according to the authorities. According to local broadcaster Geo, the bus was part of a wedding procession headed towards Pakistan's Chakwal district when it fell into the river from Telchi bridge at the limits of Diamer district. Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads in many rural areas are in poor condition. Earlier in August, two bus accidents in north-east and south-west Pakistan killed at least 34 people.

ISLAMABAD — Beijing is pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in the South Asian nation, during talks after a car bombing in Karachi that was seen as a major security breach, sources said. Last month's airport bombing in the southern port city that killed two Chinese engineers returning to work on a project after a holiday in Thailand was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing's interests in Pakistan. The attacks, and Islamabad's failure to deter them, have angered China, which has pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system. Reuters spoke to five Pakistani security and government sources with direct knowledge of the previously unreported negotiations and demands on condition of anonymity, as the talks are sensitive, and reviewed a written proposal sent by Beijing to Islamabad. "They (Chinese) want to bring in their own security," said one official, who sat in on a recent meeting, adding that Pakistan had not so far agreed to such a step.

‘If Mumbai attack suspects arrested in Pakistan are freed, India is at fault'

U.S. feared another LeT attack in India in mid-2009, and sought Pakistan's help to ‘disrupt and prevent' it

This cable contains information which we hope will be useful to you in engaging host governments, media, and the public after the President's address.

‘India does not want to play into the hands of terrorists by shunning dialogue.'

Menon emphasized that India had been tough on Pakistan with regard to accountability, but restrained in its rhetoric and actions.

Benazir Bhutto said she was picking up disturbing intelligence of the existence of religious madrassas and other institutions, including youth training camps which could be spawning terrorism.

Complicating the PPP decision-making are growing indications of a leadership struggle.

Pakistan concern that freedom of expression be balanced with respect for religion as "we are not as advanced as you are" in terms of respect for freedom of religion and could not always control the reactions of sometimes ignorant crowds.

U.S. Mission in New York raised concerns about Pakistan's voting on key issues such as counterterrorism and human rights

Benazir Bhutto's public comments that she would grant the IAEA access to Khan were highly controversial in Pakistan. Zardari's options for delivering on Benazir's promise is limited.

Pakistan's National Defense University's curriculum is designed to foster national pride, but many of its students and instructors have an anti-American bias.

Pending post verification are claims that total $279 million for the March-May 2007 period. The areas of greatest concern to us include costs for helicopter operations ($83 million annually), radar maintenance ($65 million annually) and Joint Staff operations ($5 million annually).

In a September 3 meeting with the Ambassador, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said the GOP had included $2 billion in Tokyo Pledges in its budget but was grappling with a shortfall in actual donor assistance.

Tarin requested that an additional $500 million of U.S. assistance flow through the GOP - in addition to the $174 million already committed - to bolster GOP credibility and allow the GOP to more adequately support its priorities.

Between August 2006 and July 2007, we received a claim for 26 million USD in barbed wire and pickets. While these items are no doubt helpful in protecting outposts, the claim figures are highly suspect.

For the Pakistani military, the F-16 sale is tangible proof of the post-9/11 bilateral relationship, and we seriously doubt they will allow it to fail.

The bottom line is that Pakistan cannot afford the $2 billion required to complete this F-16 program.