World News Headlines

Speaking about the upcoming Senate polls, former president Asif Ali Zardari on Friday has said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will form the majority in the Senate after elections are over. "PPP's elected MPs are my strength. I am proud of my party members, the incumbent government has to go," he maintained while addressing the PPP members of Sindh Assembly and Senate nominees. The former president was speaking on the occasion of a dinner party hosted by PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in honour of the party's members of the Sindh Assembly. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani were present on the occasion as well. Provincial ministers, members of Sindh Assembly, and Senate election nominees were also present, sources said. According to sources, PPP MPA Ali Nawaz Mehr, the younger brother of GDA leader Ali Gohar Mehr, also attended the event. Meanwhile, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, Mehmood Chaudhry, and Asif...

The agreement between Pakistan and India to restore peace by strictly observing agreements of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors has been hailed by the UN chief and the White House on Thursday. In separate statements issued after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both the countries contacted on a hotline and agreed to strict implementation of understandings on the ceasefire, the US and UN welcomed the “positive step”, which will provide an opportunity for further dialogue. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the United States welcomes the joint statement between the two nations. “This is a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia, which is in all shared — is in our shared interest. And we encourage both countries to keep building upon this progress,” she added. On the other hand, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the development a “positive step” and hop...

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on Friday reduced Umar Akmal's ban to 12 months, which he has been serving since his suspension on February 20 last year. A press release by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that Akmal had been found guilty of violating Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Ant--Corruption Code and a fine of Rs4.25 million had been imposed on him. The right-handed batsman — who was suspended on February 20, 2020 — "will now be eligible to reintegrate into competitive cricket subject to deposits of fine of PKR4,250,000 and undergoing the program of rehabilitation under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code", said the PCB. The CAS has also turned down Akmal's request to obtain his two mobile phones back which are being held by the PCB for different investigations, adding that as per the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code, the body has the right to do so. On 27 April 2020, the Chairman Disciplinary Panel had found Umar Akmal guilty on two charges of separate br...

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday urged countries he termed "havens" to provide a commitment to "immediately and unconditionally return all foreign assets that are shown to be stolen or whose legitimacy cannot be explained". He also called for the development of international anti-money laundering legal instruments. Addressing the virtually held launching ceremony of the Final Report of the High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Development Agenda as a keynote speaker, the prime minister said that when his government came into power the country's coffers were empty due to "illicit financial outflows from our country". He said the FACTI Panel's interim report had confirmed that trillions of dollars flow out of developing countries each year. "Seven trillion dollars in stolen assets are parked in the financial haven countries," said the premier. He said that t...

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Thursday said that Pakistan remains under "increased monitoring" when it comes to terror financing, therefore, it will remain on the grey list until June 2021. The decision comes after a three-day virtual meeting of the FATF that began on February 22, during which steps taken by Pakistan against terror financing were reviewed. Speaking via a live video link, the FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer said that while FATF recognises Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts, there are still some serious deficiencies that the country needs to address. "Out of the 27 conditions of the action plan, three still need to be addressed," he said. "I recognise Pakistan's efforts, and out of the six tasks that it had to complete, three had been done, but it substantially needs to work on the remaining three in terms of terror financing." Pleyer stressed that Pakistan must continue to work on the items that it has committed t...

In his review petition of case decided by the Supreme Judicial Council following a presidential reference earlier wherein the bench had mandated the tax body to launch private investigation into family’s trail, Justice Qazi Faez Isa has Thursday appealed to the larger bench set to hear the petition from March 1 that proceedings be broadcast on national television. The complainant Justice Qazi Faez Isa said that even before his presidential reference could make it to the bench, it was made public so to garner prejudice and malice against him and his family. A supreme court judge cannot hold a press conference to counteract the media trial being run against him, said Justice Isa as he requested the newly constituted 10-judge larger bench that shall begin to hear the review appeal, to allow the live broadcast of the case proceedings on national television. The respondents in my review petition hold sway in the media, the Justice said, indicating that if live proceedings are not shown...

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to file an appeal against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order pertaining to re-polling at all polling stations in NA-75 Daska constituency. PTI leader and former SAPM Usman Dar called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here in Islamabad and discussed ECP’s fresh ruling over Daska by-election. During the meeting, PM Imran Khan ordered Dar to challenge ECP’s Daska re-polling verdict. According to sources, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Ali Asjad Malhi will file an appeal in Supreme Court against the ECP’s re-polling order in the NA-75 Daska constituency. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today ordered re-polling at all polling stations of NA-75 Sialkot-Daska over rigging. The Election Commission of Pakistan after hearing arguments from PTI, PML-N and RO had reserved the judgment. Riots were reported during the polling day and the masses were not provided the right to vote in a true manner. Terming the p...