Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday called for the political solution to the Afghan issue and the two sides agreed that "present conditions in Afghanistan were conducive to intensifying efforts for a political settlement," according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry here.

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) candidate Arif Alvi has won the presidential election of the country on Tuesday, according to official TV channel PTV News and initial reports of vote counting.

Three candidates competed for the slot of the 13th president of the country for the next five-year term.

Alvi also announced his victory after viewing the initial result at the parliament.

Islamabad, Sep 3; PTI: The USD 300 million that the Pentagon has decided to scrap is not a military aid to Pakistan, but what it owns to Islamabad for its support in the war against terrorism and should reimburse it, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has asserted, sparking fresh bilateral tensions ahead of a key visit.

The Pentagon on Saturday announced that it will cancel USD 300 million aid to Pakistan over its failure to take actions against terror groups. Qureshi said the matter will be taken up during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the country on September 5.

Islamabad, Sep 2 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has roped in some renowned foreign economists in the newly-constituted economic advisory panel to provide the best possible professional advice to his cash-strapped government on prudent economic policies, media reported on Sunday.

The immediate challenge for the Khan-led government is to arrange finances to fill about a USD 10 billion gap that is arising due to higher outflows than estimated inflows.

Islamabad, Aug 31 (AP) Thousands of Pakistan's hard-line Islamists have called off their rally after reaching near Islamabad following the cancellation of a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest by a Dutch anti-Muslim lawmaker.

The far-right opposition politician Geert Wilders said yesterday he cancelled the cartoon contest following death threats and concerns other people could be put at risk.

The decision prompted Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a firebrand Pakistani cleric, to end his march today. It began on Wednesday from the eastern city of Lahore.

Islamabad, Aug 28 (PTI) Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif today again appeared before an anti-corruption court in the remaining two graft cases against him and his family, a media report said.

The 68-year-old PML-N leader appeared before the court as accountability court II Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik resumed hearing of Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment cases, Geo news reported.

Sharif's counsel Khawaja Harris cross-questioned Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head and prosecution's witness Wajid Zia, the report said.

Islamabad, Aug 27; PTI: India and Pakistan will resume their talks on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore on Wednesday, the first bilateral engagement since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office.

India's Indus Water Commissioner P K Saxena is expected to reach here today to begin the two-day discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Syed Mehr Ali Shah on Wednesday, Dawn quoted a government official as saying.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP):Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Mian Kashif Ashfaq welcoming Prime Minister Imran Khan’s pledged of cut spending, sweeping reforms and austerity measures hoped that the PTI incumbent government will take effective steps on all fronts and multi-pronged economic vision to enhance volume of export besides creating business friendly environment for foreign investment.

by Misbah Saba Malik

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The development of Gwadar port will directly benefit Balochistan province and the whole Pakistan under the bilateral China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Dostain Khan Jamaldini told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Islamabad, Aug 25; PTI: Pakistan wants to improve ties with India and resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir through talks, and is not shy of engaging with New Delhi despite the current impasse in relations, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said.

"But it takes two to tango. You cannot clap with just one hand. We have a positive stance and will remain hopeful," said Qureshi, who was sworn-in as Pakistan's Foreign Minister on Monday.