Islamabad

Islamabad, Mar 5 (PTI) The global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF has retained Pakistan on its terrorism financing grey list and asked Islamabad to address at the earliest the remaining deficiencies in its financial system, according to a media report on Saturday.

Pakistan has been on the grey list of the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) since June 2018 for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing, and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019.

Moscow/Islamabad, Feb 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia on February 23-24, the official Russian media has reported, signalling the first visit by a Pakistani premier to Moscow in 23 years.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that preparations for the visit of the Prime Minister Khan were underway, the state-run TASS news agency reported on Sunday.

"The visit will take place on February 23-24," it quoted a source in diplomatic circles as saying. Khan's visit has not been officially announced by Pakistan and Russia.

Islamabad, Feb 10 (PTI) Pakistan has summoned India's Charge d'Affaires here to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conveyed the government's grave concern on the ban on Muslim girl students from wearing hijab in Karnataka.

The Foreign Office said in a statement late on Wednesday that the Indian diplomat was conveyed Pakistan's deep concern over alleged religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatisation and discrimination against Muslims in India.

09 Feb 2022; MEMO: A Joint Mechanised Training exercise between the Pakistan Army and Royal Saudi Land Forces began Tuesday in north-east Pakistan, according to the Pakistani military, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The opening ceremony of the two-month training, which aims to "enhance and strengthen" the existing military cooperation between the two forces was held in Multan, it said in a statement.

Washington, Feb 3 (PTI) A top Indian diaspora group has urged US President Joe Biden to reject the appointment of Masood Khan as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, alleging that the diplomat is a sympathiser and supporter of terrorist groups.

The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), in a statement on Wednesday, urged Biden to reject the appointment of the Jihadi-terrorist-sympathiser Masood Khan as Pakistani ambassador to the United States.

Islamabad, Feb 3 (PTI) The International Monetary Fund has approved the completion of the sixth review of its stalled USD 6 billion programme for Pakistan, paving the way for an immediate disbursement of about USD 1 billion loan tranche for the cash-strapped country.

The IMF's Executive Board held a meeting in Washington DC on Wednesday to consider Pakistan's request for completion of the sixth review and release of a USD 1 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

24 Jan 2022; MEMO: Pakistani police have asked Iranian authorities to help arrest three Pakistani citizens suspected of killing a Saudi diplomat in Karachi in 2011. The suspects are thought to be hiding in Iran.

Hassan Al-Qahtani, an employee of the Saudi consulate in Karachi, was killed in 2011 when gunmen opened fire on his car in the city's Defence Housing Authority neighbourhood.

Islamabad, Jan 22 (PTI) In a move aimed at placating its all-weather ally China, Pakistan in a "goodwill gesture" will pay USD 11.6 million in compensation to the 36 Chinese nationals working on a major hydropower project who either died or were injured in a terrorist attack in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province last year.

Islamabad, Jan 13 (PTI) Pakistan's National Assembly Thursday passed the controversial Finance (Supplementary) Bill, also called the "mini-budget" despite stiff resistance by the opposition parties.

The bill aimed to raise more taxes and duties and to empower the central bank were tabled on December 30 by the government to fulfill a key condition by the International Monetary Fund to approve USD 1 billion under the USD 6 billion Extended Fund Facility.

06 Jan 2022; MEMO: The first train carrying goods from Pakistan to Turkey arrived in Istanbul yesterday, completing the first such journey in a decade.

The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) cargo train – made up of eight wagons with a capacity of 22 tonnes – started its journey from Islamabad on 21 December and travelled 5,981 kilometres. It is hoped the new link will boost trade between the three countries.