The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Thursday that it had decided to cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points (bps) to 17.5 per cent from 19.5pc amid demands for a major rate cut. “The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to reduce the policy rate by 200 bps to 17.5 per cent in its meeting today,” a statement released by the SBP read, adding that it took into “account various factors impacting the inflation outlook”. According to the statement, the MPC “assessed the real interest rate to still be adequately positive to bring inflation down to the medium-term target”…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
QUETTA: On Wednesday, the Kharotabad police station was struck by a grenade during a violent protest demanding the handover of a blasphemy suspect. The suspect was arrested by police following a complaint that led to blasphemy charges. The protest, led by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and other religious groups, involved blocking traffic on the western bypass with burning tyres and staging rallies throughout Quetta. The demonstrators later threw a hand grenade at the Kharotabad police station; however, it detonated outside the building, causing no casualties. A senior police officer confirmed that an FIR was registered against the suspect, who allegedly used…
ISLAMABAD: In response to recent events involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, Islamabad police have established a five-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe a terrorism case registered against PTI members following a September 8 public gathering. The investigation comes in the wake of the police rounding up several PTI leaders, including chief Gohar Ali Khan, after the rally. Notably, plainclothes officers allegedly breached Parliament House to detain PTI members seeking refuge there. This incident prompted the National Assembly Secretariat to direct the interior ministry to investigate the arrest of MNAs from Parliament, which was deemed a violation of parliamentary…
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights raised serious concerns on Wednesday over the alarming rise in crimes against women and children in Sindh, particularly noting a zero percent conviction rate for such offenses. During a meeting at Parliament House, Committee Chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri expressed frustration over the absence of the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP), who was expected to address the committee on the critical issues surrounding domestic violence, rape, and other related crimes in the province. Senator Zehri emphasized that the IGP’s absence constituted a serious breach of protocol, as his presence was crucial…
AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR: The leadership of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) vehemently criticized Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent comments inviting AJK residents to join India. AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq dismissed Singh’s remarks as “ridiculous rhetoric” and called on Indian leaders to allow the people of the disputed region to determine their future independently. Singh had made the controversial statement at an election rally in Ramban, suggesting that AJK residents should join India, asserting that they are considered “our own” in India, unlike in Pakistan where they are regarded as “foreigners.” His comments followed a statement by…
QUETTA: On Wednesday, the irrigation ministers of Balochistan and Sindh jointly opposed proposed federal amendments to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act, arguing that such changes would breach the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The proposed amendments, which have not yet been introduced in parliament, have caused friction between the PML-N and PPP—two key allies—reigniting tensions since the February 8 general elections. Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik assured PPP lawmakers on Tuesday that the government would not advance any legislation unfavorable to a province. At a press conference following an inter-provincial meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, Balochistan…
BAJAUR / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: On Wednesday, six individuals, including three security personnel, a polio worker, and two laborers, were killed and twelve others injured in separate incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur and South Waziristan districts. In Bajaur’s Salarzai tehsil, a police officer and a polio worker were shot dead by unknown assailants targeting a vaccination team. Later in Mamund tehsil, a security official was killed in a roadside blast. In Lower South Waziristan’s Angoor Adda area, gunfire resulted in the deaths of a paramilitary soldier and two laborers. The attack on the polio team occurred around midday in the mountainous…
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, over 100 police personnel responsible for securing polio vaccination teams went on strike on Thursday following a series of deadly militant attacks this week. These officers, who regularly protect vaccination workers conducting door-to-door campaigns, have become frequent targets of militants engaged in conflicts with security forces. The region has witnessed numerous fatalities among police and polio workers over the past decade. Recent violence includes the deaths of at least two police officers and one polio worker since the latest vaccination drive commenced on Monday. On Thursday, one officer was killed while escorting a vaccination team.…
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday requested legal expertise to determine whether it should continue overseeing the accounts established under its 2018 directive for funding the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams. A four-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, decided to issue notices to former attorney generals Khalid Jawed Khan and Anwar Mansoor, as well as amicus curiae Makhdoom Ali Khan, to provide their insights on the matter. The bench reviewed an application from the federal government and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) asking for the transfer of funds from the Diamer-Bhasha…
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday requested clarity from the federal government regarding the potential for a military trial of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection with the May 9 cases. Imran Khan had previously claimed that there were plans to prosecute him in a military court over the nationwide protests that followed his arrest last year in a graft case. Imran also alleged that former intelligence chief Gen (retired) Faiz Hameed was being pressured to testify against him to facilitate a military trial. Conflicting statements from federal and Punjab government officials have created uncertainty about whether such…
