Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A roadside bomb exploded in northwest Pakistan, killing two soldiers who were traveling in their vehicle, the military said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan gave a higher death toll in Saturday’s attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saying eight soldiers died. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.

Islamabad, Apr 8 (PTI) Pakistan’s judicial imbroglio intensified on Saturday after President Arif Alvi returned to Parliament for reconsideration of a bill aimed at clipping the powers of the chief justice, saying the proposed legislation is beyond the jurisdiction of the legislative body.

Lahore, Apr 8 (PTI) A Pakistani court on Saturday fixed April 12 as the date for the much-awaited hearing on the Toshakhana corruption case against ousted prime minister Imran Khan.

A five-member bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan will hear the plea, according to the Dawn newspaper.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (NNN-APP) – Three people were killed in a clash with police, in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, this morning, the city’s police said in a statement.

“The police stopped three people on two motorbikes during routine patrolling across the city, but rather than stopping they opened fire at the police,” the statement read.

All three suspects were killed in retaliatory fire by the police, who later seized their weapons and motorbikes, according to the statement.

KARACHI, Pakistan, April 8 (Reuters) - Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said he had canceled his trip to Washington for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on the orders of the prime minister due to the political situation in the country.

However, Dar said he would attend important bilateral and multilateral meetings virtually and a Pakistani delegation would be present in Washington.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 7 (NNN-APP) – Pakistan’s top intelligence agency, successfully arrested founder and leader of the terrorist organisation, Baloch National Army (BNA), the military said, today.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said in a statement that, the intelligence agency apprehended the high-value target named, Gulzar Imam alias Shambay, a hardcore militant, involved in activities in the country’s south-west Balochistan province.

ISLAMABAD, April 7 (Reuters) - Pakistan's finance minister has cancelled a visit to Washington for spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, government officials said on Friday, citing domestic political turmoil as the reason.

Minister Ishaq Dar was scheduled to attend the meetings from April 10 and see top IMF officials and multilateral creditors in a bid to secure stalled funding that the South Asian country desperately needs to avert a balance-of-payments crisis.

ISLAMABAD, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan launched a mobile application and helpline on Friday to address the issues related to mental health in marking World Health Day.

"On this day, I am pleased to announce the launch of the government's first dedicated mental health application Humraaz and helpline," Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted.

Citizens' well-being, especially mental health, is of paramount importance for the improvement of society, he said.

"We need to remove the taboo around mental health," said the prime minister.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A women-run radio station in northeastern Afghanistan has resumed its broadcasts, after officials shut it down for a week for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan, a Taliban official and the head of the station said Friday.

Sadai Banowan, which means “women’s voice” in Dari, was launched 10 years ago in Badakhshan province and is Afghanistan’s only women-run radio station. Six of its eight staff members are women.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 6 (NNN-APP) – Eight terrorists and a Pakistani soldier were killed, during an intelligence-based military operation, in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said yesterday that, security forces conducted the operation in the Shinwarsak area of the province’s South Waziristan district.