Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 (APP): Fourteen members of the European Parliament have written a letter to European Commission’s President Von der Leyen and Vice President Borrell conveying serious concern over the ‘grave and systematic human rights violation of the Kashmiri people.’

The letter signed by 14 members of the European Parliament, said that the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had been subject to “intolerable suppression of their freedom and fundamental rights over the past seven decades”.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 04 (APP): The Indian government has blocked access to the Twitter account of Mushaal Mullick, wife of Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik after she wrote to Indian prime minister seeking her husband’s release.

“My twitter account has been withheld/blocked in India and IIOJK for raising a voice for my oppressed people of Kashmir under Indian Occupation & Jailed Husband Kashmiri Freedom leader Yasin Malik in response to legal demand,” she wrote on Twitter.

In her tweet, she also used hashtag #NoFreedomInIIOJK and #YasinWifeWritesLetter2Modi.

Islamabad, Aug 3 (PTI) Lending its support to its all-weather ally China, Pakistan on Wednesday said US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan will have "serious implications" for regional peace and stability.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 2 (APP): President Dr. Arif Alvi on Tuesday telephoned Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of the high-ranking army officers.

He expressed his deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of the army officers and soldiers in the helicopter crash while on a mission to provide relief to flood victims of Balochistan, a press release issued here by President’s Media Wing said.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 2 (APP): Following the counter-terrorism operation by the United States in Afghanistan, Pakistan on Tuesday said that it stood by countering terrorism in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

“We have seen the official statements by the United States and media reports regarding a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the U.S. in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said in a statement and reiterated that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 30 (NNN-APP) – Pakistani Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, held a telephone conversation with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discussing public health issues, especially the increase of polio cases in Pakistan, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Sharif expressed concern about the increase in the number of confirmed poliovirus cases this year, in Pakistan and stressed that, the government remained committed to eradicating polio cases, the office said in a statement, last night.

ISLAMABAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A soldier and six terrorists were killed in a military operation in Kech district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, the military has said.

The operation was conducted by the security forces in Hoshab area of the district, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement Friday night.

Security forces cordoned the area on a tip-off and started a search operation to apprehend the terrorists, the ISPR said, adding that once surrounded, the terrorists opened fire on the troops.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban on Saturday raised the casualty toll from a hand grenade explosion during a cricket game in the capital of Kabul the previous day, saying two civilians at the stadium died from the blast.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the explosion but the blame is likely to fall on militants from the Islamic State group — the Taliban’s chief rivals since they took over the country a year ago as U.S. and NATO forces pulled out of Afghanistan after 20 years of war.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 29 (NNN-APP) – The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), said that, its foreign exchange reserves have decreased by 754 million U.S. dollars.

During the week ending on Jul 22, the total foreign exchange reserves of the SBP fell to around 8.58 billion dollars, the SBP said in a statement, last night.

The net foreign reserves held by the commercial banks came at 5.84 billion dollars, the central bank said.

The depletion in the reserves over the past few months has significantly impacted the local currency, resulting in its constant depreciation.

ISLAMABAD, July 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 357 people were killed and over 400 were injured as heavy monsoon rains continued to batter Pakistan for more than five weeks, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said Thursday.

Besides human loss, infrastructure, road networks and houses have also been damaged due to the heavy monsoon rains and flash flooding across Pakistan since June 14, official sources from the NDMA told Xinhua.