ISLAMABAD, Oct 17 (ABC): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said the by-election’s results had shattered the narrative of a “foreign funded Fitna” (Imran Khan) who bent upon maligning the state institutions by hurling accusations, abuse and threats. She, in a news statement, questioned the rationale behind the narrative pursued by Imran Khan against state institutions after …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 17(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has summoned meeting of party’s senior leadership to discuss future plan of action. According to sources privy with the development, the meeting will review results of Sunday’s by-elections held and will also deliberate on final date for the party’s long march towards federal capital. The meeting will also review performance of …

JACOBABAD, Oct 17(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Jacobabad for a day-long visit to Balochistan on Monday. According to details, the PM made an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Sindh during the flight, while the officers of the district administration gave a briefing regarding the assistance to the flood victims. In his visit to Sohbatpur district, …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 17(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan has filed a bail plea Monday in the prohibited funding case being heard in a special court. The PTI chief’s lawyers have drawn up the bail plea in which they have urged the court to stop the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Khan. The former prime minister has also decided to appear personally for the …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 17(ABC): The Finance Ministry on Saturday increased the petroleum levy (PL) on petrol after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised concerns over the reduction in the POL prices for the previous fortnight, reported Monday. Eyebrows were raised when Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced to slash the prices of petrol and other petroleum products. Dar’s predecessor Miftah Ismail had termed the move “reckless”, …

WASHINGTON, Oct 17(ABC): Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Sunday night hoped that Pakistan will be out of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list as the watchdog is expected to announce its decision after making an onsite visit earlier last month. In June, Pakistan completed FATF’s action plans but the watchdog still kept the nation on the grey list as the removal …

RAWALPINDI, Oct 17(ABC): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan on Monday appeared before the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench in a case filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of Punjab. Apart from the minister, the director general of ACE Punjab was also been summoned by the LHC. Last week, the Rawalpindi bench of LHC suspended a non-bailable warrant to arrest Rana Sanaullah Khan. The …

RAWALPINDI, Oct 17(ABC):  Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday challenged the notice to vacate land and rooms adjacent to his Lal Haveli residence located in Rawalpindi. The AML chief approached the court of Additional Sessions Judge Khursheed Alam Bhatti today which issued a notice to the director of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to appear …

Oct 17(ABC): In a setback to the ruling coalition parties, PTI Chairman Imran Khan — who was contesting from seven constituencies — Sunday won the by-elections in six of eight National Assembly seats up for grabs across Pakistan, as per unofficial results. The PTI chief won the seats in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Faisalabad, and Nankana Sahib after beating the ruling …

LAHORE, Oct 17(ABC): PPP’s candidate won the National Assembly seat in Punjab, ending its four-year seat drought as the party had failed to win any NA seat from the province. PPP had only won two NA seats from Punjab in the last 10 years. Candidate Syed Ali Musa Gillani — who is the son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani …

QUETTA, Oct 16(ABC): Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Sunday killed five terrorists of a proscribed outfit after a heavy gun battle in the Mastung district of Balochistan. The action against the terrorists was conducted by the counter-terrorism department (CTD) and sensitive agencies. The security agencies conducted a raid in the Splinji area of Mastung district after which a heavy exchange …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said Sunday that his party’s chairman Imran Khan would not return to the National Assembly after winning the latest by-elections — where he is expected to win several seats. In conversation with journalists as the election results were pouring in, Umar said: “Today’s election was a referendum. Imran Khan will not return to …

PESHAWAR, Oct 16(ABC): ANP’s candidate from NA-31 Peshawar-V Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour Sunday refused to accept the by-election result, as he accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of “massive rigging”. PTI Chairman Imran Khan won the NA-31 Peshawar-V seat by a margin of more than 25,000 votes after beating Bilour, as per the unofficial and unconfirmed results. Khan bagged 57,824 to …

Oct 16(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and ex-PM Imran Khan has won six of seven seats he was contesting in the by-polls held in 11 constituencies across the country. The former premier has broken his own record of victory on five seats which was the most by a single candidate in any election. These 11 seats included eight seats of …

Oct 16(ABC): Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated on Sunday that the government was willing to negotiate everything with the opposition provided they are unconditional negotiations, as he warned ‘armed groups’ going around constituencies will not be allowed to influence elections. The federal government is making arrangements in Islamabad to deal with the expected PTI long march with hundreds of …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday termed the statements of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders as ‘baseless’. ECP issued a statement and said, “The statements of Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Farrukh Habib, Omar Ayub and other PTI leaders are baseless. ECP is committed to conducting transparent elections and has been …

LAHORE, Oct 16(ABC): The counting of votes is underway after polling ended for the by-elections on eight seats of the National Assembly across the country and three seats in the Punjab Assembly. By-elections were held in 3 provinces, 3 seats in the National Assembly and 3 seats in the Provincial Assembly are vacant in Punjab, while elections will be held …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (ABC): Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira on Sunday said that Imran Khan has made this whole by-election a mockery. For him, this election has no meaning as he was contesting just to ridicule the electoral process, he added. The result of by-election will not have any impact on the …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday called for taking collective steps to ensure food security in the world. In tweets on social media platform Twitter on the occasion of World Food Day, he said the recent devastating floods in Pakistan had destroyed standing crops on millions of acres. He said an agricultural country like Pakistan had to …

LAHORE, Oct 16 (ABC): Special Assistant to Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was master of U-turns, and he had always preferred his personal interests over the country’s interests. Addressing a press conference at Model Town, along with other party leaders here, he claimed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and its allies would …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (ABC): Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Sunday extended his best wishes to the Communist Party of China (CPC) on its 20th National Congress. In a message, Bilawal Bhutto said throughout its history, the Chinese Communist Party had made enormous contributions to progress and prosperity of the Chinese nation and for global peace. “Leaders like Chairman …

FAISALABAD, Oct 16(ABC): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Sunday said that the government would be “10 times stricter” as compared to the policy adopted by the administration during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march to Islamabad in May as no one can be allowed to bring a new government through mobs. The statement comes a day after former prime minister Imran Khan, …

LAHORE, Oct 16(ABC): Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) supremo Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday said that the country’s nuclear weapons are well protected by the Pakistan Army. The PML-Q supremo lashed out at US President Joe Biden by terming his [Biden’s] statement in this regard as ‘baseless’. The former prime minister [Chaudhry Shujaat] said, “Before the 2008 general elections, the current …

RAWALPINDI, Oct 16(ABC): Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed was Sunday directed to evacuate Lal Haveli, which is located in Rawalpindi and the political hub for the former interior minister. The eviction notices are served to the AML chief and his brother Sheikh Siddique by Evacuee Trust Property Board. Deputy Administrator of the board Asif Khan warned that the …

LAHORE, Oct 16(ABC): Clashes erupted between different party workers and also police outside the polling stations on Sunday. Polling for by-elections on eight National Assembly and three Punjab Assembly seats is underway and will continue till 5:00pm without any interval. In the polling station of the Municipal Girls Intercollege in Peshawar, there was a bitter exchange between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday urged people to exercise their right to vote during by-election that are being held in eight National Assembly and three Punjab Assembly seats. PM Shehbaz, in a tweet, said that this is a legal and constitutional process and only masses have the right to elect their representatives. The premier asked the …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday urged the people to stamp out the drama, fraud and lie of Haqeeqi Azadi by voting against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its chairman Imran Khan in the by-polls. She, in a tweet, said the by-election was a referendum against the cabal of plotters. The minister said the public …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday urged the public to come out and vote in the constituencies where by-elections are being held. The former PM in his latest tweet termed the by-elections on eight national assembly and three Punjab assembly seat as referendum for ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ from the cabal of crooks. …

FAISALABAD, Oct 16(ABC): The Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) has issued a notice to Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan for violating the election code of conduct. District Monitoring Officer Faisalabad Syed Basit Ali issued a notice to Federal Minister Rana Sanaullah for violating the code of conduct in the by-polls. The notice has been issued on the participation of PML-N …

WASHINGTON, Oct 16(ABC):  A day after US President Joe Biden’s statement on nuclear weapons of the country, State Department spokesperson said that Washington was confident of Pakistan’s determination to protect its nuclear arsenal. “The US is confident in Pakistan’s determination to protect nuclear assets,” a State Department spokesperson told. He also shared that President Biden believes a safe, prosperous Pakistan is critical …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): A local court in Islamabad on Sunday further extended the physical remand of PTI leader Azam Khan Swati for a day in the “controversial tweets” case registered against him. Swati was taken into custody by the FIA’s Cybercrime Wing (CCW) from his home in Islamabad on October 13, after which he was presented before senior civil judge …

KARACHI, Oct 16(ABC): The Sindh government has again requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reschedule the local government elections slated to take place in Karachi on October 23, citing lack of security personnel as a reason. The LG polls have been deferred and rescheduled multiple times. In a letter sent to the ECP, the government has sought deferral of the LG …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s narrative on the conspiracy has fizzled out in thin air with US President Joe Biden’s statement on Pakistan. United States President Joe Biden referred to Pakistan as “one of the most dangerous countries” and alleged that Islamabad’s nuclear programme lacks cohesion. “Did anybody think we would be in …

Oct 16(ABC): Pakistan braces itself for intense political activity as the polling for the crucial by-elections has begun, with scores of candidates contesting for the eight National Assembly, and three Punjab Assembly seats up for grabs across the country today (Sunday). The constituencies where polling is taking place are: NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib …

Oct 16(ABC): A growing number of seizures of guns made at home from 3D-printed parts are raising alarm bells for European police over an emerging threat. For now, interest among far-right activists may be limited, say analysts – and fears of a society awash with print-it-yourself weapons remain far-fetched. But homemade guns have become more widespread since 2013, when a …

Oct 16(ABC): Elon Musk has a penchant for the letter “X.” He calls his son with the singer Grimes, whose actual name is a collection of letters and symbols, “X.” He named the company he created to buy Twitter “X Holdings.” His rocket company is, naturally, SpaceX. Now he also apparently intends to morph Twitter into an “everything app” he …

Oct 15(ABC): Pakistan will be brimming with intense political activity today (Sunday) as scores of candidates are going to lock horns for eight National Assembly seats in the by-elections for which electioneering has now closed. Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan is fighting for seven of eight seats up for grabs in the key by-election, a vote he …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC):Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has urged the international development partners and the global community to stand by Pakistan in its efforts to deal with the post-flood reconstruction, particularly in terms of tackling the food challenges. “The situation is no doubt very challenging. However, Pakistan is fully committed to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals aimed at …

Oct 15(ABC): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday visited front-line troops at Nauseri Sector along the Line of Control (LoC), the military said in a statement. According to military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief was briefed on latest operational situation along the LoC and the operational readiness of the formation. …

WASHINGTON, Oct 15(ABC): Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday announced that there would be no change in the prices of petroleum products for the next fortnight. In a video message from Washington, where he is participating in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings, Dar said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s fuel price summary was received by …