After Pakistan's oldest newspaper Dawn published an interview with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nawaz-sharif-admits-pak-militant-groups-role-in-mumbai-terror-attacks--136372">former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif </a>claiming Pakistan military's role behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the country has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/nawaz-sharif-interview-pakistan-military-cracks-down-on-dawn-137946">disrupted the distribution of newspapers in various parts</a>.

International media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the disruption of the distribution of one of the leading English newspapers in Pakistan.

In a statement released, the RSF said "The interview, which reportedly displeased the Pakistani military, appeared in the 12 May issue and the blocking began on 15 May. According to RSF's information, distribution is being disrupted in most of Balochistan province, in many cities in Sindh province and in all military cantonments".

The watchdog further said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nawaz-sharifs-2611-remark-pak-press-council-issues-notice-to-dawn-circulation-hit-137813">Press Council of Pakistan had notified DAWN's editor</a> that the newspaper breached the ethical code by publishing content that "may bring into contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its sovereignty or integrity as an independent country".

"The unwarranted blocking of the distribution of one of the main independent newspapers has yet again shown that the military are determined to maintain their grip on access to news and information in Pakistan," RSF said.

"It is clear that the military high command does not want to allow a democratic debate in the months preceding a general election. We call on the authorities to stop interfering in the dissemination of independent media and to restore distribution of Dawn".

In an interview to a Pakistani media Dawn,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-sc-disqualifies-nawaz-sharif-from-holding-office-for-life-130297">ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif&nbsp;</a>has admitted to Pakistan's role in the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai. He blamed the militant organisation in Pakistan for sending terrorists in India and killing 160 people in the Mumbai terror attacks. He also questioned "why the trials were not being completed in Pakistan".

(With inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

After Pakistan's oldest newspaper Dawn published an interview with former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif claiming Pakistan military's role behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the country has disrupted the distribution of newspapers in various parts

After Pakistan's oldest newspaper Dawn published an interview with former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif claiming Pakistan military's role behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the country has disrupted the distribution of newspapers in various parts. International media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the disruption of the distribution of one of the leading English newspapers in Pakistan. In a statement released, the RSF said "The interview, which reportedly displeased the Pakistani military, appeared in the 12 May issue and the blocking began on 15 May. According to RSF's information, distribution is being disrupted in most of Balochistan province, in many cities in Sindh province and in all military cantonments". The watchdog further said that the Press Council of Pakistan had notified DAWN's editor that the newspaper breached the ethical code by publishing content that "may bring into contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its sovereignty or integrity as an independent country". "The unwarranted blocking of the distribution of one of the main independent newspapers has yet again shown that the military are determined to maintain their grip on access to news and information in Pakistan," RSF said. "It is clear that the military high command does not want to allow a democratic debate in the months preceding a general election. We call on the authorities to stop interfering in the dissemination of independent media and to restore distribution of Dawn". In an interview to a Pakistani media Dawn, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif has admitted to Pakistan's role in the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai. He blamed the militant organisation in Pakistan for sending terrorists in India and killing 160 people in the Mumbai terror attacks. He also questioned "why the trials were not being completed in Pakistan". (With inputs from AFP)

Reporters Without Borders condemns Pakistan crackdown on Dawn newspaper after Sharif interview

Four unidentified bodies, stowed into bags, have been found entangled in the gates of Sukkur Barrage in Pakistan's Sindh province.

The authorities found the bags with the bodies, including that of a woman, entangled in the gates of the dam on Saturday night.

Rescue officials said that all four bodies of three men and a woman bore marks of torture.

The bodies, which were tangled in Sukkur Barrage's gates 31, 51, 54, and 59, were subsequently moved to Rohri Hospital for post-mortem.

"Apparently the bodies in the bags were thrown in the Indus River and could have floated and got entangled in the dam's gates," a rescue official of the Edhi centre said.

'Apparently the bodies in the bags were thrown in the Indus River and could have floated and got entangled in the dam's gates,' a rescue official of the Edhi centre said

Four unidentified bodies, stowed into bags, have been found entangled in the gates of Sukkur Barrage in Pakistan's Sindh province. The authorities found the bags with the bodies, including that of a woman, entangled in the gates of the dam on Saturday night. Rescue officials said that all four bodies of three men and a woman bore marks of torture. The bodies, which were tangled in Sukkur Barrage's gates 31, 51, 54, and 59, were subsequently moved to Rohri Hospital for post-mortem. "Apparently the bodies in the bags were thrown in the Indus River and could have floated and got entangled in the dam's gates," a rescue official of the Edhi centre said.

4 bodies found stuffed in bags in Pakistan's Sindh

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday recommended that the 2018 general elections be held between July 25 and July 27.

The commission outlined details of the proposed poll dates in a summary forwarded to President Mamnoon Hussain.

The ECP requested the president to settle on a date between July 25 and July 27 under Section 57(1) of the Elections Action Act 2017.

As the current government is expected to conclude its five-year term on May 31, a caretaker government will take over for the general elections.

On account of completion of the term of assemblies, as per law, the elections are to be held within 60 days, whereas otherwise, this exercise has to be held within 90 days.

The ECP proposes possible date(s) to the president, who finally decides on which the elections are to be conducted.

Election Commission of Pakistan says it has finalised security plan for 2018 elections.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday recommended that the 2018 general elections be held between July 25 and July 27. The commission outlined details of the proposed poll dates in a summary forwarded to President Mamnoon Hussain. The ECP requested the president to settle on a date between July 25 and July 27 under Section 57(1) of the Elections Action Act 2017. As the current government is expected to conclude its five-year term on May 31, a caretaker government will take over for the general elections. On account of completion of the term of assemblies, as per law, the elections are to be held within 60 days, whereas otherwise, this exercise has to be held within 90 days. The ECP proposes possible date(s) to the president, who finally decides on which the elections are to be conducted.

Pakistan elections likely to be held July 25-27

Former Pakistani Army officer Lieutenant General (Retd.) Shahid Aziz has been reportedly killed in Afghanistan some time back.

Several media reports stated that his dead body has been recovered from Pak-Afghan border.

However, his son, Major (Retd.) Zeeshain calling the news of his father as false, told a local news channel that Lieutenant General Retd. Shahid Aziz is in Africa for tableegh, and he is in contact with the family.

Lt General (r) Aziz has also served as the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman. He served in Pakistan army for 37 years and retired in 2005.

While being in the army, he remained as the DGMO, the chief of general staff and Lahore corps commander.

In another news, former president Pervez Musharraf had maintained in a statement lately that Shahid Aziz had grown a beard and gone to Syria where he had been killed.

On that note, Former Chief of the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Amrullah Saleh, reacted at the alleged killing of the former top Pakistani General in Afghanistan.

"Pak Army (retd) Gen. Aziz killed in Afg while mentoring terrorists to target @ResoluteSupport & ANDSF. He was a terrorist in uniform who led Talbn frm rear in 90s & one of d mastermind of SSG deployment in Knduz in July 2001 later evacuated in Evil Flights deal after 9/11," Saleh wrote on Twitter.

Lt General (r) Shahid Aziz had taken admission in Islamic Studies department of a university and had penned down a book titled "Yeh Khamoshi Kahan Tak" in which he is said to have disclosed staggering specifics about certain issues including the 1999 Kargil War.

The general's son however has refuted the reports, saying Lieutenant General (retd) Shahid Aziz is in Africa and in contact with the family

Former Pakistani Army officer Lieutenant General (Retd.) Shahid Aziz has been reportedly killed in Afghanistan some time back. Several media reports stated that his dead body has been recovered from Pak-Afghan border. However, his son, Major (Retd.) Zeeshain calling the news of his father as false, told a local news channel that Lieutenant General Retd. Shahid Aziz is in Africa for tableegh, and he is in contact with the family. Lt General (r) Aziz has also served as the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman. He served in Pakistan army for 37 years and retired in 2005. While being in the army, he remained as the DGMO, the chief of general staff and Lahore corps commander. In another news, former president Pervez Musharraf had maintained in a statement lately that Shahid Aziz had grown a beard and gone to Syria where he had been killed. On that note, Former Chief of the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Amrullah Saleh, reacted at the alleged killing of the former top Pakistani General in Afghanistan. "Pak Army (retd) Gen. Aziz killed in Afg while mentoring terrorists to target @ResoluteSupport & ANDSF. He was a terrorist in uniform who led Talbn frm rear in 90s & one of d mastermind of SSG deployment in Knduz in July 2001 later evacuated in Evil Flights deal after 9/11," Saleh wrote on Twitter. Lt General (r) Shahid Aziz had taken admission in Islamic Studies department of a university and had penned down a book titled "Yeh Khamoshi Kahan Tak" in which he is said to have disclosed staggering specifics about certain issues including the 1999 Kargil War.

Ex-Pakistani general killed in Afghanistan: Reports

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday launched a stinging attack on Pakistan for unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms fire along the international border even during the holy month of Ramzan, a day after the Pakistani Rangers called and 'pleaded' to stop firing.

He said that this was the most 'napaak' activity that Pakistan could indulge in during the holy month.&nbsp;

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office said that by firing from across the border Pakistan had proved to the world that it had no faith in Ramzan, Islam and Holy Quran.&nbsp;

The unprovoked mortar shelling started in the morning, with Pakistani Rangers firing 80 my and 120 my mortars on civilian areas. In view of the firing, there was panic in the area with people staying indoors.

Significantly, on Sunday, a security forces spokesperson said: “Rangers had called up Jammu BSF formation and beseeched to stop firing.” He added that “for last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pak firing locations inflicted heavy loss to them”.

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Those who are indulging in firing from across the border have proved to the entire world that they have the least of faith in Ramzan, Islam & Holy Quran. This is the country which calls itself Pakistan & is indulging in most ‘Napaak’ activity during Ramzan: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh <a href="https://t.co/9XqCoiOJQ0">pic.twitter.com/9XqCoiOJQ0</a>
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The ceasefire violations and attempts to infiltrate the International Border by Pakistan have significantly increased in the fasting month of Ramzan.

Last week, Pakistan Rangers heavily shelled villages and Border out Posts in Jammu, killing two BSF jawans and four civilians, while injuring 12 others.&nbsp;

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office said that by firing from across the border Pakistan had proved to the world that it had no faith in Ramzan, Islam and Holy Quran.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday launched a stinging attack on Pakistan for unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms fire along the international border even during the holy month of Ramzan, a day after the Pakistani Rangers called and 'pleaded' to stop firing. He said that this was the most 'napaak' activity that Pakistan could indulge in during the holy month. The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office said that by firing from across the border Pakistan had proved to the world that it had no faith in Ramzan, Islam and Holy Quran. The unprovoked mortar shelling started in the morning, with Pakistani Rangers firing 80 my and 120 my mortars on civilian areas. In view of the firing, there was panic in the area with people staying indoors. Significantly, on Sunday, a security forces spokesperson said: “Rangers had called up Jammu BSF formation and beseeched to stop firing.” He added that “for last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pak firing locations inflicted heavy loss to them”. Those who are indulging in firing from across the border have proved to the entire world that they have the least of faith in Ramzan, Islam & Holy Quran. This is the country which calls itself Pakistan & is indulging in most ‘Napaak’ activity during Ramzan: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh pic.twitter.com/9XqCoiOJQ0 — ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2018 × The ceasefire violations and attempts to infiltrate the International Border by Pakistan have significantly increased in the fasting month of Ramzan. Last week, Pakistan Rangers heavily shelled villages and Border out Posts in Jammu, killing two BSF jawans and four civilians, while injuring 12 others.

They have least faith in Ramzan & Holy Quran: Jitendra Singh on ceasefire violation by Pakistan

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Pakistan has seized vast amount of weapons and ammunition during a raid in Quetta.&nbsp;

The raid that was carried out along with the law enforcement agencies has recovered huge stock of explosives, weapons, suicide jackets.

The raid was conducted after the authorities received inputs from arrested terrorists.

The security forces had also evaded a major terrorist attack in Quetta recently by killing five suicide bombers who were aiming to enter&nbsp;into a Frontier Corps on an explosive-laden vehicle.

The raid that was carried out along with the law enforcement agencies has recovered huge stock of explosives, weapons, suicide jackets

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Pakistan has seized vast amount of weapons and ammunition during a raid in Quetta. The raid that was carried out along with the law enforcement agencies has recovered huge stock of explosives, weapons, suicide jackets. The raid was conducted after the authorities received inputs from arrested terrorists. The security forces had also evaded a major terrorist attack in Quetta recently by killing five suicide bombers who were aiming to enter into a Frontier Corps on an explosive-laden vehicle.

Large stock of weapons, ammunition seized in Quetta

Pakistan's top civil and military leaders have decided to give greater administrative and financial authority to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the region through which the controversial $ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes.

During a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) - the top civil and military body - Sartaj Aziz, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan, on Saturday briefed the Committee on the PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan reform proposals, an official statement said.

The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reviewed these proposals and after detailed deliberations a consensus was reached on the "devolution of greater administrative authority and financial powers" to the PoK government and the Gilgit-Baltistan government, according to the statement.

The details of administrative and financial reform have not been shared so far.

However, there was also consensus over retention of the PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan Councils as advisory bodies and the grant of a five-year tax holiday to Gilgit-Baltistan so as to create adequate incentives for the development of the region and bring it at par with the other areas of Pakistan.

Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate geographical entity by Pakistan. Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh are four provinces of Pakistan.

India has termed as "entirely unacceptable" any possible attempt by Pakistan to declare the Gilgit-Baltistan region, bordering the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as the fifth province. India has protested to China over the CPEC which goes through Gilgit-Baltistan region.

It is believed that China's concerns about the unsettled status of Gilgit-Baltistan prompted Pakistan to change its status.

Earlier media reports had said that Pakistan plans to elevate the constitutional status of the region to provide legal cover to the CPEC.

The NSC also endorsed that FATA shall be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the introduction of the administrative and judicial institutional structures and laws of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the statement said.

The Committee directed the concerned ministries to work out the constitutional, legal and administrative modalities for the merger in consultation with all parties in the Parliament.

The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Defence & Foreign Affairs Khurram Dastgir Khan, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval and Air forces, ISI chief and other senior civil and military officials

Pakistan's top civil and military leaders have decided to give greater administrative and financial authority to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the region through which the controversial $ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes

Pakistan's top civil and military leaders have decided to give greater administrative and financial authority to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the region through which the controversial $ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes. During a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) - the top civil and military body - Sartaj Aziz, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan, on Saturday briefed the Committee on the PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan reform proposals, an official statement said. The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reviewed these proposals and after detailed deliberations a consensus was reached on the "devolution of greater administrative authority and financial powers" to the PoK government and the Gilgit-Baltistan government, according to the statement. The details of administrative and financial reform have not been shared so far. However, there was also consensus over retention of the PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan Councils as advisory bodies and the grant of a five-year tax holiday to Gilgit-Baltistan so as to create adequate incentives for the development of the region and bring it at par with the other areas of Pakistan. Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate geographical entity by Pakistan. Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh are four provinces of Pakistan. India has termed as "entirely unacceptable" any possible attempt by Pakistan to declare the Gilgit-Baltistan region, bordering the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as the fifth province. India has protested to China over the CPEC which goes through Gilgit-Baltistan region. It is believed that China's concerns about the unsettled status of Gilgit-Baltistan prompted Pakistan to change its status. Earlier media reports had said that Pakistan plans to elevate the constitutional status of the region to provide legal cover to the CPEC. The NSC also endorsed that FATA shall be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the introduction of the administrative and judicial institutional structures and laws of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the statement said. The Committee directed the concerned ministries to work out the constitutional, legal and administrative modalities for the merger in consultation with all parties in the Parliament. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Defence & Foreign Affairs Khurram Dastgir Khan, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval and Air forces, ISI chief and other senior civil and military officials

Pak to give greater administrative and financial authority to PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan

Former Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif, who has been disqualified by the Islamabad High Court for holding Iqma (work permit),&nbsp;challenged the disqualification in the Pakistan Supreme Court on Saturday.

Stating his arguments in the court he said: "there was no constitutional bar or restrictions on public office holders seeking jobs abroad".

He added that he had given all details regarding his earnings in the nomination form filled by him and the papers did not require a special mention of 'salary'.

He further&nbsp;added that the amount just accounted to 0.5 per cent of his asset, and hiding such minuscule amount was absurd.&nbsp;

He also claimed that he had voluntarily disclosed his salary in 2011.

He said he was getting a salary worth 9,000 UAE dirhams under foreign salary income which he claims to be disclosed under the category of foreign remittance given in the nomination form.

The Islamabad High Court on April 26 disqualified Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for holding an Iqama (work permit) of the United Arab Emirates.

In response to this, he challenged the Islamabad High Court's verdict&nbsp;in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in May.

The High Court&nbsp;announced its verdict on a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) &nbsp;leader Usman Dar stating that Asif did not mention his foreign employment in his nomination papers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

Former Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif, who has been disqualified by the Islamabad High Court for holding Iqma (work permit), challenged the disqualification in the Pakistan Supreme Court on Saturday

Former Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif, who has been disqualified by the Islamabad High Court for holding Iqma (work permit), challenged the disqualification in the Pakistan Supreme Court on Saturday. Stating his arguments in the court he said: "there was no constitutional bar or restrictions on public office holders seeking jobs abroad". He added that he had given all details regarding his earnings in the nomination form filled by him and the papers did not require a special mention of 'salary'. He further added that the amount just accounted to 0.5 per cent of his asset, and hiding such minuscule amount was absurd. He also claimed that he had voluntarily disclosed his salary in 2011. He said he was getting a salary worth 9,000 UAE dirhams under foreign salary income which he claims to be disclosed under the category of foreign remittance given in the nomination form. The Islamabad High Court on April 26 disqualified Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for holding an Iqama (work permit) of the United Arab Emirates. In response to this, he challenged the Islamabad High Court's verdict in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in May. The High Court announced its verdict on a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar stating that Asif did not mention his foreign employment in his nomination papers. (With inputs from ANI)

'No constitutional bar on public office holder seeking jobs abroad': Former Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif

Since its birth in 1947, Pakistan has witnessed years of political instability and violence. Religious bigotry, extremism, and sectarianism have always threatened to shake the very foundations of a country which was carved out in the name of Islam.&nbsp;

The vagaries of democracy and hiccups in initial years ensured domination of military in Pakistan. Since independence from Britain in 1947, civilian rule has been repeatedly overturned by military coups.

Pakistan has spent more than 30 years under military rule (1958-1971, 1977-1988, 1999-2008). There have also been numerous unsuccessful military coup attempts since 1951.

The general elections in 2013 were historic because, for the first time, a civilian government (from 2008 to 2013) was able to serve its full term without being toppled by the military or brought down by any crisis.&nbsp;

Until 2013, Pakistan did not experience even one democratic transfer of power from one democratically elected government that had completed its tenure to another.

All of its previous democratic transitions have been aborted by a military coup.&nbsp;The elections were won by Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

Election process

Pakistan follows the Westminster first-past-the-post system. There are 342 seats in the National Assembly (or lower house) - the House of the People in the bicameral parliamentary system.

Out of these, 70 seats are reserved for women and non-Muslims and are allocated to parties according to their performance in polls.

To have a majority in the 342-member National Assembly, a party or coalition would need 172 seats or 50% plus one.

Results of Pakistani general election 2013

Four political parties emerged as the major players in 2013 elections

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Name of the political party&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</td>
			<td>Number of seats won</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz - PML(N)</td>
			<td>166</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)</td>
			<td>42</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Imran Khan led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)</td>
			<td>35</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Altaf Hussain's Muttahida Qaumi Movement</td>
			<td>24</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Others</td>
			<td>75</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Total</td>
			<td>342&nbsp; &nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, overall voter turnout in the 2013 general elections was recorded at 55.02% - much higher than elections since the 80s.&nbsp;

In 2013 over 46.2 million people exercised their right to vote in the elections.

The PML-N got the majority of votes (14.8 million) followed by the PTI (7.5 million), the PPP (6.8 million) and the MQM (2.4 million).&nbsp;

Independent candidates picked up 5.8 million votes.&nbsp;

Political and sectarian violence overshadowed the 2013 elections, leaving more than 130 people dead and scores more wounded.

Out of these, 70 seats are reserved for women and non-Muslims and are allocated to parties according to their performance in polls.

Since its birth in 1947, Pakistan has witnessed years of political instability and violence. Religious bigotry, extremism, and sectarianism have always threatened to shake the very foundations of a country which was carved out in the name of Islam. The vagaries of democracy and hiccups in initial years ensured domination of military in Pakistan. Since independence from Britain in 1947, civilian rule has been repeatedly overturned by military coups. Pakistan has spent more than 30 years under military rule (1958-1971, 1977-1988, 1999-2008). There have also been numerous unsuccessful military coup attempts since 1951. The general elections in 2013 were historic because, for the first time, a civilian government (from 2008 to 2013) was able to serve its full term without being toppled by the military or brought down by any crisis. Until 2013, Pakistan did not experience even one democratic transfer of power from one democratically elected government that had completed its tenure to another. All of its previous democratic transitions have been aborted by a military coup. The elections were won by Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. Election process Pakistan follows the Westminster first-past-the-post system. There are 342 seats in the National Assembly (or lower house) - the House of the People in the bicameral parliamentary system. Out of these, 70 seats are reserved for women and non-Muslims and are allocated to parties according to their performance in polls. To have a majority in the 342-member National Assembly, a party or coalition would need 172 seats or 50% plus one. Results of Pakistani general election 2013 Four political parties emerged as the major players in 2013 elections Name of the political party Number of seats won Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz - PML(N) 166 Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 42 Imran Khan led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) 35 Altaf Hussain's Muttahida Qaumi Movement 24 Others 75 Total 342 According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, overall voter turnout in the 2013 general elections was recorded at 55.02% - much higher than elections since the 80s. In 2013 over 46.2 million people exercised their right to vote in the elections. The PML-N got the majority of votes (14.8 million) followed by the PTI (7.5 million), the PPP (6.8 million) and the MQM (2.4 million). Independent candidates picked up 5.8 million votes. Political and sectarian violence overshadowed the 2013 elections, leaving more than 130 people dead and scores more wounded.

Pakistan elections: When the Islamic Republic witnessed first transfer of power

Pope Francis on Sunday deplored 'rivers of blood and tears' in Ukraine and rejected Russia's assertion that it was just "a special military operation"

"In Ukraine rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not only a military operation but a war which sows death, destruction and misery," the pope said in his weekly address to crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/3000-americans-volunteer-to-fight-invading-russian-forces-in-ukraine-says-report-459533">3,000 Americans volunteer to fight invading Russian forces in Ukraine, says report</a>

However, as has been the case throughout the 11-day conflict, Francis did not publicly condemn Russia by name for its invasion.

Instead, he repeated his appeal for peace, the creation of humanitarian corridors and a return to negotiations.

"In that martyred country the need for humanitarian assistance is growing by the hour," the pope said, speaking from a window overlooking the square. "Let common sense prevail, let us return to the respect of international law."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/this-will-be-a-war-crime-ukraine-warns-russia-preparing-to-shell-port-city-odessa-459585">'This will be a war crime': Ukraine warns Russia preparing to shell port city Odessa</a>

There were many more people than normal gathered infront of St. Peter's Basilica for the pope's Sunday appearance, with some holding aloft multi-coloured peace flags as well as the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine.

"The Holy See is willing to do all everything to put itself at the service of peace," the pope said, adding that two Roman Catholic cardinals had gone to Ukraine to help those in need.

"War is madness, please stop," the pope said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan's ambassador to UN said, 'The Council needs to be more consistent and unbiased in its actions. Selectivity in the implementation of its resolutions and decisions, especially on long-standing disputes, notably Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine must end. There can, after all, be no peace without justice'

Pope Francis on Sunday deplored 'rivers of blood and tears' in Ukraine and rejected Russia's assertion that it was just "a special military operation" "In Ukraine rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not only a military operation but a war which sows death, destruction and misery," the pope said in his weekly address to crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. Also Read | 3,000 Americans volunteer to fight invading Russian forces in Ukraine, says report However, as has been the case throughout the 11-day conflict, Francis did not publicly condemn Russia by name for its invasion. Instead, he repeated his appeal for peace, the creation of humanitarian corridors and a return to negotiations. "In that martyred country the need for humanitarian assistance is growing by the hour," the pope said, speaking from a window overlooking the square. "Let common sense prevail, let us return to the respect of international law." Also Read | 'This will be a war crime': Ukraine warns Russia preparing to shell port city Odessa There were many more people than normal gathered infront of St. Peter's Basilica for the pope's Sunday appearance, with some holding aloft multi-coloured peace flags as well as the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine. "The Holy See is willing to do all everything to put itself at the service of peace," the pope said, adding that two Roman Catholic cardinals had gone to Ukraine to help those in need. "War is madness, please stop," the pope said. (With inputs from agencies)

Long-standing disputes like Kashmir should be resolved: Pakistan's Ambassador to UN

In what appeared as the United States' (US) dissatisfaction over Pakistan's efforts to maintain regional security, Washington">Washington has highlighted that the country can do more in terms of it.

"We believe that Pakistan can certainly do more with respect to regional security. It can certainly do more with respect to security within Afghanistan, and we would look to them and hope that they would both [Pakistan and Afghanistan] help, because they are both victims of terrorism and they've also sponsored terrorism," Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White remarked while addressing a media briefing on Thursday.

"So we look to Pakistan to create more opportunities to secure the region," White added.

The Pentagon Spokesperson also dwelled upon Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statement on 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, saying, "Again, this is an inflection point for Pakistan. Pakistan has decisions to make, and we hope that they will be a partner in safeguarding the region."

Pentagon's briefing came a few days after the briefing of the US State Department, wherein its spokesperson Heather Nauert had addressed a similar query on Sharif's Mumbai comments, saying that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saaed is a tremendous concern to Washington">Washington.

"We are concerned about the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. And he's a Lashkar-e-Taiba guy who was being held in Pakistan, and he was eventually let out on house arrest, and we have a reward out for. I believe it's for his arrest, not information leading to his arrest, but his arrest. I don't recall off the top of my head the award amount, but that person out in the open is a tremendous concern to the United States," Nauert had said then.

There is an ongoing diplomatic rift between Pakistan and the US as the latter imposed travel restrictions on Pakistani diplomats which have been reciprocated by the former, according to the reports.

There is an ongoing diplomatic rift between Pakistan and the US as the latter imposed travel restrictions on Pakistani diplomats which have been reciprocated by the former, according to the reports

In what appeared as the United States' (US) dissatisfaction over Pakistan's efforts to maintain regional security, Washington">Washington has highlighted that the country can do more in terms of it. "We believe that Pakistan can certainly do more with respect to regional security. It can certainly do more with respect to security within Afghanistan, and we would look to them and hope that they would both [Pakistan and Afghanistan] help, because they are both victims of terrorism and they've also sponsored terrorism," Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White remarked while addressing a media briefing on Thursday. "So we look to Pakistan to create more opportunities to secure the region," White added. The Pentagon Spokesperson also dwelled upon Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statement on 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, saying, "Again, this is an inflection point for Pakistan. Pakistan has decisions to make, and we hope that they will be a partner in safeguarding the region." Pentagon's briefing came a few days after the briefing of the US State Department, wherein its spokesperson Heather Nauert had addressed a similar query on Sharif's Mumbai comments, saying that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saaed is a tremendous concern to Washington">Washington. "We are concerned about the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. And he's a Lashkar-e-Taiba guy who was being held in Pakistan, and he was eventually let out on house arrest, and we have a reward out for. I believe it's for his arrest, not information leading to his arrest, but his arrest. I don't recall off the top of my head the award amount, but that person out in the open is a tremendous concern to the United States," Nauert had said then. There is an ongoing diplomatic rift between Pakistan and the US as the latter imposed travel restrictions on Pakistani diplomats which have been reciprocated by the former, according to the reports.

Pakistan can do more with respect to regional security: Pentagon

PM Modi will inaugurate&nbsp;Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant, the Megawatt hydroelectricity project&nbsp;in Jammu and Kashmir today.&nbsp;

Pakistan claims that the dam will have an effect on the flow of the Kishanganga River which flows to Pakistan and is called the Neelam River there.&nbsp;

The construction of the project began in 2007 and was to be completed by 2016. However, the construction was temporarily blocked by the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA) in October 2011 after Pakistan protested against it.

In 2013, the CoA administered that India could divert all the water leaving a minimum amount of water to the downstream of the dam on Kishanganga River.

In its judgement on December 20, 2013, the CoA gave its "final award" allowing India to continue with the construction of the Kishanganga dam in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

The hydroelectric plant is an&nbsp;$864 million dam located 5 km north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir.

The 330 MW Hydroelectricity plant is part of a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme that is designed to divert water from the Kishanganga River in Srinagar to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin. 
&nbsp;

Pakistan claims that the dam will have an effect on the flow of the Kishanganga River which flows to Pakistan and is called the Neelam River there

PM Modi will inaugurate Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant, the Megawatt hydroelectricity project in Jammu and Kashmir today. Pakistan claims that the dam will have an effect on the flow of the Kishanganga River which flows to Pakistan and is called the Neelam River there. The construction of the project began in 2007 and was to be completed by 2016. However, the construction was temporarily blocked by the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA) in October 2011 after Pakistan protested against it. In 2013, the CoA administered that India could divert all the water leaving a minimum amount of water to the downstream of the dam on Kishanganga River. In its judgement on December 20, 2013, the CoA gave its "final award" allowing India to continue with the construction of the Kishanganga dam in Jammu and Kashmir. The hydroelectric plant is an $864 million dam located 5 km north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir. The 330 MW Hydroelectricity plant is part of a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme that is designed to divert water from the Kishanganga River in Srinagar to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin.

J&K: PM Modi to inaugurate Kishanganga Hydroelectricity plant that was once halted by Pakistan

Pakistan is giving finishing touches to its action plan that proposes measures for combating money laundering and terror financing to prevent itself from being placed on the grey list of a global watchdog next month, according to a media report.

A compliance report has been submitted by the Pakistani government to the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) - a sub-group within the Paris-based watchdog Financial Action Task Force - detailing the steps taken thus far and those that will be taken in the future to bring Pakistan's financial, regulatory and legal landscape into compliance with the watchdog's requirements, Dawn News reported.

On Friday, a meeting was convened at the Foreign Office to review the proposed actions which are to be discussed with APG joint working group in Bangkok next week.

This was the last in a series of meetings taking place within the government as officials race to meet the June deadline by when Pakistan will be placed on the FATF grey list.

A senior official in the finance ministry was quoted as saying in the report that a delegation from Pakistan would depart within the next few days for consultations with the APG's Joint Working Group in Bangkok.

That meeting will discuss the steps proposed by Pakistan to be taken after June to exit the grey list. The report has been drawn up by the Financial Monitoring Unit, a department housed in the State Bank of Pakistan, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

The FATF earlier sent an email to the SBP highlighting its concerns over the amnesty scheme introduced by the government in its last budget.

The email points out that Pakistan is required to inform FATF before announcing any such scheme. To address their concerns, Pakistan included a provision to specify that 'proceeds of crime are not eligible' for the amnesty scheme.

The senior official confirmed that the placement of Pakistan on the grey list was set to commence in June. He said the action plan drawn up by the government would set conditions for Pakistan to meet in a period of one year, the report said.

None of those working on the matter were willing to discuss the details of the action plan.

"Whatever conditions are being finalised, we will implement it administratively," one source said.

The details of action plan remained under negotiation with the FATF and set to be finalised by next month, the official said.

Pakistan was listed as grey in 2012 but was removed in 2015 after strenuous efforts to address the concerns of the group.

The US spearheaded the latest efforts to place Pakistan on the Grey List and was supported by the UK, France and Germany.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was set up in 1989 with a primary aim to set standards to combat money laundering, but in 2001 its mandate was expanded to include countering terror financing.

It can take action against any country by including a country in black or grey lists.&nbsp

This was the last in a series of meetings taking place within the government as officials race to meet the June deadline by when Pakistan will be placed on the FATF grey list.

Pakistan is giving finishing touches to its action plan that proposes measures for combating money laundering and terror financing to prevent itself from being placed on the grey list of a global watchdog next month, according to a media report. A compliance report has been submitted by the Pakistani government to the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) - a sub-group within the Paris-based watchdog Financial Action Task Force - detailing the steps taken thus far and those that will be taken in the future to bring Pakistan's financial, regulatory and legal landscape into compliance with the watchdog's requirements, Dawn News reported. On Friday, a meeting was convened at the Foreign Office to review the proposed actions which are to be discussed with APG joint working group in Bangkok next week. This was the last in a series of meetings taking place within the government as officials race to meet the June deadline by when Pakistan will be placed on the FATF grey list. A senior official in the finance ministry was quoted as saying in the report that a delegation from Pakistan would depart within the next few days for consultations with the APG's Joint Working Group in Bangkok. That meeting will discuss the steps proposed by Pakistan to be taken after June to exit the grey list. The report has been drawn up by the Financial Monitoring Unit, a department housed in the State Bank of Pakistan, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The FATF earlier sent an email to the SBP highlighting its concerns over the amnesty scheme introduced by the government in its last budget. The email points out that Pakistan is required to inform FATF before announcing any such scheme. To address their concerns, Pakistan included a provision to specify that 'proceeds of crime are not eligible' for the amnesty scheme. The senior official confirmed that the placement of Pakistan on the grey list was set to commence in June. He said the action plan drawn up by the government would set conditions for Pakistan to meet in a period of one year, the report said. None of those working on the matter were willing to discuss the details of the action plan. "Whatever conditions are being finalised, we will implement it administratively," one source said. The details of action plan remained under negotiation with the FATF and set to be finalised by next month, the official said. Pakistan was listed as grey in 2012 but was removed in 2015 after strenuous efforts to address the concerns of the group. The US spearheaded the latest efforts to place Pakistan on the Grey List and was supported by the UK, France and Germany. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was set up in 1989 with a primary aim to set standards to combat money laundering, but in 2001 its mandate was expanded to include countering terror financing. It can take action against any country by including a country in black or grey lists.

Pakistan racing to meet FATF demands before June

Pakistan treats Gilgit-Baltistan "like a colony", a US based activist from the strategic region bordering PoK has alleged, as he demanded that a UN established fact-finding mission be sent to determine the conditions of imprisoned dissidents.

Gilgit-Baltistan has a regional Assembly and an elected chief minister. Pakistan considers it a separate geographical entity.

Like Vietnam, Gilgit-Baltistan cannot end rights abuses without the help of the international community, Sange Sering, chairman of the Movement for Democracy in Gilgit-Baltistan, said at a recent event held at the US Capitol.

"Pakistan has been treating Gilgit-Baltistan like a colony", he alleged.

"We request President (Donald) Trump and the State Department to help the UN establish a fact-finding mission to determine the conditions of imprisoned political dissidents in Pakistan and to impress upon the Pakistani leadership to uphold democratic ideals including free speech and movement.

"As we speak, Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies are busy seizing thousands of acres of private land in Gilgit-Baltistan and those who oppose such illegal policies are declared terrorist and face torture and incarceration," Sering told a gathering of US lawmakers, Congressional staffers, government officials and human rights experts at the 24th Commemoration of Vietnam Human Rights Day.

The Asian Human Rights Commission's report on Gilgit-Baltistan states that such practices of land grabbing have resulted in the displacement of locals and a state sanctioned demographic change, he said.

The report claims that the non-local proportion of the population in Gilgit-Baltistan has increased significantly in recent years since government is violating a local law called State Subject Rule, which has opened the floodgates of immigration from Pakistan, he told the audience.

"Today, members of political and civil society organisations in Gilgit-Baltistan, many who I count as personal friends, face harsh treatment, long sentences and an unknown future for demanding right of speech, publication and movement across the Indo-Pak Line of Control," Sering said.

Rahat Husain, advocacy director for Universal Muslims Association of America (UMAA) spoke on Shia persecution in Pakistan.

"As Shia Muslims, we stand with all persecuted peoples, including the Christian community in Vietnam. Their plight is similar to that of the Shia Muslims in Pakistan, who suffer violence at the hands of state sponsored militants on a daily basis. These crimes against religious freedom must stop," he said.

Last year, media reports said that Pakistan was planning to declare the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region as its fifth province, a move that may raise concerns in India as it borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh are the four provinces of Pakistan.&nbsp

The Asian Human Rights Commission's report on Gilgit-Baltistan states that such practices of land grabbing have resulted in the displacement of locals, says the activist.

Pakistan treats Gilgit-Baltistan "like a colony", a US based activist from the strategic region bordering PoK has alleged, as he demanded that a UN established fact-finding mission be sent to determine the conditions of imprisoned dissidents. Gilgit-Baltistan has a regional Assembly and an elected chief minister. Pakistan considers it a separate geographical entity. Like Vietnam, Gilgit-Baltistan cannot end rights abuses without the help of the international community, Sange Sering, chairman of the Movement for Democracy in Gilgit-Baltistan, said at a recent event held at the US Capitol. "Pakistan has been treating Gilgit-Baltistan like a colony", he alleged. "We request President (Donald) Trump and the State Department to help the UN establish a fact-finding mission to determine the conditions of imprisoned political dissidents in Pakistan and to impress upon the Pakistani leadership to uphold democratic ideals including free speech and movement. "As we speak, Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies are busy seizing thousands of acres of private land in Gilgit-Baltistan and those who oppose such illegal policies are declared terrorist and face torture and incarceration," Sering told a gathering of US lawmakers, Congressional staffers, government officials and human rights experts at the 24th Commemoration of Vietnam Human Rights Day. The Asian Human Rights Commission's report on Gilgit-Baltistan states that such practices of land grabbing have resulted in the displacement of locals and a state sanctioned demographic change, he said. The report claims that the non-local proportion of the population in Gilgit-Baltistan has increased significantly in recent years since government is violating a local law called State Subject Rule, which has opened the floodgates of immigration from Pakistan, he told the audience. "Today, members of political and civil society organisations in Gilgit-Baltistan, many who I count as personal friends, face harsh treatment, long sentences and an unknown future for demanding right of speech, publication and movement across the Indo-Pak Line of Control," Sering said. Rahat Husain, advocacy director for Universal Muslims Association of America (UMAA) spoke on Shia persecution in Pakistan. "As Shia Muslims, we stand with all persecuted peoples, including the Christian community in Vietnam. Their plight is similar to that of the Shia Muslims in Pakistan, who suffer violence at the hands of state sponsored militants on a daily basis. These crimes against religious freedom must stop," he said. Last year, media reports said that Pakistan was planning to declare the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region as its fifth province, a move that may raise concerns in India as it borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh are the four provinces of Pakistan.

Pakistan treats Gilgit-Baltistan like colony, alleges activist

Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who had served at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was on Saturday sentenced to three years in jail by a Delhi court which convicted her for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan's ISI.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma gave her the maximum sentence for the offences of spying and wrongful communication of information protected under the law.

Gupta, who was the Second Secretary (Press & Information) at the high commission, was held guilty yesterday under various provisions of the Official Secrets (OS) Act.

She has been granted bail by the court to allow to appeal against the conviction and the sentence.

While convicting her, the court had said that the e-mails "passed on by the accused were categorically sensitive information which could have been useful to the enemy country... And its secrecy was of utmost importance".

Gupta was convicted under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act which attracts a maximum sentence of three years and fine or both.

She was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed.

She was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed

Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who had served at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was on Saturday sentenced to three years in jail by a Delhi court which convicted her for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan's ISI. Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma gave her the maximum sentence for the offences of spying and wrongful communication of information protected under the law. Gupta, who was the Second Secretary (Press & Information) at the high commission, was held guilty yesterday under various provisions of the Official Secrets (OS) Act. She has been granted bail by the court to allow to appeal against the conviction and the sentence. While convicting her, the court had said that the e-mails "passed on by the accused were categorically sensitive information which could have been useful to the enemy country... And its secrecy was of utmost importance". Gupta was convicted under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act which attracts a maximum sentence of three years and fine or both. She was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed.

Delhi court awards 3 years jail to ex-diplomat for spying for Pak ISI

South Asia Minority Alliance Foundation (SAMAF) Chairman Nadeem Nusrat has warned that Pakistan would plunge into further diplomatic isolation if immediate measures are not taken to address the grievances of the country's ethnic and religious minorities.

He expressed deep concern over reports of unlawful arrests and enforced disappearances of 24 young Christians in Pakistan.

In a statement issued to media, the chairman of US-based advocacy group strongly condemned these acts and demanded immediate recovery of the missing Christians.

South Asia Minority Alliance Foundation is an advocacy group raising awareness about the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in the region.

State brutalities against Mohajirs, Balochs, Pashtoons and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have been a common occurrence in Pakistan. Unfortunately, these brutalities have now been extended to country's religious minorities as well, and Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis are being targeted on a daily basis in different parts of the country, the statement quoted Nadeem Nusrat, as saying.

"For years, Mohajirs, Balochs, and Pashtoons have been the victims of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. Hundreds of young Mohajir men have gone missing in Karachi alone having been abducted by Pakistan's Punjabi-dominated security agencies," the statement added.

As per reports emerging from Karachi, Pakistan's Christian minority has also become a target of the notorious practice of enforced disappearances, as at least 24 Christian men have gone missing after being allegedly abducted by Pakistani law enforcement agencies in pre-dawn raids.

"These reports suggest that mask-wearing raiding officers routinely barge into houses of Christians in Karachi, often by forcibly breaking the doors, drag male members out of their beds and take them away," read the statement.

The whereabouts of these men have not been revealed to their family members, lawyers and none has been produced before any court of law as yet.

Nusrat said that there have been numerous armed attacks on churches in Pakistan and the target killing of Christians is on the rise.

In Quetta, the heavily militarized capital city of restive Balochistan province, many Christians have been killed by militants belonging to state-sponsored religious extremists in the last few weeks, alleged Nusrat.

The controversial blasphemy law is also being used to suppress the voice of religious minorities in Pakistan. Many members of religious minorities have been killed by religious zealots or arrested on false charges under the blasphemy laws.

He further said that religious extremist groups working under the patronage of military establishment are fueling hatred and terror against the minorities including Christians. Hardliners within Pakistan's military establishment are using these proxies to impose their hardline religious agenda in the country.

The statement even noted that the minorities in Pakistan are at the mercy of these jihadi groups who are operating freely without any fear.

The SAMAF Chairman said that our organization believes in religious harmony and equal rights for all minorities and is striving for the rights of all deprived classes in the region.

Nusrat said that SAMAF members are raising voice for Christians in their meetings with US lawmakers and at decision-making forums.

Nadeem Nusrat urged the US administration and world community to put more pressure on Pakistani authorities to stop human rights abuses and protect the lives and interests of all minorities in the country.&nbsp

&nbsp

He expressed deep concern over reports of unlawful arrests and enforced disappearances of 24 young Christians in Pakistan

South Asia Minority Alliance Foundation (SAMAF) Chairman Nadeem Nusrat has warned that Pakistan would plunge into further diplomatic isolation if immediate measures are not taken to address the grievances of the country's ethnic and religious minorities. He expressed deep concern over reports of unlawful arrests and enforced disappearances of 24 young Christians in Pakistan. In a statement issued to media, the chairman of US-based advocacy group strongly condemned these acts and demanded immediate recovery of the missing Christians. South Asia Minority Alliance Foundation is an advocacy group raising awareness about the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in the region. State brutalities against Mohajirs, Balochs, Pashtoons and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have been a common occurrence in Pakistan. Unfortunately, these brutalities have now been extended to country's religious minorities as well, and Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis are being targeted on a daily basis in different parts of the country, the statement quoted Nadeem Nusrat, as saying. "For years, Mohajirs, Balochs, and Pashtoons have been the victims of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. Hundreds of young Mohajir men have gone missing in Karachi alone having been abducted by Pakistan's Punjabi-dominated security agencies," the statement added. As per reports emerging from Karachi, Pakistan's Christian minority has also become a target of the notorious practice of enforced disappearances, as at least 24 Christian men have gone missing after being allegedly abducted by Pakistani law enforcement agencies in pre-dawn raids. "These reports suggest that mask-wearing raiding officers routinely barge into houses of Christians in Karachi, often by forcibly breaking the doors, drag male members out of their beds and take them away," read the statement. The whereabouts of these men have not been revealed to their family members, lawyers and none has been produced before any court of law as yet. Nusrat said that there have been numerous armed attacks on churches in Pakistan and the target killing of Christians is on the rise. In Quetta, the heavily militarized capital city of restive Balochistan province, many Christians have been killed by militants belonging to state-sponsored religious extremists in the last few weeks, alleged Nusrat. The controversial blasphemy law is also being used to suppress the voice of religious minorities in Pakistan. Many members of religious minorities have been killed by religious zealots or arrested on false charges under the blasphemy laws. He further said that religious extremist groups working under the patronage of military establishment are fueling hatred and terror against the minorities including Christians. Hardliners within Pakistan's military establishment are using these proxies to impose their hardline religious agenda in the country. The statement even noted that the minorities in Pakistan are at the mercy of these jihadi groups who are operating freely without any fear. The SAMAF Chairman said that our organization believes in religious harmony and equal rights for all minorities and is striving for the rights of all deprived classes in the region. Nusrat said that SAMAF members are raising voice for Christians in their meetings with US lawmakers and at decision-making forums. Nadeem Nusrat urged the US administration and world community to put more pressure on Pakistani authorities to stop human rights abuses and protect the lives and interests of all minorities in the country.

Pakistan in deeper isolation if minorities issue remains unaddressed: SAMAF Chairman Nadeem Nusrat

Chinese Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday. Zhang noted that Chinese and Pakistani militaries should enhance strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation.

Zhang, who was on a visit to Pakistan, also said the two militaries should promote their defence relations comprehensively. He called for the need to maintain common interests and ensure regional and global peace and stability.

Pakistan's Abbasi talked about the "close relationships" fostering between both the countries. He further added that both the countries have carried out broad and deep defence cooperation. Abbasi reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment and support of the one-China policy.

The Pakistani Prime Minister also ensured the smooth development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.&nbsp;

The Pakistani Prime Minister also ensured the smooth development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Chinese Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday. Zhang noted that Chinese and Pakistani militaries should enhance strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation. Zhang, who was on a visit to Pakistan, also said the two militaries should promote their defence relations comprehensively. He called for the need to maintain common interests and ensure regional and global peace and stability. Pakistan's Abbasi talked about the "close relationships" fostering between both the countries. He further added that both the countries have carried out broad and deep defence cooperation. Abbasi reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment and support of the one-China policy. The Pakistani Prime Minister also ensured the smooth development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

China, Pakistan vow to enhance strategic communication

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has restored the security of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed citing threats to his life, almost a month after it was withdrawn on the order of the Supreme Court.

"The policemen have been deployed again for the security of Hafiz Saeed on the order of (chief minister) Shahbaz Sharif's Punjab government," a senior official of the provincial government told PTI today. He said the decision was taken in the light of threats to the life of Saeed.

As the government restored Saeed's security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore High Court to challenge the Punjab government's earlier decision to withdraw his security.

The Punjab government last month had withdrawn policemen deployed for the security of Saeed after the Supreme Court directed inspector-generals of Islamabad and all four provinces to take back security escorts from people who are not entitled to it.

The chief justice, however, later directed the top provincial police officials to ensure the provision of security to all those who face genuine security threats.

In the light of the Supreme Court order, the Punjab police have withdrawn as many as 4,610 personnel deployed for the security of influential persons not entitled to official security in the province.

In a petition filed through his counsel Advocate A K Dogar, Saeed said the Punjab government on the pretext of the apex court order has withdrawn his security. He said the Supreme Court had ordered that the security of those facing life threats should not be withdrawn.

"But the government made a wrong interpretation of the Supreme Court order in my case and has withdrawn my security despite threats to my life," Saeed said.

The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, accused the government of discrimination in his case.

The JuD usually makes elaborate arrangements for the security of Saeed wherever he goes. Even at home, the JuD special squad has been given the task of his security.

Saeed is accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June, 2014.

As the government restored Saeed's security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore High Court to challenge the Punjab government's earlier decision to withdraw his security

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has restored the security of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed citing threats to his life, almost a month after it was withdrawn on the order of the Supreme Court. "The policemen have been deployed again for the security of Hafiz Saeed on the order of (chief minister) Shahbaz Sharif's Punjab government," a senior official of the provincial government told PTI today. He said the decision was taken in the light of threats to the life of Saeed. As the government restored Saeed's security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore High Court to challenge the Punjab government's earlier decision to withdraw his security. The Punjab government last month had withdrawn policemen deployed for the security of Saeed after the Supreme Court directed inspector-generals of Islamabad and all four provinces to take back security escorts from people who are not entitled to it. The chief justice, however, later directed the top provincial police officials to ensure the provision of security to all those who face genuine security threats. In the light of the Supreme Court order, the Punjab police have withdrawn as many as 4,610 personnel deployed for the security of influential persons not entitled to official security in the province. In a petition filed through his counsel Advocate A K Dogar, Saeed said the Punjab government on the pretext of the apex court order has withdrawn his security. He said the Supreme Court had ordered that the security of those facing life threats should not be withdrawn. "But the government made a wrong interpretation of the Supreme Court order in my case and has withdrawn my security despite threats to my life," Saeed said. The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, accused the government of discrimination in his case. The JuD usually makes elaborate arrangements for the security of Saeed wherever he goes. Even at home, the JuD special squad has been given the task of his security. Saeed is accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June, 2014.

Pakistan: Punjab government restores security of Mumbai attack mastermind Saeed

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Congress to challenge the appointment of KG Bopaiah as pro-tem Speaker in the Supreme Court on Friday. According to television reports, Congress is moving Supreme Court to challenge the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint KG Bopiah as pro-tem speaker ahead of the floor test on Saturday 4 pm.&nbsp

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As PM Modi prepares to visit J&K on Saturday, Pakistan today summoned Indian High Commissioner over "unprovoked ceasefire violations" allegedly carried out by Indian forces along the Line of Control(LoC).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-allows-karti-chidambaram-to-travel-abroad-137929">Supreme Court allows Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad</a>

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, to travel to offshore locations in United Kingdom, Germany and Spain with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close a bank account abroad.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-offering-200-billion-package-to-slash-us-trade-gap-137953">China denies offering $200 billion </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-offering-200-billion-package-to-slash-us-trade-gap-137953">package</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-offering-200-billion-package-to-slash-us-trade-gap-137953"> to slash US trade gap</a>

China denied on Friday that it had offered a package to slash the US trade deficit by up to $200 billion, hours after it dropped an anti-dumping probe into US sorghum imports in a conciliatory gesture as top negotiators meet in Washington.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congo-faces-very-high-risk-from-ebola-outbreak-who--137926">Congo faces 'very high' risk from Ebola outbreak: WHO</a>

Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously.

&nbsp

Karnataka crisis: Congress to challenge KG Bopaiah's appointment as pro-tem Speaker in Supreme Court Congress to challenge the appointment of KG Bopaiah as pro-tem Speaker in the Supreme Court on Friday. According to television reports, Congress is moving Supreme Court to challenge the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint KG Bopiah as pro-tem speaker ahead of the floor test on Saturday 4 pm. Pakistan summons Indian High Commissioner over 'unprovoked ceasefire violations' along LoC As PM Modi prepares to visit J&K on Saturday, Pakistan today summoned Indian High Commissioner over "unprovoked ceasefire violations" allegedly carried out by Indian forces along the Line of Control(LoC). Supreme Court allows Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, to travel to offshore locations in United Kingdom, Germany and Spain with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close a bank account abroad. China denies offering $200 billion package to slash US trade gap China denied on Friday that it had offered a package to slash the US trade deficit by up to $200 billion, hours after it dropped an anti-dumping probe into US sorghum imports in a conciliatory gesture as top negotiators meet in Washington. Congo faces 'very high' risk from Ebola outbreak: WHO Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Pakistan`s military said it killed a senior member of an Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) and two would-be suicide bombers in a raid and later on Thursday five bombers who tried to mount a revenge suicide attack.

A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said.

The military said two would-be suicide bombers were also killed in the raid, but gave no details.

Hours later, five suicide bombers tried to drive a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives into a military facility in the Quetta city on Thursday, the army said.&nbsp

Troops responded when one of the attackers detonated his explosive at the entrance, Khan Wasey, a local paramilitary spokesman said, and gunfire ensued.

All five attackers were killed, the army statement said, adding that the failed attempt was a response to the earlier military raid.

LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bomb and gun attacks in the southwestern province over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi`ite Hazara community.

Badeni had been "involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of the Hazara community and police", the army said in its statement.

A&nbspLeJ spokesman, Ali bin Sufyian, said Badeni was not a member of the group. "He wasn`t our member," he said in a statement. He said the militant belonged to Islamic State.&nbsp

Islamic State, which operates from the lawless border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, has had worked in alliance with local militants such as the LeJ in several strikes in past.&nbsp

Islamic State did not immediately issue any statement claiming or disowning Badeni.&nbsp

Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest against the spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency.

Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan.&nbsp

The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan`s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras "shall suffer twice as much".

Bajwa said on Thursday the army was determined to "sacrifice anything and everything" to defend the country. "When a soldier sacrifices his life I lose part flesh of my body," he said at the funeral of the senior officer who died in the raid.

Violence in Baluchistan is a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan`s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said

Pakistan`s military said it killed a senior member of an Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) and two would-be suicide bombers in a raid and later on Thursday five bombers who tried to mount a revenge suicide attack. A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said. The military said two would-be suicide bombers were also killed in the raid, but gave no details. Hours later, five suicide bombers tried to drive a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives into a military facility in the Quetta city on Thursday, the army said. Troops responded when one of the attackers detonated his explosive at the entrance, Khan Wasey, a local paramilitary spokesman said, and gunfire ensued. All five attackers were killed, the army statement said, adding that the failed attempt was a response to the earlier military raid. LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bomb and gun attacks in the southwestern province over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi`ite Hazara community. Badeni had been "involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of the Hazara community and police", the army said in its statement. A&nbspLeJ spokesman, Ali bin Sufyian, said Badeni was not a member of the group. "He wasn`t our member," he said in a statement. He said the militant belonged to Islamic State. Islamic State, which operates from the lawless border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, has had worked in alliance with local militants such as the LeJ in several strikes in past. Islamic State did not immediately issue any statement claiming or disowning Badeni. Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest against the spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency. Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan. The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan`s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras "shall suffer twice as much". Bajwa said on Thursday the army was determined to "sacrifice anything and everything" to defend the country. "When a soldier sacrifices his life I lose part flesh of my body," he said at the funeral of the senior officer who died in the raid. Violence in Baluchistan is a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan`s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

Pakistani army kills senior militant, seven suicide bombers

At least 12 people, including six security forces personnel, were injured in a suicide blast in Nowshera on Thursday.

As per Pak media, the explosive device had targeted a government vehicle near Kutchehry Chowk.

District Police Officer Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari confirmed the number of wounded and said that one of the suicide attackers was motor-borne.

He further informed that the vehicle was travelling from Rawalpindi to Peshawar at the time of the attack.

Further spokesperson of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Shaukat Yousafzai confirmed the blast to be a suicide attack.&nbsp

He added that the bomb contained around 5 kilograms of explosive materials.

The wounded were admitted to District Headquarters Hospital Nowshera and the Combined Military Hospital.

The latest suicide attack comes days after a policeman was martyred in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Bannu district.

Six people, including two policemen, were injured when the remote-controlled bomb went off near a police van.&nbsp

As per Pak media, the explosive device had targeted a government vehicle near Kutchehry Chowk

At least 12 people, including six security forces personnel, were injured in a suicide blast in Nowshera on Thursday. As per Pak media, the explosive device had targeted a government vehicle near Kutchehry Chowk. District Police Officer Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari confirmed the number of wounded and said that one of the suicide attackers was motor-borne. He further informed that the vehicle was travelling from Rawalpindi to Peshawar at the time of the attack. Further spokesperson of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Shaukat Yousafzai confirmed the blast to be a suicide attack. He added that the bomb contained around 5 kilograms of explosive materials. The wounded were admitted to District Headquarters Hospital Nowshera and the Combined Military Hospital. The latest suicide attack comes days after a policeman was martyred in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Bannu district. Six people, including two policemen, were injured when the remote-controlled bomb went off near a police van.

Pakistan: 12 injured in suicide blast in Nowshera

Pakistan today said a senior US diplomat, who killed a motorcyclist in a road accident here, was allowed to leave the country as he had diplomatic immunity and also the Trump administration gave assurance that he would be tried in an American court.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisalalso also said that restrictions on diplomats of both Pakistan and the US have now been in place and diplomats and their families will have to seek prior permission to travel outside the radius of 25 miles.&nbsp

Defence attache Colonel Joseph Hall left the country on May 14 after Washington assured Islamabad that he would be tried under US laws.

Pakistan had earlier sent back an American plane, delaying the return of Hall to the US amidst the controversy over his immunity from prosecution.

Hall had killed a 22-year-old motorcyclist and injured another on April 7 in Islamabad after jumping a red signal.

He was let go by the Islamabad police in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which gives diplomat immunity from criminal prosecution. However, a first information report of the incident was registered.

The incident increased political tension between the two countries.

Relations between Washington and Islamabad have been strained since US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of "lies and deceit" and criticised Islamabad for providing safe havens to terror groups.

Pakistan had earlier sent back an American plane, delaying the return of Hall to the US amidst the controversy over his immunity from prosecution

Pakistan today said a senior US diplomat, who killed a motorcyclist in a road accident here, was allowed to leave the country as he had diplomatic immunity and also the Trump administration gave assurance that he would be tried in an American court. Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisalalso also said that restrictions on diplomats of both Pakistan and the US have now been in place and diplomats and their families will have to seek prior permission to travel outside the radius of 25 miles. Defence attache Colonel Joseph Hall left the country on May 14 after Washington assured Islamabad that he would be tried under US laws. Pakistan had earlier sent back an American plane, delaying the return of Hall to the US amidst the controversy over his immunity from prosecution. Hall had killed a 22-year-old motorcyclist and injured another on April 7 in Islamabad after jumping a red signal. He was let go by the Islamabad police in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which gives diplomat immunity from criminal prosecution. However, a first information report of the incident was registered. The incident increased political tension between the two countries. Relations between Washington and Islamabad have been strained since US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of "lies and deceit" and criticised Islamabad for providing safe havens to terror groups.

American diplomat allowed to leave Pak on US assurance

As they were about to enter the office of the Commissioner of Karachi for a meeting to discuss a rally planned in Pakistan's largest city, leaders of a Pashtun-led rights movement were intercepted by armed men accompanied by paramilitary Rangers.

"A car with men in plainclothes pulled up in front of us and men with guns got out and told us to stand still," Said Alam Mahsud, an organiser with the Pashtun Tahafaz Movement (PTM), told Reuters.

He said three PTM activists with him were put in a truck and taken away by the armed men, as uniformed Rangers stood by. They returned two days later saying they had been interrogated, threatened, punched and kicked by the unidentified men, then handed over to the Rangers, who released them.

PTM, which drew nearly 10,000 people to its Karachi rally on Sunday, was founded in January in protest against alleged extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention and "disappearances" of young Pashtun men.

Leaders of the emerging movement have blamed Pakistan's military for these abuses, in an unusually direct challenge to the country's most powerful institution.

Now, PTM's activists themselves have started disappearing, according to Mohsin Dawar, one of the movement's leaders.

PTM organisers again blame the powerful military, saying the movement's growing popularity in major cities, even amid a local media blackout, has left the security forces feeling threatened.

The military's press wing did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations. In the past, the army has said it does not detain individuals without evidence.

Officials from the paramilitary Rangers, which are part of the security forces and have broad powers in Karachi, also did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did the office of the Karachi Commissioner, who is the head of the city government.

"Anti-state agenda"

In the past month, PTM says dozens of its activists have been detained across the country, while newspaper columnists have had articles on PTM rejected. Some students and academics say they have been threatened and universities forced to call off talks about Pashtun inequality.

In the week leading up to the Karachi protest, PTM's leadership said Rangers and unidentified security officials detained and interrogated more than 100 of its supporters and kept nearly 30 workers in custody.

"The amount they are trying to stop us, it shows they are scared," student activist Manzoor Pashteen, who has become the face of the movement, told Reuters. "I don't think they know they are our guardians, their behaviour is that of criminals."

Despite the apparent crackdown, the protest in Karachi drew nearly 10,000 people. Pashteen himself was stopped from boarding a flight from the capital, Islamabad, to Karachi on Saturday after the airline told him his ticket had been cancelled, he said, adding it took him 40 hours to drive to the city after being stopped and detained several times while on the road.

While there has been no official action against the PTM, army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa said recently that "no anti-state agenda in the garb of engineered protests" would be allowed to succeed. His comments were widely interpreted as being directed at the group.

Many of Pakistan's 30 million ethnic Pashtun's hail originally from the borderlands with Afghanistan, where the Pakistani Taliban controlled swathes of territory until they were pushed out by military operations in 2009 and 2014.

PTM leaders say they do not want to challenge the government or undermine security, but complain Pashtuns - many of whom have moved to the cities to escape a near-decade long insurgency by Islamist militants - are unfairly targeted and suffer abuses at the hands of security forces in the name of fighting terrorism.

Campus challenge

In April, a week before PTM was due to stage a rally in Lahore, Habib University in Karachi and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) called off talks related to Pashtun rights organised by students and academics.

On the morning of the talks, both universities received calls from security officials, including representatives of Pakistan's spy agency the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), telling them to cancel the discussions, faculty members said.

"Calls were made to the administration as well as in-person visits from people who identified themselves as ISI," said a LUMS professor. "I received a call and was told to refrain from anti-military activity."

Officials from the ISI did not respond to a request for comment.

At Habib University, the administration received visits from security officials and a call on the morning the lecture was due to take place, three different faculty members said.

Representatives from LUMS and Habib University did not respond to requests for comment.

Three students who had expressed support for PTM on social media told Reuters they had received threatening calls from unknown numbers telling them to stop, adding they knew of a dozen others who had received similar calls.

The same week, Punjab University professor Ammar Ali Jan said he was removed from his post for encouraging students to be vocal about human rights issues and supporting PTM.

Punjab University spokesman Khurram Shahzad said Jan was dismissed because of incomplete paperwork.

Pakistan's minister for state and interior affairs, Talal Chaudhry, said such actions "by unnamed forces" were part of a wider clampdown on freedom of thought in Pakistan.

"We now have to listen to the people of Pakistan," Chaudhry said. "There have been very few such things in Pakistan's history where people come out on their own, to support a leaderless group," he added, referring to PTM.

Relations between the army and civilian government have been increasingly strained since the removal of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by the courts last year, with some ruling party insiders accusing elements of the military of trying to destabilise it ahead of a general election expected in July.

The military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half its history, denies any interference in civilian politics.

Crackdown in Karachi

Mohsin Dawar arrived in Karachi on May 6 and, along with other PTM leaders, began meeting local Pashtuns to plan the weekend rally.

"From the day we arrived they [the Rangers] began arresting our supporters," Dawar said.

People who provided PTM with logistical support, such as a place to hold their meetings, were picked up for five to six hours and threatened, he said.

"They told them not to support us that we will leave Karachi but they have to continue living here," Dawar added.

Karachi is where the killing of a young Pashtun, Naqeebullah Mehsud, by police in January sparked nationwide peaceful demonstrations about Pashtun rights, from which PTM emerged.

Organisers say they attempted to contract vendors to supply chairs, a stage, and a sound system for the rally, but none of the equipment was delivered.

One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters he received a call after meeting PTM members. "They said that if even one candle was delivered to the rally, my body would never be found," he said.

PTM, which drew nearly 10,000 people to its Karachi rally on Sunday, was founded in January in protest against alleged extrajudicial killings

As they were about to enter the office of the Commissioner of Karachi for a meeting to discuss a rally planned in Pakistan's largest city, leaders of a Pashtun-led rights movement were intercepted by armed men accompanied by paramilitary Rangers. "A car with men in plainclothes pulled up in front of us and men with guns got out and told us to stand still," Said Alam Mahsud, an organiser with the Pashtun Tahafaz Movement (PTM), told Reuters. He said three PTM activists with him were put in a truck and taken away by the armed men, as uniformed Rangers stood by. They returned two days later saying they had been interrogated, threatened, punched and kicked by the unidentified men, then handed over to the Rangers, who released them. PTM, which drew nearly 10,000 people to its Karachi rally on Sunday, was founded in January in protest against alleged extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention and "disappearances" of young Pashtun men. Leaders of the emerging movement have blamed Pakistan's military for these abuses, in an unusually direct challenge to the country's most powerful institution. Now, PTM's activists themselves have started disappearing, according to Mohsin Dawar, one of the movement's leaders. PTM organisers again blame the powerful military, saying the movement's growing popularity in major cities, even amid a local media blackout, has left the security forces feeling threatened. The military's press wing did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations. In the past, the army has said it does not detain individuals without evidence. Officials from the paramilitary Rangers, which are part of the security forces and have broad powers in Karachi, also did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did the office of the Karachi Commissioner, who is the head of the city government. "Anti-state agenda" In the past month, PTM says dozens of its activists have been detained across the country, while newspaper columnists have had articles on PTM rejected. Some students and academics say they have been threatened and universities forced to call off talks about Pashtun inequality. In the week leading up to the Karachi protest, PTM's leadership said Rangers and unidentified security officials detained and interrogated more than 100 of its supporters and kept nearly 30 workers in custody. "The amount they are trying to stop us, it shows they are scared," student activist Manzoor Pashteen, who has become the face of the movement, told Reuters. "I don't think they know they are our guardians, their behaviour is that of criminals." Despite the apparent crackdown, the protest in Karachi drew nearly 10,000 people. Pashteen himself was stopped from boarding a flight from the capital, Islamabad, to Karachi on Saturday after the airline told him his ticket had been cancelled, he said, adding it took him 40 hours to drive to the city after being stopped and detained several times while on the road. While there has been no official action against the PTM, army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa said recently that "no anti-state agenda in the garb of engineered protests" would be allowed to succeed. His comments were widely interpreted as being directed at the group. Many of Pakistan's 30 million ethnic Pashtun's hail originally from the borderlands with Afghanistan, where the Pakistani Taliban controlled swathes of territory until they were pushed out by military operations in 2009 and 2014. PTM leaders say they do not want to challenge the government or undermine security, but complain Pashtuns - many of whom have moved to the cities to escape a near-decade long insurgency by Islamist militants - are unfairly targeted and suffer abuses at the hands of security forces in the name of fighting terrorism. Campus challenge In April, a week before PTM was due to stage a rally in Lahore, Habib University in Karachi and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) called off talks related to Pashtun rights organised by students and academics. On the morning of the talks, both universities received calls from security officials, including representatives of Pakistan's spy agency the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), telling them to cancel the discussions, faculty members said. "Calls were made to the administration as well as in-person visits from people who identified themselves as ISI," said a LUMS professor. "I received a call and was told to refrain from anti-military activity." Officials from the ISI did not respond to a request for comment. At Habib University, the administration received visits from security officials and a call on the morning the lecture was due to take place, three different faculty members said. Representatives from LUMS and Habib University did not respond to requests for comment. Three students who had expressed support for PTM on social media told Reuters they had received threatening calls from unknown numbers telling them to stop, adding they knew of a dozen others who had received similar calls. The same week, Punjab University professor Ammar Ali Jan said he was removed from his post for encouraging students to be vocal about human rights issues and supporting PTM. Punjab University spokesman Khurram Shahzad said Jan was dismissed because of incomplete paperwork. Pakistan's minister for state and interior affairs, Talal Chaudhry, said such actions "by unnamed forces" were part of a wider clampdown on freedom of thought in Pakistan. "We now have to listen to the people of Pakistan," Chaudhry said. "There have been very few such things in Pakistan's history where people come out on their own, to support a leaderless group," he added, referring to PTM. Relations between the army and civilian government have been increasingly strained since the removal of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by the courts last year, with some ruling party insiders accusing elements of the military of trying to destabilise it ahead of a general election expected in July. The military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half its history, denies any interference in civilian politics. Crackdown in Karachi Mohsin Dawar arrived in Karachi on May 6 and, along with other PTM leaders, began meeting local Pashtuns to plan the weekend rally. "From the day we arrived they [the Rangers] began arresting our supporters," Dawar said. People who provided PTM with logistical support, such as a place to hold their meetings, were picked up for five to six hours and threatened, he said. "They told them not to support us that we will leave Karachi but they have to continue living here," Dawar added. Karachi is where the killing of a young Pashtun, Naqeebullah Mehsud, by police in January sparked nationwide peaceful demonstrations about Pashtun rights, from which PTM emerged. Organisers say they attempted to contract vendors to supply chairs, a stage, and a sound system for the rally, but none of the equipment was delivered. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters he received a call after meeting PTM members. "They said that if even one candle was delivered to the rally, my body would never be found," he said.

Founded to protest Pakistan 'disappearances', group now sees supporters go missing

Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeeds-mml-designated-terror-group-by-us-vows-to-fight-pak-elections-128355">chief Hafiz Saeed who India alleges </a>is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is planning to setup JuD offices in all districts of Pakistan with different names to collect funds, India's intelligence sources have revealed.

Under Saeed's new strategy, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/unfriend-india-and-america-hafiz-saeed-136538">each district of Pakistan will have</a> a new trust with a name similar to the JuD, sources said. It is being done so that fund collection continues unhindered, sources added.

Hafiz Saeed who was under house arrest for most parts of last year was let of by a Pakistan court after authorities failed to furnish proof of his involvement in terror-related activities. Later, he said through his associates that he would be floating a political party to fight elections but it was nixed by the Pakistan election commission.

The US has consistently criticised Saeed's involvement in Pakistan civilian life and his ambition to join politics in the country.

As per agency reports, in case of action against JuD, it would be hard for the authorities to ban hundreds of "small trusts", sources revealed.

Intelligence sources said JuD is still active in various part of Pakistan and is actively diverting funds to orchestrate terror attacks inside India.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LXxTX2tJhDw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As per agency reports, in case of action against JuD, it would be hard for the authorities to ban hundreds of "small trusts", sources revealed.

Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who India alleges is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is planning to setup JuD offices in all districts of Pakistan with different names to collect funds, India's intelligence sources have revealed. Under Saeed's new strategy, each district of Pakistan will have a new trust with a name similar to the JuD, sources said. It is being done so that fund collection continues unhindered, sources added. Hafiz Saeed who was under house arrest for most parts of last year was let of by a Pakistan court after authorities failed to furnish proof of his involvement in terror-related activities. Later, he said through his associates that he would be floating a political party to fight elections but it was nixed by the Pakistan election commission. The US has consistently criticised Saeed's involvement in Pakistan civilian life and his ambition to join politics in the country. As per agency reports, in case of action against JuD, it would be hard for the authorities to ban hundreds of "small trusts", sources revealed. Intelligence sources said JuD is still active in various part of Pakistan and is actively diverting funds to orchestrate terror attacks inside India.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed setting up offices in all Pakistan districts, reveal intelligence sources

Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced on Tuesday that officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan finalised a joint action plan on peace, aimed at ensuring peace and stability between the two countries.

The plan, known as the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), was agreed following Pakistan Prime Minister's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visited to Afghanistan last month.

The final touches to the plan were given at the fourth meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity held in Islamabad with Abbasi and&nbsp; Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

The delegations were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.

The action plan has been finalized in pursuance of the seven principals agreed in the meeting between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Kabul last month.

"Six working committees have been formed. An agreement has been reached on issues such as war against terrorism, expansion of bilateral economic cooperation, security cooperation, curbing the scale of violence, the repatriation of refugees, political cooperation and cooperation in the peace process," MoFA deputy spokesman Sibghatullah Ahamdi was quoted by TOLOnews as saying.

"We hope that this time Pakistan acts honestly and acts upon what it has committed to," said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

Political analysts questioned Islamabad's peace approach on Kabul, saying that it is based on "deceit and lies".

On Sunday, an agreement was signed between Afghan and Pakistani officials to resolve problems regarding transit and trade between the two countries. In return, Afghan officials agreed to lift limitations and conditions on quarantine certificates for Afghan goods which are being exported to Pakistan.

On May 3, Pakistan reopened a major trade route with Afghanistan, the Ghulam Khan pass which wasn't functional for four years.

Pakistan also supported Ghani's latest peace initiative to the Taliban militant group, in what was seen as the first possible breakthrough in the thawing of frosty ties between Kabul and Islamabad.&nbsp;

The plan, known as the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), was agreed following Pakistan Prime Minister's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visited to Afghanistan last month

Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced on Tuesday that officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan finalised a joint action plan on peace, aimed at ensuring peace and stability between the two countries. The plan, known as the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), was agreed following Pakistan Prime Minister's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visited to Afghanistan last month. The final touches to the plan were given at the fourth meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity held in Islamabad with Abbasi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The delegations were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua. The action plan has been finalized in pursuance of the seven principals agreed in the meeting between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Kabul last month. "Six working committees have been formed. An agreement has been reached on issues such as war against terrorism, expansion of bilateral economic cooperation, security cooperation, curbing the scale of violence, the repatriation of refugees, political cooperation and cooperation in the peace process," MoFA deputy spokesman Sibghatullah Ahamdi was quoted by TOLOnews as saying. "We hope that this time Pakistan acts honestly and acts upon what it has committed to," said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish. Political analysts questioned Islamabad's peace approach on Kabul, saying that it is based on "deceit and lies". On Sunday, an agreement was signed between Afghan and Pakistani officials to resolve problems regarding transit and trade between the two countries. In return, Afghan officials agreed to lift limitations and conditions on quarantine certificates for Afghan goods which are being exported to Pakistan. On May 3, Pakistan reopened a major trade route with Afghanistan, the Ghulam Khan pass which wasn't functional for four years. Pakistan also supported Ghani's latest peace initiative to the Taliban militant group, in what was seen as the first possible breakthrough in the thawing of frosty ties between Kabul and Islamabad.

Afghanistan, Pakistan finalise 'Action Plan for Peace & Solidarity'

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-places-american-diplomat-colonel-joseph-emanuel-hall-on-black-list-132580">US diplomat </a>who was involved in a fatal car crash in Pakistan has left from the country, a US State Department spokesperson said on Monday, two days after the diplomat reportedly was barred from leaving the South Asian country.

"We can confirm that the American diplomat who was involved in a tragic car accident on April 7 in Islamabad has departed Pakistan," the spokesperson said&nbsp;

Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall was involved in a fatal car accident in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad as he, on April 7, jumped a red light and rammed into a motorcycle killing one Pakistani civilian.&nbsp;

A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer on duty stopped the diplomat at the airbase and seized his passport and then resorted to seeking directions from his higher authorities.

Pakistan's Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Raja Khalid has informed the IHC that placing the diplomat's name on the Exit Control List (ECL) is a very lengthy process. As of now, he can neither be arrested nor can he be tried, reported the Dawn.

Khalid even underscored that the American military attache has diplomatic immunity as per the Vienna Convention, adding, he can be tried if only his immunity is withdrawn, according to the report.

On Friday, an Islamabad court ruled that the American's diplomatic immunity might not apply in the traffic accident in which his vehicle hit a motorcycle, killing the 22-year-old driver, the Nation and the Express Tribune newspapers said.

The diplomate, earlier this month, rammed his vehicle into a motorbike after jumping a traffic signal at the intersection of Margalla Road and 7th Avenue which has three persons in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad, ratcheting up the ongoing visa/diplomatic rift between the two countries.

He was reportedly sloshed while driving the white Land Cruiser that hit three motorcyclists at a traffic signal.

Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall was involved in a fatal car accident in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad as he, on April 7, jumped a red light and rammed into a motorcycle killing one Pakistani civilian

A US diplomat who was involved in a fatal car crash in Pakistan has left from the country, a US State Department spokesperson said on Monday, two days after the diplomat reportedly was barred from leaving the South Asian country. "We can confirm that the American diplomat who was involved in a tragic car accident on April 7 in Islamabad has departed Pakistan," the spokesperson said Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall was involved in a fatal car accident in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad as he, on April 7, jumped a red light and rammed into a motorcycle killing one Pakistani civilian. A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer on duty stopped the diplomat at the airbase and seized his passport and then resorted to seeking directions from his higher authorities. Pakistan's Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Raja Khalid has informed the IHC that placing the diplomat's name on the Exit Control List (ECL) is a very lengthy process. As of now, he can neither be arrested nor can he be tried, reported the Dawn. Khalid even underscored that the American military attache has diplomatic immunity as per the Vienna Convention, adding, he can be tried if only his immunity is withdrawn, according to the report. On Friday, an Islamabad court ruled that the American's diplomatic immunity might not apply in the traffic accident in which his vehicle hit a motorcycle, killing the 22-year-old driver, the Nation and the Express Tribune newspapers said. The diplomate, earlier this month, rammed his vehicle into a motorbike after jumping a traffic signal at the intersection of Margalla Road and 7th Avenue which has three persons in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad, ratcheting up the ongoing visa/diplomatic rift between the two countries. He was reportedly sloshed while driving the white Land Cruiser that hit three motorcyclists at a traffic signal.

US diplomat involved in fatal accident leaves from Pakistan after being blacklisted

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-interior-minister-ahsan-iqbal-was-an-easy-target-says-primary-suspect-after-assassination-attempt-135300">Pakistan Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal </a>was discharged from the services hospital on Monday, a week after he was shot at a rally in Narowal.&nbsp

During his stay at the hospital, Iqbal underwent two operations. One was aimed at removing the bullet from his lower torso and the other to mend his broken elbow bone, Geo TV reported.

In a video message, Iqbal thanked the hospital authorities for providing him with the best medical treatment.

"I chose a government hospital, and the way I was treated, it restored my faith in the public health sector," he said.

Calling for achieving peace and harmony in the country, Iqbal added, "The bullet in my body will keep on reminding me that we need to make Pakistan a centre of peace and harmony. We need to struggle to remove the menace of hate from the country."

Also watch:&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistans-interior-minister-ahsan-iqbal-out-of-danger-after-being-shot-at-election-rally-135058">Pakistan's interior minister Ahsan Iqbal 'out of danger' after being shot at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistans-interior-minister-ahsan-iqbal-out-of-danger-after-being-shot-at-election-rally-135058">election</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistans-interior-minister-ahsan-iqbal-out-of-danger-after-being-shot-at-election-rally-135058"> rally</a>

The primary suspect, Abid Hussain, responsible for the assassination bid at Iqbal, reportedly said that Iqbal was an "easy target" and "belonged to his area," reports said.&nbsp

Abid fired a shot at Iqbal from a distance of 15 yards as he entered his vehicle to leave the rally venue tehsil Kanjrur. He was later arrested and is now on a 10-day physical remand. He also confessed that he had purchased a gun from a person for Rs 15,000. A 30-bore pistol was recovered from the arrested Abid.

Iqbal, 59, a senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, was hit by the bullet on his right shoulder in the attack

The suspect fired a shot at Iqbal from a distance of 15 yards as he entered his vehicle to leave the rally venue tehsil Kanjrur

Pakistan Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was discharged from the services hospital on Monday, a week after he was shot at a rally in Narowal. During his stay at the hospital, Iqbal underwent two operations. One was aimed at removing the bullet from his lower torso and the other to mend his broken elbow bone, Geo TV reported. In a video message, Iqbal thanked the hospital authorities for providing him with the best medical treatment. "I chose a government hospital, and the way I was treated, it restored my faith in the public health sector," he said. Calling for achieving peace and harmony in the country, Iqbal added, "The bullet in my body will keep on reminding me that we need to make Pakistan a centre of peace and harmony. We need to struggle to remove the menace of hate from the country." Also watch: Pakistan's interior minister Ahsan Iqbal 'out of danger' after being shot at election rally The primary suspect, Abid Hussain, responsible for the assassination bid at Iqbal, reportedly said that Iqbal was an "easy target" and "belonged to his area," reports said. Abid fired a shot at Iqbal from a distance of 15 yards as he entered his vehicle to leave the rally venue tehsil Kanjrur. He was later arrested and is now on a 10-day physical remand. He also confessed that he had purchased a gun from a person for Rs 15,000. A 30-bore pistol was recovered from the arrested Abid. Iqbal, 59, a senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, was hit by the bullet on his right shoulder in the attack

Pakistan interior minister Ahsan Iqbal released from hospital after assassination bid

Terming as very serious&nbspthe attempts by Pakistani forces to push armed terrorists across the border ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) K K Sharma said on Tuesday efforts were on to locate the infiltrators.

Five infiltrators sneaked into Hiranagar sector probably through a tunnel on Sunday night and efforts are on to detect and neutralise them, Sharma said.

Referring to the killing of a BSF jawan in firing from across the border, Sharma said the sacrifice would not go in vain and assured "appropriate action" against Pakistan.

&nbsp"Pakistan is our hostile neighbour and tries to push terrorists and violates ceasefire regularly. BSF does no initiate (ceasefire violations) from this side but whenever Pakistan initiates, we give them a befitting response,"Sharma told reporters at the BSF headquarters in&nbsp

Referring to the latest incidents along the international border, Sharma said a group of five infiltrators may have sneaked in, while another attempt was scuttled.&nbsp

There is a possibility that a group of five (terrorists) managed to sneak into this side through a tunnel on Sunday night. We have not so far detected any tunnel but are looking for it. The anti-tunneling exercise is going on,? he said.&nbsp

He said the presence of a group, comprised of five members, was confirmed through HSTI imagining. I am sure they will be detected and neutralized, the BSF chief added.

He said this (infiltration attempts and Pakistani firing) was a "very serious incident" because it had happened ahead of the scheduled visit of Prime Minister to the state on May 19.&nbsp"The BSF always gives a befitting reply to Pakistan. This time it is not going to be any exception. The martyrdom of our jawan will not go in vain and we will take appropriate action,"&nbsphe said.&nbsp

Asked about intelligence reports suggesting presence of terrorists at launching pads across the border, he said there is no second thought that a lot of terrorists were present at the launching pads and Pakistan is attempting to push them into this side.&nbsp&nbsp

&nbsp&nbspOn a smart fencing project, he said it was nearing completion. I am hopeful that it will be in place either by this month end or in the first or second week of next month and it will be inaugurated by the Union Home minister, Sharma said.

"We have planned to roll out the project to make the Pakistan border safer and secure and completely covered by the technology,"&nbsphe said.&nbsp

Technology is a big advantage as humans cannot see beyond 100 meters or listen beyond 50 meters, he said.

After the induction of smart fencing, we can pick up enemy movement three kilometres away, he said.

After the completion of cultivation (season), sniping and cross-border firing is a usual thing and the latest incidents are the part of this phenomenon," the BSF chief said.

Five infiltrators sneaked into Hiranagar sector probably through a tunnel on Sunday night and efforts are on to detect and neutralise them, Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) said.

Terming as very serious&nbspthe attempts by Pakistani forces to push armed terrorists across the border ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) K K Sharma said on Tuesday efforts were on to locate the infiltrators. Five infiltrators sneaked into Hiranagar sector probably through a tunnel on Sunday night and efforts are on to detect and neutralise them, Sharma said. Referring to the killing of a BSF jawan in firing from across the border, Sharma said the sacrifice would not go in vain and assured "appropriate action" against Pakistan. "Pakistan is our hostile neighbour and tries to push terrorists and violates ceasefire regularly. BSF does no initiate (ceasefire violations) from this side but whenever Pakistan initiates, we give them a befitting response,"Sharma told reporters at the BSF headquarters in Referring to the latest incidents along the international border, Sharma said a group of five infiltrators may have sneaked in, while another attempt was scuttled. There is a possibility that a group of five (terrorists) managed to sneak into this side through a tunnel on Sunday night. We have not so far detected any tunnel but are looking for it. The anti-tunneling exercise is going on,? he said. He said the presence of a group, comprised of five members, was confirmed through HSTI imagining. I am sure they will be detected and neutralized, the BSF chief added. He said this (infiltration attempts and Pakistani firing) was a "very serious incident" because it had happened ahead of the scheduled visit of Prime Minister to the state on May 19. "The BSF always gives a befitting reply to Pakistan. This time it is not going to be any exception. The martyrdom of our jawan will not go in vain and we will take appropriate action,"&nbsphe said. Asked about intelligence reports suggesting presence of terrorists at launching pads across the border, he said there is no second thought that a lot of terrorists were present at the launching pads and Pakistan is attempting to push them into this side. &nbspOn a smart fencing project, he said it was nearing completion. I am hopeful that it will be in place either by this month end or in the first or second week of next month and it will be inaugurated by the Union Home minister, Sharma said. "We have planned to roll out the project to make the Pakistan border safer and secure and completely covered by the technology,"&nbsphe said. Technology is a big advantage as humans cannot see beyond 100 meters or listen beyond 50 meters, he said. After the induction of smart fencing, we can pick up enemy movement three kilometres away, he said. After the completion of cultivation (season), sniping and cross-border firing is a usual thing and the latest incidents are the part of this phenomenon," the BSF chief said.

'Pak attempt to push armed infiltrators into JK ahead of PM visit very serious': Director General of BSF

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan has created history by becoming the first actor of Pakistani origin to make a Cannes debut on Monday evening. For the red carpet, Khan opted for a tube black dress with minimal makeup and red lips. She completed her look by accessorising it with a silver neckpiece and earrings.

Just before the debut, she had tweeted about a last-minute wardrobe malfunction on her Twitter handle with the caption, "On my way you guys. the dress didn`t turn up, but it`s raining and I`m nervous but maybe it`s a sign."Mahira shared stunning pictures on Instagram out of which in one of them she can be seen overlooking the blue waters, wearing a white top with a colorful dark-blue shrug.

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The caption read, "Feelin` blue never felt so good."The L`oreal brand ambassador gave major fashion goals by opting the perfect summer outfits during promotions. Actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut and Sonam Kapoor also continued the legacy by slaying at the red carpet and wowing everyone with their gorgeous outfits.

Mahira Khan chose a black off-shoulder gown for her red carpet outing.

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan has created history by becoming the first actor of Pakistani origin to make a Cannes debut on Monday evening. For the red carpet, Khan opted for a tube black dress with minimal makeup and red lips. She completed her look by accessorising it with a silver neckpiece and earrings. Just before the debut, she had tweeted about a last-minute wardrobe malfunction on her Twitter handle with the caption, "On my way you guys. the dress didn`t turn up, but it`s raining and I`m nervous but maybe it`s a sign."Mahira shared stunning pictures on Instagram out of which in one of them she can be seen overlooking the blue waters, wearing a white top with a colorful dark-blue shrug. ? #lorealpkatcannes #cannes2018 #lorealcannes A post shared by Mahira Khan (@mahirahkhan) on May 14, 2018 at 11:48am PDT × And then there are these stairs.. ? Thank you @albertaferretti ? #lorealcannes #cannes2018 #lorealpkatcannes #lorealparis A post shared by Mahira Khan (@mahirahkhan) on May 14, 2018 at 12:46pm PDT × Ode to the people I have loved so much.. and have inspired me since I was a little girl. Starting from my Ama to Minaal and Rooha... down to all my girls back home in Pakistan ??? #lorealparis #lorealcannes #cannes2018 #lorealpkatcannes A post shared by Mahira Khan (@mahirahkhan) on May 14, 2018 at 10:55am PDT × The caption read, "Feelin` blue never felt so good."The L`oreal brand ambassador gave major fashion goals by opting the perfect summer outfits during promotions. Actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut and Sonam Kapoor also continued the legacy by slaying at the red carpet and wowing everyone with their gorgeous outfits.

Mahira Khan becomes first Pakistani actor to debut at Cannes

The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (N) party issued a detailed statement on Sunday disregarding all accusations made former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying that they were "grossly misinterpreted."

The statement was posted by Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Sharif, on Twitter, which said: "PML-N would like to set the record straight on the interview of PML-N Quaid carried yesterday by DAWN. At the outset, statement of the Quaid has been grossly misinterpreted by the Indian media."

"The PML-N as the country's premier popular national political party and its Quaid need no certificate from anybody on their commitment and capacity to preserve, protect and promote Pakistan's national security," it further read, criticising opposition leaders, who have been questioning his loyalty towards Pakistan.

On May 11, Sharif in an exclusive interview to a Pakistan daily, The Dawn, had said that terrorists sent by Pakistan were responsible for the 26/11 attacks.

"Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?" Nawaz noted in the interview in a reference to the Mumbai attacks-related trials which have stalled in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court.

Pakistan has so far not completed trial in the 26/11 case.

On Sunday, it was announced that the Pakistan Army will hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the "recent misleading media statement" about Mumbai terror attack, officials said.&nbsp

Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, India Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that"Well, it is very serious disclosure. India's position has been that the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack operated from Pakistan. We strongly believe that the handlers of the attack were in Pakistan," she said.&nbsp

"It (Sharif's remarks) only proves that India's stand has been right all the way", she added, addressing a press conference in Delhi.

On May 11, Sharif in an exclusive interview to a Pakistan daily, The Dawn, had said that terrorists sent by Pakistan were responsible for the 26/11 attacks

The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (N) party issued a detailed statement on Sunday disregarding all accusations made former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying that they were "grossly misinterpreted." The statement was posted by Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Sharif, on Twitter, which said: "PML-N would like to set the record straight on the interview of PML-N Quaid carried yesterday by DAWN. At the outset, statement of the Quaid has been grossly misinterpreted by the Indian media." "The PML-N as the country's premier popular national political party and its Quaid need no certificate from anybody on their commitment and capacity to preserve, protect and promote Pakistan's national security," it further read, criticising opposition leaders, who have been questioning his loyalty towards Pakistan. On May 11, Sharif in an exclusive interview to a Pakistan daily, The Dawn, had said that terrorists sent by Pakistan were responsible for the 26/11 attacks. "Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?" Nawaz noted in the interview in a reference to the Mumbai attacks-related trials which have stalled in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court. Pakistan has so far not completed trial in the 26/11 case. On Sunday, it was announced that the Pakistan Army will hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the "recent misleading media statement" about Mumbai terror attack, officials said. Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai. Meanwhile, India Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that"Well, it is very serious disclosure. India's position has been that the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack operated from Pakistan. We strongly believe that the handlers of the attack were in Pakistan," she said. "It (Sharif's remarks) only proves that India's stand has been right all the way", she added, addressing a press conference in Delhi.

Sharif's 26/11 statement 'grossly misinterpreted': PML-N

Mohammad Amir took two wickets in quick succession to give Pakistan a boost as he returned to the fray against Ireland despite a troublesome knee injury.

The Pakistan spearhead went off just 3.2 overs into his spell during the second innings of Ireland's inaugural Test on Sunday with a recurrence of a chronic left knee problem.

It was a worrying sign for Pakistan, who next play a warm-up match against Leicestershire (May 19-20) before facing England in a two-Test series, with back-to-back fixtures at Lord's (May 24-28) and Headingley (June 1-5), leaving little time for rest and recovery.

Following-on, Ireland started the fourth day on 64 without loss. Amir did not come into the attack until Monday's ninth over, with the hosts 81 for two after Ed Joyce was lbw by Andrew Balbirnie for his second nought of the match to Mohammad Abbas.

Amir struck on Monday when he clean bowled Niall O'Brien (18) - a wicket greeted with his usual arms-outstretched celebration. And 94 for three became 95 for four when Amir had Ireland captain William Porterfield (32) edging to wicket-keeper and Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed.&nbsp

At that stage, Amir had taken two wickets for no runs in six balls.&nbsp

After a spell of two wickets for 10 runs in seven overs, including three maidens, Amir left the field some 25 minutes before the scheduled lunch break.

He was back on the field before the interval but did not bowl again in Monday's first session. 
&nbsp

The Pakistan spearhead went off just 3.2 overs into his spell

Mohammad Amir took two wickets in quick succession to give Pakistan a boost as he returned to the fray against Ireland despite a troublesome knee injury. The Pakistan spearhead went off just 3.2 overs into his spell during the second innings of Ireland's inaugural Test on Sunday with a recurrence of a chronic left knee problem. It was a worrying sign for Pakistan, who next play a warm-up match against Leicestershire (May 19-20) before facing England in a two-Test series, with back-to-back fixtures at Lord's (May 24-28) and Headingley (June 1-5), leaving little time for rest and recovery. Following-on, Ireland started the fourth day on 64 without loss. Amir did not come into the attack until Monday's ninth over, with the hosts 81 for two after Ed Joyce was lbw by Andrew Balbirnie for his second nought of the match to Mohammad Abbas. Amir struck on Monday when he clean bowled Niall O'Brien (18) - a wicket greeted with his usual arms-outstretched celebration. And 94 for three became 95 for four when Amir had Ireland captain William Porterfield (32) edging to wicket-keeper and Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed. At that stage, Amir had taken two wickets for no runs in six balls. After a spell of two wickets for 10 runs in seven overs, including three maidens, Amir left the field some 25 minutes before the scheduled lunch break. He was back on the field before the interval but did not bowl again in Monday's first session.

Pakistan's Mohammad Amir strikes on return against Ireland

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