Pakistan passes long-awaited anti-honour killing legislation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan passed long-awaited legislation on Thursday closing a loophole that allowed people who killed for “honour” to walk free, three months after the murder of a social media star by her brother sparked international revulsion.

The legislation, passed unanimously by the National Assembly, mandates life imprisonment even if the victim’s relatives forgive the murderer.

The assembly also passed a bill increasing the punishments for some rape offences, mandating DNA testing and making the rape of a minor or the disabled punishable by life imprisonment or death.

Modi urges calm, vows action against Uri perpetrators

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said there was pan-India fury after the Uri terror attack, in which 18 soldiers were killed, but urged the people to exercise restraint and channel their energies in a constructive way to help the country progress.

Opening his monthly radio broadcast Mann ki Baat with condemnation against the “cowardly” cross-border terror strike, Modi vowed that its perpetrators would not be spared.

China to support Pakistan against foreign aggression

LAHORE: In the wake of rising tensions at borders with India, China has assured in unequivocal terms its support in case of any foreign aggression and also supported Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir dispute, according to a press release issued by the Punjab Chief Minister Office.

“In case of any [foreign] aggression our country will extend its full support to Pakistan,” Consul General of China in Lahore Yu Boren was quoted as saying by the CM Office on Friday.

PML-N woman activist accuses party leaders of harassment

PESHAWAR: PML-N women wing’s Chitral district president Bibi Jan has accused some of her party’s local leaders of hatching a conspiracy to kill her and demanded of the top leadership to take serious notice of the party’s situation in the area.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Bibi Jan said that she had started her political career from student life and took part in social gatherings, but later joined PML-N to serve the people of her district.

Russian troops arrive for first ever joint military exercise with Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: A contingent of Russian ground forces arrived in Pakistan on Friday for the first ever joint Pak-Russian exercise kicking off Sept 24.The two-week-long exercise is expected to continue until Oct 10, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa said.

The exercises with Russian ground forces come at a time when tensions between Pakistan and India are running high following an attack on the Uri military camp in India-held Kashmir.Around 200 military personnel of both countries will participate in the drills, Radio Pakistan reported.

US to stay engaged with Pakistan ‘long into the future’

WASHINGTON: The United States would continue to stay engaged with Pakistan and provide it economic assistance “long into the future”, said a US State Department spokesperson following a congressional debate, which also explored the possibility of sanctioning Islamabad.

In a statement shared with Dawn, the State Department also emphasised the need for Pakistan to take immediate steps to stop cross-border terrorist attacks into Afghanistan.

At least 10 injured in Shikarpur suicide blast during Eid prayers

SHIKARPUR: At least 10 people, including two policemen, were injured in a suicide blast during Eid prayers in Shikarpur's Khanpur tehsil on Monday. Police also foiled a separate suicide blast at an imambargah in the tehsil.

Police sources said four suicide attackers infiltrated Khanpur during Eid prayers.

Two attackers targeted an Eid prayer ground where one attacker blew himself up, injuring 10 people, two of whom were policemen. The other attacker fled, police sources said.

Two other attackers targeted an imambargah but were stopped by police at the entrance on account of appearing suspicious. As the attackers attempted to flee, one was gunned down by a cop, whereas the other was arrested.

Those injured in the blast have been admitted to hospitals in Shikarpur for treatment.

UK responds to reference against Altaf

ISLAMABAD: The British government has passed on a reference seeking punitive action against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain to London’s Metropolitan Police, the interior ministry announced on Saturday.

The UK Home Office also confirmed that it had written to Pakistan in response to the reference sent last month, seeking action against Mr Hussain for inciting violence in Pakistan.

According to the ministry’s statement,

Qadri distances himself from Imran’s Raiwind march

LAHORE: In a significant development, Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehr­eek (PAT) has distanced its­elf from the Pakistan Tahre­ek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Raiwind march.

Mr Qadri announced on Saturday that the PAT would not participate in the PTI’s Raiwind march as it might lead to siege of the private residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Qadri has supported the stance of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid which had opposed staging a sit-in outside the Jati Umra residence of the premier.

Stranded workers start returning from Saudi Arabia

KARACHI: Pakistani workers sacked by some construction companies in Saudi Arabia continue to return home, with a group of 10 workers reaching here on Saturday.

The number of labourers coming back is low but it is part of an ongoing process of workers returning home after not receiving their dues.

It all began about eight months ago when one after the other groups such

Search operation for missing US climbers called off

ISLAMABAD: The search and rescue operation for two missing climbers, Kyle Dempster, 34, and Scott Adamson, 33, has been called off after no traces of the two men were found, the Alpine Club of Pakistan announced on Thursday.

“I knew Kyle Dempster personally. He was the toughest climber alive. But even someone as strong as him cannot last 18 days in a hostile environment such as that of the mountains in the Karakorum,” said ACP spokesperson Karrar Haidri.

Pushing India into NSG at Pakistan’s expense counterproductive

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s perspective on US efforts to help India join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), while shunning Islamabad, finally echoed in the US Congress on Thursday where the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee learned from witnesses that this policy could worsen the nuclear race in South Asia.

Witnesses, and some lawmakers,

‘Financier’ of Mumbai attacks being probed

ISLAMABAD: The prosecution in the Mumbai attacks case informed the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) that the recently-arrested alleged financier of the attacks was still being investigated and a separate challan would be submitted to the court on September 22.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) last month arrested Sufyan Zafar on the charge of financing the Nov 2008 attacks in Mumbai. The accused had been declared a proclaimed offender in 2011 when the ATC indicted seven people, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind.

United States not considering sanctions on Pakistan, assures State Department

ISLAMABAD: The US State Department on Tuesday clarified that it was by no means considering the option of putting sanctions on Pakistan, however, it wanted Pakistan to go after all the terrorist groups that are operating or seeking safe haven on its soil.

According to the transcript of press briefing released by US State Department, Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said United Stated was holding “conversations with the highest level of the Government of Pakistan”.

PTI stages walkout from NA as Imran terms speaker 'biased'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday lambasted National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for 'victimising' him and alleged that Sadiq is no longer an impartial speaker.

Members of the PTI staged a walkout from the House after Imran's remarks in the NA.

Speaking to journalists outside the NA, Khan said, "I referred to him as Ayaz

Flood alert in Pakistan as India may release river waters

 Islamabad: The Pakistan Met Department has issued an alert on the chances of riverine flooding as India is likely to release rainwater upstream from its rivers after September 1.

“Currently, all water reservoirs in India have reached the maximum conservation level and it is expected that the showers that are expected on Wednesday and Thursday would prompt India to release extra water in the rivers, which would likely generate riverine flood in Pakistan,” PMD Director-General Ghulam Rasul told the Express News.

He added that although India, before