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Business Recorder
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PML-N's Hafiz Abdul Karim elected member of Senate
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) clinched the Senate seat from Punjab as Hafiz Abdul Karim got elected as the member of the upper house of the Parliament on Monday. The PML-N-backed candidate got 243 votes and became Senator on the seat that fell vacant after the demise of Prof Sajid Mir. The voting began at 9:00am and continued until 4:00pm. A total of 345 members cast their votes for the seat, with four candidates in the race. The PML-N appointed Chief Whip Rana Arshad as its polling agent, while the opposition nominated Rana Shehbaz for the role. The candidates include PML-N's Hafiz Abdul Karim, PTI's Mehr Abdul Sattar, and independent contenders Khadija Siddiqi and Ejaz Minhas. The newly elected Senator, Hafiz Abdul Karim, expressed gratitude to the PML-N leadership and allied parties' members, pledging to raise a strong voice in the Upper House for the betterment of the country and public welfare. He vowed to actively represent Punjab and contribute to national policymaking. PML-N Chief Whip Rana Muhammad Arshad stated that the ruling coalition members remained united and fully followed the party leadership's instructions. Party leader Shoaib Siddiqui expressed confidence that Hafiz Abdul Karim would effectively represent Punjab, the country's largest province, in the Senate. During the voting process, PML-N senior leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif cut short her visit to flood-affected areas to arrive at the Punjab Assembly to ensure support for her party's candidate. Both the ruling alliance and opposition actively campaigned for their respective candidates throughout the election process. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
News18
10-06-2025
- Business
- News18
Pakistan Boosts Defence Spending By 20% Amid Record Debt And Economic Woes
Last Updated: The PKR 2.55 trillion defense allocation is the largest budget outlay after interest payments, which account for a massive PKR 8207 billion. Pakistan is set to boost its defence spending by nearly 20% in its annual budget for fiscal year 2025-26, allocating PKR 2550 billion for its military. This significant increase, the highest in recent years, comes as the nation grapples with its highest-ever public debt, potentially raising concerns about the utilization of international aid. Defence Budget Surges Amid Record Debt The PKR 2550 billion defense allocation is the largest budget outlay after interest payments, which account for a massive PKR 8207 billion. This substantial rise in military spending follows Operation Sindoor- a significant military response undertaken by India targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following Pahalgam attack- and comes even as Pakistan's overall debt burden reached unprecedented levels. According to Pakistan's Economic Survey, the total Public Debt of Pakistan, ending March 2025, hit PKR 76007 billion- its highest-ever mark. This figure has doubled in the last four years and increased fivefold over the past decade. India could cite this significant defense increase to question if International Monetary Fund (IMF) aid to Pakistan is being used to arm itself against India. Pakistan's Economic Survey Paints Grim Picture Pakistan's Economic Survey highlighted a concerning situation in Pakistan's agriculture sector, which is currently in dire straits. Growth in this vital sector plummeted from 6.4% to just 0.56% in the previous financial year. The outlook for the current year could worsen further due to anticipated water shortages in the Indus Water basin. The interview, which initially touched on Pakistan's recent removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, took a sharp turn when the conversation shifted to the country's historical record on terrorism and alleged complicity in harboring extremist elements. Responding to questions about Pakistan's past, Sherry Rehman said, 'You keep on talking about the past… because it was." She added, 'We are fighting terrorism… Pakistan is a changed country now." When pressed further on Pakistan's past tolerance of terrorism, specifically highlighting that Sajid Mir, a key plotter of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was only arrested after years of official denial about his presence in the country, Sherry Rehman said, 'You're citing a long history of engaging with terrorism one way or the other… either fighting it or otherwise."
NDTV
04-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Terrorism Survives On...": Asaduddin Owaisi To NDTV On Op Sindoor Outreach
New Delhi: Asaduddin Owaisi, MP from Hyderabad and member of the government's all-party global outreach delegation on Operation Sindoor, told NDTV today that all four nations he visited have had a taste of terrorism and have close relations not just with Pakistan but India as well. Mr Owaisi was part of Jay Panda's team that went to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria and Bahrain. Asked about all four nations standing by Pakistan earlier in terms of funding and OIC (the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) vis-a-vis efforts to place Pakistan in the FATF grey list, in an exclusive interview to NDTV, Mr Owaisi said the government would know better regarding that. "Our responsibility was to put forward in front of all these four countries that terrorism survives on this ideology of which even devil would be shy of accepting it. And secondly, by legal money," he said. Giving a checklist of the legal funds Pakistan is receiving, which was also placed before the interlocutors from the four nations, Mr Owaisi said Pakistan is getting $2 billion loan from the IMF, and "40 billion they are trying from the World Bank". "When we went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we had reminded them that the kingdom had given some 2 billion and now they have extended a loan of 12 billion," he said, questioning where all this money is going. "Our presentation in front of our interlocutors was that this money is not being monitored. It is going into these core commanders, from core commanders to these terrorist groups, which in turn are killing Indians," he said. His team, he added, had sought help bringing Pakistan under the FATF grey list as happened in 2018 and 2019. In this connection, he said he had also recounted Pakistan's U-turn on terrorist Sajid Mir, the main planner of 26/11 attack in Mumbai. Pakistan had repeatedly claimed that Sajid Mir is dead. But "when this FATF meeting was being held in Germany, immediately Pakistan came up and to the surprise of everyone, not to the Indians, they said, oh, Sajid Mir is alive and he was later convicted," Mr Owaisi said. "We also reminded them that from 2018 onwards, till 22, Pakistan was on FATF (grey list) and there was a close monitoring on their finances and all the neighboring countries were safe," he said. "We told them all of us are victims of this terrorism and the best you can do is to ensure Pakistan is brought in FATF. We have nothing against the Pakistani people, but it is the deep state, it is the military and these terror groups who are thriving and being aided and promoted by the Pakistani army over there. They should be controlled," he added. The 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-terror funding agency, includes nations that have fallen short of sticking to key parameters that include combating terror. New Delhi had earlier expressed disappointment that international agencies transferred billions in "aid" to Islamabad in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and the subsequent military escalation by the Pakistan Army.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
In Riyadh, Asaduddin Owaisi targets Pakistan Army chief: ‘US-designated terrorist sitting with Asim Munir'
Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) said there are "clear evidence" of Pakistan's involvement with terrorism. Speaking at an interaction in Riyadh, Asaduddin Owaisi, who is a member of the all-party delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Baijayant Panda, pointed out the promotion of Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir as Field Marshal and how a US-designated terrorist was seen sitting beside him at a celebratory event. The AIMIM chief also referred to a photo to prove his point. Citing the need to control the terror funding to terrorist organisations, Owaisi urged that Pakistan should be put back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. "Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations. When this person (Asim Munir) was made a Field Marshal in Pakistan, a US-designated terrorist called Mohammad Ehsan was sitting right beside the Field Marshal. There are photographs of him shaking hands with this field marshal," Owaisi said. "There is clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement," he added. The AIMIM leader said that terror groups are prospering and being trained in Pakistan, and their aim is to destabilise India, to manufacture more Hindu-Muslim riots in the nation. According to the specially designated nationals (SDN) list on the official website of the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), "Ahsan, Muhammad (aka Ehsan Muhammad, aka Ihsan Muhammad, aka Ullah Ehsan), Sialkot, Pakistan, Islamabad, born in 1970, alternatively in 1971, and again alternative year 1972, in Sialkot, is designated under the "Secondary sanctions risk, section 1(b) of Executive Order 13244, as amended by Executive Order 13886 (individual)." He is linked to the terrorist outfit 'Lashkar-e-Taiba'. Meanwhile, Owaisi further backed his call to add Pakistan back to the FATF grey list and recalled that after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Indian investigators provided Islamabad with all the evidence, but still, they did not take any action. "What made Pakistan move forward in this terrorist trial was when it was put on the FATF grey list," Owaisi said. He further exposed Pakistan's lie about the Mumbai attacks' key accused, Sajid Mir. "One meeting was held in Germany, and India wanted one Sajid Mir to be indicted, but Pakistan said he's dead... Pakistan came up to the Committee of FATF and said Sajid Mir is alive. Can you imagine the country which was saying he's dead, suddenly, he's alive?" Owaisi asked. The AIMIM chief clarified and busted the rumour spread by the Pakistani government that Indian courts had allegedly convicted Mir for some 5-10 years, but the main culprits were still scot-free. "They were convicted for money laundering, not for terrorism," he added. The AIMIM chief added that Indian investigating agencies had recorded conversations between the 26/11 attacker and their handlers in Pakistan, providing it to Islamabad as evidence. "The Indian legal system followed all the due process of law, and Ajmal Kasab was sentenced to death, and he revealed many things. Our agencies were capable enough to record the audio conversations in which the terrorist group, sitting in Pakistan, were having with terrorists who were killing Indians in five-star hotels, and those conversations they were clearly told them not to lose heart, kill as many Indians as you can, and you'll go to Jannat. This was the conversation that was recorded," Owaisi stated. He further recalled that after the 2016 attack on the Indian Air Force's Pathankot Airbase, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone to Pakistan uninvited and called on Islamabad to send its own team to India to get clear evidence and even then, nothing happened. "Pathankot happened, after my Prime Minister went to Pakistan, uninvited, and I want to put it on record, I was the one who criticised him for going over there. Many opposition parties criticised why my Prime Minister went uninvited from Afghanistan to Nawaz Sharif's place. Our air base was attacked, and we lost many personnel over there," he said in Riyadh. Owaisi added, 'The Prime Minister said Pakistan wants proof; you (Pakistan) send your own team. Can you imagine any country inviting a neighbouring country's spy agency? They were invited, they were given all the records, but nothing moved, nothing happened. If the question is - why don't we speak to Pakistan, who do we speak to in Pakistan?' In addition to Owaisi, the Baijayant Panda-led delegation includes Nishikant Dubey (BJP), Phangnon Konyak (BJP), Rekha Sharma (BJP), Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad; and Ambassador Harsh Shringla. These all-party delegation teams, the key part of India's global outreach program on Operation Sindoor, are tasked with briefing the nation's international country partners about New Delhi's stance on terrorism and its fight against the same. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 by the Indian armed forces to carry out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The forces had destroyed nine terror camps, and killed over 100 terrorists in Operation Sindoor. This operation was launched as a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Mint
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Pakistan must be put back on FATF grey list: Asaduddin Owaisi in Saudi Arabia
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said on Wednesday that Pakistan "must be put back" on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. He said, "That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations." Owaisi is part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria. Speaking at the interaction in Riyadh, Owaisi claimed that terrorist organisations are being trained in Pakistan and are trying to create unrest in India. Owaisi also pointed to a photo showing a US-designated terrorist sitting next to Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, saying it shows clear links to terrorism. He said, '…When this person [Asim Munir] was made a Field Marshal in Pakistan, a US-designated terrorist called Mohammad Ehsan was sitting right beside the Field Marshal. There are photographs of him shaking hands with this field marshal.' "There is clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement. These terror groups are prospering over there, they are being trained over there, and the whole task is to destabilise India to create more Hindu Muslim riots in India," Owaisi said. Owaisi said that Pakistan first claimed key accused Sajid Mir was dead, but later admitted he was alive under FATF scrutiny. 'After 26/11, my government, headed by the then Prime Minister, late Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian investigators went to Pakistan, gave them all the evidence, but you'll be surprised to know that nothing moved forward,' he said. 'What made Pakistan move forward in this terrorist trial was when Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list. One meeting was held in Germany, and India wanted one Sajid Mir to be indicted, but Pakistan said he's dead...,' Owaisi added. He said, 'Pakistan came up to the Committee of FATF and said Sajid Mir is alive. Can you imagine the country which was saying he's dead, suddenly, he's alive? And then the Pakistani government said that our courts have convicted him for some 5 to 10 years, but the main culprits of the 26/11 are still scot-free.' "They were convicted of money laundering, not for terrorism," Owaisi said. FATF means Financial Action Task Force. When the FATF places a jurisdiction under increased monitoring, it means the country has committed to resolve swiftly the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes and is subject to increased monitoring. This list is often externally referred to as the grey list. FATF grey list, also known as "Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring', identifies countries that are actively working with the FATF to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.
