Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister-in-waiting and current chief minister of the powerful Punjab province, is considered the more intelligent younger brother of the charismatic three-time premier Nawaz. Shahbaz Sharif was named as his brother’s successor Saturday, becoming heir to the Sharif political dynasty — but first he will have to contest elections to … Read more
Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif named his brother Shahbaz, the chief minister of Punjab province, as his successor and nominated ex-oil minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as an interim premier in a defiant speech Saturday. “I support Shahbaz Sharif after me but he will take time to contest elections so for the time being I … Read more
Pakistan’s ruling party was to meet with parliamentarians Saturday to begin nominations for an interim prime minister after the Supreme Court ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, a polarising move which plunged the country into political uncertainty. Sharif became the 15th prime minister in Pakistan’s 70-year history, which it has been under military rule for roughly half … Read more
The ousting of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has left a power vacuum at the top of the nuclear-armed country, yet experts say that in the long run it is unlikely to be destabilising. Sharif’s disqualification Friday by the Supreme Court over corruption allegations denies him the chance of becoming the country’s first prime minister … Read more
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from public office over long-running corruption allegations, a decision that ousts him from the premiership for the third time. The ruling saw political instability take hold in Pakistan once again, dissolving Cabinet and leaving the country without a sitting prime minister. General elections are scheduled … Read more
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif resigns after probe into his family’s wealth Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country’s Supreme Court to disqualify him from office. The ruling came after a probe into his family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif’s children to offshore companies. Mr Sharif … Read more
Pakistan’s three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, whose power base earned him the moniker “Lion of Punjab”, is a political survivor who has repeatedly roared back to the country’s top office. Sharif scored a hat trick Friday after being ousted from office yet again — this time after being disqualified by the Supreme Court. But the 67-year-old … Read more
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was Friday ousted from the top office by the Supreme Court, but as the head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party he will be able to nominate his successor. Sharif’s chosen candidate will be put to a vote in the National Assembly — a rubber stamp affair as … Read more
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over long-running corruption allegations, a highly anticipated decision that forces him out of office. “He is disqualified as a member of the parliament so he has ceased to be holding the office of Prime Minister,” Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan told the packed courtroom. The court … Read more
Pakistan’s Supreme Court was set to announce a new judgement Friday that could topple Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is embroiled in a long-running corruption case that has gripped the country. Around 3,000 police and paramilitary forces were to be deployed around the court in Islamabad ahead of the ruling, due to be announced Friday … Read more
Terror in Kashmir has a new name after a prominent young militant was named as the head of a new Al-Qaeda-linked group in the disputed Himalayan territory. The move has been described by Indian police Thursday as an ‘ideological shift’ in the long-running conflict with the Islamist movement now usurping the traditional ‘separatist’ movement in … Read more
A prominent young Kashmiri militant has been named as the head of a new Al-Qaeda-linked group in the disputed Himalayan territory, a move described by Indian police Thursday as an “ideological shift” in the long-running conflict. The declaration, by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated propaganda channel, marks the first time the international jihadist group has pushed so far … Read more
An Indian court ordered Tuesday that seven Kashmiri separatists be held in police custody for allegedly funding militant groups and stoking unrest in the disputed Himalayan region. Federal agents swooped on the members of the “Hurriyat” (freedom) movement in raids across New Delhi and Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar on Monday. The National Investigation Agency … Read more
A typeface has sparked uproar in Pakistan after documents using the font were produced in a corruption case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif — despite being dated a year before the design was released. Microsoft’s Calibri font was used to type certified papers naming Sharif’s daughter Maryam as a trustee for several of the family’s … Read more
Authorities imposed a curfew Wednesday in parts of Indian-administered Kashmir after three rebels were killed in a firefight with government forces, police said. The shootout overnight, west of the main city of Srinagar, comes amid high tension after suspected militants shot dead seven Hindu pilgrims and injured 19 others in the disputed Himalayan territory. Soldiers … Read more
Pakistan’s governing party has rejected as “trash” a corruption report accusing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of living beyond his means, the latest in long-running allegations which sparked fresh calls Tuesday for him to resign. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of civilian and military investigators issued its report Monday claiming there was a “significant disparity” in … Read more
Militants killed six Hindu pilgrims and wounded 14 others Monday in Indian-administered Kashmir, police told AFP, after their bus came under attack. India’s Central Reserve Police Force, which provides security for the two-month long annual pilgrimage, said gunmen first opened fire on a security checkpoint but no injuries were reported. “Militants further attacked the pilgrims’ … Read more
An Indian woman who claims to be the secret granddaughter of the murdered former prime minister Indira Gandhi has gone to court to block a new Bollywood movie that she says shows the dynasty in a bad light. Priya Singh Paul, 48, told a press conference on Monday she had been adopted as a baby … Read more
Government forces threw tear gas and clashed with stone-throwing protesters in Indian Kashmir on Saturday, as the volatile Himalayan region marked the anniversary of a hugely popular rebel leader’s death. Thousands of troops have fanned out across Indian-administered Kashmir, where authorities have imposed a widespread curfew and cut off all internet services after separatist leaders … Read more
India on Saturday imposed a widespread curfew, cut off all internet services and deployed thousands of troops in Kashmir as the volatile Himalayan region marked the anniversary of a hugely popular rebel leader’s death. Residents of Indian-administered Kashmir said the restrictions on movement were some of the strictest they had seen, with some villagers told … Read more