Washington: Nawaz Sharif, poised for a record third term as Pakistan Prime Minister after his party's emphatic win in the landmark general elections, has vowed to pursue better relations with the US while seeking "warmer ties" with India. In an interview to The Wall Street Journal after the impressive victory of Pakistan Muslim League-N in the polls, Sharif recalled that his country's relationship with the US was quite good when...
01:58 PM, May 13, 2013
Gurdaspur: India's forgotten spies are back in focus after the tragic death of Indian prisoner Sarbajit Singh, but Delhi never accepted that he was a spy. Recruited from India's border villages by intelligence agencies, spies often spend decades in Pakistani jails, but are hardly ever acknowledged. Former spy Surjit Singh, who spent 31 years in Pakistani jails, says he was lucky not to suffer Sarabjit's fate. "I was lucky to...
12:19 PM, May 13, 2013
New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi accused the UPA government of bonding with the enemies and attacked the Centre's foreign policy, while addressing the Indian diaspora in the US via video conferencing on Monday. "Our army personnel get decapitated and we send chicken biryani to the prime minister of the country responsible for it. I can't understand why the Indian government is asking its own troops to withdraw from...
10:51 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad: Voters in Pakistan have given a mandate to PML-N's Nawaz Sharif, who is set to become Prime Minister for a record third time. With 272 national assembly seats, 137 is the simple majority mark - and right now PML-N is leading in 125. The big gainer is Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf Party which has won 31 seats. But as there was jubilation in the Nawaz Sharif camp, there was gloom...
10:51 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad/Lahore: Party-wise National Assembly results: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - 125 (Unofficial, Geo News) Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) - 31 (Unofficial, Geo News) Independent - 31 (Unofficial, Geo News) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - 32 (Unofficial, Geo News) Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI) - 10 (Unofficial, Geo News) Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) - 3 Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) - 3 Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - 17 Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) - 2 National Party...
07:57 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad: At least 15 people were killed and four others injured on Sunday when the gas cylinder of a passenger van exploded in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, a media report said. The passenger van carrying over 20 people was on its way to Bannu from Miranshah when its gas cylinder exploded in Khajori area of North Waziristan along the border with Afghanistan, Xinhua reported citing Dunya TV. All the victims...
04:33 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad: There has been a delay in the announcement of results of the general elections in Pakistan due to the "transparent process" and "legal procedures" adopted by the election commission, a top official said on Sunday. Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan, however, said that there should be no doubt about the poll results, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Addressing a news conference Khan said the delay in...
04:22 AM, May 13, 2013
United Nations: Congratulating the people of Pakistan on the successful elections, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday applauded the courage and determination of political parties to engage in the electoral process despite the challenging security situation ahead of the voting. "The Secretary-General congratulates the people and government of Pakistan on the successful conduct of national and provincial elections on 11 May 2013," said a UN statement. "This is the...
01:32 AM, May 13, 2013
Nadiad: Union Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel on Sunday expressed confidence that Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan government will bring a new perspective to Indo-Pak relations. "A new government is going to be formed in Pakistan led by Nawaz Sharif. I believe this will bring a new perspective to Indo-Pak relations and mark a new beginning in the relationship between the two countries," Patel told reporters in Nadiad on Sunday. The Union...
01:21 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad: A suicide attacker blew himself up near the official residence of the provincial police chief in Quetta city of southwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing four persons and injuring about 58 others. The bomber detonated his explosive vest near the home of Balochistan Police chief Mushtaq Sukhera late this evening. Four persons were killed instantly. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors said several of them were...
01:03 AM, May 13, 2013
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday congratulated PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif for his "emphatic victory" in the general elections in Pakistan. Following is the text of his letter to Sharif: Dear Mian Saheb, I am writing to extend to you my heartiest congratulations on your emphatic victory in the general elections in Pakistan. You have received a strong mandate to lead Pakistan towards a stable, peaceful and prosperous...
12:53 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad/Lahore: Party-wise National Assembly results: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - 125 (Unofficial, Geo News) Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) - 31 (Unofficial, Geo News) Independent - 31 (Unofficial, Geo News) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - 32 (Unofficial, Geo News) Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI) - 10 (Unofficial, Geo News) Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) - 3 Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) - 3 Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - 17 Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) - 2 National Party...
12:17 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad/Lahore: Party-wise National Assembly results: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - 125 (Unofficial, Geo News) Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) - 31 (Unofficial, Geo News) Independent - 31 (Unofficial, Geo News) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - 32 (Unofficial, Geo News) Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI) - 10 (Unofficial, Geo News) Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) - 3 Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) - 3 Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - 17 Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) - 2 National Party...
12:17 AM, May 13, 2013
Islamabad: Leaders of many countries on Sunday felicitated Nawaz Sharif on his party's victory in the general elections in Pakistan. Sharif was on Sunday poised to return to power after a 14-year hiatus, as results of the elections started trickling in. Those who telephoned Sharif included King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed-al Nahyan,...
10:49 PM, May 12, 2013
Washington: US President Barack Obama on Sunday congratulated Pakistan on successful completion of parliamentary elections and said his administration is ready to work "as equal partners" with the new government. "I congratulate the people of Pakistan on the successful completion of parliamentary elections. The United States stands with all Pakistanis in welcoming this historic, peaceful and transparent transfer of civilian power, which is a significant milestone in Pakistan's democratic progress,"...
10:40 PM, May 12, 2013
Lahore: The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) supporters took to the streets in Lahore in droves on Sunday to celebrate the victory of Nawaz Sharif's party in a landmark general election that marked the first democratic transition in Pakistan's troubled history. Overwhelmed by the victory, the PML-N supporters fired in the air at several places in Lahore, violating the Election Commission's code of conduct. However, police remained silent spectators...
10:13 PM, May 12, 2013
Srinagar: With voters in Pakistan defying the Taliban and turning out in high numbers for the general elections, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has urged the people of his state to take cue and ignore poll boycott calls made by separatists. "Good reason for Kashmiris to ignore boycott calls," Omar Abdullah tweeted on Sunday. "Given the bloody election Pakistan has seen I hope they now realise that there...
09:34 PM, May 12, 2013
Islamabad: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's party on Sunday won two seats despite announcing a boycott of the 2013 general elections. Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) won a seat each for the National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's provincial assembly from Chitral's NA-32 and PK-90 constituency. The APML had announced a boycott of the general elections after the rejection of Musharraf's nomination papers from all provinces and the imposition...
09:26 PM, May 12, 2013
Islamabad: Crickter-turned-politician Imran Khan on Sunday said his party would act as a "solid Opposition" even as he alleged that the general elections in Pakistan were marred by rigging in some provinces. "The greatest strength of democracy is a solid opposition, which was not there in Pakistan for the past 10 years. Till now there was friendly Opposition. We will tell the people the benefit of a good Opposition," Khan,...
08:55 PM, May 12, 2013
Islamabad: Nawaz Sharif, who was on Sunday poised to return to power in Pakistan after a 14-year hiatus, said a new round of talks will be resumed with India on the Kashmir issue, a media report said. Addressing media persons after his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the leading party in the general election, Sharif said he will also hold talks with the US on a number of issues,...
08:39 PM, May 12, 2013
