Islamabad, July 10 (IANS) Over 24 Christian families have been forced to flee their homes in Pakistan after allegations of blasphemy against a pastor living in the US sparked fears of mob violence, a report has highlighted. Joseph Nayyar, a human rights advocate, said tensions erupted in Jhulan village of Gujranwala division in Punjab province on July 3 after announcements from loudspeakers in mosques accused Pastor Sajeel Robin of sharing videos on social media that were considered against Isla…
Latest Pakistan News & Updates
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Pakistan’s economic growth is expected to slow in the current fiscal year as higher energy costs and pressure on foreign remittances weigh on the economy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in its latest outlook, according to a report.A report published in Dawn said that the lender has revised down Pakistan’s GDP growth forecast for FY27 to 3.7 per cent from the 4.5 per cent projected in April, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO).The ADB cautioned that t…
Islamabad, July 10 (IANS) The demolition of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Pakistan’s Farooqabad has left portions of the historic shrine in rubble after a local businessman allegedly carried out the work without legal clearance or court order. Authorities acknowledged the demolition only after Sikh residents of Farooqabad took to the streets to protest the incident, a report has stated. “For the Sikh community of Farooqabad, the night of June 24 was not an abstraction. …
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Pakistan’s troubles appear far from over. Even as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has called for intensified protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has also escalated its activities in Balochistan, adding to Islamabad’s growing challenges.Casualties among Pakistan’s security personnel have risen sharply over the past few months. The scale of the losses is evident from the fact that 38 security personnel were killed bet…
London, July 10 (IANS) The UK government is expected to announce changes to legislation that currently prevents the deportation of the Rochdale grooming gang’s ringleader to Pakistan, according to local media reports. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering whether the changes will be introduced through fast-tracked legislation or as an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill. Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang, who served 14 years for several rapes and sexual…
Islamabad, July 10 (IANS) Several civil society activists, lawyers and journalists in Pakistan called for the withdrawal of Punjab’s ‘Habitual Offenders’ bill, describing it as “regressive” and warning that if enacted, the legislation would have a corrosive impact on human rights protections in the country.Addressing a round table organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), human rights lawyer Asad Jamal said that the primary intent of the bill was to enable the state to legally…
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Bangladesh now ranks second globally for non‑performing loans, with nearly one‑third of bank lending classified as defaulted, a new report has said.The report from Bangladesh-based The Business Standard said the country also has the highest NPL ratio among SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations largely due to weak credit discipline, politically influenced lending and poor loan recovery.Ukraine tops the global list with an NPL ratio of 37.35…
Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched a major statewide operation to investigate alleged contacts between individuals in the state and Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, with the agency questioning 112 people identified so far in connection with the case.According to an official statement by the Maharashtra ATS, teams from all 14 ATS units across the state began the action at around 7 a.m. on Friday. The teams have been visiting the locations of indi…
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Encounter – a word that originally meant a meeting or clash has, in India, become a euphemism for police shootings of suspects in a shift that was reignited after a recent West Bengal event which has reopened debates about rule of law, accountability, and political rhetoric.The West Bengal government has now assigned the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the “encounter” killing of one of the four people accused in the alleged rape and murder of a 12…
Brussels, July 10 (IANS) The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning the abduction, forced conversion, and child marriage of underage girls from religious minorities in Pakistan, while expressing concerns over the broader pattern of such abuses.According to the European Parliament, the resolution particularly highlighted the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Pakistani Christian girl who was abducted, converted to Islam, and forcibly married to her abductor in March 2026.The Me…