Current Final

Tag: Pakistan Army

  • ‘Establishment offered us three options, not us’, Imran Khan maintains his stance

    ‘Establishment offered us three options, not us’, Imran Khan maintains his stance

    While talking to reporters, former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan insisted that the establishment gave him three options, contradicting the Pakistan military’s statement that the options were presented by Khan himself.

    Khan said, “The establishment gave me three options, so I agreed with the election proposal. How could I accept the resignation and no-confidence suggestion?”

    Last week, Director-General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the PM Office had contacted the military leadership to help resolve the ongoing political crisis. He added that the army chief and DG ISI visited the PM office at “their” request to play the role of “mediator”.

    The former prime minister said that the military was onboard over the Russia visit. He said, “Gen Bajwa said we must visit Russia.” The army has also confirmed that they agreed with the decision to visit Russia.

    Responding to the recent Toshakhana (state gifts) controversy, the PTI chairman said they were his gifts, so it was his choice whether to keep them or not. “Meray tohfay, meri marzi [my gift, my choice],” he added.

    According to media reports, the former PM received gifts worth more than Rs140 million from world leaders during his tenure and he kept them all either by paying a minor amount or without any payment.

    “Whatever I took from Toshakhana is on record. I purchased the gifts after paying 50 per cent of the cost,” Khan said.

    Regarding Farah Khan, he said that she had no position or ministry, how could she take money, if anyone has any evidence, bring it forward.

    About his party’s rallies in Peshawar and Karachi after the removal of his government, Imran Khan said: “I have never seen such a large number of people coming out in Pakistan.”

    He maintained his stance that the PTI government was removed as part of an “international conspiracy” and urged the nation to not accept this.

    The former prime minister also admitted that the filing of a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was a “mistake”. The reference against the SC judge should not have been filed, I have no personal enmity with anyone, it was sent by the law ministry”, the PTI chairman cleared.

  • Pakistan Army promotes two Hindu officers to Lieutenant Colonel

    Pakistan Army promotes two Hindu officers to Lieutenant Colonel

    The Pakistan Army has promoted two Hindu officers, Kelash Kumar and Aneel Kumar, to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel for the first time in the history of Pakistan.

    Dr Kelash Kumar belongs to the Tharparkar district in Sindh province and Dr Aneel Kumar belongs to the Badin district.

    They are the first officers from the Hindu community who received a promotion from Major to Lieutenant Colonel.

    They both are serving in the Medical Corps of the Pakistan Army.

    Prior to the year 2000, Hindu officers were not appointed to senior positions in the Pakistan Army. However, a former dictator, General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf had issued orders under a decree appointing Hindus to senior positions in the Army. Since then, six Hindu officers have risen to the rank of Major, of which Kelash Kumar and Aneel Kumar have now become the first officers to reach the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

    Dr Kelash was honored with a ‘Medal of Defense’, on his courage as he performed a 36- day duty at the Saddle Checkpost in Baltoro Sector near K2 at an altitude of 22,000 feet, which is a record in itself.

    Major Dr Kelash got a commission in Pakistan Army in 2007. He joined a hospital in North Sudan as a senior doctor in 2012. He later took part in Operation Al-Mizan in Orakzai Agency of Waziristan and Operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat.

    Major Dr Aneel Kumar got a commission in Pakistan Army in 2008.

    Until now, six Hindu Army officers have been appointed in Pakistan Army.

    Hindu activist, Kapil Dev took to Twitter to celebrate the inclusivity of the Hindu community in the Armed Forces.

    He said, “History in Making Kelash Kumar becomes the first #Hindu officer to have been promoted as Lieutenant Colonel in #PakArmy. Congratulations, Kelash!!!.”

  • Rare meeting: Army Chief meets both President Alvi and PM Khan on same day

    Rare meeting: Army Chief meets both President Alvi and PM Khan on same day

     Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa on Monday met President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    It is rare for an army chief to meet both heads of the state and the government on the same day. The Prime Minister Office (PMO) in a statement said, “Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Prime Minister Imran Khan today. Professional matters pertaining to Pakistan Army were discussed during the meeting”.

    The presidency, speaking about the meeting between COAS and the president, said, “During the meeting, the president was briefed about the professional preparedness and measure being taken by the security forces against the terrorist elements.”

  • ‘All is settled, new DG ISI notification to be issued this week’: Fawad

    ‘All is settled, new DG ISI notification to be issued this week’: Fawad

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “All the matters have been resolved” and announced that the notification of the new director-general (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency would be issued this week.

    Chaudhry denied speculations that a new summary with names of candidates for the position of ISI chief had been sent to the Prime Minister (PM), reported Dawn.

    While mocking the Opposition, Fawad said, “It [Opposition] is thinking that there are some differences between the government and security institutions but its euphoria is gradually fading.”

    Fawad also invited the Opposition to work collectively with the government but rejected any possibility of holding discussions with its leaders on corruption cases.

    On inflation, Chaudhry said, “We don’t live on another planet. If there is a worldwide increase in the prices of oil, then we will also witness a hike in the prices.”

  • Arnab Goswami’s lie about Pak army backfires, becomes Twitter meme

    Arnab Goswami’s lie about Pak army backfires, becomes Twitter meme

    Indian journalist Arnab Goswami was once again caught spreading fake news about Pakistan but was called out for it by his Pakistani guest. Goswami lied about the presence of the Pakistan Army officers in Kabul Serena to fight in Panjshir Valley.

    Goswami claimed that the Pakistan Army officers were staying on the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel in Kabul but did not know that Kabul Serena only has two floors above ground level.

    In his programme ‘The Debate’ on Republic World TV last week, Goswami had invited an Indian analyst as well as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Abdul Samad Yaqoob, to represent Pakistan, in a discussion on what the channel termed a “big split” within the Taliban.

    Goswami addressed Yaqoob and said: “You go and check today … on the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel, I am telling you, please check, the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel in Kabul, how many Pakistani army officers are there?”

    “I am giving you. [Do] you want more details? I’ll tell you which room, or is this enough? [On the] fifth floor of the Serena Hotel, Kabul, how many Pakistani officers are there. Okay? I can also tell you what they ordered for dinner, so don’t question my intelligence sources.”

    Yaqoob countered Goswami’s claims and said, “What I got to know from my sources [is that] Serena has only two floors. There are no third, fourth or fifth floors.”

    The Indian anchor had no logical answer and sought to draw attention away from his faux pas. 

    Netizens from around the world called out Goswami for making false claims, making him a Twitter meme once again.

    A Twitter user from India wrote, “Dear #ArnabGoswami this is Sarena hotel Kabul I am still unable to find out [the] fifth floor?”

    https://twitter.com/Dilsedesh/status/1439528467465322498

    Indian journalist, Kanishka Raj Singh tweeted, “Finding information on the fifth floor of a building that has only two floors requires great journalism and brilliant sourcing.”

    https://twitter.com/Kanishka183/status/1439548483854163972

    Journalist Om Thanvi tweeted, “According-to-sources journalism and its own laughter!”

    Chinese journalist Shen Shiwei too exposed Goswami’s claims by sharing images of the hotel.

    One user rotated a picture of the hotel and mused that Goswami was perhaps counting its floors vertically.

    PTI spokesperson too tweeted a picture with “Arnab’s Intelligence Source” as its caption.

  • Pakistan Army rescues three mountaineers stranded on Rakaposhi

    A Pakistan Army helicopter has rescued three mountaineers who were stranded on Rakaposhi mountain on Wednesday morning, Geo News reported.

    As per details, Pakistani climber, Wajidullah Nagri, and two Czech Republic mountaineers had been stuck at an altitude of 6,900 metres on the mountain for the past five days.

    Taking to Twitter, Deputy Commissioner Nagar Zulqarnain Khan confirmed the news of their rescue.

    He stated that the mountaineers have been moved to Gilgit and thanked the Pakistan Army, Sajid Sadpara and a few climbers from Hunza.

    Talking to Dawn, DC said that the three climbers had begun the climb of Rakaposhi, one of the world’s most challenging peaks, on September 1 from the South Ridge and had summited the mountain on September 9. They began their descent the same day but then got stuck there.

  • Afghan journalist confuses Aamir Liaquat as dead Pak Army soldier in Panjshir

    Afghan journalist confuses Aamir Liaquat as dead Pak Army soldier in Panjshir

    An Afghan journalist, Noor Quraishi, claimed that Pakistani commando Colonel Adil was killed in Panjshir Valley and shared a picture of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Aamir Liaquat.

    He shared the picture on his Twitter account, claiming that he [Amir Liaqat] was killed in the clashes with anti-Taliban forces. His tweet translated to, “The first casualty of Pakistani commandos: Colonel Adil died during the fighting in Panjshir.”

    Shortly after the tweet, netizens started mocking the journalist for a faux pas.

    Fake and misleading news regarding Pakistan’s involvement in Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has been making rounds on social media.

    Earlier, a Twitter user had shared a picture of a fighter jet, claiming that a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane was shot down in Afghanistan’s Panjshir valley. Later, a fact check by Dawn showed that the picture is actually from 2018 in the United States.

    Apart from this, Indian News Channels, Republic TV and Zee Hindustan, ran footage from a video game Arma-3 as visuals stating that it was the PAF attacking the anti-Taliban fighters.

  • PM Khan briefs nation on three years of Naya Pakistan

    PM Khan briefs nation on three years of Naya Pakistan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday presented a charter of his party’s performance so far at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

    Talking about his career as a cricketer, PM Khan explained how his life as a sportsman, “where there are standing ovations one moment and curses the next”, prepared him for a life of struggles.

    “Until you go through struggles, you cannot do anything big,” the prime minister said. “No leader became big with a shortcut. Quaid-e-Azam was a big leader. He struggled in his life and people will always remember him [for that].”

    Mentioning Pakistan’s clash with India in the aftermath of the Pulwama incident, PM Khan thanked the army for effortlessly protecting the people of Pakistan.

    “I appreciate our army and air force. As they (Indian fighter jets) came into our territory and launched an offensive, we realised the [power] of our army,” said the premier.

    The premier blamed a “mafia” for defaming state institutions. “I also criticised the army in the past,” he said. “Judiciary and army also make mistakes but it doesn’t mean we should [expect] them to topple the democratic government.”

    “We know the Indian lobby is trying hard to defame Pakistan Army. They are implying that the Taliban won because of Pakistan Army.”

    “The NCOC (National Command and Operation Center) team comprising Asad Umar and Dr Faisal [Sultan] took great decisions and we survived the worst of Covid.”

    “In our tenure, Punjab’s anti-corruption has recovered Rs450bn so far,” he claimed. “NAB (National Accountability Bureau), in its 18 years before we came to power, had recovered Rs290bn and in the last three years, they recovered Rs519bn. All hue and cry are because of this reason.”

    The premier reminded his audience of the efforts made to “empower women” in rural areas and stressed the need to educate women, adding that “this is what we are trying to do”.

    “We are also working on inheritance laws to ensure women get their due share in the property,” he added.

  • Afridi-led Rawalakot Hawks crowned champions of KPL 2021

    Afridi-led Rawalakot Hawks crowned champions of KPL 2021

    Shahid Afridi’s Rawalakot Hawks defeated Mohammad Hafeez-led Muzaffarabad Tigers by seven runs in an epic final of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) 2021.

    Chasing a target of 170 runs, the Tigers were restricted to 162 runs in their allotted 20 overs.

    https://twitter.com/kpl_20/status/1427693690429091846?s=19

    They went off to a decent start with Hafeez (29 off 21) and Zeeshan Ashraf (46 off 26) putting up 54 runs for the opening partnership.

    However, Hafeez’s departure triggered Tigers’ collapse as they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.

    Hawks’ skipper Afridi, who was playing despite not being fully fit, removed Ashraf and Sohaib Maqsood in the middle overs to keep his side in the hunt.

    All-rounder Hussain Talat also chipped in with three wickets to stem the flow of runs.

    His economical bowling spell, 3 for 18 in four overs, was instrumental in laying the platform for the side’s victory. 

    Batting first, the Hawks posted 169 runs in their allotted 20 overs courtesy of Kashif Ali’s brilliant 28-ball 54.

    For Tigers, Hafeez and Usama Mir claimed two wickets each.

    Expressing his joy, Afridi took to Twitter and wrote: “So proud of my players and staff, one of the most memorable wins for me! The KPL was a wonderfully organised event and it has great potential, I’m sure next year will be bigger and better.”

    He also thanked the Pakistan Army: “Special thank you to Pakistan Army for their wonderful support throughout.”

  • ISPR confirms abductions at mobile tower site in Kurram Tribal District

    ISPR confirms abductions at mobile tower site in Kurram Tribal District

    On June 26, 2021, more than 16 labourers, working at a mobile tower site in Kurram Tribal District, were abducted by unknown terrorists, said a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

    On June 27, 10 out of 16 labourers were released and the body of one labourer was found. To rescue the remaining abducted labourers, security forces launched a series of Intelligence Based Operations on highly inhospitable terrain under extreme weather conditions, read the statement.

    Terrorists were continuously tracked and pursued.

    In an Intelligence Based Operation on July 13, 2021, three terrorists were killed and Captain Basit Ali and Sepoy Hazrat Bilal were killed during the rescue operation.

    Security forces continued the pursuit and on July 15, 2021, during another exchange of fire, successfully rescued five abducted labourers. The operation is still underway to apprehend/eliminate the remaining terrorists.

    “Security Forces are consistently endeavouring to ensure the security and well being of our innocent civilians who have been wholeheartedly supporting the security forces in fighting the menace of terrorism,” stated the ISPR.

    Earlier, there were speculations that telecom workers were held hostage by the alleged Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISKP) leader in the region.