No point in negotiating with govt lacking mandate, Achakzai tells PTI

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, whose party is an ally of the PTI, has maintained that there is no point for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in holding negotiation with the incumbent government as it lacked  “legitimate mandate”. “What is the point in negotiating with a government that does not have a legitimate mandate?” Achakzai said while speaking to journalists along with Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in Islamabad on Friday. The statement came a day after the embattled former ruling party and the government…

South Korean investigators call off arrest of President Yoon

SEOUL: South Korea’s investigators called off their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence Friday over a failed martial law bid, citing safety concerns after a standoff with his security team. Yoon, who has already been suspended from duty by lawmakers, would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested if the warrant is carried out. The president, who issued a bungled declaration on December 3 that shook the vibrant East Asian democracy and briefly lurched it back to the dark days…

President, PM express hope for united, prosperous Pakistan in 2025

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed warm wishes to the citizens of Pakistan and the global community on New Year, expressing hopes for a year marked by the elimination of hunger, poverty, conflict, terrorism, crime, sectarianism, and social inequality in 2025. In a message to the nation, President Zardari urged the public to reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past year, drawing lessons to pave the way for a brighter and more prosperous future. He emphasised the importance of unity, discipline, and hard work…

EU shows concern over ‘sentencing of civilians by military court’

The European Union’s (EU) has called the sentencing of civilians, involved in May 9 events, by military court inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). “In line with article 14 of ICCPR every person is entitled to a fair and public trial in a court that is independent, impartial and competent, and has the right to adequate and effective legal representation,” said a statement issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS). Furthermore, it said, Article 14 also stipulates…