By , RIYADH/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s army chief met with senior Saudi Arabian officials in Riyadh on Monday in an effort to ease a row between the two countries over policy towards the disputed region of Kashmir.The argument, brought on by Pakistani demands for Saudi Arabia to take a firmer line against India’s behaviour in Kashmir, has threatened Riyadh’s financial lifeline to Islamabad.General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit was “primarily military-affairs oriented,” the Pakistani army spokesman said.But Pakistani military and government officials told Reuters Bajwa would try to calm a...…By , RIYADH/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s army chief met with senior Saudi Arabian officials in Riyadh on Monday in an effort to ease a row between the two countries over policy towards the disputed region of Kashmir.The argument, brought on by Pakistani demands for Saudi Arabia to take a firmer line against India’s behaviour in Kashmir, has threatened Riyadh’s financial lifeline to Islamabad.General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit was “primarily military-affairs oriented,” the Pakistani army spokesman said.But Pakistani military and government officials told Reuters Bajwa would try to calm a...WW…

×ViewISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Sabir Durrani says he offers prayers almost every day at a mosque in the central Pakistani city of Multan. He says that often a dozen or more men are in attendance - none of them wearing protective face masks. Durrani, 52, is among thousands of devout Muslims flouting Pakistan government orders issued late last month banning religious congregations of five or more people to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The disease has so far infected more than 5,300 people and killed 93 in the world's second-most populous Muslim country. "Our prayer leader told us that the...…×ViewISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Sabir Durrani says he offers prayers almost every day at a mosque in the central Pakistani city of Multan. He says that often a dozen or more men are in attendance - none of them wearing protective face masks. Durrani, 52, is among thousands of devout Muslims flouting Pakistan government orders issued late last month banning religious congregations of five or more people to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The disease has so far infected more than 5,300 people and killed 93 in the world's second-most populous Muslim country. "Our prayer leader told us that the...WW…

A Kashmiri Muslim man walks past Indian security force personnel standing guard during a cordon and search operation, in Srinagar February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Danish Ismail/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 14 (Reuters) - Top intelligence officers from India and Pakistan held secret talks in Dubai in January in a new effort to calm military tension over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, people with close knowledge of the matter told Reuters in Delhi.Ties between the nuclear-armed rivals have been on ice since a suicide bombing of an Indian...…A Kashmiri Muslim man walks past Indian security force personnel standing guard during a cordon and search operation, in Srinagar February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Danish Ismail/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 14 (Reuters) - Top intelligence officers from India and Pakistan held secret talks in Dubai in January in a new effort to calm military tension over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, people with close knowledge of the matter told Reuters in Delhi.Ties between the nuclear-armed rivals have been on ice since a suicide bombing of an Indian...WW…

Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) Islamist political party run to cover amid water jet during a protest against the arrest of their leader in Lahore, Pakistan April 13, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comISLAMABAD/LAHORE, April 14 (Reuters) - Pakistan is to outlaw a hardline Islamist group that railed against blasphemy on its rise to prominence, a minister said on Wednesday, the third day of violent protests by the group in which two police officers have been killed and 340 wounded.The government said it has also arrested 1,400...…Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) Islamist political party run to cover amid water jet during a protest against the arrest of their leader in Lahore, Pakistan April 13, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comISLAMABAD/LAHORE, April 14 (Reuters) - Pakistan is to outlaw a hardline Islamist group that railed against blasphemy on its rise to prominence, a minister said on Wednesday, the third day of violent protests by the group in which two police officers have been killed and 340 wounded.The government said it has also arrested 1,400...WW…

By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A long white shawl on her head, Rani Khan gives daily Koran lessons at Pakistan’s first transgender-only madrasa, or Islamic religious school, which she set up herself using her life savings.The madrasa is an important milestone for the LGBTQ community in the overwhelmingly fundamental Muslim country, where transgender people face ostracism, even though there is no official restriction on them attending religious schools or praying at mosques.“Most families do not accept transgender people. They throw them out of their homes. Transgender people turn to wrongdoing,”...…By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A long white shawl on her head, Rani Khan gives daily Koran lessons at Pakistan’s first transgender-only madrasa, or Islamic religious school, which she set up herself using her life savings.The madrasa is an important milestone for the LGBTQ community in the overwhelmingly fundamental Muslim country, where transgender people face ostracism, even though there is no official restriction on them attending religious schools or praying at mosques.“Most families do not accept transgender people. They throw them out of their homes. Transgender people turn to wrongdoing,”...WW…

By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, two days after receiving his first vaccine dose, government officials said, urging people not to be deterred from getting vaccinated.Pakistan’s vaccination roll-out has been met with widespread vaccine hesitancy, and Khan’s positive test could serve as a setback to the inoculation drive in the country of 220 million people, health experts said.Health Minister Faisal Sultan said Khan was “in good health” with a mild cough and fever and was self-isolating at home, adding that the 68-year-old...…By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, two days after receiving his first vaccine dose, government officials said, urging people not to be deterred from getting vaccinated.Pakistan’s vaccination roll-out has been met with widespread vaccine hesitancy, and Khan’s positive test could serve as a setback to the inoculation drive in the country of 220 million people, health experts said.Health Minister Faisal Sultan said Khan was “in good health” with a mild cough and fever and was self-isolating at home, adding that the 68-year-old...WW…

By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, two days after receiving his first vaccine dose, government officials said, urging people not to be deterred from getting vaccinated.Pakistan’s vaccination roll-out has been met with widespread vaccine hesitancy, and Khan’s positive test could serve as a setback to the inoculation drive in the country of 220 million people, health experts said.Health Minister Faisal Sultan said Khan was “in good health” with a mild cough and fever and was self-isolating at home, adding that the 68-year-old...…By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, two days after receiving his first vaccine dose, government officials said, urging people not to be deterred from getting vaccinated.Pakistan’s vaccination roll-out has been met with widespread vaccine hesitancy, and Khan’s positive test could serve as a setback to the inoculation drive in the country of 220 million people, health experts said.Health Minister Faisal Sultan said Khan was “in good health” with a mild cough and fever and was self-isolating at home, adding that the 68-year-old...WW…

By , , KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of an Islamist convicted of beheading American journalist Daniel Pearl, a decision that shocked his family and drew condemnation from Washington.Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter, was acquitted by a panel of three judges.“By a majority of two to one, they have acquitted all the accused persons and ordered their release,” a provincial advocate general, Salman Talibuddin, told Reuters.Pakistan’s attorney general...…By , , KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of an Islamist convicted of beheading American journalist Daniel Pearl, a decision that shocked his family and drew condemnation from Washington.Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter, was acquitted by a panel of three judges.“By a majority of two to one, they have acquitted all the accused persons and ordered their release,” a provincial advocate general, Salman Talibuddin, told Reuters.Pakistan’s attorney general...WW…

By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday approved the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, a government statement said, two days after AstraZeneca’s vaccine developed with Oxford University received a similar authorization.The Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) said the vaccine, manufactured by China National Pharmaceutical Group (SinoPharm), had been given emergency use approval (EUA).Pakistan’s health ministry has said the country was in process of speaking to different vaccine makers.“The two COVID-19 vaccines have been granted EUA with certain conditions,” a...…By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday approved the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, a government statement said, two days after AstraZeneca’s vaccine developed with Oxford University received a similar authorization.The Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) said the vaccine, manufactured by China National Pharmaceutical Group (SinoPharm), had been given emergency use approval (EUA).Pakistan’s health ministry has said the country was in process of speaking to different vaccine makers.“The two COVID-19 vaccines have been granted EUA with certain conditions,” a...WW…

By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani Islamist group called off protests over cartoons of Prophet Mohammad on Tuesday saying the government had agreed to their demand for a boycott of French products, the group’s spokesman said.Slideshow Thousands of Islamists had clashed with police on the edge of the capital, Islamabad, on Monday in protests over the recent display of cartoons of the Prophet in France.“We are calling off our protests after the government signed an agreement that it will officially endorse boycotting French products,” Ejaz Ashrafi, a spokesman for the Tehrik-i-Labaik group,...…By ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani Islamist group called off protests over cartoons of Prophet Mohammad on Tuesday saying the government had agreed to their demand for a boycott of French products, the group’s spokesman said.Slideshow Thousands of Islamists had clashed with police on the edge of the capital, Islamabad, on Monday in protests over the recent display of cartoons of the Prophet in France.“We are calling off our protests after the government signed an agreement that it will officially endorse boycotting French products,” Ejaz Ashrafi, a spokesman for the Tehrik-i-Labaik group,...WW…