English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Pakistan elections marred with suicide attack -25 killed in Quetta

Published

on

Pakistan elections marred with suicide attack -25 killed in Quetta

Polling in progress for National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies

In a bid to sabotage elections in Pakistan, a suicide bomber killed twenty-five people and injured several others in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan in Pakistan. Polling is in progress for national assembly and provincial assemblies.

According to Geo News “At least 25 persons were martyred and 30 others injured in the suspected suicide attack in Quetta’s Eastern Bypass area”.

However, official Associate Press of Pakistan (APP) report does not speak of any death due the attack. It said, “At least ten people were injured in a blast explosion near Temir-nu-polling station at Eastern Bypass area of Quetta on Wednesday.”

APP, quoting police sources, said that the blast was occurred when people were standing in row to cast their votes near polling station. The injured were shifted to civil hospital for medical aid. Law enforcement agencies reached the site and cordoned off it and started investigation.

Read More:Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed’s JuD to contest elections in 2018

Meanwhile polling began on Wednesday morning at 85,058 polling stations amid tight security arrangements across the country for the General Election-2018. The 10-hour polling that started at 8:00am will continue without any break till 6 pm.

Pakistan elections marred with suicide attack -25 killed in QuettaThe police teams are patrolling in sensitive areas all across the country to avoid any untoward incident. Enthusiastic citizens were seen lined-up outside their polling stations before start of the polling process.

Political leaders from different parties began casting their votes as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif cast his vote in Model Town, Lahore while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar cast his vote in NA-54 constituency of Islamabad.

Read More: Ousted Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 10 years in prison

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI-F) Maulana Fazl-Ur-Rehman , National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq ,Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) founder Mustafa Kamal and  Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr Farooq Sattar cast their votes in their respective constituencies. This report was written around the lunch time.

The election commission has established around 85,058 polling stations and 244,687 polling booths, besides deputing a total of 819,119 polling staff. There are 105,955,409 registered voters while 11,673 candidates are contesting elections. Of them 3,428 are for National Assembly while 8,245 are for provincial assemblies. Pakistan National Assembly has 272 seats.

Read More: Pakistan: PML-N distances from Nawaz Sharif Mumbai terror remarks

Most of the opinion polls suggest an overall Pakistan Muslim League (N) lead with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) being the close second. PML-N is led by Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of ousted PM Nawaz Sharif while PTI is headed by cricketer turned politician Imran Khan.

There have been allegations of pre-poll rigging being conducted by judiciary, military and intelligence agencies to sway the election results in favour of PTI and against PML-N. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari led Pakistan Peoples’ Party is expected to remain distant third.

Latest world news

India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

Published

on

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

Published

on

Modi trump

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

Published

on

Donald Trump

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com