Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Pakistan seeks Afghan cooperation to probe kidnap of envoy’s daughter

Pakistan seeks Afghan cooperation to probe kidnap of envoy’s daughter

PAKISTAN has said it is waiting for information from the Afghan government in an investigation into the brief kidnapping of the Afghan ambassador's daughter in Islamabad.

The statement comes after Afghanistan raised questions over the credibility of the probe.


Silsila Alikhil, 26, the daughter of Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, told Pakistani police that she was assaulted and held for several hours by unknown assailants on Friday (16), following which Kabul pulled out its diplomats from Islamabad.

"The investigation is ongoing and we are waiting for them to come and give their point of view; to say anything now would be premature," Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a news conference on Monday (19) in Islamabad.

Qureshi said Afghanistan should not have pulled out its ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan.

Earlier on Monday (19), Afghan foreign minister Haneef Atmar complained to Qureshi about the remarks of a senior Pakistani minister, according to a statement from Afghanistan's ministry of foreign affairs.

Pakistan's interior minister Sheikh Rashid, to whom the Islamabad police report, told Pakistani television channel Geo News on Sunday (18) that the probe so far had not shown that Alikhil was kidnapped.

"I want to tell the entire nation, this is an international racket, an international conspiracy," he had said.

The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences state hospital where Alikhil was treated had confirmed she had swelling and rope marks on the wrists and ankles as well as swelling in the brain's rear occipital region.

Islamabad's police inspector general Qazi Jamil-ur-Rehman told reporters that more than 350 people were working on the case, and more than 700 hours of footage from more than 300 CCTV cameras had been examined.

Rehman said police had traced and questioned four men who drove taxis that Alikhil took that day, but so far were not able to pinpoint when the kidnapping took place.

The incident has further eroded the already frosty relations between the two neighbours at a time when Taliban insurgents have taken over a vast territory in Afghanistan as US troops withdraw.

Even the Taliban, whom Kabul alleges is supported by Pakistan - which Islamabad denies - expressed concern at the incident.

"We urge the government of Pakistan to step up its efforts to arrest and punish the perpetrators so that such acts do not give rise to hate between the two nations and the spoilers don’t have ground to misuse it," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, wrote on Twitter.

More For You

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

Asim Munir

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

PAKISTAN’S army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday (7) rejected Delhi’s allegation that his military received active support from longtime ally China in its conflict with India in May.

The Indian Army’s deputy chief, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, said last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.

The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

Lord Coaker (Photo: UK Parliament)

Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.

The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heatwave Alert: Don’t Leave Contraceptives or Medication in Cars

Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

iStock

Drivers warned to remove contraceptives and medication from cars during UK heatwave

Highlights:

  • Experts urge motorists to avoid leaving certain items in vehicles during upcoming heatwave
  • Temperatures expected to rise above 30°C across large parts of the UK
  • Contraceptives and common medications can lose effectiveness in high heat
  • Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

Drivers urged to act as UK braces for extended heatwave

Drivers across the UK are being urged to remove a range of everyday items from their cars ahead of a predicted heatwave, with experts warning that the rising temperatures could pose both safety and health risks.

The Met Office has forecast a prolonged spell of hot weather, with temperatures expected to soar into the low 30s on Thursday and Friday. Much of the UK is likely to hit its regional heatwave threshold by the weekend, with this episode potentially affecting a wider area and lasting longer than previous hot spells.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal Mail

The Royal Mail logo is seen on the side of a van as the UK government clear a 3.57 billion pound takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in London, December 16, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Ofcom updates Royal Mail delivery targets, starts pricing review

MEDIA regulator Ofcom has set new minimum delivery standards for Royal Mail and revised existing targets in an effort to reduce delays. It also announced a review into pricing and affordability, amid concerns over rising stamp prices.

Royal Mail, which has faced fines of around $20 million over the past two years for not meeting delivery targets, is currently trying to modernise operations and focus more on parcel deliveries.

Keep ReadingShow less