7 APRIL 2016
The neverending plight of Christians in Pakistan
Christians are not only “soft targets” for the militancy, but also victims of socioeconomic and political exclusion
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/neverending-plight-christians-pakistan-160406095729110.html
6 APRIL 2016
Military and opposition up pressure on Pakistani PM Sharif
A military operation in Pakistan’s Punjab Province has politically cornered PM Sharif, whereas the Panama Papers’ revelations have further damaged his position. Can the PM deal with these new challenges to his rule?
http://www.dw.com/en/military-and-opposition-up-pressure-on-pakistani-pm-sharif/a-19166643
1 APRIL 2016
Pakistan honour killings on the rise, report reveals
Nearly 1,100 women were killed in Pakistan last year by relatives who believed they had dishonoured their families, the country’s independent Human Rights Commission says
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35943732
27 MARCH 2016
At least 65 killed and 250 injured in blast at children’s park in Pakistan’s Lahore
At least 65 people were killed and more than 200 injured when an apparent suicide bomb ripped through the parking lot of a crowded park in the Pakistani city of Lahore where Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday
http://www.dawn.com/news/1248259/at-least-65-dead-after-suicide-attack-in-lahore-park
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/12205457/Pakistan-terror-attack-65-dead-after-suicide-bomber-strikes-childrens-play-area-in-Lahore.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/27/asia/pakistan-lahore-deadly-blast/index.html
Thousands in Pakistan protest hanging of governor’s killer Mumtaz Qadri
Pakistan Army deployed troops on the streets of the capital Islamabad Sunday after thousands of stone-throwing supporters of Mumtaz Qadri, who was hanged in February, clashed with police in chaotic scenes.
http://www.dw.com/en/thousands-in-pakistan-protest-hanging-of-governors-killer-mumtaz-qadri/a-19145439
http://atimes.com/2016/03/army-deployed-as-pro-qadri-supporters-clash-with-police-in-islamabad/
16 MARCH 2016
Pakistan Supreme Court clears Musharraf to travel abroad
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has lifted a travel ban on former President Pervez Musharraf who is awaiting trial for treason and other charges.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35824637
http://www.dawn.com/news/1246029/top-court-allows-musharraf-to-travel-name-to-be-struck-off-ecl
15 MARCH 2016
Pakistan Air Force needs to replace 190 planes from its current fleet by 2020
Pakistan Air Force needs to retire 190 planes from its current fleet by 2020, senior officials told Dawn while commenting on a report that the country was seeking another batch of 10 F-16s from the United States.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1245714/pakistan-air-force-needs-to-replace-190-planes-by-2020
1 MARCH 2016
Will Qadri’s hanging lead to blasphemy law reforms in Pakistan?
Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of former Governor Salman Taseer, has been hanged in a prison in Rawalpindi. Is Qadri’s death a victory for anti-blasphemy law campaigners or will it fuel more religious violence in the nation?
http://www.dw.com/en/will-qadris-hanging-lead-to-blasphemy-law-reforms-in-pakistan/a-19082554
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/hanging-revives-pakistan-capital-punishment-debate-160229164410577.html
29 FEBRUARY 2016
Pakistan hangs Mumtaz Qadri for murder of Salman Taseer
Pakistan has hanged the assassin of a governor who sought to reform the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, officials and supporters said
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/pakistan-hangs-anti-blasphemy-law-governor-assassin-160229022556488.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35693767
26 FEBRUARY 2016
Pakistan has 24 million children out of school: Government
Of the 50.8 million children aged five to 16 in the country, 47 per cent do not receive an education, according to the annual Pakistan Education Statistics report for 2014-2015.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/pakistan-has-24-million/2552540.html
22 FEBRUARY 2016
Pakistan was the tenth largest arms importer in the world in 2015
Pakistan was the tenth largest arms importer in the world in 2015, down one spot from number nine the previous year, a military think tank database reveals, while Saudi Arabia was the leading arms importer in the world, followed closely by India.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1241157/pakistan-at-tenth-place-in-list-of-worlds-largest-arms-importers-for-2015
18 FEBRUARY 2016
Pakistan ranks third on global executions list with 324 hangings in 2015
Pakistan hanged 324 people last year to rank third worldwide in terms of executions, but the vast majority of those put to death had no links to militant groups or attacks, rights groups said in a report
http://www.dawn.com/news/1240370/pakistan-ranks-third-on-global-executions-list-with-324-hangings-in-2015
10 FEBRUARY 2016
Renowned Urdu novelist and playwright Fatima Surayya Bajia passes away
Renowned Urdu novelist and playwright Fatima Surayya Bajia passed away on Wednesday in Karachi after prolonged illness, DawnNews reported.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1238621/renowned-urdu-playwright-fatima-surayya-bajia-passes-away-at-85
6 FEBRUARY 2016
Pakistan: A dangerous alliance?
A key figure, often identified with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), has issued a video statement congratulating the faction of the Pakistan Taliban responsible for attacking a university in Charsadda, Pakistan, on January 20.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/02/pakistan-dangerous-alliance-160203113731975.html
3 FEBRUARY 2016
With 115 killed, Pakistan is fourth on the list of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists
Pakistan is fourth on the list of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, and comes behind Mexico, Philippines and Iraq according to an International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) report released on Wednesday.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1237386/115-killings-make-pakistan-fourth-deadliest-country-for-journalists
2 FEBRUARY 2016
Pakistani short story writer, novelist, journalist and poet Intizar Husain passed away
Veteran short story writer, novelist, journalist and poet Intizar Husain passed away at a hospital in Lahore. The 92-year-old was undergoing treatment at a local hospital
http://www.dawn.com/news/1236988/intizar-hussain-passes-away
26 JANUARY 2016
Pakistan inches towards stability
After a dramatic end to 2014, Pakistan has gradually moved towards greater political and economic stability. This has been largely due to its successes in reducing terrorism, which injected new hopes about the country’s ability to handle crises. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/01/26/pakistan-inches-towards-stability/
25 JANUARY 2016
Pakistan’s army chief Raheel Sharif says he will step down when term ends
Pakistan’s influential army chief will step down at the end of his three-year term in November, the military’s public relations wing says.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-01-25/pakistans-army-chief-raheel-sharif-says-he-will-step-down-when-term-ends/1539769
http://www.dawn.com/news/1058941
22 JANUARY 2016
Pakistan Taliban vow more school attacks in video
A senior Pakistani Taliban commander released video footage on Friday of four fighters he said carried out Wednesday’s deadly assault on a university in Pakistan’s northwest that killed 20 people and vowed more attacks on schools in future.
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-01/22/content_15376922.html
20 JANUARY 2016
Pakistan attack: Gunmen kill 19 at Bacha Khan University
Security forces have ended a gun and bomb attack on a university in north-west Pakistan in which 19 people were killed and 17 injured.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35359072
http://www.dawn.com/news/1234231/breakthroughs-made-in-identifying-bacha-khan-university-attackers-dg-ispr
18 JANUARY 2016
Pakistani court acquits former president Pervez Musharraf of rebel leader’s murder
A Pakistani court has acquitted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf over the 2006 killing of a Baloch rebel leader, one of three legal cases he faced after returning from exile
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-01-18/pakistani-court-acquits-former-president-pervez-musharraf-of-rebel-leaders-murder/1537121
http://www.dawn.com/news/1233775/atc-acquits-pervez-musharraf-in-akbar-bugti-murder-case
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35341255
14 JANUARY 2016
Pakistan arrests militant group head suspected of attack on Indian air base
Pakistan has arrested the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group on suspicion his outfit masterminded an attack this month on an air base in India, two officials said on Wednesday.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/12097851/Pakistan-arrests-militant-group-head-suspected-of-attack-on-Indian-air-base.html
29 DECEMBER 2015
Pakistan suicide bombing kills ‘at least 22’ in Mardan
A Pakistani Taliban faction has claimed responsibility for the attack in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The blast took place as people queued outside the government office
http://www.dw.com/en/deadly-suicide-blast-at-government-office-in-pakistan/a-18949395
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35192375
12 SEPTEMBRE 2015
Uncommon tongue: Pakistan’s confusing move to Urdu
While many nations are adopting English, Pakistan is going the opposite way, with the Supreme Court ruling for it to be replaced with Urdu as the official language
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34215293
27 AUGUST 2015
Arrest warrant issued for former Pakistani PM Gilani
A Pakistani anti-corruption court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as well as one of his senior ministers in a dozen graft cases against them
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/arrest-warrant-issued-former-pakistani-pm http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/671440/arrest-warrant-issued-for-former-pakistani-pm
16 AUGUST 2015
Punjab minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Pakistan blast
Mr Khanzada was seen as the man in charge of the anti-terror campaign in Pakistan’s biggest province
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33952413
http://www.dawn.com/news/1200807/punjab-home-minister-shuja-khanzada-killed-in-terror-attack
22 JULY 2015
Asia Bibi death sentence suspended by Pakistan court
Christian woman who became first female to be sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy law granted full hearing by supreme court
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/11756143/Asia-Bibi-death-sentence-suspended-by-Pakistan-court.html
http://nation.com.pk/national/23-Jul-2015/supreme-court-stays-asia-bibi-s-execution
16 JUNE 2015
Pakistan hangs seven prisoners for murder
Pakistan reportedly hanged seven prisoners on Tuesday, bringing the total number put to death since executions resumed last December to 160, officials have said
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/pakistan-hangs-prisoners-murder-150616122934188.html
12 JUNE 2015
Pakistan shuts down offices of NGO Save the Children
Pakistani authorities have sealed off the offices of the international aid group Save the Children, saying the charity was “working against the country”, police and government officials say http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/11670128/Pakistan-shuts-down-offices-of-Save-the-Children.html
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/590745/pakistan-warns-aid-groups-after-save-the-children-expelled
5 APRIL 2015
Ten men jailed in Pakistan over Malala attack
A Pakistani court jails 10 men for life for their involvement in the 2012 shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted for her campaign against the Taliban denying girls education
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/ten-men-jailed-pakistan-malala-attack-150430101505917.html
http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/30/malala-yousafzai-s-attackers-jailed-for-25-years/
24 APRIL 2015
Pakistani human rights activist Sabeen Mehmud shot dead in Karachi
A leading Pakistani human rights activist has been killed in a drive-by shooting in Karachi after hosting a talk on allegations of torture in the province of Balochistan
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32452760
http://tribune.com.pk/story/875375/t2f-director-shot-dead-in-karachi/
21 APRIL 2015
Pakistan hangs 15, highest number since executions resumed
Pakistan hanged 15 people on Tuesday, officials said, the largest number of people executed on the same day since an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in December
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/pakistan-hangs-15-highes/1798890.html
16 APRIL 2015
Pakistan Supreme Court halts executions given by military courts
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has suspended death sentences handed down by the country’s new military courts, set up in the wake of a Taliban massacre at a school in December last year
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/pakistan-halts-executions-handed-military-courts-150416091421734.html
14 APRIL 2015
Pakistan frees alleged Mumbai attack mastermind
A Pakistani court has freed on bail the alleged mastermind of a 2008 assault on India’s financial capital Mumbai that killed 166 people and seriously strained ties between the neighbouring countries
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2015/04/pakistan-frees-alleged-mumbai-attack-mastermind-150410125247944.html
http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/10/mumbai-attack-suspect-released-on-bail/
http://www.dawn.com/news/1175099/lakhvi-a-free-man-for-now
17 MARCH 2015
Pakistan hangs 12 in largest execution since moratorium lifted
Pakistan hanged 12 male convicts on Tuesday, an Interior Ministry spokesman said, the largest number of people executed on the same day since an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in December
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/17/uk-pakistan-executions-idUKKBN0MD0E120150317
http://tribune.com.pk/story/854551/pakistan-hangs-12-men-in-largest-execution-since-moratorium-lifted/
10 MARCH 2015
Pakistan ends death penalty suspension after seven years
Pakistan is to resume executions for all death penalty offences, months after a moratorium was partially lifted to allow executions of terror convicts
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31812177
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/493457/pakistan-lifts-death-penalty-moratorium
Death sentence over ‘blasphemy’ killing of Pakistan governor
A Pakistani court Monday upheld the death sentence for the killer of a politician who sought blasphemy law reform, but struck out a terrorism conviction, making it unlikely he will be executed soon
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/492484/death-sentence-over-blasphemy-killing-of-pakistan-governor
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/03/pakistan-court-upholds-conviction-governor-killer-150309125004005.html
7 FEBRUARY 2015
YouTube to remain blocked in Pakistan ‘indefinitely’: officials
YouTube will remain blocked in Pakistan ‘indefinitely’, an official said Saturday, as experts have failed to find a way to filter content deemed offensive and blasphemous in the Muslim majority country
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/youtube-remain-blocked-pakistan-indefinitely-officials
5 FEBRUARY
Pakistan to continue supporting Kashmiris’ freedom struggle: Nawaz
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday vowed that Pakistan would continue its political and diplomatic support for the people of Kashmir in their struggle for freedom and right to self-determination.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1161673/pakistan-to-continue-supporting-kashmiris-freedom-struggle-nawaz
28 JANUARY 2015
‘More journalists killed in Pakistan than any other democracy’
For a democratic country, Pakistan ranks worryingly high when it comes to the number of attacks on journalists. http://www.asianewsnet.net/‘More-journalists-killed-in-Pakistan-than-any-ot-71075.html
16 JANUARY 2015
In Karachi, Charlie Hebdo protesters clash with police at French consulate
About 200 protesters clashed on Friday with Pakistani police outside the French consulate in the southern city of Karachi after a demonstration against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo turned violent.
http://www.france24.com/en/20150116-charlie-hebdo-protests-turn-violent-near-french-karachi-consulate/
http://www.euronews.com/2015/01/16/pakistan-violence-flares-in-protest-over-charlie-hebdo-cartoon/
http://www.dawn.com/news/1157420/agence-france-presse-photographer-shot-by-anti-charlie-hebdo-protesters-police
6 JANUARY 2015
Pakistan legislators approve military courts for terrorism
Pakistan’s parliament Tuesday approved the setting up of military courts to hear terrorism-related cases, after a Taliban massacre at a military-run school in the northwest shocked the nation
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/454740/pakistan-legislators-approve-military-courts-for-terrorism
http://www.dawn.com/news/1155271/parliament-passes-21st-constitutional-amendment-army-act-amendment
5 JANUARY 2015
Pakistani cleric calls Taliban freedom fighters
A prominent Pakistani cleric and leader of the political party Jammat-e-Islami Pakistan, Sirajul Haq, has sought to legitimize the insurgency in Afghanistan and in a recent interview with Geo TV he told his followers, who are primarily Pakistani, that fighting foreign troops in Afghanistan is a fight for freedom
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/17727-pakistani-cleric-calls-taliban-freedom-fighters
26 DECEMBER 2014
Pakistan judge issues arrest warrant for Abdul Aziz
A judge in Pakistan has issued an arrest warrant for a cleric at a radical mosque in Islamabad who has refused to condemn the massacre of children at an army-run school.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30607078