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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Sukkur barrage gate reopens
Sukkur Barrage would become useless in the next 10 years if the water reservoir was not rehabilitated. PHOTO: FILE One of the 16 replaced gates of the Sukkur barrage, whose gates underwent serious damage in June, 2024, was formally opened in Sukkur on Monday by the Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro. Speaking on the occasion, the minister expressed hope that 28 more gates of the 66-gate barrage will also be changed by June, 2026. "We are content to see 16 of the gates replaced successfully so far." According to him, the remaining pocket gates of the barrage will be supplanted in the third year of the project. He pointed out that the Pakistan-India battle, protests against construction of new canals on the Indus River and terrorism incidents impeded timely completion of the first phase. He reiterated that the replacement of the old gates with the mechanized ones will reduce cumulatively 3,500 tones weight from the barrage. Shoro shared that a study is underway to construct a new barrage as a substitute one for the Sukkur barrage. On May 11 this year, the minister had claimed that 14 gates had been changed while two more would follow suit by the end of June. He recalled that after the collapse of one of the gates in June, 2024, and damage to the others, the standard operating procedures (SOPs) necessitated suspension of water supply in the Indus through that barrage so that the repair works can be undertaken. However, such a scenario would have deprived a large number of Sindh's districts from water and that too for several months. As many as seven canals drawn water from this barrage while from its downstream the river flows towards the Kotri barrage, which happens to be the last engineering structure before the river meets the sea, in Jamshoro district. The Sindh government has planned to change 56 out of the 66 gates in a span of three years. The irrigation minister also spoke about the water shortage woes which strike the province since the month of April every year. "Our case has been that we need water in April every year and that in this month we should be given water according to our share," he emphasised. He maintained that if abundant water passes through the Indus river it happens only during monsoon season which often brings flash floods.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Trump sues WSJ, Rupert Murdoch for defamation over Epstein report
Listen to article US President Donald Trump sued the Wall Street Journal and its owners including Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion on Friday, over the newspaper's report that his name was on a 2003 birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared. The lawsuit filed in Miami federal court names Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp and its Chief Executive Robert Thomson, and two Wall Street Journal reporters as defendants, saying they defamed Trump and caused him to suffer "overwhelming" financial and reputational harm. Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. His case has generated conspiracy theories that became popular among Trump's base of supporters who believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. Also Read: Trump says up to five jets downed in Pakistan-India clash Trump has said he parted ways with Epstein before the financier's legal troubles became public in 2006. The president has vehemently denied the Journal report, which Reuters has not verified, and had warned Murdoch that he planned to sue. Dow Jones, the parent of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp. "We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case," Trump added. A spokesperson for Dow Jones said in a statement: "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit." The lawsuit called Trump's alleged birthday greeting "fake," and said the Journal published its article to harm Trump's reputation. 'Tellingly, the Article does not explain whether Defendants have obtained a copy of the letter, have seen it, have had it described to them, or any other circumstances that would otherwise lend credibility to the Article,' the lawsuit said. Read: US distances itself from Israeli attacks on Syria To prevail on his defamation claims, Trump must show the defendants acted with "actual malice," meaning they knew the article was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth. A $10 billion award would far exceed the largest defamation judgments and settlements in recent history. These include a $1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Fox News' settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. "Ten billion dollars is a ridiculously high number," said Jesse Gessin, a lawyer with experience in defamation and First Amendment litigation. "It would be the largest defamation verdict in US history." While House roiled The Epstein affair has increasingly disquieted the White House, after the Justice Department this month concluded that there was no evidence to support long-held conspiracy theories about his clients and death. Some of Trump's most loyal followers became furious after his administration reversed course on its promise to release files on Epstein. A Justice Department memo released on July 7 concluded that Epstein killed himself and said there was "no incriminating client list" or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people. With pressure to release the Epstein files building, Trump on Thursday said he directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask a court to release grand jury testimony about Epstein. The US government on Friday filed a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the cases of Epstein and former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. She was convicted in 2021 of five federal charges related to her role in Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls. Maxwell is appealing her conviction and 20-year prison sentence to the US Supreme Court. "Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the filing. "After all, Jeffrey Epstein is the most infamous pedophile in American history." Also Read: At least 41 killed in Israeli strikes today Blanche said prosecutors would work to redact all victim-identifying information before making anything public. The release of the grand jury documents may fall short of what many of Trump's supporters have sought, including case files held by the administration, and a judge may reject the administration's request to make the transcripts public. Bawdy letter The Journal said the letter bearing Trump's name was part of a leather-bound birthday book for Epstein that included messages from other high-profile people. It also said the letter contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appeared to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. The newspaper said the letter concluded "Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret," and featured the signature "Donald." Allegations that Epstein sexually abused girls became public in 2006, after the birthday book was allegedly produced, and he was arrested that year before accepting a plea deal. Epstein died just over a month after he was arrested for a second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy. Trump was photographed with Epstein multiple times in social situations in the 1990s and early 2000s, and had been a neighbor of Epstein's in Florida. Read: Israel, Syria agree to ceasefire after deadly clashes in Druze region He was quoted in 2002 in New York magazine as saying, "I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." In 2019, Trump told reporters that he and Epstein had a "falling out" before the financier was first arrested. Trump said he "knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him" but that "I had a falling out with him. I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you." Reporting by Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt and Jasper Ward in Washington; Jonathan Stempel and Dietrich Knauth in New York; Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Rosalba O'Brien and Diane Craft
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Trump says he thinks 5 jets were shot down in Pakistan, India hostilities
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday up to five jets were shot down during recent Pakistan, India hostilities that began after an April militant attack in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), with the situation calming after a ceasefire in May. Trump, who made his remarks at a dinner with some Republican US lawmakers at the White House, did not specify which side's jets he was referring to. 'In fact, planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,' Trump said while talking about the Pakistan, India hostilities, without elaborating or providing further detail. Pakistan claimed it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat. India's highest-ranking general said in late May that India switched tactics after suffering losses in the air on the first day of hostilities and established an advantage before a ceasefire was announced three days later. India also claimed it downed 'a few planes' of Pakistan. Islamabad denied suffering any losses of planes but acknowledged its air bases suffered hits. IMF warns Pakistan-India tensions could threaten reform, fiscal goals Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan that he announced on social media on May 10 after Washington held talks with both sides. India has differed with Trump's claims that it resulted from his intervention and his threats to sever trade talks. India's position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their problems directly and with no outside involvement. India is an increasingly important US partner in Washington's effort to counter China's influence in Asia, while Pakistan is a US ally. The April attack in IIOJK killed 26 men and sparked heavy fighting between the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. Blast heard in Pakistan's Lahore amid tensions with India, say Reuters witness Washington condemned the attack but did not directly blame Islamabad. On May 7, Indian jets bombed sites across the border that New Delhi described as 'terrorist infrastructure,' setting off an exchange of attacks between the two countries by fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery that killed dozens until the ceasefire was reached.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Pakistan, Turkiye agree to deepen defence, economic ties
Pakistan and Turkiye on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) agreed to boost their cooperation in a range of sectors, including defence, trade, energy and infrastructure, aiming to enhance bilateral trade volume to $5 billion. This was agreed during talks between Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasar Guler with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. 'Pakistan would like to benefit from Turkiye's expertise and experiences in this (defence) field,' Mr. Dar said, adding that both countries will further strengthen their cooperation to promote peace and stability in the entire region. 'We are actively engaged in different activities, including capacity building and counterterrorism,' Mr. Dar said, describing Turkiye as a "trusted friend" and a "reliable brother". The Turkish Foreign Minister called cooperation in the field of defence industry a "strategic step" and said it will be further strengthened in the coming days. He said that both countries will continue to support each other in countering terrorism. "We are pursuing the establishment of a Special Economic Zone dedicated to Turkish entrepreneurs at Karachi,' Mr. Dar said while addressing a joint press conference alongside Mr. Fidan. He also mentioned other engagements, including the revival of the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train, saying, 'Our delegations are meeting in the coming weeks to finalise the roadmap for revival.' Mr. Dar said Pakistan has already allocated land for the construction of Turkiye's Maarif School in Muzaffarabad. 'A Maarif Foundation delegation is visiting Muzaffarabad today and visiting the site for evaluation,' he said. Mr. Fidan noted that both countries have expanded their relations in the fields of economy, energy, defence, industry, education and culture, adding that they are aiming to increase their commercial relations to $5 billion. Referring to the recent Pakistan-India conflict, Mr. Fidan was 'appreciative of Pakistan's wisdom-oriented attitude', state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The Turkish delegation also called on Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the Air Headquarters here. According to a statement by the army, the meeting encompassed discussions on evolving regional security dynamics, progress of ongoing defence cooperation and prospects for future collaboration in emerging domains of warfare. 'Highlighting the long-standing fraternal ties between Turkiye and Pakistan, Guler conveyed Turkiye's earnest desire to bolster bilateral defence relations through deeper industry-to-industry collaboration,' the army said. He lauded the air force's "exceptional performance" under the "insightful leadership" of the Air Chief in the recent conflict with India, it added. Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan.
Business Recorder
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Naqvi visits Naval HQs
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi visited Naval Headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday, where he met with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf. During the meeting, the two officials discussed Pakistan Navy's strategic role and operational readiness during the recent Pakistan-India conflict. Special focus was placed on the Navy's robust maritime defence measures and its swift response under the operation 'Marka-e-Haq.' Minister Naqvi lauded the Pakistan Navy's high level of preparedness and professionalism in defending the country's maritime borders against Indian aggression. He congratulated the naval forces for their successful efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
