Pakistan | News

• MBS, Shehbaz, Erdogan sign Makkah Joint Defence Agreement to boost ‘collective deterrence against any aggression’ • PM hopes accord will serve as ‘shield of peace’; Erdogan says alliance is open to other friendly nations • Saudi minister insists new bloc no threat to ‘any country’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a joint defence pact in the holy city of Makkah, which empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which seeks to strengthen the collective security of the three states, was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammad bin Salman, and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Al-Safa Palace. The signing of the agreement was announced by three countries through a joint statement, which was published by Pakis­tan’s Foreign Office (FO) and Saudi Arabia’s official SPA press agency. It said the pact reflected the three countries’ “shared commitment to further...

Saoedi-Arabië, Turkije en Pakistan hebben een pact ondertekend waarin ze beloven elkaar te beschermen bij een aanval. De clausule doet denken aan artikel 5 van de NAVO, waarbij een aanval op één een aanval op allen is.

Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening cultural diplomacy and people-to-people contacts with Kazakhstan as he held a farewell meeting with Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, committing to enhanced collective security, expanded defence cooperation and closer strategic coordination among the three countries.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a joint defence pact in Makkah that empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement aimed at strengthening “collective deterrence against any act of aggression”, the Foreign Office (FO) said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammed bin Salman, and Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the pact after the “Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence” was held at the Al-Safa Palace. The agreement reflects the three countries’ “shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future”, the FO said. “The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states s...

Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh visited Calderon Textiles in Indiana as part of his economic and community outreach in the state.

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday strongly condemned the suicide bombing in Swat last week, calling it a “heinous and cowardly” terrorist attack after Pakistan warned the body that multiple terrorist groups continue to operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan. In a press statement issued by the Office of the UN secretary general’s spokesperson, the council said it condemned “in the strongest terms” the “heinous and cowardly” suicide attack outside the police station in Swat’s Kabal on Aug 2. “This reprehensible act of terrorism resulted in the grievous loss of at least 16 Pakistani nationals, mostly civilians, and injuries to dozens of others. Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for this terrorist attack,” it added. The UNSC also expressed solidarity with Pakistan, saying, “The members of the Security Council express their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and the people of Pakistan, and wish a ...

Islamabad - Pakistan on Thursday categorically rejected as baseless and politically motivated the remarks by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding the ongoing legislative assembly elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

EVERY discussion about data protection in Pakistan reaches the same conclusion: we still don’t have a comprehensive data privacy law. Technically, that’s true. The Personal Data Protection Bill has sat in draft form since 2018, and after years of delay it’s easy to assume Pakistan’s approach to data governance is on hold. That assumption can now be challenged. While attention stayed fixed on the stalled privacy bill, another development moved far faster. In late June, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) released the draft National Data Governance Policy 2026 for public consultation. That consultation closed on July 10. This week, MoITT and the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) held a high-level meeting, chaired by Federal Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, to finalise the policy ahead of cabinet approval and gazette notification. It isn’t law yet, but we cannot treat it as a mere policy draft either. Many Pakistani tech companies already maintain strong governance practices because...

• Says Oman, other ‘brotherly states’ leading different aspects of diplomacy • Insists Islamabad is focused on settlement rather than ‘individual symptoms of crisis’ • Pakistan examining TORs, operational modalities of Saudi-led maritime coalition • Govt will decide on Gaza stabilisation force after formal proposal ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday insisted that Pakistan remained actively engaged in efforts to defuse the Strait of Hormuz stand-off, while also examining the terms of reference and operational modalities of a newly announced Saudi-led multinational maritime coalition aimed at protecting shipping routes in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Foreign Office acknowledged that different regional partners, particularly Oman, were taking the lead on different aspects of the diplomatic process. It portrayed Islamabad’s role as part of a coordinated effort by “brotherly states” to steer the crisis back towards the framework established under the Islamabad Memorandum o...

• Naqvi says centre in Islamabad will combine detention, investigation and summary trial facilities under one roof • Initiative aims to speed up disposal of minor offence cases, reduce procedural delays ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to embark on a major transformation of its policing system, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announcing a series of reforms inspired by successful international law enforcement models, including the establishment of a China-style Law Enforcement Investigation Centre in Islamabad. The announcement came during his meeting with assistant superintendents of police who recently returned after completing specialised training courses in China and Turkiye. The officers described overseas programmes as an invaluable experience that significantly enhanced their professional capabilities and exposed them to modern policing practices, surveillance technologies, and contemporary approaches to maintaining law and order. Acknowledging the importance of international exposure, Naqvi declared that...

Pakistan chief selector says England are the toughest opponents

Eight Muslim countries, including Pakistan, have once again condemned Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, terming them violations of international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that foreign ministries of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in a joint statement, condemned the continued humanitarian crisis in the region, which they termed “a clear breach of Israel’s obligations under international law”, as well as the plan to end the conflict outlined by United States President Donald Trump in 2025. The ministers expressed “their strongest condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeting of healthcare facilities and medical infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure and the continued loss of civilian lives”. They said the continued violence undermined efforts to implement the second phase of the plan, especially aft...

The foreign ministers of eight Islamic countries, including Pakistan, once again condemned Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip in a joint statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday. Alongside Pakistan, the statement was issued by the foreign ministries of Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, condemning the continued humanitarian crisis in the region, which they termed “a clear breach of Israel’s obligations under international law”, as well as the plan to end the conflict outlined by United States President Donald Trump in 2025. The ministers expressed “their strongest condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeting of healthcare facilities and medical infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure and the continued loss of civilian lives”. They said the continued violence undermined efforts to implement the second phase of the plan, especially after Palestinian factions had accepted...

United States Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan, Ms.

England have recalled Dan Lawrence from two years of Test exile to face Pakistan, with the batsman pencilled in to fill the middle-order vacancy created by the retirement of captain Ben Stokes. National selector Marcus North, announcing a 16-man squad for the first two matches of the three-Test series on Thursday, confirmed Lawrence would bat at number six. Jordan Cox, who replaces the injured Jacob Bethell, will bat at number three. Joe Root leads the side after being appointed for a second stint, with the first Test starting at Headingley on August 19. Lawrence has been in the international wilderness since he made his 14th Test appearance in September 2024, playing out of position as an opener against Sri Lanka. The Surrey batter, 29, has been in impressive form in the County Championship this season, averaging more than 65, with five centuries. Cox, 25, made his debut against New Zealand in the second Test at the Oval in June, when he replaced Stokes, who was omitted after he broke a team curfew. Fast bow...

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday described the Thar coal project as one of Pakistan’s most successful development models, urging critics of the country's governance and development to visit Thar and witness its progress firsthand.

PAKISTAN boxer Qudratullah LAHORE: Pakistan auth­orities have launched a high-level effort to trace boxer Qudratullah, who failed to return home with the national contingent at the Commonwealth Gam­es in Glasgow, well-informed sources told Dawn on Wednesday. The disappearance of the 20-year-old boxer, who competed in the men’s 60kg category, is being treated as a high-profile case, the sources said. “Until around 2:00am in Glasgow, when the contingent was due to leave for Pakistan the following morning, every member of the contingent was present at one place,” a member of the Pakistan contingent told Dawn on condition of anonymity. “Later in the night, as the Games organisers had provided separate accommodation for each athlete, everyone returned to their respective rooms. Qudratullah also went to his room,” the source added. “The passports and air tickets of all contingent mem­bers, including Qudra­tullah, were in the custody of the head of the contingent. Despite taking all the preventive measures that the ...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif,on Wednesday, reaffirmed that Pakistan highly valued its close and brotherly ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

ISLAMABAD - The United States and Pakistan on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to sustained engagement and closer bilateral cooperation as regional and international security developments came under discussion during a meeting between US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in.