Pakistan | News

Pakistan’s junior male swimmers tore through the national record books as Rayan Awan and Azlan Sohail set new marks at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Romania, which concluded on Sunday. Rayan clocked 30.87 in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke to smash the previous record of 30.98 set by Abdul Aziz Chaudhry 17 years ago. To put it into perspective, the record was set before Rayan was even born. He finished 58th out of 86 swimmers in the breaststroke sprint. Azlan can safely call himself the junior medley king after smashing the Under-16 national records in both the 200m and 400m Individual Medley. He swam a 2:14.18 in the 200m IM to obliterate the previous record of 2:20.22 set by Ahmed Durrani, who represented Pakistan at the Paris 2024 Olympics last year. Azlan finished 47th out of 73 swimmers in the heats. Azlan then went 4:54.68 in the 400m IM to smash the age group record of 4:57.86 set by Amaan Siddiqui in 2022. Azlan Sohail swam a 4:54.68 in the 400m IM to smash the age group record of 4:57.86 set ...

Pakistan and Bangladesh have signed six Memorandums of Understanding across different sectors to enhance bilateral relations.

Preparations are under way for Pakistan’s first-ever national cervical cancer vaccination drive, scheduled to be held from September 15 to 27 across selected regions, including Punjab, Sindh, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad.

Pakistan has successfully achieved 68 percent of its tree plantation target under the government’s flagship initiative, the “Upscaling Green Pakistan Program,” which aims at combating climate change, enhancing forest cover, and restoring degraded ecosystems across the country.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday dispatched another 100-ton relief consignment for the people of Gaza, bringing Pakistan’s total humanitarian aid to 1,915 tons.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said that Pakistan had not requested anyone to make India sit down for talks of any kind. “Pakistan did not ask anyone to arrange talks with India. Pakistan is ready for comprehensive talks with India, including on the Kashmir issue,” he told journalists at Parliament House. Talking about the May conflict between the two countries and the subsequent ceasefire, he said the latter was still underway. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came in May as the former, without evidence, linked the Pahalgam attack to Islamabad, which strongly denied the allegations. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, killing at least 40 civilians. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week, before a US-brokered ceasefire had both sides agree to stop the hostilities. Talking about the halt in hostilities, Dar said: “India had requested the US for a ceasefire. I received a call from the US ...

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a report outlining the devastating impact of monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan.

Pakistani teams on Thursday displayed their prowess at the Amerigol Latam Cup ice hockey tournament in Coral Springs, Florida in the United States with the men’s team clinching the Division III championship and the women’s team claiming the Division II bronze medal in their debut appearance. The tournament is designed to showcase talent from regions where ice hockey is a growing sport and “break barriers and unite non-traditional hockey markets in a thrilling display of skill, passion, and camaraderie”, according to the organisers’ website. A press release from the National Hockey League (NHL), stated that this year’s Latam Cup features 62 women’s, men’s and youth teams and over 1,450 players representing 17 countries and territories. The tournament started on Sunday and will continue through August 24. The NHL stated that Pakistan’s men’s team went undefeated throughout the tournament and playoffs, defeating Peru 6-1 to win the championship for the first time. The Pakistani Ice Hockey Team wrote in an Instag...

Two days before his wedding, Noor Muhammad had a long phone call with his mother, just hours before devastating floods in Pakistan killed her along with 23 family members and relatives. “I cannot explain how happy she was,” he said standing by the rubble of his family’s large 36-room house, perched on the bank of a floodwater channel in Qadir Nagar village. The village in mountainous Buner district has been the worst hit by recent massive rain in the country, accounting for over 200 deaths out of nearly 400 in floods in the northern areas since August 15. Buner is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Islamabad. “Everything was finished,” sobbed Muhammad, 25, as mourners sat at his damaged house to offer condolences, saying there was nothing left when he got home except for rubble and heavy rocks, which swept down from the mountains along with mud and raging flood waters, smashing into houses, markets and buildings. “The flood came, a huge flood came, it swept away everything, home, mother, sister, brother, my u...

Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has said Pakistan is ready for a comprehensive and composite dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues, including terrorism.

Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar on Friday said Pakistan’s historic victory against India had significantly enhanced the country’s global standing, emphasizing that the nation remained united “shoulder to shoulder” in the battle of narratives.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, currently on an official visit to Pakistan, met Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad on Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have formally agreed to grant visa-free entry to diplomats and government officials, following approval from the Advisory Council Committee.

China affirmed its commitment on Thursday to working with Pakistan on promoting regional peace, development and stability. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership with ties ranging across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure. The fifth round of Strategic Dialogue in May 2024 was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. The Chinese foreign minister is currently on a visit to Pakistan. Wang called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House, according to a statement from the PM Office. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and senior cabinet members. “FM Wang Yi emphasised that China regarded Pakistan as an ironclad friend and all-weather strategic partner. He expressed China’s desire to elevate bilateral relations with Pakistan to new heights of cooperation and collaboration. Commending ...

India’s sports ministry on Thursday declared that India and Pakistan would not have any bilateral sporting ties even on neutral venues as per an unprecedented new policy but the cricket team would not be stopped from playing the Asia Cup next month as it is a multi-lateral engagement, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. Political tensions bet­ween the two nations over the years have cast a sha­d­ow over bilateral sporting events, causing major tournaments to hang in the balance. The countries’ teams have previously refused to travel across the border for sporting events, electing to play on neutral ground via a hybrid model instead. Last month, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) instructed all national sports federations to seek prior consultation and approval before participating in any sporting events held in India due to ’“security concerns”. According to PTI, India’s sports ministry unveiled the new policy with regard to India’s international engagements with emphasis on Pakistan. It added that a well-p...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with China, inviting Chinese companies to invest in diverse sectors of the country’s economy, particularly maritime industries.

ISLAMABAD - In a heartfelt message, King of the United Kingdom Charles III expressed his deepest condolences to the people of Pakistan following the devastating monsoon flooding and a tragic helicopter crash during rescue operations.

KABUL: Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing joint efforts in counterterrorism and deepening cooperation in trade, transit, and other key sectors. The pledge came during the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue held today in Kabul. The meeting brought together Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, China’s Foreign Minister, […]

The national men’s T20 squad arrived in Dubai for the upcoming Asia Cup and Tri-Nation series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday. The tri-series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, which starts on August 29, and the Asia Cup from September 9 will both take place in the UAE. In a post on X, the PCB said the team arrived in Dubai in four groups, adding that it would participate in a pre-series training camp from August 21-27 and take part in a training session at the ICC Cricket Academy tomorrow. The squad departed from Pakistan in four different groups “to ensure a smooth and organised arrival of players and support staff in Dubai”, state media PTV reported. While the ICC Cricket Academy will serve as the “primary training facility” for players, the team was scheduled to play a T20 practice match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the state broadcaster said. All training sessions and practice matches will take place in Dubai according to the official schedule, PTV stated...

Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Danyal Chaudhry on Wednesday met British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott to discuss cooperation between Islamabad and London. Pakistan and the United Kingdom have been engaged in the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) since 2011, which has deepened and broadened the dialogue between the two countries, covering areas such as trade, economic growth and development, cultural cooperation, security, and education. During the meeting, held in Islamabad, Chaudhry highlighted Pakistan’s ‘democratic trajectory’ and emphasised that constructive dialogue and strong institutions were essential for a sustainable democracy. “The meeting also touched on matters concerning Pakistani-origin citizens in the UK, including taxation and general facilitation,” the press release read. “Marriott welcomed ongoing efforts to support overseas Pakistanis and expressed interest in further collaboration to enhance services for the diaspora.” Chaudhry stressed, during the ...