Pakistan | News

Pakistan–US ties have witnessed an unexpected upswing, sparking unease in India, the Financial Times reported.

Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed the US’ decision to designate the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list, according to a Foreign Office (FO) press release. The US State Department made the announcement yesterday, stating that the designations demonstrated the US President Donald Trump’s commitment to counter-terrorism. In today’s press release, the FO emphasised that Pakistan had proscribed the Majeed Brigade — BLA’s suicide squad — as a terrorist entity since July 18, 2024. The BLA itself was proscribed in 2006, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Authority’s list of proscribed organisations. “BLA/Majeed Brigade is involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the heinous Jaffer Express terrorist incident and the Khuzdar bus attack that resulted in the loss of precious lives,” the release said. At least 26 hostages lost their lives in the Jaffar Express attack in March, for which the BLA claimed responsibility. In the Khuzdar bus attack...

Pakistan has welcomed the US decision of designating Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, also adding Majeed Brigade as an alias to BLA.

Pakistani users on social media platforms X and TikTok have been sharing videos since Monday that allegedly showed the Indian Army chief admitting to the loss of six jets and 250 soldiers in the recent military conflict against Pakistan. However, he made no such statement, and the viral video is a deepfake. During the May 7–10, 2025, clashes between India and Pakistan, both sides issued conflicting claims about aircraft losses. Pakistan initially stated that it had downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat on May 7, later revising the figure to six, and claimed it had also destroyed India’s S-400 air defence batteries, unmanned aircraft, and disabled several Indian airbases. Pakistan denied losing any of its own aircraft during the fighting. However, on August 9, Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh claimed that India had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other large aircraft, possibly a surveillance plane, mostly using its Russian-made S-400 missile system. He further alleged that India...

The newly appointed Representative of Unicef in Pakistan, Pernille Ironside, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protect and uphold the rights of all children as she began her role in the country, it emerged on Tuesday. The agency supports the government to “accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realise their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children”, Unicef Pakistan’s official website said. After formally taking up the role, Ironside presented her credentials to Special Secretary (UN) Ambassador Nabeel Munir at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a press release. “During the meeting, Ms Ironside reaffirmed Unicef’s commitment to protect and uphold the rights of all children in Pakistan,” it read. As the new Representative, she will provide “strategic leadership across Unicef’s country programme”, which “aims to nurture, educate, protect and support children from their earliest moments through adolescence” with...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday rejected the “immature remarks” made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on the remarks attributed to Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Martial Asim Munir.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan’s minority communities are an essential and respected part of society, and that their rights, freedoms, and safety are fully protected under the Constitution of Pakistan.

WASHINGTON: The 50 per cent tariff imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods, including basmati rice, has reshaped trade flows in the United States, providing Pakistan an opportunity to expand its share in the American aromatic rice market. Pakistan’s basmati rice exports have witnessed steady growth in recent years. According to the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the country exported approximately 772,725 tonnes of basmati rice in FY24, generating $876.9m — up from 595,120 tonnes worth $650.4m in the previous fiscal year. The average export price per tonne also increased from $1,092.93 to $1,134.86. Data from Volza’s Global Trade platform shows that between November 2023 and October 2024, the United States accounted for 24pc of Pakistan’s total basmati exports through 1,519 shipments. Italy and the United Kingdom followed with shares of 14pc (908 shipments) and 11pc (716 shipments), respectively. Together, these three markets consumed nearly 49pc of Pakistan’s basmati rice exports. ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday strongly rejected the remarks made by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, calling them “immature” and yet another example of India’s tendency to distort facts and twist statements out of context. In a statement, a Foreign Office Spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan, as a responsible nuclear […]

Pakistan has strongly rejected what it called India’s deliberate distortion of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s remarks during his recent visit to the United States.

Pakistan has welcomed the Court of Arbitration’s award on the general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a validation of its longstanding position.

Pakistan has strongly denounced the latest airstrike by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, which claimed numerous civilian lives, terming it a blatant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.

PCA Award binds India to let western rivers flow Ruling favours Pakistan on IWT dispute Limits put on India's h

The federal government on Monday welcomed the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague to issue an “Award on Issues of General Interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)” in the Indus Waters case, stating that India must generally “let flow” the waters of the western rivers for Pakistan’s “unrestricted use”. India in April held the IWT in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. A supplemental award by the PCA in June held that India could not unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. India, in response, said it did not recognise the court or its decisions. A press release issued today by the PCA said it rendered an award on Friday in an ...

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) on Monday received offers in its international tender to buy 100,000 tonnes of white sugar, European traders said in initial assessments. On July 8, the government had approved plans to import 500,000 tonnes of sugar to help maintain price stability. Market analysts said that retail sugar prices in the country have risen sharply since January. TCP had last week issued a fresh international tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of white refined sugar, after a previous one for 50,000 tonnes of sugar in July reportedly received no offers. The lowest price offered in the tender was believed to be $539.00 a tonne, cost and freight (c&f) included, according to traders. They said offers were still being considered and no purchase had been reported yet. The lowest offer was said to have been submitted by trading house ED&F Man for 50,000 tonnes of fine-grade sugar sourced from any origin. There were reportedly three other participants in the tender. Dreyfus was said to have offer...

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged a dilemma over the fifth bowler and said they would take a late decision on their team combination for Tuesday’s series decider following their defeat in the second one-day international on Sunday. Pakistan, who won the opening ODI by five wickets, posted a competitive 171-7 in 37 overs in a rain-truncated match but West Indies prevailed by five wickets to draw level in the three-match series. Pakistan’s part-time duo of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha conceded a combined 66 runs in seven wicketless overs as West Indies cruised home. “You could say our fifth bowler gave away too many runs but in recent years, Salman Agha and Saim Ayub have both bowled well for us,” Rizwan said after the match. “Saim didn’t have the best day today, but he performed well in the T20Is. That’s just part of the game.” Rizwan said they could not read the conditions and several rain delays did not help their cause. “Honestly, the weather forecast has been completely different from expectations...

TRINIDAD: Pakistan set a revised 181-run target for West Indies in the rain-affected second Pakistan vs West Indies ODI at the Brian Lara Stadium on Sunday. Multiple rain interruptions reduced the tourists’ innings to 37 overs. Hasan Nawaz remained unbeaten on 36 as Pakistan finished at 171 for seven in 37 overs. As per the […]

Player of the match Muneeba Ali’s hundred helped propel Pakistan women to a consolation win over Ireland on Sunday in the final Twenty20 International of the series that was won 2-1 by the Irish team. Coming into this encounter, the Green Shirts were 2-0 down in the series, with Ireland winning the first T20I by 11 runs on Wednesday and four wickets on Friday. Batting first at Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin, the Irish side got to a respectable 155-4 before centurion Muneeba and Aliya Riaz combined for an unbeaten 101 run partnership to make easy work of the Irish total — chasing it down with 14 balls to spare. In the first innings, Irish allrounder Orla Prendergast continued with her good form in the series, scoring 64 runs not out of 46 balls. Wicketkeeper Amy Hunter and Irish captain Gaby Lewis scored 29 and 36, respectively. Muneeba started the Pakistani chase with three back-to-back boundaries off the bowling of Prendergast, the player of the match of the first encounter and winner of the player o...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday evening received a telephone call from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who expressed his appreciation for Pakistan’s consistent support on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, a statement from the PM’s office said. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an initial US-brokered peace agreement during a meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday, a deal aimed at boosting economic ties between the two countries after decades of conflict, the White House said. The PM on Saturday hailed US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts following his role in brokering the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, congratulating both countries on “charting a course for a peaceful future for their region” and stating: “Pakistan has always stood by the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and we stand with them at this proud moment of their history.” In a post on X, PM Shehbaz said that he had a phone call with Aliyev, where he conveyed warm felicitations to him and the people of Azerbaijan on the peace deal. “L...

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday emphasised that the supremacy of Parliament, adherence to the Constitution, rule of law, and continuity of the democratic process are vital to Pakistan’s integrity, development, and prosperity.