Pakistan | News

Extreme heat is breaking records around the world, with wildfires and poor air quality compounding the crisis and some areas including southern Pakistan exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released on Thursday. Extreme temperatures caused approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, with 36 per cent occurring in Europe and 45pc in Asia, the report said. The health impacts of heat are especially severe in cities due to the so-called ‘urban heat island effect’ — the over-heating of dense city areas compared with their rural surroundings — which is magnifying problems as urbanisation continues, it was pointed out. Amid rising 21st-century temperatures, the WMO underscored that July 2025 was the third-warmest July ever recorded, behind those in 2023 and 2024. In this record-breaking July, heatwaves especially impacted Sweden and Finland, which experienced unusually long spells of temperatures above 30°C. Southeast Europe...

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has directed the authorities to evaluate the persistent energy sector challenges facing Pakistan and provide a concrete solution to them, ARY News reported. Senior officials, including the Secretaries of Finance and Power, the Minister for Power, and other key stakeholders, attended the meeting in Islamabad. The meeting mainly focused […]

Pakistan is set for an extended holiday next week, with Independence Day and Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) likely to occur on consecutive days.

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani says Pakistan foreign exchange reserves have exceeded twenty billion dollars.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, on Wednesday met with the International Multi Group of Companies, led by its Chairman Amjad Rashid, to explore collaborative ventures in Pakistan’s agricultural sector.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit widened to $2.75 billion in July 2025, marking a 16.02% increase compared to June 2025, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Pakistan’s exports also witnessed an increase of 16.91 percent during the first month of the current fiscal year (July) as compared to the […]

Pakistan lost by 11 runs to Ireland on Wednesday in the first Twenty 20 International (T20I) of their series in Dublin. Skipper Fatima Sana was the pick of the bowlers for the Green Shirts at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, getting a career-best 4-26 as the team looked to kickstart a packed international calendar — featuring two white-ball World Cups — with a winning performance after bowling the Irish side out for 142. However, that was not meant to be, as the Irish side restricted the visitors to 131 in their chase, with all-rounder Orla Prendergast being adjudicated player of the match for her three wickets and 26 runs. In the first innings, Sadia Iqbal, the number one ranked T20I bowler in the world, started her spell by conceding a boundary to Ireland opener Amy Hunter. Skipper Fatima struck in just her second over, bowling an inswinger to dislodge her opposite number Gaby Lewis’s middle stump. The Irish side then recovered to score 48-1 at the end of the powerplay — courtesy five boundaries from opene...

The Trump administration’s abrupt decision to terminate foreign aid, including funding through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered a jolt to Pakistan’s social sector, forcing many organisations to halt projects, lay off staff, and scale back operations. Days after beginning his second term in January, Trump announced a pause in all foreign assistance under his “America First” policy. The move further deepened an already challenging funding environment in Pakistan, where donor fatigue and shifting priorities have chipped away at global aid streams in recent years. Still, the development sector has managed to absorb the initial shocks. Experts say a shift in strategy, bolstered by growing support from the Pakistani diaspora and government contributions, has helped NGOs keep their work alive. “Pakistan’s decades-old development sector, particularly the big NGOs, is deep-rooted and is pursuing a multi-sectoral and multi-donor approach to avoid dependence on one or a few donor...

Pakistan has started to deport documented Afghan refugees ahead of its deadline for them to leave, according to the United Nations, in a move that could see more than 1 million Afghans expelled from the country. The country’s decision follows the interior ministry’s announcement on July 31 that Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders — the last category of Afghans legally residing in Pakistan without visas — became unlawful residents after their cards expired on June 30. However, the federal government has informed the provinces that the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding PoR cards will begin on September 1. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that it had received reports of arrests and expulsions of legally registered Afghans across the country before Pakistan’s September 1 deadline for them to leave. The UNHCR said that sending the Afghans back in this way was a breach of Pakistan’s international obligations. “UNHCR is calling on the go...

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed Pakistan’s interest in benefitting from China’s technological progress for the development of electric vehicles (EVs), state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure — with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. Speaking to the media in Beijing during an official visit, the planning and development minister expressed Pakistan’s “desire to benefit from Chinese technological advancements”, according to Radio Pakistan. This includes the development of next-generation batteries, such as sodium-ion batteries, which offer advantages over traditional lithium technology. Iqbal also reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest in developing the EV sector in partnership with China, noting electric v...

ISLAMABAD - The outgoing Head of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, Dr.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has announced the immediate launch of a voluntary repatriation process for Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (POR) cards, with a broader return operation set to begin on September 1, 2025. The decision follows growing national security concerns and increasing pressure on public resources, according to a high-level meeting convened […]

BEIJING: Pakistan has sought China’s support in developing sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), as Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, identified EVs as a key area of future cooperation between the two countries. Speaking at a press conference at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized Pakistan’s interest […]

The Gates Foundation announced on Monday it will invest $2.5 billion in women’s health globally by 2030, with Pakistan among the countries set to benefit from work in maternal health, nutrition, contraception, and related areas. Research and development (R&D) in women’s health remains chronically underfunded worldwide, with limited investment in areas like gynaecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and maternal nutrition, the foundation said in a statement. Citing a 2021 McKinsey & Company analysis, it said just one per cent of healthcare R&D targets female-specific conditions beyond cancer. Common issues like preeclampsia, endometriosis, and menopause remain largely overlooked despite affecting hundreds of millions. “Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “Yet women’s health continues to be ignored, ...

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a sobering report highlighting the extensive devastation caused by ongoing monsoon rains across Pakistan.

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf was conferred Turkiye’s highest military award — titled Legion of Merit of the Turkish Armed Forces — for his efforts towards “defence and maritime cooperation” between the two nations, the Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday. Pakistani armed forces routinely conduct joint military exercises with other nations to increase combat readiness and identify problems in logistics, training, and current military doctrine. Pakistan Navy, in its statement, said the commander of Turkish Navy, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, “presented [the] award to Adm Naveed Ashraf in recognition of his efforts to strengthen defence & maritime coop b/w the two countries”. The award ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Turkish Naval Forces, where he was also given a guard of honour. Pakistan’s naval chief called upon Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, and the Commander of the Turkish Navy Fleet, Admiral Kadir Yildiz. The two sides discussed coll...

Pakistan and the United Kingdom have pledged to deepen their partnership across key sectors, with a renewed focus on defence cooperation and strategic dialogue, during high-level talks in Rawalpindi on Monday, according to a statement by Press Information Department (PID). Pakistan and UK have been engaged in 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. The consensus was reached during a meeting between Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Rawalpindi. “Pakistan considers the United Kingdom a close friend and a genuine development partner,” Minister Harraj said, according to the statement. “Frequent interaction has been useful in coordinating our approaches to various bilateral, regional and international issues. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in al...

Pakistan on Tuesday observed Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of Exploitation) to express solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and to protest India’s unilateral and illegal revocation of the region’s special status on August 5, 2019.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and United States yesterday pledged to continue engagement and cooperation amid improving bilateral relations.

Pakistan’s armed forces reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the resilient and courageous people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on the eve of Youm-e-Istehsal, observed annually in Pakistan against India’s revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. “On the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, […]