Pakistan | News

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Azerbaijan are expected to launch two freight train services, namely the ‘Pakistan-Azerbaijan Express’ and the ‘Pakistan-Iran-Azerbaijan’, aimed at promoting bilateral trade and economic cooperation. These two pilot cooperation projects were discussed in detail by delegations of both countries during a video conference in Islamabad on Saturday. Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani and Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint Stock Company Arif Aghayev led delegations of their respective countries during the talks. The meeting discussed opportunities for cooperation in increasing freight volumes, port integration, joint investment projects, and transport routes that pass through Azerbaijan and Pakistan within the Middle Corridor, according to a press release by the Ministry of Railways. Delegations of both countries agreed to establish joint working groups to finalise freight transport initiatives and advance mutual cooperation in rail and trade secto...

Peshawar - Across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, July 19 is observed with solemnity and fervour as Kashmir Accession Day, commemorating the landmark resolution passed in 1947 by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, which called for the princely state’s accession to Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Azerbaijan have expressed satisfaction on the joint efforts to further strengthen the close and fraternal ties.

LAHORE - Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain has asserted that India neither has courage nor capability to block Pakistan’s water as the natural flow of rivers favors Pakistan.

Minister of State for Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani on Saturday said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan had agreed to form joint working groups to further the goals of mutual trade and railway cooperation. Kayani’s announcement followed a high-level meeting he chaired at the Ministry of Railways that brought together key stakeholders to explore avenues for strengthening cross-border linkages and advancing mutual economic interests. “Railway Board Secretary Muhammad Yousaf, briefed the participants on the Pakistan Railways network,” Kayani said. “Discussions were also held on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan rail agreement, and both sides agreed to form joint working groups to further the goals of mutual trade and railway cooperation,” the minister added. Talking to the media in Jhelum, the state minister said that he led a dialogue with an Azerbaijani delegation headed by Deputy Chairman Arif Aghayev of Railways, who participated in the meeting via video link. Railways Secretary Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, Yousaf, as we...

Pakistan men’s three-match T20 International series against Bangladesh will begin on Sunday with the remaining two games to be staged on May 22 and 24 at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday. Last month, Pakistan had whitewashed Bangladesh in a home three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium. Litton Das-led Bangladesh will take the field on the back of an away 2-1 T20I series triumph over Sri Lanka last week. Pakistan are visiting Bangladesh for the first time since December 2021 as they arrived in the country on Wednesday, after taking part in an extensive training camp in Karachi, the PCB said. “Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns in a three-match T20I series beginning on Sunday, May 20,” the press release issued on Saturday said. “Salman Ali Agha, who has so far led Pakistan in 12 T20Is, will marshal the side in fourth T20I series,” it added. The pace duo of Ahmed Daniyal and Mohammad Salman Mirza are the two uncapped players in Pakistan’s squad ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar is set to visit the United States next week, where he will represent Pakistan in key United Nations Security Council (UNSC) events in New York and engage in high-level meetings in Washington.

The fourth spell of monsoon rains is set to begin across Pakistan from tomorrow, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms forecast for Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan, according to the Meteorological Department.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Friday strongly reiterated its unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, calling for objective and collective global action against the menace.

ISLAMABAD:  The Pakistan Airports Authority has issued a recent notice to Airmen (NOTAM), prolonging the Pakistan airspace ban on Indian aircraft for one more month, which will now be effective until August 23, 2025, ARY News reported. This will be the fourth continuous extension since the first suspension on April 23, after the escalated tensions […]

Authorities have released updated figures detailing the damage caused by monsoon rains across Pakistan from June 26 to July 17, highlighting the heavy toll on lives and property.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday announced that Pakistan recorded a current account surplus of $2.1 billion during the current fiscal year. Due to the widening trade gap and higher external debt servicing, the country posted a current account deficit of $103 million in May compared to a $47m surplus in the preceding month and $1.2bn in March. According to SBP data, the current account saw a surplus of $2.1bn, compared to a deficit of $2.1bn during the previous fiscal year. Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad highlighted the developments in a post on X, stating that the surplus was the highest in 22 years. “[The] country’s current account for June 2025 closes in $328m surplus, taking full-year surplus to over $2.1bn,” he wrote. Schehzad added that remittances surged by 27 per cent year-on-year to reach a “historic” $38bn. He added that in the current fiscal year, textile exports increased by 7.4pc year-on-year to $17.9bn, while IT (information technology) and IT-enabled services exports ...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s stance against terrorism, saying that the country has “effectively and comprehensively dismantled” terrorist outfits. The statement follows the US State Department’s decision on Thursday to designate a little-known group called The Resistance Front (TRF) — responsible for the Pahalgam attack — as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) group. The April 22 attack — which resulted in the deaths of 26 people — sparked a military confrontation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan as New Delhi blamed it on Islamabad, which strongly denied the allegations while calling for a neutral investigation. According to a BBC News report in June, the group had initially said it was behind the attack, but later disowned it. The US State Department claimed that the little-known group was a “front and proxy” of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian securi...

Pakistan on Friday beat India 3-0 in the Asian Men’s U-16 Volleyball Championship semi-final being held in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. “Team Pakistan U-16 Men’s Volleyball continues its dream run at the 2nd Asian Men’s U-16 Volleyball Championship 2025 in Thailand by defeating arch-rivals India in the semi-final,” the Pakistan Volleyball Association announced in a post on Instagram. Pakistan beat India with a clean sweep by winning three straight sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-12). View this post on Instagram “Stellar performances from Junaid, Faizan, Irfan, and Talha powered the Green Shirts into the Final and one step closer to glory,” the association said. With this victory, Pakistan qualifies for the final, where they will face Iran on July 19 at 3:30pm PKT. On Wednesday, Pakistan secured a place in the semi-finals of the Asian U-16 Volleyball Championship and booked their berth in next year’s FIVB U-17 World Championship after defeating Indonesia in straight sets in the quarter-final. The national side had register...

Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing military aggression against Syria, calling it a dangerous violation of international law and a serious threat to regional and global peace.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday released alarming statistics highlighting the widespread destruction caused by ongoing monsoon rains and resulting floods across Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan yesterday signed a Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi segment of the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (UAP) Railway Corridor.

Pakistan and El Salvador have formed diplomatic ties with cryptocurrency cooperation at the core. Islamabad has planned a national Bitcoin reserve, a 2 GW mining allocation and a dedicated regulator, while San Salvador has continued state Bitcoin purchases under its IMF programme. The post Pakistan and El Salvador Strengthen Diplomatic Ties With New Crypto Alliance appeared first on Cryptonews.

Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project in Kabul on Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the announcement in a post on X from Kabul, where he arrived earlier today on a day-long visit for the signing. “I congratulate the people and governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan on the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link under the UAP Railway Corridor. “I also thank the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan for their support and commitment for timely signing of the agreement. We remained closely engaged throughout the negotiation process to finalise the details.” He hailed the UAP Railway Corridor as a major milestone in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration that would connect Central Asian countries to Pakistani seaports through Afghanistan. Dar said the signi...

The White House on Thursday said that no visit of United States President Donald Trump was scheduled to Pakistan “at this time” after widespread reports of a trip. Earlier in the day, some local television news channels reported, citing sources, that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan in September. The news channels said that Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September. The channels later withdrew their reports. The White House dismissed the rumours. “A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time,” a White House official said. Talking to Dawn.com on the reported visit earlier, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said: “We have no information about this matter.” Similarly, a US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad told Reuters, “We have nothing to announce,” and said that the White House might be able to provide confirmation on the president’s schedule. George W Bush was the last US president to visit Pakistan in 2006. US-Pakistan relations saw a major boost when Trum...