Pakistan | News

Pakistan, along with 13 other nations, on Sunday condemned the “illegal and unacceptable step” of the so-called Somaliland opening a “purported” embassy in occupied Jerusalem, terming it an “infringement on the legal and historical status of Jerusalem,” the Foreign Office (FO) said. Somaliland is a breakaway region of Somalia. In December 2025, Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Somalia rejected this move and termed a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty. On May 19, it was announced that Somaliland would set up an embassy in Jerusalem soon. Subsequently, the foreign ministries of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkiye, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, and Yemen condemned “the illegal and unacceptable step taken by the so-called ‘Somaliland’ region in opening a purported ‘embassy’ in occupied Jerusalem”. “This constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and...

Pakistan secured $11 billion in external financing between July and April, an increase of around 83 per cent compared with the $6 billion received during the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said Pakistan will continue its sincere efforts to promote lasting peace, mutual respect, and stability in the region.

HANGZHOU/ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that Pakistan and China are entering a new phase of practical, people-centric and development-oriented cooperation.

• Envoy urges return to US-facilitated peace talks, ceasefire to end Ukraine war • Unicef warns children are paying the price of conflict UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for an immediate ceasefire and renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, warning the UN Security Council that the escalating conflict is exacting a devastating toll on civilians, including children. Speaking at an emergency meeting on Friday, convened after a reported strike on a college dormitory in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the worsening humanitarian situation demanded urgent action. “We are deeply perturbed by the escalation in fighting lately and the consequential worsening humanitarian impact,” Mr Ahmad told the 15-member council. He underscored that civilians must not be attacked in situations of armed conflict anywhere, calling for purposeful efforts to end this protracted conflict. “Military means cannot bring lasting peace. Only a resolute commitmen...

Pakistan has intensified screening measures at airports across the country, along with other precautionary steps, amid the recent Ebola virus outbreak in Africa, the health ministry said on Saturday. In a handout, the minister said Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had directed authorities to implement precautionary screening protocols at all airports to prevent the possible spread of the virus. The spread of the recent Ebola virus outbreak is limited to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, and the risk to Pakistan is extremely low due to limited travel links with the affected countries, the health ministry said. The ministry added that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) office in Pakistan were continuously monitoring the situation. The ministry directed all provinces and the Border Health Services to remain on alert. The ministry also noted that Pakistan possessed the capacity to diagnose Ebola and said directives had been issued to ensure all necessar...

Pakistan remains primary interlocutor: Rubio

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has announced a plan to establish Pakistan’s first port under a public-private partnership model while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Shahrah-e-Bhutto in Karachi.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Friday, chaired a committee meeting to take stock of the performance of Pakistan’s Missions abroad.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan was taking measures on a priority basis to increase foreign investment in the country, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s House (PMO). He made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from Qatar’s Taameer Group, led by its founder Mohammad Al Ali, the PMO said in a statement. “Qatar is a longstanding friend of Pakistan that has always stood by the country in difficult times,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying. “We are taking measures on a priority basis to increase foreign investment. Obstacles hindering investment have been removed under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC),” he said. The premier further said that Pakistan had vast potential for investment in tourism and hospitality, as well as the real estate and construction sectors. He directed the authorities concerned to “provide facilitation and support to the group” on investment in the country. The statement went on to say that the company’s founder briefed the...

Islamabad - President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to its strategic partnership with China, describing bilateral relationship as a time-tested friendship rooted in mutual trust, shared aspirations, and steadfast support through every challenge.

ISLAMABAD - Poland’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Maciej Pisarski, on Thursday emphasized the importance of diplomacy, dialogue and regional cooperation while praising Pakistan’s role in promoting peace and mediation amid ongoing international tensions.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that Pakistan’s Hajj flight operation is set to conclude today, with 3,296 pilgrims departing for Saudi Arabia on 12 flights from various cities across the country.

A total of 60 flights were cancelled across Pakistan on Thursday, while 14 others faced major delays due to operational issues, affecting both domestic and international travel.

Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan V on Thursday expressed the desire to continue cooperation with Pakistan in various human development initiatives during a breakfast meeting hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. Prince Rahim is undertaking his first visit to Pakistan since being named the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community last year. According to a statement by the PMO, the premier warmly welcomed Prince Rahim and appreciated his commitment to fostering peace, stability, and constructive engagement with governments and international partners. The prime minister also assured him of Pakistan’s shared commitment to these ideals. PM Shehbaz also highlighted the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), and commended the organisation’s contributions in rural development, healthcare, education, disaster resilience, climate adaptation, renewable energy, digital skills training, and youth entrepreneurship, it said. He part...

Pakistan strongly criticised India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing New Delhi of sponsoring terrorism, violating international law, suppressing minorities and continuing its “illegal occupation” of Jammu and Kashmir.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission visiting Pakistan has concluded talks with authorities focusing on economic developments, fiscal plans for the next financial year, and progress on reforms under the country’s IMF-supported programmes, it said in a statement issued early on Thursday. The statement said that the mission visited Islamabad from May 13 to May 20, with the visit focusing on “recent economic developments, reform implementation, and the budget strategy for fiscal year 2027”. Iva Petrova, who led the IMF mission, was quoted as saying that “constructive discussions” were held with authorities on economic developments, including disruptions from the Middle East conflict, the upcoming budget formulation and progress on the reform agenda under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). “The authorities reaffirmed their commitment to a primary surplus target of two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in FY2027, which will support fiscal sustaina...

Pakistan has responded to claims by India during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying that the neighbouring country stands exposed by “terrorism, occupation, aggression, repression and disregard for international law”. The development came during a UNSC debate on the protection of civilians. During the debate, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of ignoring international humanitarian obligations, targeting civilians and a “long-tainted record of genocidal acts”, Times of India reports. He also reiterated the Afghan Taliban’s claims of targeting a hospital in Kabul earlier this year. The statement by India came after Pakistan earlier highlighted the plight of the people of occupied Kashmir. In response to the Indian envoy’s remarks, Pakistan’s representative Saima Saleem said, “India once again came to this council wearing the mask of a victim — but the world can see the face behind that mask. “It is the face of a state that exports terro...

• Naqvi travels to Tehran for 2nd time in a week to break deadlock, meets Iranian president, IRGC chief • Trump claims talks in ‘final stages’, warns of renewed hostilities if deal not reached • Iran warns confrontation will ‘go beyond Middle East’ if war resumes; Pezeshkian says ‘all paths’ for talks remain open • Saudi FM backs Pakistani mediation, praises Trump for giving diplomacy a chance ISLAMABAD: As the US and Iran continue to trade threats, putting their fragile ceasefire at risk, Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to break the deadlock, sending its emissary — Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi — to Tehran for the second time in less than a week to resuscitate negotiations. The minister landed in the Iranian capital with a “crucial message” for the Iranian leadership, reflecting the urgency of the mediation efforts amid fears that the ceasefire could unravel if negotiations remained at a standstill. Diplomatic sources said Pakistan was continuing to relay messages between Tehran and Washingto...

Een 23-jarige man is ter dood veroordeeld voor moord op een zeventienjarige TikTokker in Pakistan. Hij schoot haar dood nadat ze meerdere versierpogingen had afgewezen.