Pakistan | News

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Tuesday approved the transfer of three judges from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to other high courts. According to an official handout, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi chaired a meeting of the commission at the Supreme Court. “The meetings were convened by the secretary of the JCP in exercise of powers conferred by clause (22) of Article 175A of the Constitution, as the chairman of the Commission, while giving reason therefor, declined to convene the meeting on the requisition by one-third of the total members,” it said. The statement said the commission approved the transfer of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani to the Lahore High Court (LHC), the transfer of Justice Babar Sattar to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the transfer of Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to the Sindh High Court (SHC). The statement said that the transfers were approved by the majority. The JCP also decided that any vacancy arising as a result of the transfer of a judge from a high court “sha...

Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Tuesday congratulated the nation on the successful test of the Fatah-II missile, describing it as a major milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s defence capabilities.

The month of May 2026 is expected to bring an extended period of holidays across Pakistan, with estimates suggesting up to two weeks off when public holidays and weekends are combined.

RAWALPINDI: Troops from Pakistan and Sri Lanka commenced a two-week bilateral counter-terrorism exercise in Tarbela, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release. The “Pakistan–Sri Lanka Bilateral Exercise Shake Hands-II” is a joint counter-terrorism exercise conducted between the two armies, the ISPR said. The exercise commenced on April 27 (Monday) at Tarbela, with the participation of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) and Special Forces from the Sri Lankan Army. It is expected to last two weeks, according to the statement. “The exercise aims to enhance professional capabilities through joint training while further strengthening the longstanding military-to-military relations between the two friendly nations,” the military’s media wing added. “Participating troops will benefit from the exchange of operational experiences and expertise in counter-terrorism operations, contributing to improved interoperability and mutual understanding.” Last week, Pakistan and Egypt concluded ...

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council on Monday that it remains firmly committed to a peaceful resolution of the escalating Iran-United States conflict, warning that the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger severe global economic and security consequences. Speaking at a high-level UNSC debate on “The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad underscored the urgent need to restore maritime stability and ensure uninterrupted global trade flows. “Any disruptions to the routine traffic at sea gravely impact international trade with negative repercussions for global economy, and breed volatility that imperils international peace and security,” Ambassador Ahmad said, pointing to the Strait of Hormuz crisis as “a case in point”. He cautioned that if the crisis persists, its immediate effects on energy supplies and essential commodities would ripple outward. “The first order impacts… will increasin...

The information ministry on Monday rubbished reports by the Afghan media alleging Pakistan carried out attacks targeting a university and residential areas in the neighbouring country’s Kunar province. In a post on X, the ministry shared a screenshot of a social media post by Afghan news outlet Tolo News, which claimed that Pakistan had carried out attacks on the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University and residential areas. The information ministry said the Afghan media’s claim was a “blatant lie and an attempt to gain sympathy to cover up support [provided] by Afghan Taliban to Fitna al Khawarij”. Fitna al Khawarij is a term that the state has designated for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP). Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on its soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. Pakistan, meanwhile, is carrying out Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban and terrorists operating from its soil. It ...

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday said he discussed with “friends in Pakistan” the “path and conditions” under which Tehran could continue its dialogue with Washington during his recent visit to Islamabad. After visiting Pakistan twice in two days and making a trip to Oman in between, Araghchi arrived in Russia on Monday as part of his regional tour. In a statement issued on his Telegram account, the Iranian FM provided an overview of his diplomatic engagements over the past few days. Terming his trips to Islamabad and Muscat as “bilateral”, Araghchi said: “As for Pakistan, this country has recently played an important role in mediating the negotiations between Iran and the United States, and it was necessary for us to discuss the latest developments. “However, there have been developments in the negotiations, and the wrong approaches and excessive demands of the United States have prevented the previous round of negotiations from achieving their goals despite the progress. Therefore, it was ne...

Pakistan and China on Monday signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in water desalination, agricultural technology, and the tea industry. President Asif Ali Zardari, who is on a week-long visit to China until May 1, witnessed the signing of the MoUs between Pakistani and Chinese entities. The MoUs reflect a focused effort to advance practical collaboration in key sectors. The first MoU was concluded between the Sindh local government and Lucion Environmental Technology Group for collaboration on a seawater desalination project in Karachi, aimed at increasing the city’s water supply. The MoU was signed by Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Lucion Group’s Chairman Yuhui, also the secretary of the Party Branch. Memon also signed an MoU between the Sindh local government and Long Ping Hi-tech Information Company for cooperation in agricultural technology with the firm’s chairman, Chen Zhixin. The third MoU was signed between Meskay & Femtee Trading Company, H...

Pakistan and China have signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance cooperation in desalination, agricultural technology and the tea industry.

US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that talks with Iran would be held remotely and commended Pakistan, which has been playing a mediatory role between Washington and Tehran, saying that Islamabad would “stay involved” in the process. The US president’s remarks came during a phone interview with Fox News, where he said: “If they (Iran) want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us; you know, there is a telephone … If they want they can talk, but we are not sending people to travel 18 hours to meet.” His remarks come a day after he called off a planned visit of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to travel to Islamabad for a second round of talks with Iran. The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, following a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8. It had ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown. Acknowledging Pakistan’s role in the process, Trump said, “Great respect for Pakistan because they have been t...

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was to head to Moscow on Sunday after a short stay in Pakistan, where he landed for a second time in two days following a trip to Oman as part of his tri-nation tour, a diplomatic source told Dawn. He is undertaking the trip against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic efforts, notably by Pakistan, to bring Tehran and Washington to the table to talks aimed at ending the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The source said Araghchi arrived at the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi after completing a day-long visit to Oman, adding that he would meet with senior Pakistani officials during his short stay in Islamabad. The Iranian foreign minister would then depart for Moscow, the source added. In a late-night post on X, Iranian envoy to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam confirmed the end of Araghchi’s second trip to Pakistan. “At the end of this round of the visit of the Iranian delegation, Abbas Araghchi, the minister of foreign affairs, to Pakistan … ...

Backchannel contacts remain active Iranian FM lands back in Pakistan, meets DPM Dar, CDF Asim Munir Aragchi discusses Omanese proposals with CDF Munir, DPM Dar on joint control of Strait of Hormuz with Oman Iranian FM to discuss enriched uranium issue with Russian leadership today.

ISLAMABAD - Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam has expressed his sincere and wholehearted gratitude and appreciation to the government, army and people of Pakistan, especially, Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, for their tireless efforts and good office.

LAHORE - Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that Pakistan was playing a responsible and proactive role in promoting peace, reconciliation and dialogue at both the regional and international levels.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has notified six routes for the transportation of goods to Iran against an encashable bank guarantee amid reports that thousands of containers destined for Iran are awaiting clearance at Pakistani ports. For this to come into force, the Ministry of Commerce has issued a statutory regulatory order, Transit of Goods through Territory of Pakistan Order 2026. According to the order, following routes have been designated for the transit of goods: Gwadar-Gabd Karachi/ Port Qasim-Lyari-Ormara-Pasni-Gabd Karachi/ Port Qasim- Khuzdar-Dalbandin-Taftan Gawadar-Turbat-Hoshab-Panjgur-Nagg-Besima-Khuzdar-Quetta/ Lakpass-Dalbandin-Nokundi-Taftan Gwadar-Liari-Khuzdar-Quetta/ Lakpass-Dalbandin-Nokundi-Taftan Karachi/ Port Qasim -Gwadar- Gabd Meanwhile, it has been reported that more than 3,000 containers destined for Iran have been stuck at the Karachi port for the past few days. This has been reported as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — which was the route for one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas su...

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called a meeting of its executive board on May 8 to approve the disbursement of more than $1.2 billion to Pakistan under two concurrent programmes — $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), IMF officials told Dawn. Pakistan has qualified for the disbursement of about $1bn after the successful third review of EFF and $210 million under the second review of RSF. The IMF announced on March 27 that it had reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) for the disbursement of about $1.2bn on the successful conclusion of the third review under EFF and the second review under RSF. The two sides have since been engaged in changes to fuel pricing and the elimination of subsidies to meet the petroleum levy target budgeted at Rs1.47 trillion for the current fiscal year. The petroleum levy’s collection has already gone beyond Rs1.2tr in the first nine months of the current fiscal year despite the government’s claim of subsidising diese...

Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Pakistan once again after concluding his visit to Muscat, as part of ongoing regional diplomatic engagements.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that Pakistan will continue its sincere efforts to promote regional peace and security during a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Președintele american Donald Trump a anunțat sâmbătă, 25 aprilie, că a decis să anuleze deplasarea emisarilor Steve Witkoff și Jared Kushner în Pakistan, unde urma să aibă loc o rundă de discuții cu reprezentanți ai Iranului, potrivit relatărilor Fox News și Axios, citate de AFP.

US president says if Iran wants to talk, all they have to do is call Cancellation of Pakistan trip does not signal return to fighting: Trump Iran rejects direct US negotiations Iranian FM Araqchi leaves Islamabad Araqchi says he has yet to see if US is ‘truly serious about.