Pakistan | News

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated on Thursday that India appears increasingly uneasy over Pakistan’s active diplomatic role in efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting de-escalation and regional stability while discussing the situation in the Middle East with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong on Thursday. On Monday, Pakistan took centre stage in a coordinated diplomatic push alongside Turkiye and Egypt for de-escalation, as the trio appeared instrumental in securing a five-day pause of US plans to strike Iranian energy and power infrastructure, officials said, describing the effort as going beyond routine crisis management. A press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that the Chinese ambassador called on the premier at the PM House today. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, and the foreign secretary were also present, it said. PM Shehbaz appreciated China’s “steadfast economic support” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing CPEC 2.0, “with a focus on agriculture, industrial co...

Airfares in Pakistan have surged sharply following a significant increase in jet fuel prices amid the ongoing regional conflict, with airlines passing the additional costs on to passengers.

Significant progress has been made toward a staff-level agreement between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund under the Extended Fund Facility and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, sources said.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday held a telephone conversation with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and briefed him on Pakistan’s constructive diplomatic outreach to all parties, urging de-escalation and resolution of differences through.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Chinese navies on Wednesday commenced joint navy exercise “ Sea guardian” Hosted by Pakistan navy in Arabian sea.

ISLAMABAD - Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday strongly endorsed Pakistan’s offer to mediate between the United States and Iran, calling it a “timely and constructive” initiative, and urged all sides to seize what he described as a narrowing window for diplomacy.

Pakistan delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkiye could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. The comments, by an official speaking on condition of anonymity, were among the few signs that Tehran was willing to consider diplomatic proposals, despite having denied in public that it would negotiate with the administration of US President Donald Trump. However, later in the day, it emerged that Tehran had “responded negatively” to the US proposal and outlined five conditions under which Tehran would agree to end the ongoing conflict. The Iranian source that spoke to Reuters did not disclose details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan, or whether it was the same as a 15-point US proposal that has been reported by news outlets. The source said “either Turkiye or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks”. A source familiar with the matter had confirmed on Tuesday to Reuters t...

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday held a telephone conversation with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, underscoring a shared commitment to diplomacy amid rising regional tensions.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and discussed the evolving situation in the Gulf amid the US-Israel war on Iran and matters of national importance. During the meeting, the prime minister informed Bilawal about Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting global peace in light of regional tensions.  Both leaders also exchanged views on political developments and internal security challenges facing the country. Bilawal appreciated the federal government’s policies and measures to address potential challenges arising from the ongoing conflict, praising the prime minister’s leadership during a difficult time. The two leaders also reviewed development projects being carried out by the federal government in Sindh. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Naz...

Pakistan on Wednesday reiterated at the United Nations Human Rights Council that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, stating that no unilateral action can alter its legal status.

ISLAMABAD: As global temperatures continue to rise due to the burning of fossil fuels, Pakistan is projected to see a net increase in mortality of 51 deaths per 100,000 people by 2050, with low- and middle-income countries accounting for 90 per cent of these premature deaths due to climate change. According to a study, these are the first projections of rising temperatures’ impact on mortality to target adaptation planning, which are compiled by the Climate Impact Lab at the University of Chicago, using “highly-localised data from around the world”. “Ten times more people are projected to die each year in lower-income countries (about 391,000 people) than in higher-income countries (about 39,000 people) due to shifting temperatures, despite being expected to have roughly equal populations,” the study noted, while highlighting the disproportionate impact of heatwaves on the Global South. Pakistan and Burkina Faso will be the hardest-hit countries, as per these projections. Pakistani cities fare even worse due ...

WASHINGTON: Speakers at an hours-long symposium on Capitol Hill on Tuesday noted that Pakistan’s gesture to mediate peace between the United States and Iran, amid the recent escalation of hostilities between Washington and Tehran, reflects growing confidence in Islamabad’s diplomatic role in regional disputes. Referring to the recent US–Iran military confrontation — which included direct strikes and retaliatory actions that heightened tensions across the Gulf — participants observed that Pakistan’s outreach underscored its desire to play a stabilising role in a region already burdened by multiple conflicts. Speakers argued that Pakistan, a developing country of more than 250 million people situated in a strategically sensitive region bordering Afghanistan, Iran, India and close to the Gulf, must be viewed beyond a narrow security lens. They noted that the country has a large diaspora in the United States, a growing and educated middle class, significant natural resources, and nuclear capability — factors that...

WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Tuesday joined seven other members of the UN Security Council in reiterating firm opposition to the annexation of any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the forcible displacement of the Palestinian people. All seven nations warned that such actions violated international law and undermined prospects for peace. The briefing, however, was delayed because the Israeli Ambassador Danny Dannon occupied the microphone and spo­ke first, although Pakistan pointed out that the slot was reserved for the seven-nation stakeout. Asked to explain Israel’s position abo­ut reported US-Iran peace talks in Islam­abad, Dannon said that Israel has “continued its participation” in the war and will “continue to attack targets” until it achieves its objectives. At a Security Council press stakeout, Pakistan delivered the first portion of a joint statement on behalf of Bahrain, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Pakis­tan, Somalia and the United Kingdom. Tel Aviv envoy ‘hogs the mic’ ahead of stakeou...

ISLAMABAD: A group of clerics from Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday appealed to the authorities on both sides to extend the pause in hostilities — which was announced for Eidul Fitr — to Eidul Azha. In Pakistan, the announcement was made by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on March 18, three days before Eidul Fitr. “In view of the upcoming Islamic festival of Eidul Fitr, upon its own initiative as well as on the request from the brotherly Islamic countries of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye, the government of Pakistan has decided to announce a temporary pause amidst ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan,” Tarar had posted on X. The minister said the pause would be applicable from midnight March 18-19 to midnight March 23-24. Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on the night of Feb 26 following cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban. Eleven Pakistani and as many Afghan clerics signed a ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan was ready to host meaningful negotiations to help resolve the ongoing crisis, provided both the United States and Iran agree to the proposal.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan stood “ready and honoured” to host “meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran. “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said in a post on the social media platform X. “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he said, tagging US President Donald Trump, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Subsequently, the US president shared PM Shehbaz’s statement on his Truth Social platform. PM Shehbaz’s statement came shortly after the Foreign Office (FO) urged the media to refrain from speculation and await official announcements when asked about reports of Islamabad being a possible venue for talks between the US and Irani...

• Efforts alongside Egypt and Turkiye seen as key to pausing threatened US strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure • Administration sources say diplomatic efforts saw Islamabad leveraging its position as ‘net regional stabiliser’ • PM speaks to Pezeshkian, Dar calls Araghchi; White House ‘kept in the loop’ • Islamabad floated as ‘possible venue’ for talks ISLAMABAD: On the 24th day of the US-Israel war against Iran, Pakistan took centre stage in a coordinated diplomatic push alongside Turkiye and Egypt, as the trio appeared instrumental in securing a five-day pause of US plans to strike Iranian energy and power infrastructure, officials said, describing the effort as going beyond routine crisis management. US President Donald Trump had publicly announced the ‘delay’ on Monday, saying Washington had held “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran over the previous couple of days that could lead to a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities. The pause, however, remains conditional and limited to...

Pakistan was identified as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, with levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.

Pakistan was ranked the world’s smoggiest country in 2025, with concentrations of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 up to 13 times higher than the recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) level, research showed on Tuesday. Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir said in its annual report that 13 countries and territories kept average PM2.5 levels at the WHO standard of less than 5 microgrammes per cubic metre last year, up from seven in 2024. According to the findings of the report, in total, 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO guideline. Bangladesh and Tajikistan were second and third on the most polluted list. Screengrab showing a partial map of pollution levels in South Asia’s major cities, with the IQAir levels for Faisalabad displayed. — IQAir website Chad, statistically the smoggiest country of 2024, ranked fourth in 2025, but the decline in PM2.5 concentrations last year is likely to be the result of data gaps. Last March, the United States shut down a gl...