Pakistan | News

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Thursday underscored Pakistan’s transformative role as a vital “Economic Bridge” linking South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Eurasia.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned the Afghan Deputy Ambassador on Monday to formally register a strong protest following the recent terrorist attack in Bajaur.

Silver prices in Pakistan remained firm today, with the chandi ka rate at Rs.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Wednesday extended the airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft till March 23. The airspace will remain closed for all Indian civil and military registered aircraft till March 23, the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) said in a new notice to airmen (Notam) issued today. Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs. India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions between them escalated in late April 2025 in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people. New Delhi, without evidence, had alleged that Islamabad backed the attack. Pakistan strongly denied any involvement and offered a neutral probe. Then, in early May, the nuclear-armed nations fought their fiercest military conflict in decades. Pakistan say...

Shadab Khan said Pakistan believed they could go on and win the T20 World Cup after their best performance of the tournament secured the last Super Eights berth on Wednesday. Pakistan bowled out Namibia for 97 to win by a colossal 102 runs in Colombo and bounce back in style after a defeat to arch-rivals India had left them in danger of elimination. Pakistan rode on an undefeated maiden T20 international century by opener Sahibzada Farhan to post 199-3. Spinners Usman Tariq and Shadab Khan then shared seven wickets to rout Namibia in 17.3 overs. “We didn’t take this game lightly after so much talk about one match against India,” said Shadab, who scored a brisk 22-ball 36 and grabbed 3-19. “We are on the right track to achieve the goal of winning the World Cup and we are following a process,” he added. Shadab warned that the Super Eights, which Pakistan will begin with a match against New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday before facing England and co-hosts Sri Lanka next week, will be a step up. “There are eight ...

The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee announced on Wednesday that the Ramazan moon was sighted, and the holy month would begin in Pakistan on Thursday (February 19). The announcement was made by committee chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, as it met in Peshawar for the moon sighting. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Azad said that the skies were clear in some areas and cloudy in others. He said that testimonies were received from several parts of the country, including Quetta, Islamabad, Waziristan, Dir, Karachi, Buner, Mardan and Tando Allahyar. “Therefore, it was decided with consensus that the first day of Ramazan would be on Thursday,” he said. Separately, according to the Daily Star, the crescent moon was sighted in Bangladesh, while The Hindu reported that it was also spotted in India. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan observed their first day of fasting on Wednesday after the crescent moon was sighted on Tuesday night. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended “hea...

The Ramazan moon for 1447 Hijri has been sighted in various parts of Pakistan, and the first fast will be observed nationwide on Thursday, announced Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role in the promotion of responsible use of nuclear technology during an official visit to Vienna. According to a handout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz met IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the Vienna International Centre. “The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for IAEA’s role in the promotion of responsible use of nuclear technology in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, nuclear power generation and industrial applications,” the statement said. “He praised the strong partnership between Pakistan and the IAEA, while observing that Pakistan was not only a beneficiary of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme but was also contributing to the work of the IAEA through the provision of its experts and conducting international trainings for IAEA member states,” the press release said. The handout added that the IAEA dire...

Eight Muslim countries, including Pakistan, on Tuesday condemned the Israeli move to claim land in the occupied West Bank as “state property”, saying that the step reflected an attempt to “impose a new legal and administrative reality designed to consolidate control over the occupied land”. Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that the Israeli government had approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property”, for the first time since the Israeli occupation of the territory in 1967, in clear violation of international law that states an occupying power cannot confiscate land in occupied territories. Israel’s foreign ministry claimed the measure, approved late on Sunday, would enable “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes” but the move drew strong condemnations from across the globe for its violation of international law. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indones...

Spinner Usman Tariq said on Tuesday he was confident that Pakistan can bounce back from their T20 World Cup drubbing against India and seal qualification for the next round. India’s 61-run romp means Pakistan must beat Namibia in their final match in Colombo on Wednesday to qualify for the Super Eights. A defeat would eliminate Pakistan, who are third behind the USA on net run rate in Group A. It would also leave an outside chance for the Netherlands to qualify, but they would need a big win over co-hosts India in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. “Lifting the team is only difficult when you don’t work on your mistakes committed in the last game,” Tariq told reporters. “We have worked on our mistakes, so I think it will not be a tough task. “We have a resolve not to commit the same mistakes again.” Pakistan were criticised for asking India to bat then folding meekly for 114 in 18 overs chasing a stiff 176 target. “We can feel their (fans’) disappointment because the match is watched by the whole nation,” Tariq said. “S...

The first solar eclipse of 2026 is set to take place on Tuesday; however, skywatchers in Pakistan will not be able to observe the phenomenon.

Shehbaz Sharif addresses Austrian Cabinet Meets Austrian Chancellor for bilateral talks in Vienna Seeks Austrian investment in Pakistan’s key economic sectors.

ISLAMABAD - Dr Irfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Pakistan, Monday called on Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Pakistan and Austria on Monday agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Chancellor Christian Stocker in Vienna. PM Shehbaz arrived in Vienna a day earlier on a two-day visit, with the Foreign Office (FO) noting that it marked the first visit by a Pakistani prime minister to Austria since 1992. PM Shehbaz and Stocker held a “restricted meeting” at the Federal Chancellery today, which was followed by delegation-level talks, a press release issued by PID said. The delegation talks included Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch. The statement read: “Both leaders recalled the friendly and historic ties between the two countries and committed to work together more closely to further strengthen the bilateral relationship in diverse fields, including economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, IT, healthcare and human reso...

By signing up to the Board of Peace for Gaza, Pakistan effectively endorsed a quieter form of normalization with Israel, marked not by grand declarations but a slow erosion of taboos and shared frameworks. But Pakistan's real motivations lie in D.C. – and the Gulf

ISLAMABAD: In a meeting with a delegation from Pakistan on Monday, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appreciated Islamabad’s support during “difficult times”. The Sri Lankan president shared photos of the meeting held in Colombo on social media platform X, saying that he had met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain. “We reaffirmed our enduring friendship [and] appreciated Pakistan’s support to Sri Lanka during difficult times,” the post by Dissanayake said. He further stated that the “Pakistan delegation conveyed special thanks from Pakistan’s president and prime minister for Sri Lanka’s timely intervention when Pakistan’s participation in the T20 [World Cup] was uncertain”. Days ahead of the ongoing T20 global showpiece, the Pakistan government had decided that the country’s cricket team would not play against India in the group-stage match. The decision had come after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the ...

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, in a meeting with the deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, affirmed that the security and stability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are “an integral part of Pakistan’s own security”, the military’s media wing said on Monday. Field Marshal Munir made the remarks during a meeting with the Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which they discussed “ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors, particularly in the fields of economic collaboration, investment and security,” according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The two leaders also “exchanged views on regional developments and emphasised the importance of continued coordination to promote peace and stability in the region,” ISPR added. Field Marshal Munir, during the meeting, “expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the government of the UAE for its longstanding investments and ...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Commander of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday reaffirmed that the security and stability of the United Arab Emirates are intrinsically linked to Pakistan’s own security, citing deep-rooted historical ties and a strong strategic partnership between the two countries.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have decided to broaden collaboration between their interior ministries, placing special emphasis on internal security coordination, counter-terrorism initiatives, and anti-narcotics operations.

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s latest move to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property”, calling on the international community to reject its actions, according to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO). Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that the Israeli government had approved the proposal to claim large areas of the occupied territory as property of the state if Palestinians could not prove ownership, a move which prompted outcry from Palestinian group Hamas, the Palestinian presidency, and political analysts. “Pakistan strongly condemns the latest attempt by the Israeli occupying power to convert areas of the Occupied West Bank into so-called state property, and to expand illegal settlement activities,” the statement said. It pointed out that these steps clearly violated international law and relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, stressing that they “must be rejected” by the international community. “The occupying power’s continued d...