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Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Wednesday warned that any violation of the country’s integrity will be met with a “firm and decisive” response. The CDF made these remarks during the 18th National Workshop on Balochistan at General Headquarters (GHQ), where he highlighted the continued efforts of Indian sponsored proxies to “propagate violence and disrupt development”, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The statement added that the field marshal reaffirmed that these groups’ plans would be thwarted through “stern actions” by the security forces to rid the province of terrorism and unrest. “Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and stability, the COAS & CDF also emphasised that any violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity, whether direct or indirect, will be met with a firm and decisive response,” the statement read. “[The] Pakistan Armed Forces remain committed to protect the lives and well-being of ...

ISLAMABAD: Despite missing around 800,000 children during the year’s last polio campaign, Pakistan has made progress in its fight against poliovirus in 2025, according to a statement issued by the polio eradication programme. Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunisations. “During the year, six polio vaccination campaigns were conducted, including five nationwide drives. As a result, reported polio cases dropped sharply from 74 in 2024 to 30 in 2025, with no new cases reported anywhere in the country since September,” the statement said. However a polio expert, wishing to remain anonymous, said that it was the tendency of the virus to remain recessive for some years and then bounce back. “It is correct that Pakistan reported 74 cases in 2024 and the number of cases declined to 30...

ISLAMABAD: Findings of UNHCR’s “Afghanistan post-return monitoring survey report” released on Tuesday highlighted different challenges for Afghan returnees from Iran versus Pakistan: those from Iran often have more education, better food security, and housing, while returnees from Pakistan face severe economic hardship, relying more on daily wages, and carrying heavier debt burdens. The returnees from Iran were less likely to have income-generating employment, and more often reported barriers to girls’ education. Those returning from Pakistan after April found more casual income opportunities but struggled to afford rent and maintain sufficient food. According to the survey, across all groups, returnees continue to settle in areas with fragile conditions marked by deepening poverty and limited access to essential services. Many cannot return to their areas of origin due to lack of shelter, land, or livelihoods. Over half of households surveyed reported missing essential civil documentation, restricting access...

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says that as Pakistan enters 2026 as the world’s fifth most populous country, with a population exceeding 225 million, high population growth and fertility rates, persistent gender inequality, and rising climate vulnerability, the urgency of addressing population dynamics has intensified. These realities underscore the need to view population not as a burden but as a strategic driver of sustainable and inclusive development, UNFPA Pakistan said in a statement on Tuesday. Looking ahead to 2026, UNFPA called for a shift in how population is reflected in national planning and financing, particularly in the NFC formula. Moving beyond population size as the primary det­e­rminant, a forward-loo­k­ing appro­ach should rew­ard provinces for measurable progress in gender equ­ality, climate resilience, bal­anced population outco­mes, and improvements in the quality of health and education services. Such reform would align fiscal incentives with human development res...

Former Binance boss Changpeng Zhao has praised Pakistan for its speedy crypto adoption in 2025, saying the country is on track to become a crypto leader by 2030. Pakistan's ability to “move fast” with crypto regulation and adoption could make it a world leader in crypto by 2030, according to former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.  In a recent interview with Pakistan Crypto Council CEO Bilal bin Saqib, CZ credited Pakistan’s leadership for recognizing the demand for digital assets among its relatively young and tech-savvy population. “If we keep moving at this speed in five years, Pakistan will be the crypto leader, one of the crypto leaders in the world,” said CZ, who serves as strategic adviser to the crypto council. Read more

After a prolonged dry spell, a rain-bearing weather system has entered Pakistan, the Meteorological Department confirmed on Tuesday.

Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday signed two major climate resilience initiatives—one focused on Sindh and the other on Punjab—according to a statement issued by the Economic Affairs Division. The projects include the $180.5 million Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP) and the $124 million Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanisation Project. Economic Secretary Muhammad Humair Karim “expressed his sincere appreciation for ADB’s role as a trusted development partner and its continued support to Pakistan in advancing climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive growth”, the statement read. Karim highlighted that the SCRP will promote integrated water resource and flood risk management and restore nature-based coastal defences. It is also expected to strengthen the institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning. “The project, financed through $140.5m from [the] ADB (including [a] $140m loan and [a] $500,000 technical assistan...

Pakistan has achieved significant progress in trade and educational cooperation with Tajikistan, driven by initiatives of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), marking a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Pakistan has strongly condemned the reported targeting of the residence of Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s residence, describing the incident as a grave threat to peace, security and stability, particularly at a time when efforts toward peace are underway.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider expressed hope on Monday that direct flights between Karachi and Dhaka will start in January, during a meeting with the Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh remained shaky during Sheikh Hasina’s rule. However, following the popular revolt against her government and her subsequent exile, relations between the two countries improved markedly, with Professor Muhammad Yunus leading the interim administration in Dhaka. “During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and aviation, as well as scaling up cultural, educational, and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations,” said a statement shared on X by Bangladesh’s interim leader. Haider, during the meeting, also noted that bilateral trade has recorded a 20 per cent growth compared to last year, with business communities from both countries actively exploring new invest...

Gold prices witnessed a significant drop in Pakistan on Monday, in line with a downturn in international markets, according to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association.

Pakistan has called on the international community to take notice of recent vandalism during Christmas and violence against Muslims in India, urging steps to protect the fundamental rights of vulnerable communities.

The year 2025 emerged as a landmark period for Pakistan’s international diplomacy, with the country gaining heightened visibility and engagement on the global stage through extensive foreign visits, high-level meetings, and growing international interest.

Both sides step back from public rhetoric to reset ties; Pakistan insists on verifiable counterterror steps

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan, along with a coalition of Muslim-majority countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), yesterday strongly condemned Israel’s unilateral recognition of the “Somaliland” region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, describing it as a serious violation of international law with.

The year 2025 was found to be “deadliest” for terrorists in Pakistan, with 2,115 terrorist fatalities, while 664 security personnel and 580 civilians were slain, according to a report released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). PICSS said that Pakistan saw a “marked escalation” in 2025, with violence intensifying in both “tempo and lethality”, pushing several security indicators to their highest levels in years. As per the report, the year 2025 has not only delivered a steep rise in overall combat-related deaths, but also became the deadliest year for terrorists since 2015, the most lethal for security forces since 2011, and the worst for civilian casualties in a decade. “Militant attacks climbed to their highest annual total since 2014, and the use of suicide bombings and small drones showed a clear upward trend,” said the report. According to statistics released by PICSS, combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 per cent to 3,387, compared to 1,950 in 2024. Fatalities included ...

Pakistan has joined 20 other nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in rejecting Israel‘s recognition of self-declared Republic of Somaliland, with a joint statement saying that Tel Aviv’s measure reflected its “full and blatant disregard for international law”. The statement also registered the countries’ rejection of any “potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land”. The joint statement has been issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Iran, Iraq Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye, Yemen and the OIC. Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday, with Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, saying his state will join the Abraham Accords. Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy — and relative peace and stability — since 1991, w...

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of senior diplomat Rafeeuddin Ahmed.

Pakistan has successfully restored its strategic importance on the global stage in 2025 by leveraging its geographic position, defence capabilities and diplomatic outreach, according to a report by Carolina Political Review.

All-rounder Shadab Khan has been recalled to Pakistan’s T20I set-up, while senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been left out as the national selectors on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for next month’s three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The squad will be led by Salman Ali Agha, who enjoyed a heavy workload in the format this year, featuring in a record 34 T20Is — the most by any Pakistan player in a calendar year. Shadab, 27, last played a T20I for Pakistan in June before undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this year. After completing a successful rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy, the leg-spinning all-rounder is currently in action in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), a factor that appears to have aided his return to international contention. While Babar and Shaheen’s omission is notable, both players are also currently featuring in the BBL, and their absence is understood to be part of a broader rotation policy rather than a permanent exclusion. With th...