Pakistan | News

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has categorically dismissed baseless propaganda aired by an Indian television channel, Republic TV, which falsely alleged that Pakistan was preparing to send 20,000 troops to Gaza under the supervision of Western countries and Israel.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed early Friday morning to continue the ceasefire following a rapid deterioration of ties between the two neighbours and a brief conflict along their shared border earlier this month. Discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations began in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s long-standing concern over terror attacks emanating from Afghanistan remained a major point of contention, resulting in a stalemate. Last-ditch efforts on Thursday by the mediating countries brought both sides back to the negotiating table. A joint statement released after the conclusion of the latest round of dialogue stated “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided” during a Principal level meeting in Istanbul on November 6. During this period, the two countries also agreed on a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to ensure the maintenance of peace and to impose a penalty on the side that breaches the ceasefire. “All parties have agreed to put in place a moni...

Posts from multiple social media users, including PTI supporters, shared an image on social media platform X on October 29, 2025, allegedly showing a ‘Move on Pakistan’ banner of Field Marshal Asim Munir with text referring to his tenure. However, the poster is doctored. In September 2025, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the tenure of the army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, would end in 2027 and a decision whether to extend it or not will be taken at that time. He said that earlier, the army chief’s term comprised four years, and it was reduced to three years before it was extended to five years. The army chief’s tenure and extension have been under discussion for a while. In 2024, the government extended the tenure of the chiefs of the army, navy and air force from three to five years under the Pakistan Army Amendment Act 2024. The hasty passage of the law was severely criticised by opposition parties such as the PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami, with even the PPP, a...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that a “ray of light” was visible in the Istanbul negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid current tensions, and there was room for “guarded optimism” for a breakthrough, although nothing conclusive could be said at this stage. Discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations had begun in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s long-standing concern of terror attacks emanating from Afghanistan had been a bone of contention, resulting in a stalemate. Asif said earlier today that talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on cross-border terrorism could resume if Kabul signaled a shift in its attitude. Speaking in an interview on Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Asif said that whereas hope had completely flatlined before, there were “some signs now”, although he made it clear that he could not say anything conclusive. Describing how the process of the talks worked, he said different drafts were prepared and when one side agreed to one,...

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Thursday that Pakistan sought peace with all neighbours, including Afghanistan, but reiterated that the country will not allow cross-border terrorism to be perpetrated from Afghan soil. According to a statement from the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Field Marshal Munir made the comments during a trip to Peshawar, where he held an interactive session with a jirga of tribal elders. Later on, he was given a comprehensive briefing at Headquarters 11 Corps on the prevailing security environment, operational preparedness and ongoing counter terrorism efforts to maintain peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have worsened sharply in recent weeks, marked by border clashes and mutual accusations. Islamabad has repeatedly warned Kabul against permitting the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan territory for attacks — an allegation the Taliban reject. After ...

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf announced on Thursday that Pakistan will host the First International Qirat Competition from November 24 to 29, bringing together top Qaris from member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Pakistan has agreed to resume talks with the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul on Thursday, following renewed mediation efforts by Türkiye, marking a cautious step toward reviving dialogue aimed at easing border tensions and promoting regional stability.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that India is waging a “low-intensity” war against Pakistan from Afghanistan, adding that New Delhi is trying to “settle the score” after facing defeat in the four-day conflict with Islamabad in May. Asif expressed these views during an interview with Al Arabiya English that was released late on Wednesday. His remarks are a continuation of the censure he has been directing toward Kabul in connection with terror incidents in Pakistan, recent border hostilities and the subsequent failure of talks with its Taliban rulers. He was asked during his interview with Al Arabiya about the evidence he had to back his assertions that New Delhi was “pulling the strings” during talks with Taliban representatives in Doha and Turkiye. “When it comes to showing the evidence, or tabling the evidence, we will do that. We have the evidence,” Asif replied, highlighting that the Afghan foreign minister was visiting the Indian capital when border clashes began between Pakistan and Afghanistan...

In a major stride toward agricultural innovation and export diversification, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to establish three state-of-the-art date processing plants in Pakistan, marking a new chapter in Pak-UAE agri-trade cooperation.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the renewed attacks by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.

Defence minister says any terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give Taliban bitter taste of misadventures Info minister says dialogue failed as Taliban resorted to blame game.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday said that the party would stand with Pakistan if hostilities with Afghanistan resume. Pakistan and Afghanistan saw a worsening of ties in recent weeks, which saw border skirmishes, counter-statements and and allegations. The hostilities began earlier this month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of October 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Afghan Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan — an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied. Responding to a question on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Gohar said that the PTI would stand with Pakistan in case hostilities with Afghanistan erupt once again, like they did during Islamabad’s brief war with India in May. “We will stand with Pakistan like we did during the war with India, Afghanistan will not be any different,” he said. “But I will say that Pakistan has to live with its neighbours and it’s in its best interest to live peaceful...

Posts from pro-Afghan and Indian users on social media platform X on Wednesday were sharing a video claiming it showed Russian President Vladimir Putin warning Pakistan’s army and offering support to Afghanistan amid the current tensions between the two countries. However, the video is dubbed over and has nothing to do with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan is witnessing a deterioration in ties with Afghanistan, with recent border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations. The hostilities began earlier this month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of Oct 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan — an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied. For its part, Islamabad has long demanded that the Taliban stop terror groups from using its soil against Pakistan. Taliban, however, deny the allegation of allowing terrorists to operate from Afghan soil. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to grapple with th...

Pakistan on Wednesday received its first-ever shipment of US crude with the cargo arriving at Cnergyico’s offshore terminal, marking a new chapter in Pak-US trade relations. The cargo arrived aboard the Suezmax vessel MT Pegasus and docked at Cnergyico’s Single Point Mooring (SPM) port situated on the coast of Balochistan. In August, it was reported that Cnergyico will import 1 million barrels of oil from Vitol this month. “The arrival of Pakistan’s first-ever US crude oil cargo marks an important milestone for the country’s energy sector and for Cnergyico,” Vice Chairman of Cnergyico Pk Limited Usama Qureshi told Dawn.com. “This first shipment will be followed by another in mid-November and a third in January 2026,” he stated, adding that collectively, “these three cargoes are expected to improve Pakistan’s trade balance with the United States by around $200 million”. Qureshi said the SPM facility, the country’s only offshore crude handling terminal, can efficiently receive large vessels, reduce logistics co...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned the Taliban regime on Wednesday that Islamabad would strike “deep into Afghanistan” if Afghan soil was used to launch terror attacks on Pakistan. In a pre-dawn announcement, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the latest round of talks between the two countries in Turkiye, which aimed to address cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, “failed to bring about any workable solution”. “We will conduct strikes, we definitely will,” Asif told reporters at Parliament House, when asked about the options available for Pakistan in case of cross-border attacks from Afghanistan. “If their territory is used and they violate our territory, then, if we need to go deep into Afghanistan to retaliate, we surely will,” he added. Earlier, when the second round of talks had begun between the two sides on Oct 25, Asif had warned that failure to reach an agreement would mean “open war”. Speaking about the recently collapsed talks today, Asif said, “Kabul was not sincere at any l...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday hailed Iran and Pakistan as partners in maintaining regional peace and stability during a meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pakistan and Iran agreed in August that peace and prosperity in their border regions hinged on effectively combating terrorism. The nearly 900-kilometre border between the two countries has long faced security threats from proscribed groups, such as Jaish al-Adl and the Balochistan Liberation Army. Pakistan and Iran share close ties but persistent issues, including terrorism, smuggling, and mutual accusations of harbouring militants, have periodically strained relations. The interior minister is currently on a visit to Iran at a time of sustained tension with two of Pakistan’s neighbours, Iran and Afghanistan. A press release issued today said he met President Pezeshkian, with the two discussing bilateral and bilateral cooperation. “Iran and Pakistan are partners in regional peace and stability,” the press release quoted Naqvi as saying...

Pakistan on Wednesday called for the immediate cessation of Gaza ceasefire violations by Israel after the latter’s strike on the Palestinian enclave killed more than 100 people. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 104 people were killed after Israel carried out air strikes on the Palestinian territory yesterday, accusing Hamas of violating the truce by killing a soldier, which the group denied. The renewed Israeli bombardment prompted strong condemnation from Pakistan, one of the eight Muslim countries that worked with the United States on President Donald Trump’s peace plan. “Pakistan strongly condemns the renewed attacks by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “These actions constitute a clear and flagrant violation of international law, as well as a breach of the recently concluded peace agreement,” the FO said, warning that such “aggressive measures by the Israeli occupation forces threaten to undermine the i...

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $250 million for a flagship adaptation programme aimed at building resilient water and agriculture systems for vulnerable communities in the glacier-dependent regions of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan, a press release issued on Wednesday said. Led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ‘Glaciers to Farms’ programme covers nine ADB developing member countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, which all rely on glacier and snow-fed rivers for agriculture, domestic water, and electricity generation. The programme will focus on four glacier-fed river basins — the Naryn and Pyanj in Central Asia, the Kura in the South Caucasus, and the Swat in Pakistan — covering roughly 27m hectares, the ADB said in a press release. The handout added that the GCF approved its concessional funding for the programme at its 43rd board meeting on October 29. It said that around 13m people, incl...

ISLAMABAD/RIYADH - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday agreed to launch a comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework aimed at elevating Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations into a new era of strategic economic.

Pakistan’s brittle batting line-up imploded once again as South Africa romped to a comprehensive 55-run victory in the first Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night, bowling the hosts out for a paltry 139 in 18.1 overs while chasing 195. Corbin Bosch, the 30-year-old seamer, produced a masterclass in death bowling to finish with career-best figures of 4-14, while left-arm spinner George Linde chipped in with 3-31 as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 58 runs after a sedate powerplay. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, promoted to set the tone, managed a cautious 31 before Lizaad Williams shattered Farhan’s stumps with a nip-backer for 24 off 19 balls. The dismissal brought Babar Azam to the crease for his much-anticipated T20I comeback, but the former skipper lasted just two deliveries, chipping a short-of-length ball from Bosch straight to cover for a golden duck. Skipper Salman Ali Agha’s wretched night continued when he was trapped plumb in front by Bosch...