Pakistan | News

Posts from multiple Afghan and Indian accounts on social media platform X on October 16, 2025, shared visuals claiming to show the Afghanistan defence forces successfully testing a missile with a 400-kilometre range amid the recent fighting with Pakistan. However, the visuals do not show any Afghan missile test. On Sunday, fierce border clashes between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban resulted in the martyrdom of 23 troops and left over 200 Taliban fighters dead, including a number of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorists. Both nations claimed to have destroyed the border posts of the other side. On Tuesday, fighting flared up again between the neighbours in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The next day, the third major skirmish also took place, with the Pakistani security forces saying an attack by the Afghan Taliban was repulsed in Spin Boldak, killing about 15-20 Taliban fighters. Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a social media post that the Afghan forces were “forc...

The temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been extended, a senior diplomatic source confirmed to Dawn.com on Friday. The Pakistani delegation is still in Pakistan and is scheduled to depart for Doha tomorrow morning, said security sources. On the night of October 11, Afghanistan launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts, triggering a series of skirmishes that carried on until Wednesday, leaving 23 troops martyred and over 200 Taliban fighters dead. The Pakistan armed forces conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital Kabul. A temporary ceasefire was agreed at Afghanistan’s request for 48 hours, which expired at 6pm today. “The temporary ceasefire was extended at the request of the Afghan Taliban government,” the source said. “High-level talks are expected to begin on Saturday.” Islamabad Kabul working to resolve ‘complex but solvable’ issue Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) stated that Pakistan and Afghanistan are sincerely working tow...

Crucial Doha talks set to begin today Pakistan to seek written assurances from Taliban FO says Pakistan exercise

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the completion of scheduled talks in Doha, Reuters reported, citing sources from both sides.

Pakistan opener Omaima Sohail said on Friday that the team was still looking forward to a chance to make the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup , ahead of their clash with New Zealand on Saturday. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s hopes of a first victory at the World Cup were hit by rain, with their crucial fixture against England being abandoned after a second downpour in Colombo. Chasing a revised target of 113 to win after earlier rains had reduced the match to 31 overs per side, Pakistan were well on their way at 34-0 in 6.4 overs when rains returned to end any chance of the match being completed — saving England from their first ever loss against the Green Shirts. Speaking at the pre-match press conference at the R. Pramedasa Stadium in Colombo, Omaima said: “We are not relaxed at all. We have a chance to go [to the] semis if we win the matches, like three matches. “So maybe the scenario is open, so maybe we will win the three matches, so we have a chance in the semis.” Omaima showed glimpses of form in th...

Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, in his final weekly media briefing on Friday announced key diplomatic developments, including Pakistan’s re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the implementation of a temporary ceasefire along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and the country’s active.

The recent floods have caused an estimated economic loss of Rs822 billion across Pakistan, according to an initial government assessment released on Friday, which paints a grim picture of the devastation to the country’s agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment towards cooperation with the United States over matters of maritime security during a visit to the country, the military’s media wing said on Friday. The Pakistani and US Navy share a long-standing relationship. In September, the US Navy ship USS Wayne E. Meyer departed from Karachi on a two-day port call, strengthening the enduring maritime cooperation between the Pakistan Navy and the US Navy. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, “Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, visited [the] United States of America as part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation and defence engagements.” Over the course of the visit — which concluded last Friday — Admiral Ashraf met with the US Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, and Acting Vice Commandant of the US Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Thomas G. Allan Jr. “Matters of professional interest, regional ...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with China’s Deputy Finance Minister Liao Min in Washington and sought Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s membership in BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB), the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the plenary meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) in Washington, DC, where Aurangzeb had arrived on Sunday on a six-day trip from Oct 13 to 18. NDB — established in 2015 by the BRICS — is a multilateral development bank aimed at mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS, as per their website. In February, the Economic Coord­ination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet had approved Pakistan’s membership in the NDB. In a statement issued today, the ministry said, “Aurangzeb sought China’s support for Pakistan’s membership in the NDB and welcomed enhanced investment from Chinese enterprises in key sectors, including information and communication technology, agriculture, indu...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to universal health coverage (UHC), regional solidarity, and multilateral cooperation.

Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan wants permanent end to terrorism originating from Afghanistan Pak Armed Forces forcefully responded to Afghan aggression under leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

ISLAMABAD - Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, Albert P.

RAWALPINDI - Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI, NI (M) on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s active role towards promoting regional peace and stability, in balancing the relationship between Global North and Global South through dialogue, dignity and principled diplomacy.

The federal government has announced plans to open Pakistan’s electricity market, allowing consumers to choose their power suppliers for the first time in the country’s history.

China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran on Thursday welcomed Pakistan and Afghanistan’s agreement to a 48-hour ceasefire after the two neighbours witnessed a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. China’s foreign ministry said today it supported countries in exercising restraint and realising a full and lasting ceasefire. “China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role for continued improvement in the two countries’ relations, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing. Iran also welcomed the ceasefire between its eastern neighbours, urging dialogue and diplomacy after days of deadly clashes. In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei expressed concern over civilian casualties and called for stronger regional cooperation to combat terrorism, while reaffirming Tehran’s readiness “to assist in any effort to maintain calm and reduce tensions between the two neighbouring Muslim countries”. Meanwhile, Fore...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Islamabad was ready to talk if Kabul agreed to fulfil Pakistan’s “justified” conditions following recent hostilities between the two countries. Pakistan and Afghan­istan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time on October 15 and would last for 48 hours. The announcement followed sustained hostilities between the two countries over the weekend. Addressing the federal cabinet today after the latest round of conflict, the premier stated that the Afghan side had requested a ceasefire and made a formal request. “Yesterday we decided the temporary 48-hour ceasefire [and] the message has been sent that if they want to fulfil our justified conditions through talks, then we are ready. The ball is in their court.” He added that ...

The joint military exercise Dostarym-V between the armies of Pakistan and Kazakhstan is currently underway at the Special Operations School, Cherat, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Pakistan and Kazakhstan have begun a joint counterterrorism training exercise lasting two weeks to improve military-to-military relations, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. Pakistan regularly holds joint military exercises with countries across Asia, the Middle East, and beyond to boost operational readiness, deepen defence cooperation, and improve interoperability. These engagements enable Pakistan to share counterterrorism expertise, reinforce alliances, and project itself as a balanced and responsible regional actor. “Pakistan-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise Dostarym-V is being conducted between the armies of Pakistan and Kazakhstan in [the] counter terrorism domain from 13-24 October 2025 at the Special Operations School, Cherat, Pakistan,” a statement from the ISPR said. “Special Services Group of [the] Pak Army and Special Forces of [the] Kazakhstan Army are participating in the exercise,” it added. According to the statement, the opening ceremony of the exercise was conducted on Tu...

ISLAMABAD - Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce,Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, on Wednesday, called on Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates During the meeting, both dignitaries reviewed the state of bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said yesterday that Pakistan’s election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council with an overwhelming majority of votes reflects the international community’s recognition of Pakistan’s contribution to promoting human rights agenda.