Pakistan | News

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated Pakistan TV Digital and launched its first English-language channel, marking a new chapter in the country’s state media outreach.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday formally inaugurated Mashreq Digital Retail Bank in Pakistan, marking a significant step toward transforming the country’s banking landscape into a modern, paperless, and digital economy.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and 15 other countries yesterday expressed their concern about the security of the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, a civil society initiative in which citizens of their countries are participating.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday cancelled the pre-match press conference of the Pakistan-United Arab Emirates (UAE) men’s Asia Cup match as the crisis from the fallout of the Pakistan-India match worsened. The PCB had lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against match referee Andy Pycroft over his alleged violations of rules pertaining to the “Spirit of Cricket“, with the board claiming that the referee had asked the Pakistan and India captains “not to shake hands at the time of the toss” for last Sunday’s match. “Pakistan will not be holding their pre-match press conference today,” the Asian Cricket Council confirmed in a statement on Tuesday ahead of Pakistan’s match against the UAE tomorrow. The PCB confirmed in a statement later in the day that the board had still not taken a final decision on continuing participation in the Asia Cup. “The Pakistan Cricket Board has not yet taken any final decision regarding the Asia Cup, “PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a statemen...

South Africa sailed their way to an easy victory over Pakistan after chasing down a target of 256 to win by eight wickets in the first one-day international (ODI) of their series in Lahore on Tuesday, in the lead-up to the Women’s World Cup. The World Cup, to be hosted later this month under a hybrid model across India and Sri Lanka, will see all of Pakistan’s fixtures staged in Colombo, with political tensions ruling out travel between the two neighbours. Earlier in the day, veteran batter Sidra Amin smashed a century as The Women in Green set the Proteas a target of 256 to win in the first ODI of the three-match series. South Africa’s reply was led by batters Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp after Sadia Iqbal struck early for the Green Shirts. They remained unbeaten on 101 and 121 respectively as the Proteas chased down a decent total with 10 balls to spare. Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana had won the toss and elected to bat first at the Gaddafi Stadium. Sidra was ably supported by Muneeba Ali as the duo put Pa...

Pakistan warned of “dangerous escalation” as the United Nations and a long line of countries on Tuesday denounced Israel’s attack on Qatar last week, demanding “accountability”. Israel’s strikes on the Qatari capital on September 9 targeted Hamas leaders gathered to discuss a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed. That strike “was a shocking breach of international law”, UN rights chief Volker Turk said during an urgent debate at the UN Human Rights Council about the strike. Denouncing the attack as “an assault on regional peace and stability”, he urged “accountability for unlawful killings”. His words were echoed by Qatar and dozens of country representatives who took the floor during the three-hour debate. Qatari International Cooperation Minister Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad slammed Israel’s “treacherous attack” and demanded that the international community “take practical steps to hold the aggressors accountable and prevent their impunity”...

Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to enhance connectivity and trade cooperation through the launch of direct flights, fast-track business visas, and joint business forums, as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador, Yerzhan Kistafin, called on Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan here on Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky accepted the letters of credence from the newly appointed Ambassadors of Cyprus, Latvia, and Pakistan and held separate discussions with each of them on the most important areas of cooperation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in Doha on Tuesday and reaffirmed Pakistan’s “all-out support and solidarity” for the Gulf state after last week’s Israeli attack on its capital. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, where leaders from the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) yesterday called for a review of ties with Israel following its deadly strike on Hamas members in the Qatari capital as they discussed a Gaza ceasefire proposal. “While reaffirming Pakistan’s all-out support and solidarity with Qatar at this critical time, the prime minister termed Israel’s attack of September 9, a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a serious breach of international law,” read a press release issued today by the government-run Press Information Department (PID). Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed A...

Pakistan has “very large” and “effective” armed forces that have proven their capabilities in conventional warfare, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said during an interview to Al Jazeera when asked about the possible position Islamabad would take in case a united body in the Middle East was formed to stop Israeli aggression. The interview, recorded ahead of an Arab-Islamic summit on Israel’s recent strikes in Qatar and published late on Monday night, saw Dar in conversation with Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javed. who asked the foreign minister if the formation of a united body in the Middle East, away from the United Nations structure, to intervene in Gaza was an option on the table. To that, Dar began his response by mentioning that “vis a vis UN Security Council, a mechanism could be chalked out”. “For example, they have [imposed] very serious sanctions on countries that don’t listen to them. And that is a very severe economic dent or pain they can cause to any country.” He then went on to say that there had been tal...

India has refused to grant permission to Sikh pilgrims wishing to visit Pakistan for the 486th death anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana said on Monday that her team’s focus was on the Women’s World Cup ahead of the one-day international (ODI) series against South Africa in Lahore. The World Cup, to be hosted later this month under a hybrid model across India and Sri Lanka, will see all of Pakistan’s fixtures staged in Colombo, with political tensions ruling out travel between the two neighbours. Pakistan open their immediate run-in with a three-match ODI series against South Africa in Lahore from Tuesday, following the conclusion of a training camp at the National Cricket Academy and the Gaddafi Stadium. Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Lahore, Fatima said: “The specific aim is to prepare for the World Cup and execute our plans in this series.” “A series like this is very beneficial for the team ahead of the World Cup. It gives the players a good opportunity to put into practice all the preparation they have done in recent times,“ she was quoted as having said by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). She ...

Pakistan suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of India, who beat them by seven wickets after beating the paltry 128-run target set by the Green Shirts during yesterday’s Asia Cup game. However, the match had been marred by controversy from the beginning due to calls from across the border to “boycott” the fixture. It seems the pressure got to the players as well, with the Indian team refusing to shake hands with their rivals at the toss and after the match. Furthermore, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was said to have “politicised” the win by bringing up the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India-occupied Kashmir, over which the two countries fought a four-day military conflict in May, saying the victory was “a perfect gift” for his nation. From cricketers and politicians to fans and analysts watching the game, social media was rife with their takes on the scene. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his disappointment over the “lack of sportsmanship” in a post on X shortly after the...

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) maintained its policy rate steady at 11 per cent on Monday for a third straight meeting as policymakers weighed inflation risks from flood-hit crops against a fragile economic recovery. After slashing the interest rate by 1,000 basis points (bps) from 22pc since June 2024 in seven intervals, the central bank has maintained it at 11pc since May. However, the business community had expressed disappointment over the decision. “The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 11 per cent in its meeting today,” an SBP statement said. The MPC noted that inflation remained “relatively moderate in both July and August, whereas core inflation continued to decline at a slower pace”. “Economic activity — as captured by high-frequency economic indicators, including large-scale manufacturing (LSM) — gained further momentum. However, the near-term macroeconomic outlook has deteriorated slightly in the wake of the ongoing floods,” the committee noted. It cauti...

Ambassador of Poland to Pakistan, Maciej Pisarski, called on Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations, with a particular focus on expanding trade, investment, and cooperation in strategic sectors.

Pakistan has dispatched another consignment of humanitarian aid for Gaza under the supervision of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with Al-Khidmat Foundation.

India romped to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in their high-intensity encounter against Pakistan in the men’s Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai on Sunday. The match had been coloured from the start by calls from across the border to ‘boycott’ the fixture. It seems the pressure got to the players as well, with the Indian team refusing to shake hands, as is customary, at the toss and after the match. Then, at the post-match ceremony, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav seemingly ‘politicised’ the victory by bringing up the Pahalgham terrorist attack in India-occupied Kashmir, over which the two countries fought a four-day military conflict in May, saying the victory was “a perfect gift” for his country. “We stand with the victim’s families of the Pahalgam terror attack, and we express our solidarity, and we want to dedicate today’s win to the armed forces,” the Indian skipper said. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Yadav said: “Our government and the BCCI were aligned. We took a call and came here just to pl...

Another Pakistan-India match, the gulf of quality between the two sides glaring yet again, and brighter than ever. Fair to say Pakistan are a young side undergoing transition under a new captain and a newer team management, but there were enough instances throughout the fixture that highlighted a bigger problem: big-match nerves. One of those few instances was Shaheen Shah Afridi’s late onslaught of 33 off 16, which included four clean hits for sixes. He and Sufiyan Muqeem added 43 off 22 balls — a strike-rate of 195-plus — to drag Pakistan to 127-9 when it looked like the team wouldn’t even get into three figures. If tailenders can do that, why not the specialist batters? India’s Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot during the Asia Cup 2025 T20 International cricket match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, the UAE. — Reuters To put it simply, the pressure of the big occasion got the better of them before India, obviously a well-oiled T20 machine, faced no challenge whatsoever during the c...

President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed on Sunday that Pakistan and China would continue to expand collaboration in defence production and aviation, further deepening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat. Zardari, who is on a 10-day trip to China, asserted this during a visit to the the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) — the country’s aerospace and defence conglomerate engaged in the design and production of a wide range of military and civilian aircraft, including J-10C fighter jets that Pakistan employed during an escalation with India in May. The use of these aircraft is said to have played a crucial role in shooting down India’s fighter jets, including Rafales, during the four-day escalation that ended with a ceasefire on May 10. The statement by the President’s Secretariat today said: “On the 128th day since the ceasefire with India, President Asif Ali Zardari, constitutionally the supreme commander of the armed for...

Some Indian politicians and former cricketers have called on their country to boycott its matches with Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup tournament, as the two arch-rival teams are set to face each other in Dubai today. An India-Pakistan cricket match is always a blockbuster. Still, emotions will run even higher in today’s Asia Cup clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who fought a four-day military conflict in May. The countries have been at odds in various matters since then, including claims of downing jets, ceasefire requests, geopolitical narratives and of course, cricket. Several former Indian players and politicians have urged the BCCI to boycott what will be the first meeting between the teams since the recent hostilities. New Delhi only cleared the match in a recently announced sports policy, saying the Indian national team can play Pakistan in multi-national events but not in bilateral competitions. Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, head of the Shiv Sena-UBT party, has announc...