India | Pakistan

Heavy rain swept across the Himalayas, killing at least 36 people in India over the past 24 hours and forcing authorities to open major dams, in turn triggering flood alerts on three rivers in neighbouring Pakistan. In the deadliest single disaster, a landslide killed 33 people near the Hindu mountain shrine of Vaishno Devi on a pilgrim route in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Three more people died as floodwaters burst the banks of rivers in the district of Doda and swamped low-lying areas, authorities added. A view of a houseboat on the overflowing Jhelum River following heavy rain, in Srinagar, Indian-occupied Kashmir, on August 27. — Reuters About 200 children were stranded on Wednesday after flood water engulfed a school building in the northern state of Punjab, local media said. Vehicles tumbled off the Madhopur barrage over the Tawi river when parts of it collapsed after being lashed by heavy rain overnight into Wednesday morning, video images showed. There were n...

The Pakistan Army has been called in to assist the civil administration in Punjab after India released water into the River Ravi, triggering a sharp rise in water levels and creating a potential flood situation.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday issued a high-flood alert for the Ravi River after India released additional water into the tributary. A devastating monsoon season marked by record rainfall, glacier melt, and widespread flooding has exposed Pakistan’s extreme vulnerability to climate change. The “high flood” warnings this week have put Punjab on high alert and prompted mass evacuations in various places. In a high flood alert posted at 5:40pm, the NDMA said: “Heavy rainfall expected in the upper regions of Ravi over the next 48 hours. The Indian dam Thein is 97 per cent full, and its spillways may be opened at any time. Due to potential discharge, a high-level flood is expected in the Ravi River. High-level flow is also expected in Pir Panjal, Bain, Basantar and Deek.” The NDMA cautioned citizens to stay away from rivers, drains and low-lying areas, along with avoiding unnecessary travel. It also issued instructions to agencies and emergency services to remain on high alert. A sta...

India on Tuesday released additional water into the Sutlej River, prompting a flood alert in Punjab as water levels continue to rise.

The Foreign Office on Monday said India had shared flood warnings with Pakistan but stressed that the alerts were routed through diplomatic channels rather than the Indus Waters Commission, as stipulated under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). India in April held the IWT in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. Under paragraph 8 of Article IV of the IWT, “each party agrees to communicate to the other party, as far in advance as practicable, any information it may have in regard to such extraordinary discharges of water from reservoirs and flood flows as may affect the other party”. Punjab is on high alert for floods before the arrival of a fresh monsoon spell as the provincial government on Saturday evacuated thousands of people along the Sutlej River, as the river surged to a high flo...

Credit-rating firm Fitch on Monday maintained its long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating on India at ‘BBB-’, citing the country’s strong economic growth and resilient external finances. “India’s economic outlook remains strong relative to peers, even as momentum has moderated in the past two years,” Fitch said in a statement. The agency forecast GDP growth of 6.5 per cent for the fiscal year ending March 2026 (FY26), unchanged from FY25, and well above the ‘BBB’ median of 2.5pc. Fitch’s rating comes days after S&P Global Ratings lifted its sovereign credit rating on India, citing strong economic growth, marking its first upgrade in 18 years. Economic Affairs Secretary Anuradha Thakur had then said she expects other rating agencies to take note of the factors behind S&P’s upgrade and follow suit. Domestic demand will remain “solid”, helped by the government’s ongoing capital spending drive and steady private consumption, Fitch said, but flagged that private investment will remain moderate due to risk...

India has reached out to Pakistan under the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), sharing early flood warnings for the first time since the May military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, official sources confirmed on Monday.

India fears a planned Chinese mega-dam in Tibet will reduce water flows on a major river by up to 85 per cent during the dry season, according to four sources familiar with the matter and a government analysis seen by Reuters, prompting Delhi to fast-track plans for its own dam to mitigate the effects. The Indian government has been considering projects since the early 2000s to control the flow of water from Tibet’s Angsi Glacier, which sustains more than 100 million people downstream in China, India and Bangladesh. But the plans have been hindered by fierce and occasionally violent resistance from residents of the border state of Arunachal Pradesh, who fear their villages will be submerged and way of life destroyed by any dam. Then in December, China announced that it would build the world’s largest hydropower dam in a border county just before the Yarlung Zangbo river crosses into India. That triggered fears in New Delhi that its longtime strategic rival — which has some territorial claims in Arunachal Prad...

Dozens of villages were submerged and hundreds of acres of crops destroyed after India released water into the River Sutlej on Saturday.

MUMBAI: India’s federal investigating agency said on Saturday it had opened a criminal case against industrialist Anil Ambani and his company Reliance Communications Ltd (RLCM.NS), opens new tab following a complaint by India’s largest bank about alleged fraud. State Bank of India alleged that Anil Ambani, the younger brother of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Reliance […]

Minister rules out one-sided overtures to India

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said that any talks on sporting ties with India would be held on equal footing and there would be no more pleading for negotiations. The suspension of bilateral ties between Pakistan and India has now been officially extended beyond cricket to all sports. On Thursday, India’s sports ministry issued a new policy that ends bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, even on neutral venues. However, no stoppage has been announced for engagement at multilateral tournaments, paving the way for the much-anticipated Asia Cup cricket clash between the two rivals next month. Last month, the Pakistan Sports Board had asked sports federations in the country to seek approval before participating in sporting events held in India. Questioned about sporting ties with India during a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said: “I think we are very clear that whenever talks are held will be on an equal footing with India and there will be no more begging for negotiations. That ti...

India’s national investigative bureau opened a criminal case against tycoon Anil Ambani after receiving a complaint from the country’s biggest bank alleging fraud, the agency said on Saturday. Anil, the younger sibling of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has business interests that range from power to defence. The State Bank of India (SBI) alleged Anil and his former telecom firm, Reliance Communications, “misappropriated” bank funds by entering into transactions that violated the terms of the loans. SBI claims it was hit with a loss of 29.29 billion rupees ($335.4 million) as a result of their actions. The Central Bureau of Investigation said it had registered a case and that the bank’s complaint would be subjected to “thorough investigation”. The agency searched premises linked to Reliance Communications and Anil’s residence on Saturday. His spokesperson said the tycoon “strongly denies all allegations and charges” and “will duly defend himself”. “The complaint filed by SBI pertains to matters dating back...

India’s foreign minister said on Saturday that trade negotiations with Washington are continuing but there are lines that New Delhi needs to defend, just days before hefty additional tariffs by the United States are due to hit. Indian goods face additional US tariffs of up to 50 per cent, among the highest imposed by Washington, due to its increased purchases of Russian oil. A 25pc tariff has already come into effect, while the remaining 25pc is set to be enforced from August 27. A planned visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 has been called off, dashing hopes that the levies may be lowered or postponed. “We have some redlines in the negotiations, to be maintained and defended,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at an Economic Times forum event in New Delhi, singling out the interests of the country’s farmers and small producers. India-US trade talks collapsed earlier this year due to India not agreeing to open its vast agricultural and dairy sectors. Bilateral trade...

India is working with a French company to develop and manufacture fighter jet engines in the country, New Delhi’s defence minister said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in May approved the prototype of a fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), calling it a “significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities”. Singh, in a speech at a conference in New Delhi on Friday, gave more details about developing fighter jet aircraft engines in the country. “We are moving forward to manufacture aircraft engines in India itself,” Singh said, in comments broadcast by Indian media. “We are collaborating with a French company to start engine production in India.” Singh did not name the company, but Indian media widely reported the company to be Safran, which has been working in India for decades in the aviation and defence sectors. There was no immediate confirmation. India, one of the world’s largest arms importers, has made the modernisation of its forces a top priority, and made rep...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said that Pakistan had not requested anyone to make India sit down for talks of any kind. “Pakistan did not ask anyone to arrange talks with India. Pakistan is ready for comprehensive talks with India, including on the Kashmir issue,” he told journalists at Parliament House. Talking about the May conflict between the two countries and the subsequent ceasefire, he said the latter was still underway. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came in May as the former, without evidence, linked the Pahalgam attack to Islamabad, which strongly denied the allegations. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, killing at least 40 civilians. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week, before a US-brokered ceasefire had both sides agree to stop the hostilities. Talking about the halt in hostilities, Dar said: “India had requested the US for a ceasefire. I received a call from the US ...

Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has said Pakistan is ready for a comprehensive and composite dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues, including terrorism.

Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar on Friday said Pakistan’s historic victory against India had significantly enhanced the country’s global standing, emphasizing that the nation remained united “shoulder to shoulder” in the battle of narratives.

India’s Supreme Court modified its order on stray dogs on Friday, directing that those picked up from streets in and around Delhi be released after sterilisation and immunisation, after a storm of protests from animal lovers. Earlier this month, the court ruled that all stray dogs in Delhi and its suburbs be moved to shelters following a surge in dog bites and cases of rabies. Critics of the ruling had said it could not be implemented because there were not enough shelters. Many animal lovers took to the streets to protest against the order. Animal rights activists signed online petitions asking the court to revoke its decision. The court ruling also drew criticism from politicians and celebrities. India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called it a “step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy”. On Friday, the court said that dogs picked up in the past few weeks in Delhi and its suburbs would be released after sterilisation and immunisation, barring those showing aggressive behaviour or signs of ra...

India’s sports ministry on Thursday declared that India and Pakistan would not have any bilateral sporting ties even on neutral venues as per an unprecedented new policy but the cricket team would not be stopped from playing the Asia Cup next month as it is a multi-lateral engagement, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. Political tensions bet­ween the two nations over the years have cast a sha­d­ow over bilateral sporting events, causing major tournaments to hang in the balance. The countries’ teams have previously refused to travel across the border for sporting events, electing to play on neutral ground via a hybrid model instead. Last month, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) instructed all national sports federations to seek prior consultation and approval before participating in any sporting events held in India due to ’“security concerns”. According to PTI, India’s sports ministry unveiled the new policy with regard to India’s international engagements with emphasis on Pakistan. It added that a well-p...