India | Pakistan

Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build-up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. The developments follow a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. New Delhi, based on the allegations, launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan in early May, killing civilians. Islamabad retaliated by downing five Indian jets. After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. Gen Mirza said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. “We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, rejecting the weaponisation of water, warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, shortly after 26 civilians in India-held Kashmir were killed in what India called an act of terror. Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident, but accord remains “in abeyance” by India despite the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreeing to a ceasefire this month following the worst fighting between them in decades. After the April 22 attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered officials to expedite planning and execution of projects on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers, three bodies of water in the Indus system that are designated primarily for Pakistan’s use, six people told Reuters. The three-day International Conference...

Pakistan and India are in the process of reducing troop levels along their shared border, returning to the military posture that existed before the latest escalation in hostilities earlier this month, according to Pakistan’s top military official.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad has said that Pakistan and India are nearing a return to their troop deployment levels prior to the latest hostilities that erupted between the two nuclear-armed nations earlier this month.

Pakistan has strongly condemned India’s unilateral withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty, terming it a serious violation of international agreements.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm stance on its water rights, warning that the country will not allow its “red line” to be crossed amid India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

As political tensions in South Asia have simmered down, the US and India reaffirmed their “shared desire to maintain regional stability and peace,” according to a statement by the US State Department. The developments follow a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Islamabad responded by downing five Indian jets. After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally drop their guns as a ceasefire was reached. At the height of the conflict, US President Donald Trump warned Pakistan and India of “not doing any trade” if they did not stop fighting. A date prior, Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Washington, the U...

Two Pakistani children, previously denied life-saving medical treatment in India, have undergone successful heart surgeries at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr Musadik Malik on Wednesday said that India acted recklessly during the recent conflict, showing no restraint or responsibility, and put the entire region at serious risk.

RAWALPINDI: Two Pakistani children who were sent back without treatment from India have undergone successful surgeries at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi, ARY News reported.  Nine-year-old Abdullah and seven-year-old Minsa received critical care and surgical treatment at AFIC, thanks to the swift intervention of Field Marshal Asim Munir. The children’s father, […]

The high-level delegation tasked with presenting Pakistan’s position on the ongoing dispute with India has scheduled to meet on June 2, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said on Wednesday. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to send a diplomatic delegation to important world capitals in the aftermath of the recent military escalation with India. He entrusted the PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to lead the delegation. The delegation comprises Senator Rehman, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Dr Musadik Malik, Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Faisal Subzwari, Tehmina Janjua, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt and Jalil Abbas Jilani. Speaking on DawnNewsTV programme ‘Doosra Rukh’, Senator Rehman said that the diplomatic committee had decided to visit various countries before Eidul Azha. “The committee, headed by Bilawal, will begin its tour of various countries on June 2, starting from New York,” she said. She added, “The committee will first go to New York, then Washington...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to hold talks with India on the Kashmir dispute and counterterrorism, stressing New Delhi wanted the same “in all sincerity”. The prime minister participated in the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev. The meeting comes as the premier continued his tour to friendly countries to appreciate their support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India. Speaking at the summit, PM Shehbaz said: “I have said in all humility that we want peace in the region […] and that requires talks on the table on issues which need urgent attention and amicable resolution, that is the issue of Kashmir according to the resolutions of the United Nations and the Security Council and as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.” The premier also touched upon the issue of terrorism: “I have said in all earnest that if India wants to talk on countering terrorism in sincerity of purpos...

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday hailed Pakistan’s nuclear capability, saying it continued to serve as a credible minimum deterrent, as evidenced in the recent hostilities with India. With a public holiday, the nation is celebrating Youm-i-Takbeer to mark the historic day of May 28, 1998 when Pakistan joined the ranks of nuclear powers after atomic tests in the hills of Chagai, Balochistan. Pakistan became the seventh nuclear nation in the world and the first Muslim state to have a nuclear arsenal. PM Shehbaz emphasised that Youm-i-Takbeer was more than a celebration and was a solemn reminder of Pakistan’s resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, according to his statement carried by the Associated Press of Pakistan. He linked this year’s commemoration with what he described as Pakistan’s recent success in defending itself from “an unjustified war imposed by India”. Appreciating the nation’s spirit during the confrontation, the premier said, “The joys of Youm-i-Takbeer ha...

The Foreign Office on Wednesday condemned the “inflammatory monologue” delivered by Indian PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat, urging India to “return to the core principles of international order”. The developments follow a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Islamabad responded by downing five Indian jets. After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally drop their guns as a ceasefire was reached. In a video posted by Indian news outlet ANI, Modi, addressing India’s youth, calls into question the contents of the Indus Waters Treaty. He said, “If you study the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, you’ll be shocked.” He continued, “It was decided that the dams built on t...

India’s defence minister has approved a framework for building the country’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, amid a new arms race with Pakistan weeks after a military conflict between the neighbours. Indian state-run Aeronautical Development Agency, which is executing the programme, will shortly invite initial interest from defence firms for developing a prototype of the warplane, envisaged as a twin-engine 5th generation fighter, the ministry said. The project is crucial for the Indian Air Force, whose squadrons of French, Russian and ex-Soviet aircraft have fallen to 31 from an approved strength of 42 at a time when rival China is expanding its air force rapidly. Pakistan has one of China’s advanced warplanes, the J-10, in its arsenal, which it claims to have used to shoot down India’s latest French Rafale jets in the recent fighting. Militaries of nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan faced-off in four days of fighting this month, which saw use of fighter jets...

• High-level team due in NY to counter Indian lobbying, Bilawal likely to head delegation • Indian team led by Tharoor is already in US, assailing Trump’s role in truce A HIGH-LEVEL Pakistani delegation is arriving in New York next week to present Islamabad’s position on the ongoing dispute with India as an Indian parliamentary team is already in the United States to step up its own lobbying campaign. The Pakistani delegation currently includes Federal Minister for Environment Musadik Masood Malik, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Senator Bushra Rahman, Khurram Dastagir, former ambassadors to Washington Jalil Abbas Jilani and Sherry Rehman. The group is expected to arrive in New York on June 1. PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto- Zardari is scheduled to lead the delegation. However, with the possible addition of two new destinations to the itinerary, the final list of participants is still being finalised. There is also a possibility that Pakistan may send two separate delegatio...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed his willingness to talk with India to resolve ongoing disputes between the two countries, including the Kashmir issue and water security, during his visit to Iran. The PM is currently on a four-nation tour to friendly countries, where he will express his gratitude for supporting Pakistan during the recent military escalation with India. Earlier on Monday, PM Shehbaz was received Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at Saadabad Palace in the Iranian capital, where he received a guard of honour. View this post on Instagram Addressing a joint press conference with Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian, PM Shehbaz said that the two countries’ delegations had a “very productive and useful meeting … which covered all areas of our mutual interests and cooperation”. “There was total agreement that our two brotherly and neighbourly countries must enhance our cooperation in the field of trade, investments, commerce, in fact, every walk of life,” he said. The prime minister...

In another incident amid a growing crackdown on alleged espionage, Indian authorities on Monday said they arrested a paramilitary police officer on charges of “spying for Pakistan” following a recent military confrontation between the two neighbouring countries. The developments follow a military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Islamabad responded by downing five Indian jets. After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally drop their guns as a ceasefire was reached. Last week, Indian police arrested 10 people in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi —including a travel vlogger and a university professor — over their alleged connections to Pakistan or comments related to the r...

India’s coastguard raced on Monday to contain an oil spill from a container ship with hazardous cargo that sank off the southern coast a day earlier, Kerala’s state government said. The Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA 3, listed as a 184 meter freight ship, went down off the coast of Kerala on Sunday, with all 24 crew members rescued. It was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, a chemical used for fertiliser production and steelmaking. The vessel also contained some 370 tonnes of fuel and oil. “The Coast Guard is taking action to prevent the spread of oil using two ships,” Kerala’s government said in a statement. “The work of spraying dust to destroy the oil is in progress using a Dornier aircraft”. Crew members of a Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 sit after they were rescued off Kerala Coast, India on May 24, 2025. — Reuters India’s defence ministry said the ship sank “due to flooding” some 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, raising concerns f...

India has initiated work on a series of hydropower projects in the disputed Ladakh region, sparking serious concerns over violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and escalating regional tensions.