Islamabad | Pakistan

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Beijing today, following reported progress in regional diplomacy after a four-nation meeting held in Islamabad.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, along with several civil society organisations, on Sunday called on authorities to immediately halt all planned and ongoing eviction operations in Islamabad’s low-income areas and katchi abadis (informal settlements). The call was made in a statement issued by the HRCP following a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad. “The All Party Alliance for Katchi Abadis, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, National Commission for Justice and Peace, Awami Workers Party, Aurat March Islamabad and allied civil society organisations strongly condemn the imminent threat of demolition and forced eviction facing residents of Allama Iqbal Colony, a 25-year-old, predominantly Christian working-class settlement reportedly slated for clearance in the coming week,” the statement read. It added: “We unequivocally reject the ongoing pattern of evictions carried out by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad, without due process, adequate notice or lawful rehabil...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt from March 29-30 for “in-depth discussions” on a variety of issues, including efforts to reduce the ongoing tensions in the region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. In a press release issued on Saturday, the Foreign Office said that at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan, and Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty will visit Islamabad from March 29 to March 30. “During the visit, the foreign ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the FO said, adding that the visiting dignitaries will also call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Pakistan highly values its relations with the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt,” the FO statement underscored. “The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperat...

ISLAMABAD: The district administration on Saturday denied that it had sealed Edhi’s office in Aabpara “at any point” after the rescue service said its control room had been sealed. At the same time, in a statement, the Islamabad administration said the control room had been built on land owned by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The administration asserted that while eviction notices had been served, no action had been taken yet to enforce them. The responses came after a statement was issued by Edhi’s Zonal office in Islamabad, which stated that its “Edhi Centre (ambulance control room) established in Aabpara for the past 40 years has been shut down by the administration”. As a result, Edhi said it was unable to continue its emergency services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which would “remain suspended till the administration provides us with an alternative place”. In its statement, the Edhi service insisted that the district commissioner’s office did not give any reason for the closure, nor did it re...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Friday, where the two discussed matters pertaining to counter-terrorism, security cooperation and the Police Exchange Programme. The interior ministry posted on social media that Naqvi arrived at the embassy in Islamabad’s Diplomatic Enclave earlier today, where he was welcomed by the ambassador. It also shared a video of him being received by Jiang at the entrance. “Discussion on the overall situation of the region also took place in the meeting,” the ministry said. The interior ministry said it was decided to hold a business conference to address security issues faced by Chinese investors in Pakistan, according to the ministry. It elaborated that in the first phase, meetings will be held with the Chinese business community present in Pakistan; the second phase will involve meetings with those who are interested in investing in Pakistan. The interior minister also said that a Special Protection Unit...

ISLAMABAD - Diplomatic activity in Pakistan’s capital has intensified as preparations gather pace for potential United States–Iran talks aimed at de-escalating the ongoing Gulf conflict, with Islamabad emerging as a leading candidate to host negotiations even as uncertainty over venue selection and Tehran’s.

Ayaz Shaukat has stepped down from his role as Advocate General of Islamabad, formally submitting his resignation to Asif Ali Zardari.

• Insiders say Washington asked Pakistan to host negotiations; groundwork laid in weeks of ‘hectic diplomacy’ • Witkoff expected to lead engagement; no indication yet of who Iran may send • Trump claims engagement on ‘15 points’ • Tehran implies existence of backchannel; spox says messages from US ‘received and responded to’ • Qatar, Turkiye support swift efforts to end war • German president calls US-Israeli war on Iran ‘violation of international law’ ISLAMABAD: A day after a proposal was floated to hold Iran-US talks in the nation’s capital, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally pitched Islamabad as a potential venue for negotiations between Iranian and US officials. “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he wrote on X, tagging US President Donald Trump, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The move followed rep...

ISLAMABAD: A social media influencer was allegedly murdered by her husband in Islamabad, it emerged on Sunday. The TikToker was killed within the limits of Humak Police Station near a shopping mall. The initial investigation showed that the suspect shot the victims before shooting himself in the head. According to police sources, the victim was identified as Sana Javed, who had a TikTok account called OutLofara, a permanent resident of Attock. Police said that the suspect, Muhammad Sadiq, was also a resident of Attock and previously served as a constable in Attock Police, but was dismissed from service. The suspect initially shot his wife and then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head, sources said. As many as three shells of fired bullets and a 9mm pistol have been recovered from the site of the incident, they said. According to the first information report (FIR), available with Dawn, a private security guard informed police that he was performing his duties in a market located in DHA Phase II. H...

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed lawyer and incumbent Islamabad Advocate General Ayaz Shaukat as the first chairman of the newly established Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA). Sources privy to the development revealed that Shaukat is expected to tender his resignation from the office of advocate general soon after Eidul Fitr vacations to assume his new responsibilities. The authority was established under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, and will comprise a total of eight members. The federal government also notified 5 members, namely Sohail Iqbal, Adnan Khan, Muhammad Salman Zafar, Fahad Malik, and Muhammad Saad Ali. According to the amendment, the remaining two members are to be a journalist and a software engineer. The chairman and the members will be appointed for a period of five years. SMPRA will function as a corporate body with the power to sue and be sued in its own name. Its principal office will be based in Islamabad, w...

The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) on Sunday said flight operations at Islamabad airport will be suspended for two hours on March 17 instead of March 16. Earlier in the day, the PAA said its previous notice to airmen (Notam) about the brief suspension of flight operations at Islamabad airport on March 16 was cancelled. “The earlier Notam regarding temporary airspace restrictions in the Lahore flight information region (FIR) and suspension of flight operations at Islamabad International Airport on 16 March (08:30am - 10:30am PKT) has been cancelled,” the PAA said on X. “Normal operations will continue,” it clarified. In a later Notam, the PAA said arrival and departure operations at the Islamabad airport would remain closed from 08:30am to 10:30am PKT on March 17 (Tuesday) instead. The Notam again cited “operational reasons” and advised arriving aircraft to “bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay”. The route segments that would be closed and other specifications remained the same as the previous No...

KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: Several routes in Karachi and Islamabad were closed on Friday as part of security arrangements for Al-Quds Day rallies. Al-Quds Day is observed globally every year since it was first announced by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The day is observed on the last Friday of Ramazan to highlight the “atrocities of Israel against Palestinians”. However, with the possibility of Eidul Fitr falling on next Friday if the Shawwal moon is sighted on March 19, the Al-Quds Day is being observed today. Karachi In a statement issued by the Office of the Karachi traffic deputy inspector general of police, citizens were informed that a religious group would organise a “Youm-i-Quds Rally” after Friday prayers, marching from Numaish to Aman Tower. Accordingly, the road from Boat Basin towards Jinnah Bridge remained during the day closed. The road from PIDC going towards Jinnah Bridge on M.T. Khan Road was closed in both directions. Traffic police said, “the closures were being implemented as p...

Authorities have announced a public holiday for all of Islamabad’s educational institutions on March 13 (Friday), according to a notification issued by the district magistrate. Shared by the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on his X account, the notification stated: “It is hereby notified that March 13, 2026 (Friday), shall be observed as a public holiday for all educational institutions, both public and private, including schools, colleges and universities, located within the revenue limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).” The notification did not specify a reason for the decision. Earlier today, the Sindh government, too, announced a public holiday for March 13. While the Sindh government’s notification also did not state the reason for which the public holiday was being announced, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said on Wednesday that the public holiday would be observed on Friday for Jummatul Wida.

Thunderstorms lashed the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Wednesday, bringing both heavy and light showers that cooled down the atmosphere and created pleasant weather conditions.

ISLAMABAD: Aurat March organisers, civil society members, and rights groups accused the authorities on Monday of manhandling and threatening women’s rights activists who had been detained the previous day in Islamabad. The assertions were made at a press conference after police released all 44 activists detained ahead of an International Women’s Day rally on Sunday. Police cited the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the district administration not issuing a no-objection certificate (NoC) to the Aurat March for the rally as reasons for the arrests. After the activists were released, they held a press conference at the National Press Club, demanding an investigation into the incident. Aurat March’s Dr Farzana Bari said the organisers of the rally were aware that Section 144 was imposed in the federal capital, but “civil society does not accept any law that is in violation of basic rights”. “You cannot take our right to protest. Similar protests were held across the globe, but we were ...

ISLAMABAD - The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case related to allegations against state institutions.

The United States Embassy in Islamabad has canceled all visa appointments scheduled from March 9 to March 13.

ISLAMABAD: Several women’s rights activists, including Aurat March members, were detained by police in Islamabad ahead of a rally they planned to hold on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Sunday. Police sources told Dawn that they were detained near Super Market in Sector F-6. They had planned to reach the National Press Club, but a huge contingent of police was already present there, which arrested the marchers and took them to the Women’s Police Station. The Women’s Police Station released a list of 19 women activists of Aurat March. Those detained include prominent activist Dr Farzana Bari, two of her daughters, and human rights defender Tahira Abdullah, along with other Aurat March organisers and participants, police sources confirmed. Aside from women activists, several participants, including men, were also detained by the police for participating in the march. Zoya Rehman, a participant of the march, wrote on X that her husband, along with 20 other men, was taken into custody by police. “No ...

The federal government has declared spring holidays for all educational institutions operating under the federal administration in Islamabad.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday initiated contempt proceedings against the federal interior secretary for failing to attend a hearing concerning the postponement of local government elections in Islamabad.