Islamabad | Pakistan

Pakistan announced Thursday that a landmark memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has entered into force with immediate effect, marking what Islamabad described as a major diplomatic breakthrough aimed at defusing regional tensions.

ISLAMABAD: Muharram processions and gatherings will be monitored digitally through drones while geo-tagging of all imambargahs, majalis venues and procession routes has been completed, according to an interior ministry statement detailing security arrangements for Islamabad. The statement was issued after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting to review security arrangements for Muharram in the federal capital. The statement said a special mobile application, ‘Mehfooz Muharram’, had also been launched, using which citizens could report any suspicious activity or individual or inadequate security arrangements. It will also have live location sharing and image sharing features. It added that a central control room had been established at Safe City as part of security arrangements, and a “four-tier security cordon” would be implemented to ensure the protection of Muharram processions and gatherings. The statement said Naqvi directed that a four-tier security cordon be maintained for the protection of M...

ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, through the collective efforts of partner organizations, has referred more than 4,000 Out-of-School Children (OOSC) to private schools across Islamabad under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives as part of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Campaign.

• Shehbaz hopes deal will pave way for lasting peace, says Pakistan preparing for ‘electronic signing’ • Trump claims signing scheduled for today; threatens Iran; official says Washington to take part in de-mining • Iran states deal close but rules out signing today; negotiators not going to Islamabad, Geneva soon ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a historic milestone for Middle East peace, Islamabad is preparing for an electronic signing by the US and Iran on a framework for a peace deal, to be followed by technical-level talks next week, albeit with varying dates for the remote signing as Trump insisted that it would be inked on Sunday while Iranian authorities denied it would be as early. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X on Saturday, announced that the agreement was expected to be “finalised in the next 24 hours”. The deal was “closer…than ever before”, he wrote, hoping that the deal would lay a “strong foundation for lasting peace”. Shortly afterwards, US President Donald Trump reposted PM She...

After days of intense heat, several parts of the country, including Lahore and Islamabad, are expected to receive rain accompanied by strong winds on Thursday, according to weather authorities.

ISLAMABAD - The Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Pakistan, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has inaugurated the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad, marking a milestone in strengthening pharmaceutical education, public health research, and health workforce development in.

ISLAMABAD: A flock of flamingos resting at Rawal Lake was hunted down by poachers with the help of locals, raising concerns among environmentalists. “We also have evidence that poachers also killed other medium-sized water birds such as the magnificent coots and moorhens,” said an official of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). Most of the IWMB staff was engaged with seasonal firefighting efforts in the Margalla Hills National Park, the official said, adding that “poachers took advantage of our absence to hunt the birds. About 12 to 13 flamingos were allegedly killed but we are still ascertaining the correct numbers”. A report of the incident has been submitted with the assistant commissioner Islamabad. Incident being investigated; report submitted with assistant commissioner “The police are cooperating with the board and a first information report (FIR) will be registered after further investigations are complete,” the IWMB said. According to the management board, the incident occurred on June 3,...

Pakistan and India again traded barbs at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) — this time on occupied Kashmir — with Islamabad slamming the other side for “misleading” the council. Speaking during the presentation of the UNSC’s Annual Report to the General Assembly on Friday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, according to a press release. Pakistan coordinated and drafted the introduction to the annual report. Subsequently, in his statement, India’s UN envoy, Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of misusing the UN platforms for its so-called “divisive political interests”. He also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India”. In turn, Political Coordinator at the Pakistan Mission Gul Qaiser Sarwani, utilising the right of reply, pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir “remains an internationally recognised dispute on the agenda of the Security Council”. “N...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday hailed the “true and special relationship” between Pakistan and the United States, which has spanned nearly eight decades and covers bilateral interests in security, counter-terrorism, energy and science, among other fields. Addressing an event marking the US’s 250th anniversary, PM Shehbaz noted that Islamabad and Washington had “worked closely at the most consequential moments of our history, whether it be the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s or the global war on terror from 2001–2021”. “Last year, following India’s unprovoked aggression after the Pahalgam incident, it was President [Donald] Trump’s timely and most decisive intervention that resulted in a ceasefire between Pakistan and India on May 10, last year,” he said, referring to a brief four-day war between the nuclear-armed neighbours. “We shall forever remain grateful to President Trump for restoring peace in South Asia and saving millions of people. In this context, he will always be remembered ...

Pakistan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties during a ceremony in Islamabad marking the 250th anniversary of US Independence Day, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and members of the diplomatic community.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the launch of a pilot project for a proposed automated income tax collection system in Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. In a statement, the PMO said that Prime Minister Shehbaz chaired a review meeting on ongoing reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, State Minister for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, and others. “The meeting reviewed the ongoing measures aimed at modernising the tax system and increasing tax collection in detail,” it said, adding that a comprehensive plan was presented to make inland revenue collection more “effective, transparent and faceless”. According to the PMO, the meeting was informed that the proposed new tax system would have the capability to identify under-declared income and assets through data relating to properties, vehicles and banks. “Modern technology and artificial intelligence would be used to make the tax system automated, transparent and effective,” i...

RAWALPINDI: In addition to 6,000 Punjab police personnel, 150 police personnel from the security division of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police have been assigned for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) election duty, with a total of 2,000 personnel expected to be dispatched to the region. General elections in GB are scheduled for Sunday, with election campaigns already underway by major political parties. The 150 police personnel selected from the security division for GB election duty had been guarding high-profile buildings and installations in the federal capital, as well as performing sensitive security duties, such as escorting foreign delegations. They will leave for GB on Thursday amid tight security and will be back in Islamabad on June 9 (Tuesday). Of the 150 ICT police personnel, 30 personnel have been selected from the Special Protection Unit (SPU), five from the President’s House, 20 from the Prime Minister’s House, six from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), 10 from the Foreign Office (FO) guard duty an...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday directed the Ministry of Interior and the Islamabad chief commissioner to provide pending documents for the delimitation of the capital’s local government within three days, warning that a 10-day deadline had already lapsed. The letter, seen by Dawn, was addressed to the secretary of the Ministry of Interior and the Islamabad chief commissioner. It was marked “IMMEDIATE” and issued under the signatures of Additional Director General (Local Government Elections) Chaudhry Nadeem Qasim, referring to a Commission meeting held on May 13, 2026, and stating that the required documents for delimitation and holding local government elections in the ICT were still awaited. The ECP has sought three sets of information: notification of the limits of town corporations, notification of the number of union councils in each town corporation, and authenticated and updated maps showing census charges, circles and blocks. The letter noted that a 10-day deadline earl...

• Diplomats see high chances of final agreement despite hiccups • Insist both sides want to avoid open-ended conflict • Nuclear issues likely to be handled in later negotiations • Ex-envoy Munir Akram says gaps are more about narrative than substance WASHINGTON: Islamabad remains a leading contender to host the formal signing ceremony of a possible US-Iran peace agreement if negotiators succeed in finalising a deal, diplomatic sources said. Diplomatic sources at the United Nations and in Washington told Dawn that prospects for a final agreement remained high despite delays in completing the draft. “Nine out of 10,” a senior diplomat said when asked to assess the likelihood of a final agreement being signed. “But I cannot say when it will happen.” Another senior diplomat said Islamabad’s role in facilitating the initial contacts between Washington and Tehran had strengthened its credentials as a possible host. “Iranians cannot come to Washington, and Americans cannot go to Tehran because the two countries do n...

PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser on Saturday claimed he was prevented from reaching the Islamabad airport, resulting in him missing his flight to Skardu in connection with the ongoing election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The incident comes just a day after PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and his team were expelled from GB while they were campaigning for the upcoming elections on June 7. Qaiser, also the secretary general of Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), accused the Punjab police of not letting him “enter the Islamabad airport and closing the entry routes of the airport”. “The Punjab police kept me under detention till the flight took off,” he wrote on X, decrying that not only did he miss his flight, but ordinary citizens were also inconvenienced. Qaiser termed the incident an instance of undue obstruction in the electoral process and political victimisation. He alleged that efforts were being made to influence the electoral process in GB and that PTI was being hindered from carrying out its election c...

ISLAMABAD: Justice Babar Sattar, who was transferred from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) last month, has decided to continue residing in the federal capital during his tenure at the provincial high court. Sources in the IHC told Dawn that Justice Sattar has formally conveyed to the court administration that he intends to retain his official residence in Islamabad’s F-6 sector. According to sources, the judge has written to the IHC administration seeking retention of the accommodation allotted to him. A senior IHC official explained that under the Presidential Order 1997, a judge is entitled to retain one official residence. Since Justice Sattar is not seeking separate official accommodation in Peshawar, he is eligible to keep the Islamabad residence, the official said. The judge had been transferred to Peshawar High Court Sources added that Justice Sattar may stay at the official rest house of the PHC during his service there. Under the applicable rules, a judge residing in a ...

A large-scale anti-encroachment operation is being planned in Islamabad, with authorities preparing to launch a coordinated drive across different parts of the federal capital, according to sources.

ISLAMABAD: PTI’s Islamabad wing held a protest in the federal capital on Friday despite Section 144 being in place, which restricts public gatherings. It is worth mentioning that Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and PTI had given a call to hold countrywide protests against former prime minister Imran Khan’s imprisonment, rising inflation and other issues on Friday. The protest, held on Lehtrar Road near Taramri Chowk, was organised under the direction of PTI Islamabad President Aamir Mughal and led by General Secretary Malik Aamir Ali. PTI Islamabad Senior Vice President Raja Sajjad Dhanyal, Women’s Wing President Maimoona Kamal, Youth Wing President Murad Bukhari, Insaf Students Federation representatives and other leaders and activists participated in the protest. The protesters also demanded the release and proper medical treatment of the PTI founder and highlighted concerns over soaring inflation, deteriorating law and order, and the recent increase in petroleum product prices. Mughal, speaking to...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded the “steadfast” Pakistan–China friendship, maintaining that Beijing has supported Islamabad in an “unwavering fashion unmatched in the annals of history”. The premier was addressing a ceremony in Islamabad to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan–China diplomatic relations. The prime minister began his speech by extending felicitations to the Chinese leadership and people on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan. “Seventy-five years ago, our founding fathers laid the foundation of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” he said, adding: “Pakistan was the first Muslim country to recognise China and one of the first countries in the world to do so.” “Through our mutual efforts and endeavours, and above all, sincerity of purpose, we have built a relationship that is second to none and very unique in the world,” he said. He said that throughout these 75 years, the Chinese leadership and people have stood with Pakistan like a “solid rock”. “Earthquakes, flood...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle, Islamabad Zone, arrested nine people, including a well-known urologist and a private hospital employee, for their alleged involvement in illegal kidney transplantation and organ trafficking. According to FIA officials, the arrests were made during a raid at a prominent private hospital in Islamabad, where illegal kidney removal operations were allegedly being carried out. The doctor and hospital employee are described as key operatives in the network. The operation was carried out under the direction of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, FIA Director General Usman Anwar, and Director Islamabad Zone Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari. Several others present at the scene, including alleged donors, recipients and hospital staff, were also taken into custody for questioning and shifted to the FIA office. Officials said the crackdown was part of an ongoing investigation into a wider network targeting poor people from underdeveloped districts of sout...