Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan was bottom-ranked among 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2025 — with 56.7 per cent gender parity — the highest since 2006, it emerged on Thursday. The annual report benchmarked the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. In the latest report, Pakistan has been ranked below Sudan, (57pc, 147th), Chad (57.1pc, 146th), Iran (58.3pc,145th), Guinea (59.5pc, 144th), Democratic Republic of the Congo (60.1pc, 143rd), Niger (61.3pc,142nd), Algeria (61.4pc, 141st), and Mali (61.7pc, 140th). Occupying the bottom rank of the index, Pakistan saw its overall parity score decline from last year’s edition, from 57pc to 56.7pc, the report said. Overall Pakistan has closed +2.3 of its gender gap since 2006. However, this year’s results were a second consecutive drop from the economy’s best score of 57.7pc, achieved in 2023. Pakistan’s...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday organized a colorful Mango Festival here, bringing together members of the diplomatic corps and their families in a celebration of Pakistan’s national fruit.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken a landmark step in child protection by launching Pakistan’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety under the Safe City Authority in Punjab.

A relentless heatwave continues to grip parts of Pakistan, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reporting felt temperatures as high as 50°C and heat intensity peaking at an extreme 60°C in Lahore on Thursday.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday strongly rejected recent remarks made by India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during his engagements with the media in Brussels, labelling them as “irresponsible” and “bellicose.

LAHORE:  On the directives of Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan’s first Virtual Blood Bank Centre has been launched, aiming at ensuring instant blood availability in emergencies. One who requires immediate blood may call Emergency Helpline 15 and press button 4 to instantly get connected with the Virtual Blood Bank Centre, where essential details are […]

Pakistan has long been struggling with the gradual disappearance of its rare wildlife species due to a lethal mix of environmental and human-induced factors, including habitat destruction, dwindling water resources, pollution and poaching. Among these vanishing species is the endangered Indus fishing cat, found mostly in the Indus River Delta and surrounding buffer areas, where its numbers have dropped dramatically over recent decades. Habitat loss, food scarcity, hunting and growing human populations have significantly impacted this rare feline, which plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems, according to experts. “The past two decades have appeared to be disastrous for this environment-friendly animal, mainly because of the destruction of wetlands and killings by local people,” Saeedul Islam, a senior wildlife expert, told Anadolu. Although official surveys have yet to determine precise figures, Islam explained that conservative estimates suggest the cat’s population in the countr...

Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected the irresponsible remarks of the Indian External Affairs Minister made during different media engagements in Brussels, advising him to refrain from concocting misleading narratives to justify their recent aggressive actions.

United States Central Command (Centcom) commander Army General Michael Kurilla on Wednesday praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner in the world of counter-terrorism”, citing the nation’s struggle against terrorism in Balochistan and against terrorist groups like the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Pakistan and the US reaffirmed the continuation of counter-terrorism cooperation during a dialogue in Washington on May 10. The dialogue underscored the cooperation between the two countries in addressing the most pressing challenges to regional and global security, including the threats posed by terrorist outfits such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and IS-K. The two nations are slated to have another counter-terrorism dialogue this month. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on Tuesday, the general was asked about the situation on the Afghan border with Pakistan, where he outlined that Pakistan has apprehended several “high-value” IS-K operatives. View this post on Instagram Hail...

The Government of Pakistan has introduced a new digital tax law aimed at bringing online earnings and services under the national tax net.

LONDON/ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s high level delegation in London has urged the United Kingdom to support the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday unveiled Pakistan’s annual federal budget in a charged National Assembly session, outlining ambitious proposals to drive 4.2 per cent economic growth in the coming fiscal year while cutting back on overall spending and tightening tax measures. As the session — chaired by NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq — commenced, opposition lawmakers erupted into anti-government slogans. Starting his speech, the finance minister said the budget 2025-26 was being presented at a “historic moment” marked by national unity and resolve, referencing the recent Pakistan-India conflict. “The spirit with which we protected our national sovereignty, we need to ensure our financial security the same way,” he maintained, continuing his speech through the noisy session. “Pakistan has now achieved economic stability and is moving towards a Pakistan that is prosperous.” View this post on Instagram Budget outlay The federal budget for fiscal year 2026 has a total outlay — the sum of expenditures ...

Islamabad, June 9, 2025 – The Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25, released by the Pakistan government, highlights a year of macroeconomic stabilization and modest growth despite global economic challenges. The survey reports a real GDP growth of 2.68% for FY 2025, signaling a steady recovery and positioning the economy for a potential take-off in the medium […]

Pakistan has called for “intervention” from global powers in resolving key issues with India amid ongoing tensions, members of a high-level delegation presenting Islamabad’s stance said on Sunday after landing in London. Earlier this month, Pakis­tan launched a broad-based engagement campaign to present its perspective on the recent conflict with India to the world and counter New Delhi’s unproven allegations. As part of its global outreach, the team has visited the United States, is currently in London, and will also head to Brussels. The delegation comprises former foreign ministers Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir; Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Subzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt; along with senior envoys Jalil Abbas Jilani and Teh­mina Janjua. “We had the upper hand [during the conflict]. Despite that upper hand, we agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that there would be further dialogue in the future on all friction points at a neutral location,” Bilawal told ...

The Economic Survey 2024–25 has revealed key insights into Pakistan’s education sector, showing modest progress in literacy but underscoring persistent challenges.

The federal government will unveil the Economic Survey of Pakistan for the fiscal year 2024–25 today (Monday), ahead of the upcoming federal budget.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has praised Pakistan’s progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, citing significant achievements on both diplomatic and defense fronts.

National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday met the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and expressed Pakistan’s gratitude for the kingdom’s support during “a difficult time”, a statement from the NA Secretariat read. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a two-day state visit to the kingdom and performed Umrah on the night of Thursday and Friday, offering prayers for the country’s success in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the government said on its X account. During his visit, the prime minister “expressed appreciation for the kingdom’s proactive role during recent tensions between Pakistan and India, and its steadfast commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond”, according to a statement from the PM’s office. According to the statement issued today, the Saudi crown prince expressed his commitment to addressing issues that affect the Islamic world when he met with NA Speaker Sadiq, who expressed gratitude for the kingdom’s support for...

Pakistan has called for “intervention” from global powers in resolving key issues with India amid ongoing tensions, members of a high-level delegation presenting Islamabad’s stance said on Sunday after landing in London. Earlier this month, Pakis­tan launched a broad-based engagement campaign in the United States to present its perspective on the recent conflict with India, and counter New Delhi’s growing lobbying presence there. As part of its global outreach, the team has arrived in London and will also visit Brussels. The delegation comprises former foreign ministers Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir; Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Subzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt; along with senior envoys Jalil Abbas Jilani and Teh­mina Janjua. “The resistance we faced is that the Americans think that since [US] President [Donald] Trump has mediated the ceasefire, there is no need for further intervention. This was exactly our mission: to make them understand that intervention is n...

Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday called out India for its “excuses” to avoid any dialogue with Pakistan to resolve their outstanding issues after recent tensions between the two countries. Pakis­tan has launched a broad-based engagement campaign in the United States to present its perspective on the recent spike in tensions with India, and counter New Delhi’s growing lobbying presence there. As part of its global outreach, the team will also visit London and Brussels. The delegation comprises former foreign ministers Bilawal, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir; Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt; along with senior envoys Jalil Abbas Jilani and Teh­mina Janjua. Addressing a press conference in Washington after wrapping up engagements with US lawmakers and think tanks, the PPP chairman said Pakistan’s civil and military leadership were all on the same page against terrorism and believed that it was in the region’s interest to establish with ...