Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan continues to face ongoing threats from terrorist groups operating across its borders, some of which are backed by hostile elements, the Foreign Office spokesperson said on Monday.

Russia and Pakistan are in talks on a potential oil-sector agreement, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told RIA news agency in remarks published on Tuesday. “All of these areas are Russia’s strengths. And we would be very happy if Russia agreed on an agreement in this sector with Pakistan,” Aurangzeb told RIA in an interview when asked about wider cooperation in exploration, production and refining between the two countries. “At present, the issue is being discussed by the energy ministries of both sides.” Russia also discussed upgrading a refinery in Pakistan with Russian companies involved, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev had said in November. Pakistan has stepped up engagement with Russia in recent years as Moscow sought new energy markets after Western sanctions over Ukraine, and Islamabad looked to lower import costs. Pakistan began buying Russian crude in 2023. Aurangzeb also said Russia and Pakistan are looking into building another steel plant in Pakistan, RIA reported.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif held a meeting with Qatar’s Military Attaché, Brigadier General Abdulhadi Mohammed Arhaib Al-Hajri, to discuss bilateral relations and issues of shared interest, with a particular focus on defence collaboration.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb underscored Pakistan’s strategic shift from seeking aid-based support towards trade- and investment-led engagement to ensure long-term economic sustainability and mutually beneficial partnerships, particularly with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. In an interview with CNN Business Arabia, Aurangzeb highlighted the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which reflected Pakistan’s renewed economic confidence and reform momentum. He said that Pakistan has followed a comprehensive macroeconomic stabilisation program for the past 18 months, which has delivered tangible and measurable results, while inflation has declined to single-digit levels from an unprecedented 38%. On the fiscal front, Pakistan has achieved primary surpluses, while the current account deficit remains well within targeted limits. According to the finance czar, the exchange rate has also stabilised, and foreign exchange reserves have improved to approximately 2.5 months of import cover, reflect...

Claims circulated by Israeli, Indian, and Afghan-linked media accusing Pakistan of involvement in a recent terrorist attack near Sydney have been debunked by official records and statements.

Pakistan on Monday launched its final nationwide anti-polio campaign for 2025, with the seven-day drive set to continue until December 21, targeting more than 45 million children across the country.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday condemned the “heinous” attack which claimed the lives of six United Nations (UN) peacekeepers from Bangladesh in Sudan’s Kadugli, calling for holding those responsible accountable. At least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone attack on a UN base on Saturday in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan, according to Bangladesh’s armed forces. In a statement released on Monday, the FO said, “Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous attack against UN peacekeepers in Kadugli, Sudan, which has resulted in the tragic deaths of six peacekeepers from Bangladesh serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (Unisfa), and injuries to several others.” It expressed Pakistan’s deepest condolences to the government and people of Bangladesh on the lives lost, adding that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the bereaved families. “UN peacekeepers remain at the forefront of international efforts to preven...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned a deadly drone attack on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Sudan that killed six Bangladeshi personnel, describing the assault as a war crime and expressing full solidarity with the government and people of Bangladesh.

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq on Sunday pressed the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan to clean their country of all terrorist groups. He was speaking at the meeting of Special Representatives for Afghanistan in Iran’s capital of Tehran. Iran had invited the Taliban government, but it did not attend, according to a Taliban spokesman. Special representatives for Afghan affairs from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia attended the meeting. “In my remarks, I agreed with the assessment of all participating countries that the continued threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil is a big challenge for the region,” the Pakistani special envoy told the meeting. Ambassador Sadiq wrote on X that he also stressed that the people of Afghanistan have already suffered enough and they deserved better. “It is, therefore, imperative that the current de facto rulers take steps to ameliorate their suffering. And the foremost step in this regard would be to rid thei...

The hall at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington glowed in Christmas colours on Saturday evening. Red and gold decorations framed the space, while green — the unmistakable green of Pakistan — appeared everywhere: in flags, ribbons and lapel pins. White lights shimmered softly, echoing both the season and the crescent-and-star that defines the country these guests continue to call their own. The pre-Christmas gathering, hosted for Pakistani Christians and their neighbours, began and ended with a chant that left little doubt about that bond: “Pakistan Zindabad.” It was not a slogan offered for form’s sake. It was spoken with warmth, conviction, and an insistence born of long experience. For more than a decade, speakers noted, such gatherings have brought together Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Jews — a quiet tradition of interfaith fellowship that has survived politics, violence and neglect. A message from the Virginia governor praised the organisers’ work over the past twelve years and encouraged the emb...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that due to untiring efforts of the incumbent government and its economic team, Pakistan is economically out of woods as its mega indicators were wonderful.

Pakistan has called on parties to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — the Congolese armed forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels — to engage in “serious dialogue” and honour their commitments under existing peace agreements amid escalating violence and mass displacement.

The $686 million defence package offered to Pakistan by US President Donald Trump’s administration this week will transform the country’s ageing fleet of F-16 fighter jets into a modernised force capable of operating securely and efficiently alongside contemporary air forces, according to defence experts and officials. At its core, the upgrade will allow the F-16s to operate safely and effectively for at least another decade and a half by extending their service life, strengthening secure communications, enabling real-time sharing of tactical data, and ensuring sustained maintenance through comprehensive parts, training, and support. Enhanced mission planning and testing tools included in the package will also improve pilot proficiency and overall mission effectiveness. Beyond specific equipment, a substantial portion of the package is devoted to spare parts, maintenance, engineering, and logistics support. This includes replacement components, repair parts, technical documentation, engineering assistance, an...

ISLAMABAD - At the invitation of the leadership of the Pakistan Foreign Service Academy, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Yerzhan Kistafin delivered a lecture to the Academy’s students on the prospects for developing cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan, as well as Central and South Asia.

Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with crypto exchange Binance to explore the “tokenisation” of up to $2 billion in sovereign bonds, T-bills and commodity reserves to boost liquidity and attract investors, the finance ministry said on Friday. Tokenisation is the process of creating a digital version of an asset. Separately, Pakistan also gave initial clearance for Binance and HTX, a digital-asset platform, to register with regulators to set up local subsidiaries and begin preparations for full exchange licence applications, the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) said. The ministry said the agreement paved the way to explore a potential collaboration aimed at enabling the tokenisation and blockchain-based distribution of real-world assets, including sovereign bonds, treasury bills, commodity reserves such as oil, gas, metals or other raw materials owned by the government. “Under the proposed arrangement, Binance and/or its affiliates may provide technical expertise, advisory s...

ISLAMABAD - The fourth round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Tunisia was held in Tunis, the Foreign Office announced on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday summoned Ambassador of Norway to Pakistan Per Albert Ilsaas over his ‘unwarranted’ appearance in the Supreme Court hearing of the Iman Mazari case.

Troops from Pakistan and China are conducting a two-week long counter-terrorism exercise to “enhance interoperability and strengthen military-to-military cooperation between the two countries”, said the military’s media wing on Thursday. “Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China are conducting joint counterterrorism exercise Warrior-IX from 28 November to 14 December 2025,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). A ‘Distinguished Visitors Day’ was also held today during the drills at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Pabbi. In attendance were the Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, as the chief guest and Pakistan Army’s chief of general staff as the guest of honour. Senior dignitaries from China accompanied Zaidong. “Honourable guests were briefed on the scope, objectives, and conduct of the joint exercise during the visit. They witnessed various counter-terrorism drills and appreciated the professionalism, operational competence, and high morale demonstrat...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Pakistan and urged him to “adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement” after his “unwarranted” attendance at a court hearing today. Norwegian Ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas attended the Supreme Court hearing of rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case pertaining to controversial social media posts. The diplomat’s presence during the court proceedings generated a lot of chatter on social media. The ministry, in its statement, said the Scandinavian country’s top representative was summoned by the additional foreign secretary (Europe). He was informed that his presence breached “diplomatic protocol and relevant international law”. “Noting that his actions amount to interference in the internal affairs of the country, the Ambassador was urged to adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement, as outlined in the relevant articles of the Vienna Convention,” said the st...

Pakistan has lodged a strong diplomatic protest with Norway after the Norwegian Ambassador in Islamabad attended a Supreme Court hearing related to activist Iman Mazari.