Pakistan | Pakistan

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.

Pakistan has received a disbursement of $1.

Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday that terrorism emanating from Afghan soil posed the “gravest threat” to the country’s national security and sovereignty. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad made the remarks while addressing a debate in New York on the situation in Afghanistan. In his statement, he highlighted Islamabad’s concerns about security, humanitarian, and socio-economic challenges emerging from neighbouring Afghanistan. Briefing the UNSC on Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, the ambassador said Pakistan had maintained consistent engagement with the Afghan Taliban, conducting high-level visits, facilitating humanitarian relief, supporting the transportation of goods, and announcing trade and transit concessions. Despite these efforts, he said, threats persisted, creating mounting security challenges for Pakistan and the wider region. “Afghanistan is once again a saf...

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Thursday launched the last nationwide polio campaign of 2025 aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children against the crippling disease, noting that the number of cases in the country had reduced in comparison to last year. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. So far, the country has recorded 30 polio cases, with the highest number of cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 19. Launching the last polio campaign of the year — set to run from December 15 to December 2 — at a ceremony in Islamabad, the minister noted the decline in cases in comparison to 2024, saying, “We have succeeded in reducing polio cases in the country.” He recalled that Pakistan had recorded 74 cases in 2024; however, this year the country only saw 30 cases. The minister said that the virus was “present in more than half of the country,” including Peshawar, Karachi, and Lahore. He stated that the government remained “determined to eliminate the ...

IT IS strategically possible for Dhaka to join a regional bloc with Paki­stan at some point — one that does not include India — unlike other South Asian states, a top Ban­gladeshi official said on Wednesday. The state-owned Bang­ladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency quoted Dha­ka’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain as saying: “It is possible for us (Bang­ladesh) strategically … (but) it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India”. His remarks are being interpreted as a response to a statement by Pakis­tan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the recent ‘Islamabad Conclave’, where he had said a trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had begun and may expand to include countries within and beyond the region. According to the Bang­ladeshi outlet, Mr Hossain said Mr Dar “has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress”. In August, Foreign Minister Dar visited Bangladesh for the first time in 13 years. PM Shehbaz Sharif and Bangl...

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Wednesday said Pakistan and Türkiye are “all-weather, time-tested friends,” stress­ing that the historic ties between the two brotherly nations continue to strengthen across multiple sectors.

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ...

Pakistan’s population has crossed an estimated 257 million at midyear, placing it among the world’s most populous nations even as its fertility and growth rates continue to decline, according to a report released by the US Census Bureau on Tuesday. Demographic databases, including projections by the US Census Bureau and the United Nations, show Pakistan’s population density at 333 persons per square kilometre, underscoring the scale of pressure on land and public services. The data depict a country facing one of the most complex population transitions in South Asia — caught between rapid numerical expansion and slow human-development gains. Despite decades of policy debate, Pakistan is still adding millions of people each year. Its annual population growth rate stands at 1.82 per cent, lower than in previous decades but high enough to keep total numbers rising steeply for at least another generation, the report said, It added that the total fertility rate (TFR) — the average number of births per woman — has f...