Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to convert about $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal, two Pakistani sources said, deepening military cooperation months after the two nations signed a mutual defence pact last year. The talks underscore how the two allies are moving to operationalise defence cooperation at a time of acute financial strain and as Saudi Arabia is reshaping its security partnerships to hedge against uncertainty about US commitments in the Middle East. The mutual defence deal was signed following Israel’s strikes on what it said were Hamas targets in Doha, an attack that shook the Gulf region. One of the sources said the discussions were limited to the provision of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, the light combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China and produced in Pakistan, while the second said the jets were the primary option among others under discussion. The first source said the total deal was worth $4bn, with an additional $2bn to be spent on equipment over...

Featuring for Pakistan for the first time since June last year, Shadab Khan impressed with the ball, teaming up with Abrar Ahmed as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the opening fixture of the three-match Twenty20 International series at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. The all-rounder took two wickets, while Abrar hunted three victims to restrict Sri Lanka to a paltry 128-run total before Sahibzada Farhan’s half century helped Pakistan chase down the target with 20 balls to spare. Shadab gave away only 25 runs in his four overs, bagging both his wickets in his very first over and could have gone on to take a third had it not been for a dropped catch later on. Coming into bowl in the seventh over, after Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza’s pace — that accounted for a wicket for each — saw Sri Lanka post 35-2 in the powerplay, Shadab trapped a sweeping Kusal Mendis lbw and induced an inside edge off Dhananjaya de Silva’s bat for wicket-keeper Usman Khan to take a good catch. With Sri Lan...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Wednesday that a dedicated protection unit is being set up in Islamabad to strengthen the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan was “ready” to confront aggression simultaneously on its eastern and western borders — a reference to India and Afghanistan. Pakistan’s recent relations with both India and Afghanistan have been characterised by significant strain and tension. Pakistan fought a four-day war with India in May 2025 and had a border skirmish with the Afghan Taliban regime in October of the same year. “Absolutely, we are ready, by the grace of God,“ said Asif on Geo News programme Capital Talk when asked if the country was prepared and capable of handling a war of aggression on its eastern and western borders. Asif said the country and its armed forces had demonstrated proof of this preparedness during the May 2025 conflict with India. “The way we gave them a crushing response is the strongest evidence that we were prepared and responded in time,” said the defence minister. He maintained that the world witnessed how “Modi was thrashed” and how, following the conflict, he...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan may lose donor funding for 13 important vaccines by 2030, triggering concerns over sharply rising costs and potential strain on the public health system unless domestic production is expanded, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Monday.

Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says Pakistan will win war against terrorism by strength Terrorist attacks surged in Pakistan after India’s defeat in May conflict 2,597 terrorists killed n 1,235 security personnel, civilians martyred.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Tuesday that Afghans were involved in major “high-impact” terror incidents in Pakistan in 2025. At the outset of the press conference, the military’s spokesperson said that the purpose of the briefing was to give a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken in the past year. This “is the only purpose of this press conference, and I would request that we remain focused on counter-terrorism as terrorism is the biggest threat that is being faced by the state of Pakistan,” he added. The DG ISPR said 2025 was a “landmark and consequential year in our fight against terrorism”, adding there were four reasons behind this conclusion. He maintained that the fight against terrorism concerned the entire nation and had been ongoing for more than two decades. The DG ISPR further stated that the past year witnessed “unprecedented intensity in counter-terrorism efforts.” In 2025, he continued, the sta...

Squash ace Noor Zaman clawed his way back to a thrilling 3-2 victory over his French competitor to advance to the next round and round out Pakistan’s performance at the Rich Venus Karachi Open on Tuesday. Zaman took the first game 11-9, every point greeted by applause from the home crowd packed in the corridor between the courts at the Creek Club in the port city. France’s Melvil Scianimanico got his revenge in the second set with a 12-10 win. He then gave an 11-3 thrashing to Zaman, who looked visibly tired in the third set as the crowd of adolescent squash players and global icons like Jahangir Khan watched on, mumbling their own predictions in between shouting praise for the home favourite. Zaman is no stranger to comebacks, having been crowned the U23 world champion at the same venue in April. He won the fourth set 11-6 and proceeded to demolish the Frenchman 11-6 to win the fifth set and game to cheers from the crowd. Eleventh seed Zaman will play Egypt’s Fares Dessouky on Wednesday in the Round of 16. D...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that youth are Pakistan’s future and its most valuable asset, reaffirming her government’s commitment to inclusive development and national cohesion.

China commends measures taken by Pakistan to combat terrorism and protect Chinese personnel, projects, institutions.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday marked right to self-determination day and reaffirmed unwavering support for Kashmiris’ UN-mandated right.

NEW YORK: Pakistan on Monday expressed “profound concern” over the developments in Venezuela, warning that escalating tensions in the country posed risks to regional and international peace and security. The US launched a shock military operation in Venezuela on Saturday, with special forces capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a nighttime raid. The statement was made at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) summoned to discuss the recent developments in Venezuela. This is also the first meeting for the year of the UNSC, with Somalia in the chair. Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative Ambassador Usman Jadoon said in his address that at a time when the world was already facing multiple crises, instability in the region “does not augur well for regional and international peace and security”. He reminded Council members that the UN Charter bound states to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or politica...

Sports fans and athletes alike can expect an action-packed 2026 calendar featuring major quadrennial sports events, routine international seasons, as well as plenty of domestic action. The cricket-crazy nation will see both the men’s and women’s ICC T20 World Cups this year, while football freaks across all global timezones have nearly six weeks of FIFA World Cup action. Pakistan is expected to send a sizable contingent to the Commonwealth Games in June, where the likes of javelin star Arshad Nadeem and weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt set games records while winning Pakistan’s only gold medals at the previous edition. Although Pakistan’s medal tally at the Asian Games has dropped in recent editions, there is hope for a resurgence at the continental multi-sport event after markswoman Kishmala Talat won a historic bronze in Hangzhou 2022 while the men’s squash team picked up the lone silver medal. Pakistan’s men’s squash team poses with their silver medals at the 2022 Asian Games. — Photo via X/Noor Zaman Janua...

Pakistan and China issued a joint communique on Monday calling for more “visible and verifiable” actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan, and prevent them from using Kabul’s territory for militancy against any other country. The joint statement came after the conclusion of the 7th round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Mini­sters’ Strategic Dialogue, for which Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to Beijing. “The two sides called for more visible and verifiable actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan which continue to pose serious threats to regional and global security, and prevent terrorist organisations from using the Afghan territory for terrorism against any other country and to endanger any other country,” the statement said. “The two sides agreed to keep in close communication and coordination on the Afghan issue, work with the international community to encourage the Afghan government to build an inclusive politi...

The repatriation of illegally residing Afghan nationals from Pakistan is continuing, with the Ministry of Interior stating that a total of 682,141 Afghan citizens have so far returned to Afghanistan.

Pakistan experienced one of its warmest Decembers in the past 65 years in 2025, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) monthly climate report.

The Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global cybersecurity company Kaspersky to enhance cybersecurity in Pakistan through collaboration. PKCERT is a federal government entity responsible for protecting Pakistan’s digital assets, sensitive information, and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, cyberterrorism, and cyber espionage. A joint press release issued on Monday said that the agreement marked a major step toward enhancing Pakistan’s national cybersecurity posture through collaboration in threat detection, mitigation, and prevention. “The partnership between PKCERT and Kaspersky focuses on strengthening the country’s cyber resilience through a series of coordinated efforts. These include extensive training and awareness programs designed to enhance operational readiness across all levels of government, industry, academia, and civil society,” the statement said. It added that the collaboration also focused on capacity developme...

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday held separate telephonic conversations with the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Egypt, as well as Bangladesh’s foreign adviser, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and maintaining close diplomatic engagement.

Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah on Sunday said India’s claim of placing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance” has no legal basis and that the treaty remains fully in force under international law. In April 2025, India held the IWT in abeyance following the attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”. In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration held that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. Speaking on Geo News‘ programme ‘Jirga’, Shah talked about the legality of India holding the IWT in abeyance and said: “As far as holding the treaty in abeyance is concerned, the word ‘abeyance’ is not recognised under international treaty law. It is a coined term, because we believe India understands that it cannot suspend, breach or terminate the treaty.” However, he cautioned that India’s continued non-cooperat...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Saturday firmly rejected the irresponsible assertions made by the Indian External Affairs Minister, aimed at deflecting attention from its own troubling record as a neighbour that promotes terrorism and contributes to regional instability.