Pakistan | Pakistan

Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan starred in Pakistan’s four-wicket win in their decisive third and final one-day international against Australia in Lahore on Thursday. Shaheen grabbed 3-30 to bundle Australia out for 157 before Shadab added a fighting 29 not out to his two wickets, helping Pakistan to their winning target in 41.5 overs. That gave Pakistan a 2-1 series win — their third successive ODI series victory over Australia – after they won the first match by five wickets in Rawalpindi. Australia won the second by 41 runs, also in Lahore. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann’s career best 3-38 — including Babar Azam’s wicket for 40 — had given the visitors some hope of an unlikely win. At 112-6, Pakistan were in a spot of bother but Shadab found an able partner in Abdul Samad as the duo added a match-winning 49 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket stand. Shadab’s second boundary sealed the win, while Samad’s 18 not out included one boundary. Shaheen praised a complete team effort. “All bowler...

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.

Iran has once again acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s positive role during the recent conflict in the region.

The US Trade Representative has proposed new duties targeting 60 economies, including Pakistan and India, for alleged failures to act against forced labour, as the Trump administration seeks to rebuild its tariff agenda following legal setbacks. The proposed tariffs range from 10 per cent to 12.5pc, according to a government filing, and they will undergo a public comment period before a final decision is made. The move comes months after Washington launched investigations into trading partners, including China, the European Union (EU) and Japan. The probes looked into whether they took action against the import of goods made with forced labour, and if this impacted US commerce. On Tuesday, the USTR said that 54 of the economies “failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition”. This group includes China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and India. Six other economies — Canada, Ecuador, the EU, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan — were deemed not to have effectively enforced such pro...

Fast bowler Nathan Ellis took a career best four-wicket haul as an understrength Australia shocked Pakistan by 41 runs in the second one-day international in Lahore on Tuesday, levelling the three-match series 1-1. Australia’s total of 231-9 in 50 overs had fighting half centuries from Josh Inglis and Cameron Green before Ellis grabbed 4-33 to leave Pakistan 190 all out in 44 overs. Pakistan won the first match by five wickets in Rawalpindi which now sets up a series-deciding match, also in Lahore on Thursday. With a host of top ODI players including skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s second string staged a remarkable comeback, countering Pakistan’s spin and batting with confidence. All rounder Shadab Khan played a lone hand for the home team with a resolute 104-ball 71 and was the last man out, stumped off a spinner Tanveer Sangha’s wide ball for Australian victory. Ghazi Ghori made 37 with five boundaries. Shadab hit three sixes and a boundary and repaired Pakistan’s falteri...

Pakistan, along with seven other Muslim countries, on Tuesday condemned the “continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers into Al Aqsa Mosque” in the strongest terms, calling for an immediate cessation of all such provocative practices. According to a joint statement released by the Foreign Office (FO), the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates condemned “in the strongest terms the continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers, into Al Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli forces, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards”. “They stress that these provocative and unacceptable actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions, and the historical and legal status quo at the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem. The FO added that the foreign ministers reaffirmed their “categorical rejection” of any attempts to alter the historical and legal ...

Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said Tuesday that Rawalpindi Railway Station will be transformed into the country’s most beautiful and culturally vibrant railway facility, reflecting Pakistan’s rich heritage and historical identity.

Pakistan and Italy have signed an agreement to exempt holders of diplomatic passports from visa requirements, marking a step aimed at facilitating official travel and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Italy have signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed and Italian Foreign Affairs Secretary General Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia signed the accord at a ceremony hosted at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, according to an official handout. Ahead of the signing, the two diplomats held one-on-one talks and reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral engagement and cooperation at multilateral platforms including the United Nations and European Union. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the “substance, intensity and soaring trajectory” of their strategic cooperation, the statement said. The agreement, they said, would facilitate smooth exchanges of diplomatic delegations and strengthen bilateral engagement. Officials termed the accord a reflection of mutual trust and friendship and an “excellent addition” to existing mechanisms for cooperation, it added. Pakistan and Italy already have 15 gove...

Pakistan, EU agree to expand ties in all key areas PM highlights role of GSP+ in cementing Pak-EU trade ties In meeting with Kaja Kallas, Dar says terrorists using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan on Monday renewed its call for restraint, de-escalation and a return to diplomacy in the ongoing Middle East crisis, saying that dialogue and mediation remain the only sustainable path to resolving conflicts. Addressing the UN General Assembly during a debate on strengthening mediation in conflict prevention and resolution, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said Islamabad had consistently advocated diplomacy in the recent tensions involving Iran and the United States. “As a friendly neighbour of Iran, a brotherly partner of the Gulf countries, and a country with longstanding ties of amity with the United States, Pakistan continues to make sincere efforts to facilitate a durable solution for regional and global peace and stability,” he said. The Pakistani envoy used the occasion to press for a stronger role for mediation and preventive diplomacy in addressing international disputes before they escalate into crises. “Conflicts are...

Foreign Policy chief calls Pakistan a 'regional power' Kaja Kallas, Ishaq Dar co-chair 8th Strategic Dialogue

Kaja Kallas arrived in Pakistan on Monday to participate in the eighth session of the Pakistan-European Union Strategic Dialogue, the highest-level forum for structured engagement between the two sides.

Islamabad - Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding relationship with the United States, describing bilateral ties as an important pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy based on mutual respect, shared objectives, and forward-looking cooperation.

ISLAMABAD - The number of animals sacrificed during Eid al-Adha in Pakistan increased this year, with around 7.

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday said Washington and Islamabad were developing a “true friendship” as he lauded Pakistan’s role in the ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations. With Pakistan acting as the official interlocutor between Washington and Tehran in the ongoing peace negotiations that resulted in the April 8 US-Iran ceasefire, Trump and his top officials have hailed Islamabad’s role several times. At the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth was asked about former director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s remarks on Pakistan’s future missile capabilities potentially posing a threat to the US, and whether India’s Agni-VI missile programme posed a similar threat. The question was posed after Hegseth, in his speech, had lauded US defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, as well as India, which he termed a “critical anchor to hold the line”. “I mentioned India here, but I very easily could have mentioned Pakistan and the role that th...

Pakistan out-spun Australia by five wickets in the first one-day international in Rawalpindi with spinner Arafat Minhas becoming the first home bowler to take five wickets on ODI debut on Saturday. Minhas finished with 5-32 as an under-strength Australia were bowled out for 200 in 44.1 overs before Pakistan chased down the target in 42.3 overs for a memorable win in their 1,000th ODI. Babar Azam notched a 94-ball 69 while Ghazi Ghori hit an impressive 92-ball 65 as Australia’s inexperienced spinners failed to match Pakistan’s slow bowlers on a dry spin-assisting Pindi Stadium pitch. Azam and Ghori added 127 runs for the third wicket after Sahibzada Farhan (28) and Maaz Sadaqat (eight) fell with the score at 49. Azam hit four boundaries and a six while Ghori’s knock had eight hits to the rope before both falling to pacer Nathan Ellis, but with just 16 to win that did not hurt Pakistan. Minhas smashed a six to complete the victory. Australia’s Matt Renshaw (L) is clean bowled during the first one-day internatio...

Pakistan outspin Australia in first ODI

WASHINGTON: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that Pakistan remained firmly committed to its longstanding position on Palestine and Gaza and that there could be no change in Islamabad’s stance towards Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He said this during a press conference at Pakistan’s embassy in Washington after a meeting with Rubio. Dar was asked whether US President Donald Trump had dropped his calls for Muslim countries to join the Abraham Accords as part of a potential deal with Iran. The question arose because Trump did not mention the issue in a statement issued earlier on Friday outlining potential key areas in the deal. DPM Dar did not respond directly to the question. Instead, he said he had reiterated Pakistan’s position during his engagements at the United Nations earlier this week. “Pakistan remains steadfast in its position on Palestine and Gaza,” Dar said, adding that Israel “must move towards the establishment of a Palestin...

Commemorating the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2026, Pakistan on Friday reaffirmed its support for UN peacekeeping missions and vowed its renewed “investment in peace”. President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement highlighted that Pakistan was host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan. “The continued presence and relevance of this Mission reaffirm the responsibility of the international community to support a just and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he added. President Zardari said that the work of UN peacekeepers “brings stability and hope to communities affected by conflict and displacement”. This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace”, highlights the importance of “sustained political commitment and financial support” for peace worldwide, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his statement. On this day in 1948, the first UN peacekeeping mission commenced operations in Palestine, the premier added. Sin...