Pakistan | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As efforts continue to prevent the conflict in the Gulf from widening, Iran on Friday called for expanding strategic cooperation with Pakistan, describing Islamabad’s diplomatic engagement as an important contribution to regional peace and stability. “Pakistan has played a constructive diplomatic role in facilitating negotiations and advancing efforts towards regional peace and stability,” Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam said while delivering the keynote address at a roundtable discussion, organised by the Centre for International Strategic Studies. “Strengthening our bilateral cooperation is essential for addressing contemporary security challenges in West Asia,” he said. The discussion, titled Pakistan-Iran Relations and Strategic Stab­i­lity in West Asia, brought together diplomats, academics, defence analysts and researchers to examine the future trajectory of Pakistan-Iran relations against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile regional security environment. Opening the di...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, alleging that New Delhi was providing support and resources to militant groups to destabilise the country.

India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka secured direct entry into the men’s cricket knockout stage at the 2026 Asian Games after the draw was announced on Thursday. The 10-team men’s competition, starting from September 24 in Nagoya, will begin with a preliminary round featuring Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman competing for the remaining quarter-final berths. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal were drawn in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman were placed in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage to join the four seeded sides. The women’s tournament, scheduled from September 17-22, features eight teams and will begin at the quarter-final stage. Defending champions India will face hosts Japan, Bangladesh will take on China, Sri Lanka will meet Malaysia, and Pakistan will play Thailand. All matches in both competitions will be played in the Twenty20 format. India swept the cricket gold medals at the 2022 Asian Games, held in 2023 in Hangzhou, cla...

A day after Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led hundreds of Israeli Jews into Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound, Pakistan and seven other countries on Friday issued a joint statement condemning the “provocative actions”. The joint statement, shared by the Foreign Office, was issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The ministers condemned “in the strongest terms the Israeli escalation at Al Aqsa Mosque, particularly the continued mass settlers’ incursions led by extremist Israeli ministers, under the protection of the Israeli forces, the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards, the erection by Israeli police of two tents, and all other inflammatory acts”. Access to the site is governed by a decades-old “status quo” arrangement between Israel and Jordan, whose religious foundation administers the place. Under that arrangement, Jews may visit but are not permitted to pray there, whil...

The United States said on Thursday that it would impose new tariffs on 60 trading partners, including Pakistan, India, China and the European Union, over forced labour concerns, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by US President Donald Trump earlier this year. The levies, effective Friday, range from 10 per cent to 12.5pc. “The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. He earlier added that targeted economies represent the majority of US trade. The Trump administration has moved swiftly to rebuild the president’s tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down a host of his duties in February — dealing a blow to his ability to unleash steep levies at will. After the setback, Trump tapped different authorities to reimpose a 10pc tariff on imports. But this only lasts 150 days, expiring Friday. The volley of new duties, initially proposed in...

• Says armed forces vigilant about situation in Bab el-Mandab; will give swift response if Islamabad’s assets come under attack • PM reassures Saudi crown prince of full support, condemns Yemeni rebels’ attacks on oil tankers • Dar meets Omani FM on sidelines of Asean moot; FO says efforts on to secure de-escalation ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday doubled down on its warning to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, describing any attack on its maritime interests as a “red line” and declaring that such a strike would be treated as an attack on the country, while simultaneously reassuring Saudi Arabia of its support and pledging to work with Riyadh to ensure the uninterrupted flow of ships through the Bab el-Mandab chokepoint. At his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi left little room for ambiguity about Islamabad’s position. “I do not think that there is a thin line when it comes to defending our national security and our assets. This is not a thin line; this is a red line. This red line is stri...

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday praised Pakistan’s initiative at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to strengthen mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes, saying the move was particularly important at a time when conflicts were escalating across the Middle East and beyond. Addressing an UNSC open debate held pursuant to Pakistan-sponsored Resolution 2788 (2025), the UN chief presented recommendations aimed at making diplomacy, mediation and conflict prevention more effective tools for maintaining international peace and security. The resolution, which was presented by Pakistan during its presidency of the UNSC last year and adopted unanimously by the Council, seeks to strengthen the use of peaceful means available under the UN Charter, including negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and judicial settlement. Pakistan had argued that diplomacy should not be used only after conflicts erupt but should serve as a means to prevent crises from escalating. “As conf...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, on Thursday reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to dismantle terrorist infrastructure wherever it poses a threat to the country and its people.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded a significant decline in the detection of poliovirus in environmental samples during the first six months of 2026, with the positivity rate dropping from 48.1 per cent during the same period last year to 13.1pc this year. Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq told Dawn that the improvement was the result of a new strategy involving external audits, better team selection, enhanced training and the support of law enforcement agencies. However, a polio expert cautioned that unchecked cross-border movement from Afghanistan remained a major concern, as poliovirus strains linked to Kandahar and Nangarhar had been detected in environmental samples collected from Quetta and Peshawar, respectively. According to data released by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, 127 environmental samples were collected across the country during June 2026 as part of routine poliovirus surveillance. Of these, 117 tested negative, while ...

ISLAMABAD: Korea South-East Power Co. Ltd (KOEN), a state-owned company of the Republic of Korea, has approached the prime minister over “unfair” treatment of its $1 billion investment plans in Pakistan, which were stonewalled during the regulatory approval process. In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Korean energy firm’s CEO Kim Min Young complained that the company — which operates thermal power stations, pumped-storage power plants, and combined cycle power plants — had been working on two hydropower projects for 10 years but had been blocked at the last stage. He said KOEN, a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), had been developing two run-of-the-river hydropower projects on the Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2016, for a total generation of 467 megawatts. The 229MW Asrit Kedam project and the 238MW Kalam Asrit project totalled a combined investment of approximately $1bn, and the firm had already spent about $25m on the ground. “We write to you today with the greate...

The Green Shirts are set to tour England in May 2027 for a five-match one-day international (ODI) series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday. In a press release, it said that the opening match is scheduled for May 15, 2027 in Southampton, with the series ending on May 26, 2027. The second ODI will be played in Manchester on May 19, while Leeds will host the third match on May 21. The fourth and fifth ODIs will be played in Chester-le-Street and Cardiff on May 23 and 26, respectively, the board said. Pakistan’s men team is currently touring the West Indies for a two-match Test series. Following the series, Pakistan will travel to England for a three-match Test series from August 19 to September 13, the PCB said. The PCB statement added that next year’s five-match ODI series with England will provide both sides an opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be held in October and November and hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Pakistan are currently rank...

Pakistan on Thursday expressed “disappointment” with the European Union’s (EU) recent report that pointed out issues in Pakistan’s compliance with its commitments under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). The report was issued last week as part of the European Commission’s global assessment of the GSP during the 2023-2025 period. It said Pakistan had “regressed in a number of areas while positive change was limited”. Responding to a query during a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi appreciated the report’s “acknowledgement of Pakistan’s legislative progress” and its continued compliance with 27 international conventions under the GSP+. “Nevertheless, I would be remiss if I do not express disappointment with the assessment, with the report’s overall narrative which does not present sufficiently balanced pictures of Pakistan’s performance,” Andrabi added. He said the EU report “understates the breadth of reforms undertaken since Pakistan joined GSP+ ...

Pakistan on Thursday rejected India’s attempt to “distort facts” about the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate, saying that New Delhi’s actions in the aftermath of the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama were “simply illegal”. At a UNSC debate on natural resource governance, Pakistan’s Permanent Representation to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad had highlighted India’s unilateral decision to hold the treaty in abeyance, saying that “no state should be permitted to abuse shared water resources as an instrument of coercion or political pressure, much less when it breaches solemn treaty obligations”. Subsequently, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni had accused Pakistan of “state-sponsored cross-border terrorism”, saying that it had “eroded the basis for bilateral cooperation on the treaty”, according to Indian news agency ANI. He had also asserted New Delhi’s claim on occupied Kashmir. In response, Pakistan’s First Secretary Ansar Sha...

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday held separate meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rehman on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Manila, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and combating irregular migration as well as human smuggling.

WASHINGTON: Pak­ist­an has called for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transitional justice process in the Arab nation, stressing that respect for national sovereignty was essential for bringing lasting peace and stability to Syria. Speaking at an Arria-Formula Meeting in the UN on Transitional Just­ice and Missing Persons in Syria on Tuesday evening, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambas­sador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said efforts to address the consequences of years of conflict must remain under Syrian ownership, with international support serving only a complementary role. “National ownership, reconciliation and inclusive institutions are essential for achieving lasting peace and stability in Syria,” he said. The Pakistani envoy welcomed steps taken by the Syrian government, including the establishment of the National Commission for Trans­itional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons, as well as the preparation of a draft law on transitional justice. “Effective cooperation between Syrian nati...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has invited Samsung to set up the country as a regional hub for manufacturing, refurbishing, and exporting mobile phones. The invitation was extended during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and a delegation led by Samsung Pakistan’s Country Head at the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday. An official announcement said the minister assured the company of the government’s full support in facilitating investment aimed at boosting exports, increasing value addition, and expanding industrial production. The minister encouraged Samsung to look beyond Pakistan’s domestic market and export Pakistan-manufactured smartphones to emerging markets, particularly to Africa and other regions. He said Pakistan should leverage its growing manufacturing base to become part of global supply chains rather than serving only local demand. Mr Kamal also appreciated Samsung’s proposal to establish certified mobile phone refurbishment facilities in Pakistan. He said a regulated refurbishment ecosyst...

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb a day earlier and welcomed Pakistan’s progress in implementing economic reforms and laying the groundwork for a return to international capital markets, the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday. According to a statement, Bessent emphasised the “importance of Pakistan’s work to continue its reforms, become more economically self-reliant, boost growth and strengthen its economic resilience”. “Secretary Bessent welcomed the progress Pakistan has made in restoring macroeconomic stability and advancing fiscal consolidation, recognising the government’s efforts to implement significant economic reforms,” Treasury said. The statement added that Bessent also expressed support for Pakistan’s efforts to build greater economic self-reliance and commended the government’s commitment to creating the conditions for a successful return to international capital markets. The statement, however, did not address Pakistan’s request for a $10 billion...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday hosted the sixth meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Science Foundation, with Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi calling for stronger regional collaboration in science, technology and innovation.

Pakistan and Iran reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in security, border management and regional stability as Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni held wide-ranging talks with Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during his three-day official visit to Islamabad.