Pakistan | Pakistan

The foreign ministers of Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement on Thursday, rejecting any attempts to alter the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites. The foreign ministers condemned the “repeated violations of the historic and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites by Israeli occupation authorities”. They particularly deplored the continued incursions by Israeli settlers and “extremist ministers into Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif under Israeli police protection, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards”, the joint statement citing the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said. “The ministers reiterated that these provocative actions at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and represent an unacceptable provocati...

Pakistan rejected Indian propaganda linking it to the 2025 Pahalgam attack on Thursday, deploring that the neighbouring country was focusing on “weaponising its false narrative” in the midst on an ongoing regional crisis. The April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam saw 26 people, mostly tourists, killed in what is being described as the deadliest armed attack in the disputed Himalayan region since the year 2000. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan without any evidence. For its part, Pakistan strongly denied the allegations and called for a neutral investigation. On the attack’s one year anniversary, some in India appeared to link Pakistan again with terrorism. Meanwhile, the Indian army also said that a “response is assured” against acts of terrorism. Subsequently, without referring to any particular instance, the Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad said in a statement: “At a time when Pakistan, along with its international partners, is undertaking concerted diplomatic efforts for regional and international peace ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Jiang Zaidong, during a courtesy call paid on him, where the regional situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s peace efforts also came under discussion.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) made fresh commitments worth $3.672bn to Pakistan in 2025, up 22pc from $2.995bn the previous year, as it ventured into new areas such as the mineral sector. In its Annual Report 2025, released on Thursday, the Manila-based lending agency also reported new financial support commitments of $1.485bn to the public sector for the year, a one-third increase from $1.113bn in 2024. Most of these loan commitments were made on ordinary commercial terms. “In Pakistan, a policy-based guarantee is helping to mitigate credit risk for commercial bank lending to smaller enterprises and to mobilise commercial financing of $1bn,” the bank said, adding that under ADB’s approach to supporting critical minerals-to-manufacturing value chains, it approved an innovative financing package for a copper-gold mine in Pakistan to strengthen the global copper supply chain. The bank will also provide advisory support to Pakistan to prepare road maps for digital skills development, in addition to investing ...

ISLAMABAD: After a gap of 28 months, state-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) on Thursday floated urgent tenders to import three LNG cargoes for delivery between April 27 and May 8 amid rising temperatures and a power shortfall. PLL has set April 24 (Friday) as the deadline for bids, which will be opened the same day, given the urgent need to meet power demand that fell short by more than 4,500MW at peak, resulting in six to seven hours of loadshedding. The tender was issued following Qatar’s reluctance to dispatch LNG cargoes stranded in the Gulf due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Three LNG cargoes meant for Pakistan had earlier returned from Hormuz for security reasons. All three tenders are for cargoes of 140,000 cubic metres each, to be delivered on a delivered ex-ship (DES) basis. Each cargo typically supplies around 100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to Pakistan. Last month, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) notified a massive 19–22 per cent increase in the price of regasified liquefi...

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Wednesday that the Islamic republic appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to end the Middle East war, without commenting on a ceasefire extension announced by the United States. He expressed these views while answering reporters’ questions, a statement by Iran’s foreign ministry said, adding that Baqaei was asked about Pakistan’s request to extend a ceasefire agreed between Tehran and Washington on April 8. Iranian foreign ministry’s statement said that while “expressing gratitude for Pakistan’s gracious efforts and mediation attempts to end the imposed war and establish peace in the region”, Baqaei stressed that Tehran “is taking the necessary measures to safeguard Iran’s national interests and security”. He added that Iranian armed forces stood “ready to comprehensively and decisively defend the nation’s integrity against any threat or hostility”. When asked about the possibility of a second round of talks with the US, the statement said, Baqaei replied: “Di...

ISLAMABAD: In an apparent push to modernise border control and cut wait time for travellers, Pakistan appears to be moving towards a “one-window” airport clearance system using e-gates and smart scanners, with a joint strategy by the Ministries of Defence and Interior coming under detailed discussion on Wednesday. The plan comes amid growing international passenger traffic and repeated complaints of congestion at major airports. In 2025, Pakistan handled 25.4 million domestic and international passengers, up 12 per cent year-on-year, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data. On Wednesday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a high-level meeting to address the dual challenge of facilitating outbound passengers while strengthening checks against human smuggling. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Muhammad Ali, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) DG Dr Usman Anwar and other officials. ...

Pakistan has announced plans to modernise air traffic management at its two busiest aviation hubs, Jinnah International Airport and Allama Iqbal International Airport, in an effort to strengthen safety standards and improve operational performance.

A surge in temperatures has gripped several parts of Pakistan, with the mercury rising above 40°C in areas of Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab.

Pakistan’s freelance economy is rapidly expanding, contributing significantly to the country’s foreign exchange reserves, with earnings reaching $856 million by the third quarter of the current fiscal year.

Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyard by illegal Israeli settlers, calling the act a serious violation of international law and the sanctity of the holy site.

KARACHI: Pakistan women’s team head coach Adeel Rizki has called for regular camps and increased international fixtures as the only path to sustained progress, days after his side finished third in their maiden FIFA Series campaign in Ivory Coast. “The most important thing is continuity — regular camps and international matches,” Adeel said. “The players need consistent time together to build understanding, improve fitness levels and develop cohesion as a team. Without that continuity, progress becomes very difficult. If we can ensure that, you’ll see clear and measurable improvement.” His words echoed those of forwards Nadia Khan and Aqsa Mushtaq, who earlier pointed to the same fundamental obstacle: Pakistan women play too few games. Aqsa noted it had been “a whole year” since the team last played Indonesia before this tournament, while Nadia called for regular mini-camps for local players to bridge the gap with diaspora team-mates who have club training abroad. When asked what he had learned about the squa...

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said that even a year on, India has failed to provide evidence for its allegations against Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack. The April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam saw 26 people, mostly tourists, killed in what is being described as the deadliest armed attack in the disputed Himalayan region since the year 2000. “To this day, India has not presented any solid evidence or proof regarding the Pahalgam incident, nor has it offered satisfactory explanations,” Tarar said in a televised statement issued on the incident’s anniversary. He recalled India’s refusal to accept Pakistan’s offer for a neutral and transparent investigation into the Pahalgam attack, adding that it “raises serious questions and suggests that the incident may have been a false flag operation”. “The false flag operation in Pahalgam reflects a mindset that is hollow — driven by false pride, arrogance and greed,” he contended. “Let me make it very clear that this was the last false flag operation ...

Pakistan condemned in “strongest terms” on Tuesday the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound and the raising of Israel’s flag in its courtyard, terming the acts “reprehensible”. The condemnation issued by the Foreign Office said “these reprehensible acts constitute a blatant violation of international law, as well as of the sanctity and inviolability of the holy site. Such provocative steps also risk further escalating tensions in the region”. It stated that the acts of storming and the “raising of the occupying power’s flag” were carried out “by illegal Israeli settlers”. The settlers forced their way into the site through the mosque’s Mughrabi Gate, under heavy police protection, according to an Anadolu reporter. Videos circulating on social media showed occupiers performing Talmudic rituals and prayers aloud, including what is referred to as “epic prostration”, particularly in the eastern area of the compound. Photos shared online also showed two occupiers raising the Israeli flag inside the compound, wi...

ISLAMABAD - The US president late Tuesday issued a new statement on Truth Social:“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until.

ISLAMABAD - The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) received $1 billion from the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking the second tranche of a $3 billion deposit agreed recently.

Azerbaijan ready to supply LNG to Pakistan

Pakistan is awaiting an official response from Iran regarding the confirmation of its delegation for the second round of proposed talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday.

Pakistan has extended its airspace closure for all Indian civilian and military aircraft until May 24, 2026, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Former prime minister and president of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Nawaz Sharif, on Tuesday praised the country’s top leadership for strengthening Pakistan’s international standing.