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ISLAMABAD - Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, Albert P.

RAWALPINDI - Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI, NI (M) on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s active role towards promoting regional peace and stability, in balancing the relationship between Global North and Global South through dialogue, dignity and principled diplomacy.

The federal government has announced plans to open Pakistan’s electricity market, allowing consumers to choose their power suppliers for the first time in the country’s history.

China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran on Thursday welcomed Pakistan and Afghanistan’s agreement to a 48-hour ceasefire after the two neighbours witnessed a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. China’s foreign ministry said today it supported countries in exercising restraint and realising a full and lasting ceasefire. “China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role for continued improvement in the two countries’ relations, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing. Iran also welcomed the ceasefire between its eastern neighbours, urging dialogue and diplomacy after days of deadly clashes. In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei expressed concern over civilian casualties and called for stronger regional cooperation to combat terrorism, while reaffirming Tehran’s readiness “to assist in any effort to maintain calm and reduce tensions between the two neighbouring Muslim countries”. Meanwhile, Fore...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Islamabad was ready to talk if Kabul agreed to fulfil Pakistan’s “justified” conditions following recent hostilities between the two countries. Pakistan and Afghan­istan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time on October 15 and would last for 48 hours. The announcement followed sustained hostilities between the two countries over the weekend. Addressing the federal cabinet today after the latest round of conflict, the premier stated that the Afghan side had requested a ceasefire and made a formal request. “Yesterday we decided the temporary 48-hour ceasefire [and] the message has been sent that if they want to fulfil our justified conditions through talks, then we are ready. The ball is in their court.” He added that ...

The joint military exercise Dostarym-V between the armies of Pakistan and Kazakhstan is currently underway at the Special Operations School, Cherat, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Pakistan and Kazakhstan have begun a joint counterterrorism training exercise lasting two weeks to improve military-to-military relations, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. Pakistan regularly holds joint military exercises with countries across Asia, the Middle East, and beyond to boost operational readiness, deepen defence cooperation, and improve interoperability. These engagements enable Pakistan to share counterterrorism expertise, reinforce alliances, and project itself as a balanced and responsible regional actor. “Pakistan-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise Dostarym-V is being conducted between the armies of Pakistan and Kazakhstan in [the] counter terrorism domain from 13-24 October 2025 at the Special Operations School, Cherat, Pakistan,” a statement from the ISPR said. “Special Services Group of [the] Pak Army and Special Forces of [the] Kazakhstan Army are participating in the exercise,” it added. According to the statement, the opening ceremony of the exercise was conducted on Tu...

ISLAMABAD - Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce,Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, on Wednesday, called on Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates During the meeting, both dignitaries reviewed the state of bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said yesterday that Pakistan’s election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council with an overwhelming majority of votes reflects the international community’s recognition of Pakistan’s contribution to promoting human rights agenda.

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime on Wednesday agreed to a temporary 48-hour easefire, effective from 6:00pm Wednesday, following days of intense cross-border fighting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

• 48-hour ‘Qatar-brokered’ truce initiated at Afghan Taliban’s request • Both sides pledge to seek resolution through dialogue • Khawaja Asif says ceasefire may not hold as Taliban have become ‘proxy for Delhi’ • Latest round of clashes erupted after Afghan fighters target Chaman border posts overnight • Pakistan confirms retaliatory strikes on militant camps in Kandahar city, Spin Boldak • Two explosions rock Afghan capital; TTP leadership targeted in ‘precision strikes’, state-run PTV reports ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghan­istan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time and would last for 48 hours. “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive resolution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the Foreign Office...

Pakistan’s hopes of of a first victory at the Women’s World Cup were hit by rain on Wednesday with their crucial fixture against England being abandoned after a second downpour at the R. Pramedasa Stadium in Colombo. Chasing a revised target of 113 to win after earlier rains had reduced the match to 31 overs per side, Pakistan were 34-0 in 6.4 overs when rains returned to end any chance of the match being completed. Fatima Sana shone with the ball earlier as England could only make 133-9 after being put into bat. The Pakistan skipper ended with figures of 4-27 that included three of the English top-order batters including their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. England’s innings was interupted in the 25th over when rains first arrived in the Sri Lankan capital before the game resumed several hours later. Having lost their first three matches at the tournament, Pakistan needed a win to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals and they looked a team on a mission. Just in the second over of the first innings, Dia...

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday visited the Huawei booth at GITEX Global 2025—one of the world’s largest and most influential technology exhibitions—and reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Huawei in advancing digital transformation.

The Foreign Office (FO) announced on Wednesday that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a 48-hour temporary ceasefire following recent border clashes.

Pakistan’s passport has further declined in global rankings, falling to 103rd place in the Henley Passport Index 2025, down from last year’s 96th spot.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has emphasized the need to translate the emerging consensus between Pakistan and the US on trade into a broader economic partnership.

Pakistan’s space agency on Wednesday announced the upcoming launch of the country’s first hyperspectral satellite (HS-1) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China, scheduled for October 19. Hyperspectral imaging is a type of advanced camera technology used in satellites to study the Earth and space, according to a study published in the Journal of Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience. Unlike regular satellite cameras that capture only a few colours (like red, green, and blue), hyperspectral cameras capture hundreds of very narrow colour bands. This means they can detect tiny differences in light that the human eye, or even normal satellites, can’t see. Because of this, scientists can use hyperspectral images to identify materials, detect changes in vegetation, find minerals, monitor pollution, or even study the atmosphere in much greater detail than before. According to a statement from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the launch is a “landmark mission [which] repre...

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was South Africa’s chief tormentor as Pakistan won a gripping first Test by 93 runs in Lahore on Wednesday. Set a daunting 277-run target for victory, the visitors and World Test champions were bowled out for 183 on day four. Man of the match Noman finished with 4-79 and 10-191 in the match for his third haul of ten wickets or more in Tests. With the weary Gaddafi Stadium pitch taking sharp turn and low bounce, the 39-year-old Noman exploited the conditions well despite a stubborn 73-run stand between Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton in the morning. In all, spinners from both sides took 34 wickets, with just six going to fast bowlers. South African left-armer Senuran Muthusamy took 11-174 in the match. Pakistan made 378 in their first innings, with South Africa scoring 269 in reply. On a deteriorating surface, the hosts collapsed in their second-innings 167 but it proved enough. On Wednesday, with the tourists 137-6 at lunch the writing was very much on the wall, then Sajid Khan dis...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the second review of the 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

IMF predicts Pakistan’s GDP growth rate at 3.