Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan on Tuesday sought regional countries’ cooperation to counter threats emerging from Afghanistan during the Moscow Format Consultations held in the Russian capital on Tuesday. Pakistan’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq addressed the moot, which was also attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The consultations, held at the level of special representatives and senior officials of Afghanistan, were attended by India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. For the first time, the Afghan delegation participated in the meeting as a member. Russia became the first country to recognise the Taliban government in July this year. A delegation from Belarus also attended the meeting as guests. “I spoke about the urgent need for collective regional efforts to effectively counter terrorism and dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil,” Ambassador Sadiq told the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format. Sadiq said he also highligh...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who was detained by Israel last week after it intercepted a flotilla of boats carrying aid for Gaza, had arrived at the Pakistan embassy in Amman, Jordan and was in “good health and high spirits”, adding that he would return on October 9. Ahmad led the Pakistani delegation on the 45-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which left Spain last month to break Israel’s blockade of aid to Gaza with activists and politicians, including Greta Thunberg, on board. However, as it approached Gaza, Israeli forces intercepted it, detaining the activists on board before deporting them. In a post on social media platform X, Dar said, “I am pleased to confirm that former senator Mushtaq has been released and is now safely with [the] Pakistan embassy in Amman. He is in good health and high spirits.” He said that the embassy stood ready to facilitate his return to Pakistan at his wish. “[I] am pleased to e...

The United States will supply Pakistan with advanced air-to-air missiles under a modified agreement between defence contractor Raytheon and the US Air Force, marking a renewed phase of defence cooperation between the two countries.

A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday, marking a new chapter in Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations.

A high-level business delegation from Saudi Arabia, led by the Chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, has arrived in Islamabad to discuss trade, investment, and collaboration, the Foreign Office (FO) said today. The development follows Pakistan forming an 18-member committee to oversee bilateral economic engagements and negotiations with the Kingdom. Last month, the two countries also signed a mutual defence agreement, pledging a joint response to any act of aggression. According to an FO statement, Prince Mansour and his accompanying delegation will “hold meetings with the Pakistani leadership and engage with senior government officials, chambers of commerce and leading business groups to explore avenues for enhanced bilateral trade and investment cooperation.” It added that the visit underscored the deep-rooted and brotherly ties between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reflecting their shared commitment to expanding economic and investment partne...

Pakistan will be sold Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) by United States defence group Raytheon following a modification in the firm’s contract that included the country in the list of buyers, it emerged on Tuesday. The US missiles are equipped on F-16 Falcons flown by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). A September 30 press release on the contracts issued by the US Department of War for the US Air Force said Raytheon was awarded a $41.6 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for the enhanced C8 and D3 AMRAAM variants and their production. It added that the modification brought the total cumulative face value of the contract to $2.5 billion from $2.47bn. “Work will be performed at Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by May 30, 2030. This contract involves foreign military sales to United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Japan, Slovak...

Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to “actively” pursue a just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with its resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, warning that lasting peace in South Asia will remain elusive without resolving this decades-old issue.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam on Monday pressed the international community to help Pakistan in repatriating Afghan refugees to their country. Muqam was speaking at the 76th Session of the Executive Committee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, which is running from October 6-10, according to a press release from the ministry. “It is now our shared responsibility to facilitate safe and dignified return of displaced Afghans to their country. However, durable returns require investments, in countries of refugee origin for peace, stability, schools, clinics, and livelihoods to make return viable,” he was quoted as having said. Pakistan announced the phased repatriation of millions of Afghans in 2023 over security concerns and reasoning that the decades-long conflict had ended in Afghanistan. Currently, the repatriation of nearly 1.3 million registered Afghans is underway. Muqam said repeated calls for such support, alongside predict...

Pakistan has constituted an 18-member committee to carry out bilateral economic engagements and negotiations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a notification issued on Sunday by the Prime Minister’s Office said. According to the notification, made available to Dawn.com today, the committee will be co-chaired by Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik and the national coordinator for Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ahmad. The notification, dated October 5, said that the co-chairs “shall constitute core/negotiation teams for negotiations with the Saudi counterparts”. These teams, per the notification, shall be responsible for implementing and executing the assigned tasks on a fast-track basis. “The prime minister has directed that the SIFC shall submit proposals for the travel of members of the committee from Pakistan to KSA and back, and the PMO will ensure that these are processed/approved within one hour of the same working day,” the notification further said. P...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday termed his Malaysian counterpart’s announcement of the import of Halal meat worth $200 million from Pakistan a “welcome step”, which he said would further augment engagement in this sector between the countries. The PM’s remarks came in a post on X after he addressed a joint press conference alongside Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya following bilateral talks between the two leaders. PM Shehbaz had also mentioned during the press conference that the Malaysian premier had indicated interest in meat exports from Pakistan. PM Shehbaz, who reached Malaysia yesterday on a state visit, further shared in his post that he had a “most productive exchange of views with my dear brother Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya today”. “We held wide-ranging discussions on ways to further strengthen our historic partnership — focusing on trade and investment, climate, defence, education, and tourism.” The prime minister added that the two leaders also had an in-de...

Chairman Senate, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, is leading Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation to the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) being held in Barbados.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with British Member of Parliament Lord Shaukat Mahmood on Monday to discuss ways to further strengthen Pakistan–United Kingdom relations and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.

Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Information & Broadcasting for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment for peace rather than war.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed ongoing diplomatic efforts, through Pakistan’s embassy in Amman, to ensure the safe return of former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan.

Pakistan and Malaysia on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade, education, technology, and governance, as Kuala Lumpur announced plans to import $200 million worth of halal meat from Pakistan.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has advised fishermen in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan to remain extremely cautious today as the powerful tropical cyclone Shakti moves closer to Pakistan’s coastline.

In a major step toward Pakistan’s digital transformation, Google has officially launched its AI Plus Plan in the country, providing advanced artificial intelligence tools and services to users nationwide.

SIALKOT - Federal Minister for Defense Khawaja Asif said that the defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is due to the victory of the battle of truth.

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan, H.

Abyan Amir was reporting live from R. Premadasa Stadium. India eventually finished the match with a comfortable win but at the halfway mark it could have been anyone’s game. The hosts were bowled for a below par 247 but in the end that turned out to be too much for the Pakistani batters who folded for 159. There were plenty of stops in between due to bugs, fumigation and the humidity causing frequent drink breaks. Diana Baig ended up with four wickets and cleaned up India’s tail as well but it was captain Fatima Sana who shifted the momentum after a good start for India in the power play. Pakistan go into the next encounter with Australia on the 8th with losses next to their name. Fatima Sana’s players need some introspection to their batting approach if they are to compete to go into the next stage of the World Cup. India’s players celebrate their victory at the end of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 one-day international (ODI) match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa International Cricket...