Pakistan | Pakistan

Indian police have arrested scores of people for allegedly “sympathising” with Pakistan, a month after the worst conflict between the arch-rivals for decades, a top government official said on Sunday. The arrests took place in the northeastern state of Assam, where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “81 anti-nationals are now behind bars for sympathising with Pak”. Sarma, from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, said in a statement, “Our systems are constantly tracking anti-national posts on social media and taking actions”. One of the persons was arrested after he posted a Pakistani flag on his Instagram, Assam police told AFP. No further details about other arrests were given. There has been a wider clampdown on social media since an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-occupied Kashmir, the deadliest on civilians in the disputed territory in decades. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the terrorists it said carried out the attack, charges that Pakistan denied. I...

India’s Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had “misled the nation”, amid a furore about the now-acknowledged aircraft losses to Pakistan during the recent conflict. The remarks come a day after India’s top general confirmed that his country’s fighter jets were downed by Pakistan but did not specify a number. That admission followed a statement by Subrahmanyam Swamy, a member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but a staunch critic of the Indian premier, that Pakistan had downed five Indian planes. “The Modi govt has misled the nation. The fog of war is now clearing,” Kharge wrote in a post on X. He said that in the wake of the remarks made by India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan in Singapore during an interview, there were some very important questions which needed to be asked. “These can only be asked if a Special Session of the Parliament is immediately convened,” he said. “The Congress party demands a comprehensive rev...

The Global Water Organisation (GWO) has officially launched its operations from its headquarters in Riyadh, with founding member states, including Pakistan, signing its charter. The newly established organisation — formed under the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and the patronage of the Saudi environment minister — aims to enhance international collaboration to address the growing pressures on global water systems. Aside from Pakistan, the founding countries of the GWO include Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, Greece, Senegal and Mauritania. According to a statement from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Sunday, the launching event “marked a major milestone in fostering international collaboration to address global water challenges.” Federal Minister for Water Resources, Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo, represented Pakistan at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadley, to share the country’s perspec...

Pakistan’s top military man General Sahir Shamshad Mirza has stressed the need to move towards conflict resolution instead of management, warning that its absence could result in a destructive escalation. The remarks follow a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. As New Delhi launched air strikes in early May, killing civilians, Pakistan downed five Indian jets in retaliation. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. Gen Mirza, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, made the remarks at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue 2025 organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore on Saturday evening. During a panel discussion, titled “Regional Crisis-Management Mechanisms”, Gen Mirza said: “It has become imperative to move beyond conflict management...

• Chauhan curious why their jets were downed • Claims conflict never came close to a nuclear war • Says ‘channels of communication’ with Islamabad were open • BJP leader says PAF shot down five Indian aircraft NEW DELHI: A day after a BJP politician and staunch critic of Prime Minister Nare­ndra Modi, Subrahmanyam Swamy, claimed Pakistan had downed five Indian planes in the recent military escalation, India’s top military general admitted losses. In an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan admitted losses but dismissed Pakistan’s claims that it shot down six Indian jets, including four Rafales, as “absolutely incorrect”. “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down… Why they were down, what mistakes were made — that are important. Numbers are not important,” he said. In a separate interview to Reuters, Gen Chauhan said the losses India suffered were in the initial stages, on May 7, when ...

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) of Pakistan, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, has warned of the increasing danger of nuclear conflict in South Asia, urging the urgent establishment of crisis management frameworks and meaningful dialogue between regional powers.

Pakistan today joins the international community in marking World Parents Day, paying heartfelt tribute to the unwavering love, sacrifices, and guidance of parents who shape not only their children’s futures but the moral fabric of society as a whole.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Saturday expressed grave concern over the alarming rise in Islamophobic incidents across India and called upon the Government of India to uphold the rights and safety of all its citizens, regardless of faith.

PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman on Saturday expressed “serious concern” over Pakistan topping the list of countries most affected by climate change, stating that training Pakistanis to protect themselves from severe weather is the need of the hour. The Climate Risk Index (CRI), published by Germanwatch, ranks countries by the human and economic toll of extreme weather. The latest edition highlights increasing losses and the urgent need for stronger climate resilience and action. In the report published in February, Pakistan was ranked as the most vulnerable country to climate change in 2022, followed by Belize and Italy. Rehman shared the report to her X page, stating that Pakistan had been listed in the report as the country most affected by climate change. “CRI ranks countries by the human and economic toll of extreme weather, measuring realised risk,” she wrote, adding that the report “should serve as a huge wake-up call”. In a longer statement published by the PPP, Rehman regretted that Pakistan ...

Pakistan on Saturday said India was violating its international human rights obligations by its “deliberate incitement” against Muslims in its own territory. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries in the wake of their recent military confrontation, sparked by New Delhi’s allegations levelled without evidence against Islamabad over a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Responding to media queries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement: “The targeting of Muslims through hate speech, discriminatory actions, and state complicity is a matter of serious concern for the international community. “At a time when restraint and reconciliation are most needed, the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes violates international human rights obligations and vitiates the prospects for communal harmony, and regional stability,” it added. Pakistan expressed “grave concern over the alarming ris...

India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan confirmed on Saturday that his country’s fighter jets were shot down by Pakistan during the four-day conflict earlier in the month. Indian fighter jets were shot down by the Pakistan Air Force on the night of May 6-7 in response to the Indian Air Force’s late-night missile strikes at six Pakistani sites, including Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East, Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad, Abbas Mosque in Kotli, Umalkura Mosque in Muridke, the village of Kotki Lohara in Sialkot district, and Shakargarh. Pakistan took down six Indian jets, including three advanced French Rafale planes. According to a Dawn report, the recent clash between India and Pakistan marks a significant development in the regional air power constellation. Three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, one Mirage 2000 and one MiG-29 were downed within a 40-minute span. Not one Pakistani jet crossed the border or engaged in close combat. While speaking to Bloomberg at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Ge...

Pakistan’s pre-Hajj flight operation is set to conclude today (Saturday), marking the final phase of transporting pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025.

Hours after Pakistan decided to enhance ties with Afghanistan yesterday, the Afghan foreign ministry welcomed the decision and announced upgrading the status of its chargé d’affaires in Islamabad to ambassador. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relations by exchanging envoys earlier this month — a key step towards normalising ties after years of strained relations due to terrorism concerns repeatedly voiced by Islamabad. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an ambassador,” the Afghan foreign ministry said on its X account late on Friday. “In reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the status of its mission in Islamabad from chargé d’affaires to ambassador,” the ministry added. Zakir Jalaly, an Afghan foreign ministry official, wrote on X that the current chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, will ...

Pakistan has voiced deep concern over the increasing incidents of Islamophobia in India, urging New Delhi to ensure the protection and rights of all its citizens, regardless of their religion.

LAHORE: Sahibzada Farhan looked keen on making up for lost time. Almost six months since he last represented Pakistan, the flamboyant opener sparkled with a career-best 74 as hosts trounced a hapless Bangladesh by 57 runs in the second Twenty20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday to seal the three-match series with a game to spare. With Sahibzada in full flow — having returned to the national team fold after an impressive show in the Pakistan Super League — and Hasan Nawaz making a quickfire 51 not out, Pakistan amassed 201-6 after electing to bat. The bowlers then came to the fore as Bangladesh lost their way after a bright start; spinner Abrar Ahmed being the destroyer-in-chief with 3-19 as Pakistan bundled them out for 144 with only Tanzim Hasan Sakib (50) offering some late resistance. It was Pakistan’s first series victory since they beat Zimbabwe in December last year. Sahibzada’s poor return in that series had seen him fall out of national reckoning, but on his return, he set the tone for Pa...

ISLAMABAD - In a first open confession, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has admitted that Pakistan shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets during the airpower combat be-tween the two countries.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday upgraded its diplomatic representation in Afghanistan from a Chargé d’Affaires to an ambassador-level envoy, signalling improvement in bilateral ties and an intent to pur-sue deeper cooperation on regional security and economic integration.

Pakistan, China vow to make joint strides for regional peace.

Pakistan’s formal negotations with the United States on recirpocal tariffs started on Friday with a phone call between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, a press release from the finance ministry said. The increase in trade tariffs on Pakistani products announced by US President Donald Trump, which were paused, could have a devastating impact on Pakistan’s important exports and served as a wake-up call for diversification, according to a state-owned think tank. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics warned that these tariffs would have a “devastating impact” on the country’s export sector, translating into an annual loss of $1.1-1.4 billion. According to the finance ministry, Aurangzeb and Greer “exchanged their view point through a constructive engagement, with the understanding that technical level detailed discussions would follow in the coming few weeks”. “Both sides expressed confidence in advancing these negotiations for successful conclusion at the ...

India has once again dismissed former US President Donald Trump’s claims of mediating between India and Pakistan during recent border tensions.