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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Poland on Friday discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, with a focus on oil and gas exploration and mineral resource development. The meeting, held between Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and Polish Ambassador to Pakistan Maciej Pisarski, also explored opportunities for technology transfer, joint ventures, and increased foreign […]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan received $3.2 billion in workers’ remittances during July 2025, reflecting a 7.4% year-on-year increase, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported on Friday. According to the central bank, the inflows were primarily sourced from major overseas employment destinations, with the highest contributions coming from Saudi Arabia (US$823.7 million), United Arab Emirates (US$665.2 million), […]

BEIJING: China’s Xinjiang region has resumed seafood imports from Pakistan after a two-year suspension, marking a significant step in strengthening regional trade ties, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Friday. The first shipment of fresh seafood from Pakistan arrived at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, reviving operations at the airport’s designated inspection site for inbound aquatic […]

Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has said Pakistan will welcome the United States or any other country's interest towards the resolution of Kashmir issue.

Pakistan and Qatar have agreed to broaden their partnership to include joint efforts on tackling plastic pollution, promoting environmental sustainability, and boosting green investments, following a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Friday.

Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has cautioned that Israel’s expansionist policies risk escalating regional tensions, reiterating Pakistan’s backing for a just two-state solution to the Palestine issue.

Pakistan is set to become the first South Asian nation to ratify the 2001 Unesco Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH), marking a significant step toward safeguarding its submerged maritime legacy, a statement from the Press Information Department (PID) said on Friday. In recent years, underwater cultural heritage has attracted increasing attention from both the scientific community and the general public. For scientists, it represents an invaluable source of information on ancient civilisations, maritime practices, human use of land and marine environments, and climate change, according to Unesco. The announcement was made by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry during a meeting with Unesco representative Dr Cristina Menegazzi in Islamabad today. The two sides discussed collaborative efforts to document, preserve, and promote Pakistan’s rich underwater archaeological resources. “Pakistan is set to become the first South Asian nation to ratify the 2...

Extreme heat is breaking records around the world, with wildfires and poor air quality compounding the crisis and some areas including southern Pakistan exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released on Thursday. Extreme temperatures caused approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, with 36 per cent occurring in Europe and 45pc in Asia, the report said. The health impacts of heat are especially severe in cities due to the so-called ‘urban heat island effect’ — the over-heating of dense city areas compared with their rural surroundings — which is magnifying problems as urbanisation continues, it was pointed out. Amid rising 21st-century temperatures, the WMO underscored that July 2025 was the third-warmest July ever recorded, behind those in 2023 and 2024. In this record-breaking July, heatwaves especially impacted Sweden and Finland, which experienced unusually long spells of temperatures above 30°C. Southeast Europe...

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has directed the authorities to evaluate the persistent energy sector challenges facing Pakistan and provide a concrete solution to them, ARY News reported. Senior officials, including the Secretaries of Finance and Power, the Minister for Power, and other key stakeholders, attended the meeting in Islamabad. The meeting mainly focused […]

Pakistan is set for an extended holiday next week, with Independence Day and Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) likely to occur on consecutive days.

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani says Pakistan foreign exchange reserves have exceeded twenty billion dollars.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, on Wednesday met with the International Multi Group of Companies, led by its Chairman Amjad Rashid, to explore collaborative ventures in Pakistan’s agricultural sector.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit widened to $2.75 billion in July 2025, marking a 16.02% increase compared to June 2025, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Pakistan’s exports also witnessed an increase of 16.91 percent during the first month of the current fiscal year (July) as compared to the […]

Pakistan lost by 11 runs to Ireland on Wednesday in the first Twenty 20 International (T20I) of their series in Dublin. Skipper Fatima Sana was the pick of the bowlers for the Green Shirts at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, getting a career-best 4-26 as the team looked to kickstart a packed international calendar — featuring two white-ball World Cups — with a winning performance after bowling the Irish side out for 142. However, that was not meant to be, as the Irish side restricted the visitors to 131 in their chase, with all-rounder Orla Prendergast being adjudicated player of the match for her three wickets and 26 runs. In the first innings, Sadia Iqbal, the number one ranked T20I bowler in the world, started her spell by conceding a boundary to Ireland opener Amy Hunter. Skipper Fatima struck in just her second over, bowling an inswinger to dislodge her opposite number Gaby Lewis’s middle stump. The Irish side then recovered to score 48-1 at the end of the powerplay — courtesy five boundaries from opene...

The Trump administration’s abrupt decision to terminate foreign aid, including funding through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered a jolt to Pakistan’s social sector, forcing many organisations to halt projects, lay off staff, and scale back operations. Days after beginning his second term in January, Trump announced a pause in all foreign assistance under his “America First” policy. The move further deepened an already challenging funding environment in Pakistan, where donor fatigue and shifting priorities have chipped away at global aid streams in recent years. Still, the development sector has managed to absorb the initial shocks. Experts say a shift in strategy, bolstered by growing support from the Pakistani diaspora and government contributions, has helped NGOs keep their work alive. “Pakistan’s decades-old development sector, particularly the big NGOs, is deep-rooted and is pursuing a multi-sectoral and multi-donor approach to avoid dependence on one or a few donor...

Pakistan has started to deport documented Afghan refugees ahead of its deadline for them to leave, according to the United Nations, in a move that could see more than 1 million Afghans expelled from the country. The country’s decision follows the interior ministry’s announcement on July 31 that Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders — the last category of Afghans legally residing in Pakistan without visas — became unlawful residents after their cards expired on June 30. However, the federal government has informed the provinces that the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding PoR cards will begin on September 1. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that it had received reports of arrests and expulsions of legally registered Afghans across the country before Pakistan’s September 1 deadline for them to leave. The UNHCR said that sending the Afghans back in this way was a breach of Pakistan’s international obligations. “UNHCR is calling on the go...

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed Pakistan’s interest in benefitting from China’s technological progress for the development of electric vehicles (EVs), state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure — with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. Speaking to the media in Beijing during an official visit, the planning and development minister expressed Pakistan’s “desire to benefit from Chinese technological advancements”, according to Radio Pakistan. This includes the development of next-generation batteries, such as sodium-ion batteries, which offer advantages over traditional lithium technology. Iqbal also reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest in developing the EV sector in partnership with China, noting electric v...

ISLAMABAD - The outgoing Head of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, Dr.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has announced the immediate launch of a voluntary repatriation process for Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (POR) cards, with a broader return operation set to begin on September 1, 2025. The decision follows growing national security concerns and increasing pressure on public resources, according to a high-level meeting convened […]

BEIJING: Pakistan has sought China’s support in developing sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), as Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, identified EVs as a key area of future cooperation between the two countries. Speaking at a press conference at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized Pakistan’s interest […]